The Algorithm

Decon Lawson used his size fourteen foot to kick over the body lying on the ground. He watched the corpse roll into the Hudson River with a loud splash. He leaned over, took in the sight of the water and its swaying movements. Just that quickly, the body managed to submerge. The only thing Decon could see was his reflection in the shimmering river.

Nonchalantly, he pulled his phone out and brought it to his ear. The phone rang for a few minutes until someone picked up. The sound of silence was a cue to speak. He parted his lips and said, “It’s done.”

The moonlight illuminated the area, allowing him to glance around. The region was mysterious yet plainly visible. A few empty boats were secured beside the heavy-duty docks. He sniffed the air, allowing the saltiness of the river to invade his nostrils.

“Yo. There’s something you need to see.”

Decon looked over and realized Shawn was standing before him. He wore an uneasy expression as he waited patiently for Decon to end the call and follow him.

“We’ll speak later.” Decon rasped before shooting Shawn a suspicious glance. He ended the call and immediately followed behind him. “Whatever it is, it better be important.”

“Oh, trust me, it’s important.”

They neared a black Jaguar XF, and Shawn wasted no time lifting the trunk’s lid. Decon’s eyes widened in bewilderment after examining the scene before him.

“What in the world...” He trailed off.

The scene startled Decon. He wasn’t expecting to see a young lady bound and tied in the back of the trunk. Her skin was flushed from crying and being held in a tight and hot area for longer than an hour. Her eyes were covered, but she knew someone was near.

###

It was almost time to clock out. Penny had been at work since evening, and now midnight was approaching. She was more than ready to leave and get home. There were a few tasks she wanted to work on at home. Being on her feet all day was exhausting. She would rather be curled up in her bed with a book than stare at a stove for hours.

The crackling sounds of onions frying in the pan interrupted her train of thought. She scrambled the veggies around to prevent them from burning. The smell was strong and savory, with a hint of garlic and shallots.

“Yo, P.”

Penny’s thoughts were interrupted by a light and airy voice. She looked over and focused on the young woman standing by the door with a plate in her hand. She wore a weary look, as she was exhausted.

“I’m in the middle of frying onions, Katrina. What’s up?”

“I see that, mamita,” Katrina replied with some effort. “But there is an angry customer out there. Some old lady. She claims you’re trying to kill her. She wants to speak with the chef.”

Immediately, Penny stopped and looked over at her again. Her face didn’t look friendly. In fact, she didn’t seem eager about having to speak with a customer. It was near closing time, and someone had the audacity to ask to speak with her.

“What?”

“I don’t know.” Katrina shrugged. “You need to get out there and...” Instead of finishing her sentence, she sighed and said, “Table ten.”

“Can you at least finish these onions? It’s for order twenty-four.” Penny asked while moving away from the stove.

“I got you,” Katrina responded with ease. She grabbed the receipt to check the order Penny was grilling the onions for. “A veggie burger with extra onions.”

Penny only nodded and left the kitchen. She found herself on the main floor of the restaurant. She was familiar with the layout, having been employed for nearly four years. When Penny reached table ten, she realized the customers were conversing. The man was chomping away at his rubbery steak while the woman sat there pointing at her food with a frown. She was obviously not happy about something.

The complainer.

“Hi.” Penny pushed out, forcing herself to put on a gentle voice. However, her face did not match the softness she tried to convey. “Is everything okay?”

“No, everything is not okay. The chef is trying to kill me. Who are you?” The woman questioned her.

“I’m Penny. The chef.” Penny announced herself while wearing her signature hardened exterior. “Just how am I trying to kill you?”

The woman wasn’t expecting to hear that. Her eyes fluttered before she caught herself. “I’m Dr. Holbrook. I ordered the mixed vegetables with shrimp, and someone put mushrooms in my food.”

“So...” Penny held a bored expression with a light shrug.

"So?" Dr. Holbrook reiterated with irritation. “Young lady, I am allergic to mushrooms.”

"Okay...” Penny tried her best to hold her composure. “Did you make sure to tell the waitress no mushrooms?”

Dr. Holbrook didn’t speak immediately. She used that time to glare at Penny. Judging from her sharp appearance, Penny assumed she was living well. She wore her silver hair in an elegant updo, and her neck and fingers were draped in diamonds. Penny couldn’t forget how she threw her little doctor’s title when greeting her.

“I didn’t know it came with mushrooms.”

“Well...” Penny trailed off as she clasped her hands. “If you had read the description thoroughly, doctor. You would see that...mushrooms are included in the mixed vegetables.”

The older woman gaped and glanced at the older gentleman sitting beside her. She sighed hard while pushing her plate away. “I still want you to remake my meal. I can’t eat this. It’ll kill me.”

The little handy shimmy almost activated Penny’s fuse. Fortunately, she took a deep breath and grabbed the plate from the table. She glanced at the woman with a faux smile and said, “I can do that for you. It’ll take about fifteen minutes.”

“Fifteen minutes?” Dr. Holbrook reiterated. “By that time, my husband will be finished with his meal.”

"Fifteen minutes, ma’am,” Penny repeated with sternness. “We’re a little short-staffed tonight. Besides, it is getting pretty late.”

Quickly, she hurried into the kitchen and finished her duties. Penny didn’t take long to prepare a new plate of food for the doctor. She worked with her team to serve the customers efficiently. It was rare for them to receive complaints about their cooking. Most of the objections came from snooty customers who thought they were too good to eat their food a certain way.

It took her months to adjust to Bert’s Grill and Lounge. Penny was used to bad attitudes, but didn’t know how to keep her composure with customers until she was challenged at the restaurant. She had thick skin. All she needed was some self-control.

Penny spent most of her life in foster care. She entered the system at an early age. The young woman didn’t know much about her biological parents and their reason for giving her up. She endured the hassle of being pushed from house to house. Her life wasn’t as smooth as she wanted. Penny grew up with several foster parents who were either abusive, neglectful, or all the above. None of them were nice to her. She also had issues with kids. It was difficult growing up and attending school as a foster kid.

She was teased for several things in school that she didn’t understand at the time. Girls would make fun of her appearance. Most of her foster parents weren’t hygienic. Of course, it rubbed off on her. As a kid, she knew little about being clean and smelling fresh. She would go to school with her hair disheveled and her clothes dirty. The kids teased her for smelling like pee, cigarettes, and any other putrid smell infused in the home she was staying at.

The bullying went on for three grades until she decided to put her foot down. By sixth grade, Penny had been involved in several fights with people of both genders. She remembered being suspended several times for her hot temper.

Over the years, Penny learned how to care for herself properly. She befriended the school’s secretary during high school and started living with her. Mrs. Atkins was an older woman in her mid-sixties. She taught Penny how to care for herself as a young lady.

Penny felt embarrassed after realizing that none of her foster parents had taught her about cleanliness, as most of them were filthy themselves. Mrs. Atkins didn’t seem to judge her after learning Penny’s background. Penny stayed with the elder until she graduated from high school. Mrs. Atkins ensured the young woman had a great senior year. She paid for Penny’s senior pictures, class ring, and other activities in which she participated.

Mrs. Atkins died a month before Penny left for college. She took it hard but didn’t allow herself to cry. Instead, she decided to move forward with her life. She was sad about her passing. Mrs. Atkins was the only person who truly cared about her, and when she left, she felt as if a part of herself had died, too. Penny fell into depression and didn’t realize it. It took her months to recover from Mrs. Atkins’ death.

During her first year at NYU, she began working as a waitress and eventually discovered a passion for cooking, which led to her promotion to a full-time cook. Now, she was a struggling college graduate trying to figure out her life.

The hours flew by, and Penny found herself preparing to leave. She was in the middle of packing her bag when Katrina walked into the locker room. She stood in front of Penny while typing away on her phone. Katrina’s hair was dyed blonde, and she wore it draping against her shoulders. Small tattoos were sketched on her arms and hands. She had a nose ring that complemented her face.

“The victim was found in the Hudson River...” The anchorman reported the information. Penny wasn’t listening, but Katrina was getting an earful.

“Wow.” Katrina shook her head. “You know that was Lexy’s dad?”

Penny looked up from zipping her backpack. “Huh?”

“Ricardo Gomez. That’s Lexy’s father. Remember? He picked us up when we went to Gabby’s party in Hell’s Kitchen?”

“Oh,” Penny muttered. “Really? What happened to him?”

“Someone killed him and dumped his body in the Hudson River.”

Penny didn’t bother to speak. She was from Brooklyn but lived in Manhattan. People were always committing murders. It was a repeating cycle that didn’t stop—no matter what.

Katrina noticed how quiet Penny was, so she decided to pester her.

“You’re in a haste.” She pointed out, “What are you doing after this?”

Penny pushed out air from her mouth and rasped, “I’m going home. I have to work on this... project. I might have an apprenticeship soon.”

“Oh, you’re still searching for a job?”

Penny only nodded.

“Is it that difficult to find employment in technology?”

“Unfortunately, yes.” Penny tossed her bag over her shoulder. “However, I have the opportunity to prove I can code a line or two. Hopefully, I can finalize this project and submit everything.”

“Don’t worry, friend.” Katrina placed her arm around Penny’s shoulder and said, “Soon, you’ll find a job in your field, and you’re going to start bringing in a lot of money.”

Penny rolled her eyes and replied, “I hope so.”

She didn’t take Katrina’s words seriously. Penny never gave much thought to her career and the money it would bring in. She attended college to escape homelessness and the welfare system. Her tuition was free, so she figured it wouldn’t hurt to take advantage of the perks she had.

Penny liked cooking, but didn’t want to spend her life doing it. Instead of choosing culinary as a major, she went the technical route. Initially, she was afraid to learn computer science, but she later found it easy after realizing that the concepts used a lot of numbers. Penny was good with numbers, so she got the opportunity to gain a full understanding.

“So, what do you have planned?” Penny questioned her friend. “I see that phone has most of your attention. Is that Chris?”

“You know it...” Katrina trailed off. “I don’t get him. He only wants to hang out with me at night. Like I’m a booty call.”

Because you are. Penny said to herself.

“I’m more than that.” Katrina continued with a slight pout.

Penny didn’t like getting into anyone’s business. It wasn’t her thing to give advice and show empathy with humans. She hated it with a passion. Instead of giving Katrina advice, she decided to stay quiet. There was no way she could convince her friend that Chris was a user. Katrina wouldn’t listen, so Penny didn’t waste her breath.

“I’ll figure it out.” Katrina blurted. “Until then...I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Penny parted ways with Katrina and felt a surge of relief. She knew how obsessed her friend was with Chris. She didn’t want to hear her rant about their nonexistent relationship.

As soon as she began her walk, raindrops fell from the sky. Penny cursed under her breath as she continued to walk on the sidewalk. Her small apartment wasn’t far from the restaurant, but she had a block to go.

“Just great...and I recently washed my hair,” Penny whispered. Her natural hair was long and locked. A few years ago, she’d decided to get sister locs and didn’t regret it at all. She had her hair pulled into a high ponytail.

The convenience store was still open, so she purchased a few items. During her walk home, she decided to take a shortcut to her apartment. She secured the rental at a low cost thanks to her foster care benefits. However, the apartment wasn’t extravagant. It was basic, yet it satisfied her.

Penny reached for her strawberry can of soda, but didn’t get the chance to open it. She entered the alley with the fizzy drink in her hand. In her opinion, it was the quickest route to get home. She always took the short path after work since her apartment wasn’t far from the restaurant. As she walked further into the alley, she heard a disgruntling sound. She looked into the open path and stumbled upon something brutal. Her eyes widened in bewilderment. Two men in suits were in the pathway, beating another man. Blood gushed from his swollen face as the aggressors screamed at him.

“Come here.” One of the men demanded harshly as he grabbed the battered man by his neck. Everything happened so fast. Penny witnessed the guy standing over the battered person and punching him in the face repeatedly. When he pulled back, he held the man by his collar, forcing him to speak.

“I don’t know anything...I swear.” The man stated as he tried to hold it together.

“What do you know about him? What else is he hiding?” The other aggressor asked as he drew his gun. He was a pale man with ginger hair that was styled into a buzzcut.

“I don’t know!” The injured man shouted. “I’m just a worker. I don’t know him personally.”

“You’re a liar.” The aggressor with the gun spewed as he shook him by his collar. “You work with him. You may be a worker, but you know something.”

“Tell us what we want to know. When was the last time you saw him?” The other aggressor asked. He was darker and had curly hair.

“I don’t know—maybe a week ago.”

“Really? So, you haven’t seen him since last week.” The guy aimed the gun at him and added, “Are you telling the truth?”

Penny was from New York. She knew murders happened all the time. She wasn’t surprised to hear and see the scene before her. However, she never expected to witness it firsthand. She was always cautious and tried to avoid such situations.

Instead of staying there, Penny took off. Like the clumsy person she was, she dropped her strawberry soda on the ground. The bubbly, red liquid spilled all over the pavement, quickly coating the concrete’s cracks. The can clinging to the ground caught the attention of the suited men. They zeroed in on Penny and immediately grew defensive.

“Get her!” The pale man instructed as he pressed his iron against the battered man’s head. He put his finger on the trigger and wasted no time pulling it. The corpse dropped on the ground with a thud.

Pow!

“Why would you do that?” The man with the darker complexion asked with anger. He felt like they were close. With more pressure, the associate would crack and tell everything.

They didn’t have time to discuss what had happened. They wanted to catch up with Penny and end her since she more than likely witnessed them beating the man and murdering him.

“Hey!”

Penny zoomed through the darkness. Her heart raced as she tried to control her breathing. She ran for her life, hoping to lose them. Unfortunately, they stayed on her path, trying their best to catch up with her.

Pow!

It almost felt like a video game to Penny. Except she wasn’t having fun at the moment. She jumped and immediately turned left as her mind raced, trying to figure out how to get far away from the men and save her life. Penny took the quick-witted route and kicked over trash cans. She figured it would slow them down and give her time to lose them. Unexpectedly, it did work for her. One of the men tripped and fell to the ground with a thud. He fell into a deep puddle of water, saturating his clothes with muddy water.

Penny didn’t bother to look back. She continued her journey until she made it home. Quickly, she ran inside the brownstone building and climbed the stairs. Her heart continued to drum as she fumbled with her keys, trying to find the right key to unlock the door to her quaint apartment.

Beat, beat, beat...

When she stepped inside her domain, she locked the door and fell onto the floor. Feeling anxious, she placed her hand on her heaving chest. With her eyes closed, she tried to calm herself down. Her burning throat and aching chest felt like they would return to normal. The sound of a gun blaring caught her attention. She widened her eyes after realizing she had witnessed a man being murdered in the middle of the alley.

Involuntarily, Penny felt the need to vomit. The puke shot up to her mouth as she ran toward the bathroom. Penny emptied her stomach as she leaned over in exhaustion. She moped toward the sink and leaned against the counter. Slowly, Penny surveyed her face in the mirror. Her hair was soaked from the rain, and she noticed how weak her eyes were.

“What did I just see?” She asked herself as she stared at her worried face.