The Fix

by Apryl Summers

  Robert was holding the door open for me, and I guess he’d been standing there for a few minutes, because he had an agitated expression on his face. I smiled an apology at him and got out of the car. He closed my door behind me and locked it. I took a deep breath as I faced the pile of bricks surrounded by miles of fences and razor wire. I tried to act like it wasn’t anything special, but the truth was that my bravado was fake. I already knew that if I was ever sent to prison for anything that I wouldn’t make it. I’d go crazy and have to be sent to the prison ward of a mental hospital. Robert came back into my field of vision, walking towards the front door. My legs moved of their own accord, and I was surprised to see that they at least were steady. My breathing and my heart rate, on the other hand, weren’t. If I didn’t pull myself together, I wasn’t going to be able to seduce Harvey. That would be a problem, not only for Robert and his dead ends, but for my own pride. I could seduce any man. That was just who I was.

  Robert led me through a maze of hallways until he came to a small room that looked like a supply closet. The shelves were empty, but the smell of bleach was strong, so it must have been cleaned recently. I smiled. I guess when you knew the right people, all kinds of hoops could be jumped through. Robert turned the light on for me, then left. I got a little nervous waiting for them to bring Harvey in to see me. I’m not claustrophobic or anything, but I don’t like small spaces, and supply closets are definitely on that list. The door opened and Harvey walked in. He was still in his bright orange jumpsuit, but his cuffs were gone. From the shadows under the door, I could tell that his guard was going to be right outside the whole time.

  Mmm, an audience. This will make it a bit more fun.

  “Kelly, wow. You look amazing.” I preened under the compliment and did a slow spin so he could see my entire outfit. He swallowed hard, and a glance at the front of his jumpsuit showed me that he was getting ready to pitch a tent.

  “Why, thank you. So, this is how it’s going to work. I’m going to ask you some questions, and every time I hear an answer that I like, I’ll take something off. Deal?” Harvey couldn’t find his voice. He just nodded. I smiled at him predatorily. “Question number one. They can’t seem to find anything that will help them build a case to take Buruchi down. Do you have any other information that could help?”

  Harvey frowned and looked down at the floor. After a few minutes, he looked up and I could tell he was furious.

  “Did they look through my computer? All of my files?”

  I nodded, trying to reassure him that he really had to think on this one or we wouldn’t be able to take the mob boss down.

  “Then I’m not sure. I know that the police went through all of Penny’s things when she died, but if they didn’t find anything, and there was nothing on my things, then I’m at a loss. That bastard really did a good job of hiding everything. Son of a bitch!” Harvey brought his fist up and punched the wall in front of him. I gasped in shock, since I didn’t expect him to punish the masonry like that.

  “You mean there’s nothing else at all that you can think of?”

  “No. There’s nothing on his underground porn industry, either. I’m not high enough on the food chain to have a lot of critical information. I wish that I could help you more.” He put both hands on the wall, leaned against it, and hung his head in shame. I felt bad for him, so I crossed the few feet that separated us and put my arms around his waist. He stiffened for a moment, then relaxed.

  “Are you okay? Did I hurt you or something? I mean, why did you flinch?” He turned around as best he could, since my arms were still around him. He gave me a tired smile.

  “Ever since I was put in this rat hole, every touch scares me. It used to be a lot worse though. I used to see my life flash before my eyes when I got touched. Mob activity isn’t exactly acceptable in this particular prison, and if the other inmates knew that’s what I was here for, I might not make it out alive.”

  My eyes widened. I had to convince Robert to get him a different lawyer immediately. He couldn’t stay, living in fear of every day that passed. I tightened my grip on him and put my head on his chest. I thought that I was going to be the one in control, not the one trying to offer comfort.

  “Oh, Harvey. I’m so sorry. Look, I’m here because I missed you and I selfishly wanted to seduce you.” I hung my head because I felt like a completely insensitive jerk. I knew nothing about how prison life was and it was clearly getting to him. He smiled at me.

  “Really? That would be the best experience that I’ve had inside these walls.”

  That made me laugh, and I backed up from him so I would have a little room. I started to lift the hem of my V-neck over my head, slowly, and I watched as his eyes followed it. By the time it came off — with me standing there, in a lacy bra and my pleated skirt — all the negatives of prison must have flown out the window, because he looked like he did in my dreams: eager and barely restrained. I grinned at him and winked and I reached behind me and unhooked my bra. I took a little while to remove it, before letting it dangle precariously from my fingertips/ I thought his eyes would follow the lacy material as I dropped it, but I was wrong. His eyes were fixed on mine as I reached down to undo my skirt. This wasn’t much of a striptease. There was no music, no pole, and no flashing lights, but it made it more sensual this way. When my skirt was in a pile on the floor, I thought for sure that he would come over to me and kiss me, but he stood rooted to the spot. Okay, big boy. You want me to make all the moves? So be it. I walked over to him and took the zipper of his jumpsuit in my hand. Looking up into his eyes from a few inches away made it easy to see that he was definitely interested. I started to slide the zipper down, and he stood there, completely motionless. It was almost like he was afraid that if he moved, he would wake up from this dream alone.

  7

  I struggled not to smile as I walked serenely out of the prison. Out of sight of Robert, I quickly readjusted my breasts in my bra and winced a little as my fingertips brushed against a small bruise that Harvey had left when he’d squeezed them earlier. Thinking back to how that bruise had gotten there made me shiver in a delicious way. I could just see Robert’s disapproving glance out of the corner of my eye. I pouted as he unlocked the car.

  “What’s that look for?” I climbed into the passenger seat¸ feeling fully sated and ready for a good nap when we got back to the safe house. The warmth that had built up in the car while we were gone was already starting to lull me to sleep.

  “I can’t believe you used all of your money and influence to get conjugal visits. That’s shallow, Kelly, even for you.”

  I didn’t really care what he said, I’d done what I had to to get what I wanted, and I was okay with that. “Let’s just say, I get what I want and leave it at that. Now, how’s the search going for that new lawyer that I wanted?” I didn’t honestly think that Robert had started looking yet, much less found someone.

  “I have a few prospects, and I’m conducting interviews to narrow it down. Give me a couple more weeks and I’ll have one for you.”

  That made me open my eyes wider, and I turned to face him. “Really? I want the best. It doesn’t matter how much money it takes. Are we clear on that? I need Harvey to get out of prison.”

  Robert narrowed his eyes at me as he put the key in the ignition. “And why would you want that? For all you know this man killed your sister. Or at least knows who did. Don’t you want some revenge against him?”

  I shook my head. “No. It wasn’t him. The man that ordered my sister’s death was Buruchi. I firmly believe that, and I’m going to get my revenge. Just wait and see. I just need Harvey to do it. He’s going to be my inside man. Don’t you remember? I always get what I want. And speaking of which, I want a conjugal visit every two weeks.” By the time the word ‘conjugal’ left my mouth, Robert was already shaking his head. I crossed my arms over my chest and prepared to do battle. “You want to get back at this guy that you can’t find evidence on? Then you do what I say.”
Robert shut his mouth with a snap. It was plain to see that he was angry, but I didn’t care.

  “I’ll see what I can do. And if I happen to find a lawyer that I think is good enough, I’ll send word.” He turned the radio on, a suggestion that he didn’t want to talk to me anymore. I smirked as I turned my head and leaned against the window. The heat was making me tired, and I was going to nap on the way to the safe house.

  ***

  I woke up to Robert’s aftershave stinging my nose. When I opened my eyes I saw that we’d made it back, and he was shaking me awake. I yawned widely and let him know that I was awake. He walked off without a word. I guess he was still mad at the way I talked to him. Just because he was almost double my age didn’t mean that he could talk to me like I was a child. Having the power of money behind me was the only reason that I’d won our argument, and I knew it. I made sure I didn’t leave any of my things in the car, and strolled up to the front door. I felt a slight rush of air by my ear, and the next thing I knew my face was pressed into the grass so hard that I thought I’d be snorting grass seed. What the hell just happened? Robert ushered me into the house and slammed the door. I tried to get to the window so I could look out, but there were metal shutters coming down so fast I knew if I tried to stop them I’d lose fingers. I tried the door, but it was locked. I leaned against it and tried to listen, but the door was meant to be bulletproof, and all I could hear was some yelling and a very quiet pop every now and then.

  Was that gunfire? No, it couldn’t be. If it was, then that rush of air would have been a bullet…

  Suddenly my legs couldn’t hold me up anymore. I didn’t quite know what was going on, but all of a sudden, I didn’t want to know. My legs were made out of jelly and they were too weak to hold me up. I started to crawl over to the stairs as I heard a loud thud against the door. My eyes widened, and I started to shake. That couldn’t be a good sign. If it was one of the good guys, they’d have a key and wouldn’t be thumping against the door. It had to be a bad guy.

  I started to crawl faster. By the time the second thump rang out, I was already at the top of the stairs. When the third one came, it was much quieter because I was under the bed in my room, pressed against the wall so no one would find me. Tears were coursing down my cheeks, I was terrified. I heard the front door slam open. I pressed myself even further against the wall, trying to make myself as small as I could.

  “Kelly? Are you okay? Where are you?” It was Mick’s voice, but I wasn’t convinced. What if the bad guys had captured him and were using him to find me? Then they would just kill us both. No, I wasn’t going to give my position away. I heard footsteps coming towards my room. I wasn’t skilled enough to be able to tell how many pairs of footsteps, and I wasn’t going to take a chance either. The bed ruffle lifted and Mick’s face came into view. “There you are. Come on out of there. Everything’s okay.” I wasn’t taking that chance. I shook my head, fully aware that I probably resembled a five year old that was scared of a nightmare.

  “Is this the big tough girl that told me that she was going to get what she wanted when she wanted?” Robert’s face joined Mick’s under the bed ruffle. That made my heart stop hammering just a little.

  “Yeah, it is. But right now I’m hiding because I’m pretty sure that I heard gunshots earlier, and how do I know that you’re not here to lure me out of my hiding place by the bad guys?” Mick looked confused, Robert burst out laughing.

  “Looks like someone has been watching a few too many police dramas. I promise you everything is okay. You can come out from under the bed.” I glared at the two of them for a minute or two and then I slid forward slowly. When I came out from under the edge of the bed-frame, I was still expecting someone to grab my arms and drag me to my feet. It didn’t happen.

  “Oh my god! Robert!” I could see now that his tan shirt had a blood stain the size of a watermelon on it. The bullet that had missed me must have hit him. Tears sprang to my eyes as I thought about how he’d knocked me to the ground to protect me. He could have been killed. He threw his hands up to stop me from saying any more.

  “It’s okay, Kelly. I’m fine. Are you okay?” I watched him as he winced.

  “I’m fine. But you should really get that looked at.” Mick was nodding like he agreed with me.

  “I’ve already called for an ambulance.” Robert shot him a glare that said Mick was a traitor. “I’m sorry, buddy, but she’s right. That’s an awful lot of blood to lose, and I’m not taking the chance of losing a friend. Sorry.” If looks could kill, that ambulance would need room for two people. Robert turned away and meant to stomp off, but he barely made it two steps before he collapsed. I let out a little scream, but Mick knelt down and started talking to Robert, trying to keep him conscious.

  The sound of gravel crunching could be heard from the open front door, accompanied by the siren of an ambulance. “Just in time.” I watched with wide eyes as Mick hoisted Robert onto his shoulders, taking on the weight like he was no more than a sack of potatoes. Mick made his way back down the stairs and met the EMT’s halfway across the living room. They dropped their stretcher onto the ground and rolled Robert on it. He didn’t wake up. I watched as they strapped him on it in less than five minutes, and then they left out the front door where I couldn’t see them anymore.

  “Is he going to be okay?” I was a little embarrassed that my voice came out as a croak. If Robert died, it would be all my fault. That bullet had been meant for me. I sat down on the top step, letting the tears flow freely.

  “Don’t beat yourself up. Robert’s a tough old bird. He’ll be okay. My guess is that he just passed out from loss of blood.”

  My head jerked up at that. “If that’s supposed to make me feel better, it didn’t.”

  Mick put a hand on my shoulder. I looked back up at him.

  “He’s going to be fine. Don’t you dare feel guilty about this. Protecting you is Robert’s job. You’re not the only one that he’s protected, and this is not the first time that he’s been shot. Don’t beat yourself up about it. He did what he had to do.”

  The explanation only made Robert sound noble, it didn’t do shit to take away the guilt I felt. If I didn’t have to come back to the safe house, he wouldn’t have been shot. I was the one that the hit men were after, and it was the people around me that were being hurt. I had to find a way to get out of this protective detail and take down my demons myself. I wasn’t going to let anyone else get hurt for me again. I wiped the tears from my eyes and retreated to my room. I didn’t care that I left Mick standing in the dirt. I just had to be alone. I locked the door behind me and made sure that my window was closed. The metal shutters were gone now, and I had a good view of the front lawn. I could see the little alcove of the front porch, the ugly red stain in the grass drew my gaze like a car accident. I stared at it for I don’t know how long, but by the time I went to sit on my bed, the shadows were stretching across the yard like hungry, skeletal fingers reaching out for me.

  8

  I slept very fitfully that night. Even though I never saw the bullet hit Robert, my mind came up with a million scenarios and played each one for me like it was a private viewing of a movie premiere. When I awoke in the small hours of the morning, I was covered in a sheen of cold sweat. I put my slippers on and didn’t do anything to make my appearance presentable. My hair was matted with sweat, and my thin tank-top clung to me, outlining everything that I had to offer, but I didn’t care. I knew that Mick would be in his underground room, and that’s where I was headed. When I tried the door, it was stuck. It took a lot of effort for me to get the door open even though I remembered it being a light door that didn’t really require much muscle to open. When I walked over the threshold, an intense heat blew up against my face. It was hard to see and my eyes were watering because of the smoke. My heart started beating at twice its normal rate and my breathing grew.

  “Mick? Mick! Are you in here?” I started to cough and I almost didn’t hear his answer.


  “Yeah, I’m here. Don’t come down, okay? I don’t want you breathing this crap in.” Out of the smoke came a human shape. I was still agitated from yesterday’s activities so I was thinking about running right away. The shape came closer, and I saw that it was Mick with a gas mask and a biohazard suit on. He led me back out of the door and into the safety of the kitchen. He didn’t struggle when he closed it, and that made me feel even more weak. He took his mask and hood off so I could hear him without any hindrances. “Hey. I was hoping to get it all done before you woke up.” Of course I had no idea what he was talking about.

  “Okay, so I’m completely confused here. What are you talking about?”

  Mick laughed and put the hood and mask on the kitchen counter. “We’re going to be moving you to another safe house today, and I was just getting rid of all of my equipment down.”

  “Why wouldn’t you just take it with you?” I didn’t know how much he paid for everything, but it had to be expensive.

  He sighed heavily and I felt myself getting dumber. Obviously there was something that I missed. “The equipment is too heavy to move, and a lot of it was bolted into the walls. I’ll just have to get new stuff. We wouldn’t have time to move it all anyway.” I looked at him in surprise. No one had even mentioned that we were moving.

  “Well, then I guess I better go pack all my stuff.” I was ready to turn around and head back upstairs when Mick stopped me.

  “Everything is already packed up. Now that you’re awake, all you need to do is get into the van. All of the other things in the house have been packed.” That was amazing to hear. I didn’t believe it though, so I had to go look for myself.