Coyote: Sometimes the wrong way is the only way

by Rosa Harrison

Jitter knelt down and pulled TJ upright in the chair. He used a pocket knife to slice the tape restraining his arms. He lifted him to his feet by the neck of his shirt. Taking his pistol back from Coco, he pushed TJ ahead of him.

  TJ trudged along with a swollen face and what he was sure was a broken rib from the kick. He heard the treacherous pair whispering behind him but couldn’t quite make out what they were saying. He knew he had to think fast.

  At Jitter’s car, he instructed TJ to get in the passenger seat and told Coco to get in the back. He got behind the wheel and trained his gun on TJ. He kept his finger on the trigger while TJ directed him thirty miles out into the desert.

  Eventually, TJ advised, “You can stop here. We have to get out. We can only reach it by foot.”

  Coco broke in eagerly. “What if he runs?”

  Stunned, TJ turned to look back at her, completely awed by her betrayal. In the last five years, they had nearly grown up together. When he’d turned 18 earlier that year, she was turning 20. The two had celebrated the entire weekend.

  Jitter turned off the ignition. He looked back at Coco. “If he runs, we shoot him. Simple.”

  Jitter’s phone chimed in the silence of the desert. He looked down and read the text then reported it to Coco.

  “Your girl should be back at the Compound within the hour, she says. Did you get her the codes and everything she’ll need?”

  “Yeah,” Coco answered. “She took care of the foot soldiers already?”

  “All four of them. Finito! Sent me this.” Jitter proudly handed her his phone.

  She winced. “That’s fucked up.”

  TJ was sure it was the photo of Danny and the guys executed in the dirt. He connected the dots while the trio set to exit the car. Coco’s friend had also been working with Jitter and Coco. They had taken out multiple legs of Sage’s organization simultaneously. While Jitter was setting up Sage’s arrest, the foot crew was being wiped out. All while he was being kidnapped.

  As Coco handed the phone back to Jitter, TJ slipped the knife he’d pulled from his tire out of his pocket. It had been slicing at his leg the entire time he’d been being held captive by Jitter. He hadn’t closed it before he pocketed it and he was thankful he hadn’t. He just needed the perfect moment and momentum. He saw his opportunity.

  In a swift and painful swing, he dragged the blade across Jitter’s neck. The shower of blood was one that he didn’t expect. The windshield and dashboard were painted in red instantly. Coco screamed frantically, grabbing at the door handle to let herself out. The child safety locks were activated. She was trapped.

  The gash erupted for several seconds as Jitter clamored at it. It almost appeared that he was attempting to close the wound with his bare hands. Eventually his mad clawing halted and his head fell against the window.

  TJ snatched the pistol lying on Jitter’s lap, slick with blood. He pointed it at Coco seated behind him. Pebbles was yapping in unison with her owner’s screams. Coco had the Pomeranian hugged closely to her chest.

  “TJ, you said yourself, this isn’t you. Jitter forced me to do this. I wanted the money, yeah, but I told him not to hurt you. I was still looking out for you! Like I always do,” Coco pleaded. “I can help you. Even if you make it out of this, Jitter has people on the inside. You won’t get far.”

  TJ’s jaw tightened as he tried to bear the ache in his ribs. “People like who?”

  “I don’t know any names,” Coco whined innocently.

  TJ shot the window out behind her head and stared at her hard.

  “An agent in Sage’s department! Chapman! C’mon, TJ! You know Jitter set all this up. I’m loyal to you and Sage.” Coco shrunk into herself while Pebbles’ bark intensified.

  “Don’t say my mother’s name. Just shut up!” he growled. He was turned awkwardly in his seat and his ribs throbbed. He closed his eyes in thought. He didn’t know what to do with Coco. The small dog had finally quieted. He let the peace soak in for a moment. He slowly turned forward in the seat.

  His moment was disrupted by Coco’s voice cooing at him. “Are you going to cut me in on Silas’ stash? I mean, Sage ain’t coming home so it’s just me and you.”

  “Money and power.” TJ shook his head disappointedly. “If I had the money, we wouldn’t be in this predicament! What don’t you assholes get about that?”

  TJ turned around just enough and shot Coco in the chest. Coco and Pebbles both slumped into the seat. Silenced forever.

  *****

  Sage’s lawyer, Leah Reynolds, sauntered into the windowless room with her briefcase. Sage looked up briefly then returned her gaze to the rubber band she twirled around her fingers.

  “How are you holding up?”

  “I’m not.”

  Leah took the seat across from Sage and opened her briefcase. “Sage, these are some serious charges. What do you want to do?”

  “Doesn’t really matter anymore.”

  “It actually does matter. They have you charged for the San Miguel evidence you removed but they also have accessory charges: a double murder at a Greyhound station. Seventy-year-old Juan Lopez and a Jane Doe in her twenties. What is this?” Leah asked, flipping madly through the files in front of her.

  Sage huffed. “Jitter.”

  “I need you to tell me what’s going on.”

  Sage rolled her eyes up to the ceiling. “I can’t tell you what I don’t know. Why am I being charged with accessory to murder while the shooter is riding around free as a dove?”

  “So you do know something about these shootings?”

  “Leah, all I know is Jitter shot those two at a Greyhound station. Says he made an executive decision. Let me guess, he’s claiming I ordered that?”

  Leah scanned over the pages further. “I don’t have a Jitter named anywhere here.”

  “Jitter is his street name. His real name is Zavier Reeves.” Sage idly fidgeted with the rubber band between her fingers.

  Leah furrowed her brows. “Sage, it’s not Jitter who’s named as the shooter. It’s Tyson Wright Jr., your son. Murder in the first degree.”

  Sage gasped. The sting of the news caused her eyes to well. She covered her mouth with her hand. “Oh, God.”

  “Sage, where’s TJ now?” Leah asked softly, stroking Sage’s forearm across the table.

  “I don’t know. He texted me saying he was out. He didn’t want the street life anymore. TJ can’t go to prison for murder, Leah. I already lost my brother. I can’t lose him too.”

  “I’m on it.” Leah stood and packed up her briefcase. “Give me some time.”

  Left alone in the room, Sage dropped her heads in her the palms of her hands. Teardrops plummeted onto the table, gathering in pools. She let out wails of agony that filled every inch of the room. She suddenly sprung from her chair, picked it up and pitched it into the wall. She kicked over the table and punched the walls wildly, drawing blood.

  Two agents stormed in and took her down to the ground, handcuffing her hands behind her.

  “Get Agent Bledsoe in here,” one of them said to the other.

  Her hair and face were in complete disarray. The female that stayed behind with her smoothed her hair and said, “I’m sorry about your brother, Agent Wright. We found him.” She helped Sage back into the chair.

  All she could do was sob.

  Dirk entered the room. His heart ached for Sage when he saw the state she was in. He sat the table back on all fours. He found the free chair and sat in it.

  “I can take it from here,” he told the agent.

  Dirk and Sage were left alone. Their eyes locked and stayed there. Dirk tilted his head and considered his words.

  “I’m not who you think I am, Dirk,” she said first.

  “I can see that. But something tells me there’s more to the story. You working for the cartel, stealing back evidence and moving drugs over the border? That seems outlandish for an agent of your quality. And an accessory? What is this all about?” He leaned into her space and plead
ed with his eyes. “Let me help you.”

  In her misery, Sage found a smidgeon of relief realizing the authorities didn’t know anything about the human trafficking ring. It was all coming into focus now. Jitter was moving them all out of the way so that he could take over. Jitter saw an opportunity and took it. She was just a casualty. TJ was a casualty. Most of all, Silas was a casualty.

  A calmness settled over her. She knew what she had to do. Dirk’s lips moved in front of her face but he had been muted to her. She thought of her brother. She couldn’t save him—but she could save her son.

  She stood, her hands still secured behind her back. She leaned down and softly kissed his cheek. “I want my lawyer.”

  Dirk shook his head, defeated. Once again, Sage was not go to let him in. He left the room with his heart in his hand.

  The End (12AM)

  The Greyhound bus pulled out of the station, ricocheting dust and pebbles from the road.

  TJ stared out the window of the bus. He leaned his forehead against the glass. A smile threatened the corners of his mouth as he took in the irony of the moment. He was headed out of Arizona. Far away from the Southwest.

  His last words to his mother when he hugged her neck were, “I cleaned my room. Every inch of it.” Code. She had been vindicated. Every soul that had crossed Sage was no longer.

  There was blood on his hands and Sage would spend two life sentences behind bars but he prayed to a higher power that somehow they would find redemption.

  Life would be much different without his mother and the riches he’d been accustomed to enjoying, but he had his freedom. Thanks to his mother—he had his freedom.

  A Note From Rosa:

  Thank you so much for reading 'Coyote'! If you enjoyed it, please take a moment to leave a review on Amazon. I welcome contact from readers via email at Authorrosaharrison@gmail.com or you may contact me on Facebook.

  ~Dedication~

  This book is dedicated to my beautiful husband, Jason Harrison. Thank you for being my biggest fan!