by Paige Dearth
Chapter Fifty-Three
Joon walked to her usual spot on the street and looked for Tori. She cautiously approached Cinnamon, who had been mean to Joon since her first day at the house.
Cinnamon scowled when she saw Joon approaching her. “Oh look who it is. The motherfuckin’ bitch that’s had us working extra hours so that she could lie around on her fat ass,” Cinnamon said, taunting her.
The other hookers standing close nodded and glared at Joon. One girl flicked her lit cigarette at Joon’s feet.
Still groggy, Joon steadied herself. “I’m sorry, but you know it wasn’t my fault. I would’ve done the same for any of you.”
Cinnamon stepped closer. “I call bullshit. Just fuck off, bitch. None of us wanna see your pathetic ass or talk to you.”
“I just want to know if any of you have seen Tori.”
Cinnamon’s jaw was clenched. “Do I look like a fuckin’ information booth? Huh? I don’t know where your lame-ass friend is. Now fuck off.”
Joon looked to the others, who glowered at her. She was too weak to persist, so she walked down the street to her and Tori’s usual spot. In less than twenty minutes, a car pulled up. A man in a baseball hat and sunglasses jumped out of the driver’s side. “Come on, bitch. Hurry up.”
The man got back in the car as Joon opened the passenger door and slid onto the cold seat. She turned and looked at the man. “Hey, baby. How are you doing tonight?”
The man ignored her and peeled away from the curb. After he drove five blocks, Joon looked at him. “You can go right at the next street. It’s private there.”
The man remained silent, and Joon’s heart fluttered in her chest. Something wasn’t right. Her senses were heightened and her lungs constricted. She had that bad feeling in her belly.
“Hey look,” Joon said, in a trembling voice. “I don’t know what your deal is, but if you pull over, I’ll get out here.”
“Just be quiet.” The man turned to her and the glow from the dashboard provided just enough light for Joon to see her own petrified reflection in his sunglasses.
Joon clutched the door handle as the man drove onto the highway.
“Relax,” he said.
“Where are you taking me?”
He didn’t answer, and by the time he exited the highway, Joon could barely take in a breath. He had driven her into the main part of the city and finally, he pulled into an alley where another guy rushed over to her car door. He yanked it open as Joon closed her eyes and retracted.
“Joon, it’s okay.”
Her eyes shot open and she stared into Tony Bruno’s face.
“Tony? What’s going on?”
“I’ll explain, but not now. There isn’t time. We’re gonna get you into Center City. We’re taking you to a shelter. The guy who runs it is doing us a favor by letting you stay there for the next few nights.”
“A shelter?”
“Yeah, away from the Tracks.”
Joon rubbed her eyes. “How did you know I was in Kensington?”
Tony turned up his brilliant smile. “Who do you think carried you back to the house the night that sick bastard almost beat you to death? I didn’t know Pug had you. Once I saw your face, even swollen five times its size, I knew it was you. I never go around to Pug’s houses ’cause that ain’t my job. Just so happens that night, one of the guys asked me to cover for him. I’m glad I did.”
The man driving the car took off his sunglasses. “I’m Vincent. A friend of Tony’s.”
“Are you a Slayer too?”
“Nah. I’m just a good friend of this guy’s. We’ve been best friends since we was young.”
Tony leaned into the car. “Vincent, get rid of the car. Come on, Joon. We gotta go.”
Joon followed Tony to a different car, where another of Tony’s friends was waiting. Tony opened the back door and she got in. Once inside, Tony grabbed his friend’s shoulder. “Salvatore this is Joon.”
Joon’s eyes roved over Salvatore, whose olive skin and dark hair enhanced his chiseled face.
Tony continued. “Now look, the Slayers would kill me if they found out I got you outta there. You need to be real careful and not tell nobody nothin’. We told Salvatore’s friend at the shelter that you just moved here from Minnesota.” Tony turned around and faced Joon. “That bag next to you has warm clothes. I got them at the thrift shop. Get changed while we’re driving.”
“But I…I…what if they find me? And my friend, Tori—how will she know that I’m okay? I can’t just leave her there, Tony. We have to go back for her. Please. She doesn’t have anyone but me,” Joon cried.
Tony climbed over the seat and sat next to Joon. He rubbed his chin. “Here’s the deal. You were the one going to the film house in North Philly. When you got laid up, they sent that girl Tori in your place. When girls are sent there, they don’t come out alive.”
It hit her like another blow to the chest. “No, Tony. Oh, no. Please don’t tell me that. That means Tori’s gonna die because of me,” she said, barely able to choke out the words.
“If Tori dies it’s because Pug is a filthy pig and will do anything to make a dollar. It ain’t your fault. And there ain’t nothing you can do about it.” Tony took Joon’s chin lightly in his large hand. “You need to listen to me real careful. What I did tonight would cost me my life if the Slayers ever found out. Pug is gonna be pissed as hell when he finds out you’re gone. Don’t fuck me over on this. You gotta get yourself together, understand?”
Joon gazed at Tony with red eyes, her nose running. “I’m sorry, Tony. I swear I won’t tell anyone. But why? Why are you helping me?”
“You and me have a lot in common. The difference is I always had Salvatore and Vincent, ’cause they’ve been my friends since we was little. You lost all the people who loved you and that makes me feel like shit. I’ve always been the type of guy who stands up for people. I can’t let bad people get away with hurting good people. I know I can’t save everybody, but if I can save a couple of people, then it makes me feel better. Makes me feel like I’m a good person.”
“You are a good person,” Salvatore said, touched by Tony’s words.
Tony met Joon’s eyes. “You gotta find a way to be safe. Find yourself some decent people to be around. I wish I could do more.”
Joon was happy to be free, but it was tempered with fear. “What if Quinn sees me?”
Tony pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes. “You ain’t gotta worry about Quinn. I heard he got hit by a train a couple of days ago. Some shit about him getting high and walking right onto the tracks. Never saw it coming.”
Joon let out a loud sigh of relief. “He was an asshole anyway.”
Tony climbed back into the front seat as they made their way through the city. When they pulled to the curb, he didn’t move to get out of the car.
“See that building on the corner down there?” Tony said. “Knock on the door. Tell them that Salvatore talked to Joey. My buddy here arranged it so you can stay there four nights. You need to find somewhere else to go after that. Whatever you do, keep your mouth shut and don’t go back to the places you used to hang out. It’s safer if you just start over.”
Joon was crying.
“Come on, Joon. You gotta go. This is risky for all of us.” Tony reached over the seat and patted her arm.
Joon grabbed the bag of clothing Tony had provided, opened the door, and swung her feet out. Then she leaned back into the car. “Thank you, Tony.” She made eye contact with the other boy. “Thanks for helping me.”
“Hey, wait a minute,” Tony said. He reached into his coat pocket and shoved his hand in Joon’s direction. “Take this. You’re gonna need it until things settle down.”
Joon reached out her hand and Tony put two twenty-dollar bills into it.
“I’ll pay you back.”
He smiled. “Don’t worry about it. Consider it a present.”
Joon leaned over the seat, pushing past the pain in her ri
bs and back, and threw her arms around Tony’s neck. “I’ll never forget what you all did for me.”
Then, she turned around swiftly and walked to the corner as quickly as her injuries allowed. She knocked on the door, and a few seconds later, Tony and Salvatore watched her disappear inside.
***
Salvatore looked over at Tony and smirked. “Quinn got hit by a train? That’s the best you could come up with?”
“What the fuck was I supposed to say? I couldn’t tell her the truth.”
It had been easy to get Quinn alone—Tony only had to get Salvatore and Vincent to say they wanted to buy a large amount of dope. Once Quinn was in the van Salvatore had borrowed from his father, they drove him out to rural New Jersey, where Tony had forced him out of the car at gunpoint. Vincent clobbered Quinn in the back of the head with a rubber mallet, and once the box was in the ground with Quinn inside, Tony nailed the lid shut.
The three of them had stood above the grave and when they had finally heard Quinn awaken and scream and scratch to get out, they’d filled the hole with dirt and drove off.
“Hello?” Salvatore said. “Are you still listening to me?”
“Sorry, man, I was thinking about that night.”
The boys looked at each other and shared a smile.
“Well,” Salvatore said, “I asked you what really happened to Joon’s friend, Tori.”
Tony sighed. “Exactly what I told Joon. The girl got sent to the house where Pug makes pornos. I was there the other day, and she was in pretty bad shape. They were fucking her up real bad. Doing shit to her that would leave ya with nightmares. The sooner she dies, the better off she’ll be. It’s that bad. I would’ve liked to help her, but there was nothing I could do. Makes me feel like shit.”
Salvatore pulled the car away from the curb. “You have to get out of that gang, Tony. They’re such a bunch of lowlife pricks.”
“You think I don’t know that? You know I want out, but getting outta the Slayers ain’t so easy.”
“I know,” Salvatore said. “You’re a good man, Tony.”
Tony shrugged. “Not really. I just know what it’s like to need help. That girl Joon—she needed some help and we gave it to her. It’s that simple—it’s what real men do.”
Tony patted his friends shoulder as Salvatore drove them into South Philadelphia.
Chapter Fifty-Four
When Joon entered the homeless shelter, she stood at the foot of a long, narrow room. There were rows of green canvas army-style cots lined up and down the length of the room. There were people of all ages, genders, and races. She followed the man who led her to the other end of the room.
“You must be Joon,” a tall twentysomething guy with black hair said, standing and extending his hand.
“Yes. I am,” she mumbled.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Joey, a friend of Salvatore’s.”
“Yeah, Tony told me you were going to let me stay here.” Joon looked around, not knowing what else to say to him.
Joey smiled at her. “Follow me. We saved you a cot.” He turned and started walking. “Salvatore’s a good kid. His father helps us out with food and other essentials, so when Salvatore called, I was happy to make an exception for you.”
As they walked toward her cot, Joey filled Joon in on the shelter rules. “No fighting, yelling, or stealing. Everyone here is in the same boat and going through enough bad stuff. This is a place where you all can find some peace. Might not be the best accommodations, but there are hot showers and two meals a day. Breakfast is from six to seven thirty, and dinner is from five to six thirty. You need to be out of the shelter by eight every morning and can return at four in the afternoon. You’re here for four nights, but if you want to stay longer, then I suggest you get here around one in the afternoon. The line is around the building by two thirty.”
Joey stopped at a cot next to a woman and her small child. “This is yours. Make sure you keep all your stuff with you, even when you go to the bathroom. Some people get watchers, so they can leave their things safely on the cot, but you have to really trust someone. Have you eaten?”
“I’m not hungry, but can I get a drink of water?”
“Sure thing. I’ll bring a cup over to you.” Joey picked up the blanket and pillow stacked at the foot of the cot. Lifting the pillow away from the blanket, he grabbed a white pillowcase folded between them. “You can put this on the pillow. We keep things as clean as we can here and expect everyone staying here to do the same. I’ll go get that glass of water and you can get settled.”
He walked away and Joon stood looking down on the cot.
“This shelter is better than a lot of them. People who volunteer here are really nice and they don’t take shit from anyone,” said the woman in the cot next to Joon.
Joon met the woman’s eyes and gave her a forced smile.
“My name is Madi, and this is my son, Salt.”
Joon looked at the small child curled up next to his mother. Her eyes lingered as she took in his pasty white skin and white hair.
Madi smiled at Joon. “Salt is an albino. He was born with a congenital disorder, and he ain’t got no pigment in his skin, hair, and eyes. Other than that, he’s a perfectly normal four-year-old.”
Not wanting to stare, Joon snapped the pillowcase and shoved the foam cube pillow inside. “I’m Joon” is all she could manage.
Madi nodded at her. “First time in a shelter?”
“No. I’m just feeling a little on edge tonight. I didn’t…didn’t expect to be here.”
Madi lay back on her cot. “Beats being out in the cold. Well, welcome. They serve decent meals, but watch out for the older men here. Most are okay, but some of them can be perverts.”
Joon huffed out a dry laugh. “Dirty old men are the least of my problems.”
Madi studied her more closely. The lines around Joon’s eyes and mouth revealed the tension waiting to burst out of the girl. “How long have you been on the streets?”
Joon thought for a moment, wondering how to account for the two years she spent as a prostitute and counted them all rather than explain. “A little over four years. How about you?”
“Almost four years. When Salt was born and my lame-ass boyfriend saw him, he took off running. He said he didn’t want no kid that looked like a ghost. He was a real asshole, that one. Didn’t even know about albinism, didn’t ever take the time to know. Anyway, me and Salt lasted about six months in our apartment before the landlord threw us out. I tried real hard to get a job, but being a single mother and all, it wasn’t easy. I waitressed for a while, but one night I got back to my apartment and found my babysitter, the teenager who lived in the apartment a few doors over, smoking crack with her filthy boyfriend while Salt was in the same room. I didn’t have anyone else to stay with Salt while I worked so I had to quit my job. Once we got thrown out, I found places to sleep on the street. Then I discovered this shelter, and now my job is to get here every day at one in the afternoon to secure a bed and food for me and my kid,” Madi explained.
“That’s messed up. How will you ever be able to live in your own place if you spend all of your time here or waiting to get in here?” Joon asked.
Madi leaned onto the edge of the cot to get closer to Joon. “I’m working with Joey, the guy that brought you over here. He said there’s a place that’ll watch Salt while I find a job. They’ll even help me with childcare after I find a job. Joey is calling one of his buddies, and I should hear something in the next few days. There’re a couple of programs that watch your kid for you if you’re homeless, but they’re real hard to get into.”
“It’s great that Joey can help.” Joon rested her head on the foam pillow and pulled the wool blanket over her. “I’m real tired. I’ve kinda been…um…sick lately, so I’m gonna go to sleep.”
“Okay. Good night. I’ll see you in the morning. You can meet Salt then.”
Joon laid on her cot, her thoughts drifting to Tori. She couldn’t hold b
ack her tears, so she let them flow freely as she mourned her friend. Her guilt nearly overwhelmed her, and she knew she’d never get over that Tori had been sacrificed. But as scared and nervous as she had been when entering the shelter, Joon soon fell into a deep sleep, grateful to Tony Bruno for giving her a second chance.
Chapter Fifty-Five
Early the next morning, Joon was awakened by an angel singing. The voice was light and steady, and it was singing a song she remembered from when her parents were alive: “Baa baa, black sheep, have you any wool? Yes, sir, yes, sir, three bags full…”
She slowly rolled onto her side toward the voice, and a smile spread over her face.
“Hi, I’m Salt. What’s your name?”
Joon sat up slowly, pushing against the pain. “I’m Joon. You sing really well.”
“Thank you. My mom didn’t even have to teach me. I just knew how to sing. She says I’m smarter than the other kids ’cause I learnt something by myself.”
Joon giggled. “Yes, I can see that you’re very smart. Don’t let me bother you. Go ahead and sing.”
She watched the child with white hair and his almost-colorless eyes that vibrated back and forth in quick movements. She thought he was beautiful. His white bangs fell over his eyebrows and his lips were the slightest shade of pink.
Salt stopped singing. “Why are you lookin’ at me like that, Joon?”
She shook her head as if coming to her senses. “I’m sorry, Salt. It’s just that you’re the most beautiful person I’ve ever seen. You’re different than everyone else. That makes you special.” She looked around the large room. “Where’s your mom?”
“She went to the bafroom. Mom said if anybody bothers me or tries to take our stuff that I gotta wake you up.”
“I see. Well, I have to go to the bathroom. Do you want to come with me?”
“No! We can’t go to the bafroom. We can’t leave our stuff ’cause somebody might steal it. Didn’t nobody tell you nothin’?”
Joon chuckled. “Yeah, they told me. I guess I forgot. I’ll wait for your mom to come back.” She settled back on her cot and looked around her, trying to find someone she knew from the streets, but this shelter was on the other side of the city from where she used to live.
