Cheers. Cheers.
“Who needs them? Who needs the backstabbing money-grubbing, gold-digging, two-timing beasts – who steal men from us.”
“Nobody. Nobody,” they all shouted together.
“You got it, boys. Women are no good. I better not see a single one of ya with one.”
“You ain’t got that to worry on, Bro Benny,” Dove said. “But what we gonna do about those two nosin’ ‘round here?”
“Word is, they both private detectives. They looking for one of our brothers – Robbie Riley. I been hiding him, and I aim to keep it that way.”
“They working with police or something?” shouted Greck, a long-haired redhead.
“They don’t claim to be, but you can’t ever trust one of them. They claim they just want a disk he’s got, that’ll help them in a crime back in Del Toray, California.”
“It’s a trick,” Greck said angrily. “They trying to get him back to Del Toray for killing that whore.”
“It’ll never happen. We don’t talk to those women, and we block all efforts to help them. Got that, gents?”
They all shouted agreement in unison.
“Robbie’s one of us. We protect our own. I don’t care how much money they offering. We stick together.”
“Nothing to worry about,” Raven said. “We won’t sell out our buddy.”
“I’m sure you won’t. But just in case one of yall gets a idea, remember – you gone answer to me. And I know, not a one of ya wants that.”
“No! No way! Uh Uhh,” the guys shouted. They said the words with smiles, but their faces all showed serious caution. Benny had proven to them more than once, that he meant what he said. Current proof of that now was Raven, who suddenly went into one of his “Remember what Benny did to that guy” stories. It instantly took everybody’s attention. He told great stories.
Benny just stood there and listened, proudly enjoying the enthusiasm with which the guys liked to hear of his violent exploits. He couldn’t help but think that perhaps he’d get to add to those exploits. Two opportunities had come his way, and they were named Tori and Simone. Benny delightfully rubbed his hands together at the prospects.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Tori sat on her bed in the motel room. She was dressed in an oversized shirt. She sipped on her daily morning cup of coffee. Simone lay on her bed, relaxed, her legs crossed. She wore a long nightgown. A half-finished boxed breakfast of eggs and bacon were beside her.
“I swear,” said Tori, “I still can’t get over it.”
“It was yesterday, Tori. Forget about it. There are kooks out there.”
“But we saved his butt from being beaten to a pulp. And that’s how he thanks us.”
“So, he’s a jerk. There’s nothing we can do about it now.”
“You know who he sounded like – Robbie Riley. Is that a coincidence? Maybe we ought to try and talk to that guy.”
“I get the feeling he wouldn’t be too responsive.”
“I don’t care. It could still be worth a shot. He doesn’t like us; but money always has a way of making people dislike you a little less.”
Tori's phone rang. A different generation, but still, she was a Prince fan. Purple Rain was the phones’ chime. She put down her coffee, and picked the phone up from the table.
“Tori Edwards.”
“Hey there,” a deep voice on the other end said, a touch of fear behind it.
“Can I help you?”
“You left your number around the neighborhood yesterday. You said you want some info on finding Robbie Riley.”
Immediately, Tori swung her legs off the bed and to the floor. She felt anxiety sweep through her body.
“Yes. You have something for me?”
“Yeah. I got exactly what you need. I know where Robbie Riley is.”
Tori became yet more enthused.
“You can take me to Robbie Riley?”
“Better than that; I can bring him to you.”
“There’s up to ten grand in it for anybody who leads me to him.”
“Really? Ten huh?”
“Depending on how much your information helps. When can you meet with me?”
“First, we gotta work out details. Listen good. You and your partner gone meet me and my partner at a deserted building. My partner’ll have Robbie hidden somewhere. I’m gone check you and your partner for guns. You better not bring none.”
“If I can’t have a gun, I can’t bring the money right then.”
“Let me finish, woman. Don’t bring no money. We gone have Robbie tied up and gagged. Your partner can take him off somewhere. When she comes back, she gotta have the money. If the money’s all there, you both can go.”
“So, you want to take me hostage, while my partner’s gone with Robbie?”
“You got it. And neither of you’d better not try nothing, cause me and my partner will have guns.”
“ . . . Well, offhand, it sounds like a decent deal, or at least as close as you can get.”
“I ain’t out to hurt no one. I just want the money.”
“Still, I’d like to have some time to talk it over with my partner. I’d like to call you back in a short while.”
“You don’t call me. I’ll call you back in a hour.”
“That’ll be fine.”
“Just remember, if you want Robbie, you better cooperate. Robbie’s got some dangerous friends. I’ll be in big trouble if they find out about this.”
“I don’t want any trouble. I just want Robbie Riley.”
“And I just want the bucks. And remember this, lady, I’m greedy, but I’m also dangerous. I’ll say ‘To hell’ with the money, and hurt you something awful if you try anything. I ain’t called Raven for nothing.”
“Believe me, you have nothing to worry about there.”
“I better not. Anyways, as soon as I hang up, your hour starts. Be ready in a hour, or everything’s off.”
“I will definitely be –”
Tori was cut off. Raven had hung up. Tori, filled with anxiety, hung up the phone and looked excitedly to Simone. Simone now also had her feet on the floor. She too looked very serious.
“We have to talk,” Tori said. “We might have something here. At least I hope so.”
She looked up to the ceiling and clasped her hands.
“Oh God, please let it be.”
Ava sat beside Susy’s bed. She was in critical thought, as she stared at the peaceful-looking child. When would it happen? she wondered. When would the child die? She had at first wanted it to happen as fast as possible. However, now she was starting to think that Susy’s death might hurt more than help. Sure, she would get her hands on Susy’s trust, but she was starting to think Susy might be worth more alive, at least in her current state.
Susy had evoked enormous sympathy over the past two weeks. Ava had never slowed up much from her church duties since the attack, claiming it was her duty to keep saving souls despite her tragedy. The publicity of everything was causing lots of people to visit and join her church. Word was getting around fast as to how magnificent she was with words, and as to how she could cause the spirit to move in people. She had had church service every other night in the past week. People were packing her tiny church. Last night had been standing-room only. Her church wasn’t in the worst part of town, but not the safest either. Still, it hadn’t scared new people from attending. In the long run, she might actually make more money with Susy comatose. A representative from the Brandersons had recently contacted her. They were becoming quite interested in her new appeal to the public. There might be possibilities.
Ava was forced to smile. She knew there were lots of legitimate ministers out there – rich and poor. She wondered why? Why would anybody want to deal with all that bible junk unless it was to make money? It was all so boring. At least the rich ones had wealth, but still, why did they continue in the business after they had gotten it? Once she achieved her riches, she would find something more excit
ing to do. Or either she would retire to a life of luxury.
Ava turned her thoughts to another topic. Tori. She wondered how her so-called investigation was going so far? She didn’t expect Tori to really find Robbie. He could be anywhere in the country. Still, Tori’s search bothered her some. Anything was possible. Damn pain-in-the-ass, Ava thought maliciously. Tori was somewhere in Virginia, according to Henry. She hoped the wench would have one of her migraine attacks and die there. She hoped they’d bury her ass there too.
Ava decided it was time to leave. She had put up enough of an act for today. She got ready to stand, but she heard the voices of a couple of nurses coming towards the room. Well, a little bit more acting wouldn’t hurt.
Ava folded her arms across her body. She began rocking back and forth in her seat. She instantly broke down into tears. Real water came from her eyes. She turned sideways a little, so as to catch the nurses going by out the corner of her eyes. However, they didn’t go by. They stopped at Susy’s door, their attention caught by the agonizing woman. Ava had caused this to happen before. In a second or two, the nurses would enter the room and comfort her.
Ava turned her head back forward. She bowed it. She then covered her face with both hands. A torturous sound went from her throat. Tears flowed from her eyes. However, a sly grin wreaked from her face.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Raven had given specific instructions on how to get to the meeting place. Tori had just turned on to Shadow Street. Simone sat on the passenger side. The two had talked it over and concluded the plan was acceptable. They both knew that no plan would be foolproof; they were going to have to take risks if they wanted to get that disk.
As for Robbie, Simone would take charge of him, putting him in the trunk of the car. She would take him to a deserted warehouse that she and Tori had noticed the first time they had come to Shadow Street. Robbie would be stored there until the deal could be closed. Once Tori and Simone returned to the warehouse, they hoped to convince Robbie to sell them the disk. Tori hoped they wouldn’t have to get violent with him. She planned to make him a very good offer. However, if all else failed . . .
As for the kidnapping that they were taking part in, and the withholding of the whereabouts of a criminal, they’d just have to hope they’d be able to avoid all trouble in that regard. All Tori cared about was that disk, and Simone was equally determined to help her partner, and most of all – friend.
On the way down Shadow Street, Tori had gotten somewhat confused. She had stopped someone walking by and asked how to get to an old school. The old lady had joked about it being the place where the youngsters went to smooch, or do even more in the parking lot. She had then told them to drive straight down to the end of the street, which Tori had originally thought was a dead end. She followed the lady’s directions, and she arrived at a deserted elementary school.
Tori pulled into the crunchy-sounding, pebble-laden parking lot, where she immediately drove to the south side of the building. That side was blocked by a tall fence, which curled around most of the building. There was grass and other wild shrubbery growing up the fence. It easily blocked any view of this side of the building from the adjacent grounds and the street.
There were two doors on this side of the school, about fifteen feet apart, with a couple of steps leading up them. They both had small, square glass windows in them that were busted out for the most part. Tori drove to about the midway point between the two doors and parked.
“Where is he?” Tori asked.
“Good question. I guess he’ll show up in a few minutes.”
“He said the south side, with the two doors. This is it.”
“Know something? This place is sort of eerie.”
“Can’t argue with you. I think . . . “
Tori cut herself off, because she saw the door that was to the right front of the car come open. A big man with a funny haircut came through the door. Another man came through behind him; he carried a baseball bat. Then there was another man. Two more followed. They all held bats. Tori immediately knew that something was terribly wrong. She heard a loud squeaking noise come from behind her. She and Simone both turned. They saw five more men come through the door back there, led by a black man with thick dreadlocks. They all carried bats as well.
Tori quickly turned back to the front. The man with the funny haircut had pulled out a large pistol. It looked like a magnum to Tori.
“Oh shit,” she said. “What is this?”
“It don’t look good . . . Not good at all.”
Despite earlier orders, Tori and Simone still carried small LC9 Ruger handguns hidden inside very padded underwear, close to the right hip. They also wore loose-fitting khaki pants. However, with all these men, Tori felt that going for the guns would do no good; she was sure Simone felt the same.
“Get out the damn car,” the funny haircut yelled, pointing his gun directly at the driver’s side of the windshield. “Now!”
“What have we gotten into?” asked Simone.
“Just get out. Get out of the car.”
Tori and Simone slowly got out. They were angrily instructed by Funny Hair to walk to the front of the car. They both obeyed, and they were instantly surrounded by all of the men. Tori felt beads of sweat forming on her forehead.
“Well, my two trespassers,” Funny Hair said with a touch of sarcasm. “Let me introduce myself. They call me Benny.”
“Hey, man,” Tori said nervously. “What’s all this? We were here to meet some guy called Raven.”
“To your left,” Benny sneered.
Tori took a glimpse at the dreadlocked Raven. He put on a huge grin.
“I never betray a brother,” he said.
“That’s right,” Benny added. “Raven, and nobody else in our club would ever give up Robbie. We just wanted to get you two stinking wenches down here.”
“Look, we don’t want any trouble,” Tori asserted.
“Well, you done found it. We are the Women Haters’ Club of America. We despise your kind.”
Tori looked at Simone. They both were a good deal bewildered.
“We gotta teach you two heifers a lesson. Don’t mess with our kind.”
“Don’t even come to our part of town,” said Raven.
“Damn straight,” Benny threw back in. “And our lesson for yall gone be a tough one. But we heard about you two’s exploits with your fists, so we brought along help.”
They all hit the bats against the palms of their hands several times.
“This ain’t no Chuck Norris show. You two ain’t got a chance against us. I don’t care how much karate you know.”
“Tori,” Simone said. “Boy have we fucked up.”
Tori didn’t say a word. She couldn’t.
“We want you two to join us around the corner,” Benny said. “We got our van there. It’s a nice van. It can hold a lot.”
“If you hate women so much,” said Tori, “why are you going to rape us?”
Benny put on the most despicable grin. He looked straight into Tori’s eyes. They seemed to slice right through her. It was dangerous. It scared her immensely.
Benny fiendishly answered: “Who said anything about rape?”
Robbie didn’t like to go out much. He knew it was too dangerous. Still, he had to take a chance every now and then. He needed his booze. As far as he was concerned, that was all he had now.
Carrying a paper bag with a six-pack in it, he rushed up the steps of the old, dilapidated building. He was sick of buildings like this one. When he got out of this city, he swore he would never again live in a building like it.
Once he got to the top of the stairs, he saw a skinny, frail-looking woman standing in her doorway. She just stood there, arms folded, wearing a short, sleeveless white dress. Her hair was stringy; her skin was pale.
Robbie had heard somebody call her Sara. She sort of gave him the creeps. He quickly bowed his head and walked on past her. He walked on down to his room, which was about
midway down the hall. He pulled his key from his pocket, unlocked the door, and let himself inside. He immediately locked the door behind him by twisting the knob.
New Port was the only place he knew to come. He had the club members to help him. Still, he figured they had chosen the worst place in the city to set him up. The room was quite small. The den was also the bedroom and kitchen. In the back left corner of the room was a door – off its hinges again – that led into a small bathroom. It wasn’t much, but it was a place to stay. It also cost him nothing. Benny took care of his brothers. He paid for the cheap room, and even gave Robbie a little spending money. He figured Robbie would need all his own money for his future endeavors, such as possibly leaving the country and getting established somewhere else – probably Canada. As soon as the time was right, Benny would try and make the arrangements.
Of course Robbie wasn’t getting everything completely free. He walked to the small round table beside the stove. He belched as he sat down. He still tasted the sourness that had come from Benny’s member last night. Benny wasn’t a small man in that regard either. Robbie’s mouth was still a little sore. However, he knew the beer would help relax it.
He put the bag on the table and pulled out the six-pack. He also took out a pack of cigarettes and matches from his breast pocket. He took out a cigarette, lit it, and started smoking.
Robbie sat there in thought. He missed Del Toray already. Also, guilt over how he had betrayed his brother had started to really eat at him. He had done it all for Matt, which also meant he had done it for nothing. Matt not only wouldn’t come with him, but Robbie was sure that Matt also was the one who had put Tori Edwards on his trail. Matt had hurt him terribly. He could have taken a real strong disliking to Matt for his betrayals, maybe even a hatred. However, he never would. If Matt were to join him today, Robbie would gladly take him. He loved him too much.
Too painful to think about, Robbie turned his thoughts from Matt and over to his adversaries – Tori Edwards and her partner. He had briefly considered meeting with Tori, since he’d heard she’d only wanted the disk and would still pay dearly for it. But he had decided against it. A man could never trust one of them. Once they got the disk, they’d probably still try and turn him over to the police. Plus, Benny had made it clear that there would be no dealing with them. His hatred of women was so strong, even irrational at times, that he simply wanted as little contact with them as possible. And he had let Robbie know that if he dealt with them, and it was found out, then Robbie would be on his own.
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