Region: New Spain
(Napa)
Innocence Lost
(Part One)
“So we’re really going to do this?” Tara asked looking back
at Cecily nervously. Cecily just rolled
her eyes and looked toward Gina saying “She’s gonna chicken out on us and you
know it.” “No she won’t Cess. Now stop
giving her a hard time and be quiet.”
Gina responded flashing a broad smile at Tara while reassuring her. “This is going to be so simple and when we
are done just think about all the money we will have. We can finally get a place we can call home
and not have to deal with shit like this anymore ok?” Tara agreed, shaking her head yes, returning
a nervous smile to Gina. If anyone could
calm Tara down and lead this rag tag group of outcasts it was Gina. Gina was always the one the group looked to
for the smart decisions, any decision for that matter, so today was no
different. The only thing that changed
was that instead of bringing their brand of thievery and recklessness to the
people of Napa they had a bigger target in mind. Today they were going to blow up a train,
Queen Lo’s train.
Three nights ago Gina had drove into town with the girls
following at her heels. They were tired,
filthy and badly in need of a good meal.
Stealing and robbing from unsuspecting travelers was becoming more and
more difficult especially in Napa. Since
Hepatitis X ravaged the world and brought out the worst in most places people
did what they had to do to survive. For
the last three years the girls had managed to make it on their own with only one
another to depend on while avoiding the dreaded military enlistment or other
life draining jobs their friends and family had taken just to survive, but now
times were getting tough. People were
getting smarter and deadlier. The
general life of raiders and thieves was becoming all the more dangerous with
each passing day. If something didn’t
change soon Gina knew that she and the other misfits would soon be a family no
more.
Jodie climbed off her dirt bike and tossed her helmet at
Tara. Tara caught it with a yelp of
protest. “Cry all you want Tara but it’s
you turn to watch the stuff.” Jodie said
as she strode past Gina and headed to the building across the street from them. “Don’t go spending all your money in one
place Jodie!” Gina yelled at the girl as she quickly vanished into the local
bar. Gina turned to the remaining girls
eyeing each of them, assessing the lot like a good leader should. Cecily just stared back at Gina while Tara
sulked and fiddled with Jodie’s helmet.
They were all filthy she noted.
Her gaze finally came to rest on the last girl. Chelle seemed somehow cleaner than all of the
rest, even cleaner than Gina herself.
Gina could never really figure Chelle out, she was always the quiet one
of the bunch, yet she was the one Gina trusted and depended on the most,
especially when things got hairy or out of control. Chelle just smiled at Gina shaking her head. “I’ll watch the bikes G. You go and get some showers for you and the
girls.” It always seemed like Chelle
could read minds. Gina briefly looked
toward the building across the street that Jodie had disappeared into and
before she could get a word out Chelle cut her off. “I will keep an eye on the wild child too. If
anything happens I will have her back.”
After a quick laugh and whisper of thanks Gina and the other two girls
were off in the opposite direction of the street in search of a place to get
cleaned up while Chelle watched the bikes.
As Chelle situated herself to sit against her bike she pulled a book out
of her pocket and began to read while she waited for the girls to return.
A little while later, Chelle looked up from her book,
finally acknowledging the individual that was standing in front of her. She had noticed their approach almost five
minutes ago but as the normal for Chelle she had decided to ignore them. As she continued reading she also studied the
woman before her and decided she did not like her, so she deliberately waited
for the other person to initiate contact.
Chelle knew that the woman had every intention of speaking to her. She
could tell in her approach and how her shoulders hung. The woman just stood there just as stubborn
as Chelle. Finally after a few more
minutes Chelle gave in, when her eyes locked on the cold brown ones staring
down at her the woman spoke as if she had just walked up at that very
moment. “Robert Frost’s Mending Wall
huh? She said inquisitively nodding
toward the book Chelle held in her hand.
“Yup, good fences make good neighbors” responded Chelle adding nothing
more. “Well I see you are well versed my
dear.” The lady replied snidely offended
by Chelle’s response. Anyone who had
read or studied American Literature knew of Robert Frost and had most likely
heard of his poem the Mending Wall and most importantly possibly knew that
Chelle’s response meant in so few words; Leave her the fuck alone. The two women measured each other in silence,
realizing that each of them were no idiot, rather they both possessed a rather
intelligent air about them.
“So your one of Gina’s girls?” the woman asked as she stared
off into the distance. This caught Chelle a bit off guard and she shut her book
and stood up. “I’m Gina’s friend yeah
and what of it?” Chelle retorted tensing for what was to come next. “Oh my girl put your hackles down I’m not
starting a pissing contest with you. I just want to talk to Gina. Do you know where I might be able to find
her?” she asked purposefully dismissing Chelle.
“No not at the moment I don’t.
She’s busy but I can get her a message if you want to leave one.” The lady turned back to look at Chelle
smiling. “I’ve met Gina’s girls before;
you are not the normal one I find in the litter.” Chelle held her tongue as she studied the woman. “Tell Gina I will be at the Trolley Market
tomorrow for breakfast. She should meet me there.” With those last words the lady turned to walk
away and after a few steps stopped. She
turned slowly back. “Chelle you may want
to let her know that Aguilar is the one asking.” Chelle still did not respond even though she
was bothered by the fact that the lady already knew her name. “You take reading and that Robert Frost thing
pretty seriously don’t you? Well my child I enjoy tearing down all those fences
he wishes were not there.” With that
being said Aguilar turned and left.
Chelle relaxed a bit and thought about the ladies last words. Somehow she knew that tearing down the fences
did not mean she was doing it to let the gardens grow or the peach trees to
expand like Robert Frost had envisioned in is poem. She shivered a bit and looked at her the book
in her hand and thought to herself. “Why
could I have not been reading something like Cat in the Hat? I bet that would
have been one interesting conversation.”
“I don’t like her and I don’t trust her” Chelle told Gina
matter-of-factly. “Look Chelle I value
your opinion and you know I do but I have been dealing with Aguilar for a
longtime now. How do you think we
managed to keep alive all this time? It’s
the side jobs that she brings us that help us get by.” Responded Gina as she got dressed. “I just have an uneasy feeling about her G.”
Chelle said. “But that’s the last I will
say about any of this.” Gina smiled as
she pulled on her boots. “I appreciate
the concern, if anything gets weird we are out ok? Now let’s get down to the
girls and get going. I bet Jodie has a
hell of hangover this morning after last night.” Chelle chuckled a little remembering how she
had to drag Jodie out of the bar last night kicking and screaming after she had
kicked three of the guards asses in a fight.
“She is one tough bitch.” Chelle said as the door closed behind them and
they headed down stairs.
It may have been six in the morning but the sun was already
bright as hell and beating down hot on Napa.
As Gina walked out of the hotel, where they all had split a room with a
twin bed last night, she looked at the girls as they waited. Tara was yelling at Cecily because she kept
on picking up pebbles and tossing them at her while Jodie stood leaning against
her bike with sunglasses on and her hat pulled down as far as it could to keep
the sun from intensifying her hangover.
Tara looked up at Gina and was about to complain about Cecily and her
pestering but thought better of it. If
it hadn’t been for Cecily they would not have each had a clean shower, hot meal
to eat or roof over their head last night.
At that moment a large old woman opened a window and bellowed out to the
girls, rather Cecily mainly. “You
remember I am always here for you mami!
You know my place is your place!” then she shut the window and was
gone. Jodie shook her head and stood
up. “I don’t see how you can sleep with
that Shrek Cess.” “Hey! Just because you
don’t have the balls to do what needs to be done doesn't mean you need to give
me shit Jodie. I didn't see you
complaining about me sleeping with her last night when your ass was getting
drunk at the bar for free.” There was a
bit of tension in the air that was quickly pushed away by Gina. “OK gang we are headed for breakfast at the Trolleys
so let’s get moving. Who knows maybe
today is our lucky day.” As Chelle
grabbed her bike and started it Tara leaned over to her and asked “Why are we
driving almost two hours for breakfast when we can just eat here?” Chelle shook her head and smiled not saying anything
to Tara and sped off on her bike after Gina.
Jodie, Cecily and eventually Tara followed soon behind as they all left
a cloud of dust in their wake and headed south from Napa and back out into the
desert.
To Be Continued...
Come back soon to see what trouble the girls are bound for and if the decision to bombs Queen Lo's train is the life altering payday they expect it to be!
Region: New Spain (Napa)
Gina Ramos
Cecily DeZego
Jodie Spry
Tara Morgan
Chelle Brock
Aguilar
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