Mortal Terms by Michael La Ronn

Author:Michael La Ronn
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Author Level Up LLC

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

The gangsters pounded on my door. Hazel barked immediately.

I snapped my fingers at Darvin. He grabbed Hazel by the collar.

"Darvin, keep Hazel back," I said.

"Got it, Lester."

"Daddy, what's going on?" Marlese asked.

In the dining room, Malcolm began to stir. I imagined him in the little play yard on the dining room floor, scratching his chest and rolling to his feet, wanting to know what was up.

"Mar, get Malcolm and stay in the dining room," I said. "We'll take care of this."

Marlese nodded and rushed into the dining room.

Hazel growled, the kind of growl she only reserved for men and dogs with bad spirits.

Bo sprang onto the porch and waited for my signal.

"Say the word, boss man," Bo said. "I'm ready to crack some skulls."

I stood in the doorway and gave him a thumbs-up.

"Who is it?" Bo cried.

No answer. Just Hazel barking, and the small bits of silence between.

"Y'all better answer!" Bo said.

"Open the door," a muffled voice said. "We want to talk to you for a minute."

Silence.

"We can't leave 'til we talk to you, so you might as well open up,” the voice said.

Silence.

"We're lookin' for Lester," the voice said. "You tell Lester to come on out here and there won't be no trouble."

Bo stepped back and made a fist. "Skull cracking time," he said.

"We're messengers,” the voice said.

Bo and I exchanged a look.

After a moment of hesitation, Bo opened the door and stuck his head out.

"We're listening," he said.

I couldn't see the men well over Bo's bald head. But I made out the green and gold colors clearly.

"We're going to need you and Lester to come with us around the way," the leader said. "We'll bring you back once you're done."

"Done doing what?" Bo asked.

"We'll explain when we get there."

Two of the men turned and started for the garage. The leader motioned for us to come. "Let's go, y'all. We ain't got all day."

"You could be takin' us anywhere," Bo said. "What if we don't want to go?"

From inside, the phone rang. I groaned. Bad omen.

"You can do this the easy way or you can do it the hard way," the leader said. "But if you cause a scene, we won't have a choice, man."

He raised his hoodie, revealing the handle of a pistol tucked into a pair of boxers.

Bo glanced back at me.

"All right," I said.

Bo let the door open wider and I got a look at the three men. The leader was short and clean-cut. He wore a designer hoodie with graffiti on it. His face was locked in a perpetual snarl. He tilted his head toward the garage.

Two black SUVs with tinted windows and silver rims waited for us. One of them shook from the bass of a loud song.

Bo and I started walking toward the garage. Hazel barked again and I waved at Darvin. In the dining room, Malcolm was crying.

I walked down the path with a knot in my throat.

We reached the trunk of the maple tree and I looked up.

Natkaal stared down at me, shaking his head.

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