Thin Ice 6 - Hangman & Socrates (32 page)

Freedoms Passage

29

Cartier kissed her softly as she stirred and rolled over, looking into his eyes. “Good morning,” he greeted as she smiled and returned the greeting, rising and heading into the bathroom, emerging moments later, faced washed and teeth brushed.

“
Do you want breakfast,” she asked.

“
Maybe later,” Cartier returned kissing her neck now. “I’m glad you came back,” he told her looking into her eyes once more.

“
I almost didn’t,” she replied.

“
Why, I never hurt you,” he replied, searching her eyes for the truth.

She chuckled bitterly. “I loved you, did you know that,” she asked as he sighed deeply. “I understood though, hell, I was property to you,” she told him as he again withheld comment.

“
You should have seen the look on your face that night when you walked in and saw me,” Cartier teased.

“
I almost peed on myself,” she returned smiling now herself.

“
Sapphire, I never meant to hurt you baby,” Cartier told her sincerely.

She kissed him, telling him she knew that.

They’d been together almost three years now since the night of the welcome home party. She’d walked in with all the other women paid for the evening to pleasure them. Cartier walked into the room and their eyes met. The fear and shame rolled off her in waves as she tried to cover herself in the scanty outfit. He’d walked over, kissed her deeply and took her hand leading her to his room where he spent most of the night making love to her.

“
Are you going to the Hospice today,” she asked as he began to stroke her body once more.

“
Yes,” he replied not wanting to talk about it any further.

Sapphire didn’t push as they began kissing again and Cartier had his way with her, bringing her unmerited pleasure as he always did. She loved the arrangement with him. It meant no more working the streets or cheap and crazy johns doing any and everything they wanted to her. As he showered preparing to leave her, Sapphire thought about her life and all the things she’d done to survive since the night he took her virginity. They’d of course been together regularly after that and she’d quickly fallen in love with him.

“
I think I’d like steak tonight,” Cartier told her, breezing back into their bedroom.

“
Cool, I’ll go pick up some,” Sapphire replied as he smiled and told her okay.

Handing her money, he kissed her lips telling her he would return later in the afternoon.

“
Take your time,” she told him giving him a look.

Sapphire knew what the visits meant to him and she never wanted him to feel rushed.

“
Thank you baby,” he replied sweetly as she smiled and blew him another kiss.

After he left Sapphire rose and showered, dressing and getting ready to leave the house. Her phone rang just as she started the car and raised the garage door.

“
Hello,” she answered amiably.

“
Hey mama,” the voice greeted.

“
Hey Sa’Cari,” Sapphire replied smiling as she talked to her son.

“
I’m coming home for Christmas,” he told her as the smile faltered, unseen by him.

“
Um, that’s good baby, when is Christmas break,” she asked, quickly making plans to call her mother and see how much money it would take for her to keep him there.

Her son had no idea his mother was a prostitute and she planned to keep it that way. He chattered on a little while longer and Sapphire finally interrupted ebbing the flow as she changed the plan and told him she would come and spend Christmas with him.

*****

Hope heard the phone ringing and made her way to it. She moved slowly and painstakingly, which was why she set the answering machine on its highest setting of eight rings. She finally reached the instrument by the sixth ring and picked it up.

“
Hello,” she greeted the caller.

“
Um, hi,” the caller returned tentatively. “I’m looking for Hope Cisneros,” she told the woman.

“
This is she,” Hope returned.

“
Um, my name is Kim Rae, Ms. Cisneros, I found this flyer you put online,” the woman again spoke haltingly.

“
OK,” Hope replied giving away nothing else.

“
I’d like to talk to you about it,” Kim told her sounding more confident now.

“
Do you have information to offer,” Hope asked sounding tired.

She’d grown extremely leery of people calling saying they had something to offer only to be disappointed later.

“
Yes, Ms. Cisneros, I think I might,” Kim replied calmly. “I’d like to email you something,” she offered.

Hope sighed lightly before acquiescing and giving her an email address.

“
After I send the email, if you think I can be of help to you, simply reply to my email,” Kim told her as she typed the email and added the attachment. “If not, then there is no further contact on either end,” she finished as Hope told her that sounded like a good plan and to go ahead and email her.

Kim hit the send button as she still talked to the woman.

“
Thank you for your time today,” she told her. “If I don’t hear from you in 48 hours, I’ll consider the matter closed,” Kim finished up telling Hope the email was waiting for her.

“
Thank you,” the woman said simply and quietly as they disconnected.

She saw the message pop up almost instantly, sitting and staring at it without movement.
Do you really want to set yourself up for disappointment again,
her mind asked as Hope continued to look in her inbox.

Scared not to open it, Hope clicked on the document and hit open. There was a quick short from Ms. Rae supplying her own contact information and thanking Hope for her time. Taking another deep breath, she clicked on the attachment and opened it. Knowing her connection was slow and the attachment would take a moment to load, Hope rose and went into her kitchen, gathering her litany of pills and making herself a cup of tea to drink once she took them. She gathered a glass of water from the faucet and swallowed the pills one by one, finishing the water with the last one. The teapot began to whistle as Hope took it off the eye and retrieved her cup, pouring the steaming liquid into it, adding a little honey and lemon. Sipping it she decided it was fine and turned heading back to the den and her computer. The screen saver was dancing on her screen when she arrived, from inactivity. Setting her cup down, Hope touched the mouse as the screen again came to life and the photo stared her in the face.

“
Oh my God,” Hope gasped as the tears began to flood her face and she thanked him for answered prayers.

*****

Blue stood at the fresh grave, the single tear rolling down his cheek as he said the final goodbye to his mother. True to their word, the prison released him, six months and fifteen days to the date of his meeting. His mother had been diagnosed with Leukemia that same month. Blue immediately came home and began caring for her, going back to the only thing he knew; the streets. She’d lingered in and out of treatments for the last two plus years, finally passing away peacefully almost a month ago. Even while taking care of his mother, Blue kept his pulse as closely on Lauren and what she was doing. Poncho had been an excellent source of information and he was easy to pick. Unfortunately he was also not the brightest and got himself into a situation ending with his being shot and killed. For the last six months Blue had no one and no way to find out anything pertaining to Lauren and if she was still in place.

Today was a new day however and he was heading to the city of Atlanta himself to find the information and reconnect with the woman who still held his heart firmly in her grasp. Leaving the cemetery Blue made his way back to the house they lived in, grabbing his one lone bag and throwing it over his shoulder. He’d given away everything else in the house, keeping only a few precious photos of himself and his mother. He made his way to the train station, checking the boards for his departure time. He saw that his train departed on track nine and began walking that way. Blue had five grand on him. It was the all the money he’d managed to save from his hustle. He hoped it would tide him over until he found Lauren, having a general idea where to look thanks to Poncho.
Let’s just pray she hasn’t moved and that he was telling me the right information,
Blue’s mind continued to work. He arrived at the track and checked his ticket, seeing he had another forty minutes to wait. Lighting a cigarette standing outside, he continued to think of Lauren.
She told you to quit smoking,
his mind chided as he smiled. Lauren hated the habit and he promised her he would quit.

Blue finished his smoke and put the butt out, checked his watch and prepared to board the train since it was now sitting and he only had another twenty minutes to wait. He felt the hand on his shoulder and quickly spun around.

“
Relax,” the well-dressed man told him calmly, giving him a fleeting glance at the magnum attached to his shoulder holster.

The other man accompanying the first, did the same.

“
What’s the problem,” Blue returned.

He had no clue who the men were, but he knew they were trouble and if they talking to him, then he was in trouble.

“
King Diesel wants to see you,” the first man told him calmly.

Blue’s pulse began to race. Why in the world would the syndicate’s newest crime boss want to see him? Blue had heard plenty of stories about King Diesel and witnessed his ruthlessness firsthand in the streets of Chicago. The only people he hadn’t messed with were Boss and Mo, but he was definitely pushing.

“
Come on,” the second man prompted, pushing Blue slightly.
Shit,
he thought as he reluctantly followed the men and got into the Cadillac parked at the train stations curb.

*****

Cartier was watching the monitors as they recorded every breath his friend took. There were machines everywhere it seemed and none of them reported anything good.

“
Socrates,” Carlo managed his voice void of strength.

“
Hello Hangman,” he returned, forcing a smile now.

Cartier had been making these daily visits for the last eight months, with each being closer to his last.

“
Are you comfortable,” he asked as Carlo nodded slightly.

“
Have you found her,” he asked.

Sighing deeply Cartier told him he hadn’t yet.

“
It’s my punishment,” he croaked once again.

Cartier didn’t argue with him, supposing on some level that Carlo was right. God would never allow him to see Lauren again in this life because of the pain and torment he’d inflicted on her.

“
You have all the documents,” he asked again.

Cartier assured him everything was as he requested and he would have them delivered personally when the time came.

“
It will be soon Socrates,” Carlo replied.

He drifted off after that, much to Cartier’s relief. He hated to hear his friend talk of death, even knowing it was looming very closely as this point. Looking at the shell of the man he once knew lying in the hospital bed, Cartier’s heart grew extremely heavy. He thought of all the time they’d spent, the women, the money, the contracts fulfilled and it saddened him that even now that they’d escaped prison, they couldn’t escape death. Carlo was still a very young man relatively speaking, yet he was dying like an old one. Carlo’s breathing became very labored as the machine monitoring it began to scream loudly its distress. A nurse entered moments later and made an adjustment as the machine returned to its quiet humming.

“
He’s extremely critical,” the nurse told Cartier kindly. “If there’s any other family, you should perhaps call them,” she added giving him a new look.

Cartier sighed deeply and told him he was the only family left. She nodded and left them alone once again.

“
Hangman, damn,” he began talking to his friend, praying he actually heard him.

Cartier was struggling to keep his composure as he continued to talk Carlo who eyes had sunk even further into his head. His breathing was extremely labored now.

“
I’m going to keep everything running and the money flowing until we meet up again,” he told him sincerely. “You and me seen some great times Hangman,” Cartier continued. “We ran this city and everyone in it with precision, had all the pussy we could handle,” he added smiling slightly now as his heart grew even heavier. “I never thought we’d part like this ya know,” Cartier told him. “I always figured shit we would eat some hot lead together and go out with a bang, not this fuckin’ disease shit,” he added angrily as the helplessness settled in. “I’m going to keep my promise Carlo,” he told him using his name finally. “I’m going to find Lauren and make sure she’s always taken care of,” he went on. “I’m going to see to it your letter is delivered to Hope, and I’m going to always, until the day I stop breathing, keep your legend and legacy alive,” he finished just as Carlo’s body relaxing and he heaved one final labored breath.

All the machines began to scream simultaneously as the nurse again rushed into the room. Taking his pulse, she looked to Cartier and sadly shook her head. It was over. Carlo Hangman Cisneros was no more.