Page 29 of Baratta's Darkness

“Wait a minute. You brought a motorcycle on a plane?” I ask.

“When your family owns the plane you can load anything you want in the cargo section.”

He gets up to refill his coffee, while I grab my phone. “Who are you calling?”

“I’m just going to call my brother. You said your bike is about a mile out?”

“Yeah you know that last intersection before the city limits? That is where the car pulled out behind me.”

“I promise I won’t tell him anything. I’m only going to ask him to get your bike and bring it back here.”

“Thank you”, he sighs as he sits back down. “I stayed to take care of you, but here you are taking care of me.”

I make the call then wrestle Baratta back to bed. “Please rest. Only your head got cracked open but I am sure your body hurts.”

“Yeah it feels like I got hit by a car.” He jokes.

“Too soon?” He asks with a smirk as I groan.

“Definitely too soon, now rest.” I feel his forehead around the wound. Checking to make sure it doesn’t feel hot or show any signs of infection, then slip out of the room.

I’m at the kitchen table sketching when Bleu starts whining. Putting him on the leash, I make sure I have my keys and my gun is tucked into its holster under my jacket.

When Bleu and I step outside, by the door is another envelope. “God Damnit!” I shout as I throw it inside. I don’t even care where it landed; I just want to take my dog for a friggin walk. Slamming the door, I continue on my way.

In the week since we found Bleu. Being cared for, being provided with a constant source of food and water has turned my raggedy little dumpster puppy into a handsome, happy puppy.

He practically drags me as we walk down the block to the park. This park is great; there is a little fenced area for pets. There’s nobody else here, so I let Bleu off his leash to let him just run and play for about thirty minutes.

I’m sitting on a bench when I see the Wolfsbane tow truck drive past. So I call Bleu and head back to my building.

Blood is unloading the bike when I get back. I don’t want to get in his way so I head up. “Hey bro, come up when you're done.” Stopping me at the bottom of the steps, he hands me something.

Looking down I see that it’s Baratta’s helmet. The face shield is shattered and the helmet is cracked. “Oh My God” I mutter as I lower myself to sit on the steps. Turning it over the inside is soaked in blood. “How did he walk away from that?” My brother takes me by the hand and pulls me upstairs.

I am putting Bleu in his crate, when Blood suddenly shouts, “WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS!!” When I turn around he’s holding the envelope in one hand and a picture of me in the other.

“Oh shit”

“Oh shit? Is that all you have to say?”

“Calm down, Baratta is sleeping.”

“Calm down! Calm down! I will not calm down.” If anything he is getting louder. “How long has this been going on?”

“Blood sit down, have a cup of coffee, I will tell you everything but not if you keep screaming at me.”

“I don’t want coffee! You got a beer?”

“Yes just sit down and let me get it for you.”

When I bring his beer back, he’s sitting in the same position I found Baratta in this morning; Elbows on his knees, hands in his hair. It must be a man thing, I think to myself. I sit next to him but he doesn’t say anything. He just drinks his beer.

I can tell he’s calming himself so I just sit there in silence waiting for him to start the conversation. He doesn’t take long.

“How long has this been going on?”

“Since opening day.”

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