Red's CD Project Part 10

Note: I am having to spend a lot time thinking about sequencing as I close in on the conclusion of my story. It's hard when you know you only have so many parts left. You don't want to make anything feel too rushed or out of place. The last two sections here are one's that I've thought about for quite awhile. I wanted some emotion to really leak out in those parts. 

Disc 2 

Track 10
Change Your Mind
All American Rejects
Move Along

It’s just your doubt that binds you. Just drop those thoughts behind you. Change Your mind.

“So what will you do now?”

Abdul stood and turned away. His lawyers had won his release. It would become official in 24 hours when the FBI escorted him back to his home. This was unexpected turn and one that forced Hal to move forward a bit faster than he expected.

Hal’s cell phone exploded in the holster he kept on his belt buckle. Both he and Abdul jumped at the sound. Hal looked at the number and answered.

“Mary?”

“Hal we need to talk.”

“Can it wait? I am working right now.”

“Okay. When?”

“I am going to need a week or two before I’m ready.”

“Hal.” Mary sounded irritated on other end.

“I am not ready yet.”

“Fine.” The line went dead on the other end. Hal folded his phone over and returned it to its holster.

Abdul spun around slowly.

“Who’s Mary?”

“My wife.”

“Wife? Hmm.”

“We’re separated right now.”

“Is that your fault?”

“Mostly.”

Abdul seemed to lose interest and dropped back down on his cot and stared up at the ceiling.

“Do you love her Detective?”

“More than anything.”

“Are you going to get her back?”

Now it was Hal’s turn to go quiet. He avoided the subject of Mary in his mind even more than he had when any of his coworkers had brought her name up. Abdul sat up.

“Detective?”

“I’ve come to realize when you lose everything that you care about, you’ll do anything it takes to get it back.”

“If it’s gone for good?”

“Then, I suppose that’s when a man has nothing left to lose.”

They both fell silent. Never had Hal wanted a hiss or a howl to sound out in his life to break the honesty dwelling in the room. For the first time, he and Abdul were two men talking as men.

“They call mine, Misba.”

“Yours. I didn’t know you were married.”

“I am not, although she very much wanted to be a long time ago. I was stupid not to accept that. Now, I guess you could say we are separated.”

“You love her then.”

“More than Allah. I realize that now.”

Hal felt his hold over Abdul slipping. For these few moments, he almost wanted to let it go.

“Where do you go now?”

“I am going to go to her. I have decided that is what is best. We will leave here and find happiness while it still lasts in the world.”

“That’s admirable.”

Abdul shrugged and met Hal’s eyes with an honest stare.

“What does Misba mean?”

“It’s means innocent in Arabic. It is a beautiful, is it not?”

Warm blood pumped through Hal’s veins and he remembered his duty. His intention was not to be friends with this man. Inside the wolf stirred and the blood of the lamb touched his lips.

“What if the world were to take her away?”

Abdul didn’t hesitate.

“Then I would make that world pay.”


Disc 2
Track 11
Stage Fright
The Band
Greatest Hits

The moment of truth is right at hand, just one more nightmare you can stand

Hal parked across the street from her home. It was mid-afternoon and a warm spring breezed wafted from the street into his open window. He thought about calling Mary about this morning’s conversation, but he knew he couldn’t. He was too on edge. His hands were shaking and he felt the compulsion to continually rub and scratch his face even thought it did not itch. He watched the small brick house and saw no movement behind the windows.

Hal turned on the CD player, keeping the volume down as to not draw too much attention. Mick Jagger began to sing.

“I told you once and I’ve told you twice. You’d better listen to my advice…”

She came into view in the distance. She wore a blue garment that covered everything and a yellow scarf wrapped neatly around her head and under her chin. She was carrying a brown paper bag that appeared to be full of groceries.

“I’m sorry girl but I can’t stay. Feeling like I do today...”

As she drew closer, he could see why Abdul loved her. She was tall and even in the unflattering Islamic garb he could tell that she had nice curves.

“I’ve told you once and I’ve told you twice. Someone’ll have to pay the price...”

She was a block away when he pulled the ignition to kill the engine and the music. The keys jingled as he slid them clumsily into his pant’s pocket.

She was two houses away from her own when he opened the car door and stepped out. She did not notice him. He crossed the street with weak knees that made him almost teeter over as she climbed the steps.

“Excuse me, Miss.” He squeaked out like a middle-school boy asking a girl out onto the dance floor.

She seemed to float in the air as she turned to him. Her eyes startled him. They were big and dark with a thin circle of almost purple around the pupil. Her face was calm and never lost that serenity even in the end.

“Miss…” he stumbled to find the words. She was a beautiful, but that was not causing his nerves to jump into high gear.

She put the bag of groceries on the stoop and came to him. Standing right in front of him, she put her finger to his check and traced along his shaving scar.

“For the past week, I have dreamt of you,” Her voice was low, but soft. “But not of you, but of this.” She spoke and traced the scar again.

“Except you were not a man, but a giant wolf chasing me through a field. I’d run until my legs started to hurt and I’d turn to see you at my ankles.”

“You have to come with me,” Hal said so far under his breath that he wasn’t sure she heard him correctly.

Her eyes moved to his and they almost forced him to his knees to beg for forgiveness.

“You have to, I can not stop it now,” Hal choked out in fear that he’d start crying.

Her eyes never left his.

“I know,” she said.

Ripping his eyes away, he wiped at his brow and pointed across the street.

“There’s my car.”

“I see.”

They walked across the street and he opened the passenger door for her. He came around the front of the car and dropped behind the wheel. He turned the engine and the last chorus of the Stones song softly hit the speakers.

“This could be the last time. Maybe the last time. I don’t know. Oh no…”

Hal flipped the sound off.


Track 12
Into the Ocean
Blue October
Foiled

I’m cold as cold as cold can be

She stood before the last of the trinity of graves with the sun setting in the sky in front of her. She removed her scarf allowing the long curls of her brown hair to hit her shoulders.

She had not spoke the entire quiet drive. She only hummed a few times so low that he could not make out much of a tune.

When he parked behind the barn, he pointed to where they were going and she immediately opened the car door. She glided straight out while Hal retrieved the stone from the fresher of two recently covered graves.

For a few minutes, she stood before the grave looking down at the cold sod. Then she looked to the sky and raised her hands ups. To Hal’s surprise, she began to dance. Moving without effort in front of her soon-to-be resting place, she twirled and spun. Her arms moved smoothly and invitingly. The dance lasted quite awhile and by the time she finished, she was breathing very hard and tears were resting in the corners of Hal’s eyes.

She finished again facing the grave. She turned her head to him who had moved right behind her.

“Do you wish to say prayer?”

“My dance was my final offering. I believe it pleased Allah very much. Now, you must make your offering.”

Hal wiped away snot that was leaking from his nose as she turned back to the sunset. Above streaks of purple raced from the horizon across the sky. They looked like huge bruised fingers trying to reach into the world.

Hal brought the stone down once and she fell to the soil. That was all it took and all he had left.

He fell to his knees feeling the years of unease, of anger, of hate, of evil drain from him and soak into the ground with Misba’s innocent blood. Off in the distance, a rumble came from a storm not yet visible.