To be Maria (26 page)

            The anxiety continues to burn inside of him. He is worried that if he tells Maria and Anya the entire story, they will leave. He is, to a large degree, concerned that they would either report him to the police or spill the wrong information to a friend or relative of a Blood Night member. But he's also worried about not having them around anymore.

            In the short time he's known them, he has grown quite fond of them. Maria is so bold and forthright. With her, what you see is what you get. She is not afraid to speak her mind. Her beauty and the way she flaunts it, makes her personality all the more desirable. Anya is also attractive and she reminds Alex so much of himself. Like him, she is also an underdog, struggling to belong in a cruel world that only values conformity. But she is as meek as a church mouse and every time she looks at him, her brown eyes haunt him. Those eyes make him feel as if he is staring at a ghost from the distant past. At times, they have chilled him to the bone. Most of the time, though, they have left Alex wanting, yearning to return to that state of innocence. Anya possesses a powerful uniqueness that is both daunting and admirable. That is what draws him to her.

            Alex realizes that he can’t live without them. He needs them. He wants them. They are his bosom pals. His love for them is almost stronger than his love for Marissa. That’s why he withheld the truth from them.

            "What are we gonna do about Adrik?" Alex says to Terri. Cold fury dances in his eyes. It hides the fear that he's feeling on the inside, but does not replace it.

            Terri stares back at him. His eyes are ablaze with hatred. "We find the bastard, kill him and then bury him in a remote area like we did with everyone else we killed."

            The thought of a bullet penetrating the soft skin in Adrik's forehead between his eyes gives Alex a feeling of wicked satisfaction, but that is short lived. "How are we gonna accomplish this? He's always surrounded by the toughest men, so I heard."

            "What the hell are you talkin’ about, Alex?" Terri yells. "We're the toughest sons-of-bitches around. Ain't no one gonna mess with us."

            Alex looks at him incredulously. "Yeah, we're tough guys, Terri. But there are lots of them and only two of us. You saw what happened today. We can't even trust our own men anymore."

            "Then, we kill them all."        

            Alex rakes his fingers through his hair. The thought of having to kill his own men chills him to the bone. He has come to like and respect them over these past eight years. But this is a gang. In this business, no one is a friend. To keep himself, Maria, Anya, Marissa and his operation safe, he must act now. If this action involves the murder of his fellow gang members, he must do it. In order to avenge Adrik and the Blood Night gang and survive, he will have to arm himself heavily. One gun is not enough.

            "Okay. We'll kill them. But we need guns that are more powerful. We need to think quicker on our feet, and we need to be more devious," he says.

            "Alex man, I can find a way to follow them without being shot dead," Terri says, punching the palm of his hand.

            Alex purses his lips.
We're going to have to find a way out of this city quick in case our plan fails.

           
"Talkin' about us, bitches?" a fierce voice speaks from behind. Alex almost instantly recognizes that voice. It belongs to Ryan, that pasty, twenty-three-year-old skin head who belongs to the Blood Night gang. On impulse, Alex whips his gun out of his coat pocket, then turns around to face him. He aims the barrel at Ryan's pale face. Alex always makes sure that his gun is fully loaded.

            In the dimly lit alley, Alex can easily see that Ryan is accompanied by two brawny, white men.

            "What the--" Alex ends Ryan's statement with the release of the trigger. Even in the dark, he can see that the bullet has penetrated Ryan's chest. The gun slips out of Ryan's hand. It lands on the cold, hard pavement the same time his dead body hits the ground. Alex manages to plant another two bullets in the chest of the thick-set man who is standing on Ryan's left side. At the same time, another gunshot explodes in Alex's ear. It is from Terri's gun. That bullet kills the third man the instant it penetrates his forehead.

            Alex scans the alley from one end to the other, afraid that at any second, the sound of sirens will end the silence. But there is no sound and the smell of blood and death fills the air around them.

            "We gotta get out of here now," Terri says.

            Alex snaps his head in Terri's direction. "We can't leave these bodies here."

            Terri glares at him. "What the hell do you take me for, Alex?"

            "Where's your truck?"

            "Around the corner of the building. Are you gonna help me carry the bodies?"

            "Yeah. Of course," Alex says, reaching down to grab Ryan's foot.

****

            Anya eyes the marijuana inside the plastic lunch bag that Marissa has just pulled out of her purse. She knows that everyone else is eyeing the solid green substance, their minds keen on getting their evening fix. No one seems to notice the astonished look on her face; that is until Charisse asks, "have you never seen marijuana before, kid?"

            Anya's gaze darts from the marijuana to Charisse. "Yes I have actually."
Are you addicted to bitch pills?
she wants to ask, but she bites down hard on her lower lip.

            "Are you going to have a puff or two with us?" Marissa says, ending the tension between them.

            "Sure," Anya says. She can feel a gentle nudge in her left forearm. She shifts her body slightly so she can see the proud grin on Maria's face. She grins back at her. But then, she catches a glimpse of Alex out of the corner of her left eye. He is running towards them, his face wild with anxiety.

            "Marissa. Maria. Anya. We have to go. Now," he says, struggling to keep his voice level.

            "But baby, we just--"

            "Don't argue with me, Marissa. Hide that in your purse," he says through clenched teeth.

            "Dude. What's going on?" Jason says.

            Anya's heart begins to race.
Yes. What is going on?

           
"Where are your coats?" he says, ignoring Jason's question.

            "Hanging on the coat rack behind where the bouncers are standing," Marissa says.

            "Let's get them and go. Now!" He half drags Marissa through the crowd of inquisitive rave goers.

            Anya and Maria follow close behind.

****

            Alex leaves the parking lot just in time. When he peers in the rear view mirror, he can see the flashing red and blue lights of police cars in the distance. He can even hear the rise and fall of their sirens. A cold sweat breaks out on his forehead and under his armpits.
So, we weren't alone in the back alley. Someone heard our guns go off and then called the cops.
Then, another thought crosses his mind.
It sure took them a while to get to the roller dome. It took me and Terri almost five minutes to load the bodies onto his truck's bed and then, it took another few minutes for me to leave. So, maybe they're not heading for the roller dome.
He pumps on his brakes until the vehicle almost comes to a halt. This time, he's thankful that there is no cover over the bed of his truck.

            "Maria, can you see if those cops are heading for the roller dome?"

            There are a few seconds of silence. For Alex, they are the most agonizing seconds he has experienced. His heart beats so hard against his chest, it hurts.

            "No. They've turned onto the street across from the roller dome," she says at last.

            Alex breathes out a long sigh.
Phew. That was one close call.
He steps on the gas pedal until the wheels of his truck are rolling at the speed limit.

            "Can you tell us what in God's name is going on?" Maria says, breaking the silence.

            Alex can detect the mixture of anger and fear in her voice. He knows he should tell her the entire truth, but he can't. It's much too dangerous. "I was threatened, that's all." He realizes how pathetic that remark sounds the moment it slips out of his mouth.

            "Now, who would want to threaten you?"

            He can detect the bitter sarcasm in that question.

            "Seriously, Alex, is that the best lie you can come up with?"

            He can feel Marissa's cool fingers against his warm skin. They weave their way between his fingers. On any other occasion, he would have enjoyed her touch, but not tonight. His profession is no longer a secret. Maria and Anya had not seen him commit the horrible deed, but the urgency in his voice and the way he rushed them out of the roller dome, proved their earlier suspicions of him to be correct.

            "I know what you're really up to, Alex," Maria says.

            The accusing tone in her voice causes him to shudder.

            "As of tonight, Anya and I are done with you."

            "Oh, yeah, speak for Anya. Why don't you?" Marissa says. Her voice is filled with venom.

            "Shut up, Marissa! I wasn't even talking--"

            "Oh, screw you, Maria! You're--"

            "Marissa. Maria. Enough," Alex yells.

            "Frickin' Spanish whore," he can hear Marissa say under her breath.

            "I'm with Maria. And no. She didn't make this decision for me. I made it on my own. I don't think that I can trust you anymore," Anya says.

            He can hear the quiver in her voice. The tears are probably streaming down her pale face, causing the mascara to stain her cheeks. It breaks his heart to know that she is so distraught and that Maria is angry. He doesn't want to lose them, but he knows that they will leave and there is nothing he can do to make them stay. But then, he remembers what he told Maria the night he showed her his operation. Fear grips his stomach. If they leave, sooner than later, they will leak out information. That information will reach the police and then he will look forward to spending several miserable years behind bars. Worse, the information could land on the wrong ears. If that happens, he and Marissa are both done for.
No. They can't leave. I won't let them. I have to find a way to make them stay.

            When Maria opens her eyes, the room is still dark. She sits upright, looking around frantically, her heart racing. That is when Maria remembers that she is in Alex and Marissa's apartment suite and Anya is lying sound asleep on the mattress next to her. But there is nothing calming about the silence. She can’t stay here anymore. If she does, something bad will happen to her and to Anya, and she knows it. Alex is not going to protect them like he says he will. He has too much at stake to care about their safety. They must leave as soon as possible.

            Maria leans so close to Anya that her mouth almost brushes against her earlobe. "Anya," she whispers.

            Anya stirs, but she doesn't wake up.

            This time, Maria shakes her.

            Anya stirs and groans deeply. Her hand grips the top of her neck brace.

            "Wake up," Maria says, her voice slightly louder.

            "What," she says in a groggy voice. Slowly, she wipes the sleep out of her eyes.

            Maria's finger flies to her mouth. "Shhh."

            Anya casts Maria a blank look. "What's going on?"

            Maria eyes her suspiciously.
Did Marissa give you illicit drugs before you went to sleep last night?
"We have to get out of here."

            "I know," she whispers, after a brief pause. "But, where are we going to go?"

            Maria pauses. She hasn't thought about this yet. She is scheduled to meet her mother at noon, but that is hours away. What are they going to do in the meantime? That is when it suddenly occurs to Maria that she needs a computer. Alex and Marissa share a laptop, but it's in their room. There is no way she is going to go in there and take it. The only other place in this city where Maria can use one for free is at the public library.

            "The public library. Do you know where it is?" she says, keeping her voice low.

            "Yes. It's on Heather Street, just three blocks down from here." Anya surveys her inquisitively. "Why do you want to go there?"

            "Because I need to use a computer."

            Her brow crumples. "What for?"

            Maria becomes increasingly exasperated by Anya's persistent questions. "Enough with the questions. Get up. Get dressed, and get your things together."