Leaving the 99

12~Do not cause another to stumble

You're outta luck kid."

The door slammed in his face. Lifting his shaking fist, he pounded on the metal door. The guy shouted at him to get lost adding a few colorful words and phrases that would make Annie and Rachel blush.

In desperation, he kept banging his fist. He was sweating. His heart was racing, and he felt strangely light. A siren wailed in the distance.

A trio of women, likely prostitutes, laughed at him. "I got what you need sugar," one of them taunted gesturing down her skimpily clad body with her hand. "You let Loretta here take gooood care of you."

Turning away he stumbled and barely made it to his car. He didn't remember driving back to the condo, but the instant he entered Dani lit into him.

"Where have you been?"

"Looking for Lila's supplier."

"What? Are you crazy? You could have been killed!" Her sharp gaze took his measure and her lip curled in revulsion. "Oh. My. Gosh. You stink."

So much for her caring if he lived or died, but she was right. Josh tried to think of the last time he'd showered or ate, but his mind was eerily vacant. "Yeah. So. What do you care?"

"Getting your dumb self killed trying to score a hit will hurt our image and cost us money." Something dark flashed in her eyes. "We're supposed to be a bunch of do-gooders. You want the movie to be a success, don't you?"

"I wish I'd never agreed to the stupid movie. It was a mistake." He turned away, needing to sleep.

"Like you had other options," she mocked. "Dissing Lila won't win you friends."

"I have money. She wasn't giving me enough. I decided to cut out the middle man."

"Wow. You are a total loser." Dani laughed. "What is wrong with you?"

He was upset enough to confide in her. "Parker called. Missy told him about the movie edits. He might tell the others."

She stared at him like he was the dumbest person on the planet. "So?"

"He wants me to tell them."

Dani lifted the hair off her neck and twisted it into a messy bun on the top of her head. "Why haven't you?"

"You don't get it, do you? They care about honoring God. They trusted the movie would do that."

"It's not our fault they're naïve and foolish. Everyone knows sex sells. It's not a big deal. Once they get their checks they won't give it another thought."

He stared at her, searching for a glimpse of the girl he had known on the island but the woman in front of him might as well have been a different person. "Not everything is about money."

"Whatever, Josh." She laughed and rolled her eyes.

His sweet, caring Dani had been replaced with a movie star who was willing to sell out friends for money and fame.

Josh felt sick. He turned away, unable to bear looking at her.

Her thick, cloying perfume almost gagged him as she folded her arms around him from behind. "I can get you more pills."

Something dark unfurled within him. "You can?"

Flee!

Jose tensed. What was that?

He listened.

Silence.

He glanced back at Dani. "You say something?"