Her plastic bag jingled with coins as Rosa was making her way back. Every now and then there was also a faint clank of bottles. The haul was good, but she had mixed feelings about the whole ordeal. Most of the people hadn't paid her much attention, but the ones who had were either very kind or very... assholes. At least that was what Sky Light had called them and it seemed appropriate. They had told Rosa to clear off, or just started threatening with calling the police.
Nervous as she had been on her first solo mooch, Rosa had apologized to those angry humans, packed up her sign and her plate and moved to a different part of the park. That left a hole in her earnings, but she still broke twenty dollars, even after the expenses. It seemed that a lone pony was a more heart-wrenching sight than two together. It still hadn't felt good to be the focus of that kind of withering scorn and anger. A few of them had nearly driven Rosa to tears.
She heaved a sigh and plodded back to the van. Now that she was moving, no human seemed to really look at her, despite the oversized sign she was dragging beside. Sky Light had been right about that part - people just didn't care that much. They may have ignored her so far, but Rosa still tried to stay away from police officers. If she saw them in the distance she took a different road. If she saw a police car, she ducked into the nearest alley as soon as she could. Luckily there weren't many patrols around, so it was not a big problem.
She stopped at a corner and put the bag down to rest her jaw. The money itself wasn't heavy, but Rosa had stopped at Arda's because that seemed safest. The man knew her, after all. It had been pure luck that he could also sell her a couple of bottles of beer for Terry. She got the cigarettes at a kiosk, the second one she had found, because the human in the first one had yelled at her until she left. It seemed that a lot of people didn't care about ponies, but neither did they want them in their shops, nor did they want anything to do with them sometimes. In any case, that was everything Rosa had been going to get and she still had a lot of money left over for Sky Light. The mare would undoubtedly be proud and grateful.
The hardship was nearly over, but it was also getting quite late. The sun was well on its way down from its peak and Rosa imagined that Terry was probably getting quite hungry. For that matter, so was she. Rather than eat in Mr. Arda's shop, Rosa had asked him to wrap up both kebabs for her to take. She could eat with Terry at the van. She would be more relaxed, too. The shop had had several people in it, mostly younger, who were watching the mare with curiosity. Rosa hadn't liked the scrutiny.
As she made her way down into the concrete canal, Rosa's spirits lifted. She had nothing else to do for the afternoon. She was not going to the truck stop without Sky Light who knew all the people there. Not to mention that she didn't want to run into Butch while she was alone. Terry was company enough, and Rosa felt like she knew what to expect from him. The van was a safe place and she had a bed there, so Rosa could take a nap while she waited for her pegasus friend to return.
She had gotten up pretty early, after all.
Somehow Rosa was even optimistic about Sky Light's chances of finding Lillian. Maybe the mare was back already and would tell Rosa how she had found the girl and took her home. A good second best would be news that someone else had found Lillian. As long as she was safe, Rosa would be happy. She even hummed a few bars of her tune as she came to the van.
The first indication that something was wrong was when she didn't spot Terry. That in itself was not unusual, since the man spent a lot of time each day doing god knows what. Someone else was there, though, and Rosa's humming faded when she saw the stranger. She looked over the man standing in front of her and subconsciously started to step back. If she had spotted him earlier, Rosa wouldn't have even come close.
He was bald and big, with the kind of muscles that came from concentrated training. His face was clean shaven and he was grinning, but it didn't look like a friendly smile. He was wearing black pants and a black tank top, which displayed his arms to best effect. There was a word tattooed on one bicep, but Rosa didn't have time to read it.
"Well, what do we have here?" he said, making Rosa's ears flatten and her tail press between her legs. If she could fly she would have been out of there, but something told Rosa that running would be a very stupid idea.
The man moved his arms so one hand came to rest on his hip, and Rosa spotted the grip of a gun. It was enough to make her blood freeze completely and the bag with her lunch fall from her mouth. She was afraid that she was about to die. Rosa tried to say something, but her mouth didn't seem to be working.
The man's grin widened at her discomfort and he crouched down near her. "Aw, don't be scared. I'm just gonna ask you a few questions. Everything's gonna be fine."
Rosa lowered her gaze down to the ground and gave a slight nod. It was just about all she was capable of for the moment.
"I'm looking for Sky Light. Do you know who that is?"
Another nod.
"Where is she?"
This time talking was unavoidable. Rosa swallowed, then licked her lips to make them work. "N-N-Not h-here," she stuttered.
"Nice guess, genius," the guy said a bit impatiently.
Rosa couldn't stop herself from glancing at the gun. Unfortunately she hadn't been looking at the stranger's hands, so one of them lashing out to grip her mane came as a complete shock. All Rosa could do was freeze in terror, but it was enough...
There was a trickle as her bladder released.
For some reason that made the human laugh in amusement. "Aw," he cooed again, "I'm not that scary, am I sweetheart? What's your name?"
"R-Ro-Rosa..."
"Pretty name," he commented.
He released her mane and she started breathing again, but Rosa's legs still didn't work well enough to take her away. Besides, she absolutely did not want to make a sudden move with this guy.
The man meanwhile rummaged in the bag she had dropped and brought out one of the kebabs and a bottle. "Oh, you got me lunch? That's mighty friendly of you, Rosa."
She didn't say anything as he unwrapped it and bit into it. If the food would save her life, then she didn't mind giving that and the beer, and all the money. "Take it," she managed to say, needlessly.
He rummaged in the bag some more and pulled out the money she had made. It was mostly coins, but there was a five dollar bill in there. She had been quite proud of herself when a nice lady had given her that one, after chatting with her for a minute.
Rosa still didn't complain when the guy slipped the bank note into a pocket. He let the other coins spill to the ground. "I see that old bastard Terry's been teaching you his tricks."
This time Rosa saw his movement, so it didn't catch her by surprise. She still stiffened when his hand gripped her muzzle and lifted it up. "Look at me when I'm talking to you," the man demanded with his eyes narrowed and a touch of anger in his voice.
Rosa felt tears of pure terror slide down her cheeks, but she managed a nod.
"You ought to come work for us, instead. I'm sure we can pay you better... Rosa."
Not wanting to say no outright and knowing that he wanted her to say yes, Rosa was in an impossible situation. She closed her eyes for a moment and tried to keep herself from sobbing, but then she remembered his warning and forced herself to look at his face.
He didn't seem to be aware of her internal struggle. "Well, think about it. I'm sure we'll see each other again."
He released her and stood up while biting into the kebab again. Rosa waited while he chewed and the crumbs sprinkled the ground in front of her. She waited in silence while he swallowed noisily, and tried not to shiver too much. The kebab smacking on the ground made her jump a little. He had simply dropped it!
"Tell Sky Light Hoover wants to see her," the man said coldly. "Thanks for the beer."
Rosa suppressed a glimmer of hope and nodded weakly.
"I w-w-will..." she said, then kept staring at the ground, where the sauce was leaking from the kebab, all the while she listened to the receding footsteps. She didn't dare look in case the man didn't want her to see which way he had gone. As the danger passed her breathing quickened and Rosa started whimpering involuntarily. What was left of her bag and the sign lay forgotten on the ground. The ruined kebab stank of meat, but Rosa didn't care. She didn't even notice the smell of her own piss, staining the concrete and her tail alike.
She didn't want this kind of life, not anymore. To think she could have been killed so easily...
Rosa climbed into the van and pulled the door closed, curled up on the mattress and started crying.
Fucking Sky Light!
She had tangled with dangerous people like that - and that guy Viktor - and now she had dragged Rosa into it as well! Now they knew about her. They might just kidnap her and make her carry their drugs around for them, or worse. Stupid pegasus! She could have just left Rosa alone when she had found her in that field! Rosa hadn't wanted any of this! It was one thing when she was helping Sky make some money to pay her debts, but now these people were coming after Rosa, with guns!
She screamed out in frustration and kicked the side of the van. Fucking streets and fucking Sky Light and fucking criminals!
All Rosa wanted was to be back in the School with her friends, or at the Boone house with Lillian. She had been happy back there. People hadn't come around threatening to kill her!
"I fucking hate this!" she moaned to no one in particular.
Rosa didn't know how much time had passed. At some point she had heard Terry come and give a slight exclamation at the mess. She had just yelled at him when he opened the door, and he hadn't bothered her since. A while later she had heard him take the other beer bottle, open it and start drinking. She also thought he had picked up all the spilled change and the kebab which was still wrapped, but Rosa didn't care a whole lot.
Maybe if she didn't see the hobo she could pretend that she was just napping in her bed at the School. She had stopped crying, but Rosa still kept imagining that gun. Whoever the man was, he could have taken it so easily and just... ended her. Would it have hurt to die? Well, the bullet would hurt, Rosa knew that much, but she couldn't stop herself from thinking about what it would be like. Would it feel like falling asleep, or would she know she was dying?
A new sound caught her attention: a swish of wings and four hooves landing on the concrete. Rosa's ears lifted up, but she didn't budge. Maybe Sky would have news about Lillian. Rosa could do with some good news right at the moment. Still, despite her curiosity, she didn't want to go out.
"What the fuck?" Sky Light said quietly to herself. Louder, she followed with: "Terry? What happened here?!"
The man sighed and Rosa could almost see him lower the cigarette from his mouth. "Beats me," he replied. "She's in the van. Damn near bit my head off when I went to ask."
The hoofsteps came closer. "Rosa? Is everything okay?"
She still didn't answer. The pegasus would come in, then she would act all worried and stuff. As if it weren't her fault Rosa had been threatened like that!
There was a sniffing sound and Sky Light raised her voice again: "Terry, did you piss near the van again?!"
The man grunted in annoyance before answering: "That wasn't me. Must've been your pet pony."
Pet?! She was not Sky Light's pet! The casual insult sent her blood boiling again and Rosa embraced the anger. It was a lot better than the numb, hollow fear. "I'm no one's pet!" she shouted.
Sky Light knocked at the van door. "Rosa? I'm gonna come in."
There was no reply to that. It wasn't like Rosa could stop her anyway. The door opened and she was blinded for a moment. The sun was going down, but it was still bright outside, much brighter than the dim interior of the van. Rosa held up a foreleg to shield her eyes. Before she could see what Sky Light was doing, the mare was sitting on the mattress before Rosa and touching her shoulder with a hoof.
"Leave me alone..."
"What happened, Rosa? Did someone hurt you while you were out?"
How close, yet how far she was. "No! He was waiting for me here!"
There was a moment's silence as Sky Light thought it over. "Did you pee on the ground?" she asked finally.
Rosa groaned in exasperation, put her head down on the makeshift bed and covered it with her hooves. "He stuck a gun in my face!" It was a lie, but saying that he had a gun in his pocket and hadn't been actually threatening her with it sounded a bit weak now that Rosa came to tell someone.
"Fuck!" Sky Light swore. She picked her friend up and pulled her into a hug, which Rosa didn't resist. The tears were starting yet again. "Who was it! Tell me who threatened you, Rosa!"
Rosa didn't know the guy's name and said as much, but gave Sky the best description she could think of, considering that she hadn't looked very closely at the man's face even when he had commanded her to do so.
It seemed to be enough. Sky Light sighed and patted Rosa on the back. "I think I know him. He works for Hoover."
There was a moment of silence as the mare collected herself, then she began, tentatively: "Listen, I'm sorry-"
"You should be!" Rosa barked. "You dragged me into this! You got me delivering drugs and now criminals are coming after me with guns!" She pushed herself free from Sky's grasp and glared at her. "I didn't want this kind of help! I don't wanna get mixed up in this!"
The pegasus pressed her lips together into a thin line as she frowned. She didn't try to hug her again, even though Rosa slightly wished she would. The hug had helped.
"Well," the mare began, slowly, looking for words as she spoke. "I'm sorry. I didn't intend for you to get mixed up. I'll go talk with-"
"Forget it! Now they know about me. He said they'll make me deliver drugs for them!"
Another lie, but Rosa was far too scared and angry to think straight. She just wanted to drive home to Sky Light how much she had screwed her over. She wanted the mare to be sorry!
"As I was saying," Sky went on, "I'll go talk to them and tell them you're off limits."
"As if they'll listen to you! They got guns, Sky! Guns!"
Sky Light kept glaring at her and took a deep breath before speaking again. "Okay, then what do you suggest?"
Of course Rosa had absolutely no idea. She just knew she didn't feel safe around the van anymore. She didn't feel safe with Sky Light and Terry. "I wish I never came here!" she spat out.
Sky Light's ears lowered and she swallowed, before shuffling away from Rosa and holding out a leg through the van's open doors. "Then go," she said simply. "I was only trying to help."
The casual way she dismissed Rosa really hurt. She had been expecting her to apologize again, after which Rosa would forgive her. Sky Light had done a lot for her and even as bewildered and angry as Rosa was, she couldn't forget it.
Her tone just made Rosa dig her hooves in further. "Fine! I'm leaving!"
"Fine."
"Fine!" She jumped down from the van, blinking in the setting sunlight. She saw Terry watching with a smirk on his face, which just made Rosa more furious. "By the way, Terry has your money from my mooching today," she said, hoping to incite an argument between the two.
The pegasus followed her down from the vehicle. "Terry," she said slowly, "give Rosa her money back."
"But-"
"Do it!" Sky interrupted him.
Despite his grumbling the man rummaged in his pockets until he had two fistfuls of coins. He brought it over and looked for a place to put it. The plastic bag was gone, but Sky Light rummaged in her pack until she found the one from that morning. Terry wordlessly dropped all the coins inside, then the pegasus laid it at Rosa's hooves. "Here. Take it."
"I don't want it!"
"TAKE IT!" Sky yelled.
Her anger scared Rosa a little, so she bent down and picked up the money with her mouth.
"Now get out of here, you ungrateful little jerk!"
Rosa just growled around her mouthful.
Sky Light turned pointedly away from her and her wings drooped. "I didn't find Lillian, by the way. I searched all day, but there was nothing."
Rosa couldn't hold back a sniffle, but she suppressed the next one. Maybe the girl had gone home, or someone else had found her. She had to hope that. It was fine, though. Rosa would go look for Lillian herself.
Without another word she walked away from Sky Light and the van. She could almost feel hers and Terry's eyes on her back until she started climbing the stairs. Then they were lost to Rosa's sight in the canal and she was on her own.