The Card Game

'I know the ins and outs boy; I was a child over the wall -a child in the line of fire -a child in men's shoes. See this hand? It's pushed and lifted more weight then this here ten story building'. I looked at the mans hands, I believed him. He sipped his coffee and continued. 'All the trucks and vans used to be green and the women wore blue blouses and white aprons -do you know why lad?' I shook my head. 'Well dresses where on the way out, women's freedom and all that.' I squinted my eyes, 'out where?' I asked. 'What lad?' Where where the dresses going?' He rubbed his hands and shrugged 'Russia perhaps, it's damn cold there.' I pulled out my gun and pulled back the lock 'They wear fur hats in Russia, and I just love the long coats' the man frowned 'enough of that son' I shot the light bulb hanging from the ceiling and jumped up running over to the bared window 'I noticed there's a screw loose -pull these bars back quickly' and in a minute and a half we were standing beside some large bins in an alley full of rotting garbage. We ran down toward the end and merged into the stream of people walking past. One minute I was ready to die, the next I was running for my life with a man I didn't trust but there was more at stake then on or two lives. A card game is not worth playing if the deck is rigged and there was a wild card in this game for the reek of it was becoming stronger the longer I played. As each card was played I knew sooner or later it would spring out and no matter what my hand was t would be left unplayed. 'We must get to the post office before the train leaves' panted the man, I nodded in reply and we pushed past the people in haste. At a busy corner I felt a tug on my coat and looking down saw a young girl in a tattered red coat 'please sir' she said timidly 'can I have some coins -my mother lost me' I paused and missed a gap in the traffic 'oh alright then' I took out my wallet and then everything went into slow motion. There was a loud sharp bang and I felt a searing pain in my shoulder. The man (whose name I never knew) had ran off and people had been screaming and yelling and some had come over and helped me to a bench on the foot path. I shook the dizziness away for I could not afford that now, someone had opened my coat to look at the wound and now there was blood everywhere. The girl in the red coat stood in front of me and asked for the coins with her eyes, I handed them to her and asked a women to take care of the child. Someone helped me tie my scarf around the wound on my shoulder and then with a deep breath a jumped up and ran for the train before my the next card was played.