Terry Yaki, Part II

By T. Patrick Rooney.

Yim Shi, put the mop and bucket away and took off her concessions
smock. Throwing the smock onto a chair in the employees break-room she
grabbed her gray hooded sweatshirt and pulled it over her head covering the
yellow smiley face on her white t-shirt. Her skin-tight jeans were so faded
they looked a strange blueish-white and her pink converse sneakers were well
worn-in. She pulled her long coal-black hair from the hoodie and removed
the blue hair clips. She put the hair clips in her jeans pocket and smiled at
herself in the break-room mirror. Her slanted almond-shaped eyes were the
same blue as the sky. Her father claimed her mother slept with the postman,
they both always laughed at that joke. Shrugging her shoulders, Yim turned
and walked back out into the lobby. Beyond the locked, doors three men
stood watching her from the sidewalk. They were all in sleeveless jean
jackets and black t-shirts. As she walked closer to the glass she could see
their skin was uniformly gray with blackened veins running beneath the
surface. They stood perfectly still watching her approach the doors, she
didn't even see them blink.
Yim Shi opened the door and stepped out on the sidewalk beside them.
As one they raised their arms moaning and lunged for her. Yim jumped into
the air rotating her hips and whipping her foot around in a spinning kick. Her
long hair splayed out around her like a black cloak as she lands. All three of
them smash together and fly backwards landing in a heap on the sidewalk.
Bowing to them slightly, she turned and walked away. Smiling she looked
up at the stars.
From behind her comes a scuffle of feet, smiling even more she stopped
and turned to face them again. Dropping into crane-stance, poised on the
balls of her feet, which were shoulder length apart she waits at the ready.
Her hands at poised as well, the tips of all her fingers pressing against the end
of her thumbs. They approach slowly, kinda staggering and stumbling as
they get closer. Their jaws are broken, hanging down dripping blood,
shattered teeth and slobber onto their chests.
 The closest one reaches out with his hands for her as her back foot
leaves the ground in a blur of motion. It's head snaps back with a bone-
smashing crunch. Suddenly it is flying backwards into it's friends and once
again they all fall down into a pile on the sidewalk. This time only two
struggle and stand back up again. They rush her at once arms flailing hands
grasping for her. Her foot blurs through the air as it kicks one in the face
smashing it's skull flat from the front. Her left hand punches outward at the
same time striking the temple of the second one rupturing it's skull. She
lands on lightly on her right hand letting her arm collapse as she hits flowing
into a smooth rolling motion that ends with her silently on her feet dusting
her hands off on her jeans. There is blood splattered all over the side walk so
she walks into the street to go around it. Not a drop of it is on her though.
Down the block aways she can see Terry Yaki, standing in the road
looking down at several crumpled forms at his feet.
"Hey Terry!" she calls out
"Hey, Yim Shi," Terry says turning to walk towards her.
Terry stops before her, in the street light she can see his eyes on the
bloody sidewalk behind her, they roam down her body looking at every inch
of her. She smiles, he is checking to see if she is ok, how sweet.
Glancing over her shoulder for a second she looks back up at him and
nods. He smiles down at her. She is all of five-foot-two and maybe one
hundred pounds if she carries a cinder-block. Standing next to him, she feels
like a kid but the smile he is giving her, isn't one he would give to anyone
else, let alone another girl. He is fiercely loyal and demands the same from
her, which of course she gives him, more then willingly. Holding out her
hand, which he takes, they begin walking down the street.
"So, looks like I am going to have to go over to Club Scratch and see if
Johnny T, knows anything about what these Tonfa's are on. Shit ain't right,
they look fucking dead," he says.
"Well I may as well go along with you, they jumped me too. Besides, I
think I'd like you to walk me home again afterwards," She says smiling up at
him.
"Oh, you do, do ya? Well I am game for that. It will take up to much
time to walk lets roll on over there shall we?" he asks.
"Yes, lets..... HEY TAXI!" she yells at a passing yellow and black
The cab squeals to a halt just past them.
 "Hop in you two, some shit's going down," a voice says.
"Hey Ginger, that you?" Terry asks.
"Yes, now get the fuck in here."
Terry helps Yim into the backseat of the cab and then goes around the
other side and slips in beside her. As they shut the doors the cab takes off
very quickly.
"In case neither of you have noticed, the fucking Tonfa's have started a
fucking gang-war tonight. That's why I didn't make that last showing of Enter
the Dragon tonight. I have been taking squares from the bars to their pads all
night. You two are the first cool people I've seen in hours," says a large red-
headed man with an unlit cigar defying gravity in the corner of his mouth.
"Yeah we noticed the Tonfa's man we both got jumped by those jive
motherfuckers, thats why were heading for Club Scratch, and why your ass is
headed the wrong way," Terry says.
"Yeah, well I would love to take you over to the club Terry, cept its
burned to the fucking ground as of two hours ago. While you were enjoying
the master up on the big screen us peon's have been watching some of the
coolest places in the city burn to the ground," Ginger says.
"Aw fuck man, Johnny T get out of there ok?" Yim Shi asks.
"No sign of him, but I hope he did, hang on let me check with the
office," he begins, and picks up the radio handset hanging from his
dashboard, "Hey Ernie, did anyone find Johnny T yet?"
"Yeah an ambulance brought him into Saint Williams about ten minutes
ago," a voice says.
"Thanks Ernie," Ginger replies.
The light turns red and Ginger stops the cab.
"Well since the club is out, where do you think we can find out what is
going on Ginger," Terry asks.
As Ginger opens his mouth to answer six figures step from the alley and
walk towards the cab. Ginger punches the gas and the cab rockets forward
through the red light and on down the street.
"That was close," Ginger says glancing into the rear view at Terry.
"Look out fool!" Terry yells
A man in a sleeveless jean jacket steps from between two parked cars.
Ginger wrenches the wheel to the left and the cab goes up onto the sidewalk.
A few hundred feet later there is a open spot in the parked cars, so he jogs it
right again back out onto the street.
"That was even closer," Ginger says not glancing up this time.
"Yeah, just keep going Ginger, let me think about our next move,"
Terry says, sliding his arm around Yim Shi and pulling her close.

.....To Be Continued.....