More Pain, Pleasure and Lies

by Qiana London

  “Roger that,” Romano replied as he accepted the walkie-talkie from her and turned it on.

  I began handing the vests out, starting with the guards. They each removed their shirts and secured their vests in place before putting their shirts back on. Next, I handed them each a black windbreaker uniform jacket and a black cap branded with an MSK logo.

  “I know both of you are already carrying pieces, but I’d like for you to use these,” I informed them as I checked the clips of two Glock pistols. “This way, if there’s a need to use ‘em, the guns won’t be traced back to you.”

  Snow stepped forward and took their guns. He put them inside of the SUV he and Melanie were riding in.

  “They’ll be safe,” he told them. “I’ll give them back to you after the hand off.”

  They understood and complied.

  I grabbed two more vests and offered them to Craig and Wayne. They both looked offended.

  “We don’t rock like that,” Craig said.

  “Now is not the time to prove how down you are, Craig. You need to put your pride aside and put on this vest.”

  “Like he said, we’re good on all of that,” Wayne chimed in.

  I didn’t acknowledge him. I was irritated because I wasn't talking to him. Besides, I knew if I responded the conversation would go in a different direction, and frankly, he wasn’t worth the time or effort. I handed their vests over to Snow and Melanie instead. Snow and I gave one another a knowing look while we suited up.

  “Well, I’m allergic to bullets, so you can pass one over this way,” Donte responded.

  I passed him a vest, and Snow swapped out his gun. I waited until he was situated before proceeding.

  “Alright, this is the main route that Melanie mapped out.” I pushed the duffle bags to the side and rolled out a large map on the floor of the trunk as everyone gathered around. I ran my finger along a yellow highlighted line that spanned the length of the page. “We’ve attempted to anticipate every possible scenario, so we’ve also come up with some alternate routes in case we run into any surprises. Since we’ll be in constant communication on the walkie-talkies, I’ll let you know if something changes. Now—”

  “So we’re not staying together?” Wayne interrupted.

  “Why would we do that?” Snow responded, clearly irritated. “Staying together makes us sitting ducks. We don’t want to make an ambush easy.”

  Wayne nodded his understanding, but the expression on his face clearly indicated he felt some type of way about being dismissed. I continued to ignore him and was thankful Snow had handled it.

  “Now, we should all meet up here at 1330 hours.” I tapped my finger on the intersection circled in red. “This is where it gets tricky. We only have three minutes to come together and make the handoff, so let’s make it count. After the trade, we’ll all meet up at the spot. Your weapons will be returned, and you’ll receive the rest of your money.”

  “What spot is that?” Wayne asked.

  I checked my watch and realized we needed to get going. I was tired of all the questions and I didn’t owe him an explanation.

  “Vargas and Romano, you two get going. Tay, you’re riding with me.”

  Donte turned to Vargas and Romano, shook their hands, and thanked them. We all watched as they hopped into the prisoner transport van. Vargas did a quick sound check on the walkie-talkie, and Romano responded. We could hear them loud and clear on our own walkie-talkies. I made eye contact with Vargas and gave him a confirming head nod. Seconds later, Romano started the engine, tapped the horn twice, and drove out of the lot.

  Donte hopped in the passenger’s seat of the SUV. Craig headed back to the sedan and sat in the driver’s seat while Wayne reluctantly followed. Snow and Melanie stood nearby while I rolled the map up and closed the trunk. When I turned back around, they gathered close to me. We placed our arms on top of one another’s and rested our hands on each other’s shoulders, forming a close-knit circle. We bowed our heads and said a quick prayer the way we always did before beginning any assignment. When we were done, we brought our right hands together in the middle of the circle and did a three-way fist bump.

  “Three the hard way,” Snow said.

  “Make it count and make it out,” Melanie added.

  “And live to see another day,” I said and nodded my head.

  They got into their SUV and I climbed into mine. Now it was show time.

  *****

  Everything was running smoothly. Vargas and Romano had announced their pick-up and departure from the facility over the radio, and now they were headed toward the prison as planned. Donte and I, who were about five minutes out from the meetup place, prepared ourselves for the exchange. We rode in silence as we made our way down the street. I was deep in thought, anticipating the moment when I’d lay eyes on Diandre again for the first time since that night in the cabin. I promised him that I’d let him know who he had fucked with and soon I’d have my chance. Donte tapped his foot up and down as he looked out of the window with the pistol in his hand, his finger resting on the trigger. From his demeanor, I could sense that he was anticipating the worst and he was ready to handle whatever might pop off.

  I heard Snow announce over the radio that they were approaching the intersection. Romano said they were rounding the corner.

  “We’re one block out,” I informed the group. “Craig, what’s your ETA?”

  While I waited for a response, Donte and I approached the intersection. I could see Snow and Melanie facing me on the opposite side of the street. Romano and Vargas pulled up next to them at the light. I turned right on the red light a second before they received the green arrow to turn left. As planned, Romano pulled off first toward the lane I was in so that Snow could pull off after them and strategically move into the lane behind them. I watched in the rearview mirror as Romano began to turn. Before he could clear the intersection, a white passenger van with no windows sped through the red light and slammed into the side of the transport vehicle, causing it to spin out of control and hit a light pole. The airbag deployed, knocking Romano out and pinned Vargas' door shut against the pole. Seconds later, the back door of the white van flew open and two masked men hopped out. They made their way over to the transport vehicle as Snow and Melanie sped over, jumped out of their SUV, and moved toward the men with their guns drawn. I knew neither of them would fire unless they absolutely had to since there were plenty of innocent bystanders and witnesses around. One of the men held a gun in each of his hands and simultaneously pointed his weapons back at them while the other broke the lock on the back of the transport vehicle, and made his way inside where Diandre was waiting.

  “Shit!” Donte blurted, before hopping out of the truck.

  He made his way over to the van and made sure that he stayed out of view of the two men helping Diandre. He quickly opened the driver’s door and began pulling Romano from the vehicle. Before he could get him out, Vargas began to shoot at the masked man in the back of the van through the small opening behind his seat.

  “Fuck, here we go!” I said out loud and hurried out of the truck.

  Once Vargas started shooting, so did the others. People began to scream and scurry in different directions. I knew Snow and Melanie could handle the situation, so I focused my attention elsewhere. I quickly surveyed the area and noticed a black Mercedes parked on the side of the street that the transport van had crashed into. The windows were slightly tinted, but I could see someone waiting inside clearly unaffected by the commotion going on outside. I knew the car was for Diandre and I didn’t intend to let him get inside. I walked quickly through the crowd of people and headed toward the car. I could see Diandre approaching as well. He struggled to move as he hid behind parked cars. I had arrived before he did, and we locked eyes. Without breaking eye contact, I pulled my gun and pointed it at him. He stopped quickly in his tracks. But when the back door of the Mercedes opened, he began to move slowly toward the car.

  “I will shoot your bitch
ass.” I tightened my hand around the clip and prepared to pull the trigger.

  “No, you won’t,” a voice replied from inside the car.

  Before I could respond, Wayne appeared from the back seat. He made his way toward Diandre, and helped remove the shackles that bound his wrists and ankles with a universal key.

  “I knew your ass couldn’t be trusted.”

  Wayne didn’t respond. He returned to the vehicle while Diandre continued to stand in front of me, rubbing his wrists where the cuffs had once been.

  “Oh, he can be trusted, but his loyalty is to me and not you,” Diandre replied smugly.

  I could see Snow slowly approaching from behind as Diandre continued talking. I shook my head to let him know not to act, but I was sure that Diandre thought I was responding to the bullshit coming out of his mouth. He started toward the door that Wayne had left open. I took a step closer and continued to point my gun at him. The guy sitting in the driver’s seat rolled down his window and pointed a gun at me. I didn’t lower my gun, but I didn’t make any sudden moves either.

  “It’s good, Smoke,” Diandre started. “He ain’t gonna shoot me.”

  “That’s where you’ve got me fucked up because I ain’t got any loyalty to your ass.”

  “Yeah, I know, but I’m sure you’ve got loyalty for your brother,” he replied and smiled. “I know you’d hate for anything to happen to him.”

  I took another step forward so that I could see into the back of the car. I thought I might find Craig there, but the back seat was empty. I could hear sirens beginning to approach in the distance. Snow made his way back to the SUV where Melanie was waiting. We had run out of time.

  “Aye, we gotta go!” Donte called from the truck.

  I glanced quickly in his direction and saw that he had moved into the driver’s seat while Romano and Vargas sat in the back seat.

  “It sounds like we both should get going,” Diandre interjected nonchalantly.

  “This isn’t over.”

  “I ain’t worried.”

  Smoke started the car, and Diandre climbed into the back seat and shut the door.

  I lowered my gun. “You should be,” I mumbled as the car pulled off.

  I made my way over to the SUV and hopped inside. I didn’t mutter a word as Donte sped away. I was lost in my thoughts, calculating my next move when it came to me. I chuckled as I sat back in the passenger’s seat and relaxed.

  Donte turned and shot a glance my way. “I know what that means,” he said.

  “Yep,” I replied. “Shit just got real.”

  Chapter Seven

  I sat at the bar having a second drink while I waited for Fatima to arrive. We would move to a table and order food once she made it to the restaurant. I was happy she had agreed to meet me since we hadn't spoken. She had tried to make advances at me, but I made it a point to keep things professional while I was on assignment. Now that the stakes had been raised, though, I was changing the rules of the game a bit. Dezzy was the lady in my life, but I was doing what I needed to do to finish what Diandre had started.

  I was polishing off my glass of Scotch when she appeared next to me at the bar.

  “I hope you didn’t spoil your appetite,” she said.

  “I can always eat,” I replied.

  Fatima smiled as she began to take a seat next to me.

  “Wait a minute," I stated abruptly. "Let’s go ahead and move to atable before you get comfortable.” I stood up, reached for my wallet, and pulled out a fifty-dollar bill.

  “Let me get yourchange,” the bartender offered.

  “Don’t worry about it. Keep the change.”

  He nodded his thanks, and I turned my attention back to Fatima. I extended my arm and gestured for her to walk in front of me. I’d already informed the hostess that once my guest arrived,I’d be ready for my table. So we didn’t have to wait to be seated.

  Once we made it to our table, I pulled out one of the chairs for Fatima to take a seat.

  “Are you always such a gentleman, Harper?”

  “Hey, what can I say? My mother raised me the right way.”

  “It’s nice to know there are still some good men in this world.”

  “There are plenty of us left. You just have to get with the right one.”

  She smiled at me as I took the seat across the table from her. I led her to believe that this meeting was arranged to discuss potential employment opportunities at one of the colleges she worked for. But I knew that she was interested in me, so it wouldn't be difficult to shift the focus of the conversation. After the waitress came and we placed our orders, I cut to the chase so that we could get to the business at hand.

  "I've heard it can be hard to get on with some of the state schools, which is why I've mostly worked in for-profit education."

  "I started out that way too, but I personally feel like traditional brick and mortar schools are more focused on the student and less focused on the money. Well, in the end, they're all about money, but the for-profit institutions seem to treat the students more like numbers." She shook her head in disapproval at her last statement.

  "I've always been on the staff side. What's the best way to transition into teaching?"

  "Well, I'm sure that I don't have to tell you it's highly competitive. If you have a master's degree, you're in good shape, but it can still be difficult. It's better if you have a doctorate degree."

  "Yeah, I know. I've got a master's degree."

  "Well, that's a good start. What's it in?"

  "Business management."

  "Do you have any teaching experience?"

  "I've taught a few classes as part of an after-school program at some of the local high schools."

  "That helps, but it's not going to be enough to really get your foot in the door at the four-year colleges and universities. You should get some more experience under your belt by working at one of the community colleges."

  The waitress returned with our appetizers. After she had placed them on the table in front of us, we paused our conversation. Fatima followed my lead as I bowed my head to bless our food. I kept it short and sweet, and then we continued talking.

  "That's something that I'm open to, but I still need an in."

  "I may be able to put you in contact with a few people."

  "You'd do that for me?"

  "You seem capable enough. I can make the introduction, but I can't make you any promises."

  "I'm grateful for any assistance you can offer."

  I watched her as she picked up a piece of calamari, dipped it into the cocktail sauce, and brought it to her lips. The sauce dripped down the side of her full lips and I found myself getting distracted. This is going to be harder than I thought.

  "So are we really going to talk about work all night?" she asked nonchalantly.

  "What else did you have in mind?"

  "I'd like to know more about you."

  “Well, ask away. I’m an open book.”

  She grabbed the cloth napkin from her lap and wiped her mouth clean. Then she took a sip of water and paused a moment before speaking. “I couldask you all of those surface questions that don’t really tell me anything, but who really wants to waste time doing that?”

  I chuckled at her rhetorical question, but I remained quiet to give her the floor and see where she was going.

  “When you get to be my age, your priorities shiftand you start to pay attention to the things that really matter.”

  “And what things might those be?”

  “I can appreciate that you’re an advocate for education. But do you have any ambitions that aren’t related to work?”

  I contemplated my answer as I chewed a piece of calamari. I was considering what Harper should say in this situation, especially because there was a greater objective at hand.

  “Well,it’s work related, but not in the traditional sense,” I explained. “I’m currently focused on acquiring and flipping investment properties. I’m all about mult
iple streams of income. Yes, I enjoy working in education, but I don’t want to be a part of the rat race forever.”

  Fatima nodded her head in approval. I wasn’t sure how old she was, but if I had to guess, I would say that she was in her mid to late thirties. And I could tell by the way that she carried herself that she was all about stability and security. If Harper was going to get close to her, then I had to appeal to her needs.

  “Passive income is definitely a plus.”

  “Yes, it is. I want financial freedom by the time I reach retirement age so that I can enjoy itand spend time with my family.”

  “Do you have children?”

  “Not yet. I will have them one day. But right now,I’m focused on establishing a solid foundation for when that day comes.”

  “I completely understand. I don’t have any children either. I’m not sure if I ever will.”

  There was a unique calm to her voice.

  “You don’t want children?”

  “I’m honestly on the fence. I’m not so sure I’d want to bring kids into a situation that I haveno control over.”

  “I’m not sure I follow what you mean.”

  “Nowadays, it seems like a solid family unit is the exception and no longer the norm. It’s like there’s this ideal image of what afamily should look like, but I don’t know too many that are madeup that way. It certainly wasn’t the case in my house growing up.”

  She picked up another piece of calamari. I silently observed her, allowing her to share when she felt ready. I knew it was just a matter of time before she would begin providing me with information I could use. She took several swallows of water before continuing.

  “My mother married young and relocated to Oakland from New Orleans with my father. They didn’t have any family here, but my father convinced her that they could make a life for themselves if they got out of the south. She had those good old Christian values and believed that she should follow her husband,so that’s what she did—”

  She stopped suddenly and looked at me.

  “What’s wrong?”