3. Alisha “Kitty” Quinn #2
I hurried from the vehicle, closed the door and hurried around to stand by his side.
“Um—” I watched the line that hadn’t really moved since we arrived. “Aren’t we a little underdressed?”
“We’re not here to party.” He grumbled. “Don’t worry about it.”
“But I?—”
Exodus took my hand and we jogged across the street. He released me and we snuck around to the side of the building where we dipped through a door that was propped open by a cinder block.
“Watch your step.” Exodus warned as we began descending metal stairs.
We wandered along a corridor as Cher morphed into Chappelle Roan who was screaming about a pink pony and a club.
“Whatever-the-fuck that is.” I muttered, irritated.
Finally, we eased through some kind of curtain that only went halfway down from a doorway and moved across a crowded dancefloor. We eventually approached a private area where a lone man was sitting with a lit cigarette in one hand.
That is not legal.
He looked up and the moment he saw Exodus he wanted to run.
It was like seeing Exodus ruined his entire year and he wasn’t sure what to do with himself.
“Come on, Yang.” He spoke loudly over the music. “I’ve been a good boy.”
I pushed to my tiptoes, gripped his shoulder and was delighted when he hunched down to accommodate my height to speak in his ears.
“I thought they call you Yin.” I spoke.
“Long story.” Exodus replied.
“Look again.” Exodus growled, stepping into the space and pulling me down into his lap.
I gasped and tried getting up but he clutched one of my hips with a large hand.
“Yin?” The man blinked. “Shit.”
“I’m not here for trouble.” Exodus told him.
“That means nothin’ to me.” The man scoffed. “Trouble always finds you.”
He pulled on the cigarette then put it out in an ashtray. In those silent moments, he looked as if he was contemplating all the decisions he’d ever made in his life, then sighed.
“What now?” He wanted to know. “Because, no offense, the less time I spend in your presence, the less of a chance I have at getting my ass merc’d.”
Pulling out his phone, Exodus handed it over.
“Tell me about this.”
Staring at Exodus for a little bit, the man leaned over to pick up the phone and stared down at the picture—his eyes widened.
“Why you asking me about this for, huh?” His world seemed to end. “See what I mean about you and trouble?”
“Mouse.” Exodus snapped.
“Maroons.” Mouse’s voice trembled. “They’re a gang out of Jamaica—trouble with a capital trouble. I may not be book smart, but even I know to steer clear.”
“What they into?” Exodus pushed.
“Started out in ganja?—”
“Ganja?” I asked.
“Is she fucking kidding?” Mouse pointed at me as if I was the dumbest person on the planet.
Glancing over my shoulder at Exodus, I said nothing else.
“Marijuana.” He answered my question.
Mouse sucked his teeth as if annoyed at my stupidity and carried on with what he was saying.
“I promise you, the list of what they aren’t into would be shorter.” He went on. “They don’t have a huge stronghold here yet. But we all know how these things work—it’s only a matter of time.”
“Where can I find them?”
“How am I supposed to know?” Mouse demanded. “I might like living dangerously, but getting involved with the Maroons is a little more dangerously than I like. I don’t have a death wish.”
Exodus tapped my left hip and I was in the process of getting up when a loud kind of boom drowned out the music. What followed was screaming and panicking and familiar pops that told me whatever was happening involved guns.
“Of-fucking-course.” Mouse shouted. “I swear to God, you’re the fucking harbinger of doom!”
“Stop complaining and go!” Exodus tossed over his shoulder as he used a hand against the small of my back to hurry me along ahead of him.
Getting out of the chaos wasn’t easy.
Exiting the way we’d entered was out of the question and Exodus grabbed my hand we headed in a different direction.
“What about Mouse?” I glanced back.
“Trust me, he knows this place better than anyone.” Exodus answered. “He’ll be fine.”
But we didn’t get away clean.
A fight ensued and someone tried dragging me away while Exodus was distracted. And as much as I would like to curl into a ball and hide, I couldn’t let him down by being a coward.
Not now.
I was on my own.
Stomping down on the person’s foot, I grabbed the hand and bit down—hard.
Tearing through the flesh.
They screamed.
I turned, leading with my purse and connected to the side of the man’s head.
Pressing my palms forward, I pushed him then grabbed the banister to keep from falling with him as he grabbed at me.
Blood tastes like death.
I spat it on the fallen man as he tumbled downward.
“Alisha!” Exodus yelled for me.
“I’m good!” I assured him, jogging up a few steps to him.
He had to take out a few others before gripping my wrist and tugging me through a door that told us emphatically that it was on an alarm.
As he shoved it open, no alarm went off.
Cool air washed over my skin the moment we stepped out and I found it easier to breathe. And while I would have like to stop and double over for a lungful of air, we couldn’t.
Exodus led me along a path with dead shrubbery on either side of it. We came out at the other side of the building that now had cop cars parked haphazardly in the lot.
We used what little darkness there was and snuck off the property to where we’d parked.
I was still trying to catch my breath.
“Well?” I asked, dragging my seatbelt in place. “Go!”
“Not yet.” He replied, keeping his eyes on what was happening across the street. “Starting the engine right now will cause the headlights to flood on. The less attention we can bring to ourselves right now, the better.”
Fuck—right.
“What was that?” I leaned forward to watch.
“It’s a raid.” He muttered. “The place isn’t supposed to be a club. There aren’t many safe spaces for the gay community around these parts. So, they take them where they can find them.”
“Oh…” I managed, thoughtfully.
My knees were now trembling as exhaustion crept in.
Exodus pulled out his phone.
“Bam?” He spoke. “Find me all you can on the Maroons.”
Silence.
“Just—not right now, okay?” Exodus rubbed his eyes. “Please, Bam. Okay?”
He hung up as more sirens could be heard in the distance
They were heading our way.
The first cop car pulled into the lot with the others, tires screaming.
Exodus started the engine and reversed until we could pull onto the road.