City Culprits (Book 1)

by Brittany Nicole Allen

  She looked away from him.

  “I suppose you are the only one who knows how it works.”

  She looked back at him.

  “I’m going to; remove the gag, from your mouth. You can scream if you want…no one will hear…but I know that you’re not the type of girl to do that.”

  Tyson removed the tape from her mouth. Zamora didn’t say anything.

  “You have nothing to say?” He was waiting for her to speak.

  “What do you want with The Eye?”

  “I see you just want to get straight down to business. I like that.” He admired.

  “What do you want with The Eye?” She repeated.

  Zamora turned her head away from him again.

  He sighed. “I am trying to desperately find someone. Someone who is responsible, for the death, of my younger brother. His name was Kalen. He was shot in the head 5 years ago, by an unknown assailant. They call him Ghost.”

  Zamora immediately turned her head back to him like she knew the name.

  “So you’ve heard of him?”

  “Everyone knows of him. But you’re never going to find him.” She told him.

  “What makes you so sure?”

  “That’s why they call him ghost. Only a very small, select few have ever even seen his face. And that’s by his own choice. If he’s the one responsible for killing your brother, it means he was hired by a very rich, powerful person. Someone who really wanted him dead.”

  “How do you know all that?” Cassius asked her.

  “Wouldn’t you like to know?” She said sarcastically.

  Tyson ignored her remark.

  “Well clearly someone knows how to find him. How else would you be able to hire him?”

  “There’s only one person in the entire world, who can find Ghost.”

  He grabbed Zamora’s face.

  “And who might that be sweet pea?”

  “I don’t know. I’ve never hired him.”

  Tyson laughed with sarcasm. He wrapped his hand around her throat.

  “I think you’re lying to me. That would not be a wise choice.”

  He let go of her.

  “I don’t know.” She said again.

  Tyson stared in her eyes for a moment.

  “You know how to find Ghost.”

  “If Ghost killed your brother, it must’ve been for a good reason. He won’t just kill anyone. He must’ve deserved it. So what did your brother do?” Zamora smirked at him.

  “My brother, Kaylen, was a very ruthless man.”

  “Well there you have it. He probably had it coming.”

  Tyson was annoyed with her words.

  “You have tested The Eye?” He changed the subject.

  She refused to answer him.

  “I happen to know that you have.”

  Zamora looked at him weird. Nikkya started to regain consciousness again. Tyson glanced at her hearing the chains move.

  “Well look who’s awake.” He said.

  Tyson looked back at Zamora.

  “How does it work?” He asked her.

  “Good question.” She replied back.

  Tyson got irritated, pulling out his blade. He threatened to hurt Nikkya with it. He pulled her hair back, holding the knife to one of her ears. Nikkya remained calm not giving into the fear.

  “How about I just cut something off?!” He yelled.

  Zamora held back her words.

  “You know I’ll do it sweet pea. You have about 10 seconds to blurt it out…or I’m going to start cutting things off.” He threatened. “I’d really hate to ruin her pretty face.”

  Tyson started counting down. Nikkya closed her eyes tightly.

  “Okay! Stop.” She said.

  Tyson pulled back his blade. He stood up.

  “Good girl. Now tell me what I want to know.”

  Zamora held back her fear.

  “How does it work?” Cassius asked her.

  “It connects to my heartbeat.” She told them everything.

  “That’s very interesting. Clever of your father…to connect it to you, as a way to keep you alive.”

  “You won’t find Ghost by The Eye. It’s impossible.”

  “If I can’t find what I’m looking for…then your value to me…goes way down to zero.”

  “Are you really that stupid to kill a kingpin’s daughter?”

  “Sweet pea…no one knows you’re here. And just a little fair warning…our brutality of death….is very painful.”

  “Good to know.”

  “I think we should get started then.” Tyson said.

  “Whatever.” Zamora rolled her eyes at him.

  “I’m going to unshackle you…don’t be stupid.”

  Tyson motioned for his henchmen to unshackle her. Jamarco released her wrists while Deandre released her ankles. Jamarco grabbed her by the arm pulling her up from the floor. They walked her over to a chair forcing her to sit in it. They handcuffed her wrists to the arms of the chair. They stood by close to her. Zamora didn’t fight them fearing for Nikkya. Tyson pulled out the items and began putting them together just as Zamora had told him how.

  “Shall we sweet pea?” He said after he finished.

  “Go for it.” She told him. “It’s not going to work.”

  “I’ll be the judge of that.” He smiled.

  Tyson lifted up Zamora’s shirt to reveal her chest.

  She struggled knowing the needle was going to pierce her skin again. Jamarco put his hand on the back of her neck to keep her still.

  “Come on sweet pea. Play nice. It’ll only hurt for a second.” Tyson joked.

  She looked at him. Tyson placed The Eye onto her chest and pressed the power button. The needle pierced her chest. It took her breath away again. The locator began to power up.

  “How do you plan to find him? By typing in Ghost?” She rolled her eyes.

  Carlos returned home with his men and Axel. He started making his way up the stairs.

  “Check on my daughter and Nikkya as well. Make sure they are home safe.” He told him.

  “Sure thing.” Axel said back.

  Axel checked up on his sister and then his mother just as he’d always done when he got home late. They’re safety was important to him. He even had started checking in on Braydon. He then faintly checked in on Zamora. He thought she was asleep in the bed since that was how she made it look. Axel walked to Nikkya’s room. He noticed she was not in her bed or her room. He walked to the bathroom thinking maybe she was there but the bathroom light was off and the door was wide open. He started to panic. He checked in any room or place he thought that she could have been. Axel made his way back down stairs to tell his uncle.

  “I can’t find Nikkya.” He panicked to his uncle after finding him.

  “What do you mean?” He also panicked.

  “She’s not in her room and I’ve checked every place upstairs.” He told him.

  “Where’s my daughter?”

  “She’s asleep in her bed. I checked in on her.”

  Carlos thought for a moment. He ran upstairs to his daughter’s room flicking on the light. He pulled the covers from the bed seeing nothing but a bunch of pillows.

  “Where the hell is my daughter?!” Carlos yelled.

  Minnie had awakened from the noise. She ran out from the bedroom.

  “Honey, what’s going on?” Her voice was shaken.

  “Zamora and Nikkya aren’t here.” Axel answered for his uncle.

  Carlos radioed for Nikkya’s bodyguards receiving nothing but static. He tried calling their phones receiving no answer. He radioed in for Zamora’s bodyguards. He ordered for them to come to him.

  “Where the hell did they go?” Carlos said desperately.

  “It’s almost on.” Tyson said watching the screen.

  “You can’t find him. It’s impossible.” Zamora told him again.

  “Shut it.” He told her.

  Tyson waited for the locator to finish powering up. It asked
him what he wanted. Name or location. He clicked name.

  “I guess I just type it in now huh?” He smirked at Zamora.

  “Good luck.” She smirked back at him.

  Tyson typed in the name Ghost. It said ‘hacking in’ and then ‘searching’

  A short few minutes went by before something happened. The Eye shut down, frying itself. The Eye fell from Zamora’s chest. Tyson and his men had the same look on their faces.

  “What the hell just happened?” Tyson asked confused.

  “I told you that you couldn’t find him.” She smiled.

  “What did you do?” Tyson demanded an answer.

  “I didn’t do anything.” She paused. “The person on the other side of the system you just hacked into did.”

  “What the hell does that mean?” Cassius asked angered.

  “I told you that you can’t find Ghost. Anytime you try to hack into the system to find him…someone else shuts it down.”

  “Who?” Tyson got in her face.

  “Good question.”

  “You knew that was going to happen didn’t you?”

  “I warned you. Thanks for destroying The Eye for me.”

  “You just made yourself very useless to us now. That was a terrible decision.”

  “I beg to differ.”

  Tyson wrapped his hand around her neck.

  “Now why would you get rid of the only leverage you have?”

  “Because now it’s nothing. My father’s enemies don’t need me anymore. And word will spread to all…that The Eye…is dead.”

  “You think The Eye…is the only reason?”

  “What the hell are you talking about?”

  “There are far worse than just us. You should feel lucky that...we found you before The Russians.”

  He let go of her throat.

  “What do you know?”

  “They couldn’t care less about The Eye. You should have searched deeper into your father’s past. Rumor has it…he took the life of a Russian Mafia boss. I assume that when that article came out about your adoption that they would come looking for his long lost child.”

  “Well good for them. So now that I destroyed The Eye…what are you gonna do now?” She wondered.

  “I haven’t decided on your fate yet sweet pea.”

  He leaned in to whisper in her ear.

  “Maybe I will just…tell Paco…who you really are…and let him finish the job for me.”

  “What did you just say?”

  “I know your dirty little secret. And I can just easily expose it.”

  “I don’t think you’ll do that.”

  “No? What makes you so sure?”

  “Because I’m the only one who knows who shut down the system. I’m the only one who knows how to find Ghost.” She told him.

  Tyson wasn’t sure if she was playing with his head or not.

  “So you do know who fried it.”

  “That would be correct.”

  He pulled her hair back.

  “Looks like you just made yourself valuable again.”

  “That was the idea.”

  Carlos went into his office having suspicions about his daughter. He opened up the safe. Axel entered the room.

  “She took The Eye.” He said to his nephew.

  “To who?” He wondered.

  A phone rang. Zamora’s. Tyson had it.

  “Oh look. Daddy’s calling.” He laughed seeing Carlos’s name.

  Jamarco covered Zamora’s mouth with his hand to keep her quiet.

  Tyson answered.

  “Who is this?” Carlos asked knowing it wasn’t his daughter.

  “Hello Mr. Rivera?”

  “Tyson. You son of a bitch. Where are they?”

  “Where else would they be?”

  “You have The Eye?”

  “I had The Eye. But your daughter outsmarted me. That does not come easy.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Your daughter knew that the person I was looking for…would terminate the system. She fried it. The Eye does not exist anymore. Luckily for her. I have found another use for her existence.”

  “What do you mean The Eye does not exist anymore?” Carlos was worried.

  “She knew that it would be destroyed if I searched for Ghost.”

  “Who in the hell is that?”

  “A very remarkable sniper. He killed my brother. I want to kill him. The Eye is terminated. You should quickly pass that along to your enemies.”

  “Then what’s your use for my daughter now?” He wondered.

  “She knows who terminated the system. Your daughter knows how to find Ghost.”

  “What about Nikkya?”

  “I need Nikkya to be able to control your daughter. She has the same value.”

  “Let me talk to my daughter.”

  “I assure you that they are both in good condition.”

  “Let me talk to my daughter!” He yelled.

  “I will give you 10 seconds.”

  Jamarco removed his hand from Zamora’s mouth. Tyson put the phone to her ear.

  “Say hello.”

  “We’re fine.” Zamora told Carlos.

  “Why did you turn yourself over?”

  “They had Nikkya. I had no choice.”

  “Is it true? About The Eye?” He seemed worried about it.

  “Yes father. It’s gone. Am I still worth something to you?” She seemed angry at him.

  “Of course you are. You’re my daughter. I’m going to find you.”

  “No need. I’ll be out of here soon.” She glanced at Tyson who then pulled the phone away. Jamarco returned his hand to her mouth.

  “If you hurt them. I will kill you.” Carlos threatened.

  “When your daughter has served her purpose…I will think about returning them back alive. Don’t call back. I control their fate. Don’t forget it.” He said before hanging up.

  Zamora and Nikkya had both been moved to separate rooms. It was like a small office space with a small bathroom inside. They were locked up inside with padlocked doors. Zamora had been given drugs to keep her sedated. She was lying on the bed. She was handcuffed behind her back. Her ankles were tied together. She regained consciousness hours later. She slowly opened up her eyes trying to wake herself up when the drugs had mostly worn off. She observed the room she was in searching for anyway that she could get out without using the door. She saw an air vent that she could reach. Big enough for a person to fit through. Zamora knew she had to find a way to break free. She had a hair pin hidden on her. Something her father had taught her to release the lock from handcuffs. It took her a while to get the lock to release. She sat up from the bed. She got lightheaded from the drugs still in her system. She untied her ankles and then made her way over to the vent.

  Nikkya had been restrained the same way as Zamora. She was still drowsy. She laid on the bed listening to the noise outside the room.

  Zamora quietly set the vent top down before climbing up inside. Her first priority was to find Nikkya. She crawled her way through, seeing different rooms and trying not to make any noise. She found her way to Tyson’s office. He was inside talking to Cassius about some business operation. Zamora tried backing up noticing that forward was a dead end. While trying to back up, she got lightheaded again causing her to lose balance. She stayed frozen hoping that they hadn’t heard her.

  “What was that?” Tyson stopped the conversation to listen.

  “Probably a rat or something in the vent.” Cassius told him.

  They continued talking. Zamora was relieved. She proceeded to move again going any direction she could to find Nikkya. She finally did after several attempts. Zamora quietly but quickly removed the top to the vent so that she could get out. Nikkya looked over hearing the noise.

  “Zamora.” Nikkya’s voice was faint.

  Zamora climbed out and over to Nikkya. She released her from her restraints.

  “Can you move?” She whispered.

  N
ikkya nodded her head. Zamora helped her up. That’s when noise came from outside the door. It was being unlocked. Someone was coming inside.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  “Shit. We have to hurry. Come on.” Zamora rushed.

  She made Nikkya go up first. Zamora quickly followed behind her, replacing the top to the vent from inside. They moved in another direction out of sight.

  The door opened. Jamarco looked inside not seeing Nikkya. His face confused. He ran to Zamora’s room thinking she could be missing too. Deandre heard his brother panic.

  “Get Tyson!” Jamarco yelled to his brother.

  Zamora and Nikkya continued crawling through the vent searching for the best possible way out from the warehouse. Tyson ran to Zamora’s room. His face frantic. He looked around wondering how they could’ve gotten out. That’s when he noticed.

  “They’re in the air vents. Find them!” He shouted.

  Zamora and Nikkya knew that they couldn’t move too fast or they would be heard. She looked at the all the exits from the air vents. They started to hear rain. They followed the noise. It was a way out to the outside.

  “Go slow. They can’t know where we are.” Zamora told her.

  Tyson wondered where they could possibly go to get out.

  “One of the air vents leads to the outside. Go block it.” He ordered.

  Nikkya was close to the outside vent. Zamora had not yet turned the corner to reach Nikkya. Zamora heard someone crawling through.

  She locked eyes with Jamarco from around one of the corners far down.

  “Shit. Go Nikkya!” Zamora told her.

  Jamarco tried crawling over to her as fast as he could manage.

  “Come on Zamora!” Nikkya yelled.

  “Nikkya go. I need you to go.”

  “I can’t leave you.”

  “We’re both not gonna make it out. I can hold him off. Go and get out and find a way back to my father’s. You’ll be able to tell him where we are. Go!” She yelled.

  Nikkya did as Zamora told her. She kicked out the vent to open it. Jamarco was coming up on her fast. She waited for him to turn the corner kicking him in the face.

  “You little bitch!” He yelled to her.

  Zamora tried crawling away. Jamarco grabbed her ankle trying to pull her back. She kicked him again with her other foot until he released her by knocking him out. Someone else was in the vent. His brother Deandre. He was blocking her way out. Nikkya was already gone. Zamora could only go one direction. Down. She kicked the vent open into an empty room. She exited. Deandre made his way over to his brother.