Out of the Black by John Rector Page A

the end, I decided to stay and make sure the woman was safe. Everything had to go as planned, and if that meant stepping up and taking charge, that’s what I was going to do.
    When I went back inside, Jay was sitting at the desk, rocking back and forth in the chair. When he saw me, he stood and smiled. “I thought you left.”
    I took the cell phone off the desk and held out my hand. “Give me the number.”
    “Roach isn’t back yet.”
    “I’m not came around the corneranasi b waiting.”
    “This is my call, Matt. Remember, we—”
    I stepped closer. “Give me the number or I’ll take it from you.”
    Jay looked up at me but didn’t move.
    “You know I can do it,” I said.
    For an instant, I thought he was going to take a swing at me. Part of me hoped he would. My muscles were wound so tight they felt like they were going to snap, and after all that’d happened, it would’ve been a pleasure to take some of that tension out on him.
    But he didn’t.
    Instead, he reached into his pocket for the card. Before he took it out, he turned toward the door, cocked his head to the side. “Listen.”
    At first I didn’t hear anything, then I did.
    Someone was pulling up outside.
    “See?” Jay smiled. “I told you.”

    Jay met Roach at the door. I stayed by the desk, turning the cell phone over in my hands. I could hear them talking in the hallway, but it was all whispers, and I didn’t catch anything.
    When they came into the room, Rochelle pushed past me and sat at the desk. She had a brown paper bag in her hand. She opened it and took out a thick blue rubber band and two thin syringes.
    “Are you fucking kidding me?” I looked over at Jay. “This is what we’ve been waiting for?”
    Jay was leaning against the wall, his face wet with sweat. Every part of him seemed to tremble.
    I crossed the room and pulled him away from the wall, then slammed him back against it again, hard. A thin mist of dust fell around us, and when I let him go, he lost his balance and slipped to the ground.
    “Jesus, Matt.”
    I walked back to the desk. Rochelle was staring at me, and when I got close, she stood and stepped away, her hands out in front of her.
    “Don’t touch me.”
    I looked down at Jay. “You told me this wasn’t going to be a problem.”
    “It’s not.” He stumbled over his words. “I mean it won’t be, it isn’t—”
    “Do you know the kind of shit we’ll be in if we’re caught? Do you have any idea what’s at stake?”
    Rochelle laughed.
    I turned on her. “This is on you. This has always been on you.”
    “He’s a big boy. He can make his own decisions.” She looked me up then down. “When did you get so uptight? I don’t remember you being
this
bad.”
    “Junkies put me on edge.”
    “Fuck you.”
    I stepped closer to her then felt Jay’s hand on my arm. I shook it off. “Get your hand off me.”
    He did.
    “Come on, Matt. Calm down.”
    “Give me the number.”
    Jay looked past me to Roach, then shook his head. “It’s too soon. I want him to sweat. I the lightnes out of ’ll call in a few minutes and then we’ll—”
    I swung, putting all my weight behind the punch, and connected just beneath Jay’s ribs. I felt something give, and he dropped, struggling for breath.
    Roach closed on me, slapping me, screaming.
    “Don’t fucking touch him.”
    I put my hand on her chest and pushed her away. She hit the desk chair, tripped, and fell backward, hitting the ground hard. She stayed there, staring up at me.
    I bent down and started digging through Jay’s pockets until I found the business card with the old man’s number.
    Jay moved to his knees, still struggling to breathe.
    I stood over him. “Once this is done, you and I are through. I don’t want to see you or hear from you again.”

13
    Outside, the snow had started to fall, and the wind came off the river in sharp, freezing gusts. I pulled my coat tight as I crossed the gravel lot to my van. I got in and tossed the gun