The Avenged

by Charles Prandy

  “Hopefully he’ll be able to keep you company on those days when I do double shifts. Besides, I know how much you’ve been wanting a dog. And after what you’ve been through, you deserve him.”

  I brought the puppy close and rubbed noses with him.

  “So what’s the deal with the gun?” Theresa finally asked.

  I smiled. “Next time when I call you, just answer. It’d make things a lot easier.”

  I hugged the little puppy as if I were a proud new father just seeing his baby son for the first time.

  “So, whatcha gonna name him?”

  I shrugged my shoulders, cocked my head and furrowed my eyebrows in thought.

  “Let’s call him Henry.”

  Seventy

  A FEW HOURS INTO the afternoon, Lieutenant Polenski sat at a table on the far end of a Five Guys Burgers restaurant on Connecticut Avenue. He bit into his double-patty cheeseburger when Nathan Hunt entered the restaurant. They exchanged a glance before Nathan went to the front counter and ordered his meal. Three minutes later, Nathan brought his tray of food and sat with Polenski at his table.

  Nathan reached inside his jacket pocket and pulled out a small envelope filled with crisp hundred dollar bills and handed it to Lieutenant Polenski.

  “I don’t have to tell you what kind of hot water we’re in if this doesn’t go right tonight,” Nathan said.

  Lieutenant Polenski nodded as he stuffed the envelope inside his inner jacket pocket. “There won’t be any more complications,” Polenski assured.

  “We’ve been paying you good money throughout the years, Robbie.” Nathan pointed towards the envelope. “Too much to let some dickhead detective, who’s under your watch, for Christ’s sake, ruin it for us.”

  “Yeah, I know,” his voice trailed off as he looked down at his plate. He’d known Jacob for ten years; watched him transition from a beat cop to a detective, a fine one at that, and now he had to witness the man get killed. Polenski wasn’t sure that he could go through with it. Just like in the parking garage, when he had held Jacob’s life in his hands, he knew he couldn’t kill him.

  When he raised his eyes, Nathan was looking at him inquisitively, as though he had been reading his thoughts and heard what his inner voice was saying.

  “You fucking pussy,” Nathan said.

  The comment caught Polenski off guard.

  Nathan leaned in closer, “What the fuck? You getting cold feet or something?”

  Lieutenant Polenski took a sip of his soda before responding. “Look, this isn’t just some nobody from the streets, all right. I happen to have known the guy for a long time so--”

  “Let’s get one thing straight, Robbie,” Nathan said cutting him off. “I don’t give a fuck how long you’ve known this guy. He’s getting too close. And I’ll be damned if I’m going to let that motherfucker take us down. Now, is this going to be a problem?”

  “How’s it gonna look, Nathan?” Polenski fired back. “He was there when Stephen got killed. He was there when Faraji got killed. He was there when Charlie got killed. Jesus, he was shot in the chest four times last night. If we go after him tonight, the department is gonna want answers.”

  “That’s what we pay you for.”

  “Yeah, but if we go after him like this, I don’t think this is something that even I can cover up.”

  Nathan leaned back in his seat and relaxed. “Well, I suggest that you find a way.”

  Lieutenant Polenski smirked and rolled his eyes. “I’m not going down for this shit, Nathan.”

  “None of us are. Just be at the spot at ten o’clock. We’ll be in and out in no time.”

  Nathan took a big bite of his burger and then wiped his mouth with a napkin.

  “And by the way,” Nathan said with a mouth full of food, “I’ll keep this conversation between us. I wouldn’t want the judge thinking that you’re having cold feet.”

  “Yeah, I’ll be there,” Polenski responded.

  Nathan took another huge bite. “Damn, this is a good burger.”

  Seventy-one

  I PLAYED WITH HENRY as best I could on the floor for most of the day. When the little puppy wanted to tumble, I winced at the soreness of my chest, but tumbled with him. When Henry barked, I barked back, causing him to twist his head at the odd sound. And when Henry got hungry, I fed him puppy food that Theresa had bought, and I ate as well. Of course, no puppy would be a puppy without the occasional bathroom breaks that he did on the floor. Good thing for hardwood floors. The cleanups were quick and easy. My little furry surprise was quickly becoming my best friend in the few short hours that we’d spent together.

  Evening came quickly without me even noticing. Theresa had been out most of the day shopping and running errands, and when she got home, she smiled at seeing Henry and me on the floor, with Henry resting on my chest, licking the bottom of my chin.

  “I see the two of you have gotten pretty close,” she said as she closed the front door.

  “Yeah, Henry just can’t seem to get enough of me,” I responded, and smiled at the tickling sensation the little pup was making by licking my chin.

  “How are you feeling otherwise?”

  “Better. Maybe instead of prescribing medicine, you should prescribe puppies to your patients. It’s amazing how they can take the pain away.”

  “I’ll remember that the next time someone complains of chest pains.” She placed her bags on the floor and knelt down to kiss my forehead before she sat on the couch.

  I looked out the window, finally realizing that it was nearly dark outside. “Aren’t you going back to the hospital tonight?”

  “Nope. Told them that I had to tend to you, so another doctor is covering for me.” She slid off of the couch and sat next to me on the floor and rubbed Henry’s back.

  “You like him?” she asked.

  “Best gift I’ve ever gotten. Well, except for you.”

  “That’s why I love you so much,” she said and leaned over to kiss my lips.

  The softness of her touch immediately caused me to get aroused. I gently grabbed the back of her head and kissed more sensually than she probably anticipated. When she pulled away, there was a look in her eyes that screamed desire and lust.

  “You and me have a date tonight upstairs,” she softly said.

  “Once the kiddie is asleep,” I responded.

  Theresa rubbed Henry’s back again. “Yes, let’s hope he goes to sleep soon.”

  Seventy-two

  THE REMAINDER OF THE evening couldn’t have been more perfect in my eyes. Theresa baked a honey-glazed salmon and whipped up some cream potatoes and broccoli. After we ate, we watched James Cameron’s latest movie, Avatar. When the movie was over, it was a little past ten o’clock and little Henry was unconscious to the world on his doggy bed.

  Theresa grabbed my hand and escorted me upstairs. We took a hot shower together, making love in between washing. The bathroom was full of steam from the hot water, but I whispered in Theresa’s ear that it was her who was causing the shower to steam so much. After our passionate affair in the shower, we found our way onto the bed, where Theresa climbed on top of me and reached climax after climax. We were both exhausted when we finished, and fell asleep within minutes.

  Three hours later, I woke up. Henry was in the bed, licking my bare chest. I patted Henry on the head and looked to where Theresa should have been and saw that she wasn’t in the bed.

  “How’d you get up here?”

  Henry barked and then moved closer to lick my chin.

  “Theresa?” I called, but she didn’t respond.

  Then I heard a sound coming from downstairs. Theresa must be getting something to drink from the kitchen, I thought. I petted Henry a little longer before I heard what sounded like glass breaking.

  “Theresa, you okay?” I called again.

  Still no response.

  I got out of bed and put on a pair of sweatpants and walked downstairs. The first floor lights were off. I went to hit the lig
ht switch and the house still remained dark.

  “Theresa?”

  Another sound came from the kitchen. I was about to get nervous, but then I remembered the joke Theresa had played on me earlier in the day. She must have taken silly pills again.

  “You’re not going to get me again,” I said, rounding the corner wall that led to the kitchen.

  “What’s going on with the lights?”

  My eyes were adjusted to the dark, but I didn’t see that Theresa was lying on the floor until I tripped over her.

  “What the hell?” I gathered myself and then realized that I’d tripped over Theresa.

  “Theresa!” I yelled.

  I quickly grabbed her and turned her over. I leaned over and put my right ear next to her face and realized that she wasn’t breathing.

  “Theresa! Baby!”

  I was about to stand up and reach for the phone to call 911 when a dark image stood over me. I didn’t have time to react. The dark image swung his arm and something hard hit me over the head. I was instantly out cold.

  Seventy-three

  WHEN I OPENED MY eyes again, everything was blurry and the right side of my face stung from where I had been hit. Slowly, my vision came into focus, and as it did, I heard male voices near me. As my eyesight became clearer, I looked around and realized that I wasn’t at home any longer, but on a boat. The smell of the salty sea suddenly entered my nostrils.

  “Theresa,” I moaned.

  “Hey,” I heard someone say, “he’s awake.”

  Then one of the men kneeled down, close enough for me to see who it was. I immediately recognized him as the large man who had been with Judge Peters the day of Stephen Carter’s funeral. The man took a long drag of a cigarette and blew the smoke in my face.

  “He is, isn’t he.” He turned around and spoke to two men. “Stand him up.”

  Within seconds, two pair of strong hands grabbed me by either arm and slung me to my feet. My legs weren’t strong enough to hold me up at first and I almost fell back down. The two men supported me until my legs were under me and then they let me go. I still had a hard time supporting myself due to the swaying of the boat, but I managed not to fall.

  I looked around and saw that I was on a small yacht. The front part of the yacht was indoors while the part where I was standing was outdoors. To my left and right there was nothing but darkness, and I figured that I must be somewhere in the Chesapeake Bay.

  The large man took a step closer to me and puffed on his cigarette again.

  “My wife,” I said through a raspy voice. “Where is she?”

  The large man blew out smoke into my face again.

  “The judge offers his condolences,” he said matter-of-factly.

  I dropped my head and wept. I couldn’t believe what I had just heard.

  “But look at it this way,” he said, “she went peacefully. Her neck snapped with one twist. I didn’t even have to struggle with it.”

  I felt rage sweep through me and I lashed out. “Imma kill you, you bastard!”

  The two men grabbed me before I could touch him, and one of them punched me square in the back. I dropped to my knees and all of the air in my lungs felt like it escaped with the powerful blow. I coughed and inhaled deeply to catch my breath.

  Between inhaling, I nearly choked from crying. Snot seeped from my nose and spit hung from my lips.

  “Why, you fucking bastard?” I tried to reach for the man again but one of the other men kicked me from behind, causing me to fall flat on my chest. I didn’t try and get up.

  “Why?” the man repeated. “You wanna know why, asshole? Because you started poking that black neck of yours into our business.” He took another drag from his cigarette. “I should have just killed you in Stephen’s office like I did your partner, and your wife would probably be alive right now.”

  “Fuck you!” I screamed.

  “No, fuck you!” he screamed back. “Because of you I’ve had to kill a cop, a wife and now another cop. This is all your fucking fault, you prick.”

  “You’ll never get away with this. Someone will find out,” I responded.

  “Of course I’ll get away with it and you wanna know why? Because your little buddy Polenski has the whole thing set up.”

  The man motioned for the two other men to stand me up. They quickly grabbed me and brought me to my feet.

  “Bring him over here.”

  I was dragged to where the yacht became covered and looked inside. Lights inside the yacht revealed two dead men on a sofa, shot in the head.

  “You see, Polenski’s been thinking for a while that you’re a dirty cop,” the man started to say. “He believes that you’re mixed up with the Gomez drug family and have been taking bribes.”

  “That’s bullshit.”

  “Is it?” he responded. “Then why are you on their boat? And why are slugs from your gun in those men’s heads right there?” He pointed to the two dead men. “And what’s worse, Theresa found out about it. You see, she called Polenski and told him about a huge stash of money and drugs she found on your side of the closet. Polenski told her not to confront you about it, but she did anyway. That’s when you killed her. And to cover up everything, you made an appointment to see these two assholes and figured you’d kill them so no one would find out. So an argument started and then a gunfight broke out. You killed them but in the gunfight you got killed yourself.”

  “If they’re dead, who’s going to kill me?” I asked.

  He looked at one of the men to my left. “That’s Javier. He’s one of the other brothers. He’s a heartless prick who doesn’t care about anyone except himself. So to see his brothers dead doesn’t even phase him. But more than that, he’s wanted to get back at you for getting his younger brother Hector killed. Hector was the only one he cared about.”

  “Hector died because he ran from us and was high on coke.”

  I looked to my left and Javier, with a rigid jawline and shoulder-length dark hair, just glared at me without an expression .

  “You see,” he continued, “during the gun battle, Javier was able to put two in your chest before taking a flesh wound to the arm. And the judge in the case will take sympathy for him for self-defense and will only give him the minimum sentence required by law.”

  Javier took two steps towards the large man and was handed a handgun. The man raised the gun and aimed it at my chest, and then moved it to my head. My eyes widened and all of the pores on my body seemed to have opened at once. I glanced at the large man, who had a smirk on his face. I wanted to plead for my life but knew it was worthless. I was in the middle of nowhere with a stone-cold killer who had masterminded a plan that would make me look crooked and dirty.

  I gulped and stared at the man pointing the gun and then closed my eyes. I didn’t want to see him pull the trigger; I was just hoping that my death wouldn’t be painful. I heard the man release the safety, and then expected to hear the blast of the gun, but instead, a bright light lit up the area.

  Seventy-four

  THE BRIGHT LIGHT SURPRISED everyone, including Nathan Hunt. The bright light also caused Javier to shoot prematurely, striking Jacob, which caused him to fall overboard.

  Nathan quickly turned around towards the bright light and saw that another boat, smaller than the yacht, was to its right.

  “This is the Coast Guard,” came a loud and booming voice. “Drop your weapon.”

  Javier quickly turned the gun around and started shooting at the Coast Guard’s boat. Nathan ducked inside the yacht, grabbed a machine gun and rushed back outside to the deck. He aimed the gun at the Coast Guard’s boat and started firing. The third man pulled a handgun from the back of his pants and commenced to firing as well.

  The Coast Guard’s boat quickly veered away from the rapid firing, but not before bullets shot back to the yacht. The man with the handgun was hit in the chest and fell backwards. When the Coast Guard’s boat veered, the bright light wasn’t shining in Nathan’s eyes and he wa
s better able to aim the gun at his target. He saw that there were three men on the boat. He aimed the gun and took out one of the shooters.

  He reached in his back pocket and pulled out a CB radio. He pressed the talk button and yelled into the CB.

  “Get your ass over in a hurry!”

  He put the CB radio back into his rear pocket and continued firing the machine gun. The Coast Guard’s boat didn’t attempt to turn around and exchange fire, and Nathan knew that within minutes, reinforcements would be upon the yacht, ready to take out anyone and anything shooting back.

  Minutes later, a speed boat came upon the yacht from the other direction. When the speed boat was next to the yacht, Nathan quickly tossed the machine gun into the speed boat and then jumped in. Javier was about to do the same, but Nathan grabbed the machine gun and turned it on him.

  “What are you doing?” Javier said through a thick Hispanic accent.

  “What I always do,” Nathan quickly retorted. Then he squeezed the trigger and Javier was hit with a flurry of bullets. His body slumped and fell overboard.

  Nathan turned to Polenski, who was driving the speed boat, and was about to aim the machine gun at him.

  “What the fuck was that!?” Nathan screamed.

  “Don’t look at me,” Polenski quickly responded. “I didn’t call them.”

  “Fuck!” Nathan yelled at the top of his lungs.

  “What about Jacob?” Polenski asked.

  “He got hit. He’s somewhere in the water.”

  “Is he dead?”

  “Don’t ask such a stupid question. They’ll find his body when they do a sweep of the area. Now turn this thing around and let’s get the hell out of here.”

  Polenski turned the steering wheel and pushed the throttle up. The boat revved and made a hard left and, within seconds, disappeared into the darkness of the Bay.