by Evelyn Dar
“But even if they didn’t,” Laylah continued. “I would never let you take the rap. You go down? I go down.”
They sat in silence for several minutes.
“Maddy?”
“Yeah, babes?”
“We have to call the police.”
Maddy stared at her. “Yeah, I know.”
Laylah picked up her phone, and it vibrated in her hand. She glanced at the unknown number. “Do you think it’s–”
“Answer it!” Maddy shouted.
Laylah hit the green button.
“Put it on speaker,” Maddy instructed.
“Kendrick?”
A long pause.
“Yeah, it’s me,” he whispered.
“Oh my God, Kendrick, what in the–”
“Just listen,” Kendrick said.
Laylah nodded as if he could see her.
“I know what you’re about to say and…yo, I’m sorry, cuz. I didn’t mean for any of this to happen. I was stupid, and I called Stacy and–”
“What? Stacy’s with you? Where are you?”
“1710 West Point Ave.”
Laylah squinted. “Why does that address sound familiar?
Maddy gasped. “Oh my God, they’re at that charter school that closed down last month.”
“What?” Laylah asked.
“It was all over CNN,” Maddy explained. “The school’s owners were operating an illegal strip club and casino out of the basement.”
“I don’t know about all that,” Kendrick whispered. “But we’re definitely in a school. There’s a bunch of classrooms and shit.”
“What happened?” Laylah asked. “You were supposed to wait here for us. And where in the hell did you get a gun?”
No response.
“Kendrick?” Laylah glanced at Maddy. “Kendrick, are you there?”
“Shit,” Kendrick whispered. “I got to go in a minute. Yo, when you get here, park in the back and come through the red door next to the dumpster. Stacy jimmied it and now the lock’s broken.”
“Kendrick, wait. What happened to Avery?”
“What do you mean?” Kendrick asked. “She’s here.”
“She was bleeding in the video and there’s blood all over my room.” Laylah swallowed. “You and Stacy didn’t…hurt her, did you?”
“Hell, no!” Kendrick said, the indignation in his voice clear. “Dumb ass, overreacting Stacy tackled her because she tried to call 911.” Laylah could hear the anger in his voice. “She hit her head on the corner of your desk.”
“Oh my God,” Laylah said. “She could have a concussion or a serious head injury.”
“I know,” Kendrick said. “That’s why y’all need to hurry up and get here. Yo, I gotta go.”
Laylah lowered the phone and stared at Maddy.
“I know what you’re thinking,” Maddy said slowly. “But if we go, we will become accomplices to a kidnapping. A real fucking kidnapping.”
“We drugged Avery,” Laylah said. “Then we lied to the police about drugging Avery. I’d say we’re well past accomplice-level, wouldn’t you?”
“Okay,” Maddy said. “Drugging and lying are bad, and definitely prison-worthy but kidnapping?”
Laylah walked to the front door. “Kendrick is annoying, and he regularly makes terrible life decisions but he’s my family, Mads.”
Maddy wrapped her arms around herself.
“But he’s not yours,” Laylah said. “And if you want to go, I don’t blame you and I would never hold it against you. But please don’t call the police until I try to talk some sense into him.”
Laylah grabbed her coat off the hook, and Maddy caught her arm. “Despite his transphobic, probably closeted ass, I kind of love him, too. Not to mention, yes Avery sucks but she doesn’t deserve this.”
“Are you sure?” Laylah asked. “Because this could go really wrong.”
Maddy shrugged. “If it does, then after we get out of prison, we’ll just write a kick-ass book and HBO will buy the rights and make a three-part series which will win several Emmys.”
“HBO?”
“Fine.” Maddy sighed. “It’ll be a one-part Netflix original with unknown actors and no Emmy wins. I’m still down.”
Laylah smiled. “I love you.”
Maddy opened the front door. “Come on babes, let’s go save the day or at least try not to make it worse.” She stopped in the doorway. “Shit.”
“What?” Laylah asked.
“Kendrick has my car and we probably shouldn’t Uber to a kidnapping location.”
Laylah closed her eyes. “Shit.”
“What about your mom’s car?” Maddy asked. “She takes the bus to her overnight gig, right?”
Laylah shook her head. “I can’t.”
“Babes, if everything goes according to plan, we’ll be back with the car before your mom notices it’s gone.”
“Nothing has gone according to plan, yet,” Laylah said.
“True, but we need a car. Any car.”
Laylah reached into the pocket of her mother’s hanging coat, dread gnawing at her stomach. She pulled out the keys and sighed. “Let’s go.”
CHAPTER SIX
Shivering beside Maddy, Laylah stared at the red door. She wanted nothing more than to run in the opposite direction and forget she’d ever heard the name, Avery Bradley.
The ex-charter school/current kidnapping hideout was a ten-minute drive from Laylah’s apartment and smack dab in the middle of the projects. Laylah had expected broken and boarded-up windows, rats fighting with the homeless for squatters’ rights and perhaps Ms. Peregrine and a few of her peculiar children.
But the newly shuttered school looked…normal? At least from the outside.
Maddy touched the doorknob and looked at Laylah. “Together?”
Laylah nodded, laid her on hand on top of Maddy’s and turned the knob.
It was pitch-black inside and Laylah switched on her phone’s flashlight. The room was twice the size of a standard classroom and overflowing with boxes and wobbly stacks of chairs. A haphazard mountain of discarded desks sat in its center, and a truckload of loose-leaf paper covered the floor.
“Over there.” Maddy pointed to a door partially concealed by a leaning stack of boxes.
They carefully navigated around the clutter, and when Maddy opened the door, bright fluorescent lights momentarily blinded Laylah. She pulled off her glasses and rubbed her eyes.
“I guess someone overpaid the utilities,” Laylah said, stepping into the empty hallway.
“Thank God,” Maddy replied. “The only thing creepier than an abandoned school is an abandoned school with no lights.”
Laylah rubbed her hands together. “Too bad they didn’t turn on the heat.”
“Heaters are loud,” Maddy replied. “And this place probably has a ton of A/C units.” She made a face. “Is it wrong I’m kind of impressed Kendrick thought of that?”
Laylah snorted. “Either that or he couldn’t find the switch.”
A loud bang echoed down the hallway followed by the sound of faraway but definitely raised voices.
Maddy squeezed Laylah’s hand. “Oh my God, what was that? Also, I may have peed a little.”
Arm in arm, Laylah and Maddy shuffled down the hallway using the shouting voices as their guide and soon came to the last door in the hallway. The metal placard above the doorknob read, ‘Teacher’s Lounge.’
Maddy whispered, “This Stacy guy? Is he dangerous?”
“I don’t know him that well,” Laylah admitted. “But he sells weed so…maybe?”
“That’s actually kind of reassuring,” Maddy whispered. “Also, I have to pee.”
“Right now?”
Maddy shrugged. “I pee when I’m nervous.”
Laylah glanced at the door to the teacher’s lounge. She could still hear the voices, but just barely.
“They’re not yelling anymore,” Maddy whispered. “That’s a good sign, right?”
Layla
h frowned. “Just hurry.”
Maddy scurried down the hallway, and Laylah leaned against the wall.
She closed her eyes and an image of Avery, bound and gagged, flashed through her head. Laylah’s eyes flew open, and she tried to focus on something – anything, other than Avery. The ugly orange lockers that lined the hallway. The filthy checkerboard tiled floor. The glowing exit sign above her head. She checked her phone.
Come on Maddy…
Laylah stared at the door directly across the hallway. She could tell it was a former classroom by its rectangular window cutout. She attempted to count the number of scratches on the window’s glass, but after a few seconds her mind returned to Avery.
Laylah rubbed the back of her neck. Her anxiety was increasing with every second spent in the hallway and staring at a stupid door wasn’t helping.
On the verge of charging into the bathroom and yanking Maddy off the toilet, Laylah stepped forward but paused when a smudge on the classroom door caught her eye.
A bronze smudge.
Laylah crossed the hallway, her heart pounding. She peered through the window and gasped. A blindfolded Avery sat in a chair with her hands tied behind her and her head resting on her chest. Her coat was draped over her and she was wearing a pair of Kendrick’s old Jordan’s.
Seeing Avery tied up in the video was one thing, but witnessing it in person felt like a punch to the gut. Laylah touched the window, and Avery slowly raised her head. The remnants of dried blood on the side of her face made Laylah nauseous.
“Holy mother-effing shitballs.”
Laylah jumped and clutched her chest. “Jesus, Maddy.”
“Sorry,” Maddy whispered, staring over Laylah’s shoulder. “Oh my God, we’re literally in a Tarantino movie.”
Laylah took one last look at Avery, then marched across the hallway and opened the door.
++++
The moment they entered the lounge, Stacy jumped to his feet and reached for his waistband.
Maddy screamed and pulled Laylah to the floor, throwing her body over Laylah’s.
From beneath Maddy, Laylah trembled as she heard approaching footsteps. Moments later, Maddy’s weight disappeared, and someone patted her on the back.
“You aight, cuz?” Kendrick held his hand out.
“I think so,” Laylah said, as he helped her to her feet.
“That’s our bad.” Kendrick glared at Stacy. “Stacy’s fucking paranoid.”
Stacy sat at a large, round table in the center of the lounge. A gun along with two ski masks, three flip phones, a rose-gold iPhone, and a bag of zip ties sat on the table. He rolled his eyes. “You called your cousin? I thought you was down, man.”
“I was down until you almost killed Avery.”
Stacy sucked his teeth. “I keep telling you, what happened at the apartment was an accident. Besides, we don’t get paid if she’s dead.”
Laylah ignored Stacy. “Kendrick, this won’t work. You know that.”
Stacy groaned. “What y’all talking about? This is an easy twenty k. Dude gives us the money, then we give Dude his daughter. Boom. Whole thing’s over and everybody’s happy.”
Kendrick and Laylah spoke at the same time.
“Please tell me you’re kidding–”
“Man, we’re about to get locked up–”
“Shut up!” Stacy yelled. “Y’all making my goddamn head hurt.” He massaged his right temple. “Let me think for a minute.”
Maddy sat beside Stacy and lightly touched his shoulder. Laylah tensed and Kendrick’s eyes went wide.
Stacy eyed Maddy suspiciously. “What? You about to tell me how stupid this is, too?”
“No,” Maddy said calmly. “But you seem like a smart guy. I’m guessing you already know that.”
Stacy shrugged. “I’ve seen the movies. I know. But like, I ain’t never really had shit, you know?” He shook his head. “Man, what am I saying? You don’t know what I’m talking about.” He fiddled with one of the zip ties and cleared his throat. “You just another pretty, rich chick.”
Maddy scooted closer to Stacy. “Look, I don’t know you Stacy, but”–she shot a glance at Laylah–“I don’t know, maybe I’d like to?”
Kendrick’s jaw dropped, and he whispered to Laylah, “What is he doing?”
“She,” Laylah hissed, her eyes glued to Maddy and Stacy. “And I have no idea.”
Maddy squeezed Stacy’s shoulder. “The thing is, I can’t get to know you if you’re in prison. Or dead.”
Stacy lowered his voice. “You playing with me? Cause I know chicks like you don’t really talk to dudes like me.”
Maddy batted her eyes. “So let’s start a trend?”
“This is so messed up,” Kendrick whispered.
Laylah shushed him.
Stacy smiled at Maddy. “You probably right. I mean, shit like this never works in the movies.”
Laylah released the breath she’d been holding and gave Kendrick a “see” look.
Kendrick rolled his eyes.
“Stacy! Where you at, boy?” A voice shouted from the hallway.
“Fuck,” Stacy said.
“Who’s that?” Maddy asked.
Stacy jumped up. “My brother, Reggie.”
The door swung open, and Reggie showed himself in. If Stacy was the size of a linebacker, Reggie was the size of two linebackers, and when he grinned at them, his diamond-encrusted grill put Kendrick’s to shame.
“Bro, you didn’t tell me, you was having a party.” Reggie looked Maddy and Laylah up and down. “The shorties look good.” He rubbed his hands together. “And I see a tree I wouldn’t mind climbing.” He winked at Laylah and rubbed the large cross tattoo that covered half of his face.
Kendrick grunted and stepped between Reggie and Laylah.
Reggie smiled. “What’s up, young blood? These your hoes?” He held up his hands. “If so, my bad. I’m not trying to step on nobody’s toes, man.”
“Laylah is my cousin,” Kendrick said through gritted teeth. “And Maddy is…her friend.”
“Whatever, young blood. Hoes are hoes.” Reggie laughed and nodded at Stacy. “You make the call yet?”
“Uh, nah.” Stacy lowered his voice. “Hey bro, let me talk to you for a minute outside.”
Reggie followed Stacy into the hallway.
The moment the door closed; Kendrick turned to Maddy. “Are you out of your mind?”
“No.” Maddy crossed her arms. “Are you?”
“Stacy doesn’t know you’re a guy.”
“Good,” Maddy said, her voice shaking. “Because I’m not.”
Kendrick sighed. “You know what I mean.”
“Yeah,” Maddy said. “I always know what you mean, Kendrick.”
“You guys,” Laylah said. “We have bigger fish to fry right now.”
“Laylah’s right,” Maddy said. “We need to–”
The door opened, and Reggie walked in sporting a grin. Stacy followed; his eyes on the floor.
“You got burners?” Reggie asked Kendrick.
“Uh…” Kendrick tried to catch Stacy’s eye, but Stacy refused to look up. “Yeah, we got a couple.” He grabbed a flip phone off the desk and tossed it to Reggie. “What for?”
Reggie looked at him like he was stupid. “We about to make the call.”
Laylah cleared her throat. “Uh, we decided not to go through with it.”
Maddy stared meaningfully at Stacy. “Right, Stacy?”
Stacy’s eyes remained on the floor.
“Sorry, ladies but”–Reggie rubbed his chin and smiled–“this is above Stacy now.”
Maddy and Laylah exchanged looks.
“So,” Reggie said. “Is y’all in?”
Silence.
Reggie picked up the gun and twirled it around his finger, causing everyone to flinch. “One more time…are y’all in or nah?”
++++
Laylah paced in the kitchenette area of the lounge, while Reggie and Stacy prepped for ‘
the call.’
“I don’t know, bro,” Stacy said. “We was going to ask for twenty – thirty, at the most.”
Reggie slapped Stacy so hard on the side of his head, the sound echoed. “We don’t ask for shit, boy.” He growled. “We demand it.”
Stacy rubbed his ear.
“And we demanding a hundred k,” Reggie said definitively.
Laylah stopped pacing, fear coursing through her veins. Reggie was clearly dangerous and none of them were safe. Least of all, Avery. She closed her eyes.
Avery
Laylah glanced at Reggie, then drifted to the back of the lounge where Kendrick and Maddy sat.
“I’m checking on Avery,” she whispered.
“No,” Kendrick said.
“I wasn’t asking permission.”
“They have guns,” Kendrick whispered. “Plural.”
Laylah frowned, remembering the photo of Kendrick and Avery. And the gun sticking out of his waistband.
As if reading her thoughts, Kendrick explained, “It was Stacy’s gun. I was just holding it.”
Laylah closed her eyes. “Holding it? Why would you –” She sighed. “You know what, it doesn’t matter anymore.” She stood.
Kendrick grabbed her arm, and she yanked it free.
“I told you, I wasn’t asking for permission.”
“Here.” Kendrick reached in his pocket and handed her what looked like a thin, plastic walkie-talkie.
She raised an eyebrow.
“Voice changer,” he explained. “She’s already heard me and Stacy’s voices, but she doesn’t know you’re involved.”
Laylah pocketed it, then with her head held high, strode past Reggie and Kendrick.
“Yo, Legs?” Reggie called out. “Where the hell you going?”
“Bathroom,” Laylah said without breaking stride. She walked into the hallway and stopped, waiting for Reggie or Stacy to burst through the door after her. When they didn’t, she crossed the hall and peeked through the window. Avery sat slumped in the chair, her head resting on her shoulder.
Laylah took a deep breath and opened the door.
****
“Hello?” Avery lifted her head. “Is someone there? I-I heard the door open.”
No response.
Avery refused to let the silence unnerve her and asked the question that had plagued her since the ransom video. “Are you going to kill me?”
