Consider Us Even Page 2

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  Solis woke with a shake to his arm. It was the man from the door who’d taken his money the night before.

  “Time to go,” he said. “You’ve got five minutes.”

  Solis dragged his tongue across his dry lips and tried to swallow. He pushed himself up with his left arm and stumbled to a knee. His stomach hurt and his right arm felt like a thousand ants were crawling under his skin.

  He was one of the last customers left. A pair of men were pulling wires from the ceiling and winding them on wooden spools. Solis stepped over one customer who looked near dead and bumped into a woman who was struggling to find the door.

  The sun stung his eyes as he stepped outside the warehouse. He headed back toward the south bay and felt in his pocket for the cash remaining from the night before. He thought about breakfast. Eggs over easy. Rye toast with no butter. Orange juice.

  Workers were out next to the ships. Scrubbing the hulls. Rearranging cargo on the decks. Getting these hulking beasts ready for another run out to sea. The action around him helped to wake him up. His arm still tingled. He tried to shake some life into it but knew that it would be hours before he could use it again.

  A bell rang when Solis opened the door to Marly’s. He found a seat at the counter and a waitress placed a napkin and glass of water in front of him. She smiled and rubbed his hand.

  He smiled back and placed his order, shaking his right arm after she had turned away.

  After a couple minutes of sitting with his eyes closed, Solis heard the waitress slide his plate in front of him. Eggs over easy and dry rye toast. He picked up his fork and attacked his breakfast. Yolks broke and ran across the plate. He sopped them up with the toast and was lost in his food when he heard the sound of hard heels hitting the Linoleum floor.

  Daryl took a seat on the stool next to him and tapped the counter to make sure he had Solis’ full attention. “Howdy, bubba. I need my money now.”

  Solis finished chewing then explained that he didn’t have anything extra. “Like I said, can’t find work.”

  Daryl spun toward the front of Marly’s and pointed through the plate glass window at the ships. “All of those boats out there and you can’t find a job? Not one of those captains needs an extra set of hands.”

  Solis put his fork down and shook his head. Daryl smacked him on the back and apologized. Said that he hated to have to do this so early in the morning, but he needed Solis to stand.

  “Hate to do what?” Solis asked as he got up from his stool.

  Daryl quickly pulled his arm back then put a fist hard into Solis’ stomach. He doubled over at the middle and spit eggs onto the floor, some falling onto Daryl’s boots. Solis came back up with an uppercut that landed square on Daryl’s jaw, sending his hat flying. Daryl stumbled backwards and Solis put his foot into Daryl’s gut. He crashed into a table as he fell to the ground. A salt shaker broke into a dozen pieces and its contents scattered as it hit the floor. Solis kicked Daryl hard in the ribs and he let out a moan.

  Solis reached into his pocket and grabbed the two twenty American dollar bills he had left and dropped them on Daryl’s chest.

  “Consider us even.”

  The bell rang again when Solis opened the door to leave Marly’s. The sirens of security bots were getting closer.

 

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  CHASING FILTHY LUCRE

  An Excerpt

  by

  Jarrett Rush

  * * * * *

  PUBLISHED BY:

  Chasing Filthy Lucre

  An Excerpt

  Copyright © 2010 by Jarrett Rush