Michelle gave her uncle a hug. “You’re the best. I love you. You know that, right? I didn't want to interrupt you two, so I lied, saying I was all set with dinner already. Now I’ve got to get something to eat; Baby-Sister’s cooking has my stomach growling, big time.”
Glancing back toward the kitchen where Baby-Sister sang to herself, G-Baby said, “Thanks for that. You be good. I’ll see you girls here at five thirty on Saturday morning.”
While G-Baby went back to the kitchen, Michelle hopped into her Crossfire, put the top down, and headed to Western Avenue in search of some dinner.
* * *
“Coffee, I need coffee.”
Although Nikky complained about being up before 5:00 a.m., she was up, dressed, and met Michelle coming up the walk to her apartment. Another long day lay ahead of them.
Yesterday, Nikky had shown up at Michelle’s at 8:30 a.m. “Here I am, on time, and with a full tank of gas, like you said. You’re crazy, though, asking me to be here this early. I never get up before nine, except on workdays.” Michelle knew Nikky was just shit-talking and was good for the day ahead.
“Hey, thanks for being on time; we have a lot of ground to cover. First, we’ll swing by Scott’s — I called earlier — and he’ll have our breakfast and coffee ready to go. We’re headed over to the Burbank Airport where we’ll pick up a rental car. You won’t like it much; it’s cheap and small with a bumpy ride.”
“What are we getting?”
“A white Toyota Corolla. It only has a cheap radio, so we won’t be bumping any good beats. But we’re doing a job, anyway, not going out on a date.”
“If this car is so cheap, why not get something better?” Nikky asked.
“A more expensive car will stick out in the hood. This one’s more or less invisible. And we need to be invisible.”
“You’ve got to explain ‘be invisible.’ How can a car be invisible?”
“All right. Don’t look up,” Michelle said. “Now, describe that gray car parked two cars in ahead of you.”
Nikky scrunched up her face. “I don’t have any idea what it looks like.”
“You don’t know, yet it’s sitting right in front of you, and you had to see it when we got in your car. It’s so uninteresting, so boring, you didn’t even notice it. That’s what makes it invisible.”
“Like a plain girl at school; basically, a wallflower of cars.”
“Exactly. Let’s hit the freeway and see how invisible we can be in the middle of a gazillion cars with drivers who are mostly asleep at the wheel.”
Nikky drove out onto the freeway which soon slowed to a crawl. “Imagine if one of those aliens, like in the movies, came down and heard you talking about invisible cars and people driving asleep at the wheel. They’d think you were nuts.”
“Well, look around.” Michelle waved at the surrounding cars inching along. “Don’t they look like they’re driving in a fog? Also, you and me, we really do need to be invisible. That’s why we’re in your car, and why I told you to take your hair down, wash off all your makeup, and wear old, loose clothes. We don’t want anyone to notice us today or tomorrow, so you’ve got to remember to keep a low profile all day today.
“Tomorrow’s the big day, but today’s also a big day. We can’t flirt with any men, no matter how fine. And no shit-talking — none, not even just a little. People who come across us must look somewhere else like we’re not even there. We’re a couple of sweet, quiet, boring, country church women going for a ride in the big city.”
“God! First you want me to be invisible. Now you want me to be boring too, and with this traffic, I’m bored to match. I bet we haven’t even gone five miles.” Nikky put on her signal to change lanes. “Asshole!” she yelled, “Did you see that jerk cut me off?”
“He may be a jerk, but remember, you’re a sweet, quiet, country girl who doesn’t get pissed about anything.”
“Well, he’s still a jerk, even if I can’t talk shit. Sweet Jesus, where does all this traffic come from? I didn’t know every mother’s son in L.A. crowded on the freeway this time of day.”
“Traffic will be like this all day,” Michelle said, “and even worse after three this afternoon. But I think we should be okay. Even though we have a long way to go, we’ll miss the worst of it. The hard part will be when we leave Burbank with the rental.”
“We’ll be driving on the freeway, same as now. How’s that harder than this?”
“Because we’ll be driving two cars and we won’t have anyone to talk to. Even if everybody’s not talking, it’s still easier with someone else in the car. Company helps you not get pissed at the stupid shit people do out here on the road.”
“I get that. If you didn’t remind me to be all sweet and shit, I might have done something. I sure want to get up next to that jerk and tell him to go screw hisself. Or at least flip him off. How long will it take us to get down to Newport and leave the rental?”
“A few hours; we should be at the drop-off point around noon. We don’t do anything to draw attention when we get there. The whole area’s rich and lily-white, so we’ll be noticeable. We just drive in, park the car, I hop in with you, and we drive away. We don’t even stay to pee. Irvine University is only a few minutes up the street and we’ll blend in like a couple of students. We can stop there for lunch.”
Michelle got out at the Burbank Airport, where she picked up the Toyota using her Texas license and credit card for Michelle Torres.
Four hours of caravanning later, they stood in the Burger King parking lot with Nikky rubbing her butt and stretching her legs. “You were right. Coming down here with no one to talk to made it a long, boring drive. I’m already tired and we still have to go back up to the hood and catch up with my mom. I’ll be done with driving for a while when we finally get there.”
Inside, the Burger King bustled with college students, all looking as plain and unkempt as Nikky and Michelle. Exactly as planned, nobody gave them a second glance.
“Girl, you’re dragging in here like you done got your butt whupped,” Michelle teased.
“We’re twins, then,” Nikky replied, “because you’re looking pretty to-the-curb yourself.”
“All this driving is boring but easy. Tomorrow will be harder. Tomorrow, we have to be at Uncle G’s by five thirty to hook up with him and Tuan. They don’t know, don’t care, and don’t want to know, what we’re doing. Not now, not ever. We have to be back at the yacht club by mid-afternoon. That gets us to the marina on time to look like a normal day of fishing.”
“Where’s the hard part come in?”
“When we’re driving back here after we’ve done our business with Jerome. The adrenaline will wear off, and you’ll crash hard like a whipped dog. When you’re that tired, it’s easy to make simple mistakes, like get pissed at some asswipe or lock the keys in the car. Stupid shit like that can get you jacked if you’re not careful. Once we get back on the boat, we’ll be okay.”
“What do we do after we finish up with the boat?” Nikky asked.
“First, we help with the clean-up — hose down the boat and all that stuff. Tuan and Uncle G will tell us we have to gut the fish, but they’ll just be messing with us. Then we’ll have dinner with Tuan’s family before we go back home. They’re Vietnamese, so they make some crazy food.”
“I’m not eating any dead baby chick, like you told us about before. No way in hell I’ll do that.”
“Don’t worry, dead chicks are special and they won’t want to give some of their special food to no Negro who’ll waste it. Uncle G said they’re cooking up some duck heads and octopus. Probably not, but there’s a good chance they’ll throw in some fish heads.”
“Yeah, well, you can eat that shit. I won’t be eating fish heads, or chicken heads, neither. No heads of any kind.”
“I’m only messing with you. Every time I’ve eaten with them the food’s been real good. They know you’re American and can’t eat some crazy Asian shit. They’re good people; they’
ll treat us right. Tomorrow will feel a lot longer than today. By the time we’re at their place, you’ll be real happy to eat someone else’s food . . .”
The rest of the return trip to Nikky’s apartment was as uneventful as it was uninspiring. When they arrived, Michelle parked in front. “The night before a hit is always strange. We’ve had a boring day that still was tiring, but it’s normally hard to sleep and easy to stay up late. Don’t let yourself do that. Have a glass of wine, take a long hot bath, then drink some milk and go to bed. I’ll be here early in the morning. We both need to be sharp tomorrow.”
Tomorrow came very early. Today was the big day. Michelle headed to Nikky’s long before the sun came up. She parked on the street and got out to get Nikky, who surprised her by coming down the front walk before Michelle had even reached the front of the car.
They both climbed into Michelle’s Crossfire.
“Girl, did you hear me?” Nikky said. “I need some coffee. I’m still tired from yesterday and it’s an ungodly time. Please, I need some coffee.”
“No, you don’t,” Michelle said. “You need more sleep, not coffee. Leave the coffee alone for now. I put the top up so you’ll be cozy and warm. You just lean back and don’t get too woke up yet. When we switch to Uncle G’s Chrysler, get in the back; it’s roomy and you can sleep on the drive down to the boat. We still have a couple of hours before the sun wakes you up.”
Michelle would rather not have brought Nikky in on this project. She didn’t have the training and she lacked discipline. However, she naturally had the right personality: quiet, watchful, a fast thinker, and always ready to move. She’d be fine. Besides, she had as much right as anyone to get at that rat bastard Jerome. He jacked her pretty bad, and for no good reason, too. Besides, an extra person would be helpful during the busy day.
With Nikky asleep in the Chrysler’s backseat and G-Baby driving, the long, early morning ride gave Michelle time to think through the day’s events. Hopefully, Deja’s plan to spend the day with her mother would work out well for everyone.
Lost in her thoughts, Michelle hadn’t noticed when they exited the freeway. Only when they stopped for a light did Michelle look up to realize they were only a couple of blocks from Huntington Harbor where they’d board the boat with Tuan.
Michelle shook Nikky awake. “Hey, we’re here. Wake up, sleepyhead.”
“Already? Good. Nobody should be up before the sun. It’s just not right.”
“If you care to join the rest of us, I’ve got that coffee you wanted.”
Tuan climbed off the boat and walked to where Michelle, G-Baby, and Nikky stood sipping hot coffee.
Michelle handed Tuan a cup. “Hey, Tuan, good morning. This sleepyhead here is my friend, Nikky. Nikky, this is Tuan. He’s our captain today.”
“Good to meet you, Nikky.” Tuan shook Nikky’s hand. “Hi, Michelle. We’re ready to go. We’ll stop at the bait shop on the way out. G-Baby and I will tie up at the dock while you and Nikky go in. Tell Mary it’s for me; she’ll know what to give you. Also, tell her you and Nikky will need to rent lighter-weight poles. She’ll know what to fix you up with; take all of it.”
The group headed to the boat.
“Ever been on a boat like this before?” Tuan asked Nikky.
“No. I’ve never been on any boat. What kind is it?”
“A thirty-foot Sea Ray, what they call a Weekender. It’s more than I should have, but my wife lets me get away with it. Since you haven’t been on the water before, it’s probably best that you sit up front with me. It’s a little windy, but less likely that you’ll get seasick.”
G-Baby untied the lines, then pushed the boat away and climbed aboard. Tuan gave the motor some gas and steered them to the center of the channel.
Nikky took the seat next to Tuan. “It’s kinda like riding in a convertible, only real slow.”
“Here in the harbor it is. We’ll go faster and it’ll be a little more active when we get outside, but we’ll stay close to the shore where it won’t be very bad. There’s the bait shop.” He pointed. “We’ll tie up over there.” Tuan motored the boat over to a short dock with a ‘T” on the end and a modest-sized convenience store up on the shore. “The bait shop is inside. You’ll see it when you go in.”
Less than an hour later, Michelle and Nikky had transferred from the boat to the rented Toyota. They were on their way for a date with Jerome — a date he didn’t know he had, but would never forget, for as long as he lived.
* * *
“Well, would you look at that. Sleeping like a peaceful baby in his king-size bed. Guess he had a big night last night,” Michelle said.
Nikky pulled out eight large plastic zip ties and four pieces of steel chain from her backpack. She sat them on the top of the chest of drawers, next to the large butcher knife. “He may be peaceful asleep like that, but he’s still an asshole.”
“Oh, fuck!” Jerome quickly sat up. “I didn’t say nothin’ to no police. I don’t—”
“Shut the fuck up,” Michelle said. “I’m glad you’re awake, so I don’t have to wake your skank-ass up.”
“What’re you gonna do? You, you, you’re not gonna shoot me like you did before, are you? I’m still all fucked up, and I got—”
Puhffiitt!
The bullet hit the mattress next to his leg. Jerome shut up.
“You’re a chickenshit snitch. Of course you’ll lie about being a snitch. Don’t insult me by thinking I’ll believe some pack of lies. Let’s establish some truth here. You are a lying, coward snitch.”
“No, honest, I didn’t—”
“Oh yeah, that’s the other thing, you’re stupid. Jesus, you can’t possibly imagine that drag will fly with us. Nobody, not even you, could be that stupid. How have you managed to stay alive all these years? Now, tell me you understand you’re a coward and a snitch.” Michelle leveled her silenced 9mm at his face.
“I understand.”
“You understand what?”
“That I’m a coward and a snitch.”
“Now we’re getting somewhere; at least you know what you are. This is what you’re going to do: get out of bed and stand over in the corner. Go — now.” Michelle motioned toward the corner with her gun.
Jerome scrambled up and stood in the corner. His eyes darted back and forth between Michelle and Nikky.
“Nikky, you go ahead and do your thing. I’ll keep this piece of shit company while you work.”
Nikky nodded and, swinging the knife down hard, stabbed through the corner of the mattress. The blade entered the top and stuck out through the side, and Nikky used it as a guide to slide a heavy-duty plastic zip tie through the hole.
“Do you know why she cut a hole in your mattress?” Michelle asked.
“No.”
“Good Lord, you really are as stupid as you seem.”
Nikky threaded the zip tie through the last link of a section of steel chain then zipped it tight to the corner of the mattress. She did the same thing at the head of the bed.
As Nikky worked on the top corner, Jerome’s eyes flew wide, his horrified stare glued to her as she tightened the zip tie on the second chain.
“Now you’re beginning to get the picture,” Michelle said. “Jerome, look at me.”
He did.
“I have a question for you: can you tell me why she cut holes in your mattress like that?”
“Cuz you’re gonna tie me to the bed. And the plastic ties go around the metal ring so I can’t rip them out. Please don’t kill me or leave me to die.”
“Much of what happens here today will depend on you. If you do exactly what we say, you’ll live. Act stupid, you’ll die. Simple as that.”
“I’ll do what you want.”
“Now, Nikky’s done with this side of the bed. I want you to stay against the wall, ease up to the top of the bed, and crawl across to the other side.”
Jerome did as he was told.
“Stand in that corner until I say different.�
�� Michelle pointed at the corner with her 9mm. “Try to jump, I’ll shoot you dead.”
Jerome stiffened, and Nikky started working on the other side of the bed.
“Are you sure you want to live?” Michelle asked.
“Yes.”
“In that case, you need to remember two things. Do you remember what I told you the last time about following instructions?”
Jerome shook his head. “I don’t remember.”
“The part about being shot two or three times. Do you remember that?”
“Yes.”
“Good. Explain to Nikky what I said.”
“She said she’d shoot me.”
“What else?” Michelle demanded.
“She said it was up to me how many times I got shot,” Jerome said.
Michelle rolled her hand for more. “And . . .?”
“She said if I did exactly what she told me to, I’d get shot two times.”
“What else?”
“If I didn’t do what she told me to, she’d shoot me again.”
“And what happened?”
Jerome turned to Michelle. “You shot me three times.”
“Right, and which is the worst one?”
“The one in my shoulder.”
“Right, the one you got because you didn’t believe me. Do you believe me now?”
“Yes.”
“What did I tell you about the police?”
“You said if I told the police, I’d pay the price.”
“Did you know the police arrested me because you told them I shot you? Think carefully about the state of your health before you answer.”
“Honest, I didn’t mean to snitch. They kept questioning me about the gunshot wounds and it just slipped out.”
“Something interesting happened,” Michelle said. “The police didn’t book me on your word. Here you’re all shot up, saying I did it, and they didn’t even book me. Why do you think they let me go like that?”
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