Karma

by Maximino Vega

  “I haven’t been able to work out what roles Tom, Russell, Susie and Sheila played in all this, but, it doesn’t really matter. They’re all dead.”

  “Knowing Megan and Ian had been reported missing I figured you had them seeing as how you moved around Orange County in the white cargo van. I didn’t know if they were dead or alive, but, I figured you would lead me to them regardless. I’m happy I was right and that they’re alive.” Luis flinched. For so long he’d faithfully watched the news; hoping the day would never come when the news reported a gruesome find at the bottom of the Sparrow Lake. He would’ve never thought a retired Police Chief would be the one to make the discovery.

  “You related to Tom?" Luis asked.

  “No.”

  “Why the loyalty?”

  “Tom’s father saved my life by almost losing his; took a knife to the liver.”

  “I see.”

  Luis noticed the look in Clarence’s eyes. It was the look of a man realizing he should’ve done things differently. Now he was in a predicament he didn’t know how to get out of. However, it was too late. He would have to see things through to the end, no matter the outcome. Luis hoped he could somehow get the upper hand before Clarence resigned himself to do something out of his character.

  “I’m hungry.”

  The three adults looked at Ian. Only a boy his age could break into a conversation of this magnitude with such commonality.

  “Oh, honey.” Megan put her arms around her son and hugged him from the side.

  “There are a couple of cans of ravioli and a working portable stove below deck. There’s a can opener too. In fact, everything you’ll need is on the counter, right by the stove.”

  Megan looked at Luis. His genuine show of concern along with his offer of food was unexpected. He never let them go hungry as he held them captive, but, now it was different somehow.

  It was tender.

  It was human.

  Clarence kept his eyes on Luis as Megan walked passed him to go below deck.

  ****

  Four steps took Megan below deck. It smelled of diesel and burnt oil. She looked around. On her right was a small counter with a sink and a medium sized cabinet with two doors above the sink. Next to the sink sat a two burner stove. To the left of the sink sat three cans of ravioli one behind the other. On the right side of the sink was a stack of disposable plates.

  To her left there was a nook style booth with seating for four people.

  On the floor against the wall sat an open toolbox with a few tools inside and a couple of dirty rags.

  The space was pretty much bare except for the few tools strewn about.

  Megan got to work on warming the ravioli.

  ****

  Clarence was thankful for the clear sky and bright sun. It offered some warmth to oppose the chill breeze of the April morning.

  Clarence leaned toward his left to look at the small puddle of blood that pooled around Luis’s leg. A lot of it had coagulated. He could tell the bleeding had stopped; it was a flesh wound. “You worried about me?” Luis asked when he noticed Clarence looking at his leg.

  “I am. In fact, I was thinking you should give me the keys to the boat. So I can get you out of here and to a hospital.”

  Luis went into his pocket. He took out the keys to the boat and flung them behind him into the water.

  Clarence nodded his head. “I guess there isn’t going to be a happy ending.”

  “There’s still a chance of that.” Luis smiled.

  “What’s this all about?” Clarence asked. The sound of his voice hopeless.

  The way Clarence posed the question made Luis think about all that had happened and how he was out in the middle of the ocean with another person to contend with. Another person that had to die for him to live in peace with his son.

  He realized how many people had been affected by his desire for revenge and it felt wrong; like he’d gone too far. But like most things in hindsight he’d done too much and come too far to stop now.

  Luis took in a deep breath before he let it out.

  “The short version is that Tom and me were taking the same woman to bed. She was pregnant with my child before she slept with Tom. She tried to make Tom believe the child was his. Only he didn’t want to be a father again. Especially since the woman was Sheila, Megan’s younger sister.”

  “So that’s how Sheila comes to play in all this?” Clarence furrowed his brow.

  Ian tilted his head back to look at the sky. He wasn’t interested in the topic of conversation. He’d heard about it enough when his parents argued over what Tom and Sheila had done. He was angry at his dad. In fact, he didn’t cry much when he found out Tom was dead during the first few days in the basement.

  Ian just wanted this nightmare to be over so he could go back to life with his mother the way it used to be.

  “Who was chained to the wall at Tom’s cabin?” Clarence asked.

  “Megan, Ian and Sheila. That’s how I got the upper hand on Tom. Russell and Susie were unexpected casualties. Right place at the wrong time. I had nothing against them. My beef was with Tom and Sheila.” Luis explained.

  “Was all this necessary?” Clarence asked.

  “Yes.” Luis gave Clarence a hard look. “He took my baby by taking its life. He owed me a life and a child.” Luis looked down at his son. “I took his life and used his wife like he used Sheila to get a child of my own.”

  “Here we go.” Megan interrupted the conversation. She held two plates of steaming ravioli. She gave one to Ian and the other to Clarence.

  “Thank you.” Clarence said as he took the plate. He closed his legs so he could set the plate down on his lap and still hold onto his gun.

  He and Ian wasted no time digging in.

  Megan went back below deck.

  She returned with another plate. Megan sat down next to Luis. “I brought you a plate.”

  Clarence didn’t think bringing Luis a plate was a good idea, yet, he didn’t protest.

  Luis turned to look at Megan. “You’re not going to eat?”

  “I’m not hungry.” Megan responded with a slight smile on her face.

  Luis reached out for the plate.

  Rather than hand him the plate Megan slammed it against his face.

  Luis screamed as the hot ravioli hit his face, the hot sauce that ran down his neck burning his skin.

  Luis instinctively grabbed at the plate that Megan held pressed to his face.

  Megan put her free hand under her nightgown and took out a screwdriver. She had been holding it in between her thighs. Megan plunged the screwdriver into Luis’s good leg. He yelled out as he let go of his son. Megan grabbed the baby and shimmed away from him.

  Tossing the plate aside, Luis looked down at the screwdriver sticking out from his leg. He grunted as he pulled it out. Luis stood to his feet.

  “You bitch.” Luis looked like some demon with his face covered in sauce; his dark eyes opened wide. Luis lunged forward.

  Clarence charged at Luis to stop him from getting at Megan.

  The men crashed into each other as the struggle began. They grabbed each other by the wrist to gain control of the others respective weapon.

  Clarence pointed his gun at Luis’s head and took two shots. Luis ducked in time to avoid being hit. The shots sounded like a cannon. The sound bouncing off the waves of the ocean carrying the booming sound far and away.

  Luis felt the hull of the boat rubbing against his leg as he fought with Clarence. Knowing the older man had the advantage with the more powerful weapon he used all his strength to push him over board. The men hit the water with a resounding splash.

  “Clarence.” Megan cried out.

  Ian and Megan were glued to the spot; watching the fight. They didn’t move even as the men went overboard.

  “Oh God.” Megan said as she saw a hand grab a hold of the edge of the tugboat.

  “No!” Megan cried out. She knew the long and slender fingers well. />
  The other hand grabbed ahold of the edge of the boat. Luis’s face came into view as he pulled half his body into the boat. He coughed as he gasped for air.

  “You just wait until I get on this boat bitch.” Luis sneered as he looked at Megan.

  Luis was pulling himself onto the boat.

  Ian made a move forward.

  “No.” Megan put a hand on her son’s arm. She didn’t want her son tussling with Luis. He had too much fight in him.

  Luis’s body was hanging on the side of the boat when he violently fell back into the water.

  Ian ran forward to have a look. Megan joined him with the baby in her arms.

  Luis’s face is red as Clarence holds him from behind in a chokehold. Luis struggles to get free, but, Clarence has a vise like grip.

  Clarence is gritting his teeth as he squeezes. The pressure on Luis’s Carotid Artery is blocking the flow of blood and oxygen to his brain, making Luis lose consciousness.

  Clarence feels weight of Luis going limp. The time has come to put everything he knows about the law, ethics and protocol to the side. He has to put an end to Luis.

  Clarence puts his hands on Luis’s shoulders dunking him into the water and holding him there.

  Although, Luis is unconscious, he’s still breathing. Water enters his nose going down his throat. His larynx automatically closes to prevent water from going into his lungs.

  Luis regains consciousness as he continues to breath taking in more water. He feels an unbearable pain as he tries to swim to safety, but, something is holding him down. Luis can see the surface of the water right above his head. If he can only get there. His body’s instinct for survival takes over as his mouth gapes open looking for oxygen. He takes in copious amounts of water, falling unconscious as he does. The spasms caused by taking in water relax allowing his lungs to fill with water.

  Clarence keeps his weight over Luis. He keeps Luis under water despite feeling him go limp. He wants to make sure Luis is dead. He waits a few seconds before he pulls him up.

  Clarence uses the last bit of his strength to swim to the edge of the boat, bringing Luis along.

  Ian helps Clarence get Luis into the boat. His body hits the deck with a thud.

  “No, please don’t.” Megan cries.

  Ian helps Clarence into the boat.

  “We’re going to need him.” Clarence chests heaves from exhaustion.

  Megan looks down at Clarence. “Oh my God, you’re bleeding.”

  Clarence’s cream colored shirt is stained red from the blood that’s gushing out from his neck with his every heartbeat.

  “Oh Clarence, it’s the artery.”

  “I guess that bastard got lucky with that screwdriver. Well at least it’ll be over soon.” Clarence feels himself getting weaker.

  “What can we do?”

  “You guys need to look for a flare gun.”

  “What?” Megan expected another answer.

  “It’s your only chance for survival. Shoot it at an angle. If help comes, explain what happened to whoever responds.”

  “Ian, go and see if there’s a flare gun.” Clarence looks at the boy. “It’ll be red or black and it’s shaped like a real gun. Also check to see if there’s extra shells.” Clarence added.

  Ian went to do as he was told.

  “I’m cold.” Clarence starts to shiver.

  Megan kneels down next to Clarence. She takes his hand in hers. “Thank you.” Tears run down her face.

  “Hey, that’s life. Your husband’s father helped me once and today I returned the favor. As the saying goes, what goes around comes around.”

  Clarence closes his eyes.

  “Clarence!” Megan calls out.

  Clarence opens his eyes. He smiles at Megan before he closes them forever.

  Megan starts to sob.

  Ian comes back to the deck. “Mom, what’s wrong?”

  “Clarence is dead.”

  Ian sits on the edge of the boat. He puts his head down and cries.

  After a while Megan gains a hold of herself. She looks at Ian. He holds a flare gun in his hand.

  “I see you found the flare gun.”

  Ian looks up. His face covered with tears. “I found one and it’s loaded. I also found an extra shell.”

  “Good work, honey. Go ahead and shoot both those shells toward the sky like Clarence told you.”

  Ian stands up. He shields his face as he shoots the flare gun toward the sky. He watches what looks like a miniature rocket as it climbs up into an arch before making its way down. It’s tail lit up the whole time.

  Ian turns to his mother after he shoots the second shell into the air.

  “Mom, what are you going to do about the baby?”

  Megan doesn’t answer as she starts crying again.

  Ian looks at his mother as she rocks herself and her son. She rocks back and forth holding him to her chest.

  Ian stands up. His mother has cried so much recently that he didn’t want to see her cry anymore. He makes a full turn looking out at the ocean. The sun felt warm on his face. Ian was a little worried that no one would respond. Being surrounded by so much water felt overwhelming, Ian can’t wait to reach land. He wants to see people. Ian wants to go back to school and be with his friends. He misses the movement of the life he had before.

  ****

  New York City.

  Three Months Later.

  ****

  Ian pushed the pickles around on his plate. His mother had made cheeseburgers for dinner.

  He watched her as she moved about in the kitchen from the dining table.

  Every day he thought about those last moments on the tugboat. Help arrived ten minutes after he shot the flares into the sky.

  A local man from Long Island arrived on his fishing boat. Salvatore offered them blankets and hot chocolate while Megan told him what happened.

  He told her he had no choice, but, to inform the authorities.

  Megan didn’t protest.

  Salvatore used the radio on his boat to make the call.

  When Harbor Patrol arrived, Megan told them what had transpired to explain what they were doing in the middle of the ocean with two people lying dead in the tugboat.

  The authorities searched the bodies of Clarence and Luis looking for identification. Finding their ID’s would be the starting point of their investigation.

  Ian and his mother had to sit down with the Police on several occasions as a necessary part of the investigation. Once there was no evidence of foul play on their part, they were left alone.

  Ian couldn’t stop thinking about how the choices people make come with consequences equal to their actions.

  Tom and Sheila betrayed Megan by committing adultery, the both of them dead.

  Ian and his mother were abducted because of his father’s infidelity, his mother suffering the most by being repeatedly raped and forced to have a baby.

  Clarence was dead because he decided to return Tom Senior’s selfless act of taking a knife for him.

  Finally there was Ian and his mother. He wondered how and when they would pay for what they’d done.

  Ian didn’t reason with his mother nor did he try to stop her. He stood by as his mother placed his brother inside of the metal box, secured the stainless steel lock on the Hasp Latch then pushed the metal box into the ocean.

  He wonders how his mother went from jumping into the ocean to save her baby; to killing him.

  Ian was confused beyond anything he could explain. The only thing he knew for sure was that one day he and his mother would come face to face with karma.

  The End.

 

 

 
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