Asazi
Chapter 19
"I'm—right here," I said, my voice choking in mid-sentence.
The two gang members whirled around to see me with arms up and palms showing.
"I don't have anything and I will go easy but you leave her alone." I didn't have a weapon. That was bad news…but I had to save Mrs. Renton. I had to return the favor…
"Well, well, well…the infamous Asazi wannabe," said one of them.
The other said, "If you try anything, we have permission to put a bullet in your head so don't be pullin' no tricks…unda'stand?"
I nodded and replied, "No tricks—for now."
They looked at each other then back at me. Mrs. Renton was standing the corner, watching the whole thing go down. "Tell Mr. Renton I said thanks," I said to her, then walked over to the gang members and said, "Let's hurry up before I think twice."
I was surprised…I couldn't help it. The looks on their faces showed victory but at the same time…fear. They were afraid of me, an almost-seven-year-old girl that had killed a few rookies and took out a few others…they were afraid of me. Fear…the same thing that they had evoked into me. But now things were different. Now I had killed, now I had a few credits; I had taken out four people on a rainy, muddy day. I had gotten away from the Chinese man at the park and the other few guys there…and the cops hadn't caught me yet.
No cops.
I guess that was one reason why the gangs wanted me. I had managed to avoid the police every time something happened. Not to mention the fact that I'm six and I can shoot a gun.
"Let's go," the blonde one said and led me out of the house. Mrs. Renton stayed back in the living room. I was glad. She could've gotten shot if she hadn't…and I would've tried something if she did.
One member behind me and the other in front of me, leading me to their car. Their car was a sports car; I didn't know what kind but I had seen it before…somewhere…
I got put in the back with the black-haired guy. The blonde started the car and took off down the street. I looked out a window, watching the trees and houses go by…watching the children laughing and playing on the sidewalks and the stray, happy but hungry dogs jogging around the blocks…so many people and they had no idea that I was in a car with gang members…
It happened so sudden. My thoughts on the people we were passing in the car. The car just barely going over the ten-mile-an'-hour speed limit…it happened so fast…
BLAM! SSSCCCCRREEEECCCHHHHH!! Our car braked to a stop and the driver yelled, "GET DOWN!"
I ducked forward just as the window I was looking busted. Glass flew onto and over me. The gang member next to me yelled out in pain then swore and pulled out a gun and aimed it out the window. What's happening?! What's going on?!
"Get outta here, dammit," shouted the guy next to me. Our car's tires squealed, burning the rubber and then took off. The jolt slammed me back against my seat and my back jolted up in pain. "Stay down," said the guy next to me…it took me a second to realize he was talking to me.
I nodded, acknowledging the fact that I'd heard him. Our car was flying down the streets but I could hear another car behind us…
"Shit," said the guy next to me. "They're still on us, Mike. We need to get the hell outta here. How far is our nearest turf?"
The guy that was driving, Mike, said, "It's six fucking miles from here man. We're screwed."
"Fuck," muttered the guy next to me.
Then Mike said, "Hold on. They said if we go on Ninth Avenue then they would bring in backup. Where's Ninth Avenue?"
BLAM, BLAM! More gunshots! "How the hell would I know," yelled the guy next to me. BLAM! Another gunshot and he said, "That's fucking it. These bastards are mine." I sat up and looked out the back windshield and saw a convertible cruising after us. There were three people in it and two of them had guns and were aiming at us.
I ducked back down and the guy next to me said, "Die you mutha fuckers." BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! He fired off four rounds and then I heard an automatic firing and our rear windshield busted out. Mike yelled from the front, "You okay?"
I glanced over at the man next to me and saw a bullet hole in his forehead. Blood was streaming down his face and—I looked away. Take his gun…I gotta get his gun. I looked back at him, trying not to notice his blood and the fact that he was dead. I reached over with a trembling hand and pulled the bloody gun from his hands.
No doubt the people chasing us were a different gang…and they were probably after me…take control of the situation. Control one car and you can control the other. I smiled as a plan started forming in my head. The gang behind me wasn't firing anymore and probably wouldn't. Kill the driver and you might kill me. I smiled at another thought that occurred to me. Aren't I special? People killing others just so they could get me… Sarcasm of course.
I sat up so the people behind me could see me and I waved at them. Then pointed at the driver with the gun…the guy in the passenger seat of the convertible shook his head no. And I yelled out, "Bullshit." The driver started laughing really hard and the passenger seat guy yelled something at him…I couldn't make it out.
I then pointed at the driver again and they both shook their heads no. I shrugged and thought how are they even going to stop me? I faced the front to see the driver looking at me and he said, "I thought you weren't going to try anything!"
"I recall saying 'for now' at that time so if you—," I pulled the gun out into his eyesight and pushed the barrel up against the back of his neck and said, "—would do what I tell you too…okay?"
He sighed and said, "You win…I'm gonna die either by your hand or theirs…" I knew what he was saying. He was going to crash the car and kill himself, trying to kill me. "NO," I yelled before he started swerve. "I'll let you live," I shouted but he swerved over into the other lane, facing the oncoming traffic. "Shit," I screamed. "I'LL YOU LIVE, DAMMIT! JUST DO WHAT FUCKING SAY!"
The nearest car was thirty feet away but it was swerving off…and then he swerved back into the right lane of traffic…
My adrenaline levels must've been at an all time high. My heart was pumping so fast and my mind was racing…my breathing was short and out-of-breath.
I kept the gun, a pistol, right on his neck but I did ease off a little. I was scared. I'll be honest. I was very scared but I knew now that he was in my control. He had the same attitude I did: if I'm going down, I'm taking someone with me.
There was a parking lot nearby and I told him to pull over into it. He did and the convertible followed us…
"Okay, good job," I said. What else was I supposed to say? What else could I say? The people in the convertible behind us were getting out and approaching us. I opened my door and got out of the car, the gun still in my hand. My hand felt wet and I looked at it; there was blood on the gun and on my hand from the dead guy. I grimaced but held the gun firmly.
"Whole town's talking about this one little girl," said one of the three guys. "And now we finally have her in our hands. About fucking time." He had been the driver.
"Let him live," I said, gesturing to the driver of the car I had been in, Mike, "and I go with you."
That brought on a couple little laughs. "Really? And what if we kill him?"
"I don't go with you." I raised the gun and pushed the barrel up against my temple. "I don't go with you," I repeated, no joking in my voice. I had the situation now. I had manipulated them into believing I would pull the trigger…and if they did kill him…I will pull the trigger. I don't have any life and I don't think I ever will…
"I don't have a life that I want to live," I told them. I pointed to Mike and said, "He probably does. He probably never wanted to get involved with you people or the people that he's messing with right now. He probably wants a nice wife, a good job, and a couple kids…but you kill him and you take it all away. Kill him and you also kill me."
They thought about it for a few seconds then the driver said, "He lives."
With that, Mike took off, his tires screeching and engine roaring.
A few seconds later and he was gone. Now it was just me and three guys about fifteen feet from me.
I wasn't going with them. Well, I didn't plan on it anyway. I was going to fight.
"Let's go, girl," said the driver. "We've let that guy go and that was our end of the deal. Let's go." I looked at him with no emotion and took the gun away from my head. Sirens could be heard in the background of the regular city noises. Cops were on their way. Somebody had called in…
I closed my eyes and said, "Why are you afraid of me?"
The driver smiled and laughed a little, then he glanced at his two buddies and said, "Afraid of you? You're six fucking years old. Why would we be afraid of your skinny little ass?"
"I saw the looks on all of your faces when I saved myself and Mike from dying. I manipulated him into doing exactly what I wanted him to do. You know I've killed several people—none of them by my own choice but life is like that too, huh? Life. I've taken away people's lives. You have too…but do you want to?"
They sort of looked toward the ground and I used it. I raised the gun and—BLAM, BLAM! I fired twice, killing the driver and the man in the back. I pulled the trigger again but it made a different noise. CLICK! Uh oh. Out of ammo.
The other guy looked at his two friends and said, "That little bitch…" I ran towards him and plowed into him. He hadn't been ready for that. The gun he had been pulling out of his trench coat flew from his hands and I raised a fist and rammed it into his weak point. His hands shot down to protect to himself and I used his distraction to get up.
Once I was on my feet I kicked him in the head. Then I did it again…and again, and again and again until he cried out and lost consciousness…he was bleeding all over. I had broken his nose and kicked him in the head five times…and I had done it ruthlessly. I did it over and over until I knocked him out…
"They were right," said a voice from behind me. I whirled around and saw the guy who had been sitting in the backseat on the ground, bleeding from a gunshot wound to the left shoulder…right above his heart, I think. "The bitch can fight…" He raised his gun, my eyes widened and before I could do anything…BLAM!
I flew back from the impact; cold steel mixed with pain erupting into my stomach…
I hit the pavement hard, headfirst…and as my vision blackened I realized that I had finally been shot…