Free Wood's Wall by Steven Becker

living room.” 
    “What’s going on here?” The man stood in the other doorway a woman’s hair visible behind him.
    “You enjoying my stuff too?” Cesar snapped. Turning, he pushed the newcomers into the living room as well.
     
    ***
     
    Trufante took one of the chairs. The two couples huddled together on the couch, obviously terrified. The women were weeping, the men wide eyed in disbelief. Cesar and his drug runner stood over them, freely waving their guns around. 
    “I want my shit back and you will pay for what is missing.” Cesar started.
    “ We found it, and who says it’s yours? We don’t owe you anything,” Dan said.
    Cesar went up to him and placed the gun to his forehead. He pulled the trigger without warning, and blood and brain matter sprayed over the living room. Trufante looked on, the pain forgotten. Somehow he needed to get out of here and warn Mac. 
    The women were screaming now, inching away from the body. 
    “Whatever you want. Just don’t hurt us. I’ll get it for you,” Jeff said, starting to rise.
    “Now, that’s the kind of attitude I like to see. Sit right there. Jose will get it. Tell him where it is.”
    Jose went towards the bedrooms. He came back with two opened bricks, each with about a quarter missing. He started toward the kitchen, ostensibly looking for a plate to scrape up what was scattered around the house, but Cesar stopped him.
    Trufante watched on in horror. He’d been around commercial fishermen for long enough to know that his finger would heal. But, killing the dude was way out there. “They didn’t take much. Why don’t you take it off their finders fee?” He pleaded. 
    “Ain’t no finders fee now. They’ll pay for all that. Don’t worry about it.” He turned back to the people in front of him. “Looks like you owe me a half a brick. That’ll be a hundred large.”
    “I don’t have a hundred grand.” Jeff put his hands out in front of him, pleading for understanding.
    Cesar shrugged, unperturbed. “That’s including my good customer discount. You have twenty-four hours to come up with it. I’ll take the women as collateral.”
    “Don’t let him do this!” one of the women screamed. 
    Jeff moved to comfort her. “Donna, babe, It’s going to be ok. I’ll get what they want. You guys just keep cool” He turned to Cesar. “OK, but I need to go to Tampa and back. I need some more time.”
    “Drive fast, gringo.”
    Cesar motioned the women off the couch. They rose as one, clutching each other, and he nodded at Trufante, who rose as well. They looked like a funeral procession walking single-file to the truck.
     
    ***
     
    Pete looked around the bar. It was about half-full — quieter than the night before. He scanned the crowd for Joanie and Sue, but didn’t see them. Hoping they were regulars, he sat at the bar and waited for the bartender to make her way to him. He needed someone to talk to. His mind spun with the possibilities of what was going on now. What had they done to Trufante? What about Dan, Jeff and the girls? He reached for his phone and dialed Jeff’s number. It went to voicemail. He texted a message for him to call. 
    “What can I get you, hon?”
    “I’m trying to find a couple of girls that were here last night. Sue and Joanie.”
    “Aren’t we all.” She winked at him.
    “Maybe you remember the guy I was talking to. Tall, thin, lots of teeth.”
    “Oh, that’s Tru. I can’t give out any numbers, but I’ll call him for you.”
    “I’m actually looking for Joanie. We kind of hit it off,” He said, knowing Trufante was in no position to answer his phone. 
    “Don’t have her number, but I know she works over at Fisherman’s Hospital. Why don’t you check over there?”
    “Thanks. I will. How ‘bout a shot of Jack. Hell, make it a double.” Pete badly needed something to calm him down.
    She set the shot glass in front of him. It barely hit the bar top before he slammed the shot. He got up and left a