A Naked Singularity: A Novel (81 page)

“What the fuck
is
that?” I said.

“He’s large,” Dane said.

“I didn’t know they made humans that big,” I said.

Ballena walked away from the window. I didn’t see any bag.

“What’s the matter?” Dane said. “Let’s go.”

“I don’t think it’s going to want us to take its bag,” I said.

“I don’t care what it wants,” Dane said. “It gives us our bag or we carve it up into so many blubber compartments.”

“I think there’s a disconnect here,” I said. “You don’t seem to be seeing or acknowledging what I am.”

“I see some shithead with our money and I want to go get it,” Dane said. “Now.”

“First of all I don’t see the money,” I said. “Second of all, what exactly is it we’re looking at? I’m not exaggerating for effect, it doesn’t look human.”

“He’s a human being,” Dane said. “Just like you. Made of flesh that pierces and bones that break. Our swords can cut him and our batons will drop him. Do you look forward to engaging him? Maybe not, but if it was just you and him locked in a room and only one of you could emerge alive would you let him kill you? Is that what you’re saying? Because I want to be clear on what it is you’re admitting.”

“But what is that on its arms?” I said. “It doesn’t look like any skin I’ve ever seen.”

“I don’t know,” Dane said. “Let’s go get a closer look.”

I didn’t say anything.

“I can’t do it alone,” he said. “Are you really going to hang me out to dry at this stage of the game?”

“Relax, I was just looking at the fucking guy,” I said. “No need to get all exercised every time I display the slightest hesitation.”

“So we’re good then?” he said.

“We’re good,” I said.

We started to go out, me first, then Ballena said something and someone on the second floor answered. I turned and looked at Dane. He nodded no.

“Who was that?” he said.

“I don’t know,” I said.

“Was he on the second floor?” he said.

“Yeah,” I said.

“Fuck,” he said.

“Yup,” I said.

“Fine,” he said. “I’ll take Whale and you take this other fuck.”

“Wait,” I said. The other voice came out of a room and into the hall where Whale stood. It was Ramon DeLeon.

“Jesus,” I said.

“What?” Dane said.

“It’s DeLeon,” I said.

“
What
?”

“It’s fucking DeLeon. He’s here,” I said.

“You sure,” he said.

“Positive,” I said.

“What the fuck’s he doing here?” he said.

“What else?” I said. “Stupidity and greed. He wants the other fifty that comes once the deal is done.”

“Dumb fuck,” Dane said.

“He knows us,” I said.

“Idiot,” Dane said.

“Now what?” I said.

“He knows us,” Dane said.

“We need to think,” I said.

“The fucking clock is ticking,” Dane said. “3:07 these guys aren’t going to take much longer to test that shit.”

“Where’s the bag anyway?” I said. “Shouldn’t it be right next to Whale?”

Dane looked up at the door at the top of the stairs. I heard a noise come from that direction. I took the monitor out of my pocket and looked at the screen. Heckle and Jeckle were sitting on the roof with their backs against the door to the stairs. Dane looked at the screen.

“Things are going real well wouldn’t you say Dane?” I said.

“It’s going to get pretty interesting in here soon,” he said. “These fuckers are leaving us no choice. We can’t go backwards I guess we better go forward.”

“What about DeLeon?” I said.

“Fuck him,” Dane said. “I like him too but fuck him. That’s what he gets for being greedy. He should have done what he said he was going to do.” I looked at Dane. He was pulling his gloves tighter onto his hands.

“Chill out,” I said. “Maybe he’ll go downstairs and leave Whale alone with the money, assuming the damn money is even up here.”

“Maybe,” Dane said. “But we can’t wait much longer. We were supposed to be out of here by now.”

“Just give him a minute,” I said. “We can’t leave yet anyway. Not with those two fucks up there sitting right by the door.”

“One minute then,” Dane said. We waited.

Then Dane said we should go if we were going to go and I agreed. But before I ran out Dane put his hand on my shoulder. “Wait,” he said. “Our first break.” I looked back and saw DeLeon disappear down the stairs to the first floor. There was laughing on the first floor.

I took three quick steps forward. The Whale’s back was to me. It turned around. I put the point of my sword to its neck and it stopped.

“Easy, Ballena,” I said. “Don’t be stupid, it’s not your money.” It got angry when I said that. Its lips curled. I waited for Dane but he wasn’t there. Then he came out of one of the rooms. “I don’t see the bag,” he said. “Where’s the bag you?” he said.

“Fuck you,” The Whale said. Dane went into the other room. The Whale pushed his neck forward onto the sword and smiled. “Don’t be stupid,” I said. “You’re not too big to bleed.” It smiled. With my left hand I grabbed my baton. Dane came out.

“Not there,” he said.

“Handle this first,” I said. “Then we’ll look for it.”

“No we need him to tell us where it is first,” Dane said. “While he still has a tongue, which won’t be for very long if I don’t get an answer soon.” The Whale said nothing. “Fine, cut his throat,” Dane said. “better yet I’ll open this fuck up since it’s me he’s defying.” I turned between Whale and Dane. “Come on man just tell us where it is and you’ll be fine,” I said.

The Whale took his left hand and grabbed the blade of my sword pulling it away from his neck. The blood flowed down my sword and onto my gloves. With his right hand he grabbed my throat and started squeezing. Dane came forward and swung his sword across the back of Whale’s leg. It dropped to one knee then sat on the floor in its own blood. It held on to my neck. The sword fell. It pulled me forward. I fell to my knees. There was blood around us. I wasn’t breathing.

Dane cut at the hand around my neck but it didn’t loosen. I took my baton and plunged into The Whale’s chest. It shook but held on. I felt some of the current pass to me. The Whale’s eyes were wide open and I was staring into them. I saw Dane take his baton and push it into The Whale’s neck. I felt the current more then. The Whale squeezed tighter. I plunged the baton deeper into The Whale and his grip finally loosened a bit. Dane kicked at the wrist. The hand came off and I fell back. I took exaggerated breaths that wouldn’t synchronize. Dane dropped his sword and grabbed my baton then he added it to The Whale’s neck. The Whale shook. I could smell burning flesh. Its hair rose. It reached for my sword on the floor. I crawled over to it and slid it just past his reach. Dane pushed harder with the batons. The Whale’s eyes bulged. It bared its teeth. Then it stopped moving and its head hit the floor. The Whale’s blood was everywhere. On the floor and on Dane and me. On my hands and chest. On my face.

“We should kill this fuck for what he just put us through,” Dane said.

I couldn’t speak. I looked at Dane like I didn’t understand.

“He’s not dead,” Dane said. “He’s breathing see? Truth is I couldn’t do it. Not to him. I just liked him too much you know? He’s pretty damn cool don’t you think? Did you see his face when you said it wasn’t his money? It was like he was insulted.”

I tried to speak but still couldn’t. A voice filled the room. It came from The Whale’s point to point radio on the floor. Dane picked it up and started to hand it to me. I pointed to my throat and nodded no. The speaker wanted to know if everything was all right. What was that noise? Dane pressed the button on the side of the radio. He held it to his mouth and spoke.

“Toedoh bien,” he said. He looked at me. I waited quietly. “He was admirable that prick wasn’t he? The fucking will on that beast, the talent.”

I felt I could croak out words then. “When were you most impressed?” I said. “As he did his best to join his thumb to his pinky with my neck in between?”

“Hey bottom line is I got him off you right?” he said. “And I just bought us a little time too with that bilingual display.”

“That was the worst attempt at a Spanish accent possibly ever,” I said. “It’s a miracle this room isn’t being stormed as we speak.”

“Well it worked and we somehow managed to stay pretty quiet throughout this violent drama,” Dane said. “In fact, that was another thing that was pretty admirable about this gargantuan fuck. Did you notice how he refused to call for help even though he had multiple opportunities? I think that’s a guy used to handling things on his own wouldn’t you say? Anyway they’re distracted down there right now, they’re not focusing on my accent. Another thing about this fucking Whale I just thought of.”

“Can we just look for the fucking money please?” I said. “It’s goddamn 3:17 you lunatic.”

“Okay here,” he said. He handed me the radio. “If they check again you answer it. You don’t look so hot right now by the way, I’ll look for the dough while you recuperate.”

I sat there with the radio in my hand. Dane went into the first room. He came out and said the bag definitely wasn’t in there. I looked at my roof monitor. Heckle and Jeckle hadn’t moved.

I got on all fours to breathe better. Dane went into the other room. I crawled to where the stairs were so I could see the first floor. I bought the radio with me. I saw men down there. They walked around each other. Escalera sat at a table. DeLeon stood next to him.

I saw a woman. I saw a beautiful woman with light brown skin and green eyes. I saw her looking at Escalera. The only thing I saw in the room then was her face. She looked scared. She walked away from the table and the men watched her. I could see her stomach. She was pregnant.

Dane came out and said he couldn’t find the bag with the money. “The damn money’s not here,” he said. “These fuckers don’t plan on paying. They’re just going to rip Flaco off knowing there’s nothing he can do about it.”

“I don’t think so,” I said.

“So where’s the dough?” he said. “I’ve looked everywhere, I know it’s not here.”

I shrugged.

“C’mon Casi stand up,” Dane said. “This is serious, where’s the fucking money?”

I looked downstairs. I saw Escalera signal to DeLeon. DeLeon bought him a radio. The woman was in the corner. She was beautiful. Escalera spoke to the radio. His voice filled the second floor. I looked at Dane. He gestured. The Whale started to stir. I put the radio to my mouth. I spoke in a low clipped voice.

“¿Bajo?” I said.

Not yet Escalera answered in Spanish. But soon he said. I let go of the button and looked down. Escalera was looking at DeLeon in a strange way. He signaled to someone. That person grabbed the woman by the shoulder. He sat her down on a chair and stood over her.

“We better go,” I said.

“Not without the money,” Dane said.

“Whale was looking out the window before,” I said. “Look out there.”

Dane looked out the window. Downstairs I saw Escalera tell DeLeon to go up and check on The Whale because he didn’t sound right. DeLeon walked toward the stairs.

Dane said he had good news and bad news. I said DeLeon was coming back up. We had to go.

“The good news is you’re a genius,” Dane said. He turned around holding a red duffle bag. He lowered it on the floor and opened it. It was filled with money. A lot of money. “This thing’s heavier than a motherfucker though,” Dane said. “Let’s split it up quickly.”

I asked what the bad news was. I reminded him that DeLeon was coming up.

“The bad news is I felt a lot of eyes on this place just now,” Dane said.

“Cops?” I said.

“No,” Dane said. “More like the people we talked about as a possibility, here to make sure the money gets delivered as promised. You get me? I think it’s going to get pretty hot in here soon.”

I heard DeLeon start up the steps. The money was spread out on the floor.

“Let’s go,” I said. I looked at the monitor. Heckle and Jeckle were still sitting right by the door.

“It’s too late,” Dane said. He grabbed his sword and ran to the doorway. I moved to the side. A man walked in. It wasn’t DeLeon. It was Landro. He looked at Whale and turned around quickly. Dane put his sword to Landro’s neck and told him to be quiet. “Or I’ll remove your neck,” he said.

“Tell them everything’s okay up here,” I said.

“Everything’s cool,” Landro said toward the first floor.

“Anybody else coming up?” Dane said.

“No,” Landro said.

“What about DeLeon?” I said.

“He’s the one told me to come up,” Landro said.

Dane pressed his sword in a bit. “Is Escalera going to pay?” Dane said. “I’m not sure. I don’t think so,” Landro said.

“What about the girl?” I said. The Whale was moving. We had forgotten to tape its mouth.

“What channel are the guys on the roof on?” Dane said.

“Three I think,” Landro said.

“What’s supposed to happen with the girl?” I said.

“Don’t think,
know
,” Dane said. “What fucking channel?”

“Three, Three,” Landro said.

Dane looked at me. “Give me the radio,” he said. I tossed it at him and he caught it with his free hand. I put the money in the bags. The Whale opened its eyes and looked at me.

Dane put the radio to Landro’s mouth and pulled the sword back a bit. “Tell them to get back to their posts. That Escalera’s pissed. Like they missed something,” Dane said. Landro spoke into the radio. I looked at the monitor. Heckle and Jeckle scurried back to their respective ledges. I nodded at Dane.

Then Landro tensed up and fell. Dane caught him before he hit the floor and set him down. I saw the baton in Dane’s left hand.

The money was in the bags. The Whale was looking at me. Dane grabbed one of the bags. I grabbed the other. We went up the stairs. Dane went first. At the top of the stairs we looked at the monitors. Heckle and Jeckle hadn’t moved from the ledges. Their backs were to us.

“She’s pregnant,” I said.

“Who?” Dane said.

“The woman, the girl, the mule,” I said. “They have her.”

“She’ll be fine,” Dane said.

“Let’s go back and make sure,” I said.

“When?” Dane said.