Free 'Til Death Do Us Part by Mark Tufo Page B

’ s alright, I won ’ t tell anyone,” BT said as he went into the closet after he realized there was nothing in there. He pulled out a mop and bucket. “ That ’ ll work…t he bucket is for the gas, ” BT explained.
    “ I knew that, I just didn ’ t know what the mop was for. ”
    “ Steering wheel, ” BT said as he pushed the bucket across the floor. “ See if you can find something to puncture a tank and either a funnel or something we can make a funnel out of.
    Gary came out a few moments later with a broken windshield wiper fluid bottle and a smal l knife meant more for display— a tourist ’ s memento as opposed to something that could withstand use, but it was all he could find in such short notice and he didn ’ t want to have to stay in there alone any longer than he had to.
    “ Here let me see, ” BT asked as he put his hand out for the knife. “ Kind of flimsy , but it might work. I ’ ll make the puncture , you just be ready with the bucket. When it ’ s about half full go use it to fill the Pinto and we ’ ll keep doing that until we top it off. ”
    Gary was nodding as he cut the bottom of the windshield fluid bottle off.
    BT walked over to the end of the gas station lot; a white Toyota Camry was parked on the grass awaiting a repair that would never be forthcoming. “ This will do, ” h e said as he slid under the car. He hoped there was enough gas in it to make it worth their w hile, he hated being stationary; stationary meant exposed and exposed was not what anybody wanted to be these days.
    “ That ’ s a nice car, ” Gary said just as BT was about to try to drive the knife home. “ Kind of a damn shame to wreck it. ”
    BT drove the knife blade into the metal. “ Dammit! ” BT yelled. “ Blade snapped, gimme the bucket. ” BT ’s right arm was flailing about looking to grab the gas catcher.
    “ You said the blade broke, what do you need the bucket for? ” Gary asked, even as he began to smell gas.
    “ It made a pencil- sized hole and it ’ s startin g to splash around my damn face. Give me the bucket or I ’ m going to drag you down here with me. ”
    Gary pushed the bucket under.
    “ This i s going to take forever to fill, go see if you can find anything I can use to make this hole bigger.
    From BT ’ s vantage point , he could only see the bottom of Gary ’ s legs and when they didn ’ t move away , BT reiterated his request.
    “ He can ’ t ‘ cause he gots a nine on his back. ”
    BT started to scoot out from under the car when he heard the unfamiliar voice. “ Cuz, I wouldn ’ t do that if I were you. ”
    Another voice said off to his left. “ Man ain ’ t chu a big un. ” Obviously referring to BT.
    “ Listen, ” BT said, “ w e ’ re just trying to get some gas.
    “ See that ’ s the problem… that ’ s our car. ” T he first voice said.
    “ S ee I told you it was a nice car, ” Gary said.
    BT didn ’ t think it mattered which car they had used, any of them would have been a problem with the se two men.
    “ You and your old lady trying to leave our part of town without paying the proper respects? ” t he man next to Gary said.
    “ Cuz, you said ‘ old lady ’.” And the other one laughed.
    “ What ’ s so funny? S he is an old lady, ” Gary said to the one holding him at gunpoint.
    The man with the gun could not have been much more than twenty, but the scar that ran down the side of his face and the haunted look in his eyes gave him the appearance of someone almost double his age. His partner — who appeared older — acted the younger of the two, taking all of his queues from the man with the 9mm.
    BT had a good idea who they were dealing with. He hoped they were wanna be gang bangers as opposed to the real thing , or what remained of their lives wasn ’ t going to be worth much more than the bucket that was filling with the gas.
    “ You ’ re a funny fuck! ” t he younger man said, sticking the barrel of the pistol right up