I do not own Black or any of its characters.
Quick Change
Rock ducked down a dark alley as bullets ripped into the brick wall beside him. DAMNIT! he thought, Why are they after me! I don't even have the package anymore! As he zigzagged through the alley and out the other end, he heard the tires of a car squealing to a stop behind him and another flood of bullets tearing past. He ducked and dodged between vendors and cars as he raced down the crowded street. He dove into another alley and stopped to take a breather for a moment. Rock knew he had to keep moving because he could already hear the roar of the car and someone yelling in Spanish. He sucked air into his lungs as he thought back to just an hour earlier.
Rock had received an email from Garcia Lovelace asking him to pick up a package and deliver it to Balalaika of Hotel Moscow. It had been a simple drop and go. He had retrieved the package at the FedEx station and gone to Balalaika's office. Being surprised at who the package was coming from, she questioned Rock about its contents, of which Rock knew nothing. Balalaika sat and watched the package for a bit and then told him he could go.
Rock left the building and walked up the street to where he had parked the Lagoon Company's car. Just as he reached the GTO, a van and another car roared up. Two men jumped out of the van and tried to grab him. One thing Rock had learned since he had come to Roanapur was how to dodge and run. He slipped sidewise, ducked under another grab and dashed across the street into an alley. This started an hour long chase through the streets to where he was now.
I'm heading away from the office when I need to be working my way back to it. Rock thought as he started down the alley. Out on the street once again, he walked fast until he heard the car coming up behind him. The salaryman ducked around the next corner and then into a small open front shop on his right.
An old Vietnamese man sat behind the counter smoking a cigarette and reading a newspaper as Rock quickly grabbed a Hawaiian shirt, oversized pair shorts and a pair of Ho Chi Mein sandals. He threw some money on the counter and asked if there was another door. The old man handed him a paper bag and pointed to the back of the shop, never even looking up from the newspaper, or speaking a word.
Rock stepped behind a curtain in the rear, to find a small storeroom and the back door. Stopping long enough to quickly change and stuff his business clothes in to the bag, he realized the shorts were about to fall off. He picked up some rope lying on the floor and made a belt before slipping out the door. He then crouched in the alley and rubbed dirt on his arms, legs and face. As he stood and started toward the street, he ran his hands through his hair and tried to get it to hang over his forehead into his eyes.
Rock forced himself to walk slowly with a small slight shuffle to his step, his head bowed and shoulders slumped. Every once in a while he would see the car or the van cross at an intersection ahead of him. He squatted on the curb and smoked a cigarette near where some men were playing dice as the Colombians drove by. This became the game for a while as Rock slowly worked his way back towards the docks and the office. Stop, stand, squat on the curb and smoke a cig, don't run and don't hurry. Rock thought to himself. Do not make eye contact, become part of the background and you just might make it back alive.
000
Two hours later he entered the building where the Lagoon office was on the third floor. Now, he raced up the stairs and rushed through door, right into the barrel of one of Revy's Sword Cutlass pistol.
"Just who the fuck do you think you are?" she growled as Rock dropped his bag and raised his hands.
"Revy! It's me, Rock!" he said as she kicked the bag to one side and pulled the hammer back on her gun.
"The fuck you say, you're not Rock." she replied as she sucked on the cigarette in her mouth, "Rock doesn't even look like you asshole!"
He looked past her to see Dutch sitting at his desk with the phone in his hand and Benny standing beside him. "Dutch! Tell her it's me before she kills me!" Rock cried out.
Dutch said, "Revy, hold up! Don't shoot yet till we work this out." Dutch could hear Balalaika on the phone calling out, "Dutch! What's going on?" "We got a little situation here. Some guy just burst into the office. Revy has her gun against his head and he's claiming to be Rock. Only I'm not sure because if it is Rock, I've never seen him dressed this way or look in this kind of shape. Give me a minute." Dutch could hear Balalaika saying something as he took the phone from his ear. "Prove to us you're Rock." he said.
Revy spoke up first though, "I know how to tell if it's Rock for sure. YOU! Turn around and drop your pants!" As the man did as he was told, Dutch thought, What the hell? Once the shorts were on the floor, Revy reached out and raised the tail of the shirt, exposing several bite marks and hickeys on the man's buttocks. "ROCK! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING DRESSED THAT WAY!" she screamed as she slapped him in the back of the head. Rock cried out and began to explain what had happened.
Dutch and Benny looked sideways at each other, and Dutch realized he could hear Balalaika screaming at him over the phone. "Ho big sis, it's ok, apparently it's him. Revy identified him." He could hear a sigh of relief.
"That's what I was trying to tell you Dutch. Rock brought me some papers from Garcia Lovelace informing me about a plan by the Colombians to hit us in several key areas here in Roanapur. Mr. Hue called and told me Rock came through his shop, bought some clothes, and went out the back way. He knew the Colombians were after him because they were running up and down the street shouting and raising hell. I've sent some men out to handle them, but no one knew where Rock went. If you didn't think it was Rock at first, how did Two-Hand identify him?"
Dutch cleared his throat and said, '"Well… Revy made him face away from her and drop his shorts. Apparently Rock has some bite marks on his…ass that Revy knew were there…" There was a long pause on the other end of the phone before Dutch heard what he thought was a snicker.
Balalaika said very fast, "We'll handle stuff on this end talk to you later Dutch bye!"
Right before the click of the phone hanging up, Dutch swore he heard the mafia queen shrieking with laughter. Dutch look at the phone in his hand and then at Benny, who was still standing next to him with his eyebrows climbing up his forehead. In the background, he could hear Revy telling Rock in a low voice,
"It's alright Rock baby, we'll get you a drink and then get you cleaned up. Don't worry I'll help, oh, and I really like that shirt on you!"
Rock sighed loudly as Revy took his hand and led him through the door.
Author's Notes: Well here is my second one shot. This comes after Beach Blanket Bingo. Please read and review all of my stories.
Updated: 9/21/13