by BL Burke
Perry raised his eyebrows, he showed something in his eyes, fear? This was the worst thing the golden boy’s ever done. P need’s to lighten up a bit.
Eddie blew smoke towards Perry, maybe get him a little blazed. Perry coughed and dodged it.
“Come on kid, the genius you is, a little weed will do you good.” Eddie tried handing it to Perry who crossed his arms again and stepped further back. “You know they get blazed in Madtown. Them college kids are great customers.”
“You’re stupid! I ain’t doing that shit, me and Kieron, we gonna get out of this shit hole.”
Eddie’s mouth drooped. He almost let go of the joint, Perry never called him stupid before. Never a bad word since they was little. Eddie knew he ain’t the smartest guy in the neighborhood, but he was much smarter than Skitter. And the dumb white boy Harlan.
A loud bark rippled from behind Skitter, then a soft jingling of metal. His attention was immediately turned. Remember to talk to Perry about being called stupid.
“Running up the path,” Skitter said moving to try and get a better view through the trees. The spot they picked was around a bend in the park with the statue of some general above them.
“Is he a white?” Eddie said.
“What the hell you doing? What if it’s a girl?” Perry asked.
“We don’t hit girls,” Eddie said matter-of-factly.
“Unless that bitch be doing something crazy,” Skitter said. Eddie shook his head toward Perry. The footsteps came closer on the concrete path, Skitter moved up to a tree closer and looked directly at Eddie. Blood began to seep out of his nose. Eddie wanted to say something.
“White as ya ma’s Cavalier,”
“Hide,” Eddie said grabbing his brother and pulling him into the trees. Twigs and old leaves popped under their feet.
“I don’t want to do this,” Perry said pulling away. Eddie pushed harder and they slipped deeper into the trees.
“Come on hide.”
“This is so…,” Perry said.
“Shhh, you going away soon and you never been in a fight,” Eddie said.
“Put that out,” he heard Skitter whisper from across the other side of the path. Eddie glanced down, barely feeling the heat. He dropped it crushed it under his foot.
The steps were getting closer, he heard a guy say, “That’s weed.” The footsteps started to slow, their target was hesitant.
Eddie felt his heart start to beat faster, his palms started getting sweaty.
“This isn’t right,” Perry said.
“Stop being a bitch,” They were almost there, the dog’s claws now tapped the ground in a click-clack pattern a lot slower. Eddie saw the yellow dog and heard a loud metal bang.
“What the?” Eddie smashed his eyes open, he wasn’t in the woods. He was on his side on a dark cold floor with a light pushing over his shoulder. Another clank then metal squeaking right behind him, his heart really raced now. He quickly turned around and saw the dim light growing outside the cell, the gate… “Skitter.” Just outside his cell sat a tray of food with a glass of water next to it.
The smell of meat hit him. His mouth watered and his stomach growled. He needed it.
He crept up to the gate and looked out, the light reflected off the mirror over the spot where Skitter’s body was. He didn’t look toward it. The tray was shining like a treasure in a mysterious light. He saw a bun, a burger… could be a bacon burger.
He started to reach through, then stopped. Could be a trap, the dead live out there, I can’t eat. But his body wasn’t listening, he felt his shoulders moving toward it.
Eddie cracked the fingers on both hands and took a deep breath. ‘I ain’t dying like a dog in its cage,’ he thought. He put his palms on the cold concrete and put one hand through the gates, as he grabbed the plate a loud crushing and pounding exploded around him. He jumped back, the tray flopping to the ground. Sweat began to pour down his head and tickle the stubble on his face. Eddie’s body shook listening to the roar. His breath was hard and fast, he was panting. He pushed himself into the corner of the cell and brought his knees to his chest.
“Not a scream, no, what the hell is going on?” The sound started to die down.
From a top his head he felt, a soft, sustained gust of warm air. The furnace… he looked up and felt the air on his face.
Eddie glanced through the bars, no one was there. He ran on his hands and his knees, shoving his arms through the bars he grabbed the meat and bun, a burger! He put them back on the tray. A bowl was tilted next to it. Empty, around it like balls of hail around his house he saw mushy vegetables. He started to scoop them back in the bowl, he needed anything, even crappy veggies.
Eddie slid back to his corner, his hands clutching the tray like it’d leap away. He took the first bite of the burger, dry and barely warm but instantly felt a surge of energy through him.
He grabbed the cup of water and started to take large gulps. More food, his body told him, his hands trembled with excitement.
Eddie finished the last bite of bread and took a sip of his water. It wasn’t a lot, normally not half a meal. He felt like it was after a thanksgiving dinner, he could barely move.
His eyes started to close, but they floated to the spot where Skitter’s body was. He couldn’t see it. He was gone… that night… the one with him and Perry and Skitter… he remembered it. The asshole who locked him in here… that was the guy. He was the one running down the path.
He shivered again, then yawned, that was how long ago? He scooted to the gate and looked into the mirror. He could almost see the face looking back at him. What was his name?
Eddie’s head felt heavy, his arms weak. He sat in court staring down that boy. His arm hung in a sling, the anger blasted off him. Perry got shipped off to the army. His eyes got heavy. Every blink made it harder open them.
“John?” he said… then shook his head like a drunk, “Jesse… no… like the superstar… King James… James,” Eddie said barely able to get the words from his weak mouth.
A light flicked on, he could see through the two-way mirror. There was the kid staring back at him.
“Glad you remembered,” James said, “Your brother didn’t.”
He’s got Perry? Eddie’s head tilted to the bars.
Chapter 17
“I’m heading home, why don’t you believe me?” Perry said in front of the precinct. Marshall was on the edge of his seat with a foot out the door. His eyes were skeptical. “Come on partner, I’m double parked.”
“We’re cops, it’s fine,” Marshall said.
“Still holding up traffic. Captain called you in, not me,” Perry said casually. Marshall hesitated, then nodded. Perry knew he’d be called in by the captain soon and put on desk duty.
Marshall turned and walked into the station. Perry slowly started pass the parking garage and Museum. Taking a right on Wisconsin Avenue, he pulled his phone from his breast pocket. The last text was from Kieron: Call me.
He pressed call and drove slowly. Watching the other cars around him keeping the slow pace almost made him laugh. The cherries and berries in the rear windshield gave him away but he didn’t care.
“Hey bro,” Kieron answered. “Took you long enough.”
“Had to ditch my partner, I’m heading over to E’s.”
“Ain’t heard nothing on him, not a frigging word,” Kieron said. Groups of Marquette students walked and talked down the street. Guys with pants around their ass were hanging at a bus stop, joggers ducked in and out of the foot traffic. All of them enjoying a sunny Saturday; their own lives were all that mattered. “You there?”
“Yeah. How could nobody know shit?”
“Man, you the cop. I’ll meet you at your ma’s old place,” Kieron said.
“Just us,” Perry said as the call ended. He took the freeway north a few minutes and got off on Lisbon. The area wasn’t much better than when he left. Full trash cans were piled up and tagged with spray paint. Bars on the windows were a co
nstant for all the homes and businesses. A new church sat in his old favorite CD shop.
He headed east till he hit his old street. Driving by, he saw the houses of people growing up in the nineties: Kieron’s, Skitter’s, old man Trunky with the fake leg. Perry tried to think of his name, but got nothing. A group of black teens stared out at him from their porch; an older black guy was out with his dog on a leash, a pretty white pit bull that seemed happy.
He pulled onto the old concrete driveway, a tall strip of grass in the center. The ranch’s siding was falling off, the gutters were gone. He tried remembering his grandma keeping the place nice.
Perry looked across the street at Molly’s old house, his baby sister’s best friend, when she was alive. Perry wondered how Molly was doing; cute little girl, he tried to watch out for her till he joined up.
A loud subwoofer knocked him out of his own head. It rattled windows and the metal gate on the door. He couldn’t make out any of the words. Maybe he was just an old man now, but the new crap, Kanye had nothing on Run DMC, Tupac or Biggie, except the ego of a megalomaniac. The loud car was a dark SUV that stopped in front of his brother’s house.
Kieron slowly got out and frowned when he saw Perry’s car. “You gotta bring that?” Kieron asked.
“Damn straight,” Perry said. “We’re just two old friends meeting up.”
Kieron sighed. Shaking his head he trotted over the weedy lawn with patches of grass. “This ain’t good for business.”
Perry pulled out his old key, it still worked. “I ain’t looking into your business.”
“I know that, but some folks don’t.”
“Come on,” Perry said as the door squeaked open. The dirty, stale stench hit him quick. He covered his mouth quickly as he gagged.
Perry swallowed as Kieron came in. It didn’t bother him. His old living room could’ve been in a ‘Life After Humans’ special. Ma’s couch was ripped and dotted with cigarette burns. Perry stepped around the crowded coffee table and saw a glass pipe that wasn’t for weed.
“Shit, Kieron… E’s been doing meth?” Perry grabbed it and shoved it in Kieron’s face.
“Hell no,” Kieron said. Perry caught his eyes dropping toward the pipe, clear with a ball on the end and a straight shaft. “He ain’t get that shit from me. Prolly the damn Mexican’s… they’ve been trying to take over everything.”
“What cartel?” Perry asked. Kieron snorted and stepped through into the kitchen.
Kieron shook his head. “Those sons of bitches don’t ask questions, they just shoot.” Perry put on his latex gloves and started to move the meth pipe; he was about to put it in a bag when he saw Kieron’s look.
“For both our sakes, don’t do that cop thing,” Kieron said. His eyes pleaded with him… like when they were kids and he was gonna hang with his crazy older brother E. Kieron wasn’t a fan. They kept each other going straight back then. Perry nodded and replaced the pipe in its place. No cop would be involved here, in his head he knew that. The fridge let out its suction sound as Kieron looked in.
“I got a takeout.” Kieron opened the bag and whiffed. “Not too old.”
“Before or after the dog fight?”
“Before, just.” Kieron put it back.
“Anything since?” Perry asked as he grabbed a Burger King receipt on the counter. Four days ago.
“Nah, most this shit is old,” Kieron said. Perry looked at him, still clean shaven, a nice hair cut. He looked to be the boy he grew up with… even had the baby face. E on the other hand started looking worse over the years. Getting thin, eyes looking older than he should. Perry ran his finger around the sink drain. Dry. No one used it in a while.
“Drugs, dog fighting. Man… what happened?” Perry said. Kieron closed the door and stood up, they were still the same height; Kieron a little lighter skin but still brothers from another mother.
“What you mean?”
“Come on, Kieron, you know what I mean. Speak English, you try to sound like a gangsta, you’re not. You’re… you man.” He couldn’t find the words.
“Me?”
“We were getting out of here, you got accepted to Madison...” Perry said leaning back.
“We both got accepted.” Kieron’s eyes went glossy for a second. It was hard to believe he was now the head of whatever he called his little gang. “You know, man, shit just happens.”
“What shit?”
“Life. You left…”
Perry cracked his fingers. “You still could’ve gone.”
“I did, got a semester in… then left, couldn’t handle it, the pressure.”
“You wanted to design buildings, man.” Perry said. Kieron tilted against the fridge door.
“Why you gotta do that, homes? Bring up my failings?” Kieron wiped his nose.
“You could handle it, you’re better than this, those thugs,” Kieron moved toward the back window. Perry followed the gaze. The chain link fence around the yard was rusted, the old shed needed a heck of a scrape and repaint. His grandma’s old garden was overgrown with weeds.
“I did my best, asshole,” Kieron said, his tongue flipping around his mouth. “Alone up there in Madison… I don’t know, I felt like an outsider. I tried, man, I just…”
“This isn’t you, man.”
“It is now. You abandoned me and jumped into the Army…”
“It was court ordered.”
“Because of your stupid brother and that dumbass Skitter! Shit, why we even looking for him?” He flopped his hands to his thighs. His eyes narrowed. “He’s missing too.”
“Who?”
“Skitter.”
“What? Skitter’s missing?” Kieron nodded.
“Damn, you smell that?”
“Huh?” Kieron pulled out his gun, a revolver and went down the hall. Perry pulled his gun and followed. Kieron turned into the bathroom, gun first. Perry smelt it, almost like a decomposing body. Across the short hall was his old bedroom, he pointed his gun in to clear it. A top a mattress on the floor was a bag of crystal meth, too big for one guy.
“Was E dealing meth?”
Kieron said from behind him, “Perald is dead…” Perald? Me? Perry felt his pulse quicken.
Perry turned around quickly and pointed his gun at Kieron.
But Kieron’s gun was loose in his hand and pointed at the ground. He stared into the bathtub. Perry moved beside him and saw another dog’s body.
“Was wondering why he wasn’t at the fight.” The second in two days. The big guy was floating, flies buzzing around cuts on its face, neck torso. Perry swallowed. “I’m gonna kill E when I find him.”
Chapter 18
“You sure about this guy?” Marshall said looking into the monitor. “He looks familiar… and not in the good way.”
“I met him,” Marshall raised his eyebrow and glanced at the Captain, “and no, I haven’t slept with him.” Captain Chrissy said. Marshall shook his head. For a gay chief in a straight man’s profession, he sure liked to make certain you knew about it.
“I wasn’t…”
“Just interview him. Maybe he does know something about Perry’s… Eddie Jefferson’s disappearance.” On the screen the interviewee shook his head, almost like he was disagreeing with himself.
“Abduction,” Marshall said.
“We can’t be certain of that,” the captain said as Marshall took a few steps from the A/V room and opened the door to the former interrogation room, now called a ‘conference room.’ How can ‘Interrogation’ be too harsh a word for criminals? They’re criminals! Marshall thought. And babying criminals now SOP for us.
A criminal runs, break off pursuit; need more cops, nope, citizens have to wait 1.5 hours for a squad. He even heard the next hair brained idea: let people off for their first two cases of Grand Theft. Brilliant!
“Mr. Foley,” Marshall said, closing the door.
“I’m Detective Thompkins.”
“Yes,” his eye twitched, “call me Dante.”
/> “Alright, Dante. You told the desk sergeant you have some information for us regarding an abduction?” Dante looked up at Marshall, his grey eyes shook. Marshall sat opposite the man at the small corner table and put down his notebook.
The soft white walls didn’t have a two-way mirror anymore, just a camera, and two intimate chairs around the table. Marshall started tapping the back of his pen on the notebook.
Foley watched the movement for a few seconds before he spoke. “I saw him… get taken, I swear to you it happened, like I said it would, they’d swoop down, they’d take us asleep or awake, no matter.”
“Who?”
“Them, the government,” he pointed toward the camera. “Haven’t you ever read Orwell? It’s all coming true. They must’ve spoke out, believed in the First Amendment, spoken out against the bullshit… sorry, bs.”
Marshall looked at the camera. “Mr. Foley, Dante, you said the abduction was perpetrated by our government?”
“Yes, yes of course you… it was the shadow government. They try to take away our guns, then abduct us if we don’t comply… it’s happening, it’s all fear, every bit of it. Make you afraid of anything so they get more power… don’t matter what color their tie, they’re all the same, they want to control you, to make you theirs.” He sat up straight and looked Marshall in the eye, “They’re coming for you.”
“I’m with the government, I work for the police. How can you trust me?”
He shook his head. “You’re not one of them… you’re more screwed than me. You were trained, you know... weapons, tactics, you could be a force to be reckoned with. I saw them swoop in and grabbed him, threw him in their Jeep… after they hit him with something.”
“They hit him with what?”
“Some sort of stun gun, probably an alien gun, it knocks people out before they can react. I was there, I seen him do it, he got the guy walking his dog. They don’t want us to fight back, why do you think Hitler disarmed the population? It’s happening again, Hitler’s back, and he’s multiplied.”
“Dante, who was abducted?” Marshall said louder. “Where was it?”