Livewire

Chapter 6

"Close your eyes" Kyle winked, obscuring the surprise behind his back.

Trudie grinned before shutting her eyes. "What have you got?"

He paused a second to make sure she didn't peek, then he pulled it out and placed it in her hands.

When all the weight was in her hands, she opened her eyes. Her face lit up. "Does this mean we can finally go for a ride?"

For three days she had been asking to take a ride on his Harley. Without a spare helmet he didn't want to take the risk.

"Put it on then. Let's go."

Kyle climbed on and Trudie sat behind, wrapping her arms round him. He rolled away slowly and pulled out into the light traffic. The engine rumbled beneath them, but Kyle knew he wouldn't impress her on the quiet streets of the city. He headed out of town toward the freeway. The traffic became heavier, with more cars and several slow moving trucks. Once they had left the city limits though, the traffic thinned. He twisted the accelerator hard and the bike leapt forward. He could feel Trudie clamping her arms around his waist. He felt her chest rocking in and out. She was laughing. It brought a smile to his face and opened the throttle up some more.

Air rushed over them while the bike ploughed forward at high speed. Kyle was happiest when he was tearing down the freeway. Even getting pulled over by the police did not deter him. He'd lost count of how many local officers he'd bribed to let him off. He knew he'd paid off some more than once. It was a reckless use of his cash, but the risk was worth it. Nothing could match the exhilaration he felt tearing down the road.

The road on either side blurred while he shot by. The city was now long behind them. He eased off the throttle and let the bike slow to a reasonable speed.

They approached a service station and Kyle pulled off to top up his petrol tank. Trudie climbed off after he cut the engine. She pulled off the helmet and whipped her hair round. "Wow."

"Fun right?"

Trudie nodded with a huge smile across her face. "There's a diner. Should we grab a bite?"

Kyle checked the time. "Yeah. I could eat. It's pretty much lunch time."

"I'll grab us a table. Come in when you're done." She skipped away toward the diner, leaving him at the petrol pump. He watched her walk away. Was he taking a risk? Her father was a big time crime boss back in the US and he was bound to come looking for his little girl. Kyle couldn't put his finger on why, but he couldn't stay away from her. Her past was like his - twisted and perilous. Maybe it bonded them. It definitely gave things an edge. Something told him he could live to regret it but he couldn't stay away.

By the time he was done and joined her inside, Trudie was already talking to a waitress. It wasn't busy inside. Only four other patrons sat at tables and one man sat at the counter drinking coffee. Kyle perused the menu and selected a simple sandwich. It didn't take long for the kitchen to whip up their food.

He wolfed down the sandwich, dripping mayonnaise down his chin. Trudie could not help but giggle at him. Taking a napkin, she wiped the sauce from his face. The abrasive rattle of Kyle's phone on the table interrupted the moment. His eyes shot to the screen. Unknown number. He was hesitant while he lifted it to his ear, walking away.

"¡Que alivio! Kyle it's me, Emilio." He sounded flustered.

"Emilio, que pasa? Where are you? I don't recognise this number."

"Yeah, I'm in a tight spot, hombre. I don't really have time to explain right now, but I got myself arrested. I'm down at the police station."

He stood up and walked away from the table for privacy. "What the hell did you do? I guess you need me to bail you out?"

Emilio paused. "You know it's hard for me to ask you this. Bail is a hundred grand. Or double and the chief says he'll drop charges."

"Jesus fuckin' christ!"

"I can't ask for the full amount, hombre. A hundred I could pay you back over time,"

It was a big chunk out of his cache. He couldn't leave his friend in the lurch like that but this was no easy decision either. Two hundred thousand was all he had left in Pesos. Paying off the police chief would only leave him with the forty grand he had left in pounds.

"Are you still there?" Emilio sounded nervous.

"Yeah." He covered his face with his hand whilst he thought. "I'll pay the full–"

"Mil gracias mi hermano! I can't thank you enough." The call cut suddenly. Emilio must have run out of call time.

Kyle put his phone away and returned to the table with a glum expression.

"I'm sorry, I need to go. My friend Emilio is in trouble." Her face turned serious and she nodded. They hurried out of the diner and climbed back on the bike. The engine roared while they raced back into the city. He dropped her at her flat above Casa Fortuna, then sped off to grab his money. There was no time to waste. He ripped the vent cover off and wrenched the bag out, not bothering to replace the vent before he left.

His heart was pounding in his chest when he pulled up outside the police station. Here he was, about to walk into the spider's web. He thrust the door open and approached the lone officer at the reception desk. They peered up at him with an annoyed glower.

"¿Qué quieres?" Their tone was blunt.

"Emilio Sosa. ¿Donde?"

The officer winced when he butchered the language with his East London accent. "Momento." They left through a door behind them. A moment later they reappeared at another door. "Sígueme."

Kyle followed the officer into a corridor painted off-white with doors equally spaced down one side. Part way down, they stopped and pulled out a set of keys on a long chain. After finally selecting the right one, they unlocked the door. Kyle glanced in when it opened and saw the confined box Emilio had been subjected to. The walls were the same off-white colour as the corridor; there was a simple bed with a paper thin, plastic mattress; and a stainless steel toilet in the corner. Emilio was lying on the bed. His neck strained to see who'd arrived.

When he saw Kyle at the door he jumped to his feet. "¡Dios Mio! I'm glad to see you."

"I've got your money Emilio."

"You'll have to see the chief." Emilio shot a look at the officer. They beckoned him to follow them again. The door slammed shut, echoing off the dull corridor. Without any words, the officer led him away to another corridor. This one had light blue walls and natural light pouring in through windows. Office doors faced onto the corridor and the chief was at the far end. The door was already open and the officer stepped in and introduced Kyle.

The chief smirked. "So you have come to pay for your friend's release."

Kyle dumped the bag down on his desk. "Two hundred thousand, right?" He began to pull out stacks of pesos, counting them while he piled them next to the bag. The chief's eyes widened with each addition to the pile.

He placed the last bundle down and zipped up the bag. "That's the full amount."

"Bien." The chief wrung his hands then turned to the officer. "Release his friend."

"You're dropping all charges too?"

The chief nodded and gestured for him to leave. "Si, Si. They are dropped. Everything is forgotten." Kyle followed the officer back down the corridor to collect Emilio.