“Ms Josephine tol’ us, she take her to Jackson, where she wait for you safe. When masta’ Morris fin’ out, we all went to get her Manny. But - was too late. That lady at the hotel, say she sent her up to some men’s room to clean an’ she disappear after that. She call Lena lazy, an’ some other nasty name, that she run off in the night cause she was ungrateful! But we thank - well - we thank them men fin’ her. They got to have her…cause Lena ain’t gone leave knowin’ you comin’ fo’ ha’.”
Manny turned in the middle of the cabin, his face dry of tears. There was something else in his eyes, that sent a cold icy chill clean through Morris.
“Where is Katherine?” He asked, so calm, it frightened all who stood there. Leon began crying. Morris swallowed as sweat broke out all over, he actually shook from the look in his son’s eyes.
“Where - is - she?” He asked in a voice not his own.
“Now - now Manny. You got to listen to me son. She gone. For good, she packed up everything she own and -…”
“Where?”
“She at her aunts, so you don’t have to wor-…”
Before he could finish his sentence, Manny was out the door, off the porch and onto his horse, spinning the animal it reared with him on its back, landing again and shot off with him riding low.
“Lord God!! Mannieee!!! Mannieee!!” Morris shouted to him, and then spun yelling at those standing around. “Don’t just stand there!! We’ve got to stop him!! Do you hear!! Hurry!”
Jordan and Leon were already in motion, and soon the overseers were in motion as well. Manny had a head start because they all had to saddle horses. All six men rode hard with Morris following in his carriage. They all prayed to catch up to him. The only chance being, his horse would not be able to keep top speed with his weight, nor - due to having been ridden from Jackson. They had that working on their side.
Morris’s body was racked with pain from all of the riding over the last week or more, he couldn’t take horseback riding at that pace. As it was, he was thrown about with the speed he was going in the carriage. Nothing else mattered however, nothing…all he could think of was stopping his son from killing his wife.
The Hastings were entertaining that fine afternoon in August. All sat in the sun room of their splendid home, which was mostly plants and glass, having a floral decor theme. The sofa and love seat of specially ordered bamboo that had been white washed. With it were two matching chairs in front of the veranda glass painted doors.
They were separated by the bamboo marble topped table. A round luncheon table sat to the far end of the bright and gloriously decorated room, surrounded with four chairs matching the other furniture, lending an overall theme throughout, of floral print on white backgrounds. This exact print was used for the drapery’s as well. The Gordon’s, were in attendance with their fourteen year old daughter, Mineal who sat bored on the sofa, as well as the Wilson’s, Charles’s parents while Mildred, Charles, and Katherine rounded out the group.
All stood in various places within the room, each into their own topics of conversation. Stan Hastings sat in one of the chairs from the four at the table, idly chatting of things unimportant as Bishop, their black butler served each tea, crumb cake, or wine.
No one in the room was aware of the things that had transpired at Webster Fields. Katherine hadn’t told of her deed, all she had said on arrival at her aunt’s and uncle’s home, was that she’d left Manny for good, and was never returning. After Mildred’s child was born, she would then return to Europe, whispering to Mildred that her divorce should be final by then. With a nervous stomach, she smiled and chatted with everyone present while her botched plan hovered in her mind. Just as she and Mineal laughed at something funny Charles had said, a horrendously loud pounding sounded startling everyone within the room.
The women cried out shocked at the sudden sound that started off like a canon blast, making them all jump. The pounding continued making various ornaments in the house vibrate. Stan stood and yelled over the racket. “Bishop, go see what the devil is going on!!” Bishop gulped fearfully, and set down the tray before moving cautiously down the hall. Katherine stood and began backing towards the furthest part of the room. Charles’s heart was pounding as he set down his drink, he turned to his wife. “Upstairs - now!” Frightened, Mildred did as she was told.
Charles walked cautiously to the end of the hallway that led straight about ten yards. Without reason, he predicted who the person on the other side of the massive oak doors was, built to withstand any mighty attack. Bishop kept looking back at him afraid as those present gathered at the end of the hallway as well, holding their breaths as their hearts pounded in fear. All except Katherine, who stood partially hidden behind the drapes.
The door starting cracking, Bishop let out a squeal and leaped out of the way, as Manny’s massive frame came tumbling in. His eyes were dead and dry, as his body hurdled forth. The speed at which he moved made the women scream and turn running back further into the sun room.
“Manny! Manny what are doing?!!” Charles shouted at him.
As Manny came at him, he could see, that not only did he not hear him, he was not sane. There was something horribly wrong with him. “Manny!” He shouted at him, bracing himself because he was going to plow right through him. Charles leaned forward to block him and was taken off of his feet by his friend.
Madness had finally come.
Charles began shouting for everyone to clear the room as he held onto Manny’s shirt from behind. He was being drug as he struggled to get to his feet. Manny was almost in the room when Charles got to his feet, trying to wrestle him down, shouting his name over and over, “Mannieee!!! Manny!!!”
In the room with the others, the women screamed from the trauma of the violence as a herd of other men rushed into the room, desperate to join Charles in getting him under control.
“Get him down, get’im down!!!” Jacob bellowed because Jordan was the closest to them, Leon behind him. Jordan jumped him, trying to bring him to the ground along with Charles, and Leon, sobbing added his weight. Yet, Manny moved forward, searching the room, his eyes seeking to locate his target. In his madness, he could not hear, could not feel, his body and mind locked in one ultimate goal. Manny collected body’s as he went. A red veil covered his vision, he saw no one until his eyes locked on Katherine cowering in the corner. Stark terror etched in her features.
There was nothing that would calm him, soothe him, satisfy him, snap him out of the abnormal trance that gave him a strength beyond what was human. Nothing would calm him until he could feel her neck firmly locked inside the grip of his hands. Not until he could feel the hard power that made him a man of stone to those wrestling to bring him down – released upon her as he squeezed the flesh of her throat, where soon the delicate bones would crunch and break as he twisted. The need raced within him like a grizzly set on destruction. Helene realized where his aim was directed and she began screaming with tears streaking down her face.
“Katherine ruuun - ruuun!!”
“Manny please stop – Jesus Christ stop him, we can’t hold him!! Help us hold him!!” Charles begged to Stan Hastings, and the other two elderly gentlemen in the room, scared, not about to go near him. Phyllis Gordon held her sobbing daughter to her, keeping her face averted, eyes wide and watching, she made no move to leave the room. The men shoved, pushed and pulled to bring him down, but inch by inch he was getting closer to Katherine. Who stood as if glued to the spot, watching, a scream trapped in her throat as she clung to the draperies as if it were a lifeline.
The room with its plants and furniture was wrecked as the tangle of white and brown arms, stained with blood, sweat and tears moved in a destructive mass ever forward towards Katherine.
“Bloody hell – ruuun!!! He is going – to – kill you!!” Charles shouted at Katherine. For reasons understandable, she thought they would be able to stop him. But once he was in certain reach, it dawned on her; he might actually be able to get her. Finally
screaming, she turned to sprint from him. Her billowing skirt was her undoing – they flared out right into Manny’s reach, grasped them as if a man falling from a cliff and they would save him. And he began to reel her in.
Helene and Stan ran over trying to pull Katherine out of his reach, but once Manny got her skirt, the speed and strength he had to pull her to the floor was born of something animal. His arms were scratched, bloody and slippery from sweat. Leon was sobbing and begging him to stop, pulling at Manny’s arms. Manny’s eyes and hands worked together as he got more and more of Katherine close to him while she screamed for her aunt and uncle to help her.
To their horror, his huge hand clamped onto her chest pulling her over to him so he could get his hands around her throat.
“Noooo – nooo – nooo – nooo!!!” Katherine screamed over and over knowing she would die this day. She punched and scratched, pushing at his face as he pulled her within the circle of his strength, and like a crocodile grips, his hands made it around her neck. All sound from her ceased as she struggled turning beet red from his squeezing. Jordan forced his head up between them, levering his body in between the two, trying with all of his might to push Katherine out of his reach. His back was to Katherine, and his front faced Manny, as he grunted pushing Manny back while he wedged himself in between them. Charles’s hands worked to get Manny’s fingers from around her throat as Jordan pushed.
Her skin was being scratched and gouged from desperate fingers trying to save her life while she struggled for air. The veins stood out across her forehead as the whites of her eyes suddenly filled with red. With a man to each arm, and Jordan on his chest, and others pulling at his wrists, they with the force of God got Manny’s hands from around her throat, but he began swinging and flailing in madness. Too overcome he bellowed at the top of his lungs as Jordan, Leon, Jacob and Patrick held him down while he fought and swung at them. All breathing so hard they fought to catch their next breath as his hoarse cry sounded out and filled the room. Charles stood shaking Katherine.
“Breathe – Katherine breathe!!”
She shook with bloodshot eyes as her throat rasped in pain to suck in much needed air. Her ears rang as saliva ran from her mouth, her hair had been yanked and pulled from its wrap. Charles struggled with her, lifting her up as she gulped and shook.
Crying sounded out around the room as Manny sobbed and bellowed a name, “Leeenaaaa – God – Lenaaa!!!” Everything swimming around him, he finally passed into oblivion.
End Of Book One
Lena lay disoriented on a pile of musty, mildewed fabric and rolls of material, dank odors filling her nostrils. She moaned and turned her head slowly, her hand going up to rub at her eyes rid them of the heavy drowsiness. In her groggy state, she had no sense of time, nor the passage of it. Yet, as her faculties slowly returned, with them came vague traces in her memory of extensive traveling. She remembered waking up, no longer tied, in a huge coach where the seats had been taken out and replaced with a tick mattress bed in the bottom for her to lay on as she rode. She remembered, banging and screaming to be let out. The jostling and movement had made her sick as she was forced to puke in the corner away from where she lay. She remembered having to go so badly, and suffering the humiliation of being watched as she relieved herself when they finally did stop.
Because of the racket she kept up, they pulled over and held her down forcing a horrible bitter tasting liquid down her throat, making her drowsy and lethargic. Unable to fight what was happening to her, she was taken from one mode of travel to another. She recalled hearing the lapping of water, and feeling herself sway. They tried feeding her, she ate as if in a zombie like state, often dozing back off before completing a meal. Whoever, her captures were, they meant her no physical harm. And when they could, they handled her with care. Everything seemed to be happening as if in a dream, so many times she tried to roll from bed to see about Hope, because she could hear her crying.
But she was just too tired to check. Her mind kept telling her that Manny would see about her, she needed to sleep, mumbling to him, “Manny, Manny – Hope … go to Hope.” Those ghost like images floated in and out of her mind. Sending her back and forth between actual events and imaginary ones. Now, she lay in an abandoned warehouse, the odors of which were bringing her out of her induced stupor. ‘Where am I?’ she thought as she tried to sit up, then held herself still as the room swayed. It was then that she heard a squeaking and something scurried across her hand. Lena screamed and jumped to her feet. Immediately upon standing she was dizzy and went forward headlong, falling against some stacked bundles of cotton, hanging onto them, she dropped to her knees.
With her heart pounding she knelt there, holding on as her legs trembled beneath her, threatening to give way entirely and send her back to the floor. For long moments she knelt there with her face pressed against the stacks, her limbs trembling from their lack of use for so long. Weakness, she feared would send her back to where she knew, small creatures scurried. After a long while she opened her eyes and tried to see around her. The room was dimly lit from broken rays of light coming in through dirty and painted windows, where paint pealing from the glass offered the light a way in. After letting her gaze travel the expanse of the room, she realized she was alone in it.
“Alright, wake up Lena. You have to get out of here.” She coached herself, afraid of moving from the bundle where she knelt, not trusting her legs to hold her. Her stomach growled deep and long, as hunger made itself known. She touched her midriff as if the gesture would ease it. Panic engulfed her, as her mind went to Hope. “I have to get out of here. Hope? I’m coming baby…I’m coming. Oh God? Where am I?”
She slowly pushed herself up testing the strength in her legs. Her first step was careful, but she remained standing; then the next and the next, until she was confident enough to walk. She began looking for a way out, and realized she was in a maze of merchandise as she walked. As the diminishing light showed, it was growing darker outside, she knew it was close to dusk. The longer she walked, the more her functions returned, and the more active her brain became. Besides hunger, she was overwhelmed to know what was happening and why she’d been taken. The thought stopped her, making her cover her mouth from the fear. She wanted to cry, “No! I won’t! I’m going to get out of here! I have to figure out where I am? I have to get back to Hope!”
“Oh Manny, have you returned yet? Are you with our Hope?” She talked to herself to calm herself down and not let her mind send her towards the unthinkable. “Alright Lena, think, you’ve got to pull yourself together.”
In her searching she reached a lane or aisle that she turned down and started walking to a door at the end of it. She quickly grabbed at the knob, but it was locked. She shook the door and pounded on it.
“Help!! Somebodeee!”
She stopped as it occurred to her, she was calling for help from those who’d kidnapped her. The door suddenly opened and a tall wiry ginger haired man stood looking at her.
“Ye’re awake are ye’? Well and good - they be returnin’ ‘fore long with food. Na be a good lass, an’ sit yerself down quiet like. All be done in good time.”
“Please let me out! I beg you please!”
“I can’no lass, go’on now - rest.”
“At least give me light where I can see, its growing dark! There are rats!”
He hesitated about to close the door on her. “’Ere then, take this lantern.” He offered her one of the two outside the door. Lena took it, he closed the door locking it right after. She stood about to cry, then went back to banging on it. “Please – please let me out!!” But her guard ignored her after that. Lena turned from the door looking around her holding the lantern high. She had to get out. She walked and looked, then stared up at the windows on the far wall. Devising a plan as she walked further along looking up at them, then back at the door… an idea was forming in her mind.
Seamus Murphy sat waiting, wishing to be relieved from his guard of the woman. Thi
s whole thing did not sit well with him, but he needed the coin. As long as he wasn’t required to do anything but guard the door, he was fine with it. Such an unusual looking lass, ‘A beauty t’ be certain.’ He thought.
Suddenly he heard a loud crash of glass, startling him up from his seat.
He stood for a moment, unsure of what to do. Then quickly unlocked the door and ran in cautiously. Looking for the woman, down the aisle, and over to the spot where they’d kept her for days now. No where. He looked up to the window. “Holy mother of Christ!” She’d pushed bales beneath the window and climbed up on them. He walked closer, and saw some of her gown torn flapping from the breeze on one of the jagged edges of broken glass. “Oh lass, what’d ya’go an’ do that fore? I hopes ye’ can swim, to be sure.” Seamus spun and ran down the aisle and out the door. His heart pumping with fear; the windows let out to a straight drop off the docks and onto the water front. “She’ll drown fer’sure — fer’sure!” He gasped running.
Lena didn’t waste a moment as she ran out of hiding from behind a tall bale, darting out she rocked the bale and the lantern dropped to the floor shattering the flue, immediate flames ignited with a loud whoosh!
Gathering her torn skirt, Lena ran for the door as the flames were growing behind her, illuminating the dark room in a golden fire glow. At the door, she stopped and looked out quickly to make sure the coast was clear, then darted for her escape. Behind her, the flames were scaling the walls as it ignited one bale of cotton and fabric after another.
Princess Ces'alena (Webster Fields) Page 64