by Max Winters
“Why didn’t’ you say so?” She demanded furiously. “You were willing to go to jail for a stupid gang that couldn’t watch your back?” She said, wondering what the hell he was thinking when he decided to bear the cross for his gang’s sins.
“Damon had me on a leash.” He explained.
“How so?” She demanded immediately with eyes that spelt her impatience.
“I killed a girl and he has evidence.” He responded bluntly irrespective of the consequences. She needed the truth and that’s what he would give her.
“You killed a girl?” She raised her voice in awe.
“Keep it down.” He implored in a remorseful stare.
“It was a mistake. There is no single day that passes by that I don’t regret what happened to that girl.” His eyes fell on the ground with remorse written all over her face.
“That’s so serious…you should have reported the incident to the police.” Worry brushed her forehead with a fear that could be read. It appeared that the man she loved was far worse than a drug dealer. He was also a killer.
“Damon couldn’t let me as he didn’t want to ruin the reputation of his club.” He explained.
“This is so unbelievable.” Frustration ran through her brows. “So how are you feeling?” She demanded stretching a hand towards his abdomen.
“How did you know?” He asked in a smile that was one he had seen after a long time. He felt great that she till cared about him in spite of everything. She was concerned about him and that was more important to him. Having her support and attention was enough to carry him through the worst moments in prison.
“I heard at the police station and I was afraid I wouldn’t see you ever again.” She said a trace of desperation in her voice. He smiled at the implied thought of her neediness.
“Me too…I thought I would never see you again.” He responded and they blocked each other’s gaze and then pressed each other’s lips in a passionate kiss. It felt so go good and they couldn’t believe how much they had missed staying away from each other. They stopped for a brief moment glancing each other with excitement that covered their appearances. There was no greater joy than being reunited though in such a place as the prison.
“I never stopped loving you.” She smiled.
“Me neither.” He grabbed her once more in a sizzling kiss.
“Hey love birds… time to get inside.” A guard emerged from one corner interrupting their incredible reconciliation.
“C’mon buddy.” Malcolm protested. He probably needed more time to spend with Keisha given they hadn’t been in each other’s arms for such a long time.
“Move it.” The guard brooded in a threatening gaze that separated the couple. Malcolm pressed a kiss on Keisha’s forehead after whispering something closer to her ears. She played a smile and they went in opposite directions while the huge blonde who had approached her earlier emitted a warning gaze.
Keisha’s glowing countenance was remarkable and one of her newly made friends enquired. Maria had been in the central prison for twenty years for the murder of her husband. Her bullying husband had fallen off the stairs after a brutal confrontation and she was sentenced for his death. Maria had been her defender from the several brutes that approached her as well as the numerous lesbians that made unscrupulous advances at her. Maria was in her early forties and had a teenage daughter whom she hadn’t seen in years.
“What’s that smile?” Maria interrogated her. That was the first time she had seen her smile in two weeks of her stay in detention.
“I saw him today.” She whispered lost in her excitement.
“Who?” Maria asked shocked.
“Malcolm.” She responded, a smile running on her face.
“Malcolm? How come… I thought you said he was sick?” Maria continued trying to understand the point she was trying to make.
“Apparently he got better and was transferred here.” She responded.
“That’s good news but you seem too happy than I expect you to be with your sister’s killer.” Maria dug her gaze, trying to assess her new story with the previous version of Malcolm’s story. “Don’t tell me lover girl forgave lover boy already?”She smiled mockingly in a girlish manner.
“I think he is innocent.” Keisha responded trying to defend Malcolm. It was funny how time changed things or perhaps it was love changing things. Who would have known that Keisha could defend Malcolm in that manner, but maybe the power of love should not be undermined.
“How so?” Maria demanded instantly given the certainty with which she had explained Malcolm’s involvement in the crime.
“I just feel that there was more about my sister’s death that I am unaware of.” Keisha responded.
“You think so?” She responded nestling beside her and holding her hands with a happy grin on her face.
“I’m sure Maria.” She assured her leaning on her body in an expressed smile that knew no bounds.
“I hope so girl.” Maria responded contemplating Keisha’s decision. Her experiences in life had thought her not to believe a word men say. Her marriage had already fallen apart before the unfortunate passing of her late husband. She would have filled for a divorce if he was still alive but perhaps fate had prepared the very best way to keep them off one other’ path permanently. Nevertheless she was still facing the torments of her dead husband as she was paying for his death even when she was innocent.
***
Her days in the prison felt like home and the thought that the love of his life was somewhere in the building was such a relief. Malcolm had never felt so alive but his mood transformed when he discovered Keisha hadn’t showed up for morning roll calls in the field as well as for lunch in days. His attempts to speak with her were futile as he wasn’t able to see Maria. He finally had success and was dismayed by the turnout of events for Keisha. Tim had paid her surprised visit and probably poisoned the drink that he brought along. Keisha had been rushed to the hospital immediately and apparently she had to stay for a couple of days or so. Tim had run into debts once more with Damon as a result of his gambling habits and Damon was on his throat. He only needed Keisha’s life as leverage for the debt. Tim in his usual didn’t hesitate to comply.
Panic struck him as he contemplated what he was going to do next. His new found friends were planning an escape and he had begged them to involve Maria and Keisha and they had accepted but his unlikely discovery of her ill health was a big blow to his face. He managed to cheer himself up while his friends occupied themselves with planning the escape but his heart couldn’t help but feel pain.
Chapter 15
Keisha scanned the entire room with weary eyes that had been closed for three days. The last memory on her mind was how she drank the juice Tim had brought. Apparently her stomach started hurting and she screamed for help and Maria raised an alarm that brought the guards on duty to her aid. One of her hands was clipped to the bed as she tried to move her body. She called out the name Malcolm in a fit of delusion but there was no Malcolm.
The door flung open and a strange looking woman dressed in a nurses attire entered into the room. The stranger’s face was familiar and immediately she recalled where she had seen that face, she screamed for help. Unfortunately help came a little late when the lady had pulled the trigger of the silent pistol to her left breast. The police officer on guard caught up with the stranger as she was about to escape. They arrested the young lady and she was taken to the police station. The doctors intervened, assuring the cops that they were going to do their very best to save Keisha as the bullet had penetrated and almost perforated her heart. Her condition was critical and her chances of survival were slim.
Mia’s dark hair walled her face as she made her confession in the police station. Agent Wild, Steele and Phil had been demanded by Mark to ensure she told nothing but the truth. She had been contacted by someone to kill Tessa and she mistook Keisha for her. She had been contacted by her bosses in Colombia to carry out a special operation. A
pparently Tessa had left Colombia because she had run into trouble. Keisha ambition and desire for fame placed her in the middle of much more trouble than she had envisaged.
Warming her way into the bed of the most dreadful drug lord in Colombia was not the best escapade for a girl her age. Her waywardness was perhaps the point of attraction for the drug lord. Roderick had been heartbroken by her involvement with him but he couldn’t stand up to the deadly Don Mario who had ever woman he wanted in the palm of his hand. Tessa was his sex slave but things went sour when she discovered his illegal involvement in human trafficking. His partners were in California but she had no clue whatsoever. She had discovered his shady involvements and absconded with a sum of $15000. Mario was furious and determined to get her dead or alive as he couldn’t only loose his money but his reputation as well should she reveal what she found out to the authorities.
Mia had been contacted to finish Tessa off immediately Mario discovered that she was out of the town. He needed to safeguard his business and he could go to any length to make it remain that way. Mia had been trailing Keisha all the while and wasn’t even aware that Tessa had been murdered and she wasn’t going to stop until she had eliminated Keisha-little did she know that she had been chasing the wrong girl. The discovery that Keisha had been jailed put her in jeopardy with Mario and she made moves to get rid of her permanently. Her secret informant had informed her that Keisha was in the hospital. She had seized the opportunity to finish her up before Mario got to her. Unfortunate she had ended in the hands of the police but Mario was out of the Californian jurisdiction and there was little the cops could do excerpt to inform their contacts in Colombia and begin a thorough investigation.
Elizabeth had been thrilled by the turnout of events and how complex the case was turning out. There was a not only a human trafficker out somewhere in the globe, but his contacts were placed right in the heart of California and the cops were unaware. However, the human trafficking group had not been linked with the death of Robert hence there was no way that could have helped Robert’s case.
Elizabeth however was happy with the progress off the investigation as there was an establishment that Tessa could have been killed by Mia or perhaps whoever it was that badly needed her killed. Her expression brightened as she went in search of Graham to consult him on what she wanted to do. She wanted to open up Malcolm’s case but based on her failure to prove Damon’s connection to Malcolm’s drug crimes, Mark had forbidden her from making any more insinuations with regards to the investigation. She needed Graham’s help or perhaps Johanna to reopen the case. As usual Graham obliged to her demands probably to get the chance to pursue his emotional baggage which she hardly entertained.
Johanna on the other hand perhaps found the new lead to Robert’s case as an avenue to exonerate Keisha from the false allegation. She had been to the hospital but was unable to speak with Keisha as she was in a comatose. She was disheartened by her untimely misfortune nevertheless she was sick of the injustice that prevailed. Elizabeth’s hypothesis to the case of Malcolm and the possibility of it being linked to Robert’s death prompted her to reopen the case of Tessa Williams which involved Malcolm.
Johanna was aware of the danger she was plunging into trying to reopen the case but she needed justice for her friend Robert and she badly needed to prove to the world that Keisha was no murderer. She had felt sorry for the poor girl who had known nothing but pain all her life. She reminded her of Wendy and her unfortunate end. However, her desire to bringing justice for the death of Wendy was by far the greatest motivation as she needed to prove her fears to the world. Damon was a sheep in wolf clothing and though many could be fooled by him and call her crazy, she was going to pursue justice even if it was the last thing she did in her life.
Johanna stormed into Robert’s apartment guided by Rob’s father. The death of his son was perhaps a big blow that had plagued his heart. His words almost brought tears rushing down her cheeks. He was certain that Keisha had killed his son. According to him, Robert would have been alive if he didn’t get involved with Keisha but there was more to Robert’s death that Keisha herself didn’t even know.
Robert’s inquisitiveness however was the greatest problem of his existence. Johanna searched through a stack of papers while Dan ran a tender hand over his son’s enlarged portrait. Maybe taking him along was perhaps unhealthy for him she peeped at him from the corner of her eyes. Nevertheless she needed to find something that could connect the all dots linking to Robert’s massacre. Too many people had become involved and the lives of innocent people were wasted without any fear of the law. She needed a clue that could help her investigate the case from another angle. Her eyes fell on a diary and she began to flip the pages slowly and then her eyes caught something of interest. There was a date and notes by the side.
According to the note, there was a human trafficking syndicate in town but he was still investigating it. There was a powerful government official involved but she had never seen his face but he had written down the location were the shipment of the girls was done. Johanna nodded in excitement that she had finally found a lead. The truth was not farfetched. Robert had been killed because of his discovery of the sinister practices in the city. She was going to make her findings and establish a link between Robert’s death and the human traffickers as the dates on the diary indicated he might have been killed owing to his findings.
***
Malcolm and his friends continued with their escape plan but he had decided to include Maria in spite of Keisha’s absence. Maria had begged him that she wanted to meet her daughter after so many years. He felt her pain and obliged to her request. Malcolm and his friends had dug a long tunnel connecting from the prison, opening somewhere close towards the gate. They had opened portions of the barricading wires whenever they were out for sports. They waited impatiently for nightfall and one of the men disconnected the power in the building. They were four determined men plus Maria. They were determined to grab their destinies in their hands. They needed to succeed or die trying. Two men who had tried escaping in the past had died before their very eyes; nevertheless the fear never crossed their mind not even for a second.
The four men ran into the night with Maria on their trail. The police men rushed in chaos trying to sort out whatever the electrical problem was. Malcolm ushered Maria in front and then followed her and as they made their way close to the perforated wires, the lights came on and the police men surveyed the area with curious eyes that freaked the escaping prisoners. The men crept under a huge van as the police men marched around t the van. Maria’s grip loosened on the irons underneath the truck but Malcolm aided her pressing her grip tighter.
One of the escaping prisoners unfortunately was not able to cross over to the huge truck and the police caught him. The cop struck him with a long gun he had in his hand. He demanded for him to tell if he was with anyone but he looked towards his other friends and said he was alone. He was ushered into the prison with hard blows and spanks that altered made his face pale. He managed to steal a glance from the huge truck with eyes that formed tears. The driver of the truck climbed and started the engine while the police men on patrol searched the surrounding to ensure no one else was trying to escape. Maria’s heart pounded and her eyes popped out under the truck as the truck exited the prison.
The truck drove out of the yard into the city and the Malcolm and the other inmates were able to alight into a nearby bush unnoticed. Malcolm was overjoyed. He was going to find a way to prove that he had nothing to do with Tessa’s death. He was going to gather enough evidence to that would expose Damon. Crossing Damon was like meeting death face to face and that was the more reason why he wasn’t going to report directly to the police. His life was already on the line even when he was behind bars hence he was going to save Keisha and then gather evidence to acquit him.
Maria’s joy knew no bounds. She was going to hold her daughter in her arms once again. She was afraid to face her but she believed th
e anger in her heart would have diffused. Her daughter had been angry with her as she believed that she had killed her father. Her daughter had been living with a friend of hers and she felt a blend of happiness and fear rushing down her veins as thoughts of meeting her flushed her mind. Freedom felt so dreadful and she wondered what things would be like living the rest of her life in hiding.
Malcolm headed straight to the hospital but he couldn’t freely access Keisha’s room as there were heavily armed police men on guard. He swept a frustrating hand over his face disconcertion possessing him. He needed to see Keisha for his heart’s sake. He needed to get her out of the hospital as soon as possible. The sight of his apartment was a sham. He had little money and only God knew how he was going to survive without any friends and family. The TV channels broadcasted the escape from the central penitentiary and fear filled his mind.
His friend accommodated him and they had a couple of drinks probably in celebration for their stolen freedom. However Malcolm constantly strategized how he was going to craft Keisha’s escape plan. His friends were making plans to settle somewhere in the country side but he wasn’t going to move and inch without the woman of his life by his side. Malcolm slipped into a black trouser and a black jacket with a black hood and dashed into the night seeking to rescue Keisha. His rushing steps stormed the gloomy street but fear was far from his agenda. He was going to do whatever it took to get her out of the hospital before she recovered and transferred back to prison.
Chapter 16
Bewilderment struck him at the sight of the love of his life lying unconscious. The hospital building was consumed by silence as all the police men on watch had drenched into a deep sleep. He had fought with his thundering steps to avoid being noticed but all the caution had been in vain as there was no way he was going to take her out of the medical centre in the critical condition she was.
