Charlie

Chapter 5: Dark Path

"Charlie....Charlie," someone cries over me.

"Shhhh, I'm ok," I finally open my eyes. My mother is cradling me...in my room?

"These men brought you here," she says. "They told me you and Mikey were jumped. Oh Charlie, I'm so sorry," she begins to cry again.

"Its quite alright mother, I'm a little banged up but I should be fine. I promise," I ensure her. She looks at me and I can see it in her eyes that she doesn't believe me. I sit up and begin to feel excruciating pain in my head. But I can't let her know I'm hurting so I grab her into a hug.

"Charles, you scared me. I thought I lost you," she cries.

"I'm right here. I'm fine I promise," I smile.

"What happen, your boss called me and told me you quit your job and now you're doing things to get you jumped,"

"I swear I'm not doing anything to get jumped"

"You promise," she asks. I sigh to myself knowing I'm lying to her.

"Yes, I- I promise," I slide back and softy rubbed my mother's back to calm her down. I wanted to get up but she has fallen asleep on my chest so I close my eyes.

- - - - - - - - - -

I felt someone shifting on me and realized my mother was still asleep on my chest. I slowly slide out of the bed allowing her to stir a bit without her waking up. I go into the bathroom and check the mirror. My right eye is red...shit, he broke a vesicle in my eye. My right eye is swollen pretty bad. I hope it heals before Minx comes back. I don't want her questioning me about this. I search in the bathroom cabinet for eye drops and I find some. I drop a few drops in my right eye. I go pee and I hear her shifting again so I hurry up, I slowly creep back in my room grabbing my shoes and a new t-shirt before rushing down stairs. I rush out of the door and hop into my Camaro and drive away to Mikey's house. My phone goes off and I answer it without a word.

"Aye cockroach, the guys are meeting back up at the alley. Do yourself a favor and meet us there in fifteen. If you don't show we're going to assume you're bailing on us. And you know too much for us to ever let you bail. I don't like balers..I get rid of balers ...capeesh," says hanging up the phone. Ughhhhh damn Mikey always getting me into things. I pull up to his house and blow the horn.

*honk *honk*....*honk* honk* ....*HOOOOOONK* HONK*

" Alright ..alright Charlie, Jesus Christ I'm here," he says annoyed.

"Get in we gotta go meet A.C," I yell.

"What now?"

"No tomorrow, what the hell do you think? Hurry up," I yell again. He rushes inside and grabs his shoes and jumps in. I speed off into the traffic trying to remember what alley it was. Mikey helps me find it and we make it there with a minute to spare.

I get out of the car and walk up to the door knocking three times. These blue eyes appears and laughs letting us in.

"Hey boss, it's cockroach," he yells towards the back. A.C. comes in laughing.

"Boys ..I've missed ya. Uh....cockroach no hard feelings about three days ago-,"

"Three days ago," I ask. I look back at Mikey and he nods.

"You've been out for three days," he says. I look back at A.C . and clutch my fist.

"I needed to make sure I could trust you and I think I can..don't make me look like a fool," says in a low tone. He hands me a gun.

"What is this," I ask.

"An automatic hand gun, I need you to whack a guy and give me the money in his brief case," he says handing Mikey a gun.