Once upon a time in Chiawuli Tak.
I walk towards the Dodge, a soda in a red and white cup in my right hand , and a gun tucked into my belt. The dry dirt crunches under my trainers. I'm trying to look as conspicuous as I can, its hard to do that when you have someone else's blood on your shirt. I walk to the passenger side of the battle ship colored charger.
"fresh out, only Aces left"
I toss in a carton of smokes,
"damn its hot"
sunglasses, replies
"shit, no wonder dogs boil to death in cars,"
i throw in the package as well
i walk to the drivers seat round back of the good ship, looking around the quiet gas stop. A green station wagon with brown wood panels pulls up, luggage hastily loaded on the roof rack. I take a draw on my soda, the wet sound of air and ice rattles from the cup, i drop it aside. sunglasses leans over and lights an ace with the cars cigarette lighter. relaxes a little stares out of the window and says without turning.
did you check ?"
yes, I checked they were here about an hour ago
Fuck! sunglasses tokes hard on the ace, they could be in San Vicente by now!
he over heard them, said they were arguing about dropping off in Caborca
Sunglasses turns to me
are you sure that was he talking about them?
i'm shure a, black Lincoln
are you 100% sure?
sunglasses demands
I'm sure i reply calmly
ok. sunglasses relaxes again, flicks the remainder of the cigarette out of the window.
we can catch them at San Agustin if we put in a flat out burn,
I pull out of the gas stop, kicking out a curtain of orange dust, the Battleship lurches sideways, we get on to the 86. I put my foot down hard.
"fresh out, only Aces left"
I toss in a carton of smokes,
"damn its hot"
sunglasses, replies
"shit, no wonder dogs boil to death in cars,"
i throw in the package as well
i walk to the drivers seat round back of the good ship, looking around the quiet gas stop. A green station wagon with brown wood panels pulls up, luggage hastily loaded on the roof rack. I take a draw on my soda, the wet sound of air and ice rattles from the cup, i drop it aside. sunglasses leans over and lights an ace with the cars cigarette lighter. relaxes a little stares out of the window and says without turning.
did you check ?"
yes, I checked they were here about an hour ago
Fuck! sunglasses tokes hard on the ace, they could be in San Vicente by now!
he over heard them, said they were arguing about dropping off in Caborca
Sunglasses turns to me
are you sure that was he talking about them?
i'm shure a, black Lincoln
are you 100% sure?
sunglasses demands
I'm sure i reply calmly
ok. sunglasses relaxes again, flicks the remainder of the cigarette out of the window.
we can catch them at San Agustin if we put in a flat out burn,
I pull out of the gas stop, kicking out a curtain of orange dust, the Battleship lurches sideways, we get on to the 86. I put my foot down hard.
we head down the two lane highway, the speed dial sits at the fixed point of 125. like the dial we are at a fixed point, the horizon ahead and behind stays the same. Only the thick slabs of red stone that point the desert slide in reverse, wall of voodoo rings out of stereo. the Gray battleship chews up the miles. ahead of us a red dot appearers on the horizon, amongst the haze of the heat it shakes and swells the dot turns into a spot then a boil. the boil transforms into a flat fronted juggernaut , the block of air hits first, i grip the wheel as it rushes by. Sunglasses buries another cigarette into the already over flowing ash tray. leans down picks up a clip from under the seat turns round and rummages amongst the old burger boxes, final demands, and empty cartridge cases in the back-seat foot well
"its a fucking mess back here , yah got anything to eat?"
"might some Baby Ruthie's back there"
"bingo"
Sunglasses quickly turns round, a Ruthie hanging from her mouth and some 9mm and a few paras in her hand. She grips the candy bar with her teeth while she pops in the bullets into the clip. the green lip stick on her bottom lip stains the wrapper. she opens the wrapper bites a chuck off and chews with her mouth open.
"How'd you meet Greek George?" she asks still chewing
"i was in town looking for work, asked around ,i was introduced" I lied
"that's not what i heard" she interjects
"i heard you were working for Ginzo up north and was on a hit for George's brother"
"he made me a better offer" i tell the truth this time
"must of been some offer, from what I've heard, Ginzo is not one to fuck with"
"i know"
The wall fills the silence as another dot appearers on the horizon. its hard to tell things apart in the heat ahead . the dot swells and swells mixing with the mirage in front. i haven't lifted my foot from the gas in all this time. the dot shimmers and swirls. we make out the back of a black Lincoln continental. sunglasses reaches for the stereo turning it down picks up her pistol from the car floor, inserts the fresh clip and cocks it back.
"its them"
"its a fucking mess back here , yah got anything to eat?"
"might some Baby Ruthie's back there"
"bingo"
Sunglasses quickly turns round, a Ruthie hanging from her mouth and some 9mm and a few paras in her hand. She grips the candy bar with her teeth while she pops in the bullets into the clip. the green lip stick on her bottom lip stains the wrapper. she opens the wrapper bites a chuck off and chews with her mouth open.
"How'd you meet Greek George?" she asks still chewing
"i was in town looking for work, asked around ,i was introduced" I lied
"that's not what i heard" she interjects
"i heard you were working for Ginzo up north and was on a hit for George's brother"
"he made me a better offer" i tell the truth this time
"must of been some offer, from what I've heard, Ginzo is not one to fuck with"
"i know"
The wall fills the silence as another dot appearers on the horizon. its hard to tell things apart in the heat ahead . the dot swells and swells mixing with the mirage in front. i haven't lifted my foot from the gas in all this time. the dot shimmers and swirls. we make out the back of a black Lincoln continental. sunglasses reaches for the stereo turning it down picks up her pistol from the car floor, inserts the fresh clip and cocks it back.
"its them"
My foot touches to floor of the Dodge, only an half inch between me and the machine. we move closer and closer to the Back of the dust speckled black Lincoln Continental. i pull my seat belt across my chest lock it in and pull out the model 24 from the front of my pants. I flick open the chamber, 6 shots. i flick it shut and return both hands too the wheel. sunglasses shoves the remainder of the Ruthie into her mouth. the Lincoln is at its top speed but still we move closer. my hearts thud in my neck marks out the distance between us and them. suddenly they swerve into the left-hand lane of the highway . I pull the wheel down trailing them, were close now so close i notice the Hertz rental sticker on the plates. Sunglasses winds down the window
with the pistol in her hand she sticks her head and body out of the window. her mousy brown medium length hair which looks electrified naturally is blown flat. she squeezes four shots from the Glock into the back of the Black Lincoln. the back window smashes, safety glass gripping on to the hole left behind.
Now the Lincoln fishtails left then right then off the road, throwing dust and debris as it spins out of control in the desert sideline. I ram my foot on the brakes and clutch turning around quickly before they gain composure. the Lincoln comes to halt facing the road length ways we cross in-front. sunglasses learns over and shoots out the window, bullets slamming into the windscreen of the Lincoln, a few hitting the driver in the chest and head. i turn the car to a stop facing opposite the Lincoln. Sunglasses ejects the spent clip reaches under her seat throws a old Marvin Gaye cassette out of the way and pulls out a fresh one, she slams it into the Glocks grip, cocks it back and opens the door.
The desert silence is shattered by a man screaming and the ticks of engines cooling. i dont know what language the man is screaming its not English and its not Spanish. sounds German.
i open my door and run over to the Lincoln. sunglasses has the Glock pressed at the passengers head, he doesn't look like a hoodlum, all old and Gray with thin glasses and a bold patch and a paunch as for the driver. its hard to tell what he used to look like
"WHERE IS IT!" sun glasses demands
"Sie täuschen Sie wissen, was Sie sein schreckliches oh mein Gott Martin oh mein Gott bitte don' getan haben; t töten mich don' t töten mich, bitte, das ich hoffe"
the old man shouts his hands raised
"WHERE IS IT!" she demands again
"dass meine Kinder mir i-Hoffnung verzeihen die Kinder uns für what' verzeihen; s im Stamm don' t geöffnet es gerade don' t geöffnet es!!!"
Sunglasses pulls the trigger.
with the pistol in her hand she sticks her head and body out of the window. her mousy brown medium length hair which looks electrified naturally is blown flat. she squeezes four shots from the Glock into the back of the Black Lincoln. the back window smashes, safety glass gripping on to the hole left behind.
Now the Lincoln fishtails left then right then off the road, throwing dust and debris as it spins out of control in the desert sideline. I ram my foot on the brakes and clutch turning around quickly before they gain composure. the Lincoln comes to halt facing the road length ways we cross in-front. sunglasses learns over and shoots out the window, bullets slamming into the windscreen of the Lincoln, a few hitting the driver in the chest and head. i turn the car to a stop facing opposite the Lincoln. Sunglasses ejects the spent clip reaches under her seat throws a old Marvin Gaye cassette out of the way and pulls out a fresh one, she slams it into the Glocks grip, cocks it back and opens the door.
The desert silence is shattered by a man screaming and the ticks of engines cooling. i dont know what language the man is screaming its not English and its not Spanish. sounds German.
i open my door and run over to the Lincoln. sunglasses has the Glock pressed at the passengers head, he doesn't look like a hoodlum, all old and Gray with thin glasses and a bold patch and a paunch as for the driver. its hard to tell what he used to look like
"WHERE IS IT!" sun glasses demands
"Sie täuschen Sie wissen, was Sie sein schreckliches oh mein Gott Martin oh mein Gott bitte don' getan haben; t töten mich don' t töten mich, bitte, das ich hoffe"
the old man shouts his hands raised
"WHERE IS IT!" she demands again
"dass meine Kinder mir i-Hoffnung verzeihen die Kinder uns für what' verzeihen; s im Stamm don' t geöffnet es gerade don' t geöffnet es!!!"
Sunglasses pulls the trigger.
I move to the driver side of the Lincoln while putting my gun in the seat of my pants. I reach into the cab to remove the keys from the ignition i check the back seat for what we are looking for. the drivers head is a badly peeled orange of clumps of hair mixed with fatty skin , tissue and bone. its starting to smell in the heat. I take care not to touch any part of the car apart from the keys , I'm still worried about DNA amongst the carnage.
i look over the roof of the car, sunglasses rubs her already wrinkled brow with one hand pushing the grooves deeper into her flesh.
"this was them wasn't it?"
"these are the guys?"
"i'll check the trunk"
round the back of the Lincoln, pushing the the keys into the trunk, popping it open simultaneously gripping the handle with my shirt.
"its them i shout"
"thank god" she replies relived
sitting in the trunk is a long case that fills the space length ways written on it is a number of languages all of them read warning and a symbol in the middle. I run my hand around the case there are no hinges or locks just a small groove that runs around its equator
the crunching of sunglasses feet running back to the dodge moves away from me. i stick my head up from out of the trunk to scan the horizon for specks and dots
I lower my head back into the shade of the trunk canopy. the symbol in the middle is a straight dotted line interrupted in the middle with a circle with two arrows, a top one facing right and the other in opposite. sunglasses is standing next to me looking at the case , i didn't hear her walk up to me she seems to be able to flit between places with amazing speed . She held out the palm sized wrapped package we picked up at the gas stop.
"i think this is the key" she hands me the package
i hastily rip off the white paper wrapped around the cheap blue plastic ring case. i open it and inside the abalone type fabric sits a lock of black hair.
"this is the key?!" i ask shocked
i show sunglasses the hair
" i was told to use the the first package to open the second!"
I'm quick with the model 24 i pull the hammer back on sunglasses, she must of left her pistol back in the dodge.
"dont fuck with me" i spit through gritted teeth, ring case still in my hand
"i'm not fucking with you,! that was my instructions, i know as much as you!"
then i see them. i must of missed them, down the road a Honda drives smoothly past the whole scene of destruction blood and gore a middle aged couple with mouths agape as they rubber neck past the whole perverted proposal of me , pointing a gun, showing her the case for a ring.
i look over the roof of the car, sunglasses rubs her already wrinkled brow with one hand pushing the grooves deeper into her flesh.
"this was them wasn't it?"
"these are the guys?"
"i'll check the trunk"
round the back of the Lincoln, pushing the the keys into the trunk, popping it open simultaneously gripping the handle with my shirt.
"its them i shout"
"thank god" she replies relived
sitting in the trunk is a long case that fills the space length ways written on it is a number of languages all of them read warning and a symbol in the middle. I run my hand around the case there are no hinges or locks just a small groove that runs around its equator
the crunching of sunglasses feet running back to the dodge moves away from me. i stick my head up from out of the trunk to scan the horizon for specks and dots
I lower my head back into the shade of the trunk canopy. the symbol in the middle is a straight dotted line interrupted in the middle with a circle with two arrows, a top one facing right and the other in opposite. sunglasses is standing next to me looking at the case , i didn't hear her walk up to me she seems to be able to flit between places with amazing speed . She held out the palm sized wrapped package we picked up at the gas stop.
"i think this is the key" she hands me the package
i hastily rip off the white paper wrapped around the cheap blue plastic ring case. i open it and inside the abalone type fabric sits a lock of black hair.
"this is the key?!" i ask shocked
i show sunglasses the hair
" i was told to use the the first package to open the second!"
I'm quick with the model 24 i pull the hammer back on sunglasses, she must of left her pistol back in the dodge.
"dont fuck with me" i spit through gritted teeth, ring case still in my hand
"i'm not fucking with you,! that was my instructions, i know as much as you!"
then i see them. i must of missed them, down the road a Honda drives smoothly past the whole scene of destruction blood and gore a middle aged couple with mouths agape as they rubber neck past the whole perverted proposal of me , pointing a gun, showing her the case for a ring.
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