Chapter 9

Ice and Charlie screeched to a stop in front of the house and quickly got out of their cars. The girls of Venom stood on the lawn, looking up at the spreading flames, and several members of the other gangs stood among them. Charlie looked around, catching Ace off to the side, sitting alone atop a pile of three large truck tires, one knee bent up, the other crossing over her foot. She was watching the fire with a slit of a smile tilting her lips, holding an unlit cigar against her mouth. Charlie stared transfixed as she nibbled distractedly on the edge of it, then shook himself, walking over to her.

“What happened?” He asked with forced calm, a bad feeling he wasn’t going to like the answer hovering over him.

“Mostly lighter fluid, some paint thinner and about two packs of matches.” She told him. “Darn things wouldn’t stay lit. Too windy.”

“Too windy?” He repeated. She looked at him, raising an eyebrow.

“You got a hearing problem or something?” She asked. Charlie was relieved that Ice was beside them in time to hold him back.

“Ace.” Ice said. Ace pursed her lips, looking him over inquisitively. Finally she sighed and shrugged.

“Look, I don’t want to have to explain myself every time I make a decision. But since you dragged your asses all the way out here obviously under the impression something dire had happened I will. Just this once mind you.” She said firmly. She tapped the cigar against her knee. “The girls wanted to party tonight. I told them they could have a party when they earn it. They started bitching, told me they didn’t have to listen to me, the whole spiel. So I figured I was gonna have to do something drastic to set them straight. Now they’ll have to earn everything and stop being empty-headed wastes of skin.”

Ice nodded slowly, watching as several of the girls came over. They all had black smudges on their cheeks, several of them with wet trails streaking through it. Cindy stepped forward, though notably not too close too Ace, and crossed her arms over her chest.

“We’re going to stay with some of the guys.” She told Ace. “Let us know when you’ve got a new place for us to live.”

“You leave don’t bother coming back.” Ace said plainly. She pushed herself off the tires, biting the tip off the cigar. The girls watched her aghast as she leaned over the lapping flames and lit the cigar, walking back looking utterly unfazed by the whole ordeal.

“You can’t be serious!” Cindy exclaimed. A few of the other girls echoed her words, disconcerted. Ace went to a beaten down Chevi parked on the side of the yard, pulling her skateboard from the backseat. She turned it, resting it on the trunk, and checked the wheels. She pulled a small bottle of oil from her pocket and began the diligent maintenance of her skateboard. The girls watched her in shocked appal.

“Hey…wait a second. Why do you get to keep your stuff? You burnt all of ours.” Cindy blurted out accusingly. Ace turned, reclining on the car as she regarded the taller girl.

“Everything I have I had to work hard for. In Detroit we have to stay under the radar, so some of us actually have to get real jobs.” She covered her mouth in mock alarm. “I know right…working. What a horrible thought.”

“What exactly is it you want us to do? It’s not as if you gave us time to even look for jobs.”

Ace looked her over slowly.

“I think on you alone you’ve got enough bling to rent a nice sized place for a month. Imagine what kinda place you guys could get if you work together.” She pointed out.

“You want us to sell our stuff?” One girl shouted out. Ace shrugged.

“I don’t really care what you do. You can sleep on the street, or you can pool together, get some cash and have somewhere safe to be during the day. Makes no difference to me either way.”

“Charlie are you seriously going to let her do this to us!” Cindy cried out desperately. Charlie looked at Ice, suddenly very amused by the whole situation. He could tell by Ice’s lazy grin he felt the same.

“Actually I was all for a mass execution…Venom’s been more trouble then it’s worth.” He told her nonchalantly. “But I was willing to see if Ace could make something of you guys. This doesn’t work we can always go back to plan A.”

Several of the girls glanced at Ice, but not one of them was foolish enough to try to appeal to him. If Charlie wasn’t going to help them then Ice certainly wouldn’t. Ace waited until the girls seemed to have resolved themselves to their fates.

“Look, I don’t care how you do it. Beg, borrow, steal, hell you guys can make money on your backs for all I care. But you are gonna stop sponging off the other gangs. I’ll set up some deals for Venom as soon as I can, so if you wanna work there will be things for you to do.” She told them seriously. “Now I’ve got to go represent you guys and convince the other gangs you can be trusted to become part of this city again. I’ll leave you to work things out amongst yourselves.” She tossed the cigar into the flames and turned to Charlie. “Mind if I hitch a ride with you?”

“Sure.” He said simply. Ace grabbed her board and her bag and followed him to his car, throwing them in the back seat. She opened the door, and Charlie reached out for her as he heard a familiar burst of sound. Ace jolted and Charlie pulled her the rest of the way in. He moved to get out but stayed as he saw Ice turn smoothly, taking down the shooter with a single perfectly executed shot. Ice looked over to the Crypts standing in the crowd.

“Throw the body in the fire.” He ordered. They followed his command without question. Ice looked over at the crowd. “The leaders of the gangs all have the support of both Charlie and I. Any defiance to them will be considered a challenge to our authority and dealt with as such.”

Not a word was spoken, and Ice took their silence as accord and got into his car. Charlie pulled out, Ice following closely behind. Ace laughed shakily as she looked over at Charlie.

“And I thought I’d made a big statement. No half way with that guy huh.” She rasped out. Charlie nodded, glancing over at her as he drove.

“We’ll be there soon Ace…just hold on.” He told her assuringly. Ace shrugged it off.

“It’s no biggy Charlie, just stings a little.”