“Ah, we don’t have that much,” Rob said.
“Then how much you got?” the owner asked.
Rob pulled out a battered canvas wallet and opened it with the tearing sound of parting Velcro. “Uh, eighty-two dollars.”
The man began separating items out of the pile. Most of what he removed were liquids and other cold items that would likely enable him to upcharge customers as the day wore on.
“Here, I’ll make up the difference,” Vincenzo said. He went over and tossed more money on the counter. The man behind the register accepted the cash and handed Vincenzo the change.
“Thanks a million, Tony,” Rob said sheepishly.
“That’s really nice of you,” Jody added.
“Not a problem,” Vincenzo responded.
“Hey, maybe you can help me out, too?” the black man with the beer said. He smiled broadly to show he was only joking.
“Okay, but it’ll cost you the beer.”
The man’s smile disappeared with drama. “How about some nice sticky buns, instead?”
They both laughed, and Vincenzo returned to the deli counter to get his sandwich.
The girl handed it to him with a strained smile. “There you go. Pickle’s in the bag. You need extra mustard, napkins, salt and pepper?”
“No extra nothing, Lourdes. I told you that already!” the owner snapped.
Lourdes rolled her dark eyes and shrugged at Vincenzo.
Vincenzo smiled and thanked her then moved back to where Rob and Jody were waiting for the owner to finish bagging their purchases. He looked out the front windows and saw the local teen toughs outside, staring at the storefront. They were no longer engaging the guards. They seemed to be merely waiting.
“Those little pricks still outside?” the owner asked.
“They still are,” the black man said, craning his neck to look.
The man shook his head. “Lourdes!”
The young woman had been on her way to the back room. “Dad, what?”
“Show these people out the back door. That little runt Julio and his band of pendejos are up to something, and I don’t want anyone getting hurt on my property.”
“That mean me too, José?” the black man asked.
“Yes, Edgar. That means you, too.”
“I don’t remember you ever being this nice before,” Edgar said.
“I’m always nice, so long as you remember it’s cash and carry.”
Lourdes stepped around the counter and looked out the windows. “Yeah, they’re definitely up to somethin’. Looks like they helped themselves to some bikes from the Pelletiers’ place. You want me to get Ricky?” In the better light near the windows, Vincenzo saw she wore heavy eye shadow. Though only five foot four, she seemed to be the tough tomboy type.
“You folks armed?” the owner asked. He looked at Rob, who in turn looked at Vincenzo.
“You think it’s going to get that bad?” Vincenzo asked.
The man shrugged. “Not in front of my place but a block or so away? Who am I to say?”
Vincenzo looked out at the seven or eight teens sitting astride their bikes. There was something predatory about them. “Yeah, okay. Listen, you mind if we pack our stuff before we take off?”
“No lights in back, so you’ll have to do it out here. Don’t get in anyone’s way, and be quick about it. We only let in a few people at a time,” the man said. He waved Edgar forward. “Come on, Edgar. Let’s get this done.”
Vincenzo shrugged off his packs and set them on the floor. “Rob, you want to get that cooler out?”
“Sure thing.” Rob pulled off his pack.
Vincenzo drained some of the water in his Hydro Flask then dumped some ice inside it before handing the bag to Rob. The big man dropped some water bottles into the little cooler then filled it with the ice. He repacked it with the rest of the goods he and Jody had selected then sealed up his pack. Vincenzo did the same with his purchases.
“You guys are costing me some business here,” José said. “There’s only so many hours in a day, you know.”
“Done,” Rob said, pulling on his pack.
“That offer to duck out the back still good?” Vincenzo asked.
“Yeah, yeah. Lourdes will show you the way. You go along too, Edgar.”
“Believe I will,” Edgar said. “You planning on spending the night in here, José? Be a shame if those boys managed to bust in after you closed up.”
“I hope they do. I’ve got a shotgun in the back,” José said. “All right, folks. Thanks for your business. Happy travels to wherever you’re headed.”
“Thanks much,” Vincenzo said. “Good luck to you too, man.”
“Let’s go.” Lourdes motioned for them to follow her behind the deli counter. She picked up a flashlight and headed for the dark doorway that led to the back of the delicatessen. Vincenzo walked behind her, followed by Rob and Jody. Edgar brought up the rear.
Lourdes switched on the flashlight and pointed it at the gray metal fire door on the back wall. “You guys watch out for Julio and his crew,” she said as she fiddled with the dead bolt. “They’re a bunch of lowlifes. Always boosting shit and somehow getting away with it. Don’t expect the cops to help you. They’ve got their hands full already. Writing up a bunch of juvie cases isn’t worth their time, unless someone gets shot.”
“Someone might,” Vincenzo said.
Lourdes turned toward him, her face poorly lit by the flashlight which was still pointed at the door. “Pop Julio twice in the face for me,” she said then pushed the door open.
Bright sunlight flooded into the room, making Vincenzo squint. He thought then he should have picked up some sunglasses, but it was too late. He stepped into the parking lot behind the deli and immediately moved to his left, giving Rob, Jody, and Edgar room to exit. The lot was empty, but he heard people on the nearby side street. It took Vincenzo a moment to get his bearings, but he figured out that Essex Street was behind them. They would need to cut left through the parking lot to get to it.
“Thanks again,” he said to Lourdes as she started to pull the door closed.
“No problem. Stay safe.” The metal fire door clanged shut.
“So which way do we go?” Jody asked. She sounded nervous.
Vincenzo pointed to the left. “That way. Let’s hustle. Those guys will eventually figure out we’re not going to come out the way we went in.”
“You all take care to avoid the hospital,” Edgar said. “It’s a couple of blocks down, if you’re heading down Essex. Lots of activity there, and wherever there’s a hospital, there’s lots of desperate people.” He nodded toward the building they had just exited. “I live right across the street, in the same apartment building as Julio. I’ll give you guys a few minutes, then I’m going to make a break for it. I don’t seriously think they’re going to give me any trouble, but if they see me, they’ll probably start wondering where you all went.”
“Much obliged,” Vincenzo said. He was already sweating anew in the humidity. At least the air in the deli had been dry, if not particularly cool. He looked at Rob and Jody. “Can you guys jog for a bit?”
“Try to keep up with me,” Jody said with a smile.
“She’s the jogger of the family,” Rob said.
“And he’s the Xbox driver,” Jody added.
Vincenzo smiled. “Okay. Let’s kick off.” He nodded to Edgar. “Take care, sir.”
“You too, young people. You too.”
Vincenzo led them across the parking lot and through the thin screen of trees on the other side. They entered another parking lot for a medical building. Jody kept up with him easily, her long legs covering a lot of ground with each stride. Rob was doing fine, bringing up the rear and keeping an eye out behind them. Good. He knows how to play rear guard.
A Rite-Aid pharmacy was in the next parking lot, and it was mobbed by people waiting to get in. There were several police officers there, but they didn’t seem to have control of the situation. P
eople were getting angry, waiting for their prescriptions and sundries. The cops ignored Vincenzo and his new friends as they crossed the parking lot, but several of those waiting in the queue that wrapped around the building stared at them openly.
“Should we just take that road ahead of us?” Jody asked.
“Yeah, let’s do that for now,” Vincenzo said.
They headed out of the parking lot and down Kaplan Avenue, which paralleled Essex. The street was hilly, so they slowed as they walked past the neat houses constructed out of brick or covered with vinyl siding. People sat on their porches or stoops and silently watched them move through the neighborhood. As they made it to the top of the hill, Vincenzo heard a commotion in the near distance. He glanced to his left and saw the hulking hospital on the next street. It sounded like a big congregation had gathered there, and he was glad to have avoided it.
“Looks like we might’ve dodged a bullet,” Rob said, and he sounded a little out of breath. “No sign of our boy Julio and his pals.”
Vincenzo glanced back. All he saw were people looking back at him from the relative safety of their own houses. That was fine by him.
“So what’s the plan?” Jody asked. Unlike Rob, she didn’t sound winded at all.
“We’ll stick to this street until we clear the hospital then head back over to Essex,” Vincenzo said.
“Maybe we should just stick to the residential streets,” Rob suggested. “Seems a bit safer.”
The big man was probably right, as long as no one in the neighborhood took issue with their presence. So far, that didn’t seem to be much of a problem. They kept walking up Kaplan Avenue, sticking to the middle of the street. Mature trees lined the road, and their wide canopies helped to ward off the bright sunshine. Vincenzo removed his cap and ran his hand over his head. His hair was soaked with sweat, and so was his ball cap. He regarded it with a bit of disgust for a moment then put it back on his head. It had cooled off in the few moments he’d removed it, and while it felt clammy going back on, it also felt kind of good.
They crossed the intersection of Kaplan and South Summit, and the road began to dip. That made walking easier. Vincenzo’s stomach growled, and he remembered his sandwich and the ideally still-cold soda in his pack. He spotted an unoccupied bus stop across South Summit Avenue and pointed it out to Rob and Jody.
“Let’s head over there for a bit and have some chow,” he said. “You guys bought stuff for lunch, right?”
“Oh, yeah,” Rob said. “I can definitely eat.”
“Aren’t we still kind of close to the hospital?” Jody asked.
“We seem to be okay for the moment,” Vincenzo said, “but if you guys want to press on, we can do that, too.”
“I think we’re good right now, babe,” Rob said.
“Sorry, since when did your opinion ever matter?” Jody said. But there was humor in her voice. Vincenzo smiled. Yeah, he’s got his hands full with this one.
They moved across the street, veering around a car that had been abandoned. The bus stop was covered, its Plexiglas windows marred from years of being exposed to the elements. Someone had sprayed graffiti on the pitched roof, symbols that were completely meaningless to Vincenzo. The small bench was just big enough for the three of them. Vincenzo dropped his backpack and sat down on it heavily. Rob crashed down onto the opposite side of the bench with a loud sigh. As he leaned his walking stick against the side of the bus stop, Jody squeezed in between them.
“So what’s for lunch?” she asked Rob.
“Twinkies, of course,” he said, opening his backpack.
“Are you kidding me?” she said.
“Yes. I picked up some packages of roast beef, turkey, and ham, which should stay fresh, thanks to Tony’s donated ice. Thanks for that, man. It means a lot.”
Vincenzo waved away the appreciation as he opened his knapsack and pulled out his sandwich and Pepsi. It was still cold. He saw the butt of the Glock and considered handing it off to Rob, but he still didn’t know the man and his wife from Adam. Not yet, boss. Besides, you might have a tough time getting it back.
Rob made turkey sandwiches for himself and his wife. Vincenzo merrily made headway on his pastrami. The Swiss cheese was no longer gooey, but it was still faintly warm, and the pickle was a nice addition. The Pepsi tasted heavenly. He considered sharing it with his travel companions, but selfishness won out.
“Damn, Tony,” Rob said as Vincenzo polished off his meal. “I was going to ask for some of that, but I was afraid you would started shooting.”
“And what would you have done then? Shot back with your mouth?” Jody asked, nudging her husband.
“No one’s going to do any shooting here.” Vincenzo took another hit from his soda. “But since we’re on the topic, either of you know guns?”
“No,” Jody said. “Those aren’t exactly on my résumé.”
“I do,” Rob said. “What’re you carrying, Tony? Can I ask?”
“Beretta 92. First pistol I ever bought and I’ve had it for years and years. Pretty solid, if you ask me.”
Rob nodded. “Yeah. I like .45s, though. Sig makes a sweet one, the P220, and they came out with a striker-fired version that’s single-action a couple of years ago. Your Beretta, it’s double-action on the first shot, right?”
“Yep. You know it?”
“I’ve fired a few. Don’t really care much for the grip,” Rob said.
“You get used to it.”
“Yeah.” Rob opened a bottle of water. “I guess I’d get used to anything pretty quick, right about now. But hey, at least I’ve got Wonderboy, here.” He patted his walking stick.
“‘Wonderboy’?”
“Yeah. You know, like the bat in The Natural,” Rob said.
Jody rolled her eyes. “He loves anything baseball.”
“Hell, yes. You a Yankees fan, Tony?”
“Of course. I was born in New York. You?”
“Hate ’em, of course,” Rob said with a big smile. “But New York does have a hell of a team, the Dodgers. Oh wait, they went to LA. You follow them, too?”
“Of course. Have to, since I spent most of the last decade out there. They’re first in the western division, right now. Or they were, anyway.”
“Oh, God.” Jody buried her face in her hands. “I don’t know what’s worse, morning sickness or listening to men talk about baseball.”
Vincenzo laughed. “Well, if it makes you feel any better, I’m more of an NFL kind of guy.”
Jody whimpered. “Yeah. That makes it all better.”
“Bengals all the way, baby!” Rob pumped his fist. “Damn, I hope those boys play ball this season. If not, I have no idea what I’m going to do.”
“Gathering a lot of firewood might be a good first step,” Jody said.
“Yeah, you guys are up there in the snow belt,” Vincenzo said. “You given any thought as to what you’ll do during the winter?”
“Not yet,” Rob said. “We haven’t even gotten through the summer. But if things don’t get squared away by then, it’s going to be one tough time. I guess you won’t have to worry about it, so long as you make it back to Los Angeles, huh?”
“We still need heat, even in southern California,” Vincenzo said. “But no snow, at least, not normally. So I’ll have that going for me.” Sudden movement on Essex caught his eye—two youths on bicycles. Then four or five more appeared, pedaling like gangbusters and weaving around disabled vehicles. Vincenzo recognized Julio in the lead as the kid bolted into a Shell gas station at the end of the block.
“Well, time to book,” Vincenzo said, rising to his feet and snatching up his bag.
Rob and Jody looked down the street and saw the toughs as the rest of the pack rolled into the gas station.
Rob grabbed his walking stick. “Crap, is that them? Think they followed us?”
“I think they’re just looking for easy pickings.” Vincenzo paused long enough to polish off his soda then tossed the bottle and sandwich wrap
per in the dun-colored garbage can next to the bus stop. “Let’s get out of here before they see us and decide we’re it.”
They left the bus stop and turned right onto Kaplan Avenue. The furor from the hospital was still rumbling in the distance—Vincenzo had no idea what was going on over there and no desire to find out—but overall, the neighborhood was quiet. A moment later, they heard the sound of shattering glass and hooting hollers coming from the gas station.
“Sounds like they might have found what they were looking for,” Jody said.
“Not counting on that. You guys go on up ahead. And, Rob?”
“Yeah?” Rob hitched his pack up on his back and fiddled with the strap around his thick waist.
Vincenzo reached into his knapsack and pulled out the Glock. He handed it to the bigger man, who took it with a surprised look. “Try not to shoot your balls off,” Vincenzo said.
“Damn, man. Thanks!” Rob’s grin was almost a yard long. He inspected the pistol quickly. “Glock 17. Should be a decent weapon.”
“Rob, do you seriously know how to handle that?” Jody asked.
“Well, yeah, but let’s hope I don’t have to prove it.”
“Just keep it out of sight, and be careful,” Vincenzo said. “I don’t know a lot about that Glock, but it only has a trigger safety, so be damn smart about where you carry it.”
“Okay. Shit, do you have a holster? I don’t want to just stick it in my waistband. I’m used to guns that either have a manual safety or can be decocked.”
“Sorry, man. I got nothing for you.”
Rob ejected the magazine and shoved it into his pocket. He then racked back the slide. The cartridge in the chamber flew out and landed on the ground. He picked it up and tried to put the cartridge back in the magazine, but it was already topped off. With a heavy sigh, he dropped the bullet into one of the cargo pockets on his shorts and reinserted the mag back into the pistol. He stuffed the Glock back in his waistband and pulled his shirt down over it. “Well, that’ll have to do. I sure hope I don’t short-stroke it when the time comes to use it.”
Charges Page 15
