Vicious

by Murphy, A. E.

  “I won’t tell him shit.”

  “Oh you will,” Kane states simply. “You’ll tell us everything before he even gets here. Felicia and my daddy are on their way. How well do you think they’ll take it when they found out you knew about your daughter and their grandbaby being kidnapped and separated? Think you’ll ever be safe in the state of Texas again? Think you’ll ever be safe in the country again?”

  “We don’t need to get violent,” Mom utters, looking panicked as her blackmail blows up in her face. She starts to back away, looking quite frankly, terrified.

  “You ain’t leavin’ my property until we get the answers we want.” Kane strides towards the Frankenstein looking bitch and grabs her by the arm.

  She starts to scream and claws at his hand but he picks her up and tosses her into the trunk of the car like she weighs nothing. I raise a brow when he slams it shut and she starts sobbing and shrieking even louder than before.

  “Was that really necessary?” I question, lips twitching.

  “Nope.” He pops a piece of gum into his mouth and offers one to me, then he pulls his ass up onto the trunk and makes me stand between his parted thighs. “You ready to talk yet?” He knocks on the trunk. “You gonna tell us what we want to know?”

  “FUCK YOU!” she screams, and the car starts shaking as she goes wild.

  We both cringe and Kane dips his head at an elderly couple passing with their little dog. They mind their business but I wonder if that will last.

  “Last chance, Mom.” She cusses me out some more so I block her out and lean into Kane to whisper, “Is Felicia really on her way?”

  “Yeah.” He kisses my lips, catching me by surprise. “I’m not risking her runnin’ and taking what could be the last thread of information on our kid with her.”

  He’s right. I’m not risking it either.

  “Twenty K is fine,” Mom calls. “I’ll be good with twenty K. Not gonna reach and be greedy. If you was already gonna part with it, what difference does it make?”

  Kane closes his eyes, his frustration and anger evident.

  We listen to her for a short while longer until the sound of bike engines can be heard in the distance. Kane kisses me again, hops down from the top of the trunk and sighs even heavier than before.

  “They’re going to go fuckin nuclear on our asses.”

  “Probably,” I agree with a cringe.

  “Not gonna let them chew you out but probably won’t be able to stop them from chewing me out,” he goes on and I laugh despite the severity of the situation.

  His parents pull in on separate bikes and the second Felicia’s helmet is off, her eyes fly to the trunk of the car where my mom’s screaming just got louder.

  I love that when Kane told his family it’s an emergency, get your asses here, they got their asses here. Once upon a time I had that with my brother, and Poppy, and then Kane. I miss having that.

  “Somebody wanna tell us why there’s a screaming woman in your car?” West asks, putting a cigarette between his lips and lighting it with a silver lighter that has Felicia’s name on it.

  Felicia adds, her eyes twinkling with humor, “Who is it?”

  “My incubator,” I reply and she howls with laughter.

  “Now how did your human incubator end up in the trunk of your car?”

  Kane takes a cigarette from his daddy but I snap it and throw it down the drive before he can light it. His daddy snorts, almost forgetting the situation we’re all in.

  Kane doesn’t say shit, he just accepts that his smoke is gone and doesn’t try to replace it.

  “We need to get her inside before the cops come knocking,” Kane states and he and his daddy move to the car. “We’ll explain everything then.”

  “Whatever,” West lilts, sounding as amused as Felicia. “Better be one heck of a reason, putting us all at risk of goin’ to jail like this.”

  “Hey, we only made a citizen’s arrest,” I defend. “She was trespassin’ on our property.”

  “Not sure they’ll see it that way seein’ as she’s your momma,” West jests and on the count of three, he opens the boot and they grab my flailing mother and carry her to the house. Felicia and I survey the area to be sure there are no witnesses.

  “What’s going on, Immy?” Felicia asks and I nod for her to follow.

  There’s no screaming when we get inside and I quickly learn that’s because Kane and his daddy have tied my mother bitch to a chair and have slapped a piece of tape over her mouth. The industrial kind. That’s going to tear her lips off. Damn.

  “Okay so somebody needs to start talkin’,” Felicia demands and Kane folds his arms across his chest. “This is seriously crazy.”

  “Oh we know,” Kane murmurs and all eyes fly to him. “I’m gonna cut to the quick, save the full length of the story because we’re runnin’ short on time what with all the noise she made.”

  “We promise to fill you in on all the details after we have what we need from her.”

  “Right, well, shall I make coffee or somethin’?” Felicia asks, looking confused.

  “Naw, but y’all should probably take a seat.”

  They both remain standing and I find this whole scene so bizarre. My mom is making muffled noises beyond her mask, tears in her angry hazel eyes, and I don’t actually care at all. I will do anything to find my kid, she needs to learn that and fast.

  “Me and Immy have a kid,” Kane states, his tone firm and confident. To say West and Felicia’s jaws drop would be an understatement. “She would’a just turned eight.”

  “WHAT?” West booms, looking at me accusingly.

  “No, dad,” Kane warns. “It ain’t like that.”

  “Then what’s it like?” Felicia, forever the soothing voice of reason asks while calming her husband with a hand on his chest.

  “I didn’t leave on my own accord,” I explain, biting my lip and sneering at my mother again. “Mee-maw found out I was pregnant after that accident I had with my junky brother, and she immediately sent me away to Righteous Hill to save her from scandal, and also so people wouldn’t expect her to take on my kid if I became a deadbeat momma like this whore.”

  Mom makes a noise of protest but then falls silent when I kick the leg of her chair. Pain radiates through my foot but it was worth it to see her panic and think I might tip her backwards.

  “They kept me there against my will, forcibly removed my baby via a messy caesarian section and didn’t wake me up until long after she was gone. I never got to see her, never got to hold her, and until now the only person who knew of her whereabouts is dead. They sold her, but we don’t know who to. The trail is dry.”

  Kane nods and continues, “I only found out when I went to Chicago. I’ve been speaking to the agent in charge of the case but the trail is as dead as this bitch will be if she doesn’t talk.”

  “She said if I gave her my mee-maw’s house she’d give me the information I need to find my kid.”

  “Our kid,” Kane corrects and I smile at him sadly.

  “And why the fuck didn’t anybody tell us we have a kidnapped grandbaby out there?” West booms, face turning red.

  “Don’t raise your voice,” Kane warns, yanking me into his side. “It’s complex and difficult and it needs more time talking about than a few seconds. Okay?”

  West looks devastated but he nods, and then he rips the tape from my mother’s mouth and holds up his hand. “So you know where my grandbaby is?”

  My mom shakes her head. “Don’t do this. It ain’t fair. I just need a little somethin’ to get me by.”

  “Ain’t one for hittin’ women,” West snarls, “Don’t wanna start now.”

  “Sweety,” Felicia whispers and pulls West’s face her way. “Let me.”

  “Don’t want you hurtin’ your wrist again.”

  That’s sweet… fucked up, but sweet.

  “I ain’t gonna hit her. Hitting her won’t do shit she’s got too many balloons in her face.” She reaches int
o West’s pocket while speaking, her tone as sweet as sugar. “I’ve got something more persuasive in mind.” She flicks open the lighter and holds the flame to my momma’s face. “Stop your wailin’, I ain’t gonna burn your skin, just your hair. It won’t hurt none but I imagine you’ll look uglier than you do now and somethin’ tells me, looking at your fucked up face, that you wouldn’t do well lookin’ ugly.”

  “Uglier,” I correct, and Mom’s face becomes a glare.

  To prove she’s not making empty threats, Felicia grabs a lock of my mother’s chestnut brown and the room fills with the horrific scent of burning hair.

  “Whoosh,” Felicia says around a cackle as she pats the flames out. My mother stops wailing the second the fire goes out. “You use too much product. I almost took your entire mop out.”

  “Please stop,” Mom begs.

  “You know how to make this stop,” Kane puts in, wafting the smoke away from his face. “Dad crack a window.”

  “I’ll do it,” I say and cringe when Felicia lights Mom’s hair on fire again.

  “OKAY!” Mom sobs. “I’ll tell you what I know.”

  “I’ll know if you’re lyin’.” West leans into her face. “Not fuckin’ around, Mary. You tell us everything you know.”

  Mom nods and more tears stream from her eyes, leaving trails of black mascara. She always uses the clumpiest eye shit I’ve ever seen. “Your mee-maw knew where she was taken.”

  “That better not be all you have.”

  “It’s not!” She insists, sobbing again. “She used to get a call every month with updates.”

  “She was being updated on my kid?” I hiss, wishing Mee-maw was alive so I could punch her in the mouth. “How long have you known?”

  “Not long,” she replies and screams when Felicia moves the flame to the end of her hair again. “I SWEAR! I found a letter for you in the bible she left for you. It explains everything.”

  My heart starts hammering in my chest. Could the information on my kid have been in that letter I destroyed? I didn’t even consider it because Mee-maw insisted she didn’t know where my kid was and Webber said she wasn’t lying.

  “Does it say where she is or who she spoke to?”

  Mom shakes her head, showing just how messed up her hair now is on one side. “It doesn’t say anything other than how you should leave her alone, she’s with a good family, and going into her life now would only mess it up.”

  I rip a hand through my hair and feel ready to hyperventilate. “Phone records. We can call every fucking number.”

  Mom nods. “I can help.”

  “No, you’re gonna stay away from my family you rank ass bitch,” Felicia hisses. “Or I’m comin’ for you and I’ll set the rest of your shit hair on fire.”

  We call Webber and give him the new information, but his reply doesn’t exactly bring us hope.

  “We had your grandmother’s phone listened in on for months afterwards. Years, even. We never heard any calls that might contain updates. She was a suspect on the list for trafficking those babies, but we didn’t find a scrap of evidence against her. You know this. Woman like her, love of the community, friends with Father Righteous… the perfect suspect. We didn’t find shit.”

  I didn’t stay on the phone for much longer, I instead went to the old bitch’s house, found the letter and read it through three times.

  I don’t know if it’s a duplicate of the one she asked Mr. Jessop to give to me when she died, but I do know it’s full of bullshit I don’t want to read. Apologies and excuses as to why she did what she did. An admission that she was going to bring me home but they said I was mentally unstable and wouldn’t permit my release until they knew I was stable. More like until they knew I was brainwashed.

  And finally, an admission that the baby grew up to be a stunning little girl with the love of a good family and she knows this due to monthly updates. She doesn’t say what kind of updates or who keeps her updated her. She does however tell me to leave the girl alone, interfering now could mess with her life and that hits me way too hard.

  I growl with frustration and throw the letter across the room. Then I pace in her flowery as fuck bedroom until my legs ache.

  Kane continues tearing the place apart looking for some kind of clue. There’s nothing. If Mee-maw was getting these updates in person, there’s absolutely no fucking way we will be able to track them down. It could be anyone she knew. It could be the barista at the local café. Anyone!

  She didn’t have a computer because she couldn’t work them. She didn’t have any other form of communication to my knowledge.

  I scream and throw her stupid bible at the wall.

  “Hey,” Kane soothes, rubbing my arms.

  “Don’t,” I plead and move away. “Not now. I don’t want you to touch me right now.”

  “I know it’s frustrating.”

  “This is the closest I have ever come to a real clue and it’s another dead end. Mee-maw knew where she was and she lied, Kane. She fucking lied.”

  The silhouette of a person standing in the doorway has me reaching for the bible ready to throw it again, this time at my brother’s head.

  “Just spoke to Mom,” Matthew declares, looking anxiously between Kane and me. His eyes then go to my twitching hand. “She told me what happened.”

  “Fuck off,” I utter, too tired, too drained to deal with him.

  Matthew raises his hands, a display of defense. “I don’t know if it’s helpful at all…”

  “Oh my God,” I whisper, rubbing my temples.

  He carries on. “Mee-maw used to visit the library a couple of times a month, something she never did before.”

  “One,” I snap and check off a finger with another finger, “Why should I care? And two… how do you know that?”

  “Poppy mentioned it once.” He wets his lips. “She worked there for a while when attending college. She said her manager helped Mee-maw set up an email account. She was asking me if Mee-maw had been in touch with me. I didn’t think anything of it but now it makes sense.”

  “Oh my God,” I whisper and my hope returns. I look at Kane with wide eyes. “Is it still open?”

  “I’d say so,” he replies and grabs my arm. “Just gotta convince Mr. Delaware to give us her details if he has them.”

  I’ve never moved so fast in my entire life, but one detail has me doubling back. “You kept in touch with Poppy and you never once told her about what was happening to me?”

  “I wasn’t in my right mind,” Matthew murmurs. “I thought I was doin’ the right thing.”

  I don’t have time to fight with him about this.

  “Fuck you for that.” I turn towards the front door and follow Kane straight to the car, calling Webber on the way. “She has an email account.”

  “You’re joking?”

  “Nope. Webber… I think this is it. I think we might have finally found her.” My tears return and I can’t stop them.

  “Kane with you?”

  “Yes.”

  “Good. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

  I inhale and exhale and take the tissue that Kane offers.

  “Babe, you gotta chill, don’t get your hopes up.”

  Nodding, because he’s right, I try to relax but that’s always easier said than done.

  “You might not need to come, Webber. It’s a small town, they will probably log in without much prompting.”

  “I need to be there,” he replies, sounding emotional. “This could crack the case wide open and even if it doesn’t, I gotta be there to stop you from going after whoever is on the other side of those emails. You’ve got to remember that if your kid is in a happy and loving home, you showing up on her doorstep will only make her family hostile.”

  “They kidnapped her! They shouldn’t get to keep her.”

  “I know,” he soothes, “but we have got to do this the right way. We have to investigate this the proper way. You’ve trusted me for this long, keep the faith.”
r />   Kane squeezes my thigh.

  “I trust you, Webber, but if this takes too long and she’s at risk in any way, I’m not gonna stop.”

  “Understood. I’m booking my flight right now. Wait for me.”

  The line goes dead and for the first time in forever, I feel fully alive.

  We head into the library, not just Kane and I but Felicia and West too. Matthew didn’t follow, lucky for him because I still want to kill him.

  “Mr. Delaware,” I demand loudly across the deserted library.

  “Yes?” He pokes his head around the open doorway behind the counter. “Oh, it’s you! I heard you was back in town. How are you?”

  “Fine,” I respond automatically but I don’t bother asking for his welfare in return. “My grandmother used to come in here every so often right?”

  “Of course, she was a proud and loving member of our community. Visited a lot of places that woman did.”

  Kane places his hand on the mahogany wood countertop. “You helped her set up an email account.”

  “Sure did.” He looks so proud of himself until he sees our serious expressions. “Why?” Mr. Delaware now looks wary, true to his name.

  “Because we need access to it.”

  “That’s some kinda data protection I think. Not sure I can legally give you that.”

  I smile but it’s not friendly. “I don’t give a crap about data protection. That’s my mee-maw and what’s hers is mine. Now please… tell me her details.”

  “Even if I do,” he goes on, picking up a large journal and flicking through it. He pushes his glasses up his nose and peers at one page before another. “She never used it to my knowledge. I doubt you’ll find anything.”

  “So what’s the problem?” West snaps and Mr. Delaware, though a big guy himself, gulps and flicks through the journal faster.