trying to stop her body from shaking.
Then Gerard took off his leather jacket, rolled up his sleeve and thrust his arm forward. ‘She’s a lyin’ cow. Come on, give me a dose.’
Maya didn’t want to watch and yet she couldn’t tear her eyes away. With utter fascination, she stared as Ginger knelt down beside Gerard. From his pocket, Gerard pulled out a wide
piece of elastic and Ginger wrapped tightly it round his arm.
Ginger pursed his lips and frowned as he flicked at Gerard’s veins. ‘They’re shot,’ Ginger said. ‘Like shrivelled worms – can’t find a spot.’
‘I’ll do it myself,’ Gerard snapped.
He took the needle, pinched his skin and plunged the point into his arm. Within moments, his head went back, he sighed and smiled. ‘Nothin’ wrong with this shit, man.’
He pulled out the needle and crooked his arm. Then he glared at Maya. ‘Do the princess now. Do friggin’ Mulan over there.’
Maya backed away. ‘No, no, please. I don’t want any. I’ve never had any drugs – nothing, not even a smoke.’
‘You were nicking our stash,’ Ginger said.
‘I told you. I was just trying to stop people getting hurt.’ Her voice was hoarse, her tongue dry, she couldn’t speak properly, the words wouldn’t come out. ‘I
didn’t want m-money . . . I . . . just . . . wanted to. . .’
Ginger got up and stood in front of her. He kicked her leg and she cried out in pain. ‘Shut up. Don’t try that crap with me, cos I ain’t interested. You come on our patch and
you take the consequences. Your hours are numbered, darling.’ He looked across at Gerard who was now grinning, his head lolling forward. ‘He’s happy, so what’s your problem?
You’re gonna spend your last few hours high as a kite.’
Leaning forward, he took hold of Maya’s shoulders, his squashed nose and freckled cheeks almost touching her face. ‘Pity I’m not spending the night in here with you,’ he
chuckled.
Full of revulsion, Maya twisted her head away. He laughed and grabbed her arm. ‘If you never mainlined before should be no problem – nice, fresh, juicy veins.’
Maya held her arms rigid, tugging her sleeves down and squirming away from him. He made a grab for her. She ducked and struck out with a fist, catching his ear. In return she received a stinging
blow on her forehead. Kicking out, she wriggled underneath Ginger’s arm, made for the door and yanked at the handle. It was locked. She felt arms around her waist, was lifted off her feet and
thrown back onto the hard mattress.
A shout from outside was followed by heavy banging on the door. ‘What you doing in there? We have to split.’
When the door was unlocked, it swung open and Stefan stood there, looking grim. ‘Kay was right,’ he said. ‘Nobody’s seen Leila. She’s disappeared.’
Holding her throbbing forehead, Maya sat up.
‘So,’ she said, shuffling forwards and giving Stefan a challenging glare, ‘Kay didn’t betray you. Gerard was cutting the drugs to make money for himself. He was ripping
you off. She was telling you the truth.’
‘Shut her up, will you?’ Stefan said, gesturing at Ginger.
‘My pleasure,’ Ginger said.
He seized hold of Maya’s shoulders, but Maya squirmed away from him.
‘What about Kay? She didn’t betray you – you can’t hurt her.’
‘Jesus Christ! Get her off my back!’ Stefan shouted, waving his arms.
This time Ginger got a firm hold on Maya, pulling her arm up her back. Maya squealed as Ginger gave her a hard push, sending her reeling to the back of the mattress. She rolled over, breathless,
while Stefan went over to Gerard and prodded him with his foot. Deep in a stupor, Gerard slid sideways and keeled over.
‘Pathetic little shit,’ Stefan said.
‘What are we going to do about her?’ Ginger asked, scowling at Maya.
Stefan snorted and swore. ‘We’ll see to her in the mornin’. I don’t want her blood on our hands. When the cargo comes in, they can take her out
Then Gerard took off his leather jacket, rolled up his sleeve and thrust his arm forward. ‘She’s a lyin’ cow. Come on, give me a dose.’
Maya didn’t want to watch and yet she couldn’t tear her eyes away. With utter fascination, she stared as Ginger knelt down beside Gerard. From his pocket, Gerard pulled out a wide
piece of elastic and Ginger wrapped tightly it round his arm.
Ginger pursed his lips and frowned as he flicked at Gerard’s veins. ‘They’re shot,’ Ginger said. ‘Like shrivelled worms – can’t find a spot.’
‘I’ll do it myself,’ Gerard snapped.
He took the needle, pinched his skin and plunged the point into his arm. Within moments, his head went back, he sighed and smiled. ‘Nothin’ wrong with this shit, man.’
He pulled out the needle and crooked his arm. Then he glared at Maya. ‘Do the princess now. Do friggin’ Mulan over there.’
Maya backed away. ‘No, no, please. I don’t want any. I’ve never had any drugs – nothing, not even a smoke.’
‘You were nicking our stash,’ Ginger said.
‘I told you. I was just trying to stop people getting hurt.’ Her voice was hoarse, her tongue dry, she couldn’t speak properly, the words wouldn’t come out. ‘I
didn’t want m-money . . . I . . . just . . . wanted to. . .’
Ginger got up and stood in front of her. He kicked her leg and she cried out in pain. ‘Shut up. Don’t try that crap with me, cos I ain’t interested. You come on our patch and
you take the consequences. Your hours are numbered, darling.’ He looked across at Gerard who was now grinning, his head lolling forward. ‘He’s happy, so what’s your problem?
You’re gonna spend your last few hours high as a kite.’
Leaning forward, he took hold of Maya’s shoulders, his squashed nose and freckled cheeks almost touching her face. ‘Pity I’m not spending the night in here with you,’ he
chuckled.
Full of revulsion, Maya twisted her head away. He laughed and grabbed her arm. ‘If you never mainlined before should be no problem – nice, fresh, juicy veins.’
Maya held her arms rigid, tugging her sleeves down and squirming away from him. He made a grab for her. She ducked and struck out with a fist, catching his ear. In return she received a stinging
blow on her forehead. Kicking out, she wriggled underneath Ginger’s arm, made for the door and yanked at the handle. It was locked. She felt arms around her waist, was lifted off her feet and
thrown back onto the hard mattress.
A shout from outside was followed by heavy banging on the door. ‘What you doing in there? We have to split.’
When the door was unlocked, it swung open and Stefan stood there, looking grim. ‘Kay was right,’ he said. ‘Nobody’s seen Leila. She’s disappeared.’
Holding her throbbing forehead, Maya sat up.
‘So,’ she said, shuffling forwards and giving Stefan a challenging glare, ‘Kay didn’t betray you. Gerard was cutting the drugs to make money for himself. He was ripping
you off. She was telling you the truth.’
‘Shut her up, will you?’ Stefan said, gesturing at Ginger.
‘My pleasure,’ Ginger said.
He seized hold of Maya’s shoulders, but Maya squirmed away from him.
‘What about Kay? She didn’t betray you – you can’t hurt her.’
‘Jesus Christ! Get her off my back!’ Stefan shouted, waving his arms.
This time Ginger got a firm hold on Maya, pulling her arm up her back. Maya squealed as Ginger gave her a hard push, sending her reeling to the back of the mattress. She rolled over, breathless,
while Stefan went over to Gerard and prodded him with his foot. Deep in a stupor, Gerard slid sideways and keeled over.
‘Pathetic little shit,’ Stefan said.
‘What are we going to do about her?’ Ginger asked, scowling at Maya.
Stefan snorted and swore. ‘We’ll see to her in the mornin’. I don’t want her blood on our hands. When the cargo comes in, they can take her out
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