Keeping The Faith

　

　
　
　
　
　
　
　
Keeping the Faith
　
by: Raven Usher
　
　
dedication:
to Michelle and Beth
all for one
　
　
　
　
　
　
"I can't honestly say that all of us were innocents in how we got what we wanted. I knew the rules before going into the game. It still amazes me how we all got together. We were so different. But I suppose it was our differences that brought us together."
Johnny Cade
　
　
　
　
　
book one:
LOVE'S CHOICE
　
chapter one:
THE CIRCLE
　
　
All of our lives we are faced with choices that must be made. Some of the hardest choices are those that deal with the heart. Of course, when the heart gives in to love the choices become very limited. Luckily, love's choice usually turns out to be the right one.
Growing up has a lot of choices as well. Larry Kender, however, had only one choice. That choice, love's choice, forced Larry to grow up all too fast. Some people may think that Larry made the wrong decision. But there was nothing else he could do. Love's choice is always the right one, no matter how many people die.
Larry was the typical high school teen-ager. He had the average build, was the average height, and in a group photograph you had to search for his average face. Even his childhood, until he met the Circle, was almost average.
The only thing that seemed to stand out in Larry's memory was his parent's divorce. Larry was eight when it happened and it hit him hard. He hadn't been aware that his parents were fighting. That and, well, an eight year old's world can be a fragile thing to begin with. It took him a long time to recuperate and the road to recovery was a rocky one.
It was that rocky road that was responsible for the many eccentricities that Larry had developed as a defense against the world. The most noticeable was his rather warped sense of humor. He was a consummate practical joker and would laugh at anything. On the more personal side, that he kept closely guarded, was a more disconcerting eccentricity. Larry did not know how to cry. This was a direct result of the divorce.
When his parents sat that little eight-year-old down and broke the news, he began to cry. It had been that Larry would cry over any small hurt. This hurt was bigger than all the others combined. It seemed like he had been crying for days when, quite coldly, he sat up and wiped his eyes. Then he vowed that he would never cry again. It was a vow that he kept no matter what.
Larry went on that way for ten years. Now as an accomplished teenager, he could not remember how, or what it felt like, to cry. His shear refusal to allow himself to feel any kind of heartache had made Larry the least sympathetic person in the state. When he was told that he had hurt someone's feelings or sent some girl crying to her boyfriend, he would shrug his shoulders and give a remorseless, "Oh well."
Larry also had a bit of a mean streak in him. He usually did a good job of keeping it buried. It was only when fists began to fly that the mean streak surfaced. Larry never looked like much of a challenge, especially to the over-sized jocks that always seemed to try to get him to take back a well placed slander. Larry didn't like to fight. It was just something he happened to be good at. You see, Larry didn't fight fair. And he didn't believe in letting someone who picked a fight walk away without at least a severe limp. It was what first attracted the Circle’s attention.
The Circle was a female gang that had the reputation of being capable of just about anything. Larry was the only male that was consistently seen with them. Boyfriends came and went, but were never allowed to know anything about the inner workings of the Circle. The one unfortunate boy that was curious enough to follow the girls on Circle business lost his girlfriend in an unpleasant way. You see, the girls were never without back-up and the boy was spotted. I can only imagine what it's like to be in a body cast.
The reason that Larry was allowed inside the Circle was that he was there when it was formed. They teased him by calling him their body guard. Actually, he was a body guard of sorts. His job was to guard everybody else from the Circle. Larry was their safety catch. He kept them from getting into too much trouble. It was kind of like being the Circle's conscience.
On one occasion the Circle had arranged to sell some liquor. The deal had a high price tag. The person that was supposed to make the drop made a run with the money and the booze. Although Larry was a permanent fixture within the Circle, he didn't always get filled in on everything right away. By the time he found out about the plans for retribution, a small party of the Circle's members were already on the move. Larry got there just in time to save the traitor's life, but she would have those scars forever.
The first person Larry saw every day at school was Aurora. She met him in the parking lot every day even if he didn‘t get to drive. Aurora had an inborn quality that attracted everyone. It just seemed to say, "Here I am. Notice me." She was with out a doubt one of the leaders (if not the leader) of the Circle. Members had come and been lost, but if Aurora left, the circle would have probably left with her. She got her name from that inborn light that compelled others to follow her.
Larry pulled up in his mom’s VW bug. He saw her in her spot and called out to her as he approached, “Hi there, short stack.”
“If anyone else called me that they’d end up shorter than me,” she retorted.
“I’m not sure that’s possible,” he said.
“OK, can the damn short jokes,” she commanded. “What’s got you all happy on a cloudy day?”
“It’s gonna rain today,” he answered.
Aurora rolled her eyes and turned her back on him to walk to the school. The last thing she needed first thing in the morning was his love talk. “Come on. Everyone else is waiting on us.”
Aurora knew how Larry thought, probably better than he did. She was also his best friend. There wasn't a lot that they hadn't been through together. They had ended up in bed a couple of times. The first time was after a love affair of Aurora's broke up. She had gone to Larry for comfort and kept wanting more and more. The second time was after a drunken party. Neither one could remember how they had gotten there or how Larry had gotten that black eye.
Larry was one of only two people that Aurora completely trusted. He had more of her secrets running around in his head than his own. Not even the Circle knew that she had been raped. It happened when she was sixteen and it was Larry's shoulder that comforted her. There was only one other person who knew that secret, and it wasn't one of her parents. It was taken care of swiftly. The beans that got planted in that field that year grew like wildfire.
Aurora's dark Spanish complexion and deep knowing eyes stood her apart from most of her friends. It was a good thing, because at four foot eleven, she was easy to miss otherwise. Her jet black hair hung to her waist and shined like fine mink. Once a day Larry would walk up behind her, bury his face in her hair and inhale. It was Larry's substitute for morning coffee.
Another important figure within the Circle, also one of the leading members, was Two-bit. She was standing outside the front doors watching them approach. “We don’t all like the rain,” she said. “You gonna make us wait til grad?”
“I’m not late,” Larry said.
“You ain’t early either. How the hell do you get here faster when you walk in?” she asked.
“How do you manage to kiss and bite at the same time?” he countered.
“Hey bite me!“ she said.
Larry had given her the name “Two-bit” after a week long, purely physical love affair. In the heat of passion she had bitten him on the shoulder, twice. He carried a pair of teeth marks with him for days. Larry's only problem was that he couldn't figure out a lie that would explain the marks to his mother. The scratches that Spike gave him were dismissed as an accident while playing the dunk game in the pool. But teeth marks?
Two-bit was the other person that knew what happened to Aurora. She, Larry, and Aurora had a triangle friendship that would hold up against anything. They would die for each other. Two-bit was Aurora's mirror image. The storm to Aurora's calm, so to speak. In fact, it was Two-bit's temper that got the Circle to go after the traitor.
Two-bit loved spiked high heels. Her facial features weren't the best and she wore too much make-up to cover for it. She teased her red hair too much. She was, however, very well developed for seventeen. An admirer once stated that she had so much body that she have been continued on the next girl. Consequently, she went through boyfriends like disposable tissue.
In all, there were twelve members of the Circle. They each had a talent that was unique in some way. The next two sidle up next to Larry and Aurora were Spike and Twilight. Spike said, “I got the money Avery owed us this weekend,“ ignoring any greetings.
“And I finalized the arrangements for the refreshments for Alicia’s party,“ twilight added.
“Tell Evergreen about the money,” Aurora said.
“What kind of refreshments? Two-bit asked. “And are we invited?”
“Beer, hard liquor and meth,” Twilight added. “And no we’re not. We’re not the “in” crowd, remember?”
“Fuckers,” Two-bit spit.
“Did Evergreen OK the price tag?” Aurora asked.
“Yes,” answered Twilight.
“And we got half of it up front,” Spike added.
At six foot six, Spike was the biggest member of the Circle. She wasn't fat. She was just plain BIG. Spike was the person that collected back debts for the Circle. She was a lady jock and had spent considerable time in the weight room. She never once failed to collect payment in one form or another. There was one time when she beat the shit out of first string varsity linebacker that didn't feel it necessary to pay for a science report that Twilight had delivered. When Twilight returned with tears instead of money, Spike got upset. It wasn't that bad. He made the next game. She got her name from her favorite sport, volleyball. There was nothing funnier to Spike than bouncing a volleyball off of an opponent's face.
Twilight was a petite girl without much of a figure. She was still very cute with her dark hair and an olive complexion. Spike originally found Twilight being stuffed into a locker by two sophomores. Twilight was a junior at the time. Spike saved her and sponsored her membership into the Circle. If you took all the members of the Circle and molded them into one person, then made the opposite of that person, you would end up with Twilight. She loved to watch the sunset and the first stars of the evening. That's how she got her name.
Evergreen was a mathematical wizard. She was a junior and was in collage level math classes and getting A's. What the rest of the Circle couldn't understand was why. No matter how hard she worked, she kept getting D's in everything else. She got her name from her love of Christmas trees. The position of treasure was dumped into Evergreen's lap without challenge from anyone. That position made her the only one that knew exactly how well off the Circle was. All the rest of the members knew was that when they needed money, Evergreen would hand it over write something in the little red ledger that had become her trade mark. She was rarely, if ever, seen without it. If Evergreen had been the traitor, the Circle would have lost close to fifteen grand.
Evergreen could have been quite beautiful if she wanted to be. She wore gold wire-rimmed glasses that hid her emerald green eyes, and constantly had her blond hair pulled back in a braid. She was a living Hollywood cliché'. When she removed her glasses and let her hair fall around her shoulders she was very striking. But the boys were never able to catch her attention enough to convince her to stay that way. Every now and then Two-bit would tease her about being an old maid.
Larry jumped when he suddenly felt a strong pinch on his rear end. He spun around to see Topaz smiling at him and Tinsel giggling silently.
“Hey there sweet cheeks,” Topaz said. “When you gonna dance for me?”
“I told you, Princess, you missed your shot.” Larry said.
“Oh c’mon. We share everything here,” she said. “Ask her about some three-some action.”
“You ask her. I don’t need the ass kicking.” he said.
“For a guy who hangs around with a dozen hot bitches, you sure are a prude.”
Tinsel’s giggle was audible this time.
“You got something to say?” Larry asked Tinsel playfully.
Tinsel stuck her tongue out at him and handed a piece of paper to Aurora. Aurora looked at the note and said, “Yeah, go ahead.”
Tinsel tapped Topaz on the shoulder and led her away from the others.
Nobody could match wits with Topaz. Not because she was smart. Her mind just didn't work the way a normal person's works. Her line of logic went to the moon and back, but somehow she always seemed to come up with the right answers. Topaz had a mind for riddles that was hard to understand. Not only could she figure out the most complex riddles, she could write riddles that would have sent old Gollum into a blind rage. She was always wearing ribbons in her light brown hair and it wasn't uncommon for her to have silver or gold glitter mixed in with her make-up. The shine it gave off inspired her name.
Tinsel had all the skill with pictures and designs that Topaz had with words and phrases. She had turned an entire wall of her bedroom into a eight foot by fourteen foot collage of dreams and memories. Every square inch of the wall was covered in detailed pictures in full distinctive colors. The remaining three walls were covered with pictures she had drawn and hung up. Her mother kept telling her it was better that way, because Tinsel could take the pictures with her when she left.
Tinsel was a quiet girl. She was the one person that always ends up sitting in the corner observing the goings on. It wasn't that she was shy. She just didn't like to talk. When she was six her father was killed by a drunk driver. After that she became introverted. Her mother heard less and less of her voice until it was rarely heard at all. Tinsel was much better at conveying her feelings through pictures than she was with words. On her seventeenth birthday, the Circle gave her a supply of small sketch pads. She began to communicate by quickly drawing a picture of her thoughts. For a while a lot of people kept trying to get her to talk, but they gave up and her picture writing continued.
Tinsel got her name from the blond streaks she wore in her walnut colored hair. She was forever dieting and was obsessed with keeping her figure. Since she had turned her world into a procession of pictures, the picture she worked on the hardest was the one other people saw when they looked at her.
A trio of kids approached and Two-bit said, “Speaking of three-somes…”
“You wish you had what we got,” one of the doppelgangers said.
“No way,” said Two-bit. “You two are wrecking that boy.”
The other look-alike said, “He ain’t wrecked yet.”
The boy stood between them and blushed. He had his arms around both their waists. His celebrity as the boy dating twins faded fast when he was around the rest of the Circle. To the rest of the school he was the man to envy. But to these girls he was nothing more than a boy toy that could be discarded like so many other boys that had made the ranks of the Circle’s pleasure monkeys.
Right and Left were identical twins. Telling them apart was a feat worthy of a congressional certificate of achievement. There was only one sure way to tell them apart. Right was left handed and Left was right handed. Their names were originally meant to be the other way around, but when they were accepted into the Circle, Two-bit got confused and gave them the wrong names. Somehow, though, it seemed fitting to have the names mismatched, so they stuck.
The twins were the least attractive of the members. Their peppered hair was thin and stringy. They battled an ongoing war against acne and the weight room just didn't tone them up the way it did for Spike. They had other redeeming qualities. For one thing, they were fast. They took first and second at the state track meet in the 100yd dash. Left beat Right by three tenths of a second. What impressed the Circle the most was that they seemed to be everywhere at once. Maybe it was because there was two of them. Maybe it was because of their speed. Who knew? They shared everything, even their boyfriend. He was a member of the police explorer program. Right and Left had ways of getting him to tell them things. The Circle had avoided trouble a number of times because he let his ladies know about were the police would be concentrating their efforts on particular days.
Left patted the boy o n the ass and said, “Take a walk for a sec, ok?”
“No prob,” he said and kissed each twin on the cheek. He wanted to hold the same status in the Circle as Larry but knew he never would.
When he was out of ear shot Right said, “Oscar left a message through channels last night.”
Aurora’s eyebrows lifted. “Anything wrong?”
“She said the school is doing surprise locker inspections today,” Left said. “So clear them out by 10.”
“Hold up,” said Two-bit. “Don’t we owe that sky pilot Dan Mullins some payback?”
“Yeah,” said Spike. “You think I’m slacking off?”
“Oh hell no,” said Two-bit. “But we can use this locker search to get him. Let’s drop some shit in his locker. Maybe that’ll teach him to keep his trap shut.”
“Good idea,” said Twilight as she dug into her pocket. She handed a baggy to Larry and said, “Here, have your girl put this in his locker.”
Larry took the cellophane wrapped powder. “What about your delivery?”
“That’s the extra I carry in case some one wants something.”
Oscar was a special case. No one outside the Circle knew that she was part of the Circle. Unlike the rest of the members, Oscar managed to gain the trust of a number of influential people. She was an honor student and had never been in any kind of trouble, that any one knew about. She was a top member of the student government and had made friends with the police chief and the city council. She expressed and interest in politics and the city council was happy to guide a promising student on to the road of success. It was good for their image. Through Oscar's contacts, the Circle had a line of information that was impossible for any other gang to dream of getting.
It was Evergreen that suggested that Oscar's membership be kept secret. If anyone found out that one of those hoodlum girls was prowling around confidential information, Oscar would be in for one hell of a fall. So, it was decided. Oscar became little more than a name outside of the Circle's private meetings. Her name was part of the effort to keep her membership secret. There was nothing about Oscar's name that fit her. The name and the person were a total mismatch. She was one of the Circle's best kept secret.
“I see Bubbles outside,” said a voice from the crowd. “Is Nikki gonna get a race today?”
Wheels got her name because she had her own car.
“You know I can’t beat you in a fair race,“ Larry said.
“Who told you to race fair?” Wheels said. “You don’t fight fair.”
“How’s the safe box?” Aurora interrupted.
Just a couple of bottles that Twilight ordered for some party,” Wheels said. “Why?”
“Word from Oscar,” Aurora said. “We gotta clear out all the school lockers by 10.”
“Plenty of room. Load her up.”
Wheels’ car wasn't just any set of wheels. It was a silver Trans-Am firebird. Under the hood it packed a 400 big block engine that could haul the proverbial ass. It was named Nicki, and it could tell more stories than the average motel room and mob getaway car put together. Nicki's trunk served as the Circle's safety deposit box. There was always something in there, whether it was booze, money, guns or what have you.
Wheels was a lot like Larry. She had blue eyes, brown hair and was, for the most part, average. The only thing that set her above the crowd was the Circle. Inside the Circle she was envied because she could eat anything she wanted and not gain an ounce. She thought it was funny that she could eat when all her friends were trying to diet. It made Tinsel mad.
The final and newest member was Storm, the locksmith. She could get through a Master pad lock in half a minute. She got her name because she loved the rain. One time, before she was a member, Tinsel and Spike saw her skipping to school while it was coming down in buckets. When Spike asked her what the hell she was doing, she smile and said she was enjoying herself. She wore her strawberry blond hair cut short. That way, it wouldn't get in her hazel eyes when it was wet.
Storm was very attractive. Too much so, in fact. When she was in seventh grade, her step-father took a liking to her. It was a very great liking. Storm had been abused sexually. His nocturnal visits went on every night for close to six months. What finally stopped him was Storm herself. She had hidden a steak knife from the kitchen under her pillow. At one-thirty in the morning her step-father entered her room. She curled up into a ball and prayed that maybe this time she was dreaming. He approached the bed and threw back the covers. He forced her onto her back and pushed up her nightgown so that it was in her face. He climbed on top of her and forced his entry into her. Tears ran silently down her face. Then, Storm remembered the knife under her pillow. It had been there for three days unused. She turned her head and saw the reflection in her mirror. Her step-father was on top of her, forcing her, hurting her. She looked at the man's face. His eyes were closed. He was absorbed in what he was doing to her. Storm slid her hand under her pillow and found the knife. Just as she did, he sent a surge of pain through her body. Her grip on the knife tightened and she drove it deep into the man's shoulder. He screamed and fell off the bed. Storm managed to stab him four more times before he was able to get out of her reach. Storm's mother burst into the room when she heard the screaming. She found a bloody naked man on the floor and Storm kneeling on the bed holding a blood stained knife. The stab wounds were superficial an he recovered easily. It was the stab wounds he received in prison that killed him.
The Circle found out about Storm's past quite by accident. Larry was late getting to the meeting that accepted Storm into the Circle. As soon as he arrived they announced Storm's membership. The Circle's tradition greeting was a hug. So, when Larry was told that Storm was a member, he hugged her. He didn't know that she didn't like to be hugged, or touched in any other way that she didn't authorize. So when he hugged her, she judoed him straight to the ground. She hadn't meant to, it was reflex. Larry had surprised her. When she realized what she had done, she ran from the room.
The scene pissed off Two-bit almost immediately and she started to go after Storm. Larry yelled at Two-bit to stop and he went after Storm himself. He found her sitting in a corner crying. He sat down in front of her and apologized for scaring her. Seeing her cry stole all of his anger. As it turned out, Larry had been the first male to get that close to Storm since her step-father stopped liking her so much. Larry got her to dry her tears and took her back to the rest of the Circle. He gave them an abridged version of Storm's story. He told them that something happened that gave her a dim view of men. He said he promised to keep the details secret. He hadn't actually given her that promise, but he kept it anyway.
In the months that followed, Storm and Larry got closer and closer. Larry didn't realize it, but Storm began to take Aurora's place in his heart. Then she began to take the place of every other girl that Larry knew. He had much of the same effect on Storm. He began to fill her heart and mind. Every thought had Larry in it, as well as every heartbeat. They realized that they had fallen in love while they were walking home in the rain. It was Storm that sealed it. In the middle of the wet walk home, she reached out and grasped his hand. That touch meant more than any words could have said. Larry had been waiting for her to decide and it was her choice.
chapter two:
GONE AND FOLLOWED
　
　
　
Storm and Larry's love affair soon grew as strong as half inch armor plate steel. Storm began going to school an hour early so she could ride with Larry. As a result, Larry had learned to shift while holding Storm's hand.
Also, Larry's mother purchased a slightly used Ford Focus, so, Larry inherited her Volkswagen Beetle. The Circle called it Bubbles. This meant two things. One, Larry had greater mobility and didn't have to think up lies about why he wanted to use the car. Second, it gave the Circle an extra transport. Nicki would occasionally run blocker for whatever Bubbles was carrying.
For instance, there was one time when the Circle had arranged to buy what they liked to call "toys". But if they had bought their toys at a store they would have had to register them with the state. So Larry, Aurora and Spike sat in an alley at midnight waiting for a powder blue Impala. Wheels, Evergreen and Two-bit watched at the end of the alley with Nikki parked nearby. If they had been in another profession, they could have made a lot of money from the five propositions they got in thirty minutes.
The Impala pulled into the alley ten minutes after midnight. Larry was behind the wheel with one hand on the key, just in case. His heart was racing and his mouth felt like a cotton factory. He had known about the Circle's dealings in the downtown alleys for some time. But that was the first time he had been brought along. Even though he was given express orders not to get out of the car, he felt kind of like he was being initiated.
The deal went off without a hitch. The Impala people and the Circle had done business with each other before. The Impala people got an eight hundred dollar entry into Evergreen's ledger. In return, the Circle acquired four .45 cal toys.
Although Storm and Larry had gotten very serious, they hadn't done anything serious. A few times Storm had removed.... well, let's just say they hadn't yet consummated their relationship. Storm still had some fears about that and Larry was in no hurry to press the subject. When she was ready she would let him know, and that was fine with Larry.
One Sunday night Storm called Larry. The day before they had been out at the lake playing in the rain. They spent four hours getting soaked to the gills and Sunday morning Storm started to pay for it.
Larry picked up the ringing phone. "Hello."
"Hi babes," Storm said. "It's me."
"Are you O.K., Doll," Larry asked. "You sound like hell."
"I caught a cold yesterday. I feel terrible," Storm said.
"You're the one that wanted to play in the rain," Larry said.
"That's what my father said," Storm replied. "And thanks for the concern."
"Would you like me to kiss it and make it better?" Larry asked.
"I think if you kiss it, it will make you worse," Storm said. "I could still use the kiss though."
"Temptress," Larry teased.
Storm sneezed in the middle of a giggle. "Excuse me."
"Are you going to be all right?" Larry asked.
"Yea," Storm said as a yawn broke into her words. "This medicine is starting to catch up with me."
"Why don't you go to bed," Larry suggested.
Storm said, "I plan to. I had to call you first."
"That's sweet," Larry said.
"No it's not," Storm said. "I called to tell you not to pick me up tomorrow. I'm staying home."
"Well, O.K.," Larry whimpered. "But I'll miss you."
"No you won't," Storm said. "You're going to come see me after school."
"Is that so," Larry said.
"It sure is."
"All right," Larry said. "You get some rest and get better."
"I will," Storm said yawning again. "I love you."
"I love you too," Larry said.
Soon that statement would be put to the test.
When Monday morning rolled around, it was an off day for Larry right form the beginning. First he slammed his toe into the corner of the door while trying to get to the bathroom. Then, at the breakfast table, he spilled an entire glass of milk down the front of himself. When he left for school he made it half way to Storm's house before he remembered she was sick. He hit every red light the streets had to offer. He stalled his car twice. And when he finally got to school he realized he left all his books at home. At eight a.m. it was already one of those days.
Aurora caught up with Larry at lunch. It was a quarter to twelve and he looked ragged. She sneaked up behind him and said, "If that's the way you look after a good nights sleep, you should stay awake for the rest of your life."
"It's been a long day," Larry said. He was not amused.
"I got news for you, sweetheart," Aurora said. "The day isn't even half over yet."
"Don't remind me," Larry moaned.
Aurora laughed and asked, "Where's Storm? We missed her this morning and she didn‘t answer the text I sent her."
"She's sick so she stayed home," Larry said.
"That's too bad," Aurora said. "How's she feeling?"
"Don't know," Larry answered. "I haven't talked to her since last night."
"Maybe it's morning sickness," Aurora teased.
"You're asking for it," Larry said trying to suppress a giggle.
Aurora laughed again lightly and asked, "When are you going to see her today?"
"After school," Larry said. "Why?"
"Circle business," Aurora said.
"What kind of business," Larry asked. Aurora smiled. It was that smile that let Larry know something going on that they needed him for. Sometimes the Circle had trouble getting Larry to participate in their schemes. Lately however, they just had Storm "talk" Larry into doing the things they wanted him to do.
Aurora said, "We need Storm to do something for us."
"What do you need her to talk me into?" Larry said. He was on to their system, but he liked being talked into things.
"We need to hide something in Bubble's trunk," Aurora said.
"What's wrong with Nicki's trunk?" Larry asked.
"Her trunk is already full," Aurora said.
"With what?" Larry was almost afraid of the answer.
"Cheerleading outfits," Aurora said as she looked around to make sure they weren't being overheard.
Larry held up his hands and shook his head. "I don't want to know any more," he said. "Go ahead use the trunk. But you owe me another one."
"What are we up to now," Aurora asked.
"Eleven," Larry said. He was keeping track for no particular reason.
"How about a role in the hay and we call it even," Aurora said.
Larry laughed and replied, "I don't deal in used furniture."
"Now who wants to get hit," Aurora said. She hugged Larry and went on her way.
As the day went on it got steadily better for Larry. Aurora could always make him feel better. He got lucky in math. The teacher didn't collect the homework. By the time the final bell rang, Larry was back to his care-free self. At least he got one last laugh...
Larry bounded out of the building and beat feet to Bubbles. The little VW wasn't much to look at, but she knew how to run. Larry made a bee-line for Storm's house. Storm lived in a neighborhood that was not one of the best in the city. Larry once joked that he had nightmares that looked better than the place.
The house was in fairly good shape. It could have used a new coat of paint, but the weather worn blue was good enough. It was on a corner lot with a small yard. In the front, about seven feet from the house, was a hollow dead tree. At night it seemed to come alive and watch the people inside through the windows.
When Larry pulled up, he saw the faded red station wagon that Storm’s father, Bill, owned. Storm had warned Larry not to park her father in. It was one of his pet peeves. Larry left Bubbles in the street and skipped up to the door.
Bill answered the door. He had a strange look on his face. "Hi, Larry. What's up?"
"Not much, Mr. West," Larry said. "I came by to see Sarah."
Bill said, "Sorry, Larry. She's not here."
"She called me last night and told me to come by after school," Larry said.
"I don't know what to tell you," Bill said.
"Will you tell her I came by?" Larry said.
"Yea, sure," Bill said.
Bill closed the door without waiting for Larry to back away. Larry stood there a minute and ran the situation through his head. Where was she? Larry began to walk back to Bubbles. He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and called Storm’s number. It went straight to voice mail. He sat behind Bubbles’ wheel and texted her. He was sure she would have told him if she was planning to go out. Wait a minute! What was Bill doing home so soon? He usually didn't get home until some time after five. The whole thing just didn't sit right on his mind.
Larry was almost home when he remembered that Storm was still part of the Circle. He pulled into the first gas station he came to. He left the car running and got out to check out Aurora's contraband. The trunk was empty. That cinched it, or so Larry thought. The Circle was up to something.
The Circle's favorite habitat was a bowling alley called Tiger Lanes. It had a game room and a snack bar, so they were satisfied to use it for a meeting house. Besides, it was almost centered in the middle of all of their homes. It was just after three-thirty when Larry got to the lanes. Nicki was in her usual spot, so he knew there were at least two of them there. He found Wheels, Oscar, Topaz, Spike, Two-bit and Aurora in the game room. Two-bit was at war with a video game while the rest were gossiping.
Before Larry had taken two steps into the room, Spike yelled at him, "Where the hell have you been?"
"Really," Oscar added. "We almost got caught with those outfits thanks to you."
"I thought you said we could use Bubbles' trunk," Aurora said.
"Why didn't you?" Larry asked in a smart-ass tone.
"Because you took off before we had a chance," Wheels said.
"We had to stuff those outfits into every nook and cranny that Nicki has," Oscar said.
Larry decided to try the direct approach. "Where's Storm?"
"We haven't seen your fair maiden since Friday night, Prince Charming," Topaz sang.
“And she hasn’t answered her phone or replied to our texts all day,” said Oscar.
"Are you sure?" Larry asked, even though none of the Circle had ever lied to him.
"What's wrong, Larry?" Aurora asked. She knew him well enough to know some thing wasn't right.
"Storm called me last night to tell me she wasn't going to school today," Larry started. "She told me to drop by and see her after school, but when I got over there, her father said she wasn't home."
"So where the hell is she?" Two-bit asked. Her game was over.
"Tell me and we'll both know," Larry said.
"This is too weird," Wheels said.
Oscar's eyes got wide. She said, "Aurora, Warlock couldn't be back, could he?"
"Not unless he's related to Christ or a Hollywood producer," Aurora reassured her friend.
It didn't take long to shoot down every idea they had about where Storm could be. A nagging head ache convince Larry to go outside for some air. His mind was blank and his head was pounding like a drum solo. Aurora and Spike followed him just in case he wanted to talk.
"Where is she, Aurora?" Larry said.
"I don't know," Aurora said. She put a hand on his shoulder to try to comfort him. It didn't help.
The mood was interrupted when a black Dodge van pulled up in front of the three friends. It was black as black could be. To make matters worse, it didn't shine. It was flat black with dark tinted windows and black steel bumpers. On the back door was a spare tire with a black cover on it. The only thing that broke up the midnight motif was a set of polished chrome rims. In all, it was the kind of thing that sent shivers down your spine when it drove by, especially at night.
The van stopped right in front of Larry and the girls. The side door slid open and someone wearing a motorcycle helmet got out. The helmet had a full tinted face shield that hid the person's face. Like the van, he was dressed head to toe in black, except for his hands. They were big hands, obviously very strong. They were rough, as if the man's hands did more work than his brain ever did.
Larry stood up stiff when Black got out of the van. Black stepped forward and faced Larry. If he noticed Aurora and Spike at all, only he knew. The moving patch of darkness stopped less than two feet from Larry. Aurora had a bad feeling wash over her. She knew that Black meant trouble, possibly more than Warlock.
After a couple of mind wrenching moments of tension, Black spoke. "You're Larry Kender," It was the deep harsh voice of a big man.
Larry looked into the shield and saw nothing. "Yea, that's me," he said.
"I've got a couple of things for you," Black said. His voice was emotionless. He put his hand into his pocket and pulled out something clenched in a sledge hammer fist. He held out his hand to Larry and opened it. In his palm was a ring and some strawberry blond hair.
Larry took them from Black and examined them. It was a class ring, Storm's class ring. The hair, too, was Storm's. Larry clenched his own fist around the objects and looked into the shield again. He could feel the anger swelling in himself like an over-inflated balloon.
"If you want to see her," Black spoke again. "We'll take you to her."
Larry looked at the ring again. He slid it on to his pinky and closed his fist. He snapped his head up roughly and said, "Let's go ass face."
"Are you fucking crazy?" Spike yelled. She and Aurora each grabbed one of Larry's arms. "You can't go with this ass hole!"
Black's head turned as if he had just noticed the girls.
"Larry, use your head," Aurora said. "What good are you going to do by going anywhere with Darth Vader."
Black crossed his arms. He didn't seemed to be amused.
As calmly as Aurora had ever heard Larry speak, he said, "Aurora, he has Storm. I have to go. If he had any of you, I'd go." He hugged her and got in the van. Black got in after Larry and shut the door.
As the van sped away, Aurora threw up her hands and yelled, "Shit!... Spike, get Wheels now!"
Spike bolted inside. Aurora ran to Nicki as she watched the van turn right out of the parking lot. It was still in sight when Wheels and the others burst out of the door.
"What the hell is going on?" Oscar yelled.
Aurora ignored the question. "Wheels, follow that God damn van!"
　
chapter three:
FOUR BREAK THE CIRCLE
　
　
“Hi babes, it's me... I caught a cold yesterday. I feel terrible... That's what my dad said, and thanks for the concern... I think if you kiss it, it will make you worse. I could still use the kiss though... AHCHOO! Excuse me... Yea, this medicine is starting to catch up with me... I plan to. I had to call you first... No it's not. I called to tell you not to pick me up tomorrow. I'm staying home... No you won't. You're going to come see me after school... It sure is... I will. I love you..."
Storm folded the phone closed and went back to the television. She was tired but she wanted to wait for her father to come home. He had been late before, but never this late. I just wasn't like him.
Storm finally decided to hit the sack when the cell phoneS nightly news came on. She wasn't interested in news. Besides, she was too tired to wait any more. Storm slept in an over-sized Mickey Mouse shirt. Nightgowns didn't cut the mustard any more. The only blanket she used was a quilt her mother made for her. She was almost asleep when she heard an engine pull up outside. A moment later she heard the front door knob rattle. Then there was a loud crash. Storm sat up and clutched her quilt. That sure as hell wasn't her father.
Storm laid back down and curled into a tight ball. She could hear the footsteps of a number of people in the house. A shrill fear she hadn't felt since her step-father visited her gripped her heart and squeezed. She prayed that they would just take what they came for and get out. What a night for her father to be late getting home.
"No, no. That one you ass hole," yelled a deep voice. Two seconds later, Storm's bedroom door opened. She looked up at the silhouette of the huge man in the doorway. He was almost as big as the door. He was dressed head to toe in black, except for his hands. His ensemble included a motorcycle helmet with a dark tinted face shield. Storm's mind went blank with fright. She couldn't even scream much less go for the gun in her nightstand.
The man made a motion with his hand for someone else to come into the room. Another man wearing combat boots, camouflage trousers, a green T-shirt, and a helmet like Black's followed Black into the room. Storm remembered her .38 cal toy and dove for the nightstand where it was waiting. Black caught her and tossed her back on to the bed. Storm pulled her quilt up and hugged it light. The soldier and Black each took Storm by one arm and drug her out of the room. She tried to dig her bare heels into the carpet, but the two men weren't fazed by her attempt to resist. There was a third man in the hall. He wore jeans, a tan Windbreaker, and the same type of helmet as the other men.
"Any problems," Windbreaker asked. He put his hand under Storm's chin and lifted her head to look at her face. Black shook his head. "Good," Windbreaker continued. "Let's get out of here." He led the others to the front door.
Outside there a black van was parked on the front lawn. The side door was standing open and Windbreaker got in. Storm suddenly realized that she was being kidnapped. She struggled and screamed as the Circle's encounter with Warlock and his Dragons raced through her memory. There was no way she was going to end up like Action. Black took Storm in a bear hug and lifted her off the ground. The pressure forced the air out of her lungs. He got in the van and put Storm on the floor. The soldier picked up the quilt from where Storm had dropped it and threw it at her as he got in the van. The door slid shut and the van took off.
Storm backed into the corner of the van. The handles had been removed from the back doors. There was no way to open them from the inside, The only seats were the two in the front. A fourth man was driving. Windbreaker sat in the passenger seat. Black and the soldier stood and held the walls for balance. They seemed to forget that Storm was even in the van. When the van stopped, Black forced an awful smelling rag over Storm's face. Storm got dizzy and passed out. Her prayer had been answered. They got what they came for.
When Storm awoke she found herself on a double bed curled up in her quilt. It was a large room with only dim lighting. It reminded Storm of a warehouse. There was a single steel door on the wall to the right. On the opposite wall was a small window. It was high, at least eight feet off the floor, and it was painted black. The rest of the room was empty.
Storm could hear the faint sound of heavy machinery outside. Her first thought was to scream for help, but if she could hear the machines then the people running the machines could not hear her. On the foot of the bed was a tray of food. It was cold and didn't look appetizing. Besides, she wasn't in the mood to eat. She sat on the bed, leaning against the wall and hugged her quilt.
* * * * *
Larry climbed into the van. Black followed and closed the door. The only seats were the two up front. The two men in the seats wore the same type of helmet as Black. The driver had on jeans and a T-shirt with a special forces insignia and white driving gloves. The man in the passenger seat wore jeans and a tan windbreaker.
The van started to move with a jolt. Larry almost lost his balance but was able to grab the wall to steady himself. As they pulled away, Larry looked out the back window. He saw Aurora throw up her hands and yell something. Then Spike bolted into the alley. Larry knew that Aurora would follow them. He hoped that Wheels could do it without being seen.
When the van turned out of the parking lot, Windbreaker turned in his seat to face Larry. "Don't worry," he said. "She's fine. We'll be there in no time."
"Why the fuck are you doing this?" A note of anger hung in Larry's voice.
After a small pause, Windbreaker answered, "Why the fuck not?"
"What are you getting out of it?" Larry pressed.
"I'm getting my rocks off," Windbreaker said. The driver chuckled.
Windbreaker nodded to Black and before Larry could flinch a strong hand was holding something over his face. It smelled like a cross between methane gas and a pair of gym socks that hadn't been washed in a year. Larry tried to struggle but his vision blurred and his sense of balance shut down. The blurry vision turned into a head rush that beat out the acid that Two-bit gave him. Then his world went black.
Larry was woke up by the sound of fireworks. He didn't know if his headache was caused by the stuff Black gassed him with or by being so badly pissed off. He rubbed his eyes and looked around. There were three doors in the garage he was in. There was a large door for the van, a wooden door on the side wall, and a steel door on the back wall.
Windbreaker said, "Well Larry, how do you feel. Not a lot of people wake up this quick after inhaling that stuff."
"I got a headache," Larry said.
Windbreaker said. "Sarah is here. She's fine, but she is a little scared and confused."
"I'm a little confused myself," Larry said.
"What about scared?" Windbreaker asked.
Larry shook his head. "Pissed, but not scared," he said. Larry's heart was speeding. Storm was close and if he had to kill one of those sons-of-bitches, he would get to her.
* * * * *
The girls all piled into Nicki. They tore after the van in a high pitched squeal of smoking tires. In nothing flat Nicki caught up to the van. It was heading north towards a rather bad neighborhood; Storm's neighborhood.
"Don't get too close," Aurora ordered as she mass texted the rest of the Circle.
"I know what I'm doing," Wheels snapped.
Two-bit leaned over the seat and said, "Will somebody please tell me what the hell is going on."
"The ass hole in that van said he has Storm, and that he would take Larry to her. So, like a jackass, Larry got in," Spike answered.
"Where are they taking him?" Oscar asked.
"We'll find out shortly," Wheels said.
They followed the van to a lumber yard that was six miles from Storm's house. The yard had already been shut down for the day. The van pulled through the main gate and up in front of a steel garage door. Nicki stopped outside the main gate.
Aurora, Spike and Two-bit got out of the car. "You three stay here," Aurora told the rest. "Wheels, keep the motor running and be ready to get out of here in a big hurry."
"No problem," Wheels said.
"Oscar, you keep that toy ready," Two-bit added.
"You three be careful," Oscar said checking the gun in her waist band. Aurora, Spike and Two-bit disappeared around the corner.
Wheels was watching Nicki's gas gage. It was way to close to empty to play this game. She looked up when she heard Topaz gasp. The soldier had gotten the drop on them. He was carrying a high caliber rifle and was pointing it at Wheels‘ head.. He opened the door and motioned for the girls to get out, without lowering the rifle. Wheels turned off the engine and left the keys in the ignition. Oscar made sure not to turn her back on him as she climbed out of the back seat. She didn’t want to lose her gun. Topaz got out with a flamboyant flare that caught his attention and he changed his aim to focus on her. She swished her way as she walked in the direction he pointed them in. It kept his eyes off her friends and off Oscar’s gun.
He marched the trio to the far side of the lumber yard with his sights resting on Topaz the entire time. The lumber yard was a maze of steel sheds and piles of wood. A herd of sleeping forklifts was scattered all over the yard. The soldier pushed the girls towards one of the sheds. There was a thick Master padlock on the steel door he pointed them to. He tossed a key to Topaz and pointed at the lock. The girls looked at each other and nodded to each other knowingly. Topaz opened the lock and took it off the hasp. With speed and force that her flourished walk hid she threw the lock at the soldier’s head and the three of them ran for Nicki.
The soldier dodged the lock. He planted his feet, put the rifle in his shoulder and trained the cross hairs on one of the runners. The shot rang through the yard. Topaz fell to the ground. Oscar and Wheels stopped running and looked back at their friend. Topaz was on her knees holding her right shoulder. Blood was already soaking her shirt. The soldier kept the rifle in his shoulder and watched the girls through the scope. He waved to the girls to come back to him and returned his hand to his rifle. Wheels and Oscar picked up Topaz. Oscar pulled her toy out and hid it behind topaz's back. They began to walk back towards the soldier.
The soldier lowered his rifle as the girls moved closer to him. He was sure they wouldn't try to run again. Topaz couldn't move her right arm. A searing pain enveloped her shoulder. When the girls were ten feet from the soldier, Oscar dropped her friend and raised her toy. She put two rounds in the center of his chest.
Topaz's head was swimming with pain. She held Oscar's gun and tried to keep watch as Wheels and Oscar drug the Soldier into the same room he had intended to lock them in.
"Nice shot," Wheels said as they hid the body. "Your even with Spike and Evergreen, but Aurora and Two-bit are both one up on you."
Topaz came close to passing out. Oscar took her gun back and sat Topaz down in the room. Wheels picked up the rifle and scanned the yard.
Oscar looked up at Wheels and said, "We have to get her out of here."
"We have to make sure it's safe first," Wheels said. "See if you can get her shoulder to stop bleeding."
* * * * *
Aurora looked around a corner into the garage. She saw Black and the driver getting out of the van. A gunshot rang through the air from the other side of the yard. Black and the driver turned at the sound and spotted the girls.
“Shit!” Aurora yelled. “Go, go, go!” The girls ran for Nicki at top speed. The driver ran after the girl.
Black yelled, "West, we got company!" Then he ran to help the driver.
Windbreaker jumped out of the van and ran to the door to look around. Two more gunshots echoed in the air.
The three girls made it to Nicki. Two-bit jumped behind the wheel and started the engine.
"Where the hell are they?" Aurora yelled as she and Spike blundered into the car.
Two-bit grabbed the shifter but, before she could put Nicki in gear, Black grabbed her by the neck and pulled her out of the car. Two-bit was kicking and screaming. Black gave her a right cross to the chin and knocked her cold. The driver caught the passenger door before it could close and put a knife to Spike's throat. He assisted her out of the car and told Aurora to follow. Black turned off the engine and left the keys on the front seat. In that neighborhood the car would be gone by morning.
The driver pushed Spike and Aurora to move. Black picked up Two-bit over his shoulder like a sack of flour. Wheels was peeking out of the door, checking to see if the coast was clear when she saw the parade walk past to the next row of buildings.
"Oscar," Wheels said. "I just saw two guys taking Aurora and the others somewhere. Stay here and look after Topaz. I'm going to follow them."
"Wheels, I can't get her bleeding to stop," Oscar said as she pressed a torn piece of her T-shirt against the wound. "We can't stay here much longer."
"If I don't try to find out what's happening," Wheels said. "We all might end up bleeding. Topaz, I'm sorry."
"I'm already hurt," Topaz gasped. "Go find the other's before they get hurt too."
Wheels looked at Oscar. She could see the worry in her eyes. "I'll be back as soon as I can."
Wheels followed and saw the men lock Aurora, Spike and Two-bit in a another shed. It was exactly like the one she left Oscar and Topaz in. Then the men went back towards the garage. Wheel could see a corner of the back of the van through the open rolling door. When the men were out of sight, Wheels slid down the aisle to the door and knocked quietly.
"Aurora, it's Wheels," she said. "Are you all right?"
"Two-bit got knocked for a loop," Aurora said. "Me and Spike are good to go. What happened to you three?"
"We got caught from behind," Wheels said. "Topaz is down. She took a bullet to the shoulder. Oscar nailed him. I got his rifle."
"Where are they?" Aurora asked.
"In an empty room in the next row of buildings," Wheels answered. "Topaz isn't looking too good. Give me a couple of minutes to pop this lock and we'll get out of here." Wheels was started working the lock with her picks. "Where is Storm when I need her."
"Listen up," Aurora said. "The van is in a garage at the far end of the yard. I'll lay odds that they have Storm and Larry there too."
"Will you shut up for a minute," Wheels said. "I can't concentrate on the lock."
　
chapter four:
HEAVEN IN HELL
　
　
　
The day that Storm spent alone in the warehouse seemed to last an eternity. At one point she broke down and ate the food that was left for her. It was cold and tasteless but it stopped her stomach from rumbling. The noise from the machines outside got to be nerve racking. She was relieved when the noise died. But, the pleasure of silence wore off fast. Storm jumped when the silence was broken by what she thought was three very loud fire crackers.
Larry got out of the van. If it wasn't for the fact that Storm was near by, he would have tried to run past Windbreaker to freedom. He had to find Storm.
"Guess what, Larry," Windbreaker said as he turned around pulling a gun.
"They refused to give you the ransom money," Larry said.
"That's cute," Windbreaker said. "But wrong. I'm going to let you see Sarah. At least until my friends get back."
"Where is she?" Larry demanded. Windbreaker pointed at the steel door. "If she's hurt, I'm going to rip off your arm, stuff it down your throat and make you rip your own heart out."
Windbreaker chuckled carelessly at the threat and went to the steel door. He opened it and motioned Larry through. Storm was sitting on the bed clutching her quilt. She was staring into nothing and didn't see them come in.
When Larry saw her he yelled, "Storm!"
Storm's head popped up. She pushed the quilt aside and said, "Larry?" There was disbelief in her voice.
Larry bounded to the bed. Storm threw her arms around him and began to cry.
"I'm so glad to see you," she said through her sobs. "I've been trying to figure out what the want. The only thing that makes any sense to me is that they want to try and sell me. We don't have any real enemies right now who would be on a revenge kick."
Larry kissed her and said, "Don't worry about any of that. We're going to get out of this."
"How?" Storm's crying was waning.
"Aurora was there when they picked me up," Larry whispered in case someone was listening. "All we have to do is get out of this room. She'll spot us and get us home."
Storm laid her head on Larry's shoulder. Just as she did, Black and the driver burst into the room. Larry stood up to face them. Storm pulled the quilt up and hugged it again.
"Time to go for a ride," Black said as he grabbed Larry's arm and tried to pull him away from the bed. The driver moved towards Storm.
Larry paused to gather his wits. His fists clenched and he got a glassy look in his eyes. He took a deep breath and brought his heal down on Black's toes.
“Owe, fuck!” Black exclaimed lifting his smashed foot leaving him hopping on the other.
Larry jerked his arm forward out of Black's grip and then thrust his elbow back into the man's solar plexus. Black's wind left him and he gasped for more. Larry spun and put his knee into Black's unprotected groin. Goliath fell to David.
The driver was trying to pull Storm off the bed and avoid her kicking at the same time. Larry hit the driver with a body block that knocked him off the bed. Larry and Storm took each others hand and bolted for the door.
Larry and Storm found themselves running through the lumber yard a few miles from Storm's house. They ran hard for the gate. The ground hurt Storm's feet but she didn't stop running. It was a fast sprint that got them out of the gate faster than Larry thought would have been possible. He stopped short when he saw Nicki parked just to the left of the front gate. Storm almost tripped over him. Larry ran to the driver’s door and peered inside. The keys were in the seat.
"Get in," Larry yelled.
"But where are..," Storm started to ask.
Larry cut her off saying, "Not now, Storm. Just get in." Larry didn't even want to think about what might have happened to Wheels and Aurora.
* * * * *
Wheels got the lock opened and Aurora had just stepped out of the door when Wheels spotted Larry and Storm. "There they go!"
"Which way?" Two-bit bolted out the door gun in hand.
"Towards the gate," Wheels said.
"Let's go," Aurora commanded. "And if you see any of those fuckers, send them to hell."
As they ran, Wheels cocked the rifle. Spike each took her gun out of her pocket. Aurora popped the blade of her stiletto.
There was the roar of a motor and the black van tore past. It spun around in a scream of squealing tires like a Hollywood stunt car until it was facing the gate and speeding off. Wheels thought no one could drive like that. The girls ran into the lane. Two-bit squared her shoulders and opened fire on the van. Wheels’ jaw dropped open when she saw Nicki squealed past the gate with smoking tires. The van fish tailed out the gate and chased after Nicki.
* * * * *
Black broke through the wooden door still holding himself. "What the hell is going on?" Windbreaker asked.
"They got out," Black answered.
"Shit," Windbreaker yelled. "Get the van moving."
The driver started the engine and said to himself, "Show time." He had his baby out of the garage, spun around and racing for the gate in one slick automotive move. The van was vaulting for the gate when gunshots rang out from behind it. The driver's concentration wasn't broken. Windbreaker turned in his seat. There was a hole in the back window and Black was on the floor in a puddle of blood.
They were twenty feet from the gate when a silver camero squealed past the opening. The van was at 40 mph when the driver took the corner without touching the breaks. The angry patch of midnight fish tailed and slid sideways onto the street. The driver kept expert control.
Nicki had a 200 yard jump on the van, but Larry was use to Bubbles. Nicki was at 65 mph and traffic was heavy. Larry looked in the rear view mirror. The van was gaining. Larry pushed his foot to the floor. The purr of Nicki's engine turned into a growl and the speedometer shot up. The driver gritted his teeth. He had built that engine with his own hands. He put the hammer down and his baby responded.
Larry changed lanes to pass another car just as the road curved to the right. Larry lost it. Nicki's rear end did a belly dancer impression and spun around. The tire squealed and smoked. Nicki slid across the road and hit a telephone pole broadside. The car bent in half. Shattered glass flew everywhere. The trunk jarred open and cheerleading outfits rained all over the road. The front axel bent and a tire blew out.
Larry shook his head. He had a sharp pain in his left arm, but he ignored it. He turned to Storm. "Are you all right?"
"I think so," she said.
"Let's get out of here," Larry said. They climbed out of the twisted mass of metal that was once Nicki. The van closed fast. Larry took Storm's hand and ran. The sound of sirens were already filling the air.
"There they go," Windbreaker yelled. The driver brought the van to a screeching halt twenty feet behind the runners. Windbreaker got out of the van with a gun in his hand and aimed in.
Larry was running for all he was worth. He heard the squeal behind them but he didn't look back. A moment later a shot rang out over the rest of the noise. Larry felt Storm's hand tear away from his own. He stopped and turned around. Storm was face down on the ground, There was a red stain in the middle of her back. He knelt beside her and turned her over. Storm’s eyes were wide open but not seeing anything. There was no sign of life. He pulled her to him and held her tight. A tear ran down his cheek. It was followed by many others.
Windbreaker stood over Larry watching him cry. Larry looked up at Windbreaker with a sense of remorse that he never knew was possible. Windbreaker removed his helmet. Larry couldn't believe what he saw. Bill's poor aim had killed his own daughter instead of the boy he meant to shoot. Larry turned away and bent over Storm. Bill raised the gun to Larry's head.
Just then the van's tires squealed again. The police had arrived and the driver didn't feel like talking to them. Bill fired at the van as it pulled away. One of the hollow tipped rounds struck the driver in the neck. The van’s engine roared under the foot of its dead driver and ran head long into on coming traffic. A city buss stopped its forward momentum. When Bill fire at the van, a cop fired at Bill. Being shot in the thigh was enough to make Bill drop the gun and fall to the ground.
Bill went to jail for a laundry list of charges. But his pledge to keep all the filthy, untrustworthy, disgusting men away from his little girl that he had made to himself so many years ago was sure to never be broken again. He tried to protect his daughter from that boy that stole her heart, and failed. It had been a simple plan. Kidnap them both. Let Sarah “escape” and find her way to help. Then let that damned boy’s body get found later. The boy would be gone forever and he’d have his daughter back to himself safe and sound again. No one would believe he was in on it. It should have been so simple. What the fuck had gone wrong? It hadn’t exactly worked out like he planned. But she was safe now. Nothing could ever hurt her again.
It was when Bill was taking his last walk down the hall of cells towards his death that he realized it;
because of what he did, Sarah would be with Larry......
....... FOREVER!
　
　
　
　
book two:
LIFE AND DEATH
　
chapter five:
INITIATIONS
　
　
　
Rrriiinnnggg!!!
The echoes of the final bell of the day hadn't faded when the classroom doors burst open and a sea of rushing teenagers flooded the halls and bottle-necked at the front doors. The parking lot exploded in movement. There were two ways out of the school parking lot and they were both bumper to bumper. Every car, save two, was hurrying to begin the weekend.
The two cars that were not moving had reputations that closely rivaled their owners'. It wasn't always easy to tell who was inside them when they rolled up, but just the sight of the cars themselves made people stare and whisper. Bubbles and the new powder grey Nicki were sitting side by side with facing doors opened. Both stereos were tuned to the same station and blared music across the lot. The Circle's treasury had recently been tapped to purchase new upgrades for Nicki and Bubbles. Both cars had been equipped with tinted windows and walkie-talkie hands-free cell phones.
Four months had passed since Storm had been taken from the Circle. Larry had become sullen and his mean streak bloomed for a while. He was calming back down though. The subject of Storm and her death was still taboo for anyone in his range of hearing. Her memory hurt. So, he did his best to bury it.
The entire ensemble of the Circle, and Larry, were gathered around the vehicles. Two-bit was dancing on new Nicki's hood. She couldn't help but wonder if Mrs. Jansek found the super glue on her chair yet. The rest were waiting for the lot to clear out. Their business had to wait until dark, so they were in no hurry.
There was only one thing, besides his sex, that separated Larry from the girls in the Circle. Larry wasn't initiated. Each member's initiation was different, being custom designed to test what the Circle believed to be the candidate's strongest points. They were tested on everything from intelligence to physical strength and courage. There was no limit to what a candidate could be charged to do. Wheels' initiation involved loosing a police car during a high speed chase.
The Circle had spent the last few months incorporating a new girl into the group. Her name was Christen. Her family had a lot of money and she went through all the spoils as a child. She had piano lessons, ballet, and gymnastics. The gymnastics were the only thing that stuck.
By all rights of her family background, Christen should have been a devil wears Prada bitch with a turned up nose just like her mother. But the opposite happened and she became a rebel. Her most common attire consisted of tight jeans, cowhide spiked heeled boots, and a black leather biker's jacket. She also had an affinity for gold jewelry. She wore seven rings, two with diamond settings, a number of necklaces, a gold watch, and three piercings in each ear.
Christen's parents kept telling her that she wore too much jewelry, but she didn't listen. The gold matched the waist length blond hair she wore in a pony tail. Gold hair and gold jewelry were the perfect accents against the black leather jacket.
Admittedly, it was her look that first caught the attention of the Circle. They decided to get to know Christen better after they saw her handle an overzealous admirer. One day he cornered her and made one pass too many. She expressed her desire for him to leave her alone by putting a double edged six inch knife to his throat. It was one of two identical knives that Christen always carried hidden in her boots. She never really needed them. She just like the "feel" they gave her.
Christen was the last was of the associates to arrive at the Circle's tail gate party. She didn't know it yet, but the plans the Circle had for the evening involved her a great deal. It would be her initiation night.
"Are we going to sit around here until it gets dark or what?" Twilight asked. She wasn't one to sit still too long.
"Be patient," Aurora said. "We don't have long to wait."
"I'm just anxious," Twilight said. "It's been a long time since we've done this."
"That ain't no lie," Spike said. "The last time was when Storm..." Spike stopped short. Larry snapped his attention to Spike when he heard his former lover's name. Storm was still a touchy subject with him. Spike swallowed the newly formed lump in her throat and said, "Sorry, Larry. It slipped."
Larry shook his head and said, "Don't worry about it."
"What haven't you done for a while?" Christen asked.
Oscar explained, "We're going to play a special game that outsiders don't get to play."
"Does that mean me?" Christen didn't want to stay home on a friday night.
"No," Aurora said. "We decided to let you play tonight. But, if you ever tell anybody what you see tonight, it will be the last thing you tell anybody. The Circle has a lot of secrets and we want it kept that way."
"I understand," Christen said. "Can I ask just one question though?"
"You just did," Topaz said.
"What is it?" Aurora said.
"Who's Storm?" Christen asked. The whole of the Circle stopped breathing. Evergreen dropped her ledger. Christen looked around and saw everyone starring at Larry. He was starring at her.
"Storm," Larry said. "Was a member that is no longer with us." Two hearts stopped beating.
"What happened?" Christen asked. She stepped as light as she could on obviously thin ice.
"She's dead," Larry answered. A statue aged.
"I'm sorry," Christen said.
"So am I," Larry said.
"O.K.," Two-bit interrupted from her place on Nicki's hood. "The lot's clear. Let's get away from this fucking place. Rev these puppies up and head for the clubhouse."
"Good idea," Aurora agreed. She thanked God that someone changed the subject. Thirteen people piled into two cars.
"I'll give you fifteen seconds," Wheels yelled from behind Nicki's wheel.
Bubbles purred. "Done," Larry yelled back, and tires squealed.
Even with a head start, Bubbles would have to cheat to beat Nicki to the bowling alley that the Circle called their clubhouse. Bubbles tore down the south road out of the parking lot. Fifteen seconds later, Nicki took the west road. Nicki's route was a little longer, but it was a straight shot. Bubbles had to zig-zag through the neighborhood. Nicki always won because Bubbles had to go all the way around a big empty field. Bubbles almost cut across a couple of times, but there were a lot of big bumps in that field and she always veered off.
History was about to change. Evergreen, Topaz, and Oscar were in Bubbles' back seat. Aurora was riding shotgun. Bubbles was heading straight for the field, moving fast. As the edge of the pavement got dangerously close, Aurora looked at Larry. He had that look on his face. Aurora closed her eyes and braced herself against the dashboard. Bubbles raced out onto unpaved ground. She hit the first bump about a quarter of the way across. The bump separated the back seat from its three occupants. Topaz hit her head on the roof. After that, Bubbles didn't stop bouncing. She found four more seat-leaving bumps before she got to the other side. A corresponding symphony of swears, curses and laughter from the back seat accompanied the bumpy ride. After the last bounce, Bubbles landed on pavement. She beat Nicki to the clubhouse!
Nicki showed up just as Larry turned Bubbles' key to shut her down. She just earned her cell phone. When Nicki stopped, Wheels sat with her head on the steering wheel. Larry walked over to Nicki's driver side window. Everybody except Wheels, Larry and Christen were laughing.
Larry leaned in the window and said, "When all of you are done with your game tonight."
"Are you sure you're up to it," Wheels asked. She was trying to hide her smile.
Larry kept his poker face. "I will be," he said.
When all the passengers were out of both cars and Wheels was being teased about her loss, Christen threw up her hands and said, "Will somebody please tell me what the hell is so funny."
Two-bit put her arm around Christen's shoulder and started her story. "It goes way back to when Larry first got Bubbles. After the first time that Wheels beat Larry on that run, she told him that the day he could beat her, he could have her."
Christen's mouth dropped open. She said, "You mean she owes him..."
"Sex," Two-bit interrupted.
"Is that what he meant when he told Wheels 'tonight after the game'?" Christen asked.
"Exactly," Two-bit answered.
"How come Larry doesn't play the game?" Christen asked.
"Because it's ladies only," Two-bit answered. "Enough questions. How good are you at Street Fighter?"
"Now, Two-bit, you said no more questions," Christen said. "So it'll have to be a blind bet; the highest score on one life against the computer."
"Two bucks and you go first," Two-bit accepted.
"Done," Christen agreed.
The few hours until darkness fell flew by fast. Oscar took a few minutes to go home and borrow her mother's car. Now and then Larry had let the Circle use Bubbles. That night, however, they had made separate plans.
The Circle had chosen a downtown warehouse as the setting for their "game". It had been empty for a couple of years as the result of an I.R.S. foreclosure. It had been on the auction block once but never sold. It was too small for a new business to set up shop in and it was too awkwardly located for the neighboring businesses to incorporate as storage. However, it was perfect for a small group of people to conduct business without being seen. The Circle had been casing the place for weeks. Because of its proximity to the business district, the city kept the power and water on in case of a fire. The sprinkler systems and the smoke alarms had to stay active. After two years, it got lost in the shuffle of red tape.
While Christen was involved in taking more money from Two-bit, seven of the members slipped quietly out of the game room one at a time. Two-bit excused herself from her game using the bathroom for a reason. Christen was waiting for her competitor to return when she realized that only Wheels, Right, Left and herself were still there.
"Where is everybody?" Christen asked.
Wheels and the twins smiled. "The game has just started," Wheels said. "Let's get going."
There was a park in the middle of the downtown area that was a beautification project. It took up three square blocks and had become an after-dark haven for the not-so-nice kind of people who prefer the shadows. Nicki parked at the curb and the girls got out. A face on the street called out, "Hey, trouble twins, Wheels, what's goin' down? You got a new friend I see."
"We're just down to pass some time," Wheels said. "How are they hanging with you?"
"It's slow, pretty lady. Real slow," the face said. "You let me know if you need anything."
"We know where to find you," Wheels said. "See you around."
As they parted company Christen asked, "Who was that?"
"That was the Candyman," Left said. "He's the main dealer in the park."
"We make deliveries for him now and then and he keeps his eyes open for us," Right added.
"Should I file him under friends?" Christen asked.
"More like business associates," Left said.
When Wheels led them down a darker than usual alley, Christen was unable to contain her curiosity any more. "Where are we going?"
"Be quiet and keep your eyes open," Left said. "This is unclaimed territory."
At the end of the alley and across the street was the warehouse. "That's where we're going," Wheels said. "It's going to be our new clubhouse. But first, we have to get in."
"How?" Christen asked.
"There's a door on the roof with an easy lock," Wheels explained. "You and I will climb up and open the door on the ground from inside. Right and Left will watch the street."
"Where's everybody else?" Christen was full of questions.
"They had to pick something up," Wheels said. "They should be here in a couple of hours. All right, if there are no more questions, let's get going."
Wheels and Christen ran across the street. Right was leaning against the corner of the building looking as if she was advertising for the oldest profession. Left was hiding in the alley's shadows.
"O.K., Christen," Wheels said. "You climb up first and I'll follow you."
The face of the warehouse had bricks protruding from it, so the climb was easier than the rock climbing wall at the gym. Christen had just put one hand over the top when there was a loud crash in the alley. She turned her head just in time to see Right disappear into the shadows. There was another crash and a scream. Wheels bolted across the street into the alley. Christen pulled herself up a little farther to get a better grip. When she turned back around, Wheels was fighting with someone wearing a mask. There was a knife in his hand. Wheels held the person's wrist and throat. She backed him up against the wall and brought a knee up to meet his stomach. Another person came out of the alley and wrapped his arm around Wheels' neck. Wheels kept her grip on the wrist but her leverage was gone. She toppled backwards and the three of them fell to the ground. Three pairs of hands concentrated on the knife. Christen was to awe struck to move.
Wheels looked at her friend and yelled, "Get out of here, Christen!"
The knife switched hands and disappeared. Wheels screamed and the fight was over. The two masked men looked up at Christen and ran across the street. The taller one started up the wall. Christen remembered how to move and scurried over the top.
The roof was an obstacle coarse of twelve inch steel girders. The door was twenty feet to the left. In the middle of the roof was a skylight with one window propped open. Christen looked back over the edge. The first pursuer was half way up the wall. Wheels was laying on the ground, motionless. Christen ran for the door, gliding across the girders. All she had to do was go through the door, down to the floor, and out the front just like Wheels had planned in the first place. But, the door was locked and she didn‘t know how to open it. She kicked the door and swore at it.
Christen looked over her shoulder to see the second pursuer coming over the wall. When he got to his feet, he reached into his back pocket and pulled out a long bladed knife. Christen reached for one of her own knives and hoped that she could remember what Two-bit had been teaching her. Then she reached for her other knife. They were gone. She had lost both knives. The pursuers began to move slowly forward. Christen's mind raced for a way out. Her eyes locked on the open skylight. It was her only chance to get out without fighting.
Christen was about to make her break for it when a loud wolf whistle floated out of the distance. The sound made the pursuers crouch down. Moments later the sound of a passing car drifted by. One of the pursuers looked back over the edge. That's when Christen made her move. A knife flew through the air and stuck in the door where Christen's chest had been a second earlier.
Christen got to the skylight and looked down. The floor was too far to drop. A foot below the window was a pole. She looked back at the pursuers and then at the bar again. She didn't have a choice. She thanked God that she hadn't chosen ballet and hopped through the window. She caught the bar with no problem. She felt like Indiana Jones running form angry natives. Now all she had to do was get down. There was a loft over half of the warehouse. Its edge was about seven feet from where Christen was hanging. On one side of the loft were stairs leading to the roof, on the other side were stairs lead to the ground.
Christen kicked her feet to start swinging, all the time trying to convince herself that it was an easy transfer. It would be just like the uneven parallel bars, over and down. She took one last swing and made her leap. She caught a strong hold on the top bar of the loft's railing. She was over the rail without effort and went straight for the door. When she got to the floor, she looked up at the skylight. The poor light made the distance look shorter when she was on the roof. Lack of light also made it difficult to open the locks once she found the door. The pursuers were still banging on the door to the roof when she got the lock undone, turned the knob, flung the door open and went nowhere.
Another person with his face covered was standing in the door that led to freedom. When Christen opened the door, he put his gun in her face. He pushed her back into the warehouse without lowering his gun. A group of people filed into the door. The pursuers from the roof were coming down the stairs. They surrounded you. The one with the gun was a full head taller than the rest of them.
Christen's heart was beating in her ears. She was out of ideas. The big one with the gun said, "Strip." Christen just stared at him. He cocked the hammer of his gun. "I said strip, bitch."
Christen started to shake as she unzipped her jacket and slid it off her shoulders. As she pulled her left arm out of the sleeve, the one with the gun and one of the ones from the roof looked at each other. Christen saw a desperate opportunity. She threw her jack at the one with the gun and ran full force into the one from the roof. The two of them fell to the floor. The rest of the party swarmed in on top of them. Christen tried to swing but her arms were caught. She was pulled back off the one she knocked down. She began to kick and scream. If she was going to be gang raped, she wasn't going to make it easy for them.
"Let her go. Back off!" someone yelled over Christen's screams. All the hands that were holding her let go. She spun around looking for the first one to jump.
The same voice called out again, "Wheels, hit the lights." Florescent bulbs flickered and flooded the warehouse with light. The masks came off to reveal all the members of the Circle. Spike put her gun away. Aurora was sitting on the floor where Christen had knocked her down. She was smiling at Christen.
"Welcome aboard," Aurora said. "You are now an official member of the Circle."
"What?" Christen asked. She was still in shock.
"It was a test," Wheels said. "And you passed."
"Here," Two-bit said holding Christen's knives out to her. "You can have these back now."
"I about died when I thought I lost these," Christen said. "How did you get them?"
"I lifted them when you were playing Street Fighter," Two-bit said.
"What should we name her?" Twilight asked Aurora.
Aurora shrugged her shoulders. "Any suggestions?"
For the first time in half a year Tinsel's voice was heard. She said, "Leather."
After a moment of silence, Topaz said, "I like it."
"Does anyone have anything better?" Aurora asked. There was no answer. "Leather it is then. So let it be written, so let it be done."
"May Warlock's madness never take her from us," Evergreen added.
"That's about the tenth time I've heard that name," Leather said. "Who is Warlock?"
"We'll tell you about it at the party tonight," Aurora said as she stood up. "We've got more important things to do right now. There is still another game to play."
"Another game," Leather said. "This one was bad enough, thank you."
"Don't worry," Two-bit said. "Your game is finished. This one is for Larry."
The clock rang out eleven. Larry was sitting by the phone watching television. There was always a big party after an initiation. Although he wasn't allowed to witness the initiations themselves, he was always at the parties afterwards. He started to think about the party when Stormed joined. No! He shook the memory from his head. No remembering.
The phone rang. Larry snatched it up before it finished the first ring. "Hello," he said joyfully. He was ready for a good party.
"Hello, Larry?" came a shaky voice over the line. "It's me, Christen." It wasn't the call he was expecting.
"Christen?" he said confused. "What's going on. Why are you calling?"
"Two-bit gave me your number in case of an emergency," Leather said. "I'm scared. I don't know what to do."
"What happened, Christen," Larry said. He was on his feet.
"They said we were going to play some sort of game and they brought me down town," Leather said. "We got stopped by a bunch of guys wearing jean jackets. We got into a big fight. I think I stabbed somebody. Then I heard gunshots and I ran."
"Are you all right?" Larry asked.
"Yea, I think so," Leather said.
"Good," Larry said. "You did the right thing getting out of there. Tell me where you are and I'll come get you."
"I don't know where I am," Leather said. "I just ran."
"Can you get to the park from there?" Larry asked.
"I think so," Leather said.
"Good," Larry said. "You stay in the light and be seen. I'll be there in ten minutes. Meet me by the big lights near the waterfall."
"O.K.," Leather said. "Ten minutes by the waterfall."
Larry pulled on his school jacket and took the keys out of the pocket. He had turned the key in Bubbles door when he noticed it. Both the tires on the driver's side were flat. He slapped Bubbles' roof and yelled an obscenity. After he took the aluminum baseball bat out of the back seat, he slammed the door and took off, bat in hand, in a full run down the street.
It was twenty minutes to midnight when Larry found Leather at the waterfall. Leather threw her arms around Larry's neck. "I'm sorry I'm late," Larry said as he panted to catch his breath. "Somebody knew what the hell they were doing. What can you tell me about the guys you got in the fight with?"
"Just that their jackets all had dragons on the backs," Leather said.
"Dragons?" Larry said. "Were they breathing fire?"
"Yes," Leather said. "I think so."
"Shit!" Larry hissed. He looked over everything that was around them.
"What's the matter?" Leather asked. Now she was really curious about this Warlock.
"I'll fill you in later," Larry said. "We got to get the fuck out of here. It ain't safe. Where did Wheels leave Nicki?"
"Over there," Leather said. "Why?"
"I just told you it ain't safe for us here," Larry said. "If Wheels hasn't gotten back to Nicki by now, she's not going to. Come on."
Larry walked around Nicki to make sure she wasn't damaged. After circling the car he knelt beside the rear tire and reached up into the wheel well. His fingers found the little magnetic box that held the extra set of Nicki's keys. He opened the door and told Leather to get in. She slid across the seat to the passenger side. Larry handed her the bat and put one foot in the car. Then he paused. He started to recall the last time he took the old Nicki to try to save one girl. The chase, the crash; it all raced through his mind. He shook his head again and climbed in. No remembering!
Nicki growled and took off. "Where are we going?" Leather asked.
"To my house," Larry answered. "I just hope they haven't called already."
"I don't think they have," Leather said as she pulled a gun out of her jacket. "Head for my house. You know where it is."
"What the hell are you doing?" Larry was shocked.
"It's called revenge," Leather said. "You and your bitches killed my boyfriend. Now some of his friends are helping me to get even. You just be a good little boy and drive. Oh, and don't try anything stupid. We don't want anything to happen to Aurora and the other three that are still alive."
It was a quiet ride. Larry had a look in his eyes that scared Leather. She kept the gun on him the entire way to her house. Nicki pulled into the driveway. Larry was directed, at gun point, to the front door. He looked over his shoulder to see if he had a chance to jump her. But she was too far away.
"Go inside," Leather said.
Larry pushed the door open. It was dark. There still might be a chance, He walked to the middle of the room. Leather was at the door reaching for the light switch. The lights snapped on. Larry made the first movement to make a dash for the back door when the room exploded in sound.
"Surprise!!!" The girls all yelled, leaping out from behind the furniture. Larry sighed in relief.
"Welcome to the club," Leather said from the doorway.
"Allow me to introduce you to one of the new members of the Circle," Aurora said as she put her arm around his waist. "This is Leather. What do you think?"
"I think she's a god damn good actress," Larry said returning Aurora's hug. Then it hit him. "What do you mean one of the new members?"
"You've just been initiated into the Circle," Twilight said. Larry looked at Aurora. She nodded her head.
"Welcome aboard, Hero," Two-bit said.
"Hero?" Larry repeated.
"Hero," Leather said, who had closed the door and made her way to the center of the room. "I've never had anyone come to my rescue before."
"Let's hope I never have to do it again," He said. The two new members hugged each other. "All right, enough of this sentimental shit," He continued. "Break out the booze. It's time to party."
　
chapter six:
WAR PARTIES
　
　
　
Any reason was good enough for the Circle to have a party. There were a few times that spirits were lifted just because "it was Wednesday". The successful completion of an initiation was an extra special reason to let the hair down, and they had two to celebrate. Fortunately, Leather's parents had obliged to make plans that kept them away from the house for the entire weekend. When opportunity knocks sometimes she makes one hell of a racket and the Circle rarely declined to open the door.
Evergreen was through the lock on the liquor cabinet as smoothly as Twilight could relieve business men of their wallets. Tinsel made straight for the hearth and in no time a raging fire roared out against the pounding music that Spike had pouring out of the stereo. Two-bit was beating all the X-box games in turn. Oscar kept the billiard balls dancing around the table despite Right and Left's attempts to stop her. The rest sat and talked and drank.
"There's something I don't understand," Leather said as she nursed her rum and coke.
"What's that," Aurora asked between sips of her third vodka.
"Lar... or, Hero's initiation," Leather said. "What did you test him on? All he did was pick me up at the park."
"Exactly how do you think he arrived at the park to rescue you?" Topaz asked.
"Didn't he drive Bubbles," Leather asked.
“Then why would he take Nikki?” asked Topaz.
Twilight said. "We let the air out of Bubbles' tires."
"Then how did he get to the park?" Leather was confused.
"He probably ran," Twilight said.
"But he lives miles from there," Leather protested.
"Exactly," Aurora said.
"Now I feel bad," Leather said.
"Why," Twilight said almost choking on her wine cooler. She was a light weight.
"He ran all that way to help me," Leather said. "And I tricked him like that. We barely even know each other."
"That's the whole point," Aurora said. "We've known him forever. He's risked his life for us and vise versa. We wanted to see if he would risk himself for a for a new friend. It's that group loyalty thing."
"How did he know I passed the initiation?" Leather asked.
"He didn't," Twilight said. "That's why running so far to save you was a test."
"You knew he'd come, didn't you," Leather asked. She was beginning to realize that these girls reputations didn't do them justice.
"Not completely," Aurora said. "We're never completely sure how an initiation will turn out."
"But we did play dirty to give him some extra encouragement," Topaz said.
"So what do jackets with fire breathing dragons have to do with it?" Leather asked. The other girls squirmed in their seats.
"They were competitors of ours," Topaz said. "Their leader called himself Warlock. He had it in for us."
"What was his problem?" Leather was happy that she was finally getting some answers.
"We're not exactly sure," Aurora said. "We woke up one morning and found ourselves in the middle of a war."
"What happened to him?" Leather was on the road to the Circle's darkest secret.
Aurora finished her drink in one swallow. "He disappeared."
"With a little help," Topaz added.
"I think it's story time," Twilight said.
"Take the honors, Topaz," Aurora said.
"I'm not sure where to start," Topaz said.
"Start when we lost Lightning," Twilight suggested.
Topaz paused to gather memories that she had tried to forget. "I suppose the best place to start is to talk about Lightning herself. She got her name because her temper was just that fast. In fact I wouldn't be surprised if it was her temper that cost her her life. She was a good friend and I miss her."
Topaz took another drink to loosen her memory. "We were making deliveries for Candyman to raise money to finance some defenses for ourselves. Anyway, we made our last delivery at about three in the morning. Wheels and Lightning went to the park to give Candyman his collections. It should have been a simple drop. Lightning just had to hand Candyman his package and they would be gone. Candyman wasn't in his usual spot so they split up to find him. Wheels was on the bridge when she saw lightning in the middle of a battle. The odds were six to one. By the time Wheels got to her, Lightning was down. She wasn't hurt bad, just some bruises. Most of them to her ego."
Topaz looked like she was in a trance state as she continued the story. "She kept her senses about her enough to catch a good look at the dragon's jackets. Lightning's temper got Two-bit burning. Two-bit got Aurora worked up and Aurora got us ready for war. So, Circle patrols started to appear in the park, usually in teams of three. It just so happened the Lightning, along with Wheels and Spike, were the first to meet up with our foes. They tailed the dragons to a deserted stretch of road. When the battle started it was five on three. We hit first, from behind, and sent one of them on his way. When they battle was over, our girls held their ground. Spike was soaked in blood that wasn't hers. She took a shot in the ribs that gave her a good bruise, but other than that she was O.K. Wheels got stabbed in the shoulder and cut her knuckles on someone's face. In short, she was hurt, but walked away. Lightning was a different story. She didn't make it home. She got cut in the throat."
Tears began to fill Topaz's eyes as she felt the old emotions of her story. "We spun a yarn of mugging and attempted rape for the police and the parents. The war ran rampant for close to three months. We all took our licks along the road to victory. I broke my wrist blocking a shot from a billy club. However, for every shot we took, we dished out five more. Spike, Evergreen and Wheels each killed one dragon. Two-bit and Aurora each got two."
"Hero saw a lot of action too," Topaz went on. "He was our ace in the hole. We kept him in check most of the time. We unleashed him if we started loosing ground or if the odds were too one sided. I think he confused them more than anything. They thought they would be trading blows with girls and in the middle of everything a guy would start swinging at the other guys."
Topaz wiped her tears away and took another deep drink. "We finally tracked Warlock down near the warehouse we were at tonight. Hero killed one dragon when we broke through Warlock's body guards. That fight was nothing. The entire Circle broke in at once. Hero, Two-bit and Aurora all seemed even angrier than the rest of us. Hero slapped Warlock around until he stopped struggling, then held him for Aurora and Two-bit. Two-bit was subtle. She walked up, snarled, and kicked him in the balls with her favorite steel toed boots. Aurora stared at Warlock for a long time. I thought she was about to walk away when her stiletto flashed out of nowhere. Without Warlock to lead them, the dragons dissolved. There was one last fight but no one on either side was hurt. And that's the story of Warlock and how he broke the Circle. Lightning was the first of three we've lost. I pray we don't loose any more."
"So where is he now?" Leather asked.
"He's soy bean fertilizer," Aurora said.
"That Candyman guy bothers me," Leather said.
"How's that?" Twilight asked.
"How come it just so happened that the night he was gone was the same night that the dragons first came out of the woodwork?" Leather said. "I figure he would be there for no other reason but to pick up his money."
A sudden sobriety swept over them. The girls all looked at each other stupefied. They had never given any thought to Candyman. Aurora's jaw stiffened and a look of determination appeared on her face. "I think we might be due for a visit to the park," she said.
Hero wasn't much in the mood for drinking, so after half a drink, he found himself dancing with Spike to ear shattering music. Wheels broke in the middle of the dance and led Hero away to an empty room upstairs. She had a debt to pay. Spike smirked and giggled to herself as they slid out the door.
They were in the bedroom before either of them spoke. "That was a dirty trick you all pulled tonight," Hero said as Wheels closed the door.
"Well, we wanted to make sure you would get to the park, so we told Leather to tell you about the dragons," Wheels tried to explain.
"That's not what I'm talking about," Hero said. "I meant letting the air out of Bubbles' tires."
Wheels giggled. "Well, we didn't want to make it easy for you," she said as she sauntered over to Hero.
He put his arms around her saying, "What am I going to do with all of you?"
Wheels returned the embrace. "Don't you mean all of us? Your a member now."
Hero smiled and said, "You know I don't expect you to live up to that bet."
"Well Hero," Wheels said. "To tell the truth, I'm glad I lost. It's been a long time for us. Besides, don't you think it's about time you moved on."
"I suppose it's high time I tried," he said. "It's hard to forget Storm though."
"Nobody said you have to forget her," Wheels consoled. "None of us ever will. We didn't forget Lightning or Action, and we won't forget Storm. But we will keep living, and so can you. You proved that tonight."
"Yeah, you're right," Hero said. "But it's going to be hard."
"It's going to be a boring night if it isn't hard," Wheels said.
They laughed and hugged each other. Hero kissed her forehead. She kissed his lips and had her kiss returned. Every kiss led to another. As their passion rose Hero began to realize how lonely he had been. The emptiness that he had been carrying was filled by the young woman he held in his arms. She quenched his thirst without hesitation. Soon they were enjoying each others intimate touch. Until...
Hero was laying on his back, embracing his companion with his right arm. Wheels had her head on his chest and contentedly listened to the beat of his heart. The mood was broken when Two-bit burst through the door scaring Hero and Wheels half to death. Hero sat up abruptly. Wheels grasped the sheets to cover herself.
Before the door was half open, Two-bit was yelling, "All right you two, knock it off. I got a question for you, Wheels."
"I've got one for you," Wheels snapped back. "Don't you ever fucking knock?"
"Sorry," Two-bit said not meaning it. "But we need you to answer something. On that first night when you and Lightning got jumped, did we ever get that drop to Candyman?"
Wheels thought for a moment. "No," she said shaking her head. "The money went into Evergreen's ledger. Why?"
"We were telling Leather about Warlock and she mentioned that it seemed weird that Candyman didn't show up to pick up close to four grand. Especially when he's had people hurt for less than fifty," Two-bit rattled off.
"That does sound weird," Wheels agreed.
Two-bit went on, "Aurora thinks that maybe..."
"Candyman set us up," Hero interrupted.
Two-bit nodded. "We're all thinking of taking a ride down to the park to take it up with him."
"What time is it?" Hero asked.
"A little after three," Two-bit said.
"Let's do it tomorrow night," Hero said. "It won't be long now until the city starts moving again. We'd have an hour and a half at most. You and the others figure out how we want to handle it."
"O.K.," Two-bit said. "I'll pass the word. You two go back to what you were doing, but keep it down. We could hear you over the stereo."
"Go to hell!" Wheels said as she threw a pillow at Two-bit, only to hit the back of the closing door. "I'll get her for that."
"Well, you do make a lot of noise," Hero said.
Wheels' mouth dropped and she stared at Hero not believing he said what he did. Hero kept a straight face as long as he could. When the smile broke across his face, they both laughed. Wheels lunged at Hero and they were wrestling. Then the wrestling turned into love making, but only after Hero had a few scratches.
The next evening went like clockwork. Bubbles, Nicki and Leather's mustang, nic-named Horse, were rolling at nine thirty. The sun was gone and the street people were out for the night. All of the Circle shared a rushing in their veins that they hadn't felt since the war had ended. Even Leather was ready for whatever was coming. The cars split up when they got downtown. Nicki, with Wheels, Two-bit, Topaz and Spike, parked by the arch that was Candyman's usual center of business. Twilight, Tinsel and Evergreen took Leather, after leaving Horse on the curb, and walked the park to look for Candyman. The rest went straight to the warehouse. Hero and Oscar kept an eye on the street while Aurora, Right and Left got everything ready inside.
Twilight was the first to spot Candyman. We was under the bridge making a deal with some three piece suit. Evergreen whistled and Candyman looked up with a start. It wouldn't be the last surprise the Circle would give him. He waved and started up the hill towards them.
"How do, ladies?" Candyman said. "What brings you to this neck of the woods?"
"Business," Evergreen said. "We've got a big order for a party. Nicki is waiting over by your office. Let's go talk."
"Fine with me," Candyman said. "I thought you traveled in threes. Why the extra security?"
"Don't worry," Twilight said. "We're showing her the ropes."
"You're the new girl I saw with Wheels last night," Candyman said recalling Leather's face. Leather nodded. It seemed to her that this ass hole knew them too well.
They crossed the park uttering meaningless chit-chat. When they walked up to Nicki, Two-bit opened the passenger door and got out. "How are the hanging?" she said.
"Same old, same old," Candyman said.
"Climb in," Two-bit said. "Wheels has the details."
Candyman climbed in and the trap was sprung. From the back seat, Spike threw a scarf around Candyman's neck and pulled his head back. Two-bit slid in beside him and pulled his gun from under his left arm. She cocked the gun and put it in his ribs.
"If you make one move or any kind of sound, you won't make it home for Christmas," Two-bit spit. Evergreen closed Nicki's door and watched them pull away. The Circle's party of four then walked back to Horse.
"Always remember," Twilight emphasized to Leather. "Never run unless it's absolutely necessary. Other wise you attract too much unwanted attention."
By the time they arrived at the warehouse, Candyman had been blindfolded and hand cuffed. A cable was hooked to the chain of the handcuffs and lifted Candyman six inches off the floor. He was left swinging until the last four members of the Circle showed up. By the time the blindfold was removed, there were trickles of blood running down both arms from his wrists.
Hero removed the blindfold. Aurora said, "Good evening, Candyman. We've got a few questions for you."
"You fuckers have bought some trouble," Candyman yelled. "Get me the fuck down!"
"Now, now. That's no way to talk to a lady," Aurora said. "Especially when you've already double crossed her once."
"What the hell are you talking about?" Candyman said.
"I want you to set the way-back machine," Aurora started. "To before we went to war with Warlock. How much did he pay you to set up Wheels and Lightning?"
"I don't know what the fuck you're talking about," Candyman said. The sudden halt to his struggling was suspicious.
"Bullshit," Wheels said. "The drop we were suppose to make to you was close to four grand. Do you expect us to think you forgot about it?"
"We figure Warlock paid you off to be gone so Wheels and Lightning would have to wander the park. It would be the only way to get them anywhere near an ambush sight," Two-bit said.
"I didn't have anything to do with it," Candyman said.
"Wrong answer," Spike said.
"We want the real story," Left said.
"These girls are serious, Candyman," Hero said. "If I were you, I'd tell them what they want to know before I started bleeding from worse places than my wrist."
"I don't need advice from a faggot who has to join a girls gang," Candyman spit.
Hero got that glassy look in his eyes. He stepped behind Leather, put his arm around her, and placed his hand on her shoulder. Candyman watched without blinking. Hero kissed Leather on the cheek. Then he slid his hand down over her breast, across her stomach to her inner thigh. Leather stood motionless. Fear began to knot Candyman's stomach. Hero's hand continued slowly down the inside of Leather's thigh, down her calf to her boot where one of her knives lay hidden. Hero grasped the knife and slowly pulled it out of its sheath. When the blade was fully exposed, Hero's hand made a fast movement and the knife flew through the air. It landed in Candyman's left leg above the knee.
Hero kissed Leather on the cheek again. "Thanks for letting me borrow that," he said.
"My pleasure," Leather said, not fully realizing that her knife was gone. "Any time."
The stainless steel blade invading his flesh made Candyman scream, "Owe, shit! You fucking asshole!"
"I would very mush like to embrace this lovely lady again," Hero said. "Don't tempt me to do it."
Topaz stepped forward and pulled the knife from Candyman's leg. He yelled again. She placed the point to his groin. "I would be less generous with my aim," she said. "Tell us what we want to hear."
Candyman was starting to look nervous. "What the hell makes you think I know anything?"
Aurora waved off Topaz. "Up until last night we didn't," she said. "Then someone asked a question that no one asked before. How come you weren't in the park when you knew damn well that a drop of four grand was coming in. And even after that night you never came to us and asked for your money. Hearing that question was like finding a flaw in a diamond. Tell me that the flaw is just a shadow that can be polished out."
Candyman gritted his teeth. "I'm telling you for the last time, I don't know shit about your dead friend. Warlock was a customer. That's all."
"Who said anything about a dead friend?" Wheels asked.
"Well that's it, isn't it?" Candyman stuttered. "Warlock killed one of you bitches and you think I was in on it."
"How did you know that Warlock took out Lightning?" Aurora asked.
"I read the papers," Candyman said. "It was in the news."
"We told everyone that a mugger killed her," Two-bit said.
Wheels pulled a .357 out of her jacket and put the barrel to Candyman's nose. "Your money bought this," she said. "Wouldn't it be funny if it put your brains on the ceiling."
"Wait a minute," Two-bit said. "I have an idea. Let's go lift a manhole somewhere. It worked on one of Warlock's other thugs."
They all voiced their approval for Two-bit's idea. A steel rod hit Candyman across the back of the head. The cable was released and his unconscious body fell to the floor. It was gagged again, just in case it woke up in Nicki's trunk on the way.
The manhole was in an alley two and a half blocks away. The trip moved like a military convoy. The convoy headed west on Oak street. Horse led the way, followed by Nicki with Bubbles bringing up the rear. At twelfth street Horse and Nicki turned right. Bubbles continued west for another half block and turned down a narrow alley that intersected with Nicki's final destination. Horse parked on the street. Nicki turned left down the alley and stopped at the crossroads where Bubbles was waiting. Where the two alleys crossed was the manhole that Two-bit had been referring to.
Sentries were assigned to all the possible entries to the alleys. Leather and Oscar stayed with Horse and watched the east entrance. Right and Left watched the north entrance. Evergreen was alone on the south and the west was guarded by Twilight and Two-bit. All the sentries ended up doing was watching dark alleys being bored. The only thing of interest was a drunk that stopped his car and propositioned Tinsel. Well, she was dressed... um,... never mind.
All the excitement belonged to Hero, Aurora, Spike, Wheels and Topaz. They were attending to Candyman. Hero and Spike pulled up the manhole cover. Topaz tied one end of a rope, that was about half as long as the hole was deep, to the chain of the handcuffs. Wheels put the other end of the rope through a hole in the manhole cover and tied a large knot in the end. When Candyman was lowered into the hole and the cover was replaced, he would be suspended in the air in the dark hole.
Candyman woke up to someone slapping his cheeks. He found himself sitting on the ground with his feet dangling in the hole.
Topaz caught his attention and said, "My friend, it's judgement day. Confess your sins and you may be forgiven, Continue your lies and you will be condemned to the abyss."
"You're crazy," Candyman yelled. "You're all seriously fucking crazy."
"Have you ever been bitten by a rat?" Wheels asked. "They always seem to go for the eyes. You know, I've always wondered how long it would take for a pack of rats to eat enough of a man to kill him. Unfortunately, they all talk before we can hang them down the hole."
Candyman's eyes were as big as the hole he was staring at. Aurora nodded and Spike and Hero each took Candyman by one arm. They held him dangling over the hole. Candyman looked at Aurora. She was waiting for him to talk. He didn't. She nodded again and the hole began to swallow him.
"All right, all right," Candyman yelled. "I'll talk. Warlock's real name was Bill Cooper. He wanted to own all of downtown; the park, the old market, everything. He said if I helped him clear out the competition and front for him, he'd cut me in on his other rackets. I told him you were my friends, but he wouldn't listen. I tried to protect you!"
"You set us up and Lightning got killed," Aurora said. "Every one of us got hurt in one way or another in that war because of you. I really thought that we had gotten rid of all of the dragons, but it looks like we missed one. It's been a long time and I think it's time to clean house."
Aurora nodded for the last time. Topaz put duct tape over his mouth before he could scream. The alley was dark but the hole was darker. The heavy lid grated on the ground as it slid into place. With a final loud clank, it was sealed. There was the sound of faint laughter and engines pulling away. A long silence fell over him that wasn’t broken until a soft squeak echoed below him. Then there was another and another, and they were getting closer...
　
chapter seven:
SURPRISES
　
　
　
The Circle spent the next six weeks turning the warehouse into their new clubhouse. The total conversion cost put a big dent on evergreen's ledger. The first thing they changed were the locks. Then the windows were blacked out with a thick coat of latex paint. These things were fairly inexpensive. It was the security system that really cost. Motion detectors were set up outside to cover both doors and the roof. When something triggered one of them, one of three lights inside would flash to warn anyone inside of someone’s approach from outside. The system was armed with a simple light switch that was just past arm's reach inside the west door.
For a short time after Candyman was hung out to dry, the Circle was on edge. They kept a sharp eye out for any type of revenge party. The tension only lasted a few days. The only incident worth mentioning was Two-bit's launch into orbit when a would-be admirer caught her by surprise. He walked up behind her and hugged her. She was so startled that she kneed him in the groin before she knew who it was.
On the optimistic side, there was one good thing about the few days of tension. One of the Circle's primary irritants was not present to aggravate the situation. It seemed that on the previous Friday Mrs. Jansek discovered exactly how fast super glue can seep through polyester and adhere to skin. She was out for a whole week and when she did return to her classes, she remained standing for a short time.
Wheels was a little worse off than the others. She had some personal tension too. Her and Hero's paths had crossed via the bedroom a few more times during the clubhouse's redecorating and she was beginning to become afraid that she had more in common with him than she did before. She was only a couple of weeks late, so she decided to keep her fears to herself for the time being. Besides, it could just be the tension.
There were two important things that escaped the Circle's attention. The first was the daily news. On the fifth day after they hung Candyman down the hole a short article appeared in the back pages of the newspaper. It read like this:
DYING MAN LISTED CRITICAL
City workers repairing local
sewers stumbled onto a night-
mare early this morning. Two
workers found a young man in
his late twenties in a sewer.
The young man, who is as yet
unidentified, was hung by his
wrists in a manhole. He was
taken to Memorial Hospital
where he is listed in critic-
story cont. on pg. 57
The second thing that escaped their attention was the knot that protruded from the top of Candyman's manhole cover. Had they been checking on their work, they would have noticed the knot's disappearance. Then they would have known to watch the papers and found out where to go to finish the job.
Candyman had gotten as lucky as any man ever has. In another day, he would have been dead. The rats came in a hoard. The tape on his mouth kept him from screaming. All he could do was shake back and forth. There was no way to escape.
A lot of people don't know this, but rats can jump. The first few stopped at the stab wound at his knee. The rest climbed up towards his head. The first bite was on his leg. Candyman shook as hard as he could. A few of the rats lost their grip. The one that was biting him did not. It soon had guest for dinner.
The next bites were at his wrists, which were still bleeding. This rat was clinging to the rope and was not effected at by all the thrashing. Soon, he felt rats all over his body. His leg and wrists became a buffet, rat style. His fear was only overcome by the pain from the razor-like teeth that assaulted him. His terror peaked when the rats descended on what, to a rat, is a rare delicacy; his eyes.
When he arrived at the hospital, a nurse fainted and a doctor threw up from the sight. With the exception of a small trickle of blood, his eye sockets were clean. Both wrists and his leg had been eaten to the bone. There was very little blood left in the body at all.
The monstrosity had no identification. It was nearly dead. A team of doctors worked for twelve straight hours trying to save what was left of it. They succeeded. Do to the lack of tissue, they were forced to amputate both hands below the elbows and one leg at mid-thigh. Skin graphs were taken from the amputated leg to make a patchwork of flesh on what remained of the face.
It remained unconscious for five weeks. Dental records had revealed it's identity two weeks after its discovery. A frantic girlfriend burst into the hospital when the call to it's home was finally made. When it awoke, it did so screaming. The police made forcible request to know what happened to it, but it said nothing. The press never followed up on the article.
Wheels watched three more weeks of tension creep by while the rest of the Circle returned to standard operating procedure. Her friend was very late. Her tension led to worry which, in turn, led to an appointment with a doctor. On one hand, she wanted to be sure. On the other hand, she didn't want to know at all.
"It's going to take a while to get the results of the blood test back," a nurse told Wheels. "You can wait if you want, or you can come back tomorrow."
"I think I'll hang around," Wheels said. It was hard enough to get away from the world for one day, not to mention two in a row.
"The hospital's cafeteria is just across the walkway," the nurse said. "You can get something to drink and I'll walk over as soon as I get the results back."
"It must be nice having the hospital right across the street from the office," Wheels made nervous small talk.
"It has its conveniences," the nurse said.
The only other person in the cafeteria was a young lady in her mid twenties. She was crying in her coffee. Wheels was half way through an overpriced bag of chips when a doctor came in and sat down next to the young lady. He whispered into her ear and put a not-so-convincing sympathetic hand on her shoulder. She nodded and the doctor went back to his duties. The young lady began crying again, this time heavier than before.
Without knowing what compelled her, Wheels dug a small pack of tissues out of her purse and took it over to the young lady.
"You look like you could use these," Wheels said as she set the tissues on the table.
"Thank you," she said. "They'll help."
"I've got time before my test comes back if you want to talk," Wheels said. "I'm a good listener."
"I'd like that," the young lady said. "Have a seat. My name is Tanya."
"I'm Jennifer," Wheels said.
"Why are you here?" Tanya asked.
"To tell the truth," Wheels said. "I'm here for the rabbit test."
"How old are you?" Tanya asked.
"I turned eighteen two months ago," Wheels said. "How about you?"
"I'm twenty-one. Isn't eighteen a little young to be having a baby?" Tanya's voice picked up a mother-like tone.
"It wasn't suppose to happen this way," Wheels said.
"Does your boyfriend know?" Tanya asked.
"Not yet," Wheels said. "I wanted to wait until I was sure before I told him. How about you? Are you being poked and prodded too?"
"No," Tanya said. "I'm here visiting my boyfriend. I'm the only family he has."
"What happened?" Wheels asked gingerly.
"No one's sure," Tanya said. "Some city workers found him tied up in a sewer somewhere. The rats almost..."
Tanya's voice cracked and she broke into tears. In between spurts of crying, Wheels found out that Tanya's boyfriend was Mark Lowman. Tanya believed, as did the police, that he was assaulted by a rival drug dealer. As for his condition, he was stabilizing and due to return home in a week of so.
A nurse interrupted their conversation. "Excuse me miss Donovan." she said.
"Yes," Wheels said. "Do you have my test results?"
"Yes I do," the nurse said. "Congratulations. You're going to be a mother."
Wheels' heart almost stopped. "Thank you, I think."
"I bet he'll be overjoyed," Tanya said.
"Either that," Wheels said. "Or he'll kill me, or himself, or both of us."
"Don't be silly," Tanya said.
"How far along am I?" Wheels asked the nurse.
The nurse pulled a slip of paper out of her pocket. "Your eight weeks along. Your due date is October twelfth. The doctor would like you to come back in thirty days for your next appointment."
"My next appointment?" Wheels said. She wasn't ready for the news.
"Babies take a lot of care," the nurse said. "Especially before they're born."
"My god," Wheels said mostly to herself. "In thirty days I'll be three months pregnant. I'll be starting to show."
"Are you all right?" Tanya asked. "You look dazed."
"I'm trying to decide whether I should cry or not," Wheels said. "I should go home now."
"Take care of yourself," Tanya said. "It was sure nice having you to talk to for a while."
"Thanks," Wheels said. "You take care too.'
A few short hours later Wheels was with the rest of the Circle in the clubhouse. Night had fallen and the Circle's spirits were rising with the moon. Wheels was the exception. She was sitting in the corner by the radio, still pondering her pregnancy, only half believing it. The can in her hand was her first and it was still full. She was only pretending to drink it. The rest of the Circle was opening the third case of the evening.
Hero tried three times to get Wheels up and dancing. She told him she wasn't feeling well and he let her be. He was helping Spike put the new case into the cooler when he looked over at Wheels. She was off in a world of her own. Hero could tell that it wasn't the flu that was troubling her. He nudged Spike and asked her, "Is Wheels acting weird or am I crazy?"
"She has been kind of quiet lately," Spike said. "Why?"
"I'm not sure," Hero said. "I've got this feeling that something is bothering her."
"Have you asked her about it?" Spike asked.
"She said she isn't feeling well," Hero said.
"Why so worried?" Spike asked.
"I care, all right," Hero said. "I care about all of you."
"That's sweet," Spike said.
"What's sweet?" Aurora asked as she dipped into the cooler.
Hero ignored the question. "Has Wheels said anything to you about what's bothering her?"
"Nope," Aurora said. "I'd figure you would be the first person she'd talk to."
"She's being evasive," Hero said. "Will you two do me a favor?"
"What," Aurora and Spike said in unison.
"Just go sit down with her and find out what's bothering her," Hero said.
The two girls agreed and went over to Wheels. Spike sat next to her, Aurora sat in front of her. "O.K.," Aurora said. "What's got you so down. This is suppose to be a party."
"I'm sorry," Wheels said. "I just don't feel much like partying."
"What's wrong?" Spike asked. Liquor takes the subtlety away from people.
"I found out something that I didn't want to know," Wheels said. She wanted to tell them that she was pregnant but Hero should be the first one she told. She didn't know how to tell him though.
"Oh, I love gossip," Aurora said. "What's the news?"
Wheels paused as her mind raced for something else to tell them. Then she remembered Tanya. "What was Candyman's real name?"
"I'm not sure," Spike said. "Why?"
"I met this girl at the hospital this morning," Wheels started. "She said her boyfriend had been found in the sewer. He's in the hospital because the rats ate him up. Sound familiar?"
"Yes, it does," Aurora said. "She didn't tell you his name by any chance, did she?"
"Mark Lowman," Wheels said. There was a brief period of silence. The similarity was too close for comfort.
"Do you feel like taking a ride?" Aurora asked. Wheels and Spike both nodded.
They grabbed Hero on the way to the door. He was filled in on what was happening on the short jaunt to the manhole. The knot was gone. Spike and Hero lifted the cover. Aurora shined a flashlight down the hole. Nothing. It became quite clear to them that they had made a bad mistake. They didn't finish the job.
"What do you mean Candyman is still alive!" Two-bit demanded. The scouting party dropped their news like a bomb.
"Some city workers found him," Wheels said. "He's in Memorial Hospital."
"What do we do now?" Leather asked. She was having trouble standing. It was a rude way to sober up.
"We go to the hospital and kill him," Two-bit raved.
"Are you out of your mind?" Evergreen said. "We can't waltz into a hospital and kill someone."
"She's right," Left said. "We'll have to wait until he gets out."
"How the hell are we suppose to know when he gets out of the hospital?" Twilight asked. She was not standing.
"That's simple," Spike said. "Wheels will go back to the hospital and find out his release date from Tanya."
"Tanya who?" Topaz asked.
"Tanya, Candyman's girlfriend," Wheels answered.
"Oh great," Two-bit said. "Now there are two people we have to kill."
"No, Two-bit," Aurora said. "Just Candyman."
"What if he told her about us," Two-bit argued.
"Told her what?" Aurora said. "He doesn't know any of our real names, and from what Wheels found out, he won't be able to identify us."
"Why not?" Right asked.
"The rats ate his eyes," Wheels said.
Tinsel excused herself. Rats and booze don't mix.
It was decided that Wheels would return to the hospital after school on Monday. This time Aurora would go with her. They would try to locate Mark Lowman's room to find out if it was really Candyman. Then, they'd try to find Tanya to find out the exact date he was due to be released. When they had all the information they needed, the Circle would follow Candyman home and finish the job.
Wheels and Aurora got to the hospital at five o'clock Monday evening. They had just passed the receptionists desk when a voice cried out, "Miss Donovan?" It was the nurse that had given Wheels the pregnancy test. She continued, "I didn't expect to see you again so soon. Have you come to schedule your next appointment?"
Wheels looked from the nurse to Aurora and back to the nurse. She answered, "Um, yes. I just didn't know where to go."
"Come right over here," the nurse said. "I'll take care of everything. Have you chosen a doctor yet?"
"No," Wheels said as she followed the nurse. Aurora was flabbergasted. She followed Wheels and said nothing.
"Well, how about doctor Jacobs?" the nurse asked. "He was the one you talked to last time."
"That's fine," Wheels said. "He was nice."
"Would you like to talk to him" the nurse asked. "A patient of his just came in a little bit ago, but he might be able to spare a moment."
Wheels tried to get out of the situation as quickly as possible. "I don't want to bother him," she said.
"It shouldn't be a bother," the nurse said. "Here, fill this out and I'll try to find him for you." She handed Wheels a form and a pen and picked up the phone.
Wheels looked at Aurora as she filled out the form. Aurora's expression was that of total confusion. They were suppose to be man hunters and all of the sudden Wheels had turned into a patient. Wheels sighed and kept writing.
The nurse hung up the phone and said, "O.K. Doctor Jacobs will be right here. Let's see. How's April seventh? That's a Wednesday."
"It will have to be after four o'clock," Wheels said.
"Is five thirty good?"
"That will be fine." Wheels was handing the pen back to the nurse when a tall man with blond hair, wearing hospital scrubs turned the corner.
"Doctor Jacobs," the nurse said. "This is Miss Donovan."
"Jennifer," Wheels said as she shook his hand.
"How are you doing?" Dr. Jacobs said.
"I guess I'm doing pretty good," Wheels said. "You're going to help me stay that way, right."
"I certainly am," Dr. Jacobs said. "Bring your boyfriend with you next time and we'll get him to help too."
"I'm sure he will," Wheels said. "Just as soon as I tell him."
The small talk went on for another ten minutes. Aurora stayed confused the entire time. After the doctor excused himself and the nurse went back to her duties, Wheels and Aurora got back to their mission. They had taken two steps off the elevator when Tanya turned the corner and ran right into them.
"Jennifer," Tanya said with a start. "What are you doing here?"
"I had to come by to make my next doctors appointment," Wheels said. "And I just felt compelled to see if you were doing any better. I hope you don't mind."
"Absolutely not," Tanya said. "I'm thrilled. I'm so tired of talking to doctors and nurses. I've actually been hoping I'd run into you again. I was just on my way to the cafeteria. Would you like to join me?"
"I'd love to," Wheels said.
Wheels introduced Aurora on the ride down the elevator. After listening to Wheels' and Tanya's small talk for a while, Aurora excused herself to the bathroom. She scurried up to Mark Lowman’s room. It was true. Mark Lowman was the Candyman. Aurora rushed back to the cafeteria and took her place by Wheels' side. They found out from Tanya that he was due to be released in two weeks. The Circle had all the information it needed.
On the ride home it was Wheels' turn to answer questions, and Aurora had plenty of them. "Why did you make a doctors appointment?"
"It's just a routine check up," Wheels said.
"Nobody gets a check up every month," Aurora argued.
"Some people do," Wheels said.
"Like who?" Aurora pressed.
"Like me," Wheels said.
"Why are you being so evasive?" Aurora asked trying a different approach.
"I don't know," Wheels said. "I've just had a lot on my mind lately."
"I've noticed," Aurora said. "And so has Hero. He asked me and Spike to check on you Saturday night at the party."
"Why?" Wheels asked.
"He's worried about you," Aurora said. "And after all this shit, so am I."
"There's no reason to worry," Wheels said.
"Wheels," Aurora said. "What kind of doctor is Doctor Jacobs?"
Wheels gave up. "He's an OBGYN. And promise me you'll keep your mouth shut about this until I tell Hero. I don't want him to find out second hand."
"I won't tell anyone. I promise," Aurora said still half in shock. "Are you sure?"
"I’m positive," Wheels said. "That's why I was at the hospital Saturday morning. I failed the rabbit test."
"Why haven't you told Hero?" Aurora asked.
"I've been waiting for the right moment," Wheels answered.
"Are you going to keep it?"
"What kind of question is that?" Wheels said. "Of course I'm going to keep it."
"When are you due?" Aurora asked. It was a safer question.
"October twelfth," Wheels said.
"Well, at least you'll be out of school for most of it," Aurora tried to comfort.
"Yea, but I'll be showing soon," Wheels said. "The whole school will know I got in trouble."
"Since when do we care about what the whole school thinks?" Aurora asked.
"This is different," Wheels said.
"No it's not," Aurora said. "Your reputation won't change. They'll just think you got careless."
"Well, I did," Wheels said.
"So did Hero," Aurora said.
"I'm scared, Aurora," Wheels said.
"Don't be," Aurora comforted. "Hero will take care of you, and we'll all help."
Wheels got Hero alone the next day. She was blunt with her news and it almost stopped Hero's heart. He even had to ask her to repeat herself. After the bomb was dropped, he sat in silence contemplating his fatherhood for a while. When he came out of his daze, he jumped up, grabbed Wheels in a bear hug and lifted her off the ground. Questions started pouring out of his mouth. He wanted to know everything. He told her he would do whatever he could to help. Marriage was out. Wheels and Hero both agreed that marriage was a great excuse for kids, but kids were a terrible excuse for marriage. The rest of the Circle was equally overjoyed with the news. Wheels had given the hospital the Circle's PO Box as an address. All the hospital bills would be entered into Evergreen's ledger, as well as the rest of the expenses. Wheels wouldn't have to worry about anything, except labor of course.
The Circle was having a baby!
　
chapter eight:
TARGETS
　
　
　
Friday night saw the Circle at the new clubhouse again. This time there wasn't a drunken party going on. There was serious business to attend to. It was near midnight. The security systems were armed and so was the Circle.
"As most of you know," Aurora started. "We've screwed up big time. Thanks to Wheels, we found out about our mistake in time to fix it."
"Get to the point, Aurora," Hero said. He had been so pre-occupied with Wheels' condition that he hadn't heard about it.
"Candyman is still alive," Aurora said. "He's at Memorial hospital. So far as we know, he hasn't talked to the police. We have to take care of him before he does."
"Just go into the hospital and pull his plug," Two-bit said.
"It's not that easy," Wheels said. "First of all, he's not on life support. Second of all, you can't get anywhere near his room with out half a dozen nurses asking you who you are and where you're going."
"How exactly did we come by this information?" Evergreen asked.
"I ran into his girlfriend at the hospital last Friday," Wheels said.
"Why were you at the hospital?" Twilight asked.
"We'll get to that later," Hero said. "Right now we have to figure out how to get to Candyman."
"Do we know when he's getting released?" Spike asked.
Aurora shook her head. "Not positively. It could be as early as next week."
"Is there any way we can get to him through the girlfriend?" Oscar asked.
"It’s possible," Wheels said. "I've seen her a few times."
"Well then, why don't you get closer to her," Oscar said. "If you can get her to trust you, she might just plain tell you when he's getting out."
"That's not a bad idea," Twilight said. "In fact, it might just be our only choice."
"Do you think you can do it, Wheels?" Aurora asked.
"I know I can do it," Wheels said. "Tanya told me she didn't have many friends. That, and the last time I was there, she was so glad to see me I thought she was going to kiss me."
"O.K.," Leather said. "Wheels finds out when he's leaving the hospital. Then we follow him home. After that, what?"
"We kill the fucker," Two-bit spit.
"How?" Leather asked.
Tinsel handed a slip of paper to Aurora. It was a picture of a house on fire.
"Torch him?" Aurora asked.
Tinsel nodded.
"No," Twilight said. "A fire would draw too much attention."
"We need to get in and out like the wind," Topaz said.
"Call Joey and tell him we need something with a silencer on it," Two-bit said. "Then we can pick a night, slide into the house, put a bullet in his brain and slide back out again without anyone knowing we were there."
"Do you know how much Joey would want for a gun with a silencer?" Evergreen protested. "Cut his throat. It will be just as quiet and a hell of a lot cheaper."
"When did you get to be a miser?" Spike asked.
"Look," Evergreen said. "None of us have a gun that will take a silencer. Joey will want five bills, minimum, for a piece like that, and it will take him two to three weeks to deliver it."
"The money doesn't bother me," Aurora said. "But we can't wait two or three weeks."
"Why don't we hang him and make it look like suicide?" Hero asked.
"That won't work," Wheels said. "He lost both his hands and one leg to the rats. He couldn't kill himself even if he wanted to."
"If he's that bad off, why don't we just let him suffer," Topaz said. "After all, there are worse things in life than death."
"He may be blind and immobilized," Aurora said. "But he can still talk."
"We should just play it by ear," Leather said. "All it might take is holding a pillow over his face. Let's wait until we're inside. Then we'll figure out how to off the bastard."
Leather's motion was carried. They decided to wait and let things develop.
"There is just one more thing I've got to know," Twilight said.
"What?" Aurora asked.
"Why the hell was Wheels at the hospital in the first place?" Twilight asked, staring at Wheels.
That's a good question," Two-bit agreed. "Why were you at the hospital, Wheels?"
Wheels didn't know what to say or do. She looked at Aurora for support. Aurora shrugged her shoulders. Wheels turned to Hero. She was hoping that he would tell the others their news. Hero shook his head and held up his hands. Wheels was going to have to tell the rest of the Circle herself.
"Come on already," Two-bit said. "You three know something that you're not telling us. Give."
"It's Wheels' news," Aurora said.
Wheels’ mouth dropped open. She looked at Hero again. He had turned his back and was still shaking his head.
"Look, Wheels," Topaz said. "It's easy. Just open your mouth and speak."
"It's not that easy," Wheels said.
Tinsel stood and walked over to Wheels. She handed Wheels a piece of paper. It was a picture of a stork with a bundle in its beak. Wheels blushed and bit her lip. Tinsel knew she was right.
Two-bit reached up and snatched the picture out of Wheels' hand. Her devious smile faded and she looked at Wheels. "Is this right?"
Wheels nodded her head. She didn't know why, but her eyes started to fill with tears. Two-bit threw her arms around Wheels and they hugged each other. The rest of the members just looked at each other in confusion.
When the hug broke up, Two-bit said, "You better tell them."
Wheels wiped the tears from her eyes. "I'm going to have a baby," she said, and started to cry again. The meeting turned into a massive group hug centered around Wheels. Twelve girls, that were planning to take a life five minutes earlier, were all crying over a yet-to-be-born baby.
The next day, Wheels went back to the hospital. She found Tanya at the nurses station filling out yet another form. Tanya had stopped crying. The initial feelings of horror and helplessness were gone. She was beginning to realize what she was going to have to do in order to take care of the half-man who was being kept, temporarily, down the hall. She could see all the sacrifices she would have to make. She could imagine all the time she would have to spend just to get him to the point where he could make it to the bathroom by himself. Candyman didn't have any insurance and the large cash store he had set aside was not so large any more. In fact, it was almost gone.
Tanya kept asking herself two questions that she couldn't answer. The first was whether or not she could handle the responsibility of taking care of him. The second was, did she really want to?
A touch on Tanya's shoulder startled her and she spun around. "Jennifer, it's you. I didn't hear you walk up."
"I'm sorry," Wheels said. "I didn't mean to scare you."
"That's all right," Tanya said. "It's me. I've been on edge lately."
"That's understandable," Wheels said. "How's he doing?"
"All right, all things considered," Tanya said. "They're releasing him next Monday. I've been spending most of my free time trying to get the house ready. There's going to be a lot of changes. How about you? How are you doing?"
"About the same as you," Wheels said. "I'm trying to prepare myself for a lot of changes too."
"It does come down to pretty much the same thing, doesn't it?" Tanya said. "We'll both be taking care of a helpless person."
"Yours won't destroy your figure, though," Wheels said.
"Wanna bet?" Tanya said. "I've been living on coffee and soda pop for weeks. I look like a skeleton."
"Why don't we go grab some lunch?" Wheels said. "You look like you could use some sunshine and some fresh air."
"Are you suggesting that we abandon our normal table in the cafeteria?" Tanya asked.
"Damn straight," Wheels said. "Let's go get some real food."
"Where?" Tanya asked.
"Anywhere that doesn't smell like antiseptic and bandages," Wheels said.
Tanya took a deep breath. "All right, you win."
They ended up at a little hole-in-the-wall sandwich shop. It was a little family run business that had a small, but loyal, crowd of customers. It was clean and relatively inexpensive. They also made the best subs in the city. Tanya and Wheels spent the better part of the day together. They did a little shopping and even caught a movie.
"Jennifer, I really have to thank you for this," Tanya said as they walked back to Nicki after the movie.
"Don't thank me," Wheels said. "You paid for the movie and lunch."
"I mean spending the day with me," Tanya said. "I appreciate it a lot."
"Don't mention it," Wheels said.
"I kind of lied when I said I don't have a lot of friends," Tanya confessed. "I don't have any friends at all."
"What are you talking about?" Wheels asked. "Of coarse you have friends."
"No, I don't," Tanya said. "I dropped out of school and ran away from home when I was seventeen. This was as far as I made it when my money ran out. Mark found me on the street and said I could crash at his place until I got on my feet. I was cold and scared and hungry. I thought I found a nice guy that was really going to help me."
"I think I've heard this kind of story before," Wheels said. "One day he called in his markers and you couldn't pay him back, right."
"Yea," Tanya said. "At first he would take me to parties and sell me to guys that were there. Then one day he said I wasn't new any more and made me go out and walk the streets. Oh God, I hate him so much."
"Why didn't you leave him and go home?" Wheels asked.
"At first, I was afraid to," Tanya told her new friend. "I thought that if my parents found out that I had become a prostitute, they wouldn't take me back. Then last year I built up the nerve to write them a letter and ask if I could go home."
"What happened?" Wheels asked.
"My letter was returned," Tanya said. "My family moved and didn't leave a forwarding address. After that I just gave up. I thought I was trapped."
"I hate to say it, Tanya," Wheels said. "But that sucks the big one."
"Well, it did for about a year," Tanya said.
"So you caught a break," Wheels said.
"Almost," Tanya said. "When the police first called me and told me what happened to Mark, I thought he was going to die and I'd be free. Then the damned doctors pulled him through."
"You wanted him to die?" Wheels asked.
"It was my one chance to take my life back," Tanya said. "Now its gone. He's a cripple and he's still holding me on a leash."
"Why don't you leave him now?" Wheels asked. "He's got no way to stop you."
"I can't," Tanya said. "Me leaving him helpless would be the same thing as him taking advantage of me when I was helpless. I have to be better than that."
"If you ever need any help, you ask me," Wheels said.
"Just having you to talk to has been more help than you could ever know," Tanya said.
"Tanya, I'll tell you a few stories about where I've been someday," Wheels said. "I've had some bad times on the streets. Trust me, Tanya. I understand."
"I just have one wish," Tanya said.
"What's that?"
"I wish that whoever hurt him would come back and finish the job," Tanya said.
Wheels and Tanya became true friends over the coarse of the next week. Wheels had even gone to Tanya's house to help her get ready for Candyman's homecoming. That, in itself, was good for the Circle. They wouldn't have to go through the hassle of following Tanya home from the hospital. It also let them know the layout of the house and exactly where Candyman would be.
As the Circle updated its plans, Wheels made sure that all the members knew that Tanya was not to be harmed in any way. Candyman was the enemy, not Tanya. Wheels argued a place for herself on the raiding party to make sure that Tanya would not be hurt.
The day came. Tanya asked Wheels to help her get Candyman home. Wheels was reluctant, but she finally agreed, due to Tanya's pleas. They rolled his wheelchair into the bedroom and helped him onto the bed. Wheels couldn't tell if the nausea she felt was from being pregnant or from being so close to sub-human scum.
After they finished their task, they went to the kitchen for a cup of coffee. Between sips Tanya said, "I know I owe you so much for this week, Jennifer. But can I ask you for one more favor?"
"That depends on what it is," Wheels said.
"It's kind of silly," Tanya said.
"What is it?" Wheels asked.
"Will you stay here with me tonight?" Tanya asked. "I don't think I can handle being alone."
"What about Mark?" Wheel asked.
"After I give him his medication at eight o'clock, he'll be out for the night," Tanya said. "I just don't want to be alone."
"Sure I'll stay," Wheels said. "I'll just run home real quick and get a change of clothes for school tomorrow."
"Thanks," Tanya said. "I appreciate it."
"It's nothing," Wheels said as she got up and started for the door. "I'll be back in a little bit."
Wheels awoke in the middle of the night for no reason. Her eyes just popped open and she was awake. The house was dark. Wheels opened the curtains and moonlight flooded the room. The moon was a bright crescent in the sky. The street was deserted. Even the insects were asleep. An inner compulsion forced Wheels to open the door to Candyman's room. She stood a step inside the door staring at him. Topaz was right. There are worse things in life than death and Wheels was looking at one of them. It didn't look human any more. Thanks to the help of a few obliging rodents, the Circle had done a job on it. They had done the same thing to one of Warlock's Dragons once, but they never saw the end result.
Then Wheels began to recall what this thing had cost the Circle. It set them up and lives were lost. She knew that the games the Circle played were, many times, dangerous. However, if they hadn't been betrayed, some of the lost ones would still be here. She remembered trying to wash Lightning's blood off of her hands. She washed endlessly for days, but the blood was still there. Wheels thought about the knife she had hidden away under her bed at home. It was the knife that had killed Lightning.
Wheels put her hands on her stomach. What kind of world was she bringing a baby into? Would she be able to keep her child out of this kind of mess? Maybe since she knew about what was really out there, she would be able to steer her baby away from it. She took one long last look at Candyman. She promised herself that it would not cause anybody any more grief, especially Tanya. As Wheels settled back into her makeshift bed on the coach, she wished that the doctors would have let the bastard die. They were more cruel for keeping him alive than the Circle was for killing him.
Four days passed. It was past midnight and the Circle was moving in. Hero and Spike were in Bubbles, parked three blocks to the north of the house. Leather and Twilight were parked, likewise, to the south. They kept in constant contact on the cell phones. When the street was clear and all the houses were dark, Hero called Aurora, Two-bit and Wheels in Nicki. They had a green light. Nicki stopped a little less than a block from the house. The three girls disappeared into the bushes and worked their way to the back of the house.
The plan was exact. They would slide into Candyman's room. Wheels would cover his mouth. Aurora would hold down his body if need be. Two-bit would cut his throat. Wheels had given Two-bit the knife that killed Lightning. It was going to kill the person that arranged her death.
Aurora made quick work of the lock and they stepped into the kitchen. So far, so good. Wheels motioned to the direction of the room. They took two steps when a gunshot shattered the silence of the night. Leather sent confused obscenities over the radio. Hero didn't have an answer. The three in the house ran to the source of the gunshot; Candyman's room.
When they burst through the door they found Tanya standing over the bed. The gun was still pointed at the body. Tanya stood motionless. She had wanted to kill him since the first time he sold her. Her virginity went to a drunken dope fiend for two hundred and fifty dollars and she hated him for it.
"Tanya!" Wheels said.
"I had to," Tanya said. She didn't even realize who she was talking to. "The son of a bitch turned me into a whore. I didn't know anything, and he turned me into a whore."
"Tanya, it's me," Wheels said. "It's Jennifer."
"Jennifer?" Tanya said. "What are you doing here?"
"Not now," Wheels said. "Come on!"
Wheels grabbed Tanya by the wrist. Aurora took the gun. Two-bit was already at the back door checking to see if it was clear. They pulled Tanya back through the bushes to Nicki. Tanya was stuffed into the back seat and Nicki made a slow walk for the highway.
When Nicki started moving, Bubbles and Horse followed. Hero's voice burst over the cell. "Wheels, this is Hero. Do you read me?"
"We hear you, Hero," Aurora replied from the passenger seat.
"What the fuck happened?" Hero yelled. "You were suppose to be quiet!"
"It wasn't us," Aurora said. "Tanya delivered the package."
"What did you do with Tanya?" Hero asked.
"She's with us," Aurora said. "Head for the clubhouse. We'll explain there."
"I copy," Hero said. "Leather did you hear that?"
"Ten-four," Leather acknowledged. "We're on our way."
The rest of the Circle was waiting when they arrived. Tanya was blindfolded when they brought her in. There was a lot of protests to an outsider being there, but Wheels defended her friend. Aurora gave the report on what happened. Then all eyes turned to Tanya. It was her turn to talk.
After she told the story of how Candyman took her in and forced her into prostitution, she continued, "I was sitting there tonight in the dark thinking about what Jennifer and I had talked about. I thought about leaving him but I don't have anywhere to go. Then I thought about when they told me he was probably going to die and how I could see my freedom coming back. But then he pulled through and I was trapped again. I had to get out. I just had to get out."
Tanya broke into tears. She covered her face with her hands and cried shamelessly.
Wheels lifted her friends face and wiped the tears off her cheeks. "Tanya, you may not like what I'm going to tell you," Wheels said. "We were there tonight to do the same thing. A while ago he set us up and one of our friends got killed. It took us this long to figure out that he was the one that had double crossed us. We were the ones that hung him down the manhole. Tonight we were going to finish the job."
"Is that why you became my friend?" Tanya asked. "To get to him."
"No," Wheels said. "When I first met you I had no idea who you were. I was just being nice to a stranger. I found you again so we could find out when he was leaving the hospital. That much is true. But, it is also true that I am your friend. I mean that."
"Thank you, Jennifer," Tanya said.
"For what?" Wheels asked.
"For being my friend," Tanya said. "My best friend."
"It's my pleasure, Tanya. And my name is, Wheels."
This time, Candyman made all the headlines. Every newspaper and television station ran stories on the crippled drug dealer that was assassinated in his bed. The Circle cooked up a solid alibi for Tanya. The police never even made her a suspect.
* * * * *
They came out of nowhere. All of them were covered head to toe in black. Two of them were holding Tanya back. Five others were holding Wheels. Tanya had a sudden wave of belief for all of Wheels' stories wash over her. The one that was giving the orders slapped Wheels a number of times. He made references to things that Tanya didn't recognize. When he was done yelling, he picked up a baseball bat and tossed it to the biggest one in the group. He gave an order to break all of Wheels' ribs.
Tanya's mind was racing. If they beat Wheels she would loose the baby and Wheels was so excited about having it. The bat was lifted and it started to swing.
"Stop," Tanya yelled. "Please don't hurt her."
"Stay out of this, bitch," the leader yelled. "Or you'll take her place."
"All right," Tanya said. She didn't believe what she was doing. "Take me instead."
"No, Tanya. Stay out of this," Wheels yelled.
The leader slapped Wheels, "Shut up! Why the fuck would you want to take her punishment?" He grabbed a handful of Tanya's hair and pulled her head back.
"She's pregnant," Tanya said. "She'll loose her baby."
"That's just another reason for me to break every bone in the bitch's body," the leader said pulling her hair more. "Do you want to take it for this slut and her brat?"
"No!," Wheels yelled.
The leader slapped Wheels again. "Well?!"
Tanya nodded. "She saved my life. I owe her everything. Please don't hurt her."
"Saving you was a wasted effort," the leader said. He motion to the one with the bat. "Kill this one."
"No!" Wheels yelled again.
The leader slapped Wheels. The one with the bat walked over to Tanya. He raised the bat. Tanya saw the bat flying through the air. It was coming straight at her chest. She closed her eyes before it could hit, but the blow never came. She opened her eyes. Wheels wasn't being held any more. The two that were holding her let go. The leader took off his mask. It was Hero. The one with the bat was Spike. They were all members of the Circle.
"Congratulations!" Hero said. "You made it."
Wheels hugged Tanya. "Welcome aboard."
"What's going on?" Tanya asked. She was bewildered.
"You've just been initiated into the Circle," Aurora said.
"You mean all this was...," Tanya started.
"A test," Wheels said. "And you passed, Target."
"Target?" Tanya asked.
"That's your new name," Hero said. "You've been dubbed Target. Welcome to the family."
　
　
　
　
　
book three
ALONE TOGETHER
　
chapter nine:
HEARTS AND SOULS
　
　
　
It was with great difficulty that Wheels managed to pull herself out of the hole she was in. Up until a few months ago she had no problem with the small task. Lately, however, it was getting harder and harder. All that work for a lousy bowel of butter-pecan ice cream. It just didn't seem worth it. When she was finally up, she asked herself why she kept sitting in that damned recliner. It just didn't have any sympathy for pregnant women. But, it did feel good on her back and until Hero got there to massage her aching muscles, she had to make do.
Wheels had found a number of things that didn't want to accommodate her inflated condition during her last trimester. The most irritating was the steering wheel. When the seat was far enough back to give her belly clearance, her feet wouldn't reach the peddles. She ended up compromising. Her stomach rubbed the bottom of the wheel just slightly, and she drove with the tips of her toes. She had the same problem with the booths in some restaurants. She even got wedged in the check out line at the grocery store once. Another challenge was walking down a flight of stairs. She hadn't realized how often she watched her feet until she couldn't see them any more.
The most irritating thing Wheels had to deal with was boredom. She hated being left behind. But the Circle refused to allow her to go out on business matters. So it was that Wheels was doomed to spend another night crying at old movies and cleaning the ice cream out of the freezer. The others had been out for less than two hours and she was already bouncing off the walls. They were meeting Joey and the Impala people. They were replacing Left's lost .38. Since Target had hit Candyman, the Circle had been on the defensive. They hadn't taken any of Candyman's vengeful friends into account. One of them even came into the school. Twilight was lucky to get away with only a few scratches before Hero came to her rescue.
When Hero stopped by Wheels' house earlier to say hello, and drop off the butter-pecan, he was in such a hurry that he hadn't noticed that Wheels' extended waist line had lowered itself quite a bit from the day before. Wheels wasn't due for another two weeks, so she credited the momentary discomfort to another gas attack. She was almost back to her chair when she was proven wrong. A sharp pain shot through her body. She dropped the ice cream and grabbed on to the back of the recliner to steady herself. She had cleaned up the mess and was standing in the kitchen when the second pain hit. This time it wasn't alone. It was accompanied by a flow of warm liquid that ran down her legs.
Wheels waddled as fast as she could straight to the cell phone that was sitting on the night stand in her bedroom. The phone rang for an eternity.
The voice that answered wasn‘t the one that answered. "Wheels, this is Leather. Hero's away from the radio. What's up?"
"I need Hero at my house," Wheels said. "My water broke. I'm ready to pop!"
"Are you shitting me?" Leather asked.
"Why the fuck would I joke about this!" Wheels yelled. "My folks are out. I need Hero here."
"Hang tight," Leather said. "I'll get Aurora."
"Fuck Aurora! I want Hero and I want him now!" Wheels said.
The few seconds of silence seemed like an hour. "Wheels, it's Hero. Are you still there."
"Of coarse I'm here," Wheels said. "It's time."
"When did the pains start?" Hero asked.
"Pains hell," Wheels said. "My water broke. In half an hour you're going to be a daddy. Get me to the hospital now!"
"I'll be there as soon as I can," Hero said.
"Hurry!"
The line clicked dead.
Hero burst through the door without knocking. Two cruisers had gotten into an accident and traffic had been moving slower than a three legged turtle. It took him more than twenty minutes to make the ten minute trip. Target and Twilight were with him. The rest of the Circle stayed behind to wrap things up with Joey. They found Wheels sitting on the floor leaning against the bed. Both of her hands held fists full of bedspread. She was breathing in deep heavy breaths. Her head was tilted back and her hair was matted with sweat. Just as Hero entered the room, she let out a cry that momentarily stopped him in his tracks.
"Wheels, how are you doing?" Hero asked as he knelt beside her.
Wheels grabbed his hand and almost crushed it. "What the hell took you so long?"
"I drove on the sidewalks to get here as fast as I did," Hero tried to explain.
"Hero, we're not going to make it to the hospital," Wheels said.
"We'll make it," Hero said. "Just hold on tight. Twilight, call an ambulance." Twilight dashed out to the kitchen phone.
"I'd be happy to hold on," Wheels said. "Junior is the one that's being impatient."
"Can we agree to never call him junior?" Hero said. "Target, help me get her on the bed."
Twilight came back in the room as Hero was adjusting pillows behind Wheels. "The ambulance is on its way," She said.
"It's too late," Wheels said. "That baby is coming. Aaaahh!"
Hero, Target and Twilight all looked at each other wondering what to do. Hero wanted to ask Wheels if she was sure, but the look on her face was convincing enough. Wheels screamed again.
Hero took a deep breath and said, "O.K. Twilight, go outside and watch for that god damned ambulance. Target, get some clean towels, the sharpest knife you can find, and some alcohol."
Wheels asked, "What are you doing?"
"We are having a baby," Hero said. "I thought you would have figured that out by now."
"Don't be a smart ass," Wheels said. "What do you know about delivering a baby?"
"Not as much as you do," Hero said.
"Are you crazy?" Wheels protested.
"Is there someone else that you would rather have do this?" Hero asked.
"Yes," Wheels said. "A doctor."
"Hero looked over his shoulder and yelled, "Is there a doctor in the house?"
Target came back into the room with the towels and the alcohol. "Are you out of your mind?" she said. "Quit fucking around. Wheels needs help, not jokes."
"I need a doctor," Wheels said.
"We don't have a doctor," Target said. "You're stuck with him."
"What happened to no jokes?" Hero asked.
Wheels screamed again. "Are you sure about this?"
"Do we have a choice?" Hero asked.
When the ambulance pulled into the driveway, Twilight ran into the house to let Wheels know that the cavalry had arrived. She swung open the bedroom door just in time to see Hero wrapping a baby in one of the towels.
"You have a daughter, my lady," he said to Wheels as he put the bundle in her arms.
The paramedics pushed their way into the room and began pulling all kind of things out of their boxes. One of them took the baby to make sure it was all right. The other one turned his attention to Wheels. He was talking on a portable phone as he put an IV into Wheels' arm. The first paramedic handed the baby to Hero and helped his partner put Wheels on the gurney.
They were lifting Wheels into the back of the ambulance when Horse and Nicki pulled up to the curb. Aurora climbed out of Nicki and asked, "What's going on?"
Hero smiled and said, "It's a girl."
The Circle clamored around Hero to get a look. After all the oohs and ahs, Evergreen asked, "How's Wheels?"
"She's fine," Hero said.
"We need to get going," a paramedic said.
Hero dug his keys out of his pocket and put the in the closest hand. "I'm going to ride with Wheels. Somebody bring Bubbles to the hospital."
Hero and Wheels named their daughter Sarah Donavan Kender. The Circle named her Bounce. It took an hour and a half to get a hold of Wheels' parents. By the time they got to the hospital Wheels was asleep, so they looked at the baby through the nursery glass. Hero told them all the important news. He didn't tell them that no one bothered to clean up the mess in Wheels' room.
When Hero gave his keys away they landed in Two-bit's hand. She rode by herself, telling the rest of the Circle that she wanted to be alone for a few minutes. The Circle reluctantly agreed. Two-bit hadn't been herself for a couple of weeks. She was almost always depressed. She didn't talk or act like herself. It was as if she was turning into another person. The problem with that was that the person she was turning into was never happy.
The Circle had a good idea about what was causing the changes, but Two-bit wouldn't talk to any of them when they tried to help. The cause was her latest boyfriend, Gary. He was one of those men who are all about appearance and have little to no substance. He was ruled by the all mighty dollar and all it could buy. His clothes were designer. His friends were upper class. His business was lucrative. His BMW was royal blue. And his girlfriends were trophies.
The only thing that attracted him to Two-bit was her body. He told her what to wear, how to do her hair, what to say, how to walk, and even what and how to eat. He had a firm dislike for the Circle, especially Hero, and he told Two-bit about what kind of trash they were every chance he got. He even told her that, without him, she was a piece of white trash too. Gary's constant browbeating drove Two-bit's self esteem into the basement. She was beginning to think that she was nothing but the dirt Gary said she was. She doubted that anybody could or did care about her.
On the way to the hospital, Two-bit broke off from the convoy. At first, she drove around town with no particular destination in mind. Driving usually helped settle her mind, but there were too many other cars on the road. So, she went to find Gary. What she wanted, what she needed, was for someone to need her.
Two-bit found Gary at his usual bar. She parked Bubbles next to his BMW and went inside. Gary had taken her there so often that the bouncer knew her and didn't bother to check her ID. Gary was at a table in the center of the bar. There was another man and two girls with him. The four of them were dressed to kill, especially the girls. Two-bit looked at herself. She was wearing stone washed black denim jeans, spiked high heel boots, a jean jacket and driving gloves.
Two-bit shrugged her shoulders and walked up to the table. "Hi Gary."
"What are you doing here?" Gary scolded. "And why the hell are you dressed like that?"
"I was out with the Circle," Two-bit said. "Wheels had her baby."
"Like I care if one of your whore friends had a brat," Gary said.
"Gary, aren't you going to introduce us?" the other man at the table said.
"I'm sorry, guys," Gary said. "Everybody, this is Kathy."
"You can call me Two-bit," she said.
"God damn it," Gary spit. "How many times do I have to tell you not to use that stupid nick name. You're not walking the streets with that trash you call friends anymore. You're with me."
"Why Two-bit?" one of the girls asked.
"It's a long story," Two-bit said.
"One that we don't want to hear," Gary said. "I better get you out of here before you embarrass me any more than you already have. Do you know where my car is parked?"
"I parked right next to it," Two-bit said.
"What car do you have?" Gary asked.
"Hero loaned me his Volkswagen," Two-bit said.
Gary's jaw tightened. "And what did you have to do for that?"
A few hours later, Two-bit found herself lying in Gary's bed, staring at the ceiling. Those thoughts were running through her mind again. Actually, they were more like feelings than thoughts: loneliness, uselessness, unloved, unwanted, desperation, depression. She wondered if anyone even cared if she lived at all.
It was almost ten the morning when Two-bit pulled Bubbles into Hero's driveway. She turned the engine off and sat looking at the keys. She wondered what she should tell Hero. How was she suppose to tell him where she went. Any other time he wouldn't hesitate to let her take Bubbles. But Hero had many of the same feelings about Gary that Gary had about him; hatred, antagonism.
Two-bit decided not to tell Hero anything and left the keys on the front seat. She was almost to the end of the driveway when Nicki and Horse pulled up. Nicki blew her horn, calling to Hero. Hero spotted Bubbles as soon as he stepped out of the door and he ran to where Two-bit stood motionless.
He gave Bubbles a quick looking over before turning his anger towards Two-bit. "Where the fuck did you disappear to last night?" he yelled.
"It's none of your damn business, Hero," Two-bit said.
"When you take off in my car without giving anybody any word it's my business," Hero said.
Spike stepped between them. "Both of you calm down. We're all friends here. Remember?"
"We were all worried about you when you didn't show at the hospital, Two-bit," Leather said. "What happened?"
"I got side tracked," Two-bit said.
"All fucking night?" Hero snapped.
Spike pushed Hero back away from Two-bit saying, "Hey you, chill."
"Hey, babe," Aurora said. "We're concerned about you."
"All Hero is concerned about is his car," Two-bit said.
"Ten to one she went to see Gary," Left said, thinking out loud.
"When I want your opinion, bitch," Two-bit said. "I'll give it to you."
"Bitch?" Left said. "I'm not the one screwing some asshole for a ride in his beemer."
Two-bit pulled a knife out of her jacket and lunged at Left. She knocked Aurora to the ground in the effort. Tinsel grabbed Two-bit's wrist and veered the knife off its path. Left and Right both took a defensive stance. Topaz seized Two-bit's other arm and pulled backwards. Twilight dropped a shoulder and caught Two-bit around the waist. When Two-bit's forward momentum was stopped, Oscar placed a gentle hand on Two-bit's wrist and slowly pulled the knife out of her fist.
"Get off of me!" Two-bit yelled shaking off the hands that held her.
"What is your problem lately?" Target asked.
"You haven't been here long enough to be asking me questions," Two-bit said. "You're lucky we didn't nail you the same night we took out that asshole you were hooking for!"
The whole group got deathly quiet. Tears became visible in Target's eyes. "I'm going to wait in the car." She turned just as the first tear ran down her cheek. She sat in Nicki's back seat and cried for painful memories.
"How could you say that," Twilight said in disgust and ran after Target.
Right said, "Now that she has her rich friends, maybe she thinks that she's too good for us now."
"Give me my knife, Oscar," Two-bit said.
"No," Oscar replied.
"God damn it, I said give me my fucking knife!" Two-bit yelled.
Oscar threw the knife as far as she could. "I said no."
Two-bit clenched her teeth and scowled at her friends. After a moment she said, "To hell with all of you," and she pushed her way through the crowd.
"Two-bit!" Aurora said. "Where are you going?"
"What do you care?" Two-bit said without looking back.
"Damn it, Kathy," Aurora said. "What's wrong with you?"
Two-bit stopped and looked over her shoulder. She was crying. "I don't know, Joanne. I just don't know."
It usually took Two-bit fifteen minutes to walk home from Hero's house. That time it took her two hours. There are time when a person can be standing in the middle of a crowd of thousands of people and still feel like she's the only person on earth. That's the feeling that had invaded Two-bit's heart. She wanted so much for them to come after her. She prayed that somebody, anybody, would run up behind her and give her the biggest hug ever. But they didn't. They went to the hospital to see Wheels and Bounce.
Two-bit was happy that Wheels had her baby. She thought about how happy Wheels and Hero were when she saw them the night before. They had a baby. They had someone to care for and someone who needed them. The whole Circle needed Aurora. She was the Circle. What was Two-bit? Nothing. No one needed her. No one cared. She should never had been born. Her life had no purpose. She was just another rock for people to kick down the street.
When she got home she started to get ready for her date with Gary. He had told her exactly what to wear for the evening. She laid the outfit out on the bed. He even dictated what jewelry she was suppose to accessorize with. As she sat in front of the mirror putting her face together, the same emptiness filled her heart.
The glint of a razor blade stopped the application of her eye liner. She stared at it for a long while. Then she put down the eye liner pencil and picked up the razor blade. Her eyes darted from the blade to her wrist and back to the blade. Her mind flashed back to the distant past. Someone in school tried to commit suicide and failed. Two-bit remembered someone commenting that if the girl had cut all the way down her wrist instead of across it, she would have succeeded.
The tip of the razor blade touched Two-bit's wrist. Then she looked up at the mirror. She looked deep into her own eyes. Was she sure? She held up the blade and looked at it in the mirror. As the first pangs of conviction began to rise in her, she saw the reflection of the clock on the wall behind her. Gary would be there soon. He hated to wait. She put the blade down and finished getting ready. She never realized that she had just contemplated killing herself.
When Gary arrived, he pulled into the driveway and honked the horn. He didn't even care enough to get out of the car.
　
chapter ten:
SEARCHING
　
　
　
The Circle had invaded Wheels' house. It was a standard meeting; twenty percent business, fifteen percent liquor, and seventy-five percent gossip. It was the first meeting since bounce was born and, needless to say, she was the main topic of the evening. The baby girl began making the rounds from person to person before the meeting even started. When bedtime hit, which wasn't far off since the Circle met at night, Bounce was understandably wound up. With thirteen women in the house, including the baby's mother, it turned out to be the only man in the house, Hero, that was able to get the baby settled and in bed.
While the others were taking their turns with Bounce, Aurora noticed Evergreen sitting in a corner. The Circle's book keeper was even more pre-occupied with her ledger than usual. Aurora sat down next to Evergreen and said, "What's up mommy Warbucks?"
"I'm not balancing again," Evergreen said grinding her teeth.
"What's wrong?" Aurora asked.
"Do you remember a while back when I lost track of a few things here and there?" Evergreen said.
"Weren't you missing thirty or forty bucks?" Aurora recalled.
"Yea," Evergreen said. "Actual cash turned up shorter than the receipts a few times. It pissed me off because I couldn't track it down."
"I thought we decided that someone just forgot to bring back a receipt," Aurora said.
"We did," Evergreen said. "It all got cleaned up nice and pretty so we didn't give it a second thought."
"So," Aurora said.
Evergreen ground her teeth again. "So, it's happening again. Last week we were short thirty. Now I'm missing fifty."
"Do you have any ideas about what's going on?" Aurora asked.
"I've got my suspicions but I don't want to say anything until I'm sure," Evergreen said. "All together we're missing close to a thousand bucks in the past two and a half months."
"How do we find out where it went?" Aurora asked.
"I'm going to start balancing every day, instead of once a week," Evergreen said. "That way I can figure out who's coming up short, how much, and how often. I'll try to back track through the past couple of months and do the same thing, but its going to be difficult trying to remember who had what receipt."
"Do your best," Aurora said. "And let's keep this between us until we find out who our ghost is."
"You got it," Evergreen said.
"You know what we have to do right now though, don't you," Aurora asked.
"No. What?" Evergreen said.
"We need to go party at the warehouse," Aurora said.
Evergreen snapped her ledger closed. "Let's go."
The rush to the door came to a sudden stop when Wheels cried out, "Wait a minute! Who's going to stay with Sarah? I can't wake her up now."
"She's right," Topaz said. "Somebody has to sit on the baby."
Everybody looked at everybody else. It had been a long time since they had let their hair down and no one wanted to miss the opportunity, especially Wheels. She hadn't had a drink since she found out that she was pregnant and nine months was a long dry spell. Two-bit broke the tension when she volunteered to stay.
"Are you sure?" Aurora asked.
"I don't feel much like partying," Two-bit said. "Besides, the time alone will do me good."
"Thank you, Two-bit," Wheels said giving her friend a hug.
"Just don't expect it next time," Two-bit said. "Go on. Get out of here."
Two-bit stood in the doorway and watched her friends drive off towards a night of frivolity. When they were out of sight she went back inside. A wave of melancholy began to sweep over her before she even had the door locked. She had been depressed all the time as of late and it had been growing gradually worse. Nothing she did seemed to make her feel better. The things that used to make her smile, didn't any more. The things that used to make her laugh were making her cry. The whole world just seemed to be getting worse and worse.
Two-bit went to check on Bounce. She wiped a tear from her eye as she opened the door. Bounce was asleep on her stomach. A tiny fist was curled up and being used as a pacifier. A pink blanket with Sesame Street characters that was covering her to the shoulders earlier, had been left in the center of the crib when Bounce inched her way forward until her head was nestled in the lap of a teddy bear that was twice her size.
Two-bit reached down and pulled the blanket back over the sleeping infant. "How precious," she said softly. "You certainly are one lucky little girl. You have a mommy and daddy that love you very much, a good home, and all the warmth and affection you could want. Listen to me. I'm starting to sound like Topaz. Would you like to know something, little one? I'd really like to be in your place right now. People care about you. They don't give a damn about me. Sometimes I think I could disappear from the face of the earth and nobody would notice."
Two-bit wiped away more tears. "I know what your thinking," she said. "The Circle cares, right? If that's true how come none of them offered to stay with me. I'm just free day care for them. I don't think Gary cares either. To him I'm just another possession, like his damn car. I have to look the right way and say the right things and act like I'm somebody. I guess that's the problem, isn't it. I have to act like I'm somebody. As I am I'm a nobody, nothing."
Two-bit touch the baby's face and stroked her cheek. "I wish I was out at the train yard right now. You'd like it out there. The sky is so clear out there that you can see every star in the heavens. I go out there and sit in the old round house and watch the trains go by. You'd like the trains too. When they're pulling out they blow their whistles and it sounds so happy. It's almost like their saying good-bye and they'll see me when they get back. Is that silly? Well, thanks for listening, little one. You get some sleep now."
Two-bit stroked Bounce's fine hair. She didn't realize it, but she was smiling. That was the best heart to heart talk she'd had in a long time. She slid out of the room and closed the door behind her. She knew the baby hadn't understood, or even heard a word she said, but just saying it out loud had somehow made her feel better. If only the feeling would last.
Two-bit was at the end of the hall when she heard her cell phone ring. She snatched it up so it wouldn't wake up Bounce. "Two-bit here," she said.
"Don’t you mean ‘this is Kathy Hagger‘?" the voice on the other end of the line said. "I‘m at Wheels‘ house, Gary," Two-bit said. "What‘s up?"
Gary answered. "What in the name of hell are you doing there? Tammi Young is having a hot tub party tonight and I'm already late. I'll be at your house in twenty minutes to pick you up. Wear that G-string bikini I spent a fortune on. It's about time someone saw it besides your mirror. Don't worry about your hair. Just pull it back into a pony tail. You should look fine. Now, if you've got all that, I'm on my way."
"Gary, wait a minute," Two-bit said. "I can't leave here. I'm baby sitting."
"Baby sitting? For who?" Gary said.
"For Wheels," Two-bit said. "She had a baby a while ago. Remember?"
"Where's the brat now?" Gary asked.
"Where the hell do you think a baby would be at nine-thirty. She's in bed," Two-bit said.
"Good," Gary said. "Since it's already asleep, you can leave a note and lock up the house. I'm sure your bimbo friend will be back before it wakes up."
"Are you out of your fucking mind? I can't leave this baby alone. What if something happens?" Two-bit said, unaware of her rising volume.
"First off," Gary said. "I don't give a damn about that brat. Second thing, I've told you about your damn language. Don't make me beat it out of your system again."
Two-bit remembered the night when Gary chased her through his apartment with a leather belt until he cornered her in the bedroom. When he finished beating her, he used the same belt to tie her to the bed. For weeks after that she felt... violated? She looked at the scar on her wrist from the belt buckle. The whole thing had been over some trivial matter that Two-bit couldn't remember. There was only the beating, and... the rape!
Two-bit turned cold and said, "If you ever lay a hand on me again, I'll cut your fucking heart out." She said it to herself as much as she did to Gary.
"What!" Gary yelled. "What in the hell did you say to me, you second hand whore."
Two-bit repeated, "If you ever come near me again, I'll kill you, dead. And then I'll have all of my street scum friends there to piss on your grave!"
"That's it," Gary said. "You just made the worst mistake of your pitiful life! You and I are through. I could have saved you from all that dirt you grew up in, but you blew it. Go crawl back under your rock, whore! You'll never be anything now. You're a piece of trash like the rest of your Circle. You God damn whore!"
The line was viciously severed. Two-bit snapped the phone shut and began to cry. "What in the hell just happened?" she asked herself. "Gary's gone, and he's gone for good. Now I really am alone. Gary was an asshole, but at least he wanted me. Who's going to want me now? Oh God, what do I do now?"
The tears poured down Two-bit's face. An blanket of desperation enveloped her. She wanted it all to end. She was crying for every hurt she had ever endured. When she was able to move, she ran to the bathroom. She found a bottle of valium. She poured the entire bottle into one hand and picked up a glass of water with the other. She let out a long breath and was about to put the pills in her mouth when she heard the soft cry of a baby coming from the other room.
Two-bit froze. The cry was getting louder. There was someone who needed her. The baby. That little helpless baby was depending on Two-bit to be there to care for her and protect her. That small child needed Two-bit.
The glass and the pills fell and, in unison, scattered themselves across the bathroom floor. Two-bit didn't hear the crash. The sudden realization that she wasn't alone was staggering. Two-bit went into Bounce's room and watched the baby wriggle in the crib as she cried. Bounce was helpless. She was totally dependent on Two-bit to fix whatever it was that was wrong.
As Two-bit lifted Bounce out of the crib, the crying began to subside. "O.K. Bounce," Two-bit said. "What's the problem? Are you wet or just hungry?"
As Two-bit sat in the rocker feeding Bounce the last bit of a bottle, the conversation she had with the baby earlier came back to her mind. She thought about the train yard. She picture the stars shining through the cracked windows of the abandoned roundhouse. She could almost hear an imaginary train blow its whistle as it steamed off into a dream's night.
"Hey, Bounce." Two-bit said. "How would you like to go for a walk?"
A few minutes past midnight, Wheels got home to an empty house. At first, she almost panicked when she realized that neither Bounce or Two-bit were in the house. But she shook it off by telling herself that Two-bit probably just got into one of her loneliness kicks and took Bounce back to her house. Besides, Two-bit was one of her best and most trusted friends. Bounce would be as safe with her as anybody. As Wheels sank into her bed, she smiled at the thought of having friends that she could trust that much. Still though, she'd call Two-bit first thing in the morning.
* * * * *
"Wwaakkee uupp AAuurroorraa," the voice from hell said. "Wwaakkee uupp. Wwee hhaave to taallk to you. We figured out who's skimming the bank roll. Come on, wake up."
Aurora blinked her eyes and tried to focus on the two figures that were standing over her bed. At the party the night before, Aurora had made the mistake of trying to out drink Hero. Some day she would learn that should couldn't beat him by doing shots one to one. She had to trick him to put him under the table. The sunrise marked the time to pay the price for loosing.
Aurora forced her eyes to focus on Evergreen and Oscar. "What time is it?" she asked.
"It's a little past ten," Oscar answered.
"Ten?!" Aurora said in disgust. "I didn't get to bed until after four. Go away. Come back later."
"We haven't been to bed at all," Evergreen said. "So wake up. This is important. We found our ghost."
"Ghost?" Aurora said. "What ghost? What are you talking about?"
"Don't you remember last night?" Evergreen asked. "I told you that the ledger wasn't balancing. Well, me and Oscar spent most of the night back tracking through receipts and we found out who was shorting the kitty."
"I thought we were going to keep this to ourselves." Aurora's head was beginning to clear.
"I know, but I needed help sorting out all that shit and you were three sheets to the wind by midnight," Evergreen said.
"All right then," Aurora said. "Who is it?"
"It's the twins," Oscar said.
"Can you prove it?" Aurora asked.
"Can a bird prove he can fly?" Oscar answered.
Evergreen looked at Oscar. "You've been hanging around Topaz too long," she said.
"Haven't we all," Oscar said.
"Too true," Evergreen said. "Too true."
"What's the proof?" Aurora asked.
"That we've been hanging around Topaz too long?" Oscar said.
"Would you forget Topaz," Aurora said. "What do you have on Right and Left?"
Before Evergreen could answer, the phone rang. Aurora grabbed her head and fell back on the bed. Oscar picked up the phone on the second ring. "Aurora‘s phone," she said.
"Hey. This is Larry." His voice had a note of urgency to it.
"Hey, Hero, this is Oscar," she said. "What's up?"
"Hi Oscar," Hero said. "I didn't recognize your voice. What are you doing there?"
"Me and Evergreen have some business to discuss with Aurora," Oscar said.
"Is she coherent?" Hero asked.
"Barely," Oscar said. "Why? What's up?"
"I just got a scary call from Wheels," Hero began. "Two-bit wasn't at Wheels' house when Wheels got home last night and neither was Bounce. Wheels figured that Two-bit just got lonely and took the baby back to her house. But, when Wheels called over there this morning, Mrs. Hagger said that Two-bit never came home last night. I need to know if Aurora has heard from Two-bit. Wheels is about to blow a micro chip."
"Hold on, I'll ask," Oscar said. "Aurora, when was the last time you heard from Two-bit?"
"When we left Wheels' house. Why?" Aurora said.
"Two-bit and Bounce are both missing," Oscar said before she put the phone back to her ear. "No, Hero. There's been no word here since last night."
"Shit!" Hero said. "Can you guys meet me at Wheels' house? She's going to go through the roof."
"We'll be there as soon as we can get Aurora out of bed," Oscar said.
"Tell her that if she doesn't move, I'll give her another shot," Hero said.
"Good bye, Hero," Oscar said.
"Where are we suppose to meet him?" Aurora asked.
"At Wheels' house," Oscar said. "As soon as possible."
"I thought that Sunday was the day you got to recover from the night before," Aurora said.
"Not today," Evergreen said. "We'd better get going."
"All right, I'm moving," Aurora said. "But somebody is going to owe me for this."
"We'll add it to the twins’ list," Evergreen said.
Hero had just gotten Wheels calmed down enough to think straight when Aurora, Oscar and Evergreen showed up. The list of places that they thought of that might be places that Two-bit could have taken the baby was short, and they went through them fast. Wheels was just about to get hysterical again when Oscar had an idea. "This may sound like a stupid question," Oscar said. "But has any one thought to call over to Gary's place?"
“Rrring... rrring... Rrri”
"Hello," Gary answered.
"Hi, Gary," Aurora said. "My name is Joanne. You don't really know me. I'm a friend of Kathy Hagger and I'm having some trouble reaching her. I don't suppose you've seen her lately, have you?"
"Are you one of those scum sucking whore friends of hers?" Gary said.
"Watch your fucking mouth or I'll reach down your throat, grab your ankles and turn you inside out," Aurora said. "I'm looking for Kathy Hagger. If you know where she is, you'd do well to tell me."
"Look bitch," Gary said. "The day that you sluts scare me will be the day I trade my BMW in on a Volkswagen. Go to hell, bitch." A heavy click severed the connection.
Aurora stared at the phone and said, "This ass hole does not know who he's dealing with."
"What did he say?" Wheels asked.
Aurora hung up the phone. "He called us all whores, told me to go to hell, and hung up on me. The son of a bitch must pay."
"Who knows where he lives?" Evergreen asked.
"I do," Hero said. "I dropped Two-bit off at his place once."
"Well, I think we owe him a visit," Aurora said.
By the time Nicki pulled into the driveway next to Gary's BMW, Aurora was sober and Wheels was pissed. The five members of the Circle were ready to do business when they walked up to Gary's door. Aurora had her stiletto. Wheels had the billy club from under Nicki's seat. Oscar and Evergreen were both still carrying their pistols from the night before. Hero had the short steel rod out of Bubbles and was spinning it like a baton. The girls hid in the bushes beside the door when Hero knocked.
"Who's there?" Gary said from the other side of the door.
"UPS delivery," Hero answered.
"Hang on a second," Gary said. There was some shuffling and the door opened. Gary was standing in the doorway wearing only an over coat. He said, "O.K. What do you have for me?"
"The very thing you need, Gary," Hero said just before he hit Gary in the solar plexus with the steel rod. Hero pushed his way into the house. The girls filed in close behind him. Oscar locked the door behind them. Evergreen and Hero grabbed Gary by the arms to drag him down the hall.
"Are you all right, Gary?" came a voice from the living room.
Wheels and Aurora ran into the room and scared Gary's guest half to death. She was naked, sitting on the coach with a glass of wine in her hand. She dropped the glass as soon as she saw Wheels and Aurora and reached for a phone. Wheels brought her billy club down on the phone, sending pieces of plastic flying across the room.
Wheels looked into the girl's eyes and said, "Just who were you going to call?"
"Ghostbusters maybe," Aurora said. She put the point of her stiletto under the girl's chin. "Sit your ass down, slut."
Gary had just caught his breath when Hero and Evergreen dropped him on the floor in the room. "You people don't know who you're messing with. I'll have your heads for this," Gary said.
"What are you going do?" Wheels said. "Fire us."
"Shut up, ass hole," Aurora said. "You're not impressing anyone. Take the jacket off and sit down next to the bimbo."
Gary stood up and faced Aurora and Hero. Aurora had her arms crossed. Hero was spinning the rod again. "Give me one reason why I should do anything you want," Gary said.
"I'll give you six reason," Oscar said as she stepped up behind Hero. She cocked her gun as she pointed it at Gary. He dropped his coat and sat next to the girl without making a sound.
Wheels tapped the girl on the shoulder and said, "You know, if you would have talked to us earlier, we could have found you someone who has one of those in an adult size."
"Very funny," Gary said.
"Listen up, ass hole," Aurora said. "You're not in any kind of position to be smarting off. So, do like a good little boy and answer our questions. That way we can disappear from your life without having to hurt you too bad before we go. O.K.?"
"What do you want?" Gary asked.
"Kathy Hagger," Aurora said. "Where is she?"
"How the hell should I know?" Gary said.
"Wrong answer," Wheels said as she swung her bill club and hit him across the knees.
"Owe!! You bitch!" Gary screamed. He turned to lunge at Wheels and found himself nose to nose with Evergreen's .38.
Aurora pulled the coffee table away from the coach and sat on it facing Gary. Hero stood next to her. "Let's try this again," Aurora said. "But this time, don't answer my question with another question. I really hate that. Let's see now. What was the question? Oh yes, I remember. Where is Kathy Hagger?"
"Fuck you," Gary said trying to pretend that his knees were not in pain.
"Wrong again," Hero said and he whacked Gary's knees with the steel rod.
Gary screamed and fell on the floor holding his knees. The girl leaned forward to help him but Evergreen grabbed her shoulder and pulled her back to her place on the sofa.
"This is getting nowhere, fast," Wheels said.
"Oscar, do you have the silencer we gave you last month," Aurora asked.
"Of coarse I do," Oscar said. She pulled a cylindrical piece of metal out of her pocket and began to screw it on to the end of her .357 magnum.
After Hero picked up Gary and put him back on the coach, Aurora said, "Now Gary, you're being unreasonable and I don't have a lot of time to waste. I want you to tell me every thing you know about Kathy starting with last night. If you don't tell us, we'll have to keep working on you knees. But, like I said before, I don't have a lot of time. So, instead of a stick, we'll be using bullets. The choice is yours. You can talk to us or you can not walk any more? What will it be?"
"All right," Gary said. "I'll tell you. I called her last night to tell her to get ready to go to a party. She said she was brat sitting and couldn't go anywhere. We had a fight and I broke up with her. That's the last I heard from her."
"She had the baby at her house?" Wheels said.
"No. She was at a friend's house," Gary said.
"I don't believe you let your knees get killed for that," Aurora said. "You should have just told me all this over the phone. Are we ready to get out of here?"
"We should turn out the lights before we leave," Hero said.
"Turn off the lights then," Aurora said as she stood up.
Wheels hit the girl across the back of the head and knocked her unconscious. Hero was about to do the same to Gary when Aurora held up her hand for him to stop.
"We'll be watching you, Gary," Aurora said. "If you don't forget about us, I'll have my friend use her silencer to silence you. Do you understand?"
Gary nodded. Hero turned out the lights.
When they got back to Wheels' house, Wheels was about ready to pull her hair out. She said, "Where could they be, Aurora? I know that Two-bit has Bounce. But where did she take her?"
"It's got to be some place simple that we're just over looking," Aurora said. "She never goes far. She just fades her skinny little ass into the woodwork."
Oscar pulled a travel tooth brush out of her pocket and said, "Wheels, excuse me for changing the subject, but I have to brush my teeth. I feel like I'm chewing on cotton balls. Do you have any tooth paste that I can use?"
"In the hall bathroom," Wheels said. "But why didn't you do that when you woke up this morning?"
"Evergreen and I never got to sleep last night," Oscar said as she exchanged smiles with Evergreen.
"What the hell did you stay up all night for?" Wheels asked.
"Homework," Evergreen said. "Oscar, I don't suppose you have another tooth brush hidden in there anywhere, do you?" Her tone suggested that there was more than one meaning to her words.
Oscar held her jacket open and said, "No. There's nothing in here hiding from you."
"Well you could at least let me use yours," Evergreen said. "The tooth brush I mean." She was so tire that she forgot that Wheels, Aurora and Hero were still in the room.
"Don't you know how many germs are in the human mouth?" Oscar asked.
"Well that's just fine," Evergreen said. "You'll kiss me but I can't use your tooth brush. I feel used."
Oscar's eyes got very wide and her mouth dropped open. When Evergreen saw Oscar's expression, she realized what she said and turned to face her other three friends. Hero had his hand over his mouth to fight a laugh and turned his head. Wheels had the same expression on her face that Oscar did. Aurora had a dead pan look until she saw Hero struggling not to laugh. She started to laugh, which made Hero start to laugh.
"Do we want to know want the two of you really did last night?" Aurora asked.
Evergreen look back at Oscar, who looked like she was a little scared. "We balanced the ledger and found out that the twins were embezzling from us," Evergreen said desperately trying to change the subject.
"And that took all night?" Aurora said.
"Just about," Evergreen said.
"Never mind," Hero said breaking in. "It doesn't matter. You two go brush your teeth. We'll try to figure out where Two-bit is."
"Oscar bowed her head and darted into the bathroom. She slipped on the wet floor and caught herself on the counter. She looked down and saw the broken glass and the pills on the floor. "Wheels, you better come in here," she said.
"The tooth paste is in the medicine cabinet, Oscar," Wheels said.
"The tooth paste may be," Oscar said. "But the medicine isn't."
Wheels and the others crowded into the doorway. "Oh my God," Wheels said.
"What kind of pills are they?" Hero asked.
Oscar picked one up. "They look like valium," she said.
Wheels clenched her fist. She was as scared as she was angry. She took a deep breath and yelled, "Where the hell is my baby!"
　
chapter eleven
CROSSROADS
　
　
　
The night had cleared some. The stars sparkled behind sparse clouds that slipped across the sky. Two-bit sat on the short wall that separated the train yard from the untended field that paralleled the abandoned round house. Bounce was asleep in Two-bit's untiring arms. She a was wrapped securely in the knit blanket that kept out the night breeze. Two-bit was entranced by night time activity of the train yard. It was the first time in months that she had been happy and at ease. The baby jumped at the noise of an engine coupling itself to a boxcar. Two-bit looked down at Bounce and started rocking again. She smiled at the thought that it was nice to be needed. She hugged Bounce close and looked up at the sky. The moon was high. It was getting late. Two-bit hopped off the wall and went inside the round house. She laid the baby on a blanket that was spread on the ground and laid down next to her.
"You sure are a sweet little thing," Two-bit said as she stroked Bounce's hair. "You look a lot like your daddy. I could have been your mommy, you know. It wasn't too awful long ago that me and your daddy had our own little fling. After the first night that we were together, I thought about getting pregnant. That was different though. Back then I didn't want anything to do with babies, just your daddy. Hero made me forget about every care I had in the world. He was gentle and loving. He filled me with so much warmth and happiness. You know all about that, don't you? I've watched him with you. I can tell that he loves you just by the way he holds you."
Two-bit rolled on to her back and looked through the broken skylight at the stars. She kept talking to herself. "I wonder sometimes if Wheels and Hero are going to stay together. He's been right there for her all the time you were on the way, Bounce. I don't think they were ever really a couple though. They only ended up in bed together because Wheels lost that race to him. He was still touchy about Storm's death at the time. I think Wheels was just helping Hero get over her. After the way he fought to save Storm, I didn't think that Hero would ever get involved with another girl. Wheels definitely helped him. There wasn't anything wrong with that. We all tried to help him, especially after all he's done for us. He's always been there for us... any of us."
Two-bit's memory started to fly back towards the past. She found herself back at a time before the Circle was formed. She and Aurora were at Aurora's house. They heard something outside. At first they didn't pay it any mind, but it kept happening. They looked out the window but they didn't see anything. After an hour or so they called Hero. It was well past one in the morning. When they told him that someone was outside scratching on the windows, he told them to hold tight and he was on his way. That was before he had Bubbles, and he ran more than two miles in the middle of the night carrying a baseball bat. He was there in fifteen minutes. After Aurora and Two-bit were calm again, he went outside and found the perpetrator. A kite had gotten caught in the bushes and it was hitting the house every time a gust of wind rose up.
Hero teased them about the "kite prowler" for a month after that. His ribbings were what made Aurora and Two-bit decide to take a more aggressive outlook on their surroundings. It was that outlook that eventually became the basis that the Circle was formed on. Had he really been their foundation of strength for that long? Two-bit fell asleep and her memory/dreams raced over scenes of the Circle and Hero. It was the first good night's sleep she had gotten in a long, long time.
Two-bit woke up the next day to a ringing phone and the soft whines of a hungry baby. She stretched and looked out the glassless window. The sunrise was throwing bright streams of golden yellows, oranges and reds across the open field. Two-bit felt as if she was seeing the world for the first time. She was happy. It was the first time for far too long that she woke up happy. That sunrise finished shattering the dark depression that Gary had forced on her. She was able to see what Gary had been doing to her all the time she had been with him. She saw how her friends had tried to help her and how she pushed everyone away. She was somebody. She was a damn good somebody that made a fucking difference! She would most definitely have to pay Gary one last visit later on.
Two-bit's fix on the sunrise was broken by Bounce's rise in volume. "Good morning, little one," she said. "Are you ready to get up now?"
It wasn't until a few hours and many ignored phone calls later, when Bounce had just laid down to take a nap, that Two-bit realized that she hadn't packed anything to feed herself. She had plenty of provisions for the baby, but no grown-up food. She didn't have a watch, but the DJ on the I-Pod’s radio announced that it was shortly before noon. She looked down at the baby. How precious. She decided that she could wait an hour or so more until Bounce woke up. Then, she'd go home and find something else to eat.
* * * * *
"Where the hell is my baby!"
Hero took Wheels to the sofa and sat her down. "The baby is fine," he said. "We'll find her. We're just thinking too hard. Aurora said it herself. Two-bit went somewhere simple. We just have our heads so cluttered with all the possibilities that we can't see the answer. We've got to calm down and clear our heads. The sooner we can think straight the sooner we'll find the answer."
"This is my fucking child we're talking about!" Wheels yelled as tears ran down her face.
Hero took her face in his hands. "It's my child too. Remember? I'm as worried as you are but I'm not going to let my worry turn into panic that will cloud my reasoning. I need you to stay lucid, babe."
Wheels wiped her eyes. "All right, I'll try."
Oscar and Evergreen cleaned up the pills and the glass. While they were working, Oscar said, "I can't believe you said that."
"What did I say?" Evergreen asked.
"You told them what we did last night," Oscar said.
"I only said that you kissed me," Evergreen said. "Besides, I didn't mean to say it. It just slipped out."
"I know," Oscar said. "I'm just a little worried about what the others might say if they find out."
"Don't you mean 'when' they find out," Evergreen said.
Oscar stopped short. "You're going to tell everyone, aren't you."
"Oscar, I liked what we did and I'm not ashamed of it. I'd like to be with you again, but there's no way we'll be able to keep this a secret, not from the Circle anyway. The outside world doesn't have to know anything but we can't lie to our friends," Evergreen said.
"But, what will they say?" Oscar said.
"Oscar, my love," Evergreen said. "These are our friends. It won't make a difference."
"Yea, you're right," Oscar said. "It's just that I've never admitted anything like this before."
"Neither have I," said Evergreen. "Even though I've secretly wanted to. And we have plenty of time to be together."
Oscar stepped closer to Evergreen. "O.K. I'll trust your judgment. I'm just having feelings I've never let myself have before and its kind of scary."
"We've been through life and death together," Evergreen said. "We deserve love and comfort every bit as much as Wheels and Hero do. You're the only one that I want to love me."
"I wish we hadn't waited so long to tell each other how we felt," Oscar said. "I want to be with you for a long, long time."
They leaned closer and kissed each other. Evergreen touched Oscar's hair and said, "You won't be sorry."
Excuse me," Aurora said, scaring the other two so bad that they nearly jumped out of their skin. "Hero thinks that if we change the subject away from the baby, we might suddenly realize where Two-bit disappeared to. So, why don't you two come into the next room and tell us all something new."
Oscar started to shake. She wasn't ready to put Evergreen's resolve to the test. "Like what?" she asked swallowing a lump in her throat.
"Like what you two... found out about Right and Left," Aurora said. She didn't let on that she had heard Oscar and Evergreen's whole conversation.
"Sure," Evergreen said. She had a tone of relief in her voice.
Wheels insisted that she couldn't just sit around the house and do nothing. So, they decided to discuss the twins while they searched the streets. Aurora and Hero shared the front seat with Wheels. Oscar and Evergreen were in the back seat.
"Now you two," Aurora said. "Behave yourselves back there together. We've got important things to discuss. Show us what you've got. On the twins I mean."
Evergreen tried to ignore the jibe, despite the slight blush in her cheeks, and opened her ledger. Oscar pulled a bunch of papers out of her pockets. She and Evergreen spread their evidence across the back seat.
Evergreen started, "We tracked receipts back three months. Anything farther than that we couldn't put a hard wire on."
"Give us the numbers," Aurora said.
"All right," Evergreen said. "How's this number? One thousand seven hundred and fifty-six bucks in the past three months. We have the receipts and the lack of receipts to prove it."
"What do you mean, 'lack of receipts'?" Hero asked.
"Every time I dip into the kitty," Evergreen said. "I put an entry into the ledger. I check off the entries when I get a receipt back. That way I know exactly where every penny goes."
"But, there are entries in the ledger that don't have matching receipts," Oscar added.
Evergreen handed the ledger to Hero. "Look at the entries I high-lighted. If you start three months ago and move forward, those entries get more frequent and the dollar amounts get bigger."
Hero flipped through the ledger with Aurora looking over his shoulder and Wheels taking glances away from her driving. Hero nodded his head and said, "They're getting careless."
"And greedy," Aurora said.
"Wait, there's more," Oscar said. "This stuff isn't really hard evidence, but there's enough to give it substance." She handed the papers to Aurora.
Evergreen went on, "After we finished auditing the ledger, we started talking about things that had been happening lately. We've been getting into a lot of fights amongst ourselves. The latest wasn't too long ago, when Two-bit pulled a knife on Left."
"Oh-yea, that was a wonderful morning," Hero said.
"Well, we've figured out why we've been at each others throats lately," Oscar said.
"Why is that?" Aurora asked.
"Right and Left have been playing us against each other," Oscar said. "Those are our notes. We tried to trace all the arguments back to the beginning and we figured out that it's been the twins starting all this shit and then backing out and watching the fireworks."
"You can't be serious," Wheels said.
"You can bet your sweet ass we're serious," Evergreen said. "Think back. We keep getting into stupid fights over nothing. And Why? Because Left tells one of us one thing while Right is telling someone else something completely different. When Target and Leather had their spat, what did Right tell Target?"
Wheels thought for a moment. "Right told Target that Leather said Target ended up with Candyman because she was born poor and she'd never get higher than middle class."
"Exactly," Evergreen said. "But we all know that Leather gets into fights with her father because he says shit like that about all of us. Besides that, Left told Leather that Target said she was a snob."
"And when they confronted each other..." Oscar started.
"We had a pair of daggers facing off with a forty-five," Hero finished.
"Think about it," Evergreen said. "That kind of shit has been happening a lot lately."
Suddenly, Hero yelled, "Wheels, brakes!!!"
Wheels had been glancing down at the papers that Aurora was sifting through and didn't see the warning arm of the railroad crossing come down. Obscenities flew through the air. The four passengers braced themselves for a crash. Wheels slammed both of her feet on the brake hard enough to put a hole in the floor boards. Nicki had been cruising at fifty MPH. The tires screamed and smoked, leaving heavy black lines on the asphalt. Nicki started to swerve. They came to a stop at a forty-five degree angle across both lanes. Nicki's right front corner was a foot under the guard arm. The engine stalled. The tires smoked. The train whistle blew. Five pulses raced faster than the train. They all had to get out of the car to catch their breath. Wheels ran to Hero and threw her arms around him. Oscar and Evergreen sat in the grass on the side of the road. Oscar sat behind Evergreen and buried her face in Evergreen's hair. Evergreen held Oscars wrist and pulled Oscar's arms tight around her chest. Aurora stood by the guard arm and watched the train go by.
The train was a long fright. By the time it passed, the pulses were back to normal and Nicki was back in one lane. The guard arm went up and Nicki started moving again. The train whistle blew again and Aurora started to slap the dashboard and yelled, "Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit! Why didn't I think of this before!?"
"Aurora, calm down. We're alive," Hero said.
"No, no. Forget that," Aurora said. "I just figure out where Two-bit took Bounce."
"Where?" Wheels said.
The train yard," Aurora said, slapping the dashboard again. "She's at the train yard."
By the time Bounce woke up, Two-bit's stomach was growling like a "B" movie monster. She had her sparse belongings packed ahead of time and, as soon as Bounce was changed, she started for home.
At the same time Two-bit left the round house, Nicki rolled up to the fence on the back side of the train yard. There was a hole in the fence that a school bus could get through. Two-bit called it her door. The five members darted through and started to weave their way around the maze of train cars towards the round house. Wheels was moving so fast that Hero had to remind her to slow down and watch for security guards.
Two-bit was about half way to her door when Bounce started to fuss. She stopped walking to console the baby, not noticing that she was standing in the middle of a set of tracks.
"There they are," Aurora said pointing across the yard. There was two hundred yards of tracks and trains separating them.
Wheels spotted her baby and broke into a run yelling, "Two-bit! Two-bit!"
The noise from the trains drowned out most of Wheels' yelling, but Two-bit swore she heard her name and started to look around.
"Two-bit!" Wheels yelled again, waving her arms.
This time, Two-bit heard Wheels and waved back. "Wheels, Aurora, what are you guys doing here?" she yelled.
Wheels slowed down when Two-bit waved back. "Thank God," she said to herself. Then she saw the train. An engine was pushing three boxcars right towards Two-bit and Bounce. Wheels was still a hundred and fifty yards away. Wheels' heart started racing again. Two-bit didn't see the train. She was busy with the baby.
"Two-bit get out of the way," Wheels yelled as she broke into a run again.
Two-bit looked up, shook her head, and put her hand to her ear. She couldn't hear Wheels over the trains.
"Move," Wheels yelled. "For God's sake, move!"
"Wheels, stop." Hero was running behind her. "Look out!"
Hero grabbed a hold of Wheels' arm and pulled her to a stop. Wheels pulled here arm away and turned to start running again when a train passed in front of her.
"Watch what the hell you're doing," Hero said.
"There's a train heading for Bounce and Two-bit. They'll be killed," Wheels protested.
"You almost got killed yourself," Hero said. "I saw the other train too. Just be careful."
Wheels leaped across the tracks as soon as the train passed, but she stopped short. "Nnooooo!" Wheels yelled, grabbing her hair with both hands.
The other train was passing over the spot where Two-bit had been standing. Wheels turned and threw her arms around Hero and cried hysterically. Hero watched the train as it passed. Two-bit was on the other side of the tracks. She started to walk towards the others. Hero didn't say a word as Two-bit walked up right behind Wheels.
"Is she all right?" Two-bit asked.
Wheels spun around. "Two-bit? I thought..."
"You didn't think we got hit by the train, did you?" Two-bit asked.
Wheels nodded and wiped her eyes. "You scared the hell out of me."
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to worry anyone. I just needed to do some thinking and I couldn't leave Bounce alone," Two-bit said as she handed the baby to Wheels.
"You could have left a note or something," Aurora said.
"We can talk about this in the car," Hero said. "Let's get out of here."
"I'm for that," Two-bit said. "I haven't eaten since last night."
Back at Wheels' house Two-bit explained as she ate. She told them about the fight with Gary and how she was just about to take the pills when she heard the baby crying. She went on about how she realized that it was Gary's doing that she had been feeling so bad lately. She apologized for the way she'd been acting and for scaring everyone.
"You know something though, Wheels," Two-bit said.
"What's that?" Wheels asked.
"That little baby saved my life last night," Two-bit said. "If she hadn't been here, you would have found me on the floor instead of a bunch of pills."
"In that case," Hero said. "I'm glad all this happened." He gave Two-bit a hug.
"Thanks. I love you too," Two-bit said. "Can I ask one favor though?"
"That depends on what it is," Hero said.
"Can I have my old handle back? I'm really tired of 'Two-bit'," she said.
"Why?" Aurora asked.
"Gary use to call us all 'two-bit trash'. I'd like not to be reminded of him," Two-bit said.
"Do you really want to be called 'Trouble' again?" Hero asked.
"I've always been 'Trouble'," she said.
"Well, considering everything that's happened, I guess it's appropriate," Aurora said. "What do you say, Hero?"
"Yea, you're right," Hero said. "Those bites were a long time ago. Welcome back, Trouble."
"Thanks," Trouble said. "Oh, and as soon as I get a chance, I'm going to show Gary exactly how much trouble I can be."
"Actually," Evergreen said. "We've got things to discuss with the twins first."
Right and Left's expulsion from the Circle was a very loud and public humiliation ceremony. There were large light poles all over the downtown park. The Circle used duct tape to secure the twins to one of the poles in the center of the park. They were then covered with eggs, flour, chocolate syrup, confetti, and glitter dust. Signs were hung on them to let all of the city's night people know they were outcasts. The twins were stuck to the pole from one in the morning to five in the morning. By the time a policeman found them and cut them loose, the night people had stolen everything they could get off the twins without breaking the tape, including their shoes. Three members of another gang paused long enough to urinate on them.
Gary's BMW was stolen from the parking lot of his favorite bar. Railroad workers found the car before Gary had a chance to report it stolen to the police. It had been parked across the train tracks. They were only able to find out what kind of car it was by running the licence number through the DMV. Gary's insurance company replaced the car a few weeks later. That car mysteriously caught fire. After four cars, Gary moved to a different city.
As for the Circle.....
They're still out there, conducting business as usual. If you ever ride I-80 through Omaha, keep a watch for a convoy of a Trans-Am, a Volkswagen and a Mustang. Just don't let them catch you watching them.
Q. E. D.