Another Last Chance

by Tristan Walker

  He took all the corridors like the corporal said and when he had gotten to the metal door, he pushed it open and he could see the station’s fence.

  At that moment, he was afraid and excited to be free at the same time. But, above all, he knew he’d have to formulate a plan that would get him to the memory card and then to the news station without being caught. It would be his most difficult task, but he’d already made up his mind on not giving up.

  Beyond the fence he could see the streets and buildings that he was somewhat familiar with. He stayed low and ran alongside the wall and made sure the opposite side was safe before climbing over.

  As he walked through the streets he didn’t see anyone for a very long time. The place looked deserted and there were hardly any cars passing by.

  The first person he saw was a homeless man who was looking through a garbage bin for a meal. Kevin passed him and a few others without being noticed.

  He was very alert as he walked and the one time he’d noticed blue flashing lights approaching from a distance, he hid himself between two buildings until they had passed by.

  When he had gotten to the taxi stand, he got into the first vehicle that had agreed to take him to his apartment. He paid and pretended to be asleep throughout the entire drive, so he wouldn’t be called upon for a conversation.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  The time on the dashboard of the taxi read 4:26 a.m. and Kevin saw a lot of cars parked on the streets close to where he lived. He could also hear loud music as he approached. There was some kind of function or house party a couple streets down.

  As he looked carefully, he could see people standing on the pavement in groups. Most of them looked like young persons and they were all dressed in party clothes. He told the taxi driver to drop him a few houses away and, only after looking around to make sure nobody was observing him or watching the building, did he start walking towards his apartment.

  The volume of the music got lower the further he walked, but there were still a lot of cars on the street and in front of his driveway. He noticed a heap of rubble on the lawn. It was mostly the ceiling material and as he looked to the house he saw that the front door was replaced. He knew immediately that the landlord had taken it upon himself to start renovations.

  As he walked unto his driveway he studied the area where he had collapsed after being shot. The lights were dim, making it difficult for him to notice if there were any bloodstains. His mind took him back to the morning it happened, and he could remember hearing the loud explosions and feeling pain about his body before falling to the ground. Without a second thought, he criticized the way he’d planned it and regretted the fact that he hadn’t gone into the police vehicle instead and waited for a better opportunity.

  He walked to the side window and looked inside. This was something he hadn’t done the last time he was there. The glass was frosted from the dew and inside was very dark. He wiped the glass and took another look and he could see a lot of his belongings stacked inside of the room. He could almost see into the corridor.

  He went to the door and turned the knob. It was open. Before entering he reminded himself of what had taken place and prepared his mind to deal with the flashbacks. He then pushed the door and entered.

  There was a slight smell of gas and a lot of dust in the air causing him to cough uncontrollably until he pulled his jersey over his face, blocking his mouth and nose. He waved the dust away, trying to get a better view. He looked up and around. The entire ceiling was pulled down and debris was spread across the floor wherever he looked. All he could see overhead was the galvanize roof.

  It seemed as though the workers were still in the process of renovating.

  All of his furniture had been moved and the area where Wendell had died was nothing more than a memory. There wasn’t any physical evidence connecting him to the past. Kevin thought this was a good thing, giving him a reason to move through the house without inviting guilt.

  He kept fanning his hands through the air as he slowly walked towards the bathroom. He had to be extremely careful where he was placing his feet since there were a lot of screws and other sharp objects on the ground. His bedroom door was closed, and he stood there for a while studying whether he had just seen it like that through the window. He found it strange and the thought made him uneasy, but he quickly reminded himself of what he had come for. His eyes went to the bathroom door which was open and at that point nothing else was more important.

  He heard the dj interrupt the music to make an announcement and that was when he remembered it would be morning soon and the street would become crowded as everyone would be making their way towards their vehicles. By that time the station would learn of his escape and his apartment would be the first place they would look. He walked towards the bathroom door without wasting any more time.

  Kevin opened his eyes in shock as he looked into the room. He was surprised and confused and then he raced in. He moved the jersey from over his face and the air was clearer than outside since the ceiling was still intact.

  He couldn’t stop staring at the empty spot where the shower curtain once was. The iron rod and curtain were now on the ground at his feet and he knew from the appearance of the room that the memory card was already gone. He took up the rod and checked anyway, finding nothing inside it. He separated the curtain and threw it outside the bathroom and still the memory card wasn’t anywhere to be found.

  He leaned against the wall, now out of ideas. It seemed as though his escape had been in vain. He started laughing to himself like a psychotic patient dwelling in his madness. A laughter that soon turned into tears and he began crying and went down to the ground.

  Although he couldn’t see the future, he became disappointed in himself for deciding to leave the cell. He knew that without the memory card his escape would only cause his death. There was no way around it. There was no way of proving to the country that he was being framed. There was just no hope.

  He remained crying on the ground. He was seriously thinking about giving up.

  He would either remain there until the officers arrived, or make his way to the nearest station where he would surrender in the presence of others, so he wouldn’t be killed.

  As time passed the music began distracting his thoughts. He sank his face into his arms, blocking off as much noise as he could.

  A short time after he heard something like footsteps moving through the debris. He lifted his head and listened more carefully but nothing else was heard. He ignored it and started to think of the best way to accomplish the better one of his options.

  There was another movement. He was sure of it this time. He got in position and crawled on his hands and knees to peek out the door. As his head went outside the room he saw a pair of boots coming towards his face. It’d happened so fast that he couldn’t make a move. The kick sent him on his back and then the person ran into the room and started stomping and kicking him on his head and upper body. He tried to protect himself with his hands, but couldn’t block all the areas at once.

  The last thing he remembered was getting three stomps to his head and his head bouncing off the ground after each one.

  Kevin felt something cold and wet splash unto his face and soak his upper body. As he gasped for air and struggled to open his eyes he saw a man walking away with a bucket in his hand. His head and shoulders pained badly. He couldn’t even find the strength to keep his head up naturally for the first few seconds.

  When he was finally able to look up, he saw several persons standing in front of him. The room was somewhat dark, making it difficult to see their faces. But he could see the sunlight coming through the space between the galvanize roof and the two-by-four. He realized that he was in a wooden structure, with two wooden windows that were both closed. Even the floor was constructed with wood. The sunlight was also penetrating through the creases around the windows and the sunlight from small holes on the roof was reflecting on the wall.

  Kevin was on the gr
ound in a corner of the room and his hands were tied behind his back. He could see his feet stretched out in front of him and they were tied together with rope. He couldn’t move his lower body, only his head.

  All the men were dressed in normal clothing. He didn’t recognize any of them. He had no idea who they were working for either and that made it much more difficult to place them. They just stood there in silence as they waited for whoever had instructed them to wake him.

  Kevin kept his head down while he waited and after a short while he heard the door open and someone entered the room. He lifted his head to observe the person’s presence and as the person got closer he realized who it was.

  He shook his head as Biggs stood in front of him.

  Biggs was the last person he’d expected to see. He would understand if Biggs had captured him to retrieve his stolen items, but they were at his place and the memory card was missing. Kevin couldn’t come to terms with why Biggs would want anything to do with the memory card.

  Biggs slowly shook his head in disbelief and then looked back at his boys. Kevin already knew what he was thinking.

  “Nah, this can’t be real.” Biggs laughed and walked away, and it was like he had to convince himself to walk back. He came closer to Kevin this time and studied his appearance, probably trying to come to terms with the fact that he was actually right there in front of him. Throughout that moment he had a worried look on his face.

  “How on earth…” Biggs straightened up and shook away that thought.

  “Who you working for? I really want to know. Since I know you, you working construction and liming with the wrong set of people. Always at the wrong place at the wrong time.”

  Kevin responded with a silent stare. He was confused by the type of question.

  Biggs shook his head again. “Nah, you not that lucky and I know you is not no gangsta, so you have to be working for somebody, or with somebody.”

  Kevin could see that he was becoming impatient while he waited for an answer.

  “I not working for anybody,” Kevin said between his breaths. Biggs looked as if he was disappointed with Kevin’s answer. He then laughed and put his hand over his mouth, still in disbelief that Kevin was in front of him. He shook his head and passed his hands through his hair.

  “Why you fucking with me?” He sounded more frustrated than angry. “I know you and I know what you up against. It don’t have no way on earth that one man could be so lucky. Plus, you is the last person I did expect them security to find in that house.” He shook his head again and started pacing back and forth.

  Kevin was weak and dehydrated. His throat felt parched and he was having trouble swallowing. Nevertheless, the word security played in his mind.

  At that moment one of his boys walked into the room with a folded metal chair, and just when Kevin thought that things was about to get worst Biggs took it and sat down right where he was standing.

  “What security you talking about?” Kevin said. His words sounding weak.

  Biggs looked at him and smiled. “Me and you not that good yet. We might be in a little while. But not yet.”

  Kevin leaned his head against the wall and looked at Biggs while he spoke. He was willing to do whatever it took so he wouldn’t piss him off.

  “You know what funny though? Karma is ah bitch.” Biggs continued. “You and yuh so call team take something from me and the way it happen, I for one find that it was very disrespectful and I was willing to do anything just to get my stuff back. But…” He shrugged his shoulders. “Allyuh feel allyuh bad… and boldface.” He paused and took a deep breath. “Now look what happen. Two people from yuh crew dead, and you get yourself tie up with the police. Who you going to turn to now?” Biggs remained quiet and kept his eyes locked on Kevin as if he was preparing to read his mind. Kevin felt intimidated and looked away.

  Kevin knew his back was against the wall. He only had a few persons that he could trust, but even when united the few of them wouldn’t be any match against the rogue police officers. It was just like the corporal said. They would be coming at him bigger and stronger than ever and if he wanted his plan to be successful, he’d have to get reinforcements also.

  His eyes went back on Biggs, and like a child waiting to be disciplined he waited to hear what Biggs had to say. It didn’t take long for Biggs to realize that he’d give in.

  “I have a proposal for you,” he said in a much lower voice.

  “And what is that?” said Kevin.

  “You have something that I want, and I have something that you need.” Biggs stuck his hands into his pants pocket and pulled out something that he’d kept hidden in a closed fist.

  Kevin was studying the expression on his face and trying to figure out if it was actually going to be that easy and that was when Biggs opened his hand and Kevin saw the memory card.

  Kevin immediately felt a weight lift off his shoulders and he was amazed to see that the answer to all his problems was right in front of him.

  Biggs leaned back on the chair and started explaining. “I went to yuh house some days after the police was there and me and meh boys turn that place upside down. It didn’t take long before this come tumbling down with the curtain rod.” He held up the memory card and started flipping it between two of his fingers. “When I see what it had on it and knowing that you was already in custody, I know it woulda only be a matter of time before you link with somebody to come back for it, and I was just waiting for that opportunity to get back my drugs.”

  Kevin turned and looked over his shoulder as he thought about everything that Biggs had said.

  “Yeah, but how you even know I was there?” Kevin said and then turned back to him for the answer. He was hoping there wasn’t another traitor in the crew.

  Biggs slid his body to the edge of the chair and leaned closer to him. “Well, that was the easiest part. I pay a security unit to put in ah alarm and hide two cameras and they connect it right back to me. All I had to do after that was sit down and wait for one of allyuh to come back for this.”

  Kevin observed all the shadowed images in the room while Biggs kept his eyes on him. Although Biggs was not the type of person he would give his trust to. He was willing to work things out for the benefit of his freedom.

  “So, what is the catch?” Kevin said.

  Biggs shook his head. “It don’t have no catch. It really that simple. I willing to put everything behind me. I just want back my business, and you could get this.” He held up the memory card once more at an angle that Kevin could easily observe it.

  Kevin bowed his head, trying to come to terms with what was being said. He then laughed at Biggs' expectations.

  “So, you expect me to just call and tell Steve to bring back yuh drugs? And what? You think he would run and come?”

  “I not sure how allyuh conversation would go, and I don’t really give ah fuck what you tell him. Just do whatever you have to do for me to get it back. If you know you can’t do that, let me know now so I wouldn’t bother wasting my time. I would just do what I have to do.”

  Kevin started thinking again.

  “Don’t act like you don’t want this.” Biggs said in a calm voice. Kevin looked up at him again. “With the kind of information on this memory card, I know them officers wouldn’t stop until they get rid of it.”

  Kevin was staring at Biggs as if his mind had drifted away. Now that Biggs knew the contents of the memory card, he also knew how much retrieving it meant to Kevin.

  “Listen… Them drugs worth more than two million. And this eh worth nothing to me.” Kevin looked at the memory card while trying to foresee how everything would play off. After some time had passed Biggs closed his fist and anxiously waited to hear what Kevin had to say.

  Kevin remembered the altercation that took place at the club and then running through the bushes as they fired behind him with the intentions of killing him. He shook his head to himself. It was surprising how Biggs approach had changed drastically from then to
now.

  “So after everything that happen at the club. And after you try to kill me, you really want me to believe that you would put all that behind you now?” Kevin said.

  “Yeah.” Biggs shrugged. “That shouldn’t be hard to believe. All of that did happen in the heat of the moment. I was just feeling so embarrassed and frustrated by the way everything went down.” His hands kept moving as he spoke. “After allyuh beat me up and take my drugs allyuh still had the balls to shoot behind me and meh boys by that club. To me, that was just so fucking disrespectful. And at that point I didn’t care about anything again. I just wanted to get back my business, even if I had to prove ah point by killing you and whoever else. Maybe even yuh whole team.”

  Kevin pierced his eyes at him. “Alright, so let we just pretend all this making sense.” He paced his words in order to breathe freely and there were traces of pain and anger in his voice. “Before you say anything else, let me ask you something. That night when they take yuh stuff, you see me anywhere there?”

  Biggs looked embarrassed by the question and Kevin knew that he and Sean had remained in the car which was parked a distance away making it difficult for Biggs to claim he saw either one of them, and making it easy for him to say he wasn’t there, if he needed to.

  “No. I wouldn’t lie. I didn’t see you, and that is the thing. It wasn’t you I wanted. I wanted Steve. But you was the only person who was liming by yourself that whole night.”

  Kevin thought about what he’d just said and he remembered that Christine was Biggs's main source of information. It was now so obvious. From the moment she had snapped the pictures of both of them to the time she had received the message to leave. He lowered his head as he recapped the way it had played off.

  “So, you was really the one who pay that girl to bring me in the car park?”

  “Well…” The embarrassed look had left his face. “You don’t have to make it sound like that. But yeah. She was part of it. It was strictly business though. And if it would make you feel any better, she didn’t end up taking the money. Apparently it wasn’t the right thing to do.”