and levelled it at her chest. Maya’s head span into space, she coughed and trembled while he made a soft explosive sound
–‘Ppff!’
Stefan raised his eyebrows and moved closer to her. ‘Frightened, cop’s daughter?’
‘You have a gun,’ she said.
He laughed cruelly. ‘I have devised a plan,’ he said, ‘a little entertainment.’ He put his hand out and Ginger handed him the blue bag which contained Gerard’s
stash of drugs. Thrusting his hand into the bag he pulled out a small foil-wrapped package and held it up to the light. Then he shoved the package at Gerard. ‘You take a hit of this and
we’ll see who’s tellin’ the truth, eh?’
Gerard went pale. His eyes darted round the room, as if looking for escape. Then he took a deep breath and smiled. ‘Yeah, just what the doctor ordered.’ He snatched the package and
held it up. ‘Can’t say better than that – a dose for free. This stuff is clean, man, pure.’ He looked round. ‘Anyone wanna join me?’ He stared round the room.
There were no takers, but his gaze settled on Maya. ‘She should try some.’
Maya’s heart fluttered. ‘I don’t take drugs,’ she said.
All eyes were on her, sizing her up, then the boss went over to Gerard and stood in front of him. His voice had an icy, menacing authority. ‘You wouldn’t ruin my business, would you?
You wouldn’t do anythin’ to get me a bad reputation, would you?’
He whipped a knife out of his pocket and thrust it near Gerard’s face. Gerard flinched back against the wall, then slithered sideways. ‘No, no, Stefan. I respect you, respect.’
He sounded out the last word lengthening the first vowel. ‘We do business. You know me. I ain’t gonna cross you.’
‘We’ll see,’ Stefan said, sliding the knife back in his pocket.
At a nod from his boss one of the heavies stepped forward and punched Gerard hard in the stomach. Gerard doubled over gasping.
‘You and the girl, you both take the stuff,’ Stefan ordered. ‘We’ll see which one of you’s alive and kickin’ in the mornin’. Then we’ll know
who’s tellin’ the truth.’
A door was unlocked, a light switched on and Maya and Gerard were pushed inside a long, bare room at the top of the warehouse. Maya lost her footing and fell onto a lumpy,
stained mattress. A strong smell of sweat and urine rose to meet her as she rolled over, sat up and then moved as far away from Gerard as she could.
Ginger came into the room and dumped the blue holdall and a plastic bag on the floor.
‘Right,’ he said. ‘Let’s get down to business.’
He took the foil package from Gerard, put it down on the floor and opened it.
‘This one of your specials?’ he asked, laughing at Gerard, who was still lying sprawled on the mattress.
Taking a burner out of the plastic bag, Ginger lit it, placed some powder on a metal spoon and heated the contents. He watched the spoon, carefully waiting until the powder turned to liquid.
‘Mm, nicely cooked,’ he said. ‘Right!’
Reaching into the bag, he drew out a cellophane packet, tore it open and extracted a hypodermic needle. Maya was mesmerised, her brain seemed to have turned to mush. She couldn’t think.
There was no hope of escape. She imagined the prick of the needle and poison being forced into her veins. In the morning, the men would return and find her body.
‘Who’s first?’ Ginger asked, pointing the needle at the ceiling.
Maya shrank into the corner. ‘Please, don’t do this,’ she begged. ‘That stuff is bad. I swear it is. My friend’s in hospital. I don’t know if she’s
alive or dead.’
Ginger sniffed. ‘Ain’t nothing to do with me,’ he said. ‘I’m just following boss’s orders.’
‘Ask him, ask him,’ Maya pleaded, staring at Gerard. ‘Ask him what happened to Leila, she’s missing. He killed her with the drugs he cut.’
‘That right?’ Ginger asked.
Long seconds ticked by. Maya drew up her knees and hugged them tightly,
–‘Ppff!’
Stefan raised his eyebrows and moved closer to her. ‘Frightened, cop’s daughter?’
‘You have a gun,’ she said.
He laughed cruelly. ‘I have devised a plan,’ he said, ‘a little entertainment.’ He put his hand out and Ginger handed him the blue bag which contained Gerard’s
stash of drugs. Thrusting his hand into the bag he pulled out a small foil-wrapped package and held it up to the light. Then he shoved the package at Gerard. ‘You take a hit of this and
we’ll see who’s tellin’ the truth, eh?’
Gerard went pale. His eyes darted round the room, as if looking for escape. Then he took a deep breath and smiled. ‘Yeah, just what the doctor ordered.’ He snatched the package and
held it up. ‘Can’t say better than that – a dose for free. This stuff is clean, man, pure.’ He looked round. ‘Anyone wanna join me?’ He stared round the room.
There were no takers, but his gaze settled on Maya. ‘She should try some.’
Maya’s heart fluttered. ‘I don’t take drugs,’ she said.
All eyes were on her, sizing her up, then the boss went over to Gerard and stood in front of him. His voice had an icy, menacing authority. ‘You wouldn’t ruin my business, would you?
You wouldn’t do anythin’ to get me a bad reputation, would you?’
He whipped a knife out of his pocket and thrust it near Gerard’s face. Gerard flinched back against the wall, then slithered sideways. ‘No, no, Stefan. I respect you, respect.’
He sounded out the last word lengthening the first vowel. ‘We do business. You know me. I ain’t gonna cross you.’
‘We’ll see,’ Stefan said, sliding the knife back in his pocket.
At a nod from his boss one of the heavies stepped forward and punched Gerard hard in the stomach. Gerard doubled over gasping.
‘You and the girl, you both take the stuff,’ Stefan ordered. ‘We’ll see which one of you’s alive and kickin’ in the mornin’. Then we’ll know
who’s tellin’ the truth.’
A door was unlocked, a light switched on and Maya and Gerard were pushed inside a long, bare room at the top of the warehouse. Maya lost her footing and fell onto a lumpy,
stained mattress. A strong smell of sweat and urine rose to meet her as she rolled over, sat up and then moved as far away from Gerard as she could.
Ginger came into the room and dumped the blue holdall and a plastic bag on the floor.
‘Right,’ he said. ‘Let’s get down to business.’
He took the foil package from Gerard, put it down on the floor and opened it.
‘This one of your specials?’ he asked, laughing at Gerard, who was still lying sprawled on the mattress.
Taking a burner out of the plastic bag, Ginger lit it, placed some powder on a metal spoon and heated the contents. He watched the spoon, carefully waiting until the powder turned to liquid.
‘Mm, nicely cooked,’ he said. ‘Right!’
Reaching into the bag, he drew out a cellophane packet, tore it open and extracted a hypodermic needle. Maya was mesmerised, her brain seemed to have turned to mush. She couldn’t think.
There was no hope of escape. She imagined the prick of the needle and poison being forced into her veins. In the morning, the men would return and find her body.
‘Who’s first?’ Ginger asked, pointing the needle at the ceiling.
Maya shrank into the corner. ‘Please, don’t do this,’ she begged. ‘That stuff is bad. I swear it is. My friend’s in hospital. I don’t know if she’s
alive or dead.’
Ginger sniffed. ‘Ain’t nothing to do with me,’ he said. ‘I’m just following boss’s orders.’
‘Ask him, ask him,’ Maya pleaded, staring at Gerard. ‘Ask him what happened to Leila, she’s missing. He killed her with the drugs he cut.’
‘That right?’ Ginger asked.
Long seconds ticked by. Maya drew up her knees and hugged them tightly,
Similar Books
