Detroit Nights

Marley’s eyes followed the passing cars through the window, pressing his bushy hair against the cold glass of the car window. His head thumped on every small jerk off the car. Marley’s eyes squinted at the vivid lights from the Detroit skyline as they slowly came into view. A pothole made the car shake hard, and Marley hit his head.

“You good?” Reggy questioned

“Ye- yeah, I’m fine.” Marley shrugged, unsure

“Don’t get hurt too early, we have things to do, ” Blake warned from the backseat

“I know, I know,” Marley murmured

Soft rap music played quietly in the background, and the tires of the car hummed against the road.

“You ready man? You’re looking kinda nervous,” Reggy questioned

“I’m good man! Let’s go, hurry up!” Marley protests

“My bad bro, just making sure” Reggy chuckled “Here, this is the place. We’ll get it over with.”

“Good idea man, but first we got to regroup. Park around here” advised Blake, pointing from the backseat

Marley put his forehead back on the cold window and sighed. The car parallel parked next to an alley and some old, run-down houses. The cracked road stretched for miles and was almost completely covered with a sheet of ice. Houses were lined directly next to each other, and the bright white snow completely engulfed the roofs and lawns.

“This is where we are supposed to meet? I’m feeling bad vibes from this” Blake complained

“Yeah, but we gonna make this quick” Reggy assured

“Yo, you guys see that?” Marley asked

A matte black sedan stood sternly down the road. The blinker clicked back and forth, and the light blinded Marley with every flash.

“Chill bruh, he’s probably just letting us know it’s him” Blake responded

“You thinking too much bruh, calm down and check the supply” Reggy grumbled

Marley reached for a backpack full of fentanyl in the truck.

“Hold up, this doesn’t feel right, why are they driving like that.” Blake wondered

The black car speed suddenly down the hill, and swerved between lanes.

“Yeah man, just let them do what they want, they have the money we need,” Reggy replied

“Yo, watch out he’s coming this way!” Blake yelled

The black sedan rammed right into the back of the car. Everyone lunged forward, and an ocean of glass shards raced to the windshield. Then, the car came to a halt, and everything fell and went still. The car began to chirp, and the black sedan sped off. Blake grabbed a gun, jumped out, and ran after the car, disappearing as he ran around the corner. Reggy struggled to get out of the car. The side of his head was bleeding and his lip was busted.

“YO! Come back here! You need to pay for this!” Reggy yelled, but the car was long gone.

Marley got out and limped to the back of the car and leaned into the shattered back windshield. Marley pushed away a pile of shattered glass to reveal a loaded six-shooter gun.

“I’m tired of this stuff man! Always messing with my money!” Reggy shouted

“Chill bruh, you’re being too loud,” Marley whispered

“I’m tired of this bruh! I’m on my last nerve!” Reggy continued

“Walk it off man, just walk it off,” Marley suggested

Reggy started mumbling and walking off, turning the corner and fading out of sight.

Marley sat behind the car and leaned on the dented back fender. His phone chirped, and he slowly reached his hand into his pocket.

“Stay safe up there, don’t party too hard!” - Mom

“How’s Dad doing?” he asked

“Doing his best. We need this surgery money now, so hurry and get back from your vacation. " - Mom

“I’m trying Mom, believe me,” he replied

“Get a job Marley, then talk to me.” - Mom

Marley frowned and put his phone away. Marley wasn’t prepared to be the breadwinner of the family, but his dad’s tragic death forced him to. Part-time jobs don’t make enough money to support a family of five, but drugs will. At least that’s what Reggy told him, and what Marley wanted to believe. He really needed this money, and so did his family. A wave of anxiety flew over him, and he lifted his head to the sky. His eyes slowly filled with tears, and they fell steadily down his cheek. Marley began to hear footsteps down the road.

“Who’s that?” Marley asked, wiping his tears with his sleeves.

The footsteps got louder and faster. Heavy footsteps pounded the pavement, and Marley could tell that he was sprinting. Marley loaded his gun and started to breathe heavily.

“Hey man, I’m armed!”

A gun cocked in the background, and the footsteps continued to pound the road.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

The footsteps got louder, sending shivers down Marley’s spine.

He remembered what Blake had said, “If anyone gives you trouble, give them the business. Know what I mean?”

Marley stared at his gun for a while, then took a slow, deep breath. He peeked over the car and pointed his gun at the dark figure. Marley closed his eyes, took another deep breath, and slowly squeezed the trigger. Boom! The body of the man went limp and fell to the ground. Marley stared at the distant body, then his gun, then sunk his head and swore. The body laid face down in the snow and ice, and it was impossible to tell who it was. Reggy came running around the corner, stopping right next to Marley.

“Dude we need to go. Now.” Reggy said

“Blake! We need to go!” Marley yelled

When no one answered Marley put the gun in his back pocket and they both dashed away into the alley. They hopped fences and dodged trash cans, tripping or falling every few times. Marley’s lungs were pierced with the cold Detroit air, and his eyes burned with every stride. Snow crunched under their feet with every step, and they ran for almost a half a mile. Then they stopped, they stopped so suddenly that they almost fell over. An old brick house stood completely alone on the block, surrounded by dead trees and snow that covered for miles. The house stood three stories high, and each story had 3 old, shattered windows. Marley and Reggy crept into the old house with soft footsteps, creaking the old wooden floorboards with each step. The old wallpaper was ripped off the wall, and debris littered the hallways and rooms. They crept into an old kitchen, which had old cracked tiles and broken cupboards. They made their way over to an old marble counter and sat down against the side. The room was completely dark, so they both took out their phones and turned on their flashlights. Marley began to sob, and Reggy placed his arm over him.

“What do we do man? I’ve never done anything like this before!” Marley said frantically

“Don’t worry, no one will notice, I promise,” Reggy reassured

Sirens wailed from a distance. Marley’s hair stuck out his neck and a chill speed down his spine.

“Listen very closely, I have a plan,” Reggy declared

Marley wiped away some tears and shook his head.

“We cannot get in any more trouble. We’re already deep in this drug stuff. Was anyone else there when you shot the guy?” Reggy asked

“No, he came out of nowhere” Marley replied

“Not even Blake?” Reggy questioned

“No, why?” Marley wondered

“Listen, I’m gonna be honest with you, I never really liked the guy, and I don’t think he ever liked you. He’s dead weight, the kind that needs to be lost.” Reggy explained

“Are you talking about…”

“Using our resources wisely. We have a lot of dead weight and a perfect place to throw it.” Reggy affirmed

“I really think we shouldn’t, maybe we should just turn ourselves in, say it was in self-defense or something” Marley suggested

“No man, you know very well that we all…both need this money. Think about your family if you went to jail.”Reggy retorted

“But Blake has been loyal since day one, he didn’t even do anything.” Marley countered

“The police are a few blocks away, we have to think rationally. Blake is our best option.” Reggy reassured

“We can just keep running, take the bus or something. We gotta stay loyal to our boy.” Marley demanded

“We can’t run, they probably have police headed this way right now. We need to call anonymously and say it was Blake” Reggy insisted

“I’m not telling on Blake, you do what you want. I’m getting out of here.” Marley cried

“If you leave, I’m telling on you too. You better stay, and we can leave the city together.” Reggy warned

Reluctantly, Marley sank back down to the counter, bringing his kneed to his chest and sinking his head.

“I’m dialing right now, stay quiet,” Reggie whispered

The phone picked up almost instantly, and a female operator spoke.

“911 what’s your emergency?” the operator said

“Yes I would like to report a murder” Reggy replied

“Where and who?” the operator asked

“I’m not sure who, but on Shaw Street.” Reggy guessed

“You don’t know who died?” the operator questioned

“No ma’am, but I do know who killed him. It was Blake Rogers. He shot him then ran into an alley.” Reggy answered

“Really, Blake Rogers shot the victim?” the operator replied

“Yes, my friend, and I saw him. We were walking down the street when we saw him. We ran away as soon as we saw his gun.” Reggy responded

“Okay great, where did you guys run? Were going to escort you out so we can question you.” the operator ensured

“Question us?” Reggy worried

“Just for evidence, we want to arrest the guy as soon as possible.” the operator ensured

“Isn’t this supposed to be an anonymous call?” Reggy asked

“We do this for all murder calls that happen within an hour of the murder” the operator responded

“Okay great, we’re at an abandoned house a few blocks away,” Reggy answered

“Great sir, we’ll be there soon.” the operator replied

Reggy hung up the phone and pushed it in his pocket.

“All we need to do is wait. You don’t have any drugs on you right?” Reggy said

“My gun, what should I do?” Marley questioned

“Just slide it over there” Reggy answered, pointing across the room

The gun slid across the tile and stopped at a wall.

“You sure this is gonna work?” Marley said

“Positive, we might even get a reward!” Reggy smiled

Marley chuckled nervously and pulled out his phone. He texted his mom, “Be back soon, had to detour. Me and Reggy helped solve a crime!”

He put his phone away, and let his head fall onto the back of the counter.

Reggy was playing Candy Crush while Marley stared up at the roof. Silence filled the room, and minutes passed. Marley began to fade into sleep, thinking about his Mom, his brother, and all he had back home.

BOOM!

The old wooden door slammed on the ground. The wooden floorboards creaked under the heavy footsteps of the police officers. Reggy put his phone away and shot his hands up.

“Just in case man gotta be safe.” Reggy comforted

Marley did the same and faced the door.

“Hands in the air! You’re under arrest for the murder of Blake Rogers!”

Marley’s heart dropped down to his stomach. He started head started to spin and he felt sick.

“B-Blake” he stuttered

Two police officers rushed for Marley and Reggy, and two stayed back with guns pointed. Marley was frozen in fear, waiting for the officers to arrest and take him away.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

Three gunshots rang from behind Marley’s head, and two of the charging officers fell in their tracks. Marley put his hands over his head and ducked down. The two other officers shot at Reggy, and his body slumped to the floor. Marley’s arm started to bleed, but he remained frozen with his hands up. One of the officers placed Marley’s hands behind his back and led him out of the door. His feet crunched in the snow, and he hung his head down low. Four cop cars were parked on the street, and cops roamed around the snow with flashlights. Marley was pushed into a small cop car and leaned his head on the window. The car pulled off, and he watched as the car passed the old abandoned houses. Marley’s eyes followed the passing cars through the window, pressing his bushy hair against the cold glass of the car window. Marley’s eyes squinted, barely seeing the lights from the Detroit skyline as they slowly faded from view. A pothole made the car shake hard, and Marley hit his head.

“You good sir?” an officer asked

“Ye- yeah, I’m fine sir. Just hit my head.”Marley answered

“Don’t get hurt too early, you’ve got things to do, and plenty of time to do it.” the officer said

Marley leaned his head back on the window and sighed.