Thin Ice 7 - Echoes of Reckoning (41 page)

“
Shut up,” Blue barked as two of the armed men held him at gunpoint.

“
I sold you out, as you put it, because you’re fucking certifiable,” Blue told him. “Look at this shit, who does this,” he continued to speak.

Ray glanced around the room taking in the captives before his eyes fell on his son. Brent’s face was battered and bruised; he was listless, barely showing any emotion as their eyes met.

Furious Ray almost gave the order to kill King Diesel but remembered his part in all of this.

“
There is still the matter of the question that Mrs. Bailey posed,” Ray continued once again calming.

As much as Tariq and his crew didn’t like Ray Lockhart they were pleased as hell to see him right now.

“
You’ve spent a lot of time talking about secrets, cleansing and things of that nature,” Ray said calmly. “I think you need to do a bit of that, and I have something that should help you right along,” he told King Diesel who continued to regard them both with open contempt.

“
How’s it going Roderick,” Horse spoke evenly walking into the room.

Hearing the name King Diesel began to visibly tremble.

“
Been a long, long time,” the man continued walking up the makeshift throne.

“
Bring him down,” Horse told the men who snatched King Diesel up by both arms half walking, half dragging him down the three steps to the floor below where everyone could see him.

Ian and Ryan watched with interest having no idea who the man before them was now. Tariq, Mook and the rest did the same. Horse turned his attention to Kaitlyn looking at her hard for a long time as she looked back. He finally smiled at her and turned away. Next he regarded Ian and Ryan, giving them the same look before smiling and turning away to regard the women, and then finally Tariq. Horse studied him a long time as well, but turned away without smiling.

“
There’s a lot of history in this room,” he said simply.

Everyone was deathly silent waiting for this to play out, minds spinning of every possible scenario.

“
I made a promise over twenty years ago to find you,” Horse began again as Roderick’s breathing became more and more rapid; shallower.

“
I’m going to answer these people’s questions first,” he told him. “Then I’m going to keep that promise,” he finished as Roderick swallowed hard and began to struggle.

“
No, leave it alone, let it be,” he yelled out as Horse looked at him again.

“
Like you were about to do,” he threw back before turning to Ian and Ryan.

“
Your father was my boss and he was one of the best friends I ever had on this earth,” Horse told them sincerely.

They both nodded slightly but said nothing.

“
There’s someone you need to meet,” he told them as the young man walked into the room casually coming and standing next to Horse.

“
This is Sa’Cari Lemmings,” he told them as Ian raised an eyebrow and Ryan remained expressionless.

“
He’s your baby brother,” Horse told them both.

“
Socrates didn’t want him in the life, but he’s your blood, how could I keep him out of it,” he told them as they finally nodded.

“
I’ve been waiting a long time to meet you both,” Sa’Cari told them.

“
Stop, don’t do this,” Roderick again implored as Sa’Cari gave him a look before punching him hard to the midsection.

Ian and Ryan smiled thinking they might have a use for baby brother after all.

“
Shut up,” he barked as Roderick struggled to breathe.

Horse chuckled seeing his boss show up again in his son. Turning to Kaitlyn he addressed her now as Blue removed the last of her shackles, choosing to remain in the room with her.

“
The sole reason behind this madman’s issues with you can be summed up in one word,” Horse began.

“
Envy,” he said simply. “He envied your father and what he’d accomplished. He envied his power, his charisma, his money, his life,” he told her. “Plainly put, he wanted to BE Hangman Cisneros,” Horse said bluntly.

“
That’s a lie,” Roderick yelled as Ray chuckled and Sa’Cari threatened to hit him again.

“
What does that have to do with me,” Kaitlyn tried again, she wasn’t feeling well and she didn’t know why.

Horse sighed deeply.

“
It has to do with you both I’m afraid,” he told them cryptically eyeing Tariq now as well.

They both wore looks of puzzlement causing Horse to smile again before speaking.

“
There’s someone you both need to meet as well,” he told them as Sa’Cari stepped out of the room.

He returned moments later with the young woman in tow.

“
Ash,” Tae screamed seeing her sister.

“
Tae,” she yelled back trying to run to her as Sa’Cari held her and told her no.

“
Please, Sa’Cari,” she told him still fully frightened.

“
Shh, it’s okay baby, nothing is going to happen to you,” he assured her as she looked back at Tae.

Her sister had presence of mind to smile and tell her it was okay.

What the hell is going on,
Tae continued to think and breathe hard praying her sister didn’t get hurt.

“
No, please for the love of God, no,” Roderick began again starting to cry as he sank to his knees.

Seeing his reaction, both Kaitlyn and Tariq waited expectantly for Horse to speak again.

“
This is Ashlyn Rajiya Russell,” he told them calmly.

Kaitlyn looked at Tae knowing this was her younger sister and her friend simply shrugged and shook her head. She was just as lost as they were.

“
She’s named after her mother,” he spoke yet another time as Tae frowned deeply knowing Ashlyn wasn’t her mother’s name.

“
Rajiya is Arabic for Hope,” Horse enlightened the room.

“
Hope Cisneros, her mother, your aunt,” he told Kaitlyn as her mouth dropped.

“
Her father,” he began anew now looking at Tariq.

“
Aarick Taylor, aka Roderick Ames, aka King Diesel,” he spoke as Sa’Cari ripped the mask from the man and Tariq looked into the face of his father.

“
Fuck me,” he said quietly still in shock.

“
Ashlyn is your sister and Lauren’s cousin,” Horse told them as Tae sank to her knees.

She knew Ashlyn was adopted, but her sister didn’t. They’d never told her, and she sure as hell never knew who her parents were.

“
Is this some kind of sick joke,” Tariq asked Horse, his eyes going back to his father.

“
Ask him,” the man returned simply.

Roderick’s eyes finally met his sons as he opened his mouth to try and speak.

“
Are you serious,” Tariq threw out growing angrier.

“
You walked away from our family, from my mother, who died giving birth to your child and had another kid, another life,” he railed wanting very much to be able to get out of the glass enclosed room.

“
Please Tariq, let me explain,” he tried pitifully.

“
Explain what,” Tariq exploded.

“
Explain that you weren’t shit,” he fired. “Damn you just gave away your child, how the hell did you talk her mother into that shit,” Tariq asked.

Horse sighed softly answering the question.

“
He faked the baby’s death and set up the private adoption with the Russell’s, close personal friends of his,” he told Tariq matter-of-fact.

“
You are a straight piece of shit,” Tariq told him disgusted with the sight of him.

As much as he wanted to know what had happened to his father all those years ago, he almost wished he’d never found out.

“
By the way Roderick,” Horse began as he turned his attention to the broken man.

“
Ashlyn is in love with and engaged to Sa’Cari,” he told him as Roderick began to cry again.

“
What are you saying, what do you mean,” Ashlyn asked getting upset now. “Tae, tell them that’s not true, tell them you’re my sister,” she screamed beginning to cry now as Sa’Cari held her and tried to comfort her.

“
You are my sister Ash, you’ll always be my sister,” Tae returned crying now herself.

Jaleesa hugged her as Tae began to sob deeply, mirroring Ashlyn’s reaction.

Horse told Sa’Cari to take Ashlyn into the other room and help her calm down.

“
You’ve wasted a lifetime on vengeance,” Horse told him calmly. “And why, because you couldn’t admit you were in love with Hope all those years ago,” he went on as Roderick endured.

“
You were the reason you failed Roderick, no one else,” Horse threw at him. “You hated Hangman and Socrates because you wanted to be a part of them,” he fired off.

“
Crazy thing is, if you’d asked they probably would have said yes,” he added and kicked the man hard to the midsection.

Shango walked into the room and handed Horse the Desert Eagle.

“
On his deathbed Hangman asked me to do two things, one was find his daughter and make her understand how much he loved her and how sorry he was for what he did to her,” he told the man as Kaitlyn vaguely heard him, her mind spinning at the earlier revelations.

“
The other was to find you and put a bullet in your head for all the hurt, heartache and discord you brought to his family, most especially his sister,” Horse told him casually loading the weapon now.

“
Socrates asked me to do the same thing when I found you, to watch the life drain from your eyes and to allow his sons to see it come to pass,” he spoke finishing the task and pointing the gun at him.

“
He also asked me to erase every trace of your blood from the earth with the exception of the child you fathered with Hope,” Horse added, glancing at Tariq.

“
No,” Kaitlyn shouted as Horse regarded her, staying his hand momentarily.

“
You love him,” he asked simply.

“
Yes,” she replied without hesitation.

“
Enough to give him up and save his life,” he asked glancing at Blue.

“
Yes,” she replied softly as Tariq began protesting.

“
Seems you cannot deny the blood what it wants,” Horse remarked looking at Roderick, referring to his history with Hope.

“
You can’t have her and your life,” Horse told Tariq plainly. “Make a choice,” he told him once more.

“
He’s not choosing, I am,” Kaitlyn returned yet again.

“
What about Ice, and your promise to Socrates,” Horse questioned.

Kaitlyn looked Ian directly in the eye and spoke.

“
Ice has a new family, and I will never keep his children from him, but we’re over,” she said with resolve.

Ian frowned acidly once again but withheld comment.

“
Socrates son,” Horse said simply the unspoken truce passed between them as Ian nodded slightly.

“
KiKi don’t do this,” Tariq pleaded.

“
I will not watch you die,” she told him stubbornly, turning her back refusing to look at him anymore.

“
Would you like to tell your father goodbye,” Horse asked Tariq, looking at him now.

Tariq stared a long time wordlessly at the man kneeling before him.

“
My father died a long time ago,” he said simply turning his back on the man.

Horse shrugged before speaking once more.

“
You will be released once I complete my mission here,” he told them.

“
Tariq you and your associates will be released first and given one hour to make it to your destinations,” Ray threw out calmly as Horse continued to regard Blue and Kaitlyn.

“
Ice, you, Ryan and the rest will be released after they’ve left,” he told them as Ian nodded slightly.

“
Blue, you’re leaving now,” he questioned as the man nodded yes and rose, taking Kaitlyn’s hand.

“
KiKi, please don’t do this,” Tariq pleaded, his heart breaking as she continued walking.

She stopped for moment and turned once again to him.

“
I love you,” she told him simply the tears overflowing. “Kaitlyn will always love you,” she added as the lump grew in Tariq’s throat. “But Lauren Cisneros is going to take her life back and stop running from who she is,” she said calmly.

“
Baby, please,” Tariq spoke again almost whispering.

“
Forget me Tariq, learn to love CiCi and be a great man for your son,” she told him turning around once more and this time leaving with Blue
.

“
Where is Sa’Cari,” Horse asked as Shango told him he was on his way.

“
Ashlyn,” he inquired as Sa’Cari arrived telling them she’d drifted off after he gave her a mild sedative.

“
It’s for the best,” he murmured.

Returning his attention to King Diesel, Horse spoke.

“
You should have left well enough alone, should have let Hangman and Socrates die in that prison for you,” he told him as Roderick sighed deeply.

“
They were criminals, scourge of the earth,” he ranted again. “I lost my job, my family, everything because of them,” he wailed pitifully as Tariq grew more disgusted.