Vertigo: Hydra's Greatest Weapon

Chapter 6

"Have you been talking to Webb?" Cam asks me at a small get-together with a couple of friends in my apartment two weeks after I found Jasper.

The get-together consists of me, Cam, our friends Skyler Nash and Beckett Mudd, and June. We're all sitting around my living room, drinking and smoking weed with the TV playing in the background. I'm sitting on my little couch with June which just barely fits us. Cam and Skyler are on the larger couch adjacent to mine, Skyler sitting closer to me than Cam. And Beckett is sitting on the floor against the wall opposite me and June.

"Yeah, kinda. I tried prying out why he was beaten in his home but he only really told me the same shit about him missing a payment," I respond with anger.

"God, I thought Jasper was done with that shit?" Skyler butts in.

"Clearly not, Sky. He's fucked up. I just wish he came to one of us, me even if he needed something," I say sadly.

"Do we know who he's buying from?" Cam asks.

"Mateo Cruz," Beckett sternly answers.

"Cruz?! Are you fucking kidding?" I almost yell.

"Yeah. Piece of shit. But what's got you so pissy?" Beck asks, taking a long hit from my glass.

"Nothing," I lie.

"Who's Mateo Cruz?" June's soft voice finally comes in.

I grab one of the many liquor bottles off of my coffee table in the middle of us and take a long swig.

"The drug lord of Manhatten," Cam answers her for me.

"I'm gonna fucking kill him," I hiss to myself.

"Woah, you're not seriously considering going after a drug lord." June carefully places a hand on my collarbone.

"No, I'm not considering it."

"Good," she sighs.

"I'm doing it."

"Callie, no. Absolutely not!" Skyler yells at me.

"I'll be fine."

"No, you'll probably end up like Jasper. Or worse!" Sky disagrees with me.

"Jasper's one of my people and I protect my people. Even if I die trying," I spit sternly, taking a long hit from my glass and leaning back on the couch as the weed hits me.

I stare at the ceiling while my friends change the subject and talk about other things. It makes me happy to hear June being included in the conversation. She's the only one who would be considered the "outcast" since the rest of us already know each other. I come back in on a conversation about Cam's work. He's explaining some solo project he's working on that has the potential to give him a promotion. I quickly disassociate again.

All of a sudden, I feel my left arm being lifted and I snap back into reality. I turn my head to see June lifting my arm and leaning back on the couch against me. I scan the room of my friends who are still talking and catch Sky staring at me and June. She has anger and sadness in her eyes and I think I know why.

Skyler and I used to be close. Close as in we used to hook up a lot and go out but were never official. She wanted to be more but I didn't so when I told her that, she broke things off in a fit of anger. I guess she's still somewhat into me even though it's been a few months.

My friends continue to talk but I watch the TV, only jumping into the conversation when talked to directly. I can't keep my mind off of Jasper and his dealer, Cruz. I swear I am going to kill him. I don't care what happens to me.