movement in the next room. There were footsteps coming to the door.
Tiff stomped on the box as fast as she could. It seemed like it was out and she slung it under the bed as she dived for the cover. Mace flung the door open and he stood looking at her. He knew that she was up to something, but he couldn’t tell what.
He came towards her with his kerchief. “We’re taking you out of here.”
The hell you are , she thought.
“I just need to put this on you,” and he tied the red and white bandana over her eyes, “One last time.”
The words echoed in her head, One. Last. Time . Tiffany braced herself. A cellphone chirped in Mace’s pocket. He sniffed as he took it out. He said, “Yo,” into the phone as he strode out of the room and closed the door behind him.
Tiff sat, blindfolded and breathing heavily. A few moments later, she heard Mace’s voice raised in the adjacent room. “That was Ryder. He thinks we may be blown.”
‘Jax’s voice, “I told you we should have cleared out last night.”
“And I told you we should have cleaned up.”
“That’s NOT GOING TO HAPPEN.”
She smelled smoke.
She scrambled and waved her hands under the bed as she searched for the pizza box. From the next room she heard the outer door slam. A voice she didn’t know said, “We got to haul out of here, bro, right now. The PD are headed straight this way.”
‘Jax’, “How the fuck…?”
Then Mace, “That’ll have to be for later. We got to move. Get the van, I’ll take care of the package.”
Boots, stomping towards her, followed the sound of the door handle. Tiff tried hard not to flinch. Then she heard Mace, close by, “What, bro? WHAT? The kerchief? She’s blind folded, dumbass.”
Another pair of boots entered the room. Mace spoke again. “Oh, oh, now what, because I’m talking? She ain’t going to recognize my goddamn voice. And if that’s what you’re afraid of, we ought to do like I said all along.”
Click. She felt the press of metal to side of her head . Another click.
Mace’s voice, “Oh, you pull a goddamn piece on me now? You point your weapon at your bro, to save some rich trash gash?”
‘Jax’s’ voice was near, too, and firm, “I told you. She gets killed, we’re all accessories. You make me an accessory, you won’t be alive to see my trial. Bro.”
“Look now she heard your voice, too. Come on man, let’s get her done.”
“There’s something you haven’t told me, bro. I can sniff it. I can feel it.”
The certainty drained out of Mace’s voice, “Look, I’m just saying.”
“And I’m saying, give me one more reason to squeeze this goddamn trigger. Bro.”
Mace was almost pleading now. “Maybe she can ID the club, is all I’m saying.”
“Don’t matter what the crime is,” said ‘Jax,’ “they still ain’t going to put anyone on the stand for wearing colors. Bro.”
“No, but she’s…” click
Now ‘Jax’ was hard. Firm, “One. More. Reason. Mace.”
Tiff still shook as the ring of cold metal came away from her temple. Mace sounded almost sulky. “Okay. This is for later. You and me, bro. For now, let’s just get in the goddamn van and get gone.”
His footsteps crossed the room away from her, and then they stopped. “Man, the goddamned bed’s on fire!”
“Just get down to the van, Mace. Take what you can and I’ll be right there.”
“You’re losing it, bro.” She heard Mace’s voice moving away. “Whatever she gave you, it’s turned your head around.”
‘Jax’ yanked off the blindfold. He stood over her, his eyes blazing and a gun in his hand. Acrid smoke was starting to fill the room. He shouted at her and she flinched, “Bring your jacket.”
“It doesn’t matter,” she mumbled.
“Bring your jacket,” he said again. Moving ahead of him, she found it on the back of a chair in the outer room. As she struggled into it, he shoved her through the door and towards a dark
Andrea Kane
John Peel
Bobby Teale
Graham Hurley
Jeff Stone
Muriel Rukeyser
Laura Farrell
Julia Gardener
Boris Pasternak
N.R. Walker