She picked up her mom’s lifeless hand, the skin nearly translucent. Yes, she was thankful for whatever little time they had left together.
She recalled the judge’s words to her—his cautions. “Miss Chase. I find you currently not to be a flight risk. I have heard your lawyer’s pleas, and all the evidence has been brought forth showing how much your mother relies on you. But, the charges in this case warrant serious consideration. I could refuse bail. You have been accused of being an accomplice in an armed robbery. A guard lies in a hospital bed right now in critical condition because of your actions. Am I to weigh your mother’s life against this man’s? I cannot do that. Against my better judgment, I will be granting bail. But I may also revoke it if I get news of your mother’s death, or the guard’s.” He stopped to clear his throat, meanwhile keeping his weighty gaze upon Bella, wanting to ensure she knew the dire circumstances of her actions.
“Miss Chase, I will release you. Your bond will be 100,000 thousand dollars.”
Bella lifted her shackled her hands to her mouth to suppress the gasp of shock. She didn’t think she’d get bail at all. She didn’t have that kind of money, but if there was a chance she could spend these last few months with her mother, she’d try everything. She’d call her friends. She had some good ones. Even her boss might be willing to help her. He was a kind soul; he believed in her innocence and might help. She’d been working for the doctor, a pediatrician, for a year now. She was the office manager, and loved working there. Her coworkers were like family to her. Surely, they would vouch for her. And still, it wasn’t even the case she was worried about, or the trial. She would not jump bail. Her thoughts were only for her mother. She wanted this time with her. They were all the other had.
Bella felt her mom’s hand tighten on her own. Just slightly. It broke her from her nightmare of the past. She was stirring, possibly waking again. Bella looked at her mom’s face. She could see the eye lids begin to flutter open. She waited with a smile.
“Ah, Bella,” her mom murmured softly. “You are still here, my love.” Her mom’s voice sounded louder, clearer than it had been in weeks.
“Yes, Momma. I’m still here.” She gave her mom’s hand a reassuring squeeze.
A look of anguish passed over her mom’s face. She was in pain. When Bella reached for the morphine, her mother held her hand firmly with a strength she hadn’t possessed in a long time. “No. Not yet. I want to talk to you tonight. Remember?” she asked, searching Bella’s eyes, an emerald green like her husband’s had been before he was taken from them so long ago, before Bella had even had a chance to know him.
“Yes, Momma. I remember.”
Bella was terrified. She knew this last bit of strength and her mom saying no to the drugs meant her mom was dying. She’d be alone then back in jail after the funeral. In jail, she’d be dead. The trial probably would never happen.
“Bella, I’m going to die tonight. You know that.” Bella wiped away the tears that started to fall at her mother’s words. She just nodded her understanding. “Bella, I want you to live. I want you to run.”
“No!” Bella’s eyes widened in shock at her mother’s words. “But Momma, your funeral. . .”
“Bella, don’t remember me dead in a box. You can say goodbye now. Then I can die happy. I want you to change your name somehow. Get married, have babies of your own. You don’t deserve jail. You didn’t do this. I know that. If what the papers say is true, these Romans are bad news. They have connections in jail. You can’t testify against Anthony, and in jail you’ll be silenced.”
“Momma, how do you know all this?” she asked.
“Nurses talk. I hear the television when I am sleeping or when people think I am sleeping.” She tried to keep most of the gory details from her daughter.
“But, Momma, I can’t leave you,” she cried. Her heart was breaking.
“Bella, it is I who am leaving. You must go on. I gave you life, my precious, and there is nothing more I want than for you to live. Take my jewels. All of them. I have been squirreling away funds out of my bank account since you were arrested. I had saved quite a bit for your wedding. There is twenty five thousand in my safe under the bed. I wish it were more.”
“Momma,” she cried.
“Hush, let me finish. I want you to walk out of this apartment while I am alive.”
Her mother paused and gasped for breath. Again a look of pain crossed her face but she fought against it. Bella tightened her grip on her mother’s hand. Her mom tightened her hold as well.
“Bella, the jewels, keep a few, but sell what you have to. Go to North Carolina. Aunt May and Uncle Normand, your great aunt and uncle had a cabin there. The address is in the box along with the deed. I have not been there since I was a child and they died shortly after. You can hide there for a while. It’s in a town called Cherokee that borders Tennessee. Your Aunt Jocelyne inherited it but never did anything with it except pay the taxes. She paid ten years at a time. But since Aunt Jocelyne’s passing, it’s mine technically. I never got around to changing the deed. It’s far enough away from Memphis, you can hide and no one will recognize you. I don’t think it can be traced to you or me. Plus, we have been gone a long time now. I haven’t been to Cherokee since I was a nine or ten, and you have only been in the area a few times while we were driving through the Smokies. But the people are nice. Our kind of people. You’ll find kindness there. Someone will help. When you feel secure, you can leave North Carolina and Tennessee, start over somewhere else if you want. I don’t know, Bella. But Bella, promise me you’ll go. You’ll try.” The desperation she heard in her mother’s voice was her undoing. The tears came unbidden down her cheeks. Her mom had been planning her escape for her.
“Momma,” she cried. She didn’t want to leave her. She was all she had left of her family. She wanted to bury her and say her goodbyes.
“Bella, promise me,” her mother begged. And then she saw the tears in her mother’s eyes. “It is what I want Bella.”
Choking down the sob that threatened to her engulf her, Bella did the only thing she could think of to prevent her mom from begging. She nodded. She agreed. “Okay, Momma. I’ll go. For you.”
The smile her mom gave her was like a ray of sunshine breaking through the storm. “Bella, I love you. I want you to live.”
“I love you to Momma. Always.”
“Always, Bella. Never forget. I’ll be watching. Always know your momma loves you. Trust your heart, Bella. Now, kiss me quick. Give me the morphine so I can have a good rest, get the safe from underneath by bed, and go pack.”
Bella uncapped the liquid concentrate and placed the prescribed number of drops under her mother’s tongue, knowing it would keep her free of pain but would not hasten her death. She leaned over to press a kiss to her mom’s paper thin cheek.
Her mom grabbed her by the face and kissed her. Then hugged her. But it wasn’t a long hug. Not one Bella felt satisfied with. Her mother was pushing her back. “Go Bella. Go,” she urged.
Bella retrieved the safe and left the room reluctantly. Running was something she had never thought of doing, ever. Her only thoughts were of being with her mom for as long as she could. She had to stay, at least until her mother passed, but the thought of leaving her mother without a proper burial tore at her heart. As much as she hated to admit it, if she waited, the police would be picking her up straight from the cemetery, if not sooner, and take her to jail. She had received word five days ago from the judge. The guard had died, and her bail would be revoked upon her mother’s passing.
Bella packed her clothes and then looked through the contents of the safe. It was all there, everything her mother had told her about. She wanted to honor her mother’s wishes but she couldn’t let her die alone . . . what kind of daughter did that. She had time; the nurse wouldn’t return for several days unless she called her. And out of respect for her mother, after she died, Bella would call, but not until she was miles away.
A little over an
hour had passed when Bella peeked into her Mom’s room, quietly checking on her. Her mom was pressed back against the pillows a smile on her face. Her eyes were closed, and she was still. There was no wheezing, no coughing. And there was no pain. Her mom was gone.
She was at peace. And Bella, took one last look, blew her mom a kiss, and walked out the door. She had promises to keep and miles to go before she could sleep.
Chapter 3
And So It Begins
Blaze threw his duffle on the sofa. He needed a drink. It seemed he’d be back on the road tonight, tomorrow the latest. He was waiting to hear from Angela and Andreas. They had headed directly to the office to run the most recent runner’s credit. They needed to find her trail. Angela had dropped him off at home promising to send him the information as soon as they had a lead.
He lived in the new Trump Towers in downtown Tampa, and had a great view of the ocean. He had leased the place six months ago with an option to buy. In six months, he felt he’d be able to do it. He loved living on the water.
Blaze and Nikko had shared an apartment in Ybor City for a year after they moved out of the house his brother had purchased on Anna Maria Island. He liked Ybor, the quaint Cuban community, but come night time with the sounds of the bars just down the street in full swing, and his brothers late hours, he’d grown tired. Nikko understood his wanting a place of his own. Blaze enjoyed the night life just as much as any man, but at nearly twenty-nine he was getting tired of it all. The one nighters, the women, had become so monotonous. They were all the same. Money hungry, sex crazed, or looking for a ring. The women were not exactly what he was looking for. Now, or ever. He fixed himself a whiskey sour. He rarely drank preferring a glass of good wine, but did enjoy something hard on occasion. He needed it today.
* * *
After having a drink, Blaze set to work on his duffle bag, and the kit he used while on a chase. He was still waiting to hear back from either Angela or Andreas, but he wanted to be ready just in case. What little information Angela had given him wasn’t much to go on.
The bounty was for one, Bella Chase. She was accused of aiding and abetting in an armed robbery, and a recent upgrade in charges from attempted manslaughter to manslaughter. The guard at the bank she robbed had died a week ago from an infection he developed post-surgery. Bella Chase and Anthony and Vito Roman, two brothers, who had run the scam and attempted robbery were all considered dangerous. Connected to local drug kingpins, their father was suspected of operating many illegal dealings and using his many night clubs in the area to launder the profits.
The papers and news reports claimed the two brothers were in trouble and had robbed the bank to avoid telling their poppa they had gotten into a mess. Bella, the papers claimed, was the long-time girlfriend of Anthony, and had gone in on the robbery to get money to pay for mounting medical bills for her mother. The boys turned on her though, and the reporters revealed sources close to the boys who were saying Bella led the operation.
Andreas remembered the case. He had taken the bond. The girl’s mother, he remembered, had come in, had looked like death and begged him to help. He had felt bad for the mother. She had explained the situation, her cancer. He hadn’t thought Miss Chase would run from everything her mother had told him.
Angela updated them in the car on the latest news and filled Blaze in on facts he wasn’t aware of before dropping him off. While leaving the Wells Fargo bank with the score, and more police on the way, the brothers shot a guard, and jumped into their car, Bella at the wheel. Of course the girl claimed her innocence in her first police interview, but she had been dating one of the brothers on and off for over a year. Her claim was she went with the brothers to the bank, because she needed a ride into Tampa to see her mother’s cancer doctor. Knowing Anthony went to Tampa daily, she hitched a ride. After picking her up, he claimed a migraine, and asked her to drive after a quick stop at the bank.
The brothers, Anthony and Vito, weren’t talking. They lawyered up, but the lawyer was doing a lot of talking apparently to ruin the jury pool or request a change of venue. The brothers were being as silent as proverbial lambs while their lawyer handled the dirty work. And Vincent Roman, their father, was by his side for every sound bite.
* * *
Blaze threw his dirty laundry into the laundry room, and began to refill his bag with fresh clothes. He also went to his closet, and unlocked the built in safe. The doors opened revealing an array of guns. He wasn’t sure if he’d be flying, like their last job. They had taken their weapons on the last case, but had to leave them behind until that case was settled. He looked at the stock he had left deciding on what he might be able to bring.
Bella had run within the last twenty-four hours, and Angela hadn’t been able to get a line on her whereabouts. She had already put in the call to their fact checker, and internet/electronics guy. They were waiting to see if she left a trace, runners usually did.
His phone began to chirp. Blaze flashed a quick glance at the screen before connecting, confirming his thought that it was Andreas.
“Yo,” he answered. “What’s the scoop?” He was always known for wasting no time, and getting straight to the point. Andreas shared that quality with him.
“Nothing on her credit cards, or her mother’s.” Andreas spoke quickly.
“Her mother’s?” Blaze queried.
“Yes, she lived with her mom. Her bail was contingent upon her mom living. We thought she might have tried to use those. We also checked the hospice workers cards. They went in during the week and she could have pilfered theirs. This morning at eight AM they found the mom dead, no sign of Bella. They were their yesterday evening at 7:30 and Bella was home then. It’s nearly 7:00pm now, so she possibly has a twenty-four hour head start on us.”
“So, no leads then,” Blaze whistled softly. It’s what he had concluded as well.
“I didn’t say that. I got someone bringing a copy of her files to you now. I’m heading home in a bit after I give you a report. I need a shower and to clear my head. A bit jet lagged.”
“Okay, but the leads?” Blaze responded. His brother was thorough before granting bond, and there was sure to be plenty to go on in the file he had prepared for him.
“The mom’s car is gone. She’ll probably dump it, if she hasn’t already. If she was smart she dumped it before leaving the state and before an All-Points Bulletin went out on her. I figure she drove for the border. Girl moved here from Tennessee four years ago. I figure we start there.”
“Angela, book me a flight?” he interrupted.
“Nope, you’re driving.”
“That’s eleven hours,” Blaze quickly calculated.
“Yep, but you may need your weapons. Those brothers are connected. Their lawyers are coming up with a good defense. No camera images of them; they wore masks. No finger prints; hell, they didn’t even speak, used signs so no voice recognition software could be used to identify them. They released a story on the six o’clock tonight; Bella robbed the bank to buy drugs for mom’s new cancer treatment. They are innocent, she duped them. They were her patsy’s. They must have gotten wind that she ran so the lawyer is using this opportunity to blow more smoke and mirrors and try to get some public sympathy. They are working on trying to get another bond hearing now. I also figure once big poppa hears Bella’s gone MIA they will want to silence her. If she disappears that only helps build doubt for a jury in the trial for the sons. I’ve already called Gio. He’ll fly out and meet you there in a day or two once Nikko is out of the hospital.”
“Tell him to wait for my call, no sense rushing until I find out if I’m the only one chasing her, but I’ll bring extra ammo just in case.”
“Okay, but you catch wind of anything you call for back up?” Andreas was sounding tired. They’d been up late and up early. He knew his brother hadn’t even gone home yet.
“Gotcha.” He heard Andreas about to click off. “Wait, one more thing?” he asked.
“What?” He heard h
is brother’s tired sigh.
“The girl dangerous? She innocent?” He asked wanting to know if he was in danger from her end as well.
“I provided the bond, easy money, as she was going back to jail in a few weeks. Thought she was innocent myself when I saw her in court. Like I said earlier, Mom came in personally and begged me to help get her out. Woman was at death’s door. Paid me in cash, said it was all she had. It’s all in the report. Frankly, I don’t know. Even sweet and innocent girls can be false and deceiving. I went with my gut on this, and frankly the mom’s story got me to do it. Did she rob the bank for the drugs to save her mom? Maybe. Her mom was going all out for her. Did she dupe those boys into helping her? I doubt they are innocent, but you never know.”
Blaze could hear the weariness in his brother’s voice. The fatigue. His brother had worked round the clock practically to wrap up all the loose ends of their last case in Maine. It wasn’t like him to speculate so much on a client.
“Get some rest,” Blaze told his brother. “I’m gonna drive a couple hours tonight. I’ll call some guys to check for car dump sites on the way too, so we know if we are on the right track. Call me if you hear anything.”
* * *
Andreas grunted and hung up, pissed he hadn’t thought to check the dump sites near the border and have a guy on it already. He was glad Blaze was on this one. Methodical, always. Serious, nearly one hundred percent of the time. And it when it came to the opposite sex, he always had his guard up. Blaze was perfect for this case.
* * *
Shit! Sweet girls. The worst kind, Blaze thought. He went back to his closet and began to assemble the things he would need. Well, one thing for sure whether she did it to get money to help her mom, or her loser boyfriend, she had broken the law. And that’s all he needed to know. It was simple. Black and white. Within twenty minutes he was ready to chase down Bella Chase.
The Bounty Hunters: The Marino Bros.: Box Set Page 28