Checkmate

by Nisa Santiago

  Mary was by Apple’s side as she was forced onto a cold, long table butt-naked. Her feet were placed into a pair of stirrups, and her legs were widely spread. Shaun stood a distance from the procedure with a scowl on his face. The room door was locked, and the atmosphere was tense at this illegal abortion.

  The man performing the procedure on Apple was Dr. Skiff, a short, round forty-year-old American/Caucasian man from Houston, Texas. He came to Mexico to continue with his practice after his medical license was revoked after a slew of suits for malpractice and negligence. Mexico became his home, and Dr. Skiff became Shaun’s go-to guy when there were any medical or emergency problems with any of the girls.

  “Doc, let’s just get this shit over wit’ already,” Shaun said. “Time is fuckin’ money.”

  Dr. Skiff, clad in dark blue scrubs and wearing thick, rimmed glasses with a small light attached to them, nodded.

  “I want that fuckin’ baby outta her!”

  Dr. Skiff nodded and replied, “It takes time.”

  “I’m paying you good money, Doc. Don’t fuck this shit up!”

  The doctor positioned a tall stool between Apple’s spread legs. Apple lay there and was extremely nervous, until Shaun injected a good portion of dope into her system to help her relax.

  Apple laid her head back, and soon became loopy from the heroin seeping into her system.

  Dr. Skiff removed the tools he needed for the procedure from his leather handbag and placed them on a wooden table next to him—forceps; uterine curette; cervical dilator; syringe with spinal needle; and a pair of embryotomy scissors.

  Dr. Skiff took a deep breath, put on a pair of latex gloves, and leaned forward between Apple’s spread legs and started with the method.

  Mary stood next to Apple, holding her hand and watching. She had seen the practice done many times, so she was used to it. Many of the whores were quick to get an abortion done; sometimes Dr. Skiff was at the whorehouse five or six times a month.

  Apple felt numbness below as she was poked and prod with the cold instruments digging inside of her, and the tools weren’t sterilized properly. There was blood everywhere. The doctor had to dilate Apple’s cervix just enough for a small tube to be inserted that would be able to remove the fetal tissue. Apple felt a little cramping, but the drug soon had her feeling far-off somewhere.

  Dr. Skiff continued with the procedure, roughly removing the baby and breaking it apart. No one in the room cringed or showed any remorse.

  Soon, the abortion was completed, and the still fetus was pulled from Apple’s wound and laid on the cold table. Apple was still loopy from the drugs and medication.

  Dr. Skiff rose up from off the stool, removed his bloody latex gloves, looked over at Shaun and said, “She’s done. No more baby.”

  Shaun nodded and tossed the doctor a lumpy envelope filled with cash. The doctor snatched it from the air, quickly opened it, and counted the hundreds and fifties. He was satisfied with his payment.

  “She needs rest,” he told Shaun.

  “She needs to start making me some money again.”

  “She’ll be no good to you, if she doesn’t get a few days rest and begin healing.”

  Dr. Skiff quickly gathered his tools, stuffed them into his leather handbag, and made his exit from the room.

  Shaun looked over at Mary and said, “Make sure she is able to start working again in three days. I ain’t fuckin’ playin wit’ her. And that bitch better not get pregnant again. I can’t afford to have this doctor take away all my money ’cause y’all bitches are slippin’ wit’ these tricks.”

  Shaun left the room, slamming the door behind him. Shaun thought about Apple and the pain she caused his family. She didn’t know it but she had an expiration date. He planned on selling her pussy to get his paper up and once he was done with her, he planned on beating her within a half inch of her life, putting her in a coffin and burying her alive where no one could ever find her body. Then he planned on going back to the states and murdering Denise and Kola. He vowed to wipe out the whole family.

  Mary turned to Apple, who was sweating and delirious. She cleaned up the blood and put a wet rag against Apple’s forehead.

  “You’ll be all right,” Mary said.

  ****

  A few weeks after the abortion, everything seemed to be back to normal with Apple. She was taking antibiotics and turning tricks again, still hoping that Chico would find her and rescue her from her hell.

  Apple was being fucked by a trick, as his hairy chest pressed against her.

  “Oh my God! Your pussy is so good. Ooooh, it’s so good! So damn good!” the trick chanted, looking like he was in a trance.

  Apple felt a sharp, sudden kick inside of her. She quickly pushed him off of her and clutched her stomach.

  What the fuck! she thought.

  “Why you stop?” the man asked.

  Apple wasn’t worried about his questions. The sharp kicking continued. She sat hunched over, holding her stomach. “Oh shit!”

  “Mami, you OK?”

  Apple didn’t realize that her small belly was still growing. The world around her was so fucked up and unpleasant, she didn’t have time to notice too many things. Her eyes grew wider as she thought about the possibility.

  “Mami, you okay? What’s wrong?” the man said. “I need to finish.” He approached her, placing his hand on her shoulder gently.

  Apple went berserk. She yanked away from his touch and screamed out, “Get away from me!”

  The man jumped back.

  Apple ran toward the wall and coiled up into the fetal position.

  The man she was fucking became nervous. He grabbed for his pants and started to dress quickly. “You crazy!” he shouted. “Locà.”

  Apple remained in the corner looking paranoid.

  Soon, Shaun came rushing into the room. He looked around, saw the trick getting dressed, and Apple in the corner looking shocked.

  “What the fuck?”

  “That whore is crazy,” the man said. “I want my money back!”

  “You ain’t finish?”

  “She just suddenly stopped.”

  Shaun’s face turned into a scowl. He marched over to Apple, grabbed her by her hair, and began pulling her toward the mattress.

  “Bitch, you gonna finish fuckin’ him!”

  Apple screamed and kicked. “I’m still pregnant!”

  Shaun suddenly stopped. He let go of Apple’s hair and looked down at her unpleasantly. “What the fuck did you say?”

  Apple peered up at Shaun with watery eyes.

  The trick said, “Forget the money. You people is crazy. Crazy!” He rushed for the door, leaving Apple alone in the room with Shaun.

  Shaun stared at her slightly round belly in astonishment. “Impossible! I paid that muthafuckin’ doctor enough money to get rid of the fuckin’ baby. How the fuck you still pregnant?”

  Apple remained silent.

  Shaun looked like he was ready to strike her out of pure frustration. His fist was clenched and his eyes were narrowed in annoyance at Apple’s belly. He had the urge to kick the baby out of her himself.

  Mary suddenly walked into the room and saw Shaun towering over Apple with a posture that said he was ready to hit her. She stared down at the naked Apple, holding her pregnant belly.

  The two women locked eyes. Apple had tears streaming down her grief-stricken face.

  Mary instantly understood the predicament. “She was carrying twins.”

  “What?”

  “Your doctor messed up. He didn’t know. He got rid of one, but not the other,”

  Mary said.

  “This stupid muthafucka!” Shaun screamed out. “What the fuck am I gonna do with this bitch now?”

  But then Shaun
gazed down at Apple with a different look. “Fuck it! Niggas will pay for anything nowadays . . . even for some pregnant pussy. You gonna still make your ends in this house, pregnant or not! I can even charge muthafuckas more for it.”

  Apple didn’t respond. She stayed on the cold floor near Shaun’s feet thinking about what she’d have Chico do to him once he found her. Visions of cutting off each finger and toe were running through her mind.

  Mary didn’t respond to his statement, knowing that men would flock to have sex with a pregnant woman, raving about how different and more pleasurable the experience was. She had been in the predicament many times herself. Apple was in for one whirlwind of a ride.

  Apple found out that she was almost five months pregnant—she was carrying small, and that gave Shaun a four-month time span to profit from her condition. It didn’t take long until word started to spread about Apple’s condition and about the botched abortion. Some of the girls in the house started to name Apple’s baby, “Miracle Child.” They started proclaiming that Apple’s botched abortion and continuing pregnancy was only a clear sign from God saying that she was meant to have this baby.

  Some of the whores started to warm up to her more, and the tension of her being an outsider, an American, slowly started to fade, but with the help of Mary also, who took to caring for Apple.

  But Shaun was relentless. His attitude toward Apple didn’t change at all. He was still money-hungry. He had Apple turning twice as many tricks, because the men in Mexico came in droves, and were willing to pay top dollar to have sex with Apple and experience the pleasure of fucking a pregnant American woman. Apple became the American Dream for so many men in the small Mexican town.

  Chapter 5

  Kola stepped out of her stately home looking like she was ready to strut down the red carpet of some award-winning Hollywood event. She was wearing a form-fitting black satin dress with a plunging neckline, and sporting a pair of Dolce & Gabbana sunglasses, expensive jewelry, and a pair of stylish six-inch heels. Her long, sensuous hair framed her face perfectly and her attitude was about business, but her look spoke pleasure.

  She strutted toward her pearl-white convertible Benz, carrying a small duffel bag filled with cash for her re-up from Eduardo. She tossed the brown bag into the trunk, got into her high-end ride, placed a mixed R&B CD in the changer, threw the top back and sped out the driveway for the one-hour ride to Jersey City.

  Kola’s business with Eduardo had increased significantly, and things between the two of them were good. Money was being made, and the two individuals had no complaints. Eduardo had been back and forth between Colombia and New Jersey on several occasions, and was also conducting additional business ventures in several countries. He rarely saw Kola, but when he did, there was always a strong attraction between them, along with flirting and conversation.

  When Eduardo would be away in Colombia or another country, Kola was always in and out of the penthouse, not having a legitimate reason to stick around. But when he was in town, she would linger around in his penthouse suite drinking champagne with him, having dinner on some occasions, or mingling with his other guests from time to time and talking about everything from business, to love, and even Cross.

  It had been two months since she’d seen Eduardo. Colombia had been taking up most of his time lately. He had a few prior engagements in different cities and a situation at home that he needed to handle personally.

  Eduardo had called Kola on her phone, informing her that he would be around during their next business transaction. Kola couldn’t help feeling a little excited about seeing him again. Her heart fluttered hearing his voice via phone, and her panties became moist just thinking about his sexy body. Kola made sure to look her best when they met up again.

  Kola sped across the G.W. Bridge with a lead foot. The traffic was light. It was late in the evening, the rapidly graying sky above the city indicating a thunderstorm looming with heavy rain.

  Kola, rushing to see Eduardo, was unaware of a dark Chevy Impala following her closely. Three cars behind her, the Impala had been on her since she’d pulled out of her driveway and kept a watchful eye out to every lane change and turn she did on the highway.

  “Keep up wit’ that bitch,” the passenger said harshly.

  The car matched Kola’s speed as she crossed into New Jersey and merged onto the New Jersey Turnpike. But it kept a safe distance to remain unnoticed.

  Twenty minutes later, Kola was in Jersey City and parked in front of the towering high-rise building. She stepped out of her convertible like the diva she was, popped the trunk, removed the duffel bag, and strutted toward the entrance with a beaming smile. Her outfit and sex appeal could entice any man. Kola disappeared into the lobby.

  “You see that shit! That bitch ain’t goin’ in to meet wit’ that nigga Eduardo just to do some quick transaction, lookin’ and smilin’ like that. She is playin’ you, nigga!” Edge exclaimed. “She goin’ in there lookin’ like that to fuck that nigga, thinkin’ we stupid, my nigga!”

  Cross was scowling like he’d just sucked on a sour lemon. He had his fist clenched so tightly, his nails were digging into his skin. Every wicked thought about Kola being with Eduardo was running through his head. It was driving Cross insane just thinking about how Eduardo could be sliding his dick into his girl, and the freak nasty shit that was probably going on inside that building, with him just parked outside.

  Cross looked at Edge, his face twisted with jealousy. “Make that call, Edge. Fuck that bitch! Let’s fuckin’ do this shit!”

  Edge smiled and pulled out his cell phone.

  ****

  Kola gave the doorman a nod and strutted through the lobby with her heels click-clacking against the marble floors like she owned the place. The doorman watched her for a lingering moment, admiring her backside and curves in the tight-fitting dress. He smiled, and then picked up the phone to call upstairs.

  “Yeah, it’s me . . . she’s coming up now,” he said to his employer on the top floor.

  Kola stepped into the waiting elevator and pushed for her floor. She dropped the bag at her feet, and the sharp upward take-off astounded her, as always. She was on the top floor of the penthouse suite instantly. The doors opened, and Kola stepped out, greeting the three-man security team in the hallway by the door.

  “Hey, boys,” she greeted with a smile.

  Only one nodded. She had become a regular, but Eduardo was always a cautious man. The men weren’t there to make friends, but to do their job and protect their boss and his assets. Behind the thick doors, was a mass fortune of money and drugs totaling into the millions. The guard quickly searched Kola, even though her outfit was far too tight and revealing to conceal any weapons, his touch lasting against her longer than necessary.

  “I know that always makes your day, Sandro,” Kola said to him with a teasing smile.

  “Just doing my job,” he replied coolly.

  “I bet you are.”

  Once they were confident she wasn’t a threat, she was let inside. Kola pranced inside with the duffel bag in hand. She smiled and looked around for Eduardo. She dropped the bag on the sprawling black-and-white marble floors and walked over to Eduardo’s private stocked bar. She took the initiative to prepare her own drink, since Eduardo would always offer her one when she showed up. Kola mixed herself a Long Island Ice tea, and walked over to the floor-to-ceiling windows and peered at Manhattan’s skyline. She never got tired of the sweeping view. It was always breathtaking.

  Kola took a sip from her drink and just stood by the windows, enjoying the view.

  “I see you already started without me.”

  Kola turned. She saw Eduardo coming down the spiral stairway with a gentle smile. He was styling in a pair of Armani white silk pants with an open matching white silk shirt, exposing his defined pecs and firm abs. He was barefoot, and a thick gold cha
in with a small cross pendant adorned his neck and complemented his gold Rolex. His dark hair and chiseled features made him look like a male model. Eduardo didn’t look like a murderous Colombian drug kingpin, but had the deceiving image of a gentle middle-aged man.

  “I got thirsty,” Kola replied with a smile.

  “Not a problem, mi casa your casa,” he returned, stepping closer to Kola.

  “It’s good to have you back,” Kola said.

  “It’s good to be back in this city, and in the presence of such a beautiful and striking woman as yourself. You, my queen, are the perfect image for a very lasting thought.”

  Kola blushed, which she rarely did.

  Eduardo gently took Kola’s free hand and had her spin around slowly to capture the full length of her figure and the outfit she wore. He lusted after the way her curvy figure and backside filled out the satin dress. It definitely held his attention.

  “You like it?” she asked.

  “I love it, my dear.”

  Kola nodded and smiled.

  Eduardo released her hand and walked over to his bar to make himself a drink. He mixed himself a cocktail. He walked over to Kola, glanced at the duffel bag on his floor, and stood mere inches from her.

  “So, you came here for business or pleasure?”

  Kola smiled. “Always business.”

  “Business, huh. For some reason, dressed the way you are, I hardly believe that.”

  “I have somewhere else important to be after I leave here.”

  “So you do, huh? What’s more important than making money and myself?”

  “Prior engagements.”

  Eduardo took a sip of his drink and moved closer to Kola. He almost had her pinned between the window and himself. He couldn’t take his eyes off her. He neared his lips to hers, touched her side, and then shifted his fingers up to her breast and pinched her nipple against the fabric.

  Kola gasped.

  Eduardo smiled. He then placed his hand between her smooth thighs, tickling her with affection. “And do these prior engagements have something to do with Cross?”