“Rob….what the f uck is going on?”
Rob, what the f uck is going on? Simple enough question…but do I tell him what’s going on? Once he knows, he can’t just turn away, so is it really in his best interest to tell him what the f uck is going on? And that look on his face—God! I doubt whether or not he could actually handle what’s going on.
“Rob, answer me!” In most circumstances Jerome would be considered a calm, cool and collected guy, but this was not one of the those circumstances. His ability to remain that way was severely inebriated by what he had just heard over the police scanner, and even more so by the guilty yet satisfied look on his best friend’s face. Who is this guy and what has he done with Rob? I don’t know this person at all!
“Jerome, listen to me,” Rob began, making his decision and carrying it out. “I’m not really sure what to tell you, or how much to tell you, because I don’t want you to be involved in this anymore than you want to be.”
“Anymore than I want to be?” Jerome spat back at him, his feelings changing from fear and anxiety to anger and astonishment. “You called me! You have obviously committed some serious crime and now I’m an accomplice! You dragged me into this and now I can’t just turn away, no matter what more you tell me!” He stopped talking abruptly, covering his head with his hands and staring down at the floor in front of him. He couldn’t get out of this now, but could he really go further into it either?
Boy, when he’s right he’s right, thought Rob wryly as he eyed his friend suspiciously. Jerome, sensing what Rob was doing, began talking again.
“Listen man, we’ve been best friends for how long…what eleven years or so? I still remember that day in eleventh grade when I scored that touchdown instead of you and I thought you were going to kick my a ss. We’ve had each other’s backs ever since….and I’m not about to change that now.”
What is he saying? Is he actually inviting me to bring him into this whole mess? Is he actually comparing the sh it I am into now to a High School football game? God, what am I doing? He doesn’t deserve this!
“J, I know what you mean, but I can’t let you do this. It’s some pretty bad stuff, stuff that you don’t deserve, and I—“
“You called me,” Jerome said, interrupting Rob. “Something told you that I would be able to help you; that’s why you called me. You knew you would be able to count on me…because you can count on me. You’ve helped me through some really sticky sh it before too man, so don’t think whatever it is you’re talking about will scare me off. I’m in, no if’s, and’s or but’s.”
Whatever you say man…see you in he ll! “Okay, well then here’s what’s going down.” Rob told Jerome everything, and much to Rob’s surprise, his friend sat there in silence the entire time, his face basically expressionless, his body unflinching, until Rob had finished rehashing the entire sordid affair, in his words that is.
“We need to get you away from here,” was the first thing Jerome said after several minutes of silence. “I’ll buy a plane ticket under my name and you will take the first flight away from here.”
“I’m not leaving, not until I finish what I started.” The look in Rob’s eyes was cold, dark, and completely void of any normal, natural, human emotion. He appreciated his friend’s willingness to help, but if running away was his answer then it was not for him. Rob sat for a minute, thinking about what Jerome had said, revising the plan a little.
“We could buy plane tickets as a diversion, but we are staying here. I need to hide out until I can come up with a new plan. If I lay low for a day or so then maybe the guard will be lowered and the strike will be easier.” In fact, if I make them think I have left town, they will still go ahead with the wedding on Saturday. If I wait until then to make my next move, I just may be able to get what I want.
*****************************************
She knew she was right outside The Blue Note, a few feet away from someone that could help her. Her body hurt all over, two of her wounds still bleeding freely, her strength and energy depleted.
“Help,” she squeaked as she reached her hand out, struggling to press the doorbell just inches from her fingertip. If she could just press that button, someone inside the club would hear it and come to the door. She pushed herself up on her knees a little more, thrusting her body forward until her finger jammed into the doorbell. She teetered on her knees for a moment, just as a person who had just been shot does before they fall dead onto the ground.
“Help me,” she whispered one more time before she felt her body crumble towards the hard, cold, wet ground beneath her.
“I’ve got you baby, I’ve got you,” cried Nick as he caught her listless body before it hit the ground. Seconds later the crew, being Serena, Kaci, AJ, Marcus, Big Mike and Trey, came running around the building, incredulous to the sight in front of them.
Serena was the first to react, kneeling down in front of her friend. “Roslyn, baby, Roslyn, wake up Ros, wake up honey, talk to me, Ros, please.” Serena sobbed as she ran her hands over Roslyn’s hair and face. “Oh my God,” she screamed as she pulled her hands away and saw them covered in blood. “Help her god dam mit, someone do something!”
Marcus had not even shut his cell phone yet and they could already hear the approaching ambulance’s siren down the block. Trey pulled Serena away from Roslyn’s body, comforting her as best he could while she repeated that same phrase over and over.
“She’s not dead…please tell me she’s not dead,” Kaci pleaded as she buried her face in AJ’s chest.
“Come on baby, you’re safe now; I’ve got you. You’re in my arms, where you always should have been; please wake up.” Nick gently rubbed her face with his hand, rocking her unresponsive body back and forth. “Please don’t leave me Ros,” he cried, as sobs erupted from his mouth. “I swear to God I will love you more than Rob ever did, just give me a chance! Don’t leave me.”
Marcus bent down and lifted her limp right arm up, placing his fingers around her wrist. “I can’t feel a pulse,” he said quietly, gently setting her arm back down by her side. “It’s too late; she’s gone.”
“No she’s not!” screamed Nick as he squeezed her tighter. “She’s not dead! Wake up Ros! She’s not dead….” His body quaked with uncontrollable sobs as he clung helplessly to Roslyn’s lifeless body.
They all watched the tragedy before them, the life of someone they loved being taken from them prematurely.
“The ambulance is here,” said AJ softly as the vehicle pulled into the parking lot and the paramedics hopped out. “Let her go Nick; let them get her,” he said gently, as he tried to pry Nick’s arms away from her body. The paramedics, being subjected to difficult situations like this, took over, and Nick reluctantly released her from his grip, his heart breaking as he looked at her flaccid remains, all of his dreams dying right along with her.
“We were going to have beautiful babies,” he sobbed as he turned away from her, unable to watch the paramedics working on her any longer. “I was going to love her for all eternity; it wasn’t supposed to end like this.” AJ ran over to him, almost tackling him as he wrapped him up in a hug.
“I know buddy, I know.” They held onto each other in the pouring rain, both of them mourning the loss together, but in different ways.
Author's Chapter Notes:
Shocking...but it will be okay!
