King Me

by Season Vining

  “Let’s see where this goes,” King says. He climbs the gate before turning to help me. I’m already up and over, my feet landing on the dirt road and kicking up a cloud of dust. I wipe off my hands on the seat of my shorts and shrug. He can’t keep the grin off his face.

  “What?”

  “Nothing,” he says. “You, city girl, just never stop surprising me.”

  “Good,” I say. “Come on.” I head down the road and King follows.

  We walk through the thick woods, sticking to the road until we can no longer see the gate behind us. There are small plastic signs nailed to trees that say POSTED, just like Emma described. The sun disappears behind gray clouds and it’s a welcome break from the afternoon heat. Bugs buzz around us and I try to not freak out at every little noise that comes from the surrounding trees. The path curves ahead, and as we make the turn, we see water.

  “Another dead end,” I say, exhaling a humorless laugh and resting my hands on my knees.

  I’m sweaty and frustrated, feeling sorry for myself, when an image of sweet little Olivia flashes behind closed eyes. Blonde curls and big blue eyes fill my head, then Emma and the devastation on her face while trying to be strong. Without thought I start running. King calls out behind me, but I don’t stop. I pump my legs and push myself toward the water. Even when my lungs burn, I don’t stop. All I feel is the need to get to the end of this path and see where we go next. This can’t be it. This can’t be how it ends.

  My feet hit the soggy ground near the water and sink into the mud there. It creates a suction, locking my left foot into the earth and I fall forward, landing on my knees. My hands disappear into a few inches of water, my fingers curling into the muck below. I stay there, my chest heaving, staring at my distorted reflection in the water. I’m clinging to the last bit hope, but it slips away when the first drop of rain falls.

  King’s arms wrap around my waist and he lifts me from the water. I don’t fight him. Instead, I let him pull me into his lap as the rain pelts us. My left shoe sits stuck in the mud and the dusty brown path becomes a polka-dotted pattern of rain drops. The once glassy water surface vibrates with texture now.

  “There’s nothing here,” I say. “Nothing.”

  There is a long moment of silence between us. I feel his slow breaths as his chest pushes into my back and I try to force my own breathing to match. The light tapping sound of rain hitting dirt, trees, even the water, fills the air until it all converges into one constant shushing of white noise. I drop my chin to my chest to hide from the drops that hit my lashes.

  “There’s that,” King says, gently turning my chin to the side and pointing at a large boat tethered to a wooden dock. It hasn’t been there long. The wood looks new, not weathered and worn at all. “And that.” His arm swings over and across the water, about 200 yards away, is what looks to be a large island. A similar wooden dock sticks out of the tree line. It’s hard to make out through the rain, but it’s unmistakable.

  “That’s it!” I say, jumping to my feet. I ignore the rain, my wet clothes stuck to my skin, my one missing shoe, and focus on that dock. This is what we needed. This is where they’ll be. I feel it in my gut more than know it for a fact. “But how the hell will we get over there?” I ask.

  “Let’s get out of this rain and figure that out,” King says, pulling my shoe from the mud and motioning for me to follow him.

  “Okay,” I say, slipping my soggy shoe back on and taking his hand. “Okay.”

  _______________

  “So, if we approach from here,” King says, pointing a spot on the map, “that’ll be our best bet. We can take Marie’s truck, pick up my dad’s old canoe, and head out there right before sunset.”

  “Right,” Marie says. “If we cross the water in the dark, they’ll never see us coming. Now what about weapons? Are we bringing weapons?” I sit up straight in my chair, my eyes dancing between the two of them. “What?” she asks. “I always have my blade, but we can get our hands on other things if we need them.”

  “I just… Well, I never thought about it. I don’t want a weapon,” I say, holding up my hands as if surrendering. “I’m not there to hurt anyone. My only goal is to get that little girl out safely. Without her, they’ve got no ritual and our job is done.”

  “It doesn’t mean they won’t hurt you,” Marie says.

  “Laney’s right,” King cuts in. “We want to be stealthy and prepared, not go in guns blazing.”

  “Okay,” Marie says, nodding her head. “I get it. But don’t think I’m leaving Janet at home. She goes everywhere with me since I was a kid.” She reaches into her bra and pulls out a switchblade. With a flick of her wrist the blade pops up, and she stabs it into the top of her wooden table.

  “Janet?” I ask.

  “Miss Jackson, if you nasty,” she sings with a smile. I can’t help but laugh, while King just rolls his eyes. I’m sure he’s probably heard it many times before.

  “Anyway,” King says. “We hide the boat and locate the ritual sight on the island. It shouldn’t be hard since the sight will most likely be set up in advance.”

  “Then we hang back and try to find a way to the girl,” I say. “If everything is the same as the previous ritual, she will be in the center of a clearing on a large tree stump. We have no idea how many people to expect.”

  “That’s true,” Marie says, sipping her coffee. “But I believe this kind of group is going to be small. With all the evil doings they’ve been up to there’s no way they could convince more than a handful of practitioners to join.”

  “You’re probably right,” King says. He finishes off his bottle of beer and tosses it in the recycling bin beneath the sink. “What’s our exit strategy once we have the girl?”

  The three of us sit quietly, each in our own head, trying to work out the best and worst case scenarios for getting off of that island with Olivia.

  “Whoever has the girl will be a priority,” I say. “If I get stuck there, I don’t want you guys to stay. You should go and save her.”

  Marie shakes her head while King stares at me. “As fucking if,” Marie says.

  “We go together, we leave together. The end,” King says, his voice low and heavy. I don’t say anything and drop my gaze to my fidgeting hands on the table top.

  “We have to assume—if we get out—that they will follow us,” I say. “They’ll have a real boat and we’ll have a canoe. Not exactly the best odds.”

  “Then we just steal their boat!” Marie says excitedly. “Hell yeah! We need to be quiet going in, but not getting out.”

  King and I look at each other and shrug. “She’s right,” he says.

  An hour later, once we’ve all gone over the plan a few times, King and I lay on the pull out bed. Light from the alley pushes its way through the thin curtains and it’s just enough to see the outline of King’s profile. He lies on his back, his eyes open, staring at the ceiling.

  “Is this going to work?” I ask. My words are so soft they are almost lost to the droning of the air conditioning window unit cooling the room.

  King takes a deep breath, his chest rising a few inches, and blows it out. “I can’t promise you anything,” he says. “But either way, we’ve got to try.” I nod even though he can’t see me. “I swear to all things holy, Laney Mills, if you try some self-sacrificing stunt tomorrow, I’ll kill you myself.”

  I let out a sigh and lace my fingers with his hand resting on his stomach. “Okay,” I say.

  “You promise?”

  “I promise.” That is the first time I knowingly lie to Valentine King.

  21

  I WAKE IN THE morning from nightmares that rattle me to the core. I am sweat-soaked with tears in my eyes when King shakes me awake. Immediately, the images and dreams disappear and are replaced by his strong arms and comforting words. He holds me until I catch my breath, until I can open my eyes and face the day.

  “Are you okay?” he asks, when I roll onto my back.

  �
�Yes. I don’t even remember what they were about now,” I say. “All I remember is being terrified.”

  King frowns and wipes the last tear from the corner of my eye. “I don’t think it’s foreshadowing or anything. My mind is just racing with what-ifs and I can’t seem to nail down a single thought. We’re going into this with so many unknowns.”

  “I know,” he says. “I know.”

  I leave him there and head into Marie’s bathroom to take a shower. The time alone under the spray of steaming hot water is just what I need to get my head right. I close my eyes and imagine all my worries slipping down the drain with the soapy water.

  The house is quiet all morning. Even with the three of us there, moving around, eating breakfast, there is an eerie silence to the space. No one says a word as we prepare ourselves for what’s ahead.

  I curl into the overstuffed chair next to the television with my notepad and pen. I write the words “Dear Mom” at the top and stare at the empty page for a few minutes. If things go bad, this will be the last time she hears from me. What do I say? Do I tell her that I’ve found a way to be happy again and that she shouldn’t worry? Do I tell her that my intentions were good and I did my best?

  “What is that?” Marie asks, leaning over my shoulder.

  I clutch the notepad to my chest to hide it. “Nothing. Just a letter to my mom in case… you know.”

  “Uh uh. Nope.” Marie takes the pad from my hands and chucks it across the room. “I can’t have that kind of negativity today. Girl, you bringing me bad juju. King, tell her she’s bringing me bad juju.”

  From the kitchen I hear King say, “You’re bringing her bad juju.”

  “Only positive thoughts, Laney. What you put out into the universe is what you get back,” she insists.

  Marie sits on the ottoman and faces me. She holds out her hands, palm up, and gestures for me to give her my hands. I do it and immediately she starts a prayer. Though I’m not sure what I believe, I know that it cannot hurt. I close my eyes and focus on her words, trying to turn my thoughts positive. Marie releases one hand and pinches my medallion between her thumb and finger. Her prayer shifts to slower, less practiced words. It is half chant and half song, and I am one hundred percent mesmerized.

  When she is finished, I lift my eyes to meet hers and she gives me a smile. “King, you’re next,” she says, gesturing behind me where King stands watching.

  I watch the whole thing as a bystander this time and it is a whole new experience. I connect with their calm and let the prayer wash over me in a new way. By the time she is done, I feel more relaxed and less doomsday.

  “What about you?” I ask.

  “I’ll be fine,” she says. “I’ve always got protection spells on me. Kind of goes with the territory when you hand out hexes on cheating husbands.” Marie winks and rises from her seat.

  “Now there’s a work hazard if I’ve ever heard one,” I say.

  “I’ve got a few errands to run before we head out later,” Marie says. “King, I need your car if you’re taking my truck.” King grumbles and tosses his keys at her. Marie catches them with a huge smile. “Hell yeah. I’ve been wanting to drive this baby for years. Later, chump.”

  _______________

  King backs into his mother’s driveway and kills the truck. “I’m going to go inside to open the garage. You can stay here if you want.”

  “Okay.”.

  Once King disappears into the house, I pull out my phone and select Officer Zander’s contact.

  “Zander,” he answers.

  “Officer Zander? It’s Delaney Mills. I know who one of my attackers is.”

  I tell him about Marie’s uncle, Andre LeBlanc. That’s all I mean to tell him, but with a few more questions and gentle prodding, I end up spilling almost everything to Officer Zander. I tell him about the first attack, the kidnapping of Olivia, the fire at King’s house and how we believe they’re all related.

  A long, slow sigh is followed by a few seconds of silence. “That’s quite a tale, Miss Mills. I’m not seeing how everything connects though. Are you telling me everything?”

  I squeeze my eyes shut and press my free hand to my forehead. “Yes,” I lie. “That’s all I know.” My hope here is that he finds Andre and arrests him before the ritual tonight. I know it won’t stop the Saints, but any wrench we can throw into their plan will help.

  “Well, we’ll put an arrest warrant out for Andre LeBlanc. Once we have him, you’ll need to come to the station to identify him. Can you do that?”

  “Of course,” I say. But my mind races with what’s coming up tonight and I wonder if I’ll even be alive tomorrow.

  “Good,” Zander says. “And if you learn anything new, please don’t hesitate to call me. I’m on your side here.”

  “Okay. Thank you.” I end the call and throw my phone down on the seat. I don’t know if I just made things better or worse, but I felt like I had to do something. I stare at my blank phone. I couldn’t tell him about the ritual tonight because he’d only try to stop us. We’re in too far to abandon Olivia now. I promised Emma I’d do everything I could, and I meant that.

  It only takes a few seconds to decide to make the second call. It rings once before a familiar voice comes on the line.

  “Hello? Delaney?”

  “Yes, Mom. It’s me.”

  “Oh, it’s so good to hear from you again. I’ve wanted to call so bad, but I wanted to give you your space too. How are you?” she asks.

  “I’m good, Mom.” The garage door slides up and I see King standing there. “Actually, I’m really good. I’m happy.”

  “That’s such a relief, baby. When are you coming home?”

  I laugh. “I’m not sure, Mom. I like it here.”

  “Oh,” Mom says with a sigh. “Well, I miss you and so does your father. We all just stay worried, you know?”

  “Yes, Mom. I know. I’m sorry. I just wanted to call and say that you don’t have to worry. I’m safe and I love you guys.”

  There’s a loud bang as King loads the canoe into the back of the truck. I flinch and slap my hand to my chest. My pulse pounds so hard I feel dizzy.

  “We love you too, Delaney. Give me something here. When can we expect you?”

  I smile at King through the back window as he flexes his thick arms to show off just how strong he is. “I don’t know, Mom. When I’m finished here, I promise to come visit.”

  “Okay,” she says. “I suppose that’ll have to do for now. It was so good hearing your voice again. And I’m happy that you’re happy. You deserve that.”

  “I’m not sure that I do, but I’ll take it.” Tears fill my eyes and I try to blink them away before they fall. Stay positive, I think. “I’ll talk to you soon.”

  “Goodbye, baby.”

  “Goodbye, Mom.”

  King opens the door and hauls himself inside the truck. I turn away to hide my face, but Valentine King sees everything. I can see him watching me in the reflection of the window.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Just talked to my mom,” I say, wiping my eyes and turning back to him. “I don’t know. Just got emotional. Ugh. I’m such a girl.”

  He smirks and slides his sunglasses over his eyes. “Yes, you are. Otherwise I wouldn’t be hittin’ that.”

  I laugh and just like that, all the sadness is gone. King is a miracle worker, sent by some higher power to bring light into my dark world. That is something I believe in.

  _______________

  We stand in Marie’s living room, silently sliding into our gear for the night. We’re all in black, King even wearing a tactical vest he grabbed from his mother’s house. I didn’t ask why he even owned that. The three of us watch each other, not so secretly waiting for panic to kick in. Somehow, in this space, even with anxiety pushing in around my edges, things feel more relaxed than they should be.

  “You look like somebody in The Matrix,” King says, gesturing to Marie. “All dressed in black with that slicked ba
ck hair.”

  “Fuck off,” she says, punching his shoulder. “You look like Blade, you Wesley Snipes asshole.”

  “Can we focus?” I ask. The two of them move toward me and we all form a group hug. “Are you guys ready?”

  “As I’ll ever be,” King says.

  “I’m so ready,” Marie says.

  “Good. Let’s go.”

  The sun is already low in the sky as we pile into the truck and hit the road. The trip there is quiet, the only sound is the random pop songs on the radio. As we cross the lake, I look out over the water and wonder how many secrets this lake holds. The sky turns a vibrant orange and paints the surface of the water in its colors.

  We move through the town of Slidell, past the police station where we escaped the Bondye Saints earlier this week, and toward our destination just north of the Bondye, Inc. property. As soon as we reach the water, my adrenaline kicks in and I am riding high. All my worries have vanished.

  King backs the truck to the water and hops out. Marie and I follow and help him pull the canoe out of the truck bed. He throws the two oars inside and pushes it to the water. Without any instruction, Marie and I climb into the canoe. It rocks unsteadily beneath me and I have to hold on to the edges to balance myself. Marie, however, is perfectly graceful taking a seat at the front. The sky is almost dark now and it’s hard to see in the graying light of dusk. King jumps in and uses the oar to push us away from the bank. As we float away from the land, I know there is no turning back.

  Marie and I take turns paddling while King does most of the work. We follow the curve of the land around and find the dock on the Bondye land empty. King turns us toward the island which can barely be made out at this point.

  “Can you see anything?” I ask.

  “I can barely see my hand in front of my face right now,” Marie says.

  “There’s a light,” King says from behind me.

  I search the water in front of us and find a tiny speck on the horizon. “That’s probably their boat at the dock. Maybe a lookout,” King says.