by Anton Marks
Shaft’s mouth fell slack as the flame bird birthed itself in all its savage glory. The scorched and mangled limo fell apart like the shell of a giant misshapen egg. The bird of prey conflagration fixed them with its soulless lava red eyes. It flung its head back again and shrieked angrily, its massive wings span catching an easy rhythm over the chaos, attempting to detach itself from it’s source – the burning car. It flapped its fiery wings to keep itself aloft, sending waves of baking convection currents over the distance to them. The heat was intense and stank of cooked meat, grease and molten metal.
“Jesuuus!” Shaft murmured, stepping back.
It shrieked its frustration of being held in place to its source and in a huff the dark Phoenix suddenly shrunk back into the remnants of the vehicle, letting off a sonic boom of ear splitting proportions. Car windshields in the surrounding area cracked or exploded. The security alarms blared over the confusion, soon to be joined by the screams of human panic. Nobody could make sense of what had just happened. Even the bystanders who had seen it all would put it down to some elaborate hoax or reality TV for special effects experts. By the evening the reasons for it happening would be completely rational and sane.
For most people at least.
As the smoke cleared, Bad II the Bone, Spokes and Shaft, stood up from their crouched positions, ears ringing, nerves frayed, unconsciously rooted to the ground, for fear that this was not all over.
Y held onto Shaft’s shoulders unsteadily from behind and he reached up with his trembling hand to touch hers.
“Seeing is believing, they say, right.” Y murmured.
Shaft could only nod.
18.
Tuesday July 23rd
Red Ground Estates, Surrey
21.40
Spokes’ ‘batty’ was clenching involuntarily hours after witnessing the fire bird destroying the limousine. For some reason even with the precognitive power his guard ring afforded him, it did not make him feel protected at all. His usual confidence had departed and look as he might through his mental rolodex, there were no sugar-coated platitudes he could pull forth to make him feel better.
This is war, Iyah.
Darkman knew who and where they were and from now on his demon lackeys would make their lives unbearable.
The girls sat silently watching Spokes uncomfortably twisting one moment and the next eyeing the more heart racing performance of LL Cool J on the Blue Ray player. Spokes kept getting out of his seat with that pained expression on his face and pacing. The small motes of dust from his movements made it seem like friction was burning the fibers of the rag pile. His eyes darted over to four Louis Vitton cases that were packed beside the bay doors that overlooked his one acre garden. An overcoat was thrown neatly over them like the completion of some Turner prize exhibit with a deeper significance than was apparent to your reasoning mind.
Not so in this case.
His eyes made an awkward orbit as horrible images took on their own awful life for a moment. He settled on the girls for much longer and shook his head. A tangible air of relief that they were fine washed over him.
Look at dem, all cool and sexy, and they’ve saved mi rass life three times already. How many more times?
“Suh, everbody alright den. Yuh want another drink girls?”
“For the fifth time,” Y said testily, “We’re fine.”
Spokes frowned.
“Don’t sweat it, Slick,” Patra consoled. “We made a deal to complete the job and we won’t welch on our promise.”
“Jus’ cool, Mas Spokes, we trying feh understand all dis. We are unprepared; not that anything could ever prepare us for this but wi have yuh back.”
He looked at Suzy fleetingly and smiled.
Y wasn’t so forgiving.
“Have you ever thought of us through this whole fucked up situation?”
“Tink of you?” he asked incredulously. “Widout you I‘d be six foot six!”
“I mean your plan. Have you considered our escape strategy in all this? How do we handle any backlash from you disappearing?”
“Y have a point king. We can’t just apologize to the Darkman,” Suzy added.
“Motherfucker doesn’t look like the forgiving type.” Patra said.
“You sista’s have me all wrong. But that is not your fault. I’m responsible for dis. I should have been more upfront but I wasn‘t sure you would appreciate it.”
“Slick, baby. We appreciate the fuck out of this situation, trust me. There isn’t a goddamn thing you could tell us now that we wouldn’t believe.”
He smoothed the skin under his chin with his little finger, scratching the small shoots of grey bristle there.
“Ok, ok.” He began. “I’ve explained to you that I hold dat dog Enoch responsible for my Idren Jimmy’s death. You already know his treasures are buried under the nightclub but there is something that he wants more than anyting else.”
“I don’t even want to guess what dat could be,” Suzy said.
Patra simply groaned.
“So you’re saying amongst these objects under the club we have something to leverage or protect ourselves from him.”
“See it deh sister Y, you have it,” he said triumphantly, slapping his hands together. “Mi nah leave you swinging in the wind, baby. I’ve had four years to research these things that lay hidden in the club and I tink I know what he wants. Dat will be my bargaining chip that will protect you from him. I’ve looked at this from every angle I know how.”
“What about just cancelling the dance, going in and taking what you need under the cover of darkness?” Y asked.
Spokes laughed, shaking his head and rubbing his fingers through his curly greys.
Y glared at him and Patra was infected with the giggles.
“I was like yuh years ago, naive to the real world around me. Jimmy’s death and everyting surrounding it drew mi into this and I’ve had to learn the hard way how to navigate this journey.”
“So what are you saying?” Patra asked.
“Now Darkman has found me, we are under his watchful eye. The only way is to throw him off deh scent. He’s at a disadvantage because physically he can’t be close to me because of this.” He pointed to the ring on his index finger. “Him also loses his full potential around deh gifted like you ladies.”
Y laughed nervously, not sure if he was exaggerating or serious.
Spokes kept on.
“He will send his agents of night, no doubt about dat. And they come with their own set of rules but you sisters are mi key card.”
Spokes chewed on his lips nervously.
“You have been chosen by the powers that be to fulfill some works on deh earth plane. How or why, I don’t know but I’m gonna guess it will be revealed in the fullness of time. Deh ring goes a good kind of crazy around you but your true power is in the trinity - you three together. Yuh understan?”
Patra nodded then asked.
“We are weaker apart?”
“Yeah man.” Spokes said without hesitation. “Your powers are enhanced when you are together, true friendship, real sisterhood that requires more than a like on Facebook or a follow on Twitter. These are Old Testament powers, wraith of God type ting. You are only touching on the surface of what you can do together.”
Suzy nodded, eyes sparkling and Spokes cleared his throat.
“Darkman is at his worst around you so we have to use that to our advantage. Then there are the crowds, deh bigger the better. Darkman will have to use his black magic in deh middle of all that spiritual static. I’m making it so that he has to stay away or his powers will be curtailed. The dance is necessary.”
“So we are truly your guardian angels?” Y stated.
“The muscle and the magic,” Patra added.
“Spokes’ Angels, as I’ve always said,” the promoter grinned.
“Right now, I’m more concerned with the flesh and blood threat than anything else. Just help me through this and yuh can return to your liv
es much richer and free from repercussions. Dis will be over soon.”
The LL Cool J concert on the tube had been relegated to the background as once again another layer of this mystery was peeled away and another part of this nightmare world they lived in opened up revealing its horror and majesty in equal measure. The girls did not have a clue where Spokes’ plans would take them. They only knew that they would hold up their end of the bargain to the bitter end.
“It seems like you’ve become an OG in this mystic shit Slick,” Patra said.
“Believe mi Sister P, I wasn’t one for reading. The Bible sometimes and the racing section of my newspaper but all dat had to change when I found out what had been left in my care. I had to start again. Suh I went on my journey feh knowledge. I bought books and chatted with the experts and acquired a few tings on deh way to further open mi eyes.”
He paused considering what he was about to say or do next as it would immerse them further into the rabbit hole. Involving them so deeply there was no hope of ever turning back.
He sighed.
“Oh, by the way Y,” Spokes said matter-o-factly. “Deh ring picked up something foreign and dark, when we met for the first time. I nevah said anything but as we are being honest, let mi start, how mi intend to continue.” He paused recalling a memory. “Not much of it was left staining yuh aura but it was obvious enough.”
“Staining my aura?” Y asked slowly.
“I mean someone placed a powerful glamour spell on you. I’m sensing a smell of honeysuckle and cedar wood from the ring.” He paused. “It was a breddah that did it, someone who spent a lot of time with you. Not too bad feh an amateur it looked like he realised you ladies are immune to long term magic. He had to stay close to top it up from time to time, to prolong deh effect. He used music, a guitar to reinforce the spell.”
Y looked on bemused and Suzy’s eyebrows raised but the penny dropped elsewhere in the room.
“Son-of-a-bitch,” said Patra slowly looking at them. “You mean Tyrone is Harry Potter?”
A stunned silence descended on them as the door of clarity was flung wide open.
Moments later Spokes kept the surprises coming.
“Let me show you someting.”
He motioned for the girls to follow him and he led them out of the room along the immaculately set white landing that looked down into the entrance hall two storey’s down; bypassing the concealed lift and heading down the vast marble stairs with Bad II the Bone in tow.
“I’ve never shown anyone this before. Never been able to let anybody in feh fear they could get hurt. There isn‘t anyting much you girls have not seen and you have kept your wits about you. I don’t think there are no better people to show dis to.”
Y looked at Patra ominously making the American shrug. Suzy was eager to see what the revelation would be but maintained that cool demeanor. They continued down to the lower ground floor, passing the steam room, massage rooms and the well equipped gym on the way. Then the house’s whole aesthetic changed and there was no doubt at this juncture that they had come face to face with their intended destination. This hallway was more hi-tech than the rest of the house, lined with frosted glass and sanded steel, the lighting was subdued and embedded into the concrete supports activating like a runway as you passed them. At the end was a reinforced door, glinting dully from two spot lights shining down on a keypad and a menacing Omni cam attached to a stalk like a poisonous black fruit.
Whatever was behind it was meant to be protected and concealed.
Spokes shouldered his way to the front and steadily punched in a six digit code, the edges of a chrome pad lit up and he placed his thumb on it. He waited for an affirmative beep, beep and heard the heavy cylindrical bolts retract. He pulled on the vault door to open it, servo motors assisting his efforts to swing it open and the ceiling lights inside the room flickered on. Patra peered over Spokes’ shoulders and whistled. He stepped to the side and motioned them in. Without hesitation Patra strode forward.
The inside was reminiscent of a surgical theatre with a temperature that suited its look and feel.
Chilled.
Chrome book shelves lined the walls, filled with contrasting tomes on metaphysics and magic, sorcery, voodoo and occult history. Like an art exhibition dedicated to all things mystical. There were photographs encapsulated in chrome frames attached to the ceiling and floor with wires and oil portraits hung on the walls with magical scenes possibly painted by grand masters. Set centrally around a glass tube that skewered the room was a three quarters circular marble desk, forty inch monitor, keyboard, printers and a Wrexham executive chair. Behind his work station and inside the tube was an chrome and glass constructed lift that could barely accommodate three people and serviced some levels below. One end of the room ended in a wall of glass from floor to ceiling and that seemed to attract Patra’s attention. She wandered over while Suzy and Y were looking at books and stared intrigued at the photographs and items housed in glass cases. Spokes stood with his hands in his pockets and said nothing, letting them discover for themselves what had lain hidden here ever since their arrival.
“Motherf...” Patra sprang back from the glass wall and looked over to Spokes with a perplexed wide eyed stare.
Obviously expecting a reaction sooner or later, Spokes ambled over to where Patra was, Suzy and Y behind him.
“This shit you got to see,” Patra said to the others, who both plastered their faces onto the exceptionally cold partition peering inside. Moments later Y stepped away with a look of disgust on her face and turned her gaze at Spokes accusingly.
“He’s dead. Well in deh clinical sense, so don’t get jumpy,” Spokes said. “Let me introduce you to my pardy Jimmy Éclair.”
Spokes’ hand hovered over a light-switch and the gruesome exhibit sprang to life from the subtle ceiling lights.
Y shivered involuntarily and for some reason the frailty of her existence buckled in on her and the simple pleasures of ignorance evaporated with every new revelation. She wanted to return to what she knew before but couldn’t.
“He’s at peace,” Suzy said, her face still close to the glass, condensation smearing it. “I can feel him.”
“I’m feeling him too, he’s a handsome nigga,” Patra nodded and put her forehead to the glass again.
“He’s so well preserved - almost as if he was alive.” Y said.
Most of the body was enclosed in a jump suit made from some aluminium type material that was punctured by hundreds of leads that looked electrical and others that were liquid carrying capillaries. His face was the only part of him that was completely visible and that was slightly frosted from the cold inside.
“He’s in cryo freeze,” Spokes began. “I just couldn’t leave his body to the Babylon, dem to make his family suffer more than they had to. They would investigate and mistreat him to find answers, I couldn‘t tek that.” He shook his head forlornly.
Only Suzy responded with a nod.
“It cost mi a small fortune but what could I do? If he was going to be with me I couldn’t just let him rot away, so I did what I could. I paid for him to be refrigerated then contacted a hot shot yout studying cryogenics, short on money but big on ideas. The design of the machinery, now that was something else entirely but the long an’ the short of it is I got deh job done.”
“You got some freaky shiiiit goin’ on here, Slick.”
“It was necessary, Miss P believe me. An Obeah man worth him salt could extract information from even a dead body, up to the bones if dem skilled enough. In all conscience I couldn’t put my spar through that and I didn’t want anything leading back to me or his family.”
“I feel you.” Patra answered.
“Nothing can stay hidden forever, though,” said Suzy.
“True word, so that is why I had to make a choice. Take back what I can an’ just disappear, making sure no one I care for gets hurt. Didn’t count on deh gangster Deacon still being involved or Darkman finding out where I live
. That’s why we go ahead with what I have planned and outsmart deh whole rass a dem.”
St Jude’s Catholic Church, Chelsea
Wednesday July 24th
18.40
“Hiiiiyaah!” The shrill voice of youthful exuberance echoed off the community centres ceiling.
The reverse round house kick was genius and had snatched Tenisha’s little legs from under her in a flash. Still dazed from what had happened, lying flat on the impact mat, Tenisha looked up as Michelle glared down at her with braids flying everywhere delivering the killing stroke – metaphorically speaking - like a seasoned Wushu professional.
Suzy held back a smile and nodded towards the two young combatants who had jumped to their feet and were standing with heads bowed.
Give deh one Michelle she, four more years an’ that gal a guh hot like any bonfire.
The rest of the class came together from the fringes and bowed in unison.
“Teacher!” they shouted together and formed a circle around her.
Suzy Wong sat in the centre of a circle formed from subdued and disciplined bundles of pubescent energy in the shape of eight year old girls and boys. The physical aspect complete, now was the time to relax and meditate. Suzy welcomed these moments too. Being exposed to the incredible and the horrific had her emotions and thoughts in ragged tatters. These sessions helped to centre her, absorbing the psychic energies of optimism and innocence they exuded. She only wished there was more time with them but the parents would be waiting.
So with the five minutes up, Suzy bid them farewell and in no time the church hall was quiet and she was alone with herself.
Y and Patra were in Surrey at the mansion looking after Spokes and she had taken the day off to help out here and briefly placate a love-starved boyfriend. She wasn’t quite sure she understood the need to prepare herself but just knew that what lay ahead wouldn’t require just physical strength but spiritual and sexual energy too. Her focus wouldn’t be on him and that wouldn’t be fair. Even here, her mind had immediately started looking for solutions, connections and explanations to the myriad of questions posed by this gig from hell they had acquired.