Thin Ice 6 - Hangman & Socrates (6 page)

Coming back to now Cartier greeted the inmate saying hello as he passed his cell. Since his arrival he’d met one man or another who wanted to be a part of The Association they were sure he and Carlo would establish once his friend arrived. Cartier didn’t have any plans along those lines, but he wasn’t stupid either. He and Carlo needed all the muscle they could gather to keep them safe, drama free and revered while they served their time. So far he’d managed to gather a total of ten men, willing and able to do whatever he or Carlo assigned or asked. Cartier frowned slightly as he glanced the familiar face.

“
Bitch,” he mumbled under his breath taking the man in fully.

Razor, the man in question, once a lieutenant for the Association, had sung like a canary, testifying against both Carlo and Cartier. In exchange he’d drawn a fifteen year prison bid. Cartier’s eyes narrowed as he watched the man continue to get settled.
First assignment,
he thought wordlessly as one of their new recruits arrived and asked Cartier if he needed anything. Smiling malevolently, he told the man they would talk during exercise time. Nodding the recruit went about his way, waiting for their time and the favor that would seal his place inside the organization.

*****

Lauren was counting the money she’d managed to raise, deciding she had just about enough to make her move. The last two months with Matthew and Rose had been good. They were decent people who treated her with great kindness. They never broached the subject of her past, seemingly comfortable with ignoring it. Kenny on the other hand was still plotting. She could tell every time he looked at her. Lauren had seen her share of criminals and lowlife, picking out one with motives was never hard. She’d returned to the exclusive Catholic school Carlo paid for on a full scholarship. The diocese felt pity for her as well as guilt and remorse that they hadn’t known anything of her torture over the years when she was with her father. Lauren didn’t really care the why of the matter, she simply wanted to get her diploma and move on. Graduation and her 17
^th
birthday all came together in another three weeks. Lauren planned to make it the last birthday she ever spent in Chicago. She heard the light tap of the pebbles hitting her window and got up going over to it.

“
Come down,” Blue whispered as she nodded and closed the window.

Jason ‘Blue’ White was her supplier and he wanted to be her boyfriend. His nickname came from his love of the color blue. He wore it constantly in some variation or shade. Even his car was a deep cerulean blue, customized and easily recognized in the neighborhood. He was older than Lauren at 20, but obviously that didn’t seem to matter to him as he made his intentions known time and again in the month they’d been doing business. Blue had been reluctant to supply the innocent looking girl when she approached him still clad in her Catholic schoolgirl uniform. After a quick conversation and a rundown of her pedigree, Blue was impressed and immediately gave her what she asked. Lauren had never been late with his money and his cut was decent. Though she knew he liked her, Blue had never gotten out of hand with her or tried to touch her against her will.

“
Can you make a run with me tonight,” he asked softly, looking into her eyes as he spoke.

“
Yeah, everybody’s asleep,” she told him as he smiled and told her to come on.

Lauren didn’t ask where they were going, simply asking if she needed a weapon. “Yeah, I’ma give you some heat when we get there, but it should be cool,” Blue told her as Lauren nodded.

She saw him checking her out and sighed softly. It wasn’t that she hated men; she just wasn’t sure what to feel about them right now. Carlo had completely messed up her mind with what was normal and healthy and what wasn’t. She couldn’t lie and say sleeping with Blue hadn’t crossed her mind, because it had. He was an attractive guy; tall and sexy, with a brilliant smile and quick wit. Lauren just decided she didn’t need any complications right now. Her mind was on getting away from Carlo’s never ending shadow and making a new life for herself.

“
We’re here,” Blue told her, breaking her thought.

“
Here,” he told her, handing her a .38 revolver. “You cool with handling that,” he asked, looking into her eyes once more.

Lauren smiled slightly and told him she was good. He grumbled as they got out of the car and approached the run down building in front of them. She assumed they were making a pickup and obviously Blue didn’t trust the people supplying him at the moment.

“
Wassup,” Blue greeted the two men and one woman inside the small building.

They returned the greeting, turning their attention to Lauren and looking her over lustily. The woman gave her an evil look and rolled her eyes, turning her attention back to Blue. Lauren chuckled inwardly knowing the woman had a thing for Blue.

“
We got the powder, you got our money,” the first man asked, returning to business.

Blue told him he did, placing the wad on the table in front of him. Lauren was watching the men intently, dismissing the woman as eye candy. She’d seen the look before. They were planning a double cross. Calmly putting her hands in her jacket pockets Lauren continued to pretend to take in the building.

Just as she predicted the second man produced a gun and told Blue he was a fool for walking blindly into a meet like this.

“
You ain’t ready for the big leagues yet boy,” he taunted arrogantly as his partner laughed and closed the briefcase preparing to pick up the money from the table.

Lauren dropped the partner with three shots from the .38, still in her pocket. The distraction gave Blue enough time to pull his own .38 and shoot the first man five times, killing him. The woman was screaming as Blue turned the gun on her and she begged her for life.

“
Don’t kill her,” Lauren said calmly as Blue grunted slightly.

“
She’s just ass,” she added as he nodded slightly and told her to get the hell out.

The woman ran without as much as a backwards glance. Lauren walked over to the first man she’d shot. He was still alive, barely, but conscious as she stood over him.

“
Please,” he managed to get out as she frowned deeply.

“
You aren’t ready for the big leagues yet, boy,” she told him coldly, repeating his own words as she planted two slugs into his head and watched his last breath leave.

“
Come on baby,” Blue told her, grabbing her hand and bolting back out the front door to their car, dope and money in hand.

Lauren didn’t balk when Blue took her to his apartment and invited her inside. He gave her a drink when they got settled and told her what a great job she did.

“
Damn girl,” he told her sweetly as she sipped the wine he’d provided. “I wanna always be on your good side,” Blue chuckled as Lauren smiled slightly.

“
Can I ask you something,” he began as Lauren nodded and finished the wine.

After refilling her glass he spoke again.

“
Is Kenny the reason you’re pushing me away,” Blue asked calmly, watching her intently.

Lauren frowned deeply and asked him where he got a ridiculous idea like that.

“
He’s telling people you and him are banging each other,” Blue replied honestly, telling her the source of his information.

Lauren was absolutely furious. Now she understood the whispers and looks she would get whenever they all went out in public together.

“
Kenny is gonna make me kill him at some point if I don’t leave there,” she replied evenly, half to herself.

Taking a chance, Blue kissed her softly. Lauren looked at him after the kiss, not sure what she felt. The wine was making her head swim and the attraction she felt was pushing all the wrong buttons.

“
I want to be your man Lauren,” Blue told her as he kissed her again, more insistent.

Deciding she would make him happy for the three weeks that were left, Lauren gave in and allowed Blue to undress and arouse her, before slipping on a condom and making love to her. He held her afterward, promising he would protect her as he closed his eyes and drifted off. Lauren studied him as he slept, sighing softly knowing that in the end she would be the woman who broke his heart.

6

Roderick couldn’t believe the jury was still deliberating almost four days later.
What the hell are they debating,
he queried within himself. There couldn’t be an inkling of doubt that the man was guilty, so why were they taking so long. Sighing lightly he pushed the thoughts aside as Hope once again entered the room. They were spending time at her apartment tonight. She didn’t want to venture out and about; encountering more press and paparazzi as they had a couple of nights ago when the jury first retired to deliberate.

“
Did you get any information from social services,” Roderick asked feeling like a complete ass.

He knew where Lauren was and he also knew Social Services weren’t going to give Hope any information. The only thing that eased his conscience was the fact she was still fighting legally to gain custody of her niece. Hope sighed deeply trying to keep the tears at bay. She quietly told him no, afraid if she spoke again she would break down. Not knowing where Lauren was, was killing her inside. She was beside herself with anger at Carlo. His stubborn refusal to sign the documents made the situation his entire fault.
Hasn’t he done enough to that child,
Hope thought angrily.

“
It will all work out Hope,” Roderick tried as she returned a weak smile.

“
Let’s not talk about that right now,” she answered as he smiled graciously and let the subject drop.

They began watching the movie he’d placed in the VCR as Hope lay her head on his shoulder enjoying their closeness. Roderick again began to feel the pangs of guilt, knowing that once Carlo’s verdict was rendered and sentence passed, he would be gone out of her life. It had been Hope who unwittingly gave him what he needed to get the inside look at Carlo’s life and business. She naively shared secrets with him and even documentation that her brother had given her to place in a safe deposit box. Of course Roderick was determined that she never know the truth. He knew that even though Hope was angry with Carlo, she didn’t hate him. Not just yet. He had a plan to remedy that. Roderick thought Hope was a wonderful woman and had an excellent chance of getting custody of Lauren. He didn’t want her to ever entertain the idea of letting the monster that was Hangman Cisneros anywhere near that child again, even through written communication.

“
Hope,” he began carefully.

“
Hmm,” she answered semi distracted by the movie.

“
How much do you know about Carlo’s abuse of Lauren,” he probed.

Frowning deeply Hope sighed aloud.

“
I know he used to hit her, beat her mercilessly for the stupidest things,” she replied her eyes already welling.

“
I know he killed her mother in front of her,” Hope went on the tear rolling as she absently brushed it away.

“
That doctor, umm, what was her name,” she began as Roderick supplied the answer.

“
Yes, Kaitlyn Ross, she said Carlo did things to Lauren,” she replied unable to form the words.

“
He raped her Hope,” Roderick told her as gently as he could.

Hope burst into tears hearing the words spoken and envisioning the horror befalling her niece.

“
No, please Roderick, he wouldn’t, she’s his child,” Hope tried to reason, crying hysterically now.

“
He hurt her in unimaginable ways Hope,” he continued wanting to drive the wedge as deep as possible.

“
For four years he had sex with her like she was Auriel,” he finished, calling Carlo’s wife by name.

Hope completely broke then. She was babbling incoherently for a while until Roderick figured out she was praying. She was a devout Catholic and even though they slept together outside of marriage, she took her faith very seriously.

“
He’s going to rot in that prison,” she managed finally, gathering herself as Roderick saw the anger replaced by hate.

Satisfied, he continued to hold her and tell her it would all be good again once she got Lauren.

*****

“
Where have you been young lady,” Matthew addressed Lauren as she snuck into the house.

He turned on the light, temporarily blinding her as she stopped in her tracks waiting for him to speak again. Able to focus finally she saw Rose sitting on the couch regarding her and Kenny standing off to the side by the kitchen smirking at her. Lauren knew he’d been the one to tell them of her absence.

“
It’s almost 2AM, Lauren,” Matthew boomed, more concerned than angry.

“
I’m sorry,” Lauren replied actually frightened, visions of Carlo and his violent rage surfacing.

“
Who were you with,” Rose asked gently.

“
A friend,” Lauren replied quietly.

“
A boy,” she pressed once more as Lauren swallowed hard and said nothing.

Kenny was satisfied he’d ended her nights of sneaking out to be with Blue, so he left the room and allowed his parents their privacy to deal with her. They would have their own talk and come to an understanding tomorrow.