which went for nine hundred dollars at auction last weekend.
She took the cash and ran it through the little machine she had sitting next to the computer.
“You going to be at the rally today?” I asked.
“For what?” she replied, perplexed.
“The firefighters. You haven’t heard about it?”
“Oh, yeah . . . My mom was telling me about that the other day. She said it’s at like one this afternoon, right?” she replied as she typed something into the computer.
“Yeah. And we’re trying to get the mayor to change her mind about slashing the budget of the fire stations in Spokane.”
She shook her head. “That’s not cool. We need you guys.”
“That’s how the majority of people feel, it seems like. I think we’ll send the message loud and clear today,” I replied.
A receipt printed out and she tore it off. Handing it to me, she asked, “Anything else I can do for you?”
“Not today,” I replied, taking the receipt from her. “Hope to see you there.”
Leaving the bank, I walked down the front steps and went over to my car. As I got in, I heard someone from across the parking lot. “Blaze,” the voice said loudly. It was a male voice.
Turning as I stood up at my open car door, I saw that it was the kid. I flashed him a nod and got into my car. My heart began pounding so loudly that I could feel it in my ears. I turned the key over. As I was backing out of the parking spot, he jogged up to my car and knocked on my driver’s side window. I made eye contact with him for a split second, then put the car in drive and sped out of the parking lot.
I wasn’t very far down the street when my gas light came on. Pulling over into a gas station parking lot, I glanced over my shoulder at least a half dozen times. I was worried that the kid was tailing me.
Pulling up to the gas pump, I got out and slid my card through the card reader, checking over my shoulder several more times. The pump beeped and I started fueling up. Nervously, I kept my eyes down the road toward the bank. My pulse started soaring as I thought about all that had happened that night four weeks ago. I thought I was in the clear, but I wasn’t.
The kid had found me.
“Now, that’s no way to treat a friend,” the kid said from behind me, in the other direction. I jumped as I turned to him.
“I don’t want any trouble,” I said, shifting my footing to a defensive stance.
He brought his hands out to each side and said, “You told me to take care of that debt. So I did some things. I’m not exactly proud of these things . But . . . I took care of it.”
The gas pump clicked as it finished, startling me.
“Calm down, Blaze . . . or whatever it is you go by these days. Don’t ever see you on the tables up at the casino anymore.”
I took my receipt from the gas pump and headed for the driver’s side door. The kid hastened his steps over to the car and pushed the door shut.
“What do you want?” I asked, looking at him.
“I took care of your debt, and this how you repay me?” he asked sharply.
My eyes fell to his waist as I spotted a gun. “I appreciate what you did, But I got to get going.”
“You said to take care of it, and I did.” He spat on the ground. “Now it’s time for you to repay. You’ve had plenty of time.”
“I don’t have that kind of money. That’s the whole reason I didn’t pay to begin with. That and the fact I didn’t know it was that high of a buy-in.”
“How much you got?” he asked, tipping his chin.
Shaking my head, I said, “Not much.”
The kid stepped closer to me and put a hand on my shoulder. He looked behind him for a moment and then shifted his step even closer. He drove his fist into my stomach, catching me off guard. Pain ripped through my torso.
“Wrong answer,” he said, shaking his fist. “Ouch . . . I didn’t know that’d hurt.”
I wasn’t able to stand. He grabbed my shoulder and yanked me upwards, pushing me up against the car.
“How much do you
She took the cash and ran it through the little machine she had sitting next to the computer.
“You going to be at the rally today?” I asked.
“For what?” she replied, perplexed.
“The firefighters. You haven’t heard about it?”
“Oh, yeah . . . My mom was telling me about that the other day. She said it’s at like one this afternoon, right?” she replied as she typed something into the computer.
“Yeah. And we’re trying to get the mayor to change her mind about slashing the budget of the fire stations in Spokane.”
She shook her head. “That’s not cool. We need you guys.”
“That’s how the majority of people feel, it seems like. I think we’ll send the message loud and clear today,” I replied.
A receipt printed out and she tore it off. Handing it to me, she asked, “Anything else I can do for you?”
“Not today,” I replied, taking the receipt from her. “Hope to see you there.”
Leaving the bank, I walked down the front steps and went over to my car. As I got in, I heard someone from across the parking lot. “Blaze,” the voice said loudly. It was a male voice.
Turning as I stood up at my open car door, I saw that it was the kid. I flashed him a nod and got into my car. My heart began pounding so loudly that I could feel it in my ears. I turned the key over. As I was backing out of the parking spot, he jogged up to my car and knocked on my driver’s side window. I made eye contact with him for a split second, then put the car in drive and sped out of the parking lot.
I wasn’t very far down the street when my gas light came on. Pulling over into a gas station parking lot, I glanced over my shoulder at least a half dozen times. I was worried that the kid was tailing me.
Pulling up to the gas pump, I got out and slid my card through the card reader, checking over my shoulder several more times. The pump beeped and I started fueling up. Nervously, I kept my eyes down the road toward the bank. My pulse started soaring as I thought about all that had happened that night four weeks ago. I thought I was in the clear, but I wasn’t.
The kid had found me.
“Now, that’s no way to treat a friend,” the kid said from behind me, in the other direction. I jumped as I turned to him.
“I don’t want any trouble,” I said, shifting my footing to a defensive stance.
He brought his hands out to each side and said, “You told me to take care of that debt. So I did some things. I’m not exactly proud of these things . But . . . I took care of it.”
The gas pump clicked as it finished, startling me.
“Calm down, Blaze . . . or whatever it is you go by these days. Don’t ever see you on the tables up at the casino anymore.”
I took my receipt from the gas pump and headed for the driver’s side door. The kid hastened his steps over to the car and pushed the door shut.
“What do you want?” I asked, looking at him.
“I took care of your debt, and this how you repay me?” he asked sharply.
My eyes fell to his waist as I spotted a gun. “I appreciate what you did, But I got to get going.”
“You said to take care of it, and I did.” He spat on the ground. “Now it’s time for you to repay. You’ve had plenty of time.”
“I don’t have that kind of money. That’s the whole reason I didn’t pay to begin with. That and the fact I didn’t know it was that high of a buy-in.”
“How much you got?” he asked, tipping his chin.
Shaking my head, I said, “Not much.”
The kid stepped closer to me and put a hand on my shoulder. He looked behind him for a moment and then shifted his step even closer. He drove his fist into my stomach, catching me off guard. Pain ripped through my torso.
“Wrong answer,” he said, shaking his fist. “Ouch . . . I didn’t know that’d hurt.”
I wasn’t able to stand. He grabbed my shoulder and yanked me upwards, pushing me up against the car.
“How much do you
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