by Carey Lewis
“Means they ain’t got the man doing the mutiny.”
“They say he didn’t look like he was captured. There on his own free will.”
“That’d be Lex’s guy.”
“That would be Lex’s guy,” Mesiah said, his head tilted back in thought. “His man talking to the police will come back to him.”
“Means it could come back to you. He’s out?”
“He’s out,” Mesiah dialed a number on the phone, said “the Outcasts too if you don’t mind Asteria, especially Lex,” listened, “the next break will be fine,” and then he hung up. He watched Mesiah pick up the phone on the desk, not even looking at the fat white woman on the screen, hit a button and the intercom came on for the factory floor below. “Baptist, please join me upstairs.”
He took another haul off the blunt and passed it over to Boon, “finish it.”
Then Baptist opened the door to the office and stepped inside.
“There’s a man in the trunk of Boon’s car that needs to be taken care of. Give Joseph a hand.”
“We going to be plastering people up all night or what?” Baptist asked.
“There will be a few more.”
Baptist didn’t look happy when he left the office, yelling at Joseph that there’s a present in the car they got to take care of.
“Finish it,” Mesiah said to Boon, complete seriousness on his face. “Get Noah and finish it.”
“Tell them to hurry on up and get that large motherfucker out my car then.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
“So we drive by, see what it’s like. You cool with that?” Gibson asked.
They were coming up to the hospital so Gibson slowed the car down, both looking to their left at the emergency entrance, seeing an ambulance, a couple paramedics, a couple cops milling about.
“How many cops are supposed to be there?” Sterling asked.
They turned into the laundromat down the street and made their way back to the hospital, slowing down even more. The tinted windows were rolled down and both of them were leaning out of the car to look.
“You’d think there’d always be a couple there right? Turn around and go where the ambulances go.”
“I can’t go in there.”
“Don’t stop, just roll through, see if we can’t look inside.”
Gibson turned into a side street filled with government housing, pulled into a drive and reversed the car, went back and approached the hospital again.
This time Gibson stopped to make a left, waited for the traffic to clear and pulled into the emergency drive, creeping the car along and saw through the sliding doors a couple more cops inside, a nurse, and what caught his eye most - a Cowboy smoking underneath the no smoking sign, shaking his head at them.
He pulled out the other side, turned left back onto the street. “You get a good look?” Sterling asked.
“Not really. I think it bends inside, like you got to go in and turn or something. There was a couple of cops though.”
“But how many are normally there?”
“I don’t know, I don’t come here too often.”
“Go back around.”
“We can’t just keep circling the hospital, we’re going to have to decide what we’re doing.”
“Just go back around one more time then we’ll see what we’re doing.”
Gibson pulled into the laundromat and turned the car around again, saying “I’m not going through the emergency though, they’ll catch on.”
“Fine, see if you can park on the road.”
They were both staring out of the passenger window again, their necks craned to the side, not paying attention to the road in front of them. Gibson looked up and saw the Cowboy standing in front of the car, in the middle of the road. He slammed on his brakes, startled, the tires letting out a little chirp as it stopped.
The Cowboy came over to the driver’s side, opened the back door, and got in. “They really did a lot for legroom in recent years. First car was a Prelude, eighty-seven I think it was. Couldn’t fit an amputee back there. Honda come a long way.”
“What the fuck are you doing?” Sterling asked.
“Something about watching folk can’t make up their minds, gets on my nerves,” Cowboy said.
“Feel free to get out.”
“I make my exit, what do you think you boys will do then?”
“What business is that of yours?”
“Can’t say it’s any of my business, I just been waiting here a long time for you fellas, started wondering to myself if you’d ever show.”
A car honked. Gibson looked in the rear-view mirror and saw a line of cars forming behind them.
“Why don’t you pull into that sub shop there, let these nice folk behind you pass.”
“There’s cops in there,” Gibson said.
“Then we’ll all feel safer.”
Gibson looked to Sterling who was too busy scowling at the Cowboy to notice the cops coming out of the hospital behind him, attracted to the horns and lineup of cars. He pulled the car into the sub shop, taking a spot at the far end of the parking lot away from the cops inside having a bite.
“What grabs me as curious,” Cowboy said, “is what happened to the fella that dropped your friend off.”
“Why don’t you get out and I’ll tell you all about it,” Sterling said.
Cowboy smiled, “so you’re the tough one,” then turned his attention to Gibson, “which means you’re the one I’m talking to.”
“Why do the Regulators care so much about this? Where’s the rest of your guys?”
“That’s the second time tonight someone called me a Regulator.”
“They dress like cowboys.”
“I heard. Heard they got one goes by ‘The Kid,’ thinking he’s Billy the Kid, is that right?”
“That’s right.”
“Got themselves a Dirty Steve and a Doc Scurlock too I imagine. You know if they fought over which one got to be Billy?”
“We really don’t know much about them.”
“Why you’d think I belonged to them I suppose. I wonder though if he’s going through the effort of calling himself The Kid, why’s he drop the Billy part?”
“You should ask him. Right after you get out of the car,” Sterling said.
“I’ll be sure to do that if we cross paths.”
“How about getting out of the car now? Before I have to drag you out.”
“I thought I was being more than cordial after you guys made me wait all night. Do I have to do the loaded gun part? Will that shut you up?”
Gibson heard the sound of a gun being cocked.
“Your friend is fine in case you were inclined to ask after his well being, but I don’t suppose he’ll be dancing anytime soon with the hole in his hip. But again, what’s grabbed my curiosity is the fella that dropped him off.”
Gibson and Sterling looked at each other, neither knew what to say.
“Fellas, let’s get this in the open, I suppose it’ll make what we’re doing here easier. I’m not here for you. I’m hoping you’re going to be a means to my end. Group I’m looking for call themselves Black Knights.”
Cowboy had the phone in the backseat, watching the red dot on the screen while Gibson drove around, “aimlessly” as Cowboy had told him.
“You boys go and see who this dot belongs to?”
“Decided to come here first. See how Cadigan was doing,” Gibson told him, feeling Sterling’s gaze burn into the side of his face.
“You had no concern with the cops around?”
“That’s what we were making a decision about.”
“Why you drove by four times, trying to get as much attention as you could. You fellas have the urge to turn yourselves in?”
“Crossed our minds.”
Gibson was relieved to have Cowboy in the car, calling the shots. He knew Sterling saw him as week, but it was a load off his mind.
“How about we see who has your friends phone,” Co
wboy said. “I’m going to keep this one if you don’t mind.”
Gibson got directions from Sterling, leading him to the red dot, coming onto a dark avenue which didn’t have much in the way of traffic, looking deserted in the late hour.
He told Cowboy everything, hoped he was their way out of this. About the Summit in Sugar Park, Deckard missing, the Black Knight that busted Case in the nose and took him and Orwell away.
“Should be on top of him,” Cowboy said as they were looking out the windows.
“There,” Gibson said, pointing past Sterling to the right side of the road. Coming out of the shadows from a tree was a black man carrying an AK-47 and wearing sunglasses.
“Keep going, don’t slow down,” Cowboy said.
The car passed Noah, kept going down the road to the traffic light. Cowboy looked back through the window as they passed him. The light turned green, Cowboy told him to go through it to the next one and make a left, getting out of sight.
“That wasn’t your man?”
“That’s a Black Knight.”
“Let’s get a better look.”
Gibson turned the car around, made a right back onto the street and they were coming toward Noah this time, him on the far side of the street. All three of them looked at him as they passed.
“He’s getting picked up by someone.”
“How do you know?” Sterling asked.
“He don’t look like one inclined for long hikes. We have to make sure whoever’s picking him up takes him back to his boss. Pull into that church.”
Gibson guided the car into the church parking lot and turned the car around to face the street.
“Thing is fellas, he could be getting a ride and then they’ll be looking for you and that won’t be good for anybody. Not much good tracking a guy that’s looking for you, think you’ll agree.”
“So we wait for his ride and follow them instead?”
“We don’t know how many are coming to get him.”
“So what do we do?”
“I hate to remind you of the loaded gun again, but please keep that in mind.”
“You’re going to shoot him?”
“I’m going to borrow your car I’m afraid. There’ll be some minor damage.”
“What?”
“It’ll be returned, but I’m going to need your car for a moment or two. If you don’t mind.”
Gibson looked in the rear-view and saw Cowboy gesturing with his gun for them to get out. They got out of the car, watched Cowboy step into the driver’s seat and pull the car onto the road.
They watched the Honda move down the street, creeping closer to Noah walking with his back to it. They watched the car speed up quickly, saw Noah turn around to see the car jump onto the curb and drive straight through him. Noah was flung into the air as the car passed underneath and fell awkwardly onto the sidewalk.
The Honda spun around, came back toward Noah motionless on the sidewalk. They watched Cowboy get out of the car, crouch down next to Noah, then look around. They watched him get back in the car and drive toward them, pulled into the church and got out.
He tossed the keys to Gibson, both he and Sterling stood in shock.
“You mind giving me a ride so I can get my bike?” Cowboy said, standing at the back door, waiting for them to move. “We don’t want to be here when his ride comes fellas.”
Gibson and Sterling got back in the car and drove away from Noah.
“Is he dead?”
“He’s not doing well, but he’s alive. I’ll confess I hit him harder than I intended,” Cowboy said, looking at the phone. “Good news is I didn’t break his phone. You boys just hide out until morning and you should find yourselves fine by then.” Cowboy pulled out his wallet and offered a bunch of bills between the seats. “For the damage.”
Gibson took the bills. “And you’re taking my phone.”
“Want I should return it when I’m done or you asking for more money?”
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
“How’s all my little misfits doing tonight? Got some words for you, some news of the night to pass along. There’s some outcasts out there that be bopping around and Asteria’s here to tell you not to Lex it get you down. We got the smooth soul jams running as smooth as gravy baby, you feeling it? So don’t be an outcast and go to the other side. Asteria’s got everything you need right here.
For those of you on the wrong side of the tracks, I’m sorry baby. It’s Got To Be That Way by Gladys Knight and the Pips. And don’t worry my loves, updates are always coming from above.”
“What’s that mean?” Max asked from the backseat of the hatchback. “Lex? What’s that mean?”
Lex sat in the passenger seat, the AR-15 laying across his lap, the barrel pointed at Kevin in the drivers seat. Lex watched him look over at it periodically, like he expected it to go off every time they went over a bump, put a hole in his belly.
“Turn in there,” Lex said, pointing to the grade school on the left. The car eased into the parking lot. Lex told him to go up along the side under the trees where it was darker. Kevin pulled the car in and shut it off.
The three sat in silence, thinking, listening to the distant traffic and the sounds of the night.
“Lex?”
“Means they’re cleaning house, big man.”
He needed time to think. It must be Dax that got caught. Dax would tell them everything. And if Dax was with a cop, the cop would have to die too. If Rex didn’t get in the way… if Max would’ve just given him the gun… a whole bunch of ‘ifs.’ How did this night turn so bad?
So the Black Knights were after them now too. He was hoping for them to hide him away. Get himself into the Cyrus business with them, he’d have his protection and anything he needed. So how could he get back in their good graces? He’d have to take out Dax then turn himself in to the Black Knights, hope they didn’t kill him.
He heard the buzz coming from Kevin’s pocket. It startled him.
“That your phone?”
“Yeah.”
“Get it,” Lex watched Kevin shift his body to pull the phone out of his pocket. “Who is it?”
“My parents.”
“Why they calling you?”
“Seriously?”
“Give me the phone.”
Lex took the phone and started scrolling through the call history, saw a bunch from the pizza shop, a bunch from his parents, a few from a number that wasn’t labeled. “Who’s this?”
“I don’t know.”
“Some piece of ass you got waiting for you to get off shift?”
“That’s Lisa,” Kevin said.
“Got any pictures?” Lex saw the look on Kevin’s face, like he didn’t know if he should show Lex his little booty pics. “I’m fucking with you. No idea who this number is?”
Kevin shrugged. Lex called the number back.
“Detective Learner.”
“Detective Learner?” Lex said.
“Kevin?”
“Maybe.”
“Lex?”
“Maybe.”
“Lex is very popular tonight, wouldn’t mind talking to him.”
“I imagine so. Heard you got a friend of his.”
“Lex is the belle of the ball.”
“The one everyone wants to dance with.”
“Got the whole city looking for him. All the boys wanting a turn.”
“Sounds like a full dance card. Why you keep blowing up Kev’s phone?”
“Hasn’t been to work in awhile, wanted to make sure he’s feeling okay.”
“Maybe he just likes pizza, didn’t want to share.”
“Doesn’t sound like him.”
“Guess not. Kid would blow over in a breeze wouldn’t he? Detective Learner, what if I turned myself in?”
“Can’t say as I’d mind.”
“What if I come to the dance and introduced you to an even prettier girl? The girl that’s really got all the boys running.”
“Who migh
t this other girl be?”
“A girl with a dark complexion. The girl that got this whole dance started.”
“We can talk about that when I come pick you up. This something you’re going to do?”
“It’s an idea I’m toying with.”
“Why don’t I come get you? We can weigh the pros and cons together.”
“Detective Learner, think I’m going to call you back,” Lex hung up the phone, said to Kevin, “I’m going to keep this.”
“Lex?” Max asked from the back. “What’re you doing? We turning ourselves in?”
“Just want to leave my options open. We need another car.”
He could go to the cops, turn himself in, say he saw Mesiah take out Cyrus. Somehow get word to Dax to go along with the story. The both of them saying it was Mesiah and the Black Knights that were going around doing all the killing. They even took Lex hostage, made him do it at gunpoint, that could explain why people were confused thinking it was him.
He took out a vial, poured a small bump of cocaine on the web of his thumb and pointer finger, sniffed it up.
“Is Rex dead? Did we kill him?”
“You did fat boy so you better hold your shit together.”
Another problem, another thing to worry about if Max started to crack up. “The car is done boys, let’s get another.”
Lex got out of the car, moved the seat forward so Max could squeeze out. He stood looking over the car to Kevin, looking wide eyed, staring back at him. Knowing it could be the end of the line for him.
“Nah, Kev, think I’ll keep you around for awhile.”
“You’re not going to believe the call I just got,” Ray said. “Calls me from the pizza boy’s phone.”
“How’d he get your number?” Jamal asked.
“Thought I’d call the pizza boy and see if he took off for some reason. Lex must’ve gone through the call history.”
“What he have to say?”
“Says he might want to turn himself in.”
“Wouldn’t that be something?”
“Wouldn’t it though? Says he might turn himself in and give up the Black Knights.”
“Now that would definitely be something.”
“You got a friend of his with you Jamal?”
