DRASTIC (Book 4 of the Soundcrush Series)

Chapter 16: Drummer Boys Find A Reason

The song is Photograph, by Ed Sheeran. I think you will understand the reference about halfway through the chapter.

Bodie  Two Weeks Later Still In Thailand

Coffee. Check.

Cigarette. Check.

Running Shoes. Check.

Morning fix? Fuck that.

Not today.

Today, I have a plan. I'm gonna skip my medicinal breakfast today. And tomorrow. And the day after that, and so on.

I need to ration my drugs. Build up a reserve. I've got to get us out of this fucked up situation—being at Connor's mercy.

I realize now, that fucker is not just some small time douchey club promoter/pusher like I'm used to in LA. He's bigger than that.

He's a one-man drug cartel, that's what he is.

An exporter—I'm sure he's getting his product direct from poppy farmers and sending it to Ireland or wherever.

But he's not just an exporter.

He's just fucking greedy. He's not happy with his drug profits. He's probably got high overhead—a lot of mules to pay and a lot of officials to bribe. And I guess Bells and I are really making him some serious side money at this point, although when I ask him about our cut for the club appearances he says the clubs here are slow to pay their contracts and it could be months, but he'll definitely settle up with us.

Ha.

Right.

He's literally holding us hostage to our drug habit at this point.

I can't get a private jet of here because for some reason, my Amex card has gone missing. I'm pretty sure Connor took it, along with my phone, but of course I could have just lost them in a drug haze.

I can't even call for a fucking Grab to take me to the Iphone store. And no one at this resort that Connor said was a "much nicer place" than the other one will even attempt to communicate with me. They all just smile and say "Connor. You talk to Connor," if I ask for anything more than food, drinks towels, or sunscreen.

The manager won't help me arrange for a money transfer although they damn sure have my credit card number. He says he can't make that happen, but I'm not buying that. He's getting a kickback from Connor, I'm sure.

The only way I can get cash now is if I go to the bank. For which I need Connor to translate for me.

So, I've got to budget a little bit, not take all the cash to the clubs at night and not shoot all of my daily drug ration, either.

Because, of course, he only gives us enough smack to get through each day. He says that's for our protection against overdose. More like, for his. If one of us croaks from an overdose, he would lose revenue stream, wouldn't he?

I've got enough cash on me right now for a couple of commercial tickets, but the real problem is I don't have the stash to get us through. The trip could take up to 40 hours, maybe more if there's some kind of unexpected layover.

I figure to be safe, we need at least a four day supply, each. So that's at least a week of skipping fixes, for me.

I don't know if I can. I've been thinking about this plan, and half-ass trying it out for a few days, and within hours of skipping a fix, I give in and say, "Tomorrow. Tomorrow I'll start."

Today, however, I'm going to replace the restless jonesing with a run on the beach. This is gonna work. I'll get that runner's high and I'll be able to hold off.