Snow Blind - Lori G. Armstrong [118]
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Jackal yanked me closer by the hair and the gun gouged my skin. “I’m sure you don’t, ’cause he keeps you outta his business. But Mr. Big Shot is fuckin’ around with me. So now, I’m gonna fuck around with him.”
He didn’t bother to turn his head when he yelled at the woman, treating me to a sour blast of his booze and garlic-laced breath. “Got that camera figured out yet?”
“Yeah. Snapped a nice shot of you pulling her hair. Want me to send it?”
“He does have a thing for your hair, don’t he, blondie? Maybe afterward I oughta scalp you as a souvenir for him. So he’ll never forget you.”
Oh, Jesus. Jackal was going to kill me and take pictures of it and send them to Martinez. Tony would go berserk. Not only because he couldn’t save me, but 420
because no one else could save me either. No knights riding to my rescue this time since I’d made Big Mike call off my security detail.
Three days ago.
Was this about Nyla? The something Martinez supposedly took? Tony knew nothing about that. If I told Jackal the truth would it buy me time?
Doesn’t matter. You’re dead or worse anyway.
“Hands behind your back. Like you’re gonna bob for apples. ’Cept it ain’t apples you’re gonna be bobbing on.”
The woman neighed like a horse.
My throat tightened against nausea.
Jackal rose to his feet, still holding my hair. “Come here, bitch, close as you can get.” He yanked my head and smashed my face into his crotch, keeping the gun aimed at my temple.
I gagged. Tears poured from my eyes.
Wake up wake up wake up.
He ground the bulge behind his zipper across my mouth. “Take the fuckin’ picture. Another. Get a close-up of my face so he knows how much I’m enjoying this.”
I pulled my lips inside against my teeth, hating to have any part of me touching this piece of filth.
“Got ’em. Which one should I send first?”
“Send them all to him. We’ll see which one he likes best.”
I quit breathing. Maybe I could make myself pass 421
out. Maybe it’d take away some of Jackal’s fun. He flung me away like a used blow-up doll.
I fell, turning my head until my lips brushed the dirty snow, and retched. My stomach was empty, but I couldn’t stop the dry heaves.
Triggering my gag reflex pissed Jackal off. He kicked me again. This time in the middle of my back. I gasped. Snow snakes drifted into my mouth.
“Keep it up, cunt, and the next picture I take of you blowing me won’t be fake.”
I gritted my teeth, focusing on the pain in my spine.
“This is a cool cell phone, Jack. You should buy me one like this. I could send you naughty pictures of me.”
“Shut up, Trina, and give me the goddamn
phone.”
Trina. No wonder her voice sounded familiar. I’d worked with her at Bare Assets a few months back. In addition to being a shitty cocktail waitress, Trina was a drug addict. But I never would’ve guessed she’d thrown in with Jackal, especially after he’d set her up to take the fall if a drug bust would’ve gone down in Bare Assets during my short stint.
Maybe she didn’t know. If I told her would it make her turn on Jackal so I could get away?
No.
Something else occurred to me. Big Mike said they’d figured out who the shooter was and how the 422
shooter had been able to get to Martinez so quickly. Shame on me. I’d assumed it’d been a man.
I lifted my head and looked at her. “Did you shoot Martinez?”
“Fucker deserved it for what he did to Jack. I wish Jack would’ve let me kill him instead of just wounding him.”
The cell phone rang and my heart rate doubled. Jackal answered: “Like the pictures? No? Trina is crushed you don’t appreciate her artistic ability. Does that mean you want us to redo them? With a little more realism this time?”
My gag reflex threatened again.
“No? Your loss.” Jackal trained his gun at me as Martinez talked. “Why? Not a death wish. You have something of mine; now I have something of yours. Sure. I’m willing to trade.” He jerked his head at Trina and she sauntered over to me. He made the “get her on her feet” gesture with the gun. “No dice. Because you’ll fuck me