Chapter 8: 'Man in the black suit'.

 

"Lissa is everything I have ever wanted in a woman. I'm not perfect, 

but I would rather die than to see her hurt. 

I can promise you that my blood will be spilled before there's a scratch on her."

"Shane! Shane! Oh my god!" Lissa screamed. She heard three more shots fired, she felt paralyzed. She ran into the house. Her dad met her in the foyer. He grabbed her arms, "What's happening?" he asked.

"Shane! Someone is shooting at him!" she screamed. Sandra, Carli, Jason and Brandon rushed out of the kitchen. Marcus ran upstairs to his bedroom to retrieve his licensed firearm. 

Sandra held on to Lissa to prevent her from doing something stupid. When Marcus came downstairs he shouted, "Call 119 and tell them there's a shooting, one of their officers is under fire and they should send help immediately!" 

He opened the door and ducked low. Carli ran into the living room and dialed the number. Lissa snapped back into action. She went into the living room also and picked up her phone that was on the blue couch. 

She unlocked the screen and called Superintendent Dacres' mobile number. "Supe! Help please! Someone's firing at Shane. Yes, I don't know who, maybe this man who approached him a few days ago, some criminal. He says he works for a Mr Z. Yes, Mr Z! Please send help! On my road, yes!" Lissa gave him her address. She heard Supe say he was on his way and hung up.

Lissa heard another gun shot that jolted her.  She was about to move towards the front door when Sandra grabbed her hand and pulled her into the kitchen. Jason entered with Carli and locked the kitchen door. He put his arms protectively around both Lissa and Carli, leaning against a wall. Brandon was sitting at the table with a baseball bat he got as a gift from one of his college buddies when he was studying at NYU.

The family heard five more shots ring out and someone, a male voice, scream in pain. Lissa couldn't take it any longer. She needed to know her baby was okay. She wrestled away from Jason's grip and ran out the kitchen, through the hallway and out the front door. 

Jason was going after her, but Carli held on to his shirt and pulled him to her. He looked down at her. Seeing the fear in her eyes, he stopped his pursuit and held her close. Brandon was behind them, his bat in his hand. Sandra hurriedly closed the front door and directed everyone back into the kitchen.

Lissa saw her dad crouching behind a car on the street. She ran up and ducked down beside him. "Daddy! What's happening?!" she asked distraught. He looked at her, fear in his eyes. "Lissa get back inside and stay there!" he hissed. 

"No! Not until I know he's okay," she answered. They both looked and saw Shane ducked down in his vehicle, trading shots with someone in one of the houses opposite to where the car had crashed. 

"I heard a man scream," Lissa said.

"There were actually two of them," Marcus told her. "Shane was able to shoot and injure one. That guy retreated into the house somewhere. The other is still firing." 

Lissa wished she could see clearly. "I called the Supe at my station. He says he's on his way," she told him. Marcus nodded, looking at her gravely. He wished for once she would listen to him and get back inside.

Just then, they saw a man in full black riding a motorcycle, speeding past them. The man stopped behind Shane's car. He stepped off the bike. She saw his side profile. 

It's him! Oh my god! It's the black suit guy. Lissa's heart was gripped with fear. She screamed. "Shane! He's behind you!" she yelled. Shane didn't shoot at him. The man jumped on the hood of the car and rolled off to the other side. He had a large gun in his hand. 

Lissa thought it was over for her boyfriend, but instead of firing at Shane, the man aimed his gun at a window in the house taken captive, and squeezed off several shots from his semiautomatic weapon. The sounds of the shots whizzing through the air were like cracking whips. Both Lissa and her dad fell flat to the ground. They heard glass breaking and another agonizing scream, then silence.

The other man that was shot by Shane ran out through a side door of the house and fired back. Lissa saw black suit duck behind Shane's car waiting for the injured man's shots to end. When the man finished his bullets, 'Black Suit' got up, threw himself on the hood of the car and squeezed the trigger. The injured man received bullets in the head, shoulder and chest. He fell dead on the sidewalk.

'Black Suit' stood up, he aimed his gun at Shane. Lissa cried out, "Shane! No!"

She saw him saying something to her lover. She got up and ran towards them. "Lissa!" he father shouted after her. He ran after her and grabbed her around her waist. 

****

"Step outside," 'Black Suit' said. "Make sure you throw your weapon on the floor of your car." Shane did as he was told. He threw down his weapon then slowly opened his car door and stepped outside. 

Closing the door carefully, he stood upright eyeing Black Suit warily. With hands raised above his head, Shane turned to face him. "Who are you?" he asked the man. "You saved my life and now you want to kill me?"

The man chuckled then said, "I have my own reasons for sparing your life today." He aimed his weapon at Shane's chest.

"Really? What are they? Who are you?" Shane asked curious.

"Do you know someone by the name of Red Man, used to live in August Town?" Black Suit asked.

Shane nodded. Yes, he knew him. "Yes, I do," he said. "He was a witness for me to a gang related matter. He testified on a case I was working on."

"You promised to keep his family safe while he was placed elsewhere for his protection?" Black Suit queried.

"My partner and I did that, yes. A few times I kept them at my place. Yes. What of it?" Shane asked intrigued. 

"He had a son and daughter, his woman and his nephew staying with him." Black Suit said.

Shane nodded. 

"Yes and I kept all of them in the tiny house I was renting at the time for awhile, and also made sure they got put up in motels. And again I ask, what of that? I was a rookie cop. That was ten years ago." Shane looked at him more closely. 'Black Suit' had a black mask over his face. He wore none the first time they met, but now he covered half of his face. He was wearing a black jacket with a hoodie, a black shirt, black jeans, black gloves, black boots. His hair was plaited in corn rows

'Black Suit' chuckled. He still aimed his gun steadily at Shane's chest. "My uncle says I owe you a debt, but the way I see it, that was his mess not mine." 

Shane squinted and looked at him carefully. The man was tall with long limbs and a brown complexion. There was something familiar about him. "Your uncle? Red Man is your uncle?"

'Black Suit' laughed then nodded. 

"Devon?" Shane asked incredulously. Was this the teenager he had housed and fed all those years ago?

"You remember my name?" Devon said feeling amused.

"So, how is your uncle?" Shane asked, still in disbelief. He would take the risk and see if he was right. He took a step forward. Devon pushed the hoodie off his head, pulled down his mask and lowered his weapon. But Shane was not fooled he could tell based on his opponent's body language, he was still on guard. Now really staring at him, Shane noticed the unique brilliance of the young man's hazel eyes. Red Man had the same color eyes.

"Unc is good. He's gotten soft. Claims to be a business man now," Devon said. He flashed his impressively white teeth at Shane.

"I thought you work for Mr Z?" Shane asked.

"I work for myself," Devon said. "I was contracted by Mr Z to eliminate someone close to you so you'll suffer, then kill you while you're in mourning."

Shane kept his hands in the air. This Mr Z sounded like a sadist. "So that's your career of choice?" He stepped closer. Devon stepped back. "I promised my uncle I wouldn't fulfill the contract because he was good to me growing up, but it doesn't mean I won't kill you for myself. Don't move," he warned.

Shane nodded. "Understood. You were a bright kid. Why do this?"

Devon shrugged. "Even bright kids need money Mr Croshbhy."

Shane knew it was really him. As a teen Devon had a lisp, and had trouble properly pronouncing the 'sb' sound in Shane's surname. He could subtly hear the lisp when he spoke his name. "You've worked on your lisp?"

"Mhm. In my line of work, you can't have distinguishing traits, you have to be like a ghost or a shadow," Devon replied. 

Shane looked him up and down then said, "Hence the full black gear?" he asked.

Devon chuckled. "In a sense, but I also like the color," he replied. "But I see we have similar tastes." he pointed at Shane with his gun, looking amused at how Shane was also dressed in black. Shane nodded and smiled cautiously. "Your uncle said I should expect an unexpected ally. That was you?"

Devon nodded, smiling. "Yes," he said simply. "I suppose that is why you didn't shoot at me?" Devon asked amused.

"Well, I saw you riding up, but you never shot at me so I figured it would be you. Plus, after I heard from your uncle, I thought of our encounter at the Boys' Home, and figured you were giving me a warning, maybe toying with me a little, but probably you didn't want to kill me.  If you really wanted to you would have stopped my heart right then and there at the Home. You wouldn't care who saw."

Devon nodded. "Quite perceptive," he replied.

Shane nodded. "So what now?" he asked him.

Devon clicked the safety on his gun and tucked it in the holster hidden by his jacket, under his left arm. "You can relax. Seems my uncle was right about you."

"What did he say?" Shane asked.

"He says you never forget the people you help. That you still call him on his birthday every year. That true?"

Shane smiled warily. He nodded. "Yeah, I do," he said.

"Your uncle called and told me I should leave town, but I told him I couldn't, that I have something here that is more important to me than my own life," Shane told him. Devon saw Shane looking past him. He turned to stare at Lissa standing on the road, tears streaming down her face, a man holding her firmly around her waist as they looked at them. He whistled. "She is beautiful," Devon said grinning in appreciation. 

That was his cue. Shane lunged at him, knocking him to the ground. Devon lifted his left knee and rammed it into Shane's gut. Shane grimaced in pain but held on to him. Devon used his elbow to knock him across his jaw but Shane still held him tightly. 

Using all his strength, Shane wrestled with him. He gripped Devon's wrists and squeezed hard. Devon winced in pain but wasn't about to give up. He still tried to wrestle away from Shane. Shane however had the advantage in terms of upper body strength. He climbed on top of him and braced his knees on Devon's chest. 

Devon tried to push him off, but Shane punched him several times and used his body weight to pin the young man down while his knees were on his chest. Devon lifted his legs, swiveling his hips sideways, he managed to unbalance Shane off of him. Shane rolled off then jumped on him as Devon put his hand in his coat to retrieve his gun. Shane used his right elbow then his fist to brutally strike Devon multiple times in his face, knocking him out.

Shane heard sirens in the distance. He was relieved. He felt arms around him, holding him. He looked up to see Lissa behind him, crying. He stood up and put his arms around her. He felt her body trembling. 

"I love you Shane," she told him.

"I love you baby," he replied. "It's going to be okay. I promise." He knew who to go to help him solve the mystery of this Mr Z. Red Man owed him big time. It was time he collected. He also hoped his nephew would cooperate.

****

With his arms around her, Shane was walking Lissa back to her dad when Superintendent Dacres drove up and intercepted them in a service vehicle. Constable Walker, Constable Campbell and Inspector Simpson were with him. Inspector Simpson got out first, he watched as other officers, who had arrived on the scene first, had Devon in handcuffs and were pulling him into another police vehicle. 

"You good?" Inspector Simpson asked. Shane nodded. 

Simpson looked at Lissa. "Mel you okay?" he asked. She shook her head. "Not sure," she said, her voice trembling. 

Shane turned her body to him and hugged her, rubbing her back. He lowered his head and kissed her, gently teasing her lips. Lissa reciprocated, closing her eyes. She put her arms around his waist while Shane deepened their kiss. 

Inspector Simpson looked at them with raised eyebrows, he looked over at Constable Walker who nodded and smiled. Inspector Simpson nodded his understanding. He patted Shane on his shoulder. "I'll go with those officers," he said over his shoulder as he walked towards Sergeants Miller and Troupe, to help secure Devon.

 "Noted," Supe replied.

Supe Dacres looked at the lovers then cleared his throat. Shane planted a soft kiss on Lissa's brow. "I'll come for you later," he whispered. He cupped her face and looked into her eyes. Lissa saw latent passion burning in his gaze. She nodded. She felt her body respond to him. 

Shane turned towards Superintendent Dacres and walked with him, pointing to the hijacked house. He and Supe went over with Constable Campbell, and two other officers who had just pulled up in a separate police car. They went towards the house to inspect the dead bodies. 

Supe Dacres instructed Constable Campbell and the other police officers to enter the house cautiously while he and Shane stood a foot away from where the other dead criminal fell fatally on the sidewalk.

Marcus put his arm around Lissa's shoulder. "Come honey, you're shaken up. Let's go inside and ask your mom to make chamomile tea for you," he said.

Lissa nodded absentmindedly and went with him. Constable Sudanie Walker watched her leave and felt concerned for her friend. She walked towards Supe and Shane. She was just in time to hear Supe say, "I've heard of a Mr Z, but I thought it was a rumor. The name pops up every now and then, but seems more like folklore."

"What do these folklore say?" Sergeant Shane Crosby asked.

"That this guy has ties in government, business, sports and the entertainment industries. He dabbles in a little of everything. He's like an octopus or more so like a shadow. He's there but there's no tangible trace of him," Supe Dacres said.

Constable Walker felt her mouth go dry. That sounded quite sinister. Sergeant Shane Crosby nodded. He hoped Red Man could help him unlock this mystery. In the meantime, he needed to get Lissa to a safe place and he had one in mind.

"The young man that was arrested, his name is Devon," Sergeant Shane Crosby disclosed. "He's the nephew of a former informant. He was contracted to kill me, but fortunately my ex-informant was able to convince his nephew to spare my life. He was actually the one who killed those men. I shot and injured one but he finished both of them." Supe Dacres looked at him, a grave expression on his face as he listened to his subordinate. 

Supe looked up at the two storey house. "Do you have any idea who owns this house?" he asked Sergeant Crosby. Shane shook his head. "No clue," he answered, "but I could ask Lissa and let you know." Supe Dacres nodded then said, "Do that then. Let's hope they are still alive." Shane nodded his agreement. Hopefully, he thought.

"Oh, the coroner just arrived," Constable Walker announced. A silver car slowed down and parked a few feet away. A man exited with a leather bag filled with the tools of his trade. Dr Anthony Bromfield aka Bones walked up to them. A man in his thirties, he was a tall, dark skinned man with long slender fingers. He was wearing black trousers, a baby blue dress shirt and black suede shoes. 

Constable Walker had a crush on him, but she heard he had no time or interest in getting involved in any sort of romantic relationship, whether with an officer of the JCF or a civilian. She was disappointed. He was a handsome man. Dr. Bromfield pushed his glasses back on his nose as he approached them. He looked down at the dead man on the sidewalk. "Unfortunate soul," he said shaking his head. 

"There's another one somewhere upstairs," Sergeant Crosby told him. He turned his gaze towards the house. Bromfield's eyes followed his direction. The doctor nodded. "Noted," he said. He stooped down and began his work. "My car may have been hit but I'll bring it to be processed tomorrow," Dr Bromfield said, "Mhm, that's fine," without looking at him. Constable Walker watched as Dr Bromfield worked.

He took photos of the crime scene, then made careful notes in a black book. He turned around and looked up to see Constable Walker watching him. He felt her staring at him. He smiled at her awkwardly then turned around. He shook his head and tried to focus. 

Constable Walker was an attractive young woman. She was actually his type: tall and slender with adequate curves but not too much; flawless brown skin with a beautiful face. He also knew that she liked him. He could tell by the way she looked at him, but he was still mourning the loss of his wife. He didn't think he was ready. Constable Walker turned as if she was walking away and spoke with her back to him, "Good to see you Anthony," she said shyly.

"Good to see you Sudanie," Anthony replied.

"Um ... I was wondering if maybe we could go get some coffee or lattes? I heard you like lattes. I like them too," she said. She turned her upper body towards him.

Shane saw the interaction between his two colleagues and smiled. It was time Anthony found space in his life for a little romance. He touched Supe Dacres' arm. Dacres nodded his understanding. The two men moved away from Sudanie and Anthony to give them privacy. 

Anthony smiled at her. "Right now, I'm really busy." He pointed to the dead body before him. Sudanie smiled slightly. "Understood. But you have to drink coffee sometimes, maybe eat a muffin or danish, or a coffee-strip. It couldn't hurt," she said smiling at me.

Anthony smiled shyly. She was cute. Maybe a danish couldn't hurt. "Okay," he said nodding. "I have your number. Do you have mine?"

Sudanie smiled. "I do," she answered. 

His smile widened. "Okay, shoot me a text," he told her.

Sudanie loved his smile. He was so handsome. "I will," she said. She grinned at him. Anthony pushed his glasses up his nose and smiled at her shyly. 

Sudanie nodded then walked towards Sargeant Crosby and her commanding officer, Supe Dacres. She could feel Anthony watching her. She glanced back and saw that he was indeed watching her. He smiled at her then went back to work. Sudanie felt good. Finally, she had a date with him. She was nervous but excited.

She went up to Supe Dacres and Sergeant Crosby. All three of them stepped further away from the crime scene, but not before they secured it with yellow tape. Supe Dacres called Constable Campbell on her cellphone and instructed her that she and the other officers should exit from the back door. 

Supe walked back to his service unit to inform the PECC of the situation and made sure to clarify that Sergeant Shane Crosby was unharmed. Sergeant Crosby also spoke on the walkie talkie of Supe's vehicle and gave his name, rank and ID number, and reported what happened. He repeated that he was unharmed. The officer taking the communications told him she was glad to hear he was okay, then they signed off.

Just then, Constables Campbell, Morrant and Sangster came up to them. "No civilian was in the house," Campbell told Supe. He nodded. "Is there a body?' he asked. Campbell nodded. "Yes, there is. He was shooting from the living room window." Supe nodded. "Call it in," he told her. 

Morrant spoke up and said he would do it. Supe looked at him and nodded. "Okay, go ahead." Morrant and Sangster went back to their vehicle and made the report. They would also stay and assist the coroner while he worked to gather evidence. 

Supe Dacres looked at Constable Campbell, "Find out who are the residents of that house and see if you can find out their whereabouts." He looked at Shane then said, "Text the family's name and any other detail to Constable Campbell." Sergeant Crosby nodded. "Will do," he answered.

Campbell nodded. She got into the service vehicle with Supe and waited patiently. 

"What do you plan to do?" Sudanie asked Shane, eyeing him. "She's pretty shaken up," she told him matter of factly. Shane looked at the ground then looked at his colleagues. "I have a place in mind to take her, if you will grant her the leave now." He looked at his superior. Superintendent Dacres sighed. "Okay, I will put in the request for her." 

"And you'll push for thirty days?" Shane asked. "I want to have that time as well, the same time as her. I want to go off the grid for a while," he said.

Supe looked at him sharply, but said nothing "I'll see what I can do," Supe told him, opening the vehicle's door and sliding inside. He started the engine. Sudanie opened the back left passenger door and sat inside. She smiled sadly at him. "Take care of her," she told him.

"I will," Shane said nodding. He watched as the vehicle drove away. Slowly, he walked towards Lissa's house. He wasn't sure about the reception he would get after this crazy mess. He knocked on the door. Carli opened the door for him and stepped aside so he could enter the house. She had a sullen look on her face. 

"She's lying in the living room," she told him. He nodded. He walked towards the living room. He entered the room to see Sandra sitting beside her daughter, comforting her while Lissa lay on her side silently crying. Marcus was standing and so was Brandon. His friend Jason had a grave expression on his face. He was sitting opposite Lissa on the grey couch. 

They all looked up as he entered. He felt their hurt and anger. "I am really sorry about what happened earlier. The life of a police officer can be dangerous. I would never want to bring any of this on you guys. You have been kind to me. I am really sorry." He looked over at Lissa crying. He stooped down on the floor beside her. Sandra moved away to give him space. He sat in her place. 

He reached out and touched Lissa's face. Her eyes seemed glazed over like she wasn't aware of where she was. "Lissa, baby, you okay?" he asked. 

Lissa didn't respond. "Lissa, honey, how are you feeling?" Still no response. She didn't even make eye contact. He looked up at her family. "What's wrong with her?" he asked them alarmed.

Marcus sighed. "She was raped at seventeen. Did she ever tell you that?" he asked.

Shane nodded. "Yes, she told me a little about what happened recently."

Marcus nodded. "When she experienced that trauma she went through a phase the psychs called Dissociation. She kind of shuts down. We were able to get her back through medication and therapy. She hasn't behaved like this in a very long time."

Shane felt afraid. "Psychs as in psychiatrists?" he asked.

Marcus nodded. "Yes," he answered. 

Shane looked at the love of his life. "She was just fine awhile ago when I left her. She was talking to me." He looked at her, his eyes welling up with tears he wouldn't dare shed. He blinked them back. He kissed her lips then her forehead. He whispered a quick prayer and asked God to help her. He put his arms around her and lifted her to his chest. "What are you doing?" Sandra asked angrily. "You're the reason our daughter is like this?"

Shane sighed. "I know. I wish that none of what happened earlier happened. I'm gonna take her somewhere safe. Somewhere I can keep an eye on her and make sure she's okay."

"She needs medical care right now," Sandra charged.

"I want to go with him," Lissa answered. 

Sandra came around to the side of her body and looked at Lissa's face. Lissa looked at her mother. "Mommy, I want to be with him," Lissa said. 

"Honey ..." Sandra was in shock. Marcus came up behind his wife and held her arm. "Okay baby, if that is what you want," he said. He looked at Shane. "Remember what I told you about taking care of my daughter." Shane nodded solemnly. 

He carried Lissa to his vehicle. The fender had a dent in it but otherwise it was good. There was a cracked windscreen but nothing else that he observed. He placed her in it and closed the door. Carli came out running with a bag in her hand. "I packed a few of her things," she told him. He smiled at her appreciatively and took it from her. "She has some meds that she needs to take for the baby's health. Were you able to pack those?" he asked her.

Carli shook her head.  "Oh no I didn't," she said looking stressed. Shane reached out and touched her shoulder. "It's okay," he told her. "I'll get them." He looked in on Lissa. "Lissa, baby, the vitamins you got from the doctor, where did you put them?"

Lissa looked up at him and smiled. His breath caught in his throat. She was so beautiful. He touched her face and smiled back. "They're in the top left drawer. They're in a plastic bag, the prescription paper is folded inside also," she told him. Shane kissed her brow, then said, "Okay honey, be right back." He grabbed the bag Carli brought with her. He stood up and walked towards the house while Carli stayed with her.

Carli looked in on her cousin. "Lissa, please be careful," she said. Lissa smiled back at her sadly. "I will try," she replied. Carli hugged her. "Weren't you scared? You ran out of the house. Lissa you had me worried," Carli told her. Lissa sighed heavily. "Yeah," she said nodding, "I was very scared. Strangely enough, I felt like I couldn't let anything happen to him. I love him Carli. I thought I loved Derrick, but no, the way Shane makes me feel ..." 

She shook her head. "I've never felt this before. Maybe you understand, you and Jason are like soulmates." She chuckled. Carli smiled slightly. She understood. "Yeah, Jason was going after you to drag you back into the house, and I grabbed him and pulled him back. If I lost him I don't know what I would do."

Lissa's eyes widened. For the first time she realized the potential implication of her actions. She squeezed her cousin's hand nearest to her. "I am sorry about that. I wasn't thinking. Please apologize to Jason for me. He is a very good brother-in-law to me. And please tell him this: he doesn't have to worry about me, I'll be fine, and also you guys need not worry about me prying in y'all affairs. I figured that would be an issue, but you guys don't have to worry about that. Okay?"

Carli nodded. "Okay. I love you Lissa Bissa."

"Love you baby cuz," Lissa replied. Carli reached in to hug her again, but Lissa stood up and squeezed her close to her. They heard footsteps and looked up to see Shane coming towards them. He had Jason and Brandon walking with him. They had sober faces and they spoke no words. Brandon hugged Lissa first, then Jason. 

Brandon spoke up, "We were telling this guy that he better take care of you or he will have to answer to us." Lissa looked at him. Shane's face was like a mask. She touched his hand. "I know he will take good care of me. I also know he will go as far as risking his life to do so because that's the type of man he is."

She reached up on tiptoe and he bent his head to kiss her. Jason put his arm around his wife. Carli looked up at him. Shane straightened up and observed the look of admiration on the young woman's face. He was very happy for his friend. 

He looked at Lissa and noted that she was looking at him as if the sun rose and set in his eyes. He was touched. He hugged her then said, "Lissa is everything I have ever wanted in a woman. I'm not perfect, but I would rather die than to see her hurt. I can promise you that my blood will be spilled before there's a scratch on her."

Jason and Brandon's eyes met. Jason nodded. He looked at Carli, his eyes showing his affection. He rubbed her arm. "I would do the same for Carli," he responded. Carli leaned towards him.

Shane released Lissa and looked at him. "You may have to. From what the guy in the black suit told me, his boss is very ruthless," he warned. "He contracted him to kill someone close to me so I can suffer, then he would eliminate me afterwards when I'm grieving and my guard is down."

He turned his body fully to face who he hoped in the future would be his brothers. "Brandon, Jason, you guys don't know me, but I have a lot of respect for you and your family. I'm gonna share my location with you so you'll know where I am." He told them his phone number then went into 'Settings' and went through the process with both young men. He also added them on Whatsapp. 

"Got it?" he asked.

"Got it," Brandon answered. Jason nodded in response. 

"Okay, we're leaving," Shane said going around to the driver's side of the vehicle. Brandon chuckled. "Can it even start? It looks pretty banged up."

Shane slipped into the vehicle and tucked Lissa's bag in the back seat. He packed more clothes in for her, along with the bottle of lavender oil concoction he loved smelling in her hair, and her meds. Lissa got in beside him and closed her door. 

He started the car. It purred to life. He grinned at Brandon, "Never underestimate the efficiency of the Japanese." Brandon smiled begrudgingly. He did like Lissa's new boyfriend, he however wished the circumstances were different. 

Jason poked his brother-in-law and motioned his head towards the house. Brandon nodded. "Take care of yourself, Lissa Bissa," he said while tapping the top of the car window. Lissa smiled at him then said, "I will." 

Jason squeezed Carli closer. He looked pointedly at Shane. Shane stared back at him. He nodded at him. Jason nodded. He turned his wife's body towards the house. He and her walked back, his arm still circled protectively around her. Brandon followed them.

Shane smiled slightly as he watched them through the rear view mirror. When this was over he would take the men of the family out for beers. He owed them that much. 

He tapped the dashboard of his car. This was one mean machine. He chuckled to himself and pressed the gas pedal carefully. The car moved off smoothly. Shane was grateful, although he had to bring it in so that the coroner could collect any evidence from it, if any. 

He looked at Lissa. She was smiling now. He felt relieved. He was glad her family loved her unconditionally. He reached out and squeezed her hand. She looked at him. He smiled at her. Her smile broadened. He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it repeatedly. "Lissa everything will be okay. I have a lead. I promise, I won't let anything happen to you or our twin girls."

Lissa chuckled. "Twin girls? How do you know?" she asked.

He released her hand and touched her belly. "Just a feeling," he told her. He leaned towards her, she bent forward and their lips briefly met. He playfully pinched her chin and she laughed softly.

He drove them over to his small one bedroom home and packed a few things for himself, as well as cash. He had $500k cash in his possession. He took half with him. He also packed his service revolver and his private firearm, along with ammunition. 

He had a shotgun he purchased four years ago buried in his back yard. He dug it up. It was secured in its case. He would have to clean it when they got to his safe place. Shane packed everything in a black duffle bag. 

He drove them to the house in Portmore and went into the garage to retrieve his motorcycle that was covered with a blue tarpaulin. He parked his car in the driveway. He would come back for it later. 

He used his legs to guide the motorcycle to the front gate. "Get on," he told Lissa. Lissa took her bag from the car and hopped on the bike with him. He turned it on, revved the engine three times then guided it through the gate. He made Lissa lock the gate with a padlock, then rode off quickly with her holding on tightly to him.

****

They slept over at a motel on Port Henderson Road. Lissa took a shower then Shane took a shower. He told Lissa he would watch through the night so he would get some sleep first. He told her to turn on the cable and watch whatever she wanted. She was supposed to wake him up at 3 am.

He lay on the bed and within minutes he was fast asleep. Lissa watched him. She wasn't sure if she could sleep. She felt wired and wound up. She lay beside him and used the television remote to surf through the channels. She wasn't really interested. She forced herself to watch something then half hour through she turned off the television. She took up her phone from the night table and texted Carli.

"Carli hey," she texted. "Tell mom and dad I am okay. We're at a motel." She wouldn't tell her where. She watched enough detective shows to know her communications could probably be intercepted.

Carli texted back. "Aunty is worried." 

Lissa texted, "Give her the phone let me talk to her."

She dialed her cousin's number. Sandra came on the line. "Lissa baby?" she said.

"Yes mommy."

"How do you feel? You okay?" her mother asked.

"I am okay."

"Where are you?" Sandra asked.

"I'm not sure. It's like an Airbnb. I am fine mommy, don't worry," Lissa told her. 

"Baby, are you sure you don't want to come home?" Sandra asked.

"Yes mommy I am sure. Shane says he has a lead, but he believes this man, Mr Z, who wants to kill him, may try to harm me too, and now that I am carrying his baby or babies, it's best he takes me somewhere safe."

"And you trust him?' Sandra asked feeling despair.

"With my life. I know you guys don't know him well but I've been around him for five years. I trust him." Lissa said confidently. She heard her mother sigh. She heard a shuffling sound and Carli came back on the line. "Thank you for staying over Carli," she told her cousin. 

"It's no problem," she said. "Jason felt we should stay and just be here for aunty. She is really worried about you."

"I know. Please pray for me cuz," Lissa said. Carli could hear the fear in her voice. "I will hun. I will," she answered.

Lissa ended the call. She looked over at Shane. She lay on her side and watched him sleep. 

****

Lissa woke to feel strong arms holding her. She opened her eyes and found herself cradled in Shane's arms. She smiled up at him. She saw the worried look on his face. She yawned. "What time is it?" she asked.

"It's 3:36 am," he answered. 

"I was supposed to wake you up. I am so sorry," she said yawning again.

He kissed her brow. "That's fine," he told her. "Go back to sleep. We'll be travelling far."

"Where we going?" She shifted out of his embrace and sat up to look at him. 

"Westmoreland."

"What's in Westmoreland?" She was curious.

"Family property," he replied. 

"Oh," she said looking at him surprised. She came closer to him and wriggled into his embrace. He kissed her brow and squeezed her to him. He rocked her playfully side to side and planted little pecks on her cheek and brow. Lissa giggled. 

Shane stopped rocking her and looked at her, "Lissa, I need to ask you something."

Lissa sighed happily. She began toying with his fingers. "Okay," she said.

"What happened earlier today? You zonked out. I was scared. I was scared you wouldn't come back to me." He touched her face. Lissa looked into his eyes and saw his fear. "I'm sorry," she said. "It was all overwhelming. It wasn't like before where I zone out for days or even weeks. I wasn't really zoned out or zonked out like you said. I was just replaying the scene of you fighting that guy. I kept thinking what if he had killed you." 

Shane kissed her forehead. "I don't know about tomorrow or the day after that, but I do know that so far God has been protecting me. I actually know the guy. He's the nephew of a past witness of a case I handled when I was a young police officer. Apparently the nephew, his name is Devon, was contracted by Mr Z to kill me. His uncle found out and told him who I was, how I helped the family while he was a witness, and asked him to spare my life."

What's the uncle's name?" she asked.

"He's called Red Man because of his light brown skin. His real name is Eugene Ramsey," Shane answered.

"Eugene?" Lissa repeated then chuckled. Shane laughed softly. "Yeah, imagine a Jamaican badman with the name Eugene. He's retired from that lifestyle though, thank God."

Lissa shook her head still laughing. She thought of something and sobered. "The nephew, won't he be pissed that after he saved you from the other guys, you attacked him?" she asked, her eyes wide.

Shane chuckled. "He probably will be." He kissed her head tenderly. Lissa closed her eyes, basking in his touch. "But I am going in tomorrow to speak with him and see what I can get out of him. If I need to apologize I will, and if I need to hold him in a head lock I will. I'll do anything to keep us safe." He looked down at her tummy and rubbed it. Lissa opened her eyes and gazed at him.  She felt safe with him.

"I love you," she said. 

"I love you," he replied. He playfully gave her soft pecks. She giggled and began tickling him. Shane chuckled and gently kissed her lips. He used his thumb and index finger to lift her chin so he could kiss her better. He deepened the kiss but made no further moves. Lissa noted he was holding himself back and decided to respect his lead. 

"The house that the criminals camped out in, do you know the family that lives there?" he asked. 

"The Douglas family. The father and mother are divorced. The man still lives there with his older daughter, but the younger daughter lives with her mom." Lissa felt fearful. "Did something happen to them?"

Shane sighed. "We don't know. Officers entered the home but there was no sign of them," he replied. "An officer is investigating their whereabouts. I'm actually gonna text what you tell me now. What are their names?"

"Natalie Douglas is the mom's name. The little girl's name is Claudia. She's about ten years old, I think, not sure. Dad's name is Brent Douglas. The older daughter is Elizabeth. They call her Lizzie. She's sixteen this year. I know because a few of the neighbors, including myself and mommy, were invited to her birthday party," Lissa told him. Shane nodded. He texted the information to Constable Campbell, who immediately replied with a text saying, "Thank you, on it." He sent a thumbs up sign.

Shane put his arm around 'his Lissa' and kissed her forehead. He snuggled with her and kissed her brow while they watched a Rom-Com flick on television. When an hour had passed, he looked over and saw that she was sleeping. Shane turned off the TV. He gently kissed her brow then closed his eyes for two more hours. 

It was 5:30 am now. He would try to get up around 7 and they'll ride out to his family's home, then he'd head back later in the day to interrogate Devon. He also needed to call Red Man and tell him thanks for looking out for him. But for now he needed to be scarce. He took his phone from his pants' pocket, turned it off and placed in his bag.

Shane lay beside his beloved. He looked at her for a minute then closed his eyes and drifted into sleep. He dreamed of Lissa walking towards him in a beautiful white dress. She was holding the hands of a boy and girl walking on either side of her. They looked about five or six years old. He smiled as he dreamed of his future family.

****

Devon was in trouble. He blamed his uncle. If he could kill him he would, but he was sure his mother would not approve. He was allowed one phone call. He called him and told him that he was in lock up.

"Unc dem hol mi," he told him.

"Who hol' yuh?" Red Man asked. Wiping the sleep out of his eyes. This boy woke him up!

"Police," he said.

"Yuh help mi fren?" Red Man asked. He sat up.

Devon nodded. "Yeah and him attack me and mek mi get lock up."

"Ah good!" Red Man said. "Look from when mi tell yuh fi put down dem things deh? Hmm? Mi never tell yuh fi stop that shit?" He sighed. He was in bed with his newest baby mother. They had a ten year old son together, and she was now four months pregnant with another boy.

Devon listened to the older man berate him. He just needed to get out of this place. "Uncle, yuh nuh undastan. Anyhoo, mi just a mek yuh know," he said.

Red Man nodded although Devon couldn't see his body language. "Nuh worry yuhself. Everything will be fine. Trust me."

Red Man ended the call. He rubbed his woman's bulging tummy and kissed her lips. She smiled at him. He threw his right leg over her hip and pulled her closer. He lay his head on his pillow and closed his eyes. Tomorrow he would sort his nephew out. He opened his eyes, reached for his phone and turned it off. He lay back and went to sleep.

****

After a quick shower and some pastries at a shop nearby, they were on the move. They would take the winding country roads to get to where they were going. He refueled his bike twice on the way. The second time he stopped, Lissa used the bathroom at the gas station. He relieved himself also, then went to the cashier and bought some snacks for both of them. 

When they arrived at the house it was early afternoon. The yard was overgrown with grass and the windows were a little dusty. Lissa observed that the walls had a fresh coat of paint on them. He rode the motorcycle straight up to the house, there was no perimeter fence. He stopped and she got off the bike. She watched as he shut off the engine. He locked the brake, pushed down the kickstand, then swung his right leg off the bike.

Lissa looked at him. Seeing his quick, fluid movements in securing the bike was a turn on. She blushed and looked away. She looked at the house. She walked towards it, walking around the side. She heard footsteps behind her and turned to see Shane come up behind her. He put his arms around her waist and pulled her back on his body. 

He breathed in her scent and kissed her neck. "Mi casa es su casa," he told her. She giggled. "Gracias senor," she replied. Shane laughed softly and nibbled on her neck. She groaned softly and leaned completely on him. 

He circled his arms around her shoulders and planted soft kisses on the side and back of her neck.  Lissa closed her eyes and smiled. "I love you," she whispered. Shane squeezed her playfully then loosened his embrace. "I love you," he answered. "Let's get inside." 

He took her hand and led her to the front door, which was actually the side door. They walked around to the side of the house. He retrieved his key from the tiny section of his duffle bag, pushed it in the door and opened it. He made Lissa enter the house first, then he entered and locked the door behind them. He opened the windows in the small living room to bring light and fresh air in.

Lissa looked around the room. The furniture were covered over by large grey and white sheets. They looked dusty. "I take it neither you nor your family have been here in a while," she said, looking at him amused. He chuckled. 

"You could say that," he replied. "The last time I was here was a few months back. It's kind of like a haven for me. I may retire and live here when I'm old and grey. It has modern amenities. You can't really see them from the front. We have a 450 gallon tank mounted around the back on a separate concrete stand, not on the roof. Glass shower enclosure. I got the work men to install that the same time I was renovating the house in Portmore. There's also a water heater system and rain water harvesting. I was able to install the harvesting system myself. It was hard work but I enjoyed the process." He saw Lissa's impressed look and laughed. He felt a little bashful. "If I wasn't a police officer I would be an engineer."

"You installed the water harvesting yourself?" Lissa stared at him, a little surprised. He nodded, then chuckled. She went to him and touched his chest. He looked at her, his gaze narrowing on her lips. She was biting them seductively. "I'm hungry," she told him. "Let me cook us something." Shane cleared his throat. So very sexy, he thought to himself as he watched her. "Yeah sure. There's actually something like a wholesale a block away. What do you feel like eating?" he asked. 

Lissa smiled at him, "Besides you, if you can get fish, maybe snapper or brim, I can do something with that. Oh and buy some rice, about eight pounds, since we'll be here awhile. Buy some all-purpose and fish seasoning, some escalation, thyme and onion, a pound each. Does the wholesale sell red peas?"

"I think so," Shane replied. "I'll ask." He put his arms around her. "In the meantime ..."  He kissed her lips. "You want to do what now to me?" His left eyebrow was raised above the right. He pretended to be nonchalant, but Lissa could tell he was aroused.

"You heard me," she smiled at him, "But I'll play by what you want. If you don't want us to, we don't have to," she leaned into him, resting her head on his chest. Shane rubbed her back. He sighed. "I really want to, really bad, I am very weak for you though but I want us to wait these three months. ." He bent his head slightly to kiss the side of her head.

"What if it takes longer?" she asked concerned. "Mr Z will probably be looking to send more goons after you."

"Yes, I agree with you, but there are things I want to sort out within the three months: assets, insurance, investments, etc. I trust God that he will protect me during that time. I want to make sure you and our kid or kids' future is or are secure. And I will be extra careful. I promise. That's why we're here." 

He opened his duffle bag, retrieved the snacks he bought at the gas station and brought them to her. He pulled a jumbo sized potato chips bag, sour cream flavored, and started eating. Lissa pulled the sealed top of the chips bag he gave her and started eating as well. The tangy, sweet barbecue flavor hit the spot. She dug in hungrily.

Lissa nodded and looked at Shane. She trusted his judgement, though she still felt uneasy. He came over and kissed her brow. "It will be okay. I trust God, and I'm asking you to trust Him and trust me." She could smell the sour cream flavor of the chips on his breath. She put her arms around him. He hugged her back. "I'm gonna see if I can get the fish you want. If not fish, is chicken okay?"

She nodded and smiled at him. "Yes, that's fine. In that case, you can get the chicken seasoning along with the all-purpose and the other things I want," she responded.

He smiled at her and blew her a kiss. "Three pounds of chicken okay?" 

She nodded. "Perfect," she told him. She tugged at his fingers gently. He kissed her hand then released it. He finished the bag of chips and crumpled it in his hands and dropped it in a small bin in the kitchen. He entered the bathroom and washed his hands then washed out his mouth.

When he came back into the front room he grinned at her, she felt her heart do a flip. "I'll be right back," he said.  He was wiping his hand on a grey handkerchief. He still wore the black polo shirt and jeans from the night before. "Don't open the door for anyone. No doubt a strange bike parked out front will draw attention, but don't answer to anyone." He put the now folded handkerchief in his back pocket and patted it down flat.

She nodded. "Understood. You going on foot?" She was still munching on her chips.

He nodded. "Yup, so I don't draw attention. Plus a few of the neighbours here know me, when they see me out and about they'll feel comfortable. After a few days I will introduce you so they can get to know you." 

"Is that important?" She was curious.

"Yes, if they know you, they'll trust you. If something strange is happening while we're gone they can give us a heads up," he explained.

She nodded. "Okay," she said feeling nervous. She stuffed her mouth with more of the sweet-sour, crispy goodness. Shane watched her facial expression feeling amused. Even with crumbs on the corner of her lips she was still beautiful. He drew close to her. He grabbed her up and kissed her, making sure to use his tongue to lick off the crumbs on her face and lips. When he moved away, Lissa blushed and giggled softly. He brushed his right hand across her cheek and smiled at her.

He squeezed her arm then moved towards the door. He looked back at her and smiled. Shane opened the door and closed it behind him. She was alone. Whew! How does this man know what to do to rattle me?! Lissa thought. Her heart was racing. He is so sexy! Hmm!

She looked around the house and sighed. She went into the kitchen dropped her empty chips bag in the bin Shane had disposed of his. She needed to do some cleaning. 

She walked back to the living room and gingerly pulled the dusty white and grey sheets off the furniture and laid them in a clothes basket she saw at the bathroom doorway. Lissa returned to the living room and inspected the furniture. They looked quite nice. There was an antique looking arm chair and a cute dark brown couch. There was a loveseat that looked more modern. She guessed that Shane brought it to the house recently. She also took note of a brown and black footrest in the corner of the room.

She went into the kitchen and looked at the stove. It was a large gas stove with six burners. The gas hose led outside to a hundred pound cylinder secured in a grill cage. She looked at the fridge and opened it. It was empty and turned off. It looked fairly clean but she decided she would wipe it down. She walked around to the side and found its plug. There was a surge protector with seven sockets, mounted on the wall behind it. She plugged the fridge into one outlet and heard it hum. Nodding to herself she plugged it out. After she was finished cleaning it, she would plug it in again. It wasn't stainless steel but was in very good condition. She smiled. She would live here with him if he wanted her to.

She walked into each room, looking for a wash room and found it close to the back door. This was another three bedroom house. She was impressed with his family. Only one room had a bed however, the others were bare. In the wash room she found a broom, a mop and a bucket. She also found a garden hose. She attached the hose to the faucet, turned it on and filled the bucket halfway. She looked around the cupboards and found powered bleach. She sprinkled some in the bucket. She went into the kitchen and looked through the cupboards. 

She grinned when she found a half bottle of white vinegar. She brought it to the back and carefully dropped a table spoon into the bucket of water. She returned the vinegar to its place. She brought the mop and bucket into the living room, dipped the mop into the cleaning solution and lifted it out. She carefully placed it in the bucket's wringer and squeezed out the excess water. 

She began mopping the floor, moving from the front door further into the room. She moved meticulously from the hallway then from room to room. Cleaning was the one thing she enjoyed doing. It was like therapy for her. She liked the pungent smell of the vinegar. She hoped it wasn't something Shane would find offensive.

****

He looked around his old community. He grew up here for the first ten years of his life, then his parents moved to Kingston for the sake of work. His dad had changed his career from farmer and entrepreneur to civil engineer.  He and his brother had learned how to be hands-on from their dad. They learned how to cook and do house chores from their mom. His parents wanted them to be very self-sufficient. And for that he was very grateful. 

He crossed the road and walked into the wholesale. He was relieved to see that it was still open, although it seemed it to have changed ownership. Instead of the Jamaican family he remembered running the place, the new owners seemed to be of Asian ethnicity, although they spoke Jamaican patois very well. He always found that amusing. 

There were several persons before him so he waited a little before he said anything. He was taller than most of the persons in the wholesale. He noticed a girl looking at him, her eyes moving up and down his 6'2" muscular frame. He smiled politely at her. If it was a year ago, maybe, just maybe he would have shoot his shot, even if he was in a solid relationship. Now however, he knew better. 

When he was able to come up to the little shop window, he told the female attendant before him what he wanted. His admirer still stood near a shelf, transfixed, staring at him. His server brushed past her and went to fetch the things he asked for. Shane was amused. She wasn't a bad looking girl. She more than made up for her plain looks with the nice curves of her body. But Lissa's curves were far better as far as he was concerned. He looked over as a man entered the wholesale. He stood beside him. The man smiled at him briefly then turned to the window and called out for what he wanted. 

"Missa Chin, Miss Chin good morning. Mi want four pound of chicken back and one brown bread, and sell mi a pack of salt, one sweet pepper and black pepper. Oh and a pack of curry. Mi going curry down some chicken back yah now."

The Asian man nodded and smiled at him. He got up from his perch and went to get the items. By then Shane's attendant came back and placed his food items on the counter. Shane gave her a thousand dollar bill. She gave the money to the Asian woman who took over the cash register while her husband left to attend to the man's order. 

"Weh Cynthia deh? She nah work today?" the man asked.

"Baby sick," Miss Chin replied.

"Oh oh," the man replied. "I get you." The man looked up at Shane and smiled politely. The girl attending him took the change from the Chinese woman and gave it to Shane. He looked at what he received, $80 left. She packed his items in a grocery bag and handed them to him. 

He decided to buy both the fish and two pounds of chicken as well as the other things she wanted. He and Lissa would be in the community for a while, they may as well stock up. When he went back into town he would buy more food to bring with him. "I don't think I met your acquaintance?" the man said eyeing Shane. 

Shane smiled politely at him. "I'm Mas Croz's son," he told the man. The man rubbed his uneven beard. "Mas Croz? Missa Crosby?" the man asked.

Shane nodded smiling, "Mhm, yes him."

The man's face cracked into a smile. "A mi fren that enuh! I know him from a bwoy! Dem time deh we used to call him 'Bun and Cheese, and 'Stew Peas' cause him would eat dem things deh every day if him get a chance."

Shane laughed. Yeah, that was true. His dad loved stewed peas, and bun and cheese. He extended his hand and the man shook it briefly.  The man grinned at him. "Mas Croz, Davie did have twins so you are one of them?" he asked. Shane nodded. "Yeah, I'm the older one, Shane." he answered. The man said, "Okay, okay. Nice to see. He smiled at him. "Is long time yuh nuh come this side?" he asked.

"No, actually I was here about four months ago," Shane told him. The man handed his money to Mr Chin and waited for his change. He took up his bag of groceries. 

He looked at the bag in Shane's hand, then asked, "You cooking dinner?" 

"Yes, my fiance and I will be staying here for a few months just to get away from city life," Shane said. Out of the corner of his left eye he saw his admirer's face sour. She turned and went to the back of the shop. Shane smiled to himself. 

"I'm Robert. People aroun' here call me Robbie or Mas Rob, but yuh can call mi Robbie yah mi fren son," the man disclosed happily. Oh yeah dad did mention an old friend called Robbie, Shane recalled. Robbie turned to the shopkeeper, took his change from him then looked back at Shane. "Tell yuh pops 'hello' when yuh see him," he said walking towards the door. 

"I will," Shane said smiling. The man left. Shane looked at the proprietors of the wholesale. They were looking at him curiously. He smiled at them then exited the building. He walked back to the house slowly. He wondered what Lissa was doing now. Maybe she was sleeping or watching something on her phone.  

He entered the yard and went around the side to the front door. He knocked. He heard Lissa reply. "Hey, I'm here. Coming." She opened the door for him. He stepped in to see his furniture shifted out of place. He chuckled. He pulled her to him and kissed her. He looked around and laughed. 

Lisa was puzzled. "What's funny?" she asked.

"I should have known you would have pulled this place apart the minute I stepped outside," he said chuckling. "It's fine honey," he said. He moved his free hand down to gently squeeze and caress her buttocks, while the other held the grocery bag. "You are beautiful, you know that?" His eyes teased her. Lissa smiled at him. She loved the way he touched her. "I Iike a clean space," she said amused, "and I guess I could be considered good looking," she said responding to his compliment. 

Shane squeezed her buttocks more possessively. "No, not good looking," he told her. "You are beautiful. Very, very beautiful." He bent his head to kiss her. Lissa eagerly opened her mouth to kiss him. He kissed her passionately, feeling his need for her becoming sensual torment. He grunted and kissed her harder. He bent down and lifted her with one arm around her. She wrapped her legs around him. 

He walked with her to the kitchen and put the grocery bag in the sink. Wrapping both arms around her, he adjusted her better in his embrace and kissed her more fervently, closing his eyes. Lissa was groaning softly. Her breathing was shallow and rushed. She had been waiting on him to make a move. She touched his face and told him she loved him. 

Shane opened his eyes and looked at her. He exited the kitchen, turned right and brought her to the bedroom just across the hallway. He playfully threw her on the new queen sized bed. He smiled cheekily at her. Lissa giggled. He came to her on the bed and kissed her lips, teasing her. 

"I love you," he said. 

"Ditto," she replied.

****

Red Man was calling Sergeant Crosby for nearly an hour now and wasn't getting through. Knowing his friend, he knew he would probably be somewhere no one knew to find him. Maybe he'd go undercover to find the man who wanted to kill him. Red Man was however hoping his friend's phone would be on for the most part of the time. He swore quietly. 

He ended the call, then dialed his daughter's number. His daughter, Ebony Ramsey-Reid, was from his first baby mama. She was his pride and joy. Ebony was a brilliant child and had grown up to be a very intelligent and well accomplished young lady. She was an attorney-at-law at one of the prestige law firms in Kingston. She got married two years ago and it was the best day of his life. 

He listened as the phone rang four times. He heard a click and she answered in her signature, "Hi dada, what's up?" He felt his heart swell up with pride. "Ebbs, hi baby, daddy has a favor to ask. I am sorry," he said.

"Is it money?" Dada you know you don't have to worry, Corey doesn't mind if you need financial help. You gave him the money to start his business."

Red Man's smile broadened. He liked her husband. Nice, hard working young man. "No baby, that's not the favor," he told her. "It's more serious." He paused. "Okay dada, tell me." He heard her say. 

He sighed. "It's your bad-breed cousin. He's in trouble again." He heard Ebbs sigh. "Weh him duh now?" He was amused to hear her switch to patois at that moment. He knew she was fed up with Devon just as he was. 

He sighed heavily. "He tried to kill a cop," he replied. He heard his daughter curse an expletive. She then went off on a string of Jamaican curse words. He was a bit shocked to hear her. Then again, she inherited her mother's hot temper. He chuckled. "Ebbsie, honey, calm down. Yuh too young to have blood pressure problems." He heard her sigh then chuckle, "Sorry dada. What do you want me to do? That is a serious offense, attempting to kill an officer can get fifteen years up to life in prison. Dada, you know I am more corporate litigation and commerce, not criminal cases." 

"Okay hun, I understand. Can you at least see if any of your friends would be able to look into the case for me. He was working for Mr Z."

Ebony gasped. He could sense her fear. "Why him duh dat? Suh him shoot the cop?"

"No man, he's fine. The cop is a friend of mine. Mi ask Devon not to and apparently your cousin listened to me for once, but mi fren arrest him."

"Oh, serves him right. Why Devon suh hard ears man?! Dada, I know you used to do some things in the past according to what mommy tells me, but I am glad yuh come to your senses."

"It's actually you and your brother who helped me to make the decision. I am happy I did it. Look at you and your brother now," he said beaming with pride. Craig was an architect and a certified land surveyor. Red Man aka Eugene cleared his throat, feeling slightly emotional. "See what yuh can find out honey, please." 

"Where is he?" she asked.

"Not sure. My fren is assigned to New Kingston police station so he could be there or maybe Constant Spring, just see what yuh can find out."

Ebony sighed. "Okay, I will try. I will let you know." 

"Okay honey," he said smiling.

"Okay dada." She hung up.

Eugene smiled at his phone. He loved his baby girl very much. She was the only daughter he had. He was sitting under the shade of his ackee tree. He stood and went into the house. His new woman, Britney was cooking something for dinner. He kissed her neck and gently rubbed her belly. She was eighteen years younger than him, but she was a mature young woman, a few years older than his daughter. He was glad Ebony was trying her best to get along with her. 

He had deep affection for Brit. She was a calming influence in his life. He wouldn't call what he felt for her love. It felt deeper to him. He made sloppy sounds with his lips as he kissed her jaw. "What's for din din?" he asked her affectionately. "Oxtail and rice and peas," she told him smiling. He continued to rub her belly. 

"Want help?" he asked her. She nodded. "Okay," she said. "Grate the coconut." He nodded then went to work.

****

Inspector Simpson walked into Devon's holding cell. They were at the Constant Spring Polie Station's lock up. Devon woke up and looked at him. Inspector Solomon Simpson handed Devon a bottle of water. Devon opened it to drink it, but realized that the seal was already broken. Not all around, there was part of it still attached. He felt uneasy. He pretended to drink a little of the water then put the bottle down on the floor. He tucked the water under his tongue cavity and waited for Simpson to turn around. When he did, Devon took out his kerchief and quietly spat out the water on it, then quickly tucked the hand kerchief in his pocket again. 

Inspector Simpson was talking to another officer who had just come to the cell door. He searched for something in his phone, a number and gave it to his colleague. The officer thanked the Inspector then walked away. Simpson leaned on the bars looking at Devon, his expression blank. "You are very young based on your features. I'm guessing you're in your early twenties. What's your name? I hear your first name is Devon. What is your full name? How old are you?" he asked Devon. Devon kept quiet. 

Simpson smiled coldly. "You tried to kill a colleague of mine. You are very lucky I am a police officer bound by certain principles and protocols, and not a thug like you. If I wasn't I wouldn't hesitate to put a bullet in the centre of that smooth forehead." Simpson came closer. 

"Mr Z. Who is he?" Simpson asked. Devon held his tongue. "Oh yuh nah talk nuh? Yuh nah seh nutt'n? Oh cool. We'll see how long yuh going to keep quiet." He stepped out of the holding cell and slammed it shut. He locked it. "You're just a waste of space anyway," Simpson said angrily. Devon heard Simpson shout. "Tell them dah one yah nuh fi get nutt'n fi eat till tomorrow lunch time, and no more water." Simpson looked back at him and grinned a harsh smile. "Yuh going talk." He walked away.

Devon was panicking a little. They took his cell phone from him. He had two-factor authentication passwords on his iPhone, but they would probably crack his codes sooner or later. He shook his head. No good deed goes unpunished, he mused. He opened the water bottle and smelled the rim. It smelled normal but he was still suspicious. He turned the bottle over and emptied it. He threw it in the corner. He was over this shit. He needed to go home. He needed to speak to his uncle's friend. Sergeant Crosby owed him.

****

Shane turned on his phone. He saw two calls from his brother. One call from his mother. He hissed his teeth when he saw her number in his call log. He was still upset with her. No calls from his dad, but he knew his dad. He knew his dad was waiting for him to call him. He would be the first one he would call today, after he called Supe Dacres. He needed a favor from his superior. There were about twelve calls from a number that seemed familiar to him but he couldn't place why. He thought about it. Oh, it was Red Man. It had to be him. He saved the number under the name 'Eugene'.

Shane dialed Superintendent Dacres' cellphone number. Supe Dacres answered after the third ring. "Where are you? You know you are not following protocol. You should be reporting to work. Is Ms Dixon with you?" Supe asked.

"I am somewhere safe, and yes Miss Dixon is with me. I did give you a warning. I told you I want to be somewhere safe for her and I needed the leave so I can get off-grid. At this point I am convinced I am being watched," Shane answered.

"You at that safe place now? How can you be sure nobody followed you there?" Supe asked feeling frustrated.

"I can't be, but country folk are the best neighborhood watch dogs you can have. Especially where my family is from. I wasn't there five minutes and I was getting interrogated by a middle aged man named Robbie." Shane chuckled when he remembered his encounter with the elderly gentleman.

Supe hissed his teeth. "You're lucky I like you son. I would write that they should dock your pay otherwise." Shane smiled but made sure his voice held an air of remorse. "Supe, I am sorry. And thank you for not doing that. I love Lissa. She's carrying my offspring. I have to do what I have to."

"And what does that mean?" Supe asked sternly.

"I need to ask a favor," Shane said.

"Spill it," Supe said feeling a little annoyed now.

"Transfer the young man, Devon to St. Elizabeth. The Santa Cruz lock-up. I am nearby."

"Where are you?" Supe Dacres asked.

"Next door to there. I'll text you the location. Delete it as soon as you memorize it and then use an app to wipe your phone's trash. If you don't know how to do it ask Constable Walker to do it for you."

Supe felt exasperated. "I know how to do that."

Shane chuckled. "Okay, my apologies, sir."

"About the transfer. He's at Constant Spring. He was sent there considering the location of the shooting.

Shane said, "Oh okay. Inspector Simpson on the case?"

"Yes," Supe answered. "You should know that Senior Superintendent Chambers is in charge over there. You will have to deal with him directly."

"You know Senior Supe Chambers and I aren't very, you know." Shane said.

"Oh yes, from the time you took on the persona of your cowboy counterpart from that movie," Supe Dacres quipped. Shane chuckled. "I was actually named after that cowboy slash gunslinger in the movie. My dad watched it as a boy growing up. Still his favorite movie. His dad named him after the movie, and then the legacy was passed on to me." 

Supe Dacres grunted then chuckled. "You took it too seriously. Going all gung ho and arresting several people up that side. Some were prominent people," he reminded him. 

Shane shook his head. Yeah I did go off a little to solve my friend's murder. "If there wasn't a lead there those folks wouldn't have been arrested. I still think they are involved somehow even if I can't prove it."

"Stubborn," Superintendent Dacres said with a sigh. "Son, pick your battles carefully. And if you're gonna do more digging make sure you come up with more convincing evidence." 

"I will sir. I think I have it this time," Shane replied confidently.

"Oh, I hope so," his superior said.

"As for the transfer my hands are tied. Senior Supe and I aren't necessarily chummy either," Superintendent Dacres told him

Shane sighed. "Understood. I will go in to see him tomorrow then. Hopefully, he will agree."

"Hopefully," Supe said, " I will be lenient with you for now. But from now on, if you're going to sneeze tell me first. Call in to HQ and state you've been given a special assignment, wherever you are and please don't lie about your location. I will have to make contact with the division commander where you are. Where are you?"

Shane nodded. "I won't lie. I'm in Westmoreland. I will text you the location. Remember to delete after."

"You're putting me in a sticky situation. I hope you realize that?" Supe Dacres said.

"I do. Thank you sir." Shane said sincerely. 

"Okay, out," Dacres responded.

"Over and out," Shane replied and hung up. He texted his location to his superior. Supe texted back, "Got it." Then in a separate message he sent the word, "Deleted". Shane sent a thumbs up. "Remember to wipe it." Shane texted back. Supe sent a thumbs up emoji and texted "Will do." Shane cleared the text messages between them. 

****

Shane was walking back from the kitchen to the bedroom when his phone rang. He looked at the number. It was Red Man aka Eugene. He answered then looked in at Lissa, she was still asleep. He figured the whole situation had drained her. He pulled up the door. "Thank you for saving my neck yesterday," he said as he answered. He heard silence then he heard Eugene say, "You're welcome. What are you gonna do about my nephew?"

"I want to get him out of town, that way I can get to isolate him from his network and get info out of him."

"You think you will get the transfer?" Red Man asked.

"I hope so. The commanding officer of where he is now and I aren't on good terms unfortunately, but hopefully he will put grudges aside."

"I hope so too. Which part him deh now?" Red Man asked

"Constant Spring," Shane told him.

"Ohh ..." Red Man responded. 

"Mi know him wayward but if you can talk to him and help him. And see if you can get him out because Mr Z is no joke. He will have him killed."

Shane knew this to be true. "I'll do my best," he told him. 

"Tell me about Mr. Z, anything you can tell me will be useful," Shane said.

"Nuh know much about him but mi hear seh him was a bright young man weh start him thing inna scamming first, then him move to business. Mi hear seh is a man inna him forties or fifties who may or may not have ties uptown. Anything else mi will tell yuh when yuh get out mi nephew."

Shane sighed. Eugene was playing hard but he couldn't blame him. "Understand this clearly. I am not 'getting him out' he committed several offenses. He threatened a police officer, me. Intimidation. Found in possession of an illegal weapon. Your nephew needs to cooperate. He needs to save his own life."

Red Man sighed then said, "Him stubborn bad. He is like me when I was his age or his father, my sister's ex-baby father."

"Ex baby father?" Shane was amused. Was there such a thing?

"Yeah, him did get killed?" Red Man disclosed.

Shane sobered up. "Oh, okay."

"A suh comes him live with me for five years, during the time yuh did help mi. After that mi did send him back to mi sister, his mother. But you know how it go. Apple nuh fall too far from the tree."

"But you changed?" Shane said.

"Yeah I change, but that don't mean the badman DNA not still run in my blood. All my son dem that growing up, I will have to watch dem like hawk yah now. Yuh see my ten year old, he has a temper yuh fret! Mi try beat it out of him and mi try reason wid him more while. It's not easy, trust me."

"Church can help with that Red Man. When was the last him go to Sunday School?"

Look, mi glad for yuh that you're a Christian but yuh know seh di parson dem a thief!"

"Pastors?" Shane asked amused.

 "Or pastor, yeah, dem is thief," Red Man said.

"I can't speak for every church leader but I know there are quite a few who are the real deal. My dad is one."

"Well good for you and you're pops, but mi nuh know," Red Man replied skeptical.

Shane chuckled into the phone. "One of these days I am taking your son to church. What yuh seh?"

Red Man was silent. 

"Well?" Shane pressed. 

"Okay, okay. Arite. Mi will send him but is because of you." Red Man conceded. Shane would invite Red Man too but one step at a time. 
"Alrighty, I have to go now. I have a few more calls to make," Shane told him.

"Mhm, arite call me if you get through wid mi nephew," Red Man said.

"Yeh man, I will. Later," Shane responded.

"Later," Red Man replied ending the call.

Shane took out the food items from the sink. He felt like chicken today, but he will do the fish just for her. He noticed that she did a good job cleaning the sink and wiping the kitchen floor. She had even plugged in the fridge. It was a good thing the meat he brought home was frozen solid. He completely forgot about them when he and Lissa were having their love-play. In that time the meats had thawed in the sink but were still good. 

He smiled as he thought of her. Gosh, she's so sweet! I wish things were different. He remembered how she sighed and moaned his name when he penetrated her from behind. He closed his eyes and thought about that moment. It almost felt like something deeper than the physical was happening between them. He didn't know how to describe this 'feeling', but he knew he wanted no one else.

He put the chicken in the freezer, but cleaned the fish then seasoned it, and put it aside covering it to marinade in a plastic dish. He called his dad, putting him on speaker while he prepared dinner. His father answered the phone in his quiet way. 

"Son," David Shane Crosby said.

"Dad," Shane replied then cleared his throat. "I'm okay. Let me just say I'm okay. Is mom there?"

"She's in our bedroom," his father told him.

Shane sighed. "I'm sorry I walked out like that. Dad, I love Lissa. There's something about her I can't let go of, besides the fact she's carrying my baby or babies. Something happened between she and I, I think you can relate to."

His father listened. "Dad you there?" Shane asked nervously.

"I'm here son, go ahead and tell me. I was actually about to do a number 2 but I can hold it." David replied.

Shane chuckled. "Pops I am sorry. I didn't know. I can call you back."

His father chuckled. "Tell you what I will call you back, okay?" he said.

Okay dad. I'll be here." Shane said amused.

After twenty-five minutes had passed David Crosby called back his son. Shane chuckled when he answered. "Dad I think you need to get more fiber in your diet." David laughed. "I am perfectly fine," he replied. "I took a shower afterwards. I'm actually sitting in the car with the air conditioning on. Your mother overheard me talking to you on the phone, but I told her I need privacy."

Shane sighed. "Dad I love mommy and she knows I love her, but what she said about Lissa was wrong. She's not like that, plus I don't go around telling people my family has money. You guys have taught us well."

"Hmm, I understand son. Your mother feels bad about what she said and wants to make amends, as soon as you can, bring your friend over. Melissa?"

"Yeah Melissa, Lissa," Shane answered. "Okay I will, but that will have to wait. Dad someone is trying to kill me." He heard silence. Then his father asked, "Do you know who?"

"Someone named Mr Z. I don't have a clue who that is. Just yesterday he sent assassins to kill me, but God was on my side. I'm actually at the old property with Lissa. She's pregnant with my offspring, I don't want to leave it to chance they might want to hurt her."

"Do you think this Mr Z knows she's pregnant?" his father asked.

"No, I don't know. Yeah, I know what you're thinking, by moving her I risk signalling that she's very important to me, making her vulnerable. I thought about that. Dad, I don't want to let her out of my sights. She's too important to me. And what she's carrying inside her is my legacy, her and our family's legacy."

David nodded, though his son couldn't see him. He understood. "What was it you said I could relate to?"

"The other day she was staying over with me at the house in Meadowbrook. I went to the gym and when I came back she was making breakfast. I came into the house but she didn't know I was watching her. I wanted to sneak up and surprise, but I got caught up in looking at her. I just stood there watching her. She looked around and saw me. 

"She told me that she felt me near her. She felt this feeling of love and being wanted and she thought of me. Dad, I know mom used to say she could feel when you entered the home before you greeted her. Since then it's all I can do to keep my hands off her. It's like there's this 'force' pulling me to her. I can't say what it is, but if I'm not near her I'm miserable. Did you feel that with mom?"

"So she was pregnant at that time?" his dad asked.

Shane nodded. "Yeah, I told her I felt she was pregnant and she was. She is pregnant."

David cleared his throat. "There is a phenomenon where some men can instinctively tell when their women are pregnant. Some men get morning sickness, others experience swollen feet, etcetera. I didn't experience that but I did experience increased libido for your mother."

Shane felt a little awkward listening but he needed to know. "Okay. I'm trying, I'm really trying to hold it in, and I do okay for a few days but after a while I give in. And now when we, you know, it feels different."

He heard his dad clear his throat. "I don't think I want to know, but tell me," he said with a sigh. 

"It's embarrassing. Never mind," Shane said feeling really embarrassed.

"Look you got this far. I would rather not know about my son's sex life but you already started this conversation. Finish it." his father told him. "I won't tell your mother. I promise.

"When, when ..." Shane sighed. He rubbed his jaw. He needed a shave.

"Go on," his dad said.

"When I'm in her. It's like I can feel her, but it's something deeper. It's almost like she's a part of me. I can almost anticipate what she wants. That's all I'll say." Shane felt himself sweating.

"Hmm ... I've never felt anything like that, but I can say I was much more amorous towards your mother when she was pregnant with you guys." his father told him. "Your mother however said she could kind of tell the minute I entered the house or when I was nearby. You and Shaun share something like that, your brother mentioned."

Shane nodded. "Yeah we do. I can tell when he's sick too. Quite uncanny. I told him that Kerry was the one for him when he had doubts."

"Your brother had doubts about Kerry?" David was surprised.

Shane laughed softly. "It sounds ridiculous now, but yeah, he did."

"That's news to me," his father said flabbergasted.

"Water under the bridge dad. He's very happy."

"And you know this?" his dad asked intrigued.

"Trust me dad, he's very happy." Shane said chuckling.

"And this young woman you fancy. What about her?" his dad asked.

"Dad, I want to marry her," Shane said quietly. "At this point I don't think I can live without her."

"You said something about three months time?" David said shifting in the car seat.

"Mhm, yeah. That's what I want," Shane answered his father.

"Is that what she wants?" David asked.

"Yeah, she does, but I think if we could get married earlier she wouldn't mind." Shane replied.

"Her parents?"

"They want her to be settled before the belly starts to show. I can't blame them," Shane said ruefully.

"How are they treating you?" David was concerned for his son's welfare.

"They were quite welcoming initially, but since the shooting incident happened on their road when I was leaving their house, the whole thing shook them up. Her mom and dad are upset with me for taking her with me, but Lissa told them she wanted to be with me."

"What does she do as a profession?" his father asked.

"Who Lissa?" Shane asked to clarify.

Mhm," his dad replied.

"Counselling psychologist."

"Okay," David said thinking.

"I want to speak with her. I'll speak with her first, then I'll talk to your mother and then she can talk to her." David said. He was curious about Lissa. He cleared his throat. "Whenever you can get her here safely is fine. This threat, how serious is it?"

"I'd say very serious," Shane answered. "I'm strapped. I'm not taking chances."

"And you're at the old place?"

"Yeah, I am."

"Okay, I can come down and I can speak to her if that is okay." David needed to speak with her.

Shane felt relieved. "Yeah, sure, please," he said. "I think she would be happy to speak with you. She's big on family. And you will love her family. They are very nice people. Remember that guy I told you about who encouraged me to go back to church?"

"Yeah," he said, "Jason?"

"Yes Jason, he is married to Lissa's cousin. They are lovely folks dad. You will like them," Shane told him.

David smiled as he listened. "Okay. I'll be glad to meet them when the opportunity arises. In the meantime, I will come down there to meet your young lady. She is quite pretty. You always had great taste in women."

Shane chuckled. 'Thanks pops," he said. He shook his head smiling. "But pops when you're coming down take the old route. The old winding road.

His father understood. "Will do," he answered.

"Are the police investigating any leads?" David asked his son. He knew Shane was capable of taking care of himself, but he was still his child.

"Yes, they arrested one guy. He was contracted to kill me but he turned on the man, Mr Z and saved my life. If it weren't for him I would probably be dead. I'm going to try to help him."

His dad grunted. "Be careful. I will also pray for you. When I'm leaving to come see you I will call."

"I may not be there in the morning because I'll be going into town but Lissa will be there. I will tell her you're coming."

"Okay," David smiled. "Please be careful."

"I will dad, thank you. And thank you for, you know ..."

"Yeah, don't mention it, and please don't mention it ever again," his father said amused.

Shane laughed "Trust me. I won't." He heard his father laughing. He was glad for his family especially his father.

"Talk soon pops," Shane said. 

"Okay son. Later," David said. He ended the call. 

After he finished preparing dinner. Shane went into the bathroom and took a shower. He also shaved his face. He looked at himself in the mirror. He needed a line up as well. He had to keep his hair low. Hearing footsteps, he looked towards the doorway. Lissa had woken up. She still had sleep in her eyes. He blew kisses at her. He had a towel wrapped around his waist. He saw how she looked at him and laughed softly. 

"Still hungry?" he asked seductively. 
Lissa smiled sleepily. "Not that you're not a tasty dish, but I need time to recover. I was thinking," she said walking into the room. She looked in his eyes. "I don't know if you feel it, maybe I'm tripping, but when we make love it feels different ... to me. I kind of noticed it before but now the feeling is getting stronger. I like it, don't get me wrong, it makes everything you do to me feel extra special. I don't think I've experienced that before."

Shane came and stood before her. "Actually, yes, when we made love the last couple times it felt different. That's how I'll describe it. I was just on the phone talking to my dad about that and during that very awkward conversation," Shane chuckled, "he told me that he would feel very amorous towards my mom while she was pregnant, but what you and I are feeling, he never had that experience."

"What about your mom?" Lissa asked curious.

"I never got around to talking to her," he said rubbing her arms. "I promise I will talk to her soon. But great news, my dad is coming here to talk to you. He wants to get to know you."

Lissa was really nervous about this. "You sure he's not gonna label me a squatter and kick me out?" 

Shane smiled and shook his head. "No, trust me. He's okay. And if he approves of you he will get my mom to give you a chance."

"No pressure!" Lissa exclaimed feeling nervous.

Shane held her close to comfort her. "Baby, it will be okay. Trust me, okay." He cupped her face in both hands.

"Okay, I will try not to be too nervous," she replied looking into his eyes. Why were they so beautiful? she wondered. 

"I made dinner," he told her.

"You did?" She was grateful. She felt a little tired. "Okay sir, lead the way, oh wait, let me pee then freshen up." She leaned into him and kissed his lips. He kissed her back softly and squeezed her waist, then slapped her butt. She yelped then playfully slapped his back. Shane laughed and left her. 

Lissa closed the door behind him and lifted the toilet lid to pee. She wiped the seat with a piece of toilet paper she tore off the roll and then sat down. She was smiling thinking about him. After she relieved herself, she tore off a piece of toilet paper and patted herself dry. She folded the paper to drop it in the toilet when she noticed something red. She opened it and saw blood. She looked into the toilet and saw light streaks of blood. She was alarmed. Oh God what is this? Calm down. Maybe it's just spotting, maybe it's nothing serious, she thought. Oh God help me! 

She pushed down the lever to flush and then turned to the faucet to wash her hands. She would not say anything to Shane just yet. She would wait and see. She had another dose of the iron pills to take that day. She would take them after dinner. Oh God I hope my baby is okay. Please God let him or her be okay, she prayed. 

She tore off a piece of paper towel roll that was already there in the bathroom to dry her hands. She threw the used paper into the bathroom bin. She went into the bedroom and opened her bag to take out fresh clothes, something blue and pink caught her eye. She dug her hand deep into the clothes and pulled it up. She sat on the bed and started crying silently. Carli had packed sanitary pads in her bag for her. She took deep breaths and tried to look normal just in case Shane walked in. She dried her eyes and went to take a shower. When she was done, she dried off quickly and put on a pad. 

She figured Carli forgot that she was pregnant and put the pack in for her. She needed to call her and tell her thanks for being such a good cousin to her. She was more like a sister and she was grateful. She got dressed  and decided she would hide the napkin wrapper in her bag for now. She looked at herself in the mirror. She quickly slipped into the bedroom and hid the wrapper in a small zipped section inside her bag. 

Sighing, she took deep breaths, trying to calm herself. She exited the bedroom and walked to the kitchen. She looked at Shane. He was handsome. Perfect. She rested her head on the wall and watched him. He was plating their food. She moved away from the doorway and entered the kitchen. She smiled at him when he looked up and saw her.  Everything has to be okay. Oh God please!

.

****

Devon woke up. He heard shuffling sounds near his cell. He listened carefully. He heard talking. All around him was dark, He couldn't see anything. The lights in his holding cell were turned off but there was no light switch nearby for him to flip on.

"A somewhere off yah suh him deh," he heard a man say. Devon saw that one of the men had turned on his mobile phone's flashlight. He wondered who they were and what they wanted. Were they friends or foes?

"Hmm," he heard another male voice reply. "Suh weh we fi duh wid him? Beat him to sickness or we fi kill him? Weh di big man seh?"

The first man chuckled. "Beat him to sickness then kill him of course." He heard the second man snicker. Devon closed his eyes and pretended to be asleep. He heard the men entering the cell. He squinted his eyes open and waited. The first man kicked Devon's feet. "Oy! Oy deh! Wake up!" the man said. Devon closed his eyes. He turned on his side pretending to still be asleep. 

The second man shone his phone's light on him. Devon started to snore loudly. He heard the second man belt out some expletives. "A sleeping beauty this?!" he remarked. 

The first man used the muzzle of his gun to poke Devon in his side. But Devon decided not to move. He snored even harder. "A weh the ras cl@#t this?!" the second man exclaimed. Getting frustrated he leaned over and grabbed Devon's arm to wake him up. Wrong move. Devon grabbed his arm, launched upright and bucked him under his chin. When he was falling back he kicked him then quickly lunged into the first man and pushed him into the holding cell's metal bars. The man was attempting to shoot him. Devon jammed his finger into the trigger so the man couldn't squeeze. 

Devon bucked the man several times then rammed him into the metal bars and grabbed the gun from him. He used the gun's butt to hit the man several times, knocking him out cold. The second man was getting up to face him. Devon kicked him again and used the gun muzzle to hit him and knock him out. There would be no killing today.

He walked through the open cell door. He was glad his mentor told him to always make sure he slept with his shoes on his feet when he was 'working'. When he walked through the holding area he saw no officers on guard. He used the gun to shoot the lock off the door leading to the administrative area and walked through. He felt very uncomfortable. No one was in this room either. He squeezed the knob of the front door. It was open.

 He figured this was a trap but he was going to take the risk. He stepped outside. He looked around. No one was there. He took two more steps and heard a cracking sound coming from his right. He ducked down and started running.  

Another shot whistled passed his right ear. He ran as fast as he could. He felt a burning pain shoot through his right leg. He began hopping away from the compound as fast as he could. He felt another bullet spear through his side. He dropped to the ground. He groaned in pain. What could he do? He needed to leave a message, so someone would know what happened to him. But had no cellphone and he had no other way to get word out. He swore loudly. 

He heard a man laughing behind me. "Yuh tink yuh cudda get weh don't it?" More laughing. A large man in full black came into his view. "Courtesy of Mr Z". The man aimed at his head and fired. 

Bang!

Devin jumped out of his sleep. He sighed heavily and lay back down. What the hell was that? he thought. He was dreaming? It seems so real. Just then, he heard the door to the holding area being unlocked and the voices of two men coming closer. Devon swore again. Was this his final night on earth?