Evil in Hockley (10 page)

Harry finally came to the conclusion
that when dealing with Dean and Lenea he could not rely on what he
saw. She had some magical control over his mind. A recognition
that, on his part, was too late materializing.

It was later when John Dean and Lenea
came with a pitcher of water. Lenea poured Harry a glass then let
him drink it. When he was finished she took the glass. Dean spoke
first.

“He’s alive. He shouldn’t be, but he
is.”

Lenea turned Harry’s face from side to
side then said,

“The spell I used on him by the bridge
should have put him out but it barely worked.”

Dean paced then said,

“He’s not invincible. He can’t break
free of his bonds therefore hasn’t a hint of a gift.”

“There’s something wrong here John. I
can feel it.”

“Could it be a spell Karma hexed him
with? Something that gave him immortality?”

“I doubt it but lacking any other
explanation that would have to be it.”

Harry forced himself to
speak.

“Is Shelley still alive?”

It came out sounding like he was
talking under water.

Lenea shook her head, disgust showing
on her face.

“You have this fascination with Shelley
as though she has the answer to the meaning of life itself. What
makes you think she knows more than you do?”

Harry shrugged. She was his only
lead.

Lenea sat on her heels before him. She
was a formidable woman, not some thin wannabe model.

“Yes Harry, she’s still alive. I can
keep her that way indefinitely but I’m afraid that sooner or later
Joe’s going to get sick of putting her up in his basement. Probably
after he’s done with you.”

John Dean laughed.

“He’ll be happy as a lark to hear
you’re still alive. He get’s to punish you all over again
tonight.”

Harry had to give it a try.

“Did he kill my brother,
Jarrod?”

Lenea glanced at John then back to
Harry.

“We don’t know. We were told to
eliminate you. Once we’re told that, a decision has already been
made. We’re not a jury, we’re the executioners. We’re not
interested in the details.”

Dean added,

“Too much knowledge confuses the issue
which is just simply that you have to die.”

Harry understood these two. He really
did. His job in the Middle East wasn’t unlike theirs. He was given
a target and told to eliminate someone. Whether for the common
good, his country, or money: did it really matter? They were
assassins, same as he was.

Harry, Lenea, and John played the game
knowing risks and rewards the same as a boxer when he enters the
ring. It’s a battle between two consenting adults. What bothered
Harry was when innocent people like Shelley were dragged into a
fight.

As a matter of fact all the folks Joe
Sharky and Bobby Mercer preyed on were innocents. They sold illegal
drugs to people already in despair. They promised to make lives
better yet made them worse. All for the almighty buck.

Yes, Harry understood these
two.

He asked,

“Can I speak to Shelley? I mean what’s
the harm if I’m going to die?”

Lenea looked at John who shook his head
then answered.

“Not part of the job. She may not be
able to answer in any case.”

Harry suddenly realized his problem. If
it was an assignment he wouldn’t have screwed up. He never would
have underestimated these two. But he was personally involved and
didn’t look at the big picture. Added to that was a distraction
he’d never encountered before. The gifts of Karma and
Lenea.

Lenea gave him another drink of water.
There was enough slack in the chains. Lenea and Dean both gazed at
him then left. Harry eyed Shelley and again realized he was in deep
shit.

Chapter 18

Sandy had helped Karma into her car
earlier on that night and was now putting cold compresses on her
brow. It was four in the morning and Sandy was still unable to
control her shaking hands.

Karma started to stand but Sandy shoved
her back into bed.

Karma pushed her away and
said,

“We have to get him out of
there.”

“Can we finally call in the police to
sort out this mess?”

“Listen Sandy, Joe Sharky has a legal
firm on retainer not just a lawyer. The police would need
sufficient grounds to search Joe’s properties. Plus we don’t know
where they’re keeping him. And besides all that: it was Harry who
grabbed Bobby Mercer that started all this. They call that
kidnapping. Remember the bikers? Joe’s lawyers can make a case that
looks as though we’re the only ones guilty of anything.”

“What about Jarrod’s death, Harry being
attacked at Sharky’s bar, Harry being dumped in the reservoir, and
Shelley? What about Tony Moore?”

“There isn’t a shred of proof that any
of those things happened. Remember who shot Tony and who finally
sent him to meet his maker and buried him?”

“I guess you’re right. How can anyone
like Sharky be so evil and yet look so right?”

“They can when someone like Harry tries
to play their game without the resources Joe has.”

“What do you want to do?”

“First we have to find out where
they’re keeping Harry. I know a cellar attached to Joe’s house. The
cops could search his basement and never find a thing but there’s
another place. I’ve heard him call it the bomb shelter. He stashes
drugs there.”

Karma limped to the kitchen with
Sandy’s help, had a coffee, and a cigarette.

“Breakfast of champions,” she called
it.

“Lenea caught me off guard,” she
added.

After a long drag from her cigarette
she said,

“I’ll be okay in a few minutes. Lenea
is not as strong as she thinks.”

They took Sandy’s sedan to Joe Sharky’s
Bar and Grill, parked in a farm laneway, and watched through
binoculars.

“The shed behind the house,” said
Sandy.

After a time two men came out carrying
a water jug.

“We have to make our way through the
woods to that shed before dark,” said Karma.

They were in place near the shed as the
sun went down and light was fading.

“They’ll be busy with customers
now.”

Karma searched the shed with a penlight
looking for a door leading to an underground passage. Sandy watched
for unwelcome visitors. The shed was only a hundred feet behind the
house and anyone coming in their direction would be on top of them
in seconds. Karma found the panel in the double wall. It opened
mechanically with a hard push.

“Come on Sandy.”

They went down a short corridor which
led to an underground bunker where they found a lit room containing
shelves.

“About time.”

It was Harry chained to the far wall,
Shelley close.

“The keys to my locks are in that shelf
in front of me.”

Karma unlocked the cuffs holding Harry
then examined Shelley.

“I’m not leaving without her,” said
Harry.

He was standing now, stretching. Karma
couldn’t understand how he was able to rise: his wounds appeared
severe. He was bleeding from several and his face was contorted
from bruising and cut skin.

Shelley wasn’t chained and she rose
when they pulled her arms. She was like a mechanical doll following
physically cues. They made their way through the shed, Sandy
leading the way with a penlight.

Harry was first out of the door, and
who was on the other side about to open it? Bobby Mercer stood, his
eyes wide. He was partially visible due to light from the rear of
the house. In all probability he was there to give Harry another
beating. Harry however literally beat him to the punch knocking him
to the ground. Bobby’s scream was cut short when Sandy drove a
pitchfork deep into his chest.

It took quite some time for them to
make their way back to Sandy’s car. Shelley was slow to
respond.

To their dismay a police officer stood
in the light of his cruiser writing down the plate number. Karma
and Sandy came forward leaving Harry and Shelley in the
shadows.

“What’s the problem officer?” asked
Sandy.

He looked surprised by their
appearance.

“Got a call from a farmer. Your car’s
been here for hours. I should be asking what your problem
is.”

“I let my cat out for a pee. He chased
something and ran off. We’ve been trying to find him.”

“So where is he?”

“We didn’t find him. Then we decided we
couldn’t look for him in the dark. We’ll come back tomorrow. I once
heard a cat won’t wander far. Have you ever heard that
officer?”

“Can’t say that I have. Can I see you
registration and licence?”

Sandy unlocked the car retrieved her
purse, searched it, and gave him her ID.

The officer wrote down the information
then said,

“Have a good night and sorry about your
cat.”

He was gone in a flash and out of
sight. Harry guided Shelley into the rear seat, strapped her in
then climbed into the passenger side. Karma sat in the back with
Shelley and examined her.

Harry was impatient and
asked,

“What are the chances she’ll ever be
able to talk?”

Karma didn’t answer immediately but
finally spoke.

“First I have to break the spell that
Lenea has on her…”

Harry interrupted.

“Lenea? I thought it was John
Dean?”

“I told you once I have no idea how
John Dean fits into all this. Lenea is the Voodoo priestess. She
has the power. She was the one who, in our minds, transformed into
Shelley then knocked me on my butt. I owe her one for that because
she intended to kill me. No respect for family, that
one.”

Karma stopped for a moment then
added,

“I have to break the spell then take
control. In order to do that I have to take the pencils out of her
eyes and remove the laces from her hands. She will be in terrible
pain once the spell is broken. I can ease it slightly. Whether
she’ll be able to talk is anyone’s guess. She’s literally dead to
the world, this world.”

Chapter 19

Once at home Harry took a bath, Sandy
soothing his wounds with a face cloth. Karma stitched his worst
cuts with a needle and dental floss, including ones on his private
parts. Sandy kept a close eye on the procedure.

Next came Shelley. Karma wasted no time
and simply yanked the pencils from her eyes reciting a spell. She
cut the leather laces binding her hands and when the final one was
severed Shelley screamed. She was no longer under Lenea’s spell.
Karma uttered one, hexing Shelley, and knocking her out.

“Will she wake?”

“I don’t know Harry, I’ll do my best
but do you really want to see her in so much pain? It might be
better if I dispatched her to the other side.”

Harry appeared alarmed.

“That would send the last of my chances
to find Jarrod’s killer down the drain.”

Karma nodded but was clearly
upset.

“All right Harry then you make the
final decision. I won’t stand in your way. Take your gun and put a
bullet in her head when you’re sick and tired of hearing her
scream.”

Karma stood and paced then
yelled,

“For fuck sakes Harry, she’s no longer
human.”

“You’re pissed about me shooting Tony,
aren’t you?” said Harry.

“I’m pissed about the whole affair. How
far is your lust for vengeance going to take this? It’s way past an
eye for an eye. It’s a pissing contest between you and Joe. Other
people are having to pay for it with their lives. Who’s next?
Sandy? Me? And what if Jarrod died through accidental
means?”

Harry tried to put his hands on Karma’s
shoulders but she pulled away.

He said,

“I can’t tell you why but I know Jarrod
was murdered. You’re right, it’s way beyond what I intended but I
had no control over that. Ask yourself why you’re here?”

Harry was silent for a moment then
said,

“If you want to leave then I won’t even
try to stop you, either of you. As a matter of fact you should both
go.”

He turned to Sandy.

“You killed a man last night. I’m
sorry.”

Sandy raised her brow.

“If I hadn’t we’d all be dead or like
Shelley. Not for me. I might have left finger prints on the
pitchfork handle though.”

Karma said,

“No, I wiped the handle
clean.”

Harry kept watch while Sandy slept then
they changed places. Karma chanted trying to keep Shelley alive but
life seemed to slowly drain from the woman.