by Tim Sabados
“As in now?”
Sammy glanced at his watch. “In a few hours.”
Aryssa clamped down on her finger to stifle her gasp. Fright dried her throat and made her heart thump against the bars of her ribs. Did Sammy and Ariek want someone killed? Did they really have the means to do it? She worried she might be found so she did her best to quietly wriggle deeper behind the clothes.
Ariek slowly nodded. “I get it. But, I wish…I,” he drew a long sigh, “things would be so much easier if we knew how to get them away from the others.”
“It would.” Sammy leaned against the wall. “I’m at a loss.”
“So am I,” Ariek concurred, then huffed, “Why is it that he can get them and we can’t?”
Sammy shrugged. “I’ve been wracking my brain for months.” A pause. “Maybe we’ll have to get him to tell us.”
“More like beat it out of him.” Ariek gazed at the floor as if lost in thought. “Except we don’t even know what this guy looks like.”
“I know that he docks his boat at one of the marinas.”
“You’ve mentioned that before,” Ariek said. “That’s like looking for a needle in a haystack.”
“Almost, but not quite,” Sammy replied. “We just have to do the proper legwork.”
“That’s a lot of legwork in a short amount of time.” Ariek uneasily shifted from one foot to the other. “Where are you getting them from, anyway?”
“What’s that got to do with anything?” Sammy asked defensively.
“Look, I know you’re buying them from a pawn shop,” Ariek said guardedly. “All I’m saying is that maybe they can give you some kind of description. Or maybe even a name.” A point at Sammy. “They could even have this guy on one of their security cameras.”
Sammy shook his head. “Believe me, I’ve asked.” A drawn-out exhale escaped from his lips. “He’s protective of all his clientele.”
Ariek rubbed his finger and thumb together. “You offer him something?”
“If you mean like money, then yes, I’ve suggested it.” Sammy shook his head. “Wouldn’t budge.”
“Everyone has a price.”
“Wasn’t going to push it and risk losing what’s been established.” Sammy kneaded his cheek. “He calls me when he first gets them. Can’t expect anything more than that.”
“Maybe we need to expect more.”
“That’s not…” Sammy sighed. “Maybe as an absolute last resort.”
“Don’t you think that things are getting to that point?” Ariek stopped shifting his weight. Shoulders became taut. “That shipment will be here in a couple of days and we’re scrambling to secure payment. I want this to go down without so much as a hiccup.”
“So do I,” Sammy said determinedly. “We’re both under a lot of pressure.” He held out his arm and motioned downward with his hand. “We need to take a step back and see the entire picture.” He paused. “Once I get that damn bank back, we’ll have just about enough. I’ve got some cash put aside for emergencies and I’m betting you do, too.”
What did Sammy mean by getting a bank back? Why were they so desperate for cash? A faint whiff of perfume mixed with the dry scent of dust, stale wisps of cigarettes and the decaying odor of sexually infused testosterone wafted from the clothing in the closet and swirled into Aryssa’s nostrils. She desperately tried to quell an impending sneeze by scrunching her nose. Squinting her eyes. The burn flared along her nasal passages. Tears fanned out across her lashes. She bit the inside of her cheek and looked up to try to make it all go away. After a few seconds the sneeze drifted harmlessly back down her throat.
Ariek verified with a nod. “Not enough to pay everything off.”
“Between you, me and those coins, I’m positive we can make this work,” Sammy stated confidently. “Now is not the time to panic.”
“Who said anything about being panicked?”
“It’s a figure of speech.”
“Whatever,” Ariek said bluntly.
The two men fell silent. The driving music and the chatter of the crowd continued to pour through the door. Aryssa remained glued to her chair. The only thing that dared move were the questions that spun through her mind like the reels of symbols in a slot machine. What was the shipment coming in a couple of days? How did coins figure into it? How much money were Sammy and Ariek talking about?
Ariek broke the silence after several long seconds. “Those new cameras are up and running.”
“Concealed like we talked about?”
Ariek nodded. “Can’t even tell unless you know where to look.”
“About time,” Sammy said. “Now we’ll know if anyone comes snooping around.”
“Don’t think anyone is brave enough,” Ariek commented. “Except for the occasional stray bum or strung-out addict.” He rubbed his shoulder. “Still, let the rumors keep everyone thinking the place is haunted.”
Sammy chuckled. “It kind of is.”
Ariek’s lips thinned to a smile. “We should get it cleaned up before the newbies arrive.”
“Does it matter?”
Ariek shrugged his indifference. “Some of those mattresses are disgusting.”
“Our resources are better focused on…”
“Hey you two,” a woman said. “What are you doing way back here, when all the action’s up front?”
“Hey Monique,” Ariek said. “Had to get away for a few.”
“I know the feeling.” Monique glanced back and forth between the two men. “Something’s up with the two of you.” Clicked her tongue. “Kind of looking stressed out.”
Sammy waved the comment away. “It’s nothing.” Tipped his chin toward Ariek. “I was telling him how my family forced me to hire my nephew and now he’s screwing things up.”
Monique scoffed. “Family.” She scurried into the dressing room. Her heels shuffled across the floor. “I’ve got to pee.” She waved her hand in the air. “I know, too much info. But when you got to go, you got to go.” She was too focused on the bathroom to even realize Aryssa was sitting nearby.
Another dancer passed by Sammy and Ariek. She rubbed her ear. “That music is too damn loud.”
The bartender yelled from somewhere down the hall. “Hey, Ariek. Do you think you can find the barback and get me a case of lager?” A brief pause. “Oh yeah, I need another fifth of bourbon too.”
“I’ll take care of it,” Ariek advised. Turned to Sammy. “We’re not done talking about this.”
“No, we’re not” Sammy said.
“Closing time.” Ariek pulled his keys from his pocket and took off toward the stock room. Sammy headed out front.
Aryssa waited nearly a minute before spreading apart the clothes that had been draped over her. She cautiously stood and stretched the kink out of her lower back. What in the hell was she supposed to do now? Pretend like she hadn’t heard a thing? A nod. Of course she would. She had too many of her own problems to get involved in something like that. Whatever that was.
“Hey Aryssa.” Melissa pranced up to a mirror. She turned her head from side to side, puckered her lips and finally adjusted the sequined bra that barely fit her burgeoning boobs. “How’s your night?”
“Good,” Aryssa simply answered. “You?”
“Eh. Making some money.” Melissa scrunched her nose. “Some jerk-off tried to grab my ass during a private.” She scoffed. “You know what he tried to do when I was done?”
“No, what?”
“Stiff me. Claimed that I didn’t live up to the agreement, so therefore he didn’t have to pay.”
“Agreement? There’s no agreement,” Aryssa stated derisively. “They know that going in. Why can’t they simply follow the rules? Show a little respect.”
“Who the hell knows?” Melissa ran her finger across the corner of her mouth. “People think that they can do whatever they want when they come in this place.”
“Entitlement.”
“Amen to that. That’s the problem with our society
.” Melissa stepped toward the bathroom.
Aryssa pointed at the door. “Monique’s in there.”
“Oh, damn.” Melissa slapped her hands onto the hips. “She almost done? I’ve got to go.”
“Should be,” Aryssa answered. She glanced out the door and silently sighed. It was time to go back out there, make some more money and use it to stock up on crush. Maybe even buy a small gift for Charlie so she could make amends. She uneasily flipped her hair behind her shoulder. How was she going to explain herself to Charlie, anyway?
Aryssa slowly made her way toward the exit. That conversation between Sammy and Ariek uneasily paced in the back of her mind. Nothing about it sat right. What in the hell were they talking about? What had they gotten themselves into? Dread tingled across her skin. She tried to brush the conversation away, but it gripped her thoughts even tighter. What did they mean by, “Let them keep thinking the place is haunted?” Could they have been referring to that old factory?
“Hey Aryssa,” Monique called out.
Aryssa looked over her shoulder. “What’s up?”
“Can you cover my turn on stage?” Monique plopped onto a chair. “I need a few moments away from that crap out there.”
Aryssa bit her tongue. That wasn’t how she wanted to finish her night. A grunt that quietly stuck in her throat. It couldn’t be that bad, could it? “Yeah, I can do that.”
Monique gestured with a finger. “I owe you.”
Aryssa tipped her chin and left the dressing room. She’d make it a point to get out of here sooner rather than later.
12
Candles shimmered. The flicker of lightning lit up the window and flooded the bedroom. With a patter of feet, Zoe scampered into the room cradling her bear bank. Her fingers were curled around something in her hand. She kneeled on the end of Mary’s bed.
“Can I sleep with you?” Zoe whispered softly.
Mary laid her cell phone on her lap. “What’s wrong?”
Thunder, like the deep bass booming from a speaker, rolled from somewhere in the distance and shook the house.
Zoe clutched her bear tighter. “I can’t sleep.”
“Neither can I.” Mackenzie was standing in the doorway holding her dog bank by the leg.
“Please,” Zoe pleaded.
Mary sighed. “It’s a school night.”
“Can’t we break it this one time?” Mackenzie walked toward the bed.
“Yeah, can we? It’s dark,” Zoe added.
“Just because the power is out doesn’t make it any darker than any other night.” Mary did her best to rationalize the rule, but deep down the reasoning was cracking. On a night like tonight it would be kind of nice to have the girls curled up on either side of her.
“But it is darker,” Mackenzie said firmly. “My butterfly light isn’t working.”
“And my bunny lamp isn’t lighting up,” Zoe said.
Mackenzie sat on the edge of the bed. “You’re the one with all the candles.”
“Why don’t we get any?” Zoe questioned halfheartedly.
“It’s not safe,” Mary answered.
“It’s not safe when our rooms are super dark,” Zoe replied.
“Yeah, Mom.” Mackenzie lay down on her back. “It’s better in here with you.”
Lightning flickered again, followed by a loud crack of thunder.
Zoe nudged her way farther up the mattress. “Come on, Mom.”
Mary couldn’t stop her daughters’ methodical push into her bed. Then again, did she really want to?
“Can we watch television on your phone?” Mackenzie snuggled into Mary’s side.
“Yeah, can we?” Zoe chimed in.
Mary shook her head. “This is still a school night.” She buried her smile. “And it means you still have to get up at your usual time.”
Both girls cackled with delight. Zoe curled up on the other side of her mother.
Mackenzie yawned. “Are you sure that we can’t watch…?”
“What did I just say?”
“That it’s a school night,” Zoe answered. “School’s dumb.”
“No, it’s not. I like it,” Mackenzie said.
“No you don’t.”
“Yes, I do.”
Zoe looked over at Mackenzie with furrowed brows. “Not what you said in Mrs. Henry’s class.”
“You don’t know what I said.”
“Yes, I do.”
“No, you don’t.”
“Girls,” Mary stated decisively. “If you’re going to argue, then I’m sending you back to your rooms.”
Instant silence. Lightning flashed. Thunder rumbled. Mackenzie softly sighed and curled her back against Mary.
Zoe held out her fist. “Can I put this under your pillow?”
“What’s that?” Mary asked with curiosity saturating her words.
Zoe unfurled her fingers. “My tooth.”
“Oh yeah.” Mary did her best to keep her astonishment hidden. How had she managed to forget about that?
“I cleaned it too,” Zoe informed proudly. “Do you think the tooth fairy will give me more money?”
“Maybe.” Mary ran her hand over Zoe’s head. “If anything, she’ll appreciate what you did.”
“So, can I put this under your pillow?” Zoe questioned in a decibel just above a whisper.
“Of course you can,” Mary replied.
Zoe slid her hand toward the pillow, but abruptly stopped. “Will she know that I put it here instead of under the pillow in my room?”
“She will,” Mary said. “She’s good like that.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, I am.”
“But, what if she…?”
Mary rubbed Zoe’s arm. “Trust me, she’ll know. Now go to sleep.”
Zoe tucked the tooth under the pillow and then wrapped her arms around her bear. “Good night, Mommy.”
“Good night, sweetheart.”
It was only a matter of minutes before sleep overtook Mackenzie. Zoe wasn’t too far behind. Gentle, slumber-filled breaths rose upward from either side of Mary. Their warmth nuzzled against her. Rain pattered against the windows and echoed off the roof. Somewhere deep in the distance thunder moaned.
The kids were right; it was kind of scary not having power. There were candles though, and they helped. Mackenzie and Zoe only added to her level of comfort. It wasn’t long before the heaviness of slumber weighed on Mary’s eyelids. She lifted her phone to continue watching her show, but instead let it fall back on her lap. Became mesmerized by the way the candlelight danced across the ceiling. Her mind softened, left the conscious world behind only to drift into the realm of the Sandman. Before she knew it, she was asleep too.
* * * * *
The enticing scent hung on the faint currents of air. Aryssa sniffed and let the delicate aroma swirl through her nose and into her lungs. Let it seduce her animalistic desires. There was something special about this one. She had to have it. Needed it to satiate her predatory lust.
Aryssa was getting close. The hairs on the back of her neck tingled with excitement. Her heart beat a little faster and her lungs filled quicker. Her thighs quivered ever so slightly as she crept down the hallway.
She cautiously peered around the door frame and into the bedroom. The light from the candles gently bounced off the walls and illuminated the air with a soft glow. Rain rhythmically tapped against the window. Flowed down a gutter. Lightning flashed. Thunder gently rumbled.
Aryssa took a deep breath and slowly exhaled to steady herself. She tiptoed across the floor toward the bed. Toward the little girl fast asleep clutching her fuzzy bear. The girl’s mother and sister were deep in the throes of slumber too.
She crept closer, practically gliding over the hard wood. Didn’t make a single sound. No creak of a board, pop of a joint or squeak from the soles of her shoes. This was one of her perfected talents—being absolutely silent when it was needed. And it was needed now.
Aryssa stood by the side of
the bed. Save for the nearly imperceptible rise and fall of the little girl’s chest, she wasn’t moving and totally unaware that a person was standing over her. A quiet sigh. With a couple of bills in one hand, Aryssa slid her other beneath the pillow. The prize of her desire was somewhere under there; all she had to do was snatch it and leave. She reached a little farther, then a bit more. Barely nudged the little girl’s head. Something smooth brushed across her fingertip. She curled her finger around it, pulled it out and stopped.
The distant creak of a floorboard. A beam of light danced off the wall outside the bedroom. A nearly imperceptible murmur of a voice. Who the hell was that?
Aryssa tucked the tooth in her palm and frantically looked for a place to hide. A dresser. Side tables. Out the window? Under the bed? How about the closet on the other side of the room? She swallowed her fear, quietly scampered around the bed and slipped between the partially open doors. Peered out through the slats, held her breath and waited.
A man in a dark knit cap with some kind of scarf over his face poked his head into the room. He disappeared behind the door frame, then reappeared and stepped out into the open. Within seconds another darkly dressed man appeared. This one was a little more portly than the other. The two figures silently crept to either side of the bed.
A sheen of nervous sweat glazed Aryssa’s palms. Her lips tingled with fright. Who were these two men? What did they want? Were there more of them in the house?
The man on the far side of the bed looked up at the other. Pointed at the girl closest to him and then at her sister. A quick nod of agreement from the portly one closest to Aryssa.
The two men loomed sinisterly over the two sisters. Aryssa’s heart thumped wildly in her ears. She bit her lower lip. Were they going to kidnap the girls? Hurt them in some obscene way? Aryssa blinked, hoping her lashes would slice the men to pieces. Nothing happened. What should she do?
The taller figure, who was nearest the girl with the fuzzy bear, held up his hand. His forefinger flicked upward. Then the middle. A third joined in and soon the fourth finger stood with the rest. His palm started to rotate. Thumb twitched.
Something inside Aryssa snapped. Before she could comprehend what was happening, every muscle in her body coiled then exploded, effectively propelling her out of the closet. She screamed and threw herself at the portly assailant.