Molly - Part 4

Chapter 19

They danced in rivers of gold and never slept. Pushed along by the misery below, the children of the clubs and the apartments, those of thin-blood who seemed never to tire. To stop meant joining those below, a prospect worse than death.

Gabriela's head rolled back as the drugs slipped through her body. She could feel it moving around, propelling her when before she might have been thoughtful, making her think when maybe she should have acted.

She half-remembered telling some guy to fuck off then ordering another drink, Izael laughing at the guy's reaction, the pair returning to the dance floor, rotating shoulder-blades, sweat everywhere--in her pores, on the ground.

"Tommy wants to get out of here," Izael said, coming close to Gabriela, laughing, her black hair spilling over. "Wants to talk to someone."

"Right now?" Gabriela shouted over the music.

"Yeah. Come on!"

He was waiting at the other end of the bar, wearing thin black glasses that made him seem like a machine.

"You ready?" he asked, pushing up the sleeves of his black dress-shirt.

"Where we going?"

He smirked at Izael.

"Somewhere else. Don't worry; you'll like it. Never steered you wrong before, right?"

She didn't answer that.

Outside it was the witching hour and yes the moon was tinted in a yellow sheen, changing the station, certain parts of it revealed while other parts hidden, the strange glow giving Gabriela a headache. As they headed to his car Tommy flashed a smile at the moon and said, "Isn't that good luck? A full moon."

"Do we need good luck?"

Tommy stopped at the door. Instead of speaking, he went to the front left gasket, hitting it with the bottom of his dirty shoe and snorting.

"Piece of shit. No, Gaby, we don't need luck. Just trying to lighten the mood. I thought you said she was cool?"

"She is," Izael said, her face growing red.

"Tommy, what are we doing?"

Tommy sighed, opening the back door and taking out a wound-up, clear tube. Big enough that he had to rest it on his shoulder. He came closer and presented the tube to Izael and Gabriela like he was offering them drugs.

"This is the real deal. Amelia's cooking up something for the city and we're going to make sure we make a profit."

He lifted the other end of the tube.

"Do you know what this is?"

Izael shook her head, Gabriela not answering.

"It's a prototype of the shit the cops use. When they need to feed."

"Tommy...why are you telling us this?" Izael asked.

"Thought you'd be interested in making some money. You do remember how to do that, right? I like hanging out with you but, I mean..."

"You don't own us, Tommy," Gabriela said. There was a stench in the air she couldn't pinpoint. Rot somewhere beneath.

Tommy smiled as he put the tube away, closed the door then clapped his hands together once.

"All right. Thought I could put some cash in your accounts, but if you're not interested."

"Tommy, wait."

Izael came up, close enough that Gabriela didn't have to look very closely to know what this might be.

"We just don't know what we're getting into. That's it. What's up--what do we need a tube for?"