by Elle Casey
“Who will send someone else? Who?”
The guy laughed. “Oh, that’s rich. You’ve pissed off Baskov and you don’t even know how. Stupid kids.”
Jonathan stepped over, his arms full of taffeta and silk. “Baskov? That’s Russian. We don’t even know any Russians.”
“You don’t have to know Baskov to get on his bad side,” spat the guy. “You just have to interfere in his business operations.”
“What operations?” asked Kevin.
“If you don’t know, it’s not for me to tell you,” he growled through gritted teeth.
Kevin reached out and pushed on the nail file that was sticking out of the man’s shoulder.
“Aaaaaaaggggahhh! Fuck! That hurts, man! What the hell?”
“Just tell us the answer and we’ll leave you alone.”
“Drugs! Prostitutes! Sex slaves! Gambling! Laundering! You name it, he does it! Fuck, now leave me alone. I have to get out of here.” He struggled against his bonds.
“You’re not going anywhere,” said Kevin, before reaching up to take the lamp Jonathan had set down on the nearby dresser and bringing it to hover over the guy’s head.
The guy rolled his eyes. “Oh, for chrissakes, man, gimme a break.”
That was the last thing they heard from him before Kevin smashed the lamp down on his temple, sending him back into la-la land.
“Wow. Was that absolutely necessary?” asked Jonathan, the dresses making rustling sounds as he moved them to his opposite arm.
“Yes. He’ll get away if he has time. We need the cops to find him here first.” Kevin took the guy’s wallet off the dresser and pulled the driver’s license out, throwing it down on the floor next to his head. He walked over and threw the wallet under the covers of the bed.
“What’d you do that for?”
He whispered, “To make sure if he gets away that he doesn’t realize right away that we took you-know-what out of there.” He put his finger to his lips, motioning for Jonathan not to say anything else. He wasn’t sure if an unconscious person could hear and remember, but he wasn’t taking any chances. In an overly loud voice, he said, “Come on. Let’s go to the mall and wait for it to open. Then we can get some new clothes before we head to the Florida Keys.” He banged the side of his finger to his lips and frowned at Jonathan again, praying he’d get the hint.
Jonathan looked confused for a moment, but then his expression brightened. “Yeah, okay. The mall and then the Keys. Let’s go.”
Kevin did a silent fist-pump in the air before joining Jonathan at the door. He took one more look at the bleeding trussed-up jackass on the floor and left him, shutting the door behind them both.
Chapter Three
On the Road
THE SUV WAS LOADED WITH everything they’d found that might be of help. Everyone was dressed in their prom finery and had done his or her best to look presentable. Sarah had counted all the money and happily reported that they had ten thousand dollars to fund their disappearing act. She was still flipping through it in the back seat as everyone got settled in for their journey. She loved the feel of that much cash in her hands. It was a small consolation for the fact that their lives had all gone totally in the toilet, and she was feeling seriously morning sick because her stomach was empty again.
“That’s all our lives were worth collectively? Ten thousand dollars?” asked Jonathan. “Well, that stinks. I would have estimated much higher, especially considering our life expectancy and the fact that those FBI agents were federal employees. The government has invested at least that much in their training. Probably much more.”
“Jonathan, it’s not an accurate measure of anything,” said Candi, sounding very tired, “except maybe how little those guys value life, period.”
“You have a point,” said Jonathan, buckling himself into the front passenger seat, next to Kevin who was driving. “So where are we going? I only know where we’re not going - the mall or the Keys.”
Kevin attached the garage door opener that was on the kitchen counter to the car’s visor. “That’s right. I was thinking we could rent a cabin or something. A place out of the way and far from civilization so we would hear someone coming from far away.”
“But then we wouldn’t blend at all,” said Sarah. “And for the record, I think using this car for more than getting money at the ATM a very bad idea. They probably have a satellite or GPS tracker on it. They’ll find us before we even get out of town.”
“What the hell are we going to do for a car?” asked Kevin. “I hadn’t thought of that, but she’s right. This car is garbage.” He turned and smiled at everyone in an exaggerated fashion. “Anyone know how to steal a car?”
Candi smiled back, shaking her head.
“Yeah, right,” said Sarah, snorting at the idea.
“Yes. I do,” said Jonathan. “So long as it’s not too new, I can hotwire it.”
Everyone went silent, just staring at him.
Sarah was the first one to snap out of it. “Boyfriend, what are you talking about? You don’t know how to steal a car. You’ve never so much as stolen a piece of gum in your whole life.” She was sure of it; he’d sworn to that fact just a week prior.
“Oh, I haven’t ever stolen a car. But I’ve hotwired several, just to test the online instructions I read.”
Kevin chuckled, but Candi was pissed.
“What?! Whose car did you hotwire? And who was with you, so I can have Mom call their parents right now, because it had to be their idea.”
“No, it was my idea. And I did it by myself.” He looked at her, completely nonplussed over her threats.
“What? Why?” she asked, mystified.
“I saw it in so many movies, after a while I just had to know if it was possible. So I checked online, found some instructions, and then tried it. First on Dad’s car, then Mom’s, then on his friend Pike’s car when he came to visit once. It totally works. They weren’t lying in the movies, but they do sometimes portray it inaccurately. In a new car it’s too hard, sometimes impossible without the key if it’s the kind with a computer chip in it. The computer has anti-theft measures built in. So if you find me an older car, I can do it.”
“Do you need anything else? Or just your mad skills?” asked Kevin, sounding like he was about to laugh.
“It would be best if I had a knife to strip some wires, some black electrical tape, and a couple screw drivers with different tips.”
“I saw some of that tape in the kitchen … in a drawer!” said Sarah, jumping out of the car to go get it.
“There were screw drivers in that duffle bag in the back,” said Candi, leaving to join Sarah.
The girls got to the kitchen in a flash, Sarah wrinkling her nose at the metallic smell of all that blood that had long since congealed on the floors, walls, furniture and even ceilings. The drawer flew open at her touch, her strength much greater than she realized in her excitement. She handed the roll of black tape to Candi and took a side trip to the refrigerator, grabbing the pizza box that was inside and flipping open the top for a second to reveal half a cold pizza. She closed the box and turned it sideways, hugging it against her chest so she could also take the half-full two-liter jug of soda that was in there. Kicking the door closed with her foot, it crossed her mind that she should probably be too grossed out about the carnage around her to think of eating, but she’d either gotten used to it or her empty pregnant stomach was overruling all of her other senses.
Candi came over to assist, and together the two of them ran back to the garage, getting into the car and buckling up.
“Ready,” said Sarah. “And I brought pizza and soda, too. I’m starving.” She passed them each a piece, saving the biggest one for herself. Eating-for-two privilege, cha-ching!
“Cool,” said Kevin. “Alright, so before I open this door and drive out of here with a stolen and probably thoroughly traceable car, does anyone have any thoughts or have any idea about where I should go?”
“Go
somewhere that we can find an old car that we can hotwire and not be discovered for at least a day,” said Jonathan.
“And go now before I lose my nerve and tell you to go to the police station,” said Sarah, chomping down on a piece of pizza that tasted a little too much like cardboard.
“Maybe the police isn’t such a bad idea,” said Candi.
Jonathan shook his head. “No FBI, no police. If we go to the cops, they’ll just turn us over to the federal government. This isn’t state jurisdiction. They won’t have any choice.”
“Fine,” said Candi, grouchily. “I suggest the airport then. There are tons of cars there, and we can leave this one there in its place.”
“Yeah, but they have cameras there. They’ll know it’s us in the car, and they’ll be able to put a search out for it too easily,” said Kevin. “Try again. Come on, you guys. Think of something.”
“Just drive over to the not as nice area of town. We’ll just find something outside a bar maybe that’ll work. We don’t want to go too far or we’ll give them too much time to find us,” said Jonathan.
Kevin pressed the button on the opener, sending the garage door up slowly. He started the car and shifted it into drive. “Okay, then. Off we go to the ghett-o. I hope we don’t get shot stealing a car from someone in the hood.”
“Not the hood,” said Sarah, her mouth full. “Please not the hood. Just not the fancy part of town. Four streets over from here would be good.”
“Yes,” said Candi nodding, “do that.”
Sarah reached over and squeezed her arm. Little Sugar Lump was slowly coming out of her panic spiral, and Sarah for one was very happy about that. She hated being the only one holding it together; it was exhausting.
“You should take a nap,” said Candi. “Even just a little one while we find another car. We can’t have you getting sick.”
Sarah smiled. “That is one of the best ideas I’ve heard all night. The only problem is I’m too jacked up on adrenaline to do it right now.”
“Try,” said Jonathan. “Even just five minutes will help you and the baby.”
Her boyfriend’s concern over her and their baby’s health made her heart melt just a little. She lowered the pizza crust in her hand to her lap. “Okay, love monkey. I’ll try.” She closed her eyes, but not before she saw the disgusted look on Candi’s face.
“Love monkey?” Candi said.
Sarah smiled, dozing off the second her head hit the back of the seat.
***
Candi looked at Sarah’s mouth hanging open and the drool coming out onto her shoulder, soaking the spaghetti strap of her dress. It was one of those few moments when Sarah looked innocent and harmless. She wished she had her camera so she could take a picture, thinking wasn’t fair that she was the only one who was going to see it. “Oh my god, you guys, look … she’s so cute.”
“Quiet, Candi, you’ll wake her. She needs to sleep as much as possible,” said Jonathan. “We’re on the run now. This is serious.” He didn’t even look back.
Candi stuck her tongue out at the side of his head. “I know it’s serious, Jonathan, trust me. But that doesn’t mean I can’t stop and smell the roses … or smile at Sarah drooling.”
“I’m not drooling,” said a tired voice next to her. “I never drool.”
Candi snorted. “You may want to tell that to your dress, which is now suspiciously damp near your shoulder.”
“You did it,” said Sarah, sitting up and swiping the back of her hand across her mouth. “You drooled on me while I was sleeping. So rude, by the way.”
Candi pushed her on the arm gently, smiling at Sarah’s good spirits.
“Okay, so what do you guys think of that one?” said Kevin, pointing to an older model Toyota Camry that was parked on the opposite side of the street, down about a block from a large apartment complex. “It’s boring-looking, no one’s around, and I think it’s old enough.”
“Probably gets good gas mileage, too,” said Jonathan. “I’m ready if you guys are.”
“We’d better hurry,” said Candi, sick to her stomach with nervousness. “The sun is going to come up soon; we don’t have much darkness left.”
“Which reminds me,” said Jonathan. “Was there a flashlight in all that stuff we took?”
“Duffle bag,” said Candi and Sarah at the exact same time. They grinned at each other.
“Who’s going with me?” Jonathan asked. “It’ll be faster if I have an assistant.”
“Me. I’ll go,” said Kevin. He parked the car across the street from their intended victim, turning off the engine.
“Are we going to be charged with felonies when we get back? Stealing a car is a serious crime,” said Candi, trying to block out the images of her parents’ disappointed faces.
“We’re running for our lives. I’m pretty sure life-saving situations equal forgiveness in the eyes of the law,” said Jonathan. “Besides, at this point, I just want to live. I’m not so worried about a rap sheet.”
“Well, maybe we should be,” said Candi.
“We’ll figure all that out later. I think we can all agree that we need to get out of here, and a bus or train won’t work because of cameras and their easy ability to track us. Nothing is done anonymously anymore. Everyone requires IDs and everyone puts stuff into computers. We wouldn’t last a day if we took public transportation anywhere out of town.”
“Fine. I’ll drive if we need to get away fast,” Candi said, getting out of the car and waiting for Kevin to exit the front seat.
He got down off the high seat and pulled her into his arms. “Don’t worry, Gumdrop. I’m going to take care of you,” he said into her neck. He leaned back and kissed her deeply, letting her go after a few seconds to frame her cheeks in his big, warm hands. “You get ready to hit the gas pedal and follow us out of here, okay?”
“We’re not transferring the stuff here?”
“No. We have to do it somewhere else so they won’t know where we got the car we’re in, right?”
“Oh. Yeah. Okay.”
“Up you go,” he said, gesturing to the driver’s seat.
Candi climbed up and buckled in, moving the seat forward about twelve inches so her feet would reach the pedals. “Good luck, Kevin. You too, Jonathan,” she said, looking over in time to catch him in an embrace with Sarah. Her heart clenched, thinking about how much more they had to lose than she or Kevin did.
Kevin shut the door, drawing a heart on the glass with his forefinger before he walked away. Candi put her finger on it and watched sadly as he went to the other side of the road.
Sarah climbed into the passenger seat and buckled in too. Jonathan shut her door and ran across the street to join Kevin. Candi watched as they looked in the windows and tried the doors. The passenger side back door was open, giving them easy access to the interior. They both climbed in and went to work. She could see flickers of the flashlight every couple seconds.
“So far, so good,” said Sarah in a quiet voice, staring out the window at them.
“What do we do if we see anyone?” asked Candi, feeling like she should whisper. She didn’t like the neighborhood they were in. There were a lot of seedy bars not far down the road, and the apartment building meant there were a hundred people or more who could be coming or going at any time. This is a terrible idea. We’re going to get caught! She made herself feel better thinking about how hard they’d be to kill sitting in a police station’s jail cell.
“Honk the horn once really quick if there’s a problem. And if someone comes for that car, we’ll flip a quick yooey and pick the guys up. We still have the gun,” she said, reaching inside the armrest and pulling it out.
“Put that away!” whisper-screeched Candi. “You want to accidentally shoot one of us?!”
Sarah frowned at her. “Pa-lease. Like I’d do that.”
The gun was pointed at the ceiling when it went off, but the explosion of the bullet from the chamber made Candi go deaf in one ear. The ringing
she could hear now in her brain was almost as loud as the gunshot itself. Candi’s eyes nearly popped out of her head in shock, and she was struck dumb.
“Oh my god!” yelled Sarah, almost louder than the gunshot. It sounded muffled to Candi’s one good ear. “I shot the car! I shot the friggin car! Are you okay?!”
Kevin was banging on the window outside, yelling, “Open up! Open it!”
Candi started the car, barely able to roll the window down, her fingers were trembling so hard. The button kept slipping away. Eventually she got it down a couple inches. “We’re okay! Sarah shot the roof.”
The Camry started across the street and its headlights went on. Jonathan peeled out like a maniac, nearly doing a donut in the middle of the street in his hurry to get to them. He pulled up next to the SUV, yelling, “Get in!” at Kevin through the open passenger window.
Sarah kept chanting in the background. “Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god …”
Candi shifted the car into drive and slammed her foot down on the accelerator, taking off in a squealing of tires towards the nearest intersection. She made a hard right, headed for the busiest street she could remember seeing. The sound of the wind whistling through the big hole in the roof of the car made her panicked brain almost believe they were being followed by a thousand wailing phantoms.
***
Jonathan stood on the running board of the SUV, examining the hood of the car. “Well, this isn’t exactly optimal, is it?” he asked, inspecting the torn metal and bits of plastic and cloth roof material that were sticking up above the car. He looked over at the others, focusing on Sarah, worried she was going to cry.
Sarah was standing off to the side, her eyebrows drawn together in a serious scowl. “I didn’t mean to do it. I told you guys, it was an accident.”
“Yeah, but now they’re going to figure everything out. Someone’s going to report that gunshot, they’re going to find the SUV with the hole in it, and they’ll know it was us over here taking the Camry,” said Kevin, obviously angry at his sister. “Now we’re going to have to steal another car!”