She punched the gas hard and got the Jeep two streets down before she turned again and shot up two blocks and then made a right onto a side street.
"Christ," Billy said as she flew by a stopped dump truck and he heard something scrape down the entire passenger side of the Jeep. "You're gonna get us killed!"
"Those guys are gonna get us killed," she said as behind her the pickup truck swung out around the dump truck and then sideswiped a car parked nearby before the driver got it straightened out again.
They were driving into one of the more run down areas and she made a quick left and then another quick left trying to lose them on the short, narrow streets. Billy reached forward and pulled one of the flat black 9 MM guns from the glove box, flipped off the safety and laid it on the seat top. He looked at April who snatched it up and dropped it into her lap.
Billy took a second gun out and got it ready.
"Fuck," April said. "Dead end! Dead end again!"
"Fuck it, get it turned around," Billy yelled.
April floored it, jumped the curb and tore up the front yard of the house before turning around. She came back down onto the street, slammed the gearshift into park and jumped out of the Jeep.
"What the fuck are you doing?" Billy Screamed. He jumped out of the truck. He could hear his own truck, engine screaming as it came. April stopped and then raised the pistol. Billy stared at her incredulously for second and then lifted his own gun.
The truck came screaming down the other street, the driver saw them and locked up the brakes. April opened up, and Billy fell in with her. The driver got the truck turned toward them, floored it and then the windshield blew apart.
One of the guys on the passenger side leaned out with a pistol and opened up on them, but he was shooting wild. Billy was surprised at his own calm as he turned, took careful aim and then fired at the side of the truck. The pistol fell from the guy's hand and then both of them had to jump out of the way to miss the truck as it roared by them and cannoned down the street.
The truck continued a half block before it jumped the curb and plowed into a house. April and Billy were up and scrambling for the Jeep even as flames begin to shoot up from the house and the wreckage of the truck.
Billy ran for the truck only to find a young guy sprinting for the Jeep.… He saw Billy and April and let his pistol drop to the ground.
Don't... Don't... Don't shoot me," the kid yelled. He stood, a frightened look in his eyes as blood dripped down one side of his face. His breath came in ragged gasps.
Billy ignored him, jumped into the truck just behind April and slammed the door.
April gunned the engine and ran hard for about ten blocks, then slowed, working her way to the outskirts of the city on the back streets, finally pulling into a huge mall parking lot and parking in the first spot she found.
"That was fucking crazy," Billy said. He was still breathing hard.
April nodded and then burst into tears.
Billy leaned and over and pulled her to him. She curled into him and cried harder: After a few minutes she pulled away.
"It's over," Billy said.
She nodded and set up straighter on the seat. She looked at him again. "I've never been so scared," she said, her voice hitching. "Kiss me, Billy. Kiss me."
Billy kissed her and she leaned hard into him. He could feel her trembling under his hands as her own hands roamed his body... "I'm sorry, I'm sorry," she breathed.
"For what?" Billy asked, out of breath.
"We have to get somewhere... I need clothes too. I shouldn't be starting something right here. Right now," she said. She straightened up and tilted the rear view mirror towards her face. "Jesus," She moaned. She took out a brush and went to work on her hair. A few minutes later they left the Jeep and went into the mall. They split up going their separate ways.
Two hours later, just as the sun was sinking, they met back at the food court and ate. She seemed to be much better. They ate their food and talked quietly and then they wandered back through the mall toward the exit they needed to get back to the parking lot.
“Billy, look,” April said. She looked over at an old photo booth, Four pictures for Five bucks, the sign advertised.
“Probably doesn't work,” Billy said. April cut her eyes at his and frowned slightly, just enough to make him immediately wish he had said something else. “But we could try it,” he amended quickly. He dug a five from his pocket and showed it to her.
She smiled as she took the five from his hand. “I wouldn't make you... But I'm going to.” She handed her packages to Billy and walked away.
Billy nodded nervously at a young guy that walked by a few moments later as he waited and smiled. She seemed to be taking forever. He had actually decided to go to the booth and check to see if something was wrong when she stepped out, drew the curtain back across the entrance and walked back to him.
“Didn't work,” he asked.
She smiled and handed him a row of four pictures.
“Hey...” April's face appeared in four frames making faces or laughing. “That is kind of cool, I...” he stopped as she pulled another strip from her pocket.
“These you keep in your wallet. In case you forget,” she told him.
He looked at the pictures and his face began to color. She laughed.
“Your wallet... Stop drooling!” She laughed once more as Billy tucked the pictures away in his wallet and began to follow her from the mall. He followed her to the Jeep, but before he could climb into the passenger side she stopped him.
"You drive, Billy. Let's go somewhere for the night, Okay? Let's call it a day."
Billy nodded, climbing into the driver's side after helping her load her bags in the back.
They drove slowly out of the parking lot and then turned onto the expressway once Billy caught an exit. A few minutes after that Billy took another exit and pulled into a motel. "The last stop for the day," he said.
April smiled and followed him inside.
Friday night
Billy Jingo
The lights were off in the room. The TV dead. The curtains parted just enough to allow some light from the sodium arc lights in the parking lot to spill into the room. It was late, but Billy had lost track of time, he had no idea how late it was, only that it was late.
They had made love for a long time. It had really started in the shower; from there they had eventually made it back to the bed.
He had never made love to anyone like her. Not that there was a long list, there wasn't, three counting her. So maybe he just hadn't had the right experience, but he didn't think it was that simple. He thought it was her. Who she was, how she was. She was resting her head on his shoulder. They were both still breathing heavy. He could feel the heaviness of her breasts resting against him. One was pressed into his side, the other resting against his rib cage. Her hand was playing with the small hairs that framed his belly button. Something about that was erotic. Maybe it was just the feel of her hand, her breasts pressed against him, but he was hard all over again.
His hand dropped down and caressed her hip, then traveled down into her dark curls and her legs parted like magic. A minute later he was kissing his way across her breasts and downward.
Later
More time slipped by; he opened his eyes once more and found himself in the same position, holding her as she curled into his side. Her head was resting against his shoulder.
"Tell me something you never told anyone else," she said.
"I don't like to fight. I only do it because if I don't other guys might get stupid, think I'm stupid... Think I'm soft, won't stick up for myself. I'd rather just get along with people, you know?" he asked.
"Yeah. Shit the world makes you do... I like that. You didn't seem like the kinda guy to want that kind of life... But you did time though... Right?" she asked.
"Yeah... County jail time," Billy admitted.
"It could have made you mean. I'm glad it didn't," April said. Her voice was sof
t, her breath light against his side as she spoke.
"County's not so bad. You're mostly hanging around the same guys you hang around with on the street. State prison is where it gets tough... Things happen there," Billy said. "Tell me something about you that nobody else knows."
She laughed. "I'm not afraid of most of the things that scare other people until they are over. Then I get scared. Kind of reversed from what it should be, right?" she asked.
"Yeah," Billy agreed. "Like today. You were like... I don't know... Like some warrior woman. You just stood there and blew that guy away. He could have killed you, but you were like ice. I've never seen anything like that before except in movies."
"Yeah and then I was so scared I cried like a baby," April said. "Your turn.”
"Okay I've only been with girls, I mean like back in high school before you, and one of them was back in junior high. So she really doesn't count," Billy said.
"So really? I'm the only woman? The only one?" April said. "Did you compare?" she asked. She lifted her head up and smiled at him.
"Yeah. It was no comparison at all and I'm not just saying that. You do things to me just looking at me," Billy said. "Your turn."
"Okay I've only been with two people before you. And, you're much better. You took time with me, made me feel good," she said.
"People?" Billy asked.
"No fair, that's two questions... Okay... One guy... And one girl back in high school last year. The guy treated me so bad I kinda swore off guys for a while... I'm glad I changed my mind now," she said... "Your turn."
"I used to deal drugs. Small town... Four years ago. I started that because all my friends would hit me up for coke or pot and then didn't want to pay. They wanted to party for free... I went to jail, my uncle and my friends at the same time," Billy said.
"I forgot I promised we would smoke... Do you still want to?" April asked.
"No, I'm good... Go ahead if you want to...” He let the silence hang for a moment “Where are we going from here, April. I mean... I mean you and me, not physically where are we gonna go, but us as a... A couple, I guess..." Billy asked.
"I'm going wherever you go. I mean we're together now, right?" April asked.
"Yeah, I wanted to hear you say it though. I want the same thing, but how come I never met you in all this time?" he asked.
"Because all you do is work and watch TV. I used to walk down that road every night hoping you'd be sitting on your steps so I could say hello. I told you when all this happened I knew where you've lived and I was heading there. I don't mean before it all happened, but after it did. I was trying to get to your place so I'd be safe," April said.
"You trusted me like that with all the wackos in the world?" Billy asked.
"Hey there were guys shooting at each other. I'm pretty sure they saw me before I could get off the road and into the woods. They would have killed me for sure. You? You seemed like a nice guy even though I only saw you a few times. Yeah, I would trust you that much," she answered.
They fell silent for a few minutes.
"Are you sorry you did this," she asked. "I mean the whole thing... It's not even a entire day yet and look at where we are... We're pretty much on the run... Or we will be soon. Are you sorry? Do you wish we would have stayed in the trailer and just let it all go?"
"No," Billy said. "I'm not sorry. First, money aside, I wouldn't have met you. Second, how does someone like me... Or you... How does someone like us get ahead otherwise? I can see me working my crappy job until I could afford to buy my own trailer... Maybe or maybe not. I was starting to care more about drinking than anything else. I can't be sorry. Everything has changed. It wouldn't have," Billy said.
"Yeah," April said. "If you hadn't been there I might have done it myself if I could've worked up the nerve. I... I had a plan... I did have a plan.” She shook he head as though to clear it. “ What worries me is I might have been too afraid. Tonight I could be sitting alone like every other night, watching TV... I couldn't be alone for long in that trailer park though. Eventually I would've taken one of those guys as a boyfriend just to be safe. It's crazy there. Especially on the weekends. Tomorrow night there will be two disappointed guys. They come around every Saturday night... The trailers on either side of me. One has a sister that lives there; the other is just a guy he works with, but all they really come for is to talk to me. I pretty much have to stay inside, hiding, trying to stay away from them. So that's what I do, I stay inside. Lately they've been getting braver, coming over and knocking. Then last weekend they got into a fight over me. I don't even know them! Either of them. And they're out there fighting over who gets to knock on the door. I can imagine what tomorrow will be like... I'm not sorry either. I'm not sorry at all. I'm glad I'm here and I'm glad I'm here with you," she said. “Another few months, maybe even less, and I would have said to hell with it, given in. In a few years I'd have a kid or two running around and that trailer park would be home, and he'd be gone.” She looked up at him and frowned. “It's how that life gets you if you're a woman on your own, Billy... You get scared...”
He pulled her closer: She lifted up and came up even with him and then smiled and bought her mouth down on his. Just that fast he was ready again. He kissed her back slowly, took his time, his hands traveling along her body. She dropped one hand and guided him into her without breaking the kiss. He brought his hands up and let them play across her breasts.
Watertown
Sammy and Don
"The kid's truck is not out back," Sammy said as he came back around the trailer. "Maybe he's at work."
"No, day off. He was already drinking since last night, remember? The kid had nowhere to go," Don said. He stopped for a second. "What the hell is that noise?" he asked.
"Dogs. You can hear them out back. Sounds like a couple of dogs out in the woods fighting over something. Probably a dead woodchuck or something. Dump's close by. I get that shit all the time at my house," Sammy said.
Don looked around, pulled a card from his pocket, wrote on the back of it and then stuck it in the door.
"Maybe the girl... Maybe he's down there... Somewhere. I think everybody on this road knows each other. The girl said she knew him. I should have asked how well," he said as they walked away.
They both got into the unmarked car. Don turned it around and headed back down the road to the trailer park.
New Paltz
Chang Wii's Restaurant
Tommy Murphy
"Mr. Murphy, excuse me sir. I told them you shouldn't be disturbed, but they insisted," the waiter told him. He passed him a phone on a tray with its cord coiled next to it. Murphy smiled at the others at the table. They all worked for him in one capacity or another. He picked up the phone.
He listened quietly. His face gave nothing at all away. "I see... I see," he said at last. "Yes... We'll take care of it." He smiled, closed the phone and handed it back to the waiter along with a fifty dollar bill. "Scott, thank you. The call was important," he said as he passed him the phone and the folded bill. The waiter thanked him and left. Murphy turned back to the table.
"Enjoy yourselves," he said. "Jimmy and I have some business to discuss, and after that I'll be back... Jimmy?" he asked the tall, older man on the other side of the table. They both got up and left the dining room; walking out onto the wide rear deck that faced the mountains. Here in the Catskills it was early fall, but it was cool, even cold this time of year. For that reason the deck was deserted: If it had not been he would have had it cleared before he came outside.
"The deal went bad,” Murphy told him. “Neo is dead. Jefferson's boys are dead too. And funny thing, the cops haven't put any drugs or large sums of money into evidence yet.”
Jimmy nodded and continued to listen. Murphy reached into his pocket and peeled off several hundred dollar bills.
"Travel money, Jimmy. I don't know if there's someone else involved or the cops got it. I want my money back. Jefferson will want his product back... You work
for me, but this time you shall be working this for both of us. I don't want this deal between Jefferson and me to fall apart. Find the problem, fix it, bring this to that happy conclusion I need, Jimmy," he reached over and placed one hand on Jimmy's shoulder. He frowned, let the silence play out and then spoke again. “There is something else... Let's call it an investment that came along with this deal. Neo knew, Jefferson knew, no one else. I'll need your discretion... Believe me when I say this, there are two large bags, packed with pot, stuffed with pot, above all else bring those bags to me. I must have those two bags unmolested: If you must leave everything else. If you must kill whomever to take them back, do it.” He thought for a second. “I can't make it clearer, Jimmy. It is paramount that those bags come back to us.”
"Got you," Jimmy said. He turned and took the stairs that lead from the deck down to the parking lot. Murphy watched him go and then stepped back into the restaurant.
Lott Road
April Evans Trailer
"Hey, somebody call the cops?" an old guy asked. He was sitting on the back bumper of a rusted Ford pickup drinking beer at the trailer next door to April Evans' place.
Don looked at him. Not old. Just hard faced from all the drinking. His eyes slid to the trailer. The lights were off.
"Seen April around tonight?" Don asked.
"Maybe," the guy answered. He took a pull of his beer and smiled.
"Well, if you maybe saw her, would you maybe know where she is?" Don asked.
"Maybe," the guy agreed. He lit a cigarette, blew out the smoke and then laughed at his own private joke.
"Uh huh," Don said. "Let's see some ID. I'm thinking drunk and disorderly, Sammy. Did you hear him just call me a cocksucker? That hurt my feelings." He looked back down at the guy who hadn't moved.
"Yeah, I heard him. I couldn't believe it myself, but the guy called you a cocksucker all right. He must not know you too well," Sammy said. He looked down where the man sat. “Don doesn't suck cock. I have never seen him suck a cock. He's not a cocksucker. You must have him confused with your father or something.”
"Fuck, I didn't say no such thing at all," the guy said now, sitting up straight. "You fuckers lie so bad." He glared at one then the other, but his eyes held panic.
Earth's Survivors: box set Page 150
