Rivers of the Dead - 9. 1-9 - Whatever It Takes

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Caleb grew more restless with each passing minute. Jake lived on Rosewood Lane, known throughout town as the worst street in the entire area. He saw a guy walking toward the car, wearing a dark hoodie despite the warm June weather. He didn't want to profile the guy, but there was a manner he had to his walk which unnerved Caleb and made him want to get out of there as quickly as possible.

The guy turned and went into a house across the street, and Caleb breathed a sigh of relief. He didn't want trouble, not today, not after all the emotions he'd already had to go through. He checked his phone for the fifth time since Liz disappeared around the back of Jake's house. She'd been gone for sixteen minutes, far longer than Caleb had expected. He hadn't heard any screaming or any gunshots, so she was likely safe, but . . .

He opened the door and stepped out. He needed to check on her, and if she was dallying, get her to leave so they could get on to more important things. Having never been to Jake's house before, it took him a moment to find the back door, but when he did, he paused, deciding whether to knock or barge in. Jake Sanders was an asshole, but it was mainly intimidation. When Caleb thought of Jake he didn't think danger, he thought of the skinny ninth grader who had tried to pick on him in seventh grade and failed.

He chose to barge in, and he heard a grunt that was distinctly Liz, so he spoke into the room as his eyes adjusted. "Liz? I didn't think it would take so—" and then he made out what was happening as Liz wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, and batted away Jake's hand from the back of her head. Jake was leaning against the car behind him, reeling, his dick hanging out and quickly softening in front of Liz's face. "What the fuck?" Caleb asked, taking a step toward them.

"Ah yeah, oh that was nice," Jake said, tucking himself back into his boxers and buttoning them slowly. He reached for the zipper of his coveralls and started zipping it up as he winked at Liz. "You've got a good mouth, Princess."

"Liz?" Caleb asked, hoping for some form of explanation.

Liz struggled to her feet and avoided Caleb's gaze. "Caleb, we need to go. All right?"

"Um, sure . . ." Caleb said, realizing she was even more uncomfortable with this situation than he was. He added awkwardly, "Get what you came for?"

"Not yet," Liz said, shaking her head. She then forced a determined and angry scowl to her face and turned back to Jake. "Pay up, Jake."

"All right, all right," Jake said, lifting his hands in surrender. He picked up the gun from where he'd left it and returned it to its place in his coveralls. "Just give me a sec." He walked toward the front of the garage and into a side room.

As soon as he was out of sight, Caleb returned his attention to Liz. "Are you okay?"

"No, but I will be if this means we get Ethan back," Liz said, fidgeting with the bottom of her shirt. "It had better mean we get Ethan back, anyway."

"Is there anything I can do?" Caleb asked.

Liz looked up at last and smiled weakly. "Forget you ever saw what happened here?"

Caleb laughed involuntarily. "Already trying to."

Jake returned a moment later, handing a plastic shopping bag to Liz. "All right, here you go, Princess."

Liz looked inside the bag then glared at Jake. "What's this? This isn't methadone!"

"Nope. Heroin," Jake said, shrugging. "Same shit, really, when it comes right down to it. Expensive, too, but I'm fresh out of pills."

Liz shook her head. "You lied to me. Our deal is off." She started walking away but Jake caught her arm roughly.

"Hey, you don't get to say if our deal is off," Jake growled. "Besides, heroin is worth way more than methadone. I'm giving you a better deal."

Caleb stepped forward quickly and put his hand on Jake's arm. "Yeah, actually she does get to say when the deal's over."

"What do you think you're going to do, Caleb?" Jake asked.

"Lay you out like I did in seventh grade, Jake. You think I just stopped taking martial arts classes after I kicked your ass? You think you can get to your gun before I knock you out when I'm standing this close?" Caleb's expression was unwavering, his eyes like daggers. "We walk out of here, and there's no more trouble, got it?"

"Fuck, all right. I'll cut you a deal, Liz," Jake said, letting go of Liz's arm. "You can just blow me again."

Liz rubbed her arm where Jake had gripped her and spat, "You can blow me, Jake."

Caleb let Jake go and took a step away. He nodded Liz toward the door and then turned to follow her. Jake didn't make a move after them, but he shouted angrily, "Take your shit and get the fuck out of here."

They didn't need to be told twice, but they didn't rush to get out, either, not wanting to appear intimidated. Instead, they moved at a normal pace, closing the door softly behind them. They remained silent as they walked to the car, trying to avoid thinking about the situation they'd just escaped until they reached the vehicle.

As soon as they were inside, Liz broke the silence, holding up the bag and staring at the syringe inside. "This had better work. I really hope I didn't do that for nothing."

"You need a new weed dealer," Caleb said.

"It wasn't all bad . . ." Liz shrugged and placed the bag in a compartment behind the gear stick. "He'll forget about it now; he's scared of you," she said absently.

"Yeah, about that . . ." Caleb said, chuckling, "you might not want to tell him I quit Tae Kwon Do after I broke my leg in eighth grade . . ."

Liz smiled at him, "Your secret's safe with me." It was good to hear a genuine chuckle out of Caleb, especially after such a stressful situation. She only hoped that her secret wouldn't get them in trouble. What she'd said about being able to overcome the issue of the instrument of death was true; if she believed the heroin would work in place of the methadone, it would.

But she had to keep it hidden. Caleb couldn't know, no matter what. Caleb's emotion had to be pure, and that meant this secret would remain.

This had to work. She could take no more chances.

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