Lunchtime Chronicles: Passion Fruit

I headed for the kitchen.

“Excuse me!” Zachary yelled behind me. “Sorry, ma’am. Excuse me!”

I pushed through the double doors and darted by a waitress holding burgers and fries. Thankfully, she didn’t drop anything as she gasped. I dashed by two cooks stirring pots of bubbling red liquid.

Lucas hurried out the back and slammed the door.

I gained distance on him, opened the door, and stepped outside.

A trash can lid slammed into my face.

He got me!

“Fuck!” I stumbled back into the brick wall.

I blinked, seeing Lucas run away.

Shit!

I shook my head back to consciousness and rushed off.

Lucas looked back and screamed. “What the fuck?!”

You can’t get rid of me that easy.

Rain fell in sheets around us.

Thankfully, Lucas didn’t run track in high school like me. After one block, he slowed his pace and gasped on air. Meanwhile, I caught up to him.

Once I was close, I wasted no time. While I couldn’t use a gun, unless warranted, there was no law against my hands. Plus, Lucas outweighed me by at least eighty pounds. I charged for his back, taking him to the muddy ground. Water splashed on us.

“What the—!” He twisted around and slammed his fist into my center.

Pain exploded in my core.

I let him go.

Lucas fell back and then dragged himself up. “Bitch ass cop!”

“Not a cop!” I kicked him down, catching him in the side.

Quick, Lucas grabbed my foot and flipped me to the ground.

I crashed into wet concrete.

My hat fell off my head.

He rolled away. “Then, you’re a cop’s bitch!”

I jumped up from the pavement.

Barely on his feet, Lucas tried to stumble away and slipped near a puddle.

“Where you going?” I charged for him. “We’re not done yet.”

I hit the back of his head.

He tripped to the side. His shoulder scraped the brick wall.

I threw another punch. Fast, my fist connected with his jaw.

Blood sprayed from his mouth.

“Goddamn!” Zachary ran up to my side and huffed. “I bet that shit hurt.”

Lucas staggered back. His dark eyes met mine. “Sucker punching cop’s bitch!”

I punched him on the other side of his jaw.

Falling to the ground, he spit out a blood. “Fuck you!”

“You must really like those two words.”

Zachary dangled handcuffs. “And now for this.”

“I’m not going to jail, fuck boys!” He spat more blood on the ground. “You might as well kill me.”

“Then, where do you want me to put the bullet?” I held my stance, ready to grab him, if he tried to race away.

Lucas looked around as if hoping for some way to escape. “I’m not going with you.”

I kicked Lucas in the ribs. He howled in pain and fell face-first into the sludge. There, he stayed for several seconds, groaning in agony.

“Are you hungry, Zain? I was thinking about Big Bubba’s Burger Barn.” Zachary kneeled and grabbed Lucas’s wrists. “Then, we can head over to Piece of Heaven and grab some Caviar Lime cupcakes.”

“That sounds good.”

Zachary locked the cuff on Lucas’s right wrist, jumped behind him, and snagged his left with the other cuff.

Tires screeched behind us.

Zachary and I looked back.

Shark pulled up in his turquoise truck and leaned out the window. He had a mahogany brown complexion and bald head. He winked. “Nice and easy.”

“Nice and easy my ass.” I laughed.

Shark stared at Lucas. “That’s a big bastard.”

Lucas came back to consciousness. “This isn’t over, cop’s bitch!”

“Are you sure?” I pointed to his laying in the mud. “Personally, I would say this is a conclusion.”

Rage blazed in his eyes. “You’ll see me again, and when you do, I’m going to fill you up with bullets.”

“Fuck you.” I kicked him in the face, putting him back to sleep.

1

Next Door

Zain

W

e took Lucas to the police station. After that, we went to Freebird Bail Bonds and grabbed our 12k. We each pocketed 4k, drove to Big Bubba’s Burger Barn, and ate.

Not a bad day.

I headed home, speeding down Caviar Lime Highway and traveling to the South of Paradise. The rain had stopped. More cars packed the roads.

Unlike most times after grabbing a bond, something didn’t sit well with me. It had been fun to race after Lucas and exciting to catch him. However, the thrill fled instantly.

Is this starting to get boring?

I turned on my radio.

A woman’s voice filled the truck. “Messy Mandy here with a public service announcement. I’m in Paradise, providing Meet and Greets to all my lovely Paradise fans.”

I changed lanes.

“Please come, bearing gifts.” Mandy chuckled. “I love jewelry, and not any cheap stuff.”

I turned off the radio.

Perhaps, I need something else. A bigger challenge.

I thought about my life.

I was only thirty-five and had seen a lot in my life. In my twenties, I enlisted in the Navy, served ten years, and was honorably discharged.

After the Navy, I moved back home to Long Island, New York. There, I tried the police force. Being a beat cop bored the shit out of me. I spent more time in the squad car parked next to closed banks.