In a Perfect World

1
A Plan In Progress
         

The echo of the school bell rang in Roland’s ear as he stared at the girls going by the front of his car. He looked at the front doors of the school waiting for James his friend. Impatiently waiting to get the hell out of school on a nice warm Friday, Roland started the rickety engine of his piece of tin car. The rust on the sides of the car prevented a shine and the dirt on the wheels made it less appealing to the opposite sex who were more exited by the mustang that belonged to the rich kids. Roland’s sweaty-hot car was soon filled with the ear piercing sounds of AC/DC on a cheap stereo, blared to the highest level of volume.

         Out from the pack of teens flowing out of the door like salmon swimming upstream, appeared the laidback James Duncan sporting his long black hair, and wearing his much adored rock on t-shirt. A cigarette was now hanging from Roland’s impatient face, as James loped his way to the rust covered car, which was giving off more exhaust then a rubber factory.

         James pulled the door open and sat on the smoke soaked passenger seat. Roland with his cigarette half gone talked from the side of his mouth, “Damn, man your so damn slow getting out of that school, it’s a Friday and the bell rang like 5 minutes ago”

“I’m sorry man I just had say goodbye to some people, and finalize some plans”

“Man, are you saying goodbye to the whole school, Christ, did you talk to Kristy?”

“You bet, she is in, I got her number and she’ll be at Nina’s tonight, were in business”

“Ok, sounds good, we’ll phone them later and go out, it is your birthday James” Roland spoke with grin on face as he blew the last of his smoke out the window, and started to back out of the parking space.

“I know so were going to bowling, right”

“Sure, except I’m there for Nina, not to bowl”

“Well I’m gonna kick some ass, Roland” James joked as the view of the high school disappeared behind them. The new scenery was now the slummy area of town homes and garages in the high schools dump like end of town. The rusty Oldsmobile putted along the roads and threw back angry jolts at the lights.

“Man, how’d I get to your place last time”

“Roland man, just left here and then up till you hit Pines Street”

“Ok,” Roland was sure of himself in a nervous way, which he usual was, he didn’t like to show expression of nervousness and covered it up by talking himself out of bad situations. Although, the only thing on Roland’s mind was Nina, a brunette who had a somewhat boyfriend but both her and Roland knew they should be together. Where as for James, the girl Kristy was nice, and good looking but deep down James knew he wasn’t the right for her in his crazy laidback style of a personality.

“Your, next right Roland”

“Ya, I see it” the car pulled into James’ driveway and idled for a minute as the old CCR tune finished playing, and Roland grabbed his bag. Roland turned the key off and the two pushed their way through the sticky doors. James’ house was nice, but small, and had a very homey type feel for a family. James’ had a younger brother and lived with his two parents. The screen door squeaked open as James pulled it for Roland, and then Roland opened the bigger door.

“Go right downstairs…” James began.

“Roland!” a friendly women’s voice sprung from the kitchen.

“Hello, Mrs. Duncan, how are you?”

“Good, I’m really good, Roland,” James’ mom proclaimed from her crossed arm stance in the front doorway.

“Hey, Mom” James said as the two boys went downstairs. The dungeon it was called, the retro style basement with dust on the floors and beers in a mini fridge and an old Pac-man video game pressed against they musty back corner. James’ grade-nine brother Axel was leaning up against the game as he beeped his way to beat the high score. Roland laid his bag on top of a stereo speaker and sat up to an old bar at the sidewall, and James pulled out two beers, and they drank them swiftly.

“Man, me and Nina tonight, I’m damn exited”

“I feel you Roland, we should just phone them to let em’ know that were probably gonna go bowling” James discussed.

“Ya Ya, I’ll text them on my phone”

“Cool, I wish I had a phone” James finished as he watched Roland gracefully type numbers into a keypad on his phone.

“Now, we wait James” a few minutes past as the two stared down the phone sitting on the bar, then the lights flickered and the message was returned. Hey, we will be able to go just call us later to figure out details.

“Nice” said James as his exited side came out. The two had small talk for a while until it couldn’t go any further and decided to check out the plan for the night with James’ parents. In a dying hope that the two parents were going out, James was filled in on the plan for the two parents. They were staying in and watching a movie. Disappointed the two walked outside to stair down the road and think.

“Man, how are we going to get things going with Nina and Kristy if we can’t use the house?” asked Roland expecting James not to answer.

“I have no clue, well, lets just go bowling then we can just take them around town or something…I don’t know.” Roland simply nodded and looked down the road. He then jingled his pockets for his keys.

“Lets get some beer” Roland said as he was sitting in the car and twisting the key. James hopped in and fiddled for some money and found a crumpled twenty-dollor bill in his pocket. The beer store was not far from the house and the two enjoyed the stereo music. They pulled into a beer store and gathered themselves to look 3 years older. The automatic doors zipped open as they looked at the old man working the counter.

“Hi there, case of K lager please” James said being the older looking one, but dressed to young.

“ID” the old man simply said sitting on an old stool.

“Oh, crap, don’t got it on me!”

“Then I don’t got the booze, get out of here damn kids,” the crabby old man proclaimed as he pointed towards the door.

“Shit!” Roland said when they reached the exit, “man we can’t win”

“Hey, its just beer we’ll be fine, man” James said looking to the bright side like he usually does. Back in the car, the drive home was a quieter one, as they soon pulled into the driveway, a driveway, which held an extra car. The car belonged to James’ grandparents and they were there for dinner. A quick introduction between the grandparents and Roland passed and the two were back in the dungeon.

“Well, should we call the girls and set a time?” asked James.

“Ya, I’ll call Kristy” Roland spoke as he punched in the numbers to the keypad and held the phone to his ear. “Hey, Kristy…What…really…ok…ya bye”

“What’s up?” asked James to the disappointed Roland.

“Kristy, twisted her ankle at Nina’s and is in the hospital waiting room, but she gave me Nina’s cell”

“Well, phone it…damn” James said shaking his head, and the talented phone dialer did his work.
“Hey Nina…I heard about Kristy…can you still come…oh…ok…are you sure…ok bye,” Roland shook his head and looked towards James, “She has a swim meet that just came up…shit!”

“Well, should we go on the chat line and find some other people or what?” asked James a rarely down and out person. Without an answer James walked to his computer and signed on to his chat line, to see a few friends online.

“Five minutes until dinner” yelled James’ dad while the two were typing away. The two talked to Jesse a girl from school, and had her convinced to come and also was bringing her friend, the only thing to do was for her to ask permission to go. Roland and James waited impatiently as they listened to the beeps of the Pac-man game in corner. Then the beep of a new message arose on the computer screen; sorry! Can’t go, to busy…Homework. The message was just another jab in a so far crappy birthday party set-up for James. The time for dinner soon came and the two ate quietly knowing their night of partying was going down the drain and they didn’t have a plug.

         The scrapes of the plates rang in the ears of Roland as cut up his meat. “Looks, like we don’t have any people to go out with tonight” said James broadcasting to the entire family.

“You can get people, you just got to stir the pot a little,” advised James’ dad.

“Dad, we have been stirring the pot, we’ve been stirring so hard we broke the spoon” James said once again joking about a bad situation were in as Roland was talking himself out of it, by finding the cons of having girls with them.

         As dinner finished the two had, the idea of just going out on a walk and seeing what they could do. In a time of describing the story to his dad, James’ father gave James thirty bucks to have in his pocket for bowling. The two walked into the basement again, and got ready for a night out alone. James got his wallet together, and stuck a small tin into Roland’s pocket, and snapped on a watch. Checking the time James found it was 7:00 and the sun was about to go down.

         The two boys said goodbye, and a little uneager they got into the Oldsmobile and pulled out of the driveway for a night on the town.




2
The Gas Joint
         

The car rumbled its way to the back lot behind the bowling ally. The two sat in the car as Roland finished a cigarette and threw it to the ground. The first thing the two seen was two girls with balloons walking into the bowling ally. The two boys walked down the stairs to the ally and found a birthday party running ramped of 10-year-old girls.

“No” stated Roland simply, “We are not going in when there is a damn girls birthday party”

“Ya, I guess, but they will be leaving soon, it is getting dark”

“I guess, lets get out of here, man,” Roland ordered as he got into his car pulled away. On to the main road the car began to sputter, more then usual, then it came, the smoke started to fly for the hood and the two pulled over.

“Damn, maybe your right Roland, we just can’t win.” The two once again pushed out from the old doors and looked at the car in way to make it look as if they had a solution. As they stared at the stubborn car, the sun got its last stares at the boys as it sank down below the horizon. It was a look up to the top of the road, which went up a hill that revealed the gas station in the distance. “Lets go up to the gas station,” James pointed to the old gas joint at the top of the hill, “We can get something to cool the engine.” The two proceeded to the crosswalk and began the small journey to the gas joint.

“Didn’t think we’d be doing this tonight, eh James?”

“I know man, well we can fix the car, and that will kill some time and then we can just…go to the bowling place, and maybe we’ll find some friends.” Once again Roland had a simple nod, as they moved up the slope to the gas joint. The dusk like sky, revealed a few stars, but there were more of those few stars then there were possibilities for the two boys. Three crosswalks later, they were a short distance away from the service station.

         The two crossed the road to arrive in the section of gas pumps that was at this point empty, and looked at the lit up room inside the gas joint. James, with the money, went into the gas store, while Roland went to the back ally to take a piss. James grabbed some cheap engine fluid, an energy drink, and a bag of cheese sticks. James talked to cashier as he munched on the cheese snack.

         Roland however went to the back ally quickly and unzipped his zipper on his black jeans and began to take a leak. The smell of discarded milk and trash beamed from the dumpster as he awaited the end of piss. Then a strange and startling voice rang, from behind him, “Your late, were is the other guy?”

“What?”
The voice continued not breaking the seriousness of the conversation, “It’s cool, I’m not a cop, and I’ve got the money for you.” Intrigued by the mention of free money, Roland played along to see what the situation was.

“How much was it again?” Roland said confused but again covering it with a confident voice.

“Three million”

“Right, well were is it?”

The man, who stood in half darkness laughed a small chuckle, and answered, “In this case, but it is only half,” the man lifted his right arm slightly to show the case.

“Ok, so one and a half million?” Roland said trying not to leak his voice into the adolescent sound of greed, “When do I get the other half?”

“When you finish the job,” The sound of the gas door opening rang, being James getting out, “The guns and pictures are in the case with the one and half, and remember do it quick and don’t worry about keeping it clean, just don’t leave loose ends. Roland stood quiet, for a minute realizing he should of maybe left after the man said a word. Roland knew what he wanted, but in a movie and video game powered thought, he knew this guy would kill him when he found out that he wasn’t a hit man.

“Where can I get the other half?”

“The old oat factory,” the man spoke quickly as he once again asked, “Where is the second guy?”

“In the front,” Roland said not thinking anymore but just waiting to get the money in his hands.

“Ok, remember dirty and quick”

“Got it, bye,” The man nodded and didn’t say anything as he watched Roland walk to James and quickly got James to start walking. In a scared walk the two J-walked on most of the lights weaving down the hill to the Oldsmobile. James questioned the case over and over, and didn’t get an answer from Roland until they reached the car.

“Ok, when I was taking a piss, this guy came up and offered me one and a half million dollars, and said I can get another one and half mill’ at the old oat factory.” James looked at Roland confused and awaiting a more filled in explanation. Now with the hood up, Roland filled the engine with the fluid as he lit a cigarette.

“He just gave you the money?” asked James in a voice of disbelief.

“Ya, but…”

“What?”

“The money shouldn’t be ours, you see he thinks I’m like a hired gun, and wants me to kill some people”

“What!” James said as he walked a few feet from the car and stared down the head light lit road as it was now a dark night.

“Man, we just got to drive around for an hour or two and then say we killed them and get the second half”

“Who is this guy…who do we have to kill… like is it the mob or…?”

“I don’t know but if I can make him think I’m a hired gun, I can make him think we killed a couple guys”

“You are crazy!” James stated angry, with a pinch of disbelief and a dab of excitement.

“Come on…three million bucks”

“Alright, but…try to leave me out of most of it…”

“I’ll get the money at the oat factory, you can stay in the car…cool?”

“Ok, lets do it,” James said as he entered the car, and began to be excited. The car started up again, but still wasn’t the best running car in the world and the pulled off the side of the road.

“Well what’s the plan for two hours?” asked the newly excited James. Roland whose night has somewhat turned around, looked towards the side of the road to discover a pack of about twenty kids marching towards the old elementary school up the road.

“Well, something is up lets find out what,” Roland looked towards James.

“Alright, sounds good” James answered. As the two went towards the old school they passed the gas joint once again, not looking the two missed a nice BMW car pulling up in the back ally of the gas joint, which revealed two well-dressed men from the doors. All James and Roland cared about was having a good night.












































3
Pit Party
         
         
The two, drove in the unconfident car with a confident feel, as they passed the fuzz sitting on the donut shop corner. The knowing of money in the suitcase gave them a high that no drug could give them. For both guys had, had their fill of narcotics through the fast high school times, neither had ever the drug of three million dollars. With the quick thought of money they decided to look upon the cases contents. The click of two chrome latches was the greatest music to them, and the smell of the cases interior was better then any bucket of chicken’s great aroma.

         Inside the slick black attaché case, was cleanly wrapped twenty dollar bills, a large yellow envelope, and pressed between the back of the case and a silk pocket sat two handguns, that look like pieces of art, each with a bag of bullets. The glimmer of headlights shone on the chrome guns at ever streetlight they passed. There was no need to count the money inside the case for neither had seen even four twenty-dollar bills together, let alone bundles of twenties.

         As for back at the gas joint, the well dressed men in the BMW walked into the ally, which now stunk of piss and garbage, and an large man who had just gave two boys a suitcase of legalities, was smoking a cigar and watching a rat dig through cushion. The well-dressed men walked towards the cigar smoking man, with a loping stride, and didn’t say a word. The cigar smoking man, turned and asked their business, “Yes,” the two men looked at the cigar man with a tinged eye, “What can I do for you?”

“We’re here for the case, Jonah,” spoke a well-dressed man to the cigar man, who seemed to be named Jonah, “Do you have it”

“Oh, I thought I gave a guy the case,” Jonah said with a confused tone, and beat red eyes, “I gave it to a guy ten minutes ago”

“Your Stoned,” the other well dressed man argued, “Your so damn stoned you gave the wrong guys the case, you ass!”

“Sorry, guys I just thought…he seemed…he was…”

“You ass, you know what we look like, we’ve worked with Franz before, and you gave the case…” the man’s anger choked the last words of repetitively. One of the well-dressed men was a large black man with sunglasses, who seemed do less of the talking, while the other was white with a medium build who seemed to do most of the vocal gymnastics. “Listen, you better get to Franz and tell him what happened, because he is going to freak,” the white well-dressed man spoke to the drugged up muscle named Jonah as if he were a child in candy store begging for a treat, “Also, what did these strangers look like…what were they driving?”

“They…they were walking…” Jonah answered confused, but with a great memory, and the pot was speaking more then Jonah was.
“Walking…” the white man started as the black man interrupted, with a deep voice, “They were walking and you gave them one and a half million dollars, two guns, and information on Franz’s business…did you tell them the were abuts of the operation?”

“I told them of the oat factory”

“Shit!” the black man said as he walked away angrily, “ok, Jonah get in the car we’re going to tell Franz,” the Black man looked at the spaced out Jonah, “Get in!” The car sped of down the road and eventually passed the Fuzz on the donut store corner.

         Meanwhile, the two friends were setting the suitcase under the seat, and parking in the elementary school parking lot, as they looked at a familiar silhouette under a street light window. The silhouette belonged to a longhaired, stoner friend Wilson, or Willy as they called him. The red spark at the end of his smoke, and the small portion of his face were all they saw from the car window. James exited the car first and stared down their friend, as he looked back unable to see them in the darkness, “Willy!” James yelled, in a fight to say the name without a chuckle of glee. The silhouette looked at them and asked for whom they were without saying a word. “It’s James…and Roland” spoke James as he waited for a response.

“James, what’s up mate?” spoke the longhair as he walked towards the car.

“Not much my man, how are you, I saw a pack of kids walking by, what’s the deal?”

“Man James, I good, there’s a big pit party in the park up the road, mate,” the buzzed Willy, became very excited when the mention of two more guests to the outdoor bash in a public park came up, “You coming…It’s gonna be good! I got booze and the works…I mean like…fireworks, mate”

“Cool Willy, why aren’t you going now?” asked the firstly quiet Roland, who didn’t know Willy as good as James.

“Man Roland, I got to wait for my girlfriend, Lucy, she’s coming on the bus”

“Ok, cool,” well we’ll go with you then,” James said looking down the road to meet eyes with a bus, “There she is...”

“Alrighty, mate!” Willy watched as the lights in the bus crossed his face and soon left, “Lucy, what’s up mate.” The tiny blonde walked across the road to elementary school parking lot and said a quiet hello to the unfamiliar Roland and James.

“You guys, want to ride with us?” asked Roland.

“God no mate, we gotta walk…if the police see people going to the park at night in a car they’ll come in looking, we’ve gotta walk so lock you car doors,” Willy butted out his cigarette, “Not like you got valuables in that piece of tin anyways, lets go mates!” The two friends walked to the car, while a horny, stoned, and exited Willy sat under the streetlight playing tonsil hockey with Lucy.

“Ok Man,” Roland said as each had the heads poked into the car doors and stared at the glimmering chrome on the suitcase, “We got to take it with us, or not go”

“Man, it will be safe,” James argued not wanting to carry an expensive suitcase around, being someone who doesn’t do homework because a backpack weighs him down, “Lets just go!”

“My car lock doesn’t work on the passenger side”

“What about the trunk?”

“Nope”

“Ok, lets, take it with us, then, you carry it”

“James I don’t want to carry it, you made me carry this god damn tin in my pocket, plus I got a phone, wallet, and keys…”

“So, it’s your car that doesn’t work, Roland”

“Fine!”

“Are you guys coming?” Willy yelled from the streetlight.

Both boys yelled back, “Ya!” The four were soon off leaving the cold and quiet Oldsmobile in the elementary school parking lot. The streetlights blinded the four as each car passes them on the road. Teens were speckled across the street all heading to the park, while three oblivious cop cars sat at a coffee shop on the corner. The park entrance was dark, with only one lamp, leaving the rest of the park a strange darkness. Before any got a chance to speak the question where is the party? They saw the Roman candle fire works from a patch of woods, and that was their guiding star. The sound of teens laughing was also a guide to the pit party.

“Pull out that tin, Roland” James ordered remembering the tin in Roland’s pocket.

         Roland began to pull the tin out of his full pockets as he asked, “What is it?”

“My stash pull out a joint and give me a light,” James asked as Roland followed the instructions. Roland took the first drag of the joint, and passed it James. The first joint of the night had a comforting feeling and smell and also its red tip lit the road to the firework blowing pit party. The two became relaxed as the night had an odd feel, and started to turn around.

In a less relaxed situation, a pair of angry hit men, and a stoned goon drove towards the overpass bridge in the park to meet a a mob boss of Franz, that was now in a somewhat good mood. Franz stood waiting on bridge as he listened to sounds in the distance of fireworks and laughing teens. He waited for the men, who just earlier called him for a meeting. Franz was a tall, older man, who wore suits that cost more then cars, and would have a long trench coat on in all the seasons.

The BMW pulled up on the bridge and let its headlights view the mob boss, for a fraction of second then turned off. The three men exited the car, and walked swiftly until interrupted, “What the hell are doing, Jonah gave the case, right…I’m too busy for a meeting!” the angry Franz boomed on top of the graffiti covered bridge.

“Sir, you man…Jonah here, was off ass stoned and gave the case to a couple of strangers, mistaking them for hit men” the white man spoke as if he was tattling in a grade two classroom.

“What?” Franz stood with a grimace, “You’re joking…”

“No,” the white man continued, “And these guys got the money, info, guns, and know where were doing business.” As the four men had there anger filled conversation, a less complicated conversation of Led Zeppelin songs was being dissected just down the path under the overpass bridge. The last drag of the joint was done by Roland, and was discarded into the patch of bush, and as he tilted his head back he looked up to see the men on the overpass.

“We’ve got to get that case!” boomed Franz as he stared at the two hit men and ignored the dumb ass of goon behind him, “Damn, Jonah…” The four teens were now just below the overpass, walking toward their guiding lights of Roman candles and laughter. Above them, Franz began to pull, a small handgun from his side with a silencer on the tip, as he had his back to Jonah. Franz span around slowly and shot a quick bullet into the torso of high goon. The four teens heard the air whip sound of the silencer, and ignored somewhat but then over top the railing, fell Jonah to the path below, and the dust rose around his dead body. A long piercing scream ran from Lucy’s mouth as she stared at position the tangled body landed in. With a quick thought and examination Roland and James recognized the dead goon, and began to run, with Willy and Lucy tagging along.

         The mob boss and hit men looked down startled by the girlish scream, and saw the four running in the darkness. The small glimmer of moonlight let Franz see the suitcase gripped in Roland’s hand as it swung back and forth. “That’s my case, there just damn kids!” The three criminals ran to the car doors wanted to be able to jump from the overpass but knowing it was too high, the had to drive a full a circle to get to the parking lot.

         “Stupid Idea!” James yelled, “That guy was killed…probably for giving us the case, and man…” James stopped talking for a short breath, “we have the case, imagine what they’ll do to us…” Roland didn’t answer, still running but using the strategy of talking himself out a bad situation. As the four ran, behind them distant headlights were coming quick down the walking trail. By now the silhouettes of teens lighting fire works was visible, and they began to duck into the woods. The sound of the speeding, and beautiful engine of the BMW was a rhythmic sound in the park, as like the birds and teen laughter.

         “RUN!” Roland yelled towards the party, trying to get everyone moving to confuse the BMW full of mobsters, “COPS!” Roland knew that a bunch of drinking, drugging teens lighting illegal fire works in a public park, would be running off when the C-o-p-s word was spoken. After the Roland yelled the warning, the word Cops rang through the woods like an echo. Willy stared angrily as he ran, knowing his party was ruined. The packs of teens through baggies of cocaine, and weed trying to ditch the evidence of any drug use, the small fire that was started was put out by a bucket water and the crunch of sticks rang like music, along with a bass line of a speeding car on a walking trail.

         In the party area, the four teens reached a point of exhaustion and watched the mob car speed by on the dirt trail not knowing were the teens were. The four friends caught their breath and stayed quiet for a moment as they gathered their thoughts and the sound of the mob car, gently soothed away the sound.

“What just happened, mate?” Willy looked at James and shook his head in disappointment.

“Not sure, Wilson,” James looked around at the discarded drugs, “But look at all this shit” The four started to pick up plastic bags of weed, cocaine, and bottles of booze. Willy took most of the dope and Roland snagged most of the cocaine and stuck it the suitcase, raising its felony value.

“Willy its probably best if you and Lucy stayed away from us,” Roland instructed Wilson in a mature fashion knowing that the owner of the case knew what they looked like and knew they had the case. Willy looked at the two and then at the case.

“It’s the case, what’s in it” Willy asked getting serious for the first time in the night.

         Roland looked at James and began to back up and walk away, “Willy, its nothing…”

         “Let me see…”

         “Ok, but then you’ve got to get out of here and don’t talk about it,” Roland began to open the case and turned it towards Willy’s view. Willy stared at the money, and Baggies of cocaine, not noticing the guns in the pocket. Willy slid his hands along the side of the case as Lucy sat on a rock lighting a smoke, un-entertained by the whole situation. Then with a quick, pull Willy tried to snatch the case. Roland let go, but only to grab the gun in a nervous reflex. Then with one more pull, Willy had the case, and closed it starting to run with the money. Roland lifted the gun up and with only a bit of video game training squeezed the tough trigger hoping for a bullet…

Wilson was dead.

         Lucy screamed that familiar squeal from the overpass shooting and Roland looked at her with a shocked stare as if she had done the wrong thing. James stood with his hands over his face and paced back and forth, and like Roland does he didn’t show emotion and hid his scared, sorry, nervousness under an act of silence and quick decisions.

         Roland walked over to the dead body, now with Lucy breathing heavy and crying in the dark woods, her smoke now laying on the ground half gone. The case was open a crack with a bundle of twenties hanging from the side, in a loose grip of Willy’s dead hands. Roland avoided looking at Wilson and closed the case sticking the gun in his pants as if he thought he was a secret agent. James however still stood watching Roland fulfill the tasks of getting the case. James was shocked and began to come to his senses when Roland shrugged him towards a path going up the hill to the main road.

         The two left Lucy in the park. Neither knew if they were leaving Lucy there because the wanted her to be safe from hit men hunting them down, or if they just wanted get rid of extra pawns in the deadly game that neither knew how to play.



















4
The Brake
         

In quiet walk back the two were jumpy and nervous, trying to wrap their teenage heads around the though of a murder and thinking of how they could have had to girls bowling and having a goodtime.

James started to speak in his cheer up way of speaking, “Man Roland, In a perfect world we would be bowling right now, singing happy birthday to me, and Nina would be all over you” Roland just laughed at James’ speech, and not knowing what to say started making a beat box sound with his lips. James being a creative type guy started up singing, on the black path towards the elementary school.

         The two laughed as they sang their way down the path, swinging the attaché case back and forth hearing the objects jingle around inside. In the distance the two saw another silhouette, but with the streetlight to see the figure, they became deathly silent and waited for the guy to pass. The figure was no one they knew but thanks to eeriness of the silence the sound of sirens in the distance rang. Knowing they were safer on the path then the road, Roland once again talked himself out of the bad situation; Maybe the cops aren’t after us, they wont find us on the path, once we get to the car we’ll be fine…The cutoff from the path to the schoolyard arose and the two started across the silent and horror movie like school grounds.

         Smoke blew from the cigarettes in the mouths of unknown people sitting on the benches, and a couple was kissing down on the field. Even though the sight of the two friends to the strangers was blurred, no one spoke and the eyes watched each other as Roland and James loped through field.

         The sirens rang more and more and louder, as the two began to walk faster through the schoolyard. The sight of the Oldsmobile was now clear from the streetlights glare. The only car in lot, gave the rusty vehicle something it had never had before, the gift of being the best car on the lot.

         Roland sped ahead of James and opened the unlocked door as James stared at the bus stop were Lucy and Wilson earlier met them. A minute of mourning ran through James mind as he threw the case on back seat and sat down. Roland started the old car and lit his last cigarette and through the pack out the window onto the paved lot. He hung his cigarette out the rolled down window, switched to reverse, and began to back out know the sound of sirens ear piercing and the lights were down the earlier teen speckled road. As they backed out slowly from the lot onto the road James turned up the radio to listen to his favorite song, the song started with a…BANG! A cop car hit the back end of the Oldsmobile with a blunt crash, the Oldsmobile span around know facing the road, and the back window shattered all over the back seat, on top of the case.

In a whiplash like stare, the two saw the cop car across the road crushed by a telephone pole and a cop sat in the front, both not sure if he was dead. The two not wanting to take the risk sped off down the road, and another cruiser shot up behind them with its sirens. Roland pressed the pedal down and James grabbed the case cutting his finger on the shattered glass. “We’re done…this is it…”? James shakily opened the case on his lap as Roland quickly snapped his head back and forth to watch both James and the road.

“We’ll be fine we just got to lose this cop, and ditch the Oldsmobile”, Roland once again using his strategy. James was now opening up a baggie of cocaine, getting blood from his finger mixed in the powder. He began to sniff the powder off the palm of his trying to calm himself down. Roland with a cigarette hanging from his face did careful turning, weaving his way down through the sub divisions toward the bowling ally strip mall.

         Out of a driveway shot out an unmarked car with a siren on top, speeding down and starting to cut them off. Roland dipped and weaved around them and the rusty car shook its way in the chase. Roland, ordered James, now buzzed from the drugs, to grab the gun and take out the unmarked cruiser. James disoriented from the fast streetlights grabbed a gun from the case on his lap, leaned out the window, and shot towards the speeding unmarked. Now weaving in the ally way in the strip mall, James un-gracefully shot towards the car. Forgetting about the cops at the donut shop, Roland sped going for the ally exit when a cruiser boxed them in and they were done like dinner.

         The two detectives from the unmarked got out of the car, and yelled toward the Oldsmobile for the two to get out. Roland using body language singled James to hide the case and step out. James dusted the coke from his palms and sniffed like he had a deadly cold. Roland stared at the two cops, with a shake in his legs.

         Two feet from the bowling ally door, both thought of what they could be doing but instead are staring at two angry detectives, not cops, but damn detectives. “You two sons of bitches, think you can just speed through town and shoot out a car window” the blonde detective spoke with his deep voice. Roland thinking they didn’t know about the murder kept quiet. “Well, I should shoot you bustards right now…you shot at me and I’ll shoot at you…but I wont miss!”

         “Sorry Officers…It’s just…”

         “What!” boomed the crazy blonde man?

         “We’ve just had a crazy night…we…um…” Roland wasn’t sure of how to cover up the case without being arrested for shooting and speeding, “Well some guy gave us guns and…threatened us to kill some guys…I think he is with the mob”

         “Well you still shot…” The other black haired detective interrupted the blonde, “The mob?”

“Ya, well I think…” Roland started to get a little looser thinking he was digging himself out of a bad situation, while James still had his hands up in the air sniffing like a mad man and shaking in the ankles. Roland continued, “The guy said to come to the old oat factory, when we…finished the job…”

“Well have you finished the job?” the crazier cop asked as he stepped back into the conversation.

“No” Roland answered and the black haired detective walked closer to Roland.

“Listen,” the detective began, “You can help us, and if you do, we may let you off,” Roland listened to the black haired, “They think your on their side, you wear a wire into the oat factory, and get Franz, the mob boss, to talk to you. Then we can rush in, if it works…we’ll let you walk…”

“…O…Ok” Roland said just wanting to have the lights of the cop car stopped being shone in his eyes.

“I’m detective Kirkland and my partner over there who has the anger problem is Detective Darwin…he is battling alcohol problems…” Roland simply nodded as Kirkland strapped a device on him, and James watched still with his hands in the air and sniffing. Kirkland gave Roland instructions, as he finalized the wire set-up, “Ok, so remember go to the factory in fifteen minutes and forget we had this talk, just say you did the job…” Roland again nodded as the detectives walked off, and Darwin scolded Kirkland for giving the two friends a wire.

         As the cars drove off both friend stared at each other, in the car. “Well?” James asked knowing they couldn’t go to the oat factory, “What’s the plan?”

         “We ditch them take it as a chance to run” Roland said removing the wire from his chest.

         “Wait, they are cops, this isn’t a game, we have already killed one person they don’t know about…but soon will, and we got a case of money and drugs…and…”

“James, we don’t have a choice we gotta ditch the car, and figure out a plan”

“I guess man, we’ll go to the river I guess and get rid of the Oldsmobile…” James said looking out the window.

“Ya, but first I need some smokes…”



5
The Ditch


The light from the corner-store window was a welcoming feel, in a night of bullets and drugs. Both friends entered the store and the bell jingled as the door shut. Roland walked up to counter to see an old lady, much like the old man at the beer store sitting on a stool. Roland walked up, as the old lady stared him down like a criminal. “Hi, pack of Fenlands”

         The old lady stared even more at Roland, as James gathered some energy drinks and cheese sticks from the back of the store, “Your to young to be smoking…” the lady said looking up and down Roland like an animal she was about to buy. Roland stood, not sure of what to say, almost waiting for her to just hand the smokes over after her comment. The lady just picked up a crossword puzzle and continued to ignore the presence of the addict.

“Ma’am, I need to buy…these cheese sticks and drink…” James said, coming into the conversation at an odd time. The lady punched in numbers into the register and told James the price, as Roland watched in the same position he was when he entered.

“I need a pack of smokes…” Roland began, and once again the lady just shook her head, and continued on a puzzle in her hands. Roland stared at the lady, and then to James who was eating cheese sticks near the ATM machine and pressing random buttons. “Lady, please, I don’t want trouble, I…I just need a pack of Fenlands Cigarettes”

“Get out of my store!” Roland stared at the lady as she boomed her voice, and started to rub his side. James looked at him knowing he didn’t have pains in his side; but James once again didn’t do anything. Roland pulled the gun from his side and the crossword dropped like it was hot, and the lady with hesitation shook her way to the smokes and threw them on the counter. Roland grabbed the smokes still holding the gun.

“Thank you,” Roland said as he reached for a ten dollar bill, “Keep the change” The two quietly walked from the store and got into the Oldsmobile, still looking at the lady shaking on the stool, wishing she would of just gave them the smokes. The car back out of the space and left the comforting light of the corner store window. The crinkle of James’ cheese stick back was drowned out by the sound of the car sputtering and the sipping sounds of James’ energy drink.

         By this time, James’ was twitching and scratching his arm from the small dose of cocaine, as he sucked back the energy drink grasped in his hands. He had a twitch as he stalked the lines along the road, as the car passed them. As for Roland, the small drags of the earlier joint, left him with only a taste of pot in the back of his throat and an un-enjoyable buzz. Roland had a distinct destination…the river.

         The river was close by the park; they so much wanted to leave behind. The river was stained with old bikes, motors, and junkies. The graffiti on the dams was a sign of un-attractiveness that had a deadly feel in the back of the spine. Never before had either seen a full car in the dump of river, but the depths of the black water would gladly take the rusty Oldsmobile.

         The twitching James watched Roland drive, and was amazed by Roland’s lit up face in the streetlights glare. “Roland, do you think the cops will get us…do ya,” James waited for a reply but only saw a serious face determined on a clear glass like road, “Because…I just want to avoid…the cops…you know,” James hyperactive cocaine driven speeches were brushed off by Roland with the sound of the speedometers clicking, and gears angrily changing, “There’s the…” James twitched as he sipped the last drop of drink, “There’s the…river…” Roland pulled to the band of the river, and stared ad the river from the front window. James got out of the car, and began to push the back in a hyperactive driven burst.

“Damn, James wait I’ve gotta get out...just take it easy…and don’t do anymore of that coke…” Roland said, as did a quick check of the car, and grabbed the black attaché case from the pool of shattered glass, cocaine, and James blood drops. He gently tossed the case to the side of the riverbank as he began to push and signaled James with a head bob to begin pushing again. The old car worked well for the first time, gently guiding its way down to the river below the four-foot bank. The front tires dangled a moment above the river until more weight came to from side. The car began to slide quickly as the front end hit the bottom of the bank and flipped upside-down in the river.

“Wow, wow!” a voice rang from behind them, “What are you guys doing.” An old junkie from a bench had saw them pushing the car and ran to them but by this time the splash of the Oldsmobile was finished and the two friends stared at the bearded hobo. “What’s the deal…you guys?” The two stayed quiet knowing he was high, and wanting him to leave. “You just pushed a car into the river,” The old junkie then moved from his audience of two, towards the bank to stare at the one tire poking from the river, “Oh man!” The hobo junkie kept yelling know talking to himself as the two friends began to leave, not worried of entertaining a junkie with manners and small talk.

Roland finally began to talk more to the twitchy and sobering up James, “Well, now what…”

“Not sure Roland, we got no ride…”

“I know, we should…” Roland stopped to look back at the know screaming junkie, who was walking into water trying to pull the car out, “we should get to a safe house”

“Why don’t we go home?”

“No…James…with all these mobsters and cops we can’t go home, they could follow us and drag our family into it, we gotta get to a friends house or something…”

“Jack’s”

“Ya, ok lets go to Jack’s, we can hide until…until…whatever…”


To Be continued in Perfect World Part 2...