Trickery & Envy (21 page)

“I just don’t want you to do anything that’s going to land
me or you in jail. I can get another job if it’s money that you need,” Tracie pleaded.

Vernon
had lifted Tracie up by the collar of the green blouse she had on and drove her against the wall. “Shut the hell up and just do what I tell you! She owes me. Now go put the damn costume on,” and he released Tracie leaving her physically distraught by his actions.

Toni
had slid into his gym shoes, brown leather jacket and grabbed his keys from the kitchen table. He was on the elevator repeatedly pressing the lobby button as if it was going to make the elevator move faster. He still had his cell phone pressed to his ear when he stepped off the elevator and into the lobby. He walked briskly up to his building security desk.

“Grace, I have an emergency
. I’m not sure if I locked my door. Can you go up and make sure it’s secured.”

“Sure Mr. Gentry
.”

Toni got into his car driving like his life depended on getting to Vivian.

“God let her be okay. Please don’t let them hurt her,” Toni said and turned in the direction to take the expressway. He went down the twenty five mile an hour ramp going fifty, quickly merging into traffic. He knew there were certain areas on the expressway police would be stationed to catch speeding drivers. He was approaching one of the areas. He wanted to slow his speed but his rush to get to Vivian had his feet pressing down on the accelerator a little more. Toni whipped pass a patrol car and seconds later they were trailing him with their sirens blaring. Toni glanced at them through his rear view mirror. He didn’t want to, but slowed his pace.

***

“Come on they’re here,” Vernon said and turned from the window.

Tracie
was placing the last package of meat from the freezer into the plastic bag. She had already filled the other bag with items from the refrigerator.

Vernon open
ed the door for his two helpers dressed like Vampires. They parked the van they drove behind Vivian’s house along side of her black cast iron fence.

Tracie
was visibly anxious to leave after seeing Vernon’s friends entered dressed in costumes. She had the feeling something bad was going to happen and with the two bags of food in hand she ran past Vernon’s friends and out the door.

Vernon
looked at her scurrying out the front door and moved his head from side to side. He then whispered to one of them. “I didn’t mean to hit her so hard, but she’s knocked out. If she comes to before y’all get the goods, don’t hurt her, and just get out. Did y’all park in the alley like I said to?”

“Yeah,”
one of them responded.

“You know where we’ll be waiting,” Vernon said and
casually strolled out of his sister’s house. He saw Tracie moving rapidly up the street. “Girl, slow your butt down,” he said and spit the two cotton balls from his mouth he used to disguise his voice.

Tracie
ignored his demand and kept her pace of getting away from Vernon.

Vernon’s friends
stood over Vivian to see if she was still out cold. The taller and burly one, Reggie, removed one glove and placed his hand near Vivian’s mouth.

“Yeah, she’s still out,” he confirmed and they
began unplugging electronics, setting them by the entrance into the garage.

The
thin, shorter one, Richard sat a mini stereo by the door. “Man, she’s fine as hell. I should get me some,” he said grinning.

Reggie
carrying a thirty-two inch flat screen television said, “Man, you taking a risk if you do. DNA ain’t a joke,” and he went out the door with the television from Vivian’s bedroom.

Meanwhile,
Toni had moved into the right lane and was exiting the expressway. He pulled into a gas station.

T
he police stopped several feet behind him. “Step out of the car and put your hands on the top of the hood,” the instructions came through a bull horn and from within the patrol car.

A young
woman pumping her gas saw the exchange and stopped. She returned the pump and then got into her car.

Toni step
ped out of the car and following orders placed his hands on the hood of his car.

Both
officers exited the patrol car keeping an eye on Toni.

“Officer
s, please listen to me,” Toni said a bit of stress in his voice. “Someone has forced their way into my girlfriend’s home. I was on the phone with her...she’s in trouble.”

Officer Bradford
began to search Toni and not finding a weapon stepped back. “Turn around,” he said.

Toni
did as told and then immediately tried to explain speeding again. “Listen to me officer. Can you please dispatch a unit to...?” and he gave Vivian’s address.

O
fficer Bradford looked at his partner then gave a nod of the head for him to send an officer. “Don’t move,” he said to Toni.

“Dispatch this is Officer
Grayson. Can you send a unit to...?” and after having a unit dispatched to Vivian’s address he began to run Toni’s Driver license number and plates.

Officer Bradford
then said to Toni, “Even if your story checks out you’re still going to receive a ticket for speeding.”

Toni nodded.

“Bradford, cuff him, bring him on,” Grayson said from the patrol car.

Toni
was placed in the backseat of the police vehicle.

Officer
Bradford then whispered to his partner over the top of the car, “If I didn’t know any better, I think I ran over some breast searching him.”

“It wouldn’t surprise me the people we stop out here,” his partner responded.

While Reggie was putting electronics in the van, Richard began roaming the house for small valuables. He re-entered the living room stashing jewelry into his pants pocket and moving to where Vivian was lying helplessly on the floor. Richard looked down at Vivian again with lust in his eyes. He then rubbed his gloved hands together.

“S
he’s too fine to not take advantage of,” he said just as Reggie returned from the van. “Man his sister is fine and she does look like Ms. Grier. I thought he was lying. Sorry, Mr. Hightower, but I’m about to tap this ass. What you think Reggie, should I get some.”

“
Fool, did you just call my name!”

“Oh
...my bad,” he said.

“
To answer your question, I don’t think Vernon is going to like the idea. Two, like I said, DNA the proof is always in the pudding. You bone her at your own risk.”

“Man, I
’m no fool. I’m not gon’ bone her bare skin.”

“Whatever,” Reggie
countered and he headed to the kitchen. He lifted the microwave from the granite countertop and headed out the side door with it; moving his head from side to side at the mistake his friend was about to make.

Richard
waited until Reggie left then looked back down at Vivian.

“I’ve got to have some of this,”
he said and unfastened his pants grinning as he pulled them down.

As
he sealed his penis with a condom Vivian sprung to life and startled the prowler. “Please...don’t do this,” her swollen face said.

“Whoa
...I see somebody was playing possum.”

Richard
was a little tickled he was caught by surprised.

“Please...don’t, don’t do this,” Vivian implored
again.

“
It’ll be over before you know it,” and he yanked Vivian’s sweatpants down her legs.

“
Please…please don’t do this. Please I’m begging you,” Vivian cried out and crossed her arms as a barricade against his intent.

Richard
ignored her begging him to stop.

“Please, take whatever you want,” Vivian said.

“Thanks, I’m about to do just that,” and he struck Vivian in the face with his fist near the spot Vernon hit her and then inserted himself into her.

Vivian
went wild swinging her arms and legs at him. Fresh blood began to pour from her nose.

“So you’re gone make this hard,” and
Richard plowed again into her face.

Vivian began
to go in and out of consciousness as Richard began to have his way with her.

“Ooh,”
he murmured. “I knew this was going to be good. Pretty women pussy is always good. Yeah...”

As
Reggie was placing the microwave into the back of the van, he looked behind him and saw a police car with its headlights off rolling up. He quickly took off running down the alley and hopped a fence into someone’s back yard.

Officer Bradford
jumped out of the car and gave chase, while Officer Grayson radioed for backup.

“
For your own safety, you need to stay quiet,” Officer Grayson said to Toni and exited the patrol car with his weapon drawn. He watched for movement as he moved cautiously down the alley to the dark-colored van. He then looked inside and not seeing anyone moved to the side entrance of the garage. He slowly pushed open the door and saw two automobiles inside. Officer Grayson entered the garage easing pass both cars and into Vivian’s house.

“Hold it right there,”
the officer said and his gun aimed at Richard sexually assaulting Vivian.

“Damn,”
Richard uttered withdrawing himself from Vivian and he locked his fingers behind his head.

“First question, is there anyone else in the house?” Grayson said to
Richard, his weapon still aimed at him.

Richard
moved his head, no.

“Your name?” the officer said.

“Richard Green.”

Officer Grayson mov
ed further inside the living room. “Now I’m going to ask that you slowly rise to your feet, remove the condom and you better find a way to hold on to it while you’re pulling up your pants.”

Richard
proceeded to follow the orders.

“Now place your hands behind your head,” the
officer said.

Again,
Richard did as told.

The
officer removed a handkerchief from his back pocket then moved over to Richard. “Drop it,” he said referring to the condom onto the handkerchief.

The
officer tied the handkerchief into a knot and then cuffed Richard hands behind his back. He glanced over at Vivian then removed Richard’s mask letting it fall to the floor. He then grabbed Richard by the back of the collar and with more force than needed pushed him over into empty space across the living room.

“Fucking clown,”
Officer Grayson spat at him and then walked over to Vivian. “Ms., are you alright,” he said. Not getting an answer he bends to feel Vivian’s neck for a pulse. “Ms., are you okay? Are you injured?” he asked again.

Vivian
eyes slowly opens and when she sees Officer Grayson begins swinging her arms and legs at him. “Nooo,” she screamed and hitting and kicking at him violently.

The
officer locked Vivian’s hands together with his.

Richard
glanced over at the door then thinks he has an opportunity to run.

O
fficer Grayson saw him contemplating. “You run, you die,” he stated and still trying to calm Vivian down. “I’m the police ma’am. I’m an officer,” he stated to her.

Vivian began to
settle down, but was still frightened. The officer released her hands and she moved away from him over against the sofa. She saw that her pants and panties were gone and leaned over to cover herself. She then spotted her underwear that Richard yanked down her legs and off her. She reached and snatched them up quickly sliding into them. Vivian wrapped her arms securely around her stomach and began to rock with her eyes cast on her carpet. Even though Vivian had been sexually violated the only image in her head was of Tracie. “She let them do this to me,” she stated, looking like she was in a trance. “She did this,” her words came again as red and blue lights illuminated through her curtains from another squad car pulling up.

***

“What’s taking them so long,” Vernon stated and getting mad.

Vernon caught up with Tracie after she ran from Vivian’s house. He forced her to walk
five blocks away and to where he told his friends to pick them up. They were still in costume near a corner. Vernon was pacing the street with a fresh toothpick in his mouth. He did a quick shiver as the cool windy night churned around him.

“Look mommy
its Batman and Wonder Woman,” a kid dressed like Poke-e-mon said smiling and pointing.

Tracie was standing with her arms wrapped around her
looking like a distraught woman.

The mother of the
kid saw that Wonder Woman was uneasy and pulled her son closer to her. She took notice of the two plastic bags full of something by Wonder Woman’s feet. She glanced at Batman and quickly became suspicious of them. She thought they looked too old to be trick-o-treating, especially without any kids in tow.