Anna

You ride like a cowboy towards the sun
And life aint fun when you’re on the run
You got your gold and you got your gun
Life as an outlaw just begun

You got your shotgun by your side
You got your horse and you got your pride
You ride till there aint no place to hide
It’s sad cause the bad guys always die
Marshal Mathers

Decisions. Decisions are the fulcrum upon which a man’s life rests. They can turn a good man bad, or redeem one who is evil. When the day of judgment comes, will God look into the heart of a man in order to determine his worth, or are a man’s decisions the evidence by which his heart will be judged. Grey didn’t know. One thing he did know was that decisions could be a bitch. Of course, none of this mattered now, he had made his decision, and there was no going back.
The double barreled twelve gauge felt cold riding on the right side of his torso. He had fitted the shortened stock with a strap that looped over his shoulder so that the weapon would hang from beneath his right armpit along the side of his body. The twin barrels had been sawed off to about 18 inches so that it would be invisible beneath his coat. He had also cut a hole in his right pocket so his hand could grasp the shotgun while simply appearing to have his hands in his pockets. This way he could whip it out instantly, catching his adversary completely off guard.
Grey was nervous. He, Shoeless, and the GZ rode silently in an old panel van the GZ had acquired a few days before Grey came into town. Shoeless was driving, and every once in a while would break the silence by sniffing loudly. The GZ had been feeding a steady stream of both cocaine and bullshit ever since they had come to Providence, and the Shoe was now completely enthralled with the prospect of becoming a real life criminal. The GZ sat in the seat next to him, frequently checking his watch and appearing to be prepared for what was to come. Sam was the only conspirator who would not actually be present. She would be waiting at the old abandoned church on highway twenty four with the cars, preparing for their escape from Kansas.
Grey felt somewhat ashamed of the way the GZ had been able to play him. Sam had been his ace in the hole, and Grey had fallen in line just as the GZ knew he would. He supposed that it didn’t matter, he was doing this for Sam, and if this was to be his penance then he would accept whatever came after.
He looked solemnly out his window at the old familiar streets. They were in Jacob’s neighborhood now. It was early in the morning and the houses and yards were empty, just as they were the last time Grey was there.
He had spoken with Jacob yesterday who was only too happy to hear from Grey. He told Grey that he was having trouble with his dealers yet again, and that he would love to do a business with his “little buddy.” He had wondered where Grey had been for the last couple of years and Grey explained that he had decided to leave the life behind. Grey went on to tell Jacob that a good friend of his was in need of a reliable hook, and asked if he could bring him along. Jacob had eagerly agreed, telling Grey that he still trusted his judgment, and that if Grey’s friend was cool, he would be happy to have his business. Everything was in place.
“Aright, here it is,” Grey said, “Pull it over and park.”
The Shoe pulled the car over, Grey and the GZ got out. “Keep it running” Grey said as he pulled the sliding van door shut behind them. The two quickly strode up to the front door. Grey’s heart was pounding now, his breath coming to him only in short sharp gasps. The GZ looked calm but his eyes were wild. The cars that usually littered the front of the house and driveway were nowhere to be seen, which was a good sign. It meant that Jacob would most likely be alone.
Grey took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and knocked on the door. “Let’s do this fucker right.” The GZ whispered to Grey as they waited for a response from within the house.
“No sweat brother,” Grey said, trying to sound confident. “Just keep your fucking finger off the trigger and we’ll be fine.”
“Is that my little buddy?” Jacob exclaimed through the door. “Is that money makin Grey Townsen?” Jacob flung the door open and stood grinning with his hand extended. Grey’s grip on the shot gun tightened, his palms sweating. “What’s happinin little brother,” Jacob said. Time seemed to freeze. Grey knew what he had to do, knew what was supposed to come next, but for a split second he seemed to be unable to do it. He could hear his heart pounding in his head and watched in slow motion as Jacobs eager smile began to slowly fade with the realization that something wasn’t right. It was do or die time. No more thinking, he had to act.
Grey snapped out of the adrenaline freeze and in one swift motion stuck his foot hard up against the door to prevent the giant Mexican from slamming it, and put both barrels of the twelve gauge directly in his face. The GZ thankfully did not hesitate and came immediately over Grey's shoulder striking Jacob in the nose with the butt of Grey’s 40 caliber pistol.
“Get the fuck inside!” He shouted, he and Grey simultaneously pushing their way into the house. Jacob stumbled back, his nose spurting a stream of thick crimson. The GZ was on-top of him instantaneously, striking him twice more on the head until he collapsed onto the floor, his blood soaking into the carpet.
Grey was sharp now, his instinct working some sort of primal level, spurring him into action. He ran to where Jacob lay, swiftly kicking him twice in the ribs and placing his foot on the back of his neck with the shot gun pointed down at his head. “Get flat motherfucker!” He barked.
The GZ slapped the door shut and came to assist Grey with the Mexican. “Cuff him,” Grey ordered. The GZ dropped his knee into the back of Jacob, placed the pistol to his head and demanded he put his hands behind his back. After Jacob’s head cleared from the blows he had received, he calmly placed his hands behind his back and began to glare up at Grey with murder in his eyes.
“You just killed yourself ese.” He said to Grey as the GZ cuffed his hands behind his back, “You hear me Grey? You a dead ass white boy, I thought you were smarter than this holmes.”
“G, get in the back and check his closet.” Grey said, doing his best to ignore the threats, “There should be a safe in there.” The GZ scampered off into the back room in search of the goods.
“Why you doin this Grey?” Jacob asked still calm, his eyes relentlessly probing. “You aint dumb, you know who I am and who I’m with. I mean you might as well put that shotgun in your mouth and pull the trigger right now, save both of us some time.” With this a grim smile crossed his face because he saw in Grey’s eyes that he knew it was true.
Found it, “The GZ shouted from the bedroom. “What’s the combo.”
Grey looked down at Jacob, “what is it.” He asked simply. Jacob merely lay there looking up at Grey with the strange smile cut across his lips. “Come on now Jacob, you know me. You know I don’t bullshit. I don’t talk just to be talkin and when I talk you can believe what I say is true. So I’m gonna give you a choice.” Grey paused for a moment in order to allow his words to sink in, “Now you can either give me the combo to the safe, we’ll take what we came for and you can go about trying to hunt me down. Or I can drain your fucking skull into this nice shag carpet you got, and we can take the safe with us. It’s up to you, but I’m gonna need a decision right now.”
“Jacob continued to stare up at Grey, finally saying. “36-24-48.” Grey shouted the combination back to the GZ who entered the numbers into the digital key pad mounted on the safe.
“I got it,” he shouted back. “Holy fucking shit,” He breathed, apparently in awe by what he found.
“Tell me good news G,” Grey shouted towards the bedroom.
“Oh I got good news alright,” the GZ said as he came running into the room to grab the duffle bag they had brought. “We hit the fucking jackpot Grey, no bullshit, seven bricks and a pile of cash. Did I tell you or did I tell you.”
The GZ’s grin vanished with the sound of another presence in the room. It was Jacobs’s girlfriend, the one whose name Grey had never learned. She carried a bag of groceries in her arms and before she could even react to the scene taking place in her living room, her head snapped back, a small hole appearing just above her left nostril. The grocery back fell to the floor as a red cloud formed around her head and the wall behind her became speckled with bloody chunks of brain and skull. The thing that had only moments ago been a living human being crumbled to the floor; motionless, lifeless, now nothing more than an empty husk.
The deafening sound of the gunshot still echoed in Grey’s ears. The GZ stood there, holding his pistol still pointed at where the woman had been with a look of complete and utter shock on his face. “I didn’t mean…..she surprised….” He tried to mumble an explanation for his idiocy, but Grey was no longer paying attention. With sudden clarity, he knew what he must now do.
He swung the shotgun towards Jacob and proceeded to empty both barrels into the sprawling Mexican. The buckshot opened Jacobs back like a watermelon splashing into a swimming pool. Grey then cracked his weapon, removed the spent cartridges, put them in his pocket, and replaced them with fresh ones. “Get right GZ,” he said grimly, “we aint got much time now.” The GZ seemed to snap out of it, though still moving in somewhat of a daze, and followed Grey towards the bedroom. “Grab your shell first.” Grey said as he made his way through the kitchen.
When Grey opened the door to the bedroom he was not at all prepared for the sight which awaited him. He stood in the doorway, unable to move.
“Got it!” The GZ said, and ran back to the bedroom in order to assist Grey. “Holy shit,” He muttered in a shocked voice as he reached the doorway and saw what it was that Grey had been staring at. “She wasn’t supposed to be here, Sam swore she didn’t stay here anymore.” He muttered. But Grey didn’t hear him, couldn’t hear anything, couldn’t see anything; nothing except the little girl standing kneeling on the bed, surrounded by blankets. It was Anna, her eyes wide with fear. The same eyes that had once changed Grey’s life, finding him in the same place he had once been. Grey stood staring into those eyes, the eyes of a little girl whose innocence was being shattered. Only now Grey was the violator.
“She must have been under the covers sleeping, I never even noticed her.” The GZ said as moved around Grey into the bedroom.
“What’s going on Mr. Grey?” She asked in a small voice, “what was that noise.”
“It was nothing baby,” he murmured, “Your mom just dropped something that’s all.”
The three of them stood without making a sound for what seemed like an eternity until the GZ finally broke the silence. “I guess you better do it dude.” Grey looked at him not understanding what was being said.
“Come on man,” the GZ urged, we don’t have much time.
“Do what.” Grey asked, genuinely confused.
“You know what man.”
Then Grey did understand. He had killed Jacob because he had been a witness to the murder of his girlfriend. Grey had no choice. Jacob could have identified him.
“No,” Grey said forcefully. “No, it aint gonna happen, no fucking way.”
“No choice brother,” the GZ stated plainly, “I guess if you can’t do it then I will.” With this the GZ slowly raised his pistol, leveling it at Anna. Grey reacted before he could take aim, whipping his shotgun out and pointing it at the GZ.
“You better point that fucking gun somewhere else brother. I fucking told you, this aint happening. I won’t let you do it.” Grey’s voice was on the edge of panic now, cold sweat ran down the sides of his face and he could once again hear his heart pounding between his temples.
“What the fuck are you doing Grey?” The GZ asked in bewilderment, still pointing his gun at Anna.
“What’s going on Mr. Grey?” Anna said, repeating the question she has asked moments ago. Tears where now streaming down her cheeks as she looked down the barrel of the hand gun; clutching her blanket as though it could shield her from the bullets.
“Think Grey,” the GZ said, ignoring the frightened girl, “She’s seen both of us and there’s a fucking bloodbath in the next room. She knows your fucking name for Christ’s sake.”
“I swear G, the only way we’re leaving three dead bodies up in here is if your one of em!” He and the GZ locked eyes, neither willing to blink. “I’m not bluffing Gerald.” Grey stated with calm precision.
“We can’t leave her alive Grey, you know that.”
“Fine,” Grey replied, “Then we won’t leave her.”
“Grey, do you have any idea how fucking stupi….”
“That’s what’s happening G, you can live with it or you can die with it, but that’s what’s happening. Now clear out the safe, we don’t have time for any more of this bullshit.”
Finally the GZ shoved his pistol into his jeans, shook his head, and knelt in front of the safe. Grey let his shotgun fall beneath his coat once again and bent down over Anna.
“Aright sweaty, I’m gonna pick you up a carry you out of here, ok?” Grey went on before allowing her to respond. “I’m gonna wrap you up in this blanket and we’re gonna go, ok?” Grey did his best to use a soothing tone of voice, but what came out was more panic than anything else.
“But where are we going?” She asked, tears still streaming down her cheeks.
“We’re just going on a little vacation honey.” He lied. “Now I need you to close your eyes for me while we’re walking out of here. Can you do that? I need you to keep em closed all the way to the car. Can you promise to do that?”
Anna nodded, whipping the tears off of her cheek with the back of her hand. “Thank you sweetie. You’re such a good girl, you know that? Don’t you worry, I'm gonna take good care of you. We’re gonna have lots of fun on our vacation, I promise. Can you give me a smile?”
She did her very best to smile, but it was the saddest look Grey had ever seen. Everything in his life before this moment seemed to vanish. Why he was here and what he had done were meaningless. All that mattered now was Anna.
“Are you ready G?”
“Yeah I got everything, let’s roll.”
“Ok Anna, close your eyes now, its time to go.”