“Right,” Calvin says.
“I say we just take the safe and figure out how to open that shit later,” Charles says.
“We’re not gonna rush it,” Octavio says.
“It’s probably better to do it sooner than later, right?” Calvin says.
“There’s gonna be a lotta people with phones who could call the cops while we wait for some fat ass to cough up the combination. Charles is right,” Carlos says.
“We’re not gonna rush it if we don’t have to,” Octavio says. “If we can get the combination, we’re gonna get it and not fucking walk out of the place with a fucking safe.”
“Did I tell you guys it’s all in gift cards? Like a whole bunch of Visa gift cards,” Calvin says.
“Same as cash,” Octavio says.
“Why the fuck is it all in gift cards?” Charles says.
“Yeah, why the fuck is it—” Carlos says.
“Would you shut the fuck up already, Charlos? Just keep your mouth shut and think before you speak. It’s the exact same fucking thing as cash,” Octavio says.
“They needed receipts, for the grant,” Calvin says, then takes a last bite and looks to see how Charles is taking what Octavio just said. Charles is staring off, out the window. He’s pissed.
Daniel Gonzales
DANIEL BEGS to go. To see it happen. He never begs. Octavio says no. Says no again every time after. Up until the night before. It’s just the two of them in the basement.
“You know you have to let me go,” Daniel says from his computer. Octavio is on the couch staring at the table.
“What I have to do is make sure this shit goes right. So we get that money,” he says, and walks over to Daniel.
“I’m not even talking about going, I’ll be here. I can fly the drone over to the coliseum from here. Or let me go then—”
“Hell no, you’re not going,” Octavio says.
“So just let me fly the drone over.”
“Man, I don’t know,” Octavio says.
“C’mon. You owe me,” Daniel says.
“Don’t make this shit about—”
“I’m not making shit about shit,” Daniel says, and turns around. “It’s been about it. You fucked this family up.”
Octavio walks back to the couch. “Fuck!” he says, and kicks the table. Daniel goes back to mindlessly playing chess on his computer. He suicides a bishop for his opponent’s knight to mess up his formation.
“You gotta stay here. You gotta get that fucking thing outta there and not get caught up, they can trace that shit back if it falls.”
“I got it. I’ll stay here. So we good?” Daniel says.
“Are we good?” Octavio says. Daniel gets up and walks over to him. Sticks his hand out.
“You wanna fucking shake on it?” Octavio says, laughing a little. Daniel keeps his hand out.
“All right,” Octavio says, and shakes Daniel’s hand.
Jacquie Red Feather
JACQUIE AND HARVEY GET into Oakland the night before the powwow. Harvey offers his room to Jacquie, mentioning it having two queens.
“It doesn’t have to be any kinda way. The other bed is open, free of charge,” he says.
“I’m not poor,” Jacquie says.
“Have it your way,” Harvey says. That was the problem with men like Harvey. As much as he might have appeared to change for the better, you can’t ever get the pig all the way out. Jacquie could care less if he thought it was gonna be one way and now it’s another. That’s his shit. She’d carried their child, given birth, and gave her away. Their baby. He can be uncomfortable. He should be.
* * *
—
When Jacquie wakes up it feels way too early, but she can’t get back to sleep. When she opens the curtains she sees the sun is just about to come up. It’s that dark and light blue gradient that meets somewhere in the middle. She’s always loved that blue. She should watch the sunrise. How long had it been since she’d done that? Instead she closes the curtains and turns on the TV.
At some point a couple of hours later a text comes in from Harvey about getting breakfast.
* * *
—
“You nervous?” Jacquie says as she stabs a piece of link sausage and dips it into a puddle of syrup.
“I haven’t gotten nervous in a long time,” Harvey says, and takes a sip of coffee. “It’s where I do my best thinking. Out loud. I just talk out what I see and it comes easy because of how many powwows I done. It’s like all the sports announcers you hear filling the game with their nonsense, it’s the same thing, except there are times when I’m talking about what’s happening out there, as the dancers come in, sometimes it can feel like a prayer. But you can’t be too serious. A powwow emcee is supposed to be irreverent. It’s a big event for a lotta people trying to win money. It’s a competition. So I have to try to keep it light like a sports announcer.” He mixes his whole plate up—eggs, biscuits, gravy, sausage. He stabs a forkful of the mix. When he’s done, he sops up what’s left with a piece of toast. Jacquie sips her coffee and watches Harvey eat his soaked toast.