Mage and The Bad Men

" If you lift a hand to my women it had better be to tip your hat."

Note: CONVERSATIONS WITH A MAGE parallels the CARTER BROTHERS series. Pat DeVallera has retired from the New Orleans Police Department and convinced Lucius Carter and Lucius' wife Astrid to tell him the truth about the magic and supernatural events that surrounded the Carters in the Twentieth Century. This story follows KATIE AFTER THE PROM and answers some of the questions raised about MOLLY MEETS THE BARON. I'm afraid it does not fit neatly into any one category. EROTIC HORROR will have to do.

Chapter 3

The Mage and The Bad Men

* * * * *

Y'know" Pat mumbled. "I always wondered why Pappa Alex's gang went underground the last few years before he died. Did that have anything to do with you?"

"It had EVERYTHING to do with me," Lucius replied. "It started before I came back. A young man named Tony Balmero crossed Desmond."

* * * * *

Part 1

Tony pulled the car off the narrow street into the driveway. If he was lucky the feds would get him before Desmond. The only thing left to do was tell Sue-Sue.

The rotten wood of the porch groaned under his feet. Any girl from my side of the tracks would have run home to momma rather than live like this, he thought. His father's threat rang in his ears: "Marry that little gold digger and I'll cut you off without a cent!" Dad sure was a man of his word.

But Susanna was even better: She had actually been happy living in this dump. Hard work didn't frighten her, so she cleaned people's houses for cash to make ends meet when Tony was between jobs. She made this sorry shotgun house a home, at least until the sixth month of her pregnancy; That's when Tony had to borrow money to pay the hospital bill. Alex Desmond was the wrong man to ask for a loan. Four months later Tony was up to his ass in a drug deal in a last desperate effort to pay off Desmond.

He opened the door and flipped the light switch, then almost died from shock at the sight that greeted him.

Alex Desmond sat glaring in the armchair. Next to him was Susanna in her nightgown and barefoot, her hand apparently tied behind her back and TJ's knife at her throat. Her face was tear-streaked and her hair rumpled, as if they had dragged her out of bed. Behind her Pretty Boy held infant Mary in a blanket.

Desmond said one word: "Bird."

Tony felt someone grab his shirt and throw him into another chair. Bird's hand closed around his neck, just tight enough to hold him, not to strangle him.

"For cryin' out loud, Desmond!" Tony hissed through his teeth. "The feds caught my courier at the airport!"

"I know," said Desmond. "But my deal was with you. Really, how would it look if I just let you get away with defaulting on a debt? Why, my other clients would expect the same treatment! So, I'm going to make an example of you." He turned and looked at Susanna and added "And I'm afraid your lovely wife must share your punishment."

"Leave her alone, mother fucker!" Tony snapped and tried to break Bird's grip. Bird just clinched his fingers into Tony's windpipe and Tony realized he couldn't do anything to stop them.

"Pretty Boy," said Desmond, "if either of them does anything stupid, KILL THE CHILD!"

Pretty Boy grinned and tossed Mary into the air. As she fell, he grabbed both her ankles with one hand and held her upside down. Mary screamed, Sue clinched her eyes shut tighter and bared her teeth as if in pain, while Tony thanked God Pretty Boy was standing behind Sue, where she couldn't see what had happened. Pretty Boy's hand moved too fast for Tony to follow as he produced a butterfly knife and held it at the infant's throat.

TJ gripped Sue's gown and pulled her to her feet. Sue never opened her eyes. Tony tried to shut his.

"Keep those eyelids open, boy, or I'll cut 'em off myself!" Desmond ordered, so Tony opened them.

TJ grabbed the collar of Sue's gown with both hand and tore it open to the bottom hem, then tore the hem and let the tatters hang over Sue's tied wrists. Sue stood there in her blue panties, breasts exposed and tears oozing through her closed eyelids. TJ shoved his hand into her panties and felt for her vagina, then suddenly slapped her across the face, almost knocking her off her feet.

"Nobody tol' you to clinch them twat muscles, bitch!" he yelled. "Unclinch 'em!" and he put his hand back into her, apparently more successfully. Then he gripped the silk and tore the right side of the panties open, letting them hang around her left thigh.

"I'm afraid TJ doesn't like women very much," Desmond taunted. "I'm sure it has something to do with his toilet training. He has a special tool to use on naughty women. TJ, please show your special tool to Tony."

TJ grinned and held a wire coat hanger in front of Tony, whose face was already blue under Bird's grip. TJ held the hook in one hand and stretched the wire out into a long loop. He turned back to Sue, who still hadn't opened her eyes, drew back his arm and brought it forward across the soft flesh of her belly. Susanna screamed and crumpled to the floor, curling into a fetal position. It did her no good, as TJ planted the next stroke across her butt.

As Susanna writhed on the floor TJ grabbed her right ankle and parted her legs. Tony thought TJ was going to rape her, but instead TJ planted another blow from the coat hanger on her inner thigh, less than an inch from her pussy. Sue screamed again, drowning out little Mary's crying.

"That's enough, TJ," said Desmond. "Let 'em look at each other."

Bird let go of Tony's neck and pushed him to his knees. TJ grabbed Sue's blond hair and pulled her up in front of her husband. Sue managed to open her eyes, still crying.

"Sue," said Tony, "I am so sorry!"

"I... I love you!" Sue whimpered.

"How touching,," said Desmond. "Pretty Boy, TJ, put the bitch and the child in the car."

TJ pulled Sue to her feet and half dragged, half carried her, stumbling as best she could, out the door followed by Pretty Boy with the crying infant.

Before Tony could talk Desmond snapped "They'll be staying at MY place for a while. You can pay me either in cash or a full kilo."

"Where..." Tony started, choking.

"Are you going to get it? I don't care," said Desmond. "Bird, join us when you've finished with him." The boss stood up and started for the door.

Bird pulled Tony to his feet and grinned. "I hope you're tougher than you LOOK, pussy boy!" he taunted.

* * * * *

Part 2

Bird thought it was a foolish assignment: Watching two white women walking through Audubon Park. He wondered why Pappa D had sent him on a job the old smuggler normally gave to T.J. or Pretty Boy, men who walked like cats. Besides, it was boring and didn't require beating the hell out of anyone.

On the other hand, there was nothing wrong with the view. The little goth bitch was cute even if she was chubby and just a little bit pregnant; but the older one was mighty fine, tall, blond, nice butt, legs that went all the way from the ground to her hips and didn't exactly hide under those faded jeans.

Between wondering and watching, the birdman was off his guard when a baritone voice said "Hello, Bird."

Bird turned completely around to see a man of about fifty sitting on a park bench. His suit was obviously tailor made, his shoes easily of the thousand dollar variety, probably Italian. Both of his hands rested on a black walking cane with a silver handle carved in the likeness of a wolf.

"Have a seat, Bird," the man continued.

"How'd you know mah name?" Bird demanded.

"'Same way I know that Alex Desmond sent you to watch my women. Are you going to stand there or have a seat? I don't bite."

Bird decided to sit without taking his eyes off the older man. Lucius avoided making eye contact with the gangster, which made Bird all the more suspicious.

"So tell me, Bird" Lucius resumed. "Were you wondering why Pappa D sent you?"

"Yeah."

"Please tell him 'Yes, Lucius Carter is back.' The next move is his. We can keep the peace or pick up where we left off. It's up to him."

"Lucius... Carter," Bird repeated. "Musta' been befo'e mah time... You and Desmond?"

"You remember his brother, Theodore?"

Bird winced at the thought. "Yeah, real bad dude, three hundred pounds of mean in a five pound bag, missing a couple of fingers off his right hand."

"I've still got those fingers in a bottle of brandy" said Lucius. "I simply MUST remember to send them to Alex so he can put them in the family crypt with the rest of Teddy." He turned slightly, still not looking directly at Bird but slightly ahead of him. "That's not out of respect for Alex: It's just respect for his family."

"They's more Desmonds? I didn't even think Alex had a mother," Bird tried to joke. "I thought he and Theodore came from Hell already full grown."

"My family knew his when they still went by 'Des Monde,' even before his feud with the Dumas family began."

Bird was now curious enough to lose his caution.

"Yeah, tell me... w'as the deal 'tween them?"

Lucius was still looked straight ahead as he answered with another question; "'You ever heard of the Native Guards?"

"If ah did ah forgot."

Lucius chuckled. "At the beginning of the Civil War the Des Monde's and the Dumas ancestors were gents du coulour libre, free men of color under Louisiana law; plantation owners and slave holders. When Louisiana seceded from the union they were both commissioned officers in the militia, the Native Guard. When New Orleans fell to the Federals, General Butler offered both of them commissions in the Union Army. Pierre Des Monde declined. He was white enough to pass himself off and join up with Dick Taylor in Shreveport, so Butler seized his plantation. When the dust settled Pierre was in Mexico with Maximilian and the Dumas family owned what had been Des Monde land. 'Bout 1877 Pierre made his way back to New Orleans and tried to recover his property. He failed and his descendants have hated the Dumas ever since. That's why Alex was so happy when you knocked up Molly for the Baron."

Bird was too stunned to say what was on his mind: This man knew about the Voodoo ceremony in which he and Molly Dumas Johnson had conceived a child under the watchful eyes of his patrone.

The silence between the two men lasted several seconds before Lucius stood and stepped away, then turned back. He made eye contact with Bird for the first time.

"The ladies will be going home in a few minutes," he said. "For the record, if you or anyone else in Pappa D's gang lift a hand to my women it had better be... to... tip... your... hat."

If Lucius had been within reach Bird probably would have hit him, but the gangster knew he'd been out maneuvered. The best he could do was to growl back at the older man, "Othe' guys have tried t' kill me, ol' man. You wouldn't be the firs' one I kille'."

"Very true," Lucius countered. "But I wouldn't be the one you have to worry about. Do you remember the young man you killed on Agriculture Street?"

Bird again decided that silence was wise, so Lucius went on. "Desmond told you to beat him, teach him a lesson, but you were having too much fun... went too far." He nodded in the direction of 'Moon and Astrid who were now seated at a picnic table too far away to hear the men's conversation.

"Anthony was the child Astrid put up for adoption when she was sixteen. She doesn't know; the adoptive parents had the records sealed. If you make a move against us I will tell her what I know and her coven will see to it that you spend the rest of your life in pain." Lucius turned and took a step toward the women before adding "Give my regards to Alex... and the Baron." He walked lightly, as if he had been relieved of a burden, in the direction of the women.

In half an hour Bird was in the opulent office of Alexander "Pappa D" Desmond, who looked at him from behind his desk with eyes that would make a lion cower. Bird decided to report quickly: "Lucius Carter sez t' tell ya he's back."

Desmond was obviously trying to keep Bird from seeing his emotions. "What else?" he snapped.

"He's willin' t' keep the peace... if we leave th' women alone."

"Then we shall leave the women alone," Desmond said, relieved, then added "I imagine he told you quite a bit more. Anything else I would want to hear?"

"Ah don' think so" whispered Bird, unsure of what he should say. He had never seen Pappa D so anxious to avoid a fight.

Desmond yelled "Susana!" and clapped his hands twice. A blond woman in a tube top, microscopic shorts and high heeled sandals hurried into the room. The bruise under her left eye and another on her ribs indicated that she had recently been the recipient of her boss's rage. Bird recognized her, but he had worked for Desmond too long to wonder what she'd done to deserve another beating, even when it did matter. Susana kept her eyes down like a beaten dog submitting to the leader of her pack.

"Bird has had a bad day. Take him to Solei ," Desmond ordered. Bird's ears perked at the mention of the city's most exclusive madam as Desmond continued. "Tell her to help him forget about it; anything he wants... and put it on my bill."

* * * * *

"A month later Bird was dead from a drug overdose, so I had no reason to keep the secrets from Astrid," said Lucius.

As Lu finished his tale Pat noticed that Astrid was wiping tears from her eyes.

"I'm sorry, Astrid," Pat deadpanned as Lu wrapped a strong right arm around his wife's shoulder in an effort to comfort her.

Astrid composed herself. "I tell myself it was long ago and I gave up my responsibility when I signed the adoption papers. If I could do it over again I would have insisted on an open adoption. I might have been able to keep him out of... their way."

"You're too hard on yourself, Astrid," said Lucius. "Anthony made the choices that put him in contact with the Desmond gang. If he had gone to his adopted family as soon as the trouble started, Alex would never have sent Bird after him: Pappa D didn't kill for fun, especially if there was money to be made. God knows the Balmeros could have bought him off with Tony's college fund, but it was Tony's poor judgment that got him killed."

He put his hand under Astrid's chin and gently directed her eyes toward his. "And he did leave you his nineteen year old widow and a granddaughter who needed your help. You are proud of them, aren't you?"

Astrid forced a smile and nodded.

"What happened to Susanna and baby?" asked Pat.

Astrid had buried her face on Lu's chest, perhaps so Pat couldn't see her face, or perhaps as a gesture of affection for her husband. Lu answered Pat's question.

"Well, as I said, Alexander Desmond didn't kill for fun: Once Tony was dead he held Susana and the baby for random, but the Balmeros didn't think Mary was Tony's child. Desmond liked blondes, so Susana was his personal "new toy," at least until he tired of her. The old bastard was impotent, so he got his jollies from brutality. If I hadn't explained the situation to the Balmeros, she would have wound up in some brothel in India... or worse. Desmond would have sold the baby on the black market when he sold 'Sue-Sue'."

"So you convinced the family that it was their grandchild?" Pat asked.

"Yes. Once they had the blood tests they fell all over themselves trying to make it up to Susana. Astrid and I helped get her into Neuman College and arranged child care for little Mary. A few years later 'Sue-Sue' married a nice young doctor who made a good step father for Mary. The Balmeros approved of the marriage..."

"And I did too," said Astrid.

"For a moment," said Pat, looking at Astrid, "I was afraid you were going to say they lived happily ever after."

"Well," said Lucius, "at least reasonably so."