Dead Reckoning_HZA, Vol. 3

by Marty Brockschmidt

  Sammy T opened one of the long crates. “Got your shotguns, rifles and pistols.” Opening the smaller box. “Lots of extra bullets too. You got something for me.”

  Paulie called over to Rita. “Babe grab my briefcase.”

  Sammy T's eyes fixed on Rita. The white spandex dress hugged her curves, and it was clear she had nothing on under the dress. The thigh high slits on each side of the dress, showed her legs, as she crossed the room and picked up Paulie's briefcase. Rita stopped in front of Sammy T and laid the briefcase flat, on her outstretched arms, just below her breasts.

  Paulie turned his attention to Sammy T. “This is my fiance Rita. Rita, Sammy T, Warchild and I'm sorry, you are?”

  The third man smiled at Rita. “Face ma'am.”

  Rita returned a cool smile. “Interesting names and what did your Mother call you?”

  “Them's street names. I'm Samuel Taylor, he's Warrick Childress, ain't nobody used those in years. And Face, he's has always been Face, hell just look at it, what else would he be called.” Sammy T answered.

  “Pleased to make your acquaintance Samuel.” Rita responded softly.

  Paulie opened the case. “It's all there. Count it if you like. Enough for the guns and your protection.”

  Sammy T picked up one of the stacks, removed a few bills and held them up to the light. “Fuck me, Uptown they're real.”

  Paulie chuckled. “I'm not dumb enough to try and cheat you.”

  Sammy T tossed the bills back in, closed the case and relieved it from Rita. Fulfilling the rest of his bargain, he sent Warchild and Face out with orders, to make sure no one entered the apartment. Paulie grabbed a couple of beers from the fridge and handed one to Sammy T, inviting him to sit down.

  Rita looked at how little whiskey was left in the bottle and tried to caution Paulie. He just shook his head. “Whiskey then beer, never fear.”

  Paulie began delivering his dissertation on the outbreak. Rita had heard this all before and busied herself, snorting up another couple of lines. Sammy T pretended to listen, but his attention was really on Rita. “It all began about a month ago. My drivers were coming in with wild stories. Pretty soon, I couldn't deny what was happening, though damn near everybody else was. Isn't that so Rita?”

  “You had it pegged Dear.” Rita answered mechanically.

  “I made a plan to get through this. You got a plan?” Paulie directed at Sammy T.

  “I got a gang.” Sammy T replied.

  Paulie scoffed. “The National Guard wasn't able to stand against the massing dead. Your gang bigger than the Guard?”

  “We've held our turf, against the cops and other gangs. The dead are just one more thing, trying to take our turf from us.” Sammy T retorted with confidence.

  Rita stopped rolling her straw between her fingers and considered Sammy T for a moment. Paulie drained his beer and rose unsteadily, to fetch another. “Wow there cowboy. I think you've had enough. Andy will be here early tomorrow, let's get you to bed.” Rita slipped Paulie's arm over her shoulder and putting her arm around his waist, directed him to the bedroom.

  When she came out, she shut the door quietly behind her and grabbed a small wooden box, from behind the bar. She sat down at the far end of the couch, facing Samuel. “Are you a religious man Samuel?”

  Sammy T shook his head. “No. No one calls me Samuel, it's Sammy T now.”

  Rita smiled and shook her head. “Sammy T is someone from the old world. The dead walk the earth and Hell comes with them, the world is not what it was.”

  Sammy T looked at Rita, perplexion on his face. Rita laughed. “I've been alone to much lately, making me a little dramatic. The product of a fine arts education and to much cocaine.”

  “I wouldn't know much about that, I never finished high school.” Sammy T replied.

  Rita shook her head at him. “You finished, your school was just different is all. You are a man that holds a gang together, in the face of Hell coming to the world. Samuel, you are a man that wields power.”

  “Damn girl, never heard no one talk like that, never heard no one talk about me like that.” Sammy T exclaimed.

  Rita opened the box, filled with grass and rolling papers and set about rolling a joint. “Let me tell you a story Samuel, in Italian. the word for Hell is Inferno. The Inferno and all the Satans are ruled by Sammael and his bride Lilith.”

  “That is some crazy shit girl.” Samuel replied.

  Rita lit the joint, drew the smoke into her mouth, let it out slowly and drew it back in, through her nostrils. Getting up, she straddled Samuel's lap, turned the joint around and blew the smoke into his face. Samuel drew in the smoke and then exhaled. “What about your boy in there?”

  Rita smiled coyly and peeled off Samuel's T shirt. “Before all this, Paulie was exactly what I wanted, wealthy and connected. The world is different now and Paulie is to good, to change with it. I need a man, who will do what it takes, to rule this world.”

  Samuel took the joint from Rita's mouth, while she ran her hands over his chiseled chest and cut abdomen. Taking a long drag from the joint, Samuel drew Rita's head down kissing her, then exhaled the smoke into her mouth. Rita drew back, holding the smoke in, she began to peel off her dress, slowly revealing her body to him. Samuel toked slowly on the joint, enjoying the show.

  With her dress off, Rita took the joint back from Samuel and directed his hand, behind her back. Taking a deep drag, she arched her back, letting Samuel's free hand explore her breasts, down her taut stomach and between her legs. Exhaling, she rose up and returned the joint to Samuel. He took a long drag, while Rita reached down and undid his pants.

  Rita took back the joint, as Samuel lowered his pants. Setting the joint into an ashtray, she guided him into her. Working her hips slowly, she drew out the sex as long as possible. A couple of times, he tried to speed it up, to bring himself to a climax, but she would have none of that. Rita chose the moment of their release and when she felt he could hold back no longer, she increased the rhythm of her hips.

  Rita collapsed against Samuel, her head nestled on his shoulder, her heart beating hard. Samuel wrapped his arms around her, holding her body close to his. Slipping from his grasp, Rita walked across the room and grabbed her tray of cocaine. Samuel's eyes stayed fixed on her naked body, as she moved across the room and back again. She cut out two lines of cocaine, offering the first to Samuel.

  Rita stretched out against the far side of the couch and spoke to him, in a soft private tone. “Sammael, fuck me again. Make me your woman.”

  “Andy.” Claudine said in her heavy French accent.

  “Claudine,” Andy responded jokingly.

  Claudine gave him an irritated look. “I have decided, I will be going with you to get Ria.”

  Andy was in to good of a mood to fight. “You've decided?”

  “Oui.” Claudine answered seriously.

  “You know what frame of mind she was in, when she was sent to that place. You know she thinks she's been abandoned there. I need it to be just Ria and I for a bit, so I can explain all this. Please do that for me.” Andy requested.

  Claudine looked down sadly. “Oui, I will do that for you.” Raising her eyes to Andy. “Only because, I love you.”

  Andy kissed her, as the elevator reached the penthouse level. “That's my girl.”

  Face confronted them, as the doors opened. “You two got business here?”

  Andy pushed Claudine behind him and held out his hands. “Hold on there pal, just here to see our friends.”

  Rita rushed out of the apartment. “Face they're okay.”

  Inside the apartment, Rita apologized. “I'm sorry. We slept in, kind of forgot about the dogs at the door. Paulie is in the shower now, he'll be ready in a bit.”

  Andy shook his head. “These gang bangers, are looting everything they can get their hands on and you two are just letting them in the front door.”

  Rita chuckled. “I think you just explained why we need their protection right no
w. Paulie is just trying to buy us some time. Honestly, they aren't so bad, once you get to know them.”

  Paulie came out of the bedroom, wearing a bathrobe and slippers, toweling his hair. “Coffee.”

  Rita placed a plate and mug on the table. “Promise me you'll eat something.”

  Paulie sat down, drained half the mug and began to pick slowly at the plate. After the first few forkfuls, he started eating more quickly. Andy sat down across from Paulie. “It's getting bad out there, the dead are starting to mass. Claudie and I, had to circle the building twice to clear them away. The only other thing moving out there, are bands of looters, grabbing stupid shit. TVs, furniture, jewelry, nothing that really matters. Though they are learning real quick, how to manage the dead.”

  Paulie finished his coffee. “Okay, I thought we agreed this was going to start to go south real fast.”

  “My point is, you can't be getting drunk.” Andy argued.

  “I'm holding up my end. I tipped you off on what was coming. I have a place for us to run to. I've been holding shipments at my warehouses for us. I got us the guns you wanted. And yeah, I hired some muscle to keep Rita safe, so I could drown this out for a bit.” Paulie rebutted.

  Andy breathed in deep and let it out slow. “Okay, can you really trust these guys?”

  Paulie nodded. “I know these guys are avariciously motivated. I paid them a lot to be here, they'll hold up their end.”

  “Andy, honestly you can trust them. They've been nothing, but gentlemen around me.” Rita added.

  Andy went over to the gun cases, selected a pistol, loaded it and handed it to Claudine. “Just in case.”

  Paulie looked about the room. “Where's Sammy T?”

  “He took off this morning, with Warchild. Said he had some business to take care of. A new guy, Spider, is taking Warchild's place. They'll be back before dark.” Rita answered.

  “Let's go Paulie, sounds like we need to be back before dark.” Andy directed.

  The two women stared at each other, each uncomfortable in the presence of the other. Claudine was the first to break the silence, as she picked up the breakfast dishes. “I suppose I should make myself useful.”

  Rita scoffed. “Suit yourself. We're blowin this pop stand come morning, leaving all this shit behind. But hey, knock yourself out.”

  Claudine shrugged. “I just want things to be tidy, when they return home.”

  Rita changed tactics. “So Andy boy is going to dump you with Paulie and I, while he traipses off to find his sister.”

  Claudine tried to hide the fact that Rita's barb had hit home. “Andy and I have agreed that would be best.”

  Rita smiled. “You know Andy and I dated for a while. He's the one that introduced me to Ria.”

  Claudine had no interest in comparing notes with Rita. “I did not know that.”

  Rita ignored Claudine's lackluster response. “Ria is about the closest thing I have to a best friend, but I just couldn't handle competing with her, for Andy's attention.”

  Claudine frowned. “I've never felt I was competing with Ria.”

  Rita smirked. “Yet here you are.”

  Claudine tried to change the subject. “Is there anything I can help you pack up?”

  Rita avoided the question, but waggled her hand with the engagement ring on it. “Do you think you got one of these in your future?”

  Claudine raised her hand to her throat and pulled on the chain, holding Andy's Mother's ring. “Andy gave it to me the day he figured out where Ria was. We are waiting until he gets back with Ria, to announce our engagement.”

  Rita scowled. “Well how nice for you.”

  Samuel was in the office, of the Five Points station. With no one coming in to run the trains or drive the buses, the station was a good central location, to call a meeting of the Atlanta gang leaders. While he waited for the others to arrive, Samuel set things up.

  Atlanta's homeless had always used the train stations, for a roof over their heads. They began coming in numbers, when the police stopped bouncing them out. Those that had been bit, came there to die and found out what the person lying next to them tasted like. The passageways and loading zones, were now populated by the risen dead.

  To keep his meeting undisturbed, Samuel used the axe he brought, to clear the dead near the office. To make sure there were no more party crashers, he closed the gates, sealing off the hallways. Finally, he pushed out the desk and filing cabinets, of the small office and brought in seats, that lined the outside wall of the office.

  While he worked, Samuel could not get Rita out of his head and didn't really want to. It wasn't just the sex, which was unlike any he had ever had, it was the things she said to him, what she made him feel about himself. This was his destiny, his right.

  Atlanta had well over a hundred gangs, but Samuel had only invited the leaders, of the handful of largest gangs. The tension in the room increased, as the gang leaders filtered in, each fearing this was a ploy to take their turf. Samuel laughed at their unease. “Relax motherfuckers, this is just as you was told, an opportunity for all of us.”

  “Seems to me, we got all the opportunity we need. The dead fucks got the opps on the run, we can walk into any bank, any store, take whatever we want.” Ramone, leader of Atlanta's chapter of the Latin Kings, challenged.

  “Yeah your living the life. Got no one to sell dope to, got no one to get dope from. You gonna sell them TVs your looting to the dead? Face it, these motherfuckin dead are taking over all our turf.” Samuel responded.

  Ramone scoffed. “Dead might got you pissin yourself Sammy T, but we know how to handle them.”

  Samuel tapped on the door of the Lost and Found, adjoining the office. Warchild opened the door, pulled the hood off the dead he was holding and pushed it into the room. Everyone in the room jumped out of their seat. Samuel brought up his axe and cleaved the skull of the corpse. “Can't quite tell is that smell this dead fuck or Ramone crapped hisself.”

  Ramone pulled his pistol. “Fuck you Sammy T, I'm gettin real tired of your bullshit.”

  Samuel shrugged. “I'm tryin to get you dumb motherfuckers to understand. Ain't no more Bloods, Crips or Latin Kings. The dead are gonna own this town. You stay in Atlanta, you die and you're workin for them.”

  “Fuck you. Sounds to me like you're tryin to get Atlanta for yourself.” Ramone countered.

  Samuel gripped his axe tight. “Ain't no code red here. We are clearing out of our turf, just as soon as we load up.”

  Ramone began to raise his pistol. “Bullshit.”

  Samuel swung the axe, taking Ramone's head off at the shoulders. Before Ramone's body hit the ground and the other gang leaders, could draw their weapons, Warchild pumped a shotgun and growled. “Now hear the man out.”

  Samuel held the axe out in front of him, knelt and left the axe on the floor. He rose and stepped back from the axe, raising his hands. “These dead are BTK. That is all they do. That is all they care about. They own Atlanta.”

  Octavius, leader of the Bloods, lowered his gun. “So what the hell do we do.”

  Samuel gave a malevolent smile. “We do whatever we want. Ramone was right about one thing, we got no opps no more. The dead may have rose and brought hell with them, but we'll be the princes.”

  Octavius chuckled. “And who is king.”

  Samuel stood tall. “Sammael is king.”

  “Fancy name you got for yourself. You got any idea, on how we're going to play nice on this?” Octavius asked.

  “Each of you motherfuckers, is gonna get a whole lot more turf. Gettin that shit together, outta keep y'all from fuckin with each other.” Samuel answered.

  Octavius nodded. “We're listening.”

  Samuel walked to the Georgia map, he had pinned up, showing six large divisions. As he pointed out a division, he indicated one of the gang leaders. “Southeast, Rahab, prince of violence. Northeast, Macolf, prince of impurity. South central, Abaddon, prince of destruction. North central, Diabolus,
prince of terror. Southwest, Azaziel, prince of desolation. For Sammael, king of the Inferno, my turf will be here in the northwest”

  “That some fancy bullshit you're slinging there. Those are some big chunks of land and we all are losing people everyday.” Octavius, now Diabolus, pointed out.

  Samuel shook his head. “That is my point, if you stay here it's over. All you motherfuckers know how to take turf. Each of your gangs, have already spread past Atlanta. Do some fuckin recruitin. I got a line on some warehouses, to stock you up on your way out. I ain't askin you bitches, to go out of here holdin hands, just don't try to fuck each other. The boys in blue and GI Joes tried playin it nice and got their asses handed to em. There is nobody stoppin us, from takin charge our way.”