St James Gate (James Webb Rescue Book 1)

by BL Burke

  “What is this place?”

  “Old church,” Darius said. Perry saw a small steeple with no cross on top. Darius pulled around the back parking in a concrete field. Darius glanced up in the to the mirror again, like he was waiting for something.

  “Shit hole,” Carlito said.

  “What are you looking at,” Perry said nudging his shoulder. Darius didn’t make a sound.

  “Hell ya it’s a shit hole,” Harlan said, he opened the door and stepped out.

  “Darius?” Perry said.

  “Used to go here as a kid… till I bailed.” Darius got out started toward a green metal door. Faded and rusty. Perry holstered his weapon and hustled next to him.

  “What were you looking at?” Perry said.

  Darius glanced back, shaking his head. At the back of the parking lot was an alley with rotten homes on either side. An overgrown playset for kids stood behind a chain link fence. He saw a soup can rolling in the wind away from him.

  “This used to be a nice place, I could run around all day and night playing with my friends.” Darius said with a small grin. Perry nodded. It was a farther out, before the ‘hood expanded.

  “Come on,” Harlan said, “help us with him… piggy get the door.”

  “Is it locked?”

  “Just lift and push,” Darius said. Perry grabbed the handle and threw his shoulder into the door, it popped open with a crunch. A red truck turned into the alley.

  “Wait,” Perry said watching it disappear behind a yellow house. “Okay,” Harlan and Carlito picked up James like he was a box of napkins and carried him inside. Darius followed. The smell of the evening rain escaped the weed filled ground. Perry took another look around, the truck was reversing back into sight. Was the driver watching? Then it pulled forward again, adjusting its parking spot.

  Perry took a quick step in and shut the door. A small flicker of light emanated in the darkness in front of him.

  “Some candles round here,” Darius said. Perry reached to his hip, no flashlight. “Here’s one.”

  An orange flicker came up brighter… then another. He was in a small foyer, wood paneling with a picture of Jesus on the wall. Perry cracked his fingers.

  “The basement’s quiet,” Darius said. He pointed deeper, toward a dark hall. “Here’s more candles.” He put one in Perry’s hand and lit it.

  Perry said and took a step after them. His foot clipped something. It banged and bounced off the wall. He looked toward the sound. Just a book. He picked it up and felt the rough leather in his hand. He flipped it over, ‘The Holy Bible,’ and at the bottom in calligraphy ‘King James Version.’

  A thud came from beyond the door, followed by muffled shouts. He shook himself awake, all four disappeared. Perry slipped the bible under his arm and grabbed a candle following the others into the darkness.

  He lifted the candle to see. Through a broken window he looked into a large room. The chapel. Small shafts of sunlight were busting through cracks in the building. In the beams he could see millions of little dust particles coming spinning in circles with only the light to guide them.

  A painful moan ran toward him. Flashing the candle he peered down to the basement. Another thud like taking a sledgehammer to a corpse. Another scream, a wheeze. Sputtered coughing.

  This is torture, who am I? This place, these people, “this is not me,” he said.

  Following the sound, he crept down the creaky stairs. The moldy smell was so powerful that he wished he had a respirator.

  The light from the candles illuminated the room in a flickering orange glow. The area was large, fully open with crumbling boxes with flood lines about a foot high.

  Harlan slammed another fist into James, Perry winced. James moaned. “We’re gonna kill you anyway… just tell us where you stashed our boys.”

  If Charlene saw this… If his daughter did, she’d be scarred for life. James’s arms were hanging from the ceiling, his feet tiptoeing like a marionette along the floor. Blood flowed down from below his eye, but it mixed with something else. A tear. Harlan stuck his face inches from James.’

  “I’m the nice one,” Harlan said. He was a bulldog, Perry thought. James spit it at Harlan, a large wad of blood. Harlan’s head jumped back as he screamed. Carlito stepped forward and cocked his arm.

  “Stop!” Perry yelled… he was shaking… out numbered.

  “What?” Harlan yelled back, “he killed Kieron!” Perry slowly walked over to James. His head lulled to the side and then down in front.

  “Kieron died from a car crash…”

  “Cause of him.”

  “You can’t prove that.”

  “This ain’t no court of law traitor,” Carlito said, “this is the streets… something you ain’t familiarized you self with in long time.”

  “You’re right, but you ain’t no murderer Carlito.”

  “Is that right?” Carlito said, a flame dancing in his eyes. He lifted his shirt grabbing the gun beneath his large stomach. ‘Be careful with them.’ Kieron had told him. ‘Or it wouldn’t work out.’ He took elongated strides and stepped up to James. He grabbed his dirty blond hair and pulled it back. Need to reassert myself.

  Perry lowered his voice, “where’s my brother…” He couldn’t read James in the dim light. James let out a soft whisper. Perry lowered his head closer.

  “What?”

  “No idea,” James said. James head tilted back like he was passing out… then Perry watched as the forehead blasted forward quickly. Perry barely moved as it clipped the bridge of his nose. Something snapped in his head. Perry stumbled back, just in time to see Harlan winding up and striking James in the stomach. Carlito let out a large laugh.

  “Kill him,” Harlan yelled. Perry’s eyes started watering; he could only see blurred shapes in the firelight.

  “Nooo,” Carlito yelled, a grunt, and his ears burst from a gunshot. Another scream of pain.

  “Darius.” Harlan said, his voice almost in shock. Perry wiped his eyes, he tasted the blood gushing into his mouth. He spit and saw Darius on the ground holding his side.

  Harlan ripped off his shirt and pressed it into Darius side. “I’m sorry bro, I can’t believe…”

  “Shut your cracker mouth, Darius, I need those keys.”

  “Pocket.” Darius whispered. Carlito picked up Darius and ran toward the stairs. Perry held shut his nose and flew as they pounded up the dark steps into the black hall. The door burst open into the gloom. Carlito was holding Darius’ side as they ran to the car. No sign of Harlan.

  Carlito laid him on the hood of the car then started searching for his keys. Perry ran up next to him and jabbed his hands into Darius’ pocket.

  “Going to hospital… don’t give shit what you say pig.”

  Perry felt a single key, he pulled it out. He shoved it in Carlito’s hand. “Go!” Perry yelled grabbing Darius. They struggled getting him to the passenger seat.

  The transmission bellowed as he Carlito pulled away. Perry’s heart was racing, he cracked his knuckles and looked down at the blood. He thought of the army… it’s been a long time since then, since this much blood.

  Perry took a deep breath and walked back into the darkness… back into the chapel. Perry walked to a broken pew and sat. A beam of light produced an ‘I’ in front of him. He thought of his Grandma, his sister, Cato from his unit. He closed his eyes.

  “Lord please forgive me.”

  Chapter 47

  “Dammit!” Marshall yelled running down the steps, a cluster of screams and shouts, a baby’s cry. Voices melded together then tires skidding. Marshall knew what happened.

  Cindy was inches behind him, her gazelle legs springing down the stairs. Marshall took five at a time hoping he wouldn’t sprain something. In less than a minute he was down three floors and flew out onto shadowed sidewalk. He looked both ways and saw the crowd. Their backs were toward him twenty feet away. People were craning their necks looking toward the ground. Through the jungle of legs he saw a
n arm. Marshall ran, pushing through the crowd.

  “Police,” Marshall yelled thrusting his badge in the air. He stopped in the center and saw a body lying at his feet.

  “What happened?” Cindy said appearing next to him. Cindy’s gaze and jaw dropped. “Kate!” A bruise was beginning to form under her right eye. Marshall dropped to a knee and slipped his fingers to her throat. A pulse. Cindy grabbed Kate’s hand and she released a groan. It smelled like a drag race.

  “What happened?” Marshall said looking at the crowd, though he could already guess. Perry didn’t stick to the plan.

  “Some masked guys pulled up, jumped out of a grey car, grabbed dude and took off.” Marshall looked for the voice, a kid, holding his skateboard at his side wearing a black baseball hat with a large E on it.

  “Nah man, it was light blue,” said his buddy hold the trucks of his board. Both boys stood casually as if they were watching animals at the zoo and recounting their feeding habits.

  “Quiet ya damn kids,” an old man said. “A beige car sped up, three guys got out and jumped the young man and this girl here.”

  “It was four gramps,” the first kid yelled, “someone was driving,”

  “Fine! They jumped out, attacked the young lady and boy. One wanted to shoot her.”

  “Kate honey, can you hear me?” Cindy said quietly next to him. “Marshall look.”

  Marshall shifted his eyes down. A trickle of blood started meandering from the back of her head. “Yeah, one of them was, but another of the guys pulled his gun out… pointed it at the first. It was scary awesome.”

  “Can anyone give a description?” Marshall said not looking. He reached under her head, wet hair. He swallowed.

  “I saw a white hand pointing the gun at her.” The kid said.

  Marshall stood up, “What happened to the guy she was with?”

  “They grabbed him and sped off,” the old man said, the group nodded or voiced their agreement.

  “Anyone call 911?” Marshall asked looking around.

  “I did,” a meek voice came from the side of him. A young woman was holding a baby tight to her chest swaying back and forth. “Their sending officers.”

  “Looked like a gang attack, thugs all of them.”

  “Ugh, Perry,” Marshall said under his breath, “Anyone get a license plate?” Marshall said.

  He felt a hard slap on his shoulder, “it’s your fault,” Cindy said, “and that damn partner of yours.”

  “What did I do?” Marshall said raising a brow at her, this wasn’t the place to discuss. Cindy raised her arm back to slap him again, but she held it. Her face was red, eyes more intense than he’d ever seen.

  “Find him.” Cindy said through a clenched jaw. Marshall nodded and stood up. He made Perry promise to keep his distance. ‘Much good that did Kieron,’ Perry said.

  “Get something for her wound.” He said pointing at Kate. Procedure dictated that he stays and secures the scene. There wasn’t time for procedure, not if James was going to live. He pushed his way out of the crowd and sprinted toward his car. Digging for his phone in his pocket he felt the tip and dug further.

  “Marshall,” Cindy called after him as he slipped into his car. He didn’t look back. Marshall threw the bulb siren on his roof. A part of him felt good, like a hero going to save the day… Marshall smiled. Marshall flipped on the bulb. He dialed Perry, no ring, just voicemail. He jabbed the end button and threw the phone in the passenger seat.

  “Where would they go?” Marshall said bounding around the corner toward downtown. He grabbed his phone again. Going fifty in a thirty he texted Perry. ‘Where the hell are you, surveillance only!!!.’ Regardless if James did it, they think he did and that meant he was dead. I can’t be implicated in that, could I?

  Marshall took the streets through downtown, bulb blazing above him, and continued North. His eyes kept jumping to his phone. He sped past the courthouse, the arena.

  “Where are you?” Marshall said quietly. His phone buzzed, Marshall reached over taking his eyes off the road. “Perry?”

  “Knight,” his Captain said. He averted his eyes to the road, a car turning left. Marshall quickly swerved out of the way. No way he knew what just happened? Marshall hung up.

  Marshall checked the dash, quarter to twelve. They’d been gone for twenty minutes or so. He switched lanes and heard a loud honk that rang for three seconds.

  “Screw you,” Marshall yelled into the closed window. He turned into a parking lot and leaned his head back. His phone buzzed in his hand. He shifted his eyes to it. A text message from Zeta with a link. He clicked it and his internet browser popped up. A video took over the screen. The title said. ‘A dog fighter, and a cat crucifier. Darnell AKA Skitter versus Johnny Chan the un-man.’

  Marshall pressed play and watched the fight, jumping at every move. Johnny, looked like he’d been left in the woods for weeks. His arms moved slowly as Skitter dodged and wrapped an arm around Chan’s neck. He leapt on his back and tightened his grip with the other arm, a strong choke hold. Johnny jumped or fell to his back trying to shock Skitter into letting go. He didn’t. Johnny was reaching up, trying to punch. Nothing phased Skitter. Johnny’s arms were getting slower. The sides of Skitter’s mouth rise he saw the smirk. Johnny’s flailing stopped and Skitter released him. He dropped his arms to his side. Chan didn’t move. Skitter pushed the limp body off of him and stood facing the camera. He bowed then started flapping his arms like a bird, Marshall had no idea what it meant.

  A picture of Perry popped up on the screen, he was trying to look serious when they were very drunk. “Where are you?” Marshall yelled hitting the answer.

  “It wasn’t my fault…”

  “You guys nearly killed Kate… and where’s James!”

  “He doesn’t know you were involved.”

  “So, you were supposed to watch him.”

  “We…”

  “Where is he?” Perry had a suspiciously long pause… “Is he alive?”

  “Yes…”

  “But…”

  “He got away… and there are casualties.” Perry said, like he was back in the Army and this was a War.

  Chapter 48

  “This is it boy, you gonna die.” Harlan said. James held his one good eye on him. He wasn’t going to let this guy take him without some resistance, even if it was in his head.

  “You’re weak, a loser.” James said, he clenched his body for the strike. Something moved in the darkness behind Harlan.

  James tensed every muscle in his body. A large thwack followed by a bone breaking rippled through the cluttered basement. The metallic ting of blood dripped into his mouth. But he didn’t feel an impact. Harlan collapsed to James’ right.

  “You’re a loser, but hold on,” came a familiar voice.

  “Austin?” James said, his brain felt numb.

  “Shut up,” he said, James felt the belt on his hands begin to loosen. Strong arms bear hugged him. His legs gave out. A violent jerk from the back of his shirt and he was up on his feet.

  “Get up we need to go.”

  “What…” James swallowed, “what are you doing here?”

  “Quiet,” James could’ve been delirious; he could see his nemesis’s face clearly in the orange glow. An arm around his shoulder, James was being half carried, half drug through towards the stairs.

  “Where are we going?”

  “Escaping, Leroy’s outside waiting…” Austin said.

  “Leroy?”

  “Yeah, you’re one of us, only we get to beat the shit outta you.” James felt his t-shirt start to choke him. Austin was carrying him like a mama cat. James didn’t care.

  “One of us?” James said under his breath.

  “Lift your legs, we got some stairs.” James did, he put one foot on the step and reached for the railing. He couldn’t see the top. They took a few more, he felt sturdier. The air began to feel less oppressive, a little like a cleaner version of the ‘Gate.’

 
“Keep going...” Austin said loosening his grip. James forced his eyes wider, he could see his hand now. James took a step up, the board creaked. His hand was oozing sweat, his strength leaving. James tried to squeeze, his muscles wouldn’t work. He was falling. He flipped his other arm on the railing. His foot slipped off the back and thudded on the stair below.

  “Come on,” Austin said grabbing him again, “quit being a little pansy, this is why you aren’t getting your tanks… no heart.” He felt the push, like Leroy’s motivation… this was the chance to escape. He lifted his foot as high as possible and felt the step. He wiped more blood from above his eye. Five steps away.

  “Go,” Austin said helping him up the last few. “Left,” James pushed through a door and into a small room lit by a flickering candle. A Jesus picture stood over him. Paper crunched beneath his feet as he covered his head.

  “Other side of the alley,” Austin said, “followed the cop… he didn’t seem right.”

  “Harlan?” a voice yelled, Perry from behind them. “Shit!” He was running to the basement.

  James felt the strong grip of Austin on his bicep. A door appeared, then burst open. “Run!” Austin yelled. James did, he was in no shape to disagree.

  “Where?” Austin whistled. The red truck that’d been tailing him for the last week pulled out slowly. The wind felt good on his face, like a cool wash cloth it was all he could see, all he could feel.

  Come on legs. Wood cracked behind him, James hadn’t felt or heard Austin. He looked over his shoulder and Austin leaning into the door. Another thud and the top curled out.

  James stopped. “Come on!” he yelled. Austin looked him in the eye, fear was dripping down his face. Fear and resistance.

  “Go, you idiot!” He yelled as splinters of wood exploded from the door in small holes around Austin. He ducked… right? James ran. Gun shots, three or four, he couldn’t count. Perry pushed out of the door and jumped over Austin. He aimed at him. More cracks of the gun.

  “Police halt!” Perry yelled.

  “Come on,” Leroy yelled pulling between James and Perry. He lowered his head, and grabbed the door hopping in. Holes appeared around the door. James gripped for the handle, open.