Jail's Bait: Time Served (Book 5)

Deciding that the bad news about Joe made any further study impossible, the group at the library packed up their things and headed out into the night, Marquis opting to walk the girls back to their dorm through the large palm trees spotting across the campus.  “It’s just that I want some time by myself to process about Uncle Joe, is all,” he explained as they left the library and started back across the quad.  Summer’s scent was still hanging in the air. 

“If we leave you alone and you go off on your own,” Carmen threatened. 

“Baby, I’m not walking you to your dorm just so I could sneak off campus and back to Seattle,” Marquis promised, a small smile decorating his features.  “I promise that when I go, you’ll be by my side.” 

“I call shotgun,” Angelina suddenly declared. 

Marquis and Carmen both laughed.  “I don’t think Kap’s gonna like you sitting in front for 13 hours while he crouches in the back,” Carmen said archly. 

“Hey, remember we’ll be the ones driving; you guys are gonna get all shitfaced in the back,” Angelina countered smoothly.  “Its-” she suddenly frowned, her eyes going distant.  “What’s that light over there...?” she asked, pointing. 

They all turned towards the direction indicated and finally noticed the strange flashing lights.  “That looks like ambulance lights,” Carmen finally managed.  “Not from Campus infirmary… that’s a real ambulance...!” 

Marquis stared closer- and then his eyes grew wide.  “That’s over by Carter Hall- my dorm...!  I wonder what an ambulance had to come on campus for...?” 

“Let’s go see,” Carmen said then, grabbing Marquis's hand and pulling him onward, Angelina curiously following after. 

There was a fair-to-medium sized crowd gathered in the darkness by the ambulance as they neared Carter Hall.  Everyone was standing around, looking curiously at the double glass doors which led inside the dorm.  Marquis and the girls moved right up to the back of the swelling ranks.  “They must have gone inside already to get whoever it is that’s hurt,” Carmen observed. 

“They’re coming out!” came a voice ringing from the crowd. 

Everyone turned to see the EMT’s carrying through the double doors someone strapped in a gurney and with medical bags full of clear liquid covering the reddish upper part of the sheet.  Following this emerged a tall, broad-shouldered form, covered in what looked like blood all over his clothing.  The crowd gasped en masse. 

“Hey, that’s Melo Johnson, the Grizzlies quarterback...!” Carmen exclaimed, standing on tiptoe to look.  “The twins know him, he dates their cheer squad leader.” 

Campus security swarmed around the football star, trying to get him to talk to them.  Melo, however, seemed to be searching the crowd… until his eyes focused on something over near where the girls and Marquis stood.  He dove into the crowd then, pushing past people who screamed and leapt out of his way, afraid to get any of that blood on them.  A wave opened up in the onlookers as Melo charged through until he came face to face with a startled Marquis.  “There you are,” Melo began, his chest heaving. 

“What the-” Marquis began. 

“Marquis,” Melo spoke, his voice trembling- “it’s Kap.  He was stabbed.” 

The air seemed to rush out of Marquis's lungs and for a second he couldn’t understand what Melo was saying, it sounded like he was speaking from under water.  Carmen screamed.  Angelina, however, dropped her books and darted forward through the crowd, pushing people out of her way.  “Kap...?  KAP????” she screamed into the night as the ambulance doors swung shut, having finally gotten their passenger on properly. 

Marquis's focus sharpened back to normal as the realization hit him hard; Kap was stabbed...!  Taking his and Carmen’s books and placing them over by where Angelina dropped hers, he grabbed Carmen’s hand.  “MOVE,” he yelled to the group of frightened students, who melted out of their way as the two rushed forward. 

“Somebody stop the ambulance,” several people in the crowd yelled out as they made way for the frantic Angelina, who panicked when she saw the EMT’s get back into the front cab and slam shut their doors.  They didn’t move yet, however.  Hope giving her strength, she used the last of it to push her way through the knot of people to the front of the ambulance.  The EMT’s were honking the horn and appeared to be shouting for the people to clear. 

Jumping in front of the unit and waving her arms, she stopped short- startled by the sight of the Hill twins, Tyra and Danielle, dressed in their cheer uniforms and standing in front of the ambulance’s grill, arms folded and smiling in identical prose.  “We figured we’d stay in front of the wheels until you guys got over here,” Tyra smiled pleasantly in greeting. 

“Go take care of your man,” Danielle added. 

“Thanks yall,” Angelina cried, and she dashed to the back of the ambulance. 

Danielle smiled after her, and then in a loud voice she called to the EMT’s, “Let her in the back, she’s his fiancée.” 

“Will you finally MOVE then if we let her in...?” the exasperated EMT driver asked. 

“Sure, we just had to wait until your passenger’s friends got here, is all,” Danielle cried back.  “Have a safe journey!!!”  And the twins waved to the exasperated EMT’s and walked in identical strides towards the back of the cab. 

By this time Angelina had made her way to the back and opened the door, gasping when she saw the prostrate form.  She got up into the back and crouched over Kap, who was laying strapped down in the gurney, hooked up to tubes, clear plastic medical bags on his chest, his face covered with an oxygen mask.  Tears splashed down her cheeks as she caressed his unconscious face. 

From behind the crowd, Jake pushed his way to the front to observe the scene before him with a sort of arch curiosity.  Just as he was about to move forward he spotted Marquis and Carmen making their way through the crowd; he slid back into the crowd, unseen as Carmen broke free of the crowd and jumped into the back of the ambulance, followed by Marquis; Melo reemerged from the crowd and was immediately accosted by the swarm of campus security, who wanted answers. 

Inside the ambulance, Marquis's face paled when he saw his best friend and lover laying there so still, so quiet… all three joined hands, Angelina’s free hand on Kap’s arm and Marquis's free hand on Kap’s forehead, their heads bowed down, together in their grief. 

The twins finally reached the back of the cab.  “Hey guys,” Danielle said then, “they won’t pull off until two of you get out.  Only one can ride with.” 

“I’ll follow you guys,” Angelina said then before anyone could speak. 

Carmen and Marquis turned to her incredulously.  “Are you sure,” Carmen asked her girlfriend. 

“Yeah, Marquis should go,” Angelina said.  “I’ll call his mother, Ms, Cheyenne.  Come on, Carm.”  She and Carmen climbed out of the back, Angelina pausing to kiss her boyfriend on the forehead while Carmen kissed Marquis.  The girls jumped out of the ambulance and Danielle and Tyra closed the doors.  The ambulance let out its alert whine, which blasted the group back a bit as they drove off. 

The girls all turned to each other as the crowd began to disperse.  “What now,” Tyra asked them; “should we take my car?” 

“Not just yet,” Angelina said, turning around and snatching the shirt front of the guy standing right behind her, yanking him close; Carmen and the twins gasped. 

“Hey!!” Melo cried, a bit off balance from the surprise grip.  “What the-” 

“Was it you...?” Angelina asked, her words lashing the air like a cold whip.  “Did you stab my man...?” 

“No-no, I found him laying just inside the dorm room,” Melo replied calmly.  “I called 911.” 

“Did he say anything, like who did this...?” she asked, her eyes glaring and intense. 

“He said something about Hooch, and then he passed out,” Melo responded, deciding at that moment to not protect that punk-ass nigga… 

“Hooch...?  The campus thug?” Carmen asked, her eyes wide. 

Melo nodded.  “Look, I’m madd cool with Kap.  I wouldn’t wish what Hooch did on him towards anyone,” he said to Angelina; she glared at him for another moment, and then released his shirt.  It was then that she realized that she was clutching to the part of his shirt that had Kap’s blood on it.  She stared at her hand, stained red from Melo’s shirt.  She began to walk away- not towards her own dorm, but towards Carter Hall, without a word. 

“Hey, where are you going,” Carmen asked with a frown as Angelina walked up the front steps of the men’s dorm and kicked the swinging doors open, stalking inside. 

“You’d better go clean up before Necie sees that,” Tyra warned Melo.  “You know, your girlfriend may be head Cheerleader, but she’s a mess at the sight of blood.” 

“I know that’s right,” Melo said then, heading back to the dorm himself.  “Tell Kap that we’re praying for him.”  And with that he was gone. 

Carmen looked around.  “We dropped our school-things over there somewhere,” she said, searching the dark area. 

“I’ll go get em,” Tyra responded, turning and heading off towards the spot Carmen pointed out. 

“I’ll go get Angel, and we’ll meet you by your car,” Carmen told Danielle.  “Be right back.”  And she headed for the men’s dorm and went in. 

Jake stepped from behind a nearby bulletin board then, tapping one finger on his chin, pondering his next move.  He suddenly snapped his fingers with inspiration; he headed for the roadway out of campus while dialing on his cell phone.  “Hello, I need a taxi to ze nearest hospital from UNC Berkeley, and I need it now!!”  He slammed the phone shut as he reached the main gates, sat on a giant stone marker, and waited. 

******

Hooch was crouched on the rooftop of Carter Hall, silently observing the scene from below.  He had a small grin on his face when he saw the gurney carry out Kap.  Maybe that bitch’ll keep his fuckin lips to himself next time, he thought darkly. 

Hooch knew he wasn’t as good looking as someone like Kap, and he also knew that he wasn’t as popular; most people seemed to fear him, which is how he liked things, anyway.  But for all people to be drawn to that cookie-cutter type of college-boy looks, did it have to be Melo...?  Melo was his, he lived for each morning to wait in the 3rd floor stall until Melo would show up… sucking that dick, drinking that nutt…. That was all that Hooch wanted every day, looked forward to every night… up until a week or so ago, Melo was even starting to let him drink his piss, every drop- and then he would suck him back to stiffness to get at that delicious jism.  No one at home in Compton knew that he was on the low, and those few niggas that he had fucked with back home every so often, he simply killed afterwards, just in case they wanted to play kiss-and-tell on him one day.  Once he got his nutt, he didn’t give a shit for those dudes, anyway.  He didn’t give a shit for anyone or anything…. 

Until he hooked up with Melo. 

That roofie that Melo originally slipped him didn’t work on him, of course; he grew up doing harder drugs than that- prescription drugs, coke, crack, hard liquors… some over-the-counter drug mix wouldn’t give him anything but a slight buzz.  When he realized that Melo was trying to drug him so that they could fuck, he drank the mix, gave Melo a hot night of sex, and then confessed that he knew all about the roofie the next day.  Instead of Melo getting upset that he was busted, he struck a deal with Hooch; and from then on, they met in the 3rd floor men’s room each morning at 6am so Hooch could suck off Melo’s early morning wood.  But he stopped chilling with Hooch the day he accused Melo of wanting Kap; the morning bathroom breaks stopped, no reason given.  Hooch absolutely KNEW it was about that nigga Kap, and now he got his revenge.  He thought Melo felt the same way he did...!  Well, now that Kap was out of the way, Melo would come back- 

“So you like using knives, huh?” 

Hooch turned around to see two flashes- then THUNK! THUNK! 

Pain shot through both arms as Hooch fell to the ground writhing, in much-too-much pain to even yell out.  Eyes ground shut from the agony, he wrenched them open to see in his horror that the hilt of a switchblade was sticking out right underneath his shoulder-blade.  A twin pain caused him to realize that another hilt was sticking out from underneath the shoulder-blade of his other arm...!   Looking around, he saw a girl standing right behind him, looking down on his wriggling form.  “GGRRrrrgghh,” he cried as he tried to raise his arm. 

“I carry those blades, one in each hip pocket,” the girl said casually.  “Originally they belonged to two of my cousins.  They’re both doing time at WA State; the charge- assault with a deadly weapon.”  She regarded him clinically.  “You see, the more dangerous men in my family like to carry switchblades.  We make our own.  Grind the blades down to razor-slices, and we dip the ends in salt.  That seems to enflame the wound for some reason.” 

Hot fire flashed up and down Hooch’s arms, and underneath the horrible pain, a strange numbing feeling began to creep down towards his hands. 

“By now, you should start noticing that you might not be able to move your fingers,” she went on in a cold voice as she stared out into the moonlit night.  “If I threw the blades properly, I just severed the main nerves to your arms, and they may not be able to be mended.  That would depend, of course, on how fast the ambulance got back here to get you back to the hospital for surgery.  Of course, I know no one knows you’re up here, and I’m not telling them where to find you, of course; I don’t want you to get better.” She knelt down, leaned in and whispered into his ear, “I want you to always remember that the last thing you did with those arms was almost kill my boyfriend.  I want you to always remember that with all your scary thug swagger, a little ol’ girl like me… just crippled you- for life.  So go on, cry for help- lose what little manhood you got left, ASSHOLE,” Angelina screamed- and then she flicked dirt in his face, got up from her knees, dusted herself off, and walked away. 

“Oh yeah, by the way,” she said as she paused at the rooftop door, “you can keep those blades.  No fingerprints.  Homemmade.  No way to track.  So, that’s it then; and ¡¡Espero usted la jodienda muere!! (I hope you fucking die!)”  And with Hooch groaning and giving her a look mixed of shock and hatred, she closed the door behind her. 

******

“Where have you been,” Carmen asked as they ran into each other on the third floor. 

“Had to take care of something,” Angelina replied casually as they began to head back downstairs. 

Carmen looked at her girlfriend askance, but said nothing. 

******

Marquis sat alone in the ER waiting room as the doctors performed emergency surgery on Kap.  He had called Lamar to tell him about Kap, and asked him not to let anyone else know because of the present tragedy at hand; so, naturally, the whole family had called back so far to check up on him and ask about Kap’s progress.  It was apparent to him that they each felt like Kap was as much a member of the family as Marquis was.  Even though Marquis had only called Lamar five minutes ago, his dad Rah-Rah had just called him to let him that Ray had already called Ms. Cheyenne and everything, and she was already on her way to the airport to catch the Hill family jet down to LA.  They love him as much as I do, Marquis said, his eyes filling up with tears once again as the fear of losing him kept hitting him hard and fast.  I can’t lose you, Marquis cried in the silence of his soul; you’re my best friend, my lover, my whole life… don’t leave me, Kap… 

“Are you okay?” 

Marquis looked up.  Jake stood there, eyes filled with sympathy.  He bent down to give a hug to Marquis, who clung to him gratefully.  “You are always feeling the need to comfort me lately,” he managed, pulling back from Jake and wiping his face. 

“Zat is no problem, mon ami (my friend), he replied, sitting down next to Marquis.  “You took me under your wing when I first showed up to school; you befriended me when no one else would.  I do not forget that.  But here we are, waiting on news of your best friend...!  How zis must tear you apart...!” 

“You have no idea,” Marquis replied absently, wondering if the last time that he kissed Kap would be… the last time.  Fresh tears filled his eyes.  “He was more than a friend to me.” 

Jake seemed to hesitate, then he reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone.  “Here’s something I think you should see,” he said, eyes filled with mock concern. 

Marquis looked at him.  “What is it,” he asked. 

Jake turned away as if on cue.  “Well, I don’t know if this is the right time, mon ami (my friend)…” 

“Hey, the surgery’s gonna take some time,” Marquis reassured Jake.  “I’m not going anywhere… so shoot.” 

Before Jake could continue, the automatic doors by the front swooshed open and Carmen, Angelina, and the twins came walking in.  Carmen came running over to Marquis, frowning slightly when she saw Jake.  “Baby, what’s going on?” 

“He’s still in emergency surgery,” Marquis replied.  “Someone will come out when they finish.”  He looked over at Angelina.  “No need to call his mother, now; I told like one person in my family and they put out freakin’ smoke signals.  My dad said that Kap’s mom is flying here on the family jet even as we speak.” 

“Thanks,” Angelina said, squeezing Marquis's hand. 

“Did you guys find out who did this...?” Marquis said, his eyes glazing with rage.  Jake looked up with curiosity. 

The doors swooshed open again; they saw Melo Johnson come in and rush over.  “He’s still in surgery, then?” 

“For the moment,” Marquis replied, a slight frown on his face. 

“I changed my shirt and gave a statement to campus security.  I was the one who found him,” he explained to Marquis. “He said that Hooch had a knife.”  The silent accusation was implicit even in the air. 

“Hooch…?” Marquis's brows knotted into anger.  “That thugg nigga...?  Wait til I get back to-” 

“-Hol up, Key,” Agnelina interrupted; “I took care of it.” 

They all looked at her.  Carmen half-smiled at her girlfriend.  “Well, yeah, Angel, calling the cops is like taking care of things, but-” 

“That aint what I meant,” Angelina frowned, giving Marquis a direct look.  “Look at me, Key- I…. TOOK… CARE…OF…IT.” 

Marquis stared at Angelina for a silent moment.  As if a sudden beam of understanding shot between the two, Angelina nodded once.  Marquis, eyes all intense, nodded back. 

“What the-” Carmen started to say, clearly confused. 

“Hey, can you guys let me talk to my girl and Angel alone for a moment, if that’s cool,” Marquis said to the group. 

Jake, Melo and the twins moved out to the ice maker area, Jake stopping a second to tie his shoelace, then joining the others.  Carmen turned to Marquis.  “What’s up?” 

Marquis looked around to see if the coast was clear, and then put his finger to his lips, his eyes on Carmen.  “Angel got Hooch back.” 

Carmen turned back to her girlfriend, eyes wide in surprise- and then they narrowed in suspicion.  “Where are your blades...?” 

Angelina stared back at Carmen, just as intently.  “Lost em.” 

Carmen looked at her, instantly horrified as the secret truth set in.  Turning to Marquis, she saw him nod in confirmation- and then put his finger back to his lips.  “She lost em, and that’s all there is to say,” he confirmed, his eyes intense again. 

Carmen turned back to Angelina, putting her hand on the girl’s arm, her eyes blazing also. 

“He’s my goddamed boyfriend,” Angelina said softly, with a hint of dark underneath the soft.  “I couldn’t just stand by.” 

“Aint nothing more to say,” Carmen declared, kissing her girl on the cheek.  “So how long do you think the surgery is going to last,” she asked loudly as Marquis indicated for the others to rejoin them. 

“I don’t know, the doctor says they’ll come out when they finish,” Marquis replied.  He turned to Melo.  “Thanks for finding him, he might not have been found as quickly if you weren’t walking by...!  I owe you.”  He held out his hand to shake. 

“Its nothin,” Melo mumbled; “you don’t owe me nuthin.”  And without taking Marquis's hand, Melo turned back towards the double doors that led to the back of the hospital and the operating rooms. 

Unnoticed by everyone at that moment, Jake reached down and picked up his cell phone he had left by Marquis's chair while he was pretending to tie his shoelace, and clicking the END button on the record feature… 

“It looks like it’s about to rain,” Carmen observed then, glancing out of the large plate-glass windows.  “You guys don’t really have to stick around, you can go back to the dorms,” she said to the twins, Jake and Melo; “we’re going to stay here, and his mom will be here in another hour… so, we’ll keep you posted.” 

“Yeah, after they release Kap we’ll just stay at the beach house until he’s back on his feet,” Marquis added. 

The twins turned to head for the door.  “Need a ride, Jake,” Danielle asked. 

Jake hesitated.  “Sure; merci (thanks).”  He turned back to Marquis.  “Please do not hesitate if you should need my service.” 

“Thanks Jake,” Marquis replied gratefully.  “Oh, wait a moment, wasn’t there something you were trying to tell me?” 

“That… can wait for now,” Jake said, slightly reddening, his knuckles whitening on his cell phone. 

“You coming, Melo,” Tyra asked.  “I know Necie is gonna want to hear this from you…” 

Melo nodded.  “Oh yeah, I’d better let her know about what happened before she up and thinks I was the one who got stabbed.” 

The twins kissed Marquis and the girls, and left through the automatic doors, followed by Jake, who looked very busy with his cell phone.  Melo paused before Angelina and Marquis.  “You guys keep your head up.  Keep me posted, would you?” 

Marquis nodded.  

Angelina patted Melo on the arm.  “Sorry about going all commando on you earlier,” she said by way of apology. 

“No prob,” Melo said with a smile; “I’d feel the same way.”  He turned away from them.  I DO feel the same way, he said to himself, his heart swelling with agony from keeping up the pretense that his interest here was nothing more fulfilling his role of Good Samaritan.  Sighing inwardly, he went through the automatic doors after the twins. 

Once the three of them were left, Marquis, Carmen and Angelina silently fit themselves on the bench which faced directly from the double doors leading to the back.  Settling themselves into each other, they sat there, Carmen’s head on Marquis’s shoulder, Angelina’s head on Carmen’s other shoulder, all three hugged up as one unit; not saying anything, just staring at the double doors, waiting…