The Vultures Will Feed, fiction by Curtis Ippolito
G ary Ray prays his fleece-lined Carhartt, wool socks, and thermos of coffee will keep him warm enough to see daylight. The chill created by underarm sweat and the steel trimmings of the shotgun he hugs does him no favors in that regard. He stands. Rests the shotgun on the folding lawn chair. Stretches. Exhaled breath pours from his mouth in frosty plumes as he glares at the fogged-over glass door to his store. The pink piece of paper glued to the other side indicates the Randall County Sheriff’s Office will seize the property at 1607 4 th Avenue, Canyon, TX, and everything within its four walls at seven a.m. Four hours from now. Gary’s under no illusion his stand will stop the morning’s events from happening, but like any Texan worth his salt, he won’t go down without a fight. And fight’s all he has left. Turning around, two camping lanterns allow him to see what’s left of the small business handed down to him fifteen years prior. RAY’S SPORTING GOODS. Empty metal shelves d...