Summer, somewhere.

Mexican Standoff

Scene 29: Today

"Bro? I can't hear you that well."

"Wait, you're on speaker. Let me pull over first."

Jungkook's call is a little late. By now, Yoongi has reached the suburbs of Las Vegas. The last couple of miles took him through Nevada's nocturnal shrub-steppe but now he finds himself amidst the jungle of neon signs. The new pack of Marlboro Golds is already half-empty. But he hasn't opened the Pepsi yet. One of its main tasks is to sit next to him in the cup holder until he arrives at his destination. Yoongi stops at the T-junction leading up to a fastfood chain, unplugs his phone from the aux cord and puts it to his ear.

"Okay, go on."

"Can you talk freely?"

"Yeah, don't worry... talk."

"Well, looks like we got a little problem..." Jungkook sighs unceremoniously.

He hates everything about this. And until the very end, he won't miss a chance to let Yoongi feel that. Be it just through a testy exhale. Yoongi is perfectly sure that he won't leave it at that during this phone call. Jungkook takes yet another heavy breath before he continues:

"He did check in by now but..."

"Let me guess... someone went up to the room with him."

"Bingo... and didn't come back down yet."

In annoyance, Yoongi starts picking his cheek with his tongue. His glance gets caught on the cigarette pack but actually he doesn't feel like smoking right now. His lungs feel as though they'd have to be cleaned out with a little brush just like an ashtray. As per usual before a job, he overdid it with the cigarettes. He can't breathe in all the way. But there also might be other reasons for that. He recalls the innumerable times sitting on his washing machine, smoking weed after a job. Today, he's wearing the tailor-fit grey suit without the emblem embroidery. The one from the night at the Pink Panther two years ago. Until this day, it's the most expensive piece of clothing Yoongi owns. He usually never wears it when there's a risk of it getting stained with blood. But this morning, he went for it with intent.

"What about the bug? Hear anything?" Yoongi asks and rests the arm holding his phone on the one wrapped around his belly. His stomach is rumbling. But even though he might actually have some time to spare and drive up to the restaurant ... there's no way he could eat something now. He briefly glances up the road to the drive in. When he realizes it's a Taco Bell branch, he awkwardly lowers his eyes again.

"I know it's not what you wanna hear but yeah... they're getting it on. However, I'm pretty sure that-"

"No details, please."

"Got it. But maybe you'd care to know that the other guy-"

"I said no details," Yoongi interrupts him. He immediately causes Jungkook's temper to flare up as well. His tone of voice is pouring gasoline into the flame Jungkook had been making one hell of an effort to keep low until this point.

"Why be such a pighead, for fuck's sake?" the boy rushes to attack him. "Why don't you listen to reason? And why are you so keen on doing this shit all by yourself? Now that we know Silver was wrong, it makes even less sense! Why won't you listen to me? We could've solved that shit our way. You should have just let me take the turn at that fucking crossroad. But no... No can do."

"You keep out of this. It's my business. It's been all the way. Remember, it was me who told you to go straight on at that crossing."

"Fuck this. It's not just your business. It's about the fucking fact that he's not ma-"