CHAPTER 24

The day started on a good note like most days. It began with a sparse sprinkle that morning, leaving everywhere wet with the showers. After that, the sun had come out, dazzling everyone with its unusual paleness. Though the drizzles had stopped, it was clear that it wasn’t going to be a bright day. The weather at its best would be cool, not freezing. Yes, it was that kind of day. Cool, but tolerable; a good day. Nobody was prepared for the horror the day would bring. Even Miami residents who were becoming accustomed to waking up to sad news since the arrival of the Mexicans in their neighbourhood never expected the day would suddenly turn sour.

For Eileen, 35years old, pre-school teacher at Bennett High School, it was a great day to look forward to. It was the kind of day when her pupils wouldn’t want to do anything. Most of her colleagues would go extra length trying to get them to cooperate. “Those teeny-weeny weasels, making their teachers sing, and dance like fools to make them learn, not me.” she would say to her friend Josephine.

To this Josephine, would reply, “It’s part of the job.” and Eileen would scoff, and walk away. She was not going to let some minions ride on her emotions. For her, she knew just the cure; a whiff of her long cane, which would then be carefully placed on her table afterwards, would send the signal. Seeing the cane, the preschoolers would sober up. Discipline was something every child must learn, irrespective of the means it took.

“I wonder though, how they never tell on you” Josephine was prone to say anytime they were on the way home, and she complains of having waist pain. Most times, she dances until it hurts to get the best out of the kids. As a mother herself, she didn’t mind. But age was telling on her. The result was a persistent pain in her waist. She wished sometimes she could be like her disciplinarian friend.

“I threaten them with the cane again” Eileen would tell Joe.

“Still, you have a strong hold on them, I can never bring myself to do that”

“Then enjoy the waist pains” Eileen would laugh, as she crossed to her lane.

It was true that she had her means with the kids. None of them dare speaks about her beatings to their parents. They knew the repercussions. And she was also smart enough not to leave evidence. None of the kids actually see her flog. Whenever she wanted to, Eileen would drag the offender into the closet down the hall. She would lock the door, and do the deed. The offender comes back in tears, and her mates knew she had been lashed. But did they see it, no.

Nobody but Josephine knew how Eileen got her class well comported, but they envied her. So far, she had been able to achieve what no one had even been able to. She was the first staff to ever tame young, and spoilt rich kids of world’s renowned villains. The school was notorious for taking on kids of parents with questionable background. Most of the kids were either from a powerful family, or the new mafia kids down town, or one miscreant or the other. The staff suspected they pay well to guarantee the school authority turning a blind eye to who they are, and just what they did to the society.

There was also gossip too, that most of these parents simply blackmailed the school into taking the kids. This rumor wasn’t farfetched. Most of the kids from such bargain were known to threaten their class teachers who acted in a way they didn’t like. Kids like that were hardly touched. Everyone stirred clear of them. Everyone except Eileen of course. She was the one always called on to handle such cases anytime the need arises.

There once was a boy whose father had the singular reputation of disturbing the neighbourhood. He was feared for his ruthlessness, and he was always causing an uproar in the district. Severally, he had been arrested, and sent to jail. He became a regular that the judges, and military officers soon got fed up with him. Anytime he appeared, they simply fine him an exorbitant fee, which he always gets his men to pay up, and he would be back home to deal with whoever got him fined. As a punishment, he collects twice the money he pays in court from the person. Sometimes triple the amount. Everyone just avoided them.

When his kid got sent out of school again, the man sent him to Bennett High School. Everyone knew him. Nobody wanted any issue with him. Naturally, the boy ended up in the only class where such could be handle; Eileen’s. The boy as usual began his discrepancies. He started by bullying his classmates, then graduated to passing insults on teachers. Then came Eileen’s turn. His mates had reported how their teacher handled them, but he didn’t believe them even though secretly, he dreaded the cane on the desk every morning. The first thing he did was get rid of the cane.

“Nothing more to fear” he told his classmates amidst a wicked laughter. Eileen who was about entering the class when she heard the noise, stayed back to watch the show. She was shocked as the little minion poured glue on her seat. Done with his charade, he quietly went to his seat. As Eileen got in class minutes later, she could see her pupils wide eyed, waiting for her to seat. And boy, did she put up a good show for them? Each time she tried to sit, they whined, but nobody said anything. At first, she was tempted to flog them all, but she let them be. Instead, she called the boy to the seat, and put him firmly there.

She made him sit there all through the day. By closing, he was terribly stuck to the chair. Nobody could explain how it happened in class. All the preschoolers said it was Ben, who put the glue there for their teacher while Eileen acted like she hadn’t seen it. And so, the news spread. When the father came for his child, roaring to see who made his boy’s buttock stuck to the chair, he was told the boy did himself. He was just served his own medicine. Rather than face the teacher, as the boy expected, he was blamed. His father kept ranting of how he would flog him himself, soon as his bum healed. The boy, seeing his father wasn’t on his side this time, learnt his lesson.

Nobody believed the man wouldn’t do anything. His son’s ass was a mess after it was unstuck form the chair. But since no one but the child was to be blamed for the deed, he had no one to fight. This again made Eileen to be feared by her pupils. She even earned a new name; witch. The kids whispered it among themselves.

In Bennett High School, all had been going smoothly for a while, until a new kid was brought in. The skinny girl was taken into Eileen’s class immediately. She was skinny, with big bright eyes, and scary looking. From the instant she entered the school, everyone knew this was going to be a tough nut to crack. Her father, an intimidating giant, did nothing to help matters. He had just lost his wife, he told the school authority. He wanted his child getting all the care she could. But from the girls’ look, it was clear she had no intention of taking any care from anyone.

Unlike the kids from the Mexican mafia families, she came in alone. Sometimes, her father drove her in himself. Since they just moved in with their large family, it appeared the girl wasn’t mingling well with anyone yet. The other kids protected her as family, but she kept her distance. Still, nobody dare touch a strand of her hair.

Eileen took the girl under her wing, and like the witch, did her thing with the cane. No one messes with her. But the girl was new. Not only was she new, she was Mexican and couldn’t understand half of what was being said. While the others tremble for the cane, this one wasn’t in the least bit intimidated. You see, the skinny girl was used to being flogged. The marks all over her body was proof of this. The cane didn’t intimidate her. And she had learnt to always report to her father. After a few days in school, trouble started when her father walked into the school angry and looking for the teacher who had messed up his kid.

After this, series of warnings was left for Eileen who refused to heed. Then the unthinkable happened. For the school teacher, her reputation as the most disciplined teacher at the school was threatened, so she wouldn’t budge. Not even when her best friend, Josephine told her the girl was the Mexican Mafia Lord’s only child, who could be dangerous as he wasn’t yet known did Eileen pay attention.

Sometimes, Eileen’s staunch stubbornness came from a deeper revelation. Having a young lawyer boyfriend did the trick. Eileen was never bothered. Her boyfriend, a twenty something year old, always insist she relax her mind. The law was for the learned. If she could have that, she was powerful enough. Like her, he didn’t fear the Mexicans. They were just illiterates. An educated man with the right tool need not fear them.

“If I have a store, I’d never pay them a dime” Eileen would boast to Josephine, sugar coating her boyfriend’s line. “They are just worthless touts with guns.”

But she was soon to learn otherwise the hard way. Yes, the day had started really cold and harmless for it to harbor such evil. Nobody knew it was going to be the day Eileen would have her body parts scattered all over the place.

You see, some years ago, a certain Mexican family had moved into Miami shortly after the founding members. Everything being equal, they qualified to be a founding member too. But because they didn’t comply mostly with the rules, and of course their foreign language, they were set apart. So though the suburban Miami founding members were five, there was this unnamed, unrecognized Mexican family who did their own thing too.

It didn’t take long for the residents to know this wasn’t just any family. For one, in few months, the family had grown so large it was hard to which was who. Residents claim they were an extended family with lots of interwoven nuclear families of six and seven. The family began to expand at the detriment of the residents. To make room for their growing family, the owner of the next building to theirs; a widow with three kids was sent out with her kids. Her home became theirs. Some claimed the poor woman was settled, but there was nothing concrete. She never spoke about it, but she continued to curse the Mexican every time she passed by the house, discreetly of course.

The next building to hers was owned by a farmer who refused to sell. The land was fertile, and he got good yield every season. Not even when a major road was to be built did the farmer sell. The government couldn’t settle him, as he refused firmly. They let him, and left out a small inch for him while constructing the road. The first year the Mexican confronted him to give up the land, and he refused, an oil spillage ruined his entire crops. The farmer still wouldn’t give up. Suddenly, there was a fire outbreak overnight and the distraught farmer lost everything. With nothing left to salvage, the farmer agreed to sell the land for a far lesser price. He knew series of incidents like this would continue if he didn’t.

There were so many questionable crimes being committed by these lots. Their kids oppressed everyone as did the adults. It was not safe walking alone on the streets. People were maimed for going against them. They soon earned the name; Mexican Mafia. Business owners pay them to have their stores protected. The ones who don’t pay, wake up to looted stores. Every business deals had to go through them, so they can get their cut. The family soon amassed so much wealth at the expense of the scared neighbors. And the law was useless against them. Who dares file a lawsuit against them anyway.

The residents avoided them. Nobody wanted anything to do with the family aside the occasional settlements mandated to keep them, their stores and family safe. Because nobody would take in their kids in school, for fear of stepping on their toes, most of them sent their wards to the only school that welcomed their kids in; Bennett High School.

As usual, Eileen got to school that day with such expectation. The kids were all cold until she walked into the class. They stood up forcefully to greet her, and she smiled at the fear she could see in their eyes. She had them, she smiled, and started teaching. If she noticed the new girl’s absence, she said nothing. You see, just the other day, the girl had been disrespectful again. And like she did whenever they were out of line, she took the girl to the room down the hall, and flogged her. Somehow, the cane hit the girl on the ear, and it bled a few. It was expected if the skinny thing didn’t show up for some days. As a matter of fact, the teacher was prepared for another embarrassing episode with her dad. After all, he had been sending in lots of threats, and didn’t do a thing. Eileen scoffed, she didn’t even understand why people have to live in fear of the family. She knew the law, she would say. She wasn’t going to let some barbarians intimidate her. The girl’s father would meet her here, prepared as usual.

But he never came! Not to the school anyway. After close of school, Josephine and Eileen walked the short distance to their home. Just as Eileen was about moving into the lane that lead to her house, a van stopped right in front of the ladies. Only the offensive teacher was abducted. Josephine alerted the authorities immediately. Nothing could be done unless it was 48hours, they said. This was partly because the officers knew what they were up against.

The men didn’t wait 48hours. In less than 30minutes, Eileen’s body had been dismembered, and dispatched, blood and all, over the place with a warning; this is what would be done to any teacher who makes our kids bleed.

*******

“Wait, they killed her immediately, and dismembered her?” asked Evangeline with her face screwed up in disgust. Beside her, Jason held her hand tightly.

“Yes” said Robert.

Okay, that wasn’t a good sight, she thought. Evangeline started to feel her stomach distorted. Feeling nauseous, she dashed out of the room, with Jason right behind her. The others sat down, waiting for the couple to get back. Adriana followed them to check on her sister too.

“I suggest we take some minutes” smiling shakenly, he asked “Who wants tea, anything?.” He called for the maids to serve everyone something while they take a break.

“Is she okay?” Adriana asked Jason, who was just stepping out of the toilet. Evangeline walked out too, cleaning her mouth.

“I’m fine” said Evan before Jason could reply.

“Need some air?” asked Jason, holding her down. When she nodded, Adriana nodded for Jason to go with her. As the two walked away, she also went to check on the kids. Ethan and Elizabeth were upstairs with the maid, and a security detail. She stepped into their rooms to see them sleeping sound. She was lost in thought as she walked out of the room, and almost ran into Noah.

“Are they all right?’ Noah asked, pulling Adriana into the next room. The room was Evans, and had been retouched lately, probably with the hope that Evan might want to sleep over. But with Jason being around, it was unlikely the room would be used by the lady.

Adriana took in the pure clandestine calmness of the room, and wished she could say she felt calm in all these. She was scared. Scared for herself, and her family. This was taking so much from them. “Yes, they’re asleep” she replied. They both stayed in the room, silent.

“I’m sorry.” he said, reaching for her.

She blamed her vulnerability on him. She felt so drained that she walked towards him in a tight embrace. And the tears began to fall. “I’m scared of everything. I don’t want to lose my kids”

“You won’t lose them” he cooed. As they hug, he could feel himself wanting her, wanting to feel her warmth, hear her cries of pleasure as he made he cum all over him. He locked the door, uncaring if she hated him after all. He kissed her slightly, testing her. She didn’t turn away or resist. It was the cue he needed. He took her lips in his, and kissed her passionately. She reached for him, leaning into him, her anger forgotten as she demanded that he fill her up.

Clothes were hurriedly discarded on the bed. They were burning for each other. There was no need delaying their needs. He walked their naked bodies to the bed while his hand guided them. Once in bed, he reached for her hair, and let it down. He wanted her all over him. Her lustful look made him lose it, as in one swift move he was buried deep inside her. Their bodies soon found their rhythm of their own. “Deeper” she cried out.

Swearing, he wraps her legs round his neck, and plunged deeper. Her moans as he dug into her then withdraw, and dig back was his undoing. He stopped moving, not ready to end this now. he wanted this to go on and on. She wriggled beneath him, urging him on. And he did as she wanted. He groaned, just as she moaned, and he knew her release was soon. He let her have it, just as he knew he would keep going until he found his.

She trashed around wildly, finding her release. Her wet hot fluid finished him off. Just one more stroke, and he was falling down on her. He rolled off her, tired. But she wasn’t done. She straddled his still hard dick, and went down on him. His left hand cupped her cheek as she took him again. The pressure began to mount as she rides on. She was demanding again, that he gave her more. He watched her pace, and finding the rhythm, lifted his hip to meet her half way down. And she moaned deliriously. They continued moving against each other, with each other, creating a fine friction between them. This time, when she came, he came with her. Exhausted, she collapsed on him.

After they were done, reality kicked in. She rolled off him, and stepped in the shower. The door was firmly closed. Noah knew whatever they had shared just now was done. She was back to hating him. Hitting the wall, he gathered his clothes, and began to dress up quickly. He would have to shower in the other room. Gently, he closed the door as he left the room.

In the shower, Adriana began to sponge her body so thoroughly it hurts. She couldn’t believe she had just given her body to the man who had used her all these years. Hating herself for being so needy and cheap, she continued to scrub her body painfully. Never, she told herself. This was never going to happen anymore. She was done with Noah Monterey.

*******

As Jason walked Evan outside for some air, she suddenly took his hand. “Let me show you my hiding spot” she said, pulling him towards the back of the Swiss’ other building. It was the building the Monterey were lodged. They went round the building to a small door. She pushed the door opened. With a few creaky sound, the door opened, and holding Jason’s hand, stepped in.

The room was a small cubicle that had been built as kids’ storage. Right now, it housed nothing but old toys and a tiny bed, with a reading lamp and chair. “I always come here to scream whenever mom got me upset” she told Jason, “And she did that all the time. Always blaming me for misleading Ad”

Jason sat down on the tiny bed, his eyes filled with laughter as he asked, “And were you?”

“No.” she said so strongly then calmed down considerably, “I do have a way of making her do things I want to do” she smiled.

“So, she was right?” he asked She went to sit with him. “Well, I wouldn’t say that. She painted me as this manipulating bitch. And I was just a kid”

He pulled her to himself, and placed her head gently on his shoulder. “Sometimes, the adults get overboard with their kids” he sighed, remembering his own childhood. “Mine never listened to me. They let me figure most of the things I know by myself. I had no sibling to play or talk with”

She looked at him, rubbing his arm, “It must have been boring”

He nodded, placing her head back on his shoulder. “It was.” he smiled, “There was no one to share my toys with. Well, until I met James”

“Your chief security?”

“Yes. He and I became friend instantly. He’s always been by my side ever since. I trust him even now.”

They were both silent for a while.

“So, you come here alone, or with your sister?”

Evangeline sighed, “I didn’t let Adriana know about this place.” she confessed, “I wanted it to be my private space. But she found me sneaking in one day, and that was the end of privacy for me. Although she did have a great impact here. She got me the bed.” she laughed, “As peace offering.”

“Must be nice to be discovered then” he commented drily.

“I just wanted somewhere no one could disturb me. I was upset she found the space” she smiled as he stroked her hair. It was something she had seen him do with Ellen. “Can we have something like this for the kid?” she asked, rubbing her stomach. She suddenly felt a kick and gasped.

“What?” Jason asked, looking at her worried. When she smiled, he looked confused.

She took his hand, and placed it on her stomach, “He moved” she said happily, waiting for the baby to move again so he could feel the kick. The baby moved and she almost screamed excitedly.

“Yes” he yelled, feeling the baby move. He gently rubbed her stomach hoping to catch another kick. Excitedly, he reached for her and kissed her with all he felt for her. Then suddenly remembering something, he pulled away. “He?” he asked.

She nodded, “I don’t know. The scan is tomorrow. Want to come?”

“Yes, of course, yes” then smiling, “Why he then? I don’t mind a she” he told her honestly.

“I want little Jason playing around” she laughed.

“Okay” he said, rising up. He helped her up. Then pulled her into him as he ran his hand through her hair. She turned her face up to kiss him, the excitement making her horny again. “Didn’t we just…”

He knew what she meant, but didn’t mind. It was his pleasure to satisfy her need anytime. Kissing her, he moved them towards the wall while he lifted her up. With one hand, he pulled down his zipper, then reached for her pant. Pulling it aside, he stroked her with his finger and she moaned into his mouth. The sound made him spurt a few seeds. In one swift move, he replaced his finger with his hardened groin, and buried himself deep in her. He continued working them both until they found release.

“Wow.” she said, getting down. “That was…amazing”

He helped her get down, “Was it?” he teased, “I thought it was better than amazing.” she hugged him tightly, “The things you do to me”

“As do you”

“Do you suppose we can go back now? so Adriana doesn’t walk in on us”

Smiling, she nodded, “Let’s.” They went back to the room. The others were having tea, bread, jam. She sat down to a teacup, and sipped. Beside her, Adriana was pale. She nudged her, “Hey you” she said to her sister. “Everything all right with you?” she asked “Yes, I’m fine” Adriana replied quickly, her eyes darting daggers at Noah, sitting across her with his cousins.

“Did something happen?” Evan insisted, seeing the look she was giving Noah.

“Nothing” was Adriana’s quick reply “Then stop sending thunders and brimstone on the man. If you want him, go get him”

“Want him?” she turned to her sister, “Are you high?”

“Well.” Evan shrugged, “You could forgive him, and move on” she said, “You obviously are still hung up over him” sipping her tea, she couldn’t resist adding, “As does he, by the way.” She looked at Noah again, something about the man’s demeanor made Evan turn to her sister with a questioning look.

“Don’t you dare say it” Adriana threatened, seeing as Evan had found her secret. She felt ashamed.

“Holy shit” Evan said, and turned away, amused. She was going to tease her sister mercilessly about this. But now wasn’t the time.

The plates and teacups were cleared, and everyone got back in the room. Robert continued with the tale. “Killing Eileen and distributing her body parts mercilessly round the county, was justice served in the most inhumane way. The residents had finally had enough. The court couldn’t overlook the case. The federal court became interested. It was no longer a thing to be handled by the state court anymore though the presiding judge was me.” This was one of the cases Robert Swiss had taken on just when he got married. His new bride then Eleanor had been sneaking into court to watch him. “The federal court sent a petition to have the family leave the suburb. They had had enough of their atrocities.” He stopped talking, and gently squeezed his wife’s hand. In between the story, she had slipped her hands in his. And he could use her warmth right now.

Mrs. Swiss continued the tale. “The mafia left. They moved with their families, and kids, and cars. Nothing but their building was left behind. Even the building was destroyed angrily. The panes were broken and half of the building burnt down in anger. But they did leave the suburbs. With their departure was peace as the residents had known it before. People heaved a sigh of relief. There was no fear of being attacked, or having to lose your properties because someday needed it.” she breathes in heavily. But though the residents were relieved, the presiding judge made himself an enemy. For the very next day, a bloody letter was axed to the courtroom door. It was a message. Robert retrieved the blank, but bloodied letter with dread. Though nothing was written, the message was clear. The Mafia family would someday return for retribution. ‘The next day, we found a letter. It was nailed to the courtroom door with an axe; a comeback message” she said.

“How come we never knew about this?” Adriana asked, getting upset. She couldn’t understand why such things could be kept hidden.

“You weren’t even born then” was Mrs. Swiss’ prompt reply.

“So, you never heard from them afterwards?” James asked, looking from Robert to his wife.

“No” Robert said, looking mollified. “Does that qualify for the personal vendetta you meant?”

Nodding, James affirmed that should be it, “Yes”

Everywhere was tensed.

“I suppose now is the time to call the extra help?” he asked James, who nodded.

Robert called the man, and told him exactly what he would be needing; men, and ammunitions.

“I may have some inside information too. There’s a man I can reach out to. Jason will give you the feedback on that.

Robert nodded, “Thank you” he said, first to James, then to everyone in the room. “The next moments will be tough. I believe they have enough intel on us all. Thankfully, now we do. Noah, Gaby, Samantha. I cannot apologize enough for everything. I’m sorry”

“It’s okay.” Gaby murmured, “We’re in this together”

Noah looked at his cousin with so much pride, and love “Thank you” he told him, then to Samantha too. The three hugged each other.

“Are we staying here or do we go back now?” Samantha asked everyone.

“You could stay till tomorrow when we have enough men to disperse” Robert said, “To be safe”

“We have our men” Gaby said proudly.

“A little more wouldn’t hurt. I owe you.” Robert told him, “Let me do this”