Grape Juice from Lemons

CHAPTER VII

Him...

I was fuming after I heard about the fight at the boxing match. Not the one where my man won, I've always been honored to call him a part of my gang, but for the other boy. It's degrading, thinking about owning such a soldier with such complex mental issues. It's hard, always has been.

Maybe I should hand it to him, forgiveness, understanding. I've been hostile enough, welcoming him to my home, raising him like my son. I even made him a fake ID, a fake citizen, a fraud behind a mask. I look at my reflection in the window. I'm no better.

There's a tap on my passenger side window before the door opens wide enough for Hunter to sit in. I'm glad he chose to meet with me at such a late hour.

" How are you doing old friend? " Hunter and I greet, as I start the car. It's too dangerous for Hunter's career to be seen with me. Especially after the court case. Although he lost, he has several pairs of eyes set on him. I'm persistent in gouging out every eye individually if even one tries to make a move.

" I'm fine, quite fine. A walking target, but hey, I'm walking. " He talks in a cheerful tone of voice, while he smiles. He's a young man. Being a cop in Detroit is a death wish, I wish on no man. The gangs, the violence, riots, they never stop. New York is alive while Detroit is filled with the walking dead.

" Tell me, everything you learned. " I started to speed down the highway, we had no particular destination in mind, just that he couldn't be seen and we had to always be on the move.

" Maxence was born on the 23.rd of October, in 1994, he was an only child, up until 2002 when his mother divorced his father David and married a man called Cedric. Although the relationship was going well, Cedric sadly died of an overdose, when Max's sister was only fifteen. Since the passing of Cedric, Max's mother or Rebeca has lived with David up until his sudden disappearance, in June about three years ago. " Hunter looks my way as for a second he gathers his thoughts. It's stunning, the way this boy remembers detail. Like an actress does a script.

" Max attended Wilmington High school and was a decent student, a bit of a bully. Nonetheless, during his school years, he focused on his hobbies, which were basketball and boxing. He was an underground state champion. Other than that, he didn't deal with the wrong crowd. He hung amongst the cool and popular kids, but as far as I've investigated, they all followed his head, not the other way around. He was quite ... big. Muscular. " We took a right turn.

" The accident occurred a month after his graduation. He was driving down the highway on Westside, he was said to be intoxicated. He took a turn off the highway and rode straight. There's this, a very blind spot on the road, and If you've never been there before, you'd never know that you have to yield. He didn't. But when he drove onto the road, he was under street lights. It's a funny spot, when you're in the middle of the road, everyone sees you and everyone, with a decent-sized brain, knows not to drive into you. Well, Smith, who was driving in his red challenger, didn't. He didn't stop, he didn't slow down, he straight up rammed against the Audi. " I drove straight.

" It tumbled, spun a couple of times, the windshield was smashed, the ground glistered, the windows were down the seatbelts were open and- and one of Max's friends, Noah, who was sentenced to prison for owning cocaine, was also with him. " I came to a halt, in the middle of the road, where everyone could see.

Hunter shakily looked to his right to see the fatal tree that probably killed the boy. That old crooked lemon tree.

" It was all over the news when It happened. Do you remember? Reading about it, it was so grunge and in detail. It was horrible. Similar to reading a horror book. " A shiver ran down his spine.

" What did you say the car was? " Hunter turns his head towards me.

" A Cherry red Challenger Demon. Why? Do you know anyone connected to Smith, that has that car? " I look at the blinding lights, as I let my window down to breathe.

" I'm not sure yet, old friend. I'm not sure. "