The secret out; Vasquez’s shame hangs in the air like a thick bitter sap. He tries to read Veronica’s face for her reaction, but can’t identify the emotion behind her hazel eyes. She reaches for the Polaroid picture that Vasquez set down between them. She was afraid to touch it at first. Worried that as soon as she did, the reality of his story would hit her like a speeding train. As she confirms her younger self, Garret looks over her shoulder at the photograph. “Wow. You were a beautiful little girl.”
“Thanks,” utters Veronica. A tear falls down her cheek as the familiarity of the photo’s background makes her homesick. Aside from the shag carpeting that was replaced with linoleum flooring, her grandmother’s house has not changed much. She wipes the tear away quickly and shoots a glare at Vasquez.
“Do you know that I grew up on food stamps? That I had to watch my mother cry in shame when she couldn’t afford to buy me new shoes for school? That we the only thing we unwrapped at Christmas was tamales?” Veronica’s voice begins rising to a scream. “You fucker! You live in luxury. Private helicopter, tapestry covered walls, and fine tailored suits, and I am struggling to send money monthly to provide the bare minimum!” Veronica ninja-stars the Polaroid photo at Vasquez’s face and it bounces off his forehead. Veronica burst into sobs. “You weren’t there. You were never there. Screw your picture. Your sad story. Vasquez, power and money can’t get you out of the fact that you aren’t anything but a common dead beat dad.” Veronica, composes herself, stands up, and walks to the door. “Fuck all of this. I am out of here. Make them stop me. Have them shoot me in the back as I storm out. A coward like you would do something like that.” Veronica swings the door open to find a long tunnel in front of her.
“Please, Veronica. We are in a very remote area. At the chance you figure out the complex labyrinth of tunnels and get above ground, there isn’t anything for miles. You’d die of dehydration under that intense desert sun. Please sit down.”
Garret stands up and slowly walks up to Veronica. Tenderly hugs her and whispers in her ear, “You are an incredible woman and when this is all over I want to start fresh and be in your life. Please stay. We have to play this right. Be smart and stay cool.” Veronica nods and nudges past Garret as he whispers in her other ear, “By the way, telling off Vasquez was a total turn on.”
Veronica shoots Garret a sly smile, returns back to her seat, and asks plainly, “Where is Jay?”
“He will join us in a few minutes. However, before he arrives I’d like to proposition you two with a deal. Garret, Chulo informed me that you have made some grave mistakes in your dealings with my organization.”
Garret’s mouth dries up, “Sir, I am aware things did not go smoothly…”
“What I want to know, Garret.” Vasquez interrupts, “Is what you would have done differently.”
Garret searches for an answer. He is aware that that a bad answer could cost him his life. “Well sir, honestly, I’d of had Jay…”
Just then the door is busted open by El Chulo. His lip split open and a wilt forming above his left eye he yells in, “Number 2 has gotten away!”
“How can this be? Oh never mind. He won’t get far. Get my blood hounds and a group of ten of your best men,” Vasquez looks at Veronica and Garret, “We’ll continue when I return.” He rushes out the door and they hear the lock click them in.
“Fuck, Jay is in trouble!” Says Garret as he rushes to the door to try to open it/
“How do you know?”
“I got to make out an impression his ring made on El Chulos forehead. I am assuming ‘Number2’ is secret code for him since he works for me. Shit. We need to help him.”
Veronica stands up and looks around the room. “Well, we are in some kind of under ground bunker, right?”
“Yeah?”
“Then they have to have a ventilation system.” Veronica reaches for the tapestry and pulls it off, exposing a large vent underneath. She reaches up and pops the cover off. “After you?”
“You’re crazy. What do you think we are, the A-team? Let me tell you, this is real life. We don’t know where that leads to.”
Veronica pops her hip and gives him an expression that reads: Really asshole? You got a better idea?
“OK. You’re right. Let me go in first.”
Garret pulls himself up and turns around to hoist Veronica in after him. The vent is large enough for them to be able to crawl on all fours as they maneuver through.
“I don’t even know if it is night or day.”
“Day. I see natural sun light ahead. Bad news. There is a huge industrial fan at the end.”
Veronica and Garret close in on the fan. “We need to jam it.” Veronica reaches under her shirt and does a maneuver that wiggles her out of her bra and she pulls it out of her sleeve. “Can we work with this? Maybe you can use the underwire.”
“Oh my god that was hot. You are just full of ideas.” Garret grabs the bra and pulls out the metal underwire from each cup. He twists them together to make it stronger and carefully slips it between the blades. The fan halts and jerks to get free.
“This won’t hold for long, hurry.”
They wiggle their way through and quickly move towards a Jeep parked a few feet away. Veronica and Garret both head for the drivers side. “I am driving,” declares Veronica.
“I don’t think so.”
“Yes I am. One, you know Jay better and you would be better at spotting him. Two, I grew up in Arizona. I have been off-roading and driving quads since I was 15.”
“Good point.”
As Garret runs around to the passenger side, a bullet hits the car. Garret gets in as Veronica franticly grabs the key from the visor and starts the car. She peels out as they hear shouts from men announcing that they had escaped.
“We don’t have a lot of time before they are on our ass.”
Veronica turns sharply on a dirt road and busts through a gate. Garret looks in the back seat for a gun and turns up with a berretta.
“Not ideal but the best we got. It’s loaded…shit! Look ahead!
Four SUVs barrel down the road blocking their way and forcing Veronica into a game of chicken. Veronica breaks hard, kicks it into reverse, driving backwards at top speed as she swings it into a small side road she noticed a few hundred yards back. Not expecting her change of direction they drive past her, and she turns back on the main drag leaving them driving in the wrong direction.
A helicopter flies directly above them and follows Veronica’s every move. A small Cb radio sounds off in the jeep.
-Veronica, it is your… it is Vasquez. You have worn my patience. Stop the jeep.
Garret picks up the radio and talks into it. “Vasquez, I got an answer to your question. The one thing I would have done differently is I wish I had taken Veronica on a date. Just a date. No deals. No agendas. No drugs. I love her.”
Veronica looks at Garret. “You do?”
Just then the jeep hits a mound of dirt on the right side of the jeep and it flips over 3 times before coming to a halt.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
All that was missing was Mr. T!
ReplyDelete