Wrongful Kiss Chapter 16 : Scab on the Ass September 15th 2011
There is something about Thursday that makes it special. And it is almost the second best day of the week. This is not including Sunday which is Gods day and the day when no one is supposed to do anything except be happy and love God and pray.
Saturday was the best day of the week. Unless you had to work, then that just always sucked. Saturday is the day we get to play and have no worries and cares. Well, most of us.
That made Friday the second best day of the week. Because after a hard day at work you could go home, clean up and then the night was free for adventure.
But Thursday was the day after Hump day. The last part of the week was started, and just damn, you only had two more days.
You always knew Friday was going to be a lay back low account day, but with Thursday you never knew what to expect. Thursday could be the start of the weekend, or it could turn out to be a nightmare.
Carl was not having a good day. Well, in fact, he was not having a good week. Hell to be truthful, he was not having a good life.
No matter what the man done, he always ended up on the bottom end of the scab of the ass where all the stinking was. He had heard someone say that once but could not remember who. Right now he did not care who said it, he just wished that for once he could just come out smelling like the rose.
Carl opened his eyes and looked around. He did not move. He could not move. He hurt in places he did not know could hurt. He hurt in places he didn’t even know were there. He hurt so bad he was sure that his grand parents were feeling it.
From a tearful set of deep blue eyes he saw what looked very weird. It was dark here in the camp still early morning and the sun was not yet out.
Carl could not see too well but Damn he thought, was that someone hanging from a rope, their hands tied between two trees?
It looked like their head was hanging over and their eyes were watching him.
Carl tried to set up but a pain went down the middle of him from his head to his toe. This pain did the best it could to reach every part of his body and if it missed any parts, it was only because it knew the second pain to follow it would pick up where it left off.
Carl passed out again. It would be another hour before he would wake a second time and then be able to set up. The sun was just starting to rise and shine into the tree area.
Carl had a pint of Canadian Mist in his back pack that had not been removed. By this time he knew he had been robbed already. He had looked for his money as soon as he knew where he was. It was gone. So was all his beer and the large bottle of mist. But for some reason the small bottle was still there.
“There is a God.” He said to his self and the funny looking boy hanging between the two trees. He still was not sure who that was.
After taking a big drink out of the bottle of Canadian Mist, Carl looked around the camp. He was starting to remember who he was and where he was and why he was here like this.
“That damn mother….” Carl said letting the last words die off as his eyes found those of Martin again and a fright come over him.
“Damn, what the hell did I do?” he said. He was thinking he had really gone too for this time. But his mind was starting to clear a little more after the first drink. Well, not really clear. It was slowing down and he was beginning to be able to think.
Carl remembered Ms. Kelly and Tasha taking him home with them to eat. He remembered talking to Kelly about the old days. He remembered she was sad, and so Carl also became sad. And so he had drink to much and passed out.
No, that didn’t happen. He had left and come here to the camp and there had been someone here. Someone had killed him. No, that was not true also. He was not dead. But did he kill someone?
He remembered hitting someone with a bottle. And then he remembered Martin tried to kill him.
Okay so if Martin tried to kill him, then who killed Martin?
Then Carl remembered. There was someone here. And Carl had watched as the man had cut martin. Carl had watched as Martin cried and looked at him, begging for him to do something.
But Carl had not done anything. Carl remembered wanting to laugh but not being able to make any words come out. He had wanted to watch the boy die. He knew the boy should die. The boy was bad. He was evil. He needed to die.
“No, No, No” Carl screamed all at once. The boy did not need to die. He needed a good ass kicking, but no one needed to die like this.
Carl tried to stand up. He had to get Martin down from the tree. He had to help him. Carl fell on his face and knew that he had just broken his nose because of the sound he heard before he felt the pain.
For a few seconds Carl just lay there and cried, then looking up again he saw Martin.
Kelly, he thought. He had to find Kelly. He had to save Kelly.
Carl fought his way to his feet and then standing he turned his bottle up to finish off the drink. The he turned and walked away.
Dan Johnson set straight up in his chair. His head spinning, he felt sick to his stomach. He had been sleeping in his chair with his arms hanging at his side. His head back and chin high in the air.
Dan slept like this often when he was working late at night. He would work till his eyes were so heavy he could not hold them open and then let his head fall and pass out.
He never slept more than a few minutes, maybe twenty or thirty minutes at the most. And he would always wake up sick with his head spinning.
God he hated this feeling. Why did he do it? He could have just taken a nap on the sofa. Sarah was there now. He could have lain with her. He knew he would have liked that. But then that might have lead off into another direction other than sleep. And he needed the sleep right now.
He also did not want to sleep. He had just needed a few minutes.
At first he did not know where he was. He looked around the room, wondering how he had gotten here. Where was here? Then slowly it came back to him.
Dan wiped his chin. It was wet. Somewhere alone the way he had drooled on his chin.
Dan looked over to Sarah. She was still lying there sleeping like a baby. It was still early, but people would start showing up soon. He would need to wake her so she could get ready and put on her morning professional face.
No one needed to know they had been there all night. No need for the rumors to start.
Dan looked down to the desk. He had two files in front of him. On top of them was a list of names. The first name was Thomas Saratoga. Under that was Kelly Ann Addison.
Dan had spent the night going back over that case. That was when he had the ideal of putting together a list of names tied into these two names. The list had made no sense at first but then he remembered a phone call.
The phone call that he had received from Captain James late Tuesday night had been a surprised. Then the next day the Captain had wanted the file on the Addison girl.
Dan had started putting the puzzle together. It was beginning to make a picture.
Those many years ago when he had first had contact with this Thomas Saratoga, when he had molested that first child, Dan have been removed from the case. Last night it hit him and he remembered that it had been a young Lieutenant Turner James that had delivered the message to him that he was off the case and was to forget everything about this Saratoga man.
He had later found out that this Saratoga fellow was somehow connected to the so called Heaven family. Two other names had also turned up at that time, one Andy Harper and Dan Harper.
Both of these names were now on the list in front of him right under Kelly’s name.
Dan remembered that the night the Captain had called him he, Captain James, had asked him if he ever heard the name Andy Harper. Dan had told him no because at the time he had forgotten all about the Kelly girl and any of that event.
But something did not set right with Dan after he had learned that the Captain was asking about Kelly, and as he started to poke into the old case he started to put one and one together. And now it was adding up, not to be two maybe, but three would be close enough for him.
There was something wrong and he was not sure what it was.
So what did he have?
Well for one, a high level police detective in the department was asking about people from a twenty year old case he had worked on. One of the people in the case was supposed to be in danger of being a target of assassination. This was from a informer that had called the Captain and Dan did not know who it was. Was there really an informer or was the Captain covering up for someone again?
Two, There was a child molester that had been let to go free from that case and he could very well be the man that Dan was now hunting, involved in murdering young girls. That was more than likely a cover for killing his true target which was the Kelly girl.
Also that same Child molester was the one that the Captain had been covering up for those many years ago.
Maybe this Thomas guy wanted to cover his trail and make sure no one could ever finger him with his past crimes. Maybe this Thomas guy was someone special now that did not want his past crimes to come back and bite him. Dan had already sent in a request for a current update on one Mr. Thomas Wayne Saratoga’s where about and history for the past twenty’s years.
Maybe the Captain had saved the man’s ass those many years ago and had now found out he was back and that he was going to kill one of his early victims. Maybe the Captain was now trying to cover his own ass?
If that was the case, then Dan was between a rock and a hard place now because of Sarah.
Dan had also tried to get the data file on the heaven family but found that it was classified and only available to certain people. He was not one of them. He knew as soon as he had requested the file that his name had been flagged and he knew that he would soon be receiving a visit from someone. He just did not know who, or when.
Captain Turner James. How was he connected to these people? He had been there twenty years ago. He knew about this Thomas fellow and had stopped Dan from locking him away. Why? Was he part of the family? Thomas had to have been a part of the family. That meant that the Captain had to be part of the family also.
Damn, that was not good. If the Captain was part of a crime family, then what did that say about Sarah? Was she also part of the family? He thought so. She may have even been assigned to him to keep an eye on him.
No, that cannot be true. She was assigned to him months ago. No one could have known all this was going to happen way back then.
That did not mean she was not part of the family, but she could not have been assigned to be a spy. That also did not mean she was not spying now. Maybe she was just in the right place at the right time.
Dan looked over at the woman he loved. She was so beautiful. What was he going to do? Somehow all these people were tied together. And somehow he knew the key was close to his hand, but where, and what?
The phone rang. Sarah opened her eyes, looked at him and smiled as she set up.
“I love you.” She said blowing him a kiss.
Dan remembered something the Captain had said.
Turner James had told him that there was a scab growing on the ass of the world and that he may need to call on Dan in the near future and that he was hoping that Dan could be a loyal and true team player. He had also said doors may soon open for the right people who knew which team they were on.
“Are you going to get that?” asked Sarah as the phone rang again for the forth time.
“Dan Johnson.” He said as he picked up the phone.
After several minutes he said “I will be right down.” He hung up the phone.
Sarah had now gone over and poured a cup of coffee. It was old, black and strong. It could have walked itself over if it had legs.
“What’s up?” Sarah said. She had a feeling something was wrong. She had been Dan’s partner too long not to know he was worried about something.
Dan looked at her. She was right, the thoughts running through his head at the speed of light.
“They found another body, a boy this time, hanging from a tree.”
Thomas opened the door and walked out side. Sooner was at his feet and Mama was right behind her.
The morning sun was shinning down on him, giving him a warn feeling like everything was going to be great today. The warm embrace of the sun light took hold of him like a woman arms and he closed his eyes and lifted his head to except a kiss.
Over the years the night stars had been his lover and his only connection to her, ‘the beat of his heart’ Kelly. That was what she was. She was the beat of his heart. He may eat, drink, and live for his self. But his heart only beat for her, and because of her.
Now this sun that was holding him in a warm embrace was also somewhere holding her, and the two of them were sharing a kiss. For the first time in years the sun was a beautiful sight for him and bestowed upon him a dream of a future.
“Silly ass fool” He thought as he opened his eyes and looked around. Dog was setting over at the picnic table waiting. Thomas smiled. He then walked over to the table and set down. He had a cup of coffee with him. It was a special mix coffee. One he had drunk many years ago. He called it tea then.
He had given up drinking over the last few days, and had now only started to have a drink in the morning. This was the way he had done it when he had first met Kelly.
A hard wind ran pass Thomas and he felt a coolness that give him a chill. It only lasted a second but it was enough to let him know something was not right. Something was not right at all. In fact, something was wrong, dead wrong.
Thomas dropped his coffee as a hand touched his shoulder.
Jumping he turned his entire body so fast that Eddie also jumped back. He tripped over his own feet and fell onto his ass dropping a cup of coffee into his own lap. It did not burn him because Eddie never drank hot coffee. It was just slightly warm.
“I am sorry Eddie.” Thomas said.
Eddie jumped up laughing. No sound coming out, and put his hands on Thomas’s shoulders trying to get him to set down at the table. With his hands he was waving Thomas that it was okay.
Thomas looked at Eddie and then seen that his pants were wet. He looked like he had pissed his self.
Eddie made a motion for Thomas to set still and he then picked up the two cups and left for the trailer again. In about four minutes Ben came out with two more cups of coffee.
“This is your tea.” Ben said. “Mixed the way you like it.”
Thomas wondered about that. How would Ben know how Thomas liked his tea. Well this was Ben. The man was not a fool. He watched everything. Thomas thought something bad happened to Ben for him to be here like this. The man was very much above the life style he was living. Something had made him give up on life.
Thomas could see now that there was new life in the eyes of Ben. It looked like he had a new direction to travel.
“How do you feel today Ben?” asked Thomas.
“Great Mr. Thomas, just great, I think we are going to have a wonderful day today. With your permission I am going to go today and get my driving licenses renewed. Then I am supposed to go with Mr. Dick to get the RV.
You don’t need my permission, or anyone else’s permission Ben. Who’s taking you to get the licenses?” Thomas Asked.
“Mr. Dick is driving me over, but I will be driving back after I get the renewal.” Ben was watching Thomas’s face for approval.
“That sounds like a plan Ben.”
“Well to be honest all I have to do is go get a picture made. Mr. Dick made a phone call and he has a friend that is going to get us pass having to retake the test.” Ben was smiling.
“Dick knows everyone.” Thomas said. The two men laughed.
After a few minutes Ben looked at Thomas and said,
“Something is not right?”
“Why do you say that Ben?” Thomas asked.
“I see it in your face sir. You are worried about something I think.”
Thomas smiled as he took a slip of tea.
“Nothing is wrong Be. I am just an old worry wart.” The two men laughed again. But Ben didn’t think that Thomas was the kind of person to just worry without reason. No Ben thought, there must be something wrong.
“Ben, you were in the Military right?” asked Thomas.
“Yes sir I was.” Ben replied.
“Do you mind if I asked what your MO was.” Thomas said.
Ben didn’t say anything. He looked down. For some reason Thomas thought, Ben does not want to talk about this.
“You don’t want to talk about it do you Ben.” Thomas said.
“Oh no sir, it is not that. It is just that, well I am not supposed to talk about it. Some of the things I have done are… “ Ben paused.
“I understand Ben.” Thomas said. “I was in the army myself once.”
“I have a great deal of respect for the army Mr. Thomas, but I was in the navy.” The two men just looked at each other. Nothing was said. Nothing was needed. Thomas understood the words.
“Ben can you get a gun permit.” Thomas asked.
“I have one sir.” Ben said. “I have a life time permit to carry a weapon.”
Thomas didn’t say anything. He was learning that there was so much more to this man than he had ever given him credit for. Thomas tried not to judge people. He his self had been judged. And he knew that even these people close to him now were judging him. They were now judging if he was a man or a monster. And even his own daughter thought he was a monster deep down in her heart. Well, maybe not that deep down.
Thomas often thought he was a monster his self. But then he always judged his self that way. Ever sense his wife left him.
Kelly had been the only person in the world that ever made him think he was more than a monster.
Kelly’s father had also made Thomas feel good about his self. James had been a good man. He had made Thomas think of his self as also a good man. But he had died.
Had it not been for Kelly Thomas had no ideal where his life would have went. He may have remarried and had a large family and might have been living somewhere in a no where life with a no where job, and wishing he was dead.
Or he could be off happy somewhere also. He just didn’t know. He was not sure what had happened to set him on the course to where he was now.
He just knew that with the lost of Kelly, he also lost the will to live. And he had no regrets. He didn’t care.
And now with this big man before him, he was seeing it all over again.
This man had been hurt also. And the will to live was gone from him. He had given up life, and had chosen to just live a life of loneliness.
What made men do this. Some men would pick up their hat and coat and get on with life. But others would just stop living. Were they weak. Were they the scab on the world, the stink closes to the ass? Someone had said that to him once, but he could not remember who. But it was true. That is where he was.
Thomas had never seen the man that was Ben. He had known Ben for a few years, but he never knew Ben. For the first time in years Thomas was making a friend.
Dick was a friend, but yet, not a true friend. Not the way that Thomas was seeing Ben as now.
Thomas could set and drink with Dick, and own part of a business with Dick. They would always be friends, but Dick was not like Ben.
In all the years that Thomas and Dick had been friends Thomas had never told Dick about Kelly. It was not till he thought he was dieing and wanted to reach out to Dick for help that he even thought to ask Dick for help with Kelly.
But now he wanted to talk to Ben about Kelly. Ben would understand he thought. Ben has been there. He will understand.
“Do you have a gun?” asked Thomas?
“No sir. I have not had a weapon in years.” Ben said.
Thomas set there looking at Ben. This man needed a gun.
“Do you have a problem carrying a gun?”
“Not when I need to.” Ben said.
Thomas again went into deep thought.
“I want you to tell Dick to take you and get you a gun. Any gun you like. Get several in fact. What ever you think you need to protect this crew of misfits. I am putting our safety in your hands.” Thomas watched for Ben’s reaction. He thought he was seeing a light click on. He thought he had just given this man a reason to live.
“It might cost you a little bit of money” Ben said.
“I don’t care. Get anything you want. Hell, get a tank if you want it. Just be sure to get a trailer to put it on that the RV can pull.”
Ben laughed. Thomas joined in.
“Can I also have a jet fighter, maybe a small one, an f-111 or something?” Ben asked still laughing.
“Sure” Thomas said, “Can you fly it?”
“Yes sir.” Ben said. Thomas stopped laughing and just shook his head.
“Damn it Dan, don’t you see my back is up against the wall. What the fuck you want me to do. If we go to war we are going to die.”
Andy Harper was very mad and he could not get his brother to see reason.
There was no sound. Andy wondered if the phone had died. He wondered if his brother had hung up on him.
Dan Harper was setting there. He was on the other end of the phone, and he was pissed off mad as hell. For the first time in his life he did not care what his brother had to say. For the first time in his life, he was against what he was told was right for the family.
“Are you there brother?” asked Andy.
“I am here.” Dan said.
“Then talk to me. We have a big problem here.”
“There is no problem here Andy, not unless you turn your back on your word.” Dan said. He had bitterness in his voice. He wanted his words to be as sharp as a knife and to cut deep into his brother’s soul.
“You are trying to pill the scab off the ass Andy, and you know that is fucked up.
This was a personal message to Andy. Dan always talked about the scab on the ass of the world when he was against something. Anyone that knew him knew he was not happy with events when he said this. He had told Turner James the other night that the scab on the ass of the world was bleeding. Turner James knew Dan’s phone call was for real.
“Damn it Dan, we don’t have a choice. We have to give this girl up. Other wise we are going to war with Omar. He has already taken this up the ladder and has permission to do what he wants.”
Andy stopped to wait for his brother to think about his words. Then started again,
“No matter what we do, the girl is dead.”
“And the baby?” asked Dan. “Do you know what that animal will do to her Andy? Do you even care?”
“It does not matter to me Dan. I care more about what will happen to you and your little grand daughter there with you. What will happen to you if we try to fight this?” Andy cried into the phone.
Again there was silence.
“Where are you Dan?” Andy asked.
Silence again. Dan did not say anything.
“Dan where are you I said. You had better not be in Atlanta. Do you fucking hear me Dan?” Andy was screaming now.
Dan paused. Thinking hard, he said, “I am not in Atlanta Andy. I am on my way to the office. I am in traffic.”
Andy did not say anything. He set there. He was also deep in thought. Both men could feel the others thoughts. Both men knew what the other was thinking and what they were going to do.
Andy knew that his brother was in Atlanta or on the way to Atlanta. Andy knew that if he turned his back on the Kelly girl and her daughter he was going to have to fight his brother. Andy knew that the family was going to lose in this battle one way or another.
Dan was thinking the same thoughts. He knew that the family was the one that was going to be hurt in this war. But he did not care. His brother had given the word of the family. And that word had never been broken.
Not only that, but He his self had told Thomas he would make sure that Kelly was taken care of and he would not break his word to his friend.
“Okay brother, I think we have said all that needs to be said. I am now going to place a call to Omar and tell him that his man is on his own and that he has the family’s permission to do as he pleases and if anyone gets in his way to deal with it.” Andy was sending his brother the message that if he went against his words his life was in his own hands.
Dan understood this. He was willing to except this. He was not worried about this. He was a little worried about who be could count on to be on his side.
Dan had talked to Turner James and had told him what he thought was going to happen. Turner had said he would back Dan fully. But had he meant it. Would Turner really back Dan over Andy?
Dan had been the one to recruit Turner those many years ago. And they were friends. But would he follow Dan against the family? And what about young Andy Harper, and Greg Ellis, would they follow Dan in this split? And how many of the Angels and Ghost would follow him.
“Did you hear me brother?” asked Andy.
“I am sorry Andy, what did you say?” Dan replied.
“I said I am giving Omar the go ahead.”
Dan did not say anything. There was silence between the two men, a long silence then the phone went dead. Which one had hung up first the two men would never know. Both men knew that the other one had hung up with out a word. Both knew that the family was now broken. Both knew that one of them had to die.
Dan made a phone call to his son also named Andy Harper; The son that was not his son, but was his brother’s son. Dan called his brothers son that he had raised as his own son, and had groomed for this day.
Dan was sure young Andy Harper wanted to avenge his murdered mother. Dan had made sure Andy would want to do so. Dan also knew young Andy Harper had only waited all these years because of him. He would wait no longer.
Andy Harper also made a phone call. He was calling his son, the man that thought that Andy was his uncle. He would now tell the young Andy Harper the truth. He would let him know that the father, the real father and son shared the same name. Then he would give command of the south sector of the family over to his son. The phone was busy.
“Damn.” Andy said.
