Lost in a Memory

CH:1 Time to Blow This Thing

I took one last drag on the cigarette and I spat it down into the pile of them I had been making. I reached into my coat for my pack and glanced into the small whole at the top. "Damn!" I said out loud. 'Well, without any more cigs I might as well go' I tossed the pack onto the ground and picked myself up of the wall I had been so comfortably leaning on. I walked down the somewhat narrow ally way. My brown trench coat rustled in the cool breeze that swept down the long ally. My left hand rested comfortably in my pants pocket and my right held tight to a bouquet of roses. Why I needed to hide my firearm in there was beyond me. But Mao had insisted on it. Actually, after I had thought about it, I probably should not have brought a weapon at all. The Cobras had never been untruthful at any other meeting, but no one had gone in alone before either.

I approached the door, but hesitated just in front of it. Many thoughts were flying through my mind: Can I do this? What if this is the one that I don't come back from? Will I see her again? Before another thought could inter my mind the door quickly slid open. The man at the door was not at all what I had expected. Actually it wasn't even a man, but sleek slender women. Her ivory colored hair was only accented by the green evening dress she was wearing.

"Come in, quickly", she said while stepping to one side letting me slip by her. The door slammed shut behind me and I felt her grab me by the waist. Acting on instinct I jump forward and spun around stopping my right foot just inches from her face. To my surprise she didn't flinch. "So, if you're that apposed to girls, Motsomoto over there can give you a pat down" I lowered my leg and looked back over my shoulder. I saw a rather pudgy man in a tux eating a lobster giggling to himself at the events that had just unfolded.

I looked back toward.. "Sorry just acting on nerves I guess, Miss.?"

She approached me and started her pat down once more. I rose my arms instinctively so she could pat down the rest of me and it hit me, 'that's why the gun needed to be in the flowers.'

"Just call me Kiaky", she said as she backed away from me. "And you are Spike I presume"

I kinda laughed inside, around the syndicate everyone new my name. It was refreshing to go unnoticed. "Yeah, that's me, so can we start the negotiation or."

"YES!" she cut me off as she walked over to Motsomoto's side. "We can begin now, please have a seat" She motioned to a seat on the opposite side of Motsomoto. I quickly walked over and sat down placing the roses on the table in front of me.

"That bouquet for me", Motsomoto laughed.

"Actually, that all depends on how this meeting goes." I then reached up and grabbed the flowers and lowered it by my right side.

Motsomoto's face suddenly became grim as he looked up at Kiaky, "leave us." That was all he had said, but the way he said it made me think I was in for it. I glanced over his shoulder to see Kiaky walk out through the kitchen door. The room itself I had not really looked at until now. It was an empty bar. Actually the bar seemed pretty nice compared to some I had been to. Motso cleared his throat, "I can tell you are not a business man, so let me get right down to it then. You are going to deliver a message to the Red Dragons for me." I realized what he was going to do far before he wanted me to. His mannerisms gave it all away. "I believe being strait forward is always the best policy, so---", he reached into his his tux and pulled out a little peashooter and placed it on the table, pointing it right at me, "-- -I bid you farewell".

Before he could even reacted I pulled the trigger on the machine-gun hidden away in the roses. Three bullets nailed him and sent him and his chair crashing backward. I jumped to my feet as three, no, four men entered the room guns blazing. I kicked up the table onto its side as a sort of shield. I then pulled the trigger and didn't let go. From here on it's a little hazy, but I think I hit a few guys before I heard my gun begin to click. Bullets surrounded me scraping up against my face and impaling my chest and left shoulder. Then it hit me, the insurance I had for myself. I Reached into the bouquet and pulled out the detonator. 'Better all of us die, than me go all by myself', I thought. Warm blood trickled down my left arm and down onto my thumb that was waiting to press the button, as if it was daring me to press it. I tasted the blood that dripped into my mouth. I smiled to myself.

'I never turn down a dare!'