PURE HEROIN

X.

1O | Pure Heroin

Exodus hummed quietly under her breath as she sorted the laundry. It was the least she could do, keeping the house clean. She had already washed one load and she was currently putting her second in.

Picking up one of Juels's jeans shorts she was about to throw it in the washer before a gold wrapper fell out of back pocket. Exodus dismissed it as a candy wrapper and picked it up and threw it away without giving it a second glance.

Nearing her last load she was in the middle of folding clothes when Fredo barged into the laundry room.

"Get dressed I want to take you somewhere."

"But I- What about the clothes?"

"There not going to runaway while we're gone Exodus they'll be here." Fredo rolled his eyes. "Dress casual."

Sighing, Exodus watched as he left the room. Folding the piece of clothes in her hand she got up and headed to go change.

Pushing open her room door she went straight to the closet and started sifting threw clothes. Settling on a plain white V-neck and green shorts she placed them onto the bed.

Exodus saw her leather jacket hanging askew from its hanger and went to fix it. A white envelope sticking out from the inside pocket caught her attention. In truth, she had forgotten about the envelope she had taken from Fredo's desk.

Grabbing it up she then fixed the jacket on its hanger before moving over to the bed. Opening the envelope she pulled out its content. A picture, a letter and an old news paper clipping.

Looking at the picture Exodus immediately busted out laughing before quickly covering her mouth. Fredo's head was huge as hell when he was younger. The letter however, was written in spanish and she had no idea what it was saying. She had barely passed spanish with a 'C' in high school. The newspaper clipping was probably the most strangest thing. It was about plane crash dated back fourteen years ago.

Exodus wondered why Fredo kept these locked away. Well not so much the picture. She could understand why he wanted to hide that.

A loud knock sounded on her door. " Lets go Exodus. What are you doing in here?"

Exodus shoved the things under her pillow. " Im coming!" Stripping quickly she threw on her clothes in record time. Shoving her feet into white converse, she was out the door.

Exodus had kept quiet the entire ride until Fredo had turned off of the road. Sitting up straighter she looked his way.

"Where are we going?"

He didn't bother responding or looking at her, just continued driving.

So Exodus tried again. "Fre-"

"Relax." He cut her off .

Huffing she rubbed her nose nervously before looking out her window. They were driving deeper into the bush.

Fredo killed the engine before getting out the jeep. Exodus stayed put inside watching curiously as he popped the trunk.

He tapped on the glass motioning for her to get out. Getting out Exodus shoved her hands into her pockets before slowly moving around the car.

Fredo opened the duffel bag in the back trunk pulling out a .22 and a colt rifle. Exodus stepped back almost tripping over her feet in the process. The last time Fredo held a gun with her around was not an enjoyable experience for her.

"Today is very important and I need you to pay attention Exodus...Your associated with me now, its possible that you can also be targeted. You need to know how to protect yourself..Or even me if the situation was to ever arise."

Exodus nodded, her heart thumping rapidly at the thought of someone attacking her.

"You ever shot a gun?" Fredo asked.

She shook her head just as he threw the .22 at her. Exodus awkwardly caught it between her hands.

"This gun is a peashooter. Perfect for beginners because the recoil is minimal. Your going to practice on Carl today." He said slamming the back trunk close. Holding the colt he began to walk off from the jeep.

"Wait! Who's Carl?" Exodus exclaimed moving to catch up with him. Somehow she knew that this was going to be a long day.

Fredo made her carry her own gun. They had walked far enough so an errant shot only had sand or trees to hurt. Despite its small build that little peashooter felt like a cannon in her hands.

'Carl' turned out to be a large brown dummy much to Exodus's relief. There was also a line of tin cans to the left of Him.

Fredo made sure the tin cans were perfectly aligned before moving to stand in the back of her. "Lets start with the tin can first. We'll work our way up to Carl."

He showed her how to load it, lift the safety and sight in the tin-can target.

"Squeeze the trigger don't pull."

Exodus pulled of course, the barrel lifted lofting the bullet high and wide.

"Try again. Take your time."

Bringing the .22 to her shoulder, Exodus willed her aching arms to quit shaking.

"Level..site...Breathe in...Ease the trigger."

Following Fredo's instructions the shot wasn't dead center, but it hit the top of the can with a satisfying bling!

"Better. Do it again, concentrate and relax."

Concentrate. Level the sight. Breathe in. Ease the trigger. Relax. Exodus chanted inside her head before shooting.

BLAP!

The can somersaulted across the sand and pride swelled in her chest till she thought she would burst.

Exodus was finally getting the hang of it and Carl didn't seem as much as an obstacle. Fredo coached her on what parts of the body were fatal and those that would just injure.

Even though her ears were ringing, she had never been this exhilarated in her life-well besides when dancing. If you've never shot a gun, you can't understand how it feels in your hands.

Cool to the touch. All its venom coiled inside, deadly, like a steel-scaled serpent awaiting your bidding.

You select it's prey. Paper, tin, or flesh. You lie in wait, learn that patience is the killer's most trustworthy accomplice.

You choose the moment. But the how is everything. You lift your weapon, ease it into place, cock it, load it, knowing the satisfying snitch means a bullet is yours to command.

Now, make or break, it's all up to you. You aim knowing a hair either way means bull's-eye or miss. Success or failure. Life or death.

You have to relax, convince your muscles not to be tense, not to betray you. Sight again. Adjust. Don't become distracted by the heat of the hunt. Instincts take over. You shoot and adrenaline screams as your target shreds or the flesh drops.

And for one indescribable moment you are God.

Taking a break to wipe away the sweat on her forehead Exodus side-eyed Fredo. "So..I take it you have shot at a lot of people? Or at least aimed guns at them."

Fredo laughed and Exodus decided she liked the sound of it. "You're not going to let that go are you?"

She shrugged, "Eventually." Hell no.

"I don't consider myself a moral man...I do not pretend to know the difference between right and wrong. But I do live by a certain kind of code. And somethimes, I think, you have know..how to shoot first and ask questions later." She watched as he pulled the trigger of the colt, a bullet tearing threw the foam of Carls heart.