CHAPTER 17 - ILL MET AND CATHARSIS
LUTHER’S CELL - MORNING, NEXT DAY
LUTHER
“What’s tickling you, man?” Kingsman asks from the doorway. “You’ve been smiling like that since yesterday.” He enters and gestures at the chair. I nod so he sits. “Who was the young lady that came to see you?”
“Which one?”
“The tenacious one!” He chuckles, and I smile wider. “Seriously, never seen a ‘don’t be ridiculous’ look so fierce in one person! She knows her stuff, that one; the way she watched her carefully look through her bags, having insisted on a female guard. And then the food…”
“That was her?!” I gasp.
“Yeah, she demanded...and got...an apology for the attempt at any food being taken apart to check for any contraband!”
“Wow. Uh, Jenny. Her name is Jenny. She's my...well, I am not sure what she is, but I suppose during this truce, I can say she’s my Pitbull…”
“Truce? What do you mean truce?” He gets comfortable. I regard him for a while, he’s not too bad for a White guy I guess. Unlike some of the residents, he actually asked what I had done, not assumed that it was some violent or drug related crime. He didn’t pry much, but did laugh when I said who my fellow fraudster was. Turns out that Copthorne had sent him down, and he was one of his clean cases! “Dude? Truce?” He prompts.
“Oh, my family and I haven’t always got along, my fault, but we’ve called a halt to our bickering to sort out a problem for a..a friend.”
“I see.” He smiles. “Wish I had her on my side, my attorney was bloody useless! Well, to me he was useless, but if you have enough money you can buy a lighter sentence.”
“What do you mean on your side and buying a sentence?”
“Your Pitbull is one of the youngest ever to get on the summer internship for Supreme Justice Rausch. She did her dissertation on the Novotny case…you heard of that guy?” I feign innocence. “Yeah, absolute pyscho, but in the emotional sense just plain old nasty and jealous. Okay, I don’t get the gay thing…”
“Me neither.” I add, trying not to smile as I remember Zaden’s answer to my question.
“But they, you can tell, are it. I mean for each other. And he, Kinney-Taylor I mean, seems to be doing the decent thing, especially getting those cases reopened and those guys charged with the bashing of that drag queen.”
“Hmm.” I murmur.
“And him doing that donation for whoever it was; like the way that was handled. In their own way. Their terms. I knew what was written about them was a crock of shit.” We sit in silence for a while then he frowns. “Hang on a second! Be right back!” He sprints out of the room leaving me confused. “Sorry about that, just remembered something. Now where did I see it?!” He flicks through the newspaper quickly, then whoops. “Well I’ll be damned! No wonder that guy always looked so pissed off!”
“Who are you talking about?” I frown.
“Gardner Vance! Taylor-Kinney used to work for him, and he was in here for arson. I bet anything it was Taylor-Kinney’s place!” Now that gets my attention! “You’d think he’d be grateful he got such a light sentence, lighter than what I got, but if you throw enough money at a problem, it can go away a bit I guess…”
“Back up a bit, what do you mean?” Although I flinched at his words, my heart begins to pound in anticipation.
“My attorney was his attorney. Whilst I got 12 years for my misdemeanours, he gets 18 months for arson! How is that either right or fair? He could’ve killed people. He said he didn’t mean to do it as he was drunk at the time.”
“Did you two talk much?” I try to keep my excitement in check.
“Not as much as we did before…” My heart sinks. “...I wasn’t good enough for him once he found a fellow whatchacallit, those posh folks? Named after insects, are they called bugs?”
“WASP?”
“Yeah, that thing! So up his own ass, surprised he could fart, though spouts enough shit for his butthole to not be needed for that!” I snicker. “Finally, a smile...you look much more approachable when you smile.”
“Huh?” I frown then nod as I remember what DJ said when I first met her.
“Ah, our hour of vitamin D!” He exclaims, standing up as the bell goes for yard time. “Fancy a stroll around the poop deck?”
“Sure, why not?” I follow him, when we get outside, I have to admit, it is nice to have some fresh air.
“That’s him.” Kingsman nudges me.
I gape, because standing in front of me, holding court, is none other than Craig Taylor!
“When did he get here?!” I gasp, my mind racing. Why is he here?! And does Justin know?! That thought surprises me, but I need to focus. “Sorry, what did you say?”
“I said, a couple of years back, transfer from San Francisco, health issue, he's not got long, moved to be nearer his family....”
“Does anyone visit him?” I interrupt, and he shakes his head. Then I engage my brain and smirk. “Let’s go say hi.” I tell Kingsman, pulling him along.
“What? But why?” He asks, following me.
“You’ll see.”
MAYORAL OFFICE - AFTERNOON
JUSTIN’S OFFICE
BRIAN
I open my eyes and smile into his. “Good?”
“Always.” He moans as I slowly thrust into him. “Slower.” He pleads.
“Mmmm.” I obey and scrunch my toes hard. I love making love to him like this, a slow fiery build up to a volcanic eruption. His eyes flutter shut and I feel his cock throb between us. “So beautiful.” His legs tighten around my waist, slowing me down further.
“So sexy.” He breathes, then clenches and my eyes cross. “Stay.”
I stop; the sounds of our kisses and moans fill the room, his heart is beating so fast, now he is starting to squirm. He’s close. So very close. “Clench.” I mutter against his lips, the pleasure rockets up my spine. “Again.”
“Just this?”
“Just...oh-oh yes!”
“Ah! Ah! Brian!” He screams. I feel him pulling me deeper inside with each spasm. “I ca...can’t!” Him starting to weep stuns me and I hold him till his sobs subside.
“What is it?!” I demand.
“Why do people not want us to be happy?!” He whimpers. “Why can’t everyone just leave us alone?!” I can’t think of an answer so just hold him. The silence stretches on. “Way to ruin a spine tingling orgasm!” He snickers. “‘But you have to give me kudos for the sofa bed?”
“Well as cum-downs go, it’s not up there. But yeah, kudos props given.” I return and kiss away his tears, he hiccups a laugh. “But it is either sunshine or shitshow for us, isn’t it?”
“Can we spoon?”
“You want?”
His eyes blaze. I slowly withdrawn then let him take me.
SCI ALBION - JUST BEFORE MIDNIGHT
CRAIG’S CELL
CRAIG
I can’t sleep. I feel sick. Well, sicker. Luther Stark, of all people, is here! I wince as the pain from, amongst other things, my failing kidneys jags through me. Thankful that I am in a single cell, I sit up and stare into the darkness and recall our, for the want of a better word, reunion…
Start of flashback
PRISON YARD - HOURS EARLIER
CRAIG
“As I was saying, this is a world away from where I was. As you know, I was a victim of the machinations of, well, you know…” I lean in closer to my fellow ‘white collar’ criminals. “...a person of colour who purported to be a businessman, but was, in reality, a…”
“Craig! Craig Taylor, what a pleasure and a delight to be reunited again!” The blood freezes in my veins. Surely not?! Slowly I turn around and my worst fears are confirmed as Luther strides towards me. “Uh, Lut…”
“Gentlemen, gentlemen, a pleasure to meet you all. How the hell did you get back from San Fran?” He smiles at me. “Your boy come to see you? Or Mol...”
“Boy? What boy?” Charles, who is in for credit fraud, frowns. “You told us that you have no children.”
“Really? You said that? Why?” His cold stare renders me mute. “Oh, I know, you don’t want to embarrass him. Well isn’t that noble?”
“Noble? What do you mean noble?” Charles echoes.
“Yes. He is nothing but noble. Oh, sorry, my manners, do you know…”
“Archibald Kingsman.” The guy next to him steps forward, hand outstretched. I shake it, feeling the heat of Luther’s glare at my hesitation.
“Well, we will leave you to your audience. Look forward to catching up real soon.”
I watch them stride away then turn back to my friends. “As I was…”
“I am going to the library.” Charles announces. “Catch you guys later.” He starts to walk away, then comes back to the group. He glares at me. “There is honour among thieves, and you’d do well to remember that!”
End of flashback
KINGSMAN’S CELL - NEXT DAY
ARCHIBALD
I look up as the room goes darker. Snickering, I gesture at Luther to sit down. The look on his face is odd. “You okay?”
“You for her?”
“For who?”
“Zaden?”
“Who is Zaden?”
“Hmmm. Okay, let’s try this another…”
“Try what? What are you on about?”
LUTHER
I am taken aback. He is not for her, his bewilderment is too real. “Never mind, I was spit...spitballing.”
“Oh here, got this printed for you.” He hands me a raft of papers. “Your Pitbull’s dissertation.”
I take it from him and begin to read, and as I do so, I feel immensely proud. Not just because of my Pitbull, but because of Zad...Zee. She has taken the principles instilled by my parents, which I forgot along the way, and done everything to help people.
“So the person of colour that got him in trouble is you?”
“Kinda.” His frown deepens. “I...you have kids?”
“No. I can’t. Too low, which is what got me here in the first place.” Now I am frowning. “The reason I robbed was to afford fertility treatment for my girl.”
“Oh.”
“How many you have?”
“Six, five above ground.”
“Wow.” His eyes shine. “Sorry for your loss. When did they pass?”
“Within seconds of being born.” I mumble.
“Oh Jesus!” He joins me at my end of the cell and takes my hand. “It is horrible, isn’t it?” He whispers. “Stillbirths are at least better than watching them take their first and last breaths.”
“How many times?” I ask.
“Too many.” He whispers.
HOSPITAL WING - FOUR HOURS LATER
ARCHIE’S BEDSIDE
LUTHER
“What happened?” Archie mumbles as he comes around.
“You had a catharsis moment and passed out.” Then I take a mental leaf out of Zee’s book, and steel myself. “I am not sure if anything will come of it, but the next Pitbull visit why don’t you sit in?”
“Why?”
“Because of her innate curiosity, sense of justice, and your useless lawyer. Bet he didn’t argue extenuating circumstances, did he? Where is your girl now?”
“No, no he didn’t. As for my...my girl, she died giving birth to our stillborn daughter. I held up the last place in the hopes that they would shoot me, cos I was too chicken shit to do it myself.”
I blink rapidly. “Holy fuck man!” I whisper, then find myself telling him about Zebediah and everything. Over an hour later, we are both snivelling wrecks, but I feel nothing except relief.
“You think you will ever get back with your family? After this truce thing?”
“I don't think so. Hurt them too much.” I sigh, and for the first time feel real sadness.
“Then do what you were good at being bad at in the first place.” I frown at him and he gives me a wobbly smile. “You say that Jenny and Zaden…”
“Zee...everyone calls her that, it suits her better.” I admit.
“Okay, Zee and Jenny are the same. So ask your Pitbull to be Cyrano instead, seems she has a fine bullshit detector…”
“Cyrano? Who the...oh, got it.” I cringe slightly at his mocking look. “What do I call you?”
“Huh?” He frowns.
“What do you prefer to be known as? Kingsman, Kingy, Archibald…”
“Archie. My friends call me Archie.”
“My friends call me Lute.”
“Lute? As in the fancy fiddle? How many friends do you have?” He chuckles.
“Right now? Just one.”