by S I Taylor
“Whatever. Did you get the car or not?” she asked.
“Yeah, come on, let’s go,” he said with a smirk.
She watched as McKinley turned on the GPS navigation and drove out of the lot. She noticed the weird mixture of scent in the vehicle but decided not to address it since she figured he had nothing to do with it and she would eventually become nose blind to the smell. They got back on the two-lane road toward the sign to State Road 907 for Huntersville. After an hour of driving in silence—save for the random stops he would make to text—they finally got within city limits. The smog in the air flowed through the A/C vents, replacing the fresh country scent of the fields. Back to urbanization, reality, and possibly death.
“So, where’s this ‘G’ shop you mentioned you needed to go to?” McKinley asked.
Barbara nervously shifted in her seat at the realization that she still hadn’t ditched Mr. FCCA. “It’s thirty minutes from here, but you can’t be seen with me and I obviously can’t wear these adornments around my wrists.” This time she didn’t bother to shove her hands in his face.
She gave him directions to the shop. He suspiciously looked at her while he tightened his grip on the steering wheel, reluctant to remove the handcuffs. He looked ahead, focused on the drive. She directed him to park the vehicle. They sat in the car three blocks away from the shop.
“Look, I know you’re probably going against your agency right now if you do this, but I need answers. If you show up in there with me, I won’t be able to get the answers I need, and as you already know, this neighborhood is not too keen on giving up information to strangers. But I need to know. I really need to know,” she pleaded.
He gripped the steering wheel hard, his knuckles becoming white. He released the tight grip on the steering wheel and slowly reached in his jean pocket for the handcuff key and held it in his grasp. It looked like he was saying a silent prayer to himself before he reached over. She looked at his hands as he gently placed them on her lap.
Her gaze moved up to meet his. They both stared at each other as he spoke.
“Wolf, you don’t know how much trouble I’ll be getting myself into by doing this, but you have to promise that you’ll get in and get out quickly. We have to get to the precinct,” he said.
He knew he had violated more than a few policies at this point, but he needed to get her trust so she could collaborate on testifying against the Trivaldis.
“Now you can shove your hands in my face,” he added.
“Gladly,” she said, grinning.
Chapter 39
Barbara grabbed her backpack and stepped out into the paved sidewalk. She felt liberated. She took a deep breath—aside from the nasty smoke in the air, it felt good to be taking steps toward her freedom from McKinley and from the handcuffs.
She was careful to walk her usual steps and keep her usual demeanor so as to not raise any suspicion. She was replaying everything that had happened in her mind and couldn’t comprehend what had occurred and why. She’d thought that she would be only stealing jewels, but the second box was not something she’d expected to see. Why had they hidden those boxes? How had Iggy’s contact known they were there? Why had they wanted her for the job? And why did they want her dead? Nothing was adding up and she needed answers.
She walked inside and everything seemed the same except for the spattered oil stains on the floor, but the same toxic paint smell and the disorganization of the old car parts and tools on the shelves were still there. Being away for three days had her feeling like she was gone for forever. That was the feeling she’d imagined having once she left this city for good.
She slammed the entrance door, rattling the few loose things around.
“Iggy! Iggy, you lying scum, get out here!” she yelled.
The huffing noise of his heavy nasal breathing gave away his location. He was coming from the house and he entered the shop from the office door. He stood in the door frame, either in shock that Barbara was alive or afraid that she’d come here. Either way both scenarios were bad for him.
“Hey, Barbara, you got the stuff? I heard that you got yo’self caught up in some shit. Well, I’m glad that you made it. Where’s the merch?” he asked nervously.
His eyes glimmered as if he’d won the jackpot and was about to get the prize, but something in his demeanor was unnerving.
He reluctantly walked toward her and stopped a few inches away. He looked at her, almost as though waiting for something or someone. He tried to cross his arms in front of him, but his short arms wouldn’t reach across his huge, bulging, overweight chest. She was in full rage. She knew he had something to do with everything that was going wrong with her. If before she’d doubted his pathetic demeanor, today, he fooled her no longer.
She leaped toward him and began jamming her finger in his chest in rage.
“You double-crossed me,” she said.
He looked at her, confused, as if he was not sure what she was referring to. To him Barbara seemed a complete lunatic. It wasn’t the first time she’d accused him of being untruthful or unworthy of her trust.
She wondered what he was thinking about and blocked his path just in case he wanted to make a run for it.
But he didn’t move. Instead he said, “What you talkin’ ’bout?” His eyes raked her from side to side, scanning her to see if she was going to laugh or blurt “I was just kidding.” But it never came. Instead she continued with her questioning.
“Who the fuck hired you for this job?”
She looked angry, but he didn’t know what to say or what to do not to get her angrier. He was scared and for the first time he panicked. His pupils were dilated, his brow furrowed as his face contorted, shaking from side to side, and his hands were shaking at his sides. Iggy’s face became sweatier than usual, his shirt was visibly wet, and she was sure he was more than scared. He knew not to mess with her but today he saw menace in her eyes. A glimpse of someone he’d never seen before.
“I don’t know. I’ve never seen him before,” he answered with a trembling voice.
She squinted her eyes, studying him. He was squirming, trembling, and afraid. A terrified expression overtook him. But she couldn’t see any of that as real. To her he’d betrayed her. He was lying to her. He was trying to kill her and keep everything for himself.
“The last time I laid my hands on you it was a mistake, but this time my blows are intentional, and this shit is gonna hurt,” she threatened.
Unable to comprehend what she was talking about, he furrowed his brow in further confusion. She saw his contorted face but her rage overtook her reasoning.
She slapped him across his face and then shoved him. He lost his balance and fell on the greasy floor. He sobbed and squirmed on the oil-splattered cement floor, holding his hands up in defeat.
She stared at him as he fell on the floor. She clenched her jaw, grinding her teeth. You could almost hear the sound they made, like sandpaper against a raw wooden four-by-four. “Who the fuck were they?” she asked.
“I… I… I don’t know, Barbara. I was approached by a dark man wearing glasses—no, no, I mean shades. Like he was hiding his face or somethin’. He said he wanted you for this job. He specifically asked for you. He came in with two other guys. The other two were wearing a lot of jewelry. They had suits and ugly shoes. He didn’t mention his name, but one of the guys he was with called him Quincy.”
Iggy was silently crying, tears streaming down his face. Not from pain but from the mere suggestion that Barbara didn’t trust him. He’d thought that they were friends and she was clearly not on the same page as him.
“Barbara, I told you before. I wouldn’t betray you. I ’preciate you and what you do for me. I swear I wouldn’t… I can’t… I… I look out for you,” he said as he lowered his head and tears continued streaming down his face because he figured he’d fucked up. He knew with the minimal explanation that Barbara was providing that something terrible was happening to her and he was somehow the center o
f the conspiracy.
But Barbara was deep in thought. Who the hell was Quincy? With his vague description she couldn’t pinpoint it to anyone she knew or came across. Quincy, she thought. That name didn’t ring a bell.
Quincy.
Quincy.
Quin…
There was no point in trying to figure this out. Right now she had other things to take care of. She directed her attention to him once more.
“Why did they come to you? Why did they want me?”
“I’m the only guy they knew around this part of town. He didn’t say much. But he was sure he wanted you for this job. He said if you didn’t do it then we wouldn’t have a deal,” he said, sounding as if he had an epiphany, like the pieces were somehow making sense to him now.
The tears that he’d shed were now dried and crusted on his fat cheeks. But Barbara was still mad. She wanted more answers.
“Did you see the car he was in?”
“No, not really. By the time I realized I should check the car out he was gone down the street and I could not ID the color, the make, or the style of the car. But one thing I know is that it was a small dark-colored car.”
Could it be the same blue car that had been following her at first, then again with McKinley? That would mean that she’d been targeted since the beginning. That meant that they knew her from somewhere else. She figured that Trivaldi’s men were in the red car. But whoever was in the blue car she was unaware of their identity. They were after her and they didn’t only want those jewels and the drugs—they wanted her, and they wanted her dead.
“You didn’t think that shit was suspicious, dumbass?” she said, continuing her verbal assault toward Iggy, who was still on the floor looking up at her.
“I swear I didn’t know. It was a lot of money, that’s all I wanted. I knew you needed it too, so it was a winning combo for us.”
Barbara was not convinced of his explanation. This would be the third time she’d almost died because of him. He winced in pain when her foot collided with his flesh, reaching the depth of his ribcage as he screamed bloody murder in frustration. He tried to stifle his voice, but the pain was too much.
Barbara screamed and now they both were in pain. In her anger she had forgotten about her ankle. He looked at her, fearing that she would strike again, but she stood wincing, putting weight on her good leg.
“Shut up! You stupid fuck,” she managed to say. “Do you know what you got us into? Those jewels he wanted belonged to Nicholas Trivaldi, the Italian mafia lord from uptown. Along with those jewels I found were illegal drugs.”
Barbara was calming down, but her rage was high. She knew she needed to control her temper as she didn’t want to black out and have McKinley come looking for her, or worse, have Iggy get those guys here to finish the job. Now that her foot got her back to square one she really couldn’t outrun McKinley even if she wanted to.
“I fucking stole from a mafia lord to give it to his rival gang or whoever and now I’m in the middle of a gang war which you fucking caused. If the feds find out then I’ll be charged with trafficking, which is worse,” she said. Her voice was toned down a few octaves but still sounded irritated. The bad part was that the feds already had her in custody for murder and to add theft and drug charges would be more than a life sentence in prison. Only a miracle would get her out of this mess but as her luck had been lately that was unlikely.
The rival gang notion was the only logical explanation she could come up with, which meant she could probably narrow down who was after her. Or maybe it was the same Trivaldi who wanted her dead, since he already knew what was in both boxes. But why and who was he working with? Nothing made sense.
“Fuck!” Her curses echoed in the desolate room. “You’re such a pathetic loser you’re not even worth the kill,” she said while staring at him. She didn’t want to eliminate his existence, considering that his four children would be left without financial support. She had a heart after all.
He looked afraid and she considered giving him advice instead. Her voice was sympathetic, and she wanted to apologize, but her pride wouldn’t let her give him that satisfaction.
“They fucking set us up. And I have to clean up your mess. I suggest you lie low for a while because Quincy and his associates will be coming for his shipment. Today will be a good day to skip town with your family. Don’t talk to anyone or open the door for anyone unless you personally know them,” she said staring and pointing at him. “Otherwise,” she paused, “you will be dead,” she said stressing her words.
“What, you’re not giving me the merchandise?” he said as his eyes grew big and shock washed over him.
She frowned and the sound of his grunt reverberated in the room as her palm raised in the air, but she didn’t have the heart to hit any more. Her anger should be directed at the people who’d set them both up. She was becoming the bully against a defenseless man. Remorse sat in the pit of her stomach and all she could muster to say was, “Hell, no! I have two options and neither involves doing what’s good for me.”
Iggy made a final attempt to try to mend his mistake. “Let me help you, Barbara,” he said, and he quickly got up, fished through his pants pocket, and grabbed a set of keys.
She looked at him, surprised. “You can’t help me any more than I can help myself. I can’t trust you, Iggy.”
“Look, I know I messed up. But at least I can help. Look, you can leave through the house and take the family minivan I have out back. I know you don’t have a ride and will need one to do whatever it is you need to do. I don’t deserve your forgiveness, but accept this small token,” he said.
She looked at him and pondered about his offer. This would give her the opportunity to sneak out and leave McKinley behind. She took the keys and took one last look at him and shook her head.
The sound of footsteps alerted their attention to the door. The closer the footsteps, the harder Barbara’s heart pounded in her chest. Her final attempt at getting away was slipping through her fingers right before her and she couldn’t do anything.
The door slammed open and there stood Lauren panicking.
“I heard yelling and heard something fall,” Lauren said. She looked around and saw Barbara. “Oh, it’s you. I thought you were out of town or dead.”
“Lauren, I don’t have time for you. Your husband here fucked up and now you guys need to leave.”
“Teddy bear, is that true?”
“Yeah, I… got us in some shit.”
“No, we can’t leave. I don’t want to leave my home.”
“It’s just for a few days. Now go back inside pack a few things for us and let’s go,” he said.
“Iggy,” Barbara finally said. She wanted to thank him but either it was too soon, or it was her pride. However, it was hard to admit but he was not as bad as she’d thought. Now she felt worse about how the scene had played out.
He squinted his eyes at her, expecting a snark remark.
“I appreciate this gesture,” Barbara managed to say.
“That’s the least you can do. You almost killed my husband.”
“I wasn’t even close to doing anything of the sort. I just left him with a reminder. If you think this is bad you can only imagine what the others will do if they catch you both here. Now please hurry.”
“I’m glad you got what is coming to you. I knew that your rude ways would catch up with you,” Lauren said. She turned to him. “Let’s go, baby, we have a lot to talk about. And I hope this is the last we hear of you,” she said, looking at Barbara.
Lauren’s barbed threats were getting old. Barbara’s lips parted to give Lauren a sarcastic remark but instead she shrugged, walking past them through the office toward the house entrance.
“Now where do you think you’re going?”
“Let her be, Lauren.”
“Why? She’s walking to our house.”
“I did more harm than good to her. Now let her be!”
Barbara smiled because finall
y he was putting his foot down.
Lauren huffed and stared at Barbara.
Barbara wobbled out of the shop, leaving him a bloody mess with Lauren tending to him, regretting the day she took that job. Now she only had swollen knuckles, a bloody left boot, and a bruised ankle as revenge for her stupidity. She silently walked through the house—not even bothering to look at its décor—went directly to the back door, hopped in the minivan, watched as Iggy and Lauren hopped inside their car, and left.
There was no looking back now.
Chapter 40
McKinley sat in the car, watching Barbara walk down the street with a determined gait. He watched until she was a faint silhouette who disappeared into another realm.
This side of town was not necessarily quiet, but it wasn’t loud or busy either. A few people walked around and muttered among each other. A few children played in front of their homes, talking and laughing. Others were inside several stores. Through the glass windows he could see people shopping, browsing, getting services done, or eating. This place reminded him of his childhood neighborhood, where he would see his father give money many times to the same guy standing on the corner. McKinley thought his father was helping the guy but when he got older his logic made sense of the scene. His father was buying drugs right in front of him without shame or regard for his son’s presence.
Huntersville brought his broken family memories to the forefront of his mind. He didn’t like to have these memories while he worked. McKinley didn’t want his past to interfere with his work but the longer he remained in Huntersville the more he felt like he needed to leave.
The occasional prostitute waiting on customers and the certain exchange of cash for merchandise on the corners didn’t alarm him in the least. He was tempted several times to interrupt their dealings, but he was alone, and their transactions were not his concern.
He sat there contemplating his decision. He wanted to go inside with her to figure out what she was really doing in there, who this Iggy character was, and what they were talking about.