As she approached the Rabinowitz’s bungalow, the street light shone down on a young girl of about 18, coming towards her. They passed each other without a word.
Seconds later, Carla heard a car screeching to a halt, behind her. As she turned she saw two men get out and grab the girl, trying to pull her into the waiting car.
As quiet and as swift as a gazelle, Carla ran to help the girl. She was struggling and uttered muffled screams, as she attempted to break the grip of a hulk of a man. He had one arm around her middle and the other hand over her mouth.
The second man laughed and swayed as he watched, swigging from a bottle of Coors. Carla kicked at the back of his knees and he fell to the ground. As he toppled backwards, she snatched the bottle from him and grasping the neck, smashed the hard glass onto the bridge of the huge man’s nose. His whole nose collapsed and blood spattered over the roof of the car. He let out a bellow of pain and dropped the girl on the ground. She raced off into the darkness.
Carla was astonished as the hulk stood solid and still, with his face cupped in his hands, blood and bellowing issuing from between them. He stooped to better manage his pain and balance.
The other man rolled to his left side, his right hand reaching for the pistol at the back of his waist band. The gun swung into view. Carla weakened his grip on it as she jumped onto his forearm, pinning it painfully to the ground.
She wrenched the gun from him by grasping the barrel, sliding back the cocking mechanism so it could not fire and twisted it out of his hand. He rolled onto his back and grabbed at Carla’s legs with his left hand. He just swiped at fresh air as she stepped away. She viciously smashed the butt into the side of his right eye socket and his lights went out.
The driver and his front seat passenger had now pulled guns, and were aiming at Carla. She held her pistol to the head of the moaning hulk, whilst hiding behind his massive body.
“Throw out your guns or your whimpering ape gets his head blown off.”
The ape swiped at her, blindly, aiming for her voice. Carla instinctively felt it coming.
Compared with her, his actions were slower than a politician telling the truth. She ducked the massive bough of an arm and popped back up, placing the gun barrel alongside his left ear, and fired. The shock wave shredded his ear drum and he stumbled against the side of the car.
With her human shield wilting in a sea of agony and confusion, she poked the smoking barrel into the face of the front passenger. A brief hiss of singed skin from the hot metal was followed by the thump of two pistols as they landed on the grass verge.
Carla backed away from the men in the car, picked up the weapons and tossed them into the curb drain.
“You two, pick up these retards and drive away. If I see any of you again, I won’t be so gentle.” She emphasized her proficiency with weapons, by stripping the pistol and dropping it into the gutter. She swept the parts into the curb drain with her foot, and vanished beyond the reach of the streetlights.
Carla took a route to her lodgings through back gardens and went in.
Mr. & Mrs. Rabinowitz were arguing, but stopped when they heard her close the door. Carla deduced their son was in trouble, and that it had followed him home.
She washed thoroughly and went to bed. It had been a long and boring day. Carla did not enjoy this type of work. Where was the excitement? How could people face it, day after day, the same faces, and the same routine? “If only Max were here,” she thought, as she tossed and turned in fitful sleep.