THE RHYME MAN

THE RHYME MAN.
CHAPTER 1 THE FALL
Standing at the open door, fifteen thousand feet above earth, his knuckles white, gripping the sides of the exit, his heart rising in anticipation, he jumped into the sea of air.
“Wowserrr”, he yelled as he and the other divers jumped into the sea of blue.
The wind rushed past his face, like a bird above the earth turning and twisting. The view was breathtaking, I can fly! He said to himself as he soared. He felt free as they flipped; he flipped, did cartwheels, spun, and played tag with another diver. They did a sit fall like sitting in a chair, slowly straightening their legs to attain a flat position. With a movement of his hands and arms he would be in the swoop position, slowly turning like a huge fan.
Billy never tired of skydiving. The thrill charged his senses, and he was addicted to this sport. The adrenaline rush was always there as he sailed the blueness to earth. His parachute time was approaching. He grabbed the cord to his chute, ready float like a butterfly and complete another exciting dive. He shouted, “I`m a bird! I`m a plane! I`m a...” He pulled his chute cord but nothing happened. “...I`m fucked!” he shouted.
A small voice whispered in his ear, you`re going to die!
Billy fell at a terminal speed of 135 mph, as the wind hurried past his free fall. The fast approaching ground was replaced with visions and thoughts of his family, his childhood, his close friend Jeff, and his parents. It was as if he were in an I-Max Theatre, with his life flashing nanoseconds, on big screen, in high definition, surround sound, and cinemascope.
He thought of his family and their recent vacation to Jamaica and all the fun they had. He smiled as he remembered his wife screamed while snorkeling, as she stepped on a smooth clam and she thought it was a shark, when he ordered a fish dish at a seafood restaurant and the waiter bought whale eyeballs. He threw up at the sight of it, causing the kids to laugh hysterically. He thought of his close friend, Jeff, and the rhymes they shared, the birth of his firstborn. His last thoughts were of the incident that happened two days ago. The fall had been forgotten, then---BAMM. He met the earth up close and personal!
ddd
Evening News-WRLX- (Los Angeles)
“This just in,” said the anchorman. “A parachute accident happened today at the Get High Sky Diving School. Paramedics announced that Billy Arnold died in route to the Angel of Mercy Hospital. The USPA (The United States Parachute Association) determined the cause of the chute failure, the chute chords had been cut underneath the harness. It is alleged that the chute was tampered with. The authorities suspect murder.”
ddd
Two days earlier
Billy left the ATM and headed for a big poker game at the whiskey Tavern. An on-line gambling buddy gave him the location. He said the owner of the club loved to play, but you could read his face like a book and he couldn`t bluff worth a damn! He also warned him that Vinnie Lambardie was a mobster, and to be careful if he joined the game.
On arrival, Billy was escorted to a backroom where three players were getting ready to start. The room had a carpeted floor, tasteful furniture, and a fancy wet bar. The players were waiting for a fourth player.
“You Billy?” asked the man smoking a fat Havana, sipping on a Whiskey Old Fashion.
“Yeah he replied. “Randy said you ran a square here square deal here. I thought I`d play.”
The man laughed. “Randy can`t play worth shit! I`m Vinnie. Grab a chair and let`s get started,” he said as he shuffled. “Five card stud, straight up.”
Vinnie quickly introduced everyone. Chuck was the guy next to him and he was humongous! At the very least, he was two hundred and eighty pounds, covered with a layer of fat. He looked like an ex-lineman. Brian, the third player, was a movie stunt man. He exuded fitness and strength, talked endlessly about his last stunt, where he drove a corvette straight off a wharf onto the deck of a tugboat in a soon released film.
The game seesawed back and forth between Vinnie and Brian. They were even on money, both waiting for the right hand. Billy was down a few thousand and was getting discouraged. He and Chuck just donated.
The next hand Billy fanned his cards. “Shit!” he exclaimed, as he threw his cards on the table and stood. “I need to take a piss!” Then he left the room.
The game continued. The pot reached fifty thousand big ones. Vinnie was dealing and Brian was feeling his liquor and getting belligerent with the mobster.
“You greasy coxsucker, I saw you dealing from the bottom!” shouted Brian as he slammed his empty glass on the table.
Vinnie`s eyes turned a deep reddish black at the outburst. Chuck, his body guard, knew how violent his boss could get and slid his chair back and waited for the reaction he knew would follow. No one talked to Vinnie that way without consequences.
A moment later, Vinnie drew the Glock from under his jacket. Brian was quick to respond and grabbed his piece. Both reached their range at almost the same moment---POW. Vinnie`s draw was a split second- faster and the bullet hit Brian between the eyes. The other bullet lodged harmlessly in the ceiling.
“Fuck with me now, you asshole!” Vinnie said to the dead man.
Billy came out of the restroom just in time to witness the standoff. He sa w Brian`s head snap back, his body falling to the floor as it tumbled over the chair behind him. Billy was out the door without a moment`s hesitation. He felt his heart in his mouth as he ran out of the tavern and got into his car. He pushed the petal hard, leaving two tread marks on the pavement as testimonials to hi departure.
Chuck chased Billy through the tavern and knocked a drunken patron flat on his ass. He stood outside just in time to see to taillights rapidly diminish in size. He returned to the poker room.
“He got away boss.” Chuck was breathing fast due to the adrenaline.
“Shit! What was that bastard`s name?” Vinnie fumed.
“All I know is Billy and he skydives.”
Vinnie went to the bar and poured a whiskey, and threw it back. “Find out from Randy...Now!”
“I`ll take care of it boss.”
“And get rid of that piece of shit first!” Vinnie said coolly as he pointed to the dead stunt man.
After dumping the body, Chuck paid a visit to Randy, pretending that Billy had run off owing Vinnie fifty thousand. “Billy ran off and Vinnie needs to know his last name!”
“We met at an online poker site and I don`t know his full name. All I know is that he skydives at the Get High Sky Diving School.”

Billy got home and locked the door. His wife and kids were visiting her mother for the week, which was why he decided to play poker tonight. He walked to the chair and collapsed, his heart pounding was still pounding. His mind went into overdrive.

Should I call the police? No! He would have dumped the body by now. No evidence. Does he know my full name? No, I didn`t tell them. Did I tell them anything about me? I don`t remember!
If he came forward he would put his family in danger and that crime boss would come after him and his wife and kids. Besides in court it would be his word against mine.
“Chill Billy!” he said out loud to himself. “Nothing happened. You didn`t see anything! Mind your own business and just do your normal routine. You have a jump in a couple of days.”
He closed his eyes and mentally pictured himself free falling and it soothed him. He smiled as he thought: A nice relaxing jump. That`s what I need.









Vinnie, the owner, sat across from Billy. He was wiry with slick black hair, small in stature, smoking a fat Havana and sipping on a whiskey old fashion. The guy next to him was humongous, two hundred and eighty pounds, covered with a layer of fat; he looked like an ex-lineman. The third player was a movie stunt man, in shape and tall. He exuded fitness and strength. Vinnie was polite mentioning his friend, who told him about the weekly game. “Welcome, Randy, said you were gonna play.”
“Randy said you ran a square deal here, thought I would join you.” Billy said while eyeballing the players.
Vinnie introduced everyone, Chuck the huge one, Brian the stunt man, they were ready to deal. The game seesawed back and forth between Vinnie and Brian. Billy and Chuck just donated. Billy was getting discouraged, not a decent pot yet, but at least he hadn`t lost much. The two winners were battling it out; they were about even on money won. Both were waiting for the right hand. Billy folded and left the table for a restroom break
The blowout hand came as the pot reached fifty thousand big ones. Vinnie was dealing and Brian was three sheets to the wind, he was getting belligerent with Vinnie.
“You, greasy coxsucker, I saw you dealing from the bottom!”
Vinnie eyes turned a deep reddish black at the outburst. No one ever talked that way to Vinnie, the vilest mob boss in Los Angeles. Chuck, his body guard who knew how violent his boss could be, sat up straight waiting for the all hell to break loose. Quick tempered, he reacted quickly, drawing his Glock from under his jacket. Brian had quick reflexes, he grabbed his piece, they both reached their range at the same moment---`Pow`. A split second faster, Vinnie1s the bullet hit Brian between the eyes.
Billy just came out of the restroom to witness the standoff. Brian `s head snapped back with his body following, hitting the chair, dead as he finished his fall. Billy was near the door and fled as fast as he could pump his arms, his adrenaline pushing him out the tavern. He shoved the pedal hard peeling on the pavement leaving his two tread marks as testimonials. Chuck had chased him, two hundred and eighty pounds flying through the tavern knocking a drunken patron flat on his ass. He saw the two tail lights rapidly diminish in size.
Chuck returned to the scene of the crime, to check on his boss. Vinnie was talking to the dead stunt man, fuck with me now, you asshole. “He got away, boss.”
“What`s his name?”
“All I know is Billy.’
“Find out his name from Randy, now, he saw the shooting.”
Chuck left with a mission to take care of Billy. Chuck reached Randy but he couldn’t remember his last name. They always talked on the internet in a poker room chat room. Chuck remembered that he mentioned skydiving at the Get High Sky Diving School. Chuck focused on the school. There he found his target and Billy`s fate was set.

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