by Jonas Saul
The guy on camera spat onto the pavement and walked away.
“There you have it, Michael.” The newswoman tapped her earpiece again. “It looks like Agent Dodge is on a rampage. Other media outlets are calling Darwin Kostas, “The Blade.” The police here are looking for a quick closure to this mess. They’ve put out an APB on Darwin and his wife, Rosina. If you see them, do not approach. They are considered armed and dangerous. Call the number on the bottom of the screen.” A telephone number flashed on the screen. “Tell them where you saw these people and let the police handle it.”
On the small twenty-inch Zenith TV in the hotel room, two pictures filled the screen. Both were shots of Darwin and Rosina from a year and a half ago when they had their passport photos done.
“How did they get those?” Darwin asked.
“Does that … really matter?” Rosina said, her voice breaking.
Darwin closed the distance between them and leaned into her. “I’m sorry, honey. We’ll sort this out. I promise.”
“They think we killed everybody. There were no witnesses. They’d never believe our side of things. We’re finished. This is bigger than killing mobsters.”
“Justice will find a way. I didn’t touch those other three. We killed the guy eating my breakfast because they were going to kill us. Then I went outside and fought with the other one who had punched me to the kitchen floor. It was self-defense. We’re innocent. There’s nothing to worry about.”
“I wish that were true,” Rosina said and she dabbed a Kleenex on her eyes. “Promise me one thing?”
“Of course, honey. Whatever you want.”
“No more killing the feds.”
“Well … I don’t know—”
“Darwin.” Her face grew serious. “It’s one thing to tell the judge that you’re sorry you killed the junkie when he broke into our house and pulled a knife, as an example. But it’s another completely different thing to say you killed federal officers who were hired to protect you in your own home. This is going to be really hard to get out of.”
“I know, I know. I understand.”
She was on the verge of more tears. The TV had moved onto another news story. The mention of a gas station caught Darwin’s ear. He moved away to watch the screen.
“A couple of hours ago a pickup truck was stolen from this Mobil gas station. Police are combing the area to locate it, and all active members of the local and state police are involved as it has come to our attention that Darwin Kostas, known as the Blade, and his wife Rosina Kostas were caught on the gas station’s security cameras stealing two egg salad sandwiches and two Cokes before pouring out unleaded gas at the clerk from one of the pumps when he tried to approach them. We have the clerk here.”
The camera panned to the face of the gas station clerk.
“They both came in and were so rude. I asked if he wanted a bag with his purchase and he nearly bit my head off …”
“That’s not true,” Darwin shouted.
“Then he just grabbed everything and walked outside like it was free. He pumped gas in one guy’s car like he owned the joint and took the customer’s money. Then he stole the pickup from another customer. I’m just happy he didn’t want to kill me too. I’ve never met such a brazen criminal before. It was like the world owed him everything and we little people were in his way. I can’t believe I made it out alive.”
The camera panned back to the newswoman. “There you have it. Darwin and Rosina are suspects in the slaying of five FBI agents just over four miles from here and now they’re on the run in a stolen Ford F-150. If you see this vehicle, license plate number …”
“I can’t believe this. We were just hungry. All I wanted to do was get us something to eat. Now it looks like we’re on a crime spree across America, when all we want to do is go home and live quiet lives.”
Rosina got off the bed and dropped her towel. She slipped on her panties and proceeded to get dressed.
Darwin muted the TV. “What are you doing?”
“Getting dressed.”
“Rosina, I can see that. Are you planning on going somewhere?”
“Yes.”
Darwin waited but she didn’t offer a destination. “Where are you going?”
“To the nearest police station.”
“Why?” Darwin asked as he got up off the bed.
“Because, we can’t stay here.”
“I’m not following you. Why can’t we stay here?”
“The clerk who rented this room to us has seen our faces. If he watched the news, the police will be busting that door down in ten minutes. I’d rather go in willingly than have that guy Dodge chasing us. If they come through that door, there’s no telling how dead we will be with no witnesses.” She paused to lower a purple shirt over her head. “Tomorrow’s news will have our names in it again, but this time they’ll be reporting our deaths. I can see it now. ‘Darwin Kostas, known as the Blade, was killed last night in a grungy motel on the outskirts of wherever-the-hell-we-are, Florida or Georgia or who knows, as he resisted arrest.’”
“Rosina, I don’t think you leaving is a good idea.”
She undid the towel on her head and shook her hair out. “All cops can’t be bad. We’ll have too many as witnesses in a police station. We’ll be safe there. Wait, why did you say, ‘you leaving’? We’re not going together?”
Darwin moved closer to her. “Look, just think about this for a second—”
An explosion of some kind cut him off.
“What the hell was that?”
“No idea, but it doesn’t sound good.”
Darwin stepped up to the window and peeked out the curtain. Long shadows lay across the barren parking area of the vacant motel as the sun continued its descent. Not a single car sat parked in the lot. Vehicles traveled along the highway a hundred yards away.
“I don’t see anything,” he said.
Rosina came up behind him and put her hand on the doorknob. “You’re coming with me, I hope?”
“Rosina, I want to talk about this a while longer. As much as you believe this is the right thing to do, I don’t. Can you at least wait ten minutes so we can discuss it? Give me that much time.”
“Okay, ten minutes.”
Another explosion made him jump. This one felt closer than the first.
“Whatever it is, it’s closer.”
“It could be highway workers blasting a new road.”
“Did you see construction signs anywhere when we came in?”
“Well, no, but maybe they’re blasting behind us.”
Darwin shook his head. “That was too close. Like in the next room or the one after that.”
“How so? The place is empty.”
“I know, but something’s not right. Get away from the door.”
Rosina walked the length of the motel room and stood by the door to the bathroom at the back. “You’re scaring me, Darwin.”
“Until we know what that is, we have to be careful.”
Someone knocked on their door. Darwin turned and placed his index finger across his lips to indicate silence. Rosina nodded.
“Come out, come out, wherever you are. Or you can talk to my little friend.”
Darwin put it together. The explosions were from some kind of gun. Whoever was outside their motel room was shooting doors in, searching for them.
He looked to the back of the motel and into the bathroom.
Shit, I have to think this stuff through better. I should’ve gotten a room with a back door or at least a window.
“Last chance,” the voice on the other side of the door yelled.
Darwin ran for the back. He grabbed Rosina’s arm and pulled her into the bathroom. As fast as he could, he sprawled out in the bathtub and made room for her. Once she was laid flat out, except for her knees, which were tented, he wrapped his body around hers and waited.
The sound of the speaker’s muffled voice traveled to them.
“Who do you think it i
s, Darwin? The owner of the pickup?”
“Doubt it. Sounds like a cop.”
“A cop? Shooting motel room doors in like that?”
“Sure. If they know we’re the only people here, what does it hurt to accidentally shoot a couple of cop killers?”
Rosina started crying again.
“I’m sorry, honey. I know this is bad, but I’ll fix it. I promise.”
She grabbed his hand and held it to her chest. “Promise me we’ll get through this and I’ll do anything you need to help make it happen. Just promise me.”
He maneuvered into a position where he could look down on her. “I promise with all my heart that I will solve this and I will do my best to get us out of this mess alive and well.”
“Good, because I couldn’t live without you.”
The door to their motel room blew inward. Darwin ducked his head and wrapped his right arm over it. No debris entered the bathroom.
“Ho, ho, ho, Santa’s come to pay a visit bearing gifts. I see someone lives here but I don’t see any stocking by the fireplace.” The man’s voice changed to a deeper gravelly moan. “Where are my little children?” he asked in an accent.
They stayed down. Darwin had no idea what to expect. Whoever it was had an agenda and whether or not that purpose was to kill them, he didn’t know. He had no weapon, no way to defend himself, and no idea what he was going to do.
I would love to have Richard H here.
He wished he was the kind of guy that could bravely walk out to a gunman, ask him what his problem was and take the gun from the guy, whether he got a bullet for his troubles or not. But he couldn’t. His first response was always to run and hide. He wasn’t like Richard. He wasn’t a tough guy.
Footsteps approached.
This is it.
Darwin lifted his hand first in case the gun was aimed and waiting to fire.
“There you are, my little munchkins. Come on, out of the tub. Bath time is over.”
Darwin got up slowly. The man was dressed conservatively in khaki slacks, a sports jacket, and black dress shoes. What struck Darwin was the police badge dangling from his neck on a chain.
“Come on, let’s go,” the guy said, gesturing with the business end of a small double-barreled weapon.
“We’re coming.”
“Shut up. No talking whatsoever. I do the talking. Stay cool and you might live through this.”
Darwin nodded and made sure the guy saw the nod. He stepped out of the tub slowly and helped Rosina out. A moment later they both stood beside the bathtub, hands raised shoulder height, waiting for instructions.
“Empty your pockets. Remove all weapons, but easy does it,” the cop ordered.
Darwin could see the alcohol abuse on the guy’s nose. His teeth were stained from years of smoking, and his eyes were watered as if he was on the verge of tears.
What makes someone’s eyes that watery?
Slowly, Darwin lowered his right hand, reached into the pocket of his shorts and pulled the inside of his empty pocket out. Then he did the same on the left.
Rosina didn’t have pockets in her black pants.
“Don’t fuck with me, punk. Move very slow and pull out all weapons. Place them in the bathtub behind you. Do it now. Stop fuckin’ around.”
The guy’s hand that held the gun started to shake from strain.
Great. Gut shot by an alcoholic who couldn’t hold the damn gun right.
Darwin pointed at his mouth.
“What, the weapons are in your mouth?”
He shook his head. He pointed at his mouth again and used his hand to illustrate talking.
“Oh, you want permission to talk?”
Darwin nodded.
“Talk then. What the fuck?”
“A moment ago you said no talking whatsoever.”
“I did? Fuck that. What you wanna say?”
“I have no weapons,” he said, his voice cracking. Even though he’d only had the egg salad sandwich, he felt like throwing up.
At least I’m already near a toilet.
He snuck a peek at Rosina. Her face was pale and rock still, but behind her eyes, he could tell she was thinking.
“Bullshit you have no weapons. And stop looking at her. I know how married couples talk with their eyes. Now, one more time, pull out your fucking knives.”
The cop’s breath smelled of cigarettes in the confined bathroom. The guy reeked of tobacco and whiskey. That alone made Darwin want to throw up.
“I’m serious. I. Do. Not. Have. Any. Weapons.”
“Fuck you. There’s no way I’m believin’ that shit. They don’t call you The Blade for nothing. I heard what you can do. Breaking people’s neck with your bare hands, knifing people in the face. Jamming pens in people’s necks. You’re a legend, Darwin. You singlehandedly killed the Harvester of Sorrow. There’s not many men who could do that, and when one steps up and does, we all know what you’re made of. Now, dump the weapons or I shoot you. It’s that simple.”
“I got lucky with Sorrow.”
“Tell that to Fuccini. Oh wait, you can’t, you killed him too.” He cleared his throat. “Stop wasting my time and dump the weapons.”
Darwin patted his waist and did a half circle to show he concealed nothing.
“The look on your face says you’re not bluffing,” the cop said, smiling. “I can’t believe this. The Blade doesn’t have a knife on him. Must be my lucky day.” He backed up and grabbed the chair Rosina had sat on ten minutes before. “Come out of the bathroom.”
The cop walked the chair to the broken front door and sat on it backwards, resting his gun and arm on the back.
“Sit on the bed closest to the bathroom.”
They did as they were told.
“Now, Darwin, since you’re the one I’m most worried about, take off your clothes.”
“What—”
“You fucking heard me,” he shouted, his voice booming like he had a bullhorn attached to it. “Do it now or I’ll shoot holes in you.”
Darwin lifted his large T-shirt over his head and let it fall behind him. He undid his shorts and stood to let them fall at his ankles. With both hands out at his sides, he did a half turn to reveal no hidden weapons.
“Those, too. I’m not gay, but I gotta look.”
Darwin glanced at Rosina and then dropped his boxers.
“Okay. Get dressed,” the cop said.
Darwin lifted the boxers and shorts, setting them back in place. He grabbed his T-shirt and dropped it over his head.
“Your turn,” the cop said, gesturing with the end of the gun at Rosina.
“Now wait a minute,” Darwin said.
The cop jumped from the chair and rushed Darwin. He jammed the shotgun up under Darwin’s chin and shoved him onto the bed, physically restraining him.
“Little honey,” the cop said to Rosina. “Undress right now and show me all your pretty parts or your husband loses his fucking head. Just so we’re clear, I’d prefer you leave your clothes on. That way I can kill your husband and then I get to be the one to take your clothes off.” He looked down at Darwin’s face. “Sorry, no offense, but I don’t like anyone watching me rape a girl.”
“It’s okay, Darwin,” Rosina said. “I’ll do it.”
The barrel made it hard for Darwin to swallow. Breathing was almost impossible with the extra weight of the asshole on him. He worried that any move would make the guy fire the weapon and splatter his brains against the headboard.
His anger boiled up. He nudged an arm for position. The shotgun pressed against him harder, jamming his tongue to the top of his mouth. Everything in his being screamed to roll the guy off and break every bone in his body. But he wanted to live, and the drunk on top of him had the gun in a position that made it almost impossible for him to move without being shot.
Not yet. Not now. I’ll find an opening. Wait … stay calm.
Rosina had removed the purple top and unclasped her bra. She slid her black pants d
own and without pause, lowered her white panties.
With his wife humiliated, standing absolutely naked in front of the cop, it made him want to tear the guy in half. But Rosina had asked him to not kill any more cops.