Unable to help it, he laughed even harder. He couldn't believe they were hiding behind a bush, discussing cheesy horror movie clichés’. “Soooo, since it's crystal clear I'll get killed first, why are they going to take you out?
“The hot black chick.” she repeated patiently, as if reminding a kindergarten student that two plus two equaled four. “I'll be killed while trying to convince the silly, hysterical, blonde Prom Queen to calm down and not go running alone in the dark forest. So...we need to come up with a better plan.” she finished, then crossed her arms under her breasts, confident that her reasoning would change his mind.
Shaking his head, he pinched the bridge of his nose, then looked at her once he trusted himself to speak again. “Ok, since it's just you and me, and the dumb-blonde niche isn’t represented here, I’m pretty sure no one will kill us. Come on let's go.” he chuckled, then added, “Keep down, do as I tell you, and if you see a knife-toting lunatic, run for your life. Oh, but not in the dark forest.”
Giving him an incredulous look, she replied, “Hey, you don't have to remind me, I come from a long line of cowards! People in my family live long lives because when the shit hits the fan, we duck and cover! You can bet your tight ass that the first sign of trouble, all you'll see of me is my back! Assholes and elbows, as they say, while I leave you in the dust!”
Arching one eyebrow again, he said, “You think my butt's tight? That's good, right? Want to see it bare?”
“Shut up and lead the way, Tom.”
“Tom?”
“That's right! As in, 'Peeping Tom’. The hot tub? Remember?”
Laughing again, he started to tell her that she was actually making his job a fun experience for a change, but didn't want to give her the big head. ”Well, just stay behind me, that way you can get a great look at my 'tight ass'.” he replied instead.
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“That must be her. Fragile looking thing, isn't she?” Cynne' whispered as she watched the slender black woman working in a flower bed. The woman wore a long white dress that fell to her ankles, and the garment complimented her dark chocolate skin. Her raven hair was done in a single braid that fell several inches past her thin shoulders. Eager to talk to the woman, she gave Raidon a nudge with her elbow. “Go on and approach her, I got your back.” she hissed, then looked at him and gave him a quick thumbs-up.
Giving her a doubtful look, he replied, “YOU have my back? Whatever, just follow me.” Smiling, he thought, Look at her eyes darting in every direction at once, she'll be ready to bolt at the first whiff of trouble! Shaking his head, he turned his attention back to the woman in question, then stood to his full height and approached her slowly.
Looking up from the delicate flower she was tending to, the woman's lovely face expressed guarded suspicion, but little else. “Who are you?” she asked, then stood and backed away slowly, as if ready for flight.
Seeing the panic growing in the woman's eyes, he quickly reached behind him, grabbed Cynne's hand, and pulled her in front of him, hoping it would convince the young woman they meant her no harm. “Don't run, we've come a very long way to see you, Karen.” he said, careful to keep his voice as low and soothing as possible.
Taking her cue from Raidon, Cynne' took several steps in the woman's direction, holding both hands out in a placating manner. “Karen, hon, your family has been searching for you ever since you disappeared from Radford University. And he's right, we've come a long way to see you.” she said, glancing at her companion, who was busy doing something with his cell phone. Huffing at him, she thought, Just like a damn man, to play with a phone and leave me to deal with a hysterical woman! Turning her full attention back to the matter at hand, she said, “We also came to ask you about what Brett Parker did to you, and was he the reason you disappeared from school?”
The moment Brett's name came from her mouth, the young woman's face contorted into a look of utter horror, and she wrapped her arms around her chest, then rocked back and forth, shaking her head and moaning.
Approaching her quickly but cautiously, Cynne' tried to quiet the woman and comfort her by touching her arm, but it only made the woman scream and begin to cry “Shhhh...honey, we're not going to hurt you.” she whispered, then glanced fearfully in every direction, hoping they hadn't attracted anyone's attention, which they unfortunately had.
“Consig'uela lejos!! (Get away from her!!)” a heavy-set Mexican woman barked in a belligerent voice as she emerged from the cottage, brandishing a huge butcher knife.
“Oh shit oh shit OH SHIT, I KNEW this would fucking happen!!!” Cynne' screamed as her own eyes grew wide with horror. Practically levitating, she quickly scrambled behind the relative safety of Raidon, then shoved him as hard as she could in the madwoman's direction, her self-preservation instincts kicking in.
Stunned by his traveling companion's lightning-fast betrayal, Raidon threw his own hands up, showing they meant no harm, then screamed, “Thanks a lot, what happened to HAVING MY FUCKING BACK?” Backpedaling, he was bewildered when the madwoman came to a sudden halt, then looked past his shoulder. Coming to a complete stop himself, he risked a quick glance behind him, and saw Cynne' trying (but failing) to scale a seven-foot stone wall like Spiderwoman.
“Your back? SCREW THAT, I'm saving my OWN black ass!” she screamed as she tried once again to scale the wall, but failing miserably. “I TOLD you this shit would happen!!!”
“Ma'am, we mean the woman no harm.” he said as he turned his attention back to the knife wielding, would-be protector, then backpedaled to the wall and grabbed Cynne' by the shirt collar, yanking her to his side. “My name is Raidon Bishop, and Scary Mary here is Cynne' Barns. We came looking for Karen, her family has been searching for her for a long time.”
Whether or not the woman understood English was impossible to tell, but she clearly looked both unconvinced and unimpressed by his words, still waving the knife back and forth, as if asking, Who wants to be first?
Slapping his hand away from her shirt collar, Cynne' scampered behind his back again and shouted, “I told you! You see that big ass knife? Didn't I tell you horror movies never lie?”
“Would you stop with the horror movie PROTOCOL SHIT?” he yelled, feeling more exasperated than he had ever felt in his life. “She's not some mad-dog killer, she's just trying to protect the girl!”
“I told you we should have the cops come with us, but noooooooo, not YOU, Mr. Magnum FUCKING P.I.! If this is how you do your job, I'm amazed you haven't gotten killed yet, but guess I get to die with you today.” she babbled.
His face now completely crimson, he whirled around to face her. “I'll have you know I'm a GREAT private eye, my momma said so!” he sputtered indignantly, sounding like a school boy arguing with another kid at recess.
“Your MOMMA said so?” she barked, then laughed hysterically.
“Who are you people, and what are you doing on my property?” a firm, commanding male voice demanded.
Halting mid-argument, Cynne' and Raidon both turned to see a tall, distinguished looking Hispanic man dressed in an expensive looking suit approaching them with a confident, yet cautious stride. He was flanked by two burly men dressed in white scrubs, both brandishing a nine millimeter hand guns, which were leveled directly at them.
In spite of the seriousness of the situation, Raidon almost laughed hysterically when Cynne' scampered behind him yet again, clutched the back of his shirt tightly, and began babbling like Dustin Hoffman in the movie 'Rainman'. “Ohhhhh not good...definitely not good....it's definitely too late!” She's like a little puppy, all bark and no bite. Got my back, yeah, RIGHT, as if! he thought as he reached behind him and patted her hand as best as he could. “Let me handle this, just stay calm.” he muttered, never taking his eyes off the people in front of them. Clearing his throat, he spoke in a voice that was deceptively calm. “As I was telling the lovely lady with the Jolly Green Giant size cutlery, my name is Raidon Bishop, and this brave woman that I'm
protecting all of you from is Cynne' Barnes. Any you're Doctor Santo, I presume? Since you refused to return our calls concerning Ms. Washington, we decided to come for a face-to-face.”
Stepping towards the woman in question, the doctor wrapped his arms around her, holding her close to him. His touch seemed to calm her, and she buried her face in his neck, trembling like a frightened kitten. Turning to the heavy-set, knife-wielding woman, he spoke in hushed tones.
She listened for a moment, nodding meekly, then turned and scurried off to do whatever it was he had commanded.
Turning his attention back to the two interlopers, the doctor's eyes narrowed with suspicion. “I know nothing of a disappearance. Karen is my wife, and she came to live here with me, of her own free will. She has no interest in seeing anyone from the states.” he said, then pulled the clinging woman from him gently. Kissing her forehead tenderly, it was clear to both Cynne' and Raidon that he loved the woman deeply, and judging from the way she smiled back at the man, it appeared the affection was mutual. Placing his hands on his wife's thin shoulders, he smiled down at her warmly. “Go inside and rest. Now that you're expecting, you don't need to be getting upset! After I deal with this problem I'll come get you.” Nodding to one of the men who had been flanking him earlier, he watched as he took her gently by the arm and led her back to the cottage. When they had disappeared from sight, the doctor turned his attention back to his unwanted guests, the smile he had had for his wife vanishing, to be replaced by a cold, murderous look.
A sudden feeling of dread washed over Raidon, knowing that they both could be killed and disposed of without anyone knowing where or how to find them. For the first time in his career, he felt as if he may have stepped into something over his head, and the feeling frightened him badly. Still feeling Cynne's death grip on his shirt (her hands were trembling, by the feel of it) he was suddenly not so much worried about himself as he was her. He had been in tight spots before, but his trying to impress her could get her killed. I have to get her out of this, if it's the last thing I do… he thought. His mind racing a mile a minute, he babbled, “Well, we came, we saw that she's safe and alive, and that she wants to be here with you, her husband. We wish both of you luck on the birth of the baby, and we're sorry if we upset her. We'll take our leave of this place, and that's the end of that.” Please let them buy the bullshit I'm slinging…he prayed as he watched Benito Santo study them both in silence.
Just when it seemed the man was going to let them go, Cynne' decided to get brave. “Look, buddy, we came for a reason, and we're not leaving until we get some answers!” she parroted, still cowering behind Raidon.
Groaning inwardly, he closed his eyes and shook his head.
With a boldness she did not truly feel, she finally peeked around his back and glared at the doctor, but ready to hide again at a moment’s notice.“ Why didn't your supposed wife tell US she was married to you? And she's kind of young for you, isn't she? And why did she freak when we mentioned Brett Parker's name, the asshole! And what's this about Brett Parker bringing another INJURED black woman here, and you letting him treat her on that secret wing in that hell-hole called a hospital?? A woman that has YOUR wife's name! And don't even try to deny it, because the nurse that accompanied her told us all about it!”
Groaning even more loudly, Raidon's shoulders slumped and he looked towards the heavens, convinced this would be the last day he would ever see the beautiful, clear blue sky again, all because of the mouth that was cowering behind him. Turning to glare at her, he hissed, “Was the concept of keeping our mouths SHUT lost on you?”
A sudden commotion from the cottage drew his attention, and he turned to see several men dressed in worn brown khakis making their way towards them, all armed with automatic rifles, which were at the ready. Knowing things had just gone from bad to worse, he muttered, “Jesus, what next?”
From behind him, Cynne's frightened voice squeaked, “I don't know, but I think I just peed my pants.”
Chapter 37
Zeke sat on the bed with his back against the headboard, pillows supporting his lower back. His mind was on the job he had been paid handsomely to do, but his stomach clenched every time he thought about it. Murder Cassandra, and her son? Take their lives just so some evil, twisted little bitch can try to land a man who wants nothing to do with her? He thought in black silence.
Glancing at the television, he shook his head to clear his thoughts, just as the evening news began. Reaching over on the nightstand, he grabbed the glass of rot-gut whiskey he had been nursing earlier, then blinked in surprise by what he heard from the news anchorman. Grabbing the remote control, he turned the volume up, and was blown away, not only seeing Martina and Brett's mugs on the television screen, but also by what the news anchor was reporting.
The platinum haired, Ken-doll look-alike spoke in a grave voice, with an even more serious expression on his face:
Police have issued a BOLO (be on the lookout) for Doctor Brett Parker and his cousin Martina Luciana Shepherd. The two are persons of interest in the deaths of Detective Jeannie Rhodes, whose body was discovered on Doctor Parker's property earlier this week, and the murder of Private Investigator Buddy Woodrow Martin, whose body was discovered in a shallow grave not far from where Detectives Rhode's body was discovered.
“Holy shit!” Zeke muttered, then took a sip of his whiskey and lit a cigarette absentmindedly.
Martina Luciana Shepherd is also sought for the suspected attempted murder and kidnapping of Cassandra Mortensen, wife of billionaire Granger Mortensen. For years it was rumored that Mrs. Mortensen had abandoned her family and moved to Europe, but police now suspect she may have been unknowingly drugged by her physician, Dr. Brett Parker, then viciously assaulted by Ms. Shepherd, and spirited away to an unknown location, where she was subjected to mind control and brainwashing experiments of some sort, through the use of drugs and hypnosis. On a more cheerful note, Mrs. Mortensen has been reunited with her family, and is in satisfactory physical and mental condition. When asked for a statement for the press, Mr. Mortensen refused, citing his wish for the public to respect his family's privacy. He, along with authorities involved in the investigation, also refused to comment on circumstances leading up to the disappearance of Mrs. Mortensen. However, Mr. Mortensen expressed a strong desire for the people responsible for these heinous acts to face justice, and is offering a one-million dollar reward, you heard that right, one million dollars, for any information leading to the arrest of Dr. Parker or Ms. Shepherd. If you have any information, please contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-979-0081, or you can visit the website, www.crimestop.org. You can do so on condition of anonymity, and still be eligible for the reward. We'll be bringing you continual coverage of this bizarre case as events unfold. Next up on Channel 5 Action News, identity theft over the Internet, and some tips from experts on how YOU can avoid becoming a victim. That, along with your local weather forecast, coming up next!
“Those crazy fucks.” Zeke muttered, automatically tuning out the rest of the news and thinking quickly. He knew the heat would be on, and although he hadn't taken part in this particular insane plot, he had helped them in various other dubious endeavors over the years. And if they were caught, there was no telling what the police would uncover. “FUCK!” he shouted and raised his glass to hurl it at the wall, then caught himself at the last second. “The media will be crawling all over the place with a sick story like this.” he muttered, nibbling on his lower lip. Bringing the glass to his lips, he downed what remained of his drink in one gulp, then put the glass on the nightstand and grabbed his prepaid cell phone. Hesitating only a fraction of a second, he dialed.
“Good evening, Flagstone Inn. This is Breanne, how may I help you?” a cheerful female voice answered.
Always quick on his mental feet, he formulated a plan, feeling elated by the direction of his objective. “Yes, I'm a business associate of Mr. Mortensen, and I can't seem to contact him on his personal line. Could you please have
him call Mr. Zeke Whitman? My number is 770-523-1829. And please tell him it's extremely urgent. Would you do that for me?”
“Certainly Mr. Whitman, I'll see to it he gets the message.”
“Thank you honey, you're a doll.” he replied, then hung up. Putting the phone back on the nightstand, he reached for his 9mm, checked the clip, then snapped it back in place. “None of this shit comes off on me, by God. I should just shoot them both...do the world and myself a fucking favor.” he muttered angrily as his lips twisted into a cynical smile.
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