Chapter 3
CHAPTER 3
An hour or so later, and the boys found themselves wandering the aisles of a nearby thrift store, as inconspicuously as possible, due to the general consensus that new clothes were needed, along with the day to recover, before they set any grand plan into motion. The thrift store itself was an easy choice; they needed somewhere quiet and fairly small, not wanting to attract any attention to themselves, and also there was the small issue of money, or more specifically, having none of it. It wasn’t a dire situation – Billy and Dex did have a fair amount each on them, and as long as they were still unknown to Charlie’s assailants, bank withdrawals wouldn’t be a problem, but still, it was best to remain under the radar as much as possible, just in case. Charlie, on the other hand, had very little cash on him, which was on account of having been homeless for the past few years.
Billy strolled casually along the aisle, running a hand over the clothes, and then with a grin, picked something out and held it up. “Now this would really suit you, Charlie boy.”
On the other side of the aisle, Dex rolled his eyes. The item in question was a rather ugly Hawaiian shirt, bright green and riddled with printed pineapples, and needless to say, Charlie wasn’t impressed.
“Cállete pendejo.” He muttered, scowling.
Billy continued smirking at Charlie, despite Charlie’s refusal to even look at him. “You know, swearing at me in Spanish isn’t that effective really, is it, because I don’t understand a word of what you’re saying.”
“He told you to fuck off.” Dex explained calmly, as he examined a black denim jacket.
Both Billy and Charlie looked at Dex in surprise.
“You speak Spanish?” Billy asked, with an incredulous expression.
Dex shrugged. “I speak some. Enough.”
“Yeah, enough to know the real important stuff, like the swear words.” Billy scoffed in reply.
“It’s where everyone starts, isn’t it?” Dex hid a grin.
“I can’t believe I’m the only one here who doesn’t know Spanish. You two could have secret conversations and I’d just have no clue.”
Charlie walked off at this point, presumably sick of Billy’s bullshit, and went to pick out some clothes more to his tastes, while Billy and Dex watched him go with short glances, both trying to hide their concern and obvious protectiveness of the boy from each other. A vintage suit caught Billy’s eye, but he ignored the temptation to buy it, he knew something more inconspicuous was necessary for the time being. He picked out a burgundy sweater instead, looking it over.
“So.” Billy didn’t look up from the sweater, but was speaking clearly. “Dex. What do you do?”
“’Scuse me?”
“What’s your job?”
Dex paused for a moment, considering. “I used to be FBI.”
Billy raised his eyebrows with a scoff. “Seriously? FBI? Law enforcement, the government, we are talking about those guys, right?”
“That’s them.”
“Then what are you doing with me and the kid?”
“I can’t really leave you alone with him, can I?” Dex shot a smirk at Billy, before tugging at some tattered jeans.
Billy shook his head in disbelief. “You’re full of surprises, you are. First the Spanish, now this. What’s next, you’re married and have five kids?”
“You knew I was ex-military like you, what’s the big deal?”
Billy didn’t answer as they moved slowly through the shop, staying silent for a few moments, until he murmured under his breath, “FBI...”
Dex sighed, clearly regretting his life choices, specifically ones involving Billy. “Ex-FBI, okay?”
“The good ol’ Federal Bureau of Investigation...”
“Look.” Dex spun to glare at Billy. “It wasn’t the right fit. I left. I am no longer FBI. Got it?”
Billy raised his hands in mock surrender and sauntered over to Charlie, who had a neat pile of clothes stacked in his arms.
“That what you want? You got pants?”
Charlie nodded and handed over the pile to Billy, to add to the items Billy had picked for himself. Dex had wandered over by this point, his brief little temper tantrum forgotten, and he also added his stuff to the growing collection in Billy’s arms.
“Alright. That everything?” Billy nodded at the clothes, and after no protests, started to walk off. “I’ll go pay, then.”
“Oh, wait.” Dex called out, and Billy slowed, turning back to face him.
“What is it?”
“You- your collar, just-” Dex stammered for words, trying to gesture to where Billy’s suit jacket had pulled off his right shoulder slightly and his collar was turned up, revealing a dark splotch of blood, which evidently, was the source of Dex’s worry.
Billy shrugged at him in half confusion, lifting the pile of clothes in his arms slightly as he did.
Dex, realising that Billy’s hands were full and not wanting to drag this thing out any longer, already regretting having said anything, stepped closer and folded Billy’s collar down. He pulled the jacket more securely back onto Billy’s shoulder to cover up the blood, then smoothed it down on both sides, his eyes avoiding Billy’s face, who in turn, was staring at him. Dex looked up, sensing the gaze on him, and caught Billy’s eye for a moment, then moved back quickly with a small cough, fighting the reddening of his cheeks.
“There was blood.” He muttered, stuffing his hands in his pockets.
“Well, uh.” Billy glanced at Charlie quickly, who hadn’t been paying attention at all really, staring off at some point in space. “Thanks.”
He walked off to pay and they left the store soon after, heading back to the motel after a short stop for food.
***
“Okay, so this plan.” Billy locked the door behind him and looked at the others, soon as they’d all stepped into the dingy motel room. “We got a bit sidetracked, but we better work something out soon.”
Dex nodded in agreement. “I have an idea.”
Charlie glanced between them, trying to munch as quietly as possible on his wrap.
“We know what they want, I mean, we know who they’re after, right?” Dex continued. “So we just need to give them exactly that.”
“To draw them out...” Billy spoke slowly, catching on.
“Lay a trap.” Dex finished. “With us lying in wait.”
“Wait.” Charlie paused on the wrap. “You want to use me as bait?”
“Yep.” Billy said, plainly, and a short nod from Dex confirmed the plan further.
“Okay, glad that’s all clearly settled and done with...” Charlie muttered, returning to the comfort of his food.
“When they arrive for Charlie, we shoot them down.” Billy carried on. “But keep whoever seems to be in charge alive, find out who he works for, who he’s involved with, what they want with Charlie, that kind of thing. Then we get rid of him too and go after whoever we need to next.”
Dex’s mouth twitched at the corner. “Simple.”
“We’re going to need guns for this plan of yours. And I have plenty at my apartment-”
“Likewise.”
“But it’s probably best not to go back until this thing is over.”
Dex nodded, his arms folded, then offered, “I know someone. He’ll have what we need.”
“You sure he won’t rat us out? We don’t know who’s looking for us, what kinda reach they have, or money, more importantly.”
“It’s okay, I trust him.” Dex said, catching Billy’s eye, and he nodded back in return.
And so after a quick change of clothes, into something much less bloody and much more inconspicuous, Dex left the motel to go and meet with this trusted associate of his, leaving Billy and Charlie with a lot of time to kill and not a lot of things to do.
Billy began by cleaning his knives in the bathroom sink, then sharpening his knives while sat on his bed, which wasn’t at all a threatening sight to see for Charlie, who was trying to forget about the people trying to kill him through the joys of daytime television, a plan which was working brilliantly, by the way.
A few reruns of Family Feud later, and Billy’s boredom was beginning to get the better of him. He’d done about everything he could with the knives, and his attention was drawn to the boy lying on the bed next to him, trying to have any interest in what he was watching.
“So, Charlie boy. What’s going on.”
Charlie gave him a confused glance, but didn’t bother with an answer.
“Where are you from? How’d you end up homeless?”
“Didn’t realise I was being interrogated.” Charlie didn’t turn away from the TV this time.
Billy smiled. “Come on. We’ve got time to kill, just tryna make it pass quicker. Get to know each other better.”
“And you’re going to answer some questions back? Hm?”
“Yeah, why not.”
Charlie scoffed.
“Fine.” Billy sat up straighter. “I’m from Albany. I grew up being passed around the foster system. And what’s going on is this kid won’t answer my questions.”
Charlie rolled his eyes, a little surprised at Billy’s sharing, however minimal, but still not convinced on opening up his life story just yet.
“Let’s start off easy then, what kind of music do you like?”
“This is ridiculous.”
“Any girlfriends out there missing you?”
“That’s it, I’m going to shower.”
Billy laughed, watching Charlie stalk off into the other room, having much more fun than he would’ve watching any more of that game show.
A few moments later and the main door opened, and in walked Dex with a duffel bag slung over his shoulder and a grin on his face.
Billy moved forward on the bed, his face lighting up. “You got them?”
“Yep.” Dex dropped the bag on the bed and unzipped it. “A few M11’s, can’t go wrong with them, a Barrett M82 and an M4 Carbine. Plenty of rounds too.”
Billy inspected the bag happily, pleased with the purchases, but Dex frowned, looking round the room.
“Where’s the kid?”
“Shower. Apparently I talk too much.”
“You do talk too much.”
Billy glared at him, and then the sound of running water filled the room.
“Hey.” Billy hissed at Dex, his voice dropping to low volumes. “Think he can hear us?”
Dex frowned again, but took a seat on Charlie’s bed, facing Billy, then whispered back. “Probably not. Why?”
“There’s a lot he’s not telling us.”
Dex shrugged. “So? That’s his business.”
“Come on, Dex, you and I both know they wouldn’t come after him like this for just witnessing a drug deal. Something’s going on, he must’ve seen something else.”
“Doesn’t seem like he’s going to tell us.”
“I have ways of making him talk.” Billy winked with that, and Dex rolled his eyes in return.
“Shut up, you creep. We’ll just find out tomorrow, from the lucky bastard we keep alive long enough to tell us all we want to know.”
Billy nodded, knowing that Dex was talking sense. “Yeah, okay. No need to bother the kid.”
“I have ways of making him talk.”
Charlie half jumped back, his ear coming off from where it was pressed against the door, now filling with the heavy noise of the shower, when before it had been listening and collecting and storing all the new information he’d just found out, things he now felt he’d be better off not knowing, which was often the case with eavesdropping.
They knew. They knew he was lying to them. He shouldn’t have expected differently, really, it was obvious his story didn’t add up, but he thought they’d maybe leave it alone. After all, they were helping him, weren’t they? Why, exactly, he wasn’t sure.
But clearly he’d gotten too comfortable in this new arrangement, with these new allies, forgetting everything he’d learnt from living on the streets, everything he constantly told himself about not trusting people. He’d seen what they could do, how easily they killed; he wasn’t safe here any more. What Billy had said...It was a threat, right?
Right?
Just because he’d been joking with him, asking him questions, it didn’t suddenly make them friends, no, no, they were still strangers. Even though Billy and Dex had rescued him from...Well, whatever they had done,it was time to move on, he could see that now. Never stay in one place too long. That’s what’s safest. That’s how you survive.
He stepped in the shower, washing quickly, after all, he had to keep up appearances, but a plan was forming rapidly in his mind, one that he was achingly familiar with.
***
“Hey, you alright?” Billy looked over at the boy in the bed next to him, who’d barely said a word since he’d emerged from the shower.
“Yeah, I’m fine.” Charlie replied, keeping his voice level, and pulled the duvet over himself, sliding into the bed.
“You know, we’ll have eyes on you at all times tomorrow.” Billy’s voice softened, barely noticeable, but it was there. “No one will hurt you, I promise.”
“Yeah. I know.” Charlie nodded, glanced at Billy. “Thanks.”
He rolled over, stuck a headphone in his ear and lay waiting in the black of the still motel room, until he heard the sounds of heaving breathing and light snores. He sat up slowly, silently, stuffing his headphones back into his pocket, everything he owned hidden somewhere on him, always packed lightly, meaning he was always ready to move. Move on.
With the silence only a practised thief could maintain, Charlie moved across the room, his footfalls soundless and his breathing muted. He paused, trying to calm the flutter of his heart, then pushed open the window as quietly as he could, relieved when it actually slid open, considering the state it was in. He looked back at the sleeping faces of the men who’d rescued him. Who he couldn’t trust. Charlie shook his head, held back a sigh, and dropped through the window, running off into the darkness of the night.