Jail's Bait: Time Served (Book 5)

Everyone decided to use the sitting room in the North wing since Danny and Ray were in Joe’s den, and no one really wanted to interrupt that conversation.  By this time there was sporadic yawning through the group as well, the adrenaline everyone had been feeling during the dramatic will reading and the subsequent mini-hostage crisis finally drained.  Regine instructed anyone who wished to go find a room and take a nap- “It’ll be a moment before we can get at that damn Jake, so yall might as well rest up until we have any further info,” she added.

“I’m going to take you up on that,” Ranell said, yawning herself.  “I’ve been going non-stop since getting on the plane back in NY yesterday.”

“Take any bedroom, and we’ll come for you when we hear anything,” Regine said with a tired smile.  They clasped hands, and Ranell headed upstairs.

“Maybe I should catch 20 myself,” Lamar said unexpectedly; “I suddenly can’t seem to keep my eyes open.”

Instantly Malik was at his side, reaching for his arm.  “Let me help you up,” Malik declared.

Lamar stopped and gave Malik a dark look through sleepy eyes.  “Would you give the nursemaid thing a rest tonight,” he asked through gritted teeth.  “I think I can make it upstairs without help.”  For emphasis, he snatched his arm back from Malik, who looked stunned.  Lamar turned and started up the stairs.

“Let him be,” Regine cautioned Malik as he began to follow Lamar.  “Maybe he needs a moment alone to process it all.”

“You don’t understand,” Malik said with exasperation.  “He’s been moving slower and slower for some time now.   We’ve been up all night going from one shock to the other, and now he’s pissed with me on top of all that; Ma, I’m just afraid that all this stress might be too much-”

“Look out,” Marquis suddenly cried out, looking upward.

Malik’s head whipped around just in time to see Lamar, almost to the second floor landing, lose his balance- and began to slowly topple backwards down the stairs.

*****

Meanwhile, Danny and Ray were quietly sitting in the den, with Ray staring at Danny while Danny stared down at his feet.  After another few quiet moments like this, Ray shook his head.  

“Once upon a time, I met a man who took one look at me, and he couldn’t stop staring at my face.  Three years later, I still have that same face… but that same man currently can’t look me in the eye.”

Danny ran his hand over his salt-n-pepper Ceasar haircut, and heaved a great sigh, finally meeting Ray eye to eye, fresh guilt shining in his gaze.

Ray took one look at that, and nodded, his suspicions confirmed.  “So its true… during the five whole minutes you and my twin were trapped in the West wing, he fucked you.”  He stood to his feet, and without warning, spat in Danny’s face.  “Dammit, Danny!  How much more of a slut for my brother can you be?” he asked in disgust.

Danny just sat there, letting the spit drip down his cheek and drip to the floor in a long, sticky line.  Tears of shame filled his eyes and spilled forth, following the spit down to the floor.

Ray stared at Danny for another moment.  “What’s fucked up is, I actually feel guilty about spitting in your face, disrespecting you like that,” he said, angry tears making his eyes glitter- but they didn’t fall.  “You’ve done more than anyone in my life; you got me to stay off the street, I cleaned myself up, and you financed my helping the other homeless here in Seatlle.  I should be honoring you, not spitting on you.  I’m sorry.”

Danny burst into tears, tyring to hold it back.

“But I’m still angry,” Ray went on, “at your lack of self control when it comes to Atreyu.  Do you realize that was the main reason why Joe turned so damn bitter, and decided to destroy his own family...?  You and he were together for almost three years, and then the same night you meet Trey you let him fuck you silly, and then you leave Joe for him on the spot, driving bitterness and anger into the man, which he obviously carried for the rest of his life.  But then Trey dies, and you go into hibernation.  Fast forward ten years.  You meet me, the spitting image of Trey, which helps you finally be able to wake up again.  You convince me to give you a shot at a real relationship.  Three years later, however, you find out that the original copy is still alive, and five minutes after you’re alone with him, you let him fuck you silly, and you leave me on the spot.  Did I miss anything?”

“I haven’t left you-” Danny began, wiping his face.

Ray interrupted him.  “Danny, we’re far too grown for these games.  You’ve already left me, and you and I, and even Trey knows that.  What I want to know is, why do you keep letting this man make you look like a silly whore, when that’s not what you’re really all about?”

Danny looked aghast at Ray but said nothing. 

“You’re such a strong, confident, no-nonsense guy when you wear the Detective badge or when you’re in court,” Ray said; “What is it about my twin brother that makes you lose your common sense and start acting like a damn fool..?  Can you at least give me that much?  I feel I deserve an answer.”

Danny met Ray’s pitying gaze again, wondering inwardly just how he was going to give him one…

*****

It was like time went into slo-motion, watching Lamar’s foot miss the step and cause him to flail backward and begin to fall.

Then time sped up again.  Everyone rushed forward, but with a speed borne from a lover’s fear, Malik bounded up the steps and caught Lamar before his head hit the stairwell- but grabbing onto Lamar made him lose his own balance.  They both would have tumbled down the stairs- but for Marquis and Kap, who reached the pair in seconds and caught hold of them both, giving Malik the chance to right his own balance as they all helped to bring Lamar back down to ground level.

The crowd at the bottom of the stairs moved back as Malik laid Lamar down on the floor.  His eyes were closed and he did not move.  “Lamar,” Malik cried out, shaking his shoulder lightly.

There was no response.

RahRah bent down over Lamar’s face.  “I can’t hear anything,” he said, looking up at Malik with a frown.

Malik bent down and listened to Lamar’s chest.  “He’s breathing,” Malik said after a moment, straightening up, “but it’s so light.  Can someone-”

“Already did, sir,” came Stella’s voice as she came, dressed in a nightgown, up to the group cloistered around Lamar’s quiet form.  “I heard the yell and came running, and I saw you all bring the young master down to the floor.  Did he hit his head?”

“No, I caught him before he could,” Malik said, lines of worry creasing his face; “or, I think I caught him in time… it all seems like a blur now.”

“Well, don’t move him again until the ambulance gets here,” Stella commanded; “just to be on the safe side, of course, sirs and Madame,” she added blushingly.

“Thank you, Stella,” Regine said then; Joe always said that you did seem to be right there whenever we need you most.”

“Part of the job, Madame,” she replied with a courtesy.  “I’ll go watch for the ambulance.”  And then she was gone.

“There’s something about her,” Lionel said with a curious look.  “How long has she worked for you, Regine?  It can’t be more than a year at most.”

“Funny thing, I remember asking her that too,” Regine said, “now come to think of it.  She seemed to just start recently, but she said she’s been with Joe for years.”

“Well, at least she’s a on-hand type of servant,” Lionel added with a smile.

“Sure enough,” Trey added then with a liscentious sigh.  “Those sponge baths…”

“Why isn’t he waking up,” Malik said, cutting through the small talk.  “I swear he didn’t hit his head…” he examined Lamar’s still, pale face.  “Please, Lamar, he prayed, please wake up..!”

*****

Danny looked at Ray, his face stricken- and then he faced him. “I don’t know how to explain,” he began.  “With Joe, I was content for a while.  With you, I felt safe and comforted.  But with Trey- it was like going swimming in the reefs near the Carthages, you know- where any moment the current from the bay could smash you to pieces against the bluffs.  It was wild, it was exciting, it was dangerous, it was unadvisable- but that’s why its called passion, and that’s what I have with Trey- more than I ever felt with anyone, my ex-wife, Joe, even you,” he added sorrowfully.  “Each moment I felt more alive than ever, being with a man like Trey.  And being with him in the sealed room brought it all back.  I shouldn’t have slept with him while I was still in a relationship with you, and that is my burden of guilt.  I will never forgive myself for hurting you.”

Ray nodded.  “I will not turn into Joe, that’s for damn sure,” he said then.  “I regard living life more important than plotting revenge.  The streets made me too tough to be all broken up like a little bitch in pieces about this…” He sighed then.  “Anyway, we shared a good ride, and I will not regret one moment of it- even though it somehow feels like I was just keeping you warm until Trey could make it back,” he added ruefully.  “It’s going to take some time for me to get used to the idea of you and me not being together anymore.”

Danny didn’t know what to say to that, but his reply was distracted by the sound of a helicopter approaching Crimson Crest.  “What in the world is that,” he asked Ray.

“Sounds like a chopper wants to land,” Ray replied with a frown; “let’s go see what fresh hell this is.”

Quickly, Ray and Danny left the den and headed back to the main foyer.

*****

The sound of an approaching helicopter broke the stillness.  “It’s Ma,” Marquis said then, getting to his feet.  “I’ll go get her.”

“Coming with,” Kap said, and he jumped up and followed Marquis out of the front doors, brushing by Stella.  The ambulance is coming up the drive, she informed everyone, as the sound of the chopper grew louder.  In seconds two EMT workers, carrying a stretcher, entered the foyer.

“Over here,” Malik called out.  They came over and began light triage and preparation to take Lamar to Seattle Grace Hospital, radioing in everything they could determine about Lamar’s injuries.

Danny and Ray came running out of the den.  “What’s happened NOW,” Danny asked exasperatedly.  Then he saw Lamar being strapped into the stretcher.  His heart dropped.

“He was on his way to the second floor but just before he reached it, he lost his balance on the stairs,” Malik said then to Danny.  “We caught him before he hit his head, but he’s unconscious anyway.”

Danny came up to the stretcher.  “He’s my son,” he pleaded with the EMT workers; “please do what you can to save him.”

“Of course we will,” the EMT worker said with a firm smile.  “Please excuse us.”  And the EMT workers carried Lamar out of the front door, going past Marquis, Kap and Marquette, who were just entering the foyer.  Marquette was still in her nightdress, dressing robe and bunny slippers, her hair was pulled back from her face with an Alice bow, and thanks to her Creole bloodline she was as pretty as ever, with her young, unblemished face and pouty lips.  She almost looked more like Marquis's older sister than his mother.

“I’m riding with them,” Malik said to everyone; then he rushed past them all and out of the front door.

“What is going on,” Marquette said to them all by way of greeting.  “Why is Lamar going to the hospital?”

“Hello to you too, Quay,” RahRah said then.

Marquette stopped short, looking at RahRah with surprise.  “Hi Robbie,” she said quietly, coming over to kiss him on the cheek.  “Is this another signed visit, or did you get out of OakGrove?”

“I’m officialy out, a little over two weeks ago,” he replied.  “It’s good to see you.”

“Is this why you needed me to get here so fast..?” Marquette turned to her son.  “To tell me about your father?”

“No, Ma,” Marquis replied; “this isn’t about Dad.”  He held out his arm to his mother.  “Let’s take a little walk.”

“Boy, it’s too early in the morning to be playin games,” Marquette replied with irritation.

Marquis, however, simply took his mother by the arm.  “Don’t you want to hear what I inherited from Uncle Joe.?”

Everyone who knew Marquis's mother knew that she was more than a bit impressed with the Hill family money and influence, no matter how much she verbally denied this, and so those who knew her were not disappointed by her reaction.  Greed shone out of her eyes as she snuggled up next to her son.  “Ooohhh,” she demurred, “what do we own now- I mean,” she added with a nervous chukcle, “what do you own now…?”

“I’ll tell you,” Marquis smiled at his mother; “let’s take a walk,” he repeated.

*****

It was 6am.  The ER in the hospital nearest to UC Berkeley was currently quiet and moderately empty.  Currently no one moved in the usually busy room, not even the solitary figure standing by the window, staring out at the break of dawn while her friends slept on nearby couches.

Angelina sighed as she looked at the darkness outside fade slowly, wondering how much longer Carmen was going to take.  Taking on the girl gang was a cinch, especially when the twins showed their skills when it came to protecting themselves and each other.  The whole fight took only about 12 minutes, but during the fight Carmen was kicked in the back and it didn’t start to really hurt her until her adrenaline cooled down, and Angelina just wanted to make sure there was no internal injury.  After they beat the chick flick down, tied them up, and interrogated them into the wee hours of the morning, they found out about the goons sent to back up Jake in Seattle.  Angelina had only just personally met Melo, but since he visited Kap in the hospital a few times, she believed him to have her boyfriend’s best interests at heart.  After both she and Carmen could not get through to anyone up at Crimson Crest on phone nor cell for hours, she acted on a desperate hunch, calling Melo in the middle of the night.  Yet, calling him to help shut Hooch’s goons down turned out to be the best hunch she had ever acted on. Now that she knew (via Melo) that the goons left Seattle, she was able to turn her attentions to the fact that Carmen was wincing with each step for the past couple hours, yet trying to play it off.  Angelina wasted no further time bullying her bff/lover to the hospital, where now she waited while Tyra and Dani slept in two of the couches nearby.  She checked her cellphone for the time, and grew irritated that only two minutes had passed since the last time she had checked it.

“Hey Angel…”

Angelina turned from the window, relief breaking across her face at the sight of Carmen strolling to her acr4oss the floor- but then the relief was quickly replaced by concern at the look on Carmen’s face.  She rushed over.  “What is it..?  Did the doctors say you were hurt inside?”  It was then she noticed that Carmen was holding a bag of what looked like pill bottles.  “Is that pain medication..?”

“No,” Carmen said after a moment; she looked as if she was in terrible pain.  “Vitamins.”

“Vitamins..?” Angelina asked curiously.  “But you look like you want to pass out.”

“I do,” Carmen said absently; “but not from pain.  These are what I’m supposed to take for the first few weeks…”

Angelina looked more confused than ever- then suddenly something dawned in her mind, causing her to grab Carmen by the hand and lead her out the double doors of the ER, preferring to spek with her before they woke up the twins sleeping on the ER couches.

 

Outside in the crisp morning air Angelina stopped by the curb and peered into Carmen’s eyes intently.  “You don’t mean that those are… pre-natal vitamins, do you..?”

Carmen returned her best friend/lover’s look with one just as intense.  “I-I cant even say the ‘P’ word, but… its true.  God, my parents are gonna kill me, but Marquis is gonna be a father.”

*****

Marquis and Marquette walked outside under the waning moon, to the tune of the dawn’s early light.  “Do you think that this is what John Phillip Sousa was seeing when he wrote all those patriotic tunes?” he asked his mother.

“Heaven only knows,” Marquette replied with a certain wonder, patting him on the cheek fondly.  

“Now Marquis, I love you, son, and taking a walk with you is always fun, but this isn’t why you got me up out of my bed in the middle of the night, to walk me about your family’s estate.  What is it?” she asked shrewdly.

“Ma,” Marquis said, “let’s have a talk… about Aunt Jackie.”

“Jackie...?”  Marquette looked at her son with some surprise.  “You’ve never mentioned her before…” Sudden understanding filled her eyes.  “Wait.  You found out she’s the supermodel ‘Jacqueline’, didn’t you,” she guessed- “and now you want me to properly introduce you…?”

“Well, its not that,” Marquis replied; “we’ve met her son.”

“Your cousin Jacques?” Marquette asked, but this time she averted her eyes.

She knows something, Marquis speculated inwardly.  Aloud he replied, “Yes, but he prefers to be called Jake.”

“You didn’t know this, but our grandfather offered to pay her way through life if she would only come and live with him in Paris,” Marquette replied, going somewhat off the subject.  “He only made the offer to spite my father, whom he always hated.  I got the same offer from Grandfather, but I stayed faithful to Father; but Jackie always had dollar signs in her eyes,” Marquette added with a rueful tone, “and she chose the money over us.  Father was so hurt from her choice that that he renounced her as his daughter, and never spoke her name again.  In fact, none of us never really spoke of her after that.  When Jacqueline made a name for herself in the fashion world, I admit I resented her, and I refused all of her attempts to reconcile.  In time she left me and Mother alone, and we all went on with our lives.  I never had a chance to meet Jake.”

“But you were there for her when she first got pregnant, weren’t you,” Marquis said, his hope betraying his nerves.  “When she first found out about it...?”

Marquette seemed startled.  “Why, yes, she came and asked me how to take the home pregnancy test… as her big sister I helped her, and I was the first person to see that the strip turn positive for pregnancy.  I took her to the clinic to get a real test done and tried to help keep this from our parents until she could tell the father about it.”

There was the in-road..!  Marquis took a deep breath and plunged in.  “I don’t think cousin Jake knows who his father is,” he said nonchalantly.

“Really..? I remember being so angry with Jackie, first of all for following in my footsteps,” Marquette exclaimed; “I mean, why did she feel the need to have sex so soon, not to mention who it was with..!”

“Who are you talking about,” Marquis asked, caught up in the moment.

“He’s not a stranger,” she replied, and then she told him who fathered Jake.

Marquis's eyes widened in shock.  “Are you sure,” he asked Marquette.

“Sure, I’m sure,” Marquette replied loftily.  “Jackie knew the consequences of sleeping with him if anyone should find out- I mean breaking up friendships were bad enough; and secondly, to be so inconsiderate as to get pregnant, knowing that I already had you as a toddler in our cramped house…!  You were just reaching the terrible two’s… it was chaos in the house as it was, and to add another burden to us- I was so angry with her.”

But Marquis had stopped listening to her.  “I-I’m sorry, Ma,” he interrupted her, kissing her on the cheek- “but we’ve got to go back to the manor.”

And with one arm guiding her, Marquis turned himself and his startled mother on the spot, and headed back for the main house.

*****

Angelina gulped in shock- finding out that Carmen was pregnant was the last thing she expected to hear when she emerged from the back rooms of the ER.

Carmen, however, went on tonelessly.  “Apparently it’s been twelve weeks so far.  I didn’t even notice that I missed two periods.”

“Well, with everything that’s been going on,” Angelina remarked then, pulling back from Carmen and sitting down on the raised pavement lining the driveway with a dazed look on her face now, “I see how we both missed you not getting your period.  I’ve been getting mine, I just assumed you were getting yours too.”  She paused, looking closely at Carmen.  “How do you feel about all this...?”

Carmen stared at Angelina; then she frowned.  “I’m still trying to process… it’s not that I’m not happy… or worried about money; Marquis is this kid’s father, so he- or she- will be the heir to a tremendous fortune.  It’s just… I don’t know if I’m ready to be a mother right now,” Carmen confessed.  “We all graduate in a few months, and none of us are settled into our careers yet...  this is the worst time on earth for Marquis and I to have a baby.”

“Well, its like you just said,” Angelina countered; “the baby is one of the Hill family.  There will be nannies and all sorts of help-”

“I will not raise my child through a bunch of servants,” Carmen replied, her tone fierce.  “Don’t get me wrong, I love little Jamara, but she’s practically being raised by Sophie the nanny.  Be honest, Angel- when’s the last time you even saw the girl around Malik or Lamar..?”

“You have a point, and I understand why you want to wait until you can be a full time mother before you have a baby,” Angelina said then. “Are you thinking of terminating, then..?”

“Oh god, I haven’t thought that far ahead,” Carmen agonized, putting her hands to her head.  “I can’t make any decisions like that yet...!”

“You are going to tell Marquis about all this, aren’t you..?” Angelina asked.

Carmen sighed, running one frustrated hand through her hair.  “Of course.  I have to tell Marquis that he’s going to be a father… but this isn’t something you say over the phone.”

Angelina nodded.  “I know, so you’re gonna have to relax now for the time being.  The boys will be back from Seattle soon, maybe even today.”

Carmen sighed, turning around to stare at the distant treetops.  “Are you so sure..?  Especially with all this business with Jake going on..!  Who knows what that psychopath could really be capable of..?”

There was a small gasp from Angelina.

“What is it,” Carmen said, turning back to her girlfriend- and instant fear made her heart dropped into her stomach.

Jake, dressed in a white dress shirt, black slacks and a red tie, was standing over Angelina, who had fallen unconscious to the ground, a red mark on her neck.  Carmen saw that Jake was holding a syringe in his hand, and around his neck he wore the same kind of medallion that she knew belonged to the Hill family crest.  He was grinning, a dreadfully hideous grin.  “Were you just asking what I could really be capable of..?” he asked.

“Jake, leave me alone,” Carmen said, backing up and assuming a fight stance.  “You don’t want to hurt me right now.”

“Is that what you think..?  That I don’t want to hurt you..?” Jake’s grin seemed then to be just that much closer to insane, which made the hair rise on Carmen’s neck in apprehension.

“Listen, Jake,” Carmen attempted to say, “the rules just changed.  Look,” she said, thrusting the bag of pre-natal vitamins she still held into his face.  “I’m p-pregnant, the doctor just told me, just now.  I’m still in a bit of shock about it, personally.”

“So I heard, while I was listening to you and Angel.”  Jake’s eyes narrowed as he stared at her for a moment, and then laughed- a weird, creepy laugh that made Carmen step back.  “You people always throw me a bone.  Come with me if you want to live,” he added, reaching into his back pocket and holding up a .38 revolver straight at Carmen’s head.