Hostage
By Mark Wisniewski, first published in Idaho Review
When a young black man from the Bronx unwittingly becomes an accomplice to the murder of a police officer, he must protect the murderer (his best friend) and flee the life he used to know.
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Plot Summary
A young black man living in the Bronx has been friends with a man named Bark for many years. He and Bark are about to flee to Alabama to escape the many drug deals that Bark has made in the Bronx. Just before their departure, the man is double-parked and sitting in Bark’s 4x4 waiting for him to return from a bodega when he sees a cop approaching him. The white cop, whose racial motivation for approaching the man is evident, begins interrogating him. Eventually, Bark leaves the bodega and sees his friend in trouble with the police. Bark’s solution is to shoot the cop and flee. The man is stunned and is soon fleeing the scene of a murder with his best friend. For much of the drive, the man is a hostage to Bark. Bark points the gun at him and forces him to drive. Eventually, the escape becomes a mutual plan. The pair find themselves at a bus station purchasing tickets for two different locations. The man departs first, leaving Bark alone at the station in hopes of lessening their suspiciousness by becoming individual Black men traveling, rather than a duo. The man contemplates his past and his future as he rides the bus heading towards Denver, still in possession of the gun Bark used to kill the police officer.
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