She was lost in her thoughts and memories and longing to arrive quickly to Uncle Charley´s home, get into her bed and receive the heat of Marcos ´body, when unexpectedly some inside concern began to grow. Suddenly the certainty that she was being observed grew in her mind. At first Nubia dismissed the feeling attributing it to a certain paranoia she knew she was developing due to the life situation that was going through. But the feeling remained and Nubia had learned to accept the signals coming from her psyche, which had previously saved her life more than once. In a reflex action the woman squeezed between her fingers the talismans that always hung from her neck. When Nubia performed further analysis of her emotions she noticed that the signs were warning lights but not alarm signals and there were no painful feelings associated with them.
Nubia looked up and through the mists that invaded the small square dimly lit by a distant focus, saw a slender figure approaching her. By the way the shadow moved she realized that it was a small woman, and her lithe step also evidenced she was young. The African woman came close to a public light post and waited there. The approaching walker understood her intention and quickened her pace. When she was also placed under the streetlight Nubia saw that she was an African American young woman, very sheltered from the prevailing cold, and that by removing a scarf that covered her mouth and nose discovered a face of singular beauty.
Both women stared each other at short distance.
“My name is Loretta.” Said the newcomer.
“You can call me Nubia.”
“Please do not be afraid. Let me ask you to come with me.”
The two women walked a few steps up to a bench, the only one in the square, which was in the shadows. Nubia he could see a white man sitting in it and beside him there were two crutches.
“Nubia. He's Vince.”
Vince laboriously rose and shook hands with the African girl.
“Excuse me, but the cold increases the pain of my wounds.” Said. “If you trust us let me I ask you to come with us to the car, where we will be more comfortable.”
Vince had explained the purpose that guided him and Loretta in the search they had made and whose object was to find a girl whose name or affiliation they did not know and of whom they had only a few vague photos. Loretta then explained that she had entrusted people of her confidence to track Nubia and finally, after a couple of weeks, an elderly woman had recognized her nearby.
“If you could find me so can those who chase me.” Mused gloomily Nubia.
“Those who chase you may not have the network of contacts in this area I have because of my work.” Explained Loretta to comfort Nubia. “But do keep always your guard up.”
“Nubia, we need to know who is persecuting you and why.” Expressed the so-called Vince. “We have reasons to believe they are people we know and must be brought to justice. Tell us what happened to you.”
In the next half hour the young woman told her story, from her capture in Ethiopia until her escape in Harlem. She was interrupted numerous times by Vince who demanded further clarification.
“And you say that when you were in the alley you could glimpse two men who were watching the chase?”
“Yes. One of them was white and the other black, both very high and robust. I had the feeling that they were not just witnesses but somehow were monitoring the hunt.”
“Could you describe them, starting with the white man?” Vince was asking the questions.
“I could see them very fleetingly, in a dark alley and in the midst of the terror I felt, but on the other hand they were under the headlights of their own car. The white man had very fair skin and blond hair.”
“Look carefully this photograph, and tell me if you recognize any of these men.” Vince turned on the internal light of the car cabin. Then he showed a photo in which three men appeared. Watching it Nubia´s body shook as a consequence without doubt of a very strong emotion. The girl brought her hands to her face as trying to prevent her eyes from seeing that picture.
“Oh, yes!” She exclaimed. “He is the one who is with you and the other black man.”
“You have no doubts?”
“Not at all! I will not forget that man in my life.”
“And this woman was not with him?”
Vince showed Nubia the photo of a Latina woman.
“No, there was no woman at the scene. Only one black man.”
“Please describe him the best you can.”
The meeting in the car lasted another half hour. The first light of dawn began to displace the shadows and none of them wanted to be seen on that site at daylight.
“Keep this mobile phone number.” Said Vince giving Nubia a piece of paper. It is necessary that we keep in contact every other day so I can give you news. It's a secure phone but call me from public phones and always from different payphones. Can I ride you somewhere?”
“No, I'd rather not be seen with company.”
When Nubia arrived home Marcos and Uncle Charley were waiting for her with anxiety.
“You must listen to this.” Said the girl.
Chapter 12
Nubia let a week pass by before calling the telephone number given by Vince. When she finally made the call it was immediately answered by a female voice she recognized as Loretta´s.
“I'm Nubia. I am calling to see if you have news for me.”
“Nubia Ah! Yes there are. You will talk with Vince.”
After the greetings Vince hurried to inform the woman.
“We've detected the place where Jemal and his henchmen moved their activities after the slaughter of the warehouse where you were held in captivity. It is another similar depot located about fifteen blocks from the other. Apparently they have received another ... let's call it shipment of women from Africa and are already proceeding to distribute them among their regular clients.”
A silence stretched on the line for a few seconds.
“Nubia. Are you still there?”
“Yes I am. Do you have the address of the new warehouse?”
Vince asked Loretta to hand him some papers and then provided to the African woman the information she asked. Then he added.
“But what will you do? There is nothing you can do alone. This should be left to the police and judges. Your role will testify in court when appropriate.”
“But neither the police nor the courts have acted so far. Neither you are doing anything.”
“ I have promised Loretta...”
“I see.” Nubia unexpectedly cut the call.
When the woman returned to Charley's house after the phone call she went straight to the old store. She entered the place with her key and sat down waiting for the old man finished taking care of a customer, then momentarily closed the door of the room, approached the man and said.
“Charley, I need a favor of you.”
The two thugs came out of the door of the decrepit warehouse and walked a few steps in each direction through the desolate street, evidently with the intention of checking whether there was someone around. Someone who looked at them attentively would have noticed that both men exhibited lumps under their baggy clothes that could only be associated with weapons hidden beneath them. Once they were convinced that the block was deserted the men returned to the old building but did not close the door. After a few minutes a large car with tinted windows emerged from one of the corners of the street and stopped right outside the building door. The luxury high-end vehicle was inconsistent with the miserable neighborhood. As soon as someone descended from the car the driver took off quickly, no doubt with the intention not to be seen in that spot.
The two thugs who were behind the door came out and escorted the character who had arrived, covered with a bulky black coat, and with his face partially covered by a hat that reminded the outfit of previous decades. After all had entered the local, one of the gorillas closed the door, that a close observation would show was a modern one, made of thick steel plates and fitted with safety locks; another inc
onsistency with the warehouse and the entire quarter.
A shadow moved behind the single window whose glasses were not broken in the building located crossing the street. It was another building that once had presumably housed some sort of merchandise but was at that point abandoned and in ruins. Covered by a kind of thick fabric of dark rustic burlap the mysterious figure moved stealthily and placed to a side the binoculars with which the owner had obviously been watching what happened outside the window.
During an interval of more than an hour nothing further happened in the area; only a drunkard happened to pass by the block noisily kicking some trash cans. At one point he stopped and leaned against a wall to avoid falling for his drunkenness, then began to urinate against the same wall and finally continued his journey. The observer located in front of the warehouse took the binoculars again and watched one of the windows of the depot in front. He then spotted a shadow that had been monitoring the activities of the drunkard, and withdrew from the window only when it had long passed. It was important to know the degree of alertness and control exercised by the warehouse residents about what happened on the block.
A while later the black car reappeared on the same corner from which it had originally come. After it stopped in front of the warehouse door the ritual of the two thugs walking around was repeated. Once they were convinced that no one was walking in the area the door opened again and this time three women walked staggering out of the building covered with coats and hoods on their heads. As they were blindfolded the women were driven to the car and introduced into it by the back door closer to the warehouse. After a short while the big man with the black coat and hat left the building and boarded the vehicle through the front door.
Although the observer of the opposite building
could not see the man´s face he could immediately realize that his silhouette and the way he moved were familiar.
“Oh! God. It is certainly him.” Nubia whispered to herself.
“Vince, there´s a call for you.” Said Loretta handing him the cell phone. “It´s Nubia.”
Vince took the phone and then spent more than three minutes listening to the long story the woman was telling him; he readily noticed the state of excitement in her voice. He finally said.
“Very well done. But now listen to me, don´t do anything else. Just stay at home and communicate with me every so often... Hello... Hello.”
“That´s what you wish.” Said Nubia but not addressing Charley who was at her side but herself.
Meanwhile Vince asked Loretta.
“I don´t feel like standing up. Please get me Eric Murphy´s phone number, I have to give him some important information.”
The call with the old sergeant lasted several minutes, during which the still invalid man informed his former tutor about all the developments in the case. Murphy asked several questions. At the end Vince said.
“No. So far O'Halloran has not appeared on the scene ... No, we do not know who the other big black guy is, only that she has recognized him as the one who was with Paddy in the original crime scene ... Yes, I have the name of the witness ... her name is ... let's see ... Alimah Kouri ... no, Koumi, Alimah Koumi, although everyone calls her Nubia by her ethnicity.”
To another question made by the Sergeant Vince said.
“Nubia, that is to say Alimah, named the dead girl as Sanwarit Eyasu. Apparently in Ethiopia they used the father's name as a surname.”
At that time Loretta asked Vince to pass her the phone.
“Eric.” Said the man. “Loretta wants to talk to you.”
“Eric. I'm Loretta. Well thanks ... listen, that information that Vince just gave you is his last involvement in this case. I ask for the love you have for us all to keep him apart ... Well, OK...listen come to dinner with us on Saturday; you still remember the address of my house, don´t you Eric?”
Loretta and Vince had decided to visit Philip Gardner, the girl´s father, in his offices at the City Council. Toya, the Councilor secretary received them in her own office and showed them some chairs in the waiting room.
“The Councilor is in a meeting with a person of the Mayor's office, but he´s waiting for you and will receive you as soon as he is available.”
Vince, who although was still recovering from his wounds had left the crutches the day before, carefully sat enjoying the recovered greater mobility. As it was his first time visiting the City Council offices, he glanced around all the details of the facilities at sight, which seemed stark to him.
After a while the door of the office opened and Councilman Philip Gardner got out accompanied by another African American middle-aged man, with a portly figure and stately bearing. Loretta and Vince stood up and Philip moved toward them exhibiting an infrequent smile.
“Hello Loretta! You remember Dr. Herbert Plummer, of the Mayor Comptroller Office?”
“Yes, I remember him very well although I was a little girl when we met.”
“Herbert had my current position by the time you were in the elementary school.”
“How are you Loretta? I still remember that little girl with her braids and her new shoes, of which you were so proud.” Greeted Dr Plummer.
The woman blushed as her father and Toya burst into laughter.
“Let me introduce Vincent Caruso, my future ...”
“I'm perfectly aware of what happened to Leroy and to you.” Interrupted Plummer directly addressing the young man. “But I see that you have recovered very well.”
“Yes, luckily, medicine has done its work.”
“It's an honor for our Council to have a hero among its employees.” Said the smiling controller patting the young man´s shoulder. “Well now I must leave now, I have a meeting five minutes ago.”
When he left Philip told his daughter and her boyfriend.
“Just wait a moment, I´ll keep some confidential papers. Them I will put on my coat on and we are going to have lunch.”
“Well, have you fixed a date for the wedding?” Asked Philip.
“We're aiming for the twentieth.” Answered Loretta.
“ You mean this month? Is it not too tight?”
“I think we can achieve it. We're not thinking in a big party.” Loretta's phrase was more a plea than a question.
“My daughter is getting married as God commands.”
“It's my second wedding.”
“All the more so. And tell me...” Said Philip now addressing Vince. “Are you going to invite your family?”
“Yes, they will come from New Jersey and Boston.”
“Are they many people?”
“Are you kidding? It is an Italian family.”
Philip, master in handling situations, suddenly changed his tone and said in a grave voice.
“Tell me Vince. Are you fulfilling the commitment you acquired with Loretta and me, in the sense to stay away from your old activities?”
“Completely Philip.”
Chapter 13
Paddy O'Halloran arrived at Laura´s home and found her in the kitchen.
“Dinner is ready. Sit at the table.” Said she.
After dinner Paddy got his thick hands in the folds of the negligee that she was using and started to fondle her.
“Wait at least until I clean the dishes. I hate to leave dirty dishes in my kitchen.”
“To hell with the dishes. You can wash them tomorrow morning. Today you must devote yourself exclusively to me.”
“Filthy Irish. With your tricks you'll fill my house of cockroaches.”
Without further ado O'Halloran lifted the woman like a feather and carried her in his burly arms while she tore his hair and opened his shirt.
Laura felt the usual initial discomfort when Paddy penetrated her so she began to move her pelvis to avoid pain and at the same time to open up more deeply to the man.
“You're a brute. The Irish do not know how make love gently. They should learn from the Italians”.
“What Italian have you in mind.” Pad
dy replied suspiciously.”
“For example Vince Caruso.”
“Don´t tell me that you slept with him. I'll kill him, or better I'll kill you.”
“No stupid! What I know is the through precinct women gossip. He has slept with half of them.”
“Well if you were thinking about him you´re late, he is crippled.”
“But he will eventually heal.” Said provocatively Laura.
“Goddamn bitch! Anyway you're now going to feel me inside you.”
Laura changed the subject to one of her favorite issues prior to orgasm.
“I heard you've beaten two black guys this afternoon. Tell me what happened, with details.”
“The bastards came on a motorcycle and snatched the bag to a very fragile elderly black woman. The lady fell on the pavement and suffered multiple injuries. There was a radio alert and I was very close and arrived immediately. I saw their bike and ran them over with the patrol car. They rolled on the ground and when they tried to get up I pulled the hell out of them and pounded their heads against the same pavement they had sent the old lady. I let all the steam off. When reinforcements arrived it was not easy for them to separate me.”
“Won´t the black people who witnessed the scene argue police brutality?”
“Not at all! They were furious by the outrage to the old lady. Also they started beating the guys. I was applauded for protecting a defenseless old black woman.”
Laura felt the orgasm approaching. She whispered in the Paddy´s ear.
“Tell me. What was the state of the blacks at the end?”
“Completely disfigured. According to the paramedics they both have concussion ... and hear this.”
“Tell me.”
“With likelihood of permanent damage.”
Laura began to shake violently in one of her deep orgasms. Paddy also finished simultaneously. He knew that the secret of climax for both were these brutal narratives. He realized that there was a sadistic element in Laura that transmitted to him in the moments of excitement; however, during his periods of anticlimax after intercourse that tendency of the woman puzzled him.
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