The HUSH Series: (HUSH, HUSHED and JANE.)

by Sandra Raine

  It seemed like time was passing extremely slow. It was already past 2:30 and still there was no call from Dominic. Every few minutes or so I'd pick up the cell just to see if I had missed Dominic's call by accident, or I'd check the volume making sure it had not been tampered with. Then I'd search the screen checking the notifications bar for that cassette tape looking icon signaling voicemails; both the screen and the bar were as empty as this motel room. In the end I figured I needed to pre-occupy myself with something else, something to get my mind off the cell.

  There wasn't a single book or a magazine nowhere within the motel room which really shouldn't have come to a surprise to me considering that the guys I was associated with were ex-sex traffickers, kidnapers, killers and rapists - not blue collar men.

  I got up from the table, shoved the cell phone into my back pocket and headed for the door. And without thinking. Without taking precautionary measures like looking out the window, scoping out the parking lot for suspicious vehicles and loiterers, or stealing a peek through the door's peep hole, I instead opened the door. And instead of looking at an empty parking space I was instead looking at two men standing casually near the door. One man was standing dead center between the parking space and the door. And the other man was standing beside the door with one hand leaned up against the door frame. The two looked like they had been waiting for me to open the door rather than to have taken the initiative of knocking or kicking it down; I assumed they were striving to be the elements of surprise and they succeeded.

  At first I thought these were some random men mistaking this particular motel room for another 'cause in all honesty these two men didn't appear hostile. In fact they appeared pleasant, their demises also appearing pleasant that I didn't feel the least bit threatened.

  "Can I help you gentleman?" I asked 'cause they just continued to stand there, keeping to their place, not attracting any attention to themselves despite the fact there was a family a few motel rooms down walking in and out of their room, to and from their mini van while a couple of other vehicles cruised through the motel's parking lot. One hitting the street, the other veering around the back of the motel.

  "Maybe," one of the men unexpectedly spoke coercing me to shift my attention back onto them particularly the man shielding the parking space and the door since he was the first to speak.

  As I gazed at the man something about his aura began to rouse me a bit 'cause I could have sworn I had seen him somewhere from before but I couldn't pinpoint exactly where that is until I probed my recollection to last month, and to the month before, and the month before that until I finally came across that one recollection which just hung there, suspended in my memory, dangling the way a laundered shirt dangled on a clothesline. Suddenly my entire body flushed with this agonizing fear of sheer terror 'cause my eyes suddenly lit up and my heart kicked up a beat and my lungs just about choked on it's oxygen causing my breath to minimize to a short, staggered breath: the man was Hank. Andrew Parker's number one muscle.

  I slowly backed away from Hank and the other man who was sporting a well groomed goatee behind a blanked expression causing me to fear even more. I remembered there was a gun sitting on the table; Justin had left it for me as added protection, remembering that he said to keep it with me at all times. But being in the company of a loaded gun for some reason scared me to death only 'cause I had my share of constantly being around them so I had decided to leave it where it lied. . .and now it was to late especially when I twirled around in my stance and made a mad dash for it. But obviously I wasn't quick enough 'cause Hank rushed in behind me and wrestled me to the floor while the other man casually walked in and closed the door gently behind him. I had screamed a couple of times as Hank was in the midst of trying to gain control of me 'cause I was behaving erratic, like a wild undomesticated animal who had just gotten caught in a trap.

  "Goddamn bitch!" Hank bellowed the second I bit his hand. He then grabbed a stern hold of my hair and literally yanked me off the floor with it. Then he spun me a 180 and backhanded me so hard across the face that I passed out over the bed for a few seconds.

  "Fucking bitch!" Hank then cursed a second time wiping the blood with a handkerchief from his leather jacket's pocket.

  "You alright?" Hank's partner then asked the least bit interested.

  "Fucking wild is what she is," Hank insulted kicking me straight in the shin, forcing me to cry out in pain. "Shut the fuck up!" was the last thing I heard, and another hard belt across my face was the last thing I felt before I passed out cold.

  Chapter 20

  3:22 is what the clock in the dashboard read: 3:22.

  Then 3:23.

  Then 3:24.

  Then the sound of a closing car door forced me to spring up like a Jack-in-the-box. And the first thing my eyes caught sight of behind dark tinted windows was the meeting place between Parker and Guillermo. And instead of facing the front of the house, I was facing the back bay patio door.

  I made an attempt for the door handle the second it occurred to me that Dominic, Justin and Josh were in trouble or else why would I have been at the meeting waking up in the backseat to a strange vehicle, my head throbbing, my face stinging and my lip split. It was obvious Parker was enraged over our scheme and Dominic's betrayal or else it wouldn't have been his men summoned to get me and bring me back here.

  Instead of me opening the door the door instead was opened for me with a hand reaching inside the vehicle, grabbing my arm and pulling me out. And again, I was face-to-face with Hank who abruptly let go of my arm and grabbed both sides of my face hard, coercing me to whimper.

  "Now you make sure to be a good girl in front of our good friend, hmm?" he then said sweetly, smoothing down the sides of my hair as I sucked back my tears and merely nodded. "Good." Hank said letting go of my face and taking hold of my arm again.

  There were at least a half a dozen vehicles from SUV's to luxury sedans fanned out around the house and one limousine which I presumed probably belonged to Guillermo as I figured him to be driven around in nothing less. I mean, anyone who could afford to pay 3.5 million for a girl obviously had money to toss around. And that thought scared me to death. Obviously the man had a disgusting amount of power.

  Hank escorted me through the oversized patio door situated in the ultra oversized gourmet kitchen incomplete of appliances. There were a couple of men obviously of Columbian descent dressed in suits guarding the kitchen. Hank then escorted me through a vista of darkened corridors, two enormous rooms that could have easily passed for a family room, a study, or a dining room; there were also endless white and barren walls, and a handful of other men, some dressed in suits, others in casual, yet pricey street wear.

  As we neared the destination of the meeting, my fear began to take total control of my body 'cause my blood, my breath and my heart all started to work overtime and in conjunction with one another. I mean, I was so fucking scared. . .but most importantly, for Dominic and Justin and Josh; Jonah and Marx. . .we were all obviously fucked!

  There was an intense silence the second Hank walked me into the formal living room where the meeting was taking place. Around the conference table sat Parker and I presumed, Guillermo and no one else; the rest of Parker and Guillermo's men were fanned out around the living room, and it didn't take a genius to figure out which crew belong to what boss: Guillermo's men, along with Guillermo, were dressed in classy suits, each sporting gold jewelry and wearing exotic fragrances while Parker's men were dressed in leather and suit pants, some jewelry and contrasting fragrances. Then there was Dominic and Justin and Josh looking like clones in casual leather jackets, straight leg jeans and solid colored t-shirts, and the only thing all these young guys and men had in common were their guns clinging desperately to each of their persons except for Dominic and his two man crew; they had obviously been stripped of theirs 'cause they just stood there looking defeated.

  "So this is Diamond, huh," Guillermo said gazing at me with a hint of dissatisfaction. Ob
viously something about me irked him. "Look like she's been worked over," he then casually remarked as he casually rose from his seat and casually crossed the ten foot distance between us. When he reached me, he picked up my chin and shifted my head to the left then to the right, tilting my head up then down before letting go of my face. He then picked up both my arms and turned them one way then the other; I assumed he was looking for tracks just like the way he looked into my nose for any signs of tissue damage. Guillermo then slinked his way around me, picking up the back of my hair then letting it fall back around my shoulders. After, he maneuvered back around me and stared at me like what seemed an eternity.

  And the whole time I just stood there trembling with fear 'cause in a matter of hours, and the way it was looking particularly with Dominic failing at our plan, I was going to become the sole property of Guillermo. I was going to disappear. . .forever.

  "Who worked you ever?" Guillermo unexpectedly asked me, and I froze unsure whether to answer Guillermo or not as I looked at Parker for permission? But then I realized that I no longer belonged to Parker; I now belonged to Guillermo.

  I sucked back my tears and cleared my throat. "Ha. . .Hank."

  "Who's Hank?"

  "The gentleman standing next to me."

  "He hit you?"

  I nodded. "Yes."

  "Hmm," Guillermo droned beneath pursed lips. "Hmm," he groaned a second time before he reached into his suit coat, pulled out his gun and shot Hank in the head. I yelped before I jumped back, slapping both my hands over my mouth as horrid tears gushed from my eyes. I almost pee'd myself.

  "You son-of-a-bitch!" Parker seethed, jumping up from his seat.

  Guillermo replaced his gun back into his holster and walked back to his seat without a single expression of remorse. "I don't appreciate people mishandling my merchandise, Mr. Parker. You of all people should know this." Guillermo then coolly commented sitting back down.

  "I'm sure he didn't mean to rough her up, Pablo. She can be very proud at times." Parker fortified.

  "Sounds like you have a problem then. . .controlling your girls, that is." Parker bit back Guillermo's insult and sat back down himself without saying another word about his prized investment bleeding out not more than a few feet from me.

  "Now that I have my merchandise, Andres, I do have another concern that I'm hoping you can help me out with."

  "I'm listening."

  "Why would these men. . .meaning your Dominic, go to great lengths to keep Diamond from me and create this scheme of "dishonesty" against you?"

  "Honestly, your guess is as good as mine, Pablo."

  "Isn't Dominic family?"

  "Yes. Unfortunately."

  "Do you suspect he's holding something against you?"

  "Again. That I would not know."

  Guillermo broke from his conversation with Parker to glance at me. "Where did you acquire this one from?" he then asked, and sounding beyond inquisitive.

  Parker roused in his seat for a few seconds before he settled his nerves, placing one knee above the other, relaxing both hands above his thigh. "Dominic scouted her."

  "Hmm, I see." Guillermo said shifting his attention to Dominic who appeared unnerved by Parker's deception. "Did you really scout her?" he then asked Dominic thus throwing him for a spin 'cause he didn't anticipate having any conversation with Guillermo, and not with the deception he tried to pull.

  "You sound doubted?" Parker instead replied.

  "And if I am?"

  "I don't see why."

  "Perhaps you may not see why. But I like to know about my girls. . .Where they came from?. . .Who their family is?. . .Where they were acquired?. . .Information that would benefit me."

  "No. I didn't scout her." Dominic unexpectedly retorted coercing Parker to purse his lips.

  "Come again?" Guillermo said, his attention piqued.

  "I didn't scout her," Dominic obliged, and with a certain amount of pleasure. "She had already been targeted."

  "Is that right."

  "He's right." Justin vouched, coercing Parker to grunt.

  "Something the matter, Mr. Parker?" Guillermo quizzed Parker.

  "I wouldn't believe anything these gentleman have to say, Pablo." Parker slighted.

  "I'm open to discretions, Andres."

  "That's a matter of your opinion."

  "Yes. And I wish to hear what Dominic has to say."

  "Dominic is a liar. And so are his men. They insult the integrity of the business we're in, Pablo. Something I expect for you to understand."

  "Well, and since, we're on the subject of "insults". . .I'm insulted."

  "'Insulted'?"

  "Yes. Insulted."

  "Insulted by what, if I may ask?"

  "Insulted that you would even attempt to pull the wool over my eyes."

  "I'm afraid I don't understand where this conversation is going, Pablo?"

  "Perhaps we should consult the one who is suggesting the insult."

  "And who might that be?"

  Guillermo took a moment and picked up his cell phone from off the conference table and dialed. He then mustered something in his native tongue before he hung up. Meanwhile, I took the opportunity to steal a glance at Dominic, hoping that the desperation and the confusion in my eyes would prompt him to display some form of comfort to our unfortunate dilemma but Dominic just remained blank on expression just like the walls surrounding this house.

  I then stole a glance at Justin but he wouldn't look at me; he was twinned to Dominic's expression. I tempted myself on glancing onto Josh but decided against it 'cause I felt the weight of the surrounding gunmen's eyes burrowing down over my inabilities to minding my own business.

  I lowered my gaze to the cemented slab just below my feet and concentrated all my emotions there. The blood from Hank's head was slowly starting to trickle into the little space of my concrete world, invading it so it can be able to conquer kind of like the way all these men before me were doing to me as of this moment. There was no escape. There was no end. There was no bright light at the end of my tunnel. There was nothing but darkness and shadows and evil and fear. . .and now I just wanted out. I wanted out of my life. Away from all these monsters. I needed to die. I needed my ashes to be scattered to the wind so that my spirit could roam free. So my soul could find comfort in peace and in salvation. . .I needed to set myself free.

  Chapter 21

  Like a feather drifting in a grave storm, I felt my body lunging four feet from where I stood. And like the air that could not be ceased 'cause of it's godly design, my body swayed effortlessly upon his body, and like a Hawk my claws seized the silver fish in one swift motion prompting my wings to expand and contract against the wind as I soared higher and higher towards the big blue sky where birds of paradise awaited me.

  "NO, JANE!" then cried a voice from the depths of its soul; a voice I had come to recognize in the last few months of my life; a voice I had no intentions on gravitating to when I already had the revolver depressed against the right of my temple. I could feel those birds of paradise calling me, from above. And the sound. . .Oh, the sound was so gospel, so angelic, so heavenly. . .I needed to go to it, to rise toward it. . .I needed to -

  The sound of gunfire echoed passed my ears. The revolver from my hand had dropped to the cemented floor. And that blinding light of darkness slowly began to clear: first from a haze, then from distortion, and out from the blurredness a clarity that ultimately brought me back to life -

  "Jane. Oh, Jane!"

  ". . .Dad?"

  Chapter 22

  "Yes, Jane. . .it's me." Viktor Kasa whispered desperately and breathlessly against his wavering, yet shaken touch. "It's me. . .It's me, sweetheart," his voice then staggered as I stood there paralyzed in my abstraction. I was afraid to move. Afraid that I would lose complete sight of him if I did. And I wasn't sure if we were in Heaven or in Hell? Or if this was just a projection in my mind that I was trying hard not to re-suppress? Whatever it was, I was determined
now to hold on. . .to hold onto my father.

  "Dad," I whispered against his chest that felt warm and gentle against my flesh. "Dad," I repeated, sniffling back tears and sighing out serenely despite the faint noise echoing all around me. But because I was so wrapped up with my father, I did not hear the surrounding commotion. I did not see the gunmen at aggressive attention. And I did not know that a war was about to commence. It wasn't until my father let go of his embrace on me and placed himself in front of me had I then glimpsed my surroundings and saw that it wasn't good.

  There were guns trained on every gunmen but the one person responsible for all the demise: me.

  And since Guillermo traveled rather light for his trip to the U.S., his gunmen were unfortunately outnumbered. And so were Dominic, Justin and Josh as well as my father, Jonah and Marx who were now both standing opposite Viktor with their guns specifically trained on Parker; Parker's men had the advantage, and there must've been well over twenty. It was like Parker had summoned all his muscle from every corner of the earth.

  And how we were going to shoot our way out of this mess was beyond me.

  "Now this is a rather complicating predicament, isn't it Viktor?" Parker mused from his seat. "I was under the impression that you were dead? I mean, I did shoot you, right?"

  "Well then you must've been one lousy shot." Viktor returned the gesture.

  "Fucking ballistics!" Parker spat in disgust. "Pablo, my friend," Parker then said shaking his head in comical disappointment. "I do apologize for your getting mixed up in this squabble which, and if you ask me, is fucking petty considering that's it over one. . .little. . .whore."

  "Careful, Parker," Viktor cautioned. "Remember who you're insulting here."

  "Well it can't be you. Or else I wouldn't be here. But since I am, allow me to insult you once again. Come here, Jane."

  "Fuck you, Andy!" Jonah seethed. "Jane, baby, stay where you are."