YaYa had remained true to her word and had hired the best attorney in the city. Miesha had agreed to a plea deal and was expected to get six months from a judge whose pockets YaYa had greased. That was a light sentence compared to her charge. When she got out there would be no parole, just community service, and she would have a misdemeanor on her record instead of a felony. Her lawyer had worked miracles considering the hand that she could have been dealt.
It seemed like Miesha was the youngest girl in the system. Every other woman around her seemed hardened, as if they had been in and out of the brick and steel for their entire lives. She was sent inside to attack, but instead Miesha felt like a sheep as she walked past the cells of the other inmates. She didn’t look left or right, only straight ahead, following the line of new inmates as they were assigned to their blocks. Her stomach turned from intimidation, but she kept her face in control. She didn’t wear her heart on her sleeve because she knew the first time she showed fear that she would become a target. Fear was like one drop of blood in the water; it attracted the sharks. So Miesha played hardball. If somebody did test her, they would be in the fight of their lives, because Miesha wasn’t letting anyone chump her.
It had been prearranged that Miesha would share a cell with Leah, so that she would have direct access to her at all times. All she had to do was wait for the right opportunity to present itself, and when it did, she would snuff her lights out. But when the CO escorted her past Leah’s cell, Miesha became alarmed. She looked inside and saw Leah crumpled up in a tight ball on her bunk.
“Miesha Patrick, you’re in here,” the male CO barked sternly as he hit his billy club against the metal bars of her new home.
Miesha looked back at Leah’s cell. “You skipped a cell,” she said casually.
“Don’t worry about it. You don’t want to be in there with that loony bin anyway. She’s on suicide watch. No bunkmates for her. She will be shipping out of here soon. Sending her to the nuthouse once she gets evaluated by a shrink.”
Miesha didn’t respond, but instead took her state-issued belongings and entered her cell.
Fuck, she thought. YaYa had laid everything out from A to Z, but now things were all twisted up. Miesha would have to plot out her own way to touch Leah, and she didn’t have much time to do it. If Leah got sent out before Miesha could put her play down, then things would be all bad. Time was of the essence, and Miesha had to act quickly if she wanted to earn her keep.
Chapter 14
Bark! Bark! Bark! Bark!
Trina’s eyes bulged when she stepped off of the plane and saw the extra security that had been added to the Houston Hobby airport. They had just stepped off of an international flight from Italy. Things had gone smoothly, and she thought that she was home free until she saw that the passengers were being lined up and searched. Trina could hear the drug dogs coming, and she looked back at Chase in alarm. Her worst fears were coming true, and when she saw the uncertainty in her brother’s stare, she could see her freedom slipping away.
“Why the fuck are they searching us? They don’t do that when you get off the plane. What’s going on?” she asked in alarm.
Chase quickly replied, “I don’t know. Just stay cool.”
This is my first run. This can’t be happening! she thought as her breathing became labored. She was so close to freedom. All she had to do was make it out of the airport and she could hightail it out of there, but as she stood impatiently, shifting from foot to foot, she heard the dogs getting closer. The commotion could be heard all the way down the concourse.
God, please, God, please, God, please, she thought. She wanted to take off the loaded high heels right there on the spot, but she was stuck. She had two kilos on her. That was life. Her life hadn’t even truly begun yet and she was already facing the end. Three men in jackets came with two trained canines, and when Chase saw Agent Norris’s face, he knew that something wasn’t right.
“He’s FBI, not DEA. Fuck is he doing here?” Chase whispered to Trina.
“I don’t want to go to jail, Chase,” she whispered fearfully as tears filled her eyes.
“You won’t,” he promised. “Take the shoes off and put them in a bin on the conveyor belt. Hurry up!” Trina’s hand fumbled as she unclasped the shoes. She practically threw them into the bin. She quickly removed her flip-flops from her carry-on bag and slipped them on her feet. Just as she stood up the feds made their move.
“Ladies and gentlemen, drop everything in your hands and line up against this wall. FBI. We have reason to believe that illegal drugs are being brought in on this plane!” Norris yelled.
Trina’s hands shook so badly that she had to clasp them together to avoid looking hot.
“Play it cool, T. Play it cool,” Chase said. She couldn’t take her eyes off of the conveyor belt.
Agent Norris ice-grilled Chase as he walked up and down the long line of travelers, allowing the dogs to sniff freely. When they got to Trina, the dogs went wild as they picked up the scent that was lingering around her.
“Take her,” Norris said. He nodded to Chase. “Him too.” The dogs went haywire on ten more passengers, and they all were thrown into separate rooms to be searched more extensively. “Grab their belongings.”
Trina was panicking inside as Norris cornered her inside of a private room. There was a female agent present as well, and the woman began to search Trina from head to toe, placing her hands in Trina’s most private of places. She then emptied the contents of Trina’s backpack, turning up nothing. Trina glanced at the shoes that still sat inside the bin. The female inspector bypassed them, not even thinking to check them.
“She’s clean,” the woman announced.
“Clear the room,” Norris told his colleague. The woman reluctantly removed her rubber gloves from her hands and left Norris alone with Trina. It wasn’t protocol, but Norris outranked her, so she followed instructions.
When Norris was alone with Trina, he locked the door and turned toward her.
“Take off your clothes,” Norris said, determined. He knew that Chase and Trina were directly affiliated with Indie. There was no way they were traveling abroad for pleasure. He wasn’t buying it. So as they came back into the US, he was waiting for them. Whatever they had going on, he was either going to bust it up or become a part of it. The choice was Indie’s.
“What?” Trina asked.
“You heard me,” Norris said. “You can either take off your clothes or I’ll take you in.”
Trina bit her cheek to stop her lip from getting flip. She wanted to tell him to kiss her ass, but she was in a delicate position. If he caught her up, she had more to lose than just her pride. She sighed and began to peel out of her clothes. Her young body was flawless, and Norris enjoyed the show as she removed everything but her panties and bra.
“You like what you see?” she snapped with an attitude as she crossed her arms across her chest and turned her head toward the wall. Norris stepped toward her and unclasped her bra, freeing her perky C-cup breasts. Her nipples hardened as soon as the cold air hit them, and Norris licked his lips out of pure instinct.
“I’m going to search you,” he said, his voice full of lust.
“Don’t act like this is legal,” she whispered harshly. She closed her eyes as his hands cupped her breasts and circled them in his hands. She cringed as he moved closer to her, pressing his hard-on into her. Tears came to her, and she let them slide down her face, feeling completely violated, but she knew that she couldn’t stop him. She would rather take some unwanted dick than unwanted time, so she remained quiet. He slid her panties to the side and quickly unbuckled his belt. The scent of him disgusted her. Just as he positioned himself to enter her, the handle of the door turned.
Knock! Knock!
“Norris, how’s it going?”
Trina heard the voice of the female agent, and she was so grateful for the interruption that she burst out crying.
Norris’s hands stopped abruptly and he quickly a
djusted his clothes. “Get dressed,” he whispered harshly.
Trina snatched away from him and hurriedly put on her clothes. She just wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible. She slipped back into her flip-flops and darted for the door.
She spilled out as the female agent spilled in.
“Is everything okay?” she asked once she noticed Trina’s teary face.
“She’s clean,” Norris stated. “Let her go!”
Trina was halfway out the door when the female agent stopped her. “Hey, don’t forget your shoes.”
Trina turned around and grabbed the high heels then rushed out, where Chase was waiting for her at the terminal.
“What’s wrong? What happened, Trina?” Chase said when he saw her.
She shook her head, humiliated. She didn’t want to tell anyone, not even her brother, what had almost happened. “Nothing. I was just terrified. Let’s get out of here.”
They turned to leave, but before they could step one foot outside of the airport, Norris shouted after them. “Hey!” He jogged until he caught up with them. He grabbed Chase’s arm roughly. “I don’t care what you say. I know you weren’t going to Italy for fun. This is business for you. You tell Indie he either cuts me in or I’m going to search the incoming foreign flights so much that he won’t be able to get an ounce into this country, let alone a brick.” Norris poked Chase’s chest hard as he practically spat the words in his face. “You fucking tell Indie to call me. Sooner rather than later.”
Kitchen detail. That was the way that Miesha planned to get to Leah. It wasn’t hard to get assigned to it. Nobody wanted it, and as Miesha fought off the cockroaches and mice, she understood why.
Leah was in general population, but it was as if she had completely checked out of reality. She spoke to no one, she walked with her head down, and she barely interacted with the COs. The few times that Miesha had seen her she cringed. Leah was hard to stare at for too long. She was healing, but prison was not the best place for medical care. Her scars were hideous, and what once had been a beautiful girl was now an ugly sight. Miesha almost felt sorry for her. It seemed as though killing Leah was actually doing her a favor. Living life with a face as hideous as Leah’s was punishment enough, but it wasn’t her call to make.
Miesha had thought of every possible way to murk Leah. She didn’t have the stomach to do anything that required close contact. She wasn’t a killer. She never proclaimed to be gangster. She needed to play her hand close to her chest and move in silence. If she hurt Leah physically, then there was a chance that she would be caught. So the simplest way to get the job done was to get to her food.
Thanks to the pest problem the prison had, she was able to get her hands on rat poison quite easily. While cleaning the kitchen at night, she smuggled it out of the storage closet.
Now all I have to do is get it into her food, Miesha thought.
She stood behind the serving line watching Leah as she entered the cafeteria. Miesha took one of the bowls of chili and looked over her shoulder before putting in the powdered rat poison. She mixed it quickly, hoping that she hadn’t put too much in. If Leah didn’t eat it, she would be back at square one. When Leah came through the line, Miesha handed her the tray.
She didn’t say anything as Leah walked away with the poisoned food in her hand. Her life was on an official countdown. As Miesha dusted off her hands she smiled. It was the easiest money she had ever made.
Chapter 15
Leah shot up out of the bed in excruciating pain as she clenched her stomach. “Aghh!” she groaned as she doubled over while crying out. Her mouth was as dry as the Sahara and she was soaked in a cold sweat, causing the prison clothes to cling to her. A small fire seemed to be ablaze in her stomach, and she tried to stand, only to be knocked back to her bunk by sharp pains. It felt as though she were being stabbed by a thousand tiny needles. Her throat was so dry that she couldn’t scream for help. She fell to the floor, using her shaky limbs to drag herself across the floor and to the toilet. She sat down to relieve herself, thinking it had to be something she ate. Her stomach exploded, but when she stood up, she saw blood dripping down her legs. Her stomach lining was being eaten away by the toxic rat poison.
It took everything in her to speak as she mustered up her strength. “CO!” she screamed from her gut. The pain became unbearable, and her vision was suddenly blurry. A splitting headache threatened to cripple her as her knees gave out. She hit the concrete floor hard. The last thing she saw was the blurry sight of the officers rushing into her cell before she passed out.
“It’s done,” Miesha said.
YaYa gripped the phone tightly in her hand and her breath stopped when she heard the words. She wanted to say thank you, but she didn’t. She didn’t even want her voice on the recorded line of the prison’s systems. So instead of showing Miesha her appreciation, she gave her the dial tone.
“She did it,” YaYa whispered in disbelief. Miesha had just moved up the ranks in YaYa’s organization. She would forever be loyal to her, and as long as YaYa was in a position of power, Miesha would always be taken care of. She was a woman of her word. An account had already been set up for Miesha in the Cayman Islands. The bricks were coming in effortlessly, and as soon as she moved them she would make Miesha’s first deposit, which would be more than she could ever spend.
“I’m telling you, fam, we barely made it through the airport. The pig mu’fucka Norris was on us. He didn’t find the work, but what if he had? Me and my sis would be sitting in a concrete cell right now,” Chase stated as he sat in Indie’s passenger seat as they sat hidden from view inside the closed garage doors of the car wash.
“How the fuck did he even know we were putting that play down?” Indie asked. “He’s been watching me. He has eyes on us. I’ma have to cut him in. If everybody eats, then nobody is complaining. I cut him in, record the conversation, and then the ball will be in my court. I’ll have something over his head,” Indie stated.
“Question is, can you trust him?” Chase asked.
“No. That’s why we’ll have him on tape. That’s my insurance. The only thing worse to the feds than a drug dealer is a drug dealer with a badge,” Indie stated.
Indie wasn’t stupid. He knew that getting in bed with the feds was risky, but at this point it was necessary. Norris had connections within the bureau, and he also had the power to bring YaYa back to life officially if the time ever came for her identity to reemerge. Norris could prove valuable as long as he knew his position on the team.
The sound of Norris’s hard-bottomed dress shoes echoed against the floor as he entered the empty warehouse where Indie wanted to meet. He kept his hand on his holster as he looked around. He half expected to be shot when he walked through the door, but instead he saw that Indie had come alone. He stood waiting for him in the center of the empty space.
“I have to admit,” Norris started as he stood in front of Indie, keeping a comfortable distance between them for good measure, “I was surprised to hear from you. I thought maybe you wouldn’t take me seriously.”
“I take all threats extremely seriously, and I don’t appreciate them either,” Indie replied.
“Well, you forced my hand. I tried to get on your team the nice way. You turned me down,” Norris stated.
“Agent Norris, why would a man in your position want to step on the wrong side of the law? I thought you were supposed to arrest the bad guys,” Indie asked. He knew that it was all being caught on the tape he had in his pocket. He wanted to make sure that he had enough on Norris to keep him on a tight leash.
“Turns out the good guys make shitty pay,” Norris replied.
“I’ll put you on payroll. Ten thousand dollars per month,” Indie stated.
Norris’s eyes lit up like a Christmas tree. He had come ready to negotiate, ready to barter with Indie, but there was no need to.
“In return I want to know everything you know about any cases relevant to me or any of my people,” Indie s
tated. “I’m talking investigations, raids, open files . . . If my name or any of my team’s names are a whisper on the crusty donut breath of one of you pig mu’fuckas, I want to know about it. You got me?”
Norris nodded his head. “Yeah, yeah, I got you,” he agreed.
“There’s one more person that you need to meet,” Indie said.
“Who’s that? I thought you were running the show,” Norris said. “I don’t want too many people knowing about my involvement with you. I just want to fly under the radar. Nobody else needs to know I’m on your side.”
“I need to know,” YaYa said as she walked up behind Norris.
Norris’s face turned pale white as his eyes widened in shock. “I thought you were—”
“Things aren’t always what they seem,” YaYa said. “To the rest of the world I am dead. I trust that you can keep this under wraps. If you keep my secret, I’ll keep yours,” she said. “Wouldn’t want anyone at the FBI to know that you’re dirty, right?”
Norris nodded and swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat. “Yeah, yeah, we’re good,” he assured her.
YaYa smirked and joined Indie by his side as they prepared to make their exit.
Indie looked at Norris in pure disgust. He wasn’t naïve. He knew that he was on the other side of the law and that it was the job of the police to keep things in their proper order, but men like Norris made him sick. He wasn’t in it to clean up the streets; he was in it for greed. He was loyal to the dollar, not the job, so whoever had the most to pay him was the one who had his allegiance.
Indie began to walk away, but stopped and snapped his fingers as if a light bulb had just gone off in his head.
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