Page 90 of Hunter's Hidden Camera
Nash slams the passenger side door shut. “Stay out of this. Don’t you understand I’m protecting you?”
“What are they gonna do to him?”
“Go away!” Nash climbs into the SUV. “I’ve worked hard to work my way up in Nikolai’s organization. And I’ve gotten really far. I’m his number-one guy. And he was about to give me a lot more responsibility, which means a shit-ton of money. But now you and Oscar have completely screwed up my standing, and I’m trying to make it right. And I found a way to make it right that doesn’t involve you. So I’d like you to show a little goddamn appreciation!”
Nash slams the door shut.
How did my brother go from being the most popular kid in high school to secretly pursuing an acting career to descending into a life full of drugs and sex parties to being one of the top men in a criminal organization? My brain feels like it’s going to break just thinking about it.
But I shouldn’t concern myself with that right now. My primary concern—myonlyconcern—is Oscar.
I say, “If they’re gonna hurt Oscar, if they’re gonna kill Oscar, take me instead! Take me! I don’t wanna live anyway. Take me!”
“Stop being such a fucking drama queen, Hunter.” Nash hits the accelerator, and the SUV flies out of the parking lot.
The ambulance pulls in, screeching to a stop. The back doors burst open, and two EMTs carry Jo out on a stretcher. She continues to moan. The blood stain on her pants is horrifying.
Patricia also hops out of the ambulance. It looks like she’s okay. She runs alongside Jo.
I say, “Patricia, I’m sorry.”
But she’s too focused on herwife. She ignores me.
Darin and Henry appear.
Darin says, “What the hell happened?”
“Car accident,” I say.
Darin and Henry run inside.
Suddenly, all is quiet out here. Eerily quiet. It’s like I’m all alone in the universe.
“Do you know where I can find Nikolai?” I ask.
I’ve managed to get myself to the 7-Eleven. I wasn’t able to run as fast as I normally do, but I did get back to Patricia and Jo’s house (they’re still at the hospital) to get my car, and now I’m here, hoping to get some kind of information.
Since I’m completely out of other ideas, I’m hunched down, talking to the homeless woman, who’s on her side, trying to sleep. “Lady, do you know who Nikolai is?”
Her eyes shoot open, wide, and she grins with her dirty teeth. “What do you think I am?! Some kind of witch?!”
I’m so startled that I flinch, almost falling onto my ass.
The woman closes her eyes again. Then she whispers, “Maybe I am. Maybe I am.”
“Hey, I’m not Nash, okay? My name is Hunter. Nash is my brother. He comes here. You know him, right?”
“Nash, yes, Nash.”
“He probably comes here sometimes with another guy named Nikolai. Do you know Nikolai?”
The woman starts snoring.
I shake her shoulder. “Do you know Nikolai?”
“Nikolai, the Russian,” the woman mumbles.
“Yes! Yes! That’s him! Yes! What do you know about him?! Do you know where he lives?!”
