by JD Dutra
“Well I’ll see what I can do, but I can’t make any promises,” she said, with a grin. “Maybe you’ll get very lucky during our next visit.”
He bit her fingertip hard enough to sting her a little, and she pulled her fingers from the fence. She reached for her purse and stood up slowly, her eyes locking with his.
“I have to go pick up the girls early from school, it took forever to get through the line here. Next time I’ll come early, I promise. So we’ll have plenty of time…”
“I can’t wait. Thanks for coming to see me, Isabella.”
“I needed to, Danny; I needed to see how you were. Stay out of trouble.”
She leaned into the fence, pursing her silky lips through one of the holes. He leaned in and kissed her gently.
“Bye handsome, your new look isn’t bad!” She said, her cheerfulness was a bad act and he’d seen the tears in her eyes again.
“See you later beautiful, thanks for coming to see me.”
He shook his head as if to rid his mind of sad thoughts and watched her leave, his eyes now feasting on her beautiful body to fix an image in his mind to bring it back later.
He walked by himself back to his tent, thinking of Isabella and Jennifer and how he would have both after he left jail.
If Isabella can have me and Nathan then I can have Isabella and Jennifer, he rationalized to himself with a grin that not even Whitey would be able to erase.
Once he got to the tent, no one was there. They were all gone, walking around somewhere which was all inmates could do. He lay on his bed and let his mind wonder about the future, the places he would go with each of the girls in his life, the things they would do together. Maybe he’d choose between Jennifer and Isabella and get serious with one of them.
He promised himself he would make more time for his kids to better bond with his son and warn him about the dangers of dealing with the government. Perhaps he could stir him into doing something for a living that wasn’t as hazardous as being an entrepreneur in a socialist paradise like America.
His mind drifted, and he dreamed of his son sitting on his lap, having a conversation. His daughter was little again too and he hugged them both tight as their tiny arms squeezed him back as hard as they could. He brought their heads to his lips and kissed them both, but suddenly they felt so heavy on his face, pressing his head back and making him have trouble breathing.
He moved his arms and, suddenly awake, he realized that there was a pillow on his face; he was being smothered. He coughed and tried to get the pillow off him. Suddenly he felt someone stomping on his stomach. The little air he had, shot out of his lungs and stars began encircling the corner of his eyes. He got sleepy again, his arms feeling like lead.
The pillow was pulled from his face and the bright light of the tent burned his eyes as he began to gasp for air. He was disoriented and his vision still blurry when he felt a hand grip one of his ears, pull it aside, and something sharp touched the skin of his neck, it felt like a needle. Daniel heard heavy breathing, and the stench of chewed tobacco filled his senses, disturbing him enough to jolt him fully awake. Daniel tried to break away but someone was holding his arms and legs as the smell of putrid tobacco made him cough uncontrollably.
“Mr. Danny…” The tobacco juiced voice filled his ear.
“I was told you and the pretty Mexican officer were having a nice chit chat this morning. If you tell her things about me, I will slit your throat open with this nice little shank I made. You just keep your mouth shut and you better have my cigarettes in a two days, or I’ll cut you pretty boy. I’ll put some big, deep scars on that handsome face of yours.”
When Whitey finally let go, his arms and legs also broke free and Daniel saw five other inmates stepping away from him. Some were not looking at him, but others stared with hatred in their eyes.
Chapter 12
Scottsdale, Arizona
Thursday, October 22nd, 2020
1:27 P.M.
Baby Rays’ car pulled over a few houses down from 1302 E. Oasis Drive, Scottsdale Arizona, the three people inside the old tricked-out Mercedes were feasting on $1 Fat Piggy’s cheeseburgers. They watched the iron gates from a distance; one of the pair of eyes admired them, another loathed them, and yet another studied them carefully.
“Baby Ray, I think this is a bad idea. That Monica lady, she call five or six times sayin’ her boss want us to come in so she can redo the grant or somethin’ so why we riskin’ bein’ out here? Let’s go talk to her and maybe she come to her senses and she’ll gimme the grant.”
Oneita said all this over a mouthful of a chewed paste, a mix of processed cheese, gray ‘meat based’ product and surprisingly soft 19 day old bread. She crumpled the recycled wrapping paper, still caked in fake cheese, into a ball and let it fall to car’s floor. Moaning with satisfaction, her plump hand reached into the paper bag for another burger.
“We ain’t going nowhere,” said Jimmy, his voice was sharp and heavy with anger.
Oneita rolled her eyes and her chin dropped to her shoulder, eyeing Baby Ray, expecting a reaction. She chewed with her mouth open, her long tongue whipping the mixture in her mouth from side to side.
Baby Ray slowly looked at Jimmy in the back seat, then at Oneita. The cheeseburger went down dry in his throat. He felt like he was between a rock and a very large and crushing soft place.
“How long we gonna be here for, Jimmy?” was all a demoralized Baby Ray could say.
“I don’t know, I need to think,” Jimmy said, still chewing his first cheeseburger, washing it down with a gulp of iced tea flavored drink.
Seconds later, a modern looking van from Hoplite Alarm and Security pulled up into the driveway of the house they were watching, parking right outside the gates. The van’s motor was turned off and a technician got out. He went to the back of his van, opened its doors and began to put on his utility belt.
“Oh man, she saw us that day and now she puttin’ an alarm system in there man,” said Baby Ray, sighing and hitting the top of the steering wheel of his car, cursing under his breath. “I guess we better just call her and try to get some money that way.”
“That’s right, Baby Ray, let’s get outta here,” said Oneita, reaching for her third cheeseburger.
Jimmy’s eyes were still fixed on the technician, watching his every move. The tech picked up a box of supplies from behind the van, closed it then walked up to the gate and reached for a controller in his pocket. The gate began to open slowly.
“It’s over, Jimmy. Jimmy? Where you go… Jimmy!” Baby Ray hissed this last word as Jimmy quickly got out of the car. His long white shirt, three sizes too big, covered the rim of his baggy jeans which were resting right below his butt cheeks.
“What the hell he doin’ Baby Ray, let’s get outta here!” cried Oneita. “Maybe that lady can see us today and pay us the grant; I don’t wanna get into no trouble with the police again!” Oneita’s voice was now filled with desperation and anxiety.
Baby Ray said nothing as he watched Jimmy walk up to the technician from behind. One hand lifted up the front of his white shirt, and suddenly a chromed pistol appeared in the other. The alarm tech’s hands went halfway up in midair, and Jimmy walked behind him, nudging him towards the house. Before he was all the way up the driveway Jimmy looked directly at Baby Ray’s eyes and motioned with his head for him to come in. Jimmy then disappeared from view.
“Oh no, hell no, you ain’t goin’ in there Baby Ray! You staying right here you understand? Turn that car on and let’s get outta here!” Cried Oneita, imagining the police encircling the house and hauling her back to Tent City Jail.
“How long you gonna live off the crumbs that fall off rich people’s tables, Oneita?” asked Baby Ray, removing the keys from the ignition and sticking them in his pocket. “You excited about a grant that’ll be a few hundred dollars a month towards another dump, when we can spend 20 minutes inside that house and walk away with enough money to last you years, Big Ma!”
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He jumped out of the car, slammed his door shut while she still screamed inside it, and ran towards the gate, excited about the possibilities. He looked up the street and saw there were no cars coming, when he looked back, Oneita was getting out of the car. She slammed the door and waddled briskly in his direction, fear and excitement melting into one freakish grin on her meaty lips.
When Baby Ray caught up with Jimmy, the alarm tech was fiddling with a keyless entry deadbolt, sweating to input a series of numbers that would open the beautiful, but break-in proof front door.
“I’ll spray this house with your brain juice alarm man… Open this door right now!” Jimmy hissed in the man’s ear, his voice full of controlled anger.
Baby Ray felt a sudden rush of worry, hoping Oneita wasn’t coming to talk Jimmy out of doing this. By the way he was acting, he’d put a bullet in her before the words were even out of her mouth.
“I am trying, these things take time,” the tech said, his hands trembling and he was sweating due to the heat of the weather and the pressure Jimmy was putting on him.
“Hurry up!”
“Yeah hurry up,” repeated Baby Ray, peeking in through the etched glass on the sides of the door, feasting his eyes on the luxury inside as he glimpsed ornate vases, large pictures on the wall and stone and metal figurines. Fear gave way to a feeling he had when he was younger and his daddy took him to Toys R Us for the first and only time.
“Lemme see!” Said Oneita, yanking Baby Ray out of the way and trying to take a look inside.
The front door suddenly unlocked, and Jimmy shoved the Alarm Tech in, ramming the door open with his face. The loud beep of the alarm began to sound, letting whoever was in the house know that they had seconds to disarm it before it went off.
“Turn that thing off!” Yelled Jimmy, shoving the chromed gun in the Tech’s face, knocking off his company hat.
“I need to find the panel; I don’t know where it is! I’ve never been to this house before. Please don’t kill me!”
“Where do y’all suggest your customers put ‘em up at huh?” Jimmy’s grip around the man’s collar intensified, he had him pinned against the wall and the gun pointed at him but away from his reach. The tech looked away, like he didn’t know what was worse; staring into the barrel of Jimmy’s pistol or into his enraged tattooed face.
Baby Ray rushed in, and went running up the stairs, his feet barely touching each step. It was like someone had opened the doors for the Black Friday sale and Oneita followed, looking from one side to the other as she tried to decide where to go first.
“Oh mah goodness gracious…” Oneita said, her breath suddenly taken away.
Her cheeseburger greased hands pressed near her heart in between her enormous breasts as she slowly spun around. This was the most beautiful house she’d ever seen, let alone been in. The marble tile floor was rough in a natural stone look and the walls were thirty feet high, painted in an antique and distressed way that gave them an elegantly aged look. Iron ornaments decorated them along with large beautiful paintings with thick frames. The wood beams that crossed the ceiling in different directions were stunning, carved by hand and stained to perfection.
She walked into the living room and the chairs, carpet and large ceramic vases that decorated the huge space were so fine and luxurious that Oneita felt like she was inside a home magazine or a movie set. The house smelled of incense and new leather furniture and not even in her wildest dreams could she imagine herself living in so much comfort and luxury. She could do nothing but stop and stare in awe.
“Woo hoo, I am rich!” Baby Ray screamed from somewhere upstairs and Jimmy came out of the kitchen, breathing heavily. He looked at Oneita as she stood like a boulder in the living room.
“Oneita, get a move on!”
Jimmy’s voice snapped her out of her trance.
“Where the alarm guy at?” She asked.
“He turn off the alarm so I put him to sleep; he ain’t goin’ nowhere. Now move, let’s get this done!” said Jimmy as he disappeared elsewhere in the house looking for life changing plunder.
About 25 miles away, Mei Lin Tao was asked if her lunch was acceptable. She assured the host it was excellent as her cell phone rang, cutting into the sounds of fine cutlery on china and charming accents having light conversations. She picked it up a pleasant female voice filled her small and delicate ear.
“This is an automated message from Hoplite Alarm and Security. Our technician is on site providing your alarm upgrades as requested. We’ll let you know when we are done. Thank you for allowing us to serve your security needs, we are delighted to provide the outstanding level of customer service you deserve. Thank you and goodbye.”
Mei Lin Tao smiled softly. When Oneita and Raymond didn’t return Monica’s calls for them to come in for a revision on their application for the housing grant, she grew worried and requested a few more cameras be installed. She had a number around the house already, but more cameras and sensors was what she needed in order to keep her mind at ease.
“Good news Mei Lin?” Asked Margo Stiller, heiress of one of the most traditional real estate developers in Arizona. She was sitting next to the Asian woman in the La Saveur De Paris restaurant, hosting a fundraising lunch in the benefit of The Housing Grace Foundation.
“Yes, I had to have the alarm at my house upgraded, and the tech could only come now. The phone call was just to let me know they had arrived.”
Margo leaned in to whisper into Mei Lin’s ear.
“Thanks for not canceling this event over an alarm install, I spent a lot of money and favors on it!” She smiled warmly at her.
Mei Lin chuckled.
“Thank you for hosting it! I could never leave you and your friends hanging, after all you’ve done for me and for the Foundation.”
Margo placed a hand with multiple sparkling and brilliant rings on Mei Lin’s thigh and leaned into her gently with a friendly smile, her padded shoulders rising in excitement.
“Did you try the escargot Mei Lin? They’re to die for!” said Margo.
Everyone is going to die soon, thought Mei Lin, shaking her head and smiling at her hostess.
“I need to use the restroom; please excuse me,” said Mei Lin. Margo smiled and nodded as she turned to an older lady encased in make-up and fine clothing; her fine purple hair looked like it floated over her frail head.
Mei Lin entered the ladies restroom and locked the stall door. She had a feeling something wasn’t right and over the years she had learned to trust her instincts. She unlocked her phone and opened the app in the form of a Greek shield and spear. It took a while for it to load and when it did, she selected ‘Stream Camera Feed’ and typed in a password. Multiple black squares began to populate her phone screen and one by one they came to life, providing live feed of her house.
In a matter of seconds she learned that the living room furniture had been turned over and her pictures knocked off the wall. In her bedroom, the drawers of her jewelry box were scattered all over her bed and floor, her clothes and personal belongings tossed in all different directions over her Persian carpets. Her office was being turned upside down by two familiar faces who were holding stuffed garbage bags stretched to the limit. A third person, a guy with an ugly face tattoo had a chrome pistol in one hand while the other, like a hurricane of anger, scattered papers, knocked pictures off their nails and shoved furniture out of it’s place.
A frantic French manicured nail began to click between the different camera feeds; her entire house had been completely violated. She was about to close the application on her phone when she noticed the kitchen camera which was aimed at the door to the patio. It picked up something that made her heart flutter in desperation. Two feet wearing dark work boots lay still on the cold marble tile on the edge of a shadow. The feet were so still that the live feed of the camera looked like a photograph.
With a shaking thumb she brought up her contacts, found one listed as ‘Paul’, and pressed the cal
l button. The phone on the other line began to ring, the waiting tone in her ear sounded like it went on for an eternity. Once the call connected, no voice greeted her.
“Ping!” Mei Lin cried softly on the phone, wanting to scream.
“Yes?” Replied the cold, emotionless voice.
“They broke in Ping, they are in my house, and they will find it!” Her voice was trembling as her intense training almost failed her.
“Where are you?” He snapped, the cold voice responded showing the only sign of emotion it ever new - hostility.
“I’m 30 minutes away,” she said, shouldering the phone in between her ear and shoulder as her hands pulled her .45 out of its concealed holster on her thigh; she checked the chamber for a live hollow point round.
“Meet me at your home at once. I’ll bring the others. Let’s hope this doesn’t turn into your failure,” said Ping before hanging up. Whatever happened, she knew things would not end well for anyone.
Chapter 13
Scottsdale, Arizona
Thursday, October 22nd, 2020
2:47 P.M.
It was just before 3pm when Mei Lin pulled up to her house and there were already several other cars parked nearby; all were black with dark tinted windows. Two figures stood in front of the house, each smoking a cigarette and apparently chatting as they kept an eye on the incoming traffic. The Hoplite Security and Alarm van was still parked in the front of the house.
Mei Lin walked by the two men, who greeted her in Mandarin and as she passed her front door she noticed greasy fingerprints on the frosted windows. Even from a distance she could see the picture which spelled “Peace” in Chinese characters down on the floor, its heavy frame broken on one side. She stepped in and heard the sounds of Mandarin being spoken by men and women throughout the house; her home smelled faintly of cigarette smoke, body odor and something that resembled iron.
“Welcome home Mei Lin,” said Ping in accented English. He opened his arms as if to showcase her home, which looked like it had been hit by an earthquake.