The Final Part of Laura and Jennifer's Backstory

This happens probably about two years or so before they meet up with Natalie.  

                It has been about seven years.  Jennifer has been giving Laura progressively more and more jobs.  Laura has been keeping her grades up, as requested.  Although she and Jennifer have plenty of money saved up, she still worries about her future.  Soon, she will be eighteen years old.  The orphanage will legally be able to kick her out.  She has no idea where she will live.  Luckily, Jennifer still has a couple months before she has to move out. 

                One day, as Laura’s birthday drew ever closer, Jennifer was busy counting their savings.  After she was done, she turned to Laura, “I have a job for you.”

                Laura looked up from the book she was reading, “hmm?”

                “I need you to use this money to get us a car.  I don’t care how.  Use your fake ID or something.”

                Laura shrugged her shoulders, “okay, whatever you want.” 

                Jennifer turned away with a grim expression on her face.  It was finally time. 

~~~~~~~~~~

                A few weeks before this, Jennifer had paid a visit to her old stomping grounds.  Over the years she began going to the poker games less and less.  For the most part, she only went to see her old mentor and friend, Charles.  She owed her present fortune to him.  If it wasn’t for his simple charity of one poker chip, she would still be a broke beggar, wandering the streets. 

                So, that night, she decided she’d pay him another visit.  As she went in through the front door of the poker building, she could hear the sounds of raised voices in the room adjacent.  She stood outside the doorway and listened in on the conversation.  “That little bitch is getting rather old.  About time she got a WOMAN’S job if you know what I mean,” one harsh voice cut across the rest and was completed with a nasty laugh. 

                A few other men joined in his laughter.  “I’m sure she’d fetch a fair price, don’t you agree Charles?”  More laughter rang out.  Jennifer’s eyes widened in horror.  They were talking about her! 

                “You fucking bastards.” Although quiet and calm, Charles’ voice pierced through all other men’s laughter.  “Don’t you dare touch her.  She’s better than all of you put together.” 

                “Oh, is THAT what you think of us now?” More laughter. 

                “Yes.” 

                Before Jennifer could react to what she had just heard, two shots rang out.  She flinched and cringed into the wall.  Peeking carefully around the doorframe, she saw what she had been most dreading.  Charles lay on the floor, blood seeping out of two bullet holes in his chest. 

                She pressed a hand to her mouth, stifling whatever sound was trying to escape her throat.  She stumbled backwards, turned unsteadily, and ran out the door.  She caught the city bus back to the orphanage.  All the while her mind was consumed by thought of betrayal and revenge.  A plan slowly began to form in her mind.  It would work, but only if she could get Laura to play along. 

~~~~~~~~~~

                Jennifer looked up as Laura retuned from her trip to a local car dealership.  It was a sketchy place, but it had allowed Laura to buy a car hassle free.  The only problem was she had been forced to use her name. 

                Laura tossed the car keys to Jennifer, who caught them with a deft movement.  “Alright, back to my book,” Laura yawned as she headed toward her bed. 

                “Wait,” Jennifer stopped her. 

                “What?”

                “I need some help with a very important job tonight.  Are you in?” 

                Laura shrugged, “Sure.  What is it?” 

                Jennifer gave her a serious look, “All you need to know is: when the time is right, run.”

~~~~~~~~~~

                It was dusk now.  Laura drove their new car cautiously, following Jennifer’s directions.  Jennifer had her park outside a large warehouse.  They then walked to each of the cars parked in the area and slashed their tires thoroughly, only leaving their own car plus one other unharmed.  With this part complete, Jennifer strode confidently up to the door and pushed it open.  Laura followed behind her, obviously unsettled by her bleak surroundings.

                Once inside, Jennifer was greeted as an old friend.  Not a single person made any sort of excuse for Charles’ absence, and Jennifer didn’t ask for one.   She sat down in her usual seat and joined the game.  She introduced Laura as a friend that wanted to learn the game, and asked that they allow her to sit at the table and observe. 

                As the game progressed, Laura received and hid the money Jennifer was stealing from her neighbor’s pockets.  As the game drew to a close, the men began cashing in their chips.  The man next to Jennifer suddenly started up from his chair, in a rage.  “Who the fuck took my money?” 

                All eyes were immediately turned to Laura.  The newcomer.  The outsider.  She stammered and backed up, “uh…I-I……don’t know what you’re talking about…”  She found herself pressed into a corner, surrounded by angry criminals. 

                Jennifer, her eyes filled with anger pushed through the crowd, jostling them aside.  She pointed a finger at Laura and growled at her, “I trusted you enough to bring you here, and you take advantage of that?!”  Laura sidled along the wall, inching her way towards the door.  Eventually, a slight gap appeared between two men, and Laura took advantage of it. 

                She pulled out the knife she had sheathed in her left pocket and streaked through the opening in the crowd.  Swiping with her weapon, she managed to pass by a startled whore standing in the doorway without being stopped. 

                She dashed out the front door and towards the car.  Jennifer followed closely behind and shouted back at the men, “This is my fault, I’ll get her!”  As Laura’s car squealed around the corner of the street, Jennifer hopped into the front seat of the only remaining car with working tires.  As she knew they would be, the keys were still in the ignition.  She revved the engine once before peeling out into the street and after Laura. 

~~~~~~~~~~

                Laura’s breath was ragged as she drove towards the docks.  She knew Jennifer would be following close behind.  Although she had been expecting the anger and the violence of the poker players, it had still terrified her out of her wits.  Jennifer had also played her part too well, in Laura’s opinion. 

                Upon reaching the docks, Laura put the car in park.  She closed her eyes and rested her head on the steering wheel, trying to regain her senses.  Soon after, Jennifer rapped on the window, startling her up and out of the car.  As she looked around her, Laura shivered.  The icy breeze wafting off the ocean was enough to go right through her clothes and freeze her to the core.  Huge warehouses loomed out of the misty darkness, and piles of rope lay abandoned, scattered across the wooden dock. 

                Jennifer and Laura quickly made their way into the nearest warehouse, its front door wide open.  “Now, we wait.”  Laura nodded in acknowledgment.  Jennifer knew that it would only take the poker players a few more minutes to order some working cars to transport them.  She also knew that the car she had stolen from them had a GPS tracking system installed in it, so that its owner could track it wherever it went.  They would follow them to the docks, and there they would pay for what they had done. 

                Minutes later, the sound of screeching tires rents the air.  Car doors slam, and angry voices can be heard.  Footsteps approach, and three silhouettes can be seen at the warehouse entrance.  As their eyes adjust, they spot Laura.  They pull out their guns and open fire. 

                Acting quickly, Jennifer grabs the back of Laura’s jacket and pushes her to the floor, then pulls out her handgun and takes out two of the three men.  The third man is more cautious and decides to take cover behind some crates.  He and Jennifer exchange fire as Laura, terrified, crawls off behind some stacked barrels, nursing a bloody nose. 

                As the third man ducks back behind his cover to reload his gun, Jennifer rushes forward to meet him at close range.  Although surprised, the man still manages to knock Jennifer’s gun out of her hands.  They struggle with each other for a moment before Jennifer manages to set the man off-balance and shove him to the floor.  Taking possession of his gun, she puts her foot on his chest and points the gun at his head. 

                Her voice, cold with fury fills the warehouse, “Who killed Charles?” 

                The man simply laughed and ignored her question. 

                “WHO KILLED HIM!?”  She presses the gun to his forehead. 

                With a self-satisfied smirk, the man replies, “I did.” 

~~~~~~~~~~

                As Laura, dazed, looks up to see what has become of Jennifer, she sees her raise her gun and shoot a man in the head.  As his blood spills onto the pavement, images of her mother and father and blood and guns fill her mind.  She collapses back against the ground and curls up into a ball. 

                Laura can hear quick footsteps approaching.  She squeezes her eyes shut and hugs her legs to her chest.  As Jennifer reaches where Laura is crouching, she turns around quickly to check for more enemies.  Satisfied that there were no more, she again grabs the back of Laura’s jacket and pulls her up onto her feet.  After swaying for a second, Laura shakes her head.  As her eyes regain their focus, they immediately lock onto the gun in Jennifer’s hand.  She begins shaking uncontrollably and backs away. 

                Jennifer traces the path of Laura’s gaze to her gun.  She quickly sheaths it in her jacket pocket.  Laura takes one more step backward, and then makes a break for the door.  The sound of sirens frighten Laura enough to coax her into a full-on sprint.  She glances behind her to see Jennifer leaving the warehouse as well.  Both police cars and the rest of the poker gang seem to have arrived at the same time.  In the chaos that ensues, Laura watches as Jennifer spots two police officers approaching.  Her eyes grow hard, and she raises her gun.  The two police officers fall to the ground, and the sound of two shots ring in Laura’s ears. 

                With that, Laura turns away and continues running, tears streaming down her face.  Back at the orphanage, Laura sneaks in through the back door.  She quietly makes her way to the bathroom and washes the blood and tears off of her face with water from the sink.  Once satisfied, she continues on to her room and collapses on her bed.  Although Laura stays up all night waiting, Jennifer never returns. 

~~~~~~~~~~

                As soon as the first ray of sunlight streams through Laura’s window, she gets up from her bed.  She slowly packs all of her earthly belongings as she softly sings “Happy Birthday” to herself.  After her things are packed, she removes all of Jennifer’s money and weapons and clothes and puts them in another bag.  She exits her room and goes down the stairs for a final time. 

                She takes the city bus to the neighborhood high school.  She waits on a playground bench until the late afternoon, when the final bell of the day rings.  Children stream out of the school entrance and disperse into the city.  Finally, Laura spots her.  She is one of the last people to leave the school. 

                Laura slowly approaches her and hands her the bag full of her belongings.  As Jennifer takes the bag from her, Laura begins, “Listen.  I may not know enough about your past to judge you, but you know enough about mine.  What you have to understand is I cannot stand guns.  As much as I’m horrified by the fact that you killed five men last night I find that I still trust you.  I’m sorry for bailing on you, and I brought you your stuff.  I figured you’d never be coming back.” 

                “Thanks.  But just so you know, that car we left there was in your name.  You’re just as screwed as I am.” 

                “I know.  But even if it wasn’t in my name, we’d still be in this together,” Laura smiled tentatively. 

                “Now that’s just fuckin’ cheesy.” 

                “I know.” 

                “Oh, and Happy Birthday.”