Chapter 2, Part One

No Honor Ch. 2 Pt. 1: Big Mildred;

After a few minutes pounding on the door, and calling her name, I about lost all hope. I was wondrin' if it was wise to call on Millie anyways. I didn't know how much time was on the clock, an' there was no way to know, but what if I tried Wally or Dave, and they didn't answer?

"Millie open up, it's an emergency!"

Nothing.

I cursed again, and then I turned to leave, but that's when the door opened. Mildred is a good inch-or-so taller than me, and about four times as wide. She was a hot mess of long, frazzled black hair, and she stood there in a bath robe she must o' just threw on. I had obviously woken her, but she was more angry than tired, and she half-whispered and half-screamed curses at me.

"You got some nerve, poundin' on my fuckin' door this time a day! What the hell do you think your-"

"Millie come on, now. You gotta come out and help me, right away."

"Help you? What the hell is goin' on?"

"I got a man out here, trapped under a horse. I just need you to hel-"

"What the fuck", she said, then she went back to whis'pren. "What the fuck you come to me for that for? You can't get some man to help you?"

"They ain't up, and there's no time", I said. "Alls she needs is a shovin."

"Then shove her yourself! How the hell you think I can move a damn horse?"

"I'll help ya! She ain't a big mare, an' wit two of us, it won't take but a minute. I swear."

"You can swear all you goddamn please", she said. "I don't have no reason to throw my back out, tryin' to do no man's job."

"Look, I'll pay you two dollars, right now, and it won't take but a minute! Here..."

I dug the money out and stuffed it in one of her robe's pockets. She just stood there, with her hands on her hips.

"And one more if we get him out right", I said. "C'mon Millie".

She turned around. "Be out in a minute", she said, and then she closed the door. I should have known she would've wanted to change.

Standing there, waiting for her, I took a moment to glance down the street. The spook was still there, and still movin' his legs a bit, but he didn't seem to make no effort to free hisself. Whether that was 'cause a misery, or anguish I couldn't say. I had a funny thought, to look up in the sky to see if crows were circlin' round. I knew they wouldn't be there yet, though. They'd wait for the other scavengers, to beat us to the corpses.

I glanced at my pocket watch. It was five o'clock. Damn, where did the time go? I knocked on the door again.

"C'mon Mille. This ain't no time to be gettin' pretty now!"

She opened up, and stepped out. "Hold your horses, ya damn fool", she said.

She was dressed in a large pair a jeans, that were still a bit too small fer 'er. Her hair was pigtailed, and over her blouse, she had on one of those pretty Mexican ponchos; those things that look like a rug in yer sitting room.

I said, "is that a gift from Marco?"

She looked at me. "Wayne, I better be gettin' the rest 'a that damn money."

"You'll get it", I said, and then I motioned for her to folla me. "C'mon."