by M. P. Lodi
He turned around to face her. “I think I agree with Joshua. The liver is evil, and it needs to be punished. Do we have more beer in the closet?”
“There's no more in the refrigerator. We have the Coors that Noah bought. Get me one while you're at it.”
Joshua walked back in to look at Charlotte as Jacob passed him on his way to the hall closet. “Why is it that women with long hair have this need to make it look like a furry dog is on the wall of their showers?”
Charlotte snickered, but Joshua turned back around and went into the bedroom. Jacob came back with the case of Coors and went right to the refrigerator. He started loading it with the beer.
He asked, “Isn't it strange that people complain about drinking eight glasses of water a day, but there pretty much isn't an American male alive who wouldn't happily drink eight cold beers?”
Charlotte changed the channel to reruns of an old TV show called In Living Color. She said “You want to watch this? It was hilarious to me, especially Men on Films.”
“Oh yeah, you know it. That show was the bomb. Did you ever somehow get the impression that we're almost like pawns? I don't mean of the Sarge, I mean with higher-ups.”
Jacob stood up, left the empty case on the floor and grabbed some ice out of the freezer for his warm beer. He filled a glass and walked over to the loveseat. Charlotte watched him, and waited for him to sit down before asking, “Aren’t you forgetting someone? What am I?”
He jumped off the loveseat, putting his glass of beer down. “So sorry, I'll get you a can and a glass with some ice. Warm beer blows.”
“The Sarge's intel for where we hit the cash deposits of the druggies and mobsters has to be an inside job of some kind. Like the NSA pings cell phones of those known to transport cash, or who are in the vicinity of the druggies.” Jacob took the beer out of the fridge and grabbed Charlotte a glass with ice cubes in it.
He continued, “You know, how you sweep an area with that gadget and everyone's cell number pops up? My theory is either some of our other operatives – or maybe Noah's contacts in intel – do that. They watch a specific person then, no matter what their cell number is, and even with throw-aways, they know exactly where the criminals go. With someone watching full-time it seems like it would be easy to find the cash loads all over.”
Jacob handed the glass to Charlotte and started pouring the beer in it for her.
“Thank you.”
Jacob put the can on the table in front of her and walked back to the loveseat. “I wasn't thinking about us doing the legwork. For some reason, I was thinking we were handed information. Like an unseen hand pulling the strings.”
“Oh, a conspiracy,” she joked and sipped her beer.
Noah
It was late at night, and after a long day of ops – including another hit on a mobster to encourage more in-fighting between different mafia families – Noah walked into the living room at 143 Pine.
Mike, Charlotte, Caesar, Jacob and Joshua all stared at the Sarge. Noah felt their stare as he opened the refrigerator for a beer. He took out a cold Coors, and looked at his team. “What...what's the stare for?”
“Nothing, Sarge,” Charlotte said, smiling.
Noah had been thinking hard on what to do next. With the exception of his Emily, everything was working out exactly as planned. He loved the woman to death, but for the sake of safety, it was time to move out of this safe house. He took a sip of his beer and said, “Let's pack up. I want to be out of here within thirty minutes. It's time to go to another hideout.”
Charlotte asked, “Where to, Sarge?” way too fast. As if she was expecting him to say that.
He looked at her “To the Charlie site in Long Island.”
Jacob started smiling as Caesar said, “Fuck’s sake, Sarge.” Joshua reached for his wallet, and they all handed money over to Jacob.
Noah looked at Jacob. “You all bet on where we'd go after this?” Jacob was all smiles and nodded up and down to Noah as the money flowed into his hands. Mike handed over the biggest wad.
Noah glanced at Joshua. “What’s the report on media updates today while we were gone?”
Joshua answered, “Gallup did another poll, not that it matters. Eighty-three percent of Americans would rather have dinner with you, compared to only 12% for the President and 4% for Shakira.”
Noah took another chug of his beer and went to sit at the computer. “Wow... Shakira. What else? Any more copycats or vigilantes?”
“Sure were. At least six criminals killed overnight. AWRA was carved into one mugger’s forehead. He had tried to beat up an old lady in upper Manhattan. When the cops interviewed the lady, they asked her who did it, and she said Noah, thank God for Noah Hood. They should kill all of these vermin.” Joshua said.
Caesar sat back on the long sofa while Jacob counted up his cash.
Noah turned from the computer. “Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s get all of our things.”
Everyone got up at once and started grabbing all they wanted to bring with them. There was lots of commotion behind Noah as he turned back to the computer. He took out his own wallet and saw a photo of Emily. She had on this red dress that showed all of her curves. What a woman. He stared at the photo and lost himself in it. Minutes must have gone by when suddenly he felt Charlotte tap his shoulder.
“Sarge, we're all packed and ready. We already had most of our things in that Toyota, waiting for you to get back with the guys.”
Noah's head turned away from Charlotte's view, she moved her head quickly just to look at his face. He noticed and looked at her. He had tears in his eyes and put the photo face down on the table by the keyboard.
She rubbed his left shoulder. “It's going to be OK, Sarge. She'll be fine. She's happy back in the civilian life. You know it’s for the best.”
He looked up into Charlotte's face. “Just when you think you have all the answers in life, when you find someone that fits you perfectly, they're gone.”
He pushed the chair back and stood up. “We're taking this computer, right?” he asked her.
“That's what I'm here to do. Well, and to nudge you. Are you ready to take our campaign up a notch?”
He collected Emily's photo, put it in his pocket and replied, “Fuckin’ A. I'm going to run to the bathroom and then we can head out. I'll meet you in the car.”
Charlotte wrapped the keyboard in its power cord while Noah turned around and headed to the bathroom.
He closed the bathroom door and looked in the mirror at himself. Just one month earlier he had over 50 million dollars. That was nothing like the billions his best friend Jackson has, but who cares? It was all just numbers after a certain amount. Yet here he was playing Noah Hood. He was now an outlaw and would either have to live as one, or spend the rest of his life locked up in prison.
He had the woman of his dreams wanting to spend the rest of her life with him. Now he was alone, looking at himself in the mirror. He wanted to be with Emily more than anything else. He felt an ache in his heart knowing he couldn't hold her. He couldn't kiss her, or make her smile right at that very moment. He watched his own eyes fill up and his tears stream down his face.
There wasn't any running from the truth. He fucked up. He had it all. He looked into his own tear-filled eyes and, for the first time in his life, he realized he was empty inside without her. It couldn't end like this. If he did anything in this world, he would get her back. If he had to lose his own soul and make a deal with the devil, he would. He would do anything for her. He took the photo of Emily out of his front pocket and stared at it.
As he thought of her scent, her smile and her laugh, he promised himself that he would give up everything to be with her again. He had never been so sure of anything in his life. All he needed now was a plan.
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Table of Contents
Control: Book I
Pulsating Holiday: Book II
Noah's Rise: Book III
Contact M.P. Lodi
Get Free Copies Of M.P. Lodi’s Upcoming Books
Chapter 1 Jen
Chapter 2 Emily
Chapter 3 Jackson
Chapter 4 Jen
Chapter 5 Noah
Chapter 6 Jen
Chapter 7 Jackson
Chapter 8 Jen
Chapter 9 Emily
Chapter 10 Jackson
Chapter 11 Jen
Chapter 12 Noah
Chapter 13 Emily
Chapter 14 Jen
Chapter 15 Emily
Chapter 16 Jackson
Chapter 17 Jennifer
PH Chapter 1 Jen
PH Chapter 2 Noah
PH Chapter 3 Emily
PH Chapter 4 Jackson
PH Chapter 5 Jen
PH Chapter 6 Noah
PH Chapter 7 Jen
PH Chapter 8 Noah
PH Chapter 9 Emily
PH Chapter 10 Jen
PH Chapter 11 Emily
PH Chapter 12 Jackson
PH Chapter 13 Jen
PH Chapter 14 Noah
PH Chapter 15 Emily
PH Chapter 16 Jackson
PH Chapter 17 Noah
NR Chapter 1 Emily
NR Chapter 2 Jen
NR Chapter 3 Noah
NR Chapter 4 Jen
NR Chapter 5 Emily
NR Chapter 6 Noah
NR Chapter 7 Jen
NR Chapter 8 Noah
NR Chapter 9 Emily
NR Chapter 10 Charlotte
NR Chapter 11 Joshua