Bad II the Bone (23 page)

He lifted his hand up to the light again and admired it.

“Enoch collected magical objects with power from all over the world. My guard ring is from his collection and kept mi invisible from his prying eyes all this time. My spar Jimmy, knew the importance of it and made sure in his dying moments that I wore it.” Spokes suddenly said nothing, he swallowed hard, his focus drifted and his eyes glistened. “I found out that he can’t personally come too close to the wearer so that is the only reason why we have not faced him personal like. That alone is saving my life.” He paused. “And you of course.”

“Why does it feel like we’re being set up? You need prote
ction that only we can offer?” Y asked. “And yet that demon thing disguised as a derelict in the park. It was saying the same thing about us. It was almost scared of the three of us together.”

“I didn’t intentionally set out to mislead you sista Y, believe mi I had no choice. You are ordained,
the Watunza Mwanga – carers of the light - only you can keep me safe. You walk both sides of deh spiritual divide and all deh evil Darkman has pulled forth, knows dis.”

“Don’t get it twisted OG,” Patra said.“We convinced this shit is real, we just not sure, you for real.”

Suzy sighed.

“Deh thing is, you weren’t as open with us from the begi
nning although your intentions were honourable.”

“Would you have believed me in deh first place?” Spokes asked. “I had to drip feed you the information.”

“Ok, we were doubtful but that was your job to convince us.” Y said flatly. “Now we feel like we want to pull out, leave you to handle this … situation yourself.”

“I wish it was that simple, sista Y.”

“It looks simple enough from where I’m sitting.”

Spokes shook his head.

“The Darkman legacy has survived for a few hundred years on guile and ruthlessness. If I know who you are, he will too. Him a guh put two an’ two together and conclude rightly you are with me. For him to get what he wants, an’ for us to be the wiser for it, a plan had to be put in place.

“What does he want from you?”

Spokes smile was a patient one but his eyes shone his determination.

“His collection. Money and magical booty, he and his fam
ily plundered all over the world. My best friend was murdered because of him and I was dragged into dis world wholly unprepared. I should have had nothing to do with dis rass if not for my idrens memory.”

“Why now?” Suzy asked. “After all dis time. Why him come after yuh now.”

“Them bind di beast.” Spokes laughed, his booming voice echoing off the high ceilings. “His enemies were smarter than he thought and Darkman was held in the Queens prison, trapped with three life sentences over him head. I became the custodian to his treasures from then on.”

“The motherfucker broke out of prison, right?” Patra asked.

“Dem couldn’t hold him forever, that’s why these four years, I was preparing. Making sure I had an exit strategy.”

“Now he wants his shit back and he thinks you are a part of the problem.”

“Correct, Miss P. Anyone he feels is responsible for his incarceration is dead meat, me, you, we all included.”

“Great, so we are a part of this exit strategy?” Patra l
amented.

“It seem suh. The ring found you and the higher powers set the way.”

“So you have a choice and we don’t.” Y sat up from the bed, her body language combative.

“If reaching out to help a bredrin, in need was a choice, den maybe. But I feel destiny had already set out
the pieces in the cosmic draught game and you ladies are a part of its game plan.”

“So we are supposed to just go along with all this. Accept higher power, your story while we risk our lives protecting yours.”Y said flatly.

“Yeah man, that sounds about right. That is why you are, who you are. You have a bigger purpose and I am just a part of it. The higher powers have taken a personal interest in your schooling.” He shrugged. “I’d be flattered.”

Y kissed her teeth like a seasoned Jamaican.

Suzy listened but was almost enamored to the ring on Spokes’ finger. She wondered how much of life was preordained, how much knowledge it contained and if it knew what path they should take.

“Can I touch it?” Suzy asked. “See if I can feel something of what you’re telling us.”

Spokes looked down at the ring on his thick fingers and then held out his hand like a Cardinal expecting it to be kissed.

“Do your ting,” he said.

Suzy reached out and touched it.

1
5
.

Clinton Recreational Centre

Friday, July 19th

9.30 am

H
er scream echoed off the glass walls, an almost orgasmic release of pleasure as she stretched herself to the limit and realised that wasn’t enough.

It was the cry of a woman who had made a play that should win her this very competitive set. A cry that relieved the levels of stress she had to maintain that most people would buckle under. And boy, did she need it. The girls were back at the mansion covering Spokes while she was given the opportunity for some much needed R&R.

The ball exploded off the net of Y’s racket rebounding from the front wall and then losing a fraction of its momentum as it bounced off the side wall on its way to the ground. Grunting Shaft was at full stretch and being tugged by gravity as he glided through the air. The ball bounced once and he caught it in the middle of his racquet, just on the Wilson logo for a return that should have been impossible.

A frantic sprint on Y’s part couldn’t regain the lost point as the ball bounced three times before she was anywhere near it.
To add insult to injury her tired legs finally gave way, throwing her to the floor in a giggling heap. Bursting into full blown laughter, Y sat where she fell and watched Shaft who was on his back all this time shaking his racket over his head in triumph, pumping his arms and legs, giving it his best Des Lynam in commentating mode and providing the crowd-going-crazy sound effects at the same time.

“They had counted him out, ladies and gentlemen. The boy from the Streatham estates had done the impossible. They thought that he couldn’t beat the world champion, they thought this would be a formality but Winston the Sex M
achine McFarlane has done it. The under-dog has done it and the crowd goes wild!”

“Lucky shot,” Y shouted, her chest still heaving from the e
xertion.

“The only lucky thing about this whole game is that I didn’t thrash your little backside three sets to nil.” He jumped to his feet and started to reproduce his match winning play in slow motion.

Y was shaking her head with a broad grin on her face.

“First thing is my backside isn’t little, see?” She rubbed her hands over her curves, playing down the mischievous sparkle t
hat had just appeared in Shaft’s eyes.

“And you’re crazy do you know that?”

“It takes one to know one.”

Shaft
walked over to her, took Y by the hand and pulled her up.

“A cold juice to soothe the pains of a loser”

She nodded.

“Enjoy it while you can
Mr. Sex Machine. Remember we meet again next week Thursday. And I know it will be a different someting then.”

Shaft
gulped audibly and said in his best Clint Eastwood impression.

“I love it when you talk dirty.”

Y was still laughing as they left the squash courts hand in hand.

The refreshment area of the sports club overlooked the Olympic size swimming pool and above that was a massive skylight that made sure it would be bathed in sunlight for the better part of the day if the weather permitted.

No one else seemed to be taking advantage of its comforts and the bartender had a hungry look in his eye when he saw them walk over. After ordering they had to feign tiredness to get away from him as he unsuccessfully tried to pull them into some long-winded and totally meaningless conversation.

“Now that is a man who is dying for a listening ear,” Shaft grinned.

They came to a cosy table as far away from Desperate Dan the barman as possible. Shaft pulled out a chair for Y then took a seat himself.

Ceiling fans ran noiselessly and the area was comfortably airy and warm.

He put his palms flat on the table as if he was going to use it to lift himself into a standing position and said.

“Have you decided to make a formal charge against your boyfriend yet?”

The atmosphere between them chilled noticeably.

Y crossed her legs and looked over his shoulder. Shaft saw her neck muscles tense as she squeezed her hands together under the table.

“I’d prefer if you didn’t refer to that piece of shit as my bo
yfriend. It’s bad enough coming to terms with the fact that I actually cared for him once upon a time. I guess that I should want the police to lock him up and throw away the key.”

“Just for old time’s sake,” Shaft added.

Y shook her head.

“The idea that he’s going to be in jail, eating food and lear
ning a trade from my taxes makes me cringe. Let him roam free, we will meet again.”

Involuntarily he shuddered.

His mother used to say that to him when he was in line for a good whipping and no matter what his scheming adolescent mind could concoct to evade her, she would catch him sooner or later. Young brash UK cunning was ineffective against an old world Jamaican Machiavellian.

Spokes lost every time and he felt genuinely sorry for old Tyrone.

Shaft gulped his frothy cocktail and licked his lips.

“Ah!” he sighed, stifling a belch. “I needed that.”

Y looked at him slyly as she too took a swig from her own drink.

“If I had to make a guess on what line of work you were i
nto, I’d say you were a Financial Advisor or something. You’re so unlike any policeman I know,” Y said after watching him lean back into his seat. “Come to think of it you’re the only policeman I know.”

“Policeman?” He jibed with a fake middle England accent.

”Detective Sergeant.”

“Don’t you dare start that again.” She pointed her finger at him with unconvincing threat.

“I’ve laughed enough today as it is.”

“Do you think I’m doing this for you?” He looked at her with a confused expression, “I need to see that beautiful smile of yours. Let’s just say it makes a difference to me.”

“You’re full of it, Winston. D’you know that?”

“But you still love me, don’t you?”

Y shook her head and blew him a kiss across the table.

“Seriously though, why did you, with your personality, want to become a policeman in the first place?”

“Would you believe me if I said Starsky and Hutch, Steve McGarret and Quincy ME? I even wanted to have a snitch like Huggy Bear, when I grew up.”

“That’s it? Television?” Y said with mock disappointment. “I was expecting some profound and honorable tale of making a difference in society or being a role model to the kids.”

“Sorry but Blaxploitation cinema informed my career.” He cleared his throat with fake embarrassment. “John Shaft, Superfly and Truck Turner.”

“Your parents must have been the open minded sort?” Y asked.

Shaft nodded.

“I guess my old man’s
hero’s became mine.”

“And school? Did you find the time for it?”

“You kidding, me right? I was a geek. All glasses big feet, big ears and buck teeth. Cute though.”

“I can just picture it,” Y said, grinning.

“My favorite biographies were of Mathew Henson, Bas Reeves and Washington Carver. Growing up I never saw myself as being anything else but an adventurer, when I grew up. I obtained a Masters in Anthropology and Criminal Psychology. I did two years research in Africa for my doctorate, which I didn’t complete and returned to London. I joined the Force soon after that. Training was an eye opener though.”

Y shook her head, understanding exactly what he meant.

“The type of person I am, they’d kick me out for insubordination in no time. I have a thing against authority and Police training camp seems a bit too much authority for one person to handle.”

He nodded.

“You don’t know the half of it.” He spun his glass in a pool of condensation recalling the past. “I’ve had to deal with the fucked up perceptions of ‘every black man looks alike’, our inferior intelligence, our laziness, indiscipline and lack of commitment. And I took every one of those bullshit preconceived ideas and turned them on their heads. Sometimes my back was against the wall, pressure from all sides and still as a grown man I’d be asking myself how would Superfly handle a situation like this? Kick some honky butt and ask questions later, or use my determination like the explorer Mathew Henson to out-maneuver them and then kick some honky ass?” He laughed heartily, “Stupid I know but it got me through. I guess if you want to blame anybody for me being here, blame the director Melvyn Van Peebles.”

“He has a lot to answer for,” Y said under her breath.

He nodded his head then lowered it for a contemplative moment, emerging with a wide toothy grin.

“Enough of me, how are you managing? How is the world of celebrity handling you?”

Y paused and thought of where to begin or if she could even explain it at all.

“Holding on, I suppose. I think we’ve finally decided that this is something we can do and do well, getting the business side arranged through
Mr. Patel and also preparing to get licensed.”

Shaft moved his chair closer to her.

“Busy bees. One thing missing, though.”

“And what’s that?”

“You’ve forgotten to ask me how I can help.”

“Just being here is help enough for me, truly.”
Y said

“But if you need anything, anything at all you will let me know, right?”

“You will be my first advisor.”

“You make it sound like you convened a war council in the time of King Shaka.”

“It feels like we did.”

“Come on then, don’t keep me in suspense. What is the rest of the posse doing for the war effort?”

“Well, about now they should be with our client, making him feel all loved and protected. We got offered jobs!”

“In personal protection?” Shaft asked surprised.

“Yep.”

“A paying client?” Shaft asked again, incredulous.

“What other kinds are there? Of course, paying.”

The detective should be amazed but he knew that when it came to the girls if it was right for them all the elements would fall into place. Seeing how they maneuvered the pitfalls with a
kind of effortless ease was a truly uncanny thing to witness. He reached over from his seat, nodding his head as he hugged her.

Shaft wasn’t sure why he did it but he kissed her on the lips and held her close.

There was no resistance.

“You’re a bitch,” he said breathlessly to her.

“Is that anyway to talk to a lady,” she said with her cheeky smile. “I’m a queen bitch.”

“Touché!”

After the celebration he asked.

“So what is this gig? Can you talk about it?”

“If I tell you, I’m going to have to kill you,” she laughed but she was wrestling with the idea of telling him everything but how did you explain the dark fantasy she was experiencing with her sisters? This was the realm of insanity that involving Shaft in may not be a good idea.

And this was going so well.

“Not much to say, really. Our client is a music promoter with powerful enemies and wants our protection up to and including the night he holds a big dance.”

“It seems basic but I could check him out for you.”

“We did our due diligence but if you could check him out too then that would help.”

“I’ll get onto it for you.”

“Be careful. The Met won’t appreciate your extra-curricular activities if you get caught.”

Trying to make light of her comments, he peered at her keenly as if he was examining her for fleas.

“What is really on your mind? There is something more I’m missing or you’re not telling me.”

Am I that easy to read?
Y thought.

Y’s response was swift and laced with misdirection.

“I’m just uncertain if we can do this. Have we met our match with this celebrity thing? I’m proud of whatever we do but I want this to work. I’m not sure I could suffer more disappointment.”

What was meant to be deadly serious made Shaft laugh.

“Welcome to the human race, Y. You can be fazed by life like the rest of us mortals but hush.” He took her hand and stroked it gently, “You’re too hard on yourself. If there’s one lesson I’ve learned it’s that a bit of uncertainty in life is healthy. Nobody likes a smartass who unfailingly knows where they’re going from one moment to the next. It makes them a boring liar and a potential candidate for a good kicking. Delving deeper, and quoting my brotha Confucius, ‘only from uncertainty you will find certainty’”. He gave his best voice of wizened authority. ”It’s going to work out, just be cool.”

“Did Confucius actually say that?” Y asked.

“Not exactly,” he said flatly. “But if he was here, he would.”

“So, I’ll just take your word for it then,” Y said.

Shaft threw his hands in the air.