Jail's Bait: Parole's Victim (Book 4)

Meanwhile, in the nursery at HT Ray and Cheyenne stood watch as Sophie fussed over baby Jamara, who lay in her crib asleep, in a fresh baby nightdress. Everyone else had changed out of their wet clothing as well, but Ray and Cheyenne wore fluffy white bathrobes with the HT crest on the pockets, while Sophie put on a clean uniform.

The door opened and Sophie came in, dressed in a fresh uniform. The side of her face was still bruised from Rah-Rah’s attack but her eyes were resolute. “The baby seems to be fine,” sir and miss, Sophie whispered to the robed pair. “So I’ll just gather my things and be off now…”

“That’s okay, we’ll… watch her until her father gets back,” Cheyenne said then, her eyes drawn to the sleeping bundle.

Sophie nodded and then headed for the door. “Please tell Mr. Lamar that I’m praying for Mr. Malik’s safe return,” she added then; “and if you please, let them know how sorry I am- for everything.” And before Ray or Cheyenne could reply she dashed out of the room, closing the door behind her.

They stared after her for a time, still not saying anything. Then as one they turned and looked at the crib. “This feels… unreal,” Cheyenne said then, staring at Jamara. “If I scrunched my eyes up-”

“It would look like ya an me wuz raisin our little girl,” Ray added pensively. “Like we jus up an tucked her in jus now, watchin her sleep, like, like… ”

“…Like a real family,” Cheyenne finished. She looked over at Ray. “Although I didn’t know that giving her up would put her life at risk..!”

“Now Shane,” Ray said, turning to her, “don’t ya do it… don’t ya believe that ya had anything ta do wit what happened tanite. Ya didn’t put Jamara in dat crazy nigga’s arms an tell him ta drop her off da cliff…”

“You may be right, but I did put her up for adoption,” Cheyenne reminded him grimly. “I so much as put her into Rah-Rah’s arms. You don’t understand how I feel; you never gave her up.”

“You know what,” Ray mused, staring at the still figure, “ya got a point… I DIDN’T give her up, huh..?”

It was the way he said that which made Cheyenne turn to Ray, a suspicious look in her eye. “What are you thinking, Ray,” she pressed.

“I’m jus sayin,” Ray went on, “maybe I was a lil hasty about not wantin ta be a daddy…”

Before Cheyenne could say another word, the door opened. “How’s Jamara,” Marquis said as he came inside, flanked by Carmen, Kap and Angelina, with Marquette bringing up the rear.

Ray put one finger to his lips, indicating they should keep it down. “She went out like a lite,” he said in a low voice. “Have ya heard from anyone else..?”

"Uncle Danny called- Uncle Mar woke up," Marquis whispered. "Aunt Joan is there with him; they all left the hospital a little while ago, so they should be on their way back here, I guess."

"How's your godmother," Cheyenne asked gently. "Is she okay?"

"She was pretty messed up when they took her out of here," Marquis replied somberly. "Uncle Danny says she had to wait to stabilize for surgery- so she's probably bein operated on now." Marquis took another breath. "And there's more."

"What- did they hear anything about Malik," Marquette replied, eyes wide.

"No, Ma, not yet," Marquis said then, eyes downcast- "and I meant there's more from the hospital... Uncle Danny told me that my grams is in there too."

“Are you serious,” Kap said incredulously. "You mean Rah-Rah mama? The one who wont talk to you..?"

"Yeah," Marquis said, looking up at Kap. "Granma Rena. She was brought inta da ICU unconscious, and it looks like she might be in a coma."

"Oh my god," Carmen said then, squeezing Marquis's hand in sympathy.

"Jeezus, Ms. Rena's in the hospital," Marquette said then with fresh shock. "This night can't get any worse..."

"You spoke too soon, Ma," Marquis said then, his eyes dark. "Uncle Danny called the... asylum where my- where Rah-Rah was locked up,” he continued in a rush to get the words out. “She was seen there earlier tonight... I forgot all about this, but tonight's the ten-year anniversary since... since it all went down," he tried to explain.

The others in the room stared at him with fresh horror. "So, lemme get this straight, Rah-Rah broke out on the anniversary of murdering his father- AND his mental breakdown, and got his revenge on the whole Hill family," Kap said then with startling insight. "Maybe while she was there she helped him escape. Maybe... Rah-Rah told his mama what he was planning ta do, maybe she wasn't with that- so when she tried to stop him-"

"Don't," Marquis said, holding up one hand for silence. "If that's true, if my father is capable of-"

"What do ya mean, IF, boy," Ray said then fiercely. "Dat guy IS capable..! I jumped off da side of a mountain ta save what turned out ta be my own daughter cause of this maniac," he whispered in a rage. "He betta hope dat if he DID survive, da law gets him before I DO," he finished with such anger that everyone in the room shuddered from the underlying implications.

Marquis stared at Ray's scowling face for a silent second- then he turned and wordlessly left the room.

Marquette whirled on Ray. "Do you always shoot your mouth off before you think???" she spat. "You're talkin about my son's father, asshole..!"

"Well of course ya would defend yo baby daddy," Ray hurled back. "I don't expect no less- tho why ya would want to after he insulted da hell outta ya, that I don't get."

"Go find him," Kap said to Carmen, who nodded and disappeared after her boyfriend. Kap turned back to Ray. "Don't you get what he was really tryin ta say," Kap said sadly to the homeless man. "He thinks that if his father is capable of that much evil, that he's got that same dark in his own heart..."

Ray stared back at Kap. "Dat IZ possible."

Kap frowned. "Look, Marquis never really wanted to think about his real father because that meant dealing with the extreme wicked that this dude did to most of the people that Marquis loves, including himself," Kap went on. "He feels it's a case of 'like-father-like-son'; that if his father can kill, kidnap, rape, and all with no conscience about it, then HE can be like that too. It's his greatest fear."

"I never knew that," Marquette said then, her eyes reddening. "He never told me..."

"I'm his best friend," Kap explained. "I'm supposed to know things you wouldn't; don't sweat it though, I've been talkin to him, tryin to get him ta not be scared of turnin into his father."

"Marquis might have a reason ta be scared," Ray grimly replied then. "That dark runs in his family- the mama's side, anyways," he added then.

"What do you mean," Marquette asked then, her eyes wide. "What do you know about Rah-Rah's mama?"

"Well, I'll leave it up ta ya if'n ya wanna tell the boy," Ray indicated towards the doorway where Marquis had retreated to, "but I know sumthin."

"Are you sure you want it to come out like THIS, Ray," Cheyenne asked him hesitantly.

"Well, YOUR boy should know, if nothin else," Ray pointedly replied; "don't ya think?"

Cheyenne looked at her son for a long minute, then she gave a great sigh. "Michael, I know who killed your uncle Shane."

Kap and Angelina both turned to each other in mute surprise; then they both looked back at Cheyenne.

She went on. "I never wanted to mention it, especially since you and Marquis were so close... son, it was Rena Howard- Rah-Rah's mother, Marquis's grandmother."

For a moment no one said anything. Then Marquette got up and began to walk back and forth, pacing in an erratic manner. "Oh this is too much," she said, shaking her head. "My son's father and my son's grandmother- both killers..."

Kap was floored. He turned to look at Ray, whose silent nod of assent confirmed that what his mother had just told him was the truth. "But- but Ma, why didn't you ever tell me," Kap said then, almost too stunned for words.

"I didn't want that to affect your friendship with Marquis," Cheyenne replied. "I really didn't put it together until you were in middle school anyway, that Marquis's grandmother was the same Rena Howard that killed my brother, but I still wasn't sure since it happened when I was 18, and I cried a lot through the trial; my judgment about that time isn't clear, I had just lost my twin.

"When I ran into Ray again I showed him a picture of Marquis's Rena and he confirmed it for me, that it was the same woman," Kap's mother went on. "I've tried to forgive her since she was only 15 then and a scared, pregnant kid- but she doesn't know that I'm Shane's sister; and anyway she would only really remember him by his street name, 'Telly'. Back then Rah-Rah was more hands-on with Marquis, he was the one bringing Marquis over for play-dates with Michael; there's no way Rena would put it together that the boy she knows as Kap is a blood relative of her murder victim; I don't even think she knows Michael's last name."

"So what dat says ta me is, your friend DOES have a darkness- born an bred inta him," Ray said then in warning. "Don't turn yo back on him; his dark side might pop up an swallow ya whole."

"Lemme get outta here before I show you what DARKNESS I got in ME," Marquette said then, glaring at Ray as she got up and hurried from the room.

"You know what," Kap proclaimed, standing face-to-face with Ray, "if this is true, you might be my sister's father an all, but even so, don't think you can come in off da street an speak against my boy... or YOU might wind up BAC over da side of dat cliff," he said then, whirling about an striding from the room, Angelina silently following after.

Ray's fists had clenched- then he felt a hard shove on his shoulder. "Nice freakin job, Ray, Cheyenne was frowning at him. "You alienate my son, his friends, and their families as well- good God, did you eat so much garbage on the street that you rotted your brain?"

"Lets get sumthin straight, Shane," Ray responded in a low voice. "I aint ashamed of me bein in da streetz, an nuthin ya say iz gonna make me feel otherwise. An secondly, I'm tellin ya, I feel it in my gut- any spawn of dat devil Rena Howard gonna turn out ta be no good..!"

“Marquis is the best young man I know," Cheyenne spat back. "He's kind and considerate, respectful- better than most kids his own age..."

"You mean like betta than yo OWN son," Ray said with malice. " ‘Da BEST young man you know’, huh..? Ya see how he got ya settin him up over yo own kid..! It's hoodoo, black magic or sumthin, he gotz all of yall snowed."

“You’re crazy,” Cheyenne spluttered, and fell silent.

"I really don't care bout whether any of yall likes him better than anyone else or not," Ray went on, turning back to look at Jamara; "but I dont feel rite about that boy!"

"Because of who his parents are..??" Cheyenne whispered back in heat. "You know, who says YOUR parents are all that innocent, huh Ray?"

"Well, aint dat besides da point," Ray said with a final tone, shoulders drooping, "cause I don't know WHERE I come from."

***************************************************************

Marquis slammed into his bedroom, leaving the door wide open as he flung himself supine onto the bed, his shoulders heaving from the rush of adrenaline. He hated himself just then- and the harsh reality of it all was that he hated himself because he agreed with Ray.

Rah-Rah- his father- was one of the worst.

He SHOULD be dealt with, He should answer to courtroom justice and streetz justice as well for what he's done to almost every single member of his family. From attempting to kill his cousin whom he loved like a father, to killing his grandfather in cold blood, to causing his great uncle such grief and stress, to attacking and kidnapping the love of his cousin's life, to dropping his little sister off of a cliff, and being responsible for his cousin falling off that same ledge, the both of them falling away into the teeth of a thunderstorm- it was more than one person should have to absorb. But now, to ADD onto that list of horrors, his father was now responsible for putting his grandmother into what might become an irreversible coma. Not to mention his turning overnight from the best father in the world to a monster, abandoning Marquis just when he needed his daddy..! And all this done without any regret from Rah-Rah, only selfish anger at what he thought was done wrong to himself.

And Marquis knew he was Rah-Rah's son, and apples never fell that far from their tree...

Finally calming from his rush, Marquis turned over onto his back and stared up at the ceiling. “So this is your big revenge, Daddy,” Marquis said in a half-whisper in the gloom. “I hope it was all worth it.” He lay there for a little while, wondering how long it would take before the darkness claimed him too... he started thinking about the last time he was angry- was it too much? Was he too reckless, too out of control...? Did he react too soon in an intense situation?

Across the room the door softly closed. Looking over, Marquis saw Carmen standing by the door, looking at him. “Are you okay?” she asked.

“I don’t know,” Marquis said then, returning to stare at the ceiling, wiping his eyes. “I don’t know anything rite now.”

Carmen came to the bed and sat down near Marquis, not knowing what to say. They stayed that way in silence until the door opened again and Kap came in, flanked by Angelina. “That Ray dude, he saved Jamara and all that, but he’s a straight up ass,” he proclaimed, stopping feet from the bed. “But there’s something you gotta know, Marquis,” he went on.

Marquis looked over at Kap, not moving. “What is it,” he said dully.

Quickly Kap filled Marquis and Carmen in on what his mother and Ray had told him about Rena Howard. And she never told us cause she didn’t want our friendship fucked up, yours and mine, Kap comcluded.

Marquis hadn’t moved or said a word throughout the whole story- he just laid on the bed and went back to staring at the ceiling.

“Marquis,” Kap said then; “say something.”

“It all fits, don’t it,” Marquis said to them with a dead voice, staring at the ceiling. “Of course my father’s a killer cause he got it from his mother- my GRANDMOTHER,” Marquis choked out. “And since my father inherited the bloodlust from Granma Rena, then its only a matter of time, yall… they might as well set my room up at OakGrove right now, just in case…”

Carmen got up to come over to Marquis. “Look, baby, we don’t think that you’re all weirded because some of your family members are screwed up…”

“Get away from me,” Marquis said, jumping up and pushing himself to the other side of the bed. “Don't come any closer.”

“Ai` Dios Mio, you've got to be kidding me,” Carmen replied softly, half exasperatedly. She stepped closer. “You don't think I'd let you lay there and believe that you're gonna turn into your father, do you..?”

“GET AWAY FROM ME!!!” Marquis thundered at Carmen, who jumped. “I DON'T WANNA HURT YOU!!”

“Angel, take Carmen outta here,” Kap said then, standing to his feet.

“But-” Carmen stared at her boyfriend.

“Not now, Carmen,” Angelina said, grabbing her best friend’s arm and leading her from the room.

“You next,” Marquis said to Kap, turning his back and sitting on the floor against the bed, staring out the side windows.

“What if I don’t leave- you wanna hurt me too,” said Kap, his eyes dark, his muscles flexing.

Marquis looked behind himself towards Kap, his eyes glittering. “Don’t push me.”

Kap came over to the bed and stood in front of Marquis. “Don’t do this,” he said. “Don’t shut out the people who love you the most…”

“Don’t you get it, the people I love the most are gonna get hurt if they stay near me,” Marquis said with some heat. “Back off.”

“Marquis,” Kap said, reaching down an arm to his best friend.

Instantly Marquis jumped to his feet and WHAM- landed a right cross on Kap's cheek, causing him to stagger backward.

“I told you to back off,” Marquis said with fire in his eyes. “IM POISON..!!”

Kap righted himself and looked Marquis square in the eye, cracking his knuckles. “That one was free… and I won’t leave,” he said then determinedly; “so bring it on.”