LUTHER

I stare out of the window and am thankful that I am an early riser, and for once it is quiet in this place. The alarm won’t go for a good few hours and I can take this time to think. Sighing, I scrub my face and swing my legs off the bed. Stretching out my back, I wince at the throbbing my body does more regularly now. Although it is falling apart, it is still in good shape. I pinch my side and am pleased that I have not run to fat at my age. I spotted Copthorne a couple of times. He’s lost weight too, but gained a haunted and haggard look, most likely because of some of the folks that he sent here being rather keen to have a chat!

I start my exercises, thankful that I have this cell to myself. Fox is next door, but he can sleep like the dead. You’d think a guy of his size would be in for something physical, but nope, he is in for bank robbery. But the way he robbed the banks was ingenious, he would strap a homemade bomb to himself and threaten to blow the bank up with everyone inside. Once he got the money, he would take off his face and walk away. Nobody ever suspected, until he dropped his mask and they got him on his DNA. When they found out the snarling redneck white guy was, in fact, a whited up black man, well they had to do something. I think if there was a way for him to be executed they would’ve found it!

You see, that’s one of the things, I don’t like about white people. I frown as I try to remember the name of the song. The hook has always stuck with me; if you’re white, it’s alright, if you’re brown then stick around, but if you’re black stay back or something like that. I make a note to look it up later. If we have bested them at anything, they either try to make it theirs or punish us in some way for doing it!

The rustle of the paper falling as I do my press ups stops me. I put it back on the table, then I get to thinking: why doesn’t he say something? I sit on my bed and read it again. According to her, Lindsay is out living the life with Faal that is as it should’ve been. Oh, how that chanked my chain. No, I don’t like the man, and still think she should’ve stayed with Grady to keep the Stark line pure, but the way she described Zaden as a Harlem Harlot almost had me on break out! I have no problem causing misery to my family, but nobody else does! I chuckle to myself thinking that Novotny must be sick to his core that she is out living the perfect life when I know that is crap. I saw the truth of it all two weeks ago…

Start of flashback

UPMC HOSPITAL - TWO WEEKS PRIOR

DR FRITZ CHARLES’S OFFICE

LUTHER

I keep my eyes on the door and can hear their chatter. They are laughing and joking at a time like this. I feel in my pocket and smile as I hear the crumpling of the paper.

“Zaden, hi!” Dr Charles smiles as she and her brothers come in.

Ooh, this is gonna be so good!

“No Faal?” I query.

“Parking.” She returns, the the door opens again, bringing in Lucian, Dee and Del. “And before you ask again, yes we are sure.”

“Okay, Little One.” Lucian sighs, then turns to me. “You are looking a little better.”

“Thanks. So what’s happening, doctor? When do…” I stop as I hear two things: one, the laughter of Faal; and two, a little girl’s voice. I stare at the door and my heart thrums as he comes in, holding who could only be DJ, and a whole other lot of people,. Some of whom I recognise from when I was thrown off the board and others from the trial.

What is going on?!

“So, before we get to what we are here for, I wanted you to at least see her once.” Faal tells me. “The only person more protected than DJ is Zaden.” He sets DJ down and she holds onto his fingers tightly. “DJ…” She looks up at him. “...that man there is your grandfather.”

“Like Gramps Carl?” She asks.

“Yes, but not as nice.” Zaden mutters, earning a glare from her husband. “What? I believe it was you that told her about the nut...other two when she was bubbling. You said she needed to know that the world is not so nice.”

“True.” Faal smiles at her and I let go of the paper.

“Why is he tidied like that?” DJ is staring at me, specifically my handcuffed wrist. I move my cuff to cover it.

“It’s tied, DJ, and too late.” Lucian sighs. “She gets her observancy skills from her parents. “So, you have seen her, she’s the…”

“Image of Zaden when she was that age.” I whisper, then clear my throat. “So what does DJ stand for?”

“Deborah Jennifer.” She replies, and starts to totter towards me bringing Faal with her. “I named after Grandmop and Gran-Gran.” She peers up at me. “You have nice eyes but they are sad.”

“I haven’t been very well.” I tell her and pull my free hand back.

“Oh.” She stares at me again before looking at Lucian. “You should speak to Unc Luc, he has happy eyes, maybe he could teach you to be happy.”

“Like I said, too late for that.” Lucian replies.

I am about to say something when a glinting catches my eye from inside Faal’s jacket. He has a gun! My eyes widen as I look at him. He just nods and smiles.

“Aunt Zee, want me to take her out?” A young girl asks, glaring at me. “I don’t think she needs to see him anymore.”

“Good plan. Thanks, Jenny.” Zaden replies, and she and another young man take DJ away. I watch the door close and then open again. Jenny pokes her head back in.

“You have to say thank you to me. Because of me…”

“Pitbull, reign it in.” Del orders with a smile. “We will handle it from now on.”

“Fine. We will be in the humvee.” The door shutting sharply makes me frown.

“You need to watch your tone, young lady!” I shout, and the door is flung open again.

“Not for you I don’t! All I need is to say that I am so glad and fuck you!” She slams out again.

“So here’s the thing: Oh, the news does not get better from this point on.” Lucian states, and I gape at him. “What?”

“Did you not hear the way she just spoke to me?! Whoever are her parents need to pull her up on that shit!”

“She swore at you because you used our late son’s name to embezzle money!” Del blasts, and I shrink back in the chair a bit. “She knows martial arts and has the temper to match as you have just seen. Now shut up and listen!”

“As you know…” Lucian begins, and I rest my chin on my hand and look bored as I always do when he starts to sermonise. “...pay attention, Luther. We’re not a match and we’re not brothers.”

“What kind of sick joke is that?!” I demand.

“Not a joke. We’re not related, we can’t be, our blood types don’t match, let alone the…”

My heart pounds in my chest. “How is that possible?!”

“We were adopted together, Luther, you knew this and…”

“So they just saw two little monkeys that looked alike and thought, yeah they must be related?” I am surprised at how upset I am at this then remember that I am still Luther Stark and turn to Del. “Are they mine?”

“You were the one fucking about, not me! And with your daughter in law, I might add. I stuck to my vows and my principles!” Del snaps, and then breathes in and out. “And as for Talon, she is being treated like a princess by Ralph. You remember him, don’t you?”

I try to suppress the flicker of annoyance, but judging by the smirk I failed. “So which one of you is a match?” I demand.

“None of us here present.” Zaden replies. “But we are determined to keep you where you belong, and so we were all tested. And one of us is a match, it’s just a little difficult to get him to agree, but that is being worked on.”

I feel a chill of their cold stares seeping into my bones. “Which one of you is it then?” I stare at them. “Answer me!”

“He’s not here!” Zeus snarls. “You really have to listen to Zaden, because she speaks for us!”

“Fine. Madam President of Stark Securities, which of these people do I have to be grateful to?”

“Brian Taylor-Kinney.” Zaden retorts. “And as for Jenny’s comment earlier, it was her idea that we were all tested. Now all that needs to happen is for his husband to bring him around; luckily for you he is very persuasive!”

End of flashback.

I chew my nail as I try not to fret as I haven’t heard from them in two weeks. “Come on, Luther, use your wiles! How the hell can I get this sped along?!”

MICHAEL'S CELL - LATE AFTERNOON

LUTHER

Watching his face gurning as he reads that weeks old paper has me smiling. Oh yeah, this is just the inside man I need!

“It's not true. None of it.” I call out, and he slowly lowers the paper.

“What isn't?”

“The email you got from Lindsay. It is bullshit.”

He flings the paper down and sits up quickly. “Where did you get that?! You had no right to go through…”

“It was found in the corridor and I took it off a couple of people who were finding it amusing. Given that last mention of you in the papers…”

He ponders this for a while. “Oh, right, well then ….how do you know it is not true?”

“I saw Zaden and Faal a couple of weeks back, they are very much together.”

“But she was preggers when I saw her at my trial, definitely preggers.”

“Sadly didn't carry to term.”

“Couldn't have happened to a nicer couple.” He snipes and picks up the paper.

“A bit harsh celebrating the death of a child.” I keep the anger out of my voice, thankful that my records are sealed and I turned on Copthorne. If I hadn't, I would've gotten the same 35 that he did. Never I have I been so pleased to be the little fish!

“If it wasn’t for them then I wouldn't be in jail!” He scowls.

“From what I hear you weren't exactly clever at hiding stuff.”

“I had for years until he came along!” He jabs the picture of Justin. “I always kept Brian distracted and used him as distraction sometimes, but then he had to frigging fall in love with him! We should've been together, Brian and I! He is my one and only true love, and now they have a little family together and their lives are complete!” He sneers before carefully folding the paper.

“How many times you going to read that?” I jibe at him.

“As many times as I want. Like he said, it's only time…” Again with the sneering. “If only he had taken more time all those years ago then it would've all worked out!”

“Uh huh, and how's that?”

“I was outside the door, just waiting for that fucker to leave and finally I would have Brian back where he belonged.”

“Outside the door?” I repeat.

“Yeah, for their last fuck the night before he went to New York; where he was to become a great big success. Oh, he was a success, so successful that he could no longer do Rage! That was to be my pension, my legacy, but no, his stupid art had to come first! And for Brian to back him! He said that Sunshine, how I hate that nickname, was out there for him, for them, not me, I didn't feature! Didn't  feature, after all I did!”

As I let him rant on, all I can think is that there is all kinds of wrong with him, but he has given me an idea.

“What if I can arrange to get you out of here and be with near Brian for a week?”