Page 17 of Pitbull
“Isn’t she beautiful?” Anke’s voice was soft behind him.
“Yeah.”
“That was taken a year ago,” Anke said from behind him after a few minutes. “We’d finally taken a vacation day after working together for three years. We didn’t go anywhere special even though we wanted to. We pooled our money and had lunch at some fancy place in Sankt Augustin then we bought junk food and sat around my apartment watching movies and talking.”
Pitbull said nothing. He turned to her. “Ready?”
“Yeah.”
“Good – I need to stop somewhere first.”
5
Anke wasn’t sure where they were going. Though she wanted to ask, the thoughts swirling about in her head rendered her mute and contemplative. Questions of what Claudia had gotten involved in took up most of her head. Everything from drugs, to kidnapping to the fact she might have witnessed a crime and she could be already dead for intervening.
Claudia was never the one to remain silent if she witnessed an injustice. She spoke out for those who needed help. As she sat beside Pitbull, driving into the abyss, Anke realized she hadn’t really known Claudia at all. It seemed, their relationship was merely an illusion that hid darkness Claudia never once alluded to.
Did anyone really know her? Was Claudia her real name?
Anke scoffed.
“You okay?” Pitbull asked.
She glanced over at him and nodded even though he was watching the road. “I’m fine. Claudia is her real name, right?”
“Yes. She is, in fact my sister.”
“Okay. Just checking.”
“Ms. Fischer—whatever Claudia was to me in the end—well, was a long time ago. It is obvious she was someone different with you—someone better. I don’t believe any of the care she’s shown you was a lie.”
Anke turned her attention out the window. It hurt knowing someone she’d shared so much of her life with hadn’t been completely honest. But she’d try reserving her judgment until she’d had a chance to hear from Claudia.
If she’s still alive.
She was pulled from her head by the truck driving over the curve to sit on a large lawn. When she looked out, they were parked in front of a boarded up house. Anke tilted her head wondering if this was where Daniel intended on strangling her.
That made her frown.
“What’re we doing here?” She looked over at the cop to see he was pulling the badge over his head. He leaned across her to get it in the glove box then went on to check his gun. “Daniel?”
“What I’m about to do is highly suspect,” Pitbull explained instead of answering her question. “If you want to sit this one out, I wouldn’t blame you. I will lock the doors behind me and you should be safe in here until I return.”
Anke glanced around. “Right. Have you seen how sketchy this place is? I’m coming with you. Besides, someone needs to keep you out of trouble.”
Daniel’s lips quivered. It wasn’t quite a smile, but she would take it. Together they climbed from the truck and made their way to the front door. Daniel pushed his gun back into the holster, backed up and sent a foot into the door. The wood splintered inward and Daniel stepped in as if he owned the place.
The stench of the interior was unlike anything Anke had ever experienced. Though she tried covering her nose and breathe though her mouth, the taste of the air was even worse.
“Breathe through your mouth.” Daniel advised.
He didn’t seem bothered. He moved through the house, looking into rooms as he went. When he finally entered one, it was to find three men, sitting around and a woman lying on a tattered mattress on the floor.
“Hello again, Deniz.” Daniel’s voice was low, like the rumble of an incoming storm.
“Pitbull—look man, I haven’t done anything wrong!” The shaking man said, holding up both hands.
“Let’s make this easy.” Daniel continued as if the man had said nothing. “We’re going to cut past the part where I ask you a question and you lie to me until I break a few of your bones. I don’t need to do that in front of the lady. But I’m running extremely low on fucks today. So—Slim, where is she?”
