CHAPTER 14
Shit, shit. Shit. Now what? How am I going to get them all? Fucking SEALs.
Friday, wearing a red wig and dark glasses, Heidi lurked in the casino watching the elevator. She didn’t know what to do. She had seen the two couples leave and go into one of the bistros for breakfast around nine, and knew the finale was today. They would be leaving soon. Perhaps tonight. She had spent the night on the computer looking at the blog posts about the show trying to get any information she could.
If Benny won, he would have to go to New York to film an episode of Good Morning America. She could call in sick and try something there. That was her only shot. The only thing she could think of. After that they would probably head back to California and she would have blown her only chance to get revenge for herself, for her brother, for her daughter.
It was because of them she was doing all of this. Heidi thought back to what happened to her brother. His face smashed in by a rock wielding Jessyka. That cunt had left her brother for Benny. Just because a guy had muscles didn’t mean shit. Most of those Navy guys were dumb as shit. Stupid jocks who couldn’t make it in athletics. Losers! Her brother had warned her to stay away from them. Hell, her daughter’s father had left and joined up with the military as well.
Now her brother, he had been smart. He had gone to college. He had a business degree. He would have gone places. True, he pimped her out and her daughter, but he had kept them fed when her loser boyfriend walked out when she was pregnant with her daughter. Then her kid, God she didn’t even like to think of what a disaster that had been. Her kid had been so pathetic, like her father. She never felt close to the girl because of what her father had done, but she was still a part of her. She had given birth to her. Hell, she had been a fat baby too. All summer long she carried the ten pound baby. She had been miserable, and relieved to push that beast out of her body in August. August 8th, 2001. 8-8-01. The labor had been intense, and had ripped her apart. Thankfully, the drugs the doctors had given her afterwards had taken care of the pain. Drugs. Fuck! She missed them. Hell, she missed her kid too. The girl had been a help. She cooked and cleaned for her when she’d been too stoned to do it. The kid had grown attached to her brother’s girlfriend though, and she became jealous of the woman. Luckily, Brian dumped the chick, but she wound up back in his life as a friend. Back in her daughter’s life. But then Jessyka, Brian’s ex, met Benny and moved out. Then her daughter, Tabitha, had offed herself. Dead, because she felt the only human being who ever cared about her was leaving. Fucking idiot. She cared about the little pig in her own way. She was Tabitha’s mother after all, though too young when she had her. Her own mother had been horrible, so what did she know about raising kids? Now she was alone. All fucking alone and it was Benny’s fault. If he hadn’t come into the picture, none of this would have happened. Jess would still be a stupid gimp, Brian would still be alive taking care of her and Tabitha, and Tabitha would be here too, doing her part. But now she was alone. Well, she had Chuck. She hoped she hadn’t screwed that up too badly. She tried to contain her anger last night. But when he had insisted he come in and see her settled she had told him to fuck off, that she wanted to be alone. She saw the hurt on his face before he left. She’d call him later. Sunday when this was all over. Revenge was all she could see, and it was all about Benny. He had started this whole ball rolling.
Fuck, would she have loved to just get high and forget it all.
But she had vowed to go straight when she’d been able to sneak out of jail and fake her own death. She knew staying clean was the only way she’d be able to stay out of jail, because if she were picked up, her fingerprints would give her away. There was no hiding that.
She thought back to how she got out. How she had gotten out of that fucking prison in Mason County. What a fucking stroke of luck that had been! At that point she had only served two years of her twenty year sentence for attempted murder, and the other charges the state had thrown at her for child neglect, drugs and drug paraphernalia, and child exploitation.
But she had managed to get out. It had been such a fantastic stroke of incredible luck. It had all happened so fast and she still couldn’t believe how she had managed it. It had started with Heidi, the woman whose name she now bore. Heidi Smithers, another inmate, and her cell mate at Mission Creek Corrections Center for Women in Belfair, Washington had been her ticket out the door. The woman had stolen another inmate’s stockpile of crack, and Lisa hadn’t been able to resist when the woman offered her a taste. Both had passed out from the high, practically OD’d on the crude crack. Heidi had left their stolen candle burning and must have knocked it over or something, because the next thing Lisa knew Heidi was burning and their cell was in flames. Lisa had only woke up when the flames licked at the right side of her face. Immediately, she began to strip out of her burning prison garb, and it was then that inspiration hit. Switcher-fucking-roo. She and Heidi, her cellmate looked somewhat alike. Could she? Did she dare? She had a moment of clarity or insanity then. She didn’t know which, but she began to scream bloody murder as she pummeled her face against the floor of her cell and then her bars. It was her only shot and she had to take it. She also placed her hands over her burning cell mate to remove any finger prints, or the chance to do identify her that way for some time. The cell doors had been flung open as the sprinklers went on in the whole facility, a 305 bed capacity medium security prison. She repeatedly smashed her face against the floor so that she was unrecognizable.
Just as she had hoped, she had been rushed to the small hospital in Belfair. She fought the waves of pain that threatened to make her fall into unconsciousness. Fought hard, until when she got to the hospital and the nurse asked her name, and what happened, she was able to croak out a few words before the bliss of the nether world finally released her from her pain. “Heidi Smithers. My cell caught on fire. My cell mate was killed. Help me. Please.” And then there had been darkness. Sweet darkness and release from the excruciating pain of the burns along her right side, and on her hands, and the pain from her now badly swollen face. But the pain was worth a chance at freedom. It was also the only chance at redemption for a woman like her. It was her one shot at a new life, a fresh start with a new name as long as luck stayed on her side.
Heidi watched the bistro doors as she sipped her cocktail and pulled down the long arm of the one eyed bandit slot machine she was playing. She was only betting two coins at a time. Nothing serious. She wanted to make her fifty bucks last. To hell with playing only one quarter at a time though. You didn’t win shit that way. But she was stalling, waiting to see if there was some other way to get to Benny and Jessyka.
She hated driving, and didn’t even have a driver’s license, just a state identification card. The car she drove was registered to the man she bought the piece of shit car from and the man she was renting the trailer from. He had agreed to do it when she explained a DUI from her past had caused her to lose her license. She’d given the guy a blow job every time he came to collect the rent. That didn’t bother her though. She’d done worse.
When she saw Benny and Jessyka come out of the bistro, she was surprised to see them coming her way. She ducked her head down and sipped her cocktail and pretended to focus on her play.
“Come on, Benny. I haven’t tried the slots yet. Just twenty minutes.”
“Fine, but then we head back to the room. I want to stay clear of any open places.” His voice was full of caution.
Heidi panicked as they passed and Jessyka eyeballed the machine beside her, but then she walked on by, and went to the row behind where she sat. She could see Benny standing behind her through the crack between the machines as well as the other man.
The other woman took the seat next to Jessyka.
“I’m going to play, too. Give me a twenty,” she stated as she held her hand over her shoulder, and the bigger man pulled out his wallet.
“Thanks, Cookie. I love you.”
The other man grunted his response.
Cookie! Stupid SEAL, Lisa thought. They all gave each other these silly nicknames. They weren’t real men with nicknames like that. She remembered one of the guys who had helped Jessyka; his name was Wolf. Crazy. She shook her head and listened in while she remembered to keep her head down. She didn’t think they would recognize her, but just in case.
“So tomorrow, New York should be fun,” Fee said in a chipper voice as she slid the twenty into the slot machines ‘Ticket In’ slot now that the machines no longer accepted coins.
“If I win,” Benny stated grumpily. He scanned the crowd looking for possible suspects. He knew he was probably overdoing it, but he hated being out in the open like this. The restaurant was different. They sat in the corner so that all was visible from every direction, but this was too open.
“Stay positive, buddy.” That came from the other man.
“Yeah, okay.” Benny just wanted out of there. His senses were on a high alert, and he was getting that funny feeling again, like they were being watched. He dropped his voice to a mere whisper and bumped Cookie to get his intention. “You feeling anything?”
“Yeah. You want to take a tour?” Cookie asked.
Benny shook his head. “Nah, we’re too open. But let’s get the girls to move along.”
“Gotcha.”
“I know we just got here, Fee, baby. But you forgot your hair straightener on up in the room. Let’s go check it out.”
Fee turned abruptly and glared at her husband. She didn’t use a hair straightener, and he knew that. But his expression spoke volumes. He and Benny were both spooked. She nodded and let him know she understood.
“Oh crap, I did. Sorry, Jess. Maybe we can come back later, but we should go check that out.”
Jess groaned on the inside, but new Benny wouldn’t let her stay if the other couple had to leave. She wanted to be as safe as anyone and didn’t want to put her friends in jeopardy either by walking out alone. “Okay.” She hit the payout button and waited for her slip to be printed as did Fiona. With their tickets in their hands they walked towards the exit.
“Cash out later, ladies,” Cookie explained as he pushed them past the ticket exchange machine. Jess picked up on the undercurrent of tension in Cookie’s voice, and just kept walking. But out of the corner of her eye she caught a glimpse of the woman with red hair that she had noticed earlier. She stood abruptly and spun around. She looked vaguely familiar, but Jess could not be sure as she turned once more, her arms raised in the air. Jess glanced at her machine. She had won, and from the looks of the display on the top portion of the slot, and the gold coins being flung across the screen, it had been a big win. “Oh Look,” she stated as the woman disappeared from view. “Someone won.” But it was too late. No one but her had seen the woman. They were hustling through the lobby as quickly as Benny and Cookie could make the women walk. It was only then that Jessyka realized both of the men were worried, and she wondered why. What had they seen? What had spoked them? She let her husband lead her away from the possible threat. He would tell her once he was sure they were all safe.
CHAPTER 15
Heidi won two grand. Her luck was turning. She nearly walked away from the win so as not to draw attention to herself, but decided that might draw more. It had been a good call because just as the chimes sounded, the foursome in the next aisle over got up and left. She hadn’t heard their final words as she was focusing on the gold coins being tossed in the air indicating her big win. She had been right to play two coins, but if she had been playing three her jackpot may have tripled. Oh well, it was still a good prize and an indication to her that her luck was indeed turning. She watched the foursome leave, and only Jessyka looked back. She’d actually made eye contact with her and Lisa looked away before recognition could set in. Of all the people in the group, it would be Jessyka who would have recognized her first. Luckily, the make-up, the scars, and the damage she had done to her face when she smashed it against the bars and floor of her cell had changed her appearance permanently. She wasn’t the same woman anymore by any means. She was stronger, more determined, and focused. That’s what being alone did to you. It toughened you up.
An attendant came over and asked if she would like him to pay out her winnings, and she nodded. Why bother standing in line at the cage. She also realized she had been lucky to not have won more. She would have had to show ID at the teller’s cage. Employees were not allowed to gamble in their own facility. If she had the urge to play, she had to hit one of the other casinos nearby. Either Foxwoods or Mohegan Sun. Again, she thanked her lucky stars. She liked her job here and hoped to keep it. It had been one of the only places that was willing to overlook Heidi’s criminal past. They hadn’t been able to hire her for room cleaning, or in the casino, but she had her choice of waiting tables or working at the front desk. Natives believed in second chances and they had given Heidi Smithers one.
Back in Belfair, Washington, Lisa had recovered under the identity of Heidi. Luck had been on her side that they had taken her word on it. The burns had taken months to recover from as there were third degree burns on her shoulder, neck and cheek and hands. Her nose had to be reset from breaking it. Her cheekbone on the left had been broken. The best part of all was that Heidi had only two months left of her jail sentence.
But because of the drugs found in her system the state had tacked on an additional three months. Luckily though, they had felt bad enough that she was allowed to serve it in a halfway house while she recovered from her injuries. When Heidi’s time was up, she was given a one way ticket to Connecticut, her home state, and a card to meet with her probation officer.
Lisa took that chance to get away from the West Coast and the horrible memories that kept her awake at night. Luckily, none of Heidi’s family members tried to look her up. When her parole officer told her about the jobs being offered at the newly constructed casino and that they were planning to hire some reformed convicts, Heidi jumped at the chance. It was clear across the state from where Heidi’s people were, meaning less chance of someone from Heidi’s past coming across her name and revealing she wasn’t who she said she was.
She finished out her probation with a new probation officer just four months earlier. She kept her nose clean. She had gotten way with this new false identity miraculously, and now she knew why. It had all come to this—her chance to get her revenge. But she had only one day to ensure that happened, and her only hope depended on Benny winning that competition and heading to New York early the next morning to be interviewed on National TV to let the world know how he was going to spend his windfall. That was the only chance she had left.
She held out her hand while the casino floor person placed twenty one hundred bills into it. She smiled briefly and thanked him as he gave her one last look and then moved on. He hadn’t recognized her either. But she didn’t want to stay much longer in case anyone else did notice her. Like that twit, Betty Sims. It would be just like her to rat her out.
Picking up her purse after stowing the cash away inside of her wallet, she had to focus on heading to New York and getting a car, one she could use to run Benny Sawyer down. Hopefully, he would be right beside Jessyka and she could get two birds with one stone so to speak. That thought made her smile. But still, as she hustled out of the casino and gazed into the lobby looking for anyone who might notice her in the red wig, her eyes spotted a familiar figure. It was the blond woman with the bob, what’s her name, oh yeah, Cathy Brister. The other finalist in The Cook Off. And she was alone. Lisa’s eyed widened as she watched the woman enter the bistro. She smiled and followed the woman into the bistro.
She had a new plan now, one that would guarantee Benny Sawyer would win The Cook Off and she would get her shot to get the revenge she craved.
* * *
Benny was cooking like his life depended on it. When he saw the secret ingredient for today’s part of the competition, it had come to him like a bolt of lightning. It was an easy ingredient, too. Cream cheese. And he felt in
his gut Cathy would go for the obvious, some kind of cheesecake. It was hard to do and you had to act fast to make it set up properly in the two and half hours they had for this final round.
But his choice was again another one of his aunt’s creations. This time it was Aunt Sandra’s famous Boston Cream Cheesecake. He would have to work fast, and make no mistakes, but he knew he could do it in the allotted time. Hopefully, Dusti’s three interviews during the course of the final competition didn’t last too long and came during lulls in the preparation. His fingers were crossed.
He immediately set his oven to preheat, and then found the pans and bowls he would need. He let Cathy go to the ingredients table first while he did his pre-cooking and prepping activities and set up his mini-kitchen. He found the spring form pan, greased it and then set it aside. He watched as Cathy carried and set her basket down on her station. Her face looked pale. He wondered about that. The competition had just started. She couldn’t have screwed something up already. As he passed her on his way to the ingredients table, he watched as she mopped her brow which was slick with perspiration. Geesh! He hoped she wasn’t ill. He would be sure to keep an eye out, but right then he had to focus on getting the ingredients he needed.
The first thing he saw when he got there was a box of yellow cake mix, and he knew using it might cost him in creativity points, but the time that would save was too important. He needed it. He took a carton of eggs, some yogurt, butter, lots of it, a small container of milk, 3 packages of cream cheese, a bag of sugar, some vanilla extract, a container of heavy cream, and a small bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips. It was everything he needed. He could not believe his luck. He would be able to follow his Aunt Sandra’s recipe to the T.
On his way back to his kitchen area, Cathy was plowing through. She was already whipping her cheesecake batter, and from the looks of it she was going for a turtle cheesecake. It was a good choice for her, and he was sure she would be putting on her Louisiana flare with her creation as well. But she really did not look like herself. It was probably nerves, he thought, as he set down his basket. He knew she wanted to win, and could use the money to help her family, but his family needed it too.
Special Forces: Operation Alpha: Betting on Benny (Kindle Worlds) (Mystic Nights Book 6) Page 10