Caribbean Rage

by Clington Quamie

  Moments later, her screams stopped. The woman came out of the room with her dress still halfway up her torso. Most of privates were still exposed. She bowed her head in unreserved shame as she approached the rest of us. Scarface paced the parlour slowly. He fixed an ugly grin before confronting the dark man.

  ‘Unless you tell me where the map is, consider yourself responsible for what happens next! Let’s see what you’re made of!’ Scarface seized a twelve year old girl from her mom and dad. The adolescent’s father quickly got to his feet but was met with a series of bullets that sent him tumbling towards the wall.

  Scarface dragged the girl in the room where the woman had been viciously raped. Two other renegades escorted him. The screams that followed were vile and horrific. It continued for a nonstop spell and was accompanied by loud hoots of yeah…yeah…yeah. The screaming stopped abruptly and the young girl was dragged out of the room.

  A fresh trail of blood dripped from both her legs. She could barely walk. Scarface launched towards the dark man again still fixing his zipper.

  ‘Are you prepared to tell me where the map is?’ he smashed an elbow into his rib cage. Still, there was no answer from him. Another hard kick to the groin brought the dark man to his knees in excruciating agony but still no answer from him. Scarface impatience turned into a burning fury. He motioned at another convict who hadn’t been to the rape room. He forwarded him a nefarious nod as if to say choose another victim.

  The prison escapee motioned Marielli forward. Scarface immediately shot him a baleful glance and walked across the floor to meet her.

  ‘No no no…this one is mine. She’s so young and so pretty.’ Scarface grabbed her by the hair and attempted to caress her face.

  Marielli waved her innocent face clear off the criminal’s coarse hand and spat at him. Scarface’s fury quadrupled. ‘I’m going to destroy your little cunt!’ he grabbed her by the wrist and proceeded towards the rape room. The dark man exchanged a knowing glance with me. For the first time since I met him, I saw genuine rage in his eyes.

  Without warning, Kaila lurched forward in rescue of our innocent daughter. She’d witnessed second hand the cruelty they’d just inflicted upon a twelve year old far less for Marielli who was only eight.

  ‘Take me instead!’ she pleaded with Scarface, ‘she has nothing to do with this.’ The scar-faced man stopped and turned to examine Kaila.

  The gesture jolted a profound excitement within him. He started walking back in our direction with his hand still wrapped around Marielli’s wrist. He grabbed Kaila’s chin and took a closer look at both her cheeks.

  ‘I can see where your little angel got her looks from!’ he laid his filthy tongue upon her from the base of her chin to the corner of her eye. Waves of shiver crawled up her spine but she remained still.

  I could not remain as still anymore. My daughter and my sweetheart were now in trouble and there was no way I was going to just stand there and do nothing. I started towards Scarface. The swiftness with which guns were pointed at me brought me to an instantaneous halt.

  ‘Do you want me to choose you instead?!’ no part of Scarface spelled humour. Another escapee interrupted. ‘Good idea boss; deal with him and leave the little bitch to me!’ Scarface spun around and unremorsefully shot him in the leg.

  ‘I already said that the little cunt is mine! You never get to eat from the same plate as me. Is that clear?!!!’

  The gunshot’s impact brought the escapee to bending knees. Scarface then turned towards me.

  ‘You were saying?’

  Kaila and Marielli were in dire danger so I had to deal my last card.

  ‘I have the map!’ my words changed the atmosphere in the room. Scarface tightened his face. He still held onto Marielli.

  ‘You better not be playing games!’ he scrutinized me.

  ‘If I give you the map…you’ll let them go!’ my attempt to bargain with the criminal was more of a demand than a request. Scarface paused for a moment as if attempting to understand the simple request put forward by me. His face softened before extending his right hand.

  ‘We have deal.’ I was met with a scornful glance from the dark man as I retrieved the envelope from its hiding place. I’d gone to the world’s end to deny him the map that took the hideous desperado a threatening minute to find. Scarface took the map and thanked me. Right after he receive it, he turned into a desperate villain again. The moment he confirmed the map’s authenticity he turned towards Kaila. ‘I like you and your daughter so we’re going to have a little family reunion!’ he started towards the rape room. Scarface ordered his men to shoot me if I were to make any funny move.

  Scarface was halfway into the rape room when another figure audaciously barged into the main entrance of the building. The morning kept getting more interesting. It was Mr. Lance Cruisner, my landlord and the owner of a chain of restaurant across Jolly Harbour.

  Scarface let loose of Kaila. Marielli burst open the grip on her wrists and hurried back in the room.

  ‘Can someone explain to me what’s going on in here?!’ Lance locked his eyes with Scarface’s.

  Scarface cocked his head downwards in a mimic action of a timid dog acknowledging its master’s presence.

  He began slowly towards the room. Lance looked in the dark man’s direction and hesitated for a moment. He had an unrivaled expression of amusement.

  ‘Abdullah Rockford aka The Shadow. Finally we meet!’ he jeered at Abdullah, ‘I’m the man who hired you but it’s a shame I no longer have use for you!’

  Kaila shot me a knowing glance from across the room. We were both utterly surprised by the revelation of who The Shadow was.

  Rumours surrounding The Shadow described him as the island’s most brutal and elusive assassin. He had been sought after by the police force but to no avail. All along, he’d been in our backyard walking freely among ordinary civilians under the guise of a taxi-driver named Abdullah.

  It made perfect sense why he’d chosen to work in the restaurant only during the day. It allowed him to blend in comfortably. He also pretended to operate as a taxi driver by nights when no one actually spotted him committing those gruesome crimes.

  The two-faced serpent had even told us one day that at times he was fearful of travelling the roads late at nights for fear of bumping into The Shadow.

  Lance ordered Scarface to kill Abdullah. I sprang forward almost immediately.

  ‘No don’t kill him!’

  Kaila jaw dropped. Her eyes begged the question;what the fuck are you doing you asshole?

  Lance hid behind an expression of surprise. Scarface was ready to drop Abdullah’s body.

  ‘Your man here, SCARFACE, has the map you seek. There’s no need for more violence. We’ve already seen enough for the day!’

  Scarface immediately took the gun off The Shadow and pointed it at me. No part of him was amused by the unpleasant name I described him with.

  One of the other renegades repeated the word “Scarface” softly followed by a sardonic chuckle. The rest of the criminals couldn’t contain their laughter any longer. Their wild hilarity at their surrogate leader broke loose in unison.

  ‘Enough!!!’ Lance waved his hands in air. He was far from being amused. Wickedness replaced his expression of surprise.

  Lance eyes connected with Scarface’s. They straightaway understood each other. Scarface repositioned his weapon on Abdullah. Lance’s eyes were still fixated on him. Once again he understood. He hurriedly produced the map. As soon as Lance received the precious piece of document, he beamed up again.

  ‘Kill them! Kill them all!’ he ordered his men to begin with The Shadow.

  Scarface raised his weapon towards The Shadow. A loud bang filled the secluded mansion.

  Forty Six ……………

  Scarface dropped dead in an instant before our eyes. A few more deafening bangs and more of his men dropped. Lance was left standing with not a bullet wound. He remained in a frozen confusion.

  The b
uilding went dead silent. A contingent comprising both men and women barged into the mansion. They wore faces of soldiers in the midst of a heated battle. Shakira, Kamilla and her nephew Erickson were among them. They’d survived the tsunami.

  Shakira and Kamilla held smoking guns to Lance’s head. The two escapees that were left standing surrendered to their knees with their hands above the heads.

  A man whose youthfulness surpassed his age gracefully approached me. He walked passed Lance without saying a word. Lance’s body metamorphosed into a paleness that was akin to a fresh corpse. One could have sworn a ghost had suddenly visited him. The silence in the room grew unbearably tense.

  ‘Greetings, Mr. Cullingberg,’ ‘the man extended his right hand towards me, ‘my name is Erik Barfknecht.’

  There was a strange familiarity about his name. The man who stood before me was immaculately attired. He had an uncanny style about him and he commanded a great degree of respect.

  I took his hand not knowing exactly what to expect. The events preceding his arrival had already turned ugly and could only get worse.

  ‘I’m the half brother of your past lover, Erika Hafez. The word Erika resurrected Kaila’s focus. She became all eared from the other end of the room. Her eagerness for information was glaring. Erik quickly capitalized on it. ‘Yes...yes...yes; his past lover, Erika,’ the man’s words

  were carefully measured, ‘and I’ve heard much about you too, miss Kaila Bronson.’ He never looked at her.

  Kaila was caught totally off guard. Her mouth opened up involuntarily and I wasn’t sure if it was out of shock or raw audacity to probe for more information. Whichever it was, she never got the chance.

  ‘This boy here is your son, Erickson. I suppose you all have never met. You’re his father and I’m his uncle. That said; I was hoping I could count you in as family!’ his words were delivered as straightforward as a verdict being read to a guilty criminal by an intolerant judge.

  He released his bone crushing grip on my hand and motioned towards the eight year old boy standing close to the entrance. The revelation hit me like a bombshell. It killed Kaila on the other side of the grand hallway. I was met with a stern steer from her. The topic we avoided for a number of years in order to bury all memories of Erika had resurfaced. A few hours before the monstrous wave ravaged through the island, I’d given the eight year old a tour through the island, absolutely oblivious I was entertaining my own flesh and blood. Marielli stood bewildered at her mom’s side. Her eyes were a ball of blazing fire. They demanded endless questions but the timing was dead wrong. She felt betrayed by the revelation. Neither of us had told her she had a sibling somewhere out there.

  ‘Thank you for preserving what rightfully belongs to me.’ Erik offered me his final words as he switched his attention to Lance.

  ‘Mr. Franco Defreitas!!!’ I take it you have something for me?’ he stretched his hand towards Lance.

  Lance didn’t hesitate to hand over the map. Erik scanned through the mysterious document. He then placed it safely in an inner chamber of his suede jacket. As soon as the document was secured, Shakira produced a gun and took aim at Lance.

  ‘I need him alive, S54B3,’ Erik turned to Shakira, ‘we have unfinished business!’

  The surprises kept coming as the day progressed.

  The landlord I knew as Lance Cruisner was identified as Franco Defreitas. Shakira was also addressed by a code name. One thought circulated my mind; trust no one and expect the unexpected. I should have known better. First, it was Abdullah, then my landlord and now Shakira, the innocent looking blonde who’d supervised my operation for many months. It seemed like everyone I knew was turning out to be either a criminal or an assassin of some sort. Even Kamilla, whom I’d given an unforgettable tour to Shirley Heights, was a culprit. How much worse could it get? A fresh spot of blood that trickled down the legs of the twelve year old girl who’d experience hell on earth by the renegades caught S54B3’s attention.

  ‘Who did this to you?’ her ugly past came back to her in a rush. Leave her to the spoils; she’s ruined for life!!! The little girl pointed towards the last of her rapists who were still alive and on their knees. S54B3’s face took on the appearance of an ancient Roman warrior who was preparing for mortal combat.

  Without another spoken word, she lifted her weapon and showered bullets on them. Except for the prison escapees who had sadistically raped the minor, nobody else moved or got hurt. Everyone who’d witnessed the brutality that was inflicted upon the juvenile shared a silently savoured impenitence towards the renegades as justice was served.

  ****

  The Shadow struggled within himself to comprehend the perplexity that mind boggled him. He’d been misguidedly working against the one man who was responsible for his well-being. He wanted to leap across to the hall to put an end to Franco. His only solace was; being aware of Erik’s painstaking style of execution, he was certain a far worse judgment awaited Franco. He eyed S54B3 in a trance-like confusion. Shakira, the sexy blonde bartender! She was his coworker at Koconut Breeze. He never discovered who she really was. He feverishly pursued her and wanted her dead but paradoxically, he wanted nothing more in the world than to be deep down inside of her. All along, they served the same master but S54B3 had always been a few steps ahead of him.

  ‘ I am The Shadow…I am invincible…no one sees my face and survives.’ he recalled his dictum. Shakira flirted with him, saw his face almost every day and yet survived him. She beat him in an arena where he was ranked the best. The Shadow hated her for her ingenuity but all the same admired her.

  ****

  S54B3’s held a firm grip on the pistol. She was ready to put a hole in Franco’s skull should he make any funny moves. She stole a quick glance at Abdullah.

  The invincible Shadow she thought. She knew he’d trailed her and wanted her dead but she eluded him every single time. S54B3 was aware that he wanted to get intimate with her and that was the one mistake he was making all along. Never mix business with sex.

  She had feelings for him too but she couldn’t risk getting involved with him. She would have ruined everything. S54B3 had nothing but respect for him. He was Erik’s finest and most respected killing machine; a position she feverishly aspired over the years. She felt a sense of pride to have beaten him at Erik’s most treasured mission.

  The Shadow seemed distracted by a distant thought. S54B3 straightaway understood his bewilderment. When his eyes met with hers, she shot him a temperate wink. He forced an affable smile. The dynamics was changing rapidly and she knew without a doubt that at some point in the near future she was going to have to work together with the invincible Shadow.

  Forty Seven ……………

  Traces of footprints became more prominent as Cooper and his men neared the mansion.

  The mansion’s door hung loosely ajar. A sinister aura hovered the building. Cooper released his weapon from the duty belt. He leveled it in front of him as he tiptoed towards the building.

  ‘Cover me!’ he signaled one of his men who in turn slid towards the half opened door while supporting his weight on the thick wall. When Cooper entered the mansion, a spacious corridor became visible. One of his officers went past him across the empty pathway.

  They switched positions again. A spiraling staircase came into view. Cooper pussyfooted his way upwards while the other officer kept guard halfway down the stairs. The last team member remained closer to the entrance.

  Cooper reached the top floor of the mansion in little time. Its corridor ushered different doors. Cooper tried the first door; it was dead bolted. The second door swung loosely exposing a luxurious suite. Cooper tried the third door; it opened towards him revealing another tinted door that led to a conference room. The other officers were out of sight. An unbearable suspense surrounded the room.

  Cooper slowly eased himself inside and stopped abruptly at a revolting spectacle.

  Baptist Silver, the evasive fisherman sprawled on an expensive white
Ravello Seater Divan with a single bullet wound to his head. His days of outwitting others had been terminally outdone by someone else.

  Cooper’s men joined him in the conference room. Their suspect was as good as dead. Charlene’s crew was also dead and she went missing. They were left with no clues about the mysterious figure called The Shadow.

  Cooper and his men descended the stairs. They wallowed in defeat. They needed a new lead on the case that would help track down The Shadow. They left the mansion and dawdled towards the main gate. Cooper observed another pathway that led to the building’s rear. They immediately changed course and headed in the new direction. Cooper was caught absolutely off guard by the grandiose of the building. They had actually mistaken the mansion’s rear for its front. A lustrous garden of radiantly blooming flowers adjoined the mansion’s main entrance. Copper’s hope to find more evidence heightened as they mounted the flight of stairs. One of his officers pushed the large doors inwards.

  The feeling of defeat they had earlier came back in a rush. What was supposedly a pristine hostel lobby was transformed into a feast of blood.

  Among those slaughtered was a scar faced criminal with multiple bullet holes to his body. Other prison escapees formed part of the bloodbath. A few civilians were among the casualties too. Charlene’s body wasn’t among them. She was tentatively still being held captive.

  Cooper’s puzzlement heightened. The perpetrator of those gruesome murders was on the loose and always seemed a few steps ahead of him. The mysterious figure known as The Shadow became his new focus.

  Forty Eight ……………

  We passed through a few ruined communities via foot. Driving became temporarily impossible. Kaila planted her slender hand in mine. She seemed a little more at peace now that the streak of violence had ceased.