One Blood

Chapter Fifty-One

Chapter Fifty-One

Lake City, LA

Amir regained his freedom as abruptly as he lost it.

This was the first time he’d been inhabited by a spirit. It was like being locked inside a cage within his psyche—as if he was standing in a cold cell with a movie screen before the bars watching himself viciously attack Anvil Head. Though disconnected from his body, he tasted the man’s salty skin, coppery blood in his mouth, and felt the tension in his neck and jaws as he held on until the man was lifeless. He spread his fingers around the rough unshaven skin of Red Wolf’s neck, helpless to stop himself from choking Red Wolf to death.

What have I unleashed?

Jhonnette had convinced him that bringing Kristopher Lafitte back to destroy his father was the only fitting punishment. She told him she could boost his spiritual powers so that he’d have the strength to control the baka. But Kristopher Lafitte wasn’t the only spirit who’d escaped.

The doorway is open.

While entrapped he’d sensed Melinda’s presence as well. He was unfamiliar with this loa, but being ridden was a two-way street. Some of her essence remained—a swirling static buzz in his mind. She was very old and had died tragically.

Amir found his bearings. He was speeding down Third Avenue, on a collision course with St. Mary’s Hospital. From the sound of Red Wolf’s phone conversations, something important was happening at the hospital.

That fight was no longer Amir’s. Without the girl, the plan was fucked. It was time to cut his losses; he needed to get the money, contact Lincoln, and get the hell out of dodge.

It was amazing how fast the situation had degenerated. Things had gone from bad to worse and from worse to shit and it was no use blaming anyone but himself. He’d have plenty of time for self-flagellation later; right now he needed to figure out the fastest route to the cash.

The hospital parking lot came into view.

Amir attempted to turn left at Guinn and get back on Highway 14, but the steering wheel did not obey his command. His body was rebelling against him. Amir was powerless as the car continued straight. His right foot jammed the accelerator to the floor.

The car entered the St. Mary’s parking lot at fifty miles per hour. The buzzing in his head was now a locust swarm. Blood dripped from his nose as he fought to regain control of his faculties.

After a short struggle, he reached into his cargo-shorts pocket and retrieved the switchblade. Everything slowed as the blade clicked open. The car veered drastically to the left and then hit a pothole listing back to the right. Amir’s eyes widened. He was headed directly for Karen Lafitte.

What the fuck is she doing here?

Their eyes locked. Karen smiled a knowing smile.

I won’t do this.

Amir screamed and buried the knife down to the hilt in his thigh, then slammed his foot down on the brake pedal with all the force in his body. The car fishtailed as the shriek and smell of burning rubber consumed him.

He missed Karen by inches, but didn’t miss the downed paramedics a few feet away from her. The car bunny-hopped the bodies and Amir was thrown forward, his head smacking the steering wheel. His foot found the accelerator again. An instant later the car slammed into a pair of black sedans parked in front of the Emergency Room.

Amir flew.

The next thing he knew, a roaring, wave-like noise battered against the sloshing insides of his gray matter. It sounded like he was inside a cavern behind Niagara Falls. Disconnected from his body, his whole world was consumed by the noise.

Someone close-by screamed. Then the earth-shattering sound subsided, replaced by something like a scrambled FM frequency. He wasn’t quite on the station, but could hear the announcers trying to reach him anyway. He strained to decipher the words.

“Shut…move…here…slow…careful…burst…back,” was all he got at first.

Slowly but surely, the blanks began to fill in like a game of Hangman.

“Clear…off his eyes…hemorrhaging…CCs…more oxygen…please shut…”

Whoever they were talking about sounded pretty fucked up.

“What’s your name?” A female voice cut through the static clearly. “Can you speak?”

Someone screamed, “It’s gonna blow!”

The air quality changed. Amir felt a strong influx of hot wind whistle through his ear cavity. He was rammed back into himself like a square peg banged into a round hole with a sledgehammer. Invisible arms lifted him and he was casually tossed aside, like he’d encountered a patch of bad turbulence. Except, instead of dropping down, he was keenly aware of moving on up to a De-Luxe Apartment in the sky.

Then radio silence.

* * * * *

“Just try to make him comfortable.” Words emanated from his left side some time later. “Don’t try to move,” the voice said.

Amir attempted to open his eyes but the burning sensation in his left eye forced him to close them immediately.

“You’re going to be okay.”

“Where…” he attempted to ask, but only hoarse groaning emitted from his throat. An overwhelming claustrophobia made it difficult to breathe. Amir couldn’t feel anything from the neck down.

“Shhh…don’t try to speak. You’ve been badly hurt. You need to rest now.”

Amir knew she was right, but he couldn’t rest. Sleep was the cousin of death. Despite the pain, he forced one eye open and flinched from the light. His mother’s beautiful face came into focus.

It was like seeing heaven frowning down at him. She applied a compress to his face and gently wiped away shining fragments of glass.

“That’s it,” Juanita whispered softly. Her expression was soothing as she stroked the cool cloth against his feverish skin.

“I’m so sorry, Mama,” he moaned. “I messed…everything up.”

“It’s gonna be okay.”

“No…it’s not,” Amir gasped. “Lincoln…”

“You saved him,” Juanita said. “You saved them both.”

“Both?”

“I want you to rest now, Amir. Soon you will be able to tell me all about it.”