"Hit the Deck"
Disclaimer: See chapter 1
After I robbed the pharmacy we decided it wasn't safe to stay in California.
We left before dawn the next day. Zack could catch wind of where we were and find us, and with the near-loss of Zane, I knew I didn't want him to find us.
We headed east and found ourselves in Las Vegas. Here we did everything we could to survive without selling ourselves: stealing papers, pick pocketing, pan handling, car boosting, I even drew people for cash. It put food on our table and got us clothes and blankets.
Zack didn't like the fact that we were still together, he hated it. He called us several times, we we're risking ourselves and the others. My response was, "If you can't find us, what makes you think Lydecker will?" Zack would mutter a response and hang up.
Vegas was great. We had a steady source of income and we were together. I couldn't think of too much more that I could want. But Vegas had something else in store for us.
When Zane and I first started living together he would try to stay up with me, to keep me company but after nearly a year, he had given up.
So one night, as he slept, I went out to walk the Strip. I was hoping to score something to give to him to celebrate our year together. I must have been caught in a day dream or memory or something because I was hardly paying attention to where I was walking, because one second I was walking and the next I bumped into him.
Lydecker.
He looked at me and I looked at him. If I spoke, he would recognize my voice, if I didn't speak it'd be suspicious, if I ran, I was dead.
He spoke first, "A little late for a kid like you to be about, isn't it?"
I suddenly remembered Shay, the oldest boy in the house, the one with the accent, I remembered his accent. I had to use it.
"I know." I said in a low, tough Brooklyn accent. "But, ya see, m' mom, she's workin' down at da club and she's late again. Sorry, I bumped inta ya, mista."
"Which club? I can walk you. You shouldn't walk alone at night, there are bad men out here."
*I know, you're one of them* I thought.
He smiled at my silence. I've never been so scared of a smile in my life. I was scared shitles, my cover was blown, I was made. He was gonna call in the Tac Team. But in the silence, I nodded and we walked down the Strip together.
After several steps he looked at me, I kept my eyes forward. "So, sweetheart, what's your name?" He asked.
I must have opened and closed my mouth several times. He looked at me. My cover was so far gone. "You *do* have a name, don't you?" He asked.
"Listen mista, I ain't supposed to tell no one my name. My mom says so. She says don't talk ta strangers. So thanks for walkin with me and all... but if ya don't go I'll scream."
He reached over to grab me and like I promised I screamed bloody murder. A bouncer from the club we were in front of came over. "There a problem?"
I managed some fake tears and pointed to Lydecker, "He tried to touch my girl place."
The big ass black man stormed over to Lydecker and punched him hard. Lydecker fell to the ground. And as tempted as I was to stay and watch Lydecker get pummeled by this guy, I ran.
I ran as fast as my legs would carry me back Zane. I woke him, "Get
everything, Lydecker's in Vegas."
Zane and I scrambled around and got what we absolutely needed. Ten minutes later we were on a cargo train heading towards Chicago. Zane was scared but he was also very tired, he was not able to stay awake long.
When I was certain he was asleep, I pulled out my phone. I dialed and waited.
"Yeah?" Zack's voice came.
"Lydecker's in Las Vegas." I said softly, "He saw me but I got away."
"And Zane?"
"We're leaving the city and Lydecker's not following."
"What now Jondy?" Zack asked, he knew what I wanted but he wanted me to say it so I couldn't hate him later.
"I want to be somewhere safe, not too much snow, not Texas, and definitely a non-religious family."
"You do understand that I won't let you and Zane be near each other?"
"I know you'll keep him safe and that's what matters." I said.
"Where are you now?"
"We're on a train heading towards Chicago. Beat us there and don't let Zane know that I was the one who tipped you."
"I won't." He said and then he hung up.
True to his word, Zack beat us to Chicago and he made it seem like he had caught news of us. He played his part well.
Zane saw Zack and tried to bolt, he grabbed my arm but I didn't try to run. He stopped. I looked at Zack, he looked different with hair. I didn't want to miss of this moment with Zack, or at least that's how I made it seem. And Zane would never run without me.
True to his word he separated us. He kept me in Chicago and moved Zane to Detroit. I was enrolled into a special school for smart kids. If I had gone to a regular school I would be in the second or third grade, learning how to write cursive and how to add. But I could write in eight different languages and do complex mathematical equations in my head.
Technically, I didn't need to go to school but it was something to do,
something to kill time until I was old enough to get a real job.
Before Zack left me he gave me a few small bits of advice: play it safe, know when to be right and know when to be wrong, call for emergencies only, and be ready to move in an instant.
I listened. I never unpacked while I lived in Chicago.
Disclaimer: See chapter 1
After I robbed the pharmacy we decided it wasn't safe to stay in California.
We left before dawn the next day. Zack could catch wind of where we were and find us, and with the near-loss of Zane, I knew I didn't want him to find us.
We headed east and found ourselves in Las Vegas. Here we did everything we could to survive without selling ourselves: stealing papers, pick pocketing, pan handling, car boosting, I even drew people for cash. It put food on our table and got us clothes and blankets.
Zack didn't like the fact that we were still together, he hated it. He called us several times, we we're risking ourselves and the others. My response was, "If you can't find us, what makes you think Lydecker will?" Zack would mutter a response and hang up.
Vegas was great. We had a steady source of income and we were together. I couldn't think of too much more that I could want. But Vegas had something else in store for us.
When Zane and I first started living together he would try to stay up with me, to keep me company but after nearly a year, he had given up.
So one night, as he slept, I went out to walk the Strip. I was hoping to score something to give to him to celebrate our year together. I must have been caught in a day dream or memory or something because I was hardly paying attention to where I was walking, because one second I was walking and the next I bumped into him.
Lydecker.
He looked at me and I looked at him. If I spoke, he would recognize my voice, if I didn't speak it'd be suspicious, if I ran, I was dead.
He spoke first, "A little late for a kid like you to be about, isn't it?"
I suddenly remembered Shay, the oldest boy in the house, the one with the accent, I remembered his accent. I had to use it.
"I know." I said in a low, tough Brooklyn accent. "But, ya see, m' mom, she's workin' down at da club and she's late again. Sorry, I bumped inta ya, mista."
"Which club? I can walk you. You shouldn't walk alone at night, there are bad men out here."
*I know, you're one of them* I thought.
He smiled at my silence. I've never been so scared of a smile in my life. I was scared shitles, my cover was blown, I was made. He was gonna call in the Tac Team. But in the silence, I nodded and we walked down the Strip together.
After several steps he looked at me, I kept my eyes forward. "So, sweetheart, what's your name?" He asked.
I must have opened and closed my mouth several times. He looked at me. My cover was so far gone. "You *do* have a name, don't you?" He asked.
"Listen mista, I ain't supposed to tell no one my name. My mom says so. She says don't talk ta strangers. So thanks for walkin with me and all... but if ya don't go I'll scream."
He reached over to grab me and like I promised I screamed bloody murder. A bouncer from the club we were in front of came over. "There a problem?"
I managed some fake tears and pointed to Lydecker, "He tried to touch my girl place."
The big ass black man stormed over to Lydecker and punched him hard. Lydecker fell to the ground. And as tempted as I was to stay and watch Lydecker get pummeled by this guy, I ran.
I ran as fast as my legs would carry me back Zane. I woke him, "Get
everything, Lydecker's in Vegas."
Zane and I scrambled around and got what we absolutely needed. Ten minutes later we were on a cargo train heading towards Chicago. Zane was scared but he was also very tired, he was not able to stay awake long.
When I was certain he was asleep, I pulled out my phone. I dialed and waited.
"Yeah?" Zack's voice came.
"Lydecker's in Las Vegas." I said softly, "He saw me but I got away."
"And Zane?"
"We're leaving the city and Lydecker's not following."
"What now Jondy?" Zack asked, he knew what I wanted but he wanted me to say it so I couldn't hate him later.
"I want to be somewhere safe, not too much snow, not Texas, and definitely a non-religious family."
"You do understand that I won't let you and Zane be near each other?"
"I know you'll keep him safe and that's what matters." I said.
"Where are you now?"
"We're on a train heading towards Chicago. Beat us there and don't let Zane know that I was the one who tipped you."
"I won't." He said and then he hung up.
True to his word, Zack beat us to Chicago and he made it seem like he had caught news of us. He played his part well.
Zane saw Zack and tried to bolt, he grabbed my arm but I didn't try to run. He stopped. I looked at Zack, he looked different with hair. I didn't want to miss of this moment with Zack, or at least that's how I made it seem. And Zane would never run without me.
True to his word he separated us. He kept me in Chicago and moved Zane to Detroit. I was enrolled into a special school for smart kids. If I had gone to a regular school I would be in the second or third grade, learning how to write cursive and how to add. But I could write in eight different languages and do complex mathematical equations in my head.
Technically, I didn't need to go to school but it was something to do,
something to kill time until I was old enough to get a real job.
Before Zack left me he gave me a few small bits of advice: play it safe, know when to be right and know when to be wrong, call for emergencies only, and be ready to move in an instant.
I listened. I never unpacked while I lived in Chicago.