The Accidental Hunter by Nelson George

Author:Nelson George
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: ebook, book
Publisher: Akashic Books
Published: 2015-01-12T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter Seventeen

Kings County Hospital is one of the oldest in Brooklyn. Its central hub is an old brick structure that dates back to the 1930s and Franklin Roosevelt’s WPA. Once a noble example of can-do American spirit, it was now an ancient relic in desperate need of a modernization that was unlikely to come. There were newer parts to the Kings County complex (across the street was Downstate Medical Center), but the overall atmosphere was of a place where old illness hung in the air, infusing new patients with a sense of lingering disease.

Ray Ray hadn’t been there long enough to have had any of the building’s old maladies seep in. Besides, his system was already pretty busy with new ones he’d acquired in the service of D Security.

“You looking good, my man,” D said with a fake smile to the young man sitting in a crowded ward with his broken right leg elevated and his right wrist covered in bandages.

“You a funny nigga, you know that?”

D reached over and took Ray Ray’s good left hand in both of his. “Son, was this an accident?”

“Yeah. I think so. We was out on the Conduit in Queens and I took a curve too fast, yo.”

“I spoke to your mom on the phone and told her I’d definitely help with the bills.”

“That’s cool, yo.” Ray Ray’s eyes shifted toward the door of the ward and a deep smile curved his lips. “Yo, what’s up, Areea?”

Areea Lucas came walking toward the bed in black leather pants, jacket, and boots and a white turtleneck. There was a large vintage cross dangling around her neck and nestling between her ample breasts. Golden-brown skin, like butter rolls fresh from the oven, covered a face of dramatically plucked eyebrows; small, intense eyes; a flat nose; and round, authoritative lips. These were lips that never pouted. They were used to giving orders and having them executed.

“The real question,” she said when she’d reached his bed, “is how are you?”

“I’m good. I’ll be back riding soon. Believe that.” Ray Ray, who’d been grateful that D had come by, was anxious speaking to Areea, sounding both smitten and intimidated. He introduced D to the woman, who said, “I saw you on MTV News this afternoon. Did they ever find that gun?”

“Gun?” he said warily. “Is that what they said? There was no gun. The man just acted in a threatening manner and I couldn’t take chances.”

“Yo, D, what’s up with that?” Ray Ray asked. “You in MTV rotation now?”

“Oh, yes,” Areea answered as she studied D’s face. “D Hunter is famous. I’m impressed you know someone who hangs out with a real American idol.”

“Yo, Areea, I don’t know about that. I just know I was in a situation at a nightclub where some niggas was about to do some dirt to me and mine and D stepped up and handled his, you know.” It was a beautiful falsehood. There was a kernel of truth in what Ray Ray said, but also enough quality deceit to truly impress D and, perhaps, cool Areea’s suspicions.

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