Tracie ignored his demand and kept her pace of getting away from Vernon.
Vernon’s friends stood over Vivian to see if she was still out cold. The taller and burly one, Reggie, removed one glove and placed his hand near Vivian’s mouth.
“Yeah, she’s still out,” he confirmed and they began unplugging electronics, setting them by the entrance into the garage.
The thin, shorter one, Richard sat a mini stereo by the door. “Man, she’s fine as hell. I should get me some,” he said grinning.
Reggie carrying a thirty-two inch flat screen television said, “Man, you taking a risk if you do. DNA ain’t a joke,” and he went out the door with the television from Vivian’s bedroom.
Meanwhile, Toni had moved into the right lane and was exiting the expressway. He pulled into a gas station.
The police stopped several feet behind him. “Step out of the car and put your hands on the top of the hood,” the instructions came through a bull horn and from within the patrol car.
A young woman pumping her gas saw the exchange and stopped. She returned the pump and then got into her car.
Toni stepped out of the car and following orders placed his hands on the hood of his car.
Both officers exited the patrol car keeping an eye on Toni.
“Officers, please listen to me,” Toni said a bit of stress in his voice. “Someone has forced their way into my girlfriend’s home. I was on the phone with her...she’s in trouble.”
Officer Bradford began to search Toni and not finding a weapon stepped back. “Turn around,” he said.
Toni did as told and then immediately tried to explain speeding again. “Listen to me officer. Can you please dispatch a unit to...?” and he gave Vivian’s address.
Officer Bradford looked at his partner then gave a nod of the head for him to send an officer. “Don’t move,” he said to Toni.
“Dispatch this is Officer Grayson. Can you send a unit to...?” and after having a unit dispatched to Vivian’s address he began to run Toni’s Driver license number and plates.
Officer Bradford then said to Toni, “Even if your story checks out you’re still going to receive a ticket for speeding.”
Toni nodded.
“Bradford, cuff him, bring him on,” Grayson said from the patrol car.
Toni was placed in the backseat of the police vehicle.
Officer Bradford then whispered to his partner over the top of the car, “If I didn’t know any better, I think I ran over some breast searching him.”
“It wouldn’t surprise me the people we stop out here,” his partner responded.
While Reggie was putting electronics in the van, Richard began roaming the house for small valuables. He re-entered the living room stashing jewelry into his pants pocket and moving to where Vivian was lying helplessly on the floor. Richard looked down at Vivian again with lust in his eyes. He then rubbed his gloved hands together.
“She’s too fine to not take advantage of,” he said just as Reggie returned from the van. “Man his sister is fine and she does look like Ms. Grier. I thought he was lying. Sorry, Mr. Hightower, but I’m about to tap this ass. What you think Reggie, should I get some.”
“Fool, did you just call my name!”
“Oh...my bad,” he said.
“To answer your question, I don’t think Vernon is going to like the idea. Two, like I said, DNA the proof is always in the pudding. You bone her at your own risk.”
“Man, I’m no fool. I’m not gon’ bone her bare skin.”
“Whatever,” Reggie countered and he headed to the kitchen. He lifted the microwave from the granite countertop and headed out the side door with it; moving his head from side to side at the mistake his friend was about to make.
Richard waited until Reggie left then looked back down at Vivian.
“I’ve got to have some of this,” he said and unfastened his pants grinning as he pulled them down.
As he sealed his penis with a condom Vivian sprung to life and startled the prowler. “Please...don’t do this,” her swollen face said.
“Whoa...I see somebody was playing possum.”
Richard was a little tickled he was caught by surprised.
“Please...don’t, don’t do this,” Vivian implored again.
“It’ll be over before you know it,” and he yanked Vivian’s sweatpants down her legs.
“Please…please don’t do this. Please I’m begging you,” Vivian cried out and crossed her arms as a barricade against his intent.
Richard ignored her begging him to stop.
“Please, take whatever you want,” Vivian said.
“Thanks, I’m about to do just that,” and he struck Vivian in the face with his fist near the spot Vernon hit her and then inserted himself into her.
Vivian went wild swinging her arms and legs at him. Fresh blood began to pour from her nose.
“So you’re gone make this hard,” and Richard plowed again into her face.
Vivian began to go in and out of consciousness as Richard began to have his way with her.
“Ooh,” he murmured. “I knew this was going to be good. Pretty women pussy is always good. Yeah...”
As Reggie was placing the microwave into the back of the van, he looked behind him and saw a police car with its headlights off rolling up. He quickly took off running down the alley and hopped a fence into someone’s back yard.
Officer Bradford jumped out of the car and gave chase, while Officer Grayson radioed for backup.
“For your own safety, you need to stay quiet,” Officer Grayson said to Toni and exited the patrol car with his weapon drawn. He watched for movement as he moved cautiously down the alley to the dark-colored van. He then looked inside and not seeing anyone moved to the side entrance of the garage. He slowly pushed open the door and saw two automobiles inside. Officer Grayson entered the garage easing pass both cars and into Vivian’s house.
“Hold it right there,” the officer said and his gun aimed at Richard sexually assaulting Vivian.
“Damn,” Richard uttered withdrawing himself from Vivian and he locked his fingers behind his head.
“First question, is there anyone else in the house?” Grayson said to Richard, his weapon still aimed at him.
Richard moved his head, no.
“Your name?” the officer said.
“Richard Green.”
Officer Grayson moved further inside the living room. “Now I’m going to ask that you slowly rise to your feet, remove the condom and you better find a way to hold on to it while you’re pulling up your pants.”
Richard proceeded to follow the orders.
“Now place your hands behind your head,” the officer said.
Again, Richard did as told.
The officer removed a handkerchief from his back pocket then moved over to Richard. “Drop it,” he said referring to the condom onto the handkerchief.
The officer tied the handkerchief into a knot and then cuffed Richard hands behind his back. He glanced over at Vivian then removed Richard’s mask letting it fall to the floor. He then grabbed Richard by the back of the collar and with more force than needed pushed him over into empty space across the living room.
“Fucking clown,” Officer Grayson spat at him and then walked over to Vivian. “Ms., are you alright,” he said. Not getting an answer he bends to feel Vivian’s neck for a pulse. “Ms., are you okay? Are you injured?” he asked again.
Vivian eyes slowly opens and when she sees Officer Grayson begins swinging her arms and legs at him. “Nooo,” she screamed and hitting and kicking at him violently.
The officer locked Vivian’s hands together with his.
Richard glanced over at the door then thinks he has an opportunity to run.
Officer Grayson saw him contemplating. “You run, you die,” he stated and still trying to calm Vivian down. “I’m the police ma’am. I’m an officer,” he stated to her.
Vivian began to settle down, but was still frightened.
The officer released her hands and she moved away from him over against the sofa. She saw that her pants and panties were gone and leaned over to cover herself. She then spotted her underwear that Richard yanked down her legs and off her. She reached and snatched them up quickly sliding into them. Vivian wrapped her arms securely around her stomach and began to rock with her eyes cast on her carpet. Even though Vivian had been sexually violated the only image in her head was of Tracie. “She let them do this to me,” she stated, looking like she was in a trance. “She did this,” her words came again as red and blue lights illuminated through her curtains from another squad car pulling up.
***
“What’s taking them so long,” Vernon stated and getting mad.
Vernon caught up with Tracie after she ran from Vivian’s house. He forced her to walk five blocks away and to where he told his friends to pick them up. They were still in costume near a corner. Vernon was pacing the street with a fresh toothpick in his mouth. He did a quick shiver as the cool windy night churned around him.
“Look mommy its Batman and Wonder Woman,” a kid dressed like Poke-e-mon said smiling and pointing.
Tracie was standing with her arms wrapped around her looking like a distraught woman.
The mother of the kid saw that Wonder Woman was uneasy and pulled her son closer to her. She took notice of the two plastic bags full of something by Wonder Woman’s feet. She glanced at Batman and quickly became suspicious of them. She thought they looked too old to be trick-o-treating, especially without any kids in tow.
“Yes,” the lady said with a fake smile. “Its Batman and Wonder-Woman,” walking past them. After a few more steps the woman a bit afraid said, “Batman is getting a little fat these days. I’m no fool they’re out for more than just candy. Come on Joseph,” she said and picked up her pace moving the little boy along with the help of her hand against his back.
“I don’t feel good about this Vernon, I’m scared. What if she recognized my voice?”
“Shut the hell up! If she can finger you, it’s your fault. I told your big head not to open your mouth. I ought to knock you out like I did her.” Just as Vernon balled his hand to hit Tracie he saw Reggie hustling toward them. “Grab those bags!” he said to her.
“I can’t do this! I can’t,” Tracie shouted and took off running.
“You better bring your butt back here,” Vernon said to her running away and he was a little tickled.
The woman who had just walked past with her child trick-or-treating looked behind her. When she saw Wonder-Woman running towards them she snatched her child’s bag of candy and stretched it out for Wonder-Woman to take. “Here, here, please don’t hurt us,” she pleaded.
The little boy quickly cried out, “No mommy, I want my candy. Wonder-Woman has candy! Give it to me mommy!”
Tracie ran past the woman screamed, “They made me do it!”
“Man we got busted,” Reggie said out of breath and looking around in all directions. “Come on, let’s go!”
Vernon as if he didn’t hear that Reggie said he was being chased by the police went for the bags of food Tracie left behind.
“Man, forget those bags! I told you I have the police on my trail.”
“Man calm down! Tracie’s fingerprints are all over these bags. Her scared behind took off her gloves. Besides my dinner is in these bags,” and he picked them up. “Now how the hell are they going to point us out? If the police saw you then dish the damn costume. Between you and Tracie’s scared behinds you need to be caught.”
“Man where she going anyway. You better stop her.”
Vernon spat the toothpick out. “Man she saw you running toward us and got scared. She knows better than to dime us out. Though, her big head did speak when we were in there.”
“Vernon, man, I think they got Richard. He was talking about raping your sister I told him it would be a foolish act.”
“Man if he touched my sister its better the police got him because I will obliterate him. And how did you get busted? Did that broad from next door show up?”
Vernon couldn’t believe his plan to rob his sister’s house was just spoiled.
“Man, I was putting the microwave in the van when I turn and saw the police sitting at the end of the alley. I just took off and one of them jetted from the car and began chasing me. Somebody must have seen me loading up and called them.”
Reggie after removing the costume he was wearing over his jeans and blue sweatshirt balled it up. He went and tucked it under a car parked on the street. He and Vernon then began walking down the street as if they were just out for a stroll. Reggie glanced over at Vernon. “Man isn’t you going to ditch that costume,” he said.
Vernon glanced down at himself. “Man, Tracie got me all messed up running away” and he began removing his costume. He turned down an alley, walked a few feet and then threw his costume in someone’s garbage can.
Reggie then said to Vernon, “Man, the last I saw your sister she was still out of it. Are you sure you didn’t kill her? She should have come to by now.”
“No, I didn’t kill her. What am I going to kill my sister for? I just hit her ass too hard. As for Richard, he better not have touched her,” Vernon stressed and now getting angrier.
The squad car pulling up in front of Vivian’s house brought the neighbors out. Some couldn’t help but take notice because they were giving candy to the kids.
“Oh my God Charles something’s happened,” Jennifer said after Charles turned down their block. She was making slow progress with radiation treatments and now was dealing with the flu. They were returning from the hospital emergency room where Jennifer was prescribed antibiotics. They originally chalked Jennifer’s having the chills and her constant coughing up as a bad cold. When she started coughing up phlegm and when her temperature didn’t decrease from the 102 degrees it had reached, they sought medical attention.
Jennifer hopped out of the car as soon as Charles stopped in their driveway. Tissue she had balled in her hand for her coughs she placed to her mouth as she hurried across the lawn to see what happened to her friend.
Jennifer walked in the already opened door. She stopped by the door, “Vivian,” she called out to her friend sitting on the floor in front of the sofa in a far-away state. She walked on over and kneeled next to her. “What happened to her?” Jennifer said, glancing up at the Officer Grayson. She then looked over at a person wearing a black cape, black pants and black boots. She saw a mask on the carpet and looked confused at it, then coughed a couple times covering her mouth with one hand.
“Get this rapist out of here,” Officer Grayson said to another officer and moving his head from side to side at Richard.
Jennifer stunned by what the officer said again covered her mouth, but this time to shield the shock that her friend had been raped.
“Bradford, it’s clear inside,” Officer Grayson said into his radio. “There was a man inside and he is being taken into custody. Did you get a description of the man you was chasing?”
“Negative, he got away.”
“Copy that,” Grayson responded.
A tall and bulky looking officer lifted Richard up by one arm to his feet. He then steered him out of the house and to the patrol car out front.
Charles entered the house and was immediately stopped by the police.
“Who are you, sir?” Officer Grayson asked, his hand outstretched in Charles direction.
“Charles. I’m her next door neighbor.” He nodded at Jennifer. “That’s my wife. What happened to her?” he asked and taking in the scene. He then went over next to Jennifer who stood from kneeling by Vivian’s side.
Vivian continued to look downward in a far-off state.
“I don’t know Charles,” Jennifer said concerned and looked back at the officer. “What’s wrong with her? Why won’t she respond to anyone?”
“Ms., she’s probably in the state of shock,” the officer responded.
Officer Bradford returned to t
he alley and headed toward the patrol car. He saw that Toni was still handcuffed in the back seat.
“He went inside,” Toni informed the officer through the rolled up window. “Can you please un-cuff me. My woman is in there” he added and tilting his head in the direction of Vivian’s house.
Since his story had checked out so far Officer Bradford opened the door and removed the hand cuffs.
“I wouldn’t normally do this, but you need to stay calm and behind me,” the officer said.
The officer placed his hand near his gun and entered through the open black cast iron gate with Toni trailing. He proceeded several more feet and entered the garage. He moved past two vehicles and on into the house.
“Grayson,” the officer called out.
“Yeah, in here, Bradford,” his partner responded.
Officer Bradford turned into the living room with Toni trailing.
“As I was saying, your friend was being raped as I entered. She’s still in shock,” Officer Grayson said.
“He didn’t hurt the baby did he,” a now teary eyed Jennifer asked leaning her head into Charles shoulder and just as Toni came into her vision. “Toni?” Jennifer said lifted her head from Charles shoulder and if she wasn’t sure it was him despite looking right at him.
Toni didn’t respond to Jennifer and moved quickly over to Vivian and knelt by her side.
Jennifer watching him then realized she may have told something she shouldn’t have. Though, at the moment it didn’t matter as Vivian seemed oblivious to the fumble.
Toni laid his hand softly on Vivian’s stomach and then his head in her lap. Vivian just looked at his head as if someone had just sat a ball into her lap and she didn’t know what to do with it.
“I’m so sorry baby this has happened to you,” and Toni cried into Vivian’s lap.
“Oh Charles,” an emotional Jennifer said and then began coughing repeatedly. Her legs began to buckle and Charles placed his arm around her waist to stop her falling to the floor.
“I know you care about your friend but you are sick Jennifer. You need to get this medicine in you that the doctor prescribed. Vivian’s friend and I will take care of her.”
Trickery & Envy Page 15