“No thanks. So what’s in the other file you’ve got?” she asked pointing at the folder in Tommy’s hand.
Tommy looked at the folder and huffed. “Ever heard of a bunch of ruthless sons of bitches who call themselves the Decepticons?” Donnie nodded recalling the notorious gang who stole their name from the bad guys on the Transformers cartoon, and their violent antics that got mentions on the front page of the Daily News. “Well they kicked this guy out for being too rough.” he said handing her a folder then went over to the kitchenette and poured out some Johnnie Walker Black into a glass.
Donnie frowned at the snapshot of the man with biceps bigger than most human torsos and lots of piercings and tribal tattoos. He kind of resembled a lion with his matted bright blonde dreads, thick ridge of bone that jutted out above his eyes, wide nose, prognathous jaw and protrusive lips.
“That’s what you fought in my building?” Donnie grimaced in disbelief and began flipping through his file. She could not believe the information on the paper and read it aloud. “Ras Grazmatch a.k.a. Nature, Height about seven-foot one, Weight around three-hundred and fifty pounds, Age unknown but presumably early to mid-forties, Nationality African. Enormously big and powerful with dynamite agility and speed, a master at murder and known for his lethal hand-to-hand combat skills, sheer cunning, savagery and animalistic ruthlessness. He is also very knowledgeable of various types of instruments of death and practically every handgun imaginable. He’s a force of Nature and was branded as such.” She paused and looked up at Tommy skeptically.
“Look all I know for certain is that Nature came here to the U.S. four years ago to bring back the wife of a powerful modern day monarch who heads the left wing regime of the Ethiopian People’s Republic. Evidentially she fled the country because she saw her husband involved in something she should not have that could have toppled their government. When she contacted me, she was hiding out with relatives in Flatbush. The poor woman was more terrified of Nature than of whatever it was she saw that forced her to run in the first place. Not that I blame her, he’s one spooky son of a bitch. Supposedly he wears the bones of his enemies as souvenirs around his neck and has even drank their blood.” Donnie raised an eyebrow at Tommy with twitched lips. “Yeah, even I’m not buying that one. But still I protected her, and even helped her relocate to a place where he’d never find her. But because he never completed his mission he can’t return home a failure and blames me for being stuck here. To make a living he hires himself out to loan sharks, drug dealers and other scum.”
“Kinda’ the opposite of you.” Donnie said
“I suppose.” Tommy paused, reflecting, “We only fought once but it didn’t last long. The cops showed up on the scene and he took off. But it in brief moments it was like fighting a machine that doesn’t have an off switch. I’ve fought a lot of hardcore dudes in my time, but I’d have to say that out of everyone I’ve ever fought, Nature’s been my toughest fight to date.”
A chill ran down Tommy’s spine at the thought of having to do battle with him again. He shrugged then picked up the phone then began dialing. “-Hello, yeah-let me speak to Andrew Carmichael please…Hello Andrew it’s me Tommy Strong, Alonzo’s cousin…Yeah Bug-Out. Listen I got your call and I doubt if my cousin will be coming back…yeah, I’m sorry too. But the truth of the matter is, after receiving the news that he’s got AIDS he just didn’t feel the need to-huh? AIDS…. What do you mean who told him? You did…WHAT?” Tommy shouted and made both Donnie and Mayhem jump. “…Yeah this comes as a surprise to me too…I have no idea why…Right-right. Listen, if I see him I’ll let him know but I wouldn’t worry about it too much. There are others who are more deserving that can use that bed…Okay man thanks for all you’ve done…Yeah, I’m sorry too. Take care.” Tommy hung up the phone and turned to his girlfriend stressed. “There are some days where my life seems absolutely unlikely. So unlikely that when I live that day in question, I have to pinch myself to realize that it is true.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Bug-Out doesn’t have AIDS. He fucking lied!”
“What? But why would he lie about something like that?”
“I don’t know but I’m about to find out now! That’s if he actually got his phone turned back on.” Tommy said angrily and dialed Bug-Out up. To his shock it rang and as soon as his cousin answered the phone Tommy proceeded to curse him out, calling him every name in the book. After a few weak lies Bug-Out admitted that he did not have AIDS and the reason he said he did was so that he could do his drugs in peace and be left alone. He said he appreciated everything his cousin had done for him but it was time to face the truth, he was and would always be an addict. Bug-Out apologized to Tommy from the bottom of his heart and said that he would tell his mother the truth and ask her to keep his son. Then with that said he hung up so he could continue getting high. Tommy sat there holding the phone in his hands. “Fuck!”
“Are you okay?” she asked.
Tommy shook his head no. “Bug-Out was the big brother I never had. True he may have been small in size but he was huge in heart. He wasn’t scared of anybody and as kids, when shit went down, he always had my back and I had his.”
Tommy’s second line rang and he looked at Donnie then ran his hand from the top of his head to his chin in a frustrated sweep. With everything heavily weighing down on his shoulders, he did not need more density to his problems.
“Hello…” Suddenly Tommy’s face contorted into a snarl. “Listen up you demented motherfucker if you think your puny threats scare me then you obviously don’t-Whoa!…What did you just say to me?…” Tommy’s jaw swung open when the contemptuous voice on the other end repeated what he was hoping-praying he didn’t just hear. His mind reeled and he was overcome with a sickening feeling in his stomach that enveloped his entire body. He dropped the phone. “This can’t be happening! It can’t!”
“Tommy?” Donnie called to him.
Tommy opened his mouth to answer, but nothing came out. He dragged his feet over to the couch and collapsed. Donnie was panic-stricken. Her heart was beating so rapidly that it felt like it would jump out her chest. Tommy was the bravest man she had ever known and if the words he was told over the phone could instill such fear and trepidation on his face, then it must mean the end of the world. Tommy turned to Donnie slowly wide-eyed, still in shock.
“Who was that?” she asked apprehensively.
“Doll face.”
“What did he want?”
“To tell me the flight number of the plane my parents were on. Even what they were wearing and how easy it would be to arrange an accident to befall them.” Tommy said struggling to get the words out.
“Oh my God!” Donnie cupped her hand over her mouth.
“I need to think,” He said massaging his temples with the tips of his fingers. “Tee-Tee! I need to go and get my sister. I need to get Nicky and stash them in a hotel.” he spun at her. “You too! God I can’t think straight. I don’t know how long this sick fuck’s been clocking me. A week, a month, a year, two years. I was so sure that I had everything under control. How could I have been so stupid?” He shouted pounding his head with his fists. “My Pop’s tried to tell me, Nicky-even you dropped hints about how everything I did would come full circle and bite me in the ass. But did I listen? And now everyone’s involved.” he paused and squeezed his eyes. He was prepared for whatever came his way but what about the people he loved? “If anything were to happen to-God I don’t even want to think about it.”
“Honey calm down.” Donnie said stroking his back.
“How the hell am I supposed to calm down? This asshole just threatened my parents! I don’t know what to do! It’s too much!” Tommy fussed overwhelmed with stress as he collapsed on his bed.
Donnie folded her arms and stared at him shaking her head. “I never saw a Trouble Consultant feel sorry for himself before, mind if I watch?” She said. Tommy sat up glaring with glassy eyes. “No
w you listen to me Tommy Strong, from the moment I met you, you have proven that you are at your best when things are at their worst. Have you forgotten all the fights, the shootings, the trials and tribulations that you overcame? Now you may not be invincible but, you are strong! And yes, it looks bad. But God is on your side. And so am I. And together we can handle this. Now get it together!” Tommy listened quietly. “Now, once again. Are you Okay?”
He nodded. For a minute he had forgotten who he was but Donnie didn’t. “Yeah-I’m Okay.” He smiled and caressed her face feeling damn lucky.
Tommy’s business line rang and he scooped it up on the first ring. “Havoc…Yo Drake talk to me. What do you have on Carter…Uh-huh…a living autopsy huh?…Uh-huh …Word?…Yeah I’m still here.” he said after a few moments of silence. “So, how’d they die?…This is exactly why I said the less you know the better off you are. By the way, how’s that little problem I took care of for you? Everything copacetic?…Good…Who me?…Naw, I’m retiring from all this insanity…Well believe it. Back when I started doing this psychos, criminals and derelicts had more consideration for their fellow man…I dunno, maybe I’ll open up a nightclub.” Tommy said and winked at Donnie causing her to smile in spite of the serious situation facing them. “Listen man I gotta’ bounce. Thanks again, it’s been an education.”
Tommy hung up and exhaled then got up and went over to his closet in a daze and started pulling out clothes leaving Donnie hanging on the edge of her seat.
“Well, what’d he say?” Donnie asked zealously.
“Oh, I’m sorry babe. I’m just tripping off of what Drake told me.”
“Which was?”
“He said that Carter was so messed up when he was admitted the staff in ER dubbed him the human Autopsy. After only two weeks he checked out of the hospital against doctor’s orders. As Carter stormed out wrapped in bandages from head to toe, he shouted and carried on like a madman swearing to get even with Lisa, her fiancé and especially me for destroying his life. And that was the last anybody’s ever heard from him.
“A year later Detectives visited the hospital asking a whole bunch of questions about Carter after Lisa disappeared without a trace. Because of the threats and frame of mind Carter was in when he checked out, they were operating on the presumption that Lisa was in danger and Carter was their primary focus. But he fell off the radar and they couldn’t locate his whereabouts. Then Detectives found her body on the roof of an abandoned building.
“Even though the hospital staff was not much help the first time, Detectives repaid them a visit last year after the body of Nathan Owens, Lisa’s fiancé and the man she left Carter for, washed ashore in Queens bloated and badly decomposed. Medical examiners determined the cause of death was multiple lacerations, from a jagged instrument. Just like Lisa.” Tommy paused and turned to Donnie with a look of seriousness. “It’s all starting to add up. First Carter checks himself out the hospital making threats against his girl, her fiancé and me. The following year she turns up dead, exactly one year later he’s found dead, now I’m hassled by a weirdo in a mask.”
“And if Carter was left disfigured from his accident to the point people were calling him a living Autopsy, of course he would want to cover his scars with a mask.” Donnie said.
Tommy pointed at her as if to say, ‘precisely’. “Follow the pattern. I’m last on his ‘to-do’ list.” he said.
“Like the saying, death comes, in threes.” Donnie whispered. “So then your gut feeling was right.” she said worriedly.
Tommy blew frustratedly. “I don’t know. I mean it all points to Carter but in my line of work you quickly learn that things are not always what they seem. The only thing my gut is right about is the guy I fought with was not a man. He was not human.” he said rubbing his sore ribs.
Donnie felt a shiver shoot up her spine. “I feel like I’m in camp before an open fire listening to one of those scary camp stories.”
“Yeah but the problem is, there ain’t no campfire and we ain’t in camp.” Havoc came back over to the bed dressed in a red T-shirt, red bomber jacket, a pair of red cargo pants and matching Doc Martens.
He stood on top of the ottoman and slid back a hidden compartment in the ceiling and pulled down a large red duffel bag. He reached into the bag and removed a Dillinger then stared at the gun smiling. It was the very first piece he used to keep in his quarter field coat back when he was Mister Fix-It, running up on fools in the projects. It was a reliable weapon but not strong enough so he put it to the side and dug deeper past an assortment of other weapons. While searching for something with a stronger kick he discovered a red handled double barrel sawed-off shotgun that he slid into his hip holster. He looked down at Donnie and sighed, “It’s about to get real ugly. Why don’t you-”
“No! I told you before, I’m coming.” She said stubbornly.
Havoc nodded hopping down and placed a red full leather body harness on his dog with specially made pouches on either side, courtesy of Dapper Dan. Then he shoved a gun into one pouch and an extra clip into the other.
“Can she shoot?” Donnie asked.
“We’ve suckered some cats into believing she can but no, it’s only a backup piece. But we’re working on it right girl?” he grinned scratching her head then rose to his feet and handed Donnie his four-fingered HAVOC ring. “Hold on to this for me.”
“Anything smaller?” She said putting it on her dainty hand.
“It’s not for you to wear. That ring has always brought me luck. And we can use some tonight. So, for the last time, you sure about this?” he asked pulling his red Kangol on.
“I’m sure.” Donnie nodded placing his lucky charm in her jacket pocket.
“Aight, then let’s bounce.” Havoc said then paused in the doorway and prayed everything would be alright.
After they were gone, Havoc’s business phone rang again and the answering machine picked up, “Yo Havoc! It’s me Drake. Hello? Yo, I got a bit of the info mixed up. Evidentially it wasn’t Tide they called the living Autopsy. It’s-” Filled to the capacity of messages the machine ended.
Chapter 31
The only space Havoc could find was under a street lamp around the corner from Nicky’s. At this point it was pointless to sneak around and play the shadows. Whoever the mystery man with the steel hide was, he was probably out there somewhere watching him at that very moment. Havoc turned off his car and paused feeling very uneasy about all of this. Usually he was in control of the situation.
“Maybe I should wait here in the car.” Donnie said suddenly.
“There’s no way I’m letting you out of my sight! Nature and that masked freakazoid are probably out there, somewhere watching us as we speak.” Havoc said.
“But I don’t think your ex wants me in her home, much less you. You heard her on the phone.”
Havoc twisted at her like she was insane. “You’re kidding me right? We’ve got bigger issues to deal with than Nicky’s beef with me. Girl if you don’t come on!”
Nicky opened the door, folded her arms across her chest and stared at him with a denouncing look. “So I was right, you did send Tee-Tee here so you could work.” She said sucking her teeth.
“And hello to you too.” Havoc said.
“Don’t be coy with me. Do you have any idea how utterly selfish what you did was?” Nicky argued.
“Can we talk about this inside?” Havoc asked calmly.
“Why what’s the matter-embarrassed? Well you should be! Tell me, does your new girlfriend know what kind of man you are?”
“As a matter-a-fact, I do.” Donnie said stepping into the light. Nicky’s eyes stretched from astonishment then just as quickly narrowed to fine slits. “Nicky you’ve got it all wrong. It’s not what you think.” she was going to stay in the background and let her man handle it, but the more Nicky screamed on him without knowing the full story, the more difficult it became to stand there silently.
Nicky shot
Donnie a catty look that telepathically said, “Bitch what the hell are you doing in front of my house?” then turned to Havoc with a look of disgust.
Havoc and Mayhem Page 40
