Chapter 3 - Part 1

Chapter 3 - Part 1
“Get on the ground”, came the voice from behind the mask. Jessica recognized the voice immediatly as Jeff and just stood at the register, mouth a gap, at the sheer stupidness. Jesus. He was going to ruin everything. Jeff most be really jonsing for some cash if he was willing to stoop this low, the day before a big job.
She shook her head and started for the ground. Just than the twinkle from the bell on the door bell hit all their ears and they turned to see a figure in black with a wide brimed hat. The angle of the hat was such that you could only see one glaring eye and his mouth.
Just behind him stood a trembling man. The man pushed his glasses further up his nose. His face made a nervous twitch as a stood in the stunded silence.
“Who the fuck are you?” Jeff asked with confusion.
“Nevermind who I am. This is Jeremy. He and Jessica have something I need them to do.”
Jeremy looked even more nervous now and fiddled with his glasses.
Jeff pulled off the ski mask in sheer frustration. “What the fuck?!” he said fuming looking at the man in black. Curtis looked from Jeff to the man in black and than back at Jeff.
“This in not your affair Jeff. You need to move on” said the man in black.
“Like hell. I will” he said the a bit spittal forming in the corners of his mouth like a rabid dog. “Who the fuck are you and what the fuck do you want with Jessica.” Just as this was said Jeff was hit in the back of the head by Kent with a fire extinguisher.
Curtis dropped the gun and made a run for the door. “Curtis. I suggest you stick around. We’re going to be needing you too.” Curtis gave the man in black a confused look and put his gun down on the counter while taking off his own ski mask.
“Curtis Litobin?” came Michele’s voice. Almost out of a whisper. “Do you know me too?” he said in frustration. Yeah you and every other up and coming boxer in this hell whole. I’m Tony’s daughter.”
“Michele?”
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Jessica awoke in the passenger seat of Jeff’s old Nova. The night air was cool and it blew in through the half open window as the Nova screamed across the desert road.
She was disoriented and felt as though she was about to feel the pain of a pretty bad headache. At least considering what she felt to be a huge bump on the back of her head.
Heat lightning streaked across the sky lighting up the desert floor and bluffs in the distance. The car was completely black inside and she looked up to see who was driving, but couldn’t even make out a shape. Heat lightning lit up the sky again, this time closer to the car and she pushed up against the passenger’s side door, hard and fast, when the drivers face was revealed.
“Where are we going?” She said in a shakey voice. Tears welling up in her eyes.
“California Jessica”, said Jeremy. Pushing his glasses back up on his nose as he looked her way in the darkness.
She eased up on the passenger side door. She didn’t get a forbodding feeling about Jeremy. Just a creepy feeling. Her muscles started to relax and the headache she knew was coming began to splash over her brain in a bath of pain and misery.
She cupped her forehead in her hands. “Can we stop and get coffee or something. I got a really bad headache and I’d like to get some coffee and asprin.”
“I guess so” said Jeremy.
Her eyes started to become accustomed to the darkness of the car and she could see the Jeremy had a tight grip of something on the seat. Something she could tell that he was holding onto for dear life. His right arm muscles were fully flexed and the shedding of darkness revealed the sweat that was pouring down his face.
“What’s the matter, Jeremy” she said. She slightly hesitated on his name. Realizing now that this was the most time that either of them had spent together in their lives. Before this it was just a casual hello or how you are doing on her way to work. She had seen him less and less of the last couple weeks she had only seen him peaking out through the window.
“The Darkman says we have to get to California ASAP” he said continuing to stare ahead at the road.
“Who is that guy anyway? And what are you doing with him. You seemed like such a nice guy.”
“And you seemed like such a nice girl” he said shooting her a dirty look and again looking ahead at the road. “Jeff wasn’t exactly bringing you roses back there was he Jessica” he said in a jealous, scornful voice.
“No he wasn’t Jeremy, but you got to understand. Sometimes we do what we got to do to survive.”
“Yes we do” Jeremy said with painful, distainful look on his face. He gripped the object on the seat and now Jessica could make out that it was what she feared. A gun. Not just any gun either. It was Jeff’s gun.
“Where did you get that?” asked Jessica almost pawing at the question with a naivetay that she hoped would fool and may even charm Jeremy. Than it hit her. She had lost time. The last thing she remembered was standing by her register and watching Kent hit Jeff in the back of the head with the fire exstiguisher. After that she woke up here. Tears began to well up in her eyes and her playful deamonoer was wiped away before Jeremy even had a chance to respond. “What happened back there Jeremy!” she yelled. “Why are we headed to California? And who the hell was that man with the hat that you came with?”
Jeremy just gripped the gun harder and she pressed herself up against the door hard again. “Looks like there’s a place up ahead. If you behave we can get something to eat.” He turned and looked her straight through his horn rimmed glasses. “And if you don’t. Everyone dies.”