Where am I? Like in terms of a building. Like a bungalow, a warehouse, though I did pass a kitchen and been in jail in the form of a daycare.
Again, I passed a kitchen. It has to be like a workplace but for what. "Hey Sola… where is this place?"
"You mean this building? It's not a kennel. It's refurbished." she says. "What was it first?" I ask.
"Department Call Center" she laments. "This is the Esplanade location."
"What happened?"
"They kept drunk vampires around for sexual gratification." she sounds bored. "Why are you so upset?"
"It's a prostitution ring…" she looks off to the side. "I mean… like…" she sighs. "Are you?" I don't wanna ask the wrong question. "I had ideas… dad found out. I had a girlfriend." she scratches the back of her neck.
"Girl… friend?"
"This is not my body…"
I'm silent until I hear footsteps. There's a door near. I butt it with my shoulder, it doesn't open. "Let me!" Simisola mutters something and we fly into the room. Door closes, this used to be a call center. There are desk staked in a corner and phones and computers in a box. "I wonder can you hook one up to see if it works."
"Why?"
"Because…" she shrugs. "Your sister paid rent."
"What does that mean?"
"It might be my fault…" her voices lowers. "What--"
"I slept with uncle…"
"What!"
"Wait! Let me explain!" she throws her hands up. "Me and uncle played under the sheets when was 16…"
"Stop talkin--"
"He came in my room after putting hands on mama…"
I still want her to shut up. "I paid rent. Daddy would ask and Capria would shame him for marrying a fucking poor Muslim. Mama's side of the family is homeless."
"Uncle works… at a car dealer."
"He still does that?"
"I--" I just nod. "I got a truck from him."
"He used to drag race… he gave us 300 when mama was pregnant with you." he gesture at me. "He gave us another 300 for christmas."
When does this end bad. "Uncle Capria didn't give us no more. So… I hatched an idea. We got an abandoned apartment. Aleigha helped. It felt great…"
"But?"
"Capria found out and I remember mama was home and daddy went out. So it's just me and mama."
"What about Ubayd?"
"He went out for sandwiches. He used to play dice on the street and bring back twos and slim twenties. He hates me."
"You… gave up yourself to Uncle?"
"That's why Ubayd exist. Guess what he mad about?"
"Fucking attention?" I roll my neck. "Fucking commitment."
"To who?"
"Mama has two but she don't. I wish it was sibling rivalry."
"So what are you saying?"
"I can't say anything in front of mama… she doesn't want me to say it's my fault. Ubayd says I should have kept paying--"
"Will you shut the fuck up! We can get out if find the shit Hannes wants and we'll be ok!"
She looks off to the side but nods. "Let's see if it's something in here."
"Could be old contacts…" she shrugs. "Maybe we could…"
"No…"
"Why not?"
"Why do you want to call something? They might be dead, bodied or other."
"What's other?"
"I don't know! Alive and don't wanna fuck with people!" she stresses. "Check the door."
I try to open it slightly to see if anybody passed by. "It looks clear."
"Now wait…"
I get it before she tells me. I push the door to the frame but it's not closed. What if…
"Ol' Yeller!" I shout. "Mokiri!"
Close the door. I don't hear anything. I swing it open, "HELP!" I slam it shut. "OL' YELLER!" I scream. "What the fu--" I close the door and wait. A noise in the hall.
"Roger, I'm hearing shit in the halls. What's your location?" I hear.
I tap the door against the frame. "What the hell?" I drum my nails on the wood. "Hello?"
Swing the door open, go for the eyes and drag in. I cover his mouth tho… the method in Tactics is put your fist in the mouth. I'm sloppy.
Hood military… gotta love it.
"Now what!" Simisola shouts. "Hush and check his damn pockets!" She jogs over with the man tossing around and strikes him in the head. "Hush!" Simisola checks the pockets on the military fit. She pulls out an ID card, Gebhuza Bamgboshe…" she bores. "Look at his skin."
"Whose's body is that?"
"Mine!"
"No!" I smack him. "You better tell me what's happening here before I make you throw up."
"what the fuck kind of threat--" I shove my fist in his mouth and all four finger hit the uvula. He vomits but chokes, his eyes red. "Whose's body is this?" I take my fist out his mouth. "Ew…" grimaces Simisola. "Some African vamp." he coughs. "And?"
"They taking niggers from Africa. Like Growden used to do."
"On Boats?" questions Simisola. "Secret plane…"
"Name?"
"Viper Complex…"
"The name of the plane is Viper Complex?"
"Its custom made! The Growdens wanna recreate america, get the realm to expand. Aleigha ain't on the throne. He wants to be an influence…"
"That's what he wants?" Simisola looks at me. "That's still power." I say.
"They got a church in California, Mexico up to Texas, and Rhode Island."
"Is he using rituals?"
"You gotta breed them first. He got at least 16 and coven covering him…" the man breathes. "You know about a mermaid?" asks Simisola
"Aw fuck…"
"I will make you shit!" I threaten. "Listen! Listen… you mean Hiki'o'lelu."
"Lu-lul…" she stammers. "The mermaid you want. We had her for like seven months and nobody is talking about the wave in Virginia." he explains.
"What wave?"
"The sea is disturbed!" he emphasizes. "It knocks against the beach so Virginia beach has less sand. A wave that sucks in land. The more land that goes missing, they think the realm is getting bigger."
"I haven't been home long enough." I say.
"If it's a wave from the realm. We could drown." she says it so nonchalant. "A dead body turned up on the beach. They think the wave is conscious."
"And Growden is doing this?" I grab his throat. "Wait, wait, wait…" Simisola put her hand on my shoulder. "Punch him in the dick."
"I ain't plan this shit!"
"But you work for them!"
"I'm poor!"
"What are they doing with the mermaid!" Simisola pulls his hair. "AH!"
"Speak white one!"
"SHE's FOUR!"
"WHAT!"
"SHE's FOUR YEARS OLD!"