Beloved Weapon

by Jonathan A. Price

  With her rival, Nia Black, out of her life and her man once again her own, Charlene was ready to forgive and forget and move on together with Bobby Styles. She refused to lose her man, a man coveted by many others. He was her prize and with her, he would stay. They put too much time into cultivating their relationship to let one transgression on his part shatter all they had built, she thought.

  She embraced a cordless phone as she reclined on the concrete stairs. Not just because she was outside and did not want to miss any calls, but mainly because she wanted to be ready to answer on the first ring, should her boyfriend call and say he was going to be late or something else. She did not want to be distant from Bobby for any reason.

  Fortunately for Charlene’s nerves, Bobby quickly returned home as he previously told her he would. He parked his jeep directly in front of their home and leaped out, rushing forth to clutch and kiss his lover.

  “Welcome home, baby,” Charlene spoke between kisses. “I was missing you.”

  “I missed you too,” Bobby sighed. His words belied his true emotions but his tone made them clear; there was more on his mind.

  “What’s the matter?” asked Charlene.

  “It’s just…I keep thinking about the club,” he said. “If it wasn’t for those guys…”

  “No, the hell with that,” Charlene snapped. “If it wasn’t for Nia, you’d have got that record deal…but look, she’s gone now. We ain’t seen hide nor hair of any secret agents or soldiers since we got back the other night. Nia’s a skank bitch who can’t keep her hands off other people’s property, but at least she kept her promise and kept those bastards from messing with us. Forget about all that. I ain’t living in fear any more. Let’s go out or something.”

  Bobby replied with a smile. “Yeah, let’s do that. Why don’t you get out that dress I bought you last month, you know, the short red one, and I’ll take you out to dinner? Cool?”

  “Sounds good.”

  The phone rang. Charlene released Bobby and pressed talk. “Hello?”

  “Hi. Can I talk to Robert Styles, please?” a male voice spoke.

  “Hold on,” Charlene said, passing the phone. “It’s for you. I don’t know him.”

  Bobby took the phone. “What’s up?”

  “Robert Styles?”

  Bobby shook. The voice was unfamiliar. The caller asked for Bobby by his proper name, his birth name; no one he knew did that.

  “Who is this?” he growled.

  “I’m looking for someone, Mr. Styles. You know who I’m looking for. Don’t you?”

  “Who is it, Bobby?” Charlene spoke up.

  Bobby pressed his palm to the receiver. “Go ahead and get dressed, Charlene. I’ll be right behind you.”

  “Bobby, who is it?!”

  “Just give me a minute, okay baby?” Bobby implored her.

  Charlene frowned as she turned quickly and stormed into the house. Bobby groaned as he pressed the phone back to his ear.

  “The hell you want?!”

  “Calm down, ‘Bobby’,” said the speaker. “Is it all right if I call you ‘Bobby’, Bobby?”

  “No it ain’t all right if you call me ‘Bobby’!” Bobby shouted. “Who the hell are you?”

  “Bobby. Pay attention. My name is Billy Casey. I’m with Corp Hudson’s Public Security Division. I’ve got reason to believe you’re acquainted with Nia Black.”

  “Nia…who?” Bobby snapped quickly. “I don’t know nobody by—”

  “Well that sounded rehearsed. Don’t lie to me, Bobby. It’s right here in this file. You and Miss Black are real close, or at least you were.”

  A laugh.

  Bobby grunted.

  “I’ll be frank. Nia Black’s a criminal of the highest caliber, a real menace to society. Our benefactor, Mr. Hudson, is trying to do a public service by helping the authorities get her off the streets. She’s a public menace. Problem is, she fell off the grid and the trail’s running cold. You’re the only lead we have left. I figured we’d ask you about her whereabouts, since, according to this, she stays with you.”

  “All right, listen,” Bobby relented. “She did live here, but she doesn’t anymore. That’s the real.”

  “So where is she now?”

  “I-I don’t know. She didn’t tell me. We didn’t part on good terms,” Bobby said.

  A heavy snort came through the phone.

  “You’re lying. You know exactly where she is, don’t you? I know she’s a cutie, but don’t try to protect her. She’ll only bring you down with her. Says here she already screwed up your relationship. Not to mention, people everywhere are trying to kill her, you know. You want to be associated with that? If I were you, I wouldn’t do a damned thing for her. You’d better think about yourself for a minute.”

  Bobby stopped to think. This guy wants her bad…it’s not the same dude from before. What do I do?

  “I’m waiting,” the voice on the phone said fiercely.

  Nia didn’t do her job and get rid of these people, so I would just give her up…but to hell with that, I can’t tell him where Nia’s living at—I won’t do Gallagher like that. I promised Gallagher I would never bring any trouble to his spot. There has to be something else I can tell him so these people will leave us alone…!

  The voice on the phone grew loud. “So that’s how it’s going to be? I got your address right here, Bobby. If I have to send my boys down to your shabby little ghetto to murder every innocent woman, child and man on your block, I’ll do it and it’ll be reported as a battle between drug dealers or something. I can definitely arrange it so that you’re caught in the crossfire.”

  “All right, all right!” shouted Bobby. “I…I can help you find her. Just promise to leave us alone.”

  “Help me out and you’ll never hear from me again. But you don’t want to mess around with Billy Casey. I got every piece of info about you and Ms. Charlene Wright, shacking up in that little run-down hovel. I mean, that’s rich. Running a nightclub, but can’t afford to get married? Really?”

  “Why you all up in my—”

  “Your girl’s a nurse at the Cowlington Retirement Home, right? Works three-to-eleven normally, does a lot of overtime, yeah? And that nice club you play your jazz music at—the Jazz Hall, is it? Popular spot, isn’t it? But you know something? I hate jazz.”

  Bobby started seething.

  “Yeah, you’d be surprised what we know about you people,” the voice on the other line went on. “I wouldn’t want to have to take advantage of all this because you acted foolish. So you’d better give me something, Bobby. Right now.”

  Twenty-Eight

  A taxicab stopped in front of Jazz Hall an hour before it was to open for the evening’s dining and entertainment. Outside of the club were many of the hangout’s common patrons, hoping to utilize the early entrance discount the club’s owner offered for the first twenty people.

  It was rare to see someone come to the club without their own expensive vehicle, so when the cab stopped and the rear door on the passenger side opened, it captured the attention of the waiting people. The skirt-clad woman who emerged from the taxi caught eyes, as always. Some chuckled with snooty arrogance; others rolled their eyes in repugnance. This time, her beautiful outer shell did nothing to conceal the reputation the woman inadvertently picked up from the tales and events that permeated her from the last few days.

  The taxi screeched away as she walked toward the club, surprised eyes following her every step. The woman ignored everyone around her as she charged through, resisting the feelings that this place aroused within her.

  Nia Black was certain everyone knew about what happened between her and Bobby.

  He was a man; he had to brag about it, how he tapped that ass one more time and smutted her. She knew it would tear her up inside to revisit this place, but she had to see someone before she would be able to let go of her bond to this, her once favorite hangout. She needed to see him once more before she could leave the dark city be
hind.

  Nia Black entered the Jazz Hall. She found Marc present as usual, cleaning glasses and generally minding his business.

  “What’s up, Marc? Can I holler at you for a minute?”

  “I’m glad you’re okay,” Marc said. “I ain’t heard from you since you went to rescue Bobby and Charlene from those people.”

  “It’d been better if I didn’t…” Nia mumbled.

  “Now don’t be like that,” Marc reproached. “You did the right thing—the tendency of a natural born hero.”

  Nia wiped her eyes, looked about and snatched the closest bottle within her reach. She filled a shot glass nearby sitting on the bar and chugged it.

  “You know that’s vodka…?” Marc stammered. “You don’t usually drink stuff that hard.”

  Nia slammed the glass down. It cracked as it hit the wooden surface of the bar and left a round dent.

  “Sorry…I’ll pay for that.”

  “Don’t worry about it,” Marc smiled. “Had a rough day?”

  Nia sighed. “You know how it is; I got kidnapped, shot, I was in a car accident, got groped by some soldier—just another day at the office.”

  Marc sighed. “Busy girl.”

  “Anyway,” Nia continued. “I just came here to say goodbye.”

  “Goodbye?”

  “I know Bobby told the whole damn world about what happened between us. Everybody knows we were messing around. I can’t show my face around here anymore. I can’t…see him anymore.”

  “Is that the only reason you’re leaving?”

  “No…” Nia muttered. “That’s not even the half of it. After what happened with Charlie that night and after Drakonis played me, my rep’s in the toilet. I went from being the baddest girl in the land to the most untrustworthy, volatile bitch with a gun anybody ever heard of. I can’t get any work anymore. Nobody’s calling me and nobody’s taking my calls.”

  Marc exhaled strongly. “Yeah, I know how that can be. It don’t matter how much good you might do for somebody. One little screw-up, one bad word and the next thing you know, you gotta run and hide and change your name and make yourself a new rep for yourself in some other part of the world.”

  “Huh?”

  Marc laughed. “I’m messing with ya. Anyway, I understand. The place won’t be the same without you, Nia. Gonna be boring as all hell without your stories keeping me going.”

  “Sorry. I ain’t got much keeping me here. I’m probably going to take care of a few loose ends and then I’m going to leave the city, start fresh. I painted this town red; I can do the same thing somewhere else.”

  “Damn. Well, at least give an old man a hug.”

  Marc and Nia embraced, Marc practically absorbing the diminutive Nia in his arms, and she felt at peace.

  She wanted to tell him everything about her birth, her abilities and what she’d been through with Jesús Alvarez…she wanted to tell him everything about her.

  But Nia reneged. She didn’t want to complicate anyone else’s life with her problems. She slowly slid away from him, straightening her hair.

  “Probably run into you again…” Marc said, walking toward the back of the club. “I get around.”

  “Hope so,” Nia said back as she wheeled around and headed out.

  “Now, you take care of yourself,” Marc shouted. “And remember everything I told you!”

  Nia nodded and turned toward the door. She froze in place when she heard the screech of a jeep coming to a stop outside the club. Suddenly, the last person she wanted to see came charging through the doors like a linebacker.

  Bobby Styles stumbled into the hall and doubled over, catching himself with palms on knees as he took in as much air as his lungs would allow.

  “Bobby!” Marc roared. “The hell’s wrong with you, bustin’ up in here like that? You got groupies chasing you or something?!”

  Nia sucked her teeth and tried to walk past him, but Bobby grabbed her arm.

  “Get the fuck off of me,” Nia growled, taking hold of his hand. “Unless you want me to put you through a wall this time.”

  “Nia!” Bobby moaned, wincing in pain from the strength of Nia’s grip. “I…I just drove halfway across the city from Gallagher’s spot…I ran every damn red light…I was looking for you…!”

  “Why? What could you possibly have to say to me? I thought we were done. Didn’t you say that?”

  “Some dude called me! Some dude looking for you!”

  Nia flinched and let Bobby go. “What? Who? What was the name?”

  “His name…he said it was Casey or something…he said…”

  Marc raced behind the bar and filled a glass with water. He came back around and forced it into Bobby’s palm. Bobby poured the water down his throat and caught his breath.

  “He said he was looking for you,” Bobby said to Nia. “I tried to get him off the trail, tried to lie…but then he said something about getting an army…shooting up the block…I had to…had to give him something…”

  Nia trembled. “What did you tell him, Bobby?!”

  “I couldn’t give away Gallagher’s spot…he’s my friend,” Bobby cried. “I gave him the only other thing I knew. I’m…I’m sorry Nia! The dude…he sounded serious! I didn’t know what else to do! They knew my phone number…knew about the Jazz Hall, Charlene’s job and everything! I had to…”

  Nia’s blood ran cold. “Oh my God.”

  She spun around in place like a confused dog. Her taxi was gone. She didn’t know what to—

  “Nia!” Marc shouted. He tossed a key ring to her; she caught it. It was if he knew what she was thinking.

  “Take my bike. Go. GO!”

  She raced out the back of the Jazz Hall, where she found a shiny, black sport bike with silver Japanese Kanji markings emblazoned on its shell. Nia quickly jumped on Marc’s black motorcycle, turned the engine and zoomed off.

  The world became a blur around Nia. She darted across the city streets with precision and reaction to traffic that betrayed her superhuman reflexes. She would not stop, not for a red light, not for a cop or a soldier…not until she made it to her destination. Nothing else mattered.

  And as the distance between Nia and her destination narrowed, a telltale orange glow began to fill the sky, blending into the hue of the sunset. A plume of pitch-black smoke cut across the sky and Nia began to fear the worst.

  Her fears were realized when she stopped the bike in front of Kim’s warehouse…or rather, what was left of it.

  Nia jumped off the bike, snatched her guns from their holsters and raced toward the wrecked warehouse where Kim made his home. She kicked aside pieces of the crumbled walls and jumped inside, screaming out for her mentor.

  “KIM!!”

  Every one of the dirty windows was shattered, the glass marred with spider-web cracks of gunfire. The doors, torn from their hinges, sat on the ground, and fires flickered inside.

  Nia hurdled across the wreckage and rushed into the building. She saw the many crates aground in pieces, the common desk that rested in the center of the room smashed, and the essences of gun smoke and motor oil lingered.

  Tire tracks, both wide and narrow, streaked across the floors and led through the many holes ripped through the walls of the simple building.

  Nia ran throughout the warehouse, crying profusely. She flinched when the broken table in the room’s center moved slightly, followed by a crackled, draining moan.

  “K—” Nia began, sheathing her pistols and rushing toward the flat wooden plank. She tossed it aside and saw what she hoped she wouldn’t.

  Kim lay there, bruised and battered. He bled liberally from his face and joints. Blood, dirt and boot prints marred his body like an abstract painting. Every limb he tried to move trembled and dropped back to the ground.

  “My God…” Nia stammered.

  “N-Nia…” Kim wheezed. Nia kneeled on the floor next to him, tearing a piece of her shirt off and using it as a kerchief upon his forehead.

  “Save
your strength…” Nia cried, tears sliding down her rounded cheeks. “Who did this?!”

  “Your enemies…” Kim whispered.

  Nia looked down and shut her eyes, her tears leaking and dripping upon Kim.

  “This is all my fault…I ain’t doing anything but ruining people’s lives…”

  Nia began thinking about everything that happened up until this moment—how it weighed heavily upon her heart.

  The death of Professor Kane Romedrux of Romedrux Labs because of her robbery.

  The innocents who were injured on that street when Nia destroyed the oil truck while running from the police.

  Bobby and Charlene, who were kidnapped, their lives endangered and their peace shattered just because they associated with Nia.

  The countless people hurt and killed during her road chases.

  Gunner and Armstrong, once normal men who became sick fusions of biology and machinery, giving up their humanity for the sole purpose of destroying her…

  And now Kim, the one closest to Nia, lay dying in her arms.

  “Nia…” Kim muttered. “You must…go. You have work to do.”

  “Fu—forget all that!” Nia cried. “You were right. You were always right. Let’s just do it like you said. Everything I do is causing problems. Everything’s falling apart. It’s all because of me! I need to get us out of this city before it gets worse. Let’s just leave. I’ll get you to a hospital, and then we’ll…”

  “No, Nia,” Kim said with a cough. “You need to understand. Everything you have learned, everything I have taught you…it was not just for you to take it and run away. You are a warrior. You cannot escape your enemies…you cannot run away from your calling. They will follow you to the ends of the earth. You will never be able to live free as long as you ignore them.”

  Nia sobbed. “Then why did you tell me to…”

  “A test, my dear…” Kim stammered. “A test to see if you were as strong of…spirit… as you are of body. And you passed. Time and time again…you passed. Do not fail now.”