Chapter Twenty Five: Pot Plant

Lori wasn't an early riser. That was one reason why she was very tired behind the wheel of her Mercedes.

"Why are we driving so early?" Lori asked with a tired voice.

"Because Jack wants his money."

"Why can't you go alone?"

"Because we are both in this."

Lori grumbled. She stopped in front of the warehouse and got out with Cynthia, who was holding the gym bag. Lori went to the door and knocked. A minute later a gang member opened the door. He held a Kalashnikov in his hand and let the two of them in. There were very few gang members in the warehouse. Only five. Including Kenny.

"Why aren't that many people here like usual?" Lori whispered.

"How am I supposed to know that?" Cynthia whispered back.

"I don't know. You are the criminal here."

"You as well."

Then Lori and Cynthia stood in front of Kenny.

"Where is Jack?" Lori asked.

"None of your business!" Kenny said.

"We did this job jack gave us." Cynthia said.

"Good. Where's the money?"

"Here."

Cynthia put the gym bag on the floor. Kenny took the gym bag, and opened it. He took out many banknotes which were bound together. Lori and Cynthia heard him counting the money quietly.

"Ten, twenty, thirty, forty..."

The two waited. Kenny was happy.

"Good. 70k. Like the deal said."

Lori widens her eyes.

"But no reward in money form. But there is something I can give you." Kenny said.

"What exactly?" Cynthia asked.

"You'll see."

Kenny walked deeper into the warehouse. Accompanied by the gang member and Lori and Cynthia. There was a trailer under a huge storage rack that was covered and very large.

"What's in this trailer?" Lori asked.

"Your reward Blondie." Kenny said, and opened the trailer.

A fat gun barrel looked at Lori and Cynthia. A Canon.

"So. That's a German WW2 tank gun. We need more space. It's yours Blondie."

Lori lost her words.

"Oh… my…"

Cynthia was out of words. She quickly shook her head and went into the trailer, and took close looks.

"Jesus..." Lori said.

"There's ammo..." Cynthia said.

"Like I said. A tank gun." Kenny said.

"No. It's AA." Cynthia said.

"Why do you think so?" Kenny asked derogatorily.

"Because there stands on a paper, wich is here on the aiming stuff, it's an 88 millimeter FLAK 36. I was enough in school and have a crazy enough daughter, to know that this thing is made to shoot aircraft's out of the sky. "

"Nevermind. You take it?"

"I...take it..." Lori said.

"Good. Drive your car in here. We couple the trailer on it." Kenny said.

"How should she get her car in here?" Cynthia asked.

"There's a giant door. We are at a warehouse. Don't ask stupid questions."

"Keys Lori." Cynthia whispered.

Lori gave Cynthia the keys. Cynthia left the warehouse and drove through the gate into the warehouse a few minutes later. The gang member hitched the trailer to Lori's Mercedes.

"Now go." Kenny said.

Lori got into the passenger seat and Cynthia drove out the gate. When they got home, they both got out and walked towards the Stevensons' house.

"Cynthia?"

"Hmm?"

"Why are there AA guns?"

"To shoot down planes."

"I know. But why?"

"If you are at war, you need to clear the sky from planes."

"Will this thing have any use for us?"

"I don't know. I hope not."

Lori and Cynthia entered the house. Lori lay down on the couch in the living room. She looked briefly at her phone. It was five o'clock in the morning.

"Never make me drive that early again." Lori said.

"Prepare for three days without sleep."

"What?!"

"That's the life of a criminal. Get used to it."

"I hate my life."

"Deal with it."

Lori ignored this and closed her eyes. Rita and Lynn Sr. were awake. Both were worried about their daughter, who had been gone for a week.

"Lynn, Lori has been with her friend for a week now. She didn't call. Even Bobby."

"It's strange. She changed a lot lately."

"I call her." Rita said.

Rita dialed Loris number. Lori responded.

"Mom, I just slept."

"Lori, we haven't heard anything from you since a week. Where are you?"

"With Natasha."

"Come home please."

"No mom. I won't."

"Why?"

"We have important stuff to do."

"What stuff?"

"That's my business. Sorry mom, I'm very tired. Bye."

Lori hung up.

"Oh this girl..."

"She's a Young Woman." Lynn Sr. said.

"But not entirely."

After a few hours of sleep, Lori woke up. She opened her eyes and saw Marie sitting on the floor in front of her.

"What are you doing there?" Lori asked.

"Sitting here." Marie answered.

"Why? And why do you watch me?"

"My mom, my father and this res haired woman told me to watch you."

"Where are they?"

"They look for Natasha."

"They went out without me?"

"Yes. They wanted to take you with them but you always said no."

"I don't remember that."

"You were sleeping and they tried to wake you up."

"What time do we have?"

"The others left at 11:31 am. I am here watching you since around five hours."

"Okay."

Lori got up and went into the kitchen. She opened the refrigerator and saw that it was empty.

"Shit."

Lori closed the fridge and looked around. The copboard wich was labeled with Food was also almost empty.

"What happened to all of the food?" Lori thought.

Lori then remembered why.

"We didn't buy a new one..."

Lori left the kitchen and took Marie to her car. She drove to a fast food restaurant and picked up a pizza, which she ate with Marie. While the two ate, Marie began to ask her questions.

"Why did Natasha leave?" Marie asked.

"She got overwhelmed with something." Lori said.

"That the ginger gets a baby wich is Natasha's syllable?"

"Yes."

Marie looked at her pizza and noticed a pistol on the floor. Marie finished the pizza slice and picked up one of the pistols.

"Why is this here?"

"Put that gun down!" Lori said startled.

Marie put the gun on the dashboard. Lori took the gun and unloaded it.

"Because it's here! Never take a gun that's not yours! Understand?!" Lori said angrily.

Marie nodded.

"Just eat and don't touch anything!"

Marie stopped eating. Lori ate the last piece and fired up the engine. She drove slowly through Royal Woods and searched for Natasha with Marie.

"So, what do you think about Royal Woods?" Lori asked.

Marie looked out of the car window, and turned back to Lori.

"I'm not sure. I haven't seen enough to make a conclusion."

"What do you think about RW at this moment?"

Marie looked again out of the car window, and saw two police officers arresting a drug dealer. Marie turned to Lori.

"Currently, more negative than positive."

"I see..."

Marie looked back at the road.

"You know my sister better than me. Where is she often?"

"At home. She lives alone most of the time." Lori said.

"So she could be anywhere?"

"Exactly."

Lori turned into an alley.

"We can't do it like this. We have to look for her on foot."

She parked the car in this alley. Lori took the Pistol Marie hero before.

"Listen carefully!" Lori said.

Marie was afraid.

"Ever held a gun before?" Lori asked.

Marie shook her head.

"So, this is the gun."

Lori showed it to Marie.

"And this is a magazine."

Lori showed Marie the fully loaded magazine.

"Three rules! Never point a gun at something you don't want to destroy. Second rule, tread every gun as it's loaded. So your finger is only at the trigger when you shoot. Third rule, control every gun you get. I show you."

Lori put the magazine in the pistol and moved the bolt back.

"This gun is loaded. You see?"

Marie nodded.

"To check, we first take out the magazine."

Lori took the magazine out.

"Second, you open the bolt."

Lori opened the bolt.

"If a round is chambered, you open the bolt fully."

Lori did so, and the round fell out of the pistol. Lori took it, and put it back in the magazine. Lori put the magazine in the pistol, and put the safety on.

"You take this."

"Why?" Marie asked.

"Because we are criminals."

Lori put the pistol in Marie's skirt, and put her shirt over it. Lori prepared her pistol, which was laying on the backseat.

"Everything okay Marie?"

Marie nodded. The two got out and walked down the street. There were a lot of junkies and homeless people on the streets. Each of the junkies looked like a lost soul. Marie got scared and started holding Lori's hand.

"I want to go home." Marie said very quietly.

"Don't look at them. Focus on me." Lori whispered.

Marie looked at Lori. She touched Lori's hair.

"You have nice hair." Mary said.

"Thanks..." Lori said.

Suddenly, a young man stood in front of them. His whole body looked like it would fall apart, and he had the dirtiest and most ripped and old clothes on.

"Hi... I'm Johnny... be careful... Such two girls in the creepy city... hehe..."

Lori pulled her gun out and grabbed Johnny at his collar.

"Don't you ever talk to any girl you little creep or I convert you into swiss cheese! Got it?!"

Johnny nodded silently.

"Fuck off!"

Lori let him go, and Johnny walked away really fast. Lori put her gun back between her pants.

"That was intense." Marie said with wide eyes.

Lori remained silent and continued walking. It became completely dark. As Lori and Marie walked past a garage, they heard someone laughing. Natasha.

"Did you hear that?" Marie asked.

"Yes. That's Natasha."

The two went to the garage, which was closed with a blanket hanging from the garage door. Lori and Marie looked inside. Natasha sat in a circle with a group of stoners. The stoners cheered on Natasha like an athlete. But Natasha didn't exercise, she smoked weed from a bong. Stoner music was playing in the background.

"What is she doing?" Marie asked.

"Doing drugs..." Lori said.

"Then we should stop her."

The two entered the garage. The stoners looked at Lori and Marie and laughed.

"Hey Tasha there are some friends of yours."

Natasha looked at Lori and Marie and stood up while grinning.

"Hey guys."

Natasha laughed and bent down.

"Sorry. Your girls not guys."

"What happened to you?" Lori asked.

"Nothing you silly." Natasha giggled.

"Why is she acting like this?" Marie asked.

"Because she tasted the mother of all plants." The pothead said.

"What plans?" Lori asked.

"Hemp. Perfect natural hemp."

"Hemp… Come on Natasha. Say goodbye."

"Goodbye guys."

"Goodbye." The potheads said.

Lori left the garage with Natasha in tow. Marie followed the two.

"Why did you run out of like that?" Lori asked while pulling Natasha with her.

"To get away from that Claire. Huh. Claire sounds like clear."

Natasha started giggling again.

"She's acting weird." Mary said.

"No you are weird sister."

"Shut up Natasha." Lori said.

As the three of them ran along a building, Natasha saw a hole and freed herself from Lori's grasp.

"Ah hole, what's behind it?"

Natasha stuck her head and shoulder through and got stuck.

"I'm a Cork."

Lori pulled Natasha out with force and slapped her across the face.

"Shut up! I don't want to hear a word from you anymore!"

Lori took her arm again and dragged her to her Mercedes. The three got in and drove home. They got out on dirt.

"Don't run off like that ever again!" Lori said angrily.

"I'll tell you next time when I go smoke pot with my friends again. Pfff. Pot. Pot smoking… it's not even a pot."

Lori slapped Natasha again.

"Shut up!"

Lori took out her phone and dialed Mike's number.

"Hello?"

"We got her." Lori said.

"Really? Where was she?"

"Long story. Just come back."

"Okay. See you later then."

Mike hung up. Lori put her phone in her pocket and turned to Marie.

"Your parents are coming home."

Marie nodded. Lori took Natasha's arm again and walked into the house. In the living room, Marie tapped Lori's shoulder. Lori turned around and saw Marie with the gun.

"In which place should I put it?" Marie asked.

"Unload it and put it on the table." Lori said.

"Okay."

"Marie!"

"Yes?" Marie asked unsure.

"Unload it!"

Marie ran away from the gun. Half an hour later Mike Cynthia and Claire arrived. The three entered the living room.

"Hey Lori, Claire has hair like a clown." Natasha giggled again.

"Why did I even bother for that brat?"

"Because you are her future stepmom." Cynthia said, and put her cigarette box back in her pocket.

"Where did you find her?" Mike asked.

"In a garage with a bunch of potheads. No need to tell you why she's acting like this." Lori said.

"Oh god... she's stoned."

"No I'm not a stone." Natasha giggled.

"Lori bring Natasha into her room and make her sleep." Cynthia said.

"I do that." Lori said, and went with Natasha into Natasha's room.

Lori let go of Natasha.

"On your bed. I don't want to hear a single word from you anymore for today." Natasha looked at Lori and held back a laugh.

"Lay down and sleep!" Lori yelled.

Natasha layed down. Lori stood next to her. Ten minutes later, Natasha was snoring. Lori left her room. As Lori closed the door, she saw Cynthia standing angrily in front of her.

"Did you handle a gun to my girl?" Cynthia asked with a low but angry voice.

"Yes…so she can protect herself?" Lori said.

"You where there to protect her. Don't you ever do that again."

"It would be great if you felt the same about Natasha."

"Shut up." Cynthia said, and went into Natasha's room.

Marie sat next to Mike and across from Claire at the kitchen table. Marie started asking her typical questions again.

"Where do you work?" Marie asked.

"I'm the reactor operator in the Royal Woods Nuclear Power Plant."

"So you work like mom in the nuclear industry?"

"I first met her in the control room of Three Mile Island."

"I don't remember that name. Where is that?" "Middleton Pennsylvania." "I'm from Pennsylvania?"

"Yes you are."

"I didn't know that."

"You lived a whole different life." Mike said.

"I have a question."

"Just ask."

"Can I call you Dad?"

"Sure Marie."

Marie stood up and approached Mike's back and leaned against him. Mike turned around and hugged Marie. Marie's body stiffened. But for her, it wasn't a bad experience.

End of chapter