“Hello!” she snapped.
“I know I said the next one would cost you, but I’ve decided to give you another free courtesy call, to prove a point,” the voice announced.
Starr immediately recognized the familiar anonymous caller’s voice from the first call she had received before. “What point is that?” Starr wanted to know. She was pissed to the max that somebody was able to play games with her and be a step ahead of her when she was used to being in control.
“That this is real. I’m real and this is not a game,” the caller replied.
“Nah, you definitely playing games, muthafucka,” Starr barked.
The caller chuckled. “I should hang up on your disrespectful ass, but I’ma let that slide. Since you think I’m playing games, look behind you.” The caller paused.
His words were enough to put Starr on full alert. She shook her head and stretched her eyes. She reached for her dashboard and pressed a button. Within seconds, every image behind her vehicle appeared on the small four-inch screen. She had activated the rearview camera monitor’s night vision. Starr squinted and focused on the monitor. She noticed a set of distinct headlights she had noticed nearly an hour ago trailing a short distance behind her. She thought nothing of it the first time, but now the anonymous caller confirmed what she had once thought. She had tailed enough people to recognize when she was being tailed herself.
“How do I know that’s not you following me?”
“You don’t,” he answered calmly.
Starr watched carefully. She noticed how all the other cars switched lanes, sped up, and maneuvered around the trucks. But the black Chevy Caprice maintained its speed and lane. It was a textbook tail, she thought. Starr wondered, if it wasn’t the caller then who could it be? She knew there were only three options: the law enforcement for the Double Gs, stick up kids for the money in the trunk, or a hit. The more she tossed around the thought the more an attempt on her life stood out. Queen.
“Thanks,” Starr retorted and then abruptly disconnected the call with the anonymous caller. It felt good to hang up on the caller, thought Starr. She was sure her move caught the caller off guard and that’s exactly what she wanted. She touched a button on her screen to activate her car phone’s voice command. “Queen Fem,” she stated clearly into the air. She could instantly hear the digital sequence tone dialing by the sophisticated computer system.
“Here,” Queen Fem answered in a flat tone.
Starr got straight to the point. “I’m being tailed. Is it on your call?”
Queen Fem let out a devilish snicker. “Please, darling. Hardly. You wouldn’t see it coming and you know that. Besides, even though we barely see eye to eye these days, I do need you. Anyway, what’s the problem?”
“A black Caprice. Dark tints. They’ve been on me for quite some time.”
“Feds, maybe?”
“I don’t know, might be. I can’t tell. Even if it is, they’ll try to take the money I’m transporting to the safe house.”
“Well, you have to lose them. But if it isn’t them, that makes our problem even worse, but solvable.”
“What do you suggest?”
“Well, you obviously can’t lead them to the safe house. Stay on the highway. Keep going straight for as long as you can. They have no idea of where you’re going, so they won’t know they’ve been made and their cover’s been blown.”
“What are you gonna do?”
“You mean, what are we gonna do?” Queen Fem corrected her. “This is where part of my previous point during our earlier conversation comes into play.”
“Now is not the time, Queen,” Starr retorted.
“Okay, look, keep them on you. Wait for my signal. We’ll trap them off. You take care of the rest.”
“How will I know your signal?” Starr asked, confused.
“Trust me. I believe that we have much more power than you think.”
“If that’s the case why don’t we just call your inside contacts and find out if it is the Feds? We can deal with anyone else.”
Queen Fem sighed with frustration at the fact that her protégé just didn’t get it. “Because, we always have to seem to be in control. And we are. There is no one above us. That’s the message we send. So no matter who is in that vehicle, it must be clear that we are not to be taken lightly. Whoever sent them will find that out shortly. Good-bye, Starr. We’ll speak shortly. I’m going back to bed. Watch for the signal. You can fill me in on the details later.”
The car went silent again. Starr had no idea what Queen Fem’s signal would be. She was rarely ever specific about anything. Just then Starr’s phone rang. She shook her head at the caller ID.
“You’re a rude chick, you know that.” It was more of a statement than a question.
Rather than reply, Starr rolled her eyes.
“I told you before, the first one, and now the second, was free. Nothing else is free.”
Starr noticed a change in the caller’s tone.
“If you want to know who, what, when, and how, the price is two million in cash, nonnegotiable. I’ll be in touch.” The call went dead.
Starr slammed her hand down forcefully on her dashboard. She couldn’t believe someone was trying to blackmail and bully her, a man at that. There was no way she was having that, especially when that was her forte. Starr made a mental note to investigate both the calls and the allegations. Right now she had other important matters to address. Rather than wait around for Queen Fem’s signal, she activated her car phone’s voice command to place another call.
Chapter Fourteen
“So, how does it feel?” Felicia asked Monica. She let out a gust of smoke from the Cuban she was puffing on, as they posted up in front of the Bellagio, watching the water show on the Las Vegas strip.
Monica peered over at her. “How does what feel?” A clueless look appeared across her face.
It was Felicia’s turn to cut her eyes over at Monica. She took another short pull of the cigar. “To be the president, bitch!” she chimed. “What you think? You a Double G now!” she followed up with.
Monica let out a light chuckle. Up until the moment Felicia had mentioned it, she hadn’t given it any real thought. Her mind had been elsewhere. She couldn’t shake the close call she had with Prime. The position she had put herself in along with the measures she had to go to in order to do damage control had her on edge. She was still beating herself up over it. The thought of jeopardizing everything she had worked so hard to become had her feeling uneasy. On top of it all, she was well aware of the fact that if either party found out the truth about the other’s intent, she was as good as dead. She could feel Felicia’s eyes on the side of her face.
“My bad, girl, I’m tripping.” A huge smile accompanied her words.
“You’s a silly bitch.” Felicia shook her head. “Just don’t get silly when it comes time to handle business, because this no joke.” Her words came out sharp. She stared Monica square in the eyes as she spoke, never blinking. “One silly-ass move could cost not only you, but all of us, understand me?”
Monica nodded. Felicia’s words jolted through her entire body as she spoke in the authoritative tone. She could see why she was higher up in the rankings of the organization she had just recently joined. From day one, since the two had met and conversed at the club, Felicia had always spoken to her in a serious and militant type of manner. If one didn’t know any better, you would have thought that she had been in the military. Familiar with it herself, Monica noticed how Felicia’s demeanor resembled that of a drill sergeant. But Monica believed that to not be the case. Although she had never asked nor was it volunteered to her, she was sure Felicia came from a rough background. She was sure if it ever came down to it, Felicia would be one of the main ones to watch out for.
The blaring sound of classical music illuminated as water shot into the air. The applause by tourists and locals drew Monica and Felicia’s attention to the entertainment behind them. Despite them both be
ing Las Vegas bred and seeing the water show countless times, it was always a beautiful sight for them to see. As water continued to springboard from out of the main body of water, matching the rhythm of the music, people clapped, cheered, recorded, and took pictures. The show put Felicia and Monica in a chill mode. Monica leaned over the light gray stone railing and rested her elbows on it, while Felicia hopped up on it. She relit her cigar and took a long drag.
“If only life could be this peaceful er’day,” she cooed as she filled the air with a mist of cigar smoke.
“Wishful thinking,” Monica retorted.
Felicia chuckled. “Bitches like us don’t get the ‘happily ever after’ stories.”
Just then, reality set in. Felicia looked down and retrieved her vibrating iPhone 6 Plus from her hip. Unlocking her phone, she immediately went to the incoming text message from Starr. Her eyes did a quick scan of the message.
“We gotta go!” Felicia hopped down from the railing.
“Is everything okay?” Monica could see the change in her demeanor all over her face.
“Yeah, it will be,” Felicia answered as she looked left then right at the ongoing traffic on both sides of the four lanes. “Starr needs us,” she added as she darted into the street.
Chapter Fifteen
Federal Agents Mullin and Craven had been tailing Starrshma Fields since she had left Club Panties. Agent Mullin, who was the driver, tried his best to stay undetected, but there wasn’t enough cover traffic on the highway to blend in with. At times, it would get frustrating because all the trucks would unavoidably obstruct their view, which was a constant threat of them missing whatever exit Starr would get off.
So far, they felt they had kept a comfortable cushion. It was a fairly easy assignment given directly by Head Special Agent McCarthy. The orders were unmistakable. “Stay on her. Don’t let her out of your sight.” Agent Mullin filled up on coffee while Agent Craven tossed back a six pack of Red Bulls like they were Heinekens.
“Where the hell’s she goin’?” Agent Craven rhetorically asked Agent Mullin as he flapped his legs open and closed, feeling as if his bladder would soon burst.
“Who knows? That’s the whole point of tracking her. It’s our job to find out,” Agent Mullin condescendingly retorted.
Agent Craven let the little smart remark slide. “Damn. Well I hope she pulls over at a rest stop soon. What? Broads don’t piss?”
“She probably was smarter than you and tinkled before she left.” Agent Mullin chuckled. “Wish ya still had the empty cans now, huh?”
“I’d much rather use your coffee mug. Now shut up and drive!” Agent Craven finally snapped with attitude.
Agent Mullin chuckled. The two weren’t partners. They just were paired up by Agent McCarthy because they were both the newest rookies. Agent McCarthy figured there wouldn’t be any real excitement or danger to the task, so none of his wild cowboys would’ve jumped for babysitting a woman. None of them were taking the case seriously yet. Somehow, they felt they needed more proof. So far, in their eyes, the phantom vigilante bicycle Girl Scouts gang, as they nicknamed them, were doing them all a favor. Criminals were finally feeding off criminals.
Agent Mullin was twenty-six years old. He still looked every bit of eighteen. He was a scrawny, red-haired, white kid with a pencil neck who wore a weird-looking pair of glasses. He tried to wear suits to make his appearance demand more respect. Nobody in the Bureau bought it. He was a kid, a rookie. His hands were too clean. Around the Bureau, you were respected by triumphing over cases and high-profile job details. That was how one agent was introduced to another.
“Hey! What could be worse than a stalkin’ chick who doesn’t like dick, huh? At least mosta the ones I tailed I had a real shot at bangin’. You know, as a service for the Bureau. The things I do for my country!” one of the agents clowned in his natural Italian accent. Laughter erupted heavily and then the room got quiet as the agent seemed to get serious for a second, pointing at them as he spoke.
“Hey, you guys, watch ya asses out there.” And then he snickered. “No, for real. Watch your asses out there. I hear them broads is inta some pretty kinky stuff. There are things they like to do to you with your nightstick, if you know what I mean, eh?”
The rest of the agents applauded the ignorance and blew loud whistles by sticking their fingers into their mouths as they watched the two rookies mope into Agent McCarthy’s office.
“Cops have nightsticks. Feds have paper badges,” Agent Mullin whispered to Agent Craven as if the joke was really on all of the other agents. Agent Craven hated Agent Mullin from that day forward.
Agent Craven was a twenty-seven-year-old black guy already ahead of his time. He had married his high school sweetheart right after they graduated. He got her pregnant shortly after. She stayed home while he went off to college and then entered the academy. He claimed it was all for a setup to be able to take care of his responsibilities, but really it was his way of escaping them with legit reasons. He felt he needed more excitement.
Agent Mullin banged down on the steering wheel as one of the large eighteen-wheeler Ford trucks cut in front of him, blocking his view of Starr.
“Damn it! I really wish I could just cut on the siren,” he complained.
“That would be real subtle, jackass. And it would also defeat the purpose,” Agent Craven sarcastically snapped.
“Whatever. I’m going around him,” Agent Mullin replied. He cut the steering wheel to the left in an attempt to get over in the passing lane. Out from behind him, another furniture truck sped by and crossed in front of the Chevy, sealing off the passing lane.
“Just great!” Agent Mullin sarcastically yelled out as he sucked his teeth. The two trucks rode side by side in front of them. He had lost view of Starr’s Maserati, but he knew she was still up ahead because they weren’t near any upcoming exits.
A third truck pulled from deep behind and cut on the right side of the unmarked vehicle. It sealed off the shoulder lane. Now, all three trucks cruised together at the same speed, forming a moving wall. None of them had rear license plates.
“What the fuck?” Agent Craven rhetorically gasped as he rose up in his seat.
Before they knew it, two more trucks came from behind them. They split up on each side, one on the left, one on the right. Now the agents couldn’t see in front of them or on either side.
“It’s a trap! It’s a fuckin’ trap!” Agent Craven yelled.
“No shit, Sherlock!” Agent Mullin retorted. “Radio it in. Hurry!” Agent Mullin tried to maneuver, but there was nothing he could do. Just as he was about to slam down on the brakes and abort, three more trucks accelerated to seal off every lane behind them, boxing them in while shining their bright high beams directly into the back of the car, blinding them as the reflection bounced off the back doors of the trucks in front, back into the car. They could barely see.
Agent Craven fumbled the radio and dropped it on the floor by accident. He bent down to pick it up. Two loud, roaring sounds came from behind them. The trucks slightly separated opening up a slim gap of space. Two motorcycles with passengers slipped through the crack and approached the Chevy. One was on the right, another was on the left. Long hair was flying from under the four helmets. The two passengers on the back were pointing pistols at the windows of Agents Mullin and Craven. Neither agent noticed the sudden presence of the machines. The girls tried hard to see through the tint with the help of the trucks’ high beams shining light through the back, but all they made out was shadows. That was all they needed.
Agent Craven found a firm grip on the radio and put it to his mouth while he was still on the floor. He looked up at Agent Mullin’s shining face and then something drew his attention to the window. He released the radio and went for his Sig, but it was too late. Glass from the unmarked car shattered as nine millimeter slugs invaded the window of the vehicle and caused it to spin out of control. The left side of Agent Mullin’s face was ripped open and sprayed blood
all over Agent Craven. A separate clip was emptied into the back of Agent Craven’s own skull while he was still hunched over on the floor. The trucks quickly broke up and the two motorcycles initiated their brakes as the Chevy fishtailed and crashed into a guardrail. It flipped over three full times after the last truck nicked the bumper as it passed by. The trucks honked their horns and then vanished into the night.
* * *
Starr still drove on cruise control. Although she couldn’t see, she had an idea what was going on behind her. When it was all over, the two riders who occupied the motorcycles lifted their front wheels up high into the air then let them down, picked up speed, and zoomed past her. That was the all the confirmation she needed to know everything had gone according to plan.
With her problem solved, Starr veered off to the upcoming exit. Once off, she drove to the nearest gas station to the right of her, where she texted Felicia and told her where she’d be once the heat was off of her back. She pulled into the lot, parked on the side of the restroom area, and left the keys in the ignition with the engine running. She removed the rest of her sole possessions, wiped it down, and deleted the car phone’s memory chip. She threw everything into one of the duffel bags full of money and awaited her new ride.
Watch Out for the Big Girls Page 9