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-A Mother’s Tale

~Chapter Twenty- Five- Caught Up

He shifts in the bed, the thin cool sheets getting tangled around his ankles as he sits up looking around the now vacant hospital room. Sighing out, he lies back reluctantly while his eyes fixated on the harsh white light beaming from above him. He already signed the released forms and was waiting for his partner to come pick him up. Already Winterland was an hour late and it was annoying Howie.

Grumbling and already fully dressed, he looks around the corners of the room seeing his crutches. He hated the fact that the fall down the stairs damaged his ankle. The cast around his neck was beginning to irate him and he couldn’t believe he almost broke it falling down those steep stairs. He knew someone was getting sued for this damage but until he can find the proper finger to point to, he’ll stay quiet.

The young doctor that appeared in his room shortly beforehand offered to help him out in any way, whether it was to help him back home or simply walk him out of the hospital. Howie declined since he already had someone coming for him but was thankful someone wanted to do a courtesy for his favor. Grunting, Howie noticed he was alone for the time being and the crutches seemed so far away for him to walk over to. Frowning, he slides off the bed wincing as his bare feet touched the cold white sterile polished floor. There was no way he could make it the other side of the room without some form of help so he sat and waited. Checking his wrist watch, it seemed that time itself was almost making a mockery of him, slowly ticking away and almost stalling to move to the next minute. Exhaling, he grips the chill cold iron metal railing off the side of the bed placing his balance on the good ankle.

He hobbles across the room quickly reaching the crutches and makes his way back slowly to the bed to get a clean pair of socks on.

“Hey whoo! What are you doing walking around like that?” An older heavy voice calls out.

Howie snorts, his eyes directed over to the older officer leaning on the doorframe. “Getting out of here. You came just in time cause I’m tired of being here.”

“Well good thing then let’s go. You have everything you need right now? Want me to get a wheelchair?” Winterland goes over the man, reaching out a hand to him.

Howie shrugs him off and frowns: “I’m fine…I got it. Let’s go.”

“Yeah…I’m sorry that happened to you. It had to be some stupid ass kid messing around with the lights.”

“You don’t think it has anything to with the case I’m working on?” Howie raises his eyebrows at the older officer.

Winterland smirks, shaking his head: “I doubt it. Stuff happens, life is a bitch.”

Howie wasn’t looking for that answer and grumbles sliding into one of his sneakers tying it up. He unrolled the leg where the cast was, letting it cover the top of the cast.

“You heading straight home so let’s go then.” Winterland gently grabs the young officer’s arm guiding him out of the room.

Howie cast a glare at the man as he hobbles on crutches down the hallway. The neck brace was a huge bother to him and he hated the fact that he couldn’t even look anywhere but straight forward. “So I was going through the case since I had time to think while in bed. Did you get a chance to talk to any of the kids during that car accident?”

Winterland wiggles his nose, rolling his eyes: “Not really…they weren’t too corporative on the case…I solved the other case though.” Winterland grins.

“The other case?” Howie blinks “You found out who killed Nick?”

Winterland nods, grinning from ear to ear. “Seems it was more than one person in on it. Those kids, the guys…they were involved with his death. They tried to frame it as a suicide…but they were the ones responsible for his death.” Winterland grins, feeling triumphant. Now there was no way he could be get in trouble, the others are taking the blame now and he was out of the clear.

“The guys I questioned earlier…they were all in on it?” Howie asks surprised trying to put the pieces together. “But how do you know? I mean they’re his friends, why would they turn against him?”

“I have all the proof at the office. Seems the day of the incident they were all caught on a surveillance camera. You’ll never believe what I got.”

Howie’s mouth drop, “So there was surveillance there! Why wasn’t I informed of this? I saw one of them in the background during the news of that story but I was trying to figure it out. But if you have them committing the crime that is all the proof we’ll need.”

Winterland nods: “Yeah…I already issued a warrant out for the arrest of the men. It was pretty interesting to say the least.”

“That’s sick. What kind of friends did that poor guy have that they would do this to him?”

Winterland shrugs, guiding the helpless man out of the clinic into the parking lot. He couldn’t believe how easy it was to manipulate the system. And with his clean record, Winterland was looking safe in the only grand crime this community was dealing with.
~*~

Yawning, he reaches for the puffed up warm popcorn carrying it to the living room where Arianna was stretched out on the sofa. Stepping over Makenzie who was resting her head on A.J. Damien settles on the rug, plopping down near Orlando’s leg.

Orlando looks over at Bethany who was engrossed in a timely conversation with Arianna about who has the best abs in music. Everything seemed calm after the trail of questions about the cases they were dealing with at the police station and now they craved the rest and relaxation at Arianna’s place.

Ready to see a movie that was rented out, A.J. slides the dvd in quickly settling back on the sofa feeling Makenzie’s soft hair brush up against his arm. Wrapping an arm around her: he kisses her temple and rest his head onto hers, watching the movie screen show up.

Orlando snickers at Bethany’s reaction to the movie, her small lithe body curls up besides him. Recently he was getting close to her and he wasn’t sure what they were at the moment. They weren’t dating…well he wouldn’t mind the idea at all but he never openly confessed his feelings to her. It was more a flirt fest between the two that didn’t seem to have an end. Though he was sure Bethany had interest in him since here she was curling up besides him as if he known her forever. He didn’t mind her so close to him and the way she smelled was enough to drive him up the wall in desire. He feels her soft hands trail down his side wrapping around his waist as she rest her head on his chest sighing contently. He couldn’t help to wonder how happy the little things in life are making him feel. He needed a sense of security and Bethany seemed to be providing that for him.

Arianna snickers and sits on the sofa curling her legs up as she leans close to Damien sitting on the floor in front of her. Whispering in his ear, he smirks and shakes his head.

“I can’t do that right now.” He remarks, faintly blushing looking at the plasma screen tv.

“Please. For me.” She coos out, brushing a hand down the back of his neck.

Damien laughs and nods: “Later not now.”

“Fine…your loss baby.” Arianna grins stretching out on the sofa.

“Shhhh…shut your pee hole up guys, I’m gonna start the movie. And if any of you talk…heh we’re going to have a nice conversation in the kitchen.” A.J. flips off the light switch scrolling over to the others.

“Heh…sounds kinky, I want in.” Damien smirks, getting a kernel thrown at his head.

“Shhh...come on guys. We’re adults, let’s act like it.” Makenzie smiles: feeling A.J’s warmth as he wraps her up placing her on his lap. “And you behave.”

“I’m behaving and yeah D I bet you would like that. How do you like it?” A.J. grins, picking on his friend.

“On all fours.” Damien response, tossing a popcorn in his mouth.

Bethany snickers, watching as the tv screen is lit up ready to start the movie.

“Any last words kids?” Orlando whispers out.

“Yes. I have to take a leak, hold your balls I’ll be back.” Damien smirks, scrambling to get up and run to the bathroom.

Orlando smiles, cuddling Bethany absent-mildly not minding the stares he was receiving from the others. “Yes, can I help you all? What’s with the looks?”

A.J. smirks: “Nothin’…you look mightly cozy with her in your arms that’s all.”

Arianna smiles brushing back a lock of golden strand behind her ear: “Stop picking on them. You have your own girl.”

“Yeah I have two, Damien is my bitch.” A.J. grins, hearing the others snicker. Makenzie giggles, shaking her head as Damien strolls back in the room.

“And there he is now. How did you like that?” A.J. inferred the question to the man.

“What? Like what?” Damien slides on the sofa besides Arianna, draping her legs over his lap.

“When I do it to you.” A.J. snickers.

“No you rough. You don’t know how to take it easy. Orlando knows how to make a man feel good though right?” Damien snickers as the others shake their heads laughing softly.

“Ah…I make love not fuck unless it is needed. A.J. is the dominating one though I can’t help that.” Orlando yawns, smiling: feeling Bethany’s hand brush across his lips. Blinking, he looks over to her grinning. It was simple things like that, that made him believe it was time to dive into this relationship before its too late.

“My ass hurts.” Damien smirks, propping his legs on the coffee table.

“Yeah cause my shit is too big for you. Now you know what a real man has.” A.J. grins starting the movie: “Now everyone shut the hell up now.”

The others quiet down as the movie starts in the dark living room. Makenzie yawns, setting back against the cushions of the seat as a loud knocking banged on the door.

Arianna squeaks in surprise quickly gathering a blanket around her as she goes to answer the door. She peers through the side of the window sighing out in relief that it was Nick. Unlocking the two locks and chain, she smirks, stepping aside for him to enter.

Nick strolls into the house blowing a kiss at her as he makes his way over to the group. “Well evening people! The party is ready to start!”

“Dude shut up! Shhhhh.” A.J. cuts a glance at the fair headed man.

Nick grins, sliding into a chair: “Oooooh question, does anyone know why there are a few squad cars parked down this block?”

Damien raises his eyebrows: “5-0 is around here?”

“Wow…there goes the quiet neighborhood. Maybe Mrs. Carter went on a rampage.” Arianna tugs on her lace pink camisole.

“Or…they could be looking for this place.” Nick sits back in a cushioned seat.

A.J. snorts: “The cops better not pull up to the door. I ain’t do nothing wrong.”

Makenzie blinks and eyes him: “Why would they come here? You didn’t do anything…did you?”

Bethany tilts her head watching the tattooed man curiously as he snorts and shakes his head.

“No. I’m just saying in case they start thinking things.” A.J. starts to fidget, looking over at the other guys.

Nick smiles: “What he meant to say is the police likes to ruin a good time and we all seem to have a nice time. That’s all.” Giving her an encouraging smile, she breaks into a slight grin satisfied with the answer for now. Nick’s sapphire eyes drape over A.J as he grabs his arm: “Got a quick question…let’s talk in the kitchen.”

“Dude after the movie. Shhh.” A.J. frowns, sitting away from the man.

Nick fakes a wide smile, grabbing the man by the shoulder: “No we need to talk in the kitchen…its important…about the food…” He gives his friend a serious look, his fingers curl around A.J’s shoulder tightly.

“Fine…be right back.” A.J. excuses himself from the others, heading into the kitchen as Nick follows.

The others watch them disappear, Makenzie glances over at Bethany with a curious look wondering the same thing as her friend: Something is up.

Once inside the room, Nick checks the door and glances over at his friend: “What the hell are you trying to do? There’s two people in there that don’t have a clue and they can’t find out. You’re just fueling their curiosity more and I can’t have those two girls in this.”

“Relax, they don’t have a clue or even care.” A.J. leans on the counter eyeing the blonde man: “What’s up your ass lately? You’ve been down my throat since you came here.”

“Its not that.” Nick exhales refraining from expelling his anger out on the wrong person and intention. “We need to go back to the police. Something isn’t right. The cops are there looking for someone or someones…which hint hint, means it might be us.”

“Oh fuck me. Its Roger…”

“No…no…Roger wouldn’t be that stupid…at least not yet…Its one of us…one of us here had to said something to the cops.”

“Nick it can’t be, we’re all here and Brian is on his way here too.”

“Besides us and Roger…wasn’t there that other police officer involved in this mess?” Nick narrows his eyes.

“Uh yeah so? He wouldn’t tell…he’s just as heavily involved in this shit as we are.” A.J. drums his fingers on the blue Formica counter starting to consider other options.

“No…he’s one of them…if anything he has his position to hold up. If its his word against us, we would all be screwed.” Nick backs into a chair, tapping his finger on a table.

“He wouldn’t do that…he can’t.” A.J. frowns.

“From the looks of it I think he could have.” Nick exhales cracking his neck: “Dammit, where’s the nachos? How you gonna have movie night with no nachos?”

A.J. blinks, holding back a smile, surprised at how fast the man can change moods to something so trivial. “Heh…there’s a bag of nachos, you can heat up the cheese dip in the microwave.”

Nick nods and rushes to the food, gathering it in his hands as he fusses over the microwave.

A.J. watches the man snickering, exiting the room to join the others.
~*~

Jasmine watches her husband push the small swing with Eliez on it sending loud giggles from the small child. She settles on a lounge chair watching from the backyard balcony the two run around laughing. She felt so content at the moment despite the loss of her child. It hurts her so much still that at times she feels it was that night. That night when she got a call from the officer in the precinct telling her about the horrid incident that took her child away from her. Its been three weeks now and each day becomes more harder to deal with knowing Nick isn’t with her. That he won’t run into her arms and laugh or even pull a joke on his father for a good laugh. She didn’t know how she was able to make it through each day but Janelly often stopped by to check on her.

She felt strange that she was causing others to worry about herself. She didn’t want to bring other people into the mess and at times just wanted to curl up and die. But she has a family. Her husband needs her and her precious little girl needs a mother to be like and grow up for. Sniffing, she clears her throat looking at Roger playfully tossing Eliez in the air and catches her as she laughs hard yelling out “Again!”

Jasmine wanted to question him about the pack of needles he got but like she assumed he ordered them to be delivered here rather than at the hospital to save money on the hospital’s cost.

She settles in the chair as she hears the phone ring inside. Whisking inside to the hallway, she grabs the phone off the cradle hearing nothing but silence as she blurts out a hello. Frowning, she shrugs and hangs up hearing the open side door beat roughly against the threshold. She didn’t leave this door open, so why was it left unattended like this? It had to Eliez messing with the locks again. She didn’t like the door being unattended like that for some creep could sneak in and steal something.

Recently Jasmine has been getting antsy. She would jump at any sound and anything out of ordinary would make her jump or her heart race. Its not that she couldn’t stop being so jumpy, she was nervous. She didn’t really know why, but Kevin her psychologist informed her its only natural to be startled since the news. But she didn’t want to jump at any little sound. She needed to be strong. She didn’t want to take her son’s death in vain either so it was a constant battle of maintaining headstrong for Eliez when she was needed.

She closes the side door locking it and heads back to the yard only stopping to pick up a bag of toys that Eliez left thrown on the floor. Smiling, she gathers the little items, dropping them into the dark purple bag carrying it up to her daughter’s room. Opening the door to Eliez’s room, she drops the bag in the care bear toy box, stepping out when she sees a shadow figure running down the opposite side of the hallway turning a corner.

Jasmine gulps, her heart pounding against her chest as she looks for an item to throw in case the figure turns against her. Running down the shining planks, her soft footsteps pounded down the hallway turning to see the figure slip out of the other door located at the east side of the house. Panting, she yanks open the door, yelling out for Roger who immediately hears her cries.

Carrying Eliez in his arms, he runs over to his wife as a look of bewilderment crosses his features.

“You didn’t see a guy run out of here! Oh God…” She shivers taking in the warm air from the late spring season.

“Honey I’m gonna search around the house, you stay here with Eliez.” Roger pads off to the front of the house searching around, hiding a smile as he searches the porch, front pathway and garden for any sign of a person.

Jasmine clings Eliez to her leg, waiting anxiously as her husband retreats back to her with no news.

“Nothing? You didn’t see anyone?” She frowns.

“No. Whoever it was left. I’m gonna see if he managed to steal anything before he took off. But if anything, you might have scared him off.” Roger kisses his wife softly, going inside to check the hallways.

Exhaling deeply, Jasmine leans on the open threshold of the side door, scanning the area before going back inside slamming the door behind her as she locks it.
~*~

She giggles, pushing him off her, “Stop…baby I’m not in the mood.”

“Oh fuck me…you never in the mood anymore.” Damien rolls his eyes, getting off the bed.

“Sorry I’m just tired. It’s been a long week.” She yawns, settling down on the bed. After the movie, everyone was either too drunk or tired to go anywhere so the small gathering of friends became a co-ed slumber party. However since it was her place, Arianna was able to go to her bedroom away from the others.

Damien grumbles and goes to the bathroom closing the door behind him.

“Aww you upset? Its not a big deal.” Arianna smirks, yawning, lying on her back in a skimpy black lingerie. “Babe…don’t be mad with me.” She turns on her side, staring at the door giggling. “Say something.”

The door open as he leans on the threshold: “You know what you are…a big fucking tease.” He smirks.

“So? You have a problem with that?”

“Uh yeah yeah I do…why don’t you try telling that to my dick and see if its more sympathetic.”

Arianna laughs hard, holding her sides as her boyfriend frowns, stepping in the bathroom again closing the door behind him. Smiling, she lies on her back hearing the shower go off in the bathroom. Yawning she checks the time, it was already three in the morning and she still wasn’t asleep. She clasps her hands twice as the lights in the bedroom go off and smiles closing her eyes. A few minutes deep into her sleep, she feels a strange pulling from her hair and shifts a little as the pulling got stronger.

She sleepily murmurs out: “Stop baby…” The pulling of her hair became stronger and painful as she snaps open her eyes staring around the dark room. She thrashes around, her hands going immediately to her hair. She could feel two gloved hands yanking at her hair but she couldn’t find the culprit for the pull was so strong she wasn’t able to turn to her left or right to see who was doing this to her.

She cries out, wincing hearing the shower still on. Whoever it was, wasn’t her boyfriend then and she feels a cold metal blade touch her soft neck. The metal tip traces over the collarbone before being put away. She yanks at the gloved hands screaming in pain now as pieces of hair began ripping off her scalp. She could feel a small trickle of blood run down the base of her neck as she screams out trying desperately to fight off whoever was doing this to her. She hears the shower go off as her hair was released, the shadowed figure in dark clothes races out of the room as the bathroom door opens. She bolts up crying, holding her head as the warm trickle of blood touches her fingertips.

Damien gasps: running over to her nervously touching her hair. “What the hell happened?”

“You didn’t hear me scream?! Someone was trying to hurt me that’s what.” She winces out, curling up on the bed in pain.

Frowning, Damien looks around the room: “Where’s your gun?”

“What?!”

“You heard me, where is it?” He walks over to the dresser opening the top drawer.

“You don’t know how to use it. Just forget it.”

“Fuck, just tell me where it is, I’m not gonna shoot anyone with it. I just want answers. If the guys are pulling a stupid ass prank I need to know if it was one of them.”

“No…its not them…the person…I mean it doesn’t look like any of them.”

“Its dark in here, you can’t think you saw the person that did this to you. I’m gonna get some answers.” Damien yanks open the top dresser dumping the clothes out.

“Stop it! Just forget it. The guy probably left this place! It’s the same guy that came after me before. He left right when you turned off the shower.” Arianna struggles to stand up, her hair now a torn mess, disheveled as small bloody spots of where her golden tresses were now lied ripped. What was pulled out lied scattered on the carpet before her.

Damien glares at her and sighs, dropping his head: “Fine…I won’t go after him. But he’s gonna keep coming back if I don’t do something. I already reported the person to the cops and they said they’ll keep a look out. But that’s shit to me. We’re on our own baby.” He goes over to her pulling her in an embrace as she softly cries into his chest.
~**~

**~To Be Continued…~**