§ § § §
Upstairs was a disaster area that Chris had to pick his way through, following Ray and the Argentinean. With a smirk, he decided that 'the Argentinean' was a gang name, the man had to have a real name of some sort.
Near the big window at the back of the apartment sat three other men. Chris cocked his head and stared . . . at least he thought it was three other men. One of them looked rather feminine, to say the least. They were talking softly among themselves, occasionally glancing out the window to watch the street below.
The men were as different as any men Chris had ever seen. One was bald, his frame small and compact, the other proudly ran his hand through a mane of thick hair, then twisted a finger in his unkempt beard. The last man, and Chris was finally sure he was a man, had his dark hair tinged with purple and was staring at the newcomer with obvious distaste.
Ray pointed to the men by the window and said, "This is Sam and Hunter. We call Hunt the Doctor."
"And who is this?" the man with purple hair asked rudely, staring at Ray and the Argentinean.
"His name is Chris and he's gonna help us."
"And just how does he propose to help us?" the man with purple hair asked.
The Argentinean cleared his throat and glanced away, knowing exactly what it was Ray had planned for their new friend.
Ray smiled. "He's gonna be helping you Audrey."
Chris stifled the laugh that rose in his throat, quickly turning it into a cough. Audrey? The man got more feminine by the moment.
Audrey cast a withering glare in Chris' direction, then turned his attention back to Ray. "Help me? Help me do what exactly?"
Ray rolled his eyes impatiently. "Our system ain't exactly workin', we all know that. I figure that Chris here can help. You're always alone out there Audrey, it ain't safe."
The bald man near the window nodded. "He's right ya know. I think that we all better start goin' out to watch for Cobras. They're everywhere now man. Selling their junk on the streets. Our streets."
"I think we should stick with Audrey," the man with unruly hair added. "It just makes more sense. They don't know he's one of us. They'd never guess, I mean look at him. We should keep with our old system."
"Chris can help!" Ray insisted, slamming his fist down on the table. "They don't know about him, he won't look outta place. They might be try to get him down with them. Shit, if he knows all the places they deal we'll be packin' them in in no time. He can help," he repeated.
"He can indeed," the Argentinean exclaimed. "Zidler does not even know we have him yet and-"
Chaos erupted around Chris in that moment, all five of the other men arguing around him. It struck him as rather strange that he even wanted to, but the sudden urge to add in his two cents was nearly overwhelming. Ray was right and Chris knew it. He could help them. If it was a spy they needed, he could do it.
"Hey, guys?" he called.
The argument raged around him, none of the men acknowledging his voice.
"Hey!" he called. "Hello? I have an idea-"
Chris was cut off by the Argentinean who slumped lifelessly to the floor, his eyes rolling backward. He glanced down at the large man in surprise, then turned back to the argument at hand.
"Look, Ray is right. He's right!"
No one paid him any attention.
"I was a street spy in Staten Island!" Chris finally screamed.
The yelling finally stopped abruptly as they stared over at him and a huge smile made its way over Ray's face.
"I told you," he said. "Didn't I tell you? He's gonna help us." Ray turned to Audrey. "You two can work together. You can find out where the junk's being sold together."
Audrey's jaw dropped dramatically and he snorted in indignation. "I will not work with him," he growled. "Goodbye!" He turned and stomped from the room, pausing only to grab his jacket off the couch. The door slammed behind him and the man on the floor jumped up.
His eyes were huge and dark and he stared at me. "A street spy! In Staten Island!" He leapt forward and wrapped Chris in a tight hug. "I love him!"
Chris' eyes widened, but he said nothing.
A moment later the Argentinean let him go and coughed into his hand. "He is useful," he offered as an explanation, then turned and walked to the window.
Ray sighed, then stared at the other men. "I dunno if Zidler's gonna be too happy with Audrey walkin' out on us. We're gonna have to make Chris here look real good."
"He is a former street spy," the doctor said. "He already looks good."
Sam turned to stare at him. "Are you sure you were a street spy in Staten Island? You don't look very . . . tough."
Chris sighed and glanced away, "I was for a little while."
Ray glared at him. "Did you lie to me kid? Were you or weren't you a street spy?"
"I uh . . . well, once I was. I knew this guy and he needed someone one night." Chris smiled hopefully. "I think I did good."
"I trust him," the Argentinean decided. "He will be useful."
Sam nodded, finally smiling slightly. "You're probably right. He just needs a little scare to put the look of the street into him."
The Doctor patted Ray on the back. "Good call. That's why you're the boss."
Chris backed away suddenly, not sure what he was doing in this tiny apartment. Did he have any idea at all what he was getting himself into.
"Well, I'm not so sure I can do this for you," he stuttered, walking backward toward the door. "I have no idea what to do."
Ray looked at him thoughtfully. "Did you see ever see gang wars?"
Chris nodded. "Too many."
The Doctor leaned in, "Drug deals?"
He nodded again. "Roping in kids . . . sick."
"Ever seen your best friend get shot?" Sam asked.
Chris' eyes widened. "No, and I never want to."
The Argentinean smiled at him. "Interested in keeping our streets clean?"
Chris nodded once more. "Of course, but-"
"No buts," Ray grabbed his arm, "you're one of us now. All we have to do is convince Zidler you're a grade A spy and we'll be set."
Sam frowned. "How we gonna do that?"
Ray grinned at him. "Easy . . . through Satine."
Chris sighed, exasperated. "Who's Satine?"
"Zidler's sister," Sam said. "She lives over in the neutral territory with him and a couple other girls. He's real protective over her, but even more protective of our clean streets. There's no fightin' here. If she says you're good, he'll know you're good."
"How do you plan on convincing her I'm good?" Chris asked.
"You'll see," Ray said, patting his back.
§ § § §
Notes: Whoa, this is a very different writing experience for me. Taking a story and characters I know and love and putting them in a completely different situation. I hope it's turning out all right.
Oh, and someone mentioned 'West Side Story' in their review, so I'll apologize now if this turns on 'West Side Story'ish. I've never seen it, so I don't know what I would do to make it WSSish, but if I do it; sorry! :)
Upstairs was a disaster area that Chris had to pick his way through, following Ray and the Argentinean. With a smirk, he decided that 'the Argentinean' was a gang name, the man had to have a real name of some sort.
Near the big window at the back of the apartment sat three other men. Chris cocked his head and stared . . . at least he thought it was three other men. One of them looked rather feminine, to say the least. They were talking softly among themselves, occasionally glancing out the window to watch the street below.
The men were as different as any men Chris had ever seen. One was bald, his frame small and compact, the other proudly ran his hand through a mane of thick hair, then twisted a finger in his unkempt beard. The last man, and Chris was finally sure he was a man, had his dark hair tinged with purple and was staring at the newcomer with obvious distaste.
Ray pointed to the men by the window and said, "This is Sam and Hunter. We call Hunt the Doctor."
"And who is this?" the man with purple hair asked rudely, staring at Ray and the Argentinean.
"His name is Chris and he's gonna help us."
"And just how does he propose to help us?" the man with purple hair asked.
The Argentinean cleared his throat and glanced away, knowing exactly what it was Ray had planned for their new friend.
Ray smiled. "He's gonna be helping you Audrey."
Chris stifled the laugh that rose in his throat, quickly turning it into a cough. Audrey? The man got more feminine by the moment.
Audrey cast a withering glare in Chris' direction, then turned his attention back to Ray. "Help me? Help me do what exactly?"
Ray rolled his eyes impatiently. "Our system ain't exactly workin', we all know that. I figure that Chris here can help. You're always alone out there Audrey, it ain't safe."
The bald man near the window nodded. "He's right ya know. I think that we all better start goin' out to watch for Cobras. They're everywhere now man. Selling their junk on the streets. Our streets."
"I think we should stick with Audrey," the man with unruly hair added. "It just makes more sense. They don't know he's one of us. They'd never guess, I mean look at him. We should keep with our old system."
"Chris can help!" Ray insisted, slamming his fist down on the table. "They don't know about him, he won't look outta place. They might be try to get him down with them. Shit, if he knows all the places they deal we'll be packin' them in in no time. He can help," he repeated.
"He can indeed," the Argentinean exclaimed. "Zidler does not even know we have him yet and-"
Chaos erupted around Chris in that moment, all five of the other men arguing around him. It struck him as rather strange that he even wanted to, but the sudden urge to add in his two cents was nearly overwhelming. Ray was right and Chris knew it. He could help them. If it was a spy they needed, he could do it.
"Hey, guys?" he called.
The argument raged around him, none of the men acknowledging his voice.
"Hey!" he called. "Hello? I have an idea-"
Chris was cut off by the Argentinean who slumped lifelessly to the floor, his eyes rolling backward. He glanced down at the large man in surprise, then turned back to the argument at hand.
"Look, Ray is right. He's right!"
No one paid him any attention.
"I was a street spy in Staten Island!" Chris finally screamed.
The yelling finally stopped abruptly as they stared over at him and a huge smile made its way over Ray's face.
"I told you," he said. "Didn't I tell you? He's gonna help us." Ray turned to Audrey. "You two can work together. You can find out where the junk's being sold together."
Audrey's jaw dropped dramatically and he snorted in indignation. "I will not work with him," he growled. "Goodbye!" He turned and stomped from the room, pausing only to grab his jacket off the couch. The door slammed behind him and the man on the floor jumped up.
His eyes were huge and dark and he stared at me. "A street spy! In Staten Island!" He leapt forward and wrapped Chris in a tight hug. "I love him!"
Chris' eyes widened, but he said nothing.
A moment later the Argentinean let him go and coughed into his hand. "He is useful," he offered as an explanation, then turned and walked to the window.
Ray sighed, then stared at the other men. "I dunno if Zidler's gonna be too happy with Audrey walkin' out on us. We're gonna have to make Chris here look real good."
"He is a former street spy," the doctor said. "He already looks good."
Sam turned to stare at him. "Are you sure you were a street spy in Staten Island? You don't look very . . . tough."
Chris sighed and glanced away, "I was for a little while."
Ray glared at him. "Did you lie to me kid? Were you or weren't you a street spy?"
"I uh . . . well, once I was. I knew this guy and he needed someone one night." Chris smiled hopefully. "I think I did good."
"I trust him," the Argentinean decided. "He will be useful."
Sam nodded, finally smiling slightly. "You're probably right. He just needs a little scare to put the look of the street into him."
The Doctor patted Ray on the back. "Good call. That's why you're the boss."
Chris backed away suddenly, not sure what he was doing in this tiny apartment. Did he have any idea at all what he was getting himself into.
"Well, I'm not so sure I can do this for you," he stuttered, walking backward toward the door. "I have no idea what to do."
Ray looked at him thoughtfully. "Did you see ever see gang wars?"
Chris nodded. "Too many."
The Doctor leaned in, "Drug deals?"
He nodded again. "Roping in kids . . . sick."
"Ever seen your best friend get shot?" Sam asked.
Chris' eyes widened. "No, and I never want to."
The Argentinean smiled at him. "Interested in keeping our streets clean?"
Chris nodded once more. "Of course, but-"
"No buts," Ray grabbed his arm, "you're one of us now. All we have to do is convince Zidler you're a grade A spy and we'll be set."
Sam frowned. "How we gonna do that?"
Ray grinned at him. "Easy . . . through Satine."
Chris sighed, exasperated. "Who's Satine?"
"Zidler's sister," Sam said. "She lives over in the neutral territory with him and a couple other girls. He's real protective over her, but even more protective of our clean streets. There's no fightin' here. If she says you're good, he'll know you're good."
"How do you plan on convincing her I'm good?" Chris asked.
"You'll see," Ray said, patting his back.
§ § § §
Notes: Whoa, this is a very different writing experience for me. Taking a story and characters I know and love and putting them in a completely different situation. I hope it's turning out all right.
Oh, and someone mentioned 'West Side Story' in their review, so I'll apologize now if this turns on 'West Side Story'ish. I've never seen it, so I don't know what I would do to make it WSSish, but if I do it; sorry! :)