The White Rabbit

Ronnie Watson was indeed in Brooklyn NY at his cousin Walter's apartment. Walter was less than pleased about the visit.

"They're lookin' for you man. They got APB's out from the Feds! The Fed's man! We ain't talkin' about some hardware store robbery in Freemont Texas. You shot a Fed! A fuckin' Fed!" Walt was pacing back and forth in his small living room. He had a studio apartment and Ronnie was sleeping on a pile of blankets on the floor.

"It ain't like I'm stayin' here forever Walt. I just gotta have some time to figure out my next move. And I didn't shoot that Fed! Gary and Ricky did it!" Ronnie was sitting on the sofa bed and ran his hands through his hair then picked up his beer.

"Well nobody cares because they're lookin' for you! Figure it out. Make it quick! I'm legit. I got a girlfriend 'n everything. We're supposed to get married. I got a job at Mick's Motor shop. I ain't gonna fuck up my life for you no more!" Walt headed for the door.

"Hey! Where you goin'? There's a blizzard outside!" Ronnie gestured to the small black and white TV in the corner.

"Wendy lives next door. I'm goin' over to make sure she's OK. She's got asthma and I wanna make sure she took her medicine the doctor gave her." He turned at the door. "You got 'til this storm is over man. Then you gotta go."

"You got a car Walt?" Ronnie looked blearily up at the man.

"No. Nobody needs a car in New York City. Get your act together and get out. And no I didn't leave any money or ID around. I known you a long time 'cuz. I owe you 'cause you're blood. That's why I let you in. But you gotta grow up Ronnie. You owe me too. I ain't doin' no more time because of your fuck up. So get out." He left.

Ronnie sat and stared at the TV. He rubbed his face some more and thought again about everything that had happened. He had tried to rewrite it all in his head in the trip up here.

He didn't have anywhere else to run. Walt was supposed to be the answer to everything. Man oh man. How was he to know Walt got pussy whipped and out of the game? Shit…

He couldn't believe it when he saw Gary and Ricky come out of the back room shooting. But when the silver haired cop started shooting back he actually froze. He had thought he saw a badge on the guys belt just as he walked up, before he went into the shop. The headlights on the truck lit the area up. The wind had blown his coat open. He could see it. He knew it was trouble. He called Ricky on his cell and they ducked inside the back.

He was really angry those two idiots had to go and hold up the shop. It wasn't in the plan. They had plenty of money from the back robbery in Georgia. He had only come to DC to chill out with Ivy until the heat was off. He figured a year or so would be enough. He almost made it too. This was how his whole life had been. Always some fuck up or another.

Ivy… She was pretty damned perfect for a girlfriend. Did everything he wanted. Always had. Ivy had tried to get up to leave by the other door when the shooting started. That damned cop! Ronnie saw her go down. Had to be Gary or Ricky's shot, the cop was shooting forward. Duckshit! He saw the cop go down but he also saw both his friends get dead. Damn!

Just then the TV news came on from a commercial. The very next item after the blizzard was a picture of him from his Florida arrest and the APB Walt had talked about! Shit! He was wanted not only for the Georgia bank robbery but now an assault on a federal officer, attempted murder, and a person of interest in 3 homicides. Jesus! What the hell was he gonna do?

Ronnie got up and began to pace where Walt had. His thoughts ran in circles. He was so tired. He needed to eat and then to sleep some more. He went over to the refrigerator. The only thing in it was beer and some kind of takeout that looked moldy and smelled worse. Opening cupboards he found a box of Cheerios and salt and pepper. Apparently good ole' boy Walt ate at Wendy's. Ronnie walked over to the place's only window and found he couldn't even see across the street. He had no idea where the local 7-11 was and couldn't wander around in this weather anyway. He went back to the sofa bed and began to eat dry Cheerios and drink another beer. The solution would come, they always did. Somewhere along the line of his third beer he fell asleep.

He woke up when somebody called his name. The room was freezing cold. He could see his breath in the light from the TV. He got up and went and checked the window. It was closed but frosted over. Walt obviously lived in a piece of crap apartment. Wandering to the bathroom Ronnie decided to use Walt's toothbrush and splashed water on his face. When he came out the TV was all fuzz. Damn! Suddenly he heard a voice from behind him in the kitchen area.

"Ronnie you piece of shit! You killed me!"

Leaping from the sofa he turned to look and saw Ivy walk out of the dim area and up to him within 4 feet. She was wearing the clothes he remembered from that day. She looked good! Then he looked down and saw she had no feet… she was clear from the knees down. Ronnie promptly fainted dead away.