by Sandy Kline
“Wow…do you have any idea how much trouble I could have been in. What if I would have gotten in an accident while stoned out of my mind on your drugs? Or what if I would have been arrested for driving while under the influence of intoxicants? I had a kid at home for fucks sake!”
And here comes the anger.
“Did you even stop to think about that? You have a kid and so do I. How could you even do that to another single mother? I don’t understand you at all.”
I stop for a minute. I’m literally shaking with anger. Part of me wants to just haul off and hit her. She even scoots away from me a little. I think she just saw my clenched fists.
“What are you going to do to me?” Carmen asks.
“I don’t know.” I reply honestly. “I haven’t thought this through. I never thought I’d run into you again. I guess it’s good I took the gun I been carrying around everywhere and put it back in my hotel room.”
Her face actually pales at the thought of my using my gun on her and I’m glad she’s terrified.
“Do you know why they had you do this?” I ask.
“Yeah, they wanted me to find out why you are back in California and if you plan on going to the police about what happened a long time ago.”
“So they told you what King and Boomer did then?”
“Yeah, they said they stole a couple thousand dollars from you. I guess it was money for your kid’s college.”
“That’s all they told you?” I ask. My voice is going up about ten octaves as anger surges through my body.
“Did something else happen?” She asks.
“Oh my god you stupid woman! You should ask before doing something so stupid. I’ll tell you what they did to me. Randall King, or King of Pain as his fans know him, broke into my house in a drug fuelled rage and ransacked it looking for drugs and jewelry to sell. They were in deep with a local drug dealer and he and his gang were coming after King and his friends. King started threatening me and my son tried to get between King and me so King smacked him on the side of his head.”
I stop for a second to get my breath. I’m having a hard time continuing. To the woman’s credit, she looks horrified and sorrowful at the same time.
“He hit my child and the action of his head bouncing back and forth caused his brain to strike the side of his head causing instant traumatic brain damage and death. That man who you took money from, that man who you are helping murdered my son!”
“Didn’t the police arrest him?”
“One of the guys found my money and they left. He didn’t even know he killed his own kid. I don’t even think I was sure at first. But right after they left the dealer who he owed ten grand to just shows up looking for him. They could see he’d already been there and left and they were pissed! They said I owed the debt now and they took my son from my arms. They were going to hold him hostage until I paid up, but right away they realized he was…d-dead so they freaked out and left giving me three weeks to pay up.”
I stop for a moment, too caught up in my anguish to continue. After a couple more minutes I carry on.
“I was so freaked out myself that I didn’t even call the cops until the next morning. They almost arrested me for my own kid’s death. If I wasn’t pregnant with another child it might have gone differently. But the DA understood my situation and didn’t really want to put a mother in jail after her other child has died. My ex-husband got away with it because there was no proof. The only sort of witness to my side of the story is the drug dealers that came by right after it happened and those guys are long gone. I split to Oregon as soon as the DA cleared me and the dealer never found me.”
“Oh my god I can’t believe it.” Carmen says. “I can’t even begin to imagine what that was like for you. Does your ex know you have another child? Is he the father of your other child?”
“I’m pretty sure they’ve figured that out by now but so far no one’s come forward demanding any rights to see him or anything. If that happens I don’t know what I’ll do. No way in hell I’m letting him have anything to do with my son. I hope you never get involved in another mess like this either, for any reason.”
“Never again. I actually stopped giving you the drugs and quit. That’s why I disappeared on you. I’m so sorry I did that to you. Can you forgive me?” She asks.
I was not expecting that. I’m also not ready to forgive or forget either. She did a lot of damage to me and my family just so she could pay her rent. She needs to hear more. I don’t think the severity of what she has done has really hit home or she wouldn’t dare ask for my forgiveness.
“You know you have a lot of nerve asking that. You drugged me for weeks on end. You risked my health and possibly my life for your rent. Now that I think about it, I can’t think of a reason you shouldn’t be behind bars right now. I’m going to go after King and Boomer and Jake and in the process…you!”
Her eyes just about pop out of her head when I say you.
“Clearly when you decided to spill your guts just now you thought it would be your get out of jail free card but instead it’s going to be your get into jail NOW card!”
To emphasize my point I hold up my cell phone that is still recording our conversation. Her eyes go wide in horror and her mouth drops open. Instantly large crocodile tears form in the corners of her eyes as she begins to cry.
“Save it for the judge bitch! If the right people hear the right things from me and what I may or may not have remembered, my life will be over. You’re risking making my child grow up without a mother; if he even gets to grow up. They may just kill him too.”
“But I didn’t know it would be this serious. I just thoug-”
“Not that serious? Are you fucking kidding me? You drug someone for two months to help a man get away with a felony and you didn’t think it was that serious? Get your head out of your ass woman! You’re going to jail!”
“Momma what’s jail?”
My head snaps around and standing not five feet from us is her little girl. Suddenly I feel like the bitch here, making threats against a mother in front of her daughter.
“It’s okay honey, we’re just talking about some things. You go and play. It’ll be alright.”
Yeah it’s far from alright for her. Mollified, her daughter walks back to the play structure and her mother turns to me with a pleading look in her eyes but it’s not gonna work on me.
“Is there anything I can do or help you do that would change your mind about using that tape?”
“No.”
“Do you really want to put a single mother in jail and her daughter in foster care?” She asks, laying the guilt on as thick as she can.
“Don’t you even start with the guilt crap. You just spent two months putting my life in jeopardy and risking me ending up dead and my kid in foster care if he survived the fall out and you have the fucking nerve to ask me to give you a break? You don’t give a shit about me or what could happen to me do you? No don’t even try to answer that. You’re a lying piece of trash. Just go and get your kid. You don’t have much time left with her!”
I have had as much as I can take. If I hear any more from that woman and I’ll end up putting myself in jail for assault and battery. Time for me to go home to my own son who is probably wondering where I am about now. First I go back to Starbucks to get him a scone then I hail a cab. I have a lot of thinking to do and every day I seem to just get more and more confused. I’m tempted to call Jamarcus and talk to him again. I feel like I can trust him and he’ll be honest no matter what. Sure he loves his young protégé like a son, but he also has a very strong sense of right and wrong and honor. I can trust a man like that. It’s just too bad Jake doesn’t share those qualities.
Chapter Ten
Actions Not Words
“Mom I miss Jake.”
I wondered how long it would be before this would happen. Diego and Jake have gotten really close and to just disappear like this was bound to make some waves.
“Why
hasn’t he been around?”
“Sweetie, now that he’s a Surge fighter on the pro circuit he is training constantly. He doesn’t even have the time or energy to even come to the phone much less come over for a visit.”
“I bet he doesn’t even get to see his mom now.”
That was random. “I don’t even think she’s alive sweetie.”
“Sure she is. I heard him talking to her doctor the day they rescued you. He was super mad at her. He said she wasn’t doing a very good job taking care of his mom. She’s got cancer.”
This is news to me. How could he not have said anything about her especially if she is sick with cancer?
“Sweetie I’m sure he gets to see her and he makes sure the doctors take good care of him.”
“I don’t know mom, he seemed real mad.”
“Then I’ll talk to him next time I see him.”
“Promise?”
“Of course sweetie.”
The next time turns out to be sooner than I had planned. I decide to go to the park to run. I need to clear my head and figure out my next move. I make sure to take my camelback hydration pack with me because it has a pocket at the bottom just large enough to conceal my Glock. I am not risking getting kidnapped again. After about thirty minutes Jake calls my cell phone wanting to meet. Time to talk this out once and for all. I agree to meet him at the north end of the park by the duck pond. Since it’s a public place with a number of people around it should be safe to meet even if he has some plan up his sleeve. I only have to wait about ten minutes before the new Surge Champion arrives.
“Where’s your posse?” I ask.
“I gave them the slip back at the other end of the park.” He says with a laugh.
We both know Jake wouldn’t allow a bunch of hang arounds. He loves to fight but he’s not into that whole fighter lifestyle. Most of his contemporaries travel with their trainer, one or two assistant trainers, a personal assistant, a medical professional, and several we were friends before he got famous type of friends. Thankfully Jake is not into any of that and is content with just having Jamarcus at his side.
“Are you sure you should be here by yourself?” Jake asks. It’s been what, two weeks since you were kidnaped; if that?”
“I don’t know. You tell me Jake. Am I safe for now or should I be watching my back?”
“I don’t know…why are you asking me?”
“Oh by the way, how is your mother doing?”
He gives me a look like I’m crazy or something before recovering and making an appropriate response.
“It’s touch and go really.”
“Is she tolerating her treatment?”
“Uh…yeah, it’s all good. She has a great team of doctors and-”
“She’s got good doctors you say? That’s odd because the other day you didn’t have a single good thing to say about them.”
“What…I mean everyone has their good days and their bad ones. Why are we talking about my mother all of a sudden?” Jake asks.
“Diego overheard you talking to a doctor and he got concerned.”
“I’m fine…my mother, she’s fine. Well as good as can be expected.”
“You’re so full of shit Jake! You have never mentioned your mother once.”
“Neither have you.”
“Yeah but my mother isn’t in the hospital being treated for cancer by doctors who are apparently not doing their job according to the conversation Diego heard.”
“What?”
“Do you not like me Jake? Did I do something to you that I’m not aware of?”
“If I didn’t care for you do you think I would have risked my life rescuing you?”
“That’s the part I can’t figure out.” I reply. “Why did you do that?”
“Because…I’m head over heels… over you babe. I have never fallen for anyone like I have fallen for you. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you Christine, absolutely nothing.”
“Geeze if this is the way you treat someone your head over heel for, I’d hate to see what you do to your friends.”
“But I do love yo-”
“You know what; don’t even say that again until you prove it with your actions.”
“You want action babe?” He says, moving closer to me. Then he actually tries to slip his arm around my shoulders.
“Not that kind of action idiot!” I snap at him.
“What can I do then?” He asks with a serious expression this time.
“You can do two things. Number one, get Cutter off my back for the ten grand plus interest.”
“What?”
“Are you telling me you don’t have it? Didn’t you just win a big fight?”
“Yes and most of it’s gone. I had to pay Jamarcus, my new publicist, my new agent, my lawyer, and my mortgage which I was behind on. I’m not going to have another sanctioned fight for almost three months from now. That means whatever I have left has to last till then.”
“And you think I have that kind of money?” I ask. “Me and Diego won’t be safe until that debt is paid. Now that Cutter knows I’m here he’ll go after me instead of King and Boomer. I’m the easy target now. You want to have any chance of a relationship with me? Then consider that debt yours now.”
He nods. “What’s the second thing?” He asks.
“Get on tape King admitting to killing my son. Word is, now that I’m back in town the new DA may be looking into the death of Ethan and my supposed part in those events. I’m not going to jail for something I didn’t do and I will not have Diego raised in foster care. You want to talk to me again? Don’t bother to call or to drop by until you have at least paid off Cutter. You better do it quick too before I think of anything else for you to do. Remember, action not words.”
“Okay…I’ll do it. This may take some time but I’ll figure it out.”
Chapter Eleven
Back in Blood
After a week passes with no word from Jake I begin to think I have heard and seen the last of The Punisher. After two weeks pass I’m sure he’s cut bait and run. Diego is slowly getting used to the idea that Jake has abandoned us. He’s hurt, he’s angry, and that means I’m even more hurt and angry. Mess with me, that’s one thing. Mess with my kid, that’s a whole other thing.
And that’s why I am so surprised when none other than Jamarcus comes knocking on my door. I didn’t even know he knew how to find me. Since the kidnapping I have been making myself scarce and moving every 3-4 days.
“Hi Jamarcus, come on in.” I say as I open the door. “To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?”
“It’s Jake.” He says without preamble.
“Oh no…I really don’t want to talk about him.”
“What’s wrong with Jake?” Diego asks as he comes running into the hall.
“Maybe we should talk outside?” Jamarcus asks.
“Yeah…let’s go out to the balcony.” I suggest.
Once out there Jamarcus jumps right in. “I don’t know what happened between you and Jake, and it’s not really my business bu-”
“You’re right; it’s not your business. So why are you here asking about him?”
“Cause he’s gone off and done something stupid and I know Jake. He would never do something this rash and stupid unless it was for a woman. Actually not even for a woman; only for you.”
“Just spit it out Jamarcus. What’s he done?”
I’m thinking he must have robbed a bank or something to get the ten grand or something equally stupid. I guess he really was short on funds.
“He hasn’t done it yet, but he will tonight and if he does, and word gets out, his career as a pro fighter is finished. His new contract with Surge will be null and void before the ink even dries.”
“What’s he gone and done, or doing?”
“He’s signed himself up for a death match.”
“What does that mean exactly?”
“Remember how he was doing the Blood Sport Circuit when you first met
him?”
“Yeah.”
“Well he’s gone back to a form of that called Death Matches. You can’t even watch these unless you’ve been properly vetted and to do that you have to be complicit.”
“What do you mean complicit?”
“Everyone watching has to put up some of the funds the winner receives and it’s all documented so if there’s a bust everyone goes down for the death of the loser. That way no one snitches. If there’s a bust everyone in the crowd is arrested because they have contributed to making the fight happen.”
“You have got to be kidding!”
“Any reason you can think of that Jake would do this?” Jamarcus asks.
“How much money will he get if he wins?”
“Twenty-five thousand dollars. The purse doubled because of Jake’s new status as a Surge fighter. Normally the winner gets between seven and ten thousand dollars.”
“I see…”
“Why is he jeopardizing his whole career for this one fight Christine?”
“Never mind that. How can he be stopped?”
“He can’t. Well…short of going to the actual fight and stopping him there, then no, there’s no way to stop it.”
“Where’s Jake now. I’ll just go and talk to him. I’ll tell him I’ll never speak to him again if he does this fight. I’ll even bring Diego to talk to him.”
“You have a two hour window to talk him out of this. After that it’s too late. Twelve hours before the fight the competitors are taken to a secure location to prepare for the fight. It’s really so they can’t back out or go to the cops. Then one hour before the fight is to begin he’s taken to an underground location where the fight will be. Your only chance to stop him will be to come with me and talk him out of it before they come to get him. When they come you shouldn’t be anywhere near there. Things could get nasty.”
“How do you know about these things? How is it that you have been vetted for one of these fights?”
“I used to be one of the fighters back in the day and let me tell you, it’s brutal. Only one person can leave the cage tonight on his feet. The other one is buried after the contest.”