by Selena Black
“Fuck man, I’m all out,”
But Jerry held up one of his and Jorge took it from his chubby fingers with his thin lips. He expertly lit the end while driving.
“So you have no luck with Carl’s old man?” Jerry wondered.
“That pussy just cried for three days. Didn’t tell me shit,” Jorge was furious and spat out the words.
“Bummer,” Jerry yawned and scrubbed at his face with his meaty hands. “So are we nearly there yet?”
“What are you? A kid?” Jorge smiled wryly.
“You shut the hell up,”
And silence resumed to the car. After a long while Jerry grew irritated and he switched on the radio. But being in the middle of nowhere all they could pick up was a late night local radio station. The dulcet tones of two faceless killjoys spoke solemnly about local crime rates.
“… and cars are being burned out too James. I mean one was found just recently,” a woman’s voice was borderline delirious.
“That’s right Suzanne. Looks like the work of upstate vandals that have spurned their decadent vehicles on our land and set them on fire,”
Jorge and Jerry turned to each other with sheer amusement in their eyes.
“What the fuck is this shit?” Jorge pointed his cigarette at the radio.
Jerry turned it back off preferring the silence.
“Upstate vandals,” and he shook his head.
“Hey,” Jorge pointed to a sign that was hung back in the bushes.
It read Gibson Rd and Jerry finally perked up.
“Finally!”
“Yup. So four miles from here,” and they carried on.
Jorge sped up for the last stretch of road and was driving so fast that he nearly missed the turn off for the Evergreen Motel. He screeched to a halt at the last minute and they jumped out.
“Right, Jorge I want you to look around. I’m gonna go have a little chat with the manager,”
Jorge nodded and they went their separate ways. The motel was a clean and quaint building that had none of the usual sleaziness of its urban counterparts. It was instead surrounded by a beautiful forest and a multitude of flowers were outside each door in little hanging baskets. He wondered how a man like Reiner would have been accepted here with his hostage in tow. It looked like the kinda place where everyone noticed everything.
The bell above the door rang as Jerry entered the reception. A short, obese man with an asymmetrical toupee was behind the desk. He smiled awkwardly as Jerry approached.
“How can I help sir? We have basic rooms starting from $49.99 or….”
“No I’m not looking for a room,” Jerry interrupted.
It took the manager aback and he stood slack jawed for a moment.
“Are you police?” was all he could think to say to the intimidating man
“Er…. Yeah…. I’m police. Chicago PD,” he placed his hand into his jacket as if he was going to pull out his ID but he didn’t.
“Chicago? What are you doing down here?”
Jerry didn’t have a good answer for that so he began talking quickly and gesticulating his hands wildly.
“We’re looking for guy who was seen staying here a couple nights back, a Carl Reiner. Does the name ring a bell?”
“Hmmmm…. It does not,” the little manager shook his head nervously.
“Well can you check your book?”
“Sure. Two seconds,” and he started to flick through pages of names. “Nope, no Carl Reiner,” he finally concluded.
“May I?” Jerry held the edge of the book to signify he was taking it with or without permission.
He traced a finger down the middle of the pages to try and see a name that stuck out. Eventually he found one.
“Joe Adonis!” Jerry was outraged. “You didn’t think a name like that was suspicious?” he angrily chucked the book back at the manager.
“Wha…. Who…. Who’s Joe Adonis?” he stuttered.
“Are you serious? Please don’t tell me you’re being serious! Joe Adonis was one of the most infamous Mafia hitmen of all time. Freakin’ Joe Adonis,” and Jerry shook his head in disbelief.
“Why would I know who that is?” the manager was deeply confused.
Jerry just looked to him with sheer hatred.
“Anyway... He still here?”
“No! Actually he and his girlfriend did a runner,”
“Oh yeah? Where to?”
“I have no idea!” the manager shrugged.
“Hmmm. So that’s it?”
“I assume so. The last I saw of them they were running out of their room with their belongings,”
“Did you notice anything else? Jerry prodded for more information.
“No… I mean they left the TV on in their room but that’s no big deal,”
“What was on?”
“Eh?”
“What was on the TV when they left?”
“Well I went in to check the room was ok and I saw that they’d left the news on,”
“Hmmmm….” Jerry thought hard. “So you think it was something on the news that made them run?”
“Again I’m sorry. I have no idea,” the manager swallowed nervously.
Jerry was scratching his chin in thought. They must have seen the reports of their previous motel being burned down. There was no other reason they’d flee while the news was on. They must have thought they were being threatened.
“Ok thanks. But one last thing,”
“Yes?”
“Which direction did they run?”
“That way,” the manager pointed south. “In the direction of the Richardson neighbourhood,”
“Is there anything special about the place?” Jerry asked as he stifled a yawn.
“Not really. Just a rundown area with loads of foreclosed houses,”
“Ok thank you for your time. Appreciated.” and Jerry turned to leave.
But as he put his hand on the door handle there was an almighty scream.
CHAPTER 17
Anna thought the night was passing too quickly. She looked to Carl as he sat in bed beside her and saw the stress on his face. More than anything she wanted to hold him and make him believe his sacrifice was worth it. She’d be lying if she said in her moments of doubt she hadn’t wondered whether he should have killed her or not. Now he was in all this trouble and it was because of her and the kindness in his heart.
She leaned into his side and watched the flicker of the TV screen against the pale skin of his chest. She didn’t know what they were watching and she didn’t much care. She just wanted to feel like she was doing something normal.
Carl put his arm around her, and kissed the top of her head.
“You OK sweetheart?” he asked while knowing full well she was not.
“Yeah… As ok as I’ll ever be I guess,”
“Is there anything I can do to make you ok?” he stroked her arm.
“Just hold onto me as tight as you can,”
“That I CAN do,” and he wrapped her up in his arms and pulled the covers up over their heads.
He kissed her softly, moving downwards steadily.
Anna wriggled as she felt the softness of his lips tickle her skin. She squirmed for a second but then stopped as she felt his mouth drift over the top of her panties. Then she felt his strong fingers pull them to the side and she felt the pleasure of his tongue run slickly over her slippery lips. She groaned and flung her head back.
“Fu…..uck!” she screamed as he hit a sensitive spot.
Her legs quivered as her thighs contracted around Carl as she reached orgasm quickly. He pulled the covers back and took a deep breath. He kissed her softly and then lay beside her.
“What about your turn?” she asked.
“No. Tonight can be all about you.” he breathed into the side of her neck.
He brushed her hair back as he stroked her head and soon she could feel her eyelids grow heavy.
“Carl?” she asked with a yawn. “What do you see in me?
”
“What do you mean?” he kissed her on the shoulder.
“I mean… like what do you actually like about me?”
“I like just about everything,” he spoke honestly.
And she could hear a genuine quality to his voice. Finally, feeling safe and free she relaxed into his arms and fell asleep.
~
When Jerry exited the reception the first thing he saw was Jorge running for his life. His nimble and fast legs were carrying him at speed as his snakeskin boots crackled on the gravel. Behind him was a burly man wearing nothing but socks and boxer shorts. He was trying his best to keep up with Jorge and was maniacally swinging a bike chain.
“What the actual fuck?” Jerry was flummoxed.
The manager was close behind him and looked panic stricken at the scene unfolding in front of him.
“Hey!” the manager shouted. “The police are here!”
And the two men stopped dead in their tracks.
“Yeah police!” Jerry shouted while looking Jorge dead in the eye.
The man with the bike chain looked mildly embarrassed but he stepped forward and eventually dropped his weapon.
“This fucker was looking in through the window as I was having sex with my girlfriend!”
Jerry looked to his partner with a look of total exhaustion.
“Well I’ll take it from here,” and he walked over to Jorge and held his arms from behind. “You’re comin’ with me pal,” he said in his best cop voice while bundling him into his own Buick and driving away.
“What the fuck man?” Jorge was livid. “You’re police now?”
“Yeah sure I’m police. What the fuck were YOU doin?”
“I was lookin’ around like you said!”
“Whatever. Did you see anything?”
“Nah. He’s definitely long gone from here. But I did find this?” he pulled something metallic out of his jacket pocket.
“What are those? Dog tags?” Jerry tried to focus on them while driving.
“Yup,” and Jorge dangled them even closer to Jerry’s face. “And it has his name right on them?”
“You’re kiddin’ me!”
“Look!”
Jerry screeched to a halt in the middle of the empty road. And Jorge was right. Carl Reiner’s name was etched expertly into the dog tags.
“Where the fuck you find these?”
“Outside that maniac’s room, in the gravel. He must have dropped it as he ran away,”
“He couldn’t have got very far without his car though could he?”
And he looked ahead into Richardson.
CHAPTER 18
The Texan sun was beaming like heaven through the tall windows of the penthouse suite. Anna had slept soundly but as she woke up she was confused as to where she was. It took her a moment to recognize the room. Carl was at the window looking out to the city with a cup of coffee in one hand. He had a serious expression on his face as he stood in deep thought and Anna thought it was best to not disturb him. Eventually though he sensed she was awake and turned to her.
“I thought you were still asleep,” he yawned and sipped at his coffee.
“Hmmmmm….” She stretched out on the bed and hoped he’d come back and join her.
“How do you look so beautiful first thing in the morning?” he walked over and sat on the edge of the bed.
Running a finger down the side of her face he felt her perfect, porcelain complexion.
“Won’t you come back to join me?” she grinned cheekily.
“How could I not,” he smiled and jumped under the covers.
For a long while they kissed and held each other. They savoured the moment and pressed themselves to each other’s bodies. Anna loved the feeling of his strong and sturdy hands on her body and she let them roam freely. As he nuzzled into her neck his cupped her breasts gently and pinched softly at a nipple. She immediately gasped and opened her legs. He rolled on top and grew hard as he felt her wetness soak through her panties and onto him.
“You’re ready so soon,” he whispered into her ear.
“I can’t help it. You’re so perfect,” and she rose her hips up to meet his.
They kissed softly as they moved their bodies together. It wasn’t long until they climaxed in unison and wrenched themselves apart as they gasped for breath. Anna looked out to the clear sky and wondered what it covered. Grabbing the bed sheets she wound them around herself and walked to the tall windows.
She looked down to Austin at all the people on their way to work. She envied their routine and their normalcy.
“Do you think I’ll ever have a job?” she was still looking down.
“A job? Right now we have to focus on getting away. Money and work can come later,”
“But seriously. Do you ever think I can be normal?”
“No,” he sounded harsh but he didn’t mean to. “I think you’re too good for that,” and he joined her by the window.
He wrapped his arms around her and they both looked out to the world.
“If it wasn’t for everything…. This would be a perfect day,” he thought out loud.
“It is a perfect day,” and she turned round to kiss him. “So what now?”
“We need to get a bus,”
“But how do I get over the border? I don’t have a passport,”
“It’s ok. I have an idea,” and he held her tighter. “I’ll make sure you’re safe.”
~
Jorge and Jerry had spent all night searching the Richardson neighborhood but found nothing at all. For a moment Jerry had looked up to an abandoned apartment and wondered if they’d been in there but he thought they probably hadn’t. It looked to him as if they were long gone. After a fruitless evening they had returned to the car and sat in the sunshine. Jorge had his feet poking out the window and he studied the way the sunlight glinted off the scales of the snakeskin. He lit his fourth cigarette of the morning.
“This is kinda nice,” he relaxed back in his seat.
“Yeah for you maybe, I’m exhausted AND starving by the way. We should get outta here and find breakfast,” he yawned.
“Then what?”
“Fuck I dunno, we can’t go back to Angelo without a result,”
“No we cannot,” Jorge blew out smoke and watched it drift across the front of the car.
A heavy silence was settling inside the car. Jerry was picking at a nail nervously and making furtive glances all around.
“Fuck!” he eventually lashed out and punched the dashboard.
He instantly regretted it and winced in agony as he cradled his hand. Looking down he saw that it was definitely broken. Feeling livid Jorge watched as his face became redder and redder.
“Yo man what’s happened to you?”
“I’m just so fucking frustrated. Where could he have gone? He gotta be around here!” and he stepped out of the car and kicked at the dirt on the side of the road.
The wind wafted it across the bonnet of the car and it made Jorge fume.
“Mind the car you asshole!” he shouted as he tossed his cigarette end out the window.
Jerry clapped his hands to his head and looked up to the sky.
“We’re fucked,” he whispered. “If we don’t find him we’re fucked,”
Jorge was watching his breakdown from inside and he watched as the chubby man in the sweaty, crumpled suit walked away down the road. He let him cool off for a few minutes and then started the engine and drove forward. Catching up with Jerry he talked through the window.
“Hey…. Come back won’t ya? We’ll not find him if you throw a hissy fit,” Jorge tried to reason.
But Jerry was too frustrated, too angry to care about what he was saying. Instead he just kept walking while staring at the ground. Jorge found it amusing watching the big Mafia henchman act like a spoiled kid. He humored him for a while and then eventually braked and reached over to open the passenger door.
“Get in you dummy,” he laughed.
&nbs
p; And Jerry got back in the car with a furrowed brow and a pout. He leant against the window and held his head in his hand. All he had was Carl’s dog tags and he couldn’t go back to Angelo with just that.
“If you were a Navy-Seal and you were tryin’ to escape… where would you go?” he asked his new partner
“Hmmm…. California? Ain’t there a base there?” Jorge suggested.
“How would I know?”
It looked like they’d hit a dead end. Jerry sighed heavily and looked to the dog tags that were hanging from the rear view mirror.
“And you’re telling me that he didn’t even bite at his old man gettin’ a beaten?”
“Nope…” Jorge shook his head in disgust. “Either he didn’t get the message or he doesn’t care.
“Harsh stuff,”
“Yuh,”