Prince's Gold

“So how much?” Prince screws his bruised face in discus at the question. “ Jesus King, were talking about my father here. I’m trying to tell you a story about the guy, Why is it always about the fucking money.” King reaches her hand out to console Prince who pushed away at the thought, leaning into the the empty beer cans on the counter. abruptly the wood paneled walls rocked back and forth raced by muffled screams coming from outside the trailer. “ Does this story have anything to do with why there’s a man chained to the side of truck?” Prince pulls a little black notebook from his pocket laying it on the counter. "What is that, asked King.” Prince sobs hanging his head in his hands that were wrapped in bandages that barely held from being ripped away brushing through his hair. "King, ruffles through the trash on the floor until she stood face to face with a teary eyed Prince who looked off to the side as he wiped away his expression for a stone look. “I'm sorry about your father , I’ve had a long night, I’m just a little tired. King sits down on the worn futon crossing her legs with eager eyes.

“You have my full attention” he said

“Thank you, now it is unfortunately truth that my father was a piece of shit ”King conceded with a nod. “Hadn’t seen him in three years.

“Don’t forget he was also an arms dealer,” King added.

“And he was an arms dealer,” Prince proclaimed raising his hands in an exaggerated gesture. “Okay, so my father the arms dealer, the guy who pissed of the family fortune, decides to show up here in the middle of the night, drunk, told me this crazy story about this kid who came to the bar throwing literal bags of gold at him. That’s not even the crazy part; it turns out the kid had a sword. King s’ face becomes contorted in confusion.

“You lost me,” said King.

Prince throws his hands up again but this time in surrender. “Okay so this kid with a sword, did he say anything,” King asked.

“Yeah, he told him he was being watched.

“By who,” asked King dangling over the edge of the couch. Prince turns his back as the trailer rocked back and forth. “There’s this one other thing too; a fight broke out between the kid and some of the guys for the gold he gave my dad. He told me he cut off all the right hands.”

“This has to be fake.”

“Yeah I didn’t think it was true ether until the lawyer came by this morning, read me his will copied word from word from that journal.” King leans in closely as if ready to pounce on every word. “Most of it was just an apology about how he was a shitty person and how he hoped the money would make up for everything.” Prince walks into the bedroom bring back a leather pouch of gold, pouring all over the kitchen counter, presenting a few before King who stood up from her seat at the sight. "This is where you come in, with your expertise I was hoping you can authenticate this stuff.” Prince looked on as if embarrassed to ask.

“I work at a pawn shop. "King caresses the gold coins before looking up in astonishment, dropping one on the shaggy carpet leaning. She holds it into the light pouring in through the dingy tan curtains. “Yeah, this is real gold.”

“I thought as much.” Prince pulls the last coin from her hand placing it in the box with the others, keeping it clutched to his side. “This is huge, there’s like 20,000 dollars in that box. What are you gonna do with it?”

“I don’t know yet, probably leave town somewhere warm,” Prince replied as if waiting to be asked days ago.

“Okay what about the guy outside.” Prince pauses for a second before muffling under his voice, “ That’s the lawyer.”

Stepping outside onto the forest floor King watches as Prince pours a bottle of water on the unconscious lawyer who shook himself awake. His eyes dart back and forth as if looking for an escape at moments notice, if only he wasn’t gagged and chained to a chair. His hair and clothes were ruffled, sloppy and torn from the journey up the mountain top, where he could see a view of the city over the pass. The summer heat forgave no one, and Prince’s shade was an oasis.

Prince pulled away the gag promoting screams of help the moment he drew breath. “ That’s not gonna help you non. No one can hear you up here,” said Prince.

“What do you want with me?” The lawyer sways back and forth in his chair frantically. “ I just have few more questions.”

“I already told you everything. Please miss, this kid is crazy.” King takes a rag from her coat and wipes the sweat from the sun spot lighting him for hours. “ I think we should let him go.”

“I’ll let him go when he tells me who he is.”

“I thought you said he was a lawyer?”

“Ask him, what kind of a lawyer carries a gun,” Prince shouted as he pasted back and forth

King picks up the raddled lawyers bloody hand inspecting a leather holster strapped to his belt. “That is strange,” King said. In a sudden fury of punches Prince is pulled away by King, but not before throwing a few wild kicks at the terrified lawyer who turned his face bracing for impact. “Who are you,” Prince yells.

“I told you already, My name is Vic...” Prince pulls out the lawyers gun pointing it right at his head only to have the barrel pushed away by King who already looked exhausted on the matter. “ Don’t you think the gun might make him a little bit nervous.”

“That’s the point of the gun”, Prince said aiming the gun once again at the lawyer and once again king pushes it away. “Let me talk to him,’ she said, kneeling down beside the steal chair touching his leg. “Look man, do you really want to die with your own gun chained to a trailer in the middle of the woods, having the only reason you didn’t survive is because you decided to lie to a eighteen year old kid about the whereabouts of his father, which you told him was dead.”

“If I tell you, they’ll kill me,” he said.

“I’m literally holding a gun to your head.

“Prince please put the gun down.”

Prince urgently rushes at the lawyer before King could stop him; too busy stealing the Rolex off his wrist. With the gun pressed against his head lawyer struggled to keep his composure let alone his breath the heat became unbearable. Prince pull the hammer looking him in the eyes. “I’m going to shoot you,” Prince said begrudgingly as he presses the gun harder into the lawyers head.

“You really think you can kill someone in cold murder? Just put the gun down kid and let me go.”

Prince swings the gun into the air even surprising himself as the gun shot cracked the forest silence. He took only a second to bring the hot barrow to the lawyers red skin. The lawyer jerked back in his chair in agony before hitting his head against the trailer wall.

“Ah okay fuck, I’ll tell you. My name is Able Waters, and I really am a lawyer, retired actually I’ve been doing investigative work, usually local clients. A few weeks ago I had package sent to me anonymously sent to my house. Inside there was a letter and a few gold coins.”

Prince’s gaze met King’s in affirmation. “ What did the letter say, “ asked King.

“Not much just an address on where to find you and the will.”

“Bull shit, then what's with the gun?”

“Its for work, its for people like you holding a gun to my head.”

“We tried that already, you lied remember.”

“I don’t know what more you want from me Kid. I already told you...” the lawyer proclaimed before meeting the barrow of the gun across his face. “Nope try again,” Said Prince laboring his shoulder against the wall. the lawyers heads hangs, dizzy from the strike. “Boy you really know how to treat a lady. You know you keep beating me like this I’m gonna pass out.”

“That’s fine, we have all day.”

The sky was an unforgiving black, that seemed to swallow the street lights as Prince made it back to town for refreshment. On the way there he stopped for some refreshments. The store clerk seemed unfazed by his ragged doll appearance, never really looking from his newspaper as he scanned the few items throwing them into a plastic bag. It was only until Prince reached into his pocket pulling out a gold coin for payment did the clerks eyes wonder over the weekly paper. They both exchanged a glance as Prince makes his way out the door already pulling through his teeth a gummy worm. There in the distance a few feet between him and his bike a stranger. His hair curled like wool, his bronze skin against his sword dazzled Prince who chewed away at his worms. It wasn’t long until he himself was holding sword pitched by the mystery swordsman who soon charged him on sight. Prince barely had enough time to draw his sword before being met with a flurry of strikes that left him the asphalt. The swordsman steps back allowing for him to get back on his feet. The swordsman wore sneaker that were unfazed for the battle, looking almost as new as he readied his stance to charge once more at the ill prepared Prince who knew nothing of swords.

“Where’s my money,” the swordsman inquired as he launched his sword down over Prince, returning his own attack only to be kicked away. Falling to one knee Prince prayed for a second wind only to surrender the small purse of gold from his chest pocket at the swordsman’s feet. “Jesus fucking Christ, what the hell man,” Prince coughed out as he collected himself dusting off his jeans. “Where’s my money,” he asked again invoking a confused look on Princes face. “What the hell are you talking about, I just gave it to you,” Prince pointed out only to be pointed back in the direction of the corner store. “Oh, is that what this is all about? Fuck man, I’ve been giving those out all day.”

“Dude, what the actual fuck, that’s like fifty five dollar’s a gram my guy. That shit is expensive,” the swordsman protested pacing back and forth. “I thought you were rich? Look, I can get your gold back, I just have to stop at a few places first, just don’t cut my damn hand off.” The swordsman halts in his tracks scrambling his hair in a fuss with his palm before sheaving his sword at his side. “Where’s my lawyer.” the swordsman demanded “Just hold on a second, I have needs too.” Prince facetiously complained. “We have nothing to talk about, the only reason why I’m here is because I made the foolish mistake of working with your father and now he’s dead, and where’s my lawyer?

“He’s tied up actually, you mind telling me how he died?” The swordsman hanged his head in sympathy. “I hired your father for a job. He tried to sell fake guns to a client, unfortunately they found out. With no delay, the swordsman whistled reechoed through the empty parking lot. It wasn’t long until his summon came trotting around the corner, a white stallion. “ Keep the gold, flowers. for the old man”