by Londyn Skye
Despite the discomfort and heaviness of her leg shackles, Lily once again scooted to the opening in the curtain. She peered out just in time to see Jesse snatch his waiting victim off the ground by his afro. She kept looking as he ushered the naked slave toward the bonfire with his hands still tied behind his back. As soon as his excited audience gathered around, Jesse sliced the rope free from the slave’s wrists. Lily then heard him give two men a set of instructions before tossing them both a rope. Following Jesse’s commands, his two minions tied the slave’s arms and wrists to two trees. It left the alleged criminal standing dead center of both trees with his legs spread-eagled and his arms outstretched above his head.
Once his victim was in position, a heavy dose of adrenaline began pumping through Jesse’s veins. He would have smiled if his face was capable of such an expression. His racist brethren were completely silent as they watched their cult leader march over to retrieve one of his torture tools from the bonfire. Without a word, Jesse slowly turned toward the slave and revealed to him a scolding letter R on the tip of a branding iron. The slave’s merciless begging and pleading began the very second he saw the glowing, bright-red instrument slowly making its way toward his face. However, there was nothing any man could say that would stop a hungry, soulless demon from feeding his addiction.
The moment Jesse pressed the scolding metal to the forehead of the convicted runaway, a round of cheers erupted from the Ghost Riders, along with a round of fresh tears from Lily’s eyes. The cheering from the crowd was blended with the soul-piercing screams from the victim. The god-awful sound caused Lily to scurry backward with lightning speed in the wagon, trying to get as far from the opening of the curtain as possible. She drew her knees up to her chest again, hid her face between them, and plugged her ears, as her tears continued to drench her dress. Plugging her ears, however, could do nothing to drown out the heart-shattering cries of a man who continued to be branded with scolding hot metal on nearly every square inch of his body.
For nearly half an hour, Jesse took his time, and great pleasure, reheating his weapon and melting the flesh from the accused culprit. When his skin was thoroughly blistered, he took a step back to admire his artwork while his cult henchmen yelped around him like a pack of rabid wolves. Jesse was not finished, though; he just wanted the thief to marinate in pain for a moment before he continued with the night’s entertainment. When his need to inflict more torture returned, Jesse pulled out his hunting knife and gouged the culprit’s eyes out. He then stepped back again and let the slave’s screams delight his ears like music. After the high-pitched melody faded, Jesse slit the lower part of his victim’s abdomen open from one side to the other, allowing his internal organs to spill from within him.
Still refusing to subject her eyes to anymore of the gruesome visuals, Lily still sat rocking back and forth, pushing harder on her ears, trying desperately to keep the nightmarish hollering from becoming locked in her iron clad memory. The victim’s shrills, however, had already pierced straight through her hands, invaded her ears, and permanently seeped into her soul. There would now never be anything she could do to undo the mental damage that Jesse Adams had just inflicted upon her.
Lily jumped and finally released her ears when the curtain to the wagon suddenly opened again. She looked up to find Jesse glaring at her. He illuminated his lantern, once again giving her a clear view of his satanic eyes. Again, he refused to remove his eyes from Lily while he cleaned his bloody hunting knife on a towel; he was garnering far too much joy from the sight of her merciless trembling. The scowl on his face proved that the sentimental Jesse, who had overlooked Lily’s journey to Winter Garden, had now faded away completely. Because of his wife’s alleged dream for her, Lily had gotten far more free passes than Jesse Adams normally would have allowed any other Negro. But now, with his eyes alone, Jesse stood there letting Lily know that her piano show at Mary Jo’s engagement party had indeed been her last.
Chapter Twenty-One
After waking up at near noon, James dragged himself into the kitchen, in desperate need of caffeine. “Why ain’t Lily fixin’ lunch?” he asked his father, his voice still groggy.
“She ain’t here,” Jesse replied after taking a sip of his coffee.
Jesse’s simple reply instantly jarred James into full consciousness.
For the entire day that James was gone on his trip, he had not gotten any sleep. He was exhausted after being up for over twenty-four hours. He had gotten home in the early morning hours, dragged himself into the guest room, and went straight to bed. He was finally roused from his sleep just before noon when he smelled coffee brewing. He grabbed his pocket watch and was shocked to see that he had slept so late. Eager to see Lily, he had hopped out of bed and headed straight toward the aroma, expecting to find her in the kitchen. He was disappointed to walk in and find his father there alone, pouring himself a cup of jo. James had poured himself a cup too but suddenly no longer needed the caffeine to get his blood pumping after learning that Lily was not home. Deep inside, he was immediately hysterical, but he fought to maintain his composure. “Where is she?” James replied to his father, calmly sipping his coffee like the matter was no big deal.
“Not here!” Jesse snapped, exposing his foul mood. “You got a fuckin’ problem with that?” he asked, staring his son down.
Again, James maintained his composure, despite glancing at his father’s hand and seeing that he had a piece of gauze covering the accidental gashes he typically received after providing the “entertainment” at one of his Ghost Rider rallies. “It was just a question, pa,” James replied, trying to calmly sip his coffee again. He was hoping that his father did not notice how badly his hand was shaking after a surge of panic-induced adrenaline raced through his body.
Jesse glared at James a moment longer before grabbing his coat and stomping out of the house to head back into town.
As soon as his father rolled off the plantation in his wagon, James bolted toward the slave quarters. “Corrina!” he shouted when he saw her outside hanging sheets on a clothesline.
Startled, Corrina turned around. “Masa’ James!” She immediately dropped the sheet in her hand when she saw him trotting toward her. “I didn’t realize you’s already home. I been dyin’ to speak to you!” she said, sounding panicked. “Yo’ daddy came into the quarta’s last night and took Lily outta here!”
“Shit!” James exclaimed, running his hands through his hair.
“I done worried myself sick since wakin’ up and seein’ she wasn’t back yet.”
“Did you happen to ova’hear where he was plannin’ to take ’er?”
“No sa’. He dragged ’er outta here without a word. I’s hopin’ maybe you knew.”
“No, but don’t worry, I’ll figure it out,” James assured her. “Just pray for her, okay?” he said before he took off running toward the barn.
“Been prayin’ for her since last night,” Corrina said to herself as she watched James dashing across the fields. “For you and yo’ baby too,” she whispered.
James had no idea where to begin to get answers as to Lily’s whereabouts but decided to start with Joseph Parker. His father had spent all day Sunday after church over at Joseph’s house, eating and imbibing. While intoxicated, James knew his father tended to flap his gums about any and everything, like most drunkards. He was praying that on this occasion Jesse may have mentioned what he was planning to do with Lily. James was hoping that Joseph was not too inebriated to recall the things his father may have rambled about.
While pushing his horse hard toward the Parker plantation, James was dwelling on the fact that Mary Jo was the root cause for why Lily was back in Fayetteville. James had had an unrelenting, twisted fantasy of strangling the life out of Mary Jo since then. With Lily now nowhere to be found, James had to fight hard to talk himself out of making those rampant violent visions a reality. Despite his efforts, James failed at stopping the visuals by the time he reached the gates of Joseph Parker’s ma
ssive plantation. He had to take at least a dozen deep breaths, hoping to calm himself down while walking up the steps toward the door. His breathing techniques failed him too. He knocked on the door with his fingers twitching, eager to wrap them around Mary Jo’s throat. He had nary an ounce of calmness in his mind and body. He balled up his fists as a last-ditch effort to remain tranquil. If Mary Jo took her last breath in his hands, he knew he would obviously never be able to retrieve the information that she or her father held. Still, though, the storm brewing inside of James was raging. He finally remembered the one thing that always brought him peace: Lily. The thoughts of her immediately rid him of the desire to bark his words while growling and exposing his fangs at Mary Jo and her father. Images of Lily’s face even managed to soften his angry expression just as the front door opened.
“Afta’noon, Mr. Adams,” Joseph’s house slave greeted with a smile. “You here to see Ms. Mary Jo?”
“No, ma’am, Ms. Claudine,” he respectfully replied. “I’m actually here to speak to Mr. Parker. Do you mind callin’ afta’ him for me?”
“No sa’, not at all,” Claudine replied, still smiling. “Come on in and wait here.”
“Yes ma’am,” James replied, stepping inside and waiting nervously in the foyer.
“Sweetheart! What a nice surprise!” Mary Jo said, walking up to James with a smile on her face. “Oh, I’m so glad to see you,” she continued, nestling herself into his embrace. “I thought we weren’t gonna see each otha’ until much lata’ in the week.”
James pushed himself hard to wrap his arms around Mary Jo in return. It took even more effort to plant a kiss on her forehead. When his daunting task was complete, he gently pushed her an arm’s length away from his body and held her softly by the shoulders. “So, where’s your fatha’?” he asked, looking around and noticing the house was fairly silent.
“He’s about to leave on a business trip.” Mary Jo lowered her eyes. “Mmm,” she purred, tracing her finger down the center of his chest. “Why? What did you have in mind?” she asked, nestling herself closer to him again.
Again, James gently pushed her away from him. “Actually, I need to speak to ’em right away.”
“We ain’t seen each otha’ in a few days and you’re eaga’ to see him instead ‘a me?” Mary Jo whined, folding her arms across her chest.
“It’s not that,” James replied, doing his best to remain calm. “It’s just that this is kind of important.”
“Hmph.” Mary Jo looked him up and down with scathing eyes, quickly annoyed by how he had just dismissed her. “Daaaddy!” she turned around and called out.
Claudine had already alerted Joseph to James’s presence, and he was headed downstairs when he heard Mary Jo calling for him. “Yes, yes, sweetheart, I’m right here,” he replied as he descended the steps. He set his luggage down and laid his coat over it after he arrived in the foyer. He then kissed Mary Jo on the cheek. “Afta’noon James,” he greeted, extending his hand for him to shake.
“Afta’noon, Mr. Parker,” James replied, shaking his hand.
“What can I do ya’ for?”
“Well, I’ve got a little problem on my hands. As my fatha’s told you, he’s leavin’ the care of his property to me now. I was outta town the last twenty-four hours or so. I got in early this mornin’ and when I woke up, I noticed that my house slave, Lily, was missin’. None ‘a the otha’ slaves on my fatha’s plantation seem to know what’s happened to ’er. So, I’s wonderin’ if you knew where she might be? I just wanna be sure she hasn’t run off.”
Joseph looked perplexed as to why James was coming to him for such matters. “Well, wouldn’t your fatha’ know betta’ than me?”
“Yeah, but he wasn’t home this mornin’ when I got up,” James lied. “And I know he spent a lotta time with you on Sunday afta’ church, so I thought maybe he might’ve mentioned her whereabouts to you while he was here, or perhaps what’s happened to ’er.”
“No, I’m sorry, I can’t say that he did.” Joseph put his coat on and picked up his luggage. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m runnin’ late to get to the train station.”
“Okay, thanks anyway,” James replied. His fury was festering as Mary Jo walked her father to the door. Over Joseph’s shoulder, he had caught sight of the smirk that emerged on Mary Jo’s face while he was talking, but he refrained from reacting while in her father’s presence.
After Mary Jo bid her father farewell, she closed the door and sauntered back over to James. “Now, where were we?” she asked seductively.
“You know where Lily is, don’t you?” James asked, grabbing her hands before she could slither them around his waist.
Mary Jo looked up at him and gave a wicked smile. “Maybe I do.” She pulled her hands from his grip. “Then again…” She put her finger up to her temple. “Maybe I don’t,” she taunted.
James forced himself to reel in his anger after realizing the force with which he had just grabbed Mary Jo’s hands. “Well, it’s just that I had plans to sell Lily today. That’s the reason I’s outta town. I’s lookin’ for a suitable buyer.” He softly grazed Mary Jo’s cheek with the back of his hand. “I just don’t want Lily causin’ such a chasm between us anymore.”
“You’re a damn liar!” Mary Jo snapped, taking a step away from him. “I see it in your eyes! You don’t give a damn whetha’ or not there’s a chasm between us! And you damn sure would neva’ even think to sell Leela! You came ova’ here to find out where to rescue your honey-brown whore!”
“Where is she, MJ?” James asked, ignoring the truth in her accusations.
Mary Jo folded her arms across her chest like a stubborn child. “I ain’t tellin’ you nothin’.”
“MJ, can you please tell me where she is?” James asked again, starting to feel himself unravel.
“Afta’ that little stunt you pulled at our engagement party, she just might have a rope around ’er neck, hangin’ from a tree,” Mary Jo replied smugly. “I’m sure the buzzards will appreciate the free meat,” she laughed.
“WHERE THE FUCK IS SHE?!” James yelled, swiping a plant vase off the foyer table and shattering it into pieces. He panted hard afterward, staring at Mary Jo with his lips tightly pursed and his face fire red.
Mary Jo never once flinched. She was getting the ultimate high out of having such control over James’s emotions. “I already told you. She could very well be danglin’ from a tree by now,” she reiterated with the intent of seeing more fire in James’s eyes. “I guess you’ll neva’ know,” she smiled wickedly.
James took a step forward and put a finger in her face. “Whateva’ happens to Lily automatically happens to you,” he sneered. “Cross me if you want to.”
Again, Mary Jo never flinched. She took a step toward James too and slapped his finger out of her face. “You have the gall to threaten me?” She threw her hands on her hips and let her head fall slightly to the right. “You are sorely mistaken if you think this is all some kind ‘a game, James Adams. Embarrass me again like the otha’ night, and I’ve already seen to it that your little caramel-colored bitch will suffa’ dearly for it!” She turned and stormed up the stairs, content to let Lily rot exactly where she was.
“Goddamn it!” James yelled, kicking the flowers from the vase across the room. Now knowing that Mary Jo was responsible for Lily’s disappearance made James’s fantasy of choking her escalate into visions of putting a bullet through her brain. Trying desperately to keep himself from committing a homicide, he turned and stormed out of the house, irate about the fact that he did not know who else he could turn to for answers.
James was having to swallow the fact that it was his own failure to abide by the laws of lunacy that now had him on a mapless hunt for the most precious treasure in his life. He was about to mount his horse to start his search when he heard his name called. He turned around to find Julia walking fast toward him, nervously looking back over her shoulder as she approached. She had overheard the commotion while st
anding around the corner out of sight. The explosive exchange had her thoroughly confused about the relationship James had with Lily, as well as with Mary Jo. Julia now wondered if the complex circumstances had something to do with the way Mary Jo had destroyed her apartment and left Athens without a word. But that was the least of her current worries as she cautiously approached James. When she reached him, she nervously looked over her shoulder one last time before speaking. “I-I think I might be able to help you,” she whispered to him.
James ushered her to the other side of his horse to hide them out of sight from prying eyes. “Help me find Lily?” he questioned.
“Yes. I saw Mary Jo sneakin’ into the barn at dawn this mornin’, and she usually doesn’t eva’ set foot in that place, nor is she eva’ up that early. I thought it was odd. Not long afta’ that, she left the plantation in her carriage. I didn’t see Lily with my own eyes, but I’m wonderin’ if that’s who was in the barn. It seems to make sense because, just a few days ago, Mary Jo was ramblin’ on and on about where she wanted to take Lily.”
“What details do you rememba’?”
“She was braggin’ about takin’ ’er to a plantation with some big ol’ slave known for breedin’ boys just as big as he is. Said he’s so big and mean they keep ’em chained up all the time. She claims he’s so violent, they gotta chain up all the women they bring there too, just to keep ’em from runnin’ off. Mary Jo was wishin’ some ‘a the most god-awful things on Lily, things I don’t even wanna repeat. Don’t no woman deserve the things she was sayin’, ’specially Lily. I’ve spent time with ’er since I been here, and she truly is one ‘a the kindest women I’ve eva’ met.”
Although sickened by the thought of Lily being at a breeder, it was a major relief in comparison to the horrors that had initially come to James’s mind. Before Julia approached, he was having flashbacks of standing in front of the bonfire with his father’s hand gripping his neck, forcing him to admire his latest kill. The old visions had James’s heart speeding like a stallion at full gallop. But those visions were now trumped by the new horror of a breeder selling his baby. He knew a breeder would not care who fathered Lily’s child. So long as it came from the womb of a Negro woman, green was the only other color that mattered. Fortunately, the alleged monstrous breeding slave Julia spoke of was infamous around their town. When James was younger, the gossip of his massive size and violent ways had spread through Fayetteville like wildfire. James recalled that the slave resided on a plantation in a neighboring city, but he could not remember the name of the place. “By any chance, did MJ mention the name of the breedin’ plantation she was takin’ Lily to?” he asked Julia.
