Rhuarc Black's Scrolls Index Page 2 страница

“Snow... ” Canon started after a moment.

“Hm... ” Snow looked at Canon, bracing inside for the explosion that was sure to come. She had taken great pains, even begging Vladimir for it, to keep that part of the story from Canon.

Canon’s voice was hard. It was the same voice, Snow imagined Canon used on the streets back when she was running with the Kats. “Fuck ‘im. He ain’t worth it. He ain’t no more either. ”

Snow shook her head in immediate denial. It was not that easy. “Four years, Canon. Four fucking years. He didn’t know about... your insurance. You understand? He thought I’d be on the cell next to you. ”

Canon’s gesture was quick and final, as were her words. “Yo. Enough! That ain’t what went down. Ya alright. Sure it be four years on but it alright. Ya know? I feel... ”

“What? ” Snow asked quickly, hearing the change in Canon’s voice at the last words.

Canon looked away for a long moment before her eyes returned to meet Snow’s gaze. “This be real for me, ya know. It be worth four years. Fuck... it be worth more than that, ” she said finally, her eyes never leaving Snow’s.

The doors of the ER remained stubbornly closed and Snow could only close her eyes to keep the tears in, as the hope in her chest lowered with each second that passed with no news.

In their job, one thing was only certain. Reality always had a bad end.

*********************

“We’re all here for Canon” ~Barbie

       A sixth sense developed in a lifetime in the streets jolted Barbie out of her thoughts. Without thought she climbed to her feet, eyes darting around to discover the source of her sudden feeling. The Russians were tense and she could see her girls angrily looking toward the end of the corridor.





       Barbie felt a wave of anger accompanied with a sorrow that could not be contained rise in her chest. Slowly she looked down at Snow. “I think Ace’s come. ”





       Blue eyes, red from tension and barely leashed anger, looked up to her. Snow nodded wordlessly.





       Barbie nodded back after a moment’s hesitation. Without a word, she moved away from Snow, carefully passing through the tense Russians. A terse gesture was enough to make the Kats stand down, although they still looked at the approaching woman with hatred in their eyes.





       Barbie took a deep breath as the tall detective reached her. Her voice was low, neutral. “Detective Lewis. ”





       “Barbara, ” Lewis greeted coldly.





       Barbie took a moment to look at the Detective carefully. Ace was as tall as she remembered, as beautiful too, even if age had brought slight slivers of silver to her temples.





       She could not help but notice the caution in the detective’s stance, the covert coiling of muscles ready to jump into action. The sound of footsteps behind her made Barbie tense instinctively.





       Snow’s voice was as cold as her name implied. “Amanda Lewis, I assume? ” Her accent was heavier than usual, the consonants sounding almost leaden.





       Lewis nodded curtly as she looked at Snow. “You called me, ” she said icily.





       Snow’s sigh was clearly audible in the heavy silence. “I did. She would want you here. ”





       “Why? ” Lewis asked immediately, suspicion warring with worry in her voice.





       “She’s dying or dead already, ” Snow answered quickly.





       Barbie watched carefully as Lewis took a step backwards as if someone had punched her.

       Silence reigned for long moments broken only by Lewis’ harsh breathing.





       “What happened? How do you know she’s gone? ” The questions came fast and angry.





       “She’s gone. ” Snow’s words held the finality of the grave.





       Barbie stepped quickly forward when Lewis tried to grab the Russian. “Don’t, Ace. ”





       Lewis turned eyes that seemed sunken and haunted to her. “What happened, Barbs? ” She asked in a voice filled with despair.





       Barbie turned slightly until her gaze connected with Snow’s. A moment passed and then another before Snow’s eyes slid away. Without a word the Russian turned on her heel and walked away. Barbie watched her for a second as she passed through her bodyguards back to the chair she had been sitting before.





       Only when Snow had sat down to continue her angry wait did Barbie turn back to Amanda Lewis.





       “She was shot, Ace, ” she said quietly to the tall detective.





       As their eyes connected, Barbie almost laughed. It was shock and grief and anger, she knew that. Still the laughter babbled and Barbie had to bit her lip to contain it. It had been a joke on the corners back in the day, how Canon had a soft spot for tall women. It was not common for Barbie to look another woman in the eyes without having to look down.





       Amanda’s harsh voice brought her out of her errant thoughts. “Who did it? Was it them? ”





       It took a split second for Barbie to interpret the angry glare levelled at the Russians from the detective. Her denial was quick. This was something that had to be nipped in the bud or the hospital would become a morgue this night.





       “No! It was... an accident. Not business. Just some random guy. ”





       “What the fuck you talking about? ” Amanda asked angrily.





       Barbie sighed as she kept a tight rein on her temper. “Canon saw some guy raping a girl. She tried to stop him. He had a gun, ” she said slowly, each word ringing with conviction.





       Amanda exhaled loudly, her eyes scrunching tight.





       For a moment Barbie feared that the detective would have a heart attack right there in front of her. She kept her voice low and as even as she could manage. “They got ‘im. The cops. He’s here too. He’s gonna live it looks like. ”





       “Fuck! ” The exclamation was a barely heard whisper even in the hospital’s quiet. Barbie could only nod.





       Barbie waited patiently as Amanda Lewis pulled herself together. When Amanda opened her eyes again, the anguish and pain of before had been replaced with a cool veneer of professionalism.





       “Have they given you any news? ”





       “Nothing, ” Barbie replied simply.





       Amanda nodded once before looking around the corridor. Barbie watched as the detective noted her own girls and the Russians, both groups looking at her, observing her every move.





       “I will be over there, ” Amanda said quietly, gesturing toward an empty bank of chairs away from everybody else.





       As she turned to walk toward the chair, Barbie’s hand shot out gripping Amanda’s shoulder. Blue eyes, the only legacy of Amanda’s father, turned to look at her, prideful and angry. “What? ”





       Barbie cleared her throat. The words did not want to come out but they had to. She owed to Canon. No matter who or what Amanda was, no matter what she’d done.





       “We’re all here for Canon, Ace. You belong here! ”





       Amanda nodded without saying a word. With a last look at Kats and Russians both, she turned and walked to the empty chair. Barbie watched as the tall detective sat down, her hands covering her face.





       Barbie turned away. Her steps were quick as she walked to the Kats standing in a group.





       Every woman turned to her as she neared, quietly waiting for instructions. Barbie kept her voice low. “Cuddles? ”





       Immediately a short heavy-set woman stepped forward.





       “Get some coffee for everyone. Them too, ” Barbie ordered quickly, gesturing toward the Russians.





       Cuddles nodded once before leaving, her heavy steps echoing in the corridor.





       Barbie turned back to the group. “Rain? ”





       Rain looked at her for a split second before her eyes returned to roaming the corridor. Barbie almost smiled. No matter what, no matter where, she could trust Rain to keep an eye on things, making sure that everyone was safe.





       Her voice was low. “Keep an eye on the popo, will ya? No one goes near ‘er. Hear me? ”





       Rain nodded once again.





       Barbie did not expect anything more. Rain was not much of a talker. Her eyes moved from person to person, making certain that she made eye-contact with every single one of her girls. “Keep it quiet, eh? ”





       Nods and murmured affirmatives greeted her order.





       Barbie looked at them one final time before turning back toward the Russians and the woman they were guarding. Her steps were slow, her hands showing as she walked toward them.





       Slowly the Russians shuffled away letting Barbie pass between them until she reached Snow’s side. Red-rimmed blue eyes rose to look at her when she neared.





       “Thanks, ” Snow said quietly.





       “Ain’t nothing, ” Barbie replied equally quietly as she sat next to Snow.





       Snow nodded before she looked back down to the floor, her eyes lost.





       Barbie shook her head. She did not know Snow well. But the hurt was obvious even through the Russian’s icy demeanour. Barbie understood. It was the same hurt she felt after all.



       ***************



       “Mine for a year” ~Canon





       It was a fact of life. Their life. On the streets life was a heady ride with an abrupt end. A short ride. Whether it was a bullet or an orange jumpsuit it made little difference. An abrupt end, a bloody one.





       Barbie had no illusions that she would escape that fate. She knew that Canon had no such illusions either. Even if she had managed to weather more waves and almost-ends than anyone else.





       Still, it was difficult to believe. Impossible to accept. Canon gone.





       Barbie took a deep shuddering breath. In the back of her mind, she could almost hear Canon’s deep even tones on the night Barbie’s life changed forever.











       “Yo... Canon... ” Barbie said quietly, as she entered the small living room.





       “Barbie-doll, ” Canon’s even tones guided her to the couch. Barbie wished she could turn on the lights, but Canon didn’t like the lights.





       “There something I gotta talk you about, ” Barbie said slowly, as she sat on the recliner.





       “Hm... ” Canon’s reply was a wordless grunt.





       Barbie nervously passed her finger through her hair. “I... nah... ”





       Silence reigned for long moments. The words just wouldn’t come to her and Barbie shook her head. With a grunt she got up, turning away. She had taken only two steps toward the door, when Canon spoke.





       “What, Barbs? You ain’t telling me you fucked that girl last night. Fucked her up too... ”





       Barbie whirled around, her mouth hanging open. She had hoped Canon would not have found out yet.





       “Fuck... Canon, I... ” she stammered finally.





       “What? You were high? Hm? ” Canon’s question was laden with contempt.





       Barbie felt it like a fist in the gut. “Fuck... ”





       Canon’s voice was low but it carried, cold and hard. “Fuck... and fuck again. You high now too. ”





       Barbie shook her head in denial. She wasn’t high. Not really. Just a little to take the edge off. “Canon... I... ”





       Whatever Barbie wanted to say was cut off by words full of ice. “You outta game, Barbs. ”





       It took a moment for the meaning to penetrate. “No! You can’t do that! ” Barbie cried out.





       “Hm... Who’s gonna stop me? ” Canon said contemptuously.





       “I’ll go to Raw, man. Fuck you! ” Barbie could hear the whine in her own voice but she did not care. This was not fair.





       Canon barked a laugh. “Yeah, Barbs. Go to Raw. Tell ‘er I given you a choice. Outta the game, the fuck off my corners or... ”





       Barbie could hear the chance given to her. Her hopes surged. Maybe she would get out of this mess after all. “Or what? ”





       “Or mine for a year, ” Cannon said coldly.





       “Fuck you! ” Barbie shouted.





       Canon laughed without humour. “Fuck you, son. Go to Raw. ”





       “You can’t do this, ” Barbie shouted again.





       “Sure I can, ” Canon said, her voice devoid of inflection.





       Barbie shook her head in denial. “That about that bitch? ” The question was out of her lips before she had finished thinking about it.





       Barbie could see Canon’s shrug even in the dark room. “Maybe... who know? ”





       “Fuck you, Canon, ” Barbie said, anger making her voice almost shrill.





       Another short laugh was her answer. “Yeah... sure... ”

















       Barbie could not believe what she was hearing. “You can’t do this. You can’t fucking do this! Raw! ” she shouted in disbelief.





       Raw’s anger was clear in her shout. “Shut up, Barbie! ”





       “But... ” Barbie started to protest only to be cut off abruptly.





       “You using, Barbs. I ain’t holding with that. Not now. Not ever. Feel me? ”





       Barbie exploded. “I ain’t fucking using! It... was fun alright? That all it be. Fun! ”





       Raw’s bulk moving at her quickly made Barbie step back in fear. Raw was in her face as she shouted. “You shitting me? What? You think I ain’t know? I got no eyes, no ears on them corners? That what you think, Barbs? ”





       Barbie shook her head. “Naw! Fuck man! I ain’t using! For real, Raw. Word, man. Word! ”





       Her denials fell on deaf ears, as Raw turned away, her lip curling in disgust. “Listen to me you fucked-up little shit. You’re using. You’ve fucked up two girls that I know ‘bout already. ”





       “No! Raw... it aint’... ” Barbie tried to deny it once again.





       “Shut up! Shut the fuck up! You been short on the money for months. You been leaking the package left and fucking right, ” Raw’s eyes flashed in anger.





       “I ain’t... ” Barbie started once more, only for the heavy slap to stop her. “Aw! ”





       Raw stood over her as Barbie cowered. “Now! Shut the fuck up! Don’t shit me, you fucking slut. The rules be clear. Ya know that. I’da given the order last night but Canon begged for your fucking worthless life. ”





       “Canon? ” The question was out of her lips before she thought, only to be answered with another slap. “Aw! ”





       Another heavy slap brought Barbie to her knees. Raw’s grip on her jaw was anything but gentle. Barbie was forced to look into eyes blazing with anger.





       Raw’s voice was cold, the threat in it making Barbie shiver. “Shut up! I ain’t gonna say it again. Clear? ”





       Barbie nodded as much as the painful grip on her jaw allowed.





       “Good, ” Raw continued. “Canon paid up for your packages. The books are alright now. You get outta here. Go to east or wherever the fuck you want. But you got no place on ma corners. Canon wants to give yer fucking cunt a chance, I got nothing to say ‘bout that. Got me? ”





       Another slap, this one against the side of her head, punctuated Raw’s question. “Yes, Raw. I got ya, ” Barbie whispered.





       The grip on her jaw morphed into a harsh shove against her head.





       “Now get the fuck outta my house, ” Raw spat out as she turned away.





       Barbie could only crawl away.















       “Canon? ” The question was addressed to the darkened room. The slight light of the onset of dawn lighted the darkness.





       The answer was slow. “Yeah... ”





       Barbie took a deep breath. Her nose was clogged from tears, her throat was tight. She had tried to leave. Go to east as Raw said. She had almost managed it.





       Yet looking at the men guarding the corners there, seeing the working girls and the crackheads walking the sidewalks made her hands tremble and her eyes overflow with tears. The Kats were her family, the only family she’d ever known.





       Barbie’s voice was rough. “A year you said? ”





       “Aha... ” Canon grunted in answer.





       “Fine! ” Barbie said. The edge was clear in her voice, so was the resignation. She had fucked up. Somewhere along the road she had lost the way. She would pay for it now, she knew that. But at least she had hope. At the end of this road, she would still have a family.





       Canon stayed silent for long enough that Barbie felt as if her heart would wilt within her chest leaving nothing but empty pain.





       The answer when it finally came was quiet. “Alright. ”





       Barbie took a deep shuddering breath. “So? ”





       “So what? ” Canon responded lazily.





       “What now, man? ” Barbie could not stop the anger from colouring her voice. She needed to know. Whatever penalty Canon decided, she would pay it. She knew that. But she needed to know.





       Canon’s light steps were like a whisper in the darkness. The coldness in Canon’s voice made Barbie shiver. “You’re mine now, Barbs. For a year... You ain’t got the right no more to be asking what now. ”













       A soft clearing of the throat brought Barbie out of her reverie. She looked up to see Cuddles offering her a cup of steaming coffee. Barbie smiled slightly at Cuddles as she accepted the paper cup.





       As Cuddles walked away, her large body weaving carefully among the standing Russians, Barbie sighed. She would need to keep an eye on Cuddles. The large woman had a heart of gold and tonight would not be easy on her.





       Canon had touched too many lives. There would be too much grief. And grief bore mistakes. And mistakes cost lives. It was Barbie’s responsibility to make certain mistakes didn’t happen.



       *******************



       “I’m your bitch now” ~Cuddles





       Cuddles caught Rain’s eye as she finally escaped the narrow straits of the Russians. She nodded quickly to show that she was alright. A single blink was Rain’s only reaction.





       Cuddles carefully cast her eyes around the corridor. Everyone had a hot cup of something in their hands. She had even managed to get a cup to the scary leader of the Russians.





       Slowly Cuddles walked to the seat that held a long swallow paper box. Two remaining cups of coffee steamed in it. It was just cafeteria coffee, nothing to entice the senses, but at least it was warm.





       Cuddles looked at the two last cups. Very carefully she looked at the lone woman seated away from everyone. Coffee for a cop. Cuddles looked at the cup and then back towards Amanda Lewis.





       She was a beautiful woman, the tall detective, Cuddles recognised that. Her own tastes ran to men, tall well-built ones. A stint in jail though had taught her to appreciate the female form. And the detective was a fine specimen. Cuddles smiled sadly. She could not fault Canon’s taste.





       Cuddles looked at the cup once again, trying to steel herself to take it to the detective. She knew the other Kats were looking at her, their gazes a mixture of puzzlement and ill-concealed contempt.





       She would not be doing herself any favours to be seen as catering to a cop. Still Cuddles felt she had to. No matter what the others thought or expected or believed was right. She owed it to the woman fighting for her life or already dead behind the ER doors. Cop or no cop, Amanda Lewis held a part of Canon’s heart. And a part of Cuddles’ heart belonged to Canon.













       Cuddles stood uncertainly at the rear of the cell. Eggs and Latisha were standing like sentinels next to the bars. Cuddles knew that something was going to happen today but no one had told her what.





       The change in the two women was obvious as they stood up straighter, their hands flexing at their sides. The guard that appeared at the entrance to the cell was a heavy-set man, his black skin contrasting sharply with his grey hair.





       He looked at the cell and its occupants with bored eyes before gesturing impatiently. At the gesture, Cuddles saw a woman enter the cell, a change of clothes, underwear and a small towel in her hands.





       “Here you are, Carver, ” the guard said slowly.





       Carver nodded at him. “Thank you, officer. ”





       “Don’t want no trouble from you now, ” the guard said sternly.





       “No, officer, ” Carver answered simply, her voice even and calm.





       The guard looked at the newly arrived convict for a moment before turning away, shaking his head.





       It was not until the sound of his jingling keys had disappeared in the hubbub that permitted the block that Eggs stepped forward.





       “Canon, ” she greeted warmly.





       Cuddles’ eyes widened even as her mouth dropped open in surprise. She looked at the new arrival with new eyes. This was Canon!





       Canon’s lips widened to a small smile. “Eggs. How are you, kiddo? ”





       Eggs smiled in return. “Good. I’m good. ”





       “Thanks for having me, ” Canon said inclining her head.





       Eggs inhaled sharply. Her voice was almost panicky. “Canon! It’s an honour, it is. Word! The girls been waiting like theise pants is on fire. ”





       The sadness in Canon’s green eyes was clear for all to see. Her voice held regret. “Eggs... It ain’t like that. You’re first here. No dispute there. ”





       Eggs shook her head immediately in denial. “Naw, Canon. You the man. Everyone knows that. I bow, man. I fucking bow. ”





       A sharp gesture cut Eggs off. “It ain’t like that, Eggs. No question ‘bout it. Ya hear? No fucking question. ”





       Eggs’ puzzlement was clear in her hunched shoulders and shuffling feet. “Canon? ”





       Canon sighed heavily. Without looking she sat down on the narrow cot next to her. Negligently she put the pile of clothes next to her. Her voice was heavy when she finally spoke. “It canna be like that, Eggs. No cripple leads the Kats. Not if I got a say in it. ”





       Eggs’ denial was immediate. “Aw, man. Don’t be saying that. I’d follow you to hell n back! ”





       Green eyes roamed the room for long seconds before Canon answered. Cuddles felt tears stinging in her eyes hearing the sadness in Canon’s voice. “It the truth, Eggs. Today’s a good day. Tomorrow... ”





       Canon paused for a moment, a sigh escaping her lips. Her voice was stronger then. “Tomorrow I be ten years back... or more. You be a shortie, Eggs, running bags from corner to corner and juggling raw eggs. We be kicking them red devils from seventh. ”