INFILTRATION

THE DEN

TEROBE

Bits and pieces of last night clung to my mind like tendrils of shredded cloth.

I sat up, and a dull throb knocked at the sides of head. I lifted a hand to the side of my head but they came away wet. On closer inspection, I noticed my fingers were red. Not again.

What happened last night?

I tried to speak, but my tongue was stuck to the roof of my mouth, if felt stuffed with cotton wool. As I looked down at myself, I noticed I was still wearing last night’s clothes and I smelt like a brewery.

My mind was blank, that is, until I set my eyes on the empty transparent bottle at the foot of my bed, and then it all rushed back to me. Disgust and shame took their turn on me, and. I belched loudly. Wasting no time, I struggled up and almost fell as a wave of dizziness filled my vision. I kicked the bottle and it sailed in the air, hit the door with a whooping sound and landed with a crash at the foot of it. I knew it wouldn’t be long before I heard her, so I waited.

Sure enough, footsteps echoed as they got closer and closer to my door. Before I could even move, the door was thrown open to reveal a woman. She took one step inside the room but didn’t get very far before she stepped on broken glass. She didn’t seem surprised when she noticed pieces of the bottle scattered on the floor.

“You’re a mess, John, just look at you, and look at this pigsty you call a room.” She threw a disgusted look around the room.

Instead of replying, I turned round and backed her. I spied a bag on the floor and began stuffing clothes into them. From the bed, the floor, I threw them all inside. It didn’t matter whether they were clean or dirty, I just needed to get out.

My hands continued going through the motions, but my mind blank.

"You can’t even give me an answer because you know it’s true. You’re a real dirt beat, Roberto, after all we’ve done for you, trying to make something of your life, but you just aren’t having it, huh?” I heard the crunch of glass beneath her feet and knew she was about to walk away.

Normally, I’d have left well enough alone and said nothing, but today, something welled up inside of me and I let it. I licked my parched lips and tried to swallow past the rising knot in my throat.

“I’m a deadbeat?” I threw my head back and laughed wildly. “You’re a fine one to talk, Mirabelle, adopting a seven year old boy from the orphanage and letting Harry have his way with him. .” I stopped when her mouth fell open and her eyes went big and round with shock. “Didn’t think I’d remember, did you?” She said nothing, so I continued. “You did nothing to stop him, instead, you’d tell me to let him have his way, that it would stop the beatings. When I ran away, you found me and brought me back, instead of putting that man you call a husband behind bars, you let roam free. Years later when I got stronger and started fighting back, he took it out on you and . . .”

“Stop !” Her voice came out in a whisper as she held up a hand. “Please, just stop.” Tears fell from her eyes and suddenly her knees gave way and she sank to the floor. “Please forgive me.” I turned away from her and shrugged on the rucksack. I was done here.

As I moved towards the door, I noticed she was crawling towards me. I didn’t have any pity left in me, so I moved away before she could get a hold of my leg.

“Please, John!” I spun round in anger.

“That’s not my name anymore. It’s Terobe, try to keep up.”

I stepped away from her hands that were trying to grip my legs, and walked out the door, the crunch of the bottle reminding me of the situation of last night. I touched the back of my neck and winced. Harry would definitely be in a worse of situation , that’s for sure.

The walk to the den took longer than expected. Even with the hood over my head, I still drew whispers from people, even though I made sure I didn’t pass the middle of the town.

When I noticed people had started gawking and pointing, I decided to pass through the forest. No one was around when I got there. I had found this uncompleted building near the edge of the forest. The owners abandoned it and never came back.

Luckily, no one had laid claim to it, so whenever we went for a raid, we would all split up and meet later at the uncompleted building to share the loot. With the exception of Ureo and Jedd, the guys began staying there full time and we named it - The Den.

Well, they would just have to make room for one more person.

*

Everywhere was quiet when I woke up. It was way too quiet, and dark. Maybe I was still asleep. Or dead.

" . . . It’s gonna have to be tonight.”

“Yeah, you’re right.” It was bad enough I wasn’t sure if I was dead or alive and now I was hearing voices as well.

“We strike tonight.”

One of them sounded familiar but I was in too much of a daze to place it. I strained to listen, but they both fell silent. I must have drifted off into sleep once again, because next thing I knew, I was being shaken.

I came awake with my heart feeling like it was galloping. I was all sweaty and shaky for no particular reason. I had been dreaming of something. What it was, I couldn’t remember, but if left a bitter taste in my mouth.

“Terobe, wake up, you’ve got to hear this.” I reluctantly opened my eyes to see Gavin staring at me with an odd expression on his face. I stopped a yawn from coming out and got up. That’s when I noticed I was on the floor. Not waiting for me to reply, he continued speaking in a rush. “Old Danny's house was broken into and thousands of dollars from the rice harvest was stolen.

At first I didn’t know what to make of it. None too soon, I finally spoke. “How many of them were there?”

The look he gave me made me feel dumb. “And out of what I said, that’s all you got?”

“Just tell me!”

“I don’t know, alright, but what I do know is it’s going to affect the economy of the whole town.

“Look at you talking big.” I tried to smile but once again, pain shot through my whole face, so I gave up and settled for a frown instead.

“You haven’t heard the worst.”

What could be worse than your money being stolen. I didn’t have long to wait. Old Danny Glover was murdered that same night.