Page 29 of Slaughtered Firefly
“Thank you… I” the cursor blinked repeatedly. It waited for my next command, but I had none. I couldn’t think of what else to say. I couldn’t apologize for stabbing him, I didn’t apologize for biting or scratching him, I just stared transfixed at the blinks of the cursor. It just didn’t feel like it would matter if I said anything else.
He watched me in my struggle, my hand poised to type more but frozen in its tracks. A new song track came on with a less heavy but still equally powerful sound. I turned towards the man again, “Why?”
I couldn’t hear my own voice, but I knew he’d heard me. His eyebrows drew together in thought before he leaned over me and began typing…“Why not?”
Laughter bubbled up from my throat as I smiled at him. He shared a cheeky grin. There wasn’t any pressure to be anything else, just us at the moment.
He started typing again, and I glanced back down. “The fire alarm tests will be over by nine, keep the music on until then. Text my hospital phone it’s the only saved number. Passcode is 3825.”
He paused for a moment, contemplating his words before he finished typing, “I won’t bother to tell you not to go through my phone or use the it for your business purposes, it’s a burner andyou’re way too smart anyways. I’ll look the other way and no one will know. Magdalena and Scarlett are lucky to have had a friend like you.”
He squeezed my shoulder and then walked briskly toward the door. I stared after him, wondering who the hell he was and why I felt like he had just saved my life.
17
THE KINGDOM
Present day—July 10th
There was a loud commotion from up ahead. I had just been given the all clear to see the inmates.
“Riot! I need some help here!” One of the guards screamed as there were bodies being shoved against the bars.
I, along with the guards, rushed towards the riot. They started taking out their batons and raised them to take control. The door buzzed open, and it was a war zone. The guard who yelled earlier was bloodied and beaten in the corner, fights rang out against the different sects of the yard, and I punched my way through the commotion as more guards rushed in behind my eyes fell on Midas, who was sitting at a lone table in the corner watching with a sickly sweet smile.
Midas looked at me as he put his feet up on the table and continued to watch the show. I swallowed thickly, intending to make my way towards him.
Wham.
My vision blackened and blurred as the fist collided with my head, and I was knocked off balance, discombobulated but still upright. The hearty laugh that emanated from the man who had just dealt the blow echoed in my brain. The guards were still corralling the prisoners as they pushed them into open cells, and the thudding in my head wouldn’t stop. Barely missing the next blow, I ducked out of the way, backing up, my back hit into a cartel man, and his grizzly face blanched when he saw my pursuer, and I quickly stumbled as the guy pushed me forward once again.
“Well boys, the nice detective’s come to play,” his voice mocked as he continued to step forward, and I stepped back trying to right myself.
It’s not that I couldn’t defend myself, and I would if it was life threatening, but this man was built like an ox. He was fucking huge, and he had the attitude to go with as he laughed at my fleeting attempts to escape.
“Why are you pussyfooting? Just hit me,” he goaded, and I didn’t have to be told twice.
I sent a quick jab to his throat, the man stumbled backwards into a taser from the guard, another quickly joined and jabbed his taser into his side, it wasn’t until a third guard joined in with his taser did the man fall to his knees.
“Throw him in solitaire,” one of the guards, Russell, barked the orders towards the three.
Slow clapping from the corner table started and our attention narrowed in, on the single prisoner that no one had the balls to upheaval.
“Well, that was quite the show, thank you detective for making things more entertaining, shall we move this to a more private setting?” He stood up and offered his wrist to the guard.
Down the handcuffs closed on his wrist, and Midas led the way out. I still hated the way he walked around this place as its king. He knew it like the back of his hand from his many visits in Riven. Anytime the prosecutor tried to get him transferred to another facility, that asshole Addams stepped in to provide a reason why he couldn’t be transferred out of state.
I didn’t know why he played this game, getting himself incarcerated only to have his lawyer figure out some legal loophole and get the sentence reduced or revoked. I expected no difference on this stint. I knew he’d be out soon — a petty drug crime and a plea deal. He could have done his community service and not had jail time, but here he was, exactly where he wanted to be all along.
We made it to the private section used for visitation and the few rooms that were there for lawyers and inmates. Midasplopped into the seat and kicked his feet up on the table. “Take a break guys, we won’t be long.” His voice was filled with arrogance. They looked to the door than to me, and I nodded, and they left in an instant. “How can I assist the good detective today?” He steepled his hands together and leaned forward.
It was a power move, and I wasn’t playing along. I sat down across from him and leaned back un-phased. After a few minutes of just staring, I began.
“Well Mr. Macer, I’m here to ask you some questions regarding a crime scene. You don’t mind if I record this, do you?” I pulled out my pocket recorder.
He shook his head and laughed. “I see we are on formal terms today, what happened, did mommy reel the leash in too tight?”
“I’m sorry Teddy, did I offend you with your given name?” I baited; I knew that it was going to bite me later, but I didn’t care.
