by KR Bankston
Carlo began chanting again, this time a bit louder than before, breaking Horse’s ponderings and returning his attention to the small altar that Carlo had constructed. There was a menagerie of objects present, a couple of small skulls, rats not human. Horse couldn’t find a way to get the ones he’d requested, but Carlo hadn’t gone off on him for the substitution. Aside from the skulls there were a couple of crudely made voodoo dolls, feathers, and two small containers. Horse didn’t know what they were for, but had the feeling before the night ended he would. Carlo continued to chant as he unwrapped the final item he’d asked Horse to procure. The larger man stared at the huge cows tongue as it laid on the newspaper it had been wrapped in. They’d kept it in the large prison cooler when it was delivered earlier this evening.
“Come stand here,” Carlo instructed breaking Horse’s thought once more.
Swallowing hard and saying a silent prayer of protection on his own, he moved and came to the makeshift altar standing beside Carlo.
“Take these,” he told Horse handing him five large nails. “As I instruct, stick them deeply into the tongue,” Carlo told him looking in his eyes now.
Horse again swallowed hard, but nodded yes. The swirling black orbs held him mesmerized and he began feeling himself drifting and floating. Horse knew that physically he was still standing in the darkened cell, but he felt himself flying high above his and Carlo’s body as the man continued to chant in the same singsong monotone and never take his eyes off him. Horse soon found himself lost in the ritual, singing along as he mouthed words he had no understanding of, his body moving and jerking in strange almost convulsive movements. Carlo continued to chat, holding up the large rat they’d trapped earlier, still alive and angrily baring his teeth at his captor of the moment. Carlo began a new incantation as Horse began to settle, now on his knees still mumbling incoherently his body still having slight tremors and convulsions.
“Get up, drive the nails,” Carlo barked in French as Horse immediately complied as if comprehending.
The incantation began again as Horse drove the first nail into the massive pile of flesh and Carlo cut the rat open, direct center. He continued speaking French, his movements increasing as the blood flowed from the dead mammal and Carlo let it flow over the tongue, instructing the other four nails be driven inside. At the last nail, Carlo ripped the heart out of the rat, sliced it open and saturated his face with the blood, still chanting as some of the blood inevitably found its way into his mouth.
Horse was standing motionless, eyes glassed over, and effectively unconscious still on his feet. Carlo sliced the tongue partially open, inserting the rat’s heart and picking up the red candle, poured the hot wax on the suture, immediately sealing it.
”Shut the mouths of my enemies,” he chanted still in fluid French. “Close the eyes of those who seek my blood and keep her well hidden, always,” he added, cutting himself across the palm and allowing the blood to cover the wax sealed tomb of the rat’s heart.
Spent, Carlo immediately began to calm as Horse blinked rapidly and returned to himself. He looked down and saw the blood covering the tongue as well as the waxed over patch that seemed to be cut into it, not knowing the rat’s heart was encased or that Carlo’s blood was co-mingled.
“Take it and place it as I told you,” Carlo instructed, giving Horse a new look now.
Nodding and swallowing hard, too afraid to speak, Horse gingerly picked up the tongue and left the cell and Carlo, heading out to do his instructed task. Carlo sighed deeply sitting on his bunk, drained. His health was still deteriorating. He would meet with the prison doctor tomorrow and learn the result of his tests. He would also meet the new star shrink they were sending to dissect him, Rait Powell. Smiling darkly at the last thought, Carlo closed his eyes and allowed the black sleep to quickly find him and transport him outside the walls of the prison that held his body captive.
17
Kaitlyn was trying to sort everything out in her life right now. Jaleesa was living on her own in Conyers after Deuce was arrested for armed robbery and sentenced to seven years. He’d beaten her the night he got locked up. She’d had the abortion the next day. This was the second child she’d conceived from the man who beat her on almost a nightly basis. Knowing that she shouldn’t have, Kaitlyn reached out to Blue and found out from his mother he’d been locked up and was serving a five year bid. She’d refused to leave her number or her address, even after his mother begged her for the information, telling her how much Blue loved and missed her. Swallowing hard Kaitlyn tried to push it from her mind. She had to stop being so weak and let it go once and for all. Time was seemingly flying by for her. She would soon be celebrating her twenty-first birthday and Devontae promised it would be a night to remember. He was the one constant and yet she still kept him at arm’s length. If he noticed he never commented, and he was continually good to her.
“So what do you want for your birthday baby,” Devontae asked as he came into the room fully dressed and armed to the teeth.
“Um, is there a war I should know about,” Kaitlyn teased seeing the three .9mm, and the two .380’s he was packing.
He smiled slightly before walking up to her and hugging her close, kissing her.
“Crazy run tonight,” he replied simply as Kaitlyn frowned.
“Then I should go with you,” she told him as he immediately told her no.
“Why not,” she asked, getting a bad feeling and not liking it.
“Because I got this, you just keep my spot warm,” Devontae told her, kissing her again.
“Seriously Devontae, what’s going on,” she asked, searching his eyes with her own.
“KiKi, its straight baby, let me do this,” he returned still not enlightening her.
Knowing she wouldn’t get a straight answer, she let the conversation drop as he again asked her desires for her birthday. Shrugging, Kaitlyn told him she hadn’t really thought about it.
“Surprise me,” she told him as Devontae smiled again and told her he could do that.
His phone went off and he answered, giving short one word responses, further alerting Kaitlyn he was up to something very dangerous.
“I’ll be late, so don’t wait on me,” he told her, caressing her face and looking into her eyes.
Kaitlyn definitely didn’t like what she saw.
“You’re going to walk out of that door and not tell me what’s up,” she tried one more time.
“I love you KiKi, that’s all you need to know,” Devontae told her and walked out of the door, closing it behind him.
*****
Blue was melancholy today. He always got that way around Lauren’s birthday. It had been almost two years since she’d called his mother and asked about him. I still love that girl so much, he thought sadly and sighed deeply. He also kicked himself for getting into a fight when he got here, putting the inmate in intensive care and adding another four years to his sentence. I needed to get the hell outta here and look what the hell I did, Blue chastised himself. He didn’t even know where she was when she called. Lauren absolutely refused to budge on her whereabouts. He had to stay straight while he was locked up. Getting time off for good behavior was the only way he would get out of this prison before he was an old man and Lauren didn’t want him anymore. Baby where are you, he continued to think as his cell door opened and a new face entered. Blue had been alone in the cell for the last eight months. He liked it that way and found himself immediately resentful of his new cellmate.
“Hey,” the man greeted Blue who grunted in returned.
“I sleep on the bottom bunk,” he said simply as the man nodded and threw his few belongings on the top.
“They call me Poncho,” he told Blue, who again grunted and simply looked him over.
After a few more moments of awkward silence, Blue addressed him.
“Why you here,” he asked giving Poncho a chance to tell his story.
“Being stupid,” he replied sighing deeply as he sat on the
floor of the cell. “Just got out the joint on good behavior down South,” he went on as Blue continued to listen wordlessly.
“Came up to Chi to hang with my cousins and a few of his boys, got caught up in this drug thing,” he told him, falling silent.
Blue sighed lightly understanding.
“How long they give you,” he asked as Poncho shook his head and sighed deeply.
“10 damn year’s man,” he threw out bitterly.
“Well you can get out in about six if you act right,” Blue told him. “Just for the record, I don’t do that gay shit, and I don’t snitch or get caught up in prison banging,” he informed as Poncho immediately assured him he loved women and he wasn’t looking to get caught up either.
“Good we’re straight then,” Blue told him, returning to his cell and closing his eyes as he heard Poncho climb up to the top bunk and do the same.
*****
Devontae knew she was worried, but he couldn’t tell her he was too. This trip had his stomach in knots and he’d had a bad feeling all day long. That was the real reason he didn’t allow Kaitlyn to come along. She could hold her own. He knew that first hand, but tonight was a horse of a different color. Anytime he rolled with Dominic and Rank he wasn’t too sure how things would turn out. They were wild and unpredictable. He didn’t want either of them anywhere near Kaitlyn.
“We’re here,” Dominic announced as they drove up close to the housing project.
Devontae saw the young men still sitting outside shooting the breeze. They weren’t stupid though. He also saw the sentries placed strategically around the complex to alert the dealers to any posed threat or intrusion.
“What’s the deal,” Devontae finally asked.
Rank approached him earlier saying they were simply going to collect a debt owed and it would be a quick in and out.
“These fools owe us money,” Rank told him as Devontae murmured slightly.
Easing out of the car the three men blended into the darkness dressed in all black. They moved silently as they made their way closer and closer to the porch and the men still sitting and enjoying their smokes and drinks. The feeling in the pit of his stomach was still there, stronger than ever as Devontae saw their targets plainly and readied himself to handle business. Suddenly the silence was broken when the officers burst from bushes, and darkened alley’s clad in the same all black attire Devontae, Rank, and Dominic wore. He saw the young men scatter, some brandishing guns as the fireworks started. Women were screaming as the men ran through apartments trying to escape the pursuing officers.
“Freeze, put your hands on your head,” the officer barked, gun trained directly on Devontae.
Shit, he thought as he complied and felt the cold steel of the first handcuff around his wrist. Devontae knew he was going down for a long time with the weapons he had on him, not to mention that two of the five were stolen. Rank took off, the officer in hot pursuit. Dominic surrendered without incident as well and the two were quickly corralled into a waiting squad car.
After catching, subduing, and handcuffing Rank, the officer led him back to the car and patted him down. They removed his weapons, as well as several vials of crack he was carrying. Devontae was glad he didn’t have any dope on him to add to the charges, but that joy would be short lived as his mind recalled the marijuana and small baggie of cocaine in his pockets. The officer seemed to hear his thought, snatching him from the car and giving him a more thorough search, finding the paraphernalia and confiscating it. Devontae hung his head and calmly got back into the squad car at the officers urging. He was done and he knew it. There was no plea bargaining his way out of this mess. He already had a felony. Damn, I gotta talk to KiKi, he thought, needing to give her instruction and to say goodbye. As much as he didn’t want to let her go, he had no choice. He doubted he got bail and if he did, even that was temporary. No, Devontae had to be honest and admit it was over for them and what they had. He was determined to leave her set though, as he watched the Atlanta scene whiz by in the cruisers rear seat. He would make his call and ask her to come see him. Then Devontae would tell her where all his stuff was and how to get her hustle started and support herself. Closing his eyes he tried to block out the hurt and the loss, not succeeding on either front as the car stopped and officer again removed him from the back and took him inside for the interrogation to begin.
*****
Ian liked Atlanta. It was a very hospitable city and so far he was doing very well here. He’d bought the club on Lawrenceville Hwy only a few months ago. It was struggling a bit, but he was patient. Ian knew that once he got his name out into the city people would begin to come. It served its purpose for now, allowing them yet another place to launder money and move both drugs and weapons. The women here were plentiful as well; very friendly and always accommodating to a man with money. He smiled slightly as Shelby came inside and greeted him smiling. He’d met her at one of the more exclusive strip clubs and took a liking to her. Once they talked and of course had sex, Ian decided to keep her around exclusively for a while, allowing her to quit her job.
“Hi baby,” Shelby greeted him, grabbing a coke from the bar.
“Hey,” Ian replied calmly. “Did you get something nice,” he asked.
They were heading to a grand gala for the Arena League. It was just starting up in the city and there were plenty of people on the list that Ian wanted to get inside Infusion.
Shelby showed him the sexy, high cut, after seven dress she’d purchased as Ian smiled his approval.
“I’ll pick you up at 7:00PM,” he told her as Shelby acknowledged him and headed to her mother’s house.
She still lived at home and hated it. Dating Ian however she saw that as a temporary arrangement and was already making plans to move in with him. Ian sighed softly after the woman left, picking up the phone and calling Ryan.
“What’s going on little brother,” Ryan teased.
Ian told him everything was fine and to stop calling him that.
“You ready for the party tonight,” he questioned as Ian told him he was.
“I have plenty of business cards, and I’ll be giving away lots of free drinks, VIP seating, etc.,” Ian replied as Ryan told him it sounded like a plan.
“Don’t forget to meet and feel out some of the law enforcement around there,” Ryan advised.
Ian mumbled slightly telling him he hadn’t forgotten and he would take care of it.
“I’m proud of you Ice, you’re makin’ it happen,” Ryan told him.
Ian smiled fully thanking his brother. Ryan’s approval meant the world to him and there was no one closer to him in his life than his older brother. Chatting a few moments more, Ian disconnected and grabbed his keys heading to his own apartment to shower and change before heading over to the Arena and staking his claim on the city.
18
“Good afternoon Carlo,” Rait greeted his patient.
They’d finally established a rapport, albeit it somewhat strained, a rapport nonetheless in their three months of interaction. Rait found the man cooperative to a degree but Carlo was shrewd and he only answered or talked if he felt like it, and even then he only allowed Rait so much leeway. So far they hadn’t been able to talk about Auriel or Lauren at all. Today he wanted that to be different. Rait wanted to know what drove the man to kill his wife and bed his daughter.
“Hello Dr. Powell,” he replied calmly, watching the man without emotion.
He wasn’t feeling well today and his patience span was very short. The visit with the prison doctor hadn’t yielded much past the fact that his immune system wasn’t fighting off sickness as it should. Carlo thought the prison doctor was a complete idiot but didn’t voice it since the man was his main heroin supplier.
“Carlo,” Rait began carefully. “I’d like to talk about Auriel today.”
The frown was almost instant as Carlo looked at him even harder.
“Why are you so damned interested in my wife Dr. Powell,” he asked irritab
ly.
Rait sighed lightly knowing he needed to tread lightly. He’d been observing the sudden mood changes and had a diagnosis brewing in his head; he just needed a few more confirmations to prove it.
“Why are you so adamant not to talk about her,” Rait returned calmly.
“She’s dead, so what’s the point,” Carlo again returned without adding anything more.
“The point is,” Rait began. “I want to know what drove you, a man who says he loved his family, to kill his own wife, in front of his 12 year old daughter,” he replied evenly as Carlo’s eyes began to blaze, the anger coming off him in waves.
“You want to find my daughter don’t you,” he threw out abruptly changing gears.
Rait frowned slightly a bit taken aback by the question.
“I’m asking about your wife,” he replied, once again taking control of the session.
Carlo sighed deeply and regarded the man once more.
“She lied to me,” he replied his voice taking on a cold even monotone. “Auriel wanted to leave me, to destroy me, and to take my Lauren away from me,” he told Rait, those eyes looking through him once more.
Rait nodded slightly.
“So she was cheating on you, having an affair,” he asked.
Carlo smiled at that point and it scared the hell out of him.
“She thought I didn’t see, but I did,” he replied, his voice the same. “Auriel wouldn’t listen,” Carlo added and grew quiet.
Rait frowned slightly not sure how to take the man’s silence.
“Who was Auriel having an affair with Carlo,” Rait asked. “One of your associates, Cartier,” he threw out as Carlo’s eyes narrowed.
“Socrates is true,” he replied evenly.
