“Thanks,Slinky. It’s good to see you too. To be honest, I’m scared shitlessright now. I know that you’re trying to help me by doing this, butshouldn’t we get out of here as soon as possible, like grab thebook and go?”
He laughs,“Don’t worry about it, kid. I’ve got it all covered.”
Slinky sounds alittle too confident and, in my experience, when someone is toosure of themselves, something usually happens to bring them down apeg.
“Did you getthe book?” I ask.
“It’s righthere,” he says, tapping on the breast of his jacket.
Then, I noticesomething that I missed when I first walked in, his hand. There areno bandages on it.
“Slinky, yourhand. It’s ok. I don’t understand.”
“Ahh, yeah.Crazy isn’t it?” he says, twiddling his fingers in front of me—allten digits are there.
“But I saw Tankcut off your pinkie with that silver contraption.”
“Did you? Areyou sure about that?” he says, with a malevolent grin.
“I…I was sureof it,” then I remember turning my head at the exact moment Tankpushed down on the strange device.
“But why wouldyou fake getting your finger cut off?”
Just then, Ihear the door open behind me. First, Fournier walks in and behindhim, Tank.
My breathingbecomes shallow and I hyperventilate, “Did you set me up, Slinky?”No matter what his answer is, I’m sure of one thing, the odds of megetting out of here alive are slim.
Fournierbriefly looks at me and then turns his attention to Slinky.
“What the fuckare you doing in my office? And why did you bring this bitch withyou?”
Tank, who isstanding behind Fournier, slowly maneuvers around him and walksover and stands beside Slinky.
“What in thehell is this?” Fournier asks Tank.
“It’s a revolt,so to speak,” declares Slinky, grinning.
“You betterhope you’re fucking joking, you junkie piece of shit.”
Slinky looks atTank and then nods. Tank reaches behind his back and pulls out ahand-gun.
This is it.It’s the end of the road. I can feel it. My knees almost give outand I feel like I’m going to faint.
“Oh, you’regoing to kill me, is that the plan?” Fournier says, laughing. “Andthen what? You and the big idiot are going to take over mybusiness?”
“You got itnow, boss,” says Slinky.
“And what thefuck are you doing here? “he says, pointing at me.
I open my mouthto speak but no words come out.
Slinkyintervenes, “We figured we tie up our loose ends at the same time.You know, kill two birds with one stone.”
“Or twobullets,” Tank laughs, idiotically.
“I don’t give aflying shit what you do to this dumb bitch, but you’re making acatastrophic mistake if you fuck with me,” Fournier says grittinghis teeth.
The tension inthe room is so thick you can almost see it. All four of us stare ateach other. The only two that aren’t showing fear are Slinky andTank.
Then, I hearthe sound of the door opening again.
I turn around,wondering what other threat is coming through the door. Stunned, Ican’t believe who I’m seeing. “Dad. What are you doing here? Howdid you know where I was?”
“You shouldn’tleave your phone out if you’re trying to hide something. Now, bequiet Jules,” he says.
“I don’tfucking believe it,” says Slinky. “It’s John boy. How did you getin here?”
“I knowDarlene, too.” Dad says, matter of factly.
“What is this,a family reunion?” says Fournier.
“Go to hell,Fournier. You ruined my life, you son of a bitch, and now you’retrying to take away my daughter? It isn’t gonna happen. Not whileI’m still here,” my dad says, reaching in his jacket and pullingout a silver revolver.
“Dad, where thehell did you get that?” Right after I ask, Charlie’s face flashesthrough my mind.
Fournier looksat my father, “You stupid sod. I didn’t ruin your life. You’relooking in the wrong direction. Slinky is the one that butcheredyour wife and then set you up for her murder.”
“Bullshit,” myfather yells, “You’re a liar.”
“Well,actually, no. He’s not lying,” Slinky says, smugly. “You were justtoo stupid to figure it out,” he laughs. “See, when I went to yourapartment all those years ago and I brought you and Jean dope. Igave you both a hot dose, and I did the clean one. After we weredone shooting up, the two of you hit the floor. Since you owedFournier a lot of money at the time, I figured that if I did him afavor and took care of you two, he’d wipe my debt clean. Only, whenI called him to come to your apartment, he got pissed off and toldme that because of what I had just done, I ruined any chance he hadof getting paid the money you owed him. So, in his infinite fuckingwisdom, he made me responsible for both my debt and yours. How’sthat for instant Karma,” Slinky laughs. So, there I was with acorpse and you overdosing on the floor. I had to come up with aplan quick or it would’ve been my ass in the clink and not yours.So, I rolled you around in Jean’s blood and stabbed her in thehands so it looked like she tried to defend herself then lastly, Iplaced the knife beside you. I was actually shocked how well it allworked,” he says, boastfully.
I stand lookingat Slinky, loathing him with every fiber of my being.
“You got lucky,Slinky. You’re a little pissant and there’s nobody that’s listed inthat book that will ever sell anything to you. You’re a small-timeplayer in a big man’s game. You hear me?” says Fournier.
Slinky turns toTank and nods. Then, with one motion, Tank raises his hand andpoints the gun at Fournier and pulls the trigger. The blast is soloud, everything sounds distorted. My father yells for me to getbehind him.
Slinky nods atTank again looking at my father. I move in front of my dad toshelter him then I hear the gunshot. Horrified, I turn and faceDad, scanning his body for a wound.
“I’m not hit,Jules.”
Then, I hear aloud thud, turning around in time to see Tank collapsing in thecorner.
Dad yells at meto get out of the room now.
“I’m notleaving you.”
“Get out, and Imean it. Slinky and I have some unfinished business.”
Reluctantly, Islowly walk out of the room and close the door.
My bodystiffens
