The Mike Black Saga Volume 1

by Roy Glenn

  Three weeks later, Yvonne got a call from Tom Mack, letting her know that the market dropped, and she had lost everything. With nowhere to go, she turned to Paris once again for help. He put her to work the next day as a courier. Yvonne’s lifestyle was saved, and for the next five years Yvonne made the occasional trip, picking up and delivering whatever Paris asked her to.

  Yvonne never knew what she was carrying and had convinced herself that she didn’t care.

  “Better if I don’t know.” Yvonne would always tell Paris. “If I knew what I was carrying, I’d probably be scared shitless.”

  Her plan was simple. She would only do it until she turned thirty and then she could collect on her trust fund.

  “What went wrong, Yvonne?” Marcus asked.

  “I don’t know, Marcus.”

  “Well what happened?”

  “Paris sent me to Singapore. Everything was going fine. I picked up that bag and went back to my room. Then this man shows up at my door. He said that Paris sent him. That there was a change in plans and Paris wanted me to give him the bag and to meet him back in LA in a week. I told him that I needed to call Paris to confirm. Paris always said that if there was a change in plans, I would hear it from him. If it ever happened I should kill whoever told me any different before they killed me.

  “He stopped me from calling. Said that things were going on that I had no knowledge of, and my calling would put too many people at risk. I said I was calling Paris anyway. He grabbed me; we wrestled around for a while. I’m pretty strong for a Mississippi country girl. Anyway, I broke away from him and ran into the bedroom. I got to my gun and I shot him.”

  “You ever kill anyone before?”

  “No. That was the first time I ever had to use it. Since I had to carry a gun, Paris made me learn how to use it. I was great on the range, but never thought that I would have to use it.”

  “What happened then, Yvonne?”

  “I freaked out and I grabbed the bag and got out of there. I went straight to the airport and caught a plane to Hawaii and went to the drop-off point, but nobody showed up. I was really scared by then, so I called Paris. But I didn’t mention anything about the man I shot. He said he didn’t know what was going on and told me to come home and bring the bag to him. When I got back to my condo, there was somebody waiting for me.”

  “Did you shoot them too?”

  “No, I jumped off the balcony and ran to my car and took Interstate 10 out of town. I just kept driving until I was too tired to drive any further. I stopped for a few hours in Picacho, Arizona to get some sleep; then I was gone again. I drove to El Paso Texas. I was going to cross into Ciudad Juarez in Mexico, but I didn’t want to use the fake ID and passport I had gotten from Paris, and I was in too much of a hurry when I left to get mine. So I went to FedEx and sent that box to Tyisha. And then I drove here.”

  “How did I get involved in this?”

  “Those two men were waiting for me in the parking lot the night we met in the store. I didn’t mean to get you involved, but they were at my car. You were the only way I could get away from there. I made arrangements for a new passport to get out of the country then I sent that package to you. I figured that it was kind of an insurance policy. I was set, but I didn’t want to leave without saying good-bye to you.”

  Marcus got up from the bed and paced back and forth thinking of a way out of their predicament. “Paris.”

  “I was thinking about Africa.” Yvonne said.

  “No, Paris is the key to it all. We’ll go to LA and I’ll return the bag. They shouldn’t bother you after that.”

  “Are you crazy? For all I know Paris may kill me on sight and take the bag off my dead body.”

  “True, but we got to convince him that it’s in his best interest to leave you alone.”

  “How you gonna do that?”

  “Yvonne, I’m a lawyer. I’m a very good negotiator.”

  Marcus and Yvonne argued about what to do well into the evening. Marcus was convinced that talking to Paris and returning the bag was the only way. Yvonne, on the other hand, hated that plan. She just wanted to get away.

  “I say we see the passport guy and go to Africa.” She felt like she was talking to a brick wall. Then it hit her. “You’re right. Going back to LA is the only way out of this.” Yvonne opened a new pack of Bensons and walked to the window.

  “Good. I’m glad you finally see that.” Marcus reached for the bottle on the nightstand and poured a drink. He took a sip. “We’ll catch a flight and be in LA first thing tomorrow morning.

  Yvonne sat on the bed and took the drink from Marcus in exchange for her cigarette. “We’ll do it your way Marcus.” Yvonne yawned and lay down on the bed. Marcus gave back her cigarette. “We’ll never be safe until we settle things with Paris.” She curled into the fetal position. “And then it will be over.”

  Phase 3

  The next morning, Marcus called Janice and told her where he was going then he and Yvonne set out for California. Yvonne insisted they fly into San Francisco, catch a flight to Santa Barbara and drive down the 101 into LA. They checked into the Wyndham Hotel at the Airport. As soon as they got to the room, Yvonne called and left a message for Paris to call her message service.

  “Paris, this is Yvonne. I want to meet you somewhere tomorrow to return those items to you. And hopefully this will end our relationship without any further need for outside intervention.”

  She checked every half-hour to see if he returned her call. Hours dragged on. With nothing to do they occupied themselves ordering room service and watching movies until it was almost 2:00. Marcus had fallen asleep hours earlier, but Yvonne kept up her thirty-minute vigil.

  At 2:30 Yvonne called again and got the message she’d been waiting for.

  “Yvonne, it’s good to hear your voice again. It’s late and I’m tired. Be at my house in El Segundo at eleven.”

  “I don’t think so.”

  Yvonne called him back and left a message that Marcus would meet him at Bruce’s Place, a Bar and Grill on West Grand at eleven and he would give him the bag.

  “One more thing, Paris. Come alone.”

  She started to wake up Marcus, but he looked so peaceful she didn’t want to bother him. Yvonne turned off the lights and lay down next to Marcus. He stretched and put his arm around her. She smiled and went to sleep.

  At 10:00 the next morning they left the Wyndham to meet Paris. As Yvonne drove, she gave Marcus a description of Paris.

  “You can’t miss him.” She dropped him off on Main Street and West Grand, about a block from Bruce’s Place. Marcus got out.

  “Wish me luck.”

  “Good luck, Marcus. I’ll pick you up here when it’s over.” Marcus started to walk away. Yvonne got out of the car. “Marcus!” He turned around and walked back. “You know you’ve slept with me for the last three nights?”

  “Yeah, and I haven’t even kissed you.” Marcus said as he leaned against the car.

  “No, you haven’t.” She kissed him on the cheek then gently on the lips.

  “I love you, Yvonne.”

  “I love you too, Marcus. When all this is over, I’ll show you just how much.”

  “See you, Yvonne.”

  “See yah, Marcus.”

  Marcus walked down the street and entered Bruce’s Place. He went into the bathroom and took the garbage bag out of the trashcan. He placed the bag in it and replaced the garbage bag. Then he took a seat in the back so he could see the door.

  He checked his watch. It was 11:00. He tapped anxiously on the table. His tapping reminded him of the sound of Yvonne’s heels clicking against the tile that first night at the store. He looked up and Paris stood before him. Yvonne’s description of Paris was dead on target. He was dressed in a dull gray suit white shirt opened at the collar, black Ray Bans and wet look hair.

  “Marcus, I take it. Yvonne used to speak of you all the time. You wouldn’t mind standing up and opening your coat, would you?”
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br />   “I’m unarmed.” Marcus said as he did as he was asked then sat down.

  “May I sit?” Paris asked.

  “By all means. Let’s get this over with.”

  “Yes, this has been a very big misunderstanding. I never intended for any of this to happen. I don’t know how much Yvonne told you, but—” Marcus cut him off.

  “I’m just the delivery boy.”

  “When she didn’t come see me, I simply had to take steps to recover the items. It was easy to track her movements and it was obvious that she was heading for Atlanta. Unfortunately, I underestimated her abilities.”

  “Right.”

  “May I see the items?”

  “Excuse me for a minute.”

  Marcus went into the bathroom and returned with the bag. He handed it to Paris.

  “Here you go.”

  Marcus stood over Paris and watched as he opened the bag and looked over its contents. Once he had satisfied himself that the items were intact, Paris got up and walked toward the door.

  “Please tell Yvonne that I meant her no harm.”

  “She’ll find that very comforting.”

  As soon as they were outside, Yvonne drove up quickly and to Marcus’ surprise, she fired one shot to Paris’ head. Paris fell to the ground. Marcus started to pick up the bag.

  “Leave the bag!” Yvonne yelled.

  Marcus ran to the car. Once he was in, Yvonne drove away.

  “Why did you kill him? It was over. All he wanted was his shit back.”

  “How naïve are you, Marcus? As long as Paris was alive it would never be over. Can’t you see that? He would just keep sending people to kill us.”

  “Why’d we leave the bag?”

  “I’m glad to be rid of it. Let the cops worry about what those papers mean.” Yvonne and Marcus drove back to Santa Barbara. They caught a flight back to San Francisco and bought tickets to Seattle. Yvonne knew someone there who could get them new passports; and would help her get out of the country. They sat at the gate waiting for their plane to begin boarding.

  “You know it was the right thing to do, Marcus.”

  “I know. But you could have told me what you were going to do.”

  “If I told you, would you have gone along with it?”

  “No.”

  “That’s why I didn’t tell you.” Yvonne said with a smile. “Tomorrow we’ll be safely out of the country. And I’ll spend the rest of my life in your arms.”

  “You still could have told me.” Marcus kissed Yvonne on the cheek. “I’m going to get some water.” Marcus walked away. Yvonne watched him walk until a lady walked up and stood before her.

  “Is anybody sitting there?”

  “No, have a seat.”

  The lady sat down, slowly removing a .38 with a silencer from her purse. Yvonne looked at her and the lady shot her five times. The lady got up and walked away as Marcus returned. Yvonne struggled to her feet.

  “Marcus.” He caught her as she fell. Marcus looked around for the lady, but by then she had disappeared into the crowd. He held Yvonne in his arms and thought, There is only one way out of the kind of life Yvonne was living.

  She died in his arms.