Under the Microscope

Chapter 14

Kimberly POV

The first thing Kimberly saw with her blurred vision when she regained consciousness was a very tall black man, perhaps the tallest she'd ever seen. The next thing she realized was that she was bound to a wooden chair with very sturdy rope and there were several other men next to the tall man waving guns and knives in her face. Kimberly soon became extremely confused and frightened.

"Wh-what's going on?" murmured Kimberly slowly at first but then she started getting anxious, "Where am I?! What happened?! Who are you people?!"

"Keep quiet, lil' girl!" shouted one gun-toting men standing beside the tall man, we're the one asks the questions."

"She's talkin' like she don' recognize you, boss," said another one of the men, "ya sure ya got the right girl?"

It was with that statement that Kimberly finally regained her senses from her fuzzy, tranquilizer induced haze. Kimberly saw the gigantic man in front of her and immediately recognized him. Standing before Kimberly was the man that perhaps has been the most pictured and talked about in the local Fleming and surrounding area news and radio stations since she could remember. That man, of course, was David "Big Dave" Rutherford Sr., and he was standing right in front of Kimberly. This was not Lil' Dave who used to go to Reagan, the one that started selling drugs school property and became an all-round thorn in the backside of Kimberly's father Scott, the principal. No, this was the original, the real deal, Big Dave who was the most infamous men in the area.

"'Course it's her, Chuck," said Big Dave in a deep guttural baritone to the man who asked the question, "the fuck you take me for, nigga?" Kimberly realized in the back of her head that through all the years people have been mentioning his name, she's never actually heard him speak before, let alone less than three feet away from her. "Darren, untie her and lower 'dem damn guns," he said to the first man who shouted at Kimberly, "she ain't no prisoner here, man, o' a hostage. She should what's goin' down." Kimberly soon also realized that she was back in Fleming and remembered what Tony had said and done to her before she blacked out.

"Why did Tony do that?" said Kimberly after the guns were lowered and she was untied, "How am I back here?"

"Those are great question, honey," said Big Dave leaning down on one knee so he could be at level with Kimberly, "and I'll explain best I can. I know you know who I am and there's a lot o'folks who want me dead and I can't risk just havin' anybody come inta my base without me havin' the propa security. That's why ma'men brought the heat like'at. What all 'dis has to do with is yo boy Zachary Monroe."

"Zach?" said Kimberly surprised, "What does he have to do with you or what Tony did or what was happening at the school."

"Everything, girl, everything." said Big Dave emphatically, and he proceeded to tell Kimberly about everything. Big Dave told Kimberly about Marcus Pang murdering Zach's parents and starting the fire in the house. Big Dave said that Kimberly knew the name Marcus Pang for he was the man who was hired by Meadowlark and Carole to assassinate Meadowlark, unbeknown to Pang that it was a staged plan. Big Dave told her about Max Crawford and Alice McKay, the involvement of Kimberly's father; Skip Harris, Coleman Maddox; Lt. Roscoe and his fellow National Guardsmen; Skip's former partner Topher/Kevin Depper and his misdeeds with Wanda/Audrey Wellington, which Kimberly already knew about. Big Dave told Kimberly Everything that took place in Seattle. He told her about Zach's family history with his Uncle Charlie, where Charlie was currently. He also told her about Alexi Gustav and Alfonzo Martinez, III and Big Dave's own employment with Martinez II. Big Dave told Kimberly about his own partnership with Pang. At the end of Big Dave's narrative, Kimberly had tears in her eyes. I never knew all that about Zach she thought to herself and she cursed herself once more about how cruel she was to Zach the last time she saw him. However, one confusing thought still remained in her mind.