River hopped into the back of the white two-door Honda Civic, Russell led her to. She didn’t have a clue who was driving, where they were going or what time it was. She didn’t care. She wanted to leave all of her pain behind her and have the night of her life. Of her new life.
The driver pulled into an alley behind a row of houses. The garage door opened by remote and the car fit perfectly inside. They got out and stumbled up the wooden stairs. Then through a back door into a kitchen. In the narrow house the air was stifling hot and smoky from cigarettes. Music blared from the living room. There were pockets of people in every room, and everyone seemed to be wearing black.
River had a sudden sense of unease. She let Russell know she was going to step into the washroom. She needed a moment to gather herself. With a little splash, she cooled her face with water and looked for a hand towel. She had no luck, so she patted her face dry with the bottom of her T-shirt. She looked in the mirror and opened her eyes wide as she felt for the door knob.
River opened the bathroom door and looked out. She couldn’t quite make out what she was seeing. She wasn’t sure if it was because it was too dark . . . or just too odd. Maybe her brain just couldn’t process what she was seeing. The woman in the room across the hall was squatting with her pants down. Urine trickled onto the floor and into the hall. River stepped over it, holding herself up against the wall with the palms of her hands.
She walked through the living room, looking for Russell. She stopped as she noticed two small children lying on a couch. They were watching TV, wearing only diapers and drinking from a bottle of milk.
Whoa, River thought. It’s way too late for those little kids to be awake. She walked over and put a blanket on them. Their eyes blinked up at her. River noticed someone on the other couch, but she was passed out.
What kind of party is this? she wondered. Where the hell am I?
River’s head spun a little as she made her way back to the kitchen. There she found Russell standing with a group of guys. They were tough looking, like rappers, and wore red bandanas.
River placed her hand on Russell’s hip. She fought to stay upright. Russell placed his hand on the small of her back. “You okay?” he asked in her ear.
“Yeah, I think I just had a little too much to drink. It’s catching up with me.”
“Wanna go upstairs and lie down for a bit?” River could feel a suspicious look cross her face as she processed his offer. He raised both hands in the air as if he was being searched by police. “I swear. Nothing else. I just want to make sure you are okay.”
“Sorry, Russell. I know we just got here. I just, I just don’t feel well.”
“It’s totally fine. C’mon, I’ll take you up.”
He twined his fingers with hers and led her up the stairs. She lay on her side on the bed in an empty bedroom and brought her knees to her chest.
Russell gave her an extra pillow and turned on a fan. “This is the room where I’m staying. I’ll come up and check on you in twenty minutes or so. Just text me if you need me.”
“Okay,” she managed to say. Even lying down, she had to try to maintain her balance as a wave of nausea rolled through her. She reached into her pocket to find the piece of paper Russell had given her at the bar. She programmed his number into her phone just before her eyes closed. Her cell phone slid from her hand to the bed.
It couldn’t have been very long before she heard the door knob turn and the floor creak. Looking up from the bed, she saw two girls hunched over the dresser. One of the girls was slicing something on top of the dresser with a bank card. The other girl was rolling up a twenty-dollar bill. River turned her back to them, pretending to sleep.
“I see you, River.” The first girl laughed.
“Want some? It will help you stay awake,” the second girl offered.
“No, I’m good. Thanks,” River groaned. As she ran her hand across the bed for her phone, she wondered, How do they know my name?
Russell: Hey River, you doing okay?
River: Can you come upstairs?
Russell: Already? lol
River: No, seriously. I’m scared.
Russell: Be right up.
Russell opened the door with his foot. He scanned the bedroom.
“Hey, Russ!” one of the girls squealed.
“What are you doing in here?” Russell scolded. “Upstairs is always off limits. You two know that.” He held the door open for them until they left. River could hear their cackling echo down the hallway.
Russell closed the door softly. “Sorry about that, River. They know better.”
“Who are they?” she whispered.
“They’re Alvin’s girls,” he answered.
“Like Alvin and the Chipmunks?” River smirked.
“Oh, so you’re beautiful and funny, eh?”
“Maybe . . . No, but really, who’s Alvin? And what do you mean, they’re his girls?”
“Alvin’s the leader of the Northern Rebels. Nothing to worry about, though. You’re safe with me. He’s not a pimp or anything. He just has, well, girls.”
“What’s the Northern Rebels?”
“Seriously?”
“Yeah, seriously.”
“Um, the largest Native gang in Manitoba?”
“What the hell? Where are we? Who are you?”
“Umm. We’re in Winnipeg, at my best friend’s house. And I’m Russell.”
“Okay, like I know all that. But what part of the city are we in?”
“The North End.”
So this is the infamous North End, she thought. Her dad had warned her. Her mom had warned her. “Stay away from the North End,” they said. It was a place where dark things happened. River knew it was best to stay on the other side of town. The safer side, if there was such a thing.
“I think I need to go home,” River said. She tried to sit up.
“River, you’re not going anywhere tonight. It’s three a.m. I’ll take you home in the morning. You want to come back downstairs? Or do you want to go back to sleep? Here, I’ll get you some water.” Russell leaned over and grabbed an unopened water bottle from beside the bed. He held it in front of her.
“Thank you. I think I’ll just sleep this off. I had no idea I was in the North End.”
As she sipped the water, her mind cleared enough for one thing to fall into the place. “Oh my god, Russell. Are you in a gang?” River sat up and backed up against the headboard like an animal in the back of a cage.
Russell laughed. “Is that what you think?”
“Just answer the question,” she demanded.
“No, I’m not part of a gang. These guys and gals are like my family, though. I’m safe, and you’re safe. That’s all you need to know.”
River whispered with fear in her voice, “I’m so stupid. This is how girls go missing, isn’t it? I shouldn’t have come here with you. I don’t even know you.”
“Calm down, River. It’s okay, I swear. Nobody is going missing. Get some rest. You’ll be fine. Just don’t go downstairs and start anything.”
“Russell?”
“Yes, River?”
“Please don’t kill me in my sleep,” she whispered.
“Oh my god. All right. I won’t kill you in your sleep.” He held his hand out to ease her back until she was lying down. He fluffed her pillow and tucked her in.
“Thanks, Russell.”
“No problem. Get some rest. I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Wait.”
“What now?” he whined. But there was a smile on his face.
“Will you just stay here with me? Just sleep beside me. I’m totally scared. But I’m so tired, I need to sleep.”
“Oh, so you’re needy!”
“Needy and scared are not the same thing!”
“Fine. Move over.”
Russell plopped down beside her. He was snoring within thirty seconds.
The last image in River’s mind was Josh’s face. She squeezed her eyes tightly as if to hold it there as she drifted off to sleep.