Havoc and Mayhem

by Derrick A. Bonner

  “Nicky you don’t get it. This guy’s been watching me for a while. Watching all my moves. Where I live and where my people live.”

  “I don’t know why you’re acting like this is the first time something like this has happened! Or did you forget why we got divorced?” Nicky sharply reminded Havoc to which he replied with a frustrated sigh. She then turned to the woman sitting on the edge of her couch. “So, Donnie you’ve been very quiet. How do you feel about all of this?”

  Donnie shrugged. “Well I’d be lying if I didn’t admit it’s a lot to swallow. But I knew what I was getting into when we first started dating.” she said not sounding very convincing.

  Nicky looked like she was two seconds from laughing. “Take it from someone who knows, after he starts coming home late and leaving early and the only trace of him being there is blood in the sink, you will get tired of all his bullshit.” Nicky said rolling her eyes and turned back to Havoc dissatisfied with Donnie’s aloof attitude about all of this. She thought Donnie was weak for being so understanding and wanted her to be as upset with her ex-husband as she was. “And as for you, do you realize what you’re asking me? I’m supposed to just up and go into hiding like some kind’a fugitive.”

  “It’s only for a few days. A week tops.” Havoc reasoned.

  “A week? Do you even know if this masked person is even after me?”

  “No I don’t.” Havoc admitted.

  “You don’t know much do you?” Nicky sucked her teeth.

  Havoc could not blame her for being upset. When she divorced him, she divorced all the headaches that went along with being the wife of a Trouble Consultant as well. She didn’t deserve this drama. Nicky folded her arms over her chest and mumbled something to herself.

  Havoc tossed his hands in the air in defeat. “Look I came to get my sister out of here and take her somewhere safe. I was hoping you’d understand and come too. You said she’s asleep upstairs?” he asked. Nicky moodily nodded. “Fine, I’ll be right-”

  Mayhem suddenly fixed her eyes on the front door and let out an angry growl from deep within. Havoc was half-way up the stairs and turned back to see what had his dog so riled up. He traced her vision to the door.

  “You expecting company?” Havoc asked Nicky in a low voice. She promptly shook her head. “Hush Mayhem!” Havoc commanded his dog. “You two get behind Mayhem!” he ordered Donnie and Nicky, then he crept over to the door.

  Without making a sound Havoc listened and heard movement on the other side of the door. He unlocked the door then with the other hand he removed a gun and glanced back at the women. They were scared shitless. Uncertain of who or what was on the opposite side of the door he took a deep breath and snatched open the door then lunged his gun out.

  “Don’t shoot! Don’t shoot!” Corbin begged holding his hands up in the air.

  Havoc gritted his teeth and let his gun drop to his side. “Son-of-a-Man get your ass in here before I…!” he said yanking Corbin in the door by his jacket. Mayhem snarled taking Havoc’s sudden move as her cue to attack.

  “Get that beast away from me!” Corbin screamed and jumped into Havoc’s arms.

  “Mayhem chill!” Havoc commanded and his dog froze in place. “And you, get off of me!” Havoc said and mushed Corbin to the floor.

  “Corbin! What were you doing lurking outside of my house?” Nicky complained.

  “Don’t flatter yourself, I’m not here to see you Nicolette.” Corbin stood rubbing his behind from where he landed and turned to Havoc with a stern face. “I’m here to see, you.”

  “Look homeboy, I’ma give it to ya’ straight, no chaser. Nicky and I are over! Understand?” Havoc said causing Corbin to nod and Nicky to roll her eyes in her ex-husband’s direction. “But that has nothing to do with you two splitting up. So stop sneaking around her home and stalking her because she doesn’t like it.”

  “Nicolette has made it very clear what her true feelings for me are.” Corbin said shooting Nicky a dirty look.

  “Then why are you here?” Nicky asked in a jaded tone.

  “To save your ex-husband’s life.”

  “Whoa. My life?” Havoc asked noticing for the first time how bad Corbin looked. There was a raw purple bruise over his right eye. There was also some dried blood on his collar. He was about to ask what happened when Nicky’s phone rang.

  “It’s your mother. And she sounds pretty upset.” Nicky said covering the phone and holding it out to Havoc.

  “Shit! I forgot to call her back. Does she sound mad?”

  Nicky shook her head like he was a goner. “Put it like this, she didn’t even say hello. All she said was, ‘Is my son there?’ and when I said yes she was like, ‘Put him on the phone now!’”

  Havoc clenched his teeth and sucked wind like he was already stinging from the verbal spanking he was going to get, then took the receiver. “I must have really been one evil son-of-a-bitch in a past life to deserve all this in one night.” He said as Nicky muttered something under her breath to the effect of agreeing with him. The Trouble Consultant exhaled then spoke. “Hey Mommy-O, how’s New Orleans? Did Pop get you to try alligator yet?” He immediately rolled his eyes at the ceiling for strength. “…Yeah I got your message…I know but…Okay…but if you’ll just let me explain…but…but-but…Christ Ma why are you illin? We went to rent a movie and then for pizza and lost track of time. What’s the big deal?…Huh?-What am I doing here at Nicky’s? Um see what had happened was, Nicky called after you and Pop left and said Tee-Tee left one of her gifts behind after the party so I stopped by to get it…Huh?-Where’s Tee-Tee? She’s, at my place-with Donnie…Oh well they must’ve went to the store, that’s why nobody answered my phone. Yes, I trust her to watch after Tee-Tee.” he looked at Donnie and shrugged his shoulders. “Look Ma I’m sorry if you were worried but maybe if you didn’t treat her like a baby-” He held the phone away from his ear and everyone in the room could hear his mother’s loud angry voice coming out the other end. Even Corbin pitied him. After several more minutes of squirming uncomfortably he hung up.

  “Well, that went well.” Havoc said sarcastically then turned to Corbin. “Corn-dog we’re sorta’ in the middle of a little major catastrophe. So if you have something you want to say then say it.”

  Corbin shook his head like he was disgusted. “From the moment we’ve met you’ve done nothing but insult me, purposely mispronounce my name, ridicule me and accuse me of being a sellout. So, you can imagine my surprise and utter disbelief when I discovered that in fact you’ve been the sell out all along. Havoc, the infamous hit man of Brooklyn who beats up his own people for a living.”

  “What are you talking about? I’m nobody’s hit man!”

  “Oh really?” Corbin smiled. “I know all about your little-or should I say major catastrophe. The black Mercedes following you. Long forgotten enemies attacking you. And let’s not forget the masked orchestrator with a horror movie fetish.” Havoc’s lips parted incredulously. “Your mystery stalker paid me a visit.” Havoc stood there dumbfounded. “I thought that would change your attitude. So, still claiming that you’re a simple blue-collar worker?” Corbin asked flashing his trademark pompous grin. “I thought not.”

  Havoc inhaled then exhaled deeply. “For the record, I’m not a hit-man, I’m a Trouble Consultant.”

  “Oh, and there’s a difference?” Corbin smirked.

  “Breaking down Trouble Consulting to a clown like you, would be like talking astrophysics to a wino. Now tell me what you know!”

  “Now is that any way to ask?” Corbin said derisively.

  “No,” Havoc roughly shoved Corbin down on the couch and got up in his face. “This is!”

  “You know what? I think coming here was a huge mistake.” Corbin said rising up and was immediately forced back down by Havoc. “Excuse me!”

  “Look Corbin I ain’t kissing your pompous ass but keep fucking with me and I will put my size thirteen up in it!” Ha
voc warned.

  Corbin looked around the room and shuddered. If looks could kill Nicky would be charged with manslaughter and Donnie looked like she was two minutes off his ass as well. What he wouldn’t give to just have one of those beautiful women that concerned for his own welfare. How he envied Havoc. “So, you can pronounce my name.” Havoc gave no reaction. “Fine. That night after your sister’s party Nicolette and I decided it would be best for both of us to part ways amicably-”

  “HA!” Nicky blurted melodramatically.

  Corbin shot her a venomous look and continued. “On the way home, I stopped by the office to take care of some pending matters. While seated at my desk the door suddenly creaked open and a dreadful sounding voice spoke to me from the darkness. That was my first meeting with our masked friend.”

  “I just call him Doll face.” Havoc corrected.

  “Doll face? Oh, I get it-the porcelain mask. How witty.” Corbin said. “Now I don’t know the history between you two because details of the matter were not discussed. But whatever happened must have been horrendous because that warped individual is fueled by a bottomless hatred for you and would like nothing better than to see you die a horrible, painful most despicable death!” Havoc glared at Corbin and he dropped his smirk, “Doll face’s words. Not mines.”

  A noise came from upstairs. “Nicky check on my sister for me.” Havoc asked.

  “Alright but keep in mind, I still have to get up early tomorrow.” Nicky said and headed upstairs. As far as she was concerned every one of her unwelcomed guests except for Tee-Tee could get the hell out!

  “So, you were saying.” Havoc said to Corbin.

  “I was saying how this Doll face character offered me a lot of money if I would help him execute some maniacal plan devised for you.”

  “Plan, what plan?” Donnie asked before Havoc could.

  “I have no idea. I guess he’s waiting for me to accept before I am filled in.” Havoc leaned forward awaiting his answer. “Which I of course turned down! Why do you think I’m here? To beg her for another chance?” Corbin asked pointing his chin in Nicky’s direction. Havoc pursed his lips like he wasn’t buying that. “Okay-I’ll admit you’re not my most favorite person in the world, but I couldn’t live with myself if any harm befell you and it was my fault. What’s odd is how he knew so much about you. Even me for that matter. It was his whole basis for even approaching me. He was trying to convince me that it was all your fault that Nicolette and I were having problems.” He said and stared at Havoc like he believed it was.

  “So you said that was your first encounter with Doll face, when was your next?” he asked.

  “About an hour ago. This Black Mercedes pulls up alongside me and the window comes partially down. I couldn’t see inside on account of the tinted windows but I could tell it was him right away because of that God-awful voice of his, so he asks me a second time to help him get even with you and again I refused. That’s when two of his enforcers jumped out. They dragged me from my car and started beating me severely then left me there and warned me to rethink their offer. Afterwards I got myself together I hurried over here.”

  Havoc stared at Corbin long and hard trying to look through him and spot the truth. He had an awful hard time believing that this man would suffer a vicious beating to protect him regardless of what he said or how bad of shape he was in physically. How he saw it things just do not happen in a black and white situation. There are always shades of gray.

  “Tragic. So, where’d you park at?”

  “Huh? A block away? Why?”

  “No reason. Why didn’t you warn me after your first meeting?” Havoc asked doing his best not to sound accusing.

  “Honestly? When Nicolette broke up with me I was devastated. This Doll face character showed up at the right time. I was intoxicated and he whispered poison into my ear like an evil conscience sitting on my shoulder, how everything was all your fault and if you were out of the picture she and I could get back together. He was offering me the perfect opportunity to get even. It sounded good. But in the end, I just couldn’t go through with it. I guess my moral compass pointed to good.”

  Havoc stood and came over to Corbin. He sighed before extending his hand. “Thanks Corbin. I guess, I owe you one.”

  “You’re welcome.” Corbin replied with a smile hearing his name pronounced correctly. With respect.

  Havoc suddenly jerked his head at Corbin and his grip tightened. “Why’d you park a block away?”

  “Ow! -Huh? Why’d I what?” Corbin said snatching his hand back from Havoc and shaking the feeling back into it.

  “You said you were parked a block away.”

  “Yeah so.”

  “So if I was trying to deliver life or death news I wouldn’t take the time to find a parking space a block away then walk the distance to deliver said news. I’d pull up out front.”

  “This is preposterous!”

  “Ok then take me to your car.”

  “Why on earth would you want to see my car?” Corbin asked. Even Donnie was wondering why Havoc was playing twenty questions after Corbin obviously put his life on the line for him.

  “Because I want to see the car that you drove here!”

  “You’re being paranoid. But under the circumstances it’s understandable. I’ll admit were the roles were reversed-”

  “You’d be dead! Now walk me through this Kumquat. You claim Doll face’s men beat you after you refused to join them, right?” Corbin nodded. “So I guess that would explain why you have those bruises?”

  “Obviously.”

  “Because obviously, you’d be such a valuable asset to this Legion of Doom Doll face is organizing and they can’t pull it off without you.”

  “I don’t know. Maybe they saw me as the brains of their operation. Maybe they were worried I’d come back and warn you. Which let’s not forget, I did.”

  “Which brings me to my next question. Don’t you find that just a little strange these criminals let you in on their plans then allow you to think it over? Allowed you to live? Cause I sure as hell do. You know what else I find strange Corby? You claimed to have danced a few rounds with a couple of these guys and walked away. And let’s be honest, we both know you can’t dance!” Havoc said nonchalantly then suddenly grabbed Corbin by the collar and ripped his shirt open. A purple horizontal welt stretched across his shoulder and chest. Havoc’s eyes went dark and Mayhem sprang to her feet. “You son of a bitch! You were the one who tried to mow me down outside my place! That’s where those bruises came from! You’re not here to warn me about Doll face! You’re working for him!” Havoc accused lifting Corbin with one hand. “Mayhem chill! Donnie hold her!” he ordered as his dog tried to get at Corbin.

  “You damned ingrate! I was beat within an inch of my life protecting you!” he protested struggling in Havoc’s grasp.

  Nicky came running down stairs. “What the hell is going on down here?”

  “Your boy Corbin’s full of shit! He’s not here to warn me. He’s here to set me up!” Havoc blasted tossing Corbin to the floor.

  “What?”

  “Nicolette don’t listen to him, he’s crazy!” Corbin said standing.

  “Am I? The car that almost hit me crashed into a garbage dumpster and it’s no coincidence that you have the exact same mark across your chest that a victim of car accident would have that was saved by a seatbelt! I’ve been in several car crashes so I know! And then there’s the bruise that looks like you got hit with a pipe. The pipe I stabbed through the windshield!” Havoc said. Corbin turned to Nicky panic stricken shaking his head no. “Go on Nicky ask him where his precious Porsche is. If it’s parked a block close by like he said then I will climb the highest mountain and apologize for doubting him, but if you ask me he’s hiding it because I’m right.”

  “Corbin is it true?” Nicky asked.

  “The claim that I would even stoop to such levels is pathetic in its ignorance, and…�
�� Corbin paused tired of the charade then flashed a lecherous smile. “In life you do the things you can live with and try and avoid the things you cannot. Like disregarding that mask wearing sociopath’s strict policy about not trying to kill your ex-husband with the souped-up bulletproof car he so graciously provided me with.”

  “Son of a bitch! I knew it!” Havoc advanced.

  Corbin frantically dug into his jacket pocket and clumsily came out with a handgun. “Stay the hell back!” he shouted waving the handgun all over the room like Barney Fife. Havoc hit the brakes and held up his hands. Mayhem struggled to get at Corbin. “Let that mutt go and so help me I’ll shoot it!”

  “What the hell’s wrong with you Corbin have you lost your damn mind?” Nicky shouted.

  “Oh I did, the day I met you and was stricken with a severe case of selective amnesia, causing me to forfeit my personal philosophy which has always served me well in the past. Trust no one! It’s your only defense against being betrayed. But I’ve since regained my sanity and then some!” Corbin said then turned back to the Trouble Consultant. “Now Havoc-I can call you Havoc right?” he asked. Havoc clenched his teeth glaring at him. “Please remove your guns and put them on the floor. Slowly! And don’t try any funny stuff.” Corbin threatened with a shaky gun.

  “What the hell do you want from me?” Havoc demanded.

  “Oh, lots of things, my woman back, your head on a platter. But let’s start with an easy one. Since our first encounter you have never given me an ounce of respect.”

  “You never earned it.” Havoc said.

  “Fine. Then I’ll take your guns!” Corbin glared.

  “You’re gonna have to!” Havoc said.

  Corbin shot Havoc a, ‘Dirty Harry’ glare then turned his gun upon Mayhem and the Trouble Consultant huffed as he removed his weapons. “Now place them on the floor. And kick them over here,” Corbin instructed. Havoc obeyed with furious eyes. “Good boy.” he said catching them under his foot.