Royce (52 page)

Mr. Abdullah met angry eyes. “What gives you the right to touch my daughter?” Royce asked angrily.  “Your daughter as you say let my son kiss her in a public place.  Ahh so you see it is not as innocent as she makes it seem.”  Joy looked down at Lindsey whose tears flowed hard and hot from her face, “Is what he says the truth?”  She asked softly, “Yes mommy but…,”

“It was a kiss on the cheek ma’am, I only wanted to say goodbye, don’t blame her,” Amar spoke up.  “That was enough for me to know more is going on,” Mr. Abdullah said, “I do not wish to go over this again, they are not to see each other, even as friends in school.  I have plans for my son to marry an Arab girl, so this must stop and I am here to see you as her parents to make sure she obeys and I will make sure my son is in compliance as well.”  “Oh she will not see him, we will make sure of that,” Royce said up in his face, “But don’t you ever put your hands on our daughter again let’s get that clear right now!  Do we have an understanding?” 

“Of course as long as she stays away from my son I have no reason to touch the girl,” and Royce narrowed his eyes at him, he had a way of making Lindsey seem unimportant and he didn’t like it.  “If we are clear, Amar let’s go,” Amar looked so sadly at Lindsey in Joy’s arms, her sobs heartbreaking, and Joy said, “Amar would you like to say goodbye to Lindsey,” and Mr. Abdullah started to protest.  Royce and Jameson made a move towards him.  “If this is to be the end of their friendship let them say goodbye Mr. Abdullah,” Joy said.  She could tell Amar needed it and it might help Lindsey see the anguish and sadness in his eyes as she had. 

Amar walked to Lindsey who hadn’t turned to look at him.  “Lindsey look at him, he is your friend,” Joy said.  She wanted Lindsey to see his pain.  Lindsey wiped her eyes and turned to Amar.  Amar took her hand, “I’m sorry Lindsey I never meant to harm you, you are my friend and I will always remember you,” and then he looked at Joy, “I’m sorry if this is disrespectful Mrs. Harrington but if I am not to see her again,” he took Lindsey in his arms and hugged her tight, “I will miss you my friend.  I will miss you,” he said hugging her and Lindsey’s arms went around him.

He released her to look in her eyes, her sad eyes, and then he kissed her full on the lips, her cheeks, then back to her lips and his father was about to have a fit, but he stayed put and Royce showed his surprise as he looked on and so did Joy, and Lindsey smiled, “Amar,” she said shyly, “I’m sorry Lindsey but if this is the last time I will see you I want to give you a real kiss goodbye,” and Joy cleared her throat, “Oh sorry Mrs. Harrington, but I will miss her, miss her very much,” he said sadly and Joy nodded but she wasn’t sure about the blatant kissing in her presence.  She was thankful there was no tongue but it was soft and sensual nonetheless. “Good bye Lindsey,” he said a little happier but still sad. “Good bye Amar,” and Jameson saw them out.

Jameson saw Naledi in the kitchen with her mother, no doubt they heard what was going on and he felt himself rise.  He wished he could see her tonight so he could release the pent up energy he had, after taking Naledi home last night he put in his headphones and in the wee hours of the morning he heard them.  She had been so hot for him, “Oh Royce do it to me baby, do it to me,” she panted, “Do it so good baby,” and apparently he did because she cried out in ecstasy, and they didn’t let up, he kept after her doing things that had her moaning and crying out and then he heard him say, “You know what I want baby, you know what I want, fuck me, fuck me baby,” and she did and he heard him crying out and he was so hard, and his balls had been hurting all day, but it was Conrad’s night off so he’d  have to wait.

Joy lay on the bed with Lindsey. Lindsey lay in her mother’s arms and let her soothe her. Joy was thinking it was racism, plain and clear, her baby was a beautiful brown skinned girl and she was sure if she had been white with the same qualities Lindsey possessed, her good nature, her beauty, her talents Mr. Abdullah would have no problem accepting her.  Lindsey lay there and thought of Amar.  She would miss him, he was the best friend she’d ever had and she was crazy about him.  His dimpled smile drew her like a magnet, his thick dark hair and smooth olive skin made her want to touch him, and his eyes, dark but full of charm always seemed to be looking for something and he had a smile and twinkle when he looked at her.  His eyes and dimpled smile came alive and made her feel like the luckiest girl in the world to have someone smile and look at her like that, it might be hard but she never again wanted to be scared and humiliated like she was today.  She didn’t like being scared, her heart beat like a rabbit and she thought she was about to pee on herself, and this wasn’t the first time she’d been scared to almost peeing on herself. 

The first was when she’d been awakened by a loud BOOM!  She had moved upstairs to Karen’s room when Karen stopped coming over.  But she thought one of the boys had fallen out of bed so she jumped out of the bed and hurried to the stairs and stopped at the top frozen in her tracks she was so scared.  The house was dark but she saw a man with a gun and then she heard shouting and gun shots and her bladder nearly burst and her legs were rooted to the floor and she couldn’t move and after a long moment she saw her mother walking fast to get to the boys.  That was the night her voice froze in her throat, she couldn’t scream or cry out and she’d never been able to sing since.  And the second time was just before they came here and a helicopter was shooting at her mother from the sky and now Mr. Abdullah scared her just the same that she almost peed herself.

When Mr. Abdullah and Amar got in the car and before they were out the driveway he slapped Amar so hard his head spun, “You will never shame me like that ever again or I will send you back to Arabia and have your uncles deal with you in the Arab way and I don’t care what you tell them about me, you understand,” Amar nodded, his face stinging, and his eyes holding in his tears.  He knew his father was serious and he knew his uncles if his father said, “Show him no mercy,” they could punish him until they killed him and no one would bat an eye if what they said he did went against the family, their honor, or Allah the authorities would look the other way, even after what he knew about his father. 

He’d seen them accidentally really.  It was right after the meeting with Lindsey’s parents.  He was so upset those weeks, having the chaperone and not being able to talk to any of his friends especially Lindsey and quite a few nights he couldn’t sleep and he’d sneak out and walk the garden.  The last place he’d been happy with Lindsey and he’d walk and pace, thinking of the horrible turn of events and one night he walked by his father’s window and he heard noises.  His mother and father did not share a bedroom he knew that, but he heard unfamiliar noises and he wanted to see what it was so he walked as close as he could to his father’s window.  The window was open to let in the night breeze and the curtains although closed were billowing in and out with the breeze and he peeped in and waited for the curtain to flow back with the breeze and when it did he saw his father in his bed naked on his knees and Khan naked with his rear up and his father going back and forth inside him both moaning out their pleasure.  He knew Khan had worked for his father for many years and he wondered how long had it had been going on? 

The next day he confronted his father in his home office.  He couldn’t hold it in, what his father was doing was wrong, went against Allah and his mother, “I know what you and Khan do at night,” he told his father shame faced and scared, and his father looked at him. “Sit down Amar,” and he plopped down across from his father. “Look I will not say that I am right in this, all I will say is that as a man I have desires and needs, and sometimes a wife cannot fulfill all of them and Khan helps with that.”

He understood that.  His father needed more wives and if he were in Arabia he could have more wives and wouldn’t have to substitute a man’s rear for a woman but he knew his uncles wouldn’t like it even if they knew why his father was doing it, and that was why it was so easy for him to bend the rules with Lindsey, see her but not date her.  His father was bending the rules with Khan so he would see Lindsey at school and not date her, simple; they weren’t dating so it was alright in his mind.

That night after he snatched Lindsey down the steps Sayeed Abdullah called his brothers, “Find out what you can about a Royce Harrington, he looks like a commoner, rugged… he’s from Spain, but he lives like he has money…I want to know the source,” and he was thinking he’s into something illegal.  He’d seen the two men around him and the way they looked at him, like they wouldn’t hesitate to put a bullet between his eyes. 
What
was he into?
“Yes, we will find out and get back to you my brother,” his brother Pherkad said. 

That Monday when Amar went to school he sat with his group and had every intention of not being friends with Lindsey and Lindsey was the same and their friends were sad for them, and it was a few days into not talking to Lindsey, Amar found himself sitting next to her and then he found himself talking to her, and before long their friends saw them as they always did, together, him crossways on the bench, her sitting close to him. 

It took a few weeks but Sayeed Abdullah got his information, “Brother you need to sit down for this one,” Pherkad said. “Tell me what is he into, nothing you say can shock me,” he told his brother.  “Well this might.”  “He is hiding and he is not from Spain.  He is an American and his father is looking for him.” “Oh my, now that does shock me, why is he hiding from his father?”  “I don’t know but money is out there on this one, his father is a very wealthy man, we could make something from this.” “Oh, how wealthy?”  “Let’s say seven hundred and fifty million.” “Whew!  I knew he smelt of money, so how much you think the father is willing to pay for his whereabouts?”  “I don’t know but the word is out in Europe that people are looking for him, and his brother gave him the number and he dialed immediately.

The next day three rough looking men and a man named Gibeau were in his office and he worked his charm to find out what was going on and Gibeau said, “He wants his son found, the old man will pay for the location,” but he saw the look of the other men, and when Gibeau excused himself to call the father he asked, “So what’s this really all about?”  And one shrugged and said, “The wife crossed him in some way, that’s all we know,” and he saw his opportunity, “So what does he want done with her?”  And the same one raised his hand against his throat and went from one side to the other and Sayeed said, “I will add to his payment if you include the girl…,” and a deal was struck.  Gibeau walked back in and when they were gone Sayeed called his brother, “Send Farouq.”

Farouq had killed numerous people for the Abdullah family, “It is a family and the woman stole something very important from the father.  All must be eliminated, the son is to remain, but if the son gets in the way,” Sayeed shrugged, “Then so be it.” Sayeed didn’t think Mr. Harrington would stand around and let his wife be slaughtered, he would, his wife had served her purpose.  She’d given him three sons and a daughter he had no use of her now.   He’d done his duty, married and produced his heirs, just as Amar will do, but he wouldn’t stand around if it were Khan or his children, especially not Amar.  He was his oldest and he had high hopes for him, it was for him he was doing this.

“But before you leave that house, the woman and all the children must be no more, understood,” Sayeed said. “What she took must be very important?”  “Yes, the father has been searching for them a long time, it must be done, his honor is at stake,” he told Farouq.  “And the others, must I work with amateurs?”  Sayeed shrugged again, “Do what you must, the job is yours my friend.  The agreement is whoever does the job gets the money, if four go in and three come out three split the money, if four go in and one comes out he gets the money, understood.”

Gibeau went to his hotel to wait, tomorrow this case would be over and once Walker's men brought him Royce he was taking him home. 

After Farouq and Walker’s men left town they went off road and drove their jeep across uneven and rough terrain following a map that showed the location of the house.  The jeep bounced and made its way until it was about a half mile behind the house and in a good place to be unseen.   They hid the jeep in the brush and started walking. 

In the half hour it took to get to the white wall only Farouq remained,
amateurs! 
He flexed his fingers and sheathed his knife; they’d been a good warm up for what he had to do tonight.  “I’m sorry but you will have to die if you get in my way,” he said thinking of Royce.  He had no time to be distracted by him, if he stayed down once he was out then good, but if he made too much noise then he was done for, and the old man better pay up.  The woman who stole from him would be gone and that’s what he wanted. 

Royce had woken up like he always did.  His nightmares were fewer now and tonight he didn’t take his gun, but he still woke up around the same time and walked to the back window.  He stood there scanning the wall, looking for anything and nothing and then he saw it in the far corner of the wall, almost in shadow, a black figure ease itself over and down.  His heart raced and he ran to his room, tore open the nightstand drawer snatched out his gun and ran out the room.

Jameson was on duty tonight, Conrad was in Cape Town partying and getting laid he was sure of it.  He’d walked the perimeter and now he was checking the cameras and then he saw it, at the far corner of the wall, a black figure eased its way over and crept down.  “Fuck!” It’s either a burglar or they made us and he hoped it was a burglar, just an ordinary burglary.  As he loaded up he watched the figure on the screen then he crept to the pool bath door and eased out.  The figure crept low over the lawn and was almost at the house.  Jameson peered around the corner; the figure was creeping quietly towards the Harrington’s glass door.