Thin Ice 6 - Hangman & Socrates (17 page)

Kaitlyn pushed the evil memories away quickly turning on the radio and finding a station. Any noise at this point was good noise if it kept the darkness away. She vaguely wondered if her father was surviving prison, but quickly dismissed the pondering.
I hope he rots in hell,
she thought as a final effort and turned him off in her head. Instead Kaitlyn turned her thoughts to Jaleesa and helping her get the abortion she wanted without Deuce finding out.
I sure hope he doesn’t beat her again if he does,
Kaitlyn mused as she saw her turn and made sure she took it. Passing a roadside advertising Blue Power, she sighed softly thinking of her own loss.
You promised you would contact him,
her conscience told her.
Lauren promised,
Kaitlyn quickly corrected and dismissed the thought. Blue was another life and that life didn’t exist anymore. Kaitlyn had her own man and his name was Devontae, end of story. Turning the radio up Kaitlyn thought about nothing else except getting home for the rest of the trip.

15

The rain was coming down as Judge Ronald Bishop arrived home. He drove the Benz into the garage and switched off the engine. Watching as the garage door closed, he gathered his briefcase and got out of the car headed inside.

“
Lydia, darling I’m home,” he called out to his wife as he put his briefcase and wet coat down in the small foyer area from the garage.

Getting no response, he shrugged slightly assuming she was upstairs out of hearing and went into his den to make himself a drink.

“
Good evening, Judge Bishop,” the tall well-dressed man greeted him.

Lydia was tied to one of the beige Queen Anne chairs the room contained, standing out in stark contrast to the serenity the room normally held with the framed waterscapes and softly billowing rose colored sheer curtains, framed by the upscale collection of mahogany wood furniture. She was gagged, her eyes speaking her fear.

“
What are you doing in my house,” Ronald returned.

His nerves were of course on edge, but he didn’t want to show these men fear.

“
I’m here to pay a debt of course,” the man replied calmly.

Ronald swallowed hard having no idea what the man was talking about but he had the feeling it wasn’t good.

“
Whatever it is you want, just name it and let’s get this over with,” Ronald tried to bluff.

The man chuckled softly and told him sit down. “You’re not in court Judge,” he said simply as another man entered from the kitchen, juice bottle in hand.

“
Hey glad to see you made it to the party,” he joked pushing Ronald toward the other chair in the room.

Securing him the men continued to regard the couple quietly.

“
Who sent you people to my house,” Ronald asked yet another time.

“
An old friend,” the first man replied.

He seemed to be the more cultured of the two.

“
What friend, you’re talking in circles,” Ronald finally threw out frustrated with the game.

The first man laughed as his accomplice continued to make crude gestures to Lydia.

“
You know with men of power, they are so easily corrupted,” the man began anew as Ronald listened intently. “They forget they are merely men, and that no one man is bigger or better than any other,” he continued, opening the cigar box the large maple desk held.

Clipping the end he lit it and inhaled deeply, walking over to Ronald and blowing the smoke directly into his face.

“
How long have you been married,” he asked calmly.

Ronald swallowed hard and told him almost 23 years.

“
Mm, nice,” he replied turning his attention to Lydia. “Was she a virgin when you married,” he inquired once more as his friend chuckled.

“
Please, just leave us alone,” Ronald returned, not liking where the questioning was headed.

“
What are they paying you, I’ll give you more,” he tried, hoping the men were only after money or here to scare them.

“
I can’t do that Judge Bishop, that would make me a dishonorable man,” he told him calmly.

“
Besides, I’m leaving tonight, relocating to Kansas City, I have a new job there,” he told him as Ronald nodded his understanding.

“
So in all fairness I guess I really could tell you my name, hmm,” he inquired as Ronald shook his head no.

If they told them their identities he knew without a doubt they were going to kill them both.

“
I’m Nero,” the man said calmly. “And this is my friend, Payback,” he added, chuckling at the end of his sentence.

“
Please Mr. Nero, just take whatever you want and leave us alone,” Ronald pleaded.

“
In due time Judge, in due time,” he replied as Payback, yanked Lydia from the chair, throwing her onto the Victorian sofa.

She screamed and tried to fight as he tore her clothing from her.

“
No, stop, don’t do this,” Ronald pleaded, tears in his eyes as he watched the man slap his wife.

“
It would seem that Payback has plans of his own, Judge, best not to get in his way,” Nero replied emotionless as Payback finally succeeded in his mission, thrusting deeply as Lydia screamed behind the gag, and Ronald sobbed in pain, eyes closed and head hung trying to block out the image.

*****

Jack Duggard was feeling his oats, barking orders at the various staff and inmate alike. He still hadn’t gotten a rise of out Carlo or Cartier and it was beginning to annoy him. He didn’t like the still regal air of respect and superiority they were afforded here in his prison.
I’m going to bring those two used to be kingpins down a notch or two,
he continued to brood. No one had been brought forward to pay for Peter Diggs death and that again made him angry. If the inmates started to believe they could get away with murder, he would have anarchy on his hands. Warden Duggard had something to prove. He was gunning for a spot on the Federal Prison’s board and he needed Leavenworth to be that stepping stone. Heading back into his office, he told his secretary he didn’t want to be disturbed for the remainder of the evening. She nodded her understanding and rose to handle some business of her own. Settling behind the large metal desk, Jack swung his chair around admiring the scenery from his window. He could see well beyond the walls of the prison. The world outside didn’t matter though. It was in here that he was king, and as king, he was going to have respect.

Turning back around he was shocked to find both the men he had been thinking about, standing in front of him.

“
What are you doing in here,” Jack barked, getting a sinking feeling.

Surely they weren’t stupid enough to try anything in broad daylight with all the guards on duty.

“
We came to see you Warden,” Cartier told him calmly, eyeing him evenly.

Carlo said nothing, but that nothing was screaming at Jack when he looked into his eyes.

“
We have been doing just fine in this hell hole until you came and decided you wanted to make it even worse,” Cartier continued rising now and walking around the desk, right up in Jack’s face.

“
Scared,” he asked, smiling at him now.

“
You two are going to get six months in the hole for this shit,” Jack tried to once again bluff.

Carlo burst into laughter and Cartier simply shrugged.

“
How tall are you warden,” he asked calmly.

Jack frowned in confusion not sure why he asked but not answering him either.

“
You don’t hear well,” Cartier asked, the surprise punch stunning Jack.

He tried to get out of the chair, opening his mouth to yell for help, but Cartier was on him too quickly; pushing him back into the chair as Carlo taped his mouth shut and quickly taped him to the chair by his arms.

“
Now,” Cartier began anew. “Let’s play a new game,” he told him calmly as Jack’s pulse skyrocketed and he realized he had no help, recalling his admonition to his secretary to not be disturbed the rest of the day.

*****

Payback finished with Lydia and pulled his pants up, leaving her lying on the sofa still sobbing softly.

“
You can look now Ronald,” Nero teased as Payback again burst into laughter.

“
Why are you doing this to us,” he asked, all fight gone from him.

“
Please you’ve hurt my wife, you’ve hurt me, just leave us alone,” Ronald continued to beg.

“
I’m afraid that’s not part of the package Judge,” Nero told him walking over to the couch now.

Ronald prayed he wasn’t going to assault his wife as well. Nero looked at the woman, feeling nothing. This was simply an assignment he’d been well compensated for, and that’s how he handled it. Nero punched her hard to the stomach watching her wheeze and gasp for air behind the gag, making no attempt to remove it.

“
Don’t, stop,” Ronald yelled out as Payback smoked his joint and enjoyed the show.

Nero began beating her mercilessly, enjoying each and every blow he inflicted. Lydia was barely conscious when he paused for a moment. He turned his attention to Ronald. The man was clearly defeated. His eyes spoke of a pain that was deep and far reaching as he looked at his injured spouse.

“
Does it hurt Ronald,” Nero asked calmly.

“
What,” Ronald returned, still dazed.

“
Does it hurt when someone hurts the ones you love for no apparent reason, other than the fact that they can,” Nero clarified.

“
Yes,” Ronald answered simply.

“
Hmph,” Nero replied, returning to his work and beating Lydia more.

Snatching her from the couch, he pushed her to her knees and sat down behind her. Payback smiled slightly knowing his next move and turned his attention to Ronald.

“
You do this on a daily basis,” Nero told him. “You hurt peoples families for no good reason, you split them up, you take their loved ones, you destroy their lives,” he went on as the straight razor came out of his pocket.

“
I’m only following the law,” Ronald yelled praying these psychopaths would hear him.

“
What is this about, who sent you,” he screamed, the tears taking over once again as Lydia pitifully clung to consciousness.

Nero smiled slightly knowing he was almost at the edge.

“
Hangman Cisneros sends his regards,” he told him as he calmly and methodically cut Lydia’s throat, hot life fluid raging forward from the exposed jugular vein.

“
No, please, God no,” Ronald cried out screaming and thrashing trying to get out of the chair.

“
Shh, calm down, calm down,” Nero told him letting the lifeless woman drop to the floor and walking over to the still sobbing man.

“
I didn’t do anything to him, it was the prosecution’s case,” Ronald blubbered.

“
Mmm,” Nero thought momentarily.

“
Who was the source Judge Bishop,” he asked plainly.

This was the one piece of information he’d been requested to get before killing them.

“
They had an agent on the inside,” Ronald freely gave.

He saw Lydia still moving and prayed if he told them quickly they would leave and he could get them help.

“
Who was the agent,” Nero questioned, his patience growing thin.

“
I don’t know his real identity,” Ronald answered truthfully.

“
Fine, what was his name for the case,” he asked as Ronald again readily supplied an answer.

“
Roderick, Roderick Aames,” he replied as Nero thanked him politely and Payback put three bullets into Lydia’s skull.

Ronald gasped at the sound, just as Nero put two bullets of his own directly into the judge’s heart, freezing the look of horror on his face into death.

*****

Jack was watching the two men warily as they continued their tasks wordlessly. Carlo checked the rope and noose fashioned as he swung it across the exposed beam in Warden Duggard's office. Satisfied it would hold, he returned to his seat and sat down, regarding the man once again. Cartier took out a pen and paper placing them in front of Jack, who finally got the message that they were planning to make his murder look like suicide.

“
Now,” Cartier began diplomatically. “Would you like to write a goodbye note to your wife and daughter perhaps,” he asked, letting Jack know they had knowledge of his family.

His eyes again grew big, as he swallowed hard.

“
I love the roses that Carol has planted beside the house, and little Amy is quite the gardener herself,” he told him calling both his wife and daughter by name, even describing their house in explicit details.

“
So you see Jack,” Cartier continued. “You picked the wrong two men to fuck with,” he spat acidly as Carlo chuckled.

He knew his friend was growing angry, and when Cartier got angry, they had serious fun.

“
Now do you want to leave them a note or not,” he asked once more as Jack shook his head yes, knowing they would need to free one of his hands.