Page 70 of See No Evil

“I couldn’t even pronounce my brother’s name the year prior, you said so yourself, so how in the hell was I gonna know what fellatio was without someone bringing that word to me directly?! You know what I said, and you understoodfullywhat he did. I’m not going to let you run from this, or water it down. I’m at the stage where I can talk about it without losing my damn mind. Luis performed fellatio on me, Mama! I told you that, at such a young age, and you had the nerve to question the legitimacy.”

“Please don’t do this.”

“Please don’t do what? Tell the fuckin’ truth? He was very doctor-like about it, and matter-of-fact regarding the whole thing. Pretendin’ at first he was giving me an exam. ‘But don’t tell your mama about your checkup!’ he said, after he quickly got dressed. I knew somethin’ wasn’t right. So, I went and told anyway, and once he found out you knew but didn’t care, he laughed in my face, and things got ten times worse. Thanks, Mama. THE THINGS THAT MAN DID TO ME WOULD MAKE YOU WANT TO JUMP OFF A FUCKING BRIDGE!”

“Oh, God!”

“Luis is a fuckin’ pedophile. The man you lay with for years, allowed around your children, to eat from your table… and you know what else? He should have his throat slit! Come on, Mama, say it with me. Luis, lived inyourhouse, and now my head, rent free! I hated myself. I questioned my sexuality as a teenager, and blamed myself for what happened to me. I was in a state of panic and paranoia twenty-four-seven. Did you know I tried to kill myself in prison, the first time I was incarcerated? The guards found me right before I could jump off the chair and hang myself. They thought it was because I didn’t want to do my bid. Naw, it’s because I was seein’ evil as a little boy, and it crawled in my bed every night.”

“LEGEND!”

“You knew it then, you know it now! I just want some acknowledgement here. Some ownership.”And some reparations…“I don’t believe you were totally in the dark about the situation. I think you just chose to turn out the lights.”

“Legend, oh God! Good Lord! I am tellin’ you the God’s honest truth when I say that I never saw him do nothin’ to you, or suspected anything. But as I look back… yes, some things make a lil’ more sense now. Like him encouraging me to work overtime, or him always volunteering to take you places, but want Melanie to stay with my sister, or her friends, things like that. I can’t change the past, son, but I can just tell you that I’m sorry, and mean it.”

He swallowed, stunned she’d even taken on that much. A part of him wondered if she was sincere, or simply talking a good game. No matter how many times they’d butted heads or had words, they’d never been estranged like this. Perhaps she was feeling desperate. He second and third guessed her now on a continuous basis.

“All of the wrong in your life wasn’t my fault, but the parts that were, I’ll take my lumps. If you don’t ever speak to me again, just know that Mama is sorry. I truly am… and I love you, Legend!” She cried loudly now, sobbing hard into the phone. “You’re my boy. My second born. I wanna make this right. Melanie said maybe we can go to family counseling. I’m willin’ to try. Are you?”

A tear streamed down his cheek, and he quickly wiped it away. Then, he disconnected the call without a word. Taking a deep breath, he entered his apartment. After feeding the dogs, he immediately grabbed a beer from the refrigerator, told Alexa to play ‘Modern Day’, by Jeezy, and proceeded to roll a blunt…

It was 3:02in the morning, and the crispness in the air felt like an icy tongue gliding along the whispers of the dead. The dogs were barking, tied to the back of the truck, and the wilderness was covered in a blanket of darkness, with the exception of his truck headlights. He could hear the twigs breaking in the near distance, and the sounds of nocturnal nature doing its thing. Dressed in all camouflage army fatigue, Legend removed one of the rifles from the front of the truck, and strapped it across his body. He grabbed the second one, and aimed it straight ahead. With his other hand, he grabbed the megaphone, and began his speech.

“Carlos Burgos, I paid good money to track you down. This has been a long time comin’. I’ve been planning, and saving up for years. It started when I was in the pen the very first time. After I realized God wasn’t ready for me to die, because he interfered in those plans, I mapped out myownplan to get you, Andres, and ya boy, Luis. As I was taught in combat, you have to strategize your attack and do what’s least expected, if you want to be successful. So, here I am. Strapped and planned the fuck out. I bet you felt mighty scared to have my big ass bust in your house, snatch you up, handcuff you and drive you out here in the middle of nowhere-ville. These hills have eyes though!”

Legend began to pace back and forth, holding the megaphone tight. “Now, I told you I’d give you a sixty-five second head start, and then, it was huntin’ time. Unlike you, I’m a fair man. It’s the least I could do since I’ve got courtside advantage. I know these woods well. Me ’nd my friends used to ride our bikes this way, and play in these here woods all the time while we was growin’ up.

“As you race around, tryna find a way out, or some tree to hide behind, I suggest you be careful out there. See, there’s all kinds of mean, hungry animals in these woodlands. Namely me.” He chuckled, then glanced at his watch. “Hmmm, looks like yourtime is runnin’ out. Just a few seconds left. Ready or not, here I come.”

He reached back in his truck and turned up the volume of Gucci Mane’s, ‘Serial Killers,’ blasting it. Then, he placed the megaphone next to his wolfer speaker. He shot his rifle in the air, then untied Dior, Trigger, and Tank, and commanded them to run like the wind into the forest.

“Get ’im, boys and girl! Awww, shit!” He chortled. “You better put some gasoline in that tank, boy! They comin’ fur ya! Huntin’ you, just like you and your little friends hunted me. Bitch ass!” he howled.

He began to jog through the woods, the brush and branches crunching under his combat boots. Slithers of moonlight and the rifle scope with the laser, cutting through the darkness, were his lover and best friend. He raced against the wind then, adrenaline pumping through his veins like hot blood. He could hear his dogs barking and snarling, then the sweet sound of a faint, broken, and distraught scream.

OneRepublic’s, ‘I Ain’t Worried,’ started to play.

“Sounds like one of my babies got that ass! What’s wrong, mothafucka? You don’t like being touched inappropriately by a big slobberin’ dog? Awww… that’s too damn bad.”

He ran faster, his lips curved in a grin, the wind whipping across his teeth. After a couple of minutes, he was at the scene of the pretty crime. There, on the ground, was Carlos, covered in mud and dirt, a look of sheer terror in his light brown eyes as Dior yanked on one of his arms, Trigger the other, and Tank tugged hard at his leg. Maybe they saw him as a wishbone, and were vying for the biggest piece of meat.

“RELEASE,” he commanded the dogs, who immediately freed his limbs. Blood oozed from whatever part the dogs’ teeth had sunk into the man’s flesh.

“Who are you?!” Carlos screamed. His eyes almost popped out of his face, and his complexion looked a cool shade of gray under the light of the scope. He hadn’t been able to speak due to the duct tape Legend had put over his mouth after kidnapping him and tossing him like a garbage bag into his vehicle.

“You’ve been hurting so many children over the years, you must’ve lost count of us. Just body parts. No names. Let me jog your memory. My name is Legend Vidal.”

The man stared at him for a spell, his expression one of confusion. And then, his facial muscles relaxed, and he began to scoot backwards.

“HELP!”

“Oh, you recognize me now. That name ring a bell?” Legend smirked as he kept his rifle on him. Pointed right at the center of his forehead.

“I don’t know you! I don’t know you! You must have me mistaken for someone else!”

“Oh, but you do knowme, mothafucka. I saw it in your eyes. You remember. You know what, Carlos? I’ve kept tabs on you for years, but then, you vanished. So, I got a little assistance, and I paid to have you found again. Seems when you disappeared, you went to jail for some thefts, burglaries… but your biggest crimes have yet to be on the books. Ain’t that strange?”

“I’m just a petty thief! That’s it!”

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