Soteria- The Crisis Forge

by Roberto Arcoleo

  They hurried up to the private room. Over an unconscious Gary, Helena began to cry while BoBo frantically shook him. Gary was lying on the floor, his eyes rolled up into his head with a needle in his vein. Blood dripped down from the puncture in his arm, and his body gyrated frantically. He was in convulsions and close to death.

  “He’s going to die! He’s going to die!” screamed Helena. BoBo, glazed over and half incapacitated, was shaking Gary, hoping that in some way he could pull him back from the brink.

  Jason quickly moved in front of them and put his hand on Gary’s chest. He weakened the effects of the drugs and restarted his heart, slowly bringing him back. Gary started to breathe normally, and his body relaxed. Jason allowed him to remain unconscious then said, “He’s okay. Just a little too much junk… What did you guys take? Not that Mexican stuff, I hope.”

  Helena started to pant. “Oh my God! Oh my God! I thought he was dead for sure! Is he okay? Is he really okay?”

  Jason looked back and said harshly, “You guys are always getting so fucked up! Why can’t you just chill out and stop getting so… so… Well… dial it back a bit, anyway.”

  Jason was annoyed. He was tired of babysitting them, always being there to pull them out of trouble, always there to protect them, to carry them. He gave them money. He gave them the music, and he was getting fed up. He needed them tonight. This once, he needed to feel he belonged to something, to someone. He needed friends.

  They’re not the only good musicians in New York, especially Gary, who is always completely stoned. Why can’t he hold it together? Jason paused, well… they are human, I shouldn’t ask too much of them.

  “Listen, guys, I am going downstairs for a drink. You guys stay with Gary, and we will make some music later when he is more up for it,” said Jason.

  “Oh, Jason! I was really scared this time. I was sure he was gone,” said Helena, still shaking.

  Gary mumbled, “What the fuck, holy shit! That was really fucked up!”

  “You really scared me, Gary!” said Helena.

  “Yeah, you scared the shit out of me!” echoed BoBo.

  “You know…you guys were all together. You are supposed to watch out for each other. This kind of shit should not happen. We cannot make it as a group with this kind of thing going on,” grumbled Jason.

  Helena spoke, “I am really sorry, Jason. He must have gotten a strong batch or something. We all took it, but we had separate balloons. We always got our dope in bags, this west coast guy is selling the stuff. I never trusted him. He went down so fast. I am going to kill him if I see again, that punk L.A. jerk!”

  “It’s okay,” said Jason. “Relax… Just try and be more careful when you don’t know what you’re getting. Anyway, I’ll be back later. Just watch him for a while, and don’t let him take anything else, and I mean anything else. I want to play later. I need music.”

  “Okay,” said BoBo.

  “I’ll watch him,” said Helena. They could see how angry Jason was.

  Jason left and went back downstairs. Instead of going to his table, he went to the bar. He picked an empty spot and leaned against it, standing. He was looking around when he heard Angela’s voice.

  “Hi, baby, why so glum…? And where is your gang?”

  “They’re upstairs, completely fucked up.”

  Angela’s voice was refreshing. That sweet Italian accent, that bubbly tone she always seemed to have, that twinkle in her eye and she smelled so good. He liked her, and he liked her more every time he saw her.

  “I’m here, my sweet bambino,” she said, nudging up closer to him. “Don’t look sad. We had some real fun the other night, no? What happened to you? We woke up and you were gone. We weren’t done with you, you know,” she said, smiling. “That Chinese chick was really fun. I got her number. She wants me to call her. She told me to tell you… she likes you, too. Big time. You know what I mean?” Angela giggled.

  Jason laughed. Angela is such an up, so full of life. She is never crying or needy, like Helena. She may not be as beautiful or talented, but she’s really alive, and so cute.

  “You’re such a trip. There are no limits with you,” responded Jason. “I really like that about you, Angela.”

  “I like you too, Jason. Why do you always want to be with that Helena? She is down so much. I’m a lot more fun. You have to live, Jason. My mother always said there might only be today, so live.”

  “Your mother sounds like a wise woman,” declared Jason.

  “You know, where I come from, life is hard. The ground is dry. The nights are cold, and during the day, the sun beats down and roasts your skin until you think it will bake the soul out of your body. But, you know, it made me strong, like the vines of the grape. The more they struggle, the sweeter the grape, and the sweeter the grape, the more delicious the wine.” She laid it on thick. “Sweet like me, no?” She batted her eyes. Angela’s body language was always perky. Her Italian flavor spiced every word.

  “You’re a real philosopher,” said Jason.

  “Well, I didn’t go to school much, but I know I must be strong, and I know what I like, and I like to live. You gave me my freedom, Jason. I will never forget that. Now, let me give back to you.” She pushed up against him harder. “I really like you, Jason… a lot.”

  “I like you, too, Angela. Say, I am going to make some new music upstairs later. Do you want to come listen?”

  “No, I don’t want to hang around Helena, but I will be down here all night. You can come find me later if you want.”

  “Well… Yeah, she was a bit mean to you. Okay, then… I’ll find you later.”

  “Great… But she is a bitch!” she said, laughing, making sure she had the last word on the subject. “I got to work now. Come find me. I’ll see you later.”

  Jason smiled as Angela answered the call of the customers and darted back to the tables. He turned to go back upstairs to the band, but then there was a flash. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw something. It was there, and then behind him, and then it was gone. Again, it came; they were over there, and there again! They looked like oversized teddy bears that belonged in a Macy’s Christmas window.

  What is going on? He thought. It was clear that no one else could see them. What are they? He instinctively knew that they were not from his home world. But they knew him, that was for sure. He tried to communicate, but every time he made an overture, they disappeared. He felt confident that they meant no harm. It seemed they were just curious. Jason, baffled, waved, and they vanished.

  Jason walked up the stairs to see how the group was doing. When he entered the room, he saw that the group had not recovered much from their evening of intoxication. Gary and BoBo were strolling through the world of opiate dreams, barely able to speak, mumbling nonsensical stories to each other. They were drooling words and were as unintelligible as monkeys chattering in a banana tree. It would seem to a distant onlooker that they comprehended each other’s words, but when one fell within earshot of them, there were actually just bits of vowels and consonants. They continued this theater of the incomprehensible with great animation and effect, arms waving, facial expressions intense and earnest. Helena looked on, rolling her eyes toward the ceiling at regular intervals. Jason could see that there would be no music tonight.

  He walked up to Helena. “I guess we are not playing tonight.”

  “We can. We can,” she said, attempting to get her legs underneath her.

  “No, I’m leaving. Maybe you guys should really think about whether or not you want to be serious about this group.” Helena was taken aback, and BoBo and Gary picked up their heads.

  “We’re serinusis… Ah, serious…” mumbled BoBo. “Anyone could get fucked up. It wasn’t our fault. It was that junk! It was fucked up stuff. We didn’t know.” The words slurred from his lips.

  “Okay, whatever. There’s tomorrow but be straight. Okay?”

  Helena blurted out, “We will be. I am so sorry, Jason.”

  Jason left
the private room to go back downstairs. I am going to find Angela. At least I can forget things for a while and have some fun. I need to stop thinking.

  Jason turned and could see that Angela was but a few feet away.

  She approached him and said, “So, you’re gonna hang with Nico and Lou tonight? Oh well, I guess we’ll do it another time.”

  “No,” he answered. “I want to be with you tonight.”

  Angela smiled. “Wanna go to my place? The roommates are out of town, but I’ll call the Chinese chick if you like. Or just me? Maybe I’ll check out early. There are too many girls working tonight, anyway.”

  “You can call her later, if you want. But let’s go now. I don’t want to get lassoed by Nico and Lou.”

  “Sure, baby. Let’s get out of here. Why don’t you wait outside?”

  “Good idea,” responded Jason.

  Angela walked up to the bartender and told him she was leaving early. She went into the back to get her coat and bag. Jason stepped out onto the street.

  There they are again!

  Those fuzzy little overgrown teddy bears. Who the hell are they, why are they waving madly as if they were greeting a president?

  What is going on? Who are these creatures?

  He watched Angela come out through the door, then he turned back to look; the creatures were gone.

  Angela saw that Jason looked startled. “Are you okay, baby? Is there something wrong?”

  He paused. “No, nothing is wrong. But… Never mind. Let’s grab a cab.”

  “But we can walk,” she said. “It is only eight blocks.”

  “No, let’s grab a cab. I don’t feel like the streets.”

  Jason and Angela got into a cab.

  “What’s wrong bambino mio? You look like you saw a ghost. Come back. Your mind is a thousand miles away.”

  “Sorry,” answered Jason. “But I just can’t seem to. No, it’s nothing. I just had something on my mind about the band. So, my Italian sweet cake, we’re going to your place, right? I have never been there. Is it as nice as you are pretty?”

  “No, baby. Not that nice,” she answered. “And not nearly as pretty as me, but no one is home.” She smiled. “And that’s what counts.”

  “I am looking forward to some alone time with you, Angela. I feel really comfortable when I’m near you. Everything seems to just fade away. You know, you are like a drug to me. You make me feel good when I’m around you.”

  “Yeah, just what the doctor ordered,” she answered with a raised eyebrow.

  The doctor, Jason thought. I must talk to Abernathy. He can help me understand a lot about what the Council is up to. First, I’ll talk to Mark and then Abernathy. I wonder if Mark and I would be able to see him together. That would be great. Us together.

  “Hey, baby. You are drifting away again. Come back to me.” She leaned into him and reached in for a tender little kiss on Jason’s lips. “You’re not paying attention to me. Come over here and give me some.” She reached down between his legs, letting her fingers search. “You can’t take me out and ignore me.”

  Jason cupped Angela’s face and gently gave her a kiss on the lips. “Sorry, baby. I have a lot on my mind.”

  They arrived at Angela’s place. It was a railroad apartment on the third floor of an old tenement walk-up. The kitchen boasted a bathtub that seemed to have been sitting there since the turn of the century, and behind the tub was wainscoting that looked twice as old. Even where you could see that Angela had scrubbed the walls, the dull paint underneath revealed more grime. The end room on the street side of the building doubled as a bedroom-living room combination. Two smaller rooms linked it to the kitchen. The place looked as if a bomb had gone off; clothing sprawled all over the furniture, and undergarments were piled up in the corner.

  “Sorry for the mess. My roommate left for the coast in a hurry. She’s a slob, anyway. Just push the stuff out of your way.”

  Angela walked Jason to the larger room where a mattress and box spring doubled as a sofa. She turned on two lava lamps. Two were already burning. The bed was covered with brightly colored throw pillows.

  “Take off your coat, and I’ll get some wine. I have some pot if you like.”

  “No, thanks. Not in the mood for that.” Jason hated the smell of pot, and of course it had no effect upon him.

  “Okay, whatever you like, baby. Just wine, then,” she answered. “You know, I am really happy you’re here, it means a lot to me.”

  “I’m glad I’m here too.”

  “I never really thought this would happen, you know? That night at the club… Well, I thought that would be it, just a thing that happened. But you’re here. Can I ask you something, Jason? And please, you tell me the truth.”

  “Sure, Angela, what?”

  “You know, you are such a cool guy, so smart, and so talented. You could have any girl you want. Am I dreaming that you could ever really go for a girl like me? A little Italian country girl?” she said timidly.

  Jason knew he could never really reveal himself to Angela. Too much innocence was housed within that lustful mind. He could understand her want for him, but to trust her… no. He was would have to remain a secret.

  “You’re not a poor country girl anymore. And even though you came from a small place, you are very special, Angela. I don’t care about pretense or any of that phony stuff. I just care about how you make me feel when I am around you. And you make me feel good. But let me tell you, please, don’t get hung up on me, Angela. There is no future in it.”

  “See, I was right. You could never go for an Italian country girl like me.”

  “No! That’s not it. It’s just that… that there are a lot of things going on, and there may be some things that are going to take me away, maybe for good.” Jason hung his head as the words left his lips.

  “What do you mean? What’s wrong? Are you in trouble? It’s not Lucasie is it? I’m frightened for you. And it’s all my fault. Oh!” she cried.

  “No, no. Angela… No, it’s something much larger.”

  “What can be bigger than those guys? Is it the Russians?”

  Jason laughed. “No, not the Russians, either. Anyway, don’t worry. I’ll handle it.” Jason lay back on the bed as he spoke. He took a deep breath.

  Angela snuggled up to him, “Okay, let’s just relax, then. We have all night.” She kissed his lips.

  “Yeah. That sounds good.” He rolled over onto her, kissing her gently.

  The hours passed quickly as they made love. Her moans were deep and her cravings loud. His hands glided along the sweat of her exhausted body, while her mouth was forever searching.

  This was a new feeling for her, this all-in love for a man. Angela had no trepidations; she knew she could never own him, but that did not overcome her hunger for him. They stopped only when Angela reached for a cigarette. For a time, Jason lost himself in the rapture of Angela’s arms, and the dread of what lay ahead faded. He felt at peace. Peace, even for a short time, was welcomed.

  Then the phone rang. Angela answered it. She spoke for a moment from the other room and came back.

  “It’s Saya!” she yelled. “Is it alright if she comes over?”

  Jason, although taken by surprise, smiled.

  She turned back to the phone. “He wants you to come. Please come – he has something on his mind that is troubling him. Come and help me make it go away.” She turned again to Jason. “She says she can help you forget all your problems.” Angela laughed out loud and spoke into the phone. “And you better help me forget mine too!”

  Jason wanted to see her again, especially since he had recognized her. “Yes, tell her to come, but don’t let her fool you. Her real name is Feiyan,” he said loudly, knowing she would hear.

  “You’re in for some fun tonight, baby!” Angela giggled, and she gave Saya her address.

  As she was hanging up, she heard Saya reply, “And tell him I heard what he said, and tell him I think he is a ghost. I will be right ove
r.”

  Saya arrived within the hour, and the three wasted no time inventing ways to explore pleasure. Yet, when Saya’s eyes locked with Jason’s, the two shared an uneasy communication; she wanted more than his body. She wanted to know this mysterious being she was next to, this ghost that had come into her life. When Angela fell asleep, Saya seized the opportunity to talk to Jason.

  “How do you know my real name? My Chinese name. What else do you know about me?”

  “Does it matter how I know?” He responded, “You know that I am not here to harm you. I am not the assassin you dread. I know you fear no one, yet you fear me, don’t you?” He smiled. “Trust me when I tell you, you have nothing to fear from me.”

  “It looks like Angela will sleep until the morning,” said Saya. “Will you walk me home? I live nearby.”

  “Why? Do you need a bodyguard?” Jason joked.

  Saya, smiled. “I just thought we could talk. I would like to get to know you. I know that sounds strange after what we have been doing, but those secrets are more easily shared by me. I don’t even think sometimes when I am having sex. It’s the intensity I crave, just getting lost in it. Does that sound strange to you?”

  Jason grinned. “No, and it’s a nice night for a walk.”

  They both got up and dressed as Angela fell even deeper into sleep.

  Saya put on her clothing very deliberately and slowly; her movements reminded one of the careful gestures of a tea ceremony. Ever so quiet, ever so purposeful. From time to time she looked at Jason, wondering if his eyes would show if he was interested in more.

  The thread of her shirt got caught and made it difficult to close the top button. As she struggled, Jason’s hand found her fingers and freed the thread, allowing her to complete the task.

  “There,” he said and smiled.

  “It’s getting a little cool outside. You don’t have a jacket, do you?” asked Saya.

  “It’s not a problem for me,” he responded.

  “Ha, of course not.”

  As they walked into the street, Saya’s demeanor shifted, and she said emphatically, “So are you going to tell me something about yourself, where you’re from, and how you came to speak perfect Mandarin as well as Cantonese?” And without catching her breath, “And how come you–”