“Man, you don’t know what I’m going through,” Jamarcus shot back angrily. “You’ve never been divorced.”
Antonio turned the key and threw the vehicle into reverse. “I’m just saying. Maybe you should take some time off…maybe go somewhere.”
“Man, my wife is about to take me to the cleaners, I’m gonna to have to pay a crap load of child support, and you think I’m acting irrational? Whatever, bro.”
Antonio navigated his way through the San Francisco five o’clock traffic. Their sirens were wailing and their emergency lights flashed, but the crammed roadways made their run a slow, tedious one. Not only did they have to watch out for inattentive drivers, but they also had to watch out for the numerous pedestrians and bicyclists who were darting in and out of traffic.
“I’m not saying you have to go to the Bahamas or anything like that. You can do stuff around here. Just to clear your mind. Remember that Great White expedition I was telling you about? Two of my friends are divers on the boat that goes out to the Farallons. One of them is super-hot…I mean smoking hot. She’s that blonde who I was telling you about. The bike rider…and she’s single. Anyway, the season is only a couple of months away. We could go and do that.” Jamarcus steadied himself as Antonio made a hard turn onto Columbus Avenue. The traffic was backed up and Antonio started working the air horn.
“Man, if I went on that trip, I’d just jump into the damn water and hope that a shark eats me. That’s the best thing that could happen to me. Anyway, how do you know if your friend is into black dudes?”
“Don’t say that, man. Don’t be like that.”
“Well, you just can’t assume things like that.”
“No, dumbass, I mean about the sharks.”
After thinking for a moment, Jamarcus turned and looked at Antonio. His eyes were brimming with tears and he looked like he was about to cry. “Man, I’m not ready for this,” he said in a shaky voice. “I don’t want to lose my kid. I don’t want to lose my family!” He turned away and looked out of his window. “I don’t want my wife to leave me.”
Antonio was angry at himself for inducing such a response. They had been friends for years and he knew that his buddy was going through a very rough time. It saddened him to see his friend so troubled. As he spun the steering wheel left and right, he glanced over and said, “Man, she’s already gone, bro. She’s already shacking up with that asshole from the stadium.”
“And to think, I was always such a huge Forty-Niners fan. Guess I won’t be taking my kid to anymore games.”
“Man, fuck that. You can still take little Andre to the games. I’m telling you, if Tameka wants to hook up with some motherfucker who runs a damn souvenir shop at the stadium, you’re better off without her. You’ll see. Yo man, there’s someone out there who will treat you the way you deserve to be treated. Believe me.”
Jamarcus knew that his friend was trying to make him feel better, and he appreciated it. He took in a deep breath and exhaled loudly. “It’s all good, man. Thanks for being there. Really. And I’m sorry for being so bitchy.”
“I just want to make sure you’re alright. You’re like my brother.” Holding onto the steering wheel with one hand, Antonio extended his other hand towards Jamarcus, and Jamarcus grabbed it, giving him a reassuring shake. “Alright, now let’s get down to business. Looks like P.D. is already on scene,” Antonio said as they rolled up to the accident.
Jamarcus notified the dispatcher that they were arriving to the call as they pulled up to the accident. The crash—a two car collision that was clogging up the three-way intersection of Columbus Avenue, Chestnut Street and Taylor Street—was creating a major back-up in every direction.
Parking closer to Columbus and Chestnut, the two men jumped out of the vehicle and sprang into action. The air was filled with the angry and impatient sounds of car horns honking at the now-cluttered intersection. The paramedics quickly viewed the crash scene; an expensive looking Lexus with a smashed front-end was sitting almost in the middle of the intersection and a small black compact—rolled over on its roof—was sitting near the northeast junction of Columbus and Taylor. Antonio noted the large crowd that was gathering around the perimeter of the intersection. As Jamarcus made his way to the rear of the truck to get his equipment, Antonio was met by a frantic police officer.
“Looks like some asshole came down Taylor and blew the light, hitting the Ford and rolling it,” the anxious cop said.
“Injuries?”
“The driver from of the Lexus is drunk, but he’s fine. I got him in the back of the patrol car. I’m not sure about the driver of the Ford. I can’t see if anyone else is inside of the car and the driver doesn’t seem to be moving.”
“Damn, the call didn’t come out as a major collision. We need an engine out here.”
“I’ve already called for more help,” the police officer said. “I’ve got a couple of more patrol units on the way too. Traffic is fucked and I’ve got street cars backing up to Mason and Broadway. And it doesn’t help with all these fucking vultures trying to see what’s going on,” he said, pointing towards a growing throng of onlookers. He then pointed back towards the snarled traffic. “See, cars are backed up for at least five blocks.”
“Okay, let’s check on the Ford,” Jamarcus said as he headed towards the upside down car. Antonio fell in behind him. As Jamarcus neared the vehicle, he could smell the acrid stench of radiator coolant and the burnt odor of the deployed airbag.
Jamarcus cautiously lowered himself down to the pavement to check on the driver. He was careful with where he placed his palms because of the shattered glass that was littering the hot street. As he peered into the car, he saw a small Asian woman. She was twisted and contorted with her legs stretched out into the front portion of the cabin and her torso and head shoved back between the bucket seats.
“I don’t have any movement,” Jamarcus said. He reached in through the shattered driver’s side window and was able to take the pulse of the lady. “No pulse either.”
“Here, watch out. Let me see if I can get this door opened.” Antonio reached down for the handle and began to yank on the door. “Is there any visible trauma?”
“Looks like she’s bleeding from the mouth and nose. One of these seats is smashed down on her sternum.” Jamarcus twisted his head to get a better view of the woman.
“Probably crushed her lungs or her heart,” Antonio said as he struggled with the jammed door. “Damn, this fucking door is jammed! Let me try the other one.” Once on the other side of the vehicle, he encountered the same problem. “Guess we’ll just have to cut her out once the engine gets here.” He turned to the officer, who was standing several feet away, and shook his head in an exaggerated manner. The officer immediately knew what Antonio was relaying to him. “Might as well get your investigators out here because it looks like this one is going to be a fatality,” he informed the cop.
Jamarcus brought himself to his feet and dusted himself off. “Shit, might as well go check on the other driver and make sure he isn’t suffering from any head trauma or some other type of injury.” He walked past the officer, who was now starting to place flares on the ground. “The other guy…he’s in your car?”
“Yeah…stupid bastard.”
“Mind if I check him out real quick?”
The officer looked around at the clog of cars all around him. He was about to tell Jamarcus that he was going to have to wait to check on the drunk man until another unit showed up, but just then, a motorcycle officer came rolling into the intersection.
“Hey bud,” the patrol cop shouted to the motor cop, “maybe we can try to reroute northbound traffic and then try to work in the east bound stuff. We might have to cut traffic at Lombard if we can get someone back there.”
“No problem. So, it’s a fatality?”
“Yeah…in the Ford.” The patrol officer pointed over to the upturned car.
“Sucks,” the motor officer remarked.
“Yeah, t
ell me about it. She’s just going along minding her own business and then some drunk comes along and kills her.”
“Is he hurt? The fucking drunk?”
“Of course not. Are they ever?”
The motor cycle officer turned in disgust and dropped his kickstand. He walked over to the middle of the street and began to whistle traffic onto a parallel street.
Turning back to Jamarcus, the patrol officer said, “Alright, let me unlock my back door so you can check on this scumbag. By the way, I’m Adrian.”
“What’s up Adrian, I’m Jamarcus. I think I’ve seen you a couple of times before on some of our runs.”
“Yeah, you look familiar too.”
“Hey,” Antonio called out to Jamarcus as he stood next to the demolished Ford, “I’m going to see if I can get this door open from the inside.”
Jamarcus looked towards to the overturned car and saw Antonio getting down on his knees. He was sticking his arm through the broken out window on the driver’s side and was trying to reach up to the door handle.
“Just watch out for the broken glass,” Jamarcus advised. Turning back to the officer, Jamarcus said to him, “Okay, let’s check out this guy and see if there’s anything wrong with him.”
Jamarcus followed Adrian to the rear of the car and stepped aside as the officer unlocked the back door. As the door opened, the medic could smell the foul, stale aroma of liquor emanating from the police car. “Whew, you weren’t kidding. This cat is sloshed.”
“I want my fucking lawyer, you fucking pig,” the man said, slurring his words.
“Uh, sir—” Jamarcus paused, realizing that he didn’t know the drunk man’s name. He looked over at Adrian. “What’s this dude’s name?”
“John Davis.”
“Uh, Mister Davis, I’m not the police. I’m a paramedic. I’m just here to check on you and make sure that you aren’t hurt.”
“I’m not hurt,” Davis grumbled. “I just want my lawyer. I haven’t done anything wrong.”
“Mister Davis, are you hurting anywhere…maybe like your head or neck?”
“What did I just tell you, you fucking wannabe-doctor! Leave me the hell alone!”
Jamarcus was beginning to lose his patience and looked over at Adrian. He forced a smile and then grimaced, signaling his displeasure to the cop.
“I know what you mean,” Adrian said as he acknowledged the paramedic’s frustration.
“Okay Mister Davis, I see a small bump on your forehead. Let me look at that real quick just to make sure—”
“Oh fuck!” Antonio screamed out. Startled, Jamarcus spun to see what was happening with his partner. He could see that Antonio was kneeling down next to the car, holding his left arm. Jumping to his feet, the frantic paramedic took off running in the direction of the patrol car. Sensing his partner’s distress, Jamarcus ran out to meet his friend, and as he neared him, he could see bright red blood streaming down from his left forearm. Antonio dropped to his knees in the middle of the street as he clutched at his arm. Adrian slammed shut the patrol car door and trotted over to the two paramedics.
“What happened?” Jamarcus asked.
“Shit, I don’t know!” Antonio yelled out in a confused voice. “I was trying to open the car from inside, and all of a sudden, I feel someone grab my arm and bite me!” Antonio extended his arm to show Jamarcus his injury. A nasty looking wound was gushing blood, and ragged muscle and torn skin were dangling from the mangled forearm.
“Someone bit you?” Jamarcus asked. “Who bit you?”
“The lady inside of the car.”
“What?” Jamarcus stepped back and looked down at his friend. “Man, she couldn’t have bitten you. She’s dead. You must have cut your arm on something inside of the car. Maybe a large sliver of glass or something. Here, let me help you up so we can get the bleeding stopped.” He reached down and helped Antonio to his feet. “Come on bro, let’s go back to the truck so I can treat that.” The two walked off in the direction of the ambulance.
“I’m telling you, she bit me. She’s alive!”
“Did you say that the driver is alive?” Adrian asked as he followed. “And she bit you?”
“Yes, she’s alive! She grabbed my arm and bit me!”
Adrian looked at Jamarcus. Confusion was on the cop’s face. Jamarcus simply shrugged. “She didn’t have a pulse five minutes ago,” the perplexed medic said. “She’s dead, I’m telling you.”
Adrian turned to the car and saw several bystanders trying to get closer to the vehicle. “Hey, get away from there!” he yelled.
“What’s going on?” asked a woman as she walked up to the car. She was wearing running tights and a sports top, and the earphones to her music player were dangling to either side of her neck. “I was jogging by and saw the E.M.S. guy bleeding all over the place. Is he alright?” By this time, the motor cop had seen the commotion and was walking over to Adrian.
“What the hell happened to him?” the cycle cop asked as he pointed over to the E.M.S. unit.
“Shit, I really don’t know. He said the lady in the car bit him.”
“What? I thought you said she was a fatality?”
“I thought so too.” Adrian walked up to the car. He knelt down by the door and he could hear something moving around inside. He bent to one side and looked in through the shattered window. What he saw horrified him. The dead lady was looking back at him. She was slowly chewing on the piece of Antonio’s arm that she had bitten off. The stunned officer stared into her milk-white eyes for a few seconds and then kicked away from the car.
“Shit, she is alive!” he screamed. “She’s in there…and she…she looked at me, but something is wrong with her eyes! They’re all white and shit!”
“Man, what the hell are you talking about?” the cycle cop asked in disbelief. He looked at the Ford and was shocked to see a set of arms reaching out from the window. The lady was trying to drag herself from the car.
“Man, my arm is on fire!” Antonio yelled as he grabbed at it. Jamarcus had opened up the rear doors to the ambulance and had his partner lying on the gurney inside. He was sitting on the bench next to the gurney and was desperately trying to bandage the grotesque looking wound, but the bitten medic was writhing and twisting in pain.
“Stop moving bro, or else I won’t be able to get this wrapped up.”
“Man, it hurts like shit! It’s burning all the way up to my neck!”
“Hey man, this chick is alive!” the motorcycle officer yelled to Jamarcus. “She’s trying to crawl out of the car.”
“Man, she can’t be!” he shouted back. “I took her pulse. She didn’t have a heartbeat.”
“See, I told you, she’s alive,” Antonio said. “Why don’t you believe me? Oh God, it hurts!” Antonio reached down and grabbed his stomach. He then began to convulse and gag, eventually belching and vomiting.
“What the fuck!” Jamarcus exclaimed. “Dude, what’s wrong with you? Antonio!” Antonio continued to curl and shudder and he lost control of his bowels.
“Lady, just stay on the floor,” Adrian told the accident victim as she crawled from out of the wreckage. “The medics will help you in a second.” Completely mesmerized by what was taking place, the crowd began to gather around the crash scene. Adrian could hear the approaching sirens of other emergency vehicles and he tried ordering the crowd back onto the sidewalk. He looked west up Taylor Street and saw two more patrol cars coming to a stop. Directly behind them was a fire engine. The small street didn’t allow much room for maneuvering and the big truck had to slowly make its way around the police cars. It was finally able to stop over the faded yellow stripes of the crosswalk.
“Hurry up!” Adrian screamed to the other patrol officers and the medics. “We need some help here.” He pointed to the lady and then to the ambulance that Jamarcus and Antonio were in. “One of your guys is hurt,” he said to one of the approaching firefighters.
“Hurt?” the firefighter asked.
�
��Yeah, a cut…or a bite or something. And the lady over there on the ground…something is wrong. She’s acting weird. I think she might be on dope.”
A second passing firefighter overheard Adrian and stopped. “Did you say he was bitten? Never mind, I’ll figure it out. I’ll check on our guys and see what’s going on.”
The first firefighter looked at the lady on the ground and said, “Yeah, go ahead. I’ll see what we have here. So, she’s the fatality?”
“She was the fatality.” Adrian pointed at the woman on the asphalt. She was now motionless.
Puzzled by the officer’s words, the firefighter stopped in his tracks. “Huh? What do you mean she ‘was’ the fatality?”
“Man, one minute she’s dead, and then the next thing you know, she’s crawling out of the car. She even bit one of your guys…the one who is in the ambulance right now. And she has this weird shit in her eyes. It even looked like she was…well, it looked like she was…eating the flesh from your medic.”
“Bit? Eating? Wait a minute man, you’re not making any sense.” An expression of frustration was on the firefighter’s face and his tone was one of disbelief. He reached down and grabbed at the red suspenders that hung from his khaki fire hose pants. He snapped them and eyed Adrian. “Come on man, I thought you guys said that she was dead and that we were gonna to have to extract her from the vehicle.”
“She fucking crawled out!” Adrian explained desperately. “Maybe she’s on bath salts or something like that? Remember when that dude was on that shit and he ate the face off of some guy?”
A third firefighter walked up and looked down at the still woman. “Wait a minute, I thought dispatch said the victim was trapped in the car.”
***
“What happened to him?” asked the second firefighter as he climbed up into the ambulance. Just then, he caught the smell of Antonio’s vomit and excrement. “Oh damn, is he sick?” he exclaimed as he scrunched his nose.
A Glimpse Of Decay (Book 2): Staring into the Abyss Page 3