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Beatrix

"Liberty, where are you?"

"Um, near Marty's and December's," she told me, her voice warbly.

"Liberty, what's wrong?" I pressed her for info.

"N-Nothing."

I hung up on her and busted around the corner. I was out buying some groceries from the house when Liberty had called. I sped all the way to the downtown area, driving around slowly until I spotted Liberty.

She hurriedly ran to my car, looking around in a paranoid way. "What the hell is going on Liberty? Did you steal something again?" I hadn't even talked to her since our wild moment on Friday. It felt weird for her to be back in my car.

"Ha," she scoffed, her expression showing how traumatized she was.

"Liberty. Talk to me," I pulled away from the shopping district, driving just to drive.

"I stole from the wrong person, Beatrix," tears sprung up in her eyes. "Liberty. Who did you steal from?" I asked quietly. "Some guy- he had a thick accent and two big niggas. He said his name was Chad." Anger struck through me. "And he wants me to steal some drugs for him."

"Blonde hair? White guy? Kind of tall?" I asked through clenched teeth.

"Yeah," Liberty sniffled, looking over at me. "How did you know?"





"Hey, Beatbox."

"What did I tell you about calling me that?" I rolled my eyes. "Well, boss, I was thinking...up my pay, huh?" my head goon Rocky asked, leaning against my desk. I finished counting up the rest of my money, then put it through the machine just to make sure. "I come here a couple of times a month just to deal with your mouth, huh?" I half joked.

Rocky was a solid guy: solid personality, solid mindset, solid build. He was basically a real life Wreck-It Ralph but Nigerian with veiny, brown skin.

"We got a new shipment in. Cocaine, rocks, some other shit," he informed me. "Make sure it's all handled," I stood up, looking out through the window that oversaw my factory floor. "Once I'm 18, you know all this pressure won't be on you, right? I'll be able to work here full time."

"Feels like it'll take forever, boss. June, right?"

"June the ninth," I nodded.

"I got someone to help us handle our competition problem," Rocky mentioned, sitting down in one of the foldable chairs in my small little office. The bare cement walls and exposed pipes said it all. We were clearly starting from the bottom with our dealing, but I'd get us where we needed to be.

"Who's that? Anybody I'd know?" I asked, laying my hands flat across my desk as I stood.

"Nah. Out of town guy. From New Mexico or Virginia. Something like that. I looked into his background and he's pretty credible. Good at eliminating."

"Type of guy we need," I nodded.

"Boss, if you don't mind me asking, do you really think this'll go anywhere? The business? The dealing?"

"It will, Rocky." I looked over his shoulder at my workers, stacking and unwrapping, packaging and disguising. "Not too long ago, I didn't know how I'd survive. I didn't know who I was. What I was capable of," I looked him dead in the eye, "Now that I've gotten a taste of freedom, I'm never going back."

"That's good. Real good," Rocky nodded.

"After we eliminate Chad from the game, we'll take off. I'll only keep the realest close to me," I held my hand out. "Do you promise me your absolute loyalty from here on out?"

Rocky stepped forward to shake my hand.

"You have my word, boss."

I looked down at my cash. I was twenty dollars off, according to the machine. The screen was faced my way, not Rocky's. "You put everything you care for into that promise, Rocky?"

"My family. My house. Everything that I care for."

"I sent you to carry out this organization's largest transaction yet...and I'm off by twenty," I stated, still looking down at the screen.

"It- It wasn't me, boss."

"I find it...a big coincidence that you ask me for a raise and then I'm missing money." I rose my eyes up to meet his. "Are you in need of any...cash right now, Rocky?"

"Yes, but- but-

I cracked him a smile. "I haven't been in the game long enough yet, Rocky. I'm still new to this. Naive and young, do you think?"

"No- No, I don't think that," he shook his head quickly.

"I lead a double life. Everyday, Rocky. I might not do this shit everyday, but in the back of my mind...I know what I do," I pointed to my temple, "I lie to the one's that I care about. No one close to my heart knows who I really am. They all see me as this basic high school girl with a rough past. They don't know about the woman I've become. But you do, Rocky..."

"I'm sorry, boss! It was me, okay? My family is-

"Rocky," I clapped my hands together, "I still have mercy in my heart. I'm not a coldhearted crook. Yet. Take the twenty. Enjoy it. Matter of fact, have your raise." I picked up the freshly cleaned, gleaming pistol on my desk. "But from here on out...I'm not taking anymore bullshit. I tolerate BS from one person, and one person only because of a special circumstance but Rocky, my dear friend, you are not special to me. You are replaceable."

I aimed it at his head. "Do you think that I'm capable of murder, Rocky?"

"I- I- I don't know."

"You don't wanna find out," I told him darkly.



"I heard about him around," I told Liberty, making a left turn and heading towards my house.

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