Jail's Bait: Time Served (Book 5)

Tyra and Danielle awoke with a start simultaneously. Sitting up, they looked around and immediately realized that something was wrong.  “You don’t think Carmen’s still in the back, do you,” Danielle asked with a frown.

“No,” Tyra replied to her twin; “but something’s wrong; come on.”  She pulled her twin along with her and they headed towards the double doors, which swung open when they passed beneath it.

“Jesus,” Danielle gasped as the twins spotted Angelina lying unconscious on the ground.  They rushed up to her, crouching down as Tyra pulled at her arm, and clearly saw the reddish wet spot circling a syringe prick just above the crook of her arm.

“Who would do this...?” Danielle asked in a fright.

“I dunno,” Tyra replied, reaching into her pocket, “but we gotta let the boys know.”  And with that she pulled out her cellphone and started looking for Kap’s number.

* * * * *

Dawn was coloring the farthest mountaintops when Marquis and Marquette returned to the mansion.  “How’s Uncle Mar,” he asked Kap when they got back inside.

“Well, I don’t know,” Kap replied, presently yawning.  “Malik, Uncle Danny and your dad went with the ambulance to Seattle Grace, and asked the rest of us to just sit tight until they have further news.”  Kap sighed.  “Everyone else went to lay it down for a while.  Here’s your phone,” he added, tossing Marquis his cellphone and looking down at his own.  “I have a few messages from Angel on here, I was just about to check em.”

“Ma, thanks for the walk,” Marquis said, turning to his mother; “please take one of the rooms upstairs if you need to finish up your sleep.”

Marquette yawned unexpectedly then, running a hand through her luxuriant hair.  “I’ll take you up on that, son,” she smiled tiredly.  “Should I let a maid know or something?”

“I’ll take you upstairs,” said Stella, who appeared out of nowhere.  “It’s part of my job, madame.  Right this way,” she instructed, starting up the stairwell.

Marquette kissed both her son and Kap.  “Let me know if Lamar’s okay,” she added before following the maid upstairs.  “You know, there might have been a moment in time that if I had seen him first, Lamar might have been your dad…” she chuckled as she turned and went upstairs after Stella.

He smiled, wondering what life would have been like as Lamar’s son instead of RahRah’s…. “I see Carmen was trying to reach me too,” Marquis exclaimed aloud, absently looking at his cell; “they’re both probably asleep now, it’s so early in the morning.”

“So,” Kap said to Marquis as they marched out the foyer and got into one of the vacant cars parked by the driveway, “did your moms have a clue as to which one of the three is Jake’s father..?”

“Yeah,” Marquis said, jumping into the drivers’ seat and flipping on the motor while Kap settled into the passenger’s side.   “That’s why we gotta get to the hospital.”  And they drove away while he filled Kap in on what his mother told him during their walk of the grounds.

Kap let out a low whistle.  “Sonavabitch,” he exclaimed in surprise; “well, that settles it then, doesn’t it...?  Jake is more to you than just your aunt’s son.  How do you feel about that...?”

“Umm, let’s see; I just found out a while ago that he was my first cousin on my mother’s side…. like I really need another connection to him...?” Marquis muttered darkly.

Just then a loud buzz came from Kap’s cellphone.  “What the-” he spluttered, reaching for it and looking at the face.  “It’s Tyra,” he said curiously.  He put the phone to his ear. “Hey Tyra, what’s going on..?  …WHAT?  That’s right, French-Flake Jake mentioned that shit to us a little while ago.”  There was a pause.  “Are yall okay?”  Another pause.  “Okay, is she okay...?”  Yet another pause.  “What the fuck...?”

Marquis glanced over at Kap to see the look of horror on his face.  “Call the cops,” Kap said shakily then, “and please wait with Angel; when she comes to, call me back.”  He hung up then phone then.  “You won’t believe this,” he said.

“What happened,” Marquis asked with growing apprehension.

“Remember Jake telling us he sent goons after the girls...?  Well, they jumped em right at the Bell Tower,” Kap told him.

Marquis's hands gripped the steering wheel more vehemently.  “He really sent a group of chicks after the girls..?  OUR girlfriends..?”

“Yeah, but check this out,” Kap added; “according to Tyra, the joke was on them bitches; the twins get down just as dirty as Carmen and Angel when it comes to fightin.  They beat them bitches’ asses and tied em up.”

“THAT’S MY GIRL,” Marquis whooped as they reached a red light and the car slowed down.

“Hol up- turns out, that’s why the goons here at Crimson Crest bounced,” Kap went on.  “Angel and Carm interrogated the goon-chicks, and found out about Jake’s deal with Hooch.  She called up the only person she knew might be able to help her out in the middle of the night- Melo.”

“Melo...?”  Marquis looked askance at Kap.  “Interesting…” The light turned green again and Marquis continued to drive.

Kap averted his eyes, going on.  “What Angel don’t know is that Melo and Hooch were fucking around on the low,” he replied; “I caught em in the bathroom in the dorm early one morning.”

Marquis gulped with surprise.  “WHAT? Melo and Hooch..?  Say it aint so...!”

“Yeah man,” Kap went on, “and that’s why Melo was the best person Angel could call, and she didn’t even know it.  He went and made Hooch call his goons off right away.”

“That’s why they just up and bounced on Jake way up here in Seattle...? Wow,” he whistled; “makes sense now, I suppose.”

“There’s more to that Melo stuff, Marquis, but it can wait,” Kap went on, his tone turning serious.  “There’s more.”

“Anything else happened?  No one got injured, did they?” Marquis asked with concern as they turned onto the highway, which led straight to the hospital.

“Angel made Carmen go get checked out after the interrogation,” Kap answered.  “They all went to the ER at the hospital near the campus.  Anyway, while Carmen was in the back Tyra and Dani fell asleep on the couches.  When they woke up a few minutes ago, they didn’t see anyone, so they went outside and found Angel on the ground, with a needle hole in her arm.  Next to her was a bag of… prenatal vitamins.”

“What the-” Marquis spluttered then. “Angel’s okay, isn’t she?”

Kap’s eyes were grim.  “The twins took her back into the ER, she’s being monitored now with an I.V.  The attending doctor told them that she was injected with a sleep drug, and she won’t wake up until they can flush it out of her.”

Marquis frowned.  “But- you said they found prenatal vitamins next to her.  They don’t just hand out girls prenatal vitamins at the hospital unless a girl’s had a blood test and…” his eyes found his best friend’s eyes.  “Kap, does that mean Angel’s…?”

“No, Key,” Kap said evenly; “you gotta hear me on this… the bag had Carmen’s name on it.”

Marquis’s eyes grew wide once the pieces slowly fell into place.  “Carmen’s name was on the bag..?  That means she’s…”

Kap laid one hand on Marquis's shoulder.  “I know she would have wanted to tell you this herself, but under the circumstances… looks like you’re gonna be a daddy.”

“Oh my god,” Marquis said then, his face pale as he attempted to hold the steering wheel straight. “But wait… where’s Carmen…?  Who injected Angel with a sleep drug- awww shyt,” Marquis said then as the truth hit him at last, “It’s Jake.  He took her.”

Kap shook his head incredulously. “I agree he’s a slick sunavabitch, but no WAY could he have gotten back to Oakland from Seattle that fast, not from a ‘copter…!”

Marquis shook his head to disagree.  “He left here a while ago, he could have flown straight to the airport and had a jet standing there- he’s got the Hill family money and power behind him now.  He could have gotten straight to the hospital, especially if he called up Hooch and found out why the goons left Seattle and where the girl goons went… DAMNIT,” Marquis said, almost swerving them off I-5; “we underestimated this guy at every step.  And now he’s got my girl and possibly my… my unborn child somewhere, and I don’t even know how to find him…!”

“I have an idea on that one,” Kap soothed Marquis with his hand on the back of his neck, trying to keep him calm, “but first we need his father on board.”  They could now see the tops of the white columns of the hospital in the distance. 

“We’ll be at Seattle Grace in another five minutes,” Marquis replied grimly; “then we’ll see about Jake once and for all.”

* * * * *

Seattle Grace hospital was just as quiet as the hospital near Berkeley campus where Angelina currently lay unconscious.  The ER receptionist absently lounged about, one pencil stuck in the bun in her hair, patiently waiting for accident victims, women in labor, or any other type of trauma that may come through the doors.  About ten minutes beforehand did something lively happen- the ER doors burst open and two EMT’s brought in an unconscious male patient strapped to a gurney, followed by three of the man’s family members; the gurney was promptly hustled to the back.  At present one of the relatives sat quietly on a chair (ER staff refused to allow all three family members in the exam room at once), and the receptionist, disappointed at the rapid finish to the earlier event, settled herself back into bored silence.

The doors opened up then, and the receptionist looked up expectantly, only to see two apperntly healthy and extremely attractive young African-American men appear, and make a bee-line for the man sitting alone in the waiting room.  They must all drink from the fountain of phyne, she sighed, noting that they must somehow be related.

The man sitting in the waiting room looked up to see his son and his son’s lover approach.  “Danny and Malik are in the back with Lamar,” RahRah informed Marquis and Kap.  “They could only let in two visitors at a time,” he added as the boys sat down.  “They still haven’t been able to wake Lamar up.”

“Dad,” Marquis began, “I think that’s horrible- but we have to act fast.  Jake knocked out Angelina and took Carmen.”

RahRah jumped to his feet. “Are you serious..?” he gasped as the receptionist looked up hopefully.  “Do you know where he took her?”

“Not yet,” Marquis replied, “but I did find out what we needed to learn from Ma…” he stared at his father.

RahRah caught the look- and his eyes widened.  “You mean,” he managed, “she told you how Jake’s father is, didn’t she..?”

Marquis nodded.  “It turns out that you are more related to Jake than you originally thought,” he said.

* * * * *

The nurse was monitoring Lamar’s vitals as Malik and Danny looked on helplessly.  “His doctor will be here in another five minutes,” the nurse was saying; “he’ll be able to give you a better evaluation; for now, we’ve got Mr. Hill as comfortable as possible.”

“Thank you, nurse,” Danny replied.  She nodded sympathetically and left the exam area, leaving Malik and Danny alone with the quiet form.

Malik had not spoken for a while, his eyes were only on Lamar’s face. He took one of Lamar’s limp hands and stared at Lamar.  “I’m trying to reach him,” Malik whispered to Danny.  “Remember that time when RahRah and I were trapped in the Carthages...?  Lamar mentally reached out to me, and that’s how he led you guys right to where I was, to the exact cave.”  Tears filled his eyes, spilling forth.  “He reached me, so why can’t I reach him now...?”

Danny reached over and patted one hand on Malik’s shoulder.  “Have faith, Malik; he’ll wake up.”

“How do you know…?” Malik asked, little-boy like.

“Because,” Danny said then, smiling at his son through tears of his own, “I’m his father and this is an order; he has no other choice but to wake up.  He knows I won’t accept anything else… and my son has never disappointed me.”

Just then Dr. Martin, the physician treating Lamar’s illness, appeared, dressed in screubs and a white doctor’s coat.  “Hello Malik, Danny,” he greeted them as he picked up Lamar’s chart and began to examine it.  “I left a voice message for you last night.  What a coincidence that you guys show up here this morning…!”

“Doctor, what’s wrong with my dude,” Malik asked then with wide-eyed fright. “He won’t wake up…”

“Give me a second,” Dr. Martin replied, leaning over Lamar and studying his face.  After looking the unconscious man over, he looked up and regarded Malik.  “Tell me what happened before he collapsed.”

Malik stared at Danny, and then looked back at Dr. Martin, taking a deep breath.  “I’m afraid, Doctor, that there were a series of several events that happened within the past 18 hours,” he replied. “There were a few nasty surprises at my father’s video-will, and then we were held at gunpoint afterwards- don’t ask,” he added when he saw the doctor’s startled face.  “Then he and I got into a small argument right before he headed up to the second floor, and he passed out before he reached the top step.”

“I see,” Dr. Martin replied then; turning back to Lamar.  “I’ve warned you two that this would happen.  These last series of shocks came one right after the other- and one too many for Lamar’s heart to take at once.  I’m gong to run an EKG on him to confirm, but unless I miss my guess, he’s going to need that transplant- and now.”

“You know how he feels about that, Malik,” Danny replied, stricken.

“And you know I put him on the National Donor Registry list anyway,” Malik said to Danny, turning back to Dr. Martin then.  “How far down is he on the list now, doc?”

“Actually, the timing couldn’t be more perfect,” Dr. Martin replied, looking Malik eye to eye.  “That was the message I left for you two- that Lamar was next on the donor list to receive a transplant.  The heart is now in Arkansas, and is being prepped for its transfer here to Seattle Grace.”

“How long until we have to let you know officially what we want to do,” Danny asked directly.  Malik opened his mouth furiously, yet Danny held up one hand for silence before Malik could speak.

Dr. Martin replied gravely, well, the honest answer is right now, before they send the heart here for nothing, seeing as the next on the list is in Derry, Maine.  “Yet if Lamar still refuses the transplant, then…” Dr. Martin sighed.  “I hate politics… but technically, to refuse treatment Lamar would have to regain consciousness long enough for me, his doctor, to determine that he is of sound mind enough to sign a form declaring his refusal of medical care; this releases the hospital from due negligence or future litigation.”

“And if he doesn’t regain consciousness by the time the heart arrives...?” Malik asked with narrowed eyes.

“Remind me again- you two are married in the eyes of the law, right...?” Dr. Martin interjected then.

“Yes, in the state of Washington we are legally married, and he took my name and everything,” Malik declared, holding up his wedding ring.

“Then here, in Seattle, you are his next of kin legally… and as his next of kin, you have the right to allow or refuse the transplant, seeing as the state acquieces you to speak for your spouse when he cannot speak for himself,” Dr. Martin recited.

“Doctor,” Danny said then, “can you step outside for a moment...?  I have to speak with my son-in-law.”

Dr. Martin turned to leave the exam area, then stopped.  “Just so you know, between us, I’m about to breach my medical ethics here.  I like Lamar, and I hope he pulls through this.  I also know how he really feels about this transplant.  Normally I would have to side with the patient in this matter, but I know how much you all love him, and I know how much the two of you mean to him… so if you decide to go through with the procedure, I will conveniently ‘forget’ what Lamar wants and bow to the wishes of the family.  And I never said that,” he added with a wink to Malik.

“Said what, doc...?” Malik replied innocently- and then he grasped the doctor’s hand and held it gratefully.

“I’ll give you your time,” Dr. Martin said then, wiping his eyes as he left the exam room.

Danny turned towards Malik.  “I’m not fighting you on this, I’m only playing Devil’s Advocate because I know my son.  He believes that this is taking another candidate’s chance at life- and for a long time he will feel guilty that he ‘stole’ someone else’s heart, that someone else died because of him… you know he’s going to feel like this.”  He sighed, looking at Malik sadly.  “He’ll hate you for saving him.”

“Then he’ll hate me,” Malik said simply.  “At least he’ll be alive.  And when he sees our daughter get her high school diploma, when he sees Marquis and Carmen and Kap and Angelina have their double wedding, when he sees their children and grandchildren grow up and run to him with little open arms… hell, when he gets to see you and Uncle Trey finally have a chance at love… You get where I’m going...?”

Danny suddenly grabbed Malik and pulled him close, sobbing on his shoulder.  “It’s times like this when I remember all over again how much you love my son,” hugging tightly.

Malik pulled back and looked determinedly into Danny’s eyes.  “Your son and I will live to an old age, and when we’re ready to die together, we will haul anchor on our yacht and sail off into the sunset of the North Sea, never to be seen again.  And poets will stare out at the open ocean and weep at our love story, and write sonnets until the ink runs out.”

Danny frowned at Malik with a weird look.  “Don’t you think that’s a bit too dramatic?”

Malik sniffed.  “Don’t blame me, I don’t control my dialogue,” he added with a half grin.  “Talk to the writer.”

“I don’t know if I want to,” Danny replied with arms crossed- “he wrote me into this story as the famly slut.”  They both laughed.

Just then RahRah appeared in the room.  “How is he,” he asked by way of greeting.

“Still the same,” Malik said, his face growing grim again, “and the doctor is going over his options.  Have you heard from the manor?”

“Marquis and Kap are here,” RahRah replied with a mysterious look; “can you two come up front for a moment?”

* * * * *

“Okay, what is it,” Malik asked as he, RahRah and Danny reached the seating area; Marquis and Kap had gotten to their feet.  “Did you find out anything from your mom?” he asked Marquis.

“She told me everything we needed to know,” Marquis replied; “we know who Jake’s father is.”

“Its weird, finding out that the little punk is more to me than just Marquis's cousin,” RahRah said then with a scowl.

Danny and Malik both showed surprise.  “So… you’re the father...?” Malik asked then, his eyes wide.

RahRah looked at Malik, startled.  “Noooo,” he said, his palms up, “you got it wrong; that’s not what I meant.  I meant that not only is Jake Marquis's first cousin, it turns out he’s also my second cousin… because he’s the son of MY first cousin,” RahRah said directly to Malik.

“But RahRah, I’m the only first cousin you have,” Malik said then with a frown.

RahRah’s eyes met his.  “Exactly.”

Malik stared at RahRah for a second as the truth sank in- and then he stumbled backwards, falling into a chair.  “Is the room spinning,” he mumbled.

Danny sat down in the chair next to Malik.  “Are you okay?”

Malik looked up at Danny, stunned.  “Jackie’s son… Jake is my son… I can’t believe it.  How do I explain this one to Lamar...?”  He groaned then.  “Oh, god, Lamar… what am I gonna do?”

“Well, we don’t have time now for you to agonize,” Marquis said then, and he filled Malik in on what was going on.  “And now he’s got Carmen, I don’t know what he’s gonna do with her…”

“I-I understand how you feel, Marquis,” Malik said then, “but I can’t leave Lamar right now-”

“Pop,” Marquis called him then, which made Malik stop in his tracks- it was the way he used to call Malik when he and Lamar first took him in as a little boy.  The familiarity to the tone nearly broke his heart.  RahRah, his eyes downcast, stayed uncharacteristically silent.

“Yes, ‘lil man,” Malik replied with a wan smile.

Marquis faced Malik, eye to eye.  “Carmen’s pregnant- with my kid.”

The smile faded from Malik’s face.  RahRah gasped, and Danny put his face into his hands.

“It’s not about just me anymore,” Marquis said simply.  “I’m afraid for my child.”

“I was thinking,” Kap said then, that Jake would want to be somewhere where we could find him, like have a showdown or something… he still wants to confront his real father.  So he might be where he thinks yall would think to look first- so we should start with HT.”

Marquis looked at Kap.  “It makes sense,” he said then.  “As arrogant as he’s been acting, throwing it in our faces that he owns everything now… that’s actually the best place to start looking for him.”  They all looked at Malik for his reply.

Malik’s eyes narrowed to slits, then sighed.  “Lamar wouldn’t want me to leave a baby in danger… so let’s go get my son,” he replied with dark promise.

* * * * *

All was quiet in the early morning sun over HT.  The 1st-shift servants were just waking up to start their day with morning prayers, showers and quiet cups of coffee.  No one really looked  out the back windows to notice the two struggling figures heading upwards into the forest trails- a young man, pulling a young blindfolded woman behind him…

“Where are you taking me?” Carmen spat out for the umpteenth time.

“Never mind all that; be quiet,” Jake spat back, holding onto her by the handcuffs he had placed on her wrists earlier and dragging her along.

“Are we walking up a trail?  This feels like a dirt road,” Carmen said curiously.

“What, are you playing ‘Guess the Dungeon’?  Shut up,” Jake replied tiredly.

“I need a break to rest, I’m pregnant,” Carmen defended herself.

“You’re five minutes pregnant.  You aren’t even showing,” Jake scoffed.

“Will you take this blindfold off me please...?” Carmen demanded, stumbling behind Jake.  “And since when do you speak so well in English?  Where’s that Paris accent?”

“Don’t irritate me, girl,” Jake growled as they passed under an alcove of trees into a dark cave, where they went inside.

Carmen’s nostrils flared up in protest.  “What is this- are we in a zoo..?”

“OH GOD, would you be quiet?” Jake yelled out, exasperated, looking around.  He found a sconce in the wall, and led Carmen over to it, handcuffing her to its rusted frame.

“What are you gonna do, hurt me or my baby...?” Carmen defiantly asked.

“I don’t got a reason to hurt your baby- yet,” Jake replied, the threat veiled.  “Would you please SHUT up for a moment??  I need to think.”

Carmen shook her blindfolded head.  “No.  Here’s a deal; take the blindfold off at least, and I’ll shut up, I swear.  Otherwise I’ll just talk and talk and talk and-”

“I’m this close to smacking the shit outta you,” Jake replied darkly.

“Try it and your balls wont survive the next five minutes,” Carmen shot back.

Jake chuckled.  “This coming from the blind-folded pregnant girl.”

It was Carmen’s turn to scoff.  “I can tell where you are from where I’m standing, and I haven’t kicked you in the nutts yet because I’m hoping that part of you is still human enough to let me go.”

Jake considered this, and then seemed to come to some agreement.  He moved forward towards Carmen.   “Okay, okay- Believe it or not, I don’t want to hurt the baby.  But if you move towards me even once while I’m taking off the blindfold, I will inject you with the same stuff I shot up Angel with, and not give a shit about any effect the stuff MAY have on the fetus.  HOLD STILL.”

He removed the blindfold and stepped back. Carmen stared at Jake with narrowed eyes as she glanced around herself.  “I have to pee,” she replied promptly.

“You better hold it,” Jake answered promptly.

Carmen looked at Jake sarcastically.  “I’m pregnant.  We pee all the time.”

“Yeah, when your nipples get tough and you actually have a belly...!  You haven’t even had morning sickness yet,” Jake replied smugly.

“How do you know that?” she asked with a scowl.

“You would have mentioned being sick in the mornings and if you had suspicions of a pregnancy,” Jake replied archly.  “You tell us everything; I’m part of your stupid clique at school, dufus.”

Carmen matched Jake’s scowl.  “We won’t make that mistake again… I can speak for everyone when I tell you, you’re out of the clique.”

Jake clutched at his chest in mock pain.  “Awww, let me just lay down and DIE right now that yall wont be my ‘fwend’ no mo… I could just cry.”

“Key could beat your natural ass until you cry, if you want…” Carmen replied sweetly.

“Not if he wants his kid back in one piece,” Jake glared at her.

“I thought you said you weren’t gonna hurt the baby…” Carmen reminded him, holding her stomach protectively with her free hand.

“Long as I aint getting hurt, no one else has to… including the baby,” Jake replied with aplomb.

Carmen then tried vigorously to yank her chained hand away from the wall.  “You won’t get away with this…!”

Jake looked at her with surprise.  “I was wondering when someone would actually say that.  That catch-phrase means that I’m an actual villain now!!!  I wonder where you register to get the Evil Guy decoder ring…” he mused to himself. 

“I’m glad you think this is funny,” Carmen grunted.

“No, Carm, what’s funny is those jerks in the Hill family who never thought I could come in and swipe the whole pie right out from under their stupid noses,” Jake answered with a scowl.

“This is how you want to be remembered, to be known...?  As a thief to your own family..?” Carmen shot back.

Jake shook his head stubbornly.  “They stole from me first.”

“What do you mean...?” Carmen asked, eyebrows raised.

“Turns out either your man’s father, or Malik or Lamar is MY father… I just don’t know which one,” Jake admitted, leaning agaist the nearest wall.

“And you’re mad at them for that…?  Sounds like you need to be mad at your mother for sleeping with all of them at the same time,” Carmen added with a frown.

“YOU SHUT UP ABOUT MY MOTHER!!!” Jake screamed, jumping up from the wall and glaring at her.                                 

“HEY, calm down; its true, isn’t it..? Carmen asked, holding one arm up, clearly confused.  “No disrespect, but there’s only one way you could have three different possible fathers….”

Jake seemed surprised at his own outburst.  He absently loosened his tie and settled himself back on the cave wall, calming down.  “You’re right.  It’s just that- I’m already angry with her, but its my father’s fault too.  All three of them wound up taking turns raising Marquis here and there, and I get neglected,” he confessed as he picked up the Hill family medaiion fro his chest and stared at it.

“Does your father even know you exist?” Carmen asked gently.

Jake shrugged, letting the chain fall back to his chest and sitting down on the floor of the cave near the captive girl.  “How should I know…?” he asked, deflated.  “I don’t even know who the bastard is.  A few hours ago I made all three of them take a home DNA test, but I had to leave Crimson Crest before I could see which vial matched to mine.”

“Where are the vials now? Carmen replied, her curiosity almost level with Jake’s.

“I dunno, probably still on the table in the foyer,” he said.

“All I’m sayin is, it’s altogether possible that whoever it turns out to be, I’ll bet he didn’t even know about you before taking that test.  Why else would they all treat Marquis so special and not their own kid?  This family has way too much money to not be able to take responsibility for their kids… think about that…” Carmen attempted to reach him. 

But Jake looked over at her, snarling, “You know, I think I’ve heard enough talk from you.”  And he pulled out some masking tape from his pocket, stipped a piece from the roll and taped up Carmen’s mouth as she gagged.

“Mmmnnnfh..!!” Carmen screamed in protest.

“You’d better hope my father knows about me by now, or you might not make it past feeding time…” He gestured around the cave.  “Marquis never brought you in here, huh?”

Carmen shook her head.

“I guess he had no real reason to, since you were always presented properly when you showed up here,” Jake said.  “We’re at HT, and this,” he smiled at Carmen, “is Leo’s cave.  You remember Leo, the half-wild albino lion who ripped Key’s godmother to shreds?  And this,” he added, producing another syringe out of his pocket, “holds the blood of a rabid dog.”

Carmen’s eyes grew wide with fright; she cringed against the wall, trying to shield her baby.

“This isn’t for you,” Jake replied with a sinister shake of his head.  “If dear-ol Daddy refuses to show up by the time Leo comes visiting his cave, I’ll inject this here into the white lion, and in minutes- presto, instant foam at the mouth- and YOU, Carm, all tied up here in his cave, will soon look like the lost scene from CUJO,” he added with a creepy laugh as Carmen wrapped her arm about her stomach and gulped with horror.