walking behind the clubs, the silhouettes of unseen strangers dancing around them in the shadows like demons let out of hell to play on Halloween night.
“Where are we going?” Dave asked as they scurried along in the darkness.
Yesenia stopped and pointed towards the brightest star in the sky. “There,” she said, using her finger to draw a line straight down from the sky to a small house up on the hill with a light on. “That's where we are going.”
Chapter Ten
When they came to the end of the alley Yesenia pulled them into an old, burgundy Toyota Tercel with an off-white hood, pulling out a baby seat and teething toys and throwing them in the trunk. They piled in and Yesenia cranked the ignition. The engine roared to life, followed by a loud backfire as the car stalled out. Yesenia cursed in Spanish through gritted teeth as she tried again, finally getting the car started up after several attempts and headed away from the clubs and neon lights.
“Are you sure this thing will get us there?” Jamie asked, making a face at Zack. “It feels like it's about to come apart at any moment.”
“There's nothing wrong with the car,” Yesenia shot back, her eyes narrowing to angry slits. “It just needs a little patience. We're not all lucky enough to buy brand new things whenever we feel like it.”
“Sorry,” Jamie said, holding her hands up in a peace gesture. “I didn't mean anything by it.”
They drove the rest of the way in silence, passing through a small commercial area with closed shops. At the end of the street Yesenia swerved around a shirtless fisherman walking with a bucket and a rod, and turned up an unpaved road towards the houses on the top of the small hill overlooking the sprawl of the Pacific Ocean. About half way up the road was blocked by a pack of wild dogs.
They look like they've been sewn together from a bunch of mongrel breeds, thought Zack as he watched them fight over a crow's carcass. Like some kind of mutant dog version of Frankenstein's monster brought to life by some diabolical genius.
Yesenia laid on the car's horn as a warning then revved the engine and shot straight at them. The feral beasts scurried out of harm's way as the car sped past, kicking up a cloud of dirt that rose up against the clear night sky to ring the moon.
Jamie opened her mouth to speak but Zack beat her to the punch. “Don't say anything,” he whispered in her ear, do his best to head off a fight between the girls.
A few moments later they pulled into the long white driveway of a ranch style house with a shimmering pool and walls made of glass facing the water. Yesenia led them inside single file and turned on the lights, giving them their first view of the expensive residence. The interior was decorated with plush white rugs thrown over Spanish tile. A series of sofas broke up the flow of the house with an open kitchen and attached wet bar off to the left and a narrow hallway down to the right that presumably led back to the master bedroom. There were flat television screens on each of the clean white walls. There were also photos of beautiful, naked women posed on tropical beaches looking aroused.
Jamie dragged Zack to the window to look out over the infinity pool towards the ocean but Dave couldn't help but inspect the pictures on the walls instead.
“Who did you say this place belongs to?” he asked.
“My photographer friend, Señor Clive,” Yesenia rattled off. “He used to tour with Aerosmith and the Rolling Stones when he was younger, as a rock journalist. When he got older he switched over to shooting erotica because it pays better.”
“Judging from the looks of this place I'd say it pays very well,” Jamie said. “So where is he now?”
“He lives in Scotland and travels for work most of the year,” Yesenia said, trying to hide the annoyance in her voice.
Dave held up a black and white framed photo of an older guy with spiky white hair. He had a big grin painted on his tan face
“Where are we going?” Dave asked as they scurried along in the darkness.
Yesenia stopped and pointed towards the brightest star in the sky. “There,” she said, using her finger to draw a line straight down from the sky to a small house up on the hill with a light on. “That's where we are going.”
Chapter Ten
When they came to the end of the alley Yesenia pulled them into an old, burgundy Toyota Tercel with an off-white hood, pulling out a baby seat and teething toys and throwing them in the trunk. They piled in and Yesenia cranked the ignition. The engine roared to life, followed by a loud backfire as the car stalled out. Yesenia cursed in Spanish through gritted teeth as she tried again, finally getting the car started up after several attempts and headed away from the clubs and neon lights.
“Are you sure this thing will get us there?” Jamie asked, making a face at Zack. “It feels like it's about to come apart at any moment.”
“There's nothing wrong with the car,” Yesenia shot back, her eyes narrowing to angry slits. “It just needs a little patience. We're not all lucky enough to buy brand new things whenever we feel like it.”
“Sorry,” Jamie said, holding her hands up in a peace gesture. “I didn't mean anything by it.”
They drove the rest of the way in silence, passing through a small commercial area with closed shops. At the end of the street Yesenia swerved around a shirtless fisherman walking with a bucket and a rod, and turned up an unpaved road towards the houses on the top of the small hill overlooking the sprawl of the Pacific Ocean. About half way up the road was blocked by a pack of wild dogs.
They look like they've been sewn together from a bunch of mongrel breeds, thought Zack as he watched them fight over a crow's carcass. Like some kind of mutant dog version of Frankenstein's monster brought to life by some diabolical genius.
Yesenia laid on the car's horn as a warning then revved the engine and shot straight at them. The feral beasts scurried out of harm's way as the car sped past, kicking up a cloud of dirt that rose up against the clear night sky to ring the moon.
Jamie opened her mouth to speak but Zack beat her to the punch. “Don't say anything,” he whispered in her ear, do his best to head off a fight between the girls.
A few moments later they pulled into the long white driveway of a ranch style house with a shimmering pool and walls made of glass facing the water. Yesenia led them inside single file and turned on the lights, giving them their first view of the expensive residence. The interior was decorated with plush white rugs thrown over Spanish tile. A series of sofas broke up the flow of the house with an open kitchen and attached wet bar off to the left and a narrow hallway down to the right that presumably led back to the master bedroom. There were flat television screens on each of the clean white walls. There were also photos of beautiful, naked women posed on tropical beaches looking aroused.
Jamie dragged Zack to the window to look out over the infinity pool towards the ocean but Dave couldn't help but inspect the pictures on the walls instead.
“Who did you say this place belongs to?” he asked.
“My photographer friend, Señor Clive,” Yesenia rattled off. “He used to tour with Aerosmith and the Rolling Stones when he was younger, as a rock journalist. When he got older he switched over to shooting erotica because it pays better.”
“Judging from the looks of this place I'd say it pays very well,” Jamie said. “So where is he now?”
“He lives in Scotland and travels for work most of the year,” Yesenia said, trying to hide the annoyance in her voice.
Dave held up a black and white framed photo of an older guy with spiky white hair. He had a big grin painted on his tan face