The Genesis Illusion

Chapter 40

"Hello, Julie, how you?" Carlos shouted at one of his neighbor's daughters playing in the park.

"Hello, Mr. Montoya," Julie said.

"Where's Miguel?" Carlos said.

"I think he went inside." Julie replied, skipping toward the swings.

Carlos walked through Dean's Playground Park toward his apartment. Brooklyn's Prospect Heights neighborhood surrounding the park housed mainly middle-class families. Restaurants and local businesses lined Flatbush Avenue proudly displaying their products and advertising specials. Many apartment complexes had separate yards for residents and well-kept sidewalks connected the separate buildings. A few small parks invited neighborhood children and parents to mingle when the weather cooperated.

Carlos' apartment, typical of the area, was surprisingly large with two bedrooms. Miguel, their eight-year-old son, was lucky to have his own bedroom he had converted to an imaginary space battle-star.

"I'm home," Carlos shouted entering the apartment.

"I'm in the kitchen," Carlos's wife said. Carlos looked for his son who usually ran out to greet him. In the kitchen his wife prepared dinner and his son sat at the kitchen table eating the last remnants of a cookie, part of which had crumbled and found its way onto the floor. The boy looked up and smiled, crumbs on his lips and it his teeth, but continued to munch.

"What's for dinner?

"You'll just have to wait to see. Get ready, I'll be finished in a few minutes."

Carlos took off his jacket and put down his business portfolio on the bedroom bureau. He heard the doorbell ring.

"I'll get it." His wife shouted from the kitchen.

Then he heard unusual sounds of a scuffle and a muted screech by his wife. Concerned, he rushed to a bedside table and grabbed his handgun from the drawer. Checking to make sure it was loaded he cautiously peered out into the living area. Two men with guns drawn restrained his wife. One had his hand over her mouth.

"Put dat down," His wife's captor said in his Brooklyn accent. Carlos remained standing pointing his gun at the one not holding his wife.

"What do you want?" Carlos said.

"We just wanna talk, man. Yuh got me so fahr? We want to talk business, your business."

"Yeah, so what's up? What are you doing here?" Carlos held his pistol pointed at the intruders.

"We just wanna talk, man." Just then the boy ran in crying and hugging is mother's legs. The man not holding the wife grabbed him and held a gun at his head. "Man, put dat ting down so we can talk. We don't wanna hurt anyone. Ya' dig? We were sent to give yuh message, dat's all. Okay?"

Carlos wasn't convinced, but he didn't have a choice. Carefully he laid his gun down on the back of the couch next to him and slowly backed away with his hands slightly raised and to his side.

"You need let my wife and son go. They haven't done anything. Me either."

"Yeah, okay" The captors released the two so they both ran over to Carlos, trying to hide in his arms while whimpering in fear.

"We don't need them here for our talk do we?"

The two looked at each other. "No, man, we don't need dem here. Okay? Dey can go in de other room. Yuh with me? Just tell dem not to use de telephone. Yuh with me? Don't call anyone or text. Right? Nuttin' like dat. We'll just talk a couple minutes and den leave."

Carlos nodded at his family to do what they said and go in the other room. His wife said, "Carlos, I'm afraid. Maybe we should stay?" Carlos motioned for them to leave. She knew it would be harder for these two to do something violent if they were there but she reluctantly took the boy into the kitchen.

Carlos remained standing, and the two held their guns but lowered them to their sides.

"Now man, all of dat wasn't necessary. Ya' dig? We're all part of de same family, yuh know."

"Yeah, sure, then why did you burst into my house and hold my woman and my boy?"

"We had to, man. Yuh got me so fahr? We knew yuh had a gun, and we didn't wanna get shot."

"Okay, I'll talk to the Man about this later. What is the message?"

"De Man told us we need to give yuh a message. Okay? De police are on our tail. Ya' dig? Dey've got information from one of our low-life clients, who know yuh. Dere lookin' into a certain operation dat unfortunately killed someone. Yuh got me so fahr? Yuh know what I mean."

"No, I really don't, but I understand this message from the Man. I'll be careful, maybe lie low for a while."

"Yeah, dat's right. Yuh with me? He doesn't wanna interrupt our business with de Magic. Okay? Dere's a lot of money in de register about dis."

"Yes, I know." One man slowly walked around the room uninterested in the conversation carrying his gun lowered to his side.

"Yuh know de Man's name. Okay? He needs to make sure yuh don't tell."

"What are you talking about? I've worked for him for years and I never told anyone his name. I won't now."

"De police have der ways. Right? He can't take a chance."

"I'm one of the gang. He can count on me." The man circling around was now behind Carlos and the one who is talking was in front.

From the other room they heard his son cry out, "Daddy, daddy, I'm afraid."

"Don't worry. I'll be there in a minute." Carlos shouted back losing his focus for a moment.

"Man, it's no good. Yuh got me so fahr? De Man gave us de contract."

Carlos's eyes got big but panic made him sweat. "I'm good. I won't talk."

The horrible sound of a shot rang out. Carlos crumpled in a heap on the floor. Blood flowed from the back of his head. The two men examined their prey. Carlos's wife and son came in screaming from the other room. The two men nonchalantly walked to the door and let themselves out leaving cries of anguish behind.