18. THE NEON MAZE
Las Vegas: Tuesday 29th May 1990.
Life is like a cassette tape.....
Each of us has a name: A title scrawled in biro or printed in jet black ink.....
Our naked shame is caught on the long, winding spool of tape that captures everything. ..... The spool sees it all.
We can remind ourselves of the past by simply rewinding the tape and pressing play....... The only problem is: The tape in our mind becomes ugly and distorted......
Over time, the tape slowly errodes; each playback becomes smoother or darker, depending on the actual memory. The spool of tape is a document- A record of an event that took place, time captured in a bottle. The spool in our head is an unreliable host and thus the document captured on the tape is unreliable....
..... Never the less, the memories haunt us all.....
.... In one way or another..... Clock reads: 2:20 PM.
Time for a drink. I think-
BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!
The door..... Some arsehole is banging on my door. Hymie....
Who else?......
Some cunt's have no manners. I'm going to tell him so. Right this moment.... I open the door and see Hymie and the girls.
Something isn't quite right- Nobody is smiling.
They're flanked by a dodgy looking Hispanic bloke who stares at me with menace: Slicked back, greasy hair; a light blue, short sleeve shirt shirt with only the top three buttons fastened; bloodshot, ink black eyes fixated on mine.... I notice he has a front tooth missing....
"ALL OF YOU! GO INSIDE!" This Mexican cunt barks like a school teacher.
Who does this cunt think he is?
They all do as their told. The cunt doesn't take his eyes of me for a second.... I know something bad is about to happen; the Jewish cunt has pushed his luck too far and now we're in the proverbial shit. Well, he can take his fucking problem's elsewhere! I need my peace and quiet..... I need to write.....
The bastard walks over to me and holds out his hand, his palm facing upwards:
"Two thousand dollars! Pay me!"
What is this cunt talking about?
"Dont speak to me like that! Fuck off out of my room!" I retort, pointing over to my door.
He looks down at his watch and then back at me:
"Just pay me the fuckin' money and I'll go...."
"I don't owe you any money mate! Now fuck off!"
"You and your friend have had my girls all night. You owe two thousand dollars. That is the going rate, you know that..... Just pay me and I'll go....."
I turn to the girls:
"Ladies?..... We went out for dinner. Now this cunt has barged into my room and demanded an extortionate amount of money. Care to explain yourselves?"
"You knew," Talia says, lighting a fag and staring out of my window. "Just pay the man and we can go."
"Knew what?" I ask, addressing her as she exhales a plume of smoke- The bitch lit up without asking!
"C'mon! You knew we were hookers! You both did! Just pay Lorenzo and we can get the fuck outta here....."
I'm begining to lose my cool:
"YOU LOOKED LIKE HOOKERS! YOU NEVER MADE IT CLEAR YOU WERE HOOKERS! NOW I WANT ALL OF YOU TO FUCK OFF OUT OF MY ROOM BEFORE I CALL THE POLICE!"
"FUCK YOU ASSHOLE!!!"
As soon as the words have left her mouth, a shower of spit hits me across my nose and mouth. The dirty bitch has just gobbed in my face!
In the space of a second I've grabbed Talia around the throat and we're both falling to the floor as I lose balance- Talia has kicked my cane away. I break my fall by slamming her head into the carpet. There's a loud thud, I start choking her- I want to squeeze her neck so hard her fucking head explodes like a grenade!
Hearing her gasp for air is like Mozarts forth movement! GLORY!
I can almost feel my fingernails penertrate the skin around her throat.
CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!
Somebody has jumped on my back. They're hitting me with something blunt- But it doesn't hurt. My rage is burning like the fires of hell.
LEAVE ME ALONE!
ALL YOU PIGS!
LEAVE ME ALONE!
She breaks my grip only for me to stick my right thumb deep into her eyeball socket, making her scream out:
"AHHHHHH! SHIT! HELP ME! STOP! STOP! FUCKIN' ASSHOLE!"
I can hear Hymie and Sarah scream.
The Mexican cunt is cursing the day I was born:
"FUCK YOU HOMMES! WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU BITCH?!" With a sharp tug I'm on my back.
The Mexican pushes a gun underneath my chin:
"YOU WANNA DIE ASSHOLE?! IS THAT WHAT YOU WANT?! CAN'T TALK WITH A GUN IN YOUR MOUTH HOMMES?!"
"I CAN TALK PERFECTLY FINE! FUCKING DO IT! KILL ME YOU FUCKING SPICK CUNT!!"
"JESUS CHRIST TONE! WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOIN' MAN?! STOP!!" Hymie yell's out..... He's scared.......
I....... However.... Am not......
The Mexican cunt pulls me up and pushes me down onto the bed. He didn't have the balls to- SHIT!
HYMIE.....
Now he has the gun pushed against Hymie's head:
"MAYBE YOU DON'T CARE HOMMES!! YOU THINK THIS MOTHERFUCKER RIGHT HERE WANTS TO A BULLET IN HEAD?! HUH?!!"
Hymie's frozen in fear....
For the first time I see how vunerable he can be....
All the big talk! Yet when faced with a gun he shrinks to the size of mouse!
I make peace:
"OKAY! OKAY! LOOK!"
I sit up on the bed and grab my cane from the floor:
"We'll get your money..... Just let us withdraw it from a bank...."
This only seems to enrage the Mexican cunt even more as pushes the gun into Hymies mouth: "FUCK THAT HOMMES! YOU OWE ME MORE! THERE'S A WAY WE CAN WIPE ALL THIS ALL AWAY HOMMES!"
The bastard pushes Hymies head right back, pushing the gun deeper into his gob:
"I need you to help me pick something up.... Then.... We can all go our separate ways......" "Agreed!" I blurt out, before really thinking about what we will be picking up. I mean.....
How bad can it be?
"Okay then...." The Mexican cunt says. "Listen up! This is important....."
He puts his gun away- Hymie exhales deeply and drops his head down to his chest..... This arsehole..... Lorenzo, pulls something out of his pocket: A metal pipe......
He takes a white rock and plops it into the pipe, blasting it with a gold lighter..... A nasty smell is blasted into the room.
He coughs and then walks back over to Hymie:
"The nigger here is coming with me to meet a guy I know. Then, once the meeting is done, we will go, pick up a package..... You guys understand?"
Hymie nods and Talia laughs:
"I thought you were Supermans Worst Nightmare?! You sound like a pussy to me!"
"We didn't think you were whores..... Guess we're even," I respond, pouring water on her in her bonfire.
Lorenzo stands in front of me:
"I need to use your phone hommes."
"Be my guest," I respond, pointing to the bedside table.
Lorenzo picks up the phone, aggressively punching in the numbers with his shaky hand..... .... Whatever was in the pipe has given him a real hit.....
His arms are covered with tattoos, words that look hispanic, skulls and hearts; no wonder he's a drug dealing pimp- I'm doubtful he could get a regular job with arms like that..... I wouldn't be able to eat if he handed me my tray over the counter......
"Sure hommes..... Okay...... Yeah...... Sure..... Okay..... Tell him to hit me up on this number....
Ask for room 306. Yeah..... Three-zero-six hommes....."
Lorenzo finishes the call and pulls his pipe out again- The ghastly smell fills the room; his eyes roll around in his head.... Its almost comical......
For a brief moment in time he finds a port in a storm- A port in space maybe?
He's flying.....
Talia cannot take her attention off him..... He returns her gaze, smirking.....
He passes the pipe to Talia:
"You wanna try?"
"Yeah.... Sure...." She responds. "We're in Vegas right?"
"Do you even know what it is?" I question, much to her annoyance.
"Nobodys talkin' to you asshole!"
She grabs the pipe. Lorenzo plops another rock inside and blasts it with his lighter:
"TAKE THE HIT! HOLD IT IN! YOU GETTING HIGH WITH A MAJOR PLAYER! NUMBER ONE SHOT CALLER! YOU FLOATING WITH THE STARS!"
I knew it...... Theres something fucking dangerous in that pipe.....
She exhales and throws her head back:
"Wooooowwwwwwwww."
Lorenzo laughs and reloads the pipe:
"Number one shot caller babeyyy! Number one shot caller....."
The disgusting smell fills the room once more..... I get up and crack the window open....... Hymie and Sarah are sat at the desk cutting lines of cocaine. They look like two naughty children- Giggling, whispering.....
I'm glad they're having fun. Seems the drugs and booze has made them forget the trouble they've landed us in. Sorry, landed me in!
It seems everybody is laughing..... Everybody except me......
I'm not laughing..... Theres nothing remotely funny about this situation....
"Hey Lorenzo! Can you sell me some more blow brah?" Hymie pipes up, buzzing from the coke.
Lorenzo spins around, walks over to Hymie:
"What the fuck did you say Hommes?"
"You got any more blow?" Hymie says, suddenly shrinking... Acting like a wimp.
Why is he scared of this cunt?
Hymies balls were big off the blow, they shrink when the Hispanic wanker acts macho.....
"You owe me two thousand dollars hommes.... Why would I sell any blow?" Mumbles Lorenzo, bashing his pipe on the bedside table.
...... Talia laughs.
I hate Talia..... Cunt.
Hymie just looks away, embarrassed.....
...... My anger is being stoked again.
"Because if you don't I'm walking out of this room," I warn him, getting up to leave.
"Sit the fuck down!" Lorenzo spits back, "You owe me two thousand dollars!"
"And as you said, when we assist you with the drop, the debt is paid. Don't fucking humiliate my friend. It's diarespectfull."
"HEY FUCK YOU HOMMES! SIT BACK DOWN!"
"BOLLOCKS! I'M WALKING OUT OF THIS FUCKING ROOM! FUCK THE LOT OF YERS!"
Lorenzo pulls his gun and points it at Hymie:
"I'LL KILL THIS PIECE OF SHIT!"
"Kill the Jew cunt!" I respond, "I couldn't care less....." As I stumble to the door, Sarah jumps in front of it. I'm frozen.....
...... Her big blue eyes have arrested me..... My heart is beating.... This girl is..... Is......
......Is.....
"Please Tone! Stay! Lets order some drinks! Have some fun! Lorenzo, c'mon..... Chill."
She strokes my face, running her finger down my cheek:
"Please?"
"How much money you got?" Lorenzo mumbles, defeated.... Cunt......
I pull a roll from my inside pocket: Five hundred dollars in total.
I count out three:
"Whatever that buys."
Lorenzo pulls a leather bag from inside his trousers. From the leather bag he pulls out a mini bag of white powder, throwing it at Hymie:
"Enjoy hommes...."
"Wow Lorenzo, you really caved in quick!" Laughs Talia, lighting another cigarette and shaking her head.
Lorenzo springs from his seat like a Jack-In-The-Box, grabbing Talia by her hair and slapping her hard across the face:
"SHUT THE FUCK UP! SHUT THE FUCK UP!"
I see what's coming next before Talia does.
Sarah screams as he pulls back his arm and bashes Talia straight in the chops- Twice! Twice....
.... Wonderful.....
For this brief moment I wish I'd done it first- Punched the cunt in her fat, fucking face!
She drops like a stone, blood spilling from her mouth onto her hand:
"You-You-You-You...."
She's trembling, the sight of the blood making her shake:
"You hit me like a motherfuckin' man...."
"AND I'LL DO IT AGAIN BITCH!" Lorenzo responds, pulling his arm back again to signal theres more to come if needed....
I feel no sorrow.... But I want to calm this situation down:
"LOOK! Lets call room service, order some drinks.... Everybody calm down!"
Sarah has dashed over to Talia and is cradling her head, instructing Hymie to grab some bog roll....
Lorenzo realises what he's done and reloads the pipe, passing it Talia:
"Here."
This is madness..... Absolute madness....
I pick up the reciever to order some booze.
"DONT BE TOO LONG HOMMES! I'M EXPECTING A CALL! REMEMBER?!" Lorenzo shouts as I pick up the phone to call for room service.
.... Cunt.
Two bottles of Chivas Regal, Montague Square Rum, a bottle of Vodka- Talia doesn't like rum or whiskey.
The rum calms my nerves and I can breathe a little easier.... Just a little though; the room is thick with tobacco smoke.....
...... Everybody is snorting lines of coke, the violence quickly forgotten.
The phone rings:
DUT! DUT! DUT! DUT! DUT! DUT!
Everybody in the room jumps in their seat. Lorenzo picks up the receiver, puts a finger to his lips:
"Yeah... Hello?..... Wer' whose dis?" We wait with baited breath..... ...... All of us.....