To my fellow outlaws, outcasts and misfits,
Thank you for all the kind and threatening words regarding last week’s story! You said you loved it, but also said that if I didn’t publish part two this week, you would come after me. That must mean I’m doing something right.
If you just came aboard the pirate ship this week, I’d read last week’s story, Part One of Rumor Bay, otherwise today’s story may feel even weirder than it already is!
So without further ado, away we go!
The Rumor Bay police station smelled like saltwater air and sweat. Irina slowly crossed her legs which pulled her skirt over the bulb of her knee, which of course was intentional, just like everything else about Irina. She carried the calm of a lioness who knew that the lion was surely the king of the jungle but also knew that the only one who could get close enough to kill the king is the queen, her weak spot was that she forgot the jester is equally close.
“Of course, you’re the boss,” Irina said smiling, “Who else would be?”
She was talking to Cutter who sat across from her in nothing but tighty whitey underpants.
"I'm the boss?" Cutter said/asked.
"You're the boss. How many times you want me to say it?"
"Am I... being bad?" Cutter asked, his second and third chin forming a needy grin around his former jaw line.
"Really? Now?" Irina asked.
"Yes, now. I am the boss."
"Sorry, Boss," she said then stood. And with all her force, she kicked Cutter in the crotch. He crumpled to the floor with a groan.
"Again," Cutter whimpered.
"No," Irina replied, "One is all you get today."
"What if I told you I went through that car, you know the one those two brothers drove in."
This peaked Irina's interest, which made Cutter smile with anticipation.
"You fucking with me, Cutter?"
"Nope. It was filled with a hundred thousand dollars, ten kilos of cocaine and a bunch of guns."
Irina smiled and shook her head, "I knew it. There's no way those two random knuckleheads just wandered into Rumor Bay." She looked around the small police station and asked, "Where are the guns?"
"I left everything in the car, like a present for you," Cutter said as he excitedly squatted bowl legged, preparing himself for another kick from Irina.
"First the money, guns and drugs then I'll kick you."
Cutter, disappointed but still hopeful, rushed over to the police garage bay door with Irina.
He proudly flung the door open, but the garage was empty.
"Where the fuck is the car!" Irina shouted.
Cosimo set two espressos down in front of Declan and Danny, poured perfectly in small white porcelain cups with an Italian landscape hand painted with a flair of Moroccan influence. Declan picked up the lemon rind resting on the saucer. He dipped it into the espresso like a tiny donut then nibbled on the rind's edge with his front teeth. Danny, believing his brother knew what he was doing, did the same thing.
Cosimo's face held a fake smile, then he turned to a well-dressed Italian man standing in the doorway. Cosimo said, in Italian, "Hitler carpet bombed Europe but not a single one fell on Ireland. Know why? He knew he'd have to deal with these fucking animale."
Oblivious to the slight, Danny, doing his best not to spit either out, said, "This coffee is strong. So is this lemon thing.”
"That car you brought in," Cosimo asked, "With the bricks of cocaine and guns, where is it?"
Declan and Danny shared an innocent look. Then Declan spoke, "Not sure what you're talking about. I had to take a piss, but Danny was being a dick, so I threatened to piss in his face, so he reluctantly went over that bridge to find a bathroom, and gates started closing behind us, so he floored it. Next thing we know, we're in this town. We don't have any guns or cocaine."
"I am Calabrian. Do you know what that means?"
"No," Danny replied.
"It means I am the best. At everything. The best lover. The best thinker. The best. The only thing more beautiful than my mind is my cock. Do you understand?"
"About your cock?" Danny asked.
"No, well yes, but... you are missing the point."
"You just said your cock is beautiful. So I think my brother was right, I mean you said other shit too, but, come on man, you barely know somebody, and you start talking about anything and then say you have a beautiful cock, that's the only thing people are gonna remember, no matter how smart you are."
"Or stupid," Cosimo replied stone faced.
"Did you just call my brother stupid?" Declan asked.
Before Cosimo could answer, Declan leapt over the table and had his hands wrapped around Cosimo's neck, trying to strangle him to death. The Italian man in the doorway shouted and seven large men poured in from both sides of the room.
Danny stood with his back to his brother, to protect his brother's God-given right to homicide, while throwing barbaric right and left hooks, like an amped up ogre, at the men who charged in to defend their boss's honor.
"Who's stupid now!" Declan screamed into Cosimo's purple face.
It took five men to finally beat Danny back and another two to pull Declan off Cosimo. Finally peace was restored. Declan and Danny were shoved back down on to the sofa, while Cosimo sucked air back into his lungs.
"You did that," Declan said," You started talking about your beautiful cock then called my brother stupid. You did that to yourself."
"He's a hundred percent right. We were gonna let the cock thing slide, but stupid is the line." Danny added.
Cosimo’s bodyguard looked down at his boss and spoke in Italian, "Do you want me to kill them here or outside?"
"It took seven of you to pull them off me, I want them to work for me. We'll need them against Irina."
Cosimo turned to the brothers and in English, said, "My apologies. I should have kept my beautiful cock to myself." Cosimo straightened out his shirt and pants. He took a deep breath, then set a cardboard box on the table and opened it. He set out a map of the island along with mugshots and criminal records.
Cosimo laid out the mugshot of a horrifically evil looking human and said, "This is Ernesto Sandoval. He ran the Mas Muertes Cartel until he didn't." Cosimo pointed to the northwest corner of the island map, "This is where Ernesto lives now, along with twenty of his most dangerous men."
"What does that have to do with us?" Declan asked.
"You stole his cocaine, money and guns. Down in Miami. He doesn't know that. Yet. We can drive over there now and tell him. Or it can be our little secret, my first gift to you, for joining my little family here."
With a sincere smile, Cosimo held out his wrinkled hand. Danny waited to see what his younger brother would do, which he had done ever since they were little. Declan reached out and shook Cosimo's hand. So Danny followed and did the same. Two men came in and poured champagne for Cosimo, Danny and Declan.
"How did you get all this?" Declan asked while Danny guzzled down his glass then held it out for another round.
"The Federal agent who ran Rumor Bay for thirty years was in my pocket," Cosimo replied, "Sadly, that is no longer the case."
"What happened? Did they retire?" Danny asked.
"No, they wound up in Irina's freezer."
While Danny guzzled his second glass, he noticed a large circle in the middle of the island with a giant red "X" through it.
"Why is this part of the map X'd out?" Danny asked.
"That is where The Mad Dog lives. No one knows her real name. She’s lived in the jungle for twenty years. Half-feral. Totally ungovernable. She kills at random, lives off the grid. Every person who tried to talk to her has never been seen again or wound up with their head on a stake at the edge of the jungle. So we learned it is better to leave her alone than deal with her wrath."
Declan looked at his watch then stood.
"Thank you guys for the coffee, champagne and especially the fight. That was nice. But we gotta get going."
"The car," Cosimo said, "Where is it?"
"Back at the bar? Maybe the police station? I got no idea. Remember we almost got taken out by a serial killer before you blew out the side of the cop shop and rescued us. I guess thanks for that too."
One of Cosimo's men entered and whispered something in Italian into his ear. Cosimo's face flashed a hint of rage then he composed himself.
"I have just been told that your car is not at the bar or the police station. Do not play games with me. Where is it?"
"I'm telling you the truth. You got as good an idea as we do." Declan said, holding Cosimo's suspicious glare. Cosimo looked at Danny, who just grinned.
"Gentleman, it is late," Cosimo said, "Please be my guests tonight. You will be safe here and by the end of the week, you'll have your own place with a beautiful view of the ocean."
One of Cosimo's men showed Declan and Danny to a spacious guest suite with two large queen beds and two marble ensuite bathrooms. Declan opened the window and stared out at the waves rolling on to the tranquil white sand beach.
A large hand grabbed Declan by the nape of his neck, another grabbed him by the belt, then hurled him across the room.
Cosimo and his men were downstairs and heard the giant thud of Declan hitting the wall and then the floor.
"Fucking dogs," Cosimo said to himself, then went back to his late night meal of serrano ham and soda water.
Back up in the room, the stars cleared in Declan's eyes long enough for him to see his brother Danny reaching down to grab him again.
"You lied to me!" Danny shouted.
"Keep it down!" Declan hissed back.
Danny chucked Declan across the room again and again, he hit the wall and slid down. Declan put his hands up, pleading, "Let me explain!"
"No. No more talking. You fuck my head up when you talk. You said we were lost. You said we had no signal. You said you were gonna piss in my face so I went over that bridge. You picked the fucking bar. You picked everything!”
“Danny..."
Danny lunged, swinging. Declan kicked his feet, catching Danny in the face, rocking him back.
“You planned this." Danny said, "Why?”
Declan wiped blood from his lip. “The Mad Dog… she’s our mother.”
Danny deflated like a balloon and crumpled to the floor. There was a long pause, then a large breath in, followed by a slow rumble of tears and sobs.
"I thought she was dead," Danny said.
"So did I," Declan replied.
"Why didn't you tell me she was still alive?"
"I just did," Declan said.
Danny looked down, struggling to take it all in. Then he finally craned his neck up and asked, "Where's our car?"
The Buick howled down the camouflaged jungle road, solely lit by shards of moonlight. The windows were down and her thick red hair blew freely in the wind. With her sons somewhere on the island and a trunk full of guns, money and cocaine, she roared past of row of severed heads mounted on stakes, and for the first time in twenty years, Maureen Duffy smiled.
Much Love,
Mick
©MickBetancourt
Still watching.❤️