Gun Runners

Gun Runners
Swell Gattis stopped the truck twenty yards from the van. Rust lined the outer edges as if framing the white exterior paint. The windows were no longer tinted in deepness, but rather removed and replaced with wooden hinged slats that could be raised and dropped as needed. Swell kept her vehicle running as she waited. The van’s rear door opened and a stout man with a patchwork beard jumped out. The man raised a flash light and it flickered twice.
“Okay, just follow my lead and be cool.” Swell said, taking the safety off her Glock.
“Mama, I’m always cool,”
“That’s cause yer stupid,” she snapped at her son Junior, shoving open the door.
Junior rolled his eyes and followed her out of the truck.
“Junior,” the man said spreading his arms. “How nice to see you my friend.”
“What’s up Arjun?” Junior shook his hand. Two other men peered out of the van, each still seated and buckled. A duffel bag was packed between the two. Money. Cash money.
Junior was a large man, and Arjun had to step to his side to look around him. “That’s your Mama?”
He nodded. “Yup. She go by Swell.”
He looked again. “Bullshit. Was she five when she gave birth to you?”
“The years have been kind,” Swell said. She was used to the compliment, but it was never too much to hear. She allowed the corner of her lips to arch slightly. But then was back to business. “But we gonna do business or kiss each other’s ass?”
“Oh yeah, she’s a mom. I can hear the lack of patience and disapproval in her voice.”
“You too bro?” Junior kicked the fine gravel at his feet.
Arjun nodded sagely. “Yes, my friend.”
“That the cash?” Junior nudged his head toward the open van door and the two men. He was met with a nod. “I’ll get the guns.”
“Okay,” Arjun, twisted and nodded to his partners. One grabbed the bag of money. The other stepped around. He didn’t hold the gun in his hand, but it was strapped to his waist, plainly visible.
Junior walked past his mother and gave her thumbs up.
Swell jerked her head toward the truck. “Go get it.”
As Junior walked away, Arjun came up to Swell. His hand was stretched out. A smile grew on his face as he couldn’t help but slide his eyes from her taut waist to her breasts, stretching her shirt beyond capacity. “Hello. I’m am Arjun V-”
“I’m Swell, and no last names.” She said, taking his hand. His grip was firm, and if one could describe a hand as chiseled that’s exactly what it would be. He was shorter than her though, if not her equal height.
“Very good idea ma’am. And may I say your hands are incredibly soft.”
“Oh, well thank you. I use this lotion from South America.”
“Well ma’am you have marvelous taste.”
“Lose that ma’am shit or I’ll break your ass sideways.”
He blinked. “You can do that?”
It was dark around them. An overcast sky limited even the moon from getting through. Arjun stepped back and as he did, lights suddenly illuminated the area. Quickly, Swell was realized the ten headlights less than a hundred feet away. They’d been hedged in a thicket of trees. All dark, and all well hidden.
Swell snatched the gun strapped to her back. “You trying to fuck me? What the fuck is going on here?” She didn’t bother raising the gun toward the cars. Instead, it was focused on the wide swath of skin between Arjun’s eye brows and the top of his head.
“Literally speaking, yes,” Arjun replied a 9mm in his hand. “But if you are asking if those guys are with me… Nope. I don’t know who the fuck that is.”
Swell recognized the nerves on his shaking hands and the back and forth of his eyes as they darted from the ten headlights illuminating their position and Swell.
“First gun deal?”
“What the fuck do we do? I have kids. Shit. Shit.”
Junior was pulling the guns out of the back of the van. The two money men were hiding behind the van, their guns drawn.
“Then get behind me sugar. This might be a shit show, but were covered.”
“How very feminist of you, but that I cannot do.”
“Why? You afraid your tiny ass balls will shrivel up?”
“No. Your ass would be a distraction. Where did Junior go?”
“Getting the baby out its crib for backup I hope. And thanks, cause my ass is pristine.”
Simultaneously, the cars’ doors all opened. Soon after eleven men, all armed, began a cautious walk forward.
“Well, well, well. Seems like we got us a little what they call miscommunication.” The voice was rough, broken in a mix of cajun and backwoods French.
“Aww shit,” Swell dropped her gun. “That you Belair?”
Belair Gastineau nodded his head. “Swell, baby. I thought I told that fat head son of yours, all new business is my business.”
He wore a green hiking vest over his exposed chest and torso. His muscles rippled as he strode her way, with two large caliber handguns; one on each blue jean covered hip.
“Now what we gonna do about you breaking the rules?”
“Junior? They tell you that shit?” Swell called behind her toward the back of the van.
“Fuck if I know.”
“Now Junior don’t you lie on me now boy. Now you come on out so we can talk.”
“I hear you just fine.”
Swell smiled. “Yeah, he hear your dumb ass just fine.”
“Look,” Belair began as he spat into the grass. “This here Arab-”
“I’m from India you dumbass,” Arjun snapped.
“Well just pardon the fuck out of me. This here Indian, is my customer.”
“Well he came to us.” Swell replied. “Said something about wanting to deal with the best gunrunners around. Well shit, you said we couldn’t go to customers. Your dumb ass never said nothin’ ‘bout them coming to us.” She put her gun on the hood of the truck, and her left hand disappeared behind her back.
He grinned. “You trying to get smart with me woman?”
“I been smart bitch.”
“Wow that was harsh.” Belair walked away from his crew and stood within whispering distance from Swell. His six-foot plus frame towered over her. “You know I can’t allow this here transaction to occur without our crew getting a cut.”
“Oh, I know you,” she said. Her right arm shot out, and gripped his arm and twisted him around. She slid her arm under his neck. “And you know me,”
His men aimed their guns at them, and Swell smiled as she held a 10” Bowie against his neck. The steel was cool to his skin, the blade fine enough to shave with.
“I’d drop them guns if ya’ll know any better.”
“Do as she says,” Arjun shouted, taking one step too many.
“Move out the way.” Swell hissed.
Belair laughed. “She won’t hurt me,” he yelled before her grip tightened.
“Move,” Swell hissed again.
“If I can’t have them neither can you,” he gave a short nod, the blade catching on the edge of his skin. Belair hesitated and bit his lip to squelch the pain. But it was too late. One of his men pulled the trigger in a shot that reverberated around the surrounding wilderness.
Swell kicked the truck’s front bumper and heard the gun thud against her heel. She wrapped her arm around Belair and pulled him to the ground with her.
Belair’s men turned their fire to Arjun’s partners who had already started shooting. Swell watched as their bodes did a macabre dance as bullets pelted them. Apparently, Arjun was no the only amateur in the game.
“Get the baby Junior” she yelled.
Junior was fitted into the back of the truck. He pulled a green tarp hiding their baby. The mounted Army Vulcan minigun cast a spray of bullets cutting down four of Belair’s crew. Nearly cutting their unsuspecting bodies in half.
“Junior protect the money!”
Junior aimed where the cash was and opened fire sending a hail of bullets cutting down three more of Belair’s men, before his clip ran dry.
Belair wriggled free/ He rolled across the gravel, but stopped with Swell’s Glock firmly positioned inches from his head.
One of the men aimed her way, but Cutter took him down with two bullets to his face.
“Run,” someone shouted and the remaining men scrambled off, all hopping into the closest car. A soon as the gunfire had started it stopped. Two of the cars scattered. Bodies lay limp on the ground. Blood began pooling.
“Won’t be long.” Swell said, glancing at Arjun who had somehow managed to survive the mellay.
Junior repositioned the the mini gun with a new clip; its bullets tearing away a hunk of one vehicle’s trunk before they got too far down the road.
Once the gunfire died away, Cutter and Junior hopped out of the back of the truck and raced to the front. Swell and Belair were both on the ground. Belair wasn’t moving. Swell’s gun was an inch from his skull.
“Now you tell me the truth, or so help me I will carve off your balls and stick ‘em in your ear. Did you hurt my baby?”
Belair shrugged. “He looks fine to me.”
“Not him dumb ass. I’m talking about Evan. Did you hurt my boy?”
“No.”
“You seen him?”
“Last time I saw him he was up at them witch’s bar.”
“Fuck off,” she said, waving her gun.
Cutter aimed his gun at Belair. “Drop them guns.”
“They belong to my great grand daddy.”
“You’ll get ‘em back. Just drop ‘em on the ground.”
“Take that knife off too.” Junior said dropping the money by Swell’s feet.
Belair dropped his weapons. “I better get them back.”
Junior picked up the knife. “Guns yes, knife maybe.”
“Boy,” Belair stammered making a move, but Swell’s gun remained in Belair’s face.
“Be glad the knife the only thing we keepin’. Go on now before I accidentally shoot your face off.” Swell motioned the gun upward, giving Belair permission to stand.
“This ain’t over.” He hissed pushing off his knee and stumbling up onto both feet.
“Now didn’t your mama teach you not to talk shit when a woman got a gun in your face?” Swell brought the gun down and shot Belair’s foot. He fell to the ground with a yelp.
“You bitch,”
“You trying to get shot again?”
“Damn it SueEllen,”
The gun fired again, this time putting a hole in his other foot.
“Don’t nobody call me that ‘cept for my mama and my daddy. Now apologize ‘fore I shoot you where it really counts’”
“Wait till I tell yo’ sister.”
“Tell that bitch I’ll shoot her too. Now crawl home with some dignity.” She kept her gun on Belair as he limply crawled toward the cars parked a hundred feet off. “Junior toss the bag in the truck. No need to count it. I think our Indian friend knows who not to fuck with.”
Belair watched them collect the money and saw Swell toss his gun into the grass near the remaining cars and the soon-to-be rotting members of his gang.
“They was our customers,” he said insolently.
“Now they nobody’s customers,” Swell said, getting into the truck behind Junior and Cutter. The truck started harshly, a plume of smoke bellowed from the exhaust. Junior gave Belair the finger before driving off into the night.
“What the fuck?” Belair said incredulous.
The car spat another black cloud as it creeped down the gravel trail. Belair tried to crawl but the pain in his feet was too much. “Hey! You can’t leave me here. Come back here motherfuckers. Come back here and get me before I tell my daddy.”
An owl cried out into the night as survivors struggled to get to their vehicles before the swamps predators caught their smell. It wouldn’t be long.