Davin

Dav sat in a large squashy chair looking at Hirojee. The man was despicable but Dav needed the work. He smiled. He did not have to work much longer for this scum. Angie was talking of heading west to the frontier and making a garden of sorts. All he needed was to get enough double dollars for the train tickets. Hirojee was getting stingy with the payment which did not make any sense. Dav may not like what he did but he was one of the best. Hirojee often praised Dav on his viciousness and told the others that he would adopt him for his own son. Dav did not want that to happen but it was good to receive recognition for doing a good job. Hirojee offered him tea but Dav declined. Angie was going to kill him for making her wait. He smiled dreamily. All he wanted was to take her away from her life so that maybe she would allow him into it. She worked in a men’s club down the street. Her stage name was Graceful Swan. He had seen her do her dancing and she was like a swan. His smile grew wider.
“Look, just pay me,” he said to Hirojee. Hirojee shrugged.
“I don’t have it now. Could you come by tonight?” Dav reluctantly agreed. She wanted to leave tonight. He stood and walked to the door. Hirojee smiled behind him and Dav could not think of any reason why he was smiling.

Hirojee sneered as the door closed and another one opened. Bruno stepped inside with the device.
“You got it working,” he asked. Bruno nodded. For a mute, Bruno obeyed like a dream. Hirojee did not feel regret for having to dispose of Dav, but his little whore was a looker. He smiled. He often dreamed about what he could do in front of Dav with that woman. She worked in his own club down the street. Dav didn’t know she worked for his boss but no one knew Hirojee owned a men’s club. Hirojee laughed. He picked up Bruno’s handy work. It should kill him in about minutes. It should be excruciating. “I almost wish I could see his face when he finds the girl and then this little toy blows in his face.” He set the timer on it and gave it back to Bruno. “Place it in his apartment and make sure he goes back there.” Bruno nodded and left.

Dav felt that sinking feeling when he saw the sheriff outside the club. He ran the last block to the doors and he saw San. She was a friend with Angie. Angie had said that once they had been more than friends, but that was over. San seemed to think he was good for Angie. San saw him and started crying. He ran up to her.
“What’s going on,” he asked looking around. “Where is Angie?” San cried harder.
“She..,” San started. “A guy was here just now.” She started sobbing. Dav put an arm around her and looked around. He saw Angie’s swan costume. What was that red stuff on it? Why was San crying? Where was Angie and why was she not here with San? Then it hit him. He pulled San around to look in to her tear filled eyes.
“Listen,” he said roughly. More so than he wanted to. “What happened?” She stopped blubbering.
“She’s dead. A guy pulled a gun while she was on stage and he shot her until he was out of bullets.” She started crying again. Tears welled in Dav’s eyes but he forced them down. He thought of only thing.
“Where did he go,” he said. San looked at him. She shivered uncontrollably. She pointed upstairs to the apartment that both Dav and Angie lived in. He pulled out his gun and started up the stairs. His bullets may not bring her back but they will make him feel better. Rage swirled inside his head but his throat tightened with every step upstairs. His chin quivered. He wanted to break down and mourn but he could not. Rage overpowered his grief. He stopped at the door he used to call home. And never again do so. She was his home and now she was dead. Where was he to go? He kicked in the door and shot blindly. Bruno fell with the first, but Dav kept firing. He did not stop when he ran out of bullets. The gun kept clicking. Tears ran down his face. Angie, he thought, I should not have stopped at the bank. He had cashed in all his bonds for money. He would not wait for Hirojee’s money, he thought. His mind stopped at Hirojee’s name.
“That grave-robbing pig,” he shouted to the open window. He looked at Bruno’s face. All of the bullets had hit him in the face but no one in this town was as big as Bruno. It all made sense. The stalling for time. Bruno here waiting for him. The death of Angie. He frowned when he saw what Bruno was doing. It looked like a bomb. He picked it up and ripped the detonator off. He dropped it to the floor and walked out of the room carrying the bomb with him.

Hirojee heard the first gunshot and knew that Bruno had failed. There had been on explosion in his club or he would have been contacted. He knew what was coming. He pulled out his own pistol and waited sitting in his spinning chair. He looked at the momentos he had of science and the old times. They were great things. He smiled. At least I caused that traitor pain, Hirojee thought.

Dav stopped before the door to Hirojee’s door. He kicked it open. Hirojee jerked when he saw Dav. He held his pistol to his head and laughed at Dav. Dav raised his own pistol and shot once. The gun flew behind Hirojee and the man screamed like a small girl. Dav came forward into the room. He placed the bomb on the desk and looked at Hirojee. He smiled and his employer shivered visibly.
“You killed her,” Dav said through his knotted throat. Hirojee laughed despite the obvious pain he was in.
“Of course I killed your little whore,” the man said. Dav raised his gun and slammed the butt down on Hirojee’s upturned nose. The man spun around falling out of the chair. Dav raised his gun and pointed it at Hirojee’s forehead. The man stood and Dav followed. Hirojee raised his own gun. He pointed it at the bomb. “There is more than one way to make these damn things go off.” Dav moved back fast. Hirojee let out a shrill girlish giggle and pulled the trigger. Dav saw only blinding light then maddening darkness.

Dav tried to open his eyes. He felt his eye lids go up but he still saw the blackness. He moved and a hand caught his. He gasped and sat up flailing around.
“It’s ok Dav,” San’s voice said soothingly. He tried to see her face. He heard footsteps approach over a hard floor.
“Sir,” a man’s voice asked.
“What’s wrong with me,” Dav asked frightened.
“I am sorry to say but you are blind. The bomb blast burned away most of your retina.” The man moved closer. “You may get your sight back but not for years to come.” Dav felt so tired. His heart ached at the lose of Angie but he could not cry. He did not understand. He slid back into the bed. San moved closer.
“You got him,” she whispered. But what did that matter. Angie was gone and he was alone. Tears slowly leaked from his eyes. It hurt to cry but it was his fault all this happened. San wrapped her hand around his and heard her start to sob. “I know how you feel.”

San guided him to the grave that Angie was given. He smelled apples. She loved apples. He had made it a point to get her as many as he could every week. She would rest easy here. He fell to the ground and touched the wooden cross. He remembered the last time he kissed her. Looked into her green eyes. Smelled her hair. Never again would he do any of that. His eyes hurt worse as tears slowly soaked into the blindfold San had given him. She said it was green like Angie’s eyes. At least he had the memories. He stood and he felt the hot desert wind pick up. San grabbed his arm as he started walking. He shook her off and ran his hand over Angie’s last mark on this world and set off into the desert with nothing. To live or die, it did not matter, he thought, I am going to go as far as i can before I give out.