Jail's Bait: Time Served (Book 5)

Kap was kneeling halfway under his bed, pulling out dust-bunnies and forgotten socks, searching.  He couldn’t imagine where the ruby pendant had gone.  He wasn’t the type to lose things… he knew for a fact that he had left it hanging off the pole of his bunk bed.  He’d checked in the weight room, the wrestling practice hall, and almost everywhere he knew he might have dropped the Hill family crest.  The one place where he did not check is the one place he had been avoiding since he, Marquis and the girls got back from Seattle.  He was still unsure of how he was going to explain to Marquis about his drunken night of sex with Melo… and not only that; he wasn’t ready yet to think about the fact that he wasn’t as disgusted as much as he knew he should be…

“That’s exactly the way I like my niggas,” said a voice coming from behind Kap; “on their knees, ass up.”

Kap grimaced.  “That’s what I get for not locking the door,” he grumbled as he extricated himself from underneath the bunk bed and stood up, brushing dust from his shirt as he regarded Melo, who had come all the way into the room and pushed the door behind him until it had almost shut closed.  “Can I help you, Melo,” he asked plaintively.

“Where’s Marquis,” Melo asked, looking around.

“At the library with our girlfriends, it’s our group study night,” Kap replied.

“Good; that means we’re alone.”  Melo’s smile was more like a leer.  “I remember that position you were just in,” he grinned.

“Listen, about that,” Kap started to say.

Melo held up a hand in hesitation. “I know, you don’t want anyone to know about what happened, and I get that.  We both have girls.”  He pounded his right chest in mock tribute.  “Our secret is safe.”

“Don’t forget about my dude,” Kap added pointedly; “what happened between us… we can’t go there, like never again.”

Melo studied Kap for a moment.  “Well, I dunno about all that,” he replied candidly.  “Being wit you was the best I ever had.”

Kap frowned skeptically.  “I don’t believe that,” he answered.  “But anyway, let’s forget about it all, please.”

“Okay,” Melo agreed then… “on one condition.”

“No problem,” Kap replied.  “What is it?”

“I get to kiss those sexy ass lips of yours again,” Melo said, leaning in towards Kap, “right now. A real kiss, with tongue and everything.  Since the last time was the LAST time, as you say, then gimme something to… remember you by,” he added with a devil’s glint in his eye.

“MAN, I told you I got a dude,” Kap said then, taking one step back; “you can’t ask me to do this.  Ask for something else, non-cheatin, please.  I really wanna move past this.”

“I want that kiss,” Melo stubbornly repeated.  “You want me to forget what happened forever and never bring it up again, so I get a goodbye kiss.”

Kap stared helplessly at the college football star.  I can’t believe I’m about to do this, he said to himself; out loud he said, “Fine.  Deal.”

Melo moved over to Kap, placing his hands around Kap’s waist and craning his neck down.  Kap, now breathing in Melo’s raw, sexy male scent, began to tremble as his resolve to not like the kiss began to crumble.  He closed his eyes.

A shadow moved across his face, and then a warm press of soft lips, then a warm, moist invader parted his lips, Kap’s tongue rising up to meet and meld with Melo’s.  The grip of Melo’s hands on his waist, the continual groping of moist, warm lips, and the masculine caress of Melo’s tongue made Kap respond in spite of himself… 

******

 -Clik-

A shadow from just outside Kap’s dorm room turned away from the partially closed door to hit the instant replay on the hand-held camera-phone.  There replayed the images of Kap and Melo, locked in an embrace; all was wrestling lips, tongue, and gripping bodies.  The SAVE button was pressed.

“C'est très magnifique (This is splendid)…” murmured Jake, snapping the phone closed.  Whistling to the tune of Rule Britainnia, Jake headed off to the café where he knew he would find Marquis, to show him all the features of his new cell… which included the video-cam, of course.

******

Just then another shadow crept up to the half-open door and peeked in, observing the kissing scene enacted before their eyes, which grew dark with anger… then the shadow moved away from the door…

******

Inside the room, Kap pulled away from the hovering Melo, still determined to keep the ‘last kiss’ going on and on.  “OKAY man, that’s it,” Kap breathed, backing away and pounding his chest to catch his breath.

The shadow of a frown crossed Melo’s face… then he instantly smiled again, flicking his tongue out to lick his lips.  “Damn, but you taste good, yo,” he grinned.

“Try not to remember that,” Kap replied wryly.  “Listen, I need you to do me another favor; seriously.”

“Anything you want, baby,” Melo declared, bowing low.

Kap grimaced.  “First off, don’t call me that...! Secondly, can you search your room and look for my chain?  I think it might have fallen off when we- well, when I was in your room the other day.”

“You mean, when we had sex...?” Melo grinned again.

“You just made a deal with me to NOT bring that shyt up again, yo,” Kap reminded Melo.  “Can you just check for my chain in your room, please- and I hope your girl hasn’t already found it first,” he added nervously.

Melo shook his head.  “She hasn’t- she would have said sumthin; anyway, why you buggin about it...?  She’d just think I had one of my boys over and he took his chain off while he was here and forgot to carry it when he left,” he added with a smirk.  “Its amazing all the things that my boys leave at my crib- watches, chains, slippers… I had to talk real fast the time she found a jock underneath my bed.  Told her it was mine, that I forgot about it cause it was too tight for me, knawmean...?” he finished with a knowing wink.

“How nice for you,” Kap replied absently, looking once again around the room in vain.  “Can you go look now, please?  Like I said- it’s important.”

“Sure, I’ll go look.  On one more condition,” Melo added, licking his lips once again.

Kap began herding Melo towards the door.  “Look, Melo, no more kissing.  I shouldn’t have done even that, I shouldn’t have done any of it….”

“But you wanted to kiss me too… admit it,” Melo said, stopping in his tracks and staring into Kap’s eyes.

“I'm in a relationship, Melo!!!”

“Admit that you liked it, and I’ll go find your chain, I promise,” the college football star declaimed, one hand in the air in a mock vow.

The fact that Melo saw right through him made Kap want to punch something.  “You are SO infuriating!!!  FINE, Melo, I liked when you just kissed me.  I liked when we had sex, even though I can’t remember it.  I liked it so much that for five minutes I actually considered leaving the one person that means the world to me.”  He stepped up into Melo’s face, pointing a finger at him, and his words fired like bullets:  “But understand this, and read my lips, nigga: Whether you help me find my chain or not, Melo… whether you and I are friends or not… whether or not you blab to the whole world about what happened with you and me the other night… I ride or die with Marquis.  Ride or DIE.”

Melo stared at Kap, finally seeing how strong his love for Marquis went: strong and deep.  He let out a sigh.  “God knows I wish I could find that kind of love, which has such loyalty to back it up…! I won’t bother you about it again.” He stepped away from Kap and headed for the door. “I’ll check my room for the chain, and I’ll call you back if it’s there.  If you don’t hear from me in another 20 minutes, it’s not in my room.”

Kap nodded.  “I’ll see you around the campus…”

Melo went into the hallway and looked back.  “Yeah, you do that.  You tell Marquis that he’s a lucky dude to catch your heart.”

He closed the door behind him and started his way up the hall towards the stairwell.  Yeah, Marquis Hill, that lucky- punk ass nigga… he thought darkly as he reached the steps and started down.

His cell-phone rang just then.  Stopping in mid-step, Melo reached into his pocket and pulled it out.  “Hey, did you have any luck on your end...?” he began without preamble.

“More than luck… I've just ze thing to put my plan into action.  How are you in your progress?”

“He’s stubborn, he won’t leave the Hill-brat no matter what.  He’s busy right now looking for some chain he thinks he dropped in my room.”

“No, monsieur, he doesn’t have the medallion.  I know where it is.”

“So, what about our deal, what about us...?  If I make sure Kap and Marquis break up for good, then can we get some of that...?” Melo breathed, his hands clutching his groin.

“Only after I have proof that ze super-couple has parted ways forever.  Only zen will you sail down the river of delights that is Jacqueline,” she said into her cell-phone, crossing her curved pearly legs as she sat overlooking the moonlit Seine from her Paris balcony.

******

Kap cleaned up the mess he made while looking for the medallion; once done he decided to go down to the library and hopefully meet up with Marquis and the girls.  Being around them helped smother his reactions to Melo… It was so stupid of him to let the guy kiss him again, and then to admit out loud that he liked it…!  Even though he didn’t remember having sex with Melo, he knew in his heart of hearts that it was cheating all the same.  He was kicking himself for it so intently as he headed for the door of his room that when he opened it up he almost ran into Hooch, who was standing there in fatigues, staring at him with a strange look, one arm behind his back.

“Oh, excuse me…” Kap said hesitantly, trying to move around the menacing figure.

“Naw, excuse THIS, bitch!!!” Hooch cried, and the arm behind his back moved in a blur.

“UUNNNGGHHHHH!!!!” Hot fire washed like a cascade through Kap’s abdomen as he looked down to see the hilt of a huge knife sticking out of his front.  He groaned and almost backed out.

Hooch caught him before he fell to the floor.  “Maybe now, you’ll STAY away from what’s MINE…” he breathed into Kap’s ear before he twisted the knife and yanked it out; Kap yelled out and toppled senseless to the floor with a thump, a red stain darkening his tee shirt.  Kicking Kap until he rolled all the way back inside the room, Hooch pulled the door closed, and then calmly walked away.

******

Regine Hill sat in her dressing room staring at her facial features, the decision to consult a cosmetic surgeon running through her mind.  She felt like God had blessed her with extremely good looks, and felt as if she was aging gracefully, but wondered whether or not a nip here, a tick there might not belay the aging process a bit.  “But you still got it, baby,” she said with a smile, coiffing her hair- three dozen strokes on each lock before wrapping it up for bed.  She knew Joe was in his study, either working late with his aide, Lionel Jenkins, or drinking his Scotch and staring at his father’s portrait, a habit she had caught him doing a lot lately.  “Ol’ Joe, he always murmuring that he’s finally turning into his old man- J. Mayson Hill, that old sunovabitch,” Regine said to herself as she brushed her hair.  “But aint nobody like that cutthroat ol nigga.”

There was a knock at the door.  “Come in,” she said, wondering if Joe was retiring early tonight.

The door opened and in came Stella, one of the downstairs maids.  “Madame?” She began hesitantly.

“Yes, Stella?”

“It’s the Governor, ma’am… he never touched his dinner tray; I think something may be wrong with him.  I've called the ambulance,” Stella added with a trace of anxiety.

Regine stood to her feet, frowning.  “Is it really that serious, Stella...?  I wish you’d let me take a look before the ambulance was called,” she added as she reached for her robe and slippers.

“I'm dreadful sorry, Madame; it’s just that with Mr. Smithers gone from us so suddenly, we’re a bit skittish here in the mansion,” Stella explained.

Regine tied on her robe and slipped her slippers onto her feet.  “Of course; I understand, Stella.  I’ll go wake the Governor up.”

They left the suite and went down a set of steps, then walked down the hallway past marble busts, armored suits  and ceiling length plants, heading down the grand rosewood stairwell and taking the right corridor towards the study that Joe favored.  Reaching the door, Regine opened it and went inside- followed by Stella, whose eyes were wide with apprehension.  They approached the desk where Joe sat, the high-back chair turned around and facing the life-sized wall portrait of J. Mayson Hill in his younger days.

Regine went up to Joe; he was sitting there, eyes closed, a glass that held one swallow of Scotch still in his hand.  “Oh, look at him, he fell asleep staring at his father’s picture; he’s been doing that a lot lately.  Good ol’ Joe.”  She leaned in towards her husband.  “Joe, baby, wake up… time for some dinner.”

He sat in the chair, still, unmoving.

Regine frowned as Stella began to make whimpering noises.  “Joe...?  Wake on up, now… if you’re asleep for the night, I can't carry you all the way up to our suite; that’s three floors up!”  She shook him.  “Get on up, Joe...!  Joe...?”

The glass of Scotch fell to the carpeted floor from nerveless fingers.

Regine’s face grew pale.  “Oh Lord in Heaven.  How long ago did you call that ambulance, Stella?”

“Right before I came upstairs to you, Madame.”  Stella hesitated.  “The Governor, ma’am… is he… is he…?”

Regine nodded slowly; she just couldn’t say the words aloud just yet.  “Please call Dr. Foster, inform him of what’s happened – and then go outside and wait for the ambulance, Stella.  I’ll wait here with my husband,” she added with an eerie calm.

Stella nodded and left the room.  Regine pulled up a chair next to the desk and sat near Joe.  She reached over and smoothed his face; it was still warm to the touch.  Lord, what do I do now...? she asked inwardly, feeling a black pit of despair open up right in front of her.  I have to keep it together, she thought as she reached for the phone on the desk.

******

Malik and Lamar had already gone to bed.  It was still a bit early for them both normally, but Lamar’s actions during the daytime had increasingly taken its toll, and he was going to bed earlier lately.  Not to be unsympathetic, Malik had started to reschedule his nights so that he could sleep with Lamar, hold him through the night.  They had been together for so long that Lamar knew Malik’s instincts on general principle, so he understood that Malik wanted to be with him no matter what was going on, and he loved him for that.  So they both got into bed, and held each other silently, waiting for the moment Lamar would fall asleep.

The phone rang.  Malik looked over and saw the caller ID - Crimson Crest.  With a slight frown, he picked up the phone.  “Hey, it’s Malik,” he said by way of greeting.

“Malik… Malik baby, its Mama,” Regine cried.

Lamar turned over in bed to casually look at Malik’s face- and then sat bolt upright, frozen by the look of dread that washed his lover’s complexion pale as Malik silently hung up the phone, a look of shock on his face.  “Malik…?  Malik, what is it...?” Lamar asked in alarm.

Malik stared at Lamar, a deadened look on his face. “We have to go… we have to go to Crimson Crest.”

Lamar frowned.  “What...?  At this time of night…?  But your dad, doesn’t he sleep in early lately?”

“That was Ma on the phone; the ambulance is on its way,” Malik replied woodenly, attempting to find his way out of their bedsheets.

“What are you saying...?” Lamar said then, pulling the bedsheets off of them both.

“She thinks… she thinks that Dad might be… might be….”  Malik’s eyes filled with sudden tears.

Lamar suddenly understood as a cold wave of ice crept down his back.  He switched immediately into ‘help’ mode.  “Come on, Malik; I’ll radio the chopper.  We’ll get there quicker.”  As Malik stumbled out of bed, Lamar hit the conference button on the baby monitor.   “Sophie!” 

“Yes, sir?” came Sophie’s voice from over the monitor.

“Please mind Jamara for us; we have to fly to Crimson Crest,” Lamar explained.

“You’re going to fly there?” Sophie asked, sounding startled.

“Its Malik’s dad… we can't wait.  I’ll call you later.”  And he shut off the monitor before the nanny could reply.  “Baby, put your shoes on,” he said when he saw Malik sitting on the side of the bed, fully dressed, staring at his loafers.

“I can't…. which foot does this go on...?” he asked in a daze, looking up at Lamar.

Lamar’s heart broke from seeing his lover in such a dreadful state.  “Oh, my god….  Look, here you go.”  He knelt down and put Malik’s shoes on his feet properly, then stood himself and Malik up.  “Let’s get up on the roof, so we can be there when the chopper lands….” And he grabbed Malik’s hand and led the way out of their suite, Malik following docile-like.

******

Rah-Rah stood in the middle of his vast condominium, a penthouse overlooking the twinkling lights of downtown Seattle.  The movers had just left and everything a bachelor could possibly need or want was now settled into its place.  In the dark he stared around at the wall paintings, the art deco, the impossibly large wall unit with every electronic device known to man set up and ready, the floor-length windows which ringed about one full side of the building, and the knowledge that the entire floor was his sort of overwhelmed Rah-Rah for a moment.   He wondered if he might just go check into a hotel room for the night…

His cell-phone rang, startling him in the near-silent place.  He grabbed it and picked it up- the caller ID read OakGrove Institution.  He flipped open the phone.  “Is that you, Marcus?”

“Yeah,” Marcus replied, his voice sounding happy.  “Hey, how are you?  How’s the new place?”

“It’s tight, it’s got everything I could ever want.  I have an uninterrupted view from north to south and directly west.  The carpet, the furniture, the kitchen appliances… everything is brand new.”  He looked around again, and sighed.  “I was just about to go check into a hotel.”

“What for?” Marcus asked, sounding curious.

“It’s this space- its real big, and I’m sort of not used to all this.  It’s a little lonely here, too.”  

“I know…” Marcus responded with sympathy.

“When I first found out I was a Hill heir, I had all these dreams of what I would do once I got my hands on my share of the Hill fortune, and now that I do….” Rah-Rah looked around the vast condo and shook his head.  “Well, it’s not the wild ride I thought it would be.  I guess I’m just older now, and too used to the way things were before.  As for living here all by myself… well, I've never not lived with someone.  First it was me and my moms, then my son came along and it was the three of us together, and even when I was locked up in OakGrove, the place was full of crazies- no offense…” he added quickly.

“None taken,” Marcus replied, his smile evident though the phone.

“It’s just that to be around people all your life and then to suddenly have your own place, it may take some getting used to, is all I’m saying,” he said; “I feel like I’m intruding in someone else’s house. This isn’t me.”

“But for one thing; this IS you, man,” Marcus said then candidly.  “The only reason why you’re not used to all this now is because you just got your hands on your inheritance.  You’re an heir, Rah-Rah.  You have to accept that and all that comes along with being a part of a wealthy family.”

Rah-Rah let Marcus's words sink in.  It was true that his 10-year incarceration in OakGrove is what kept him from acclimating to the upper-class.  “Getting used to a pre-taxed twenty-million upgrade in your bank account overnight will take a moment, I guess.  Thanks man,” Rah-Rah said with a smile to Marcus; “sounds like you know something about that.”

Before Marcus could reply there was a beep on his cell phone.  He checked and saw an incoming call from Crimson Crest.  “Hold on a moment, baby,” Rah-Rah said, and clicked over.  “Hello...?”

******

Ray and Danny were sitting in the matching lounge chairs in their bedroom, both quietly going over the day’s progresses by the light of the night-lamps; Danny reviewing a court case, and Ray reviewing the books for an important meeting with the shelter’s district Congressman in the morning.  Both were instinctively resting some part of their body against the other as they quietly studied.  This was the domestic felicity that Danny had always wanted and finally been able to know, to grow into.  Though it took him almost past his prime to do so, he knew finally that Ray was the man he would grow old with.  And it appeared that Ray felt the same way, as casually as they both merged into each other.  Danny never felt this comfortable when he was with Joe, trying to make it work… yet it turns out that his older half-brother Lionel was destined to be Joe’s true love.  Danny would call that a ‘win-win’ situation…

The phone rang.  Danny reached over to pick it up.  Ray looked up from his work absently as Danny said, “Hello...?”

Ray turned back to his work- then he heard Danny: “Lamar...?  Son, are you okay?”  Hearing the concern in Danny’s voice, Ray looked up again, leaning towards Danny curiously.  He stared as Danny said “What...?  Okay-okay, we’ll be right there.”

Ray reached out and placed a hand on Danny’s leg as Danny hung up the phone.  “Is it your son...?”

“No… he’s fine…”

Danny looked at Ray, a disturbing vacant look on his face.  He stood up and came over to his lover. “What is it?”

“It-it’s Joe… we have to go to Crimson Crest.”  He took a deep breath.  “Lamar thinks that Joe may be… dead.”

******

The helicopter lowered itself on the lawn just beyond the front doors to Crimson Crest.  The blade’s wind lashed the flower arrangements about as Lamar and Malik exited the chopper and watched it sail back up and disappear into the night sky.

Lamar grabbed Malik’s hand.  “Come on,” he intoned as they began to head towards the main steps.  There was an ambulance already sitting in the driveway, bright red flashes of light all around, and another dark colored car.  Standing next to it were two nurses that reminded him of the Vikings of old; tall, buxom and muscular.  On the side of the car door there hung a sign:  The Rainier Hospice Center.

Lamar glanced again at the waiting nurses as they walked past.  “I get the ambulance being here, but why are the hospice folk here as well...?” he wondered curiously.

Malik said nothing; he merely allowed Lamar to lead him up to the great doors; as they approached the doors opened, and Stella came outside, wiping her eyes on her uniform apron.  Malik seemed to find sudden strength from seeing the old maid.  “Stella, where are my parents?” he asked calmly.

“Hello, sir,” she replied; “Madame is in the den with Governor Hill, sir.  She would not let the ambulance… move him, until you arrived.”

Lamar saw Malik’s face grow pale once more, under the flashing red of the ambulance lights.  “Thank you, Stella.”

Malik and Lamar walked slowly down the long corridor which led to Joe Hill’s favorite den.  Once there Malik seemed to pause before the closed den, and then with a great sigh he flung the doors open and went inside, Lamar following.  There in the high-back chair slumped Joe’s body, with Regine sitting next to him, having pulled over one of the room’s armchairs, her hand grasping Joe’s unfeeling palm.

Malik hesitated for a second, then crossed the room and dropped down to kneel beside his parents.  “Ma...?” he spoke up then, his eyes brimming with tears.

Regine looked at her son, and grabbed his hand, nodding.  “He sat right here and stared at his father with his last breath… that’s how he passed on,” she replied somberly.

Malik reached over to touch his father’s arm.  “Dad…. Was it a heart attack...?” he asked his mother.

“Ms Jean… why is a hospice car here?” Lamar interjected.

Regine shook her head.  “I don’t know what’s going on, boys; I have no idea why a hospice car would show up.  Maybe Dr. Foster sent them.”

“Is he on his way?” Lamar asked, while Malik stared at Joe, as if memorizing each line on his face.

The door opened just then and Dr. Foster came in, heading straight for the body. “I'm here, Regine; Malik, let me see him.”  He bent over Joe and attempted to find a pulse.  After a few moments he sighed.  “I'm so sorry for your loss,” he replied clinically; “but I’m afraid he’s passed on.”

“What happened, Doctor?” Regine asked, shaking her head.  “I saw him only a half hour ago and he was fine…!”

Dr. Foster hesitated.  “You are entitled to an answer, as his next of kin…. Governor Hill passed away from… pneumonia.”

“But.. but he wasn’t even coughing...!  I would know if my husband was ill...!” Regine replied, aghast.

But Dr. Foster was shaking his head.  “I had him on some pretty potent medication; it makes the symptoms of pneumonia undetectable.  He didn’t like to have anyone worrying over him.”

“Don’t I know it,” she said then, her eyes filling with fresh tears; “well, maybe he’s with his father now, at peace.”

“I dunno about that, Ms. Jean,” said a voice from the doorway.  They turned to see Danny and Ray standing at the doorway of the den.  Danny came right over to Regine and she stood up to hug him; Danny’s startled eyes never left Joe.

It was Ray who had spoken; he continued.  “What I mean is, from what I hear of ol’ J. Mayson Hill, he didn’t make it to the Pearly Gates.  I don’t think you’d wanna wish Joe’s soul to be wherever his daddy’s soul wound up...”

Regine pulled from Danny’s arms and smiled at Ray.  “You might have a point.”  She turned back to look again at her dead husband as Dr. Foster excused himself and left the den.  “I'm gonna miss the ol’ coot so much.”

“Ahhh, Jeanie,” Danny said then, enfolding her back into his arms.  “You got me, long as you need me.”  Lamar saw that Danny’s eyes, however, reflected the pain and loss he was experiencing on his own.  He’d almost forgotten that his father and Joe were lovers once…

The door opened once more; Rah-Rah came rushing in.  Spotting the group gathered by the high-back chair, he came over and knelt down beside his cousin.  “Malik… I got the call.  I'm so sorry.”  He reached out to put one arm around Malik’s shoulders, and to Lamar’s relief Malik did not shake his arm off.

Rah-Rah, however, was talking in a low tone.  “We all know that I took my dad out, but I still miss not ever getting to know him, every day.  At least you got a chance to know your real dad; to talk to him, spend time… precious time.  I never got that with my dad, is all I'm saying.”  He shrugged.  “You got blessed.”

Malik smiled gratefully, wiping his eyes.  “Thanks, Rah-Rah.  Huh, I guess you do understand how I feel.”  He patted Rah-Rah’s arm.  “Imagine that; we agree on something.”

Rah-Rah nodded.  “I’ll call Marquis.”  He stood to his feet, flipping open his cell phone.  “Seems like the only time I pick up the phone to call my son lately is to tell him someone’s died,” he added with a sigh, walking across to the doorway.

“Wait,” Malik called after him; “don’t call him tonight.  He and his friends just got back to school; you know he’ll drop everything again and come right back to Seatlle.”

“But Malik, baby, think about it,” Lamar interjected; “this is national news.  It wasn’t just your father who died; the Governor of the state just died. I'm actually surprised that-”

The door opened again, and Stella’s face poked in past the door.  “Sirs, Madame, there’s a group of reporters at the gates, demanding to know what tragedy’s happened now.” 

“…Wow, before I could even finish my sentence, she proves my point,” Lamar pointed out, turning back to his lover.  “See the problem, Malik?”

“Stella, please call Lionel Jenkins and ask him to come over here; let him know what’s happened and that we need someone to talk to the reporters,” Regine said; “he’s Joe’s assistant; so he can double as Crimson Crest’s press secretary for the night.”

“Yes Madame,” Stella replied, ducking back out the door and closing it.

Danny looked at Regine.  “My brother doesn’t know yet...?” he asked in some surprise.

Regine shrugged.  “I forgot to call him.  I was only thinking about the family.”  She buried herself back in Danny’s arms as he looked over at Ray with shocked eyes.  Ray caught the look, knowing full well what Danny was thinking; that Lionel Jenkins will be devastated to hear about his lover’s death, then turn right around five minutes later to put on a show when he addresses the press…

Malik, meanwhile, was agreeing with Lamar.  “This’ll be all over the news and the internet tonight; you’re right about that.”  He turned to Rah-Rah.  “You’ll have to call Marquis now, before the press gets wind of this.”

“Just tell Marquis that we’ll send the jet for him the day before… the service,” Regine added, smoothing down Joe’s bathrobe.  “He should stay at school until then.”

Rah-Rah nodded in agreement.  “I’ll call him now.  I'm so sorry again,” Rah-Rah said to them all, and then stepped out into the hallway.

Dr. Foster came back in, followed by the EMT workers.  Everyone backed off reluctantly as the EMT’s began to set up the makeshift gurney and transfer Joe onto it, covering him up head-to-toe with a blanket and strapping him down.  “Folk, I'm going to get the Governor down to Seattle Grace, to… fill out the paperwork and everything.  Can I call you in the morning, to discuss the arrangements?” he asked Malik.

“Yessir, call here.  I’ll be staying over with my mother,” Malik nodded.

“Very good, Malik.  I'm terribly sorry again,” repeated the doctor.  “Let’s go,” Dr. Foster said to the EMT’s.

“Wait.” The others turned towards Regine as she stepped up to the covered body and laid one trembling hand upon it; then she turned back into Danny’s arms once again.

The EMT’s picked up and carried the gurney out of the den with some dignity.  Everyone stared after them until they disappeared into the hallway.

For a few moments there was complete silence.  Then Ray motioned to Danny.  “Hey, I've got that meeting in the morning.  You should stay here with Ms. Jean; you two have been friends since high school.  I’ll take the car.”

Danny looked over at Ray, still holding Regine and stroking her hair.  “Sure I will.”  He looked down at the grief-stricken widow.  “I’ll make you some hot chocolate,” he offered, to which she absently nodded.

“We’re going to stay here tonight too, Dad,” Lamar said to his father.  “Sophie’s got the baby safe back at HT.”

Rah-Rah patted Malik on the shoulder once more.  “I’ll get on then, myself.”  He hesitantly looked over at Ray.  “Instead of taking the car, you… wanna catch a ride?”

Ray looked at Rah-Rah, somewhat startled.  “Why, sure, Rob; thank you.”

“You two be safe on the roads tonight,” Regine called after them as they headed for the hallway.

“Of course, Aunt Jean,” Rah-Rah said with a small smile; and then they were gone.

Malik came over to his mother, who turned to reach out to him.  “Strange times, huh...?  Three years ago just the sight of Ray caused Rah-Rah to fall off the side of a mountain.  And now they’re driving home together,” he said to no one in particular.

“Yeah, mmhmm,” Regine agreed, patting Malik’s face, then he leaned over and hugged her.

“Oh Ma, I'm gonna miss him,” he murmured then, his voice broken from grief.

“So am I, baby, so am I,” she replied, her broken tone matching his.

******

Jake was halfway to the library, busily examining his prize picture in his cell phone, when it buzzed, letting him know there was an incoming call.  He clicked it open.  “‘Ello Mama…”

Jacqueline’s voice resounded with muffled excitement.  “Jacques!  You must make your move; time is of ze essence- I just heard zat ze Governor of Seattle has just died.”

The news stunned Jake.  “What the- Joe Hill is dead...?  How did you hear zis?” he demanded.

“I have a mole in ze Seattle press.  They haven’t even called ze scoop in yet to their redaction (newsroom).  No one yet knows except for ze Hill family themselves, and ze staff at Crimson Crest.  I do not doubt zat Marquis has not even been informed yet; ze ambulance has not yet carried ze body away.”

“Sacre bleu,” Jake whistled.  “We have no time to waste, zen.”

“Get to work, my son.  Call me when it’s done,” commanded Jacqueline.

“Yes, Mama.”  He shut his phone closed and went back to studying the picture of Kap kissing Melo in the dorm room.  “I’ll call you, Mama- after its done ze way I like it, but of course…!”

******

Marquis was sitting in the library, sipping on a passion-fruit smoothie, intently looking over his Calculus 4 notes when he heard his name called.  Looking up, he saw Carmen coming over to him, schoolbag on one shoulder, and her shoulders bogged down with textbooks.  He smiled to see her so determined.

“Hey baby...!” Carmen said, flinging her books down, pulling off her schoolbag off her shoulder with a groan, and leaning over to kiss her man on the lips.

Marquis responded with grabbing Carmen by the waist and pulling her into his lap; Carmen went down with a yelp, and a loud shushing came from all around them as Marquis planted a steaming kiss on her.  “Whats good, sweetness?” he smiled, his face bowed over hers.  Angelina appeared just then, juggling her schoolbag along with two large bottled waters.  “Hey, Key,” she murmured as she settled in.

“Hey, Angel,” he smiled back.

“It’s nice to see a smile on your face again,” Carmen said, brushing her hair from her face and wrapping her arms around his neck.

“Yeah, I'm feeling a little better about things right now. Especially since Professor Bryant gave me an extension on that Calc-4 mid-term...!” he grinned with relief.

“The take-home test?  When do you have to get it in?” Carmen asked, getting up from Marquis's lap and sitting down next to him, arranging her books into two stacks and taking one of the trays from Angelina, who had a nose buried deep into a textbook.

“In a day or so-” and then his cell phone buzzed.  He reached into his pocket and looked at the incoming call.  “Hold on, it’s my dad again...!” he said with surprise.

“Oh no,” Angelina said, looking up from her study; “the last time he called you we were on our way to the café, and that’s when we heard about Smithers.”

Marquis frowned incredulously at Angelina.  “Naw, it can't be anything serious so soon… Hey Dad, what’s good...?” he asked into the phone.  Seconds later his face paled.

“Oh, no,” choked Carmen, grabbing Angelina on the arm as she stared at her boyfriend’s face slowly grow paler with shock.

“Girl, if he’s about to tell us someone else has died-” Angelina began, her eyes wide.

Marquis looked over at the girls, closing his phone softly.  “I don’t have to tell you anything… go online right now, find any news report.  It’s all there…”

Both girls reached into their schoolbags for their laptops, and logged into the internet.  Right on the Berkeley campus homepage was the caption WASHINGTON STATE GOVERNOR DIES.

Angelina and Carmen gasped in shock.  “NO, oh no, not your Uncle Joe...!” Carmen exclaimed, leaning over and throwing her arms back around Marquis's neck.  Angelina came around and put her arms around them both.

“What in the heck is going ON, Carmen...?” Marquis's said in a muffled tone from underneath the girls’ arms.  “Why are the men in my family just… dying all of a sudden...?”  He extricated one arm to reach up and rub his temple.  “My head hurts,” he added with an absent sigh.

“SSSHHHHHHH,” which came from the lips of one the librarians who was passing by.

Carmen looked up at her best friend.  “Angie- call Kap, tell him to get over here,” she replied in a low tone.

Angelina nodded.  She pulled out her cell and started to call him.  After a few tries, she looked at Carmen, a slight frown across her features.  “He’s not picking up his phone.  I don’t know where he could be,” she whispered.

Carmen pulled back from Marquis and wiped away the moisture from his face, staring into his eyes intently.  “So how long do I have to pack...?  Twenty minutes?”

“My dad… said for me to wait here, that they’d send the jet for me the day before the funeral,” Marquis replied sullenly.

Carmen held her boyfriend’s gaze.  “I see.  So since I know you better than that, we’re leaving tonight anyway.  How are we getting there?”

Marquis stared at Carmen; then he shook his head.  “You’re right, I am leaving right now.  But you guys can't miss class again; so I'm driving by myself.  It won’t take me but 13 hours if I drive straight to Seattle.  I’ll pop some No-Doze or something.  I need a Vodka straight, actually,” he added with a mocking grin.

“Okay, ROAD TRIP!!!” Angelina cried out.

“SSSHHHHHHHH,” said the same librarian who just happened to be passing by again, this time with a stern look upon her face as she pressed one bony finger to her lips.

They looked away quietly until the librarian had passed; then Marquis looked at the girls.  “Come again?” he asked.  “I just said-”

“I thought you knew ME better, baby; at least Angel does,” Carmen pointed out.  “You are NOT driving all the way to Seattle alone, upset as you are.”

“Yeah, you two should sit in the back and let Key get crunk’d out in his grief,” Angelina added; “and Kap and I will drive y'all there.  So we’re coming with.”  She stared worriedly at her cell.  “Why is he not answering his phone...?”

******

There was a knock at Marquis and Kap’s dorm room about thirty seconds after Angelina’s second attempt at reaching her boyfriend.  The doorknob turned, and as the door opened up Melo poked his head into the room.  “Hey Kap, just letting you know that I promised I’d look under my couch and everything, and I didn’t find-”

He stopped short when he caught sight of Kap’s legs, laying halfway behind the door.  Pushing the door open he saw Kap laying just inside, a dark red stain wetting up his tee-shirt, and a large pool of blood right underneath him.

The color paled from Melo’s face as he dropped down beside Kap.  “Aawww man, what the- WHO DID THIS…?” He grabbed Kap’s arm and jerked a bit when he saw Kap’s eyes looking directly at him.  “Kap- can you hear me...?  Who the FUCK did this to you?”

“Hoo…hooch gone crazy, yo… a knife…” Kap managed wheezily, and then his head flopped to one side, his eyes closed.

“Hooch did THIS...?”  Melo cried out, a fury seizing him up as he made to get up and go find the guy, do terrible things to him- then he noticed that Kap had fallen silent.

“Kap…? Kap???”  Fear gripped Melo like a rushing bull; he reached for his cell phone and dialed 911.  “Hello operator?  I need an ambulance to Carter Hall at Berkeley campus, the third floor.  Someone got stabbed…!  Yes ma’am; please hurry…”

He threw the phone to the floor and tried to find something to press against the gushing stain on Kap’s shirt.  He saw a towel nearby and grabbed for it, throwing it on Kap’s chest and pushing down.  The towel reddened quickly and began to get increasingly damp.  “Man o man, Kap….” Melo breathed, angry, frightened tears springing forth to fall down his face.  Staring down at Kap’s unconscious face made a truth hit Melo that sent shockwaves through him; he had actually fallen in love with Kap.  Moreso, he loved Kap more than he had ever loved anyone else in his life.  Up until that moment, having sex with other men were a simple means to an end for Melo, for he always felt that he would settle down with his girlfriend in the end, marry her and have a family of his own, once he won the Heismann trophy and was named MVP of the NFL, concurrently.  But he knew now that none of that would ever matter, if he couldn’t have Kap by his side, in his arms, in his bed forever.

Melo looked at Kap then with renewed eyes. “ Kap… can you hear me, baby…?  I have to tell you… Kap, I love you… please don’t die…please come back to me.”  And the college football star leaned down over the body of the man he loved and sobbed.