Page 55 of Archer
Skipping the snail-like elevator, I bolted up the flights of stairs until the top floor. By the time I reached my door, I was out of breath but still yelled, “Rose!”
No answer.
Flicking on the lights, all my junk mail or various mental notes were scattered over the floor, along with my lamp and one of Rose’s scented candles. “No, no, no…” I grabbed my head in my hands and squeezed tightly as I walked to Rose’s room, horrified by what I might find. “Rose? Are you there?”
When I found her bedroom empty but dishevelled and smelling of bleach, I stood still, staring blankly at the shattered glass on the floor. Whenever I heard the term “fight or flight”, I always scoffed, saying anyone who didn’t fight was weak. But for the first time in my life, I couldn’t do either. I was frozen to the ground, hyperventilating through my nose, unable to unclamp my chattering teeth as I tried to brainstorm how to find Rose.
Staring at the aerosol can on the ground, tremors shot through my body as I imagined her fighting for her life. Flashes of hypothetical, traumatic situations that Rose was forced to endure poured into my mind and I finally gained mobility. Not to do anything protective, though. Instead, with full force, I swung my leg back and kicked the bed frame while screaming, “Fuck!”
My toe throbbed, but it didn’t stop me from continuing to shout, “Archer, you fucking moron! Fuck!”
I collapsed on the side of her bed, shaking, unable to think straight. The words, “You were supposed to protect her. You were supposed to protect her,” came from my lips repeatedly as I shook my head in disgust with myself.
Then, a shiver ran down my spine as I remembered my crucial mistake earlier. Outside, before I went for my ride to pout over Rose, on the side alley of the apartment complex. The revolting realization made me feel like I could pass out or vomit at any moment.
“I heard them,” I said to myself, taking my first deep breath from my mouth to stop me from fainting from a lack of oxygen. I heard them. I heard them sneaking around and I could have stopped them. My only job was to stop them, but once again, too fucking selfish, I was more concerned with getting as far away from her as possible. And why? Because my feelings were hurt?
I let out a bitter, shaky laugh and looked at my reflection in the standing mirror I set up the day before she moved in.
“Now she’s hurt. Really. Hurt.” I bit my cheeks so hard it felt like they would bleed before shouting one last, “Fuck!”
My reflection looked at me as if I were pathetic. I wanted to sit there, moping over how I screwed up everything I touched. That I let Rose and Ron down, that they would have been better off finding anyone else to help. But then my reflection gave me a look that I hadn’t seen in a while, a glimmer in my eye that told me it was time to fight.
“All right,” I said, pointing at my reflection intimidatingly, as if threatening myself. The citrus shampoo Rose used left a scent all over her room, an aroma that I’d begun to crave when she wasn’t around. However, smelling the warped mixture of fruity shampoo and bleach fumes tarnished the happy memories associated with it, and the mutated scent fueled me with anger and revenge as I shouted at the mirror. “You’re going to save her, Archer. It’s Rose. You don’t have a choice but to save her because it’s fucking Rose. Youneedto save her.”
As soon as I finished the pep talk, I walked out of the bleach fumes and pulled my cell phone from my pocket, knowing exactly who to call. Pressing it to my ear, I rushed around grabbing all my supplies while the phone rang. “Come on, come on.”
Finally, after the eighth ring, a groggy, hoarse voice answered. “It’s three AM, what the hell do you want?”
“Crow! Rose! Gone!” I realized I hadn’t thought of what I’d say, instead trying to force twenty words at once. “Kidnapped!”
“Your girl?” I heard the ruffling of bedding, signaling Crow had sat up. “The hell did you do, Archer? You’re supposed to be watching her!”
“Yeah, I know that.” I gritted my teeth, feeling furious at myself once again. Naturally, Crow didn’t get the hint. Or, maybe he did, and that’s why he chose not to stop.
“I told you I’d help with the dad. She’s supposed to be your problem!”
“Fuck, Crow, I know,” I said, pinching the bone in the middle of my nose. “Can you help?”
I had to admit, I was beyond grateful for Crow’s quick, without any doubts, “Yep.”
“Great, I’ll try to, uh, I don’t know. Think of where they’ll be.” The same frozen feeling filled me as I realized I didn’t know what the fuck I was doing. “Godammit, where is she?”
“Calm your fuckin’ balls down, Archer. I think I know where they are,” he said. “I’ll pick you up in the van; call everyone and tell them to head to the bakery, but don’t go near it. We can’t bring attention. There’s that park with the water slides, we’ll meet there.”
“Wait, the bakery?” I asked but Crow steamrolled my question.
“Hey, when you call Wrench, tell him to get Vet ready,”
My stomach sank when I understood what he was preparing for. In fact, only a year before, Wrench’s future old lady, Samantha, was pulling a bullet from my leg after our standoff. We were preparing for a blood bath.
Sighing over the phone, I rubbed my eyelids, and in the darkness, I reminisced on earlier that morning. For the first time in my life, I felt like I knew exactly how I wanted to live my life. Stroking her silky mahogany hair and listening to her giggles while lying in bed. Lazy Saturday afternoons fighting over whether we’d watch James Bond or a chick flick. I’d take her riding on my bike and invite her father over for supper. I’d give back his bribe, hell, I’dinvestin his store. I’d learn to make bread. I’d throw rose petals on the bed for special occasions…
“Archer, what the fuck? Are you taking a nap?”
Snapping out of my fantasy that might already be impossible, I shook my head. “I’m here.”
“Good. Call Tank and the guys, Vet, too, tell them to meet us at the park in thirty minutes. I’m heading to your place now, be there in ten.”
