by Saul, Jonas
Darwin looked outside to make sure he wasn’t being watched and closed the door. He locked the deadbolt and then sprawled out on the bed.
Rosina moved off the chair and lay beside him. Her towel loosened and fell open.
“Oops,” she said and put her hand in front of her mouth in a gesture of innocence.
Darwin didn’t respond right away. She wrapped an arm across him and they lay there, holding each other.
After a few minutes, Rosina said, “Do you think we’ll ever be out from under this? Can we ever be a married couple, doing laundry, buying groceries and having friends over for a barbecue on the weekends?”
Darwin turned slowly to face her. He moved a lock of hair that had fallen out of the towel away from her face and stared into her eyes. “I swear to you, one day this will all be over. When that day comes, it’ll be just you and me, together. We’ll live our lives any way you want. Sometimes I feel like I can’t face the day. I don’t know where the courage comes from. But then I see you smile and I hear your voice and I’m reminded where the strength comes from.” He brushed at her hair again and rested his hand over her shoulder. “I love you, Rosina. I don’t say it enough, but I’m so very happy you’re my wife.” He kissed her and held it a moment. “I promise that I will figure this out and resolve it. The people responsible will be held accountable. We’ll leave everything behind and move on. You’ll have your dream house. We’ll go shopping in a grocery store and maybe one day we’ll even play bingo at some flea market.”
She shoved him playfully. “No, I don’t wanna play bingo.”
“Okay, baby, whatever you want.”
A tear escaped his eye. He let it fall to the pillow. Rosina dabbed her thumb at his cheek, tracing the line of his tear. “I love you too, Darwin. I’m the one who is lucky. Not many men would have come for me like you did in Rome. I’d be dead without you and if I lost you, I’d be dead anyway. I’ll support you and do whatever is necessary to end this. But when it’s all over, no more violence, no more fighting and no more killing people. We have to stop murdering everyone.” She giggled. “Doesn’t that sound ridiculous? When we decided to get married, if anyone had walked up to us and said that we’d be fighting the Mafia, killing made men,” she used air quotes with her fingers to illustrate the last two words, “and on the run, I would’ve never believed it.”
“Me either.”
They snuggled closer and held each other, almost falling asleep.
Darwin started and got up. “It’s six o’clock. We should check the news to see if there’s anything on the car theft at the gas station or on the safe house.”
Rosina nodded. He could tell she didn’t want to know, but moving forward without knowing anything would be more dangerous.
He sat on the end of the bed and started flipping channels while Rosina adjusted the pillows to lean against the headboard.
“Here,” Darwin said and sat back.
A news anchor sat behind his desk, waiting for the intro to finish.
“Breaking news this evening coming out of Florida near Jacksonville. Five FBI agents tasked to a safe house in that area have been brutally murdered. Our own Kate Frankson has the story.”
As the camera panned onto the street in front of their house where they had lived peacefully for the last two months, Darwin turned to Rosina. “This is it. Shit, my stomach just dropped.”
“Hi, Michael? Yes.” The woman on the screen tapped her earphone. “There, I have you now.” Her head lifted and stared into the camera. “It has been confirmed that we have five dead FBI agents on site. They aren’t releasing many details yet as there’s an investigation still underway, but it does look like the people they were supposed to be protecting are being looked at as suspects in the murders.”
“Hey!” Darwin shouted. “I didn’t kill the three other guys. That’s not fair. The two idiots who broke in killed the other three.” He looked back at Rosina. She had started to cry. “Fuck!”
“We received a statement from Special Agent Carson Dodge with the FBI.”
The camera changed and Darwin watched as a man with veins sticking out on either side of his neck, his face red, talked directly to the camera.
“That’s what we thought.” The man turned to look directly into the lens of the camera. “Darwin Kostas, I know what you did to the Fuccinis. I don’t understand it, but that doesn’t matter. You’re very handy with a blade.” The guy cleared his throat, clenched his jaw and paused for a brief second. “Darwin, I’m coming for you. I will find you. There’s nowhere you can hide. These were men I worked with. They have families. They didn’t deserve to die. Whatever twisted logic made you take out so many Fuccinis doesn’t wash here. These were FBI men, not criminals. Turn yourself in, Darwin. That would be the safest bet for you and your wife. Turn yourself in and get a good lawyer. I give you twenty-four hours. That’s it. After that, you’re mine.”
The guy on camera spat onto the pavement and walked away.
“There you have it, Michael.” The newswoman tapped her earpiece again. “It looks like Agent Dodge is on a rampage. Other media outlets are calling Darwin Kostas, “the Blade”. The police here are looking for a quick closure to this mess. They’ve put out an APB on Darwin and his wife, Rosina. If you see them, do not approach. They are considered armed and dangerous. Call the number on the bottom of the screen.” A telephone number flashed on the screen. “Tell them where you saw these people and let the police handle it.”
On the small twenty-inch Zenith TV in the hotel room, two pictures filled the screen. Both were shots of Darwin and Rosina from a year and a half ago when they had their passport photos done.
“How did they get those?” Darwin asked.
“Does that … really matter?” Rosina said, her voice breaking.
Darwin closed the distance between them and leaned into her. “I’m sorry, honey. We’ll sort this out. I promise.”
“They think we killed everybody. There were no witnesses. They’d never believe our side of things. We’re finished. This is bigger than killing mobsters.”
“Justice will find a way. I didn’t touch those other three. We killed the guy eating my breakfast because they were going to kill us. Then I went outside and fought with the other one who had punched me to the kitchen floor. It was self-defense. We’re innocent. There’s nothing to worry about.”
“I wish that were true,” Rosina said and she dabbed a Kleenex on her eyes. “Promise me one thing?”
“Of course, honey. Whatever you want.”
“No more killing the feds.”
“Well … I don’t know—”
“Darwin.” Her face grew serious. “It’s one thing to tell the judge that you’re sorry you killed the junkie when he broke into our house and pulled a knife, as an example. But it’s another completely different thing to say you killed federal officers who were hired to protect you in your own home. This is going to be really hard to get out of.”
“I know, I know. I understand.”
She was on the verge of more tears. The TV had moved onto another news story. The mention of a gas station caught Darwin’s ear. He moved away to watch the screen.
“A couple hours ago a pickup truck was stolen from this Mobil gas station. Police are combing the area to locate it, and all active members of the local and state police are involved as it has come to our attention that Darwin Kostas, known as the Blade, and his wife Rosina Kostas were caught on the gas station’s security cameras stealing two egg salad sandwiches and two Cokes before pouring out unleaded gas at the clerk from one of the pumps when he tried to approach them. We have the clerk here.”
The camera panned to the face of the gas station clerk.
“They both came in and were so rude. I asked if he wanted a bag with his purchase and he nearly bit my head off …”
“That’s not true,” Darwin shouted.
“Then he just grabbed everything and walked outside like it was free. He pumped gas in one guy�
�s car like he owned the joint and took the customer’s money. Then he stole the pickup from another customer. I’m just happy he didn’t want to kill me too. I’ve never met such a brazen criminal before. It was like the world owed him everything and we little people were in his way. I can’t believe I made it out alive.”
The camera panned back to the newswoman. “There you have it. Darwin and Rosina are suspects in the slaying of five FBI agents just over four miles from here and now they’re on the run in a stolen Ford F-150. If you see this vehicle, license plate number …”
“I can’t believe this. We were just hungry. All I wanted to do was get us something to eat. Now it looks like we’re on a crime spree across America, when all we want to do is go home and live quiet lives.”
Rosina got off the bed and dropped her towel. She slipped on her panties and proceeded to get dressed.
Darwin muted the TV. “What are you doing?”
“Getting dressed.”
“Rosina, I can see that. Are you planning on going somewhere?”
“Yes.”
Darwin waited but she didn’t offer a destination. “Where are you going?”
“To the nearest police station.”
“Why?” Darwin asked as he got up off the bed.
“Because, we can’t stay here.”
“I’m not following you. Why can’t we stay here?”
“The clerk who rented this room to us has seen our faces. If he watched the news, the police will be busting that door down in ten minutes. I’d rather go in willingly than have that guy Dodge chasing us. If they come through that door, there’s no telling how dead we will be with no witnesses.” She paused to lower a purple shirt over her head. “Tomorrow’s news will have our names in it again, but this time they’ll be reporting our deaths. I can see it now. ‘Darwin Kostas, known as the Blade, was killed last night in a grungy motel on the outskirts of wherever-the-hell-we-are, Florida or Georgia or who knows, as he resisted arrest’.”
“Rosina, I don’t think you leaving is a good idea.”
She undid the towel on her head and shook her hair out. “All cops can’t be bad. We’ll have too many as witnesses in a police station. We’ll be safe there. Wait, why did you say, ‘you leaving’? We’re not going together?”
Darwin moved closer to her. “Look, just think about this for a second—”
An explosion of some kind cut him off.
“What the hell was that?”
“No idea, but it doesn’t sound good.”
Darwin stepped up to the window and peeked out the curtain. Long shadows lay across the barren parking area of the vacant motel as the sun continued its descent. Not a single car sat parked in the lot. Vehicles traveled along the highway a hundred yards away.
“I don’t see anything,” he said.
Rosina came up behind him and put her hand on the doorknob. “You’re coming with me, I hope?”
“Rosina, I want to talk about this a while longer. As much as you believe this is the right thing to do, I don’t. Can you at least wait ten minutes so we can discuss it? Give me that much time.”
“Okay, ten minutes.”
Another explosion made him jump. This one felt closer than the first.
“Whatever it is, it’s closer.”
“It could be highway workers blasting a new road.”
“Did you see construction signs anywhere when we came in?”
“Well, no, but maybe they’re blasting behind us.”
Darwin shook his head. “That was too close. Like in the next room or the one after that.”
“How so? The place is empty.”
“I know, but something’s not right. Get away from the door.”
Rosina walked the length of the motel room and stood by the door to the bathroom at the back. “You’re scaring me, Darwin.”
“Until we know what that is, we have to be careful.”
Someone knocked on their door. Darwin turned and placed his index finger across his lips to indicate silence. Rosina nodded.
“Come out, come out, wherever you are. Or you can talk to my little friend.”
Darwin put it together. The explosions were from some kind of gun. Whoever was outside their motel room was shooting doors in, searching for them.
He looked to the back of the motel and into the bathroom.
Shit, I have to think this stuff through better. I should’ve gotten a room with a back door or at least a window.
“Last chance,” the voice on the other side of the door yelled.
Darwin ran for the back. He grabbed Rosina’s arm and pulled her into the bathroom. As fast as he could, he sprawled out in the bathtub and made room for her. Once she was laid flat out, except for her knees, which were tented, he wrapped his body around hers and waited.
The sound of the speaker’s muffled voice traveled to them.
“Who do you think it is, Darwin? The owner of the pickup?”
“Doubt it. Sounds like a cop.”
“A cop? Shooting motel room doors in like that?”
“Sure. If they know we’re the only people here, what does it hurt to accidentally shoot a couple cop killers?”
Rosina started crying again.
“I’m sorry, honey. I know this is bad, but I’ll fix it. I promise.”
She grabbed his hand and held it to her chest. “Promise me we’ll get through this and I’ll do anything you need to help make it happen. Just promise me.”
He maneuvered into a position where he could look down on her. “I promise with all my heart that I will solve this and I will do my best to get us out of this mess alive and well.”
“Good, because I couldn’t live without you.”
The door to their motel room blew inward. Darwin ducked his head and wrapped his right arm over it. No debris entered the bathroom.
“Ho, ho, ho, Santa’s come to pay a visit bearing gifts. I see someone lives here but I don’t see any stocking by the fireplace.” The man’s voice changed to a deeper gravelly moan. “Where are my little children?” he asked in an accent.
They stayed down. Darwin had no idea what to expect. Whoever it was had an agenda and whether or not that purpose was to kill them, he didn’t know. He had no weapon, no way to defend himself, and no idea what he was going to do.
I would love to have Richard H here.
He wished he was the kind of guy that could bravely walk out to a gunman, ask him what his problem was and take the gun from the guy, whether he got a bullet for his troubles or not. But he couldn’t. His first response was always to run and hide. He wasn’t like Richard. He wasn’t a tough guy.
Footsteps approached.
This is it.
Darwin lifted his hand first in case the gun was aimed and waiting to fire.
“There you are, my little munchkins. Come on, out of the tub. Bath time is over.”
Darwin got up slowly. The man was dressed conservatively in khaki slacks, a sports jacket, and black dress shoes. What struck Darwin was the police badge dangling from his neck on a chain.
“Come on, let’s go,” the guy said, gesturing with the business end of a small double-barreled weapon.
“We’re coming.”
“Shut up. No talking whatsoever. I do the talking. Stay cool and you might live through this.”
Darwin nodded and made sure the guy saw the nod. He stepped out of the tub slowly and helped Rosina out. A moment later they both stood beside the bathtub, hands raised shoulder height, waiting for instructions.
“Empty your pockets. Remove all weapons, but easy does it,” the cop ordered.
Darwin could see the alcohol abuse on the guy’s nose. His teeth were stained from years of smoking, and his eyes were watered as if he was on the verge of tears.
What makes someone’s eyes that watery?
Slowly, Darwin lowered his right hand, reached into the pocket of his shorts and pulled the inside of his empty pocket out. Then he did the same on the left.
Rosina didn’t have pockets in her black pants.
“Don’t fuck with me, punk. Move very slow and pull out all weapons. Place them in the bathtub behind you. Do it now. Stop fuckin’ around.”
The guy’s hand that held the gun started to shake from strain.
Great. Gut shot by an alcoholic who couldn’t hold the damn gun right.
Darwin pointed at his mouth.
