Uprising - The Suspense Thriller Part 27

"Well, not to toot my own horn, but I still am their all-time leading scorer."

"Ever play with a fellow by the name of Beckwith? Dane Beckwith?"

Raider searched his memory. The name sounded awfully familiar, but not as a teammate. He remembered them better than he remembered the women he slept with. "No, can't say I played with anyone by that name. Why, was he one of youra"did you know him?"

Jasper laughed. "Personally no. Just a friend of a friend kind of thing."

"Anyway, Oth.e.l.lo," Charlie was saying at the table, "can I call you that? I guess I have to. What else am I going to call you? Anyway, I never did believe those rumors about you and Spinderella. Not that I thought you might be queer, but I knew you'd have better taste than hera"oh, please...."

Paying little attention to Charlie, Oth.e.l.lo regarded the two Wis.e.m.e.n talking to his boyfriend. Raider seemed to be caught up in the glow of celebrity. He was never like that with me, Oth.e.l.lo brooded. Maybe because he was too busy being the cool undercover agent. In the next instant, Oth.e.l.lo banished the thought. Freedom didn't know what he was talking about. And if he did have some information on Raider, why didn't he come forward sooner? And if the man from Nantucket was some sort of cop, why weren't they all busted long ago?

He is my boyfriend, Oth.e.l.lo said to himself, as if he were directly answering Freedom fading out of consciousness on that street in West Hollywood. And any day now he's gonna be my lover. I'll tell him about the virus, show him every pamphlet and book ever written that says we can still have a long life together, complete with glorious safe s.e.x, and we'll go onward and upward from there.

"These coals aren't gonna be ready for a while," Sasha said from the barbecue pit. "Anybody up for a swim?"

"Count me in," said Charlie.

"I think that's an excellent idea for the three of you." With his drink, Jasper motioned toward Charlie, Sasha and Raider.

Charlie hopped up and followed Sasha toward the entrance to the house, waddling like a geisha girl in a tight kimono. "Ooo, this is just like Gone With the Wind," he said. "We'll go play while the menfolk discuss business and other thangs boring to us Southern girls. Coming, Raider Kincaide?"

Raider looked to Oth.e.l.lo, whose eyes were pleading with him to say yes. "Lead the way, Charlie..." Raider began, and since he didn't know his Charlie's name, added: "Anthony."

"It's Dubois, boy!" Charlie could be heard saying as the three of them disappeared through the sliding gla.s.s doors.

"Now." Jasper eyed his two partners. "Down to business."

After retrieving their swim suits from their bedrooms, Sasha led Charlie and Raider to the pool house, which was adjacent to the verandah, then showed them to their separate changing rooms.

"Down to business is right, Hollinquest," Raider said once he was alone with the door closed. The changing room was like a small bedroom with a hammock and sofa chair. He set his gym bag on top of the hammock and stripped off his shorts and tank top. From the bag, he pulled out a pair of baggy old swim trunksa"no way he was gonna show his package to this crowd. He slipped them on, then brought out a peach terrycloth pool jacket. It was a short little number that stopped at the waist and was bound to fit right in. He held it up and inspected the three black b.u.t.tons on it. He pressed the middle b.u.t.ton between his thumb and index finger.

"Smile."

Soundlessly, the third b.u.t.ton blinked as if it were an eye. It was ready. Photos of the Three Wis.e.m.e.n would be a solid addition to the evidence hidden away in the safe deposit box in Los Angeles, a nice complement to the audio tapes of the Temple meetings and the videotape of the Silverlake counter-bashing, quite possibly the last piece of evidence needed, depending on the Wis.e.m.e.n's plans post-Freedom.

There was a pounding at the door, followed by the husky voice of Charlie. "You coming, Raider-man?"

"In a minute, Miss Dubois." He turned his back to the door in case Charlie barged in.

"In that casea"Sasha and mea"we plunging."

Raider clicked the camera one last time to make sure it was working properly. On the Martelli job, the shutter in his three-piece suit gave him fits, only taking half the roll. Busted them anyway; that's Raider Kincaide for ya. He was so consumed in examining the b.u.t.tons, he didn't notice anyone else was in the room until he felt a pair of hands clutching his sides and slithering toward his stomach, causing him to jump out of his skin.

"It's just me," Oth.e.l.lo said, sounding a bit offended.

"Sorry." Raider grabbed him by the hands. "I was afraid you were Sasha or Charlie. Aren't you and the menfolk supposed to be talking?"

"I just came to tell you we're going out to the gazebo in case you missed me." He tried for a smile but fell short.

"That was nice of you." Raider stroked Oth.e.l.lo's face with the palm of his right hand and gazed into his eyes. "I know you all must be upset about Freedom. You gonna be okay?"

"That's what I'm about to find out." Oth.e.l.lo placed his hands on Raider's pecs, gently ma.s.saging them, carefully gauging Raider's reaction. His hands then moved to Raider's sides, tracing the V in his torso until he landed on Raider's a.s.s. He then kissed the man from Nantucket, noting with relief Raider's comfortableness. Encouraged, he nibbled on Raider's ear while his hands roamed the firm mounds of Raider's b.u.t.t for the very first time. "We're gonna have to have that conversation about safe s.e.x real soon," Oth.e.l.lo whispered.

"Soon as you recover from the Freedom fiasco and figure out your next move."

Why, so you can arrest me or f.u.c.k me?

The mood for romance evaporated. Oth.e.l.lo drew back from his man's clutches.

"What's wrong?" asked Raider.

"Nothing. Go enjoy your time with the girls." With that Oth.e.l.lo left.

Sasha and Charlie were already in the Olympic-sized pool when Raider emerged from the dressing room, peach jacket cradled in his arm.

"Ooo, I'm scared of you," Charlie said looking at Raider's body. Raider set the jacket on one of the padded lounge chairs, then took a good look at the pool. The FBI doctor he saw after the parade had a.s.sured him he couldn't catch the virus from things like saliva or bathrooms or pools, so he did what he always did when he went swimming: took a running leap toward the water and cannonballed in.

The scene on the gazebo was tense and divided, all three Wis.e.m.e.n pacing back and forth, unable to come to any kind of consensus.

"I should have known a high-wire act like Freedom would blow it," said Jasper. "Bad judgment to ever, ever trust him."

"I thought a high-wire act was exactly what you wanted," said Oth.e.l.lo, "especially one knocking on death's door."

"I'm glad the jig is up anyway," said Deon. "We were fools to think we could pull this off. I've had second, third, fourth and fifth thoughts even before this mess."

"What do you mean the jig is up?" said Oth.e.l.lo. "What about Darnell?"

"The Rasta boogieman?" said Jasper. "Forget it."

"But the gun is already there," pleaded Oth.e.l.lo.

"Precisely," said Jasper, "and in the not too distant future, some plumber type is going to need to go into that hole in the wall and discover it."

"You're starting to scare the s.h.i.t out of me right about now," said Deon.

"It'll never come back to us," said Oth.e.l.lo.

"Think about it." Jasper tapped his forehead with his index finger. "Travis, Darnell and who knows who else will hear about the gun on the news and put two and two together. The old lady so much as asked all of them if they wanted to blow Jimmy Herman's brains out. At least one of thema"at leasta"is bound to realize Freedom was the grand prize winner, only he was too stupid to stay alive and finish the job. From there, it's only a matter of time before somebody tells somebody else and we're at risk of being caught just the same as if Freedom had fired the shot and Herman were six feet under. Only now, Freedom isn't alive to divert and distract the investigation as planned. It's over, Oth.e.l.lo. We have to disperse and lay low as planned. Only difference is, the Three Wis.e.m.e.n flunked their final exam, end of story."

"Nonsense," said Oth.e.l.lo. "Since the gun is there and we're at risk, why not get Darnell?"

"You got a way to make him look like a white blond reporter in forty-eight hours?" asked Jasper. "There's not a d.a.m.n thing we can do that wouldn't be utterly foolish and full of risks."

"Someday they're gonna find that gun and they'll know I was in that bathroom," said Deon.

"You didn't leave any fingerprints, did you?" asked Jasper.

"Of course not, I'm not a fool."

"Then what the h.e.l.l are you worried for? Tons of people had access to that hole in the wall. They won't link it to you. Worst-case scenario: the gun gets traced to Freedom 'cause he bragged about it and they'll be trying to find a black gardener and some old ladies. As long as we disperse, say good-bye to Old Joe forever and remain anonymous, we're in the clear. Use your head and try not to panic for Christ's sake. You think they'll come looking for 'the great Deon Anthony' just because he took a p.i.s.s in the museum?"

"I am using my head and I also know an insult when I hear one."

Deon and Jasper went at each other, but a sight in the second floor window of the mansion caught Oth.e.l.lo's eye. Raider was there, still wearing his swim shorts with that strange-looking peach jacket. Spying on us, huh? Oth.e.l.lo said to himself. Where's the rest of your team, about to come charging over the hills like the cavalry?

Just then, Oth.e.l.lo saw Sasha and Charlie join Raider in the window. All three of them started waving to their boyfriends, only Deon and Jasper were too embroiled in debate to notice. Another accusation shot to h.e.l.l, Oth.e.l.lo thought. Raider wouldn't be up there spying with the two queens beside him. Guess they all went upstairs for some other reason. He felt ashamed for trying to sow one more seed of doubt into their relationship, which only served to make him realize how troubled their relationship was at the moment. But life was nothing but troubled at the moment. He turned back to the other two Wis.e.m.e.n, glad he hadn't told them he had been at the parade and had actually witnessed Freedom's demise.

"Jasper, Deon, please!" he cried.

"Oh, don't they look so manly down there?" Charlie sighed. He stood to the right of Raider in the window frame. "Our men. Boy, if the world had a whiff of this."

"Jasper would just use his power to just squash the truth anyway," said Sasha. He was to Raider's left.

"He is one powerful mother." Raider said, his fists holding onto his jacket where the lapels would be, his left hand pressing away at the middle b.u.t.ton, capturing the gazebo and the Three Wis.e.m.e.n.

"Let's go make our men some big juicy burgers," said Charlie.

"The coals should be nice and white by now," said Sasha. "How 'bout it, Raider?"

"I'm working up quite an appet.i.te myself," Raider said with a confident smile as he took the last of the roll of thirty-six exposures.

"This is not the time to come apart at the seams," Oth.e.l.lo was saying to Jasper and Deon. "It's time to figure out where we go from here."

All three men stood apart, anchoring themselves on different sides of the gazebo.

"We dissolve," Jasper said, "for now, perhaps forever. In fact, the more I think about it, forever seems like a pretty d.a.m.ned good time frame."

"Dissolve?" asked Oth.e.l.lo.

"We have no other choice."

"What about the Fund?" asked Deon.

"You gonna put any more dough in it?" Jasper asked, to which Deon remained silent. "We've all put in enough to keep it going for years. Besides, they're getting donations now from other rich anonymous sources."

"Just what I always wanted." Oth.e.l.lo stared at the worn wooden planks of the gazebo's floor. "There's so much more that needs to be done."

"I don't want n.o.body linking that gun with me," said Deon.

"We don't have the luxuries we had before," said Jasper. "Old Man Joe must disappear. Besides, once they find the gun, getting another shot at Herman will be next to impossible."

"So we quit?" asked Oth.e.l.lo. "Just because it gets complicated?"

"It was easy up until now," said Jasper. "Now people are on our trail."

"What people?" said both Oth.e.l.lo and Deon.

"Do not worry," Jasper said emphatically, then paused. "It's Bruce and his investigative brain. He's against the counter-bashers and wants to expose them. But pay it no mind. I'll throw him off the trail. You think I can't handle an amateur kid?"

"What if he links the gun to Freedom?" said Deon. "And me to the gun?"

"Enough already with you and the G.o.dd.a.m.n gun!" said Jasper. "If you're so worried about it, why don't you just sneak back in and remove the motherf.u.c.ker?"

"Guys, please!" Oth.e.l.lo pleaded, getting the silence he hoped for. "All I know is: we don't have to fight like this and it doesn't have to be over. There must be something we can do for ourselves and the uprising."

"Like what, Oth.e.l.lo?" said Jasper.

Oth.e.l.lo circled the gazebo. "Okay, maybe not violence right now, or ever again. Maybe there's something else. Perhaps not even illegal. Something legit like the Fund. We could sink a ton of money into a campaign for someone running against Herman."

"Been there, done that," said Jasper. "The fools down there love him too much."

Oth.e.l.lo circled the gazebo some more. "Okay, then. We could counter-bash in another city with another radical group, say New York, and find a less volatile version of Freedom there."

"No!" said Deon.

"Forget it," said Jasper.

"Then," he was down to his last resort: "we could come out, the three of us, together in a press conference, announce to the world we're gay and proud and behind the Fund and ready to do more."

Deon scoffed. "You're in fantasy land now."

"Or on hallucinogens," said Jasper.

"We could do it," Oth.e.l.lo insisted. "Together."

"Are you ready to come out?" asked Jasper.

Oth.e.l.lo paused. "If the two of youa"together the three of...." He turned to the house. Charlie, Raider and Sasha were back on the verandah now, around the barbecue pit. Raider seemed to be truly enjoying himself with those two. I could do it, Oth.e.l.lo thought. If I knew for sure I had the love of a man like Raider, I could do it in a heartbeat. I think. Maybe. Maybe not. But why do I need to depend on unreliable Raider to be there? He allowed himself to envision a press conference, alone, without Jasper, Deon or the man from Nantucket. The room would be packed, flashbulbs flickering incessantly. He sits down at the microphone, opens his mouth....

h.e.l.l no.

He was shaking. He folded his arms and tried to steady his breath.

"This just can't be over. I won't let it."

"We all agreed to unanimously a.s.sa.s.sinate or not a.s.sa.s.sinate Herman," said Jasper. "If one of us doesn't want to do it, end of story."

"Then maybe the Wis.e.m.e.n should be over," Oth.e.l.lo blurted in frustration.

"Finally you're catching on," Jasper said. "I'll deal with Herman my own way, get my Belize hotels one way or another."

"That's the only reason you were ever in it anyway, wasn't it?"

"That and some Puerto Rican punks from my past. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed it while it lasted."

"Deon, why were you in it? How did I manage to twist your arm?"

Deon looked toward the verandah and Charlie. "I got my own reasons."