Midnight Rider

17

Murphy didn't know what to think. Duffy hadn't found some petite blonde girl amongst the dead, yet there were bodies everywhere. Murphy was unsure that Connor and he would've done that well. Was she still here, or was this just the retaliation of some other gang? If this was Paige's doing, she was going to get a pat on the back from Murphy. Duffy came back around eyeing Murphy.

"Bastard was tied to a bag of bricks, alive." Duffy said.

"Any word on suspects?" Murphy asked.

"Nah, we just got a weapon. We think they came in on a waiter cart."

Murphy thought back to the group of Russians he and Connor had executed. Rocco had showed up pushing a cart, dressed for the part, and equipped with an ill-equipped gun. Maybe the Russians, maybe the Chinese. There were a large number of gangs that could be responsible for this, they bring in one hired assassin, take everyone out - get away before the cops show, yeah this had to be a professional. If that was the case, then where was Paige?

"Murph' this couldn't have been her, I mean it was a massacre up there. Four guys shot dead in one room, and somehow Mauricio ends up in the harbor? That ain't the work of some dainty little girl."

"Yer right Duff'. She was here though."

"Perhaps she ran when she heard shots? Or never got here, maybe she's sitting back at the bar right now?

"Yeah maybe, but somthin' just ain't right about it - she decides to take a stroll and Maurico and his men end up in a blood bath?"

"You really think she coulda done this? Come on, she's a tiny little thing and I'm not sure she's ever even fired a gun in her life. But I would bet if she was down here, she might know who did it. Since it wasn't you."

"Well yer' right Duff, why don't we ask her?" Murphy looked at Duffy waiting for Duffy's face to grow and even more confused look. "Oh right, WE DON'T KNOW WHERE THE FUCK SHE IS!"

"Murph - calm down."

"Calm down! Calm down? Don't tell me ta calm down. It's you - and Connor - it's all of you!"

"Murph - what're you talking about?"

"If Connor hadn't thrown a fuck ton of guilt at me - or if Eunice hadn't brought me back to reality - maybe if you hadn't been such a dick to her, she'd still be at the bar, helping and cooperating, like a team instead of running the fuck away from the most horrifying series of events that have ever plauged her life!"

"Murph - what're you saying, are we talking about Paige here? Cause it sounds like..."

"Yeah Duff - I like her okay. And Connor told me to back off, Eunice keeps talking about goin' home - you keep insulting her. Why wouldn't she walk off on some suicide mission? She's got nothing left since I seem to keep getting further and further away from her."

"Oh. Oh man, I had no idea." Duffy said. "If you're sweet on her Murph, I'll lay off - I just suppose I got a kick out of it, she's a good kid, ya know, despite the arrests n' all."

Murphy rolled his eyes. "Just shut up and find her Duff. The sooner the better. And she better be fuckin' alive, and without a goddamned gun in her hands."
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Paige had never felt more at home. Walking down the streets of Boston, only her coat to keep her warm. It seemed as though things were better, that things were brighter somehow. In her hands she held what she guessed to be about ten thousand dollars, maybe more. For the first time in weeks her hip wasn’t causing her to limp. And she wanted was to call her mother.
First she slipped into a small mini-mart, grabbed a postage box and from behind the cover of a shelf she stuffed the cash into it so tightly it was bulging. She quickly sent it off before anyone could notice her even standing there. And now that she knew it would be safe she decided she would make that one last call.
A quick stop at a pay phone left her hands shaking as they reached for the receiver. She dialed her aunt’s number the anticipation of who would answer put flutters in her chest. Then she heard it, something that made her cry – it was Genie. Paige’s only little sister whom she hadn’t heard speak in so long that Paige couldn’t even remember what she sounded like. The short ‘hello’ quickly made the conversation awkward as Paige could only sob into the phone.
“Genie.” Paige finally said.
“Hello?” Genie said again.
“Genie it’s me, it’s Paige.”
“Hi Paige, thank you for bringing me my frog I really needed him.”

“Oh I know you did sweetie.” Paige said. “How’s mom, you two okay?”

“Yeah we’re okay. Can we come home now?” she asked.

“Sure sweetie. In just a few days okay? I’m sending you a special package and it’ll get you two? Just give it a day or two.”

“Okay. That’s good. But mom’s still mad.”

“I bet she is Genie – but you know what she’s mad at me, and she won’t be mad at me much longer. So don’t let her upset you – you two will be just fine.”

“What about you?” Genie asked.

“Well sweetie, it might be a long time before I see you. A very long time. But I want you to know I love you. And tell mom for me too okay?”

“Are you okay?”

“I’m fine, yeah. Getting better each day – I’ll miss you Genie.”

“But Paige-“

Paige clicked the receiver off. That was all she needed. That last happy moment of hearing her baby sister speaking to her. Paige’s knuckles were turning white as she clutched the payphone tighter and tighter, her hand had been trying to stop the bleeding for quite some time now - finally she fell to the floor clutching the coil and sending the phone off the receiver so that as her vision went black she could hear the familiar voice of: “If you’d like to make a call…”