The Man In Forest Hills Read online

  “I shouldn't even be wasting my time on you crooked motherfuckers.”

  He picks up his gun and places it in his belt holder.

  Meanwhile, Kent makes his way back to the hospital that saved his life. He parks his car and gets out. He walks into the hospital and heads straight to the receptionist sitting at the front desk.

  “Thomas Kent, here to see Dr. Snow.”

  “Okay Mr. Kent, have a seat and I will have somebody come get you shortly.”

  Kent walks to the waiting area and takes a seat. About five minutes later, a lady walks over and calls out his name.

  “Thomas Kent.”

  He stands up.

  “Follow me please.”

  She walks him into a room.

  “The nurse is going to come and take your temperature, check your heartbeat along with some other necessary checks we need. Dr. Snow will be in after.”

  She leaves and two minutes later the same nurse that took care of him when he was on his deathbed enters the room.

  “Mr. Kent, you look great.”

  He turns to her.

  “It’s great to see you. I have to thank you again for everything you have done for me.”

  “It wasn't a problem. After all, this is my job.”

  She proceeds to go through his checkup. She checks his temperature, heartbeat and blood pressure, and they all check out fine.

  “Everything here looks and sounds just fine,” she says.

  “I will tell Dr. Snow you are ready and he will come in and check on you.”

  “Thank you.”

  “No problem,” she smiles.

  Since Kent has lost most of his patience due to the recent events, he begins to pace around the room waiting for Dr. Snow. He stops in front of the window and peers out, not noticing much but trees and cars. Dr. Snow enters the room snapping him out of his gaze.

  “Mr. Kent, how have you been? Have you been taking care of yourself?”

  Kent walks away from the window and up to the doctor to shake his hand.

  “Of course I have. Didn't your nurse tell you?”

  The doctor starts to laugh. He then takes out his folder.

  “Sit down right here for me and take off your shirt, please.”

  Kent sits down and starts to unbutton his shirt. The doctor watches Kent button by button, waiting to see how well all of his wounds have healed. Kent can tell he is impressed by his facial expression.

  “Well the wounds are healing up pretty nice,” he says.

  He follows with a question.

  “Are you taking the medication how I prescribed?”

  Kent pauses for a second.

  “I was taking the meds, but they kept me up at night.

  The doctor starts to shake his head.

  “Mr. Kent, I understand, but you have to take the meds. They help repair the scar tissue inside your body. That's the only way you will heal correctly.”

  “Okay, I will take the meds,” says Kent.

  “Thank you, you can put your shirt on now.”

  Kent takes his shirt and buttons it up.

  “I need you to make one more appointment so we can check the progress of your wounds with the help of the medication. Book it for three weeks from now.”

  “Thank you Doc. I really appreciate this.”

  The Doctor shakes his hand.

  “No problem. See you in a couple of weeks.”

  Several minutes later he walks out the hospital to his car. He gets into his car and drives away. As he drives to the city he starts to have flashbacks of his own life.

  The Pink Pony Gentlemen’s Club is a strip club in the city where you can get the best adult entertainment. Some off duty cops, ex marines and other types of law enforcement hangout here on the regular. Three well known faces that make a regular appearance are Maddox, Marven, and Craven. They come to Pink Pony to let off some steam among other things. This place used to be owned by Chambers and this is where Maddox met him.

  It's now one o'clock in the morning and Marvin walks into the gentleman's club.

  He walks in and a waitress greets him.

  “Hey Jake. How are you this evening?”

  “I'm doing fine. Can you get me a jack and coke ASAP please?”

  “Of course,” she says.

  He walks to the back of the gentleman's club and takes a seat. As soon as he sits down a couple of dancers walk his way. They spark up a conversation with him to sit her on his lap.

  Meanwhile at the front door a man walks in. The same waitress walks up to him.

  “Hey Mr. You’re new here aren’t you? What can I get you?”

  “Nothing right now.”

  He walks into a booth and takes a seat. As soon as he sits down, a topless dancer makes her way over to him.

  “Hey baby. You want a dance?”

  He lifts the brim of his hat up.

  “No sweetie. I'm okay for now”

  He looks across the room at Marven who has a large wad of dollar bills in his hand. He has a whiskey on the rocks on the tale beside him and a cigarette in his other hand. He takes his time tipping the ladies, so he can continue to have a great time.

  While all this happens the man across the way takes his hat off and leans back into the booth, so Marven can’t recognize him. The club is too dark so you can’t make out his face. A disco light changes direction and hits his face to reveal the man under the hat. Kent doesn’t seem to be worried. He just scoots back a little further, never taking his eyes off of Marven across the room. Seconds later, he looks up and a light shines directly on his face. Underneath the hat Kent shows his face. He sits up watching Marven’s every move.

  Looks like tonight is the night he will get gets his answers from Marven. An hour later, Marven gets up from his booth. He stumbles back and forth as he makes his way toward the exit. He leaves the club and stops to stand outside to smoke. A young dancer exits the club right after Marven. She looks at him.

  “Can I bum a cigarette off you?” she asks.

  Kent goes out the back door and sneaks into his car. He sits in his car waiting, watching and observing Marven. Moments later Marven and the young dancer walk to his car. She gets in and then he gets in on the driver side. They take off down the road. Kent turns on his car.

  “Where the fuck are you headed you son of a bitch?”

  Kent follows them through the city, but remains a good distance behind so he won’t be spotted. They lead him to an abandoned building. He stops his car many feet behind Marven’s car.

  “What the fuck are you guys doing?”

  Meanwhile, Marven has wasted no time and has started to kiss the young dancer in his car. He reclines his seat and attempts to hop on top of her.

  “Take it easy. Don't be too rough.”

  Marven keeps kissing her on the neck.

  “Just relax I got this.”

  They start to have sexual intercourse. The car gets hot and foggy and sweat is dripping off both of their bodies.

  “Wow. I needed that.”

  He turns to her.

  “Okay, get out.”

  She looks at him very angry.

  “What the fuck are you talking about? I need a ride back to my car.”

  “Why is that my problem? Take a fucking taxi.”

  “No. You better take me to my fucking car.”

  He looks at her dead in her eyes and screams.

  “Who the fuck do you think you are talking to?”

  He opens his door and quickly gets out and around to her side. He opens the passenger side door and grabs her.

  She screams, “Get the fuck off me!”

  Kent had stopped paying attention to the car when he knew what they were doing, but now he was fully engaged due to the commotion.

  “What the fuck is going on here?”

  He watches Marven pull the woman out of the car.

  “Bitch, get out of my car.”<
br />
  He takes a couple of dollars out of his pocket and throws it at her face while she’s on the ground.

  “Take a fucking taxi back or walk. I don’t really give a fuck.”

  He walks back to the driver side door and gets in his car. He turns his car on and drives off. Kent looks at the woman and contemplates helping her, seeing that isn’t raining, but he can’t afford to lose eyes on Marven.

  “I’m sorry sweetheart but I got a job to do.”

  He feels bad as he pulls off behind Marven, leaving the woman stranded. They both speed down the highway passing all the other cars on the road. Kent talks to himself as he continues the pursuit, while Marven finally catches on that he is being followed. He looks in his rearview mirror and sees a car that looks familiar for some odd reason.

  Am I seeing things?

  He fixes his mirror and sits up straight in his chair.

  Who the fuck is following me?

  Marven pulls up to his house but doesn't pull in to his driveway yet. He stops to see what the car behind him decides to do. He checks his rear view mirror and notices the car parked a couple houses down on the side of the road.

  Who the fuck is this motherfucker?

  He takes his pistol out the glove compartment and takes it off safety.

  Come on motherfucker. You won't take me alive.

  Kent sits in his car and waits for Marven to get out of his car.

  Come on Jake. I just need some answers from you. Don't make this hard on yourself.

  Marven gets out his car and grabs his bag. He goes around back of the house through the back door. Once Kent can’t see Marven, he quickly hops out of his car to follow the same route. He makes his way up to the back door, but freezes in his tracks once he notices there are no lights on inside. He backs away from the door, and decides the window would be a better entry path. He pulls the latch on the window and finds it unlocked. He slowly pushes the window open, but stops midway and lets it close.

  Why the fuck would the window be unlocked and the lights be off?

  He decides to take a walk around the side of the house and look through the other windows, but still there are no lights on in any other room. He walks back to the open window at the rear of the house. He has his pistol in his hand and puts the safety on. He slips the gun in his back and proceeds to crawl through the window. He puts one foot in and follows it with the other. Suddenly a light comes on and he freezes. Marven stands there with a gun pointed at him.

  “Kent? What the fuck, why have you been following me?”

  Kent stands there with his hands at his side.

  “Put your fucking hands in the air.”

  Kent raises his hands up, but doesn’t say one word.

  “So it's been you they have been looking for this whole time? How could you?”

  Kent grabs a lamp from the side table and throws it at Marven. He quickly runs to the kitchen and ducks down behind the island.

  “You almost got me.”

  “You’re lucky because I was aiming for your head,” Marven says.

  Kent starts to laugh.

  “You never had a good shot anyway.”

  Marven takes another shot that skims over the top of the island by Kent’s head.

  “Well I got better.”

  Kent takes out his gun and takes the safety off.

  “So how's this going to end buddy?”

  “It's going to end with you dead.”

  The house gets silent for a second.

  “We were best friends at one time Tom. Why would you want to kill me?”

  “I can ask you the same thing Jake,” Kent explains.

  Marven fires off a couple shots.

  “Tom, you know how business works. Your family wasn’t a part of my plan, but unfortunately I have to follow my orders.”

  “So killing my family was business. I wish that was a good enough answer, Marven, but it’s not.”

  Kent sprints through the kitchen to the other room. He lets off a couple of shots while running to not allow Marven a clear shot. Marven still attempts to hit him though, letting his gun go off multiple times.

  “I was just following orders like I said. I didn’t want your wife and son to be killed.”

  He fires off a couple more shots at Kent.

  “Tom, you know I'm a scumbag, but even I know that families are off limits.”

  Kent runs from the dining room to the living room. He fires off a shot and slides behind the couch.

  “You were always a follower Jake. You could never stand on your own. What type of man is that?”

  He picks his head up at the top of the couch and fires a shot at Marven. Marven fires multiple shots back.

  “You have your opinion Tom. But, I'm not the one in this predicament. There's no way out. You killed Mark and now you want to kill me. Did you forget Mark was a cop? You’re going to burn in hell for that. They're going to put you under the jail for that. Just come out and I won't kill you. I'll just take you in. I promise.”

  Kent takes a couple of deep breaths.

  “You're right Jake. There's no way I can get out of this. But I don’t trust you.”

  Marven pauses for a second and takes a look at the couch.

  “You have no choice, but to trust me. They won’t believe that three cops executed your family. Nobody will believe that Tom. Just come out and I will call for backup, and we will take you in. There won’t be any embarrassment.”

  Kent looks at his gun and can see the smoke coming off the barrel.

  “Okay Jake, call the boys. I’m ready to turn myself in,” he mentions.

  He put his hands in the air while his gun is in his left hand. He then stands up from behind the couch.

  “That’s it Tom. Come out slowly with your hands up.”

  He takes a step from around the couch.

  “Put your gun on the floor and kick it towards me,” Marven says.

  He puts his gun down like Marven tells him to and kicks it towards him. The gun easily slides along the floor and hits Marven on the foot.

  “There you go Jake. Now you can call the boys to come get me.”

  With his gun still pointed at Kent, Marven bends over and picks up Kent’s gun.

  “Well Kent, I’m not going to do that. You killed my friend, so you have to suffer.”

  Kent stands in shock with his hands in the air.

  “You piece of shit, I knew you were lying. I should have never trusted you. I was better off shooting my way out of here.”

  “It happens buddy. Any last words?”

  Kent closes his eyes and takes a deep breath.

  “I don’t have shit to say to you,” he says.

  “Suit yourself.”

  He pulls his gun up and points it at Kent.

  “It was good knowing you Tom.”

  He pulls the trigger. The gun clicks but nothing happens.

  “What the fuck,” Marven shouts.

  Marven keeps pulling the trigger but realizes he has no bullets in his gun.

  “You only get sixteen in the clip and one in the hole. They taught us that in the academy. Or were you not paying attention like you always used to do?”

  Marven is overtaken by anger with the realization that he is defenseless.

  “Now what Tom? What the fuck happens now?”

  Kent reaches in his back pocket for something. He pulls out a revolver, the same one he used to kill Craven with.

  “See the thing is Marven, I knew you wouldn’t take me in, or call for back up. I know you, and you are full of shit.”

  Marven can’t stand to listen to him.

  “You just kept shooting and shooting, like the idiot that you. And you left yourself with an empty clip.”

  Kent moved the revolver from his waist side and has it pointed at his Marven’s head.

  “So you’re just gonna kill me in cold blood Tom. Are you gonna do me like you did Mark you pi
ece of shit,” Marven says

  “What happened to you Jake? You left the academy and turned into one of those cops we swore we would never be.”

  “Things have definitely changed. I wish I could go back and change some of the things I have done.”

  Kent listens to him ramble on for a little while longer, until he can’t bear to hear his voice anymore. He cuts him off mid- sentence.

  “Look Jake, sorry it had to end like this Jake. Any last words buddy?”

  Marven still has his gun in his hand. He releases his grip and it drops to the floor.

  “I just wish we never grew apart Kent.”

  Kent puts his finger on the trigger.

  “I know my friend. I know.”

  He pulls the trigger and the bullet travels through the forehead of Marven. Marven falls to the ground face first. A big splash of blood hits the wall and begins to slowly drip down the wall to the floor. He looks at the barrel of the gun and can see the heavy amounts of smoke rising from it. He then looks down at Marven and sees a large pool of blood leaking from his head. He shakes his head and leans down walks up to the body.

  “Sorry buddy. It had to be done.”

  He then walks out the back door and looks at a big grill in the back yard. He stops and thinks about how his fingerprints and other type forms of evidence are all over the house. He opens the bottom of the grill and grabs the propane tank. He walks it inside the house and places it next to the couch. He then goes back out the back door and walks up to the window. He pulls the revolver out and begins to load it with bullets. A couple of bullets fall out his pocket but he doesn’t pay them any attention. He lifts up the revolver and pushes the window open a little more. He aims at the propane tank.

  “Is this necessary?”

  He shoots multiple times and the tank explodes inside the house. He runs away and tucks the revolver in his waist. He gets to his car and begins to drive off. While driving off he can see another explosion in the house. His pushes down on the accelerator and speeds off.

  The next morning a man hops out of a truck labeled arson unit. He walks into Marven’s house, which is almost unrecognizable on the inside. There are firefighters everywhere and uniform police are placing yellow caution tape around the whole property so the surrounding neighbors don’t walk toward the crime scene. Harper walks out from behind the caution tape. He looks at the smoke still leaving the top of the house. He makes his way to the back of the house. He can see a couple of officers in uniform and walks over to them.