by H. H. Fowler
“We didn’t have sex,” Anwar spat. “And you were supposed to be a virgin.”
Della’s mischievous grin returned. “These days you don’t have to know a person to have sex. Just take a casual look on some of these dating sites and you will be floored at how easy it is to hook up with a stranger. Me, a virgin? Please. I only said that to make it that much more enticing for your college friends to pursue me. It worked didn’t it? I convinced one of them to use their cell phone to record us having sex. You enjoyed it. I guess you were too drunk to remember anything.”
“Listen here, you little witch! It was a setup and you know it!”
“But I don’t think Dallis would agree,” Della teased. “I mean, how would she know for sure? Your past with women isn’t all that squeaky clean. You are what they call a bad boy. Did you see the part in the video when I spread my legs for you?”
Anwar gripped Della’s wrist and growled. “It wasn’t me! What the hell do you people want?”
Della rubbed her chin as if she was in deep thought. “Well, let’s see. You were instructed not to marry Dallis, but you went ahead and did it anyway. So, it’s a little late for me to threaten you with old news –”
The front door opened and Montgomery stepped out onto the porch. He was alone, but Della could tell by his body language that he and Dana had had a world of fun in her bedroom. His shirt was out of his pants and his shoes were in his hand. He leaned his head against the door as if savoring the vestiges of a pleasurable feeling. Della’s entire body began to tremble with rage.
“Kiss me,” she hissed at Anwar.
Anwar hedged in disgust. “I’m not kissing –”
“Kiss me, or I will send that video to Dallis’ email tonight.”
Anwar didn’t need to be told twice. He threw caution to the wind and pulled Della toward him. He was only doing it to save his marriage with Dallis. As he closed his eyes and his lips searched to find Della’s, he asked the Lord to forgive him. On contact, Della locked her hands around Anwar’s neck, forcing her tongue into his mouth. She began to groan – loud enough for Montgomery to hear her.
It did get Montgomery’s attention. It was dark, but there was sufficient light for him to focus in on the couple that was in the driveway. He walked toward them, gaining confidence with each step that it was Della in the arms of the last person he would ever suspect.
“Della, what the hell do you think you’re doing?”
With her pupils dancing with mock desire, Della pulled away from Anwar and stared at Montgomery. “I would have asked you the same question, but as you can see I am having too much fun to concern myself with your lying face.”
Montgomery gripped Della’s arm and violently shoved her into Anwar, pushing both of them toward his Escalade that was in the street. He wanted them to be as far away from the house as possible, so that they wouldn’t chance disturbing anyone. “How much did you tell him?”
“You’re hurting me, Monty, let go of me!”
“She didn’t tell me anything,” Anwar tried. He could see that Della was terrified of Montgomery and that she’d gotten mixed up in something that had spiraled out of her control. “I swear, she didn’t –”
“Shut the hell up!” Montgomery barked at Anwar. “I’m talking to my slut of a wife!” He swiftly turned his attention back to Della and slapped her hard across the mouth. “You whore! I left you alone for a few hours and I find you making out with the man you’re supposed to destroy! I know you are up to something!”
Della fired back, “What did you expect me to do? You and Dana were up there having sex in her bedroom, but not just sex. You are in love with her!”
“So what if I am. You ruined the plan by blabbing your dirty mouth!”
“There is no more plan, Monty! Newsflash: Ms. V has been arrested! There’s no telling if we will ever get the rest of our money. Don’t act as if you weren’t aware of this. I believe that’s the reason why you were trying to get close to Dana – to ditch me and marry her! And I’m the one who’s gonna be kicked out into the cold.”
Those words, however true they were, generated another whack from Montgomery across Della’s face. Anwar glared at Montgomery, hating to see a woman getting slapped around in front of him like that. He challenged the bastard, “Why don’t you take out your anger on someone your own size?”
“I will,” Montgomery snarled. “As soon as I am done with her. Well, since you are in a hurry, I’ll make an exception.” He opened the driver side of his Escalade and retrieved a chrome Smith and Wesson pistol from beneath the seat. He pointed it at Anwar. “Get into the trunk.”
As an automatic reaction, Anwar shot his hands into the air. “Listen man, take it easy. I understand you made a terrible mistake. I did too when I was lured into joining that organization with those sick people. But you don’t have to succumb to their poison…I won’t even press charges, man…”
“Don’t make me repeat this again. Get into the trunk!”
Anwar took a step forward. “Come on, man. You don’t need me. I will only be a hindrance.”
Montgomery smirked. “Is that right? Well, we’ll just have to see about that, won’t we?”
Without warning, Montgomery lurched forward and pistol-whipped Anwar to the side of the head. He staggered backwards into the Escalade. Della pressed her lips together to stop the screams from coming out of her mouth. She knew Monty would pistol-whip her too, if she made him angrier than he already was.
“Help me lift this idiot into the trunk,” he barked at her. He then stared at her long enough to add in a voice bursting with disrespect, “This is how far your sluttish behavior will get you.”
Chapter Thirty
Akin to the subtle moves of a sniper, Miss Rose pushed to her feet from a bending position. She had been hiding behind Dana’s Mercedes during the entire exchange between Anwar, Della and Montgomery. When she saw that it was safe to break free, her stubby legs struck the pavement with a purpose. She reeled through the kitchen entrance out of breath. All night she’d been patrolling the marble floors, waiting for Montgomery to come downstairs from Dana’s bedroom so that she could give him a piece of her mind.
How dare he seduce her boss lady into such an abominable sin, knowing how vulnerable and lonely Dana was! She knew he was up to no good from the start. She heard him coming down the stairs and not wanting to alert Dana to what she was about to do, Miss Rose rushed ahead of Montgomery through the kitchen door. However, she didn’t expect to stumble upon Anwar tongue-kissing Della. The scene would certainly leave her shocked for days. The next thing she knew Anwar was struck to the head was shoved into Montgomery’s trunk.
Once she’d made it to the middle of the floor, she dropped to her knees and began to wail like a woman with intense labor pains. The type of screaming Miss Rose was known for would shake the dead out of their graves. The noise certainly pulled Dallis, Candi and Dana out of their beds. They all charged into the hall, running one behind the other. Asia and Izaiah had come in from the veranda, as they had been reveling in the plans about their future together.
“My God, Rose, what is all this noise about?” Dana still had a hand to her chest, as if trying to keep her heart from tumbling out.
“I told you to stay away from them...they came with an assignment from hell!”
“Who are you talking about?”
“Mr. Black and his evil daughter...” Miss Rose squeezed Dana’s hand with eyes popped open so wide, they looked unreal. “No, she’s not his daughter! She’s his wife! This is too much for my poor heart…what a deception!” Rose could barely get the rest of her words out as she vividly remembered the scene of Anwar kissing Della, but she did not want to hurt Dallis by giving unnecessary details. “They whacked Anwar in the head and then pushed him into the trunk...”
The mentioning of Anwar’s name knocked every lethargic bone awake in Dallis’ body. She just now realized that Anwar was missing. It was déjà vu as she recalled experiencing a similar feelin
g three years ago. She rested a firm hand on the maid’s shoulder and said, “Rose, calm down and tell us what happened from the beginning. This is my husband we’re talking about.”
“I’m sorry, Dallis, but we may not have time to hear an explanation right now,” Izaiah said. “The sooner the police are notified, will make it that much easier for them to track down Montgomery. I don’t wish for a repeat of what happened to Bishop Beaufort. Come with me, Rose. Let’s get Detective Shelby on the phone.”
Not knowing what else to do, Dana pulled her three daughters into a circle for a quick prayer. In the back of her mind she was chiding herself for not listening to Rose. She had almost thrown her chastity to the wind by having sex with Montgomery. They got as far as removing the top layers of their clothes, but she pushed him away and explained she couldn’t go through with it. Montgomery was the perfect gentleman about it. After a lengthy talk, she told him it was time for him to leave.
Sure, she could blame her need for sex on her vulnerability, Dana thought, and that Montgomery had showed up at her point of weakness, but that in no way minimized the fear of how close she came to ruining her life for several minutes of pleasure. In her prayer to God to keep Anwar protected, she silently thanked Him for, once again, bringing her safely out of the lion’s den.
****
When Richard got the call that Anwar had been kidnapped, he had just rested his head against an inviting pillow. But a good dose of adrenaline had him stumbling out of his front door and into his car. He’d called Karissa and told her to get back up and meet him at Station 61. He did not want to divert to pick her up because Montgomery could slip through his fingers – just like Ms. V did three years ago when he was trying to rescue Gregory. Richard wasn’t about to make that mistake again.
After hearing Rose’s account of what exploded between Montgomery and Della, Richard was able to clearly see that the photo, which showed Della wearing a baseball cap with the Station 61 logo, was leading him to where Montgomery was planning to make his escape. Richard’s intuition wouldn’t allow him to believe anything else. No doubt this was a production spawned by the infamous House of gods. However, their invincible streak was about to receive another blow from the Bliss Haven Police.
With his sirens turned off, Richard carefully flew past red lights and stop signs, hoping to arrive at Station 61, or at least be in the vicinity, before Montgomery got there. It would certainly put him one step ahead of this cat and mouse game and finally bring some form of closure to the Beauforts’ grief of losing their patriarch.
****
Montgomery slowed the Escalade and studied his surroundings before he stopped on a certain spot in a cul-de-sac, which purposely blended in with the asphalt. However, hidden beneath was an expensively-built hydraulic system that lowered to an underground garage, leading out to the open sea. Only those who were members of the secret sect and with superior assignments had access to its location.
Years ago, the House of gods had constructed it when they’d strategically purchased Station 61 from the owner for eight million dollars, along with the hundreds of acres surrounding it. Of course the public hadn’t any idea that the new owners of Station 61 were House of gods businessmen. Even the government had been clueless to the underground escape plan that had been furtively built into their infrastructure. It was a real ‘behind closed doors’ situation, where the elite moved with unrestrained freedom.
With both of them now standing on the asphalt, Montgomery grabbed Della’s hand and pulled her toward him. She tripped and fell headlong onto the hard surface. Her screams shattered the silence, as the pain from her bruises grew in intensity. Irritated, Montgomery yanked her up by the hair and shoved her ahead of him.
“You brought this on yourself, Nancy,” he spat. “You just had to go ahead and ruin everything, didn’t you?”
Hearing her husband called her by her real name made Della realize that she had really messed up. She tried to think of something that would help her get back into Montgomery’s good graces, but she knew it was too late. “I’m sorry for what I did, Monty, I really am,” she cried. “But you know I was afraid of losing you to Dana and you know how much I love you.”
“Shut up and keep moving!” he barked at her. He pulled open the trunk, repositioning the pistol at Anwar, who was gradually regaining consciousness from the blow he’d received to the head.
“We can’t bring him along and we certainly can’t let him go. He knows too much. What a bloody fool to try and cross me!”
“Put the gun down, Mr. Black. Your fun stops here.”
“Is that so?” Montgomery suddenly grabbed Della by the neck and then spun to face the voice. If he had to, he would use her as a shield.
“Oh, it’s you,” he said with obvious disgust and then added sarcastically. “I can certainly depend on you to show up at the most inopportune times.”
“Well,” Richard said with his weapon raised. He was about twenty feet away, standing behind his car as a means of protection. “It has worked in the past. So, I figured I would get lucky again. Who do you work for?”
Montgomery laughed. “You think I’m stupid, don’t you? I will not bend a conversation with you only to have the rest of your goons show up. I am going to escape with you standing there, looking like an overgrown walrus in that ugly jacket.”
“You’re not going anywhere tonight except in a body bag or a pair of handcuffs.”
Montgomery laughed again. “You know, detective, I think you’re a really funny guy. As a matter of fact, I think you should do standup comedy. I’m sure you would succeed, but I must be on my way now.”
Richard yelled, “Mr. Black, I will shoot your wife, if I have to!”
“Now, why would you suggest something I can do myself? She means nothing to me, anyway.”
Montgomery pulled out an unusual-looking key fob from his pocket. By hand memory, he pressed several numbers and immediately, the spot where the Escalade had come to rest, disengaged and began to lower slowly toward the underground garage. When Montgomery saw Richard make an attempt to pursue, he pushed Della away from him and pumped two rounds into her chest. The swiftness with which it was done stopped Richard in his tracks, but the noise brought Anwar completely to his senses.
The Escalade was about halfway toward its destination. With Montgomery’s back turned toward him, Anwar decided to take a chance to wrestle for his freedom. He eased out of the trunk, steadying his legs against the moving platform. It had to be twelve feet by twelve feet in diameter, enough space for Anwar to leap onto Montgomery’s back and not fall off into the open pit below.
When Richard saw what Anwar was about to execute, he screamed out, “Anwar, don’t do it!”
The platform, along with the two men in an intense battle for life, disappeared completely out of sight. The sound of gunshots followed and then a muffled thud, indicating the platform had finally come to rest. On cue, Karissa and the other squad cars swerved into the area with their sirens screaming.
Karissa hopped out of one of the passenger seats to join Richard at his side. In passing, she took one look at Della’s lifeless body on the ground and knew things hadn’t gone as smoothly as she’d anticipated.
“I’m glad to see that you’re okay,” she said. “Where’s Anwar and Mr. Black?”
“Look straight ahead,” he told her, still not able to put into words the scene he’d just experienced. “I think that pit holds all of the answers that we will ever need. Who would have thought that the clue we were missing would turn out to be a hole in the ground?”
The detectives drew close to the edge and as far as their eyes could see, were fleets of expensive cars, including Cadillacs, SUVs, BMWs, Mercedes and other high-end models. The car in which Dallis had seen Gregory was in clear view for the detectives to see. A silver Cadillac Eldorado, with rims that looked like a chest of sparkling diamonds. With such an intelligent manner of concealment, it was no wonder the detectives had trouble finding the car.
Chapter Thirty One
Back at the Beaufort estate, everyone was on pins and needles, waiting to hear the result of the events of that night. Dallis, of course, could not sit still. She paced back and forth, trying not to think the worst, but it was a real challenge. Her husband was not one to clam up in situations like this. He would fight his way out or die trying. That was what frightened her the most about this whole affair. She wound up back in the kitchen where Asia was strongly questioning Dana about Montgomery.
“How could you not know, Mother? That man could have killed you, or all of us…I can’t believe you took him up to your bedroom!”
“It did not happen that way,” Dana said in her defense. “I was in a mess after Detective Shelby told me that the search for Gregory had been called off. I desperately needed someone to understand and Montgomery just happened to show up at one of my weakest moments. I did not have sex with him – if that is what you’re so worried about.”
“I’m worried that Daddy’s disappearance will eventually ruin your self-esteem.”
Dana snapped, her eyes flooding with tears. “Why are you getting down on me? You also had no idea who Montgomery and his daughter were! None of you did!”
“Rose did,” Asia countered. “And I heard she warned you repeatedly about them.”
Asia’s words brought a hush in the room. They all turned and looked at Miss Rose, who was slouched in a chair with a damp rag resting on the side of her head. It suddenly dawned on them that their maid had always been there for each of them, helping to guide their future safely into the harbor. She was an unsung hero who didn’t want to be known for her acts of loyalty. She, along with persons like Izaiah, were angels in disguise, sent to keep the Beaufort family together.
The silence was soon destroyed by the sudden ring of the telephone. Everyone jumped to attention, as they all knew what the call could mean. Since Dallis was already on her feet, she had the upper hand. She snatched the phone from its cradle and nervously put it to her left ear.