Chapter 8

A surge of adrenaline coursed through me, and I tried with all of my might to break the chair against the wall. But my energy was quickly sapped by the smoke-filled air. I continued to struggle but lost my balance, falling to the floor.

I could feel the heat of the fire on my face when suddenly I saw a figure through the smoke. I figured I must be hallucinating…in fact for a long time afterward, I thought so. Then the figure spoke. "Captain," the man said, and a slim fellow wearing some of those odd pajamas from my dream stepped through the smoke. His skin was an odd gold color and it was glowing from the fire surrounding us. "Captain," he said again.

I tried to speak but all I could manage was to choke again on the smoke.

"Captain, if you do not act, you will die," said the strange man. "And I do not want that to occur."

I struggled onto my side and tried to stand again. "I—I can't get…free," I shouted or at least tried to. It's all a blur now, looking back. But what I will never forget is how it seemed he knew me. And he called me Captain, and maybe it was the delirium setting in, but somehow it made sense.

"You need to concentrate, Captain," said the man. "You need to imagine that you are free. You can free your hands and feet if you believe that the ties are not real. But you must concentrate, or you will die in this warehouse."

"Believe?" I coughed and shut my eyes, trying desperately to follow his directions, against my instincts to struggle wildly. I imagined that my hands were free and there was nothing binding them at all. Amazingly, when I opened my eyes, it was true. My hands were free. Still laying on my side, I immediately brought my feet up and worked on untying my feet. But my fingers were asleep and had no strength.

"Your feet are free from the restraints now, Captain," the man called out to me. I blinked and saw that he was right. Pushing myself to my unsteady feet I was still surrounded by a raging fire. Beyond it, I could see the doors to the warehouse cracked open.

"Let me guess," I shouted to my visitor. "The fire's not real…."

He shook his head. "No it is not," he agreed.

"Alright, here goes," I called out before covering my head with my arms and jumping through the fire. I kept running and turned back only to see the strange figure was gone. A very real fireball from inside the warehouse convinced me to move again, and I raced forward into the night. I stumbled and then ran as far as I could before collapsing in an alley.


My right eye opened slowly, and I knew immediately that I was back in my apartment. There was a cobweb I'd been meaning to take down up on the ceiling of my living room, and there was that spider, mocking me as usual. "He's waking up," said a familiar voice. It was cousin Gloria.

I tried to sit up but felt her hand on my chest. "Water," I croaked at her. My eyes burned and really my entire body hurt. But I was alive. Sunlight streamed through the window.

She turned to call to someone. "Billy! Can you stop entertaining your guests and bring us a glass of water?"

I strained to see into the other room, but my vision was still cloudy. "Billy? Billy Reisner is still here in my place? I told him to be out this morning…I mean, what day is it?"

"It's the morning after you were found bloody and half dead in the streets, Dixon," said Gloria. She smiled down at me. "So thank you for being alive."

"Yeah, Dix. And I carried you home." Billy Reisner was standing over us, munching on a giant sandwich. He handed me a sloshing glass of water clumsily; his broken fingers still bandaged loosely.

I was still confused but even though Billy was eating my food and using my house for who knows what- I couldn't be angry if he'd dragged me back. "Thanks, Fingers," I said. "I'd like to say I owe you, but—"

"You just did the same for me the other night Dix," said Billy "Fingers" Reisner. He frowned and smoothed out his cute mustache. "But uh…I gotta be honest, I wasn't the first one to the scene…."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"A black guy was there…looked pretty roughed up himself, but he seemed more concerned about you. He was making sure you were alive, Dix."

Buddy? From the museum? I squinted up at him. "He didn't say nothing?"

"Nope. He just kinda…tipped his cap, and then strolled away, once he saw me coming. He didn't look scared…just had somewhere else to be I guess," Billy shrugged.

I stared at the wall, still out of it, but feeling my curiosity piqued. "I guess…Well, anyway, thanks, Billy."

Fingers grinned down at me. As far as I'm concerned, we're even-steven."

I laughed, even though it hurt like hell to do so. Pain meant I was still alive, which was a good thing. "Fingers, we ain't even-steven, because you are still living in my house, and eating my tomato sandwiches."

Billy gave me a hurt expression. "Well, at least I brought my own girls," he said enthusiastically. At that, I heard some giggling from the other room. Apparently, Billy was not living in my apartment all by his lonesome.

"You drank all my beer and the whole place smells like weed," I grumbled. Pushing my annoyance aside, I let out a shout as I pushed myself up into a sitting position. Everything hurt…everything. "I don't need girls, Billy. I need a doctor."

Gloria folded her arms over her chest and stood up. "I agree."

Billy finished his sandwich and then hooked his thumb over his shoulder at the doorway. "Good thing she's here, then," he said with his mouth still full of tomato.

I looked beyond him to see that Doctor Howard was standing in my living room doorway. She stared at me, and I stared back.

"Fingers knew who to call, Dix." Gloria nodded toward Bill. "Who knew she knew our Billy?" she added. "Small world."

I continued staring, not sure what to say. "You know Billy?" I said, sure that I looked as dumb as I felt and sounded.

Doctor Howard nodded from the doorway. "I like jazz," she said with a soft smile. It was the first one I had seen grace her beautiful lips. She paused and then held up a black bag. "I went to my apartment and brought this back. Somehow you don't seem the type to willingly go to the hospital."


I sat on my sofa and tried to keep all signs of pain or weakness out of my expression as Doctor Howard approached. But she could apparently read the uncomfortable expression on my face. She nodded toward Bill Reisner. "Do you want him to stay?"

I stared at her. "While...?"

She straightened her stance a little bit. "While I examine you of course."

I held up my hands and laughed. "Oh, that? Oh no, I was just kidding my friends over here when I said I needed a doctor."

She glared at me and then down at her black bag. Then she glared at me again. "So now you're saying you don't..."

I smiled. "Nope, I'm good," I said crossing my arms over my chest and trying not to wince.

"Dix, don't be stupid!" Gloria and Billy shouted in protest at me at the same time. A vibration between my ears told me my noggin was still a bit sensitive what with all that pounding it had taken from Redblock's gang.

"Shhh!" I covered my ears, as a wave of nausea rolled through my stomach and threatened to advance up into my throat.

"Your friends seem to disagree with you Mr. Hill...as does your head," said the doctor.

"However, I'm happy to leave if you don't want me here."

I looked at Gloria for guidance and handed her my empty glass. She shook her head. "Have it your way, Dixon, but if you go to a regular hospital, questions will be asked. The cops are already calling that warehouse fire arson. And some clothes were found outside nearby. It's a matter of time until they show up on your doorstep." There were plenty of guys down at the old precinct who would have loved to have seen me in lockup just for kicks. A chill went through me, and I immediately started to get up from the couch. I realized that I was still wearing my clothes from the night before. I was covered in blood, ashes and probably even some chewing gum from the sidewalk no doubt. I glanced at Doctor Howard unable to hide my embarrassment. Here I was looking like a complete schmuck in front of this beautiful woman. For her part, she seemed less angry than a few minutes ago.

Gloria was still talking. "And in the shape you're in, you won't get too far running. Better let the doctor fix you up," she suggested.

I scratched the back of my tender skull. "Um...alright, but first I'll take a bath."

"Good idea," Billy chimed in. "You stink."

I shot him a warning look. "Just help me into the bathroom, ya bum."

He grabbed me around the shoulder. "Okay, but don't expect me to get in the tub with you," he said.

"Shut up," I grunted and leaned into him.

"I guess that means I'll just be waiting here," Doctor Howard called after us sounding annoyed. "Well, I suppose it's a good thing I don't have anywhere else to be this morning."


After my bath, I felt remarkably better and limped back out to the living room where Doctor Howard was standing talking to Gloria. Both women were quiet but intense. And there on my couch was Billy with two dames. I recognized them as Cheryl and Minnie, both bleach blondes, both familiar to the club scene. I swear he played music just to get laid. But really, who could blame him? It was a good gig. "Hiii Dix," both girls said at once, taking a break from twirling Billy's hair. I knew they were just being sweet to me because they were using my place to crash, but it still made me smile. In fact, I was pretty sure Cheryl had been on my couch before under better circumstances.

"Hello," I said and reached out to graze Cheryl's shoulder with my fingers. I heard the clearing of a throat and turned around to find Ms. Howard impatiently watching me.

Changing my tune I waved Billy and his two friends off of my couch. Billy reluctantly lounged his way up and over to the other side of the room, taking the girls with him. I sat down gingerly on the couch and leaned back against it suddenly feeling really queasy again. Gloria sat nearby looking distractedly out of my window onto the street. I'd never seen my cousin so nervous. Doctor Howard sat down next to me. "Apparently you don't mind everyone being here, so let's not waste any more time," she said.

"You don't have a problem with a female doctor, do you, Mr. Hill?" I shook my head quickly. She reached into her bag and pulled out a few instruments. One was a little light, which she shone into my bloodshot eyes. I tried to smile at her, but she grabbed my face. "Hold still," she snapped. She turned my hands over and examined them, tapping my wrists in places that made my reflexes jump. "Open up and say 'ah'," she said. I did as she said. Her eyes were starting to mesmerize me, and it made me feel self-conscious. Compared to her I was clumsy and stupid. She was out of my league. I mumbled something, I was barely aware of.

"Hmm? What did you say?"

I swallowed. "I said I don't even know your first name."

She shone a light into my ears. "No bleeding in here at least," she said sounding completely unsatisfied with my condition.

She lifted my shirt and poked at my ribs. "Hey!" I protested. "That's a sensitive area!"

She gave a slight smile. "My name is Beverly," she said and for a moment I was so distracted I didn't notice she was feeling my arms where Felix had cut my jacket off of me. She looked up at me in alarm but said nothing. Reaching around to my back she made a clicking noise with her tongue. "You're going to need stitches," she said sounding angry again. She put something cold on my back and I straightened quickly when it became clear it was alcohol. She came back around to look at me. "Who did this to you?" She demanded.

I shrugged. "Guess I'm not as popular around town as I thought."

"Is that supposed to be funny?"

I smiled. "At least I'm alive," I said.

"Yes. You're not popular but you're very lucky it seems. Now, are you going to tell me what happened to you?"