Duh. "Yes it did."
"I totally know how you feel."
Maria turns her head to look at him. "Really?"
"Yeah. My parents are both workaholics. They always were. They own a Real Estate company. They were always so busy with their jobs that they never had any time to spend with me or my brother, Steve. The only time they paid any attention to either of us was when we did something wrong, and that was never on good terms."
"Sounds like my parents," Maria says, rolling her eyes skyward. "That's why I moved out. Anyway, what's your brother doing now?"
"Last I heard, he received his MBA from SFU. He's probably working at some high-scale firm in Toronto, making big money by now."
Maria's jaw drops. "Wow, he's ambitious."
Alex shrugs his shoulders. "He's always been a go-getter, just like my parents. My brother always hated this place. It never felt like home to him. As soon as he entered high school, he decided that he wanted to get the hell out of here and do something with his life other than work at a low-end job, making piss bugger all."
The look on her face darkens. "You don't think of serving in that way, do you?"
"Hell no. It's the only job that pays better than a government job. Besides," he says, grinning at her, "you are one bold chic, and you are very sexy, just like my girl. It won't take you long to work your way up the ladder. Marissa was quite successful in doing it at Ricki's Grill."
Maria smiles at him. "Thanks, Alex. I sure hope so because there is no way in hell I'm going to university. I'll finish high school when I'm ready, but I'm not gonna waste another five years studying material that's useless to me."
"I hear you. I was the black sheep in the family and still am. And you know what? I'm doing just fine without a high school diploma. My job does involve taking some risks, but it's given me a darn good income."
Maria eyes him skeptically. "What exactly do you do for a living? Like, are you a drug dealer?"
"No, I'm a seller," he says while he guides his truck into the parking lot of Ricki's Grill.
"But, isn't that the same thing?"
"No, it's not."
Maria watches Marissa crush her cigarette butt in the ash tray stand. She waves at Marissa.
"I'll move to the back seat," Maria says, opening the door. As soon as she steps out into the cold, evening air, she craves a cigarette. It has been a number of hours since she last had one. When she digs her hand into the pocket of her coat where she always keeps them, she finds that it is empty. Irritated, she thrusts her hand into the other pocket while she juggles her purse with her spare hand. But that pocket is also empty. Oh come on. Where are they? She rummages through the purse, but still doesn’t find them. Damn!
"What's wrong, Maria?" Marissa says.
"My cigarettes are missing."
"Last I checked, they were on the kitchen table," Alex says.
Maria breathes out a curt sigh. "I really need one right now."
"There'll be plenty of time later on to have one, so just hop in the back," Alex says.
"Okay," Maria says, not quite sure of what to make of his clipped response.
"I heard about what happened to Anya. Alex told me while you were looking for your cigarettes. Is she alright?" Marissa says.
"Yes. Her neck is injured, but she'll heal quickly," Maria says.
Before Alex starts the truck's engine, he turns around so that he is face to face with her. "There is something I want to show you, Maria."
Maria raises her eyebrows. "What do you wanna show me?"
A faint grin appears on his face. "I'd like to show you a little bit of the Okanagan countryside."
Maria suddenly feels uneasy. What are these people really up to? She wants to fling open the door and jump out of the truck, but she can’t force a single muscle in her body to move. She remains seated as if she is frozen to that spot, her heart beat quickening with every breath she takes.
CHAPTER 24
One hour later, the truck is still rolling down the highway. Night has fallen. A few vehicles pass by, their bright, white lights flashing through the dash window, casting shadows in every corner of the truck’s cab. Maria stares out of the side window, squinting her eyes in attempt to familiarize herself with the landscape, but it’s too dark outside to see anything beyond the farthest edges of the shoulder.
Maria gulps a few times in effort to slow her galloping heart. Where the hell are we going? And what is up with Alex and Marissa? They haven't said a word to me since we left Ricki's Grill. "Are we there yet?" she says, barely managing to keep her shaky voice steady. She realizes how childish that question sounds the moment it slips out of her mouth, but she doesn't care.
"Almost," Alex says while he pulls the truck off the highway and onto a dirt road.
What have you done, Maria? You don't know these people well and you let them take you out into the middle of nowhere. Tears well up inside her eyes and threaten to spill down her cheeks. These people are going to kill you and then they're going to leave your body to rot in the countryside. And you didn’t even have a decent conversation with your mom in the hospital.
"We're here," Alex says, breaking the silence, Maria's thoughts.
Maria starts to feel dizzy. Mom. Dad. You were a pain in the ass to me and I likewise to you. But I hope that tonight, an angel will tell you how much I do love you, and please do me one favor: adopt Anya. She needs a family. She feels the truck come to a gentle halt.
"Are you coming, Maria? What's wrong?" Alex shoots her an irritated look.
Her face becomes hot. "Uh…nothing." She can scarcely keep the tremble out of her voice.
"Do you think we're gonna hurt you?" Marissa says.
Maria averts her eyes to the ground in order to avoid the icy look on Marissa's face. "No…uh…of course not."
"Then, why were you crying?"
Maria's hand shoots up to her face. Oh great, my mascara probably ran. "It's been a really hard day and I'm really tired."
"I understand," Alex says, his voice much softer. "I’d be upset if I found my friend laying unconscious on a field."
"Anya will be okay, won't she?" Marissa says.
"Yes, she'll be fine, thankfully," Maria says, feeling rather relieved by Marissa's sudden change in attitude towards Anya.
"C’mon on, let's go. I don't wanna be out here too late. The roads are already starting to get icy," Alex says, waving his flashlight.
Maria follows them down a narrow trail that is surrounded by desert shrubs and skinny trees that have had their leaves shaved off their branches by winter's bone chilling breath. After what feels like hours of walking, they come to a clearing. Right in the center of that clearing, stands an oversized greenhouse. Maria scrutinizes the structure. She doesn’t know what to make of these people.
Alex unlocks the padlock, then pulls open the thick, Plexiglas doors. He aims his flashlight at the wall in search of a light switch. Maria watches every move he makes in silence. He finds what he is searching for soon enough and, within a blink of an eye, a bright light floods the entire building. Maria's eyes bulge open and her jaw drops. The entire width and length of the greenhouse is inhabited by marijuana plants, their leaves greener than the grass in the spring time.
"Okay, I didn't know you were into this so hard core," she says.
Alex gives her a sharp look. "What do you mean by that?"
"I mean, all of this," she says, pointing at the plants. "There must be like, a thousand of these in here."
"Not quite, but good guess," he says.
"So, how do you operate this business without being caught?"
For a moment, Alex looks like he is devoid of a clever response. "I'd rather not talk about it, Maria. This is a highly confidential business."
"Oh yeah," she says, placing her hands on her hips, "then why should I trust you? You bring me here to show me your grow-op. This tells me enough about the nature of your business, but it doesn't tell me everything. Either you tell me everything o
r this is the last night you see me."
Alex stares at her, his eyes a mixture of passion and fear. "Every member within my…our company…is sworn to secrecy, including friends, family and relatives. Anyone who rattles to the cops will be dealt with." His mood lightens a little when he looks at his plants. "I've ran this operation for a little over three years now and haven't been caught yet. We've made big bucks off these plants and still do. We make like, over three grand a day; we make even more off our cocaine, but that's more risky, so we don't pursue it as much."
Maria gives him a blank look. "What do you mean by risky?"
"I think I might have already mentioned this on Saturday night."
"I don't remember you mentioning it."
Alex breathes out a curt sigh. "Cocaine powder has to be extracted from the plant, and that has to be done in a lab. You normally wouldn't find a lab in the middle of nowhere, and we can't start a lab in someone's basement; there's too much science involved with that. We need to use one somewhere in town. We've done it before and gotten away with it, but now the cops are cracking down on illegal drug possession. That's what makes it so risky."
"Well, I think that this is also risky," Maria says.
"I guess. But it's out in the middle of the landscape where no one can easily find it."
Maria shifts her attention back to the marijuana plants. "Where do you get all these plants?"
"From a number of people. Our suppliers are from Vancouver, Edmonton and Prince George."
Maria bites down hard on her lower lip. I've always known that you can make big bucks selling drugs, but it's nice to know people who actually make this kind of money. But do I really want to get Anya and I into this?
"Look, Maria, if you want me to trust you, you have to trust me. Me and my crew will do everything to protect you and Anya." A reassuring smile appears on his face. "We won't let any harm come to either of you, and you'll never have to worry about money. I'll pay for whatever you want. All you have to do is promise that you won't leak this information out to your friends or your family."
She nods her head. "I don't have any other friends, and as you already know, I don't have much to do with my family."
"Good." And then realizing what has just slipped out of his mouth, he says, "Oh sorry, I didn't mean--"
"Forget it. Some friends are better than no friends," Maria says.
"Well, now that you know everything, do you want to get going?"
"Yes. But I really need to stop off at Anya's place first."
Creases appear on Marissa's forehead. "Why do you need to go there?"
"Because I need to talk to her dad."
A chuckle escapes from Marissa's lips. "Why? He has nothing to do with her."
"I also need to get my things."
"You guys can live with us," Alex says.
Maria stares at him, her eyebrows arched. She can’t believe that he has just made this offer. "But, you only have one room and one washroom. Where are we gonna sleep?"
Alex and Marissa exchange looks. "We have a foamy. It's large enough for two people to sleep on. You can both sleep on that, and we have extra blankets," he says.
Maria's gaze drifts back to the marijuana plants. Should I or shouldn't I? I mean, they do have money. And lots of it. But they're also dangerous. I don't think we should live with them. I don't think we should even hang out with them. It's not a good idea. But then, the memory of Sunday crosses her mind: the rotten smell, the stained furniture, Anya's ugly father and her brat of a sister. It could take her several months to save up enough money to rent an apartment suite and there is no way she is going to live in that filthy house for that predicted length of time. She then thinks about Anya in the hospital. She could pay for Anya's medical costs, but then she would have no money left over for herself. The prospect of having to face Carly alone is even more terrifying. She can't do it because it's three -- or more -- against one. Carly will just shoot her down, or worse, do to her what she just did to Anya. No, she needs one or two strong people on her side.
When she turns to face Alex and Marissa, her fear evaporates, making her forget that she had been terrified of them only a few minutes ago. These people are incredibly hot, and they do know how to party. Alex also said that he would look after her and Anya. I mean, that's what good friends do. I know that Alex is going to diminish Carly and her lame ass friends, so how can I say no to him? Oh, to hell with danger. I want their friendship. Besides, when isn't danger involved with life?
"So, what do you say, Maria?" Alex says.
Maria studies his features. I can't resist that smile. I just can't. "Sure. We'll stay at your place. Thank you, Alex."
****
Maria peers through the living room window of Anya's home: it is pitch black and there is no sound to be heard from behind those walls. She waits for a while, then tiptoes over to the door. She knocks. She listens. Still, the house remains stubbornly silent. Maria groans. Great. I hope to God Anya's sister didn't steal any of my stuff. It's really expensive and I don't think that I'll ever be able to replace it.
"What do you want?"
A young girl's brusque voice makes Maria jump. It is Anya's younger sister. Even though it's night, the darkness can’t hide the bruises on her face.
"I came to get my stuff, and I need to talk to your dad," Maria says.
The scowl deepens on Sophia's face. "My dad's not here and I don't want you here either, so piss off."
"Hey," Maria yells. She holds her hand out to stop the door from being slammed in her face. "Don't you dare talk to me like that! You're dad isn't here to tell me to leave, so I have every right to be here."
Sophia stares at her defiantly. "But I don't want you here."
Maria glowers at her. "To bad, so sad. I'm gonna get my things whether you like it or not. And if I find out you touched my belongings, so help me God, I will hurt you worse than Anya hurt you."
Sophia snickers. "Oh, don't worry, I didn't go near your belongings. I don't touch stuff that belongs to whores."
Maria grabs her by the scruff of her neck. "Call me a whore one more time and I'll send you to the hospital. Got that?"
Sophia, wide eyed, nods her head rapidly.
"Good," Maria says, shoving Sophia aside. "God, you are one nasty little bitch. I'd be horrifically surprised if you told me you have friends." Maria then marches past her. At the door -- the one that leads into Anya's bedroom -- she turns to face Sophia once more. "Your sister is in the hospital. She was almost murdered this afternoon, so maybe from now on, you should consider how you treat her."
CHAPTER 25
Maria runs a pick through her curls. Today is going to be a busy day because she starts her new job. As excited as she is, it is overshadowed by the prospect of an unfinished business she must accomplish hours before she begins her shift. Alex and she have agreed to go to Peach Valley Senior High together to confront Carly. Ever since her terse chat with Sophia, Maria has felt this consistent pang of anxiety. It beats relentlessly against her chest. She has tossed and turned all night, unable to get much sleep because of it.
Next, Maria traces olive toned concealer over the dark rings underneath her eyes. Maria is afraid to meet Carly because of what she is tempted to do to her, but also because of what Carly might do to her. On the other hand, Carly may be kind just so she can cover her ass. Yeah right, Maria. Wishful thinking. After applying enough of it to hide the dark circles, Maria fastens the lid on the bottle, then tucks it inside her reasonably sized makeup bag.
Maria eventually finds herself sitting at the small kitchen table, sipping a cup of coffee --that Marissa had made before she left to run some errands -- and flips through an old edition of Alive Magazine. But she quickly turns her attention to last week's issue of Peach Valley Times. A photo of a little girl inhabits almost half of the front page. The little girl boasts a head full of brown ringlets. Her cheeks are rosy and her pretty face holds a wide smile, showing off a set of perfectly shaped, white teeth.
Maria's eyes fall to the caption below. "Jessica Hunter, age 9, disappeared from outside of her father's house in Vernon last weekend. She was last seen wearing a pink ski jacket, blue jeans and pink boots. Her mother, Angela Brayden, suspects her ex-husband took Jessica and left town. The police have launched a search and investigation. They will pay an award of $10,000 to the person who finds Jessica," it reads.
Maria studies the smiling girl in the photo. Would the press have given Anya this much coverage if she had died before she reached the hospital? She is such an underdog in this city that it really makes me wonder. She pushes the newspaper away and tries to focus all of her attention on the coffee in the mug. She crumples her face after sipping the bitter liquid. Ugh, this doesn't taste nearly as good as it did when it was hot. Maria walks over to the coffee maker. It is already half empty, but she doesn't care. She is going to need a lot more energy for today's duties. She pours more coffee into the mug.
"Aren't you going to save me some coffee?" Alex says from behind.
Maria spins around, her hand still gripping the handle of the coffee pot. "Oh, I'm sorry, Alex, you can have the rest."
His mouth forms into a perfectly round ‘o’ when he sees her. "Wow, you look stunning. Absolutely sexy."
Maria glances down at black dress she is wearing. The style is the same as the navy blue dress she wore yesterday, only the neckline is wider and even more low-cut than the other dress. Small ruffles adorn the hemline of the plunging neckline, the black bra she is wearing underneath blends in so well with her dress that it is not noticeable. She smiles at him. "Thanks. It's my new work dress."
Alex grins at her. "Well, if you go to work looking like that every day, it won't take you long to work your way up the ladder."
Maria blushes deeply. "Well, I'll see what Jeremy has to say about my taste in fashion."
Alex arches one eyebrow. "Now, who's this Jeremy?"
Maria twists a lock of hair around her left index finger. "He's my boss. Well, actually, he's the manager, an incredibly hot manager."
To be Maria Page 13
