The man"s over-the-top personality would have been hilarious if Macy weren"t in such dire straits.
"Nah, I don"t want you to buy it. I need you to steal me a few things," Macy said.
"Steal! What the mayor got to steal fo"?"
"Look, Rosco? That"s what you said your name was?" Macy asked. Rosco nodded and Macy continued. "If you go in the store, grab a few items for me and then ride with me across town, I"ll give you this watch. It"s worth about five thousand dollars. That"ll buy you more than a bottle of beer."
"Five thousand dollars?" Rosco asked incredulously.
"Five thousand dollars," Macy confirmed.
"Aww s.h.i.t! Rosco working for the mayor. I tried to tell these n.i.g.g.as I"m on the come-up! Look, though, I think I can help you out on a few things! Gotta clean up these streets, Mayor Sigel. These b.i.t.c.hes funky than a mu"f.u.c.ka. Stanking just like p.i.s.s. Put your face on the ground to take a quick nap and you wake up smelling like straight toilet bowl."
Macy couldn"t help but chuckle as he pointed at the entrance of the store. "Let"s work on this first. We"ll worry about the rest later. I need some peroxide, gauze, antibiotic ointment, Tylenol, a new shirt, a baseball cap, and tape. Get me enough to last a few days."
Rosco nodded. Macy pulled up to the door and Rosco hopped out and entered the store.
Macy waited impatiently in the car until Rosco finally emerged from the store. Macy pulled off as soon as Rosco was inside. He drove a good five miles before he pulled over at a small gas station.
"You get everything?" Macy asked.
"Yeah, everything is everything," Rosco replied. "Can I get my watch? I got to get going. I"ve got places to be."
Macy looked at Rosco sternly, silencing him instantly. He slid the watch from his wrist and handed it over to Rosco, standing true to his word. It was a gift from Fatima anyway, and Macy wanted nothing that would remind him of her or the fact that she was sleeping with Case.
"Nice doing business with ya," Rosco stated as he exited the car.
Macy went into the gas station, keeping his head down, and headed directly for the bathroom. Once he was safely inside, he locked the door and removed his bloodied shirt. He winced in pain as he flexed his hand and put it under the running faucet. Pink swirled in the bottom of the sink as Macy cleaned his wound. He gritted his teeth to keep from yelling out in pain. The bullet was still lodged in his hand, but he just had to bear with it until he could get real medical help.
The peroxide bubbled like lava as he poured it over the gaping hole in his hand. He then wrapped it in gauze and put on the clean b.u.t.ton-up shirt before going back to his car. He looked at the clock, noticing that he only had an hour to blow before it was time to go to the locker.
He headed for the train station, and when he arrived, he smirked knowing that he would be lost in the hustle and bustle of the crowd. He pulled the baseball cap down over his eyes and then walked into the train station, discreetly watching his back as he cautiously made his way to the locker. He located it and noticed that the key was still in the keyhole. He looked around before reaching inside and removing the briefcase that lay inside. He rushed outside, threw the money in the trunk, and then pulled smoothly away. Macy didn"t know where he was going, but he knew that his future was not in L.A.
"How could you have been so stupid?" Aries fussed at herself. "Stupid! Stupid!" She hit the steering wheel for emphasis each time that she spoke. Aries felt panicked because she knew that actually finding Macy was an impossible feat. L.A. was a big city, and Macy Sigel was a man on the run. There were a million and one hideout spots that Macy could find to stay off of her radar.
Aries had never had a job go so terribly wrong, and the chaos was slowly driving her mad. There was no way that she could go back to Case empty-handed. As soon as he realized that Macy had escaped, there would be h.e.l.l to pay.
She had checked everywhere and was slowly but surely running out of options. Things were looking dismal, and her heart sank when she finally realized that she must give up. She had f.u.c.ked up. Her skills and thirst for blood weren"t what they used to be. Aries was in over her head, and without the other Murder Mamas around to keep her together, she was slowly going crazy.
Murder was a heavy burden to carry alone. Before, she had relied on a sisterhood to shoulder the pain. They distributed it evenly amongst themselves, convincing each other that it was completely justified, that their victims deserved whatever death sentence they received, but Aries had worked this job alone, and it was starting to get to her.
"This isn"t for me anymore," she whispered.
Just as she said the words, Case"s number popped up on her phone. She knew that she should answer it, but instead she allowed the call to be forwarded to voice mail.
I"m out, she thought. Instead of carrying on her search for Macy, she busted a U-turn and headed for the airport. Macy was not a dumb individual, and Aries knew that with his connections and resources, finding him would be like searching for a needle in a haystack. So instead, she decided to flee. It was the only option that she had.
She was going home to her family and relocating them. Aries didn"t care how far she had to go to ensure that her husband and son remained untouched. Some may feel as though she punked out, but Aries was just empty. She had done too much and seen too much over the years to even continue.
She understood that Case would seek her, but she hoped to get a head start on him. By the time he realized what had occurred, she would be halfway across the world, and her family would be moved to a completely new place. This time she would make sure that Case or no one else would be able to find her, and that meant staying out of L.A. for good. If the day ever did come when he darkened her doorstep, she would greet him with lead this time around.
It was time for her to tell the truth to her husband about who she really was. She would not be able to convince him to relocate without telling him the reason why. Aries could no longer lead the double life. It was too time consuming, and she had to remember so many lies that it was driving her crazy. If Prince knew it all, he would either judge her for her sins or help her through them. She hoped he loved her enough to help her cleanse her soul.
Aries picked up her phone and dialed her husband"s number. She was so nervous that she called the wrong number before finally getting it right.
"h.e.l.lo?" Prince answered.
"Prince ... I need to talk to you," Aries said as she sniffed as tears began to fall. She was overwhelmed and her back was pressed against a wall. Silently she knew that getting married and having a child was a huge mistake. She loved them too much, and that made her weak. She constantly feared for their safety, and when dealing with a man like Case, it became an unbearable load to carry.
"Rachel?" Prince responded, hearing that his wife was emotional.
"No, it"s Aries," she replied, being truthful with him for the first time.
"What? Rachel? What are you talking about?" Prince asked. "You"re not making any sense."
"I need you to come here, Prince. I need to explain a lot of things to you ... come clean about a lot of stuff," she rambled. "I would rather do it face to face. It"s not safe there. You have to grab Tre and leave right now. Meet me in Las Vegas. I"ll pick you up from McCarran International," Aries said.
"What? Rachel ... Aries ... whoever you are. What are you talking about?" Prince asked.
Aries sighed deeply, knowing that to Prince none of this made sense. "Prince, go to the front door and look outside. Have you noticed a new car sitting on the block since I"ve been gone? Maybe a cable van or a worker from the power company has been lingering around?"
Prince frowned and stood to his feet. "I"ll be right back, champ," he said to his son as he picked him up off his lap and put him on the couch. He walked outside and pretended as though he was checking their curbside mailbox as he glanced up the street. A white van sat three houses down from his home.
"There"s a van," he said into the phone.
"Go back inside the house," Aries stated. "There are men inside of that van who want to harm you and Tre."
"Rachel, you"re talking crazy, like this is something out of a gangster movie," Prince said as he went back inside. Despite the fact that he was unsure, he double-locked the door and pulled the curtains closed.
"This isn"t a movie, baby. It"s real life. Trust me, I"ve been living it for years," Aries replied. "Go to the bookshelf in the living room and pull down the encyclopedia and open it up."
Prince did as he was told out of curiosity, and when he opened the book, he saw that the pages had been cut out in the shape of a gun and a 9 mm hand pistol lay inside.
"Rachel! What is this? Why do you have a gun?" Prince asked in shock.
"Because I need one. Listen, baby, I know none of this makes any sense to you right now, but I will explain everything soon. I just need to get you and Tre out of that house," Aries stated. "The gun is loaded, Prince, and a round is already chambered, so be careful. All you have to do is flick the switch on the side of the gun. When you see a red dot, the gun is ready to be fired. Do not hesitate, Prince. If any strangers come to our door, put a hole through them."
"Goodness. You sound like you"ve done this before!" Prince stated. His heart beat frantically as he began to sweat nervously.
"Come to Vegas, Prince. Don"t pack a bag. Get Tre right now and go to the car. You book the first flight out of Barbados, you hear me?" Aries asked.
"Yyyeah, I hear you. When I see you, be ready to tell me the truth about who you are, because the woman I"m talking to isn"t the same woman I married."
Chapter Twenty.
Aries paced back and forth in the busy airport. She had fled L.A. to insure the safety of her family. She had driven to Nevada to meet her husband and son as they disembarked the plane. There was no way that her family would be able to stay on the West Coast, and going back to Barbados was out of the question. She would have to lay low in one of the fifty states. Big city life was no longer an option. She would become such a recluse that only those she reached out to directly would be able to find her.
She watched the large electronic screen that showed arrivals and departures. She smiled when she noticed that the plane carrying her family had arrived safely. She waited anxiously and impatiently, checking her watch every few minutes.
She knew that Prince would ask a thousand questions, but she didn"t care. Aries planned to be honest with him about everything. At that moment, she just wanted him to hold her, and she wanted to see her child"s smile.
Aries watched as the pa.s.sengers began to come down to the baggage area, knowing that the two men in her life were lost in the thick crowd. Once the pa.s.sengers dispersed a bit, she frowned.
"Where is he?" she asked herself aloud as she put her hands on her hips in frustration. She searched the crowd once more before panic set in.
Just as Aries was about to call him, she heard her phone ring. Relief flooded her when she saw Prince"s number on her screen.
"Where are you? I"m here waiting for you," Aries asked after she put the cell phone to her ear.
"You"re going to be waiting for a long time, b.i.t.c.h." Aries" stomach went hollow as soon as she heard Case"s voice. She had gotten ghost on him, thinking that she could disappear before he found her, but obviously she was wrong.
"Cat got your tongue?" Case asked. "I told you not to f.u.c.k with me. Macy Sigel is still breathing, and I don"t have my money. Say good-bye to your husband."
"Baby, I love you. I love you... . Please, G.o.d, no!" she heard Prince yell.
"No ... wait! Case! Case! We had a deal. I can still find Macy!" she shouted. Bystanders in the airport looked at her as if she were insane.
"Deal is off," Case stated callously. Case had already moved two moves ahead of Aries and met her family before they could get to her.
BOOM!.
Aries heard the gunshot and fell to her knees. "Noooooooooo! Prince!"
The line went dead, and Aries gripped the phone tightly in her hand as she sobbed right there in the middle of the curious spectators. Case has just taken everything from her. The world had come crashing down around her, and pure regret filled her heart. Aries was hysterical, and all that could be heard was her shrill screams as airport security helped her from the floor and escorted her away.
Six months later Case puffed a spliff as he watched the young girl go down on him. His toes curled as his d.i.c.k disappeared and reappeared repeatedly as she devoured him. Life was good in Arizona.
The heat surrounding Macy"s disappearance had become too much. He had fled L.A. and switched trades. He was moving weed across the Mexican border now and living in a modest home in a new city. Things were good, and although he wasn"t living as plush as he had been in the big city, he was more than comfortable. He had a profitable new hustle going on and had set up a nice new life for himself.
Case closed his eyes and tilted his head back in pure pleasure. "Just like that, ma," he moaned as he ran his hands through her hair.
He was so engrossed in the s.e.xual act that he never heard the bedroom door open. Case had gotten careless since moving out of L.A. He relocated to the desert town in Arizona. He never expected to encounter any problems in the new environment. It wasn"t until he felt the girl stop performing f.e.l.l.a.t.i.o that he opened his eyes.
"Keep going. What you-"
His words were slapped out of his mouth by the barrel of Aries" handgun. Case spit out two of his teeth as he watched the young girl freeze in fear.
"Get your clothes on and leave," Aries stated. "Forget you ever saw me, you understand?"
The girl nodded nervously and grabbed her clothing before leaving at lightning speed from the room while scrambling to get dressed.
Case was frozen. He knew that there was no avoiding this fate, and as he looked down the barrel of her gun, he smirked. There was nothing to say between them. He knew why she had come. He could see the heartbreak in her eyes. She had come for blood, and his was about to be shed.
What Case didn"t know was that Aries wanted him to die slowly. She placed the gun directly between his legs and fired.
"Aghh!" Case screamed as his most private of parts exploded. He lunged for her, but pain overtook him and caused his strength to deplete.
He wrestled with Aries, but she was relentless and more cold-blooded than ever. She gripped his shoulder with one hand as she jabbed her gun into his gut with the other.
POP! POP! POP!.
Case folded like a lawn chair as lead filled his abdomen.
"Wait. Please, I don"t want to die," Case stated as he watched Aries" back as she turned to leave.
Her nostrils flared as she heard his dying words. Aries detested men like Case; they were weak. Case had ended so many lives, ruined so many futures with his reign of terror over L.A."s streets. Now when it was his time to meet with the Grim Reaper, he was b.i.t.c.hing up, begging for mercy.
Aries walked back over to Case and blew his brains out of his head. His body fell limply to the floor as Aries walked away without looking back.
Macy swept the floors of the empty elementary school. It was 3:00 A.M. and he was about to clock out from his second shift job. Macy had come a long way from the lavish life. Because he was such a recognizable political figure it had been hard for him to find a new place to call home. His face had been plastered on the national news for weeks so he was forced into seclusion in the countryside of North Dakota. It was a lonely life, but it was a free life and he would do anything to ensure that it stayed that way. He purchased a small home and maintained it with his janitorial job at the local school. It was a far fall from grace but an adjustment that he was willing to make to maintain control over his own life. Macy wasn"t built for the system so running was his only option. He clocked out after a long day"s work and drove his Chevy Silverado truck home.
Macy wished that he had someone to come home to. Years of being in love with Fatima had spoiled him. There was nothing like having a wife to tend to his needs and despite all the treachery that had crept into their relationship, he still thought of her from time to time. If he could take back that fateful night that he had murdered Boomer, he would. Their relationship had been solid until he had done the unthinkable. Fatima had meant the world to him and when he heard of her death he had grieved heavily. He had no family, no friends. It was only Macy and the lifetime of regret that he was filled with. Macy was a man seeking redemption, but he had yet to find it, and until he did, he forever felt the empty hole in his chest where his heart used to be.
He put his key in the door and stepped inside. He was greeted by the warm colors of his comfortable living room. Exhausted, he removed his shirt and went into his bathroom. He stood in front of the mirror, noticing his full, scruffy five o"clock shadow. Macy chuckled to himself because he had always been clean cut. The new look appeared odd to him, making him feel like a completely different person.
Macy turned on the water and splashed water on his face. When he came back up, all color left his face at the face in the mirror behind him.
Aries stood unflinchingly cold, with a gun pointed at the back of his head.
"You came after me," he stated as he continued to rub the soap into his beard.
"Because of you I"m a widow," she replied.
"No, because of you you"re a widow. You knew the consequences of your actions and you also knew that one day you would meet your match. I"m sorry that you had to experience such pain, but I"m not to blame for it. Case is. He"s the one who you should be killing."
Aries pulled back the hammer of the gun.
CLICK!.
All she had to do was pull the trigger.
"I did that already."
Macy looked at her in shock, revealing his true emotions to her for the first time.
"Then what is this about?" he asked.
"I always finish the job," she replied.
As he stared into the eyes of a killer, he had no choice but to respect her. She was thorough, and even though she had the power to end his life, he was fascinated by her. He held up his hands in defeat. "I played the game and lost. Now it"s time to pay up. Do what you have to do, ma. Just business, right?"
Aries placed her gun directly against Macy"s forehead and her trigger finger itched. For the first time in her entire career as a murder-for-hire, she hesitated. She gritted her teeth and ice-grilled Macy as they stared at one another. For some reason, Macy sparked something inside of Aries ... something good.