Angry Nights - Excerpt

In the basement, Martins had drawn a target on the wall.

He awoke at six and pulled on some clothes. He closed the door behind him. It didn't lock.

He knocked at Alma Sanchez' door.

"I'm going downstairs to practice. You want to come?" he asked her.

"You woke me up," she said.

"I gotta go down while it's still dark," he said.

"You're fucking crazy," she said. She slammed the door in his face.

"Fuck you," he yelled, then paused. "Bitch" Alma's neighbor came out.

"Shutup. It's six o'clock in the fucking morning," she said. Martins trained the gun on her.

"Apologize, bitch," he said. "I'm the fucking exterminator, hired to protect you. From big, fucking rats."

She slammed the door on him. He laughed. When he turned around, Alma was next to him.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" I'm coming with you."

"That offer's canceled," he said.

He started down the stairs. Alma followed him. Neither talked.

In the basement, it was still dark.

"I lost fifteen minutes because of you, bitch," he said.

"Show me what you do," she said.

Martins found a two-by-four on the ground with his bare feet.

"This is my line," he said.

He fired six quick shots at the wall. He put the gun down and walked over to the wall. He felt the holes with his fingers.

"Come here," he said He grabbed Alma's wrist.

"Put your finger out." He guided her finger into the holes.

"See," he said. "All right in the fucking middle." Martins shot three more rounds, each time walking to the wall to check his shooting.

"I'm fucking good," he said. Alma was bored. The sun was up and the room bright enough to see. Sun's up," he said. "Time to go." Alma was sitting in the floor, just behind the two-by-four, picking her toenails.

"I gotta get the bastard in the dark," he said.

"Who?" she asked.

"Let's get some breakfast," he said. He put an arm around her and kissed her ear.