Miriam went to the second floor and knocked on the door of apartment 201. A tall, bearded black man opened and showed disturbing feverishness. He was about forty-five years old and carried, on his face, all the signs of an evil man. As he talked, his lips’ convulsion resembled the twisted flinch of a hungry hyena. Bandy-legged and unable to stand straight, he uttered derogatory words and gesticulated like a comedian.
He was one of the parasites who visited the Conway brothers in Coconut-Palm Villa and Miriam knew him well. As soon as they met, Garth had manifested a degrading sexual interest towards her. A police attaché in the city’s security force, he was aware of the brothers’ situation; but Jonass had bribed him, as well as his cousin, Jarrig. The former swindler showered them with money and kept proof of it: Just what was needed to inspire fear and obedience. The ringleader manipulated them and obtained weapons and information.
When they learned who they were dealing with, it was too late. As it often happens in this kind of situations, the fear of criminal prosecution made them timid and scared. They quickly became police toys in Jonass’ hands.
Miriam had not called and Garth was caught off guard, which made him more aggressive. Inviting the young woman in his living room, he unconvincingly offered her a drink. She quickly declined.
“You’re pretty like a bitch…” he said cynically. “To what
lucky break do I owe this surprising visit?”
“Jonass asked me to talk to you…” Miriam was visibly concerned. “He needs Jarrig’s help… There is thirty thousand dollars to earn...”
“Ah yeah!” he seemed pleasantly surprised.
“Yes,” Miriam replied forthrightly. “You cousin leads the troops…”
“I know…” he looked at her and shook his head. “Jarrig can do a lot…”
Miriam talked to Garth for a long moment; then, the police attaché ran away, leaving the young woman alone in his apartment. He returned a couple of hours later with a conniving smile on his face. Gesticulating as usual, he asked Miriam to go out with him.
“Where are we going?” she sounded timid and fearful.
“Jarrig is waiting for you…” the policeman replied in a muffled tone.
She picked up her purse and they left in a hurry.
* * *
The first skirmish between the bandits and the police took place on the Northside of John Crow Mountain. Canamera had sent a vanguard to pinpoint the gangsters’ position but the three men got trapped in a deadly ambush. Armed with a telescope, Edward saw them crawling toward the camp. Peter prepared the ambush and the trio got caught hopelessly.
They did not resist and wanted to surrender but Peter opened fire, killing two of them. Patrick Colona, one of the bodyguards, shot the third who escaped, grievously wounded.
The detonations directed the troops to their hiding place. Graham, Canamera, and Bogatt ran ahead and, soon, engaged in a deadly gun battle with the bandits.
From the border of a glade, they saw the wounded Jamaican soldier staggering down. Bloody and livid, his face was amazingly pale. Suddenly, he collapsed on the ground. Canamera ordered to take him away. Two soldiers lifted him up and ran down the mountain.
“Canamera, go to the right…” Graham screamed nervously. “I take the left… Bill, you stay in the middle… We’re going to encircle them…”
The Puerto Rican waved and moved up, heading fifteen troops. Graham commanded a dozen.
In the meantime, Peter, Patrick, and Braga, the third of the brothers’ bodyguards, retreated toward positions indicated by Jonass. In prevision of a rear attack, “Nass” had dispersed his men. Garry and Edward were placed on a headland and Jonathan, deep, in a cul-de-sac. Jonass and Chapotto took position in a canal. Their deployment pictured a semi-circle formed with equidistant posts.
Peter, Patrick, and Braga were exposed to the first wave of attacks. Armed with rifles and hand grenades, they were placed to slow down the enemy.
Then came the moment of truth: Trapped in a cross fire, the desperados of John Crow Mountain, as they were dubbed, offered incredible resistance. In a crescendo of attacks and counterattacks, both sides distinguished themselves by their courage and heroism.
Edward, Braga, and Patrick fell one after the other. Canamera killed Garry with a bullet in the head. The Montego Bay Police Department lost seven soldiers. A grenade ex-
ploded one foot to Graham and holed the FBI agent’s body in ten places.
Surprised by the gangsters’ powerful resistance, Canamera ordered a quick retreat. Carried away, Graham was evacuated toward the Police Department.
As if by enchantment, silence returned in the jungle. Jonass rose up carefully and walked toward his brothers’ corpses. In front of Garry, he lit a cigarette and took a breath. He then knelt down, turned up his siblings’ dead bodies, stripped off the belts filled with hundred-dollar bills, and fastened them around his waist. Proud and grandiloquent, he grabbed a fistful of dirt and sprinkled Garry’s face with it; he then turned toward his companions and said loudly, “Let’s go… We’ve got to move away…”
* * *
In the Montego Bay Police Headquarters, it was great commotion. City officials could not believe it. That the gangsters killed seven agents and grievously wounded Graham was a terrible outcome.
Lying on a stretcher and weltering in a pool of blood, the FBI agent waited for a helicopter to take him to Kingston’s General Hospital. Bill Bogatt and Galiss held his hands and mumbled comforting words. The wounded investigator kept his eyes wide open and seemed on the verge of giving up. Then the helicopter arrived and, with Canamera alongside of him, Graham ascended toward the sky.
Outraged and angry, the Jamaican Police Chief assembled all available troops and placed them on alert. Armed with submachine guns, most of them lined up for action. With their support and guidance, the remaining FBI agents rushed back toward John Crow Mountain.
As they sank in the jungle, the Conway brothers throve forcefully. A rapid communication with Miriam warned them that the young woman had made it big: Jarrig Propilo sold his soul to the devil, jeopardizing his life and career. Thirty thousand dollars was the price of his betrayal. A good down payment galvanized him and he tirelessly struggled to get the brothers out. Following his instruction, they made an about-face and ran back toward Sunset Villa.
In the confusion created by the recent bloody encounter, the Sergeant operated a daring maneuver and opened the door for the bandits. While Galiss was in hot pursuit and Graham lying in a coma, Jarrig shifted the surveillance and allowed the brothers to get away.
In the summery twilight, as the Jamaican nation held its breath, the bandits slipped through the net and escaped with no harm. Hidden in the hold of a boat, they quickly sailed toward Trinidad & Tobago. The renegade Sergeant gave a counter-order and brought the troops back to their initial position.
Galiss and his men spent the night patrolling the mountain. The following morning, they were still at it; but the gangsters were nowhere to be found.
The soldiers under Jarrig did not seem to understand a thing; but one of them showed disturbing indiscretion. Corporal Blackwell Manto, a man with intriguing demeanor, was straightforwardly inquisitive. Boldly, he questioned the nature of his commander’s police action.
Faced with his subordinate’s stupefying inquiry, for a mo-
ment, the Sergeant lost his composure; but he promptly regained control. With a straight face, he answered that his maneuver was a military tactics aimed at trapping down the enemy.
Such a quick response given in the tone of a rebuff did not satisfy the obstinate subaltern. Ambitious and restless, Blackwell ran to see Javens.
Called before the Lieutenant and required to justify the strange maneuver, Jarrig showed vivid resistance. “There was a large gap in the net…” he argued fiercely; “it was my duty to close it.”
Javens gave him a funny look. The Lieutenant had personally inspected the perimeter and there was no gap. Moreover, troublesome
rumors flied around. Garth, Jarrig’s cousin, was notoriously involved with the gangsters. Javens transferred the Sergeant to the Supply Subdivision and ordered an investigation.
Brought to the Police Headquarters and exposed on an open esplanade, the bodies of Garry, Edward, Braga, and Patrick were violated by the plebs. Javens ordered to hide them in the building’s conference room.
In the meantime, in Kingston’s General Hospital, Graham agonized and seemed lost. An airplane took him to Miami where a group of physicians tried to save his life.
Braga’s and Patrick’s corpses were identified and sent to their families. Garry’s and Edward’s bodies arrived in Miami the same day and caused stunning reactions. The populace’s curiosity gave way to a disgusting spectacle. They assaulted the vehicle carrying the bodies and two women were critically hurt. The security guards’ strong intervention prevented a disaster.
* * *
Garth Propilo stood by the window and watched the pedestrians. Seated on a sofa, Miriam talked emotionally. Jarrig was supposed to meet her but the Sergeant did not show up. “May be something happened to him…” she sounded nervous and exhausted.
“Don’t worry,” Garth reassured her. “Jarrig is always late.”
He turned around. “Do you’ve the money?”
“Yes,” she replied timidly.
“Give it to me…” said Garth. “Jarrig told me to get it…”
Miriam was reluctant. “Shouldn’t I give it directly to Jarrig?”
Garth stared at her and said aggressively, “It’s no big deal… You’ve to trust me...”
She opened her purse, took a package, and handed it over to the police attaché. Garth grinned like hell. “The fifteen greens are in there?” he asked sarcastically.
“Yes,” answered Miriam with a puzzling nod. “Why don’t you count it?”
He looked at her and smiled. “It’s alright, Mimi... I believe you…”
Walking toward a desk, he hid the package in a drawer. Miriam stood up and stepped toward the door. “Garth, I’ll see you later.”
He did not answer but made a weird gesture with his arms. A bit fearful, Miriam looked at him. “What is it, Garth?”
He approached and took her hands.
“You’re a damn girl…” he mumbled viciously. “You real-
ly turn me on…”
She stared at him and stepped backward. “Leave me alone…” she cried stridently.
He waved and, suddenly, seized her on the throat. Forcefully, he tried to carry her to the sofa. She fought back desperately. He slapped her on the face. “Goddammit … I will f … you, or you’ll have to die here…”
With extreme violence, he undressed her. Even though she was weakened by the slap, Miriam continued to resist. Garth threw her on the sofa and quickly pulled his pants down. The young woman grabbed a bunch of his hair. “No”, she screamed wildly. “Please, don’t do that!”
“Shut up, girl…” he shrieked like a madman. “Calm down…”
He took her in his arms and kissed her on her lips. She jumped, pushed him back, picked up her clothes, and ran toward the door. He speedily caught her and, once more, slapped her on the face; he then flattened her on a table.
“No…” she yelled furiously. “I say no…”
“Whore…” Garth was in a state of sheer madness. “Open your damn legs…”
He slapped her again and, suddenly, Miriam stopped resisting. In a rageful frenzy, he raped her repeatedly; then, panting and staggering, he collapsed on the sofa.
Miriam quickly dressed up and rushed toward the door. Before leaving, she turned and howled vibrantly, “Oh, you, dog... I’ll never forget…”
Worried and feeble, she took a taxi and returned home. As she walked toward the main entrance, she noticed the silhouette of her aunt behind a curtain in the living room. Pulling a key from her purse, she opened the door and was getting in when somebody patted her back. She jerked and turned vividly around. “Oh Marlon…”
A stocky bald man in his fifties looked at her and cried raucously, “You’re a little vermin, Mimi… You played us again!”
Apparently confused, she did not answer.
“You’re a rat, Mimi...” the man said angrily. “You wanted to kill us…”
“You had problems?” she asked with nervous agitation.
“Those gangsters are murderers…” he made a gesture as if he was going to grab her. “They wanted to drop us in the ocean…”
“Really…” Miriam sounded completely surprised.
“You’re a tramp, girl…” said Marlon. “Stop messing with me…”
“I’m so sorry…” she begged him. “What happened?”
“The murderers wanted to drop us in the ocean…” Marlon looked terrible. “They forced us to go to Trinidad...”
“Really…” she could hardly keep her composure.
“You concealed the truth and played a deadly game…” Marlon threatened her. “We’re going to the police…”
Hearing those words, she jumped and said urgently, “No… Please, don’t do that…”
“Bonny is waiting for me... We’ve got to denounce your criminal action…” he seemed unshakable.
“No...” she implored him. “Believe me, I knew nothing…”
“Stop lying, you, bad cow…” yelled Marlon. “It’s time to answer for your devilish deeds…”
She knelt down and beseeched him, “Please, don’t go to the police...I’ll do whatever you want…”
Marlon’s face suddenly changed expression. “Money…”
he lashed out. “I need money… Those gangsters stole eleven million… It takes more than the ridiculous thousand dollars you gave us... Our silence is worth more than that!”
Miriam looked at him and asked timidly, “How much more do you want?”
He waved, pinched his lower lip, and mumbled with a strange glow in his eyes, “Five thousand and… you… girl…”
She did not seem to understand. “What did you say?” she jerked as if she had seen the face of the devil.
“Five thousand dollars and you, girl…” Marlon screamed violently.
“Me?” Miriam stared at him.
“You heard me … I want to f … you … like everybody else…” the man was out of control.
“What…?” mumbled Miriam. “What do you mean?”
“You’re a comedian, girl…” he replied threateningly. “You’ll not give in, huh… I’m wasting time here…”
“But…” she moaned with an almost inaudible voice; “it’s ridiculous!”
“Do I look like a fool?” he stared her down with a terrible glare. “I want your ass, girl, and not for a jump…”
“Ah yeah…” Miriam seemed disconcerted.
“That’s it, girl…” he sniggered viciously. “If not, I swear, I’ll give you up…”
Miriam struggled to contain her agitation.
“You want me to be your mistress?” she asked hesitantly.
“That’s right…” answered Marlon. “Now you understand!”
She bowed and remained silent for a moment.
“I know what you’re made of…” he threatened her. “I didn’t drop with the last rain, mama... You must come along
or you’ll be shut down… Tonight, at eight o’clock, I’ll be where you know… Be clean and don’t forget the package…”
Saying that, he walked to his car, got in, and left. Crouched in the same position, Miriam watched him get away. At this moment, Martha opened the door and hugged her. “Who was this man?” she asked alarmingly. “He came this morning and threatened to destroy us…”
“His name is Marlon,” Miriam answered stoically. “He and his brother helped our friends...”
“What does he want?” inquired Martha.
“Money and me…” replied Miriam with a dreary smile.
“You…?” Martha looked at her incredulously.
“Yes,” answered the young woman. “He demands that I
lie down for his pleasure.”
“Is he crazy?” Martha waved wildly.
“No, he isn’t…” Miriam replied with a submissive nod.
The two women entered the living room.
“I must go to see Bogarr...” Miriam said feverishly. “I’ve a ‘date’ with Marlon I can’t ignore …”
She collapsed on a sofa and sobbed slowly.
Miriam went to her brother’s home and came back in the evening. She had time to take a shower before going to her “date” with Marlon. Arrived at eight-thirty, she found the individual in a playful mood.
“Here you’re…” he laughed jubilantly. “I thought you bolted away…”
Standing in the living room, Miriam looked at him passively.
“Do you’ve the package?” he asked her in a menacing tone.
She nodded, “Yes, I’ve it…”
He grabbed her purse, opened it, and pulled a large yellow envelope. After careful verification, he jumped joyfully around the living room. “Oh, you, wonderful babe…” he sounded gratified and cheerful. “You really know your way to my heart…”
He gave her the purse and went to his bedroom with the envelope. A moment later, he was back. Clumsily, he approached the young woman and took her hands; he then tried to kiss her. She pushed him away.
“Your brother…” Miriam asked apprehensively, “won’t he do anything foolish?”
“Don’t worry,” he reassured her. “He is like my son… He does what I tell him.”
He approached once more and hugged her. She looked at him, waved, and undressed quickly. After taking off her sweater, robe, and underwear, she lay down on the sofa.
Marlon stared at her roguishly and said with a devilish grin, “Let’s move back there… It’s better …”
Lifting her up, he carried her to his bedroom.
CHAPTER 9
Terrible Marlon
The Conway's Conspiracy Page 12