FOURTY-THREE HOURS LATER

           The white parked in front of an old firehouse on a dusty road. The door opened and Woozi got out, cigarette in mouth and looked at one other car there. He pulled the squeaking back door open.

           The dark interior of the van lit up, the bright light hurt your eyes as Woozi looked down on you.

           “Let’s do this,” Woozi grumbled, pulling you up by the arm. Your whole body moved when he grabbed you- your hands were tied behind your back. He slid you out, your feet, tied as well, dragging behind you.

           The car door slammed shut and he straightening you up by the collar of your shirt and a hand on your upper forearm. With no gentle effort, he forcibly walked you toward the rusting building, paying no head to your stumbling feet struggling to keep up with his fast pace.

           Woozi pushed the door opened with one hand and peered in before shoving you first inside.

           The old garage was bare with dusty concrete floor and a webbed, high ceiling. A squad of men were stood on the other side, all of them looked up as Woozi stepped inside, leaving the door open behind him.

           A man, looking a few years older than the two, sat in a folding lawn chair with a laptop on his knees in the middle of the crowd. He was the last to peer up as Woozi pulled you nearer.

           The man’s mouth stretched in a thin grin as he stood up.  Despite being inside, the man wore sunglasses. The frames, when hit the light reflected red and orange. He wore a turquoise shirt with pineapples on it.  He closed the laptop and popped out an earpiece, he held both of them out in front of him. Men from either side, shuffled to quickly take it from him, bowing as they did so.

           “It’s true,” His voice was sharp, slow, as if calculating each syllable.

           As Woozi shortened the distance between the groups, the men’s hands all snapped to their sides. Woozi stopped immediately.

           “I thought we had an agreement.” Woozi said loudly, putting the hand that wasn’t holding you up in the air.

           “We did,” Tick said, putting a hand in the air and lazily rising his index finger, “Weapons down.”

           The men dropped their hands, but still stood defensive, ready to strike if called.

           “Come on,” Tick said, going half to distance to where Woozi stood. His men looked anxiously at their leader as he went beyond the security and reach of his men. “Let us do business quickly.”

           Woozi walked the rest of the way, and you were a foot away from the man, who’s sunglasses could not hide the blue eyes you knew from memory.

           You hunched over, not wanting to get any closer than you already were with him. The tips of his finger pressed to your neck and he forced your face upward. He was level with you, and the smell was an unpleasant reminder of how much he smoked. Your breath caught and you stepped back, choking on the stench.

           “Come on, darling,” Tick said, motioning closer to Woozi.

           Woozi shoved you forward, “Do what you want.” Unable to catch the your own momentum, you fell straight forward and Tick caught you by the shoulders.

           Tick smiled at the comment, but ignored Woozi. His zeroed in on you, his retched breath infected the air. His fingers tapped the corner of the fat grey tape on your mouth. His masked gaze lingered on your nose, then to your hair.

           “You dyed your hair,” Tick said, rubbing a strand in-between his dirty fingers. He was touching you. You closed your eyes, wishing to be anywhere but back here.

           “It’s her?” Woozi demanded.

           Tick tipped your face up, examining the angle. “’lright,” he said slowly. “Just ta’ be sure.” He pulled the corner of the tape up.

           “I wouldn’t do that,” Woozi interjected quickly. “I put that tape there for a reason.”

           He ripped the tape off. Your mouth burned.

           “Hello, A,” Tick said with a grin.

            “Get your ing hands off of me,” you spat in his face. “You freak.”

            Tick wiped his cheek, as few of the guys in the back hollered, “It’s her!”

            “I’ll be dammed it’s ‘er!”

            “God, let me have a go!”

            “How did you get her?”

            “Put the tape back on!”

            You craned your neck around. You recognized a few men and noticed a few were missing.

            “You have no idea how long I’ve looked for you,” Tick said with a sick satisfaction.

            “Money.” Woozi said impatiently in the back, eyebrow twitching.

            “You’ll get your share,” Tick said back not taking his eyes off of you, his hands now crushing down on your arms.

            “Look at you,” Tick pulled at the cords around your wrists and the skin reddened underneath them. Tick laughed in a low tone, “Look how far you have fallen.”

            Your throat went dry. No words could save your skin- once the pride of the gang.

            “Best dealer in Detroit, now bound and dragged? How does it  feel?” Tick pulled on the ends of the cord, you held back a hiss. “I bet it feels better than handcuffs.” Tick said through a clenched jaw.

            You fought the urge to smile. “How was jail time? I hear you weren’t popular in there.”

            Tick pressed his foot to your ankles and pushed your arms. With no way to catch yourself, you hit the concrete. Your head came in contact first, and a ringing in your ears blinded you.

            “,” Tick said under his breath. “Three months in jail because of you!” He kicked you in the face. You had been through this more than once, you knew not to make a sound to suggest pain- it would give him too much satisfaction.

            “They should’ve put you away for longer with what I gave them.” Your voice was nothing more of a gurgle. You tried to lift your head but you were lying on your hands tied to your front. Only Ticks’s feet was visible.

            “I know people in the force,” Tick said puffing out his chest. “Even you couldn’t touch me.”

            The pride on this man, you thought, wetness rolling over your bottom lip and dripping red to the concrete.

            “She sent you to jail?” Woozi’s voice hadn’t lost it’s growl even in the moment of curiousness. You had forgotten to tell him everything.

“Didn’t get what she wanted so she whined to the cops. Don’t trust this one, she is a snitch.” Tick said, a pressure of a boot on your lower back.

            The pain on your back was lifted as Tick turned to Woozi. “How did you get her?” The question was sudden, “No offense but someone of your stature couldn’t trap someone like her.” Tick looked down on Woozi, the height difference evident.

            “We were in a relationship,” Woozi stated, his ears turning red and teeth gritting at the comment. “She confided in me that she was a wanted woman. And I’ve got bills to pay.”

            Tick’s gaze intensified. “A doesn’t ‘do’ relationships.”

            “She did,” Woozi said plainly. “Took me a while but it happened.”

            “And you are trading her in?”

            “I need the money.”

            “Be sure. I don’t want you coming back in two months professing your love.”

            “I’m a man of pleasure. Not affection.” Woozi spoke so coldly.

            A hand was on your jacket, pulling you back up. Tick smiled at you, beaming a long-repressed joy. “How does it feel to be betrayed? Hurts doesn’t it?”

            You craned your neck back, trying to focus on anything except for his retched stench that brought back too many memories- the old times when you found the odor appealing.

            Tick rolled his eyes, extending you an arms width away. He walked you to the group of men on the other side. Your hands were sweating. The men looked at you, some were livid, others looked disappointed.

            He threw you to them, you fell limply into their arms.

            “Put her in the back,” Tick said, dully.

            Woozi couldn’t hide the surprise in his expression. “But the deal-“

            “You’ll get your money,” Tick assured. The man who was holding you withdrew a knife and pressed it subtly to your hip. .

            “What are you doing to do to her?”

            “I thought you didn’t care.”

            Woozi stiffened, “I don’t. Just curious.”

            Tick turned to you, “Oh, look at that face. It would look even better bashed in concrete.”

            “I die. You don’t get your drugs.” You snapped out at him, the knife was pressed futher into you, it stung and it broke the skin.

            “I won’t let them kill you. Maybe after I learn your tricks to making the batches, yes. But not until I drain every cent from you.”

            “Might as well just kill me now, then.” Words were flying from your mouth now that you were here. He was right here. After months, you thought of the horrors companying the possibly if you would ever see him again. On the way here, you had gone over every word, now all of the preparation was gone. “I’m not doing any more for you.”

            “We’ll see,” Tick said, moving his index finger.

            The grip on you tightened as they pulled you further to the back. Woozi’s eyes widened as they dragged you further away.  The men opened a door, you looked at Woozi before they pulled you in with them and slammed it shut. This not what had been planned

            TWELVE HOURS PRIOR

            “YOU ARE PULLING OVER RIGHT NOW!” Woozi yelled, slamming his hands down on the dashboard. The roar of tires on road hummed in your ears.

            “Woozi, listen-“
            “THIS IS ING INSANE” He said loudly, you flinched. “You want me to turn you in?”

            “Pretend to turn me in,” You said pointedly, trying to seem calm.

            “ this,” Woozi said under his breath, and then he lunged for the steering wheel. The van swerved into the other lane, both of you yelled as a semi-truck blared at you, coming in your direction. You yanked the steering wheel back, crossing back over the yellow line. Woozi didn’t let go of the wheel. He pulled the wheel in the opposite direction now, “PULL OVER!” He growled.

            “FINE!” You screamed, fighting him one-handed, “I will pull over! Just let me do it!”

            Woozi eyed you, shoulder’s still hunched. He relaxed in his seat once you put the blinkers on. Coups’ van pulled over to the shoulder of the highway, a dust of smoke bellowing behind it. Woozi looked out the window- a scene of nothing but dirt. You put the car in park and pulled the keys out, Woozi jumped out of the car.

            “Woozi!” You yelled, getting out of the car. As soon as your feet hit the dry sand, Woozi was rounding over the back of the car. He stomped to you with his head lowered, fist clenched, and eyes of fire.

            You pulled the keys behind your back, stepping away. “Woozi, listen-“

            Woozi wasn’t stopping, he stormed to you, eyes locked on your arm.

            “Woozi!” You said warningly, taking a few steps back. He was just a moment away and had no sign of slowing down.

            You ran for it, leaving the car door wide open. The dry desert sand hit your face, you looked behind you, Woozi had matched your pace. The dehydrated air burned your throat, Woozi was bellowing behind you, “GIVE ME THE KEYS!”

            Your feet didn’t stop, cars passed by on the highway, passengers craned their neck to look at the barely twenty-year-olds booking it aside traffic, car left abandoned.

            Woozi was faster than you. He reached you, pulling you back by your shirt. You stumbled back but quickly put your hand up above your head, keys held in them tightly. Woozi reached, but his height left him at a disadvantage- he was barely an inch shorter than you. He pressed down on your head trying to level out the play field while swatting at your hand with his other. You pulled his ear, Woozi’s mouth dropped, eyes pressed shut as you yanked his ear away. Woozi let go, slightly winded.

            “Give me the keys,” Woozi demanded, extending a hand palm up. “Don’t make me force you.”

            “Let’s get back in the car,” you said softly, legs in a wide stance, back slightly hunched, with one hand out to him, the other holding the keys behind your back. “We will be late.”

            “GOING WOULD BE IDOTIC!” he screamed, ing his hand at you. “It’s a suicide mission.”

            “That might save your and Joshua’s , as well as getting some extra cash.” You bargained. 

            Woozi stepped back, running his hands through his long hair, “I just-, I just don’t understand ANY OF THIS!” He yelled, his face burning red.

            You still held the keys tightly, watching his every move.

            “First, you tell me you were in a gang-“

            “You were in one too.“ You huffed defensively

            “Then you tell me you were some famous drug dealer-“

            “Best in Detroit.”

            “And now, you want me to take you back to the gang, that you betrayed-”

            “I betrayed it in order to escape out of it.”

            “To steal your randsom money-“

            “It’s not really ‘stealing’-”

“and SOMEHOW ESCAPE!” He screamed, throwing his hands up in the air.

“It’s possible.”

“Without getting shot?”

            A car past, sand filled the air as you stared blankly at Woozi.

“That part is debatable.”

            Woozi bolted at you again, “GIVE ME THE KEYS!” You struggled as he held on to your arm, your feet sliding on dirt as you tried to wriggle away.

            “We can’t just do nothing!” You said, trying to be louder than traffic just feet away.

            “We are doing something!” His hands fumbled around your other wrist, outstretched with the keys. “I already made a deal-“
            “If we have the money we can pay it back and you don’t have to!” Your other hand pressed on his chest. Woozi was kicking you in an an attempt to knock you down. You shuffled your feet back, Woozi held on to your arm.

            “I’m already involved with one gang, I don’t want to get involved in another!” Woozi yelled, trying to reach past you for your other hand. “Now give me the keys!”

            You yanked you arm from his grip and threw the keys on the ground. “Fine,” You yelled, eyes wide. “Go! I’ll just go there on my own!” You turned around  and huffed. You strode in the opposite direction of the car, shoulders hunched and hands fisted at your side.

            “You can’t be serious!” Woozi yelled after you.

            “Just watch!” You said back, walking faster, eyes on the miles and miles of empty road ahead of you. “You’ll receive the money in the mail.”

            Fast footsteps behind you, and Woozi was holding your shoulder. “You won’t have anyone to break you out.”

            “I can do it on my own,” You said simply.

            Woozi grimaced, the very words paining him. “Ah, don’t be such a fool-“

            “I did it once. I can do it again. It just might take a few weeks-“

            Woozi lunged, this time for your legs. You took a step back but he was faster. His shoulder hit your calfs, his head tuning to the side. Grabbing on to the backs of your knees, he stood up, charging through you. You flipped over, and with a loud smack you were hanging over his shoulder. Woozi stood up, starting walking.

            Your mind went blank, first in confusion as the empty road grew, but then you turned your head, the car getting closer. Woozi dug onto your knees, the keys cold on your skin.

            “Woozi,” You said, huffing your hair from your eyes, exasperated. “Put me down.”

            “Lets go home.”

            Home. You thought, people make a home. It wouldn’t be home without-

            You yanked on Woozi’s ponytail. Woozi roared, his head snapping back. The two of you fell. Woozi hit the sand-littered ground, you crushed his chest as you followed. A jolt of pain. Your head hit the ground first. Once the sand settled, your knees were lying on top of Woozi’s chest, your head flat on the sand, Woozi’s head next to your pockets.

            “Please,” Woozi moaned lowly, he moved underneath you, rubbing his head. “Lets just go home?”

            “I can’t-“ You coughed, pushing yourself up on your forearms. You army-crawled off of him, feet dragging. “I would rather get caught then just watch you and Joshua go back to that destructive life.“ You groaned, grasping your head. “It would kill me.”

            Woozi was to his feet already, dusting himself off. He turned and started going back to the car, the keys in his hand. You got to your feet quickly, running after him.

            He opened the drivers side car door and got in the seat. The engine spluttered as you pulled the passenger side open.

            “Please, I really need you to-“
            Woozi extended his phone to you, “Put the address in. You can’t just expect me to know where I am going.”

            You blinked, confused by his sudden change of opinion. But you grabbed the phone anyway, not wanting to question it. You input the destination and handed it back to him.

            “We are only twenty minutes away,” Woozi said, he ran his fingers through his hair. “This is complete bull-“ He whispered, “Okay? What is the plan?”

            “I’ll tell you on the way there,” You closed the passenger side door and instead got in the back. You picked up the cords lying back there. “I’m going to wrap myself up with these to make it more convincing. I know how to make a knot I can get out of.” Woozi looked at you through the overhead mirror, his eyes glossing over, like they regretted everything.

            You pulled out your phone, glaring at Woozi. “Get going,” You said roughly. “We are going to be late.”

            “I’m waiting for you to tell me what the plan is.” He snapped back.

            “I have to make a phone call first,” You said uncertainly.

            Woozi put his blinkers on and got on the highway.

            You pressed a few numbers and the phone starting ringing, the similar voicemail greeted you in seconds.

            “Hey, Woozi and I are on a little trip right now. I don’t want you to worry or anything but if we aren’t back the day after tomorrow, call the cops. Tell them to file a missing persons’ report and investigate in Detroit. We’re headed to the old firehouse station down there, so yeah.”

            The roar of the engine was loud enough to block your voice from Woozi. Your chest felt like a balloon was trapped inside, was expanding in your chest waiting to be popped. This was real, you were really going back.

            “And if I don’t come back- goddammit,” you whispered as your voice cracked. “Just don’t join the gang okay? Run, if you need to. I’m being serious, fill up your car with only essentials and leave. You don’t want to do this.”

            You put your phone on your shoulder, sandwiching it to your ear and shoulder to free your hands. You picked up the rope and starting wrapping it around your ankles. “And if I really don’t come back, know that Woozi and I cared a ing lot for you, so make the best of what you have left. And I-“

Emotions had never been easy for you, but now they were painful.

“You know I love you, right?” You said bitterly. “I love you so goddamn much that I going back to the ing place that I left in the first place” You couldn’t stop from yelling. You stopped and took a deep breath in.

            “ you, Joshua.” You said quietly, biting your trembling lip.  “I love you.”

            You hung up, trying to keep your resolve from breaking. You threw your phone across the van, it clattered on the floor. You didn’t want this. You didn’t want to go back.

            You looked up at Woozi, concentrating on driving.

            “Okay,” you said, clearing your throat. “Here’s the plan.”

            PRESENT TIME

            Woozi watched as the men pulled you into the room. The door closed. Woozi stared at the door, mouth open, head spinning through possibilities and outcomes.

            “What are you?” The man, who she had referred to as ‘Tick’ said. He was scanning with his eyes.

            “I’m apart of Monster’s territory,” Technically this wasn’ t a lie, but it took Woozi a second to respond, recover from the shock. He didn’t dare break his cover, if he did, they both would be gonners. “Where is the money?”

            “All about the money,” Tick murmured under his breath, “A man after my own heart.”

            “You don’t have it?” Woozi said plainly, looking around the room. There was no suitcase, no container. It was just the garage of an empty fire station.

            “I do,” Tick tried to reassure, hands in his pockets.

            “Then, lets do this. You have her, so give me the money.”

            Tick narrowed his eyes, “If she stays in that room for ten, you’ll get the reward.”

            Woozi’s heart skipped a beat, “What? When was that apart of the agreement.”

            “It’s called security,” Tick said. “If this isn’t some scam that the two of you boiled up, you can have the money. If she comes out of there alone, without my men conscious….” One side of Tick’s lips pulled back to expose his left yellowing teeth. He shrugged his shoulders. “Then I know it’s real.”

            “This is no plot,” Woozi said, fighting to keep a straight face. He prayed that she would stay within her breakable bonds, he knew she wouldn’t.

            “You never know with her,” Tick said. “No offense intended, but anyone she is involved with… wouldn’t trust them to brush my teeth.”

            “You were once affiliated with her,” Woozi countered. From the outside, Woozi looked angry he was getting scrapped from his deal, inside… well, Woozi didn’t like to think about that stuff.

            “Traitors flock together,” Tick said, turning his head back to look at the door. Nothing was heard from the room. “I must say, if this is a trap, at least I know where to find you. But I guess that would be a lie too?”

            “No lie.” Woozi said.

            “Fine.” Tick said, with a prideful smile. “Show me your mark.”

            Woozi gritted his teeth. As much as he hated it, he was in no position to argue. Any conflict could cause the leader to doubt his intentions. Woozi turned around and took of his jacket. The white material was translucent in the daylight.

            “I’ll be damned,” Tick whistled.

            From shoulder to shoulder, from the bottoms of his shoulder blades to his upper neck, was tattooed. The word ‘loyalty’ spread across his back, extending wings out onto either side of the backs of his upper arms. The thick script was that of a romance novel, thick and flowing as if from a calligraphy pen. Underneath the huge display was a miniscule letters ‘KNJ’.

            Woozi threw his jacket back on quickly, he would like to pretend he didn’t have it.

            “We good?” Woozi snapped,            

            “How did a baby-faced boy end up with Monster?” Tick leaned forward, eyes hungry for information.

            “I’m stronger than I look,” Woozi said, zipping up his jacket.

            “Well, you would have to be, wouldn’t you?” Tick said uner his breath. “Now that I thinka bout it, Monster ringed me up a while ago asking if we had any members who went AWOL.”

            This was new information to Woozi, but he nodded lazily. “We wanted to be sure.”

            “So what, you taking this money back to Monster? Keeping a cut for yourself? Tick egged him on.

            “Depends on what you report back,” Woozi felt as if going back in time. The persona was too easy to put on. Detachment was an old friend. “You tell him you gave me two, he gets two. You tell him one, he gets it.”

            Tick’s shoulders hunched as he threw his head back in a laugh, “Just the man I would’ve expected from Monster. Ah, he knows how to make ‘em,” Tick said with reverence, greed apparently a rare and valued attribute to only him.

            His smile wavered when he looked at you, “Monster won’t hear nothin’ from me.”

            “Nice to know,” Woozi said carelessly, “What is the chick in for anyway.”

            “I thought you knew,”

            “She only told me the basics before I had enough,”

            “A is a tricky one,” Tick said, his eyes murderous. “Thought she was one of our own. Not officially- that is.”

            “She was a drug dealer.”

            “Independent,” Tick raised his hands for air quotes. “But then business got slow and she came to us. We provided resources in exchange for the cut of what she makes. And then, not a month later, she’s makin’ twenty grand a week.”          

            Woozi had to replay the sentence over in his mind again, “Twenty-grand?”

            Tick mistook Woozi’s expression for greed. He pointed at Woozi threateningly, one of his hands reaching for his back pocket, “No, she’s ours now. You made the deal.”

            “This town is mediocre,” Woozi said confused. “How do you get Twenty grand worth of  clientele?”

            “She was an artist in everything she did. She knew what to mix with what to get people feeling just right. No one could copy it.”

            “She double crossed you?”    

            “Classic story,” Tick rolled his eyes, “They want to leave, you say no. So they go to the cops. Course, cops can’t do nothin’. We got out sooner than she thought, and we came afta her. She was gone before we got to her place.”

            Woozi lowered his eyebrows to look annoyed, “People do that.”

            “If they don’t fit the lifestyle, I say be gone. Better be dead than have to drag your sorry to heists and stuff,” Tick fiddled with his rings. “But we can’t kill her just yet, she is worth to much.”

            The atmosphere was awkward. Tick shuffled his feet trying to preoccupy himself, but Woozi kept his expression impatient- which wasn’t far from the truth.

            “I have to get going,” Woozi said, “Monster is waiting.”

            Tick sighed and turned his head back, “Okay, boys!” He hollered, “Bring her in!”

            Woozi’s throat contracted. There was no way she would be coming out of there . Woozi’s eyes darted to the buldge in Tick’s pocket. Woozi prepared himself himself to run- however, the money was no where to be seen.

            She had her weapon, they would just have to run without the money. Woozi had left the van running, they could jump in and get out quick. Good thing they also slashed the tires of the other car before they came in.

            The door opened, to Woozi’s surprise, she was pushed out, hands still tied behind her back. The fresh bruise on her cheek dented her chocolate skin, her brown frizzy hair was matted. The front of her shirt had been torn.

            Just as Woozi’s fist clenched, she gave him a warning look- those piercing dark eyes. The very look relaxed him instantly, she was still in control.

            “Looks like it’s true,” Tick said clapping his hands. “You really have caught her.” The men were pulling her by the back collar of her shirt, her expression neutral and uncaring. Woozi dared to think of how many times she had been through this.

            “Give me the money.” Woozi said, but he couldn’t take his eyes off her. Woozi couldn’t even hide his twitching eyebrow but she was as cold as stone.

            “Can you believe I am giving only three grand to im’?” Tick got close to her, mocking her. “You’ll make that in a month.”
            She rolled her eyes lazily, trying to lean closer to him but the men held her back, “You obviously overestimate me. I didn’t make that then, I won’t now.”

            “Oh, you will.” Tick said, “Once you pick up street walking.”

            Her eyes widened, and she pursed her lips. She looked down for a second, breathing deeply.

            “Don’t worry,” Tick put his hand on her shoulder, instantly she recoiled from his touch. She backed up further into the men holding her but Tick took a step forward. His knuckles budged as his dug his fingers into her. “You’ve heard horror stories but I promise,” Tick smiled. “It’s only painful the first time.”

            Woozi’s stale face hid his clenching teeth, his hands squeezing so tight they were stark white.

            Tick turned to Woozi, “That is, if you haven’t already.”

            He turned and gestured to his men. The men brought out a a dirty tote. Tick tossed the bag to Woozi, it hit the ground in front of him and stacks of bills spilled out in front of his feet. Woozi bent and picked up the stacks, inspecting them for a second. He pulled out one bill and examined it- they were definitely real.

            He shoved the bills back into the bag and picked up the tote.

            “Good doing business with you,” Tick said, a hand on her shoulder.

            Woozi remembered her words, Once you have the money in you’re hands-

            Not a second later, there was a grunt a scream, someone was shoved to the ground and Woozi looked up.

            She was free, both of the extra men on the ground. She had Tick by the throat, his backside pressed up against her front, a barrel of a gun pressed to his temple, “No one move,” she demanded, looking around widly. “Or you’ll be cleaning his brains off of the floors tonight.”

            The men got to their feet, looking unsure at the situation. Tick tried to pull away but she tightened her hold on his throat- Tick gurgled.

            “This is what is going to happen,” She announced her voice loud. By this time, men had swarmed in from the room, at least twenty all looking in on the scene. “I am going to get in the car. You are not going to follow me. You are going to stay here.” She dug the gun deeper, Tick winced. “You let us go. He lives. You fail to compromise, he dies.”

            She turned around, whipping Tick along with her and began to walk slowly around. The men began looking to each other, everyone daring one another to make the first move. “No talking!” She yelled, she put the gun in the air and fired a warning shot. The sound, although familiar to many of them, made their mouths part slightly.

            She continued to back up, eyes looking the gang’s members every move. But no one dared to speak or say anything. She had the entire future of the gang in her hands, a trigger away from extinction.

            She was nearing where Woozi stood, Tick was dragging his feet, scraping against the ground, Woozi heard her mutter, “Do you want me to shoot you?” in an exasperated tone under her breath.

            One of the men broke away from the crowd, gun raised high, pointed it at her and CRACK, he screamed. He collapsed on the ground clutching his knee.

            “I am not ing around!” She yelled, the smoking gun outsretched, she quickly turned it back to Tick. “Someone try one more thing and I swear to God this bastard gets it.”

            The man was on the ground. Her frizzy hair had intensified in the humidity, her clothes were torn, she held a grownass man by the strength of her hand, the danger in her eyes screamed power, and Woozi’s mind went completely blank.

            She was wonderful.