Toto and the Boys III: Dannie

Chapter 12

A piece of the past…

“I don’t even know what to do…” George’s voice said.

“We should go to the police. He beats them up all the time. This has to stop,” Jackie’s voice answered.

“But Dannie doesn’t want us to, remember?”

“What if he does it again? What if this time, Dannie wouldn’t be able to…” Jackie’s voice faltered as she started to sob.

“Hey, don’t cry. She’ll feel even guiltier if she sees you like this. Okay, if he does it again, we’ll go to the police and I don’t care if Dannie will hate us for the rest of her life. Agreed?”

“Should we wait until the next attack? Couldn’t we just do it now?”

“Dannie said she’d not let it happen again.”

Silence fell between the two girls.

Troy, Miguel and Lee stared at each other, their faces grim. Troy’s jaw clenched and so did his hands. He grabbed Miguel and Lee’s shirt and led them away from the ladies’ room. “I have a plan. Who’s in?”

“What plan?” asked Lee.

“Let’s call it the DSC—Danica Secret Operation.”

“Uh…what sort of operation will it be?” asked Miguel.

“Isn’t it obvious, dimwit?” Lee asked dryly.

“We make it our mission to protect her,” Troy said, squaring his shoulders. “Her dad touches her again and we’ll race George and Jackie to the police.”

“I’m in,” Lee said excitedly.

“I’m in,” Miguel followed with a serious look.

PRESENT DAY

They were outside the hotel, bathing in the gentle heat of the morning sun as they ate their breakfast of chorizo ala recado, eggs and rice. Troy ordered for brewed coffee while Dannie went for the orange juice.

“Here, take this,” Troy said, giving her his sunglasses.

She started to shake her head but thought she wanted to have it anyway. The sun was not going to be this gentle later. She took it and wore it, smelling the very faint smell of Troy Brady.

As she ate, she watched him work on his phone.

“I thought you wanted to enjoy this moment with me. You’re using your phone.”

“I just need to check something,” he answered without looking at her. “Just really quick. It won’t take—shit!” he suddenly shouted, leaping out of his chair an almost turning their small round table upside down.

“What’s wrong?” she asked, alarmed.

“Shit, shit, shit!” he cursed some more, bending over his phone like someone who lost a big chunk on FORREX.

“What is it?” Dannie asked again. She didn’t want to think something bad happened to George or Jackie, but that was her first thought.

“I can’t believe this!” Troy whined, pacing around. He was on his phone again and this time, he brought it to his ear. “Lee! Hey, Lee! Shit! He hung up.” He was tapping on his phone again.

“Troy, what is it?” Dannie asked, her food forgotten. She had stood up to stand beside him.

“It’s nothing. Just eat your food. I’ll be right back in a few.” His phone was back to his ear.  “Migue—what the—“ he cried out once again. He was searching his phonebook once again and within seconds his phone was against his ear. “Jordan. Hey, what the hell, man! What did you do?!”