Ride or die Page 4

  Kanika got caught up in her thoughts. She wondered if Panama had the same experience with someone. Kanika had mentioned Panama’s name a few times as they drove around the day before. Each time Danny had ignored her or changed the subject. Maybe Panama had fallen in love with someone and never wanted to come back. Kanika paused to catch the word that had just bounced across her mind. Love. It was the word that described how she was feeling. She knew right then that she was in love with Danny.

  * * *

  The next two weeks were like being in heaven for Kanika. Aunt Becky argued and fought with her every time she saw Danny’s car pull into the driveway. But Kanika fought back hard to be with him. There was nothing Aunt Becky could say to make Kanika give up the world of happiness she had when she was with Danny.

  Danny treated Kanika extra special, taking her places, buying her things. She sometimes wondered what he saw in her. She was a few years younger than he was. Surely he could have his pick of pretty girls his age or older. But he assured her that she was no longer like the other girls her age. She had become a woman.

  “If you’re going to be my official girlfriend, there’s things I’m going to expect,” Danny informed her. They were sitting in his car one night.

  Kanika wanted to do whatever it took to please Danny. She was in love with him, and she was sure he was in love with her, too.

  “I’ll do anything.” She smiled.

  “So . . . would you dive off a cliff into freezing water?” He grinned.

  “Sure.” Kanika laughed.

  “Would you let a rat walk all over you?”

  “Eeew, I hate rats! I’m scared to death of them!”

  “So, you wouldn’t do that if I asked you to?”

  “Well . . .”

  “Yes or no, Kanika? I can’t be with no girl who can’t fall in line.”

  “Okay. Yes, I would do it.”

  “Good.” Danny smiled and jumped out of the car. Kanika watched through the mirror as he went around to the back and popped the trunk. Within seconds he reappeared in the driver’s side. He had a black box in his hands.

  “What’s that?” Kanika asked. She was afraid to hear the answer.

  Danny lifted the lid from the box. Three rats scurried around inside. Kanika gasped and screamed. Danny laughed out loud. Kanika grabbed the door handle. Danny held her arm and pulled it away from the door.

  “You just said you would do this for me.”

  “But I didn’t mean for real!”“Oh, I see. You’re still just a kid. Sorry, that’s not what I’m looking for. I guess I was all wrong about you.”

  Kanika felt awful. As horrified as she was by what Danny was asking her to do, she couldn’t let him break up with her. She wasn’t sure if she would ever get another chance to show him he wasn’t wrong. She wanted to prove that she was everything he thought she was.

  “No, I’ll do it.” Kanika squeezed her eyes closed.

  “That’s my girl.”

  Kanika kept her eyes shut tight. She squirmed and shook as Danny took the rats from the box. When he laid them on her, she screamed inside. She didn’t dare open her mouth. One of the rats scurried up her chest and toward the back of her neck. Her eyes were squeezed shut. But she could tell that Danny was grinning with cruel enjoyment. Was this a sick part of him that she had missed? Or was it really his way to be sure that she really loved him? Kanika hoped it was the second one. She hoped Danny would realize that he already had her heart, no matter what.

  The nightmare was soon over, although it felt like forever to Kanika. Danny finally peeled the rats from her body. He laughed out loud as he stuffed them back in the box.

  “You’re tough as shit, Kanika,” he giggled. He hopped out to place the box back in the trunk.

  Danny stopped the car at the end of Kanika’s driveway and turned toward her. He kissed her and wrapped his hands around her face. She could feel his warm breath on her cheeks as he talked.

  “Kanika, you showed me today that you are a ride or die chick. Now I know I can trust you with anything.”

  His voice was smooth. Kanika had heard those words before. Sasha said she was Roger’s ride or die girl. Kanika smiled. That was exactly what she wanted to hear.

  “You can trust me,” she said. “And I hope now you see how much I love you.”

  “I think so,” he replied. “You can do a bit more to really prove it to me. But there will be lots of time for that.”

  Danny’s hands slipped away and back to the steering wheel. Kanika exited the car and walked slowly up the driveway. She wasn’t sure how to feel. She had started getting close to Danny to help Panama. Instead, she had fallen for him. Now, she was in love. Danny made her feel great, and she wanted to be sitting in that passenger seat. At the same time, she felt bad sitting next to him when he might know something about Panama that he wasn’t telling her. She hadn’t forgotten about Panama. But her feelings for Danny had taken over and she had no idea how to stop them.

  She thought about talking to Sasha about it. Sasha was dating an older boy and seemed to know how to hold onto him. But Danny always got annoyed when Kanika mentioned her friends. Kanika decided against calling Sasha. Kanika’s birthday was coming up in a few days and Danny promised to plan something special. She didn’t want to spoil his surprise. Maybe she wouldn’t mention Panama anymore until after her birthday.

  Chapter 10

  Bittersweet Sixteen

  It was Kanika’s sixteenth birthday. Danny’s car pulled up to the end of the driveway. He leaned out and kissed her.

  “Got that surprise for you.” He grinned.

  “I like surprises,” Kanika responded.

  “There’s a wicked party happening in Halifax. I’m taking you with me.”

  “What kind of party?”

  “A party, Kanika. What more do you need to know? I’m taking care of everything for our overnight. Think of it as your sweet sixteen.”

  Kanika was expecting a gift, not a party. But she had never been to Halifax before, so she was pleased.

  “A party in the city. I love it!”

  “Okay, I can’t stay. I just wanted to pop by and let you know.”

  All Kanika could think of was walking into the party on Danny’s arm. She couldn’t get the smile off her face. Danny kissed her again.

  “Gotta go! My grandfather’s waiting on me to help him fix his van. So, pick you up tonight?”

  “Can’t wait!” Kanika stepped back away from the car and dashed toward the house. Inside, the hot food smelled amazing. Aunt Becky had prepared a huge feast of baked chicken with all the trimmings, and all the sweets Kanika could eat. Aunt Becky had invited some of her own friends over to celebrate Kanika’s sweet sixteen and a few of Kanika’s friends from school. Her aunt made it clear that it wasn’t a party, just a small gathering to make her feel special on her birthday.

  Kanika was happy to see Panama’s parents there. Weeks had passed since Panama’s disappearance and Kanika knew Panama’s mom and dad were in a lot of pain. She was honoured that they had come by to celebrate with her.

  Kanika had known that Danny wouldn’t come inside. He wanted to keep him and Kanika on the down low, away from Aunt Becky. The dinner would be Kanika’s pre-party to the real party in Halifax. Aunt Becky had no idea Kanika would be spending that night more than three hours away with Danny. And Kanika was not about to tell her.

  After the guests had left, Kanika hummed the Mariah Carey song “Dream Lover,” as she grabbed her best dress and overnight clothes. She packed them neatly in the bottom of her backpack. She scooped up a few toiletries from the dresser. As she zipped her bag shut, she could hear her aunt in the kitchen cleaning up. Kanika had already said goodnight, so she new Aunt Becky wouldn’t be expecting to see her until daylight. Kanika quietly locked her bedroom door, grabbed her backpack and slipped out the bedroom window.


  Since the house was one level, Kanika didn’t have very far to jump. As soon as her feet hit the grass, she saw two flashes. It was the signal Danny had told her to watch for. Danny was early and impatient. Kanika hopped to an upright position and scampered across the lawn. Danny flashed the lights again. Kanika opened the car door to jump into the passenger seat. But a girl with long, straight blonde hair was already sitting there. She looked to be about seventeen. She gave Kanika a look and grabbed for the door handle. It caught Kanika off guard.

  “C’mon, get in,” Danny demanded. His voice was low and harsh.

  Kanika hopped in the back and Danny sped off. The drive to Halifax was filled with awkward silence. Danny turned the music up once they got on the highway. Kanika wanted to introduce herself to the girl in the front. But she wasn’t sure if the girl would respond or ignore her. Kanika hadn’t seen the girl around before. She would have remembered someone that pretty. She wondered if the girl was a cousin of Danny’s or maybe somebody who just asked to hitch a ride with him to the party. She decided to wait. She could figure it out once they arrived in Halifax.

  Kanika dozed off a few times during the drive. The glare of the city lights brought her out of her sleep. She sat up. There were so many buildings. Big houses lined the streets, row after row. It was nothing like the one house every quarter of a mile that Kanika was used to. The car turned onto Connaught Street, past a huge shopping mall. Kanika smiled. Maybe Danny would take her shopping in the morning.

  From Connaught, they turned onto a smaller side street, and then another. Danny pulled into a driveway. Old, wide oak tree branches stretched across the paved lane, hiding a stucco house that sat at the back of the property. A black Lexus sat idly near the front entrance. The place looked deserted. If there was a house party going on, it must have been a horribly quiet one. And where were all the vehicles that the guests would have rolled up in? Kanika began to get a sinking feeling in her chest. She wondered what Danny was up to.

  Danny glided his beater up alongside the empty Lexus. The blonde girl in the front seat looked over at him, waiting for instructions on what to do next. Kanika sat silently.

  “Let’s go,” Danny said.

  The girls left the vehicle. They both hesitated, unsure of what was happening. Danny rapped on the front door and then pushed it open without waiting. The girls followed. An older lady with curly brown hair appeared around the corner to greet them.

  “Good, you made it,” she said. “Bring them this way.” Then she disappeared farther into the house.

  It was obvious Danny had been there before. Kanika tugged on his arm as they followed the woman down a hallway and up a flight of stairs.

  “What is this place?” she whispered.

  “Just do what you’re told and you’ll be fine,” he answered.

  Once they neared the end of another long hallway, they entered a large back-room. The walls were painted the colour of dark red wine. Long black curtains were hanging from the window. There was a fancy wing-backed sofa and chairs set in one corner of the room, surrounded by expensive-looking vases and statues. On the other end of the room was a mahogany desk and chair. The only things on the desk were a phone, a notepad and a pen. The large bookshelf behind it was lined with books. They didn’t look like anything that Kanika had ever seen or heard of. A young red-haired woman with big breasts got up from one of the wing-backed chairs as they entered.

  “This is Kita,” Danny announced. “She’s gonna show you girls what’s up.”

  Kanika looked at Danny. She was confused. Danny glanced back at her, noticing her fear. He leaned in and whispered in her ear, “You’re a woman now, remember? You wanted that chance. Now prove your love.”

  Then Danny left the room.

  Chapter 11

  The Party

  The red-haired woman took Kanika’s purse away. The blonde girl, whose name turned out to be Crystal, tried to hide her tiny pouch inside her jacket. The red-haired woman patted her down then snatched the pouch. She took them down to the rec room in the basement and made them put on skimpy outfits.

  “The party is about to begin,” she told them. “And you two newbies are the main attractions. This is your breaking-in party. And if you don’t fall in line you will be seriously hurt.”

  She gave them each a glass of what looked like water. Kanika was thirsty, but it turned out to be straight vodka. Kanika gagged.

  “Drink it down!” The red-haired woman grabbed the glass and forced it between Kanika’s lips. Kanika coughed as the liquor stung the back of her throat.

  “Here, take these,” the woman said, holding out two tiny white pills. “They will relax you.”

  The girls took the pills. The woman made them open their mouths wide and checked inside to make sure they had swallowed them. Before long, Kanika began to feel dizzy. She felt like she was outside her own body. Everything seemed to be happening beyond her control.

  The woman led the two girls to a dimly lit room at the back end of the basement. Kanika leaned on the bed, trying to regain herself. But nothing she did stopped the room from spinning. She could dimly see the outline of Crystal’s body as it climbed on a bed across the room.

  Almost right away, two men entered the room. One moved in Crystal’s direction. The other stood over Kanika and pulled down his pants. Kanika felt weak. She didn’t have the energy to fight him off. The man was aggressive and smelled like sweat. As soon as he finished with Kanika, another man entered. The scent of his cologne was very strong. Before Kanika could sit up, the second man was on top of her.

  There seemed to be an endless stream of men for what felt like hours and hours. Kanika eventually stopped trying to resist and just let her silent tears flow. Several times she wanted to vomit.

  In her mind she kept seeing images of her mother from the newspaper clippings. Had she experienced this pain? Kanika felt betrayed by Danny and sad. Had her mother felt the same kind of sadness when Kanika’s father made her have sex with stranger after stranger? Kanika wondered how her father could be okay with it, her mother’s body being used like an object. As Kanika lay sprawled across the squeaky bed, she finally felt a connection with her mother. Then she lost consciousness.

  Kanika was unsure how long she had been asleep. But as she began to wake up, she could hear the red-haired woman screaming at someone.

  “Stop letting those girls get in your head!” she yelled.

  It was the wee hours of the morning. Kanika was naked and shivering. Her whole body ached. Danny had told her he was taking her to a party in Halifax. But what happened wasn’t the kind of party she had imagined. She had all of her ID taken from her. No phone. No way to get back home. She looked over and saw Crystal.

  “Hey,” Kanika whispered loudly.

  Crystal moaned and rolled over.

  “Wake up,” Kanika tried again.

  “Why?”

  “Do you remember me? Kanika. We drove here with Danny.”

  “Of course,” Crystal said. She lifted her head and sat halfway up.

  “I’m just trying to figure out what this is.”

  “We got raped last night.”

  Kanika pulled the thin blanket closer to her sore body.

  “Over and over and over again,” Crystal continued. “And all night long until we passed out.”

  “You passed out, too?”

  “Yes, at some point. You ever drink alcohol before?”

  “No.”

  “You ever take pills before?”

  “Do you mean . . .”

  “Drugs.”

  “No.”

  “You were pretty fried. I had to listen to you screaming, begging the men to stop. A few of them slapped you so you would stop yelling.”

  “I remember.” Kanika rubbed her cheeks. “It didn’t seem real though.”

  “That’s because we were
drunk and high. Nothing seems real when you’re like that.”

  “Does Danny know what happened to us?” Kanika asked. She was sure he would be upset.

  “Does he know?” Crystal laughed. “Figure it out. He brought us here for this to happen.”

  “But he’s my boyfriend.” Kanika didn’t want to think that Danny had set her up for this. But in her heart, she knew he had.

  “Oh my god, you are stupid. All the girls here probably thought they were Danny’s girlfriends, too.”

  Kanika’s experience wasn’t a bad dream. It was real. Danny had taken her to a strange place and dumped her like a bag of garbage. She had no idea how she would make her way back to Guysborough.

  “I don’t care!” The red-haired woman’s voice grew closer.

  “Do what you have to do to make this happen. And don’t call me again until it’s done!” The woman burst into the room. She was on a cellphone. She pulled the phone away from her face. “Get dressed,” she ordered Kanika and Crystal. “Your drive will be here in fifteen minutes.”

  She threw a pile of clothes on the floor and left. Kanika pushed through the pounding in her head and got off the bed. She and Crystal sifted through the pile, taking what was theirs. She hoped her purse would be among the clothes, but it wasn’t.

  After they were dressed, Kanika and Crystal opened the rusted door. The red-haired woman had been standing there, waiting the whole time. She motioned for them to follow her upstairs. When they got outside, they saw a silver Jetta idling in the driveway.

  The sun was just rising. With no clocks in sight, Kanika guessed it must have been around six in the morning. She felt hungry and exhausted. She and Crystal climbed in the back seat of the car. A blond man with a ponytail and another with a balding head and rotted teeth were sitting up front.

  “Will we be able to stop for something to eat on the way back to Guysborough?” Crystal asked.

  The two men looked at each other and started to laugh.

  “Something to eat?” the man with the ponytail mocked.