One Blood

Chapter Thirty-Six

Chapter Thirty-Six

 

Monday

New Roads, LA

 

Jhonnette entered the dark room. Her eyes took a moment to adjust. Slowly, she advanced on her target.

Lincoln lay in the hospital bed like a corpse in an open casket. Except for the simple fact, his eyes were open. He was hooked up to multiple I.V.’s. The incessant beeping of the heart monitor informed the world that life still pulsed through the veins of America’s Worst Nightmare.

“Who the fuck are you?” he croaked.

Jhonnette smiled and approached the bed.

“Hi,” she said, pointing to the chair at his bedside. “May I sit?”

“No.”

“Okay. Can I ask you some questions then?”

“Do I look like I feel like answerin’ any fuckin’ questions?”

Jhonnette took a deep breath. “My name is Jhonnette Deveaux. I’m a friend.”

“You ain’t no friend of mine. What the fuck are you doin’ here?”

“I’m here to save you.”

“From what?”

“I was there at the prison. You can’t trust that long-haired man you were with.”

“But I can trust you?” Lincoln turned his eyes on her for the first time.

The pain she saw in his eyes made Jhonnette flinch. His eyes reminded her of marbles she’d played with as a young girl. She saw something else as well. Lincoln’s eyes were identical to Randy Lafitte.

“Lincoln, your life is in danger and I’m the only person who can help you.”

“Next you’re gonna tell me how you can never tell a lie, right?”

“Okay, you want the truth?” she replied, sitting down against his wishes. “We’re wasting valuable time here. Every moment you bullshit me is one more that Moses Mouton loses—”

“What the fuck happened to Moses?”

Now she had his attention. “We can help each other, Lincoln.”

“I asked you a question, lady.”

Jhonnette looked at her subject. He sure talked tough for someone with tubes coming out of his nose. “How about we take turns answering each other’s questions. I’ll even let you go first. Deal?”

Lincoln appraised her like an experienced diamond jeweler—another Lafitte trait.

“Okay,” Lincoln said finally. “Tell me everything you know about what happened to me this morning, starting with where the hell I am.”

Jhonnette nodded. “You’re in a hospital near the prison.”

“How did I end up here?”

“Apparently you dove off the bow of the Angola ferry. You almost drowned. What were you thinking?”

Lincoln offered a confused expression and Jhonnette could tell he had no memory of diving off the ferry. She waited patiently for his next question.

“Tell me where Moses is,” Lincoln said.

“Moses was there this morning, too. He’s been shot. He’s inside the Angola infirmary and he’s going to die there if we don’t do something quick.”

“There’s nuthin’ I can do to save him,” Lincoln replied.

“Lincoln, you can’t know that.”

“Who the hell are you anyway?” he snapped. “And why do you care so much about what happens to me and my father?”

 “Amir never said anything about me?” Jhonnette asked.

 Lincoln’s gaze sharpened at the mention of Amir. “You know Amir? How?”

“Think of me as his silent partner,” she replied. “I want the same thing as you and your brother, Lincoln. I want to see Randy Lafitte dead. But we have to get you out of here to do that.”

Lincoln groaned with sudden pain.

“Are you okay?”

“Be aight,” he mumbled. “Can you do me a favor?”

Jhonnette nodded.

“Get somebody to bring me some pain drugs. My goddamn side hurts like a bitch.”

“Alright.” Jhonnette stood up to fetch the nurse. She opened the door into the hallway and saw her time was almost up.