Monday, September 5, 2011

Handful of Sand Chapter 42 Page 2

Sandy faced the street. Finding no interest in the cars, the pedestrians and the scenery, she instead looked up to gaze at the clouds in the sky high above.

"Sandy, remember I told you once not to be a mercenary?"

The teenager glanced at Selina. "Kind of. It's something like what you do, right?"

Selina nodded. "Yes. You're not really suited for this kind of life. A mercenary's job can be questionable. You've to do things that may not seem right, even to your friends... You may have to leave them behind sometimes."

The taller girl sighed and looked directly at Sandy. "Study hard and get a good job behind a desk or counter."

"But I won't need to, right? I'm going to be rich."

Selina turned away. "Come, we've to go." She stood up.

The taller girl was troubled about something. Not that Sandy was sharp enough to pick up on it. Especially not while she had her head full of anticipation for riches almost within her grasp. She was already dreaming of what she would buy with her money. Clothes, treats, a house... Sandy wondered what form her wealth would take? Bags of money? Trucks of gold?

Sandy stood up too. "Today's the day, right?"

Selina nodded as they walked along the sidewalk. "Yeah. Time's up for them."

"So, what now?" Sandy asked.

"Detective Brunel's going to pick you up," Selina answered, "He'll take you where you need to go."

"Then I'll get my money?" Sandy asked excitedly.

Selina gazed at the distant sky. "Just so you know, we're not going to meet again after today."

"What? Why?" Sandy asked.

Selina faced her. Her eyes were a little sad. "It's the kind of life I live. Once my job's done, I leave."

"But why leave?" Sandy asked again. Could not all her money change anything?

"There may be people after me," Selina replied vaguely, "You won't really be safe while I'm around. That's another reason you shouldn't be doing this kind of job - you'll never really be safe."

Sandy remained quiet as they walked to the parking lot for Selina's car. Gain her wealth, lose a friend. Life was not always to her liking.

***

Selina parked her car in the parking lot of Anderson Park.

To Sandy's untrained eye, the scene appeared ordinary. There were a few other vehicles parked there and there were people walking. Two young men were checking a car engine and a family was just getting into their SUV. It was pretty much what Sandy expected the place to look like on a Friday afternoon.

Selina was calm, so Sandy assumed that her friend had not noticed anything unusual either. She trusted her friend's instincts - it had kept her safe the past few days.

During their ride there, Sandy had taken off her hat and wig and tossed them into the back seat. The stuffing in her bra and the high-heels she had kept. She liked the mature look and wanted to keep it for a moment longer.

"Okay, Sandy. This is goodbye." Selina looked at the teenager in the passenger seat. "Just wait here until Detective Brunel picks you up."

"Is it safe for me to be alone here?" Sandy asked apprehensively. She had been on the run for the past few days, hunted for almost two weeks, and suddenly, she was about to be left on her own.

Selina nodded. "Even if they get you now, they won't get paid. Time's already up."

"Won't they just kill me anyway?"

Selina shook her head. "This isn't an action movie. There're laws protecting you. If they kill you, the authorities will be after them. And they won't risk that if they're not getting paid."

Sandy looked out the car window, at the men working on the car engine. She still felt a little uncertain. But she had trusted Selina thus far. She turned back to her friend and said, "Thanks for everything, Selina."

"You better take the hat too, it's hot out." Selina reached for the hat on the back seat and passed it to Sandy.

"Thanks," Sandy said as she accepted the hat.

Selina gave a wry smile. "Sure. Goodbye."

The teenager got out of the car. She waved once as Selina drove away. She was not going to see her friend again, ever. Sandy really wanted to do something for Selina, for keeping her safe. With the money she would receive, she thought she could.

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