by BL Burke
Glass exploded in the back window, small shards rained on him. James peeked out the back, Perry was running at full blast, he could almost sense the fear and anger. Something dropped from bottom of the gun. Perry started reaching toward his back.
“Go!” James yelled. The wheels started to spin and the truck vaulted forward. Piles of smoke grew behind them and they flew out onto the street. James leaned his head against the window. Could he ever be free now?
“How are you here?”
“Followed the cop…” Leroy said, his voice sounded tired. The clouds started to part. James used his arm and wiped his eyes as he stared out of the window. James looked at Leroy, his eyes were barely open.
“Leroy you okay?” They were about ten blocks away heading toward the lake. A stop light turned yellow, then red. “Stop,” James yelled, his friend was clearly in pain.
They were ten feet, five from the intersection. He made a quick look at the cross traffic, every direction. He grabbed Leroy’s head and pulled him down, tucking it under his body.
He felt the first hit, then the second. Their bodies jerked forward and the world twisted. Squealing tires followed muted jerks. Everything stopped.
James opened his eyes and pushed back from Leroy. James reached for the buckle and hit the release button.
He tried to grab the door handle, he felt the plastic but couldn’t get it to move. A loud ringing continued in his ears. James grabbed Leroy’s shoulder and shook him. He could see his back move up and down. At least he was breathing. He looked at his side, there was a small piece of metal was sticking in just below his ribs.
James gritted his teeth and pushed. The doors wouldn’t open… his window was gone. The ringing subsided slowly, giving way people shouting.
“Hey, help me!” a rough voice came from behind. James could feel the metal scratching down his side like a zipper. James clenched his jaw.
“Ambulances be on their way.” The pull was on his arms but he felt it in his side. The pain was… unbelievable. He felt tears rolling down his face.
“My god what happened, bring him to me… I will help you son,” a woman said. But all James saw was bright light. There was no pain. A man smiled over him.
“Saint James,” he said, “Welcome.”
Chapter 49
Marshall jumped the curb as he saw Perry. He pressed the gas speeding up before hitting the breaks and drifting to a stop. He looked passed Perry and saw a slumped over shape of a human body, blood pooling around.
“Who’s is that?” Marshall said as Perry got inside.
“No idea,” Perry said nonchalantly. Marshall glanced at him, he sounded relaxed but his eyes were spewing anger. He looked like he’d been touched by Ares.
“Any hits on the APB?” Perry said. He pulled out of the driveway with the bulb light screaming, the car bounced off the curb as Marshall straightened the wheel.
“The car that abducted James was found at the hospital.” Marshall said, Perry didn’t blink. A risk picking up Perry, a partner was good, a crazed partner not as much. Marshall tossed his phone to Perry.
“Here are a few pictures from the rescue. “There’s nothing there.” Marshall said. Perry started to look. Cars began to slow down in front of them. Across both lanes. Perry grunted.
“Accident?” Marshall said. Perry’s phone rang letting Marshall’s drop to the floor.
“Detective Jefferson,” Perry said. “You found it?” He looked at Marshall, Marshall felt like he was driving the devil to pick up a soul. “It’s our boy. I’m almost at the scene.” Perry cracked the knuckles on his hand. His clothes still smelled like an attic. Marshall slowly tapped the breaks as they came behind the last car.
“Pass them in the other lane,” Perry said, he showed Marshall the stink eye. Marshall needed to think… this wasn’t heroic.
“That’s oncoming traffic,” His partner was clutching his phone like it was going to leap to freedom at any moment. Marshall pulled out slowly and they saw the back of the scene. Cars were turning left or right just before a ladder truck that blocked off the road. A pair of uniforms were ushering people back on the sidewalk, a firefighter holding the jaws of life ran around to the near side of the engine and slammed it into an open compartment. They drove past the officer directing traffic.
Marshall glanced at his partner, the sick look was still on his face. Marshall parked the car just before the engine. Perry started to grab the door handle. Marshall grabbed his arm.
“Hands off,” Perry said.
“What the fuck is wrong with you? You’re not going to shoot him.”
“He’ll kill my brother if he gets the chance… I ain’t taking this from you.” Perry opened the door, “you traitor,” he said slamming it.
Marshall hopped out following, he had no plan, no way to stop this guy. His hand slid to his gun.
He thought about the barbecues at Perry’s, how they welcomed him like family. Charlene would work for hours, Sadie just wanting a piggyback ride from Uncle Marshall. Marshall would do all he could to not leave them fatherless, he cared at least that much about Perry’s family… then he remembered the body in front of the door.
Marshall speed walked around the fire engine to catch up to Perry. More squads blocked off traffic. A red pickup was crushed like a can in the middle of four cars. He wouldn’t do anything here, would he?
A pair of EMTs were finishing up putting a gurney into the back of the ambulance.
“That’s the truck,” Perry yelled like a wild man. The hood was pushed up and crumpled like a xylophone, all of the windows were blown out. The cab was partially collapsed… bullet holes in the tailgate.
“Who shot at him?” Marshall yelled.
Perry’s eyes moved to the EMT closing the door, he took off in a sprint. Marshall ran after.
He arrived as the door was about to be shut. It wasn’t James, it was Leroy.
“Back up guys,” the EMT said, “this man needs a hospital.”
“Where’s the guy that was in the truck,” Perry said sliding his hand on his own gun. Marshall watched the slow movement, very subtle.
“This is,” the EMT said wiping his mouth, “he’s one of ours.”
“The other one that was with him?”
“There was no one else, now move!” The EMT said grabbing the rear door to shut it. Perry lashed out. His fist collided with the man’s chest and he tumbled back. Perry drew his weapon and pointed at the EMT rapidly breathing. “I’m going to talk with him,” Perry nodded at the man.
“Perry don’t,” Marshall said
Perry’s voice lowered, “I’m going to talk to him.” It was a soft voice but it carried more threat than a yell.
Marshall drew his gun, pointing it at Perry’s head. “Go,” he yelled. The EMT pushed himself up holding his heart. Perry’s eyes twitched looking at the gun out of the corner of his eye. He could hear some gasps but Marshall didn’t move.
“You gonna shoot me partner,” Perry said quietly, “you couldn’t shoot anyone.”
“I could, drop it Partner!” Marshall yelled back. The EMT’s mouth open, like he was too stunned to even move. “Shut the door and go,” Marshall said forcefully.
“No,” Perry said. The EMT leapt in the back and slammed the door with a final thump. The ambulance tore away with Perry’s hateful eyes still staring down the barrel of Marshall’s gun.
The ambulance was a half a block away when Perry lowered his weapon. He gave that creepy smile again. “I wasn’t going to shoot him.”
“This isn’t you,” Marshall said. “Put it on the ground,”
“Put what,”
“The gun.” Marshall said. Is he a bad guy?
“Or what Spanx?”
“I’ll shoot you,” Marshall wouldn’t kill him, couldn’t kill him… but a wound would stop this
madness. Perry kept his smile, slowly he knelt lowering the pistol to his feet.
“Officer,” Marshall yelled as he glanced over. A random of
ficer ran up next to Marshall.
“Give him your cuffs,” Marshall shot his nose at Perry. Perry took them, “Put them on,”
“You know I can’t do that,” Perry said.
“You’re going to,”
“Detective Marshall Thompkins,” he said forcefully stepping toward him, “you are under arrest for pulling your weapon on a senior officer.”
“Stop,” Marshall said.
“Drop your gun and get on your knees,” the officer stopped, Marshall glanced to his left, a firefighter was standing next to a different officer. No one moved.
Perry was quick. Marshall’s hands took the first hit, his gun dropping. Perry swung again and a quick chop hit his throat. Marshall tumbled back into a torn-up coupe, his back arching on the hood. He slid down the front with a dull thud in his lower back and slammed to the ground. Marshall was heaving, he couldn’t breath… dots started to float in his vision. He could barely see Perry holding a gun to his head.
“Gimme your keys,” Perry said. Marshall couldn’t talk… couldn’t move… he felt like he was about to pass out. Perry started ruffling in his pocket, he pulled out the cruisers keys.
“Help him!” Perry yelled, his voice fading.
Chapter 50
A sharp pain tore down James side. He twisted over to his right and coughed. The fit could’ve been ten seconds or an hour, he felt like he was going to expel every internal organ he had. “I’m dying.”
“Wake up kid, you ain’t dying.” A man said from above him. James peeled open his eyes, lids popping.
Tattered shoes stood in front of him, quickly a tongue lashed out and whetted his face. He felt someone pulling him up to a seated position then lowered his body to rest on some hard surface. Fingers tilted his chin up. Through his blurred vision he saw the silhouette of a man. James rubbed his eyes, he opened seeing Fresco.
Martin pointed to James’s torso, “you was cut up bad,” he said. James eyes moved to the white and red cloth surrounding his body. “I was a Medic back in Nam.”
“Martin?” James said, he couldn’t believe it. The old man’s shirt was off, his dark skin stuck to his thin frame.
“Yeah, it’s me and my little lady. Say hi Fresco.” She licked her lips. A tattoo of unknown Chinese lettering was on his upper left chest, a picture of Fresco on his right.
James looked around, he was lying in a mustard alcove storefront, his body on cracked cement with Martin blocking his view of the street.
“What happened?” Fresco kissed his arm, James smiled.
“We moved you away. Do you remember anything?”
“But you can’t…” James thought about the old man he saw. “You were?” He nodded toward Martin’s legs.
“A gimp, hell no, I’m a soldier.” He looked strong and proud. The right eye of Fresco’s tattoo protruded out of Martin’s body. “just needed a kick in the ass.” He held out his hand, James grabbed it, the man easily pulled James to his feet. His side burning like a fire. James ignored it, not in this man’s presence. A crowd of people stood a block away, red and white lights of an ambulance.
“You said no police… no ambulance.” Martin looked at him, not with suspicion, but kindness. James smiled at him, easing into the stinging of his cheek.
“Leroy? The driver?”
“He was breathing last I checked, I got someone to put pressure on the bullet hole.”
“Bullet hole?” James heart dropped to his stomach.
“He’ll live, you looked worse than him.”
“I was shot twice, in worse areas than the shoulder blade.” he pointed to tattoo Fresco’s right eye. It almost blinked at him in the sun. “Said you needed to get somewhere.” James tried to rewind his brain…in the basement, the escape, his face started stinging more. He nodded, he needed to get back.
“I got a car for you.” Martin said thumbing toward a blue compact Ford across the street.” He held out the keys, “try not to wreck it.” James winced.
“Thank you…”
“Kid, I’m paying you back, been a long time since I seen a kind human. So thank you, Saint James.”
“I’m no saint.” James said taking a step off the curb. The old man gave him a side smile. James kept his head down as he crossed the street. He needed a hospital. What would they say? The questions, the time there. James got in the car and looked at the shifter. Stick. He took a deep breath, this would hurt.
James stopped the car across the street from the rescue. He pulled himself out and looked back at the fenced in dog area. He caught a glimpse of Mario who started to waive, then dropped his hand. Do I look that bad? James thought.
He walked toward his second building, the white one story and stuck his key in the front door. James stepped inside and closed the door into the dark cool machine floor. Dust and cobwebs covered almost every inch. Small glowing lights illuminated the shadowy room. He stood directly above the ‘Gate.’ James walked toward the far end of the building and down a staircase.
The short building had been abandoned for some time, though his idea to turn it into a rehabilitation center faltered, he found a new use for it. He followed the yellow railing that took him past softly blowing boilers and creaking water pipes. He felt chills run down his body.
Ghosts of this building's past seemed to surround him, some from workers, others… much more recent.
A large concrete wall covered stood in front of him. James reached the door and unlocked it. He was in the control room. James quickly locked it behind him and sat at his chair. James grabbed a pair of pain pills from the large control board and tossed them in his mouth. He pulled a Pabst out of his small fridge and drank. James stared out into his empty arena.
It seemed dark, abandoned. As it should be. James took a deep breath he stood needing to say goodbye.
James left the control room and took the long underground hallway back to his rescue. He walked past the elevator toward the prep room. Renee’s supine body still on the metal table. He grabbed her hand and knelt next to her.
“I’m sorry,” he said, wiping away tears. “But I can’t follow you yet.” He kissed her forehead and left. James locked the door again and left. He turned to see a dark figure, his heart jumped.
“Hey,” the figure said.
“Oscar?” James said. “You almost gave me a heart attack.”
“Uncle Mario sent me to see you. What are you doing? Is everything alright.” James took a deep breath and shook his head.
He motioned for Oscar to follow as they walked back to hell. He punched the code to the gate, 8596. Shadow’s birthday.
The furnace kicked in as the putrid smells of death returned like an avalanche. He flipped on the lights, illuminating the concrete stained by brown blood and red rust from equipment.
James sat down in his throne to watch the men fight to their death like Nero or Caesar. He pressed the grey button next to the monitors. The jail doors holding his fighters slowly opened. James flipped on the light over his head so they could see him through the mirror. They could be face to face for the last time. Oscar stood silent next to him.
Eddie stepped out first, his thin frame wobbled as he gripped the door. Eddie’s eyes caught sight of James. “What da hell happen to ya? Get yo ass kicked…”
“A few people yeah… including your brother.”
“Damn straight.” Eddie said pushing his way into the open.
“But I killed him,” James said. “I killed them all,” Eddie stood still as if he had no emotion from this revelation, like he was expecting it.
“You killed a cop? You’re gonna get it.” Jack said slowly stepping out from the other door like he were checking the ice on Lake Michigan.
“The winner today,” James said. He thought quickly about Kate and the kiss, it would most likely have been his last if he can’t get out of this. “Has a chance to go free.”
He looked at the small safe and opened it. Next to his gun he grabbed his insurance policy. James pressed the button for
the camera, the top down view of the arena popped up on his monitor. He turned on the speaker for the control room. He picked the beer up and rested the cold base on his cheek. James cleared his throat and entered his new list of email addresses into the send column, every major news organization and website he could think of in the US. One will pick it up. James pressed the broadcast button.
“Good afternoon,” James said using the voice changer. “It comes down to this, my fellow animal lovers. If we are to allow people that commit such heinous crimes against animals to get off with pathetic little sentences by cowardly judges. Then why even try to convict killers such as these.” He took a breath. “The weakness of our justice system is to give the evil people second and fifth chances until they are nothing but monsters in men’s bodies.” James took a drink of the beer.
“I am not okay with Officer Jack Calloway shooting two innocent dogs in the head, and used his badge to get away with it. In America we still have private property and the government can’t traipse in and out of that without a warrant. And they certainly cannot go around shooting our dogs, our family members as this bastard did. He wasn’t charged in a court of law. He will be charged here.”
“With Eddie Jefferson the serial animal abuser starting years ago with his brother Detective Perry Jefferson and another fighter, Darnell shot a dog while beating it’s owner half to death. This was after two drug arrests where the court gave him suspended sentences so he was free to ruin lives.”
“This is now for the world to see,” he typed in an email with the link. He sent it out to the largest news organizations around the world. “These two will fight to the death for the crimes against dogs… against animals, and the winner will fight another, James Vince Webb. If he dies, they go free, so says I. Your inquisitor.”
Chapter 51
Perry slammed his fist against the horn at the ass in the Mercedes. “Move!” he yelled. The photo Marshall took… behind the shelving there was a light. Dim but verifiable. Eddie was there, somewhere hidden. He sped with his lights and sirens blaring. Dodging in and out of traffic.
