Dead on Arrival

by Kiki Swinson

  “I kinda figured that. So I guess the best thing to do would be to hide the body and hope that no one finds it for a long time.”

  “Let’s just store it somewhere and hope the birds eat it up before the terminal cops find it.”

  “I think that would be good idea. But I wonder will Mr. Ming notice that one of the immigrants is gone?”

  “You mean two. The one that Brian killed and the other one that got away.”

  “Oh yeah, I forgot about that one,” he replied.

  While Gene and I tried to figure out how to resolve our issue, we heard footsteps behind us. We turned around. “Will one of y’all niggas please help me?” Brian yelled out.

  Gene headed toward Brian, and I followed suit. “This little motherfucker is heavy as fuck,” Brian complained as Gene grabbed ahold of the man’s right arm and the right side of his shirt.

  But before they started carrying the body, I said, “Gene said it would make more sense to hide this guy’s body rather than try to put him back in the container.”

  “Where would we hide him?” Brian asked.

  “Let’s stash his body near the fence at the left exit gate,” Gene suggested.

  “Nah, let’s throw his ass in the water. The port police or US Customs really wouldn’t find him there,” I interjected. I was confident that my plan was solid, so there was no need to follow up with another idea.

  “Yeah, that’s a damn good idea,” Gene said.

  “Yeah, I like that too. So come on and let’s get this thing done,” Brian said as he looked at Gene and me.

  “I ain’t gonna be able to go,” I said. “You know I’ve been away from the ship long enough and I know the timekeepers are looking for me and this fucking straddle machine.”

  “A’ight, well, you go back to the ship and Brian and I will handle this,” Gene insisted.

  “Whatcha want me to say to Edward if he asks me about the Asian people?”

  “Tell ’em two jumped out of the container and we caught ’em and made them get back in it,” Brian instructed.

  “You don’t think we need to tell him about the one that died and the other one that got away?” I need clarity.

  “No. Just tell him two got out and we caught them and made them crawl back inside the container,” Brian said adamantly.

  “All right,” I said, and then I turned my back to them and crawled my ass right back inside of my machine. I powered up the machine again, and while I made my way back to the pier, I watched Brian and Gene tote the Asian guy’s body away from the train tracks. I couldn’t believe how we fucked up this lucrative job. I just hoped none of this backfired on us because if it did, I knew we would never get another job like this. I could also envision the port police and US Customs watching us like a hawk every day from this day forward. And if that happened, we’d never be able to steal regular shit like TVs out of the containers ever again.

  18

  DAWN

  Lying in bed trying to figure out what was going on with Reese down at the terminal was unbearable to think about. I wondered if something had gone wrong. What if some of the immigrants were dead? Or worse, what if he got caught and was too afraid to tell me? Okay, maybe he didn’t get caught, because my father would be the first one to find out and then I would be the second. My father would break his fucking neck to call and tell me Reese was in trouble. He’d even go as far as to drive over here to tell me what happened, so he could rub it in my face and say I told you so.

  My family was brutal when it came to Reese. They never made it a secret that they hated him. At one point, my father asked me to choose between Reese and my family. Luckily my mother stepped in and asked my father to drop it. She later told me why she did it. She said she knew I would’ve chosen Reese over them. She also said that she knew the day I had fallen in love with Reese. She said I had that same sparkle in my eyes that she’d had when she fell in love with my father. My mother was a very understanding woman. I just wished that my father would be the same. I know that’s wishful thinking. But who knows, maybe one day he will come around. I guess, whenever the stars aligned in the sky, so would the ill feelings my dad had toward Reese. But until then, I wouldn’t hold my breath.

  While I stared up at the ceiling of my bedroom, I also thought about the possibility that Reese would change after we have a baby. I mean, relationships change all the time for the better when a newborn baby comes into the mix. So maybe this could happen for us, because I get sick and tired of playing stepmommy to his other kids. They very seldom listen to me. And I know it’s coming from his baby mama, so every time I bring it up to Reese, he always acts like I’m overreacting. As far as I’m concerned, his kids never have to come over here again, because I wanna play mommy to my own kids.

  I swear, I hope things will change for the better when I bring a baby into the world. If not, then will I have done all of this for nothing? Only time will tell.

  19

  REESE

  Images of Brian and Gene toting that man’s dead body across the train tracks wouldn’t leave my mind. I couldn’t shake it for nothing in the world. Shit! What if they couldn’t hide the body? Or what if someone found the other guy who ran away, and he blew our entire plan? Damn, shit would get so chaotic that I wouldn’t know whether to leave my job, get fired, or be arrested. Hopefully none of that happened. We get the rest of our money and Mr. Ming gets his containers and everybody is good. “God, please don’t let anything else happen. I swear, I will stop gambling and be a better husband to Dawn if you help us with this situation,” I prayed, and then I slowly drifted off to looking at the other containers that I needed to move to other locations in the terminal.

  Not too long after I pulled back up to my location on the pier, I saw Edward give me a stern stare. He knew I fucked up. I knew that I was about to get chewed out. But I would be the first to tell him that I wasn’t the one that fucked this job up. I did what I was supposed to do. It wasn’t my fault that those fucking immigrants wanted to get out of that container. Shit! If I had to be in there for close to thirty days, I probably would’ve done the same damn thing. The weather here was kind of mild, so I knew that it was ten times as hot in that fucking metal box. I didn’t put those motherfuckers in there and I didn’t let them out. Blame somebody else for that bullshit! Not me, because I had my own set of problems.

  * * *

  Toward the end of the job Gene and Brian finally showed back up to the pier. They both gave me a look that indicated things weren’t good with them. I couldn’t get out of the straddle carrier to find out what happened since I’d last seen them. So I did one better and called Brian from my cell phone. “What’s wrong now?” I asked him as soon as he breathed into the phone.

  “We found somewhere to put him, but it won’t be long before someone finds him,” Brian explained.

  “Where did you put him?”

  “In an old container near the west side of the pier.”

  “Did y’all walk back by the train cars?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Did you hear any noise coming from them?”

  “No. They were quiet.”

  “Think any more of them escaped after we left?”

  “If they did, then they would’ve run into me and Gene.”

  “Have y’all decided if y’all are going to tell Edward what happened?”

  “Yeah, Gene said we can’t leave him in the dark about it. So, we’re gonna tell him right after we clock out.”

  “A’ight. Well, I’ll get with you guys then too,” I said.

  After I put my cell phone away, I looked back up at Edward in his crane machine. He wasn’t looking my way, but I knew he wondered what had gone wrong. I also knew that he was going to be pissed when he found out that Brian killed one of the people. What he was going to do about it, I didn’t know. But I knew he would flip the fuck out. Brian might not get any more money because of it. Who knows, all of us might not get the rest of our money. It depended on what went down wh
en Edward had the meeting with Mr. Que Ming. He could easily tell Ed to get lost because two of his people ran off. Ed would be a fool to tell Que Ming that one of his colleagues killed a guy. Who knew what Mr. Ming would do then? I just knew it wouldn’t end well, so I would make sure that I was nowhere around when this meeting took place.

  * * *

  We got those containers on the train in good timing, but our overall job that we get a check from ended a few hours later. I couldn’t wait to crawl out of the machine and go home. Tonight was one helluva night.

  Edward parked his machine while we did the same. Normally at the end of our shifts, we’d lock up our machines and then we’d head to the timekeeper’s office to clock out. Tonight was no different. But instead of huddling around the main building, Edward instructed all of us to meet him by his truck. I knew right off the bat why he wanted us to leave the terminal. Edward was one paranoid cat. He never liked talking where there were cameras because he figured if you have a camera, then there’s a huge chance that there’s a microphone not too far away. So I didn’t question his motives; I did what he asked and we all headed toward his SUV.

  “So, tell me what happened,” he started off as he looked at every one of our faces. His facial expression was stern; the intimidation was in full effect.

  I spoke first so I could use Brian as a way to get the heat off me. “We fucked up. The whole plan we had fell apart.”

  “What’s the status of the other one?” Edward wanted to know.

  I looked over at Brian, hoping he would take over the conversation, but he didn’t. So I said, “Well, Brian ran after him, so I can’t tell you what happened with that.”

  After I threw Brian under the bus he gritted his teeth at me. Everyone saw him too. But Edward interrupted the hard stare Brian gave me. “So what’s up with the guy you went after, Brian?” he asked.

  Brian hesitated and then he mumbled, “He’s dead.”

  “He’s what?” Edward took a step closer to him. Todd stood there in disbelief.

  “He’s dead,” he repeated. This time it was audible.

  “How the fuck is he dead?” Edward roared, but it was only loud enough for us to hear.

  “Yeah, how is he dead? What happened?” Todd asked Brian.

  “Well, when I caught him, I tried dragging him back to the container, but he started fighting me. So the only way I could restrain him was with a chokehold. But I guess I choked him too hard, and when he stopped kicking and fighting me back, I thought he had calmed down, but he was dead.”

  “Where is his body now?” Edward asked.

  “Gene helped me hide it in one of those old abandoned containers near the west gate.”

  “Fuck! This can’t be happening right now,” Edward said as he turned his back to us and walked a couple of feet away. He took off his fitted ball cap and massaged his bald head with his right hand. Then he kicked a small rock that was a few feet away from him.

  When he finally turned back around to face us, he placed his ball cap back on his head and said, “You know this changes things, right?”

  “It changes how?” Gene spoke up.

  “That fucking man is expecting twenty-five people in each container. So the fact that we’re delivering one short of what he’s expecting isn’t going to fly right with him. And to make matters worse, the fact that the missing man is dead is going to be impossible to explain to him.”

  “Don’t tell ’im. Just act like you didn’t know he escaped,” Brian suggested.

  Edward stood there like he was in deep thought. He stood there for a few seconds and then he finally opened his mouth. “Yes, that’s exactly what I am going to do. I’m gonna see him tomorrow, and if he mentions that his cargo is one person short, I’m gonna act like I know nothing about it.”

  I nodded my head as if to say I agreed with that plan. Gene and Todd nodded their heads too. “Yeah, that’s a good idea,” Todd said.

  “So, what time are you supposed to meet him?” I wanted to know. I had plans for my money, so I couldn’t wait to get the rest of it in my hands.

  “He told me to stop by his restaurant around the same time we went the first time,” Edward told us.

  “Is that when he’s going to give you the rest of the money?” Brian asked.

  “Yep, that’s when we get our final payment. He also said that he might wanna use us again. But after what happened with this one guy, I’m not sure if we should do it,” Edward pointed out.

  “That was just a small thing. At least next time, we’ll know how to handle this type of situation if it ever arises,” Brian said.

  “Let’s just get our money first and then we can talk about doing another job later,” I said. Thinking ahead wasn’t something I did. I learned a long time ago that it’s not wise to count your chickens before they hatch.

  “You know you’re gonna have to move that body again, right?” Edward said while he looked at Brian.

  “Move it where?” Brian replied. He seemed irritated by the mere thought of it.

  “Off this terminal.”

  “And take him where?”

  “I’m not sure. But we’re gonna have to figure it out before we come back to work tomorrow. His body has got to be moved when it gets dark. If that means we have to come into work earlier than usual, then that’s what we’re gonna have to do. We can’t afford to have US Customs breathing down everyone’s neck. We got ourselves into this shit, so now we’ve got to clean up our mess.” Edward drilled us like we were his little fucking soldiers.

  After he gave us his final lecture we parted ways. I couldn’t wait to get home. That seemed like the best place in the whole wide world right now. I needed to unwind and think about our next move. No more fuck-ups!

  20

  DAWN

  When I heard Reese open the front door and walk into the house, I immediately looked at the alarm clock on the nightstand. It was five minutes until six a.m. Reese always came home this time of the morning. Even if I didn’t have clock, I could tell the time by his actions, whether it be him coming in from working the night shift or him taking a shower in the afternoon before he returned to work.

  Normally I’d wait for him to join me in the bedroom, but I felt like he was going to take too long so I crawled out of bed and met him down in the kitchen. I found him standing by the sink drinking a glass of orange juice. He winked at me as I approached him.

  “What’s up with the wink? Feel guilty or something?” I asked him, trying to sound tough.

  “No, I am not feeling guilty about anything. I’m just happy to see you,” he told me, and then he took another gulp of his orange juice.

  “How was work? You sounded really freaked out when I last talked to you.”

  “Things got off to a rocky start, but we were able to get it under control, so everything is good now,” he explained. He swallowed what was left in the glass.

  “Well, since everything went well, let me see the rest of this money,” I said as I held my hands out in front of him.

  “We don’t get the rest of it until later today. Edward said he’s supposed to meet the guy around noon and that’s when he’ll get the money.”

  “Well, when you get it, don’t go and blow it up on a fucking gambling table.” I spat. I knew what he was planning to do with the money. I knew him like a fucking book. He figured that since he gave me the whole $15,000 from his first job, that he could do whatever he wanted with the money from this second job. But not on my watch. He was going to put some of that money away for a rainy day.

  “I won’t. I’m gonna handle my business with the money. I promise, okay?”

  “Okay,” I replied, giving him the biggest smile I could muster up. But then I thought about the car I had seen a few hours earlier parked outside. I felt like, since he wanted to clear the air about all the wrong he’s done to me, he needed to fess up to that stalker that was posted up in her car watching our house.

  “Since you’re in the mood to be honest right now
, when I told you that someone was sitting in their car watching our house, did you know who I was talking about? Or do you have an idea who it was?”

  “No, I didn’t.”

  “Come on, Reese, you’re supposed to be honest. I won’t be mad at you,” I assured him.

  “Baby, I swear I don’t know who that could’ve been. That’s why I said that they were probably watching one of our neighbors’ houses.”

  “So, it wasn’t one of your side bitches?”

  “Dawn, I don’t have any side bitches. You’re the only woman in my life. And I don’t want it any other way,” he said, looking directly into my eyes. I knew when Reese was lying, and tonight he seemed sincere. So, if he says that that person had to be watching one of our neighbors’ houses, then that was what it was.

  He changed the subject. “So, what time you gotta be at work today?”

  “I’m going in by eight o’clock. We’ve got a meeting with two of the top administrators, the head terminal manager, and the vice president of the local union. I heard the meeting might last for hours. I hope not, because I’m trying to get off work early today. My mama wants me to go to her doctor’s appointment later. She thinks the doctor changed her blood pressure medicine without her knowledge, so she wants me to go with her.”

  “And what are you supposed to do? You can’t make that doctor do something that he doesn’t want to do.”

  “I told her the same thing. But she wouldn’t listen. So, I have no other choice but to go with her.”

  “Why doesn’t your sister go with her? I mean, it’s not like she has a damn job,” Reese commented sarcastically.

  “My mom just prefers me. I’m more attentive with her. And she likes that.”

  “Well, I can’t argue with you about that.”

  “Call me the poster child for the most beloved daughter in the world,” I said and chuckled.

  “The most beloved wife too.” Reese smiled and put the empty glass in the sink.

  “Kiss me right here,” I told him as I pointed to my right cheek.

  He leaned over and kissed me on the cheek and then he smacked me on the butt. “I’m out of here,” he said.