L.A. Burning Read online

L.A. Burning

  (a tiny thriller)

  By King O'Bryan

  Copyright 2014 King O'Bryan

  ISBN: 9781311238801

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  Table of Contents

  About Genre

  LA. Burning

  About King O'Bryan

  Other Books & Discourses by King O'Bryan

  Connect with King O'Bryan

  Sneak Peek

  Sample #1—Storm: Finding Joy Unspeakable

  Sample #2—Storm:Finding Joy Unspeakable

  About Genre

  A TINY THRILLER is a genre that maintains all the regular elements of a full-length thriller—"cliff hangers", surprise or suspense, action, tension, excitement, ultra-heightened expectation, uncertainty, anxiety, and terror. However, a tiny thriller is a very short story. It is a noir nugget, a full-length thriller with a twist. You could read this morsel of mayhem over a quick cup of coffee at a late-night diner or right before you go to work, class, or sleep. It's intended to be a quick read that leaves you craving and wanting more while rousing your senses with the little you have been given.

  L.A. BURNING is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author's imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental. Names of real public persons, living or dead, are used for fictive purposes only.

  L.A. Burning

  (a tiny thriller)

  Trevor was a tall, dark-skinned black man with short hair shaved down to his head. He was muscular and had perfect teeth, perfect bone structure, perfect physique, perfect everything. After all, he was a plastic surgeon. He owned A Better You on Highland Avenue between Wilshire Boulevard and Melrose Avenue. He was hated by few, but loved by many, especially the many clientele he nipped & tucked on a weekly basis. Pro bono work was offered only to his regulars. You know… the one's with a little liposuction here or a little Botox or Dysport injection there to fix those slight droopings in the corners of the eyebrow. These women and even men, nowadays, kept him established, successful, and in business. He was well-known, and he would be someone to definitely make partnership with.

  Anton, Trevor's partner, was the lucky one. He had been in partnership with Trevor for the past thirteen years at A Better You. He was originally from Russia and was born of low birth. The neighborhood in which he grew up was full of low socioeconomic citizens who pulled together as a community to help raise all the children within that small area. That statement: "it takes a village to raise a child," was an all-too-true statement for Anton. Thankfully, he had a "head on his shoulders" that pulled him out of that rut. He was single and good looking. He had his choice with women, and it didn't help that he could offer them a new nose or a pair of larger breasts in the process. He definitely used that to his advantage.

  Anton had met Trevor while at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. They had roomed with each other in their earlier stages of undergraduate school and even moved into the same apartment for their duration of medical school. Therefore, it was only natural for them to go into business/partnership with one another, and that decision had proven to be lucrative for the both of them. In other words, Trevor was no more important that Anton and vice versa.

  *****

  September had always been the peak of wedding season. Wedding bells were in the air because Trevor and Alyssa were getting married. Alyssa had been Trevor's sweetheart since medical school. She was Caucasian and was no taller than 5'5" and weighed no more than a 140 pounds soaking wet. Her and Trevor's love story was one that was strange and odd, but memorable nonetheless. She was only a first year medical student with an emphasis/concentration in psychiatry and biobehavioral sciences at UCLA during Trevor's third year of medical school. He had managed to learn how to juggle both studying and going out; unfortunately, on the other hand, she was so swamped with work, she never had any time for a social life.

  Once, she found herself in the laundry mat at their apartment complex—LaCaldeara, the exquisite place for royally-minded individuals. Yeah, that tagline always drew many to this destination. She had just put her colored clothes in the cycle when she realized she had accidentally poured a whole cupful of bleach in the water. She hurried to pull every article of clothing from the water. But—as she pulled the clothes from the water, a roaming pit bull attacked her from behind. He had managed to get inside the laundry room as the door was opened and pulled her down to the ground by biting her left gastrocnemius (her calve) and was moving closer to lockjaw to her throat as Alyssa screamed in fear and pain.

  Trevor, walking toward his apartment door, overheard the scream and went running to the sound. When he arrived he quickly kicked at the dog with his foot enduring an aggressive bite to his foot as the dog had now switched victims. He screamed for Alyssa to get up and leave in which she hobbled out into an apartment of a girl who lived directly next door, who had come out after she, too, had heard the sound of screaming. Trevor pulled out his pocketknife and began to stab at the pit bulls head. Blood began to ooze out everywhere as the pit bull began to loosen his grip more and more until finally he lay lifeless on the ground. Trevor backed away balancing himself on his right leg as his foot had been pretty injured from the vicious bite from the pit bull. He leaned up against one of the washing units inhaling and exhaling as large drops of sweat gathered across his brow and ran down his cheeks. He had almost lost focus as some of the sweat had even begun moving down into his eyes, stinging his retina, blurring his vision. He fainted.

  Trevor woke up in the hospital as he and Alyssa both were ambulanced to Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center. Ironically, they had even been assigned to the same room. The only thing that separated them was the curtain that served as partition to keep privacy.

  "Hey! You over there," Trevor began. He sat up on his bed as he was already feeling better. The medicine had kicked in.

  "Yeah…" Alyssa responded as she looked in the direction of the speaker.

  "You alright?"

  "Yeah…" Alyssa laughed that laugh when you can't really believe what just happened. "I'm glad you saved me."

  "Yeah… me too… where the heck did that pit bull come from?" Trevor was now getting up off the bed heading in the direction to see Alyssa so they could talk face to face as he had never met this girl before in his life. But yet, he had just saved her life.

  "I don't know, but I thank you so much. I could have been killed."

  "You're welcome. How's your leg?" He looked down and placed his hands gently on her calve reassuring her that he knew what he was doing as he was a medical student there at David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.

  "Looks like you got about fifteen stitches here. But looks like you'll be ok. Might leave a little scare, but you'll definitely be ok." Trevor assured her.

  "Yeah… I'm just glad to be alive. I can't thank you enough!"

  "Well… you can thank me by escaping out of here with me. We don't need any more medical attention….we're fine!

  "Can we do that?"Alyssa sat up, squinting her face as the pain from the stitches was a new thing for her. She had never broken a bone
in her body before or anything at all for that matter that would send her to the ER.

  "Absolutely! As long as you're not in any pain and I'm not… we can get the heck outta here; or, they'll give us some pain if we stay in here any longer." He looked at her square in the face, "I'm a year away from being Dr. Thompson."

  They both laughed. Trevor helped Alyssa from the bed and the rest as they say is history. Trevor stayed in contact with Alyssa. They started dating, he proposed, and today was their special day.

  *****

  The Carothers's Place was an ideal venue to hold a wedding. It was nestled in between high-end businesses—Chanel was on the right and Dolce & Gabanna was to the left of it. Businesses, salons, and boutiques lined Fashionista and 5Th Main Avenue. Much attention would be drawn to those couples who chose to get married at The Carothers's Place as it was owned by a movie star, Hank Bishop, known for his role in the movie Slain; and, the surrounding boutiques and shops would send gifts and offer décor. Gifts in the past ranged from twenty four carat gold, diamond-studded necklaces and bracelets for her and loafers and twenty-four carat gold cufflinks for him. The Carothers's Place was super expensive, but for a plastic surgeon and a psychiatrist, money wasn’t really an issue.

  Trevor and Alyssa had picked three bridesmaids and three groomsmen, including Trevor's best man and Alyssa's maid of honor. Anton was Trevor's best man and Callie was Alyssa's maid of honor; they, too, were roommates in medical school.

  The clock struck 6:30 and the guests were already filing in for a seven o'clock wedding. Alyssa was being pampered and primped to look like the porcelain doll she already was. Trevor, on the other hand, was practicing his self-written vows to Anton in the room that had been designated for the groom and groomsmen to get dressed. After the fifth recitation of his vows to his "temporary bride"— Anton, Anton left to go and prepare everyone for the processional. It was ten minutes until time.

  *****

  "Where's Callie?" Sabrina asked Anton as she was his partner and she had a huge role to play like all maids of honor have. Besides, she had the ring, Trevor's ring. There was no wedding without the rings.

  The other girls had begun to panic because there was so many people there. Trevor and Alyssa's guest list comprised of 950 names, all of which accepted and RSVPed for the reception. Callie had always been known to be late, but no one suspected her late arrival on the wedding day of her best friend.

  Anton assured everyone that everything would be ok. He pulled out his cell phone.

  "Hey man!" He said to Trevor on the other end of the phone call. "Where's Callie??…she ain't here." He said in the most calming way trying to show the girls that everything was under control.

  "Dude…is she not down there??" Trevor's voice had gone up an octave because he knew how important this day was to Alyssa. He didn't want anything to go wrong. "Dude… I don't even have her number, and that means I would have to go up and get the number from Alyssa. Dude… Bro… what am I gonna do cause I don't want to make Alyssa cry. And I know this will… heck…. Isn't it bad luck for you to even see the bride before the actual ceremony?"

  Trevor was asking a thousand questions.

  Anton rolled his eyes in his head.

  "Just go up and ask her for the number bro…The longer we prolong this, the more problems this could potentially cause. Heck… you know Alyssa will cry, but it'll be even better once you get the number and get Callie's slow ass here!" Anton shook his head as he brought the conversation to an end.

  "I'll see you at the altar bro. Let's make it happen." Anton hung up the phone and decided to stand outside and wait for Callie, his processional partner.

  Trevor hung up the phone and went upstairs to the bridal suite to share the news. Alyssa's mom, Miss Sharon, trying to avoid Trevor from seeing Alyssa, came out and received the news. Quite naturally, once Alyssa heard, she broke down into tears. She was crying so loudly, it could be heard from outside of the bridal suite. Miss. Sharon gave Trevor Alyssa's cell phone and demanded that he hurry and call Callie. Trevor left assuring everyone, just like a good, future husband, he had everything under control.

  *****

  The clock was ticking. The basement gift was also ticking away.

  Once in another private room, Trevor called Callie, who frantically answered the phone. She knew that everyone was going to be mad at her if she didn't make it to The Carothers's Place in the next three minutes.

  .

  "Where the hell are you?"

  "I'm two blocks away!!" She responded near tears. "I promise I will be there on time."

  "Well… you better hurry the hell up… You will not…"

  "I know… I know…" Callie interrupted as she already knew what he was about to say as she had been warned previously; although then, it was a joke as they (Alyssa and Trevor) never thought she would actually be late on the actual day.

  "Bye!" Trevor pulled the phone from his ear to his mouth as he stood in deep contemplation considering what he would do if Callie ruined this day.

  He walked back up the stairs and peeked inside the door in which the ceremony would be held. The guest sat expectantly. The harpist had begun to strum the prelude of the wedding party music. It was closer to time for this thing to happen. He shut the door and breathed a big, deep breath. He exhaled. He placed the cell phone in his pocket and flashed thoughts in his head of what he had planned for later that night. He would officially be married to the love of his life.

  He heard a little noise coming from around the corner on the other side of the wall. He knew that must be the wedding party taking their places.

  Trevor opened the side door in which he was to enter to take his place upfront with the reverend who had already taken his place. It was time to get the show on the roll.

  You could hear gasps go across the room as the guests shifted in their seats. This would be the wedding of the year.

  The cornet trio began to play their tune as the back doors flung open. The first bridesmaid and groomsmen walked in. The guests turned to watch the first beautiful and handsome duo walk gracefully down the aisle.

  Trevor smiled that pretty smile that he regularly received so many compliments on. He was so proud to see his best friend, who he had not seen in over ten years, participating in his wedding.

  The next couple came walking down the aisle. Sabrina was always so happy to participate in weddings. She was that bridesmaid who had been in over twenty other weddings and was still not married.

  The Carothers's building exploded with a loud blast creating a huge dust cloud. The bodies of people went rocketing in the air. Some landing in the middle of the street, on top of buildings that were five buildings down, even some were ejected and landed two blocks over, behind The Carothers's Place. Most lay under the rubble of the once beautiful, antebellum-like structure. It was almost like a grandfather volcano that had sat unhindered for many years only to erupt with a deadly volcanic eruption that would kill millions who were near it. The building went up in smoke. The flames were so wild and uncontrollable, even the Chanel and Dolce & Gabanna stores on the left and right of The Carothers's Place went up in flames as well. The explosion was so massive, the pressure caused the storm sewer lid in the middle of the road to bust open and go orbiting in the window of the jewelry store across the street like a saucer or flying disk knocking the customer standing at the jewelry box directly in the face as he stood there in amazement at the explosion that just happened fifteen seconds before.

  Callie, who had just arrived, (perfect timing) stopped her car as she sat there looking in amazement with her mouth opened. People had begun running and screaming. Like September 11, 2001, the people didn't run away from danger, but they only ran just far enough so they could stop and look back in horror…in terror… in fear. Terrorist! Many immediately suspected again. Callie came back to consciousness and quickly got out of her car because as she looked up, she saw the big Chanel sign falling down from the sky toward the ground
. People were pointing, screaming, and shouting as many thought she was about to be crushed. The sign landed directly on her car making a loud noise as it literally crushed her car. Callie stopped abruptly, eerily in her tracks and turned around. Unforced tears had begun streaming down her face. What the crap is going on?! She thought.

  As she got closer to the group of people who were now onlookers and the sound of sirens from the fire trucks and ambulances were heard a couple of blocks over, she started querying some people standing around hoping they would recall the events of what just took place.

  "All I know…" Some random guy with a fat stomach and a long beard with a shaved head spoke up, "…was that I was getting ready to walk across the crosswalk and then BOOM! Outta nowhere The Carothers's Place just explodes.

  "Yeah" Someone else chimes in as others are now beginning to run even further away as they remember September 11th. Only minutes from now, something else could happen.

  "Yeah…Shit's crazy!"

  "I mean… but what's even crazier…" A white man said as he got a little closer looking directly at Callie, "You…you were headed to that place though!"

  Callie shook her head in agreement somewhat misunderstanding his suspicion.

  "You were going there for that wedding" He looked down at her dress that was now ripped and torn. "But—the wedding had already started." He shook his head in confusion. "Why weren't you in there?"

  Callie got ready to speak, but was quickly cut off by a middle-aged black woman, "Yeah… that's soo strange. Whoever's wedding you were going to, it had already begun… I heard the cornet trio… Looks like you were supposed to be a bridesmaid. Why are you here? You didn't…."

  Callie's eyes widened as she realized what these people were trying to say. "I was late." She began. Just then, someone else stepped up,

  "You did this…" There was an awkward silence."You wired that place with a bomb."

  "Whaaaaatt!" Callie responded in anger and surprise. "That was my best friend in there." She interjected as she cried, "It was her wedding."