Mac came in and asked me how I was doin.
Been better, I said.
Yeah, I guess so. I’m so sorry this happened to you, Sly Girl. I feel awful.
It wasn’t your fault, I whispered.
She shrugged. Maybe.
What’s important now is that you rest and get well, Mercy said. But you might have a concussion so we’re going to need to wake you up every couple of hours.
What?
Just to make sure, you know …
What?
To make sure you don’t fall into a coma.
Really?!
Don’t worry. Just relax. We’re going to look after you. She looked at Mac, and Mac nodded.
I closed my eyes and stared at the red blobs on the inside of my eyelids.
Sly?
Mmhmm?
Got you a magic pill. It was Kayos, holdin a pink pill and a glass of water out to me.
Pain killer?
Baby stopper.
KAYOS
After school on Monday, I went to Sport Chek and bought two steel bats. Then I took the bus down to the house on Cordova. Sly Girl was propped up on the couch watching Scarface. I asked her if she needed anything.
Yeaah.
What?
A new set of lungs.
I’ll see what I can do. But no promises.
She laughed. Her breathing was raspy and stuttery. She had been stabbed that night in Crack Alley, and our best guess was that they’d punctured her lung. She still refused to go to the hospital, though, so we just hoped to hell it didn’t get infected and did what we could to keep her comfortable.
Got a smoke?
Not for you.
Come on! she whined.
Seriously?
How bout a joint?
No fucking way are you smoking any-fucking-thing, Sly Girl! You want your fucking lungs to collapse? Fuck! Did your brain get damaged when you fell?
She turned away from me and stared at the TV screen.
Sorry.
She shrugged.
Are you in pain?
She nodded. We watched as Al Pacino smoked a cigar in a huge bubble bath.
I wouldn’t mind seeing what’s underneath those bubbles.
Sly giggled.
How bout I make you some weed tea?
She shrugged again, and I went into the kitchen to look for some cream.
Mac and Z were cleaning each other’s tonsils in front of the fridge. I coughed loudly and they slowly drifted apart.
What’s up, Kayos? Z said.
Yo.
Mac’s face flushed pink, and she wouldn’t meet my eyes. She took Z by the hand and they went into their room.
I wished I had someone to make out with. Not one of the girls, obviously, but someone … hot. Someone my own age. I ground up a gram of weed and boiled the water. A vision of Roger getting out of the shower flooded my head. I don’t know why. I didn’t ever want to think of him like that. Ever. I squeezed my eyes shut to get him outta there. I thought of this guy from my high school, Ben McInnis. He was popular, a jock. Six foot two inches, crewcut, rugby shirts, dimples. He was not my type at all. He didn’t know I existed, and even if he did, he would never, never kiss me. I left the tea to steep, went into the bathroom, and locked the door.
MERCY
It could have happened to any of us, that’s what scared me. There was nothing we could have done. We told her not to go down there alone, and she did. But it wasn’t anyone’s fault. Everyone thinks that they can do it alone. Until something like this happens.
A couple days after it happened I went to an ATM in Gastown and relieved a fat suit of $300 he would’ve wasted on bad cologne and titty magazines. Then I went to Mountain Equipment Co-op. I bought five cans of bear spray. I didn’t steal it because the metal detector would have gone off and they had a handful of secret shoppers in there anyway. No point ruining my clean record now. The cashier gave me a look like, what’s up with you, bear-trainer chick? But I kept my face blank and didn’t say a word. Sure, we all had guns, but you can’t just go around shooting people every week. Sooner or later, someone’s going to start to notice. I still couldn’t believe that Kayos had gotten away with murder, and I knew that eventually, it would come back to haunt us. That’s the way this game works. No one ever really gets away with shit like that. Maybe for a while, but not forever.
The mace came to $112. I got a falafel for lunch and brought the rest of the cash home to Mac for our condo fund. Someday soon, we’d be set up sweet in West Van, sipping lattes on our balcony, overlooking Burrard Inlet, the Lions Gate Bridge.
I gave every girl a can and showed them all how to spray it. And don’t use it if the wind’s blowing toward you!
No shit, Sherlock, Mac said.
I stuck out my tongue at her and she made a pig face.
A timer went off in the kitchen, and we both reached for our guns.
Z stood up. Who wants pie?
I do! Kayos jumped up and ran into the kitchen. The timer quit beeping. Mac and I looked at each other.
Never heard the timer go off before.
Something about it made me think of a bomb.
Me too.
Sly Girl giggled at us from the couch. You guys are paranoid.
Z and Kayos brought out apple pie and plates. They took a piece to Sly Girl, and the rest of us sat around the table and ate it all up.
This is delicious, babe! Mac said.
Yeah, it’s hella good, Z.
It was really easy to make.
You know what? Sly Girl said. I think I’m ready to go looking for them guys tonight.
Yes! Kayos yelled, her knees bouncing up and down.
Are you sure? I asked her. We don’t have to. It can wait until you’re feeling better.
Totally, said Mac. There’s no rush.
Nah. We should go now. Tonight. Before I forget what they look like.
Alright. If you’re sure.
We are gonna fuck up their shit, Sly. No doubt.
Yeaah.
Hells, yeah.
We all punched knuckles. I wondered if the others had the same heavy feeling in their guts as I did.
SLY GIRL
It happened five days ago. My breathin was gettin better and the swellin in my face had gone down, but I still felt like someone had taken a blowtorch to my bones. Z made me a wrist splint, and I knew I wasn’t gonna have a baby, so that was the biggest thing out of the way. A part of me was still afraid though. I locked myself in the bathroom and looked in the mirror for a long time. My face was fucked. Broken nose, two black eyes turning blue-green, split lip, cut on my cheek, cuts on my forehead, plus my eye that was already a write-off. My face couldn’t possibly get any more fucked up. I felt real sad for a minute, and thought I might cry, but there was just nothin there no more to cry about. It was a different feeling inside now, like dry and sharp, angry. Okay, Sly Girl, I said to myself. This is it. If you ain’t ready now, you ain’t never gonna be ready. I went back out to the kitchen where the girls sat at the table eating pie. Let’s go get those fuckin assholes.
Tonight?
Yeaah.
Yeeeeooow! No one fucks with a Black Rose!
You fuck with the Black Roses, the Black Roses are gonna fuck with you!
We gonna whup some ass to-night, bitches! For real!
Mercy, Mac said. We’re gonna need an SUV for this.
I’m on it.
A few hours later, we all piled into a black Explorer. I got to sit shotgun. They wrapped me in blankets and told me not to get out of the car no matter what. Mac and Kayos each held a bat across their laps. Z had a roll of duct tape. We all had our guns. And the bear spray.
My heart beat faster as we got closer to Crack Alley. The streets were shiny with rain. Mercy slowed down as we passed Pigeon Park. Two guys huddled on a bench, tryin to light a pipe.
Is that them?
I squinted through the darkness. I don’t know. I can’t tell. It’s too dar
k.
Kayos sighed. Tell us what they look like.
Well, they were both skinny. You know, cracked-out like.
Yeah, and?
They were both wearing black.
Uh-huh.
One of them had a toque on. A black toque.
Come on, Sly! You just described ninety-nine percent of the guys down here! How the fuck are we supposed to find them off that!
Take it easy, Kayos. I’m sure she’ll recognize them when she sees them, Mercy said.
The other guy had a Canucks hat on. It was blue.
Alright. Well, at least that’s something. What kind of hair did they have?
I dunno.
Yo, try to remember!
I squeezed my eyes shut. Why was she being so mean to me? It should’ve been her out there slingin that night. And me all cozy up in the restaurant. I felt bad for thinkin that, but it just wasn’t fair, you know?
Let’s cruise past Oppenheimer, Mac said.
Everyone on the street looked mean that night. The rain began to fall in thick sheets of grey, and I couldn’t see shit.
Is that them? Z pointed to two guys standing around a grocery cart with a bunch of other skids. One wore a black toque, the other a Canucks cap.
I rolled down the window to get a better look.
Well?
Yeaah, that’s them. I felt my throat closing up. Suddenly, I couldn’t breathe.
Mercy reached for my hand. It’s going to be okay, Sly. We’re not going to let them hurt you again, okay? You stay in the car. Don’t move, alright?
I nodded.
She turned around to the back seat. Ready?
Born ready.
Let’s do this.
I watched through the windshield as the four of them approached the guys, actin all friendly. The guys were smilin and laughin and snakin their arms around Mercy and Mac. I swallowed some puke that came up my throat. The girls led them away from the group of people they were with and toward the SUV. I saw how Mercy and Mac patted the guys down, but made it look like they were just casually touching them. It was like they were pros at this. They led them around to the other side of the vehicle, I guess so their friends couldn’t see, then Mac, Mercy, and Kayos pulled their guns. Z stuck duct tape over the guys’ mouths, and wrapped up their wrists behind their backs. Then Kayos took out her bear spray and sprayed it right at their faces. The guys jerked around, trying to wipe their eyes on their shoulders, each other’s backs.
Mercy opened the back door.
Get in the fucking truck, Kayos said.
They got in.
Don’t move, you fucking maggot. Kayos levelled her gun at Canucks guy’s forehead, while Z wrapped his ankles together with duct tape, then did the other guy.
They were whimpering and moaning as I stared at them in the rear-view mirror. Part of me wanted them dead, and part of me didn’t want to be doin this at all. My heart was explodin in my chest. I held my head in my hands and tried to make my breathing normal.
MERCY
I backed into our driveway and let the girls drag Sly’s attackers out of the SUV. They used the sheet method, like Mac and I had with old Blue Eyes. Then I parked a few blocks away and ran back to our house.
When I got back, they had carried the guys down to the basement, and Kayos and Mac were wailing on them with their new bats. Sly Girl sat huddled in a corner, trembling. The single bare light bulb that hung from the ceiling gave all of us long, weird shadows, and darkened the circles beneath our eyes. I stepped in and gave both guys some good hard kicks to the stomach and ribs. They cowered on the cold cement and tried to shield their heads with their arms.
Get in here, Sly Girl! Kayos yelled.
Sly shook her head.
Come on, it feels good! She bashed the toque dude in the face, and his eyes went crossed. She laughed and ground the bat into his belly, hard. What do you want us to do to them, Sly?
Sly shook her head, shrugged. I dunno.
Yo, come on! This is for you! This is your chance for revenge! She turned back to the dudes. You wanna fuck with the Black Roses? Hey? You filthy pieces of shit. You’re gonna get fucked. Here, hold this. She handed me the bat and raced upstairs.
I took a few cracks at their taped-up hands, because I knew that would hurt.
Z kicked them both in the junk, and they screamed like drowning puppies. They were both crying and pleading through their duct tape. The skin around their eyes was red and puffy from the mace.
Shut up! Mac yelled. You think it’s okay to attack someone? Leave her for dead in an alley? Thought you were gonna get away with that? You fuckin idiots. You’re worthless bags of skin and don’t deserve to live. She whacked each of them across the face with the bat.
Kayos ran back down the stairs holding my curling iron like a sword. Her eyes were wild, and she was grinning like a mental case. She plugged the curling iron in, took the bat back from me, and started smashing their kneecaps to smithereens.
I watched as the curling iron began to glow red hot.
Pull down their pants, Kayos said to me and Z.
We looked at each other.
Do it!
Kayos … what are you—
An eye for an eye, bitches.
I looked at Mac standing in the shadows.
Yo! What are you waiting for? Kayos yelled. Pull their fucking pants down right fucking now!
I pulled down toque dude’s jeans and boxers while Z did the same to Canucks guy. I stood back and stared with disgust at their pimpled hairy asses. I felt like gagging, but I swallowed it back. Sly Girl was rocking herself back and forth in the corner and staring at the wall. Her eyes looked like they had a layer of waxed paper over them.
You messed with the wrong girl, Kayos said. And then, she did it.
Toque guy screamed and flailed around on the ground. He bashed his head against the concrete floor.
Oh my God, Z said.
Kayos, Mac said.
When she slid the curling iron out, smoke was coming out his asshole. He lay motionless on the floor, his eyes closed. You could smell the burning flesh, and then I did gag.
Kay—
She rammed the curling iron up the other guy, and he let out a high-pitched, inhuman noise. He bucked and humped against the ground, but that probably only made it worse. I covered my ears and looked around the room. It seemed like everything was happening in slow motion. Sly Girl rocked, covering her eyes with her hands. Mac and Z stared, their faces pale as concrete. Kayos removed the curling iron and plunged it into him again and again. You fucker! You fucker! You fuck!
I went over to her. Tears were streaming down her face. I touched her shoulder, and her arm went limp. She turned away and sat down on the floor with a thud. She put her head in her hands and sobbed. The curling iron was still sticking out of the guy’s ass. It made a sizzly sucking sound as I pulled it out. I set it down on the floor. Neither of the guys were moving.
Jesus Christ. Let’s get them outta here, Mac said, nodding to me.
I made my way back to the Explorer like I was walking through Jell-O. Z, Mac, and Kayos loaded the guys back into the SUV and I drove around for a few minutes till we spotted an open dumpster with no one around. I backed up to it, and the five of us heaved their bodies into the dumpster, let the lid fall closed with a bang.
No one said a word on the way home.
We all flopped on the couches when we got back to the house. Kayos started rolling a joint. That was awesome, she laughed.
That was way too fucked up, I said.
Yo, we’re a gang, right? We gotta represent. We gotta pull a little hardcore shit out every now and then. It’s the only way we’re gonna survive out here. For real. Right, Mac?
Mac pressed her lips together and nodded slowly.
Anyway, we didn’t give them anything they didn’t deserve. Feel better, Sly?
Sly shrugged. I dunno.
I smoked two joints with them, then went into the bathroom to shower and g
argle with Scope. The smell of charred flesh had lodged itself in the back of my throat, and as much as I tried, I couldn’t get rid of it.
MAC
I didn’t know whether to be proud or ashamed of my girls that night. Yeah, they’d shown they were hard—without a doubt—but now, we were just as evil as the crack fiends we’d blackened.
But like my Uncle Hank always says, what goes around comes around.
It had been confirmed, we weren’t playing no kids’ game. The Black Roses were the real McCoy, bad-ass gangster motherfuckers.
The crack fiends were still alive when we dumped them. I know because I checked for a pulse in both their ropy necks. That meant that if they didn’t die in the dumpster that night, they could come after us. We’d blinded them with the pepper spray so they wouldn’t have been able to see where we were going and wouldn’t know where the house was. Unless they had excellent mental maps, and, let’s face it, crackheads aren’t really known for their spatial memory. But they’d seen all of our faces, which meant none of us was safe.
It was time to beef up security at our little house on Cordova. The cost of cheap gats had tripled recently because of a Mexican gun-run that had gone sideways. I was thinking more along the lines of recruiting a new member, a canine G.
VANCOUVER
They are slippery shadows in the night. They are beasts in bandanas. They are ruthless. They are cunning. They are brutally violent. They are born ready. They are armed. They are taught to kill or be killed. They are wanted. They are marked. They are hunted like dogs. They are respected and feared. They are angry. They are hungry. They are not taking no for an answer. They are trained professionals. They are numb to suffering. They are harder than the hardest. They are self-reliant, self-sufficient, and self-serving. They are entitled to everything. They are afraid of nothing. They are heavily armed and extremely dangerous. They are seeking revenge on the world. They are here to search and destroy. They are not sorry. They are the future. They are children, lost to my city, doing what is necessary to survive.
SLY GIRL
I think it’s gonna rain forever.
Z
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