Chapter 9. Gav goes home.
Gav waited patiently till Rita and Tiffany ended their cafe. He ate his meal, did the dishes and through the window watched them talking. His sight was foggy and his brain tried desperately to make sense of what he saw. He knew he's alone. Mike and Kev were gone without a trace. They didn't leave him any message, not even a hint where they can be. Maybe they found something and stood him up? There was such an option that people changed seeing a slightest prospect of big money. They took the map, their stuff and left, leaving him with the girl. If he only had known the truth he would be happy but as he didn't he was a bit far from it. Then his brain put together some pieces of information. Tiffany was covered in blood, Mike and Kev are gone. The puma... seems to be the girl's good friend. No, that might be a hallucination. There is no puma. Fuck, there is one just outside the rv. So.... no way, a desert can play with minds. And Tiffany, yesterday so kind and today crazy witch. It happens to women. Sometimes they act crazy. Yeah, once a month. It could be even funny but not from a close distance. I'll just be kind to her, maybe it passes. She is a good girl, I hope. What about blood? It was all over her. Fuck, if I'm still alive... it means that she... they... she ... doesn't want me dead. Or, she could kill me after I clean the cups.
In the meantime Rita disappeared and Tiffany got into the rv.
"Out" - she ordered firmly, then she added when they both got outside - "Clean the cups and chairs."
Gav got out with a pacing heart. At the last moment he thought about his gun but it was too late. The girl already had it in her hands. Gav collected the cups and began to think why he isn't running for his life.
Bloody puma. She might still be around. If I run she will get me in a few seconds. No way to overrun a puma. But still, running is better than waiting as a sheep. Or maybe I'll be nice? Fuck... too late... she's out. Crazy witch. God, please help me. Will you?
Tiffany got out of the RV with Gav's gun. She faced him and looked deep into his eyes. She nodded as if considering something and gasped heavily.
"It's difficult, Gav. I'm really sorry. Turn around. - Gav stood still as a rock.- Please, Gav. Don't make it worse than it already is."
The man slowly turned around.
I deserve it. For the man with the map and some more bad deeds. Fuck, I'm so tired. But it's a pity, I could have a good life. Don't do it, girl.
"Get on your knees, please." Gav obeyed without a word.
"I'm not ready, Tiffany, the good girl. But..."
"What?"
"You sound different now then five minutes ago."
"Is this your thought right now?
"Never mind, Tiffany. Go ahead, and... no bad feelings after, ok? She's not a bad person, what 's going on? Yesterday she was like an older sister and now she's a killer? Probably I deserve it." His hope was gone when he heard the click of the gun's lock.
Tiffany smiled sinister and nasty.
...
Cold water poured on Gav brought him back to reality. He opened his eyes and saw Tiffany leaning over him.
"Are you ok, Gav?"
"Ymyhm, yeah, think so. What happened?" he asked slowly getting up.
"You fainted. We had breakfast. Then you've realised that your friends are gone, you got angry and ...you fainted. Let's get you to the shadows."
"Where is my gun?"
"In the rv, where you've left it."
When they got back to the rv, Gav took the gun in his hands and checked the loading chamber. All bullets were in place. He sat on the chair in the shadow and remained silent. He was staring around the place trying to wrap his head around recent events. He was nodding and twisting his head left and right in turns. It seemed like he was talking to someone but no words left his mouth.
"Do you want to ask me something, Gav?"
Gav risen his eyes on Tiffany.
"Yeah, thanks. So... is that black guy the president now?"
"Yes."
"Is he a good one?"
"Yes, he's ok."
"I guess, no one killed him yet... no bother. Tiffany, if the date on the newspaper is correct I think I should go home."
Tiffany felt relieved hearing Gav talking sense. He got up and packed his stuff...
With Rita and Gav gone, Tiffany had time to think through the events. Not as much the map, more about Mike and his action which ended in a harsh way. He had it coming, bastard. He could stop in any moment but he did not. Am I really the one to blame? What if I go to the police station and confess? Would I be prosecuted? Definitely yes. Would I be locked? Very likely. And they will ask me hundreds of questions. How was I dressed, why was my dress intact? Have I been drinking? Did I scream? Why not? And a prosecutor, a middle age man with his career still, would do everything to secure another conviction regardless of the facts. And I would be charged with second degree murder, while he, if alive with just an attempted rape. So my sentence would be longer. That is one chapter of that sad story. The other one is that he's dead because of me. No, not me. He's dead because the action he took against me. Why it is not simple as cause/effect, action/ reaction. Was it not predictable that if he decided to use violence, he'd agreed to be a subject to someone's defence? Efficient defence. Sadly, for people who make the law, efficient self defence is a greater crime than primary violence. But what about me? Does someone care? I have to live with that burden. His family will cry over him, who will cry over me, a girl destined to be hurt? Or maybe he wasn't a genuine human? Maybe he was broken beyond repair, like a car, and got scrapped? Maybe for the sake of my sanity I should dehumanise him. Recognise him as humanlike being but without certain human features, like empathy and sensitivity? To hell with him... Looks like I'm again on my own. I have Rita and Monica in my corner but the society is against me. For them I've just killed a man. But... at least I know that Trevor the Lynx still remembers me, and he was there for me even if I had no jacket on my back.
