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~Chapter Twenty-three- A Domino Effect

She watches her mother lying on the bed pouting as her little hands tug on Jasmine’s finger. “Mommy, you k? Mommy you wake up?” Eliez whispers out, her eyes shift over to her father entering their bedroom.

“Its ok Eli sweetie. Mommy just felt a little dizzy, she’ll be back on her feet before you know it.” Roger smiles at Eliez, sitting down on the edge of the bed.

“Daddy, mommy saw words on blanket.”

“Yeah I know…why did you write that?” Roger pulls the bundle of blanket that was spread on the kitchen floor when Jasmine fainted.

“Cause you say so.” Eliez smiles sadly, patting Jasmine’s cheeks as if to wake her mother up from the strange slumber.

“Honey writing Nick’s no sleep, he’s here now, isn’t something your mother wants to read ok. She’s not well, you know mommy is very sick and needs help. But you writing that for her to see it isn’t going to help her you know.” Roger exhales deeply, pulling the child onto his lap.

“You said put that daddy. Why mommy so sicky?” Eliez frowns, her hands grip her father’s hand tightly.

“I know I did, I helped you in that. And I don’t know…mommy was sick for a very long time. She wanted you to have a big brother and she made him up for you.” Roger slowly tries to explain to his little girl who tilts her head eyeing her mother curiously.

“Let’s go, I need to wash the blanket before she wakes back up.” Roger stands up, placing Eliez back on her feet, exiting the room quietly. Eliez stays behind, looking at her mother wearily. Slowly struggling to climb up the bed, she crawls over to her mother, taking her hand in little one.

“Mommy you know secret soon. Shhh…almost ready mommy. Almost.” Eliez gently whispers out to her slumbering mother.
~*~

Nick drags his friend behind rows of thick growing trees, pushing him against a bark, his eyes scanning the police scenery before them. “I’m gonna get Roger for this.”

Damien pushes Nick away from him, clutching his side: “Its not Roger’s work. You know he doesn’t do anything himself. Reason why we in this mess in the first place.”

“Yeah no kidding. Whatever it is, it was going after us. And its getting the others involved too.” Nick frowns, cracking his knuckles. “Alright, this is what we’re gonna do…you go talk to him and see what you can get. I’ll go after Roger at a later time and see if our stories match. If he’s screwing us over I’ll get him.”

“I’m not gonna talk to him.” Damien frowns, leaning back against the bark of a tree, watching the bright yellow police tape being stuck around the two crashed vehicles.

“Why not? You the one that got hurt, don’t you think you wanna tell him to fuck off for what he did?”

“What if its not him, then what?” Damien leans against the tree as A.J. and Makenzie were getting questioned by the police.

“Well who the hell is it? He’s the only one that has a thing against us since I came back to town. And you know as well as I do that Oakland ain’t got nobody with balls to rat us out besides him.” Nick grumbles picking up a stick waving it around in front of him.

“This doesn’t look like his work. He hired someone then. Cause he couldn’t pull this off himself.” Damien whispers out as the red siren swirls in the dreary atmosphere.

“How do you know what his work is? You were the one almost killed in this and you think its all fine and dandy. What the hell is wrong with you? You think its ok what he’s doing?” Nick snarls, narrows his light eyes at him.

“No! Of course not! I’m just saying this doesn’t look like his stuff. He’s a gun person, prefers to kill them right on the spot then cause all these stuff…unless…”

Nick raises his eyebrows, slamming his friend against the tree: “You little bitch, you in this too aren’t you? It’s a set up to get us? Did you already go to the cops and told them about us?” He pins Damien against the tree glowering at him.

Damien snorts: “Get the fuck off me. Why would I do that to any of you guys? We’re in this together: if I said anything I wouldn’t be here now would I? I’d be locked up ass wipe. Bitch, touch me like that again and see what happens to you.” He flips him off, dusting himself off, glaring at the fair headed man.

Nick snorts: “Shut up, you all talk. I’m gonna visit Roger, I think he has a little story he needs to clarify.”

“I’ll go too then.”

“NO! Thought you said you weren’t going. You stay here and be the little bitch you are to the cops while I get it set right. You messed things up already.” Nick growls out: pushing Damien away as he steps out of the trees eyeing the field of cops swarming the streets.

“Fuck up.” Damien whispers out, peeved watching the new detective Howie getting answers to a rather insane tale of the car accident.
~*~

Roger hoses down his car in the front of the house, spraying Eliez who was laughing besides him scrubbing her shoes clean when she stepped in mud earlier today. Humming quietly to himself, he watches Eliez run inside with her wet shoes to dry it off leaving him alone in the driveway. Roger turns off the hose as he hears wet footsteps approaching him. Looking over, he sees the tall blonde man frowning down on him.

“Hey Nick what’s with the visit?”

“What was that, that you pulled off? I didn’t think you would bring other people in.” Nick growls out.

“What are you talking about?”

“You know exactly what I’m talking about. I’m sure you saw the news today. There was a nice car accident I’m taking you like.” Nick rasps out, closing his lips tightly, holding back from attacking the older man.

“I didn’t see the news yet I was attending to my wife, she found a little message I wrote a while back on a blanket.”

“I don’t care about your wife right now. I’m discussing the car accident which I know you set up.” Nick clutches his fist to the side of him, tapping his foot.

“Ok I really have no idea what you’re talking about. What car accident? You were involved in one? What, do you need money or something that you came here?”

Nick seethes out: “Why did you do it? Why did you rig someone’s brakes?”

Roger blinks, lost at what he’s saying. “I didn’t rig anyone’s brakes. Who’s brakes had a problem?”

“You know…A.J’s girl. How about we talk inside? I have a few questions that need to be answered.” Nick roughly grabs Roger’s shoulder, guiding him to the front door as he keeps his hand there.

“Alright boy, that’s enough. You better tell me what’s going on here.” Roger frowns, stepping into the living room with the young man.

Nick slams the front door, pushing Roger on the couch as he stands crossing his arms across his chest: “What’s your story? I’m sure it’s a good one.”

Roger looking lost and confuse, shakes his head as he defends himself: “What car accident? Why would I go mess with someone’s brakes? I don’t have time to leave my house with my family here.”

“Someone screwed us over…funny…you seem to be the only one here against us so why wouldn’t I expect it to be you.”

“Because I have a alibi. I was here all night. If someone went to mess with anyone’s brakes, it would have to be someone that has the time and directions! Since I never met Alex’s girlfriend.” Roger frowns.

Nick blinks: “You were here the whole night?” Snorting, he shakes his head: “Yeah right. I bet you were. We know you did it so stop denying it.”

“I didn’t do it, I have proof. Look, I have surveillance cameras installed throughout the house for security, I can show you the tape from the last night to let you know I was here the whole time.” Roger goes to a shelf near the hallway taking out a few tapes as he comes back, handing it to Nick.

“Look I can show you.” He takes a video tape: putting it into the VCR. Nick watches the camera taking in hour by hour as Roger seemed busily working on something, talking on a phone, later watching tv and finally taking a nap. Nick keeps his eyes glued on the little time at the bottom clearly showing that indeed Roger was there the whole night.

Taking the tape out, Roger eyes Nick: “Didn’t I tell you I was here the whole time?”

Nick snorts still not believing it. Roger was the only out there able to pull it off with outside help surely Roger is the one responsible. So are they all being watched then that someone got a hold of Makenzie’s car at her place? Couldn’t be, unless Roger knew of a locksmith and the only locksmith he knew, in fact they all knew was Brian.
~*~

Bethany tosses the empty cookie bag aside on the couch as she opens the front door surprised to find Orlando standing before her. “Umm…hey.”

“Oh sorry, I hope I’m not bothering you.” Orlando smiles, watching her stand aside so he can enter.

“Oh no no, don’t worry its only eleven I don’t fall asleep till after I see Buffy.” She smirks.

Orlando confused at what she just said, simply just nods as he takes a seat on the sofa.

“It’s a action show America plays. Its really good if you into the whole supernatural and demons and stuff.” Bethany smirks, taking a seat besides him. “It’s a little late for you to be making doctor visits.”

“I won’t stay long then I know its really late and you look like you were going to watch a show or something. Plus I don’t think your sister would approve of me coming over at this time. I mean its not like we’re dating for me to come see you like this.” Orlando innocently states, watching her face soften.

“Aw heh…well we can pretend we’re dating and my sis will lay off my back. Besides I’m old enough, twenty-three to be exact. I don’t need her breathing down my neck cause a guy comes over.” Bethany tucks her legs beneath her, sitting besides the attractive English man. “So you gonna tell me why you here?”

“Right that…err…umm…just wanted to see if you were safe and stuff that’s all.”

“Yeah well I’m in my house I’m pretty safe unless my sister goes all psycho and comes after me with the butcher knife.” She smirks, watching Orlando blink at the reference. “Hey relax I’m joking. You ok? Want something to eat or drink? Want me?” Bethany grins not at all shy to this man.

Orlando snickers, clearing his throat. His dark eyes look around the living room feeling a slight blush cross his cheeks. “I don’t mind a little of both.”

“Heh I bet you don’t.” Bethany gracefully gets up, exiting the room to the kitchen to get something to drink for them both. As she was setting the glass cups on the kitchen counter, a rather odd scent of gas was lingering around. Frowning, she realizes the stove was leaking gas. She rushes out of the kitchen, running up the stairs to the hallway to reach her sister’s room. The smell of gas was getting too strong and she couldn’t figure out what to do to stop it.

“Janelly! Nelly open up! Gas is leaking!” She pounds on the door waking her sister up who seemed groggy and frowns.

“There’s a leak in the stove.” Bethany rushes out as Orlando hearing her yell, jumps up and quickly heads over to them.

Janelly blinks at seeing the man there and looks over to Bethany. “Was it a lot of gas?”

Orlando frowns, smelling the gas reach them from upstairs: “I have a quick question…why are we still in here if the gas is leaking this much? This place is about to blow, we need to get out of here!”
Janelly gasps, stumbling down the stairs to the front door as her sister and the young man make a break for the exit. The moment they all stepped off the porch, the house lit up like a match as it began to explode, bottom first, before the rest of the place comes crashing down with it.

Janelly lands on her stomach, shivering, covering her head as Bethany falls on her back, watching the raging fire eat away at everything she ever own. Clutching her fists tightly to her side, she hears the fire siren in the distance as the engines race towards their place. But it was too late: the house was burned along with all their possessions.

Orlando gasps, watching the scenery as he looks over to Bethany now standing. Her eyes drip in rage and anguish as she stares at the burning house unable to think clearly, the thick gray smoke washing over them like a suffocating blanket.

Orlando gently pulls the two women away from the raging smoke and fire as firefighters arrive on scene to take out the fire.

“Bethany…I can help you guys find a place and everything if you really want the help.” Orlando whispers out, keeping his eyes trained on Janelly who breaks into a sob tugging close her silk pink bathrobe.

“Who did this? Did something do that? The stove is brand new. It doesn’t have a problem so why was it leaking?” She murmurs out, shivering in her short red pajama shorts and matching thin red tank top.

“We’ll find out Bethany. We’ll see who did this to you.” Orlando frowns, staring at the burning house in dismay.

Bethany glares at the fire, the sparks bouncing around as the fire roars up at the touch of water hitting it. “Oh we’ll find the person I’m not worried. I’ll make sure of it.” She hisses out, her dark eyes taking in the burning house.
~*~

Howie stares at the television, the news of the burning house was being shown as he looks up from his notes. Shaking his head at the ruined house, he goes back to taking down notes. The car accident was caused by a malfunction of the brakes. But his question was if the driver didn’t know what was wrong with her own car and said it was working just fine last night. Then was she set up? Her boyfriend said he was driving alone when the accident went down. But some eyewitnesses claim there were two men with him. But when he reached the crime scene, only A.J. and his girlfriend were the only ones there. Could it be that the two men that were with him are his friends? Could they help out in the case?

Sighing, he turns off the tv, getting up from the sofa to the kitchen. Grabbing a full garbage bag and tying it up, he walks out of his apartment going down the first flight of stairs. The incinerators were taken out of the building recently due to the complaints and rodents it would bring to people’s apartment. So now everyone was to bring their garbage out in the front of the building in bags to get picked up. Whistling to himself, he uses both hands to hold the large garbage bag as he goes down the stairs. He reaches the first flight down when the hallway lights begins to flick on and off.

“Oh great…this is nice.” Howie frowns as the hallway lights flicker before going out completely. Grumbling, Howie slowly makes his way blindly down the next stairwell as he fells a brush past him. He slowly places his foot on the next step below him as he feels a push from behind throwing him off balance. He feels himself falling down the stairs as he hits the side of the cement stairs with his head, each bringing upon more pain than the next. The last thing he heard was a faint gasp before he blacked out completely.
~**~

**~To Be Continued…~**