[Junk XIII] The List (K 4-4)

Rich

Kiddo,

You're at your place, in the back room, with Rinso and VB. Vee is laying on her side on the bed, "the leg" on the floor. She's dressed, just, you know, reclined and watching. Rinso is pacing a bit, going over the list of his deeds after weeding out the petty ones like pissing off a few folks inside Trench and of course, scalp hunting Wendys. Because, you know, Wendys.

"Alright, here's the list." He starts reading, mostly because it helps him take the emotion out of it all, "I kidnapped a girl named Orbit from Oasis and held her for ransom. I did let her go, but her dad, who's named Snapple, needed convincing, so we cut off one of her fingers and sent it to him. When he paid up, we let her go." He turns the page to the next one, "We shook down Tang and his gang one night after following them out of Cat. I'm pretty sure he'd shoot me on sight." VB snickers at that one. Rinso continues, "I had to break Cherry out of jail at Wal-Mart. Killed a few guards, including Webriot, who is Vicks' son. Vicks is head of security now, so I don't go to Wal-Mart anymore." He looks over at you, closing the little notebook, "And, I slept with Cherry a bunch of times, but it was never as fun as I hoped. Twix cheated on Majesta with me for a little while, but I broke it off. And, uhm... I frakked Ruth and Kit Kat once when we were really drunk."

VB cackles and nearly rolls off the bed, "You frakked Candies?!?!"

What do you do?

Adam

So, ignoring that Rinny's cut off a girl's finger for ransom, shaken down an armed gang, and killed head of security in Walmart's son... This list is ... Extensive... I'm so glad I don't get morning sickness at night like Ma' did, 'cause I almost puked — as is — all over the table at the thought of sucking off a man who's been inside Ruth. I'm frakking exhausted, and Vee's loud howling is starting to give me a headache.

Long story short: I'm not laughing.

I sit there patiently, my arms crossed, after Rinny finishes and read over the list for myself... Majesta and Twix. Snapple and Orbits. Tang. Vicks. Majesta and Twix are easy enough to find — they set up shop here in town. Walmart sounds like the next logical stop, a few days south of here... That'll cost jingle to set straight, at the very least... Maybe more... Tang's tricky, but we may be able to work something out with the Candies as leverage — territory disputes being what they are...

That just leaves the poor girl whose finger he chopped off — and that's a doozie... That's torture. That's misery inflicted on a man — and his child — for jingle. This is serious.

I stand up and pace a bit, then look down to the list. I look over to Rinny, and sigh. "We're talking to Twix tomorrow. I don't wanna break up their marriage if they're happy... Walmart can wait until we've got a little more float, and I'll talk to O... Spree about smoothing things over with Tang." I look out the window. The sun's been set for some time now, and I can see the lights from Cat coming on the horizon.

I take a deep breath, "I'm gunna take a walk... I need to think about stuff."

Rich

Rinso scowls, more put off by VB's laughter than anything. Vee offers to come with, but you want to be alone, right?

Junk Radio Tower Three went live today. The lights are still on up in the booth, it's not too late, so folk are about.

Where do you go?

Adam

Yeah, I do... I'm heading to Stitch's. I dunno if she's available; but she mentioned I had "Options" back at the clinic, and I'm starting to wonder what they are...

I mean, I ... I don't want to kill this kid, but... I dunno if I can do this. I don't think I can...

Rich

As you're heading across the street, towards Metro's van, which is where Stitch is most nights, you pass by Loots. Right as Spree and Chunky are walking out. Spree calls, "Hey boss! Nice night, eh?" She's a little lit. Chunky seems to be her DD. Spree comes over to you, like she's going to, what, hug you, or something. But she senses something right at the last, and doesn't.

Still, she's up in your face, all chatty.

What do you do?

Adam

I look over to Spree, and fake a small smile for her. "Hey Spree. Yeah, it's alright. How are the girls getting along?" I leave it ambiguous like that to see who she defaults to — her girls, or her gang.

Rich

Spree throws that arm around Chunky, who giggles. Then she answers, "Pay and Spunk got 'em, they're LOVING the new pad. All of us are. Holy frak you should come with. Those Donuts left sooo much drek, Kiddo. Food and gadgets and jingle. We got fuel and even ammo for Chunky's rifle! Hah! Come on back with us, yeah? I mean, we all owe you, yeah."

Adam

I swallow hard and shake my head, never really stopping. "Nah, I... Listen, I'm dealing with some shit back at home. I'm not afraid to do what needs to be done; but I ain't much of a gloater about killing, yeah?" I look over to her, to see if she's following, "I'll be by in the morning. I wanna talk about a bit of a trip I've got planned... Some business to take care of with a guy named Tang up in Cat, and I could use the girls as leverage to get the point across, yeah?"

Rich

"You got it, boss. Hey Chunky, go warm up the bike." Spree says. Chunky ducks her head and heads over to where she parked her ride.

Spree walks with you, "Sorry it seems like we're gloating, Kiddo. I can tone it down, yeah? It's just nice to sleep with a roof over my girls' heads. And if you're dealing with drek... I'm a good listener. No, really, I am. Wanna rap for a bit?"

Adam

Spree's really changed since she had her kids... I mean, it's either that or I knocked some screws loose when I beat her up back in the day. I take a deep breath and shake my head, "don't worry about gloating... The girls earned that place the hard way, and they got a right to celebrate. Stay strong with the girls, and I'll make sure that roof stays over your head."

I walk a ways more, wondering what the frak I could chat with Spree about before it just kinda comes out. "So who's Abba and Zabba's dad?"

Rich

Spree walks a few steps before she shakes her head a little, "I don't know. I got a top three. I was pretty low then, just looking for somebody to make me feel good, you know? I mean, mom had kicked me out. Latta ODed, Squibb had been gone for a long time. So, I kinda hung out at Trench at Chedd's and frakked around. Alot."

She laughs, "And to top it all off, I find out I'm a breeder! I freaked right the frak out, Kiddo. And of course, twins. But they are the best thing that's ever happened to me. The Candies are second best, but it isn't really close... wait, is that gloating again, Kiddo?" She looks like she might have pissed you off.

Adam

I chuckle at that last bit, and shake my head, "nah, it's fine. Ma' had a similar story actually... Except she had Dad at the time to lean on." I sigh, "Why'd you decide to keep 'em? Y'know... Times being what they are, I know not every girl that gets knocked up gives birth."

I hold a hand up defensively, "not that I'm saying you made a bad call! Those girls are so sweet!"

Rich

Spree smiles when you chuckle, and giggles when you get defensive, "Oh, I thought about it. Even went to see that crusty old guy doctor at Trench. He's no LeeValley, that's for sure. But then I was like... you know, I could just keep doing this. Or maybe I could be a mom. I mean, frak, Nehi was mine, so it doesn't take an actually good person to pull it off."

She grins wide. "So I had 'em. And Kiddo, Ima gloat now. Those blood-covered little bitches, they were the most wonderful things ever to come into my life. I've got stretch marks that'll never go away, but frak they're battle scars for that fight that they kicked my ass in. I mean... look at me, Kiddo. I'm runnin a frakkin gang. We got our own place, now we got jobs. I'm doin right by my girls. All of em."

She reaches up to pull your arm, to get you to stop, "What's goin on with you, Kiddo?"

Adam

I give a single, hearty laugh at her stab at Nehi. She is most certainly a bitch with a capital B. I think Spree's a little confused about who pulled her gang up by their bootstraps, but I don't comment on it. Instead I smirk, and keep on walking.

I look curiously over to her hand pulling me back, and I consider telling her the truth... That I'm pregnant with the child — oh gods, what if it's twins? ... I can't consider that possibility now. That I'm pregnant with the child of a man who once cut off the finger of a defenseless girl for ransom money? I've done plenty of shit I'm not proud of, but I would never let someone lay a hand on my child like that, and parents have long frakking memories of the folks who harm their children...

No... Now's not the right time. 'Sides — she might spill the beans to someone else, and that'd be the end of my little secret...

"Rinso's been pushing me to have kids ever since we hooked up... I was starting to consider it and everything, but then I hear from a bitch on that freighter that he went and killed their leader — a guy named Timbits — in cold blood over some jingle. So I confront him about it — 'cause I don't wanna bring a baby into a life where folks might come after its parents — and he starts spilling about all this other shit he's done."

I sigh, and lower my voice, "I told him I wouldn't have the babies of a man who might get hunted down — or whose kids might get hunted down — and it's been pretty rocky since then... We've got a list of people, and now we've gotta find out how to make things right with them." I run my hand through my hair, and look Spree in the eyes, "I really was coming around to the idea... It's breaking my heart."

Rich

Spree makes an odd face like she ate something a little sour, "We just murdered the Donuts, Kiddo. The whole family. Because they had what we wanted. Is that how... how you think of us, too?"

Adam

Yeah... Now she clues in... "I told you to kill them 'cause I tried talking them down, and they wouldn't listen — they were gunna fight us no matter what we did. So I pulled the trigger first — I did. You gotta decide for yourself if the idea of killing a family over food, or water, or a roof over your girls' head is something you're willing to do — and I guarantee you, Spree, if I ever have kids, and their lives are in danger, I'd leave a trail of blood from here to Armour to keep them safe."

I sigh, "I just don't wanna do that if I can avoid it, yeah? What's the point of it all if your kids can't be happy?"

Rich

Spree frowns a bit, but says, "I'll go where you want, Kiddo. But if it were me, what's done is done. All folks want when you done 'em wrong is blood or jingle. And neither of those feed my girls."

"You an me, Kiddo," Spree says, sort of sisterly, "As kids, we got to see what civilized folk did. We were raised to think about drek like goodness and honesty. But, it was all secrets and lies in the end. I mean, your dad, he lived what he said. But look where it got him. He up and left town, left Sector to twist in the wind."

Adam

There's that stupid frakking mouth of hers... And just when I thought she'd learned a thing or two about the world! I guess those girls didn't quite beat the stupid out of her just yet. I huff a laugh, and turn away from her. "You don't know shit about my Dad, or why he left. Last I checked, being front of the line to get the frak out of Sector was one of the smartest thing my Dad ever did."

Where the frak is Stitch?

Rich

Spree shrugs, "You know what? That was another life, yo. Ima let it go, cause it dont even matter.... listen, it was nice chatting, Ima catch up to Chunk before she gets all nervous waitin."

You come up on Metro's van, the light is on and they're talking in the back (it is not a rockin'). Go here.