Two Tribes, page 4
part #1 of Young Atlanteans Series
She was staring at him and sensing his unhappiness and he didn’t like it. It made him feel exposed.
Then Richie burst into the room, without knocking, and the heat was taken off him. His beaming smile dropped for a second when he saw JJ on his sister’s bed, but his excitement got the better of him. ‘Tish, come and see. It’s massive.’
Latitia was already climbing across JJ to get down the ladder. He slid down straight after.
‘What is it?’ Latitia said
‘A massive TV.’
‘A Game Station! A Game Station!’ Little Marcus was saying, jumping up and down.
In the living room, they were all gathered round while Valarie pulled the last of the packing from the huge TV, satellite box and games console.
JJ cast a look Xavier’s way, who rolled his eyes. It was obvious who’d sent it.
The Johnsons were thrilled.
‘Set it up, Richie. We’ll have dinner on our laps tonight.’
Valarie left the room, wiping her eyes. It left JJ with a strange, confusing ache in his stomach. He couldn’t tell if she was happy or upset. It didn’t take much to guess there wasn’t a lot of money coming into this house. He’d never been around people this poor and it made him angry. Whether it was Dante or Jay who sent this, it didn’t matter. They were riding rough-shod into people’s lives and affecting them enough to bring a nice woman to tears.
* * *
Their food came on patterned plates of varying sizes with cutlery that didn’t match, but they ate quickly. The fish and rice were cooked in a way JJ had never tasted before. Valarie explained it was Caribbean food. He liked it and guessed she’d been warned to avoid serving meat as their bodies had trouble metabolising it. Still troubled by Valarie’s reaction to his dad’s gift, JJ went to clear up the plates and take them into the kitchen.
‘Don’t worry, love,’ Valarie said. ‘Richie and Dwayne can do it tonight. I’ll draw up a rota tomorrow. You go and put your feet up.’
He just shrugged and went back into the living room. Latitia had gone back to her room.
‘It’s the pits,’ Alexia said as soon as she was sure they were alone.
‘If Dad thinks sending all this means we’re staying, he’s wrong,’ Xavier said.
JJ sighed and kicked back in his chair, vaguely aware there was a knock at the front door. ‘Does it matter where we are? It all ends up the same. I don’t mind it. At least they’re not fake.’
‘We’ll see if you feel the same when you’ve humped her,’ Xavier said.
JJ flashed a warning look at Xavier’s unapologetic face and went to come back with something, when he heard raised voices coming from the hallway.
All three of them leapt to their feet to go and see what the shouting was about.
There were two huge white blokes, almost the size of his father’s guards, standing in the hallway. One, with tattoos covering a shaved head, was pushing Richie and Dwayne back, telling them to, ‘Back off!’, The other, fatter with pale skin, freckles and ginger hair was holding back Valarie. It was clear the boys were trying to push them out of the flat. Latitia held the two little ones against the back wall, crying to get to their mother.
‘I told you, next week. I’ll have it by then,’ Valarie was shouting.
‘We’ll just take something now to help you remember,’ the bald one said. Then, when the boys realised what he would inevitably take, they renewed their efforts to block him. He simply tutted, pulled back his arm and punched Dwayne squarely in the eye, sending him flying. The Johnson boys were big, but still only youths and no contest for the two gorillas pushing their way in.
JJ immediately stepped forward into the hallway, barring their progress, and Xavier was right there with him.
The two men pulled up when they caught sight of them. ‘What do we have ’ere?’ the bald one said, laughing.
‘Please go into the other room, boys. I can deal with this,’ Valarie said.
‘Maybe I can be of help?’ JJ said.
The bald guy was looking mildly amused. ‘And what can you do, Son, eh?’
JJ felt Dwayne come up to the left of him, rubbing his jaw. ‘What do you need?’ JJ asked.
The bald debt collector pointed past him into the open door to the living room. ‘That telly for starters.’
‘I’m afraid that’s mine.’
The two men faced each other and laughed. ‘Oh, I’m frightfully sorry,’ the bald one said, mimicking a posh accent.
‘How much money do you need?’ JJ said.
‘No JJ,’ Valarie said, shaking her head.
He wasn’t sure if she was scared or embarrassed at owing these goons money.
‘Five hundred quid!’ the bald one said as if throwing any figure out as a test.
Xavier came closer and touched JJ’s hand. The minute they touched, they could project each other’s thoughts. They’d practiced since they were children and did it often – A gift from their grandmother’s side of the family. How much do you have? JJ asked.
About four hundred. You? Xavier replied.
About the same. JJ put up his hand. ‘One minute.’
The bloke waved him on to continue with a regal hand, still making fun of him, and Xavier disappeared to get the money. The two men exchanged a look.
Xavier returned a few minutes later and put a wad of money in the bald one’s hand. ‘There … Five hundred pounds.’
The man did a quick count and grinned. ‘Same time next week then, Son.’
Valarie put her head in her hands. He wasn’t sure if it was because he’d paid for her, or because the bloke knew he had a source of real money and was going to be back.
‘No!’ JJ said. ‘When you come next time, it will be for the final balance. Do you understand?’
They turned to each other again. ‘Do you understand?’ he mimicked again. ‘Can you believe this kid?’ Then his arm flew out and grabbed JJ by the throat.
CHAPTER 4
The four huge Santalini vampires sat parked up conspicuously in the street, in the blacked-out SUV. It was almost dark and the streetlights had just come on. They’d been watching the flats. One picked up his phone. ‘Dante?’
‘Keenan … everything OK?’
‘Yeah, we’re outside the place now. Two local characters have just gone in. What do you want us to do?’
There was silence for a beat. ‘Watch … do nothing yet. I want them to handle it themselves. I don’t want them to assume we’ll bail them out every time they mess up.’
Keenan wasn’t sure, but Dante was the king, so, with a deep sigh, he agreed and clicked off his phone, throwing it on top of the dashboard.
Dante had really lost it this time. Keenan was a prince of the Santalini royal family, revered as the special forces of the race. He was also mated to the queen’s sister. They’d been brought up in a place just like this and he knew how dangerous it could be. Life was cheap, and spoiled, mollycoddled kids like Dante’s and Jay’s could be crushed like bugs. They were mad leaving them here like this.
‘They’ve been a while,’ Reeve, his guard mate said, interrupting his thoughts.
Keenan nodded absently. Those two low-lifes had debt collector written all over them.
* * *
Latitia watched in horror as the bald one walked forward, forcefully lifting JJ off the floor by the neck, and smacking the air out of him against the wall.
JJ’s face went red, holding the man’s wrist, trying to loosen his grip, while he held him seven or eight inches off the ground. The other boys shouted and went to take a step towards him, but the ginger one held out his hand and shouted, ‘Keep back or he’ll snap his neck!’
Everyone was forced to watch as JJ went limp in the man’s hold. The man’s partner smiled smugly as if it was a normal day’s work for him. Xavier watched nervously, and Dwayne and Richie caught Valarie in their arms before she made matters worse by flying into them.
‘Now listen, you little shit. You’re gonna have five hundred quid for me the same time every week. You understand?’
Latitia was watching JJ, hoping he’d agree just to end this nightmare, but apart from being red at the lack of air, he seemed relatively relaxed in the guy’s grip. He’d completely stopped fighting.
She wasn’t sure what happened exactly. The guy holding him began to shake his head. Then he seemed to stagger forward, loosening his grip enough for JJ to slip down onto his feet. As JJ’s colour began to return to normal, an awful noise started to come from the bald man’s throat.
His friend went to take a step forward. ‘What the—?’
Xavier moved for the first time and barred his way. In a weird reversal of roles, he shook his head. ‘Leave them.’
JJ and the thug seemed to be having a private chat. But that definitely wasn’t the case because JJ hadn’t spoken a word. Then the thug released his grip and doubled over, legs buckling, and JJ eased him down onto the floor until he was lying flat on his back and staring up at the ceiling.
Xavier went to JJ’s side and touched him on the shoulder. ‘Enough, JJ.’
JJ still hadn’t let go of the arm that had held him. Blood began to trickle from the man’s nose, and down the side of his cheek.
Everyone had witnessed something, but none of them were sure what it was.
Valarie hitched a breath and covered her mouth with her hand. The guy’s partner looked uncertain and agitated. ‘What you done to him?’
‘Stop now,’ Xavier repeated, quietly.
But JJ appeared fixated on the unmoving body at his feet.
Then, from nowhere, Alexia pulled JJ back by his free arm, breaking his stare and forcing him to let go. He blinked, appearing to wake up from a trance.
The other guy left standing was now looking like a trapped animal, not sure what to do. JJ turned to face him, now breathing as if he’d been running. ‘Take him! And have the final bill next week.’ His voice was cracked and dry, as if it was a strain speaking.
The guy stooped and struggled to pick his partner up, not allowing his eyes to leave JJ for more than a second. Then he threw him over his shoulder in two hefts, like an old carpet. Dwayne got the door and the man left as fast as he could.
Dwayne shut the door and locked it after him. Latitia allowed herself to breathe. The little ones slowly slid down her leg now it was safe and ran to Valarie. They stared up at the newcomers, as shocked as they all were.
JJ suddenly staggered and held his head. Xavier and Alexia rushed to him and got under each of his arms to take his weight. Before they led him away, JJ looked up to find Latitia’s gaze and held it for a moment. His was exhausted, holding such sadness; an unspoken apology, almost. Somehow, she knew it was for far more than witnessing what just happened.
Her hand went to her mouth in horror as a trickle of blood ran from his nose.
Valarie saw the same thing and ran to him. ‘He’s bleeding. Let’s get him straight to bed. I’ll call the doctor.’
‘It’s OK,’ Xavier said. ‘It’s a migraine. He’ll be fine after he sleeps it off.’
Latitia swapped a look with both her brothers, who were following the scene as closely as she was. They raised their eyebrows at each other; none of them sure what just happened.
* * *
Keenan stepped out from the gloomy stairwell at the foot of the stairs into the path of the two men he’d seen going into the flat. Except, this time, one was carrying the heavy weight of the other in a fireman’s carry. ‘Need a hand, mate?’
He stopped in front of Keenan.
The man went to step around him. ‘Nah, you’re alright, mate.’
Then Reeve stepped out from a doorway blocking his way again.
The bloke sagged, knowing he wasn’t getting out of this easily. He let his partner down till he was lying on the floor at his feet. ‘What do you want?’ His eyes were flat, waiting for the inevitable violence.
‘Your pal don’t look so good,’ Keenan said, flashing a look Reeve’s way. Reeve understood and bent down to put two fingers to the side of the unconscious guy’s neck. He nodded. ‘He’s alive.’
Keenan gave his attention back to the man in front of him. There was no point in wasting time asking what they were doing in the flat; he’d seen his type a hundred times. It was, however, intriguing how a woman and a bunch of kids managed to incapacitate a grown man built like a doorman. ‘What happened to your friend?’
‘Walked into a door.’
Keenan didn’t miss him tensing and ready to fight. He could smell the spike of adrenalin and his fear. He smiled and took a step into the guy’s space. Almost six inches taller, it wasn’t hard to intimidate him. The blood that washed over his eyes and flash of elongated fang made his eyes widen and any bravado disappear.
The bloke recoiled. ‘Look, I dunno what happened. There was a kid up there. One minute my mate ’ad ’im by the throat, the next he doubled over like he’d snuffed it. That was it … no one done nothin’.’
Keenan frowned. ‘Which kid?’
‘I dunno … some blond, posh kid. I’ve never seen him before.’
Keenan was beginning to lose patience. ‘And that’s it?’
‘Look, what do you want?’ the bloke said, mirroring his impatience.
Keenan answered by taking another step closer. ‘You don’t go back there, OK?’ he said in his most quiet and reasonable voice.
The bloke was already shaking his head. ‘Look, it’s not up to me, mate. They owe money.’
Keenan relaxed his stance slightly. The bloke was shitting himself more about the consequences of not going back than he was of him. He was just the messenger and if he didn’t go, someone else would be sent in his place. It was better to deal with someone he knew.
‘Did she pay today?’ Keenan asked.
The bloke looked uncomfortable. ‘The kids paid.’
‘How much?’
‘Five hundred quid.’
Keenan quirked an eyebrow at the amount of cash the kids had on them. ‘How was it left? Apart from the obvious,’ he said, bobbing his head at the body at his feet.
‘We told ’em we’d collect the same amount next week. The kid said no and to come back the once for what they owed. That was when it kicked off.’
Keenan exhaled loudly. The boy was so like his dad it was untrue. He narrowed his eyes on the bloke. ‘This is what you will do. When you come next time, you’ll come alone, and you’ll come here and not to that flat … are we clear?’ Their boss, whoever he was, was not going to let the family off by paying up what they owed. It wasn’t how they worked.
The bloke frowned. ‘Yeah, but what about the money … how will I find ya?’
‘I’ll be around. Don’t worry ’bout a thing.’ Then he let a swirl of blood into his eyes as a reminder. ‘You’ll get the money from me. But don’t get greedy.’
The bloke went to stoop to pick up his partner, but Keenan reached out a hand to stop him. ‘And you won’t say what happened up there … just make something up,’ Keenan finished with a polite smile.
The bloke frowned slightly as if to say he didn’t much know what went on anyway, but agreed.
Reeve helped him put his partner back across his shoulders. The bloke couldn’t get out of there fast enough.
Keenan watched him leave the entrance to the building and hurry along the path as he put his phone to his ear.
* * *
Xavier helped Valarie put JJ to bed with a cold compress on his forehead and a bucket next to him in case he was sick. They drew the curtains and left him in peace and went back out to the hallway. The others had dispersed.
‘Will he be OK?’ Valarie whispered. She looked drained and her eyes fearful and bloodshot.
Xavier nodded, deciding that for a human, she was really quite a nice woman. ‘He’ll just sleep now.’
She seemed genuinely worried about him. He had to remember that she was a nurse and, for a human, blood from the nose could suggest something a lot more sinister than a migraine.
‘I won’t pretend to know what just happened, but I’m grateful, OK? To both of you.’
Xavier smiled wanly without answering. The least said, the better. He walked into the living room where everyone was sitting in stunned silence. Even the little ones were subdued and looking at everyone to gauge whether they should still be scared. Dwayne was holding a cold flannel to his eye and cheekbone.
Xavier sat on the sofa next to Alexia. ‘I want to go home,’ she whispered, a tear escaping the corner of her eye.
Xavier just patted her leg. He didn’t want to upset her with his disturbing realization that they really were on their own here. No cavalry was going to gallop in and save them. Their father’s message had come through loud and clear; they had to grow up.
The embarrassing silence seemed to go on forever – even when Valarie brought them all a cup of hot sweet tea for the shock.
‘Is someone gonna address the elephant in the room?’ Richie said, in amazement.
‘Richard!’ Valarie hissed, flashing him an angry look.
He frowned like he couldn’t believe no one else was asking the same thing. ‘In case you didn’t see what I just saw, a bloke the size of a brick shit house just keeled over in our hall, with just a look from the Boy Wonder in there.’
‘We all saw, Richie,’ Valarie said in her strict parenting voice, trying to shut him up.
‘JJ done something to him – we all saw it,’ he persisted.
Xavier felt rather than saw Alexia look at him. All the children of sirens had strong telekinetic abilities; partly due to genetics and partly because they were brought up closely with the Murrs – the purest family of their race, but JJ was an anomaly. With the weakest bloodline, as his father was more human, he seemed to have the most developed mental abilities out of all the offspring and had had them since he was really small. No one could get in his head if he didn’t want them there and he could easily control things around him. The problem was that his gift came at a price. Whenever he used it aggressively, as he’d done just now, he always suffered a terrible backlash effect, normally in the form of a debilitating migraine. It could put him out of action for days. ‘You’ve got a vivid imagination, Richie,’ Xavier said. ‘The guy must have had a stroke or a heart attack.’
