Another Last Chance

by Tristan Walker

  “I know it can’t be that.” Kevin shook his head in a negative way. “Police doesn’t know these kind of things. Allyuh can’t even solve the simplest crime.”

  The chief looked concerned and somewhat humiliated by the statement. “Look, right now you wasting my time. What you really trying to say?”

  “Is not what I trying to say. Is what I saying.”

  “Okay, well, what you saying?”

  “That I know you have an informant. You have somebody who tell you I was here.”

  The chief was studying. “I don’t know what you talking about, but go ahead, I listening. And I really hope you making a point, because I don’t like people to waste my time. Time is expensive.”

  “But somebody already waste yuh time without you even realizing it.”

  The chief looked around at his officers. They were all paying attention now.

  “Listen, whatever you trying to say, stop fucking mumbling and just go ahead and say it,” the chief said. “Because I really losing my patience here.”

  “Okay.” Kevin pretended to give in. “I don’t have the memory card,” he said.

  “Okay. So where it is? Who have it?”

  “Yuh source.”

  “Hmm,” He smiled in a psychotic way and shook his head, expressing his frustration. “And who you think is my source?”

  Kevin had a fair idea that Wendell was the one who’d sold him out. It was a fifty-fifty assumption, but whether or not it was true he had no doubt that the chief was communicating with someone and whoever it was they’d have to be in contact with Wendell in order for Wendell to lead him here and then bring the police soon after.

  Kevin knew they’d already captured him and if he’d have to die here at least he’d have an idea of the person who had sold him out. He needed to get to the bottom of this once and for all and separate his friends from his enemies.

  “Your source. The person who bring me here and then you.”

  The chief started thinking. Kevin could tell that he was getting somewhere. The place was quiet for a while and the chief was in deep concentration.

  “And if I tell you I don’t believe nothing that you saying right now?”

  “Then you will find out sooner or later. Maybe after you kill me and you still see the video on the news, then you would realize that I was telling the truth all the time.”

  He gave Kevin a long hard stare and then he went to the talking officer and they were quietly conversing for a short while. He came back to Kevin afterwards.

  “Okay, so I decide that I don’t have nothing to lose. So, yeah, I have my source. But, even if I bring him here and I realize you lying, I would simply kill two of allyuh and still have ah good night sleep. This is what I do for a living. So hear what. I would give you one last chance and if you decide to stick to that story, I would do the needful.”

  He was waiting for an answer, but Kevin remained quiet, sticking to what he’d told him.

  “Okay.” He took a deep breath and took out his phone and made a call.

  “Yeah, I hearing something else here. Search that fella for the memory card and if you don’t find it, do whatever you have to do to get some answers. You have five minutes.” The chief hung up and waited five minutes and then called back.

  “Talk to me.” There was a pause. “Okay, whatever,” said the chief. “One of them lying. Bring him inside.”

  The door opened a short time after and Kevin waited anxiously to see who it was.

  Tears started to run down his face as he saw Wendell being escorted inside and left to stand at the chief’s side. His face was bruised, and his mouth was bleeding.

  The chief looked at Wendell and then looked at Kevin with only one thing on his mind.

  “So, boss man?” the chief said to Wendell. “I hear you have something for me?” his voice was sounding very harsh. Wendell looked him in his face obviously clueless about what he was talking about. Kevin had no idea how this would turn out.

  “What is that, boss?” His voice was sounding hoarse.

  “Hmm…” the chief walked and took his glasses from the officer and put it on and then took his staff from the other officer. Kevin noticed when he’d tightened his grip on the lower end of the staff as if he was holding a golf club. As soon as he did that he swung around and dealt Wendell a blow to the side of his head. Wendell fell to the ground holding his head and groaning in pain. Kevin could see blood running down his face and on his hands. Blood was also dripping on the ground.

  Kevin felt the muscles in his stomach lock as if he was getting a cramp.

  The chief seemed very angry and Kevin had no idea if he’d receive the same treatment without a warning. He knew that the blows he had gotten in his stomach earlier was nothing compared to what he had just saw. And with his hands being tied, he couldn’t imagine the level of pain he would have to bear. He would surely faint this time.

  The chief wiped off the blood from his staff on Wendell’s clothing.

  “Get up!” he said to Wendell. He was still holding his head and groaning in pain. The chief then kicked him in his stomach causing him to roll over on his side. He moved his hands to his stomach and that was when Kevin saw his head. Kevin turned away on seeing Wendell’s fractured skull. The cramping feeling in his stomach returned and this time it felt as if it was trying to force out his last meal. He felt a lump in his throat that was difficult to swallow. He couldn’t look in Wendell’s direction.

  “Get up!” the chief snarled.

  Kevin heard the officers moving behind him and that was when he turned around to see what was happening. He was afraid that it was him they were approaching.

  Both officers walked over to Wendell and held him by his arms and brought him to his feet. He was weak, and he could hardly stand on his own.

  Kevin kept himself together this time. He was too afraid to turn away.

  Wendell’s head and the front of his jersey was covered in blood and he was crying now and pleading for mercy.

  “Where you hiding the memory card?”

  Wendell shook his head. “I don’t know,” he said in a weak voice. The chief looked at Kevin.

  There was that place in Kevin’s mind that made him feel sorry for the way things were turning out, but he also knew there was a strong possibility that it was Wendell who had them in the position they were all in today. He knew it was either Wendell or himself, or both. The chief’s eyes were still on him as he waited for some kind of response.

  “He have it, I swear. I did hide it in the ceiling and he is the only person I tell. When I come back home the ceiling was open. He trying to set me up for the money.”

  The chief turned back to Wendell and then took a step back. He looked at the officer who brought him in.

  “He don’t have anything on him sir. We check the car, it not there either,” the officer said.

  “Check the bedroom,” the chief said and they’d both allowed Wendell’s almost lifeless body to fall to the ground and went into the bedroom. The chief took that time to finish drinking his water.

  Fifteen minutes after they came out of the bedroom showing the gun to the chief. He asked how much rounds were in the magazine and was satisfied with their answer. They left the gun at the counter and waited for further instructions.

  “Listen.” The chief was talking to both Wendell and Kevin. “I have plenty things to do with my life, if allyuh don’t value allyuh life that is not my problem. I want that memory card, and I want it now. If I don’t get it I going to start killing from ah side. So allyuh have a decision to make.”

  Wendell was watching the chief with his eyes almost shut. He was breathing very slowly.

  The chief was thinking for a while and then pointed to Wendell. He was ready to prove his point. Both officers held him to his feet once more. The chief went to him with the gun in his hand and made sure there was a round in the chamber.

  “I going to ask allyuh one more time. Where the memory card?” Wendell looked in the
chief’s eyes and then looked at Kevin.

  Kevin bent his head in shame. He heard Wendell cursed loudly and within the second that he brought his eyes back at them he saw Wendell spit a mouthful of blood into the chief’s face.

  Kevin felt like everything was happening in slow motion. The look in Wendell’s eyes as he knew he was going to die and the officers as they moved towards their chief who hadn’t even budged. Both officers were still holding up his hands and they turned away when the chief lifted the gun to Wendell’s face.

  He pulled the trigger and brought time back to its normal speed. Blood splattered on the wall and both officers allowed Wendell’s body to fall to the ground.

  The chief pulled out a rag and wiped his face. He then threw the gun next to Wendell’s body and started walking towards the door.

  “What you want we to do with him?” the talker was asking about Kevin.

  “Do what you does do best. And make sure this house is flattened.”

  “Roger…”

  The chief had given them the instruction to kill Kevin and burn the evidence.

  Kevin was willing to try anything now. His hands felt numb and his heart was trying its best to escape his chest. His stomach felt so tight that he was only allowed to inhale and exhale through his mouth.

  He looked at Wendell’s body and reminded himself that everything that had just happened was real, and wherever Wendell had gone he would be there soon if he didn’t try something, anything at all.

  “Sir…” he called out to the chief while he was already out of the door. He stopped and turned around. His face was clean. There were only traces of blood on his suit.

  “What?” he said, annoyed.

  “I think I know where he hide the memory card.”

  The chief looked at him, trying to read him. He shook his head. “After all this, you now want to talk. Give me one good reason why I should even listen to you.”

  Kevin started thinking. He knew he wanted to live and he would do anything, but that might not be the best answer. He also wanted to get back his life, which wasn’t yet discussed and there was no telling what could happen after he handed over the memory card to them. So, he eliminated that answer too.

  He thought about his girlfriend and his unborn child. They meant more than the world to him, and he was one hundred percent sure that they’d never betray him.

  “Because I going to be a first-time father and I know if I go against my word you have the power to take that away from me and I don’t want that.” He looked at the chief. The chief was listening.

  “So, that is why I wouldn’t lie to you. Plus, that is the only place we ever hide anything. It is an abandoned house in the bush. I would take you there and if it not there you could kill me.”

  “Hmm.” The chief smiled. “You know, I like how that sounding. I just hope you don’t do like yuh friend and try to spit in my face.”

  Kevin shook his head. “Sir, with all due respect, my mother raised me better than that.”

  He nodded. “And I would like to meet yuh mother someday. Maybe if things doesn’t go the way we plan, I could arrange ah family reunion.” He gave it some thought and then smiled and gestured for his officers to untie him.”

  “What about the place?” the officer asked.

  “That one still stand. It too risky. Burn everything. I would write on it.” He turned and walked away.

  Two officers left and went outside, and another went into the kitchen and turned on the gas while the one who was doing all the talking untied Kevin.

  Kevin felt the blood rush back into his hands and his chest expanded as he took in large gulps of air.

  When he was completely untied the two officers returned with two bottles of gas.

  Kevin stood up and the officer held his hand and reached for his handcuffs.

  The door was wide open, and Kevin saw a possibility of freedom. He had done it before and gotten away. If not now he’d have to escape eventually since there wouldn’t be any memory card to be found once the house was destroyed. He’d have to think fast and make a run for it before the handcuffs went on.

  He looked around at the other officers and noted where their guns were.

  The officer in the kitchen was still standing guard but the two others were using both hands to pour the gas throughout the rooms.

  Wendell’s body was already covered with gas.

  Kevin looked outside. There was a space between the vehicles where he could pass, and the vehicles would take most of the shots.

  He kept his eyes on two officers who were smoking in a corner outside next to the vehicles.

  One hand was snapped with the handcuff and the officer reached for the other hand. Kevin knew that it was either now or never.

  He pulled his hand away and dealt the officer a blow to the face, causing him to fall to ground and he made a run for the door. He heard the officer in the kitchen shout out to the others and that was when he heard several loud explosions coming from behind him. He felt a burn on his foot and then another on his back. He gasped for air, and then felt another burn on his lower back and his body slumped to the ground like a puppet with cut strings.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  As Kevin opened his eyes he tried to battle the sunlight that was shining onto his face through the large window that was almost the size of the wall. He turned to the opposite side and saw a police officer sitting on a chair near his bed, reading a newspaper. He had a weathered face and close-cropped hair that was almost entirely white.

  “Morning,” the officer said when he noticed that Kevin had awakened. Kevin didn’t answer, but attempted to sit up. Only then did he realize that a pair of handcuffs chained his left hand and his right ankle to the bed. He lay back down. “Morning officer,” he said.

  “I almost thought you forget yuh manners,” said the policeman.

  “No, is not that,” Kevin replied. His chest and throat pained a little as he talked.

  “Somebody wake up on the wrong side of the bed?”

  Kevin didn’t answer, he just turned and continued looking around the room.

  The room was a lot smaller than most of the hospital rooms he had seen, and his bed was the only bed in the room. There were a few medical charts on the wall, outlining proper hygienic practices. The door was behind the officer and Kevin could see doctors and nurses on the other side of it.

  The room smelled far better than the room that Steve had been in. Kevin thought that it was probably because of the fact that the room was only designed to hold one patient.

  He hated the idea of being hospitalized under those circumstances, but he was grateful for the care and the fact that he was still alive.

  His throat felt dry.

  “What time breakfast coming?” he asked.

  The officer looked at the time on his watch.

  “Is almost eight. Normally it does be here around eight, eight-thirty for the latest.”

  “Okay…”

  “If you really that hungry I don’t mind organizing it for you now.”

  Kevin shook his head.

  “Nah, I will hold on. I could do with some water though.”

  “Uh… okay.” The officer shifted on the chair and Kevin saw three bottles of water on the table next to him. One was almost empty. There were also a few snacks and some fruits. The officer checked the temperature of the two full bottles.

  “You could have one of mines. I eh open it yet, but it not that cold.”

  “Yeah, no problem.” The officer opened it and handed it to him.

  Kevin sat up and drank all of it before handing the empty bottle back to the officer who threw it into a bin at the side of the door without getting up from his chair.

  “Good aim,” Kevin said.

  The policeman grinned and started reading his newspaper again.

  Kevin was thinking. He had no idea what his medical condition was or what had happened to his apartment. Had it been burned down or not? And what would be his situation wh
en the hospital was finished with him?

  “So, officer...?” Kevin said.

  “Gibson… Corporal Gibson,” the officer said and folded the newspaper.

  “How I end up here?”

  The corporal face looked confused. “What you mean by that?”

  “I mean, how I reach here? Police bring me in?” Kevin asked, wondering why they’d bring him in when all their worries would’ve come to an end if they’d killed him. He was trying to figure out if they had something else planned for him.

  “Oh. No. The ambulance bring you in. Some of yuh neighbours hear the shooting and when they went to see what was taking place, they saw you lying there. Somebody called for the ambulance and it was right in the area. You lucky, because they usual take a while. If that was the case. I don’t think you woulda make it.”

  “Oh, so the officers wasn’t the ones who called the ambulance?”

  “Well yeah. I believe so. That is the normal protocol. But one of yuh neighbours did also call to find out how far they was.”

  Kevin was quiet. He realized that his neighbours were actually the ones who had saved his life. If it wasn’t for them there was a great possibility that the officers would’ve stalled and left him there to die. He was glad that his neighbours had intervened.

  He thought in silence for a while.

  He said, “I know you might not be able to give out certain information, but I just want to find out something else.”

  “Yeah, no problem, go ahead.”

  “Well, I can’t remember everything that happen. All I remember was being in my house with them officers and then waking up here,” Kevin said, hoping that he had said enough to lead the conversation. The corporal was waiting for him to finish what he had to say. But Kevin said nothing.

  “Okay,” the corporal said, finally. “So you remember being there with yuh friend Wendell?”

  “Ye-ah…” Kevin answered, knowing very well that his answer couldn’t go without the explanation.