Читать книгу Newark Minutemen - Leslie K. Barry - Страница 24

The car bumps along the road. I pull up next to the undeveloped waterfront at Cedar Groves. Mission accomplished. Krista’s drunk. “C’mon babe. To the water. And grab the bottle.” Unlike the madness of Newark, without a lot of honkin’ horns in the background, I can actually hear the car radio music as we walk toward the shore.

“Harry, flip the headlights on, will ya?” I yell over my shoulder. Our shoes squeak against the sand. The beam sheds light.

I see Harry open Heidi’s door, but she stays glued in the car. From the foamy water’s edge, I can hear Heidi goading him. “I can’t believe I’m stuck with a Jewish mobster,” she says. “My father swears your whole race is criminals. Have you ever killed anyone?”

My ears burn tryin’ to hear.

After a dramatic pause, he glances at Heidi. “That’s a family secret,” he says. He looks over at me. “Yael can be dark, though.”

Krista raises her eyebrows. My arms wrap around her, and I bury my head in her neck. She giggles.

Heidi gets out of the car and stretches her neck until she has her eye on us. “What do you mean, dark?” she asks Harry, starin’ straight at me.

I give Heidi a show and sway Krista, hummin’ the tunes from the radio, warmin’ us both up. “My dark quality isn’t a color roamin’ around inside me,” I say to Krista. “It’s more of an alchemy that changes color when you shake me up.” I curl my lip. “So you shouldn’t trifle with me.”

“Trifle like this?” She socks my chest with both fists like I’m a speed bag.

I lift her up. “Like revenge shakin’ up avenge creates justice.”

Krista kicks my legs with her feet, but they slow to a paddle and her arms wrap around my neck.

“Yael’s done things that would flip your wig,” I hear Harry say. “Our world right now is weak. Yael keeps order. He worships eye for an eye.” And then Harry goes for Heidi’s jugular. “I hear the Bund has secrets, too. Like oaths to Hitler.”

“None of the kind,” Heidi answers. “We salute the nation’s flag as proud Americans of the White Race.”

I’m about to make a big move on Krista when Heidi’s silhouette stamps a shape against a burgundy sky. Her right arm extends up with her palm down.

“Is she raisin’ a Hitler salute to Harry?” I mumble against Krista’s neck. Krista’s eyes are closed, takin’ me all in.

“That’s an American salute?” Harry asks Heidi.

Heidi’s image tells me Harry needs me, but my hands gain a mind of their own and glide up Krista’s shirt.

“It will be!” Heidi pronounces.

The answer jolts me and makes me suck Krista’s skin pretty hard. She jerks away and slaps me. “How dare you!” She dashes toward the car.

The burn on my cheek warms me up as I glide behind her. “Whacha so sore about?” At the car, I shrug my shoulders at Harry.

Heidi flips her wig when she sees Krista’s torn neck. “What happened?” Heidi screeches as she rushes into the car. “Take us home now! You’re a vampire!”

“What? A vampire?” I bare my teeth and hiss. “I kinda like that. Your little sis was sendin’ strong signals. Just tryin’ to roll with the punches.” Harry and I get into the car.

“At camp, our father says we will meet people like us, our equals,” Heidi growls. “Not a bunch of … your type.”

“Blood suckin’ vermin?” I finish her thought with a deep, crackly voice.

“Actually, Father wants us Nazified,” Krista mumbles. It’s clear she’s liquored four sheets to the wind.