Shadow

Chapter 9 - Sin City

Whenever one heard the name Las Vegas, the first thing that usually sprung to mind was the casinos, where gambling was considered king. Forget the luxurious hotels and top-notch entertainment, Vegas earned its name as Sin City through gambling. It began before the 1930s and was rumored to be controlled by the mafia. When gambling became legalized, hotels were able to control the casinos, when it became a vital part of the economy in this glittering city.

The moment you saw the infamous Welcome to Las Vegas sign, you knew you were in for an unforgettable time. The city had the perfect infrastructure, climate, and atmosphere, not only for business trips, but also for family vacations, large events, sports, and even weddings, some in secret while intoxicated by the endless alcohol the city had to offer.

What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.

When Jimmy and Abbie crossed the dry Nevada desert and topped the last bare hill, their journey was now at an end, no matter what happened between Barstow and Vegas.

Everywhere flashed fluorescent lights; buildings seemed to touch the black sky; people walked the entire length of the Vegas Strip, and taxis and buses sped to reach their own destinations.

Jimmy noticed the infamous sign welcoming them to this city. Whenever people passed by the sign, they were ready to embark on a fun-filled ride, but this was not the case for him, or for Abbie. He kept thinking about the dead cop they left back there. Seeing somebody killed in front of him was not exactly a relatively new thing to him; he was used to it for experiencing something similar.

Abbie on the other hand, the one who welcomed suicide, and self-confessed drug-addict, was different. She was only sixteen, not even old enough to drink alcohol or smoke cigarettes, which she was already doing anyway. He wondered what effect this would have on her, and he noticed the way she shivered in the car on the way over here, rubbing her arms, and breathing briskly as if she had great internal pain.

He knew she was wanting another fix.

The drive from the horrendous incident to Vegas was almost a silent one. They barely talked to one another; it was as if they were on two separate planets trying to find their way back to Earth. This was the shocking reality: there was something not of this world living in the desert. The head jackal talked in human language. The sound of its voice still contaminated Jimmy's mind. He had been through another traumatizing experience. Now that he had seen a body ripped apart before his eyes, he wondered what satisfaction he would feel once he took Richie's life. Although he still burned with desire for vengeance, Richie was not the first thing he was thinking of now, especially the moment they passed by that sign. It was Abbie. Her sanity.

'Welcome to Vegas,' Jimmy said softly.

Abbie didn't answer. She continued to look out the window, taking in all the sights around her, while holding the heart of the necklace steady in the palm of her hand.

'It doesn't hurt anymore,' she said, randomly.

'What doesn't?'

'The necklace,' she slurred. 'I think it helped us.'

Jimmy stopped at a red light on South Las Vegas Boulevard and then gazed at her. She could barely keep her eyes open. She was either sleepy or wanting drugs. Or both. He knew she was ill and wanted to get her the help she needed. He thought of Harry, and given his connections, he practically knew everybody in Vegas, including important people, within reason.

'Open your eyes, Abbie,' he said and stroked her hair as if comforting a child.

Her eyes slowly opened and with very little strength she may have had left she straightened herself on the seat. Her hand slipped from the necklace to between her thighs. Jimmy stared into the stone of the necklace. What Abbie said could have been the truth: the necklace just may have helped them. After all, when she gripped it tight, the engine came back to life. Sometimes the only explanation was the most insane one of them all.