The twelve

It was dying anyway, so she felt no remorse, as she looked down at the large rat who had a piece of a broken beer bottle in its side. She had never heard a rat scream before. It was not a very animated sound but it was somehow pleasant. Its tiny shrieks filled the empty alley, echoing off the brick walls. She added more and more pressure from her foot onto its tiny stomach. It struggled Impractically, its tiny arms flailing, its head rocking back and forth. Danni," called a rough voice from the other side of the alley as a large rusty door closed heavily. "Stop f*****g around, let's go!” Danny frowned at the small rat anhandoffl her weight into her foot so that the rat died with a satisfying crunch and ran towards the rough voice. The sound of the soles of her large boots running through nearly dry puddles echoed through the dark alley. The vibrations of a motorcycle engine starting filled her ears as she caught a black helmet thrown at her by the man sitting on it. He had long greasy, straight, black hair that faded into a gray on the areas that lacked cheap hair dye. He had broad shoulders covered by a black leather jacket that matched his pants. His large hands that were usually filled with calluses were now covered by fingerless biker gloves, gripped the bike handles tightly. Attempting to flatten her notably curly hair, Danni grabbed a large elastic that was situated on her wrist and tied her hair as tightly as possible. “Hurry up!” called the  Johnson, taking a long duffel bag off his back and holding it out in her direction. Danni shot a glare to his back and stuck her tongue out at him before she quickly put the helmet on her now contained hair and sat behind Johnson, taking the large duffle bag that he held and placing it against her back. Almost as soon as Danni wrapped her arms around Johnson he launched the motorcycle from where it sat and onto the almost empty street. They rode through the dead part of west Louisiana for the better part of half an hour until Rhea was able to notice working cars and traffic lights. As they continued to ride, the streets slowly started to fill with voices and blissful music that sang through her body. When Danni began to sing a song in French Johnson took a hand off of the bike handles and tapped her helmet lightly. “If you keep singing I’ll be deaf in a minute,” he said over the sound of drums. “Are you saying I can’t sing?” she replied. “You said it not me,” as he laughed and was soon joined by Danni. Johnson stopped in front of a diner with a two-story apartment on top and a large yellow and blue sign that said: “Pérez Spanish diner” that had “breakfast, lunch and dinner” written underneath. Rhea let out a loud sigh and got off the bike. “Helmet, bag,” said Johnson in his old rough voice as he held his hand out. Rhea took both off and handed them to him compliantly. “Don’t think I’m letting you off without my share,” said Danni with her arms crossed looking down on him from where she stood on the raised sidewalk. “Wouldn’t dream of it,” he said as the e took out two large stacks of twenties from the black duffel bag. “What the hell is this? I’ll put my dogs s**t in your eggs in the morning,” she said, pocketing the two thousand dollars in her large pockets and put her hand out in front of the large man’s face. He let out a groan but still took out two other stacks and placed them in her outstretched hand. Danni let out a large and bright smile, shinning him her pearly white teeth, before pocketing it and making her way for the entrance of the diner. “Make sure you give me a call the next time you need me,” she cried out to him as he started the engine. “I will and good luck with you know,” he said tilting his chin to the diner entrance. Danny gave him a knowing look before he drove off and she unlocked the door using her keys that were buried under the stacks of money. Danni held onto the door so that she could close it quietly and lock it. Although the diner was dark, she weaved her way through the tables and chairs and into the kitchen by memory. As she walked down the large kitchen towards a locked wooden her boots echoed in the empty space. She unlocked the door and attempted to open it slowly and without noise but she knew that it could whine either way so she threw the door open and closed it gently before locking it as well.