“Give me something big and something I can blow to kingdom come!” she shouted, needing to unleash the bottled up aggression and anxiety that damn near caved her chest in. Xzion bent low and removed what appeared to be a bow and arrow.
“Nuh uh,” Jayme protested. “I don’t want that shit. I want some heavy artillery, Xzion. Archery class is for Robin Hood and I don’t like green tights.” She made her way to his stash, selecting the weapons she preferred. He put his hand out in a gesture for her to cease her movements.
“You have to learn it all. You wanted this, so you’re going to get it. A bow and arrow is the only way to kill a Lyalt.”
“A what?”
“Imagine a grizzly bear that is articulate, consumes dirt for their main course, and is extremely powerful with their hands. So much so, if they get a hold of us, they can break us to pieces, and it requires little fatigue on their part. They are typically peaceful, but once roused, things escalate quickly. Oh, and one more thing, they have eyes like a human being…and the big fuckers are fast on their fuzzy feet. That’s a Lyalt.”
“Oh hell! How big do they get?” she asked in disbelief.
“Pretty fucking huge. Also, mind control doesn’t work on them.” He shrugged. “Just like the damn Yuledrakes, you have to fight them head on. In battle, they can be quite deadly. They are not cuddly teddy bears.”
She pointed to his lens. “That won’t even kill them?”
“Well, yes.” He moved around, setting up an odd tripod of sorts. “But there is so much layering to their fur, flesh and bone, it would take a lengthy amount of time and by then, they would have gotten away or worse, became so enraged they’d charge. Zarkstormians are fast by nature, but some Lyalts are faster, and if you’re a human, you can forget trying to outrun them. I don’t care if you run in the Olympics, you won’t make it. You have to use this bow and arrow.” He stopped and pointed at her, “And you have to get it directly inside of their —”
“Brain? Heart?” Exhilaration rose deep within her. It came out of nowhere, married to her fear. She hadn’t even scratched the surface of things going on in her world, with Xzion.
“No.” He shook his head. “Their stomach. In their stomach lies their heart, not in their chest. Biology is much different in my world, baby…much different.” He turned away from her, perched his bow and arrow like a professional about to take out a buffalo. She watched him squint one eye, while the other shined like freshly made gold. In less than a second, the arrow hurled across the room, landing squarely in the bull’s-eye. A perfect hit.
“Impressive.” She nodded, a smile on her face.
He handed her the weapon and stood to the side of her. Jayme took a deep breath, and held it as she’d seen him do. In a subtle whisper, his voice carried lightly to her ear, “A bit higher…there you go,” he instructed. She raised the bow and squinted her eye, moving slightly to the left. The arrow flung across the room, burning her hand as she released the damned thing. It landed on the target, a few inches above the bull’s-eye.
“Damn it.”
“Hey, that’s still not bad for someone who never shot a bow and arrow before.” He lightly clapped. “Now, keep practicing in here. I will check on Zachary and I have a couple calls to make. If you need any help, call for me. Keep working on it Jayme until you get it right.” He winked at her and left the room, leaving her alone to her devices.
Jayme grunted, grabbed another bow out the basket and continued to practice. She cursed herself each time she missed. This shit was definitely harder than it looked.
Fuck! I’m not my husband. I can’t learn a new skill in a few hours and go on about my way. But, I know I can do this…just concentrate, Jayme, concentrate…
She gave herself the pep talk and the warnings, and little by little, her aim improved. Still not consistently perfect; at times she forgot she was human and prone to error. In the corner of the room, a small red flashing light caught her attention. It seemed to come out of nowhere. She marched over to it and ran her finger down over the thing.
“Hmmm….”
Suddenly she heard Xzion’s voice over a speaker.
“There is one in every room now, it just doesn’t flash usually. When it flashes, it means our son has moved to another part of the house and it will continue to flash until I cut it off. He triggered the warning alarm because I have him in the dining room now.”
A smile creased her face as she stepped away from it, and returned to her original post. Just as she was about to launch another arrow, her husband’s voice broke through again.
“Oh, and you’re doing great…don’t be so hard on yourself. I’ve seen the faces you’ve been making. I have no intentions of seeing you fighting you a Lyalt, but —”
“I wanted to learn so you’re showing me…” She grinned.
“Bingo. Love you, babe.”
And his voice faded away…
****
Xzion sat in his lab, the darkness creeping through the window as storm clouds accumulated and threatened to cry out thunderous rain amongst the heavens. He deliberated over everything that had taken place in recent events, especially his resistance to allowing Jayme to be a part of the undertaking. Lightning struck and illuminated the room as he marinated in the dark, his thoughts even more dismal than the weather outdoors. He knew in some way he was in error to keep her in a tiny box with a pretty bow, away from the important details, but he didn’t want his wife, his very soul, to be a part of this disaster, this uncontrollable mess that could have devastating results.
He didn’t want her to worry, to be distressed…that was why he did it. He needed her safe and secure, pushed away from the harsh reality, but no one was going to hide, push or persuade the woman to do anything at this point.
He’d failed and his heart swallowed the pain, beating slowly in his chest; his sorrow kept him paralyzed on the cold, steel stool. He just wanted to sit there and disappear for a little while. Twirling a test tube between his nimble fingers, he shook his head then looked at it from various directions as it warmed from his touch. Touch…he needed her so badly, her kiss, her laugh, her voice, her warm body lying next to his…
He loved the woman, didn’t want her on the front line, middle line or in the back of the madness, either. He should’ve known she wouldn’t just let this go, just let him take care of it. Could he blame her? That wasn’t even a part of her personality but he didn’t blame himself for trying. The very thing he loved about the woman had come and bit him right in the ass, sank its teeth into the flesh with a death grip no matter how he tried to shake it away. She simply wouldn’t let go. His stomach cramped a bit at the thought of her being hurt in the line of fire. He’d never be able to deal with it, live with it. However, she refused to take ‘no’ for an answer. His back slumped as he ran his fingers roughly through his hair and stared down at the ground.
Baby, why’d you make me do this, huh? Why couldn’t you just let me take care of you?
He was so in love with her, she consumed his thoughts. All he wanted to do was keep her and their son safe from harm. But another insidious thought wouldn’t let go: their enemies weren’t going to stop, either. He had to give his Jayme a fighting chance, in case — in the unthinkable case — he couldn’t be with her to protect her. The very thought made his insides crawl. This was something he’d never let himself consider because it had always been his job to ensure his family’s safety. But things were about to change because in the coming days, the shit was about to hit the fan…
He smiled a miserable smile as he thought how quickly life can change. How had he ever thought Jayme would consent to hiding out, to stop going to work and do her job, to not want to fight? His woman didn’t want to be hemmed up, squirrelled away. She wanted to do her part, jump right in with both feet and stomp the hell out of the opponent. She had a taste for vengeance more than likely since the day she was born, and like a ravenous disease, it only grow worse with time. Like him, the woman was built for bat
tle, but her body and soul, were built for him…
****
Lorenzo observed Demetrio Kittle running his fingers nervously through choppy, reddish brown hair. He would have found the scene amusing any other time, but all he could do was escort the man to the couches in front of fireplace and sit across from him. Agent Kittle removed his glasses thoughtfully and wiped away what appeared to be condensation from one lens. Lorenzo looked casually towards the closed and curtained windows, reminding himself that he had no idea it had rained. He couldn’t wait to get out of there…
“Thank you, for uh, inviting me,” came the jerky voice. The man could barely make eye contact with him. Lorenzo broke out a slanted smile and clasped his hands together as he leaned to the far left.
“You know, I didn’t expect to see someone like you.” He moved, leaning slightly forward, and broke out a new cigarette. He tipped his hand in offering towards Agent Kittle who raised his hand and shook it to indicate, ‘No’. The man then lowered his gaze back to the thick, cream carpet. The only sound in the room was the lighter, shaped like a woman’s leg, shooting out a one and a half inch flame for Lorenzo’s smoking pleasure. He took his time lighting his delight, then casually tossed the thigh onto the slick, dark tan coffee table between them.
“Why are you making deals with pimps, Agent Kittle?” Lorenzo had his suspicions, but he wanted to hear the man say it to his face.
“Well,” Agent Kittle ran his hands apprehensively up and down his beige trousers. “Initially, when I came upon this information, I was going to go to the press, but uh, my life… my life could have been in danger after such a thing, and my family’s, too. Even if I came as an undisclosed informant, well, people still have a way of finding out things so I had to think long and hard.” He paused as he swallowed air, his eyes now re-covered with the glasses and his thin lips parted. His forehead was beaded with sweat. “So, I thought, ya know, I know a lot of people out here are upset with this guy. The killing has stopped but everyone I believe remembers the fear in the city at that time and really, in lieu of some of these recent assaults and killings, he might be back to his old ways.” The guy shrugged. “I have an uncle who has a drug addiction habit. I mean,” he laughed fretfully, “it’s just one of those things, you know? I recalled my mother telling me he was mad that he couldn’t find his dealer anymore. He took it out on everyone. She was going on and on about it, and that is where I got the idea.”
The man scratched his head.
“So, I got to thinking about this, you know? How I’d go about it. I uh, got a hold of him and asked about his —”
“Slow ya roll.” Lorenzo grinned and puffed out circles of smoke. “Asked who?”
“Oh, sorry, my uncle. I asked about his connection. That dealer is back in town so he seemed pretty happy. At first he thought I was into crack and that gave me a laugh.” Agent Kittle snickered, finally giving Lorenzo direct eye contact, but Lorenzo didn’t smile back; he just kept listening to this nerd rattle off at the lip. The guy looked away, his smile quickly dissipated. “But I explained to him that I needed a large scale order for a friend, just made up some stuff. He told me his guy couldn’t handle that sort of order, but he knew of a guy who had just what I needed. He said he’d tell me as long as I gave him some and I assured him I would instead give him a little money so he could get his own. So, he agreed to that…and after talking to this guy, he and I set up a deal. I felt him out, but he didn’t have the money needed so I didn’t even go into full detail with him. He propositioned that he could go in with someone and then before I knew it, there were people all over the place calling me at the number I left him. I guess he was pretty pissed after that.” Agent Kittle’s eyes glistened with extreme delight. “He must’ve told the wrong person because word got out and I was getting offers from a lot of people but not one of them could come close to my asking price. Some said they could, but I had to kinda trust my gut on this.”
“So.” Lorenzo smiled, took a puff of his cigarette and let the frog jump in and out of his throat as if his esophagus were a lily pad. “The sequence of events are, you went to your uncle, who is, for all intents and purposes, a crack head in the family. You figured he had some information that could help you get in contact with the right people. You soon found out his dealer was small scale so he didn’t have the money to fund you properly.” He took another casual toke of his cigarette. “You used that as a cover to really find out if anyone would be interested in paying top dollar to know the whereabouts of the ‘XXX’ Killa, feelin’ you’d be safer and your identity kept secret, if you just go to the streets instead of trusting, say, George Stephanopoulos.”
Agent Kittle nodded.
“Then, a bidding war ensued because the person you got a hold of next was obviously of the understanding that if he found the right person to pull funds with, he could get top dollar from, say, a person like me — triple his money, because then he’d have information that a lot of people out here wanted. You didn’t plan for that outcome, didn’t expect it. I thought you were smart? Didn’t you go to an ivy league school, Agent Kittle?” Lorenzo laughed lightly as he dug in his pocket and removed a folded piece of paper.
“I, uh, well, yes, but I believe that — ”
“Oh, don’t mind me.” Lorenzo briefly closed his eyes and laughed. “I’m just having a little fun with you. It is obvious you’re not very street smart, and that’s okay. Let me give you a little advice though. If you ever come across an opportunity like this again, don’t go around shopping for people like me. You see, you are living proof that money will make people do some heinous things. What, you didn’t think a pimp knew what the word ‘heinous’ meant?” Lorenzo belly laughed while witnessed the reddening of the man’s face. “Compared to some of my constituents, I am of a different breed, Agent Kittle.”
Lorenzo nodded as if he were listening to the man respond. Agent Kittle instead kept quiet as a thief in the night.
“I like to read. I think education is important. It is essential to know a little, at least, about all sorts of things.” Lorenzo moved his cigarette holding hand around in the air, as if drawing a loop. “I don’t watch a lot of television, that’s poison. No, I much prefer to read. I like to speak to people, figure out where their head is at. You may wonder…” Lorenzo shrugged his shoulders. “Why is someone like me a pimp then, huh? Why couldn’t I use this desire to learn and grow up to make somethin’ of myself? Well, it’s in my blood.” Lorenzo sneered. “I have no shame in this. I learned a lot about you before you walked through my hotel door, because I trust no man. And you shouldn’t either…”
Agent Kittle appeared to be melting right in his seat. Fear hovered in the fucker’s eyes, and for some reason, Lorenzo got a kick out of it. “I’m not gonna hurt you, man.” Actually, Lorenzo hadn’t quite decided his fate yet. “You can relax. Now, back to what I was saying. Uh.” He rubbed his forehead as if in pain while the smoke from the cigarette eddied up to the ceiling. “You’ve got yourself a bidding war going on but you did one smart thing. You cut out the middleman.
“So, once I called you, you realized you could save yourself some screening time and all that other nonsense, putting yourself in harm’s way. You’ve attracted too much attention but at least that number you used was a throwaway phone. Now, no one can get a hold of you, find you. You didn’t tell them your real name, nothing. That’s good. I surmise that if for some reason this deal were to go sour on you, you’d just obtain another number and start from scratch…but, you won’t need to do that.” Lorenzo rose from his seat and removed a thin briefcase made of dark brown alligator skin from under the cushion of the couch.
“In here is the money you requested. Every single dollar.” He slid the briefcase casually onto his lap and popped it open, exposing the two million dollars in fifty and one hundred-dollar bills, neatly piled on top of one another. Greed colored his visitor’s eyes, and a smile stretched across his face.
Lorenzo had to clean out most of h
is bank accounts to obtain the funds as well as take out several loans and pawn the majority of his jewelry.
“I wanted much more than that originally, but I realized, it was best to get paid less, so I could enjoy myself,” the man confessed.
True that, if the man had stuck to his initial demands, Lorenzo would have had a hard time coming up with the cash. There was a long pause between the two as tensions tumbled into one another, thickening and hardening as each second passed.
“Now, tell me where he is.” Lorenzo picked up the open briefcase and slid it across the table towards Agent Kittle. He thought the man’s eyes couldn’t increase in size, yet, they did. Licking his lips appreciatively, like a starving man at dinner, the man began to talk. He pulled out documents, pointing along the pages as he directed Lorenzo to all the fine print. Lorenzo offered an occasional nod along the way, while he steeped himself in the information.
Xzion Khrome…
He’d remember that name; he’d remember it as if it were his own social security number. After Agent Kittle finished his presentation, Lorenzo extinguished the remainder of his cigarette, sat back and smirked.
“He’s an informant now.” He shook his head in disgust.
“Yes, I don’t know exactly what’s going on. I have been shut out of all communication but I do know what you needed most: his name and his current address.”
Lorenzo grimaced, as if smelling something foul. He cracked his knuckles when a newfound rage bubbled up inside of him. On one hand, this was the answer to his prayers. He’d been scrounging around looking for this son of a bitch, for months and how ironic the fucker was right under his nose, living in the same damn state. On the other hand, he now itched to corner the bastard and do him in. He had to be careful, however, and not allow his emotions to overwhelm him. Scratching leisurely under his left nostril with his index finger, he suddenly brandished a grin and stood to his feet.
The Tale of the Blood Diamond Page 16