Deadly Saintes- The Complete Series, page 9
part #1 of Deadly Saintes Series
Lawrence looked at Reginald. “What’s going on?”
“I know who it is.”
“Who?” Lawrence asked.
“You don’t need to know right now, but I need you to do me a favor. I need you to get Darius and take him back to the main house. Meet me there in an hour.” He unlocked the door before looking back. “And don’t tell Constance.” He pulled the door open, nearly running into Joi.
“Grandpa,” she said, hugging his waist.
“Hey sweetheart.” He lowered himself until he could look into her eyes. “I gotta step out for a bit, but I promise to be right back.”
“But you just got here!”
“I know, but I have to go get a present for your mom.” He checked to make sure Constance wasn’t watching or listening. He pulled a wad of cash from his pocket and peeled off two fifty-dollar bills. “Do what you want with that. I’ll give you more if you keep our secret.”
“You don’t have to bribe me to keep your secret, Grandpa.”
“It’s not a bribe, baby girl. It’s for you being my favorite.” Reginald tapped her nose before kissing her forehead. “Tell your mom you want to watch a movie. And if she says ‘no’, tell I said she has to.”
Joi smiled.Her hair flopped around as she nodded.
Reginald smiled. She reminded him of his only daughter at that age. “Give me some.” They performed their secret handshake before pulling each other into a hug. “I love you.”
“I love you more, Grandpa.”
He listened from the hallway until he familiar MGM opening credits. “I gotta get going, but I’ll be right back,” he said, cruising through the living room.
“Where are you going?”
“I have to handle some business. I’ll be back in a couple of hours.”
“Be careful,” Constance said.
“Always am.”
Darius’s heel thumped against the chair leg, his leg bouncing as he waited in Reginald’s office. Despite having memories of being there as a little boy, he felt out of place. The pictures of his father and his siblings stared back at him, taunting him, reminding him he wasn’t like Reginald. That despite him having the same last name, the same blood running through his veins, he wasn’t one of them. He gently touched a picture of his mother.
Reginald closed the door quietly. “That’s my favorite picture of her.”
Darius fumbled with the picture frame. He set it back on the desk and moved it until it was as close to its original position as possible. “I’m sorry, I just –”
“You don’t have to apologize, son. She was your mother. You loved her just like I did. Like I still do.”
“What about Eralia?”
“That‘s different. Vera and I had four children and thirty years.”
“I miss her.”
“I miss her too.” Reginald looked at the picture of his late wife. “I miss her every day.” His eyes snapped up. “But that’s not why I called you here.”
“Lawrence didn’t say much.”
“I told him not to. I couldn’t risk anyone overhearing. He’s out taking care of something that will help you do what I’m about to ask.”
Darius’ back stiffened. He slid to the edge of his seat. “What’s going on? What do you need me to do?”
Reginald waited a few seconds before he answered. He realized just how much Darius looked like Vera. He had the same eyebrows, same nose, same mole on the side of his nose. “Son-”
“Something must really be wrong.”
“How do you figure?”
“You’ve called me son twice in the same conversation.”
“Is that a crime?” Reginald asked.
“No. You’ve just been sparing with the label is all.”
“I apologize for that. I apologize for the way I’ve treated you. I make no excuses for my behavior, I dropped the ball. I guess I was, never mind. I won’t beat around the bush. Son, Darius, I need your help. The family needs your help. You’re the only one I can depend on in this situation.”
“What’s going on? I’ll do whatever you ask.”
2
“I can‘t do it alone,” Darius said.
“You can,” Lawrence replied. “We‘ve checked. There aren‘t any alarms. There‘s no one guarding them. We have to do exactly what your father said.”
Darius looked at him for a long moment, then got out of the car. He had a pistol, a knife, a GPS, and a flashlight. He made his way through the woods. He had trudged about a half mile when he saw it.There was a cottage in the clearing. It was exactly where his father said it would be. He hid in the forest and looked around. There wasn’t a vehicle there. He crept into the clearing and around the house. There was a light on inside, and he looked in the window. There was one open room, and Eralia was sitting on a blanket in the corner. David was on the floor next to her. He was sleeping.
Darius checked again, took a deep breath and opened the door. Eralia looked up at him. Her eyes were red.
“Darius?”
Darius cut the zip ties on her wrists and ankles. “Where are they?”
She shook her head. “They’ve been gone for hours. They tied me up and left us.”
“We’ve got to go.”
Darius grabbed David and helped Eralia up. They ran into the dense forest. He waited until they were a good distance away from the house and fished the flashlight from his pants. He held tree limbs out of the way, waiting until Eralia ducked underneath them before he let them go.
Eralia struggled to breathe. “Can.... can we please slow down?”
“We’re almost there.” He grabbed her hand.
Lawrence started the car. He hopped out and opened the back door. He helped Eralia inside while Darius jogged around the car to sit in the front seat. He had barely closed the door before the car was in motion.
Lawrence turned to Darius. “Did you have any trouble?”
“No.“ Darius looked in the rearview mirror and saw that Eralia‘s eyes were still wide. “We got out clean.”
Lawrence tossed a phone in his lap. “Call Pops. Let him know we’re on the way.”
“Can’t they track this?”
Lawrence shook his head. “It’s a burner.”
“What’s going on?” Eralia asked. “Why did those men take us?”
“We’ll explain everything once we get to where we’re going.” Lawrence sped along on the dirt road, his one handed control of the car better than most two handed drivers.
Branches and limbs scratched the doors and screamed across the windows. David woke up and whimpered. Then he let out a full-blown wail.
Darius put his finger over his ear to block the noise. “Dad.”
“Were they there? Did you get them? They’re not hurt, are they? I swear to God if either of them have as much as a scratch–”
“They’re fine. No one touched them. I was just calling to let you know we’re on the way to the safe house.” A sudden beam of light caught Darius’ attention. “Hold on.”
Lawrence looked in the rear-view mirror. “Shit.”
“Shit, what?” Eralia said.
“Make sure you‘re strapped in. Hold on to the baby.”
The car behind them sped until it slammed into the bumper All of them lurch forward. Darius braced against the dashboard before his forehead smacked against it.
“Son of a bitch.” Another bump from behind caused them to veer to the left. Lawrence frantically turned the wheel, trying to keep them on the road.
The car appeared on Darius’ side; the driver signaled for them to pull over. “You got something?”
“Use yours.”
Darius fished out the nine-millimeter pistol and put a bullet in the chamber. He lowered the window. The driver was wearing a mask. Darius two shots went wide. The driver jerked his wheel, bumping their car. Darius squeezed the trigger a third time, and the passenger returned fire. The smell of burnt plastic filled the car. A dime size bullet hole appeared in the dashboard.
Lawrence gritted his teeth. “Hold on.” He yanked the wheel to the right and sent the front end of his car into their pursuers’.
David screamed, Eralia talked to him in low tones, but he kept crying.
Lawrence jerked the wheel once more. Gaining the advantage, he swerved into the middle of the road. “Get ready to fire. I’m gonna let them get back on the side of us.”
Darius nodded and let his window all the way down.
“Wait,” Lawrence said. He slowed his speed another five miles per hour. “Now.”
Lawrence pressed both feet on the brake, bringing the car to a screeching halt. Darius fired as the cars were side by side. The pursuers passed them. One of their tires wobbled. The car swerved and crashed into a tree. Smoke billowed from the crushed hood.
“Stay here.” Lawrence drew his gun and kicked his door open. He marched toward the car.
“Are you okay?” Darius said. His heart sank when he saw the tears on Eralia’s cheeks. He climbed into the back seat and wrapped his arms around her. He kissed David’s forehead.
“Breathe,” he said. “We’re okay.”
“What happened? What’s going on?”
“We’ll tell you when we get—“ His hand flew up to his cheek.
Eralia’s hand remained in the air, her palm red. “Tell me what the fuck is going on Darius. Right now! Who were those men? Why did they kidnap us?”
Darius dropped his head. He noticed that Eralia’s accent was more pronounced. “I don’t know. Dad sent us.”
“At least he wanted to save us,” she said.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Never mind. Nothing.” She hugged him, her lips brushing against his cheek. “Thank you.”
Darius smiled as David wrapped his small fingers around his big one. “I would never let anything happen to you.”
A loud creak brought their attention back to the present moment. Lawrence had pried the driver’s door open. A lifeless body flopped out. Lawrence ripped off the mask. “Darius!”
Darius got out of the car and went to the other car. The body was on the ground, lifeless eyes staring up.
Lawrence pointed at the body. “I’ve never seen him before. Do you know him?”
Darius’ stomach knotted when he saw the bloody gash on the man’s forehead. The metallic smell of blood worked its way into his nose. He covered his mouth and tried to push down the bile making its way up his throat. “Oh, God.”
“Stop being a pussy. It’s just a dead body,” Lawrence said with a chuckle.
“This shit isn’t funny. We just killed two guys.”
“We didn’t kill anybody. These men got into a wreck after they chased us. That would constitute self defense.” Lawrence used the tip of the gun to lift the man’s chin. “You recognize him?”
“No. Why would I recognize him?”
“I don’t know. I thought since Pop let you in on this he gave you some information while I wasn’t around.”
“You know that isn’t true,” Darius said. “You’re more of his son than I am.”
“You’re wrong.”
The passenger‘s head moved. Lawrence led the way to the other side of the car. He opened the passenger door.
The passenger, still masked, tried to undo his seatbelt. He got out of the car and fell to the forest floor. The tips of his finger sank into the wet ground as he clawed his way forward.
Lawrence held his gun on the man and walked behind him. “He won’t get far. Despite what you may think, your father loves you. He didn’t involve you because he didn’t want you to be a part of shit like this. Car chases and dead bodies aren’t your thing.”
“That’s not true. I can handle my own.”
“You were about to throw up just a few seconds ago.”
“It was my first dead body. You’re trying to tell me you didn’t react to your first dead body?” Darius said.
“I did. It scared the shit out of me, but I didn’t let Pop know that.”
“You were with my dad when you saw your first dead body?”
“Another story for another day,” Lawrence replied, keeping his eye on the crawling kidnapper.
The passenger stopped crawling and pulled himself into a seated position against a tree. His head hung to the side, his hands resting in his lap palms up. “If you’re gonna kill me, just do it. I’m pretty sure I broke both my legs.”
Lawrence bent down into a squat. “We’ll get to that.” He eased the mask off the man’s face. “But first, I’d like a little information. Like, who hired you to kidnap the pretty lady and that precious baby.”
The man remained silent. He pulled his gloves off with his teeth. “I‘m already a dead man.”
Lawrence hunched his shoulders. “Depends on what you have to say. I’ve always been one to consider how much the information a person gives. I go easier on them when they help me catch the real troublemaker.”
“I can’t tell you who hired me.”
Lawrence “That’s a shame.”
“But I can tell you they gave us strict instructions not to kill the girl and the kid. Something about them being family.”
Lawrence and Darius looked at one another then back at the car. Lawrence stood, placing the gun in the small of his back. He then squatted back to the man’s eye level. Swiping the dirt and dried leaves from the side of his face, he used his handkerchief to dry the man’s forehead. “I appreciate that information.”
“You’re not gonna kill me.”
“What’s your name?”
“Eric. Eric Bennett.”
“Well, Eric. I’m a man of my word.” Lawrence stood again. “I’m not gonna kill you.” He handed the gun to Darius. “He is.”
“What?” Eric and Darius said at the same time.
“That’s right.” Without another word, Lawrence made his way back to the car. Halfway there, he turned around. “You want your father to see you as a man? Prove yourself.” He opened his door and climbed inside. He turned to Eralia. “Cover your eyes and cover the baby’s ears.”
Darius stared at the gun. He looked into the man’s eyes.
“You don’t have to do this. Just leave me here. I don’t know where you’re going so I can’t tell them anything.”
Darius moved his finger over the gun. Lawrence’s words echoed in his ear.
If you want your father to see you as a man…
That was all he ever wanted. He got straights A’s, excelled in math. He was just as smart as Constance, but his father never praised him. None of it worked. Nothing he did worked.
The slide clicked as he pulled it back.
“Please. I won’t say anything.”
Darius lined up the sight with the middle of Eric’s forehead. He closed one eye.
“Please. I have a wife. And three little girls. Please, man.”
Darius stomped back to the car and climbed inside.He took the handkerchief Lawrence offered him and wiped his fingerprints off the gun. He slid it underneath his seat. He fastened his seat belt before he turned to Lawrence.
“Drive,” he said.
3
E.G. grabbed his gun before he opened his eyes. He remained still. He watched the movement in the light. He kept track of the noises, listening for anything that sounded out of the ordinary. One of his partners crept into the room. “Something’s wrong.” A finger directed him back into the hallway. “Boys?”
“Haven’t found anything yet.”
“Me either.”
E.G. peeked into the adjacent room. Eralia and David were still sleeping. Stepping back into the hallway, a sharp pain shot through his side. Blood stained his fingertips after he touched the spot. His legs gave way, and he fell to the floor.
“They’re in here.” Muffled shots whizzed past his head. “Fuck.”
“Fuck. I’m hit. I’m hit. There’s three of them.” The voice quieted.
“Mark.” E.G. used the door handle to pull himself up. “Mark. Are you there? Mark?”
“He’s not,” an unfamiliar voice said. “And neither is anybody else. I suggest if you want to be the one live through this, you throw your gun away.”
“Who the fuck are you?”
“It’s doesn’t matter. Just do what I say. Your weapon, please.”
E.G. pulled the strap over his head and kicked the rifle away. “Now what?”
“Come to the front room.”
“I can’t move,” E.G.
“That’s bullshit. I know who you are. You took multiple bullets and still saved your entire unit after you got ambushed.”
E.G. tiptoed his way down the hallway. Three men were waiting for him in the space when he entered. There was a chair in the room's middle.
“Have a seat.” The leader sent his men to collect Eralia and David.
“How’d you get in here?” E.G. asked.
“Doesn’t matter. I’m in.”
“Who sent you?”
“Again, doesn’t matter. I’m here now.” The man threw a pair of zip ties at E.G. feet. “Put those on.”
E.G. chuckled to himself as he followed the instructions. “You must work for someone close. No one knew about this place except for three people besides me. Reginald, Lawrence, and–” his head flew backward before falling forward. Blood poured from the bullet hole in his forehead.
Eralia struggled against her captor’s grip. “Get the fuck off me.” Her knees thudded on the hardwood after the man threw her down.
The second man carried a crying David. “I fucking hate kids.”
“You’ll be able to shut him up soon.”
Reginald took a sip from his glass. The warmth spread from his mouth down his throat. There was a knock at the door. Titus. Reginald poured another glass and gave it to his friend.
Titus sat and raised his glass. “Are we celebrating?”
“More like trying to calm my nerves. I haven’t heard anything yet.”
“I’m sure everything will work out fine,” Titus said. “Luck is usually on our side.”
“I don’t know about that, but it made me feel better hearing you said that.”
