“Wham bam?”
“It’s . . . it’s a saying.”
Abrianna sighed, but realized that her ego was just getting in the way. He was right. A carjacking could backfire and alert the cops.
“Well?” Kadir asked, cocking his head and weighing whether or not she was caving.
After another deep breath to let him know that she really didn’t like this, she responded, “All right. Fine.”
“Thank you.” He smiled and then awkwardly patted her on her good arm. “I’ll go tell Ghost we’re ready.” However, when Kadir opened the door, Ghost stood right in the entranceway, arms crossed.
“What? No quickies?” Ghost joked, shaking his head. “You’re really turning into a big disappointment.”
“Get the van ready,” Kadir told him.
“Real disappointment,” Ghost insisted before turning away.
Kadir shook his head and followed his friend.
Minutes later, Kadir returned to the cot room carrying a black scarf.
“What’s that?” Abrianna asked, suspiciously.
“This is for you. I’m sorry—but I’m going to have to blindfold you.”
“The hell you are,” she said, stepping back and settling both hands onto her waist.
Kadir sighed. The strain of dealing with both her and Ghost was starting to etch thin lines into his face. “This isn’t negotiable,” he said. “You’ve already seen too much. The last thing they want you to know is where this place is and how to get back to it.”
“Are you kidding me? I’m a criminal too—or is being wanted for murder not enough street cred for your nerdy friends?”
“Nerdy?”
“I’m sorry. Keyboard gangsters. I don’t want them to bust a hashtag on me.”
“Funny. And you still have to wear the blindfold.”
“I didn’t wear one when you brought me here.”
“You were out cold,” he reminded her.
“Was I?” She cocked her head.
Kadir studied her. “I call bullshit. You were out. Now turn around.”
Abandoning her bluff, Abrianna turned. “This is ridiculous,” she complained.
“For a fugitive, you sure do complain a lot,” Kadir said, placing the blindfold over her eyes.
When Kadir moved up behind her, Abrianna picked up the scent of Irish Spring and smiled.
“Can you see anything?”
“No.”
Kadir rolled his eyes. “I don’t know if anyone has ever told you, but you’re a real pain in the ass.”
She smiled. “It may have been mentioned once or twice.”
He shook his head and took her by the hand. “C’mon. Follow me.”
Abrianna raised a brow, surprised not only by his hand’s size but its strength and warmth. Once they were out of the cot room, Abrianna’s buzzing headache returned. But as Kadir led, Abrianna slowly realized that the buzzing sounded more like voices—about four or five of them. However, it was hard for her to focus on just one. When she tried, the buzzing transformed into a pounding migraine. She stopped and tried to regain her bearings.
“Are you all right?” Kadir asked, stopping.
She nodded, but her knees folded.
Kadir launched into action and caught her. “It’s okay. I got you.”
She curled and laid her head against his Irish Spring− scented chest.
“Let’s go back.”
“No,” she panted.
Abrianna tuned her ears so that she picked up every sound around her. It wasn’t much to go on. Kadir and Ghost’s booted feet treaded most of the way on concrete, but the twists and turns and strange echoes left her confused. Before she knew it, she heard hinges creaking and she was being settled onto some thick carpeting. It must be the van.
“Can I take this off now?” She reached to remove the blindfold but was stunned and surprised when her hand was swatted away.
“No. Not yet. Lie down,” Kadir instructed.
Before she could complain or question the order, she felt the van dip as Kadir climbed in next to her.
“There is a blanket to your right, man,” Ghost informed his buddy. “Y’all get under that and stay low.”
He slammed the door shut.
“Lie down,” Kadir repeated.
Abrianna followed his instructions but was immediately assaulted with the stench of motor oil and cigarettes. The scent clung to the van’s carpet fibers. “Oh my God. I think that I’m going to gag.”
“Hold it in until we get to where we are going,” he warned. Next, he covered her with what had to be the hardest, scratchiest blanket ever made. Up front, Ghost climbed in behind the wheel.
“Are you guys comfortable back there?” he asked.
“We’re getting there,” Kadir responded, twisting his body so that he lay chest-to-chest with Abrianna.
All thoughts of cigarettes and motor oil flew out of her head. The only thing that surrounded her now was the fresh scent of Irish Spring.
“Are you good?” he asked, whispering.
“Yeah. I’m cool.”
Ghost started the van, turned on the radio, and pulled off.
“Now can I take this off?” she asked again.
Kadir hushed her. “Keep your voice down.”
Abrianna pulled the blindfold from her eyes, but she still saw nothing.
Ghost drove over what seemed like an endless bed of gravel. Their bodies jostled and rubbed against one another while neither of them spoke.
For Abrianna, it was because she couldn’t think of anything to say. Their bodies jostling short-circuited her ability to make small talk.
“Nervous?” Kadir asked.
“No,” she lied. “I’m more anxious than anything,” she added as a cover. “I just want to put this whole thing behind me.
“Hmmm. That makes two of us.”
Finally, the van drove off the gravel and onto smooth pavement.
“Do you have any idea where you want to try to go after all of this?” Kadir asked.
“If I had my way, I would leave the country.”
“Oh?”
She nodded, forgetting that he couldn’t see her. “I always wanted to go to France. Live on the Riviera.”
He chuckled, his chest rubbing hers briefly. “So you are a romantic. You had me fooled.”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“Oh. I don’t know. Our brief history together, I sort of had you pegged as a wham-bam-thank-you-sir type of chick.”
Abrianna wanted to say something slick back but couldn’t. “I guess you would think that.”
“Look. I’m sorry. That was completely uncalled for.”
“It’s okay,” she said, “I’m used to people judging.”
“That’s not what—”
“Hey, guys. Keep it down back there,” Ghost reprimanded them.
A few minutes later, her eyes made out his outline in the darkness.
Ghost spoke up again. “Hold on, guys. Looks like we have a roadblock up here.”
Immediately, Kadir and Abrianna held their breaths and then strained their ears to listen as Ghost lowered the volume on the radio.
“Afternoon, officer,” Ghost greeted.
“License and registration,” a voice barked into the van.
“Yes, sir.”
“Make sure that you keep your hands up where I can see them,” the cop instructed.
“Yes, sir.” Ghost’s voice tightened.
The van went silent.
“Where are you coming from?” the officer inquired.
“Just getting off work,” Ghost lied. “Pulled a double down at the hospital.”
“Is that right? Are you a doctor or something?”
“Nah. Nothing that glamorous. I’m just the janitor,” Ghost informed him.
Abrianna tuned into the conversation and effortlessly picked up Ghost’s thoughts.
This muthafucka is working my nerves.
She smiled.
“So where are you headed?”
“Virginia. Going to see the fiancée.”
“Is there anyone else in the vehicle with you?”
“No, sir. It’s just me.”
Silence stretched between the men. But Ghost chanted in his head, Don’t look in the van. Don’t look in the van.
“Well. All right. You have a good night.”
“Yes, sir, officer. You do the same.”
Ghost shifted the van into drive and they were off.
Kadir huffed out a long breath that warmed Abrianna’s face and rustled a few strands of hair.
“Yo, man. It’s crazy out here,” Ghost said, driving. “I wish that y’all could see this shit out here. The whole damn city is crawling with pigs.”
Ghost’s commentary did nothing to settle Abrianna’s nerves.
Kadir clearly felt the same way because ten minutes later he pulled the blanket down off of his head. “Yo, man. Do you mind? It’s nerve-wracking enough back here.”
“Sorry, man. But it ain’t a picnic up here either. I’m starting to see prison bars in my future. Your ass is going to owe me big time for this.”
“You already made that clear—several times.” Kadir lay back down and pulled the blanket back over their heads. “Are you still good?”
“Yeah. I’m fine,” Abrianna said.
“Shit, man. We got another roadblock,” Ghost announced.
Abrianna cursed herself. This really was a bad idea. Her hardheaded insistence was likely going to land them all in jail. She could’ve waited a little longer. What was the rush?
Luckily, the second checkpoint went the same way as the first. A few irritating questions, nervous chanting in Ghost’s head, and then they were off again.
“This has to be like the longest car ride of my life,” Kadir grumbled.
“That makes for the two of us.”
Things didn’t play out the same way when Ghost rolled up to the third roadblock.
“License and registration,” a cop barked into the van.
“Man, they have they roadblocks all over the place.” Ghost complained, attempting humor but sounding annoyed.
“Step out of the vehicle, sir,” the cop ordered.
Abrianna’s heart stopped. “What’s happening?”
A tense Kadir shushed her so that he could listen.
“Why do I need to step out?” Ghost asked.
“Sir, step out of the vehicle,” the cop repeated—louder.
What the fuck do I do now? Ghost thought.
Abrianna closed her eyes and thought, Just step out of the car and play it cool.
Sighing, Ghost opened the van door and stepped out.
“Oooh. This is not good.” Kadir inched away from Abrianna.
“Stay still,” she hissed.
Outside the van, an angry Ghost’s voice was unmistakable, but they couldn’t hear exactly what was going on. Abrianna tried to zero in on Ghost’s thoughts—not that she knew exactly how to do that—but even that was impossible.
The wait was excruciating.
Neither she nor Kadir had discussed what to do in this situation. Why was she so damn stubborn? They were all going to be arrested.
“You’re arresting me now?” Ghost yelled. “For what?!”
“Shit.” Kadir pulled the blanket off of his head and crept toward the front of the van.
“What the hell are you doing?” Abrianna hissed after him.
“Shhh.”
Abrianna frowned. The shushing thing wasn’t sitting right with her, but she buttoned up anyway and watched Kadir creep forward while some sort of argument went on outside of the van. The fact that he was able to move without rocking the van impressed her. But, with all the lights swirling through the front windshield, she was certain that at any moment he was going to be spotted and all hell would break loose.
Abrianna waited and watched with bated breath.
By the way Ghost carried on outside, she could tell that he was moving away from the van and was apparently putting up a scuffle.
Kadir dropped in behind the driver’s wheel, shifted the van into drive, and took off.
“Hey!” a voice yelled.
Stunned yet amused, Abrianna laughed as she crawled her way toward the front of the van.
Shots were fired.
Abrianna ducked but continued toward the front passenger seat. “What the hell?”
“What? You wanted to hang around until they opened the van’s doors?” Kadir asked. “I thought that you wanted to get to that madam’s house.”
Police sirens wailed behind them.
“Yes. But I preferred that we do it without the police escort.”
“Now you tell me.”
Abrianna smiled, but then noted that the sirens were drawing closer. “You’re going to have to get on some of the back roads. Cops get nervous for high-speed chases through those—especially here in D.C.”
“You’re reading my mind,” Kadir said.
“No. I wasn’t,” she snapped.
Frowning, he glanced over at her. “It’s just a figure of speech.”
Embarrassed, she dropped her gaze and shrugged. “I know.”
A police car sped up, nearly pulling even on the driver’s side.
“They are going to try a rolling roadblock. We need to get off of this street,” Abrianna said, reaching for her seat belt.
“What? Now you’re buckling up?” Kadir asked.
“Damn right. Ninety percent of police car chases end in crashes.”
“Ninety percent? Where did you get that number from?”
“Made it up,” she admitted. “It sounds true. There! Take that right before they can cut us off.”
Without questioning the order or even slowing down, Kadir hung a sharp right. So sharp that at least one back tire came up off the road while they rocketed head-on toward an approaching car.
The car’s driver laid on his horn while Kadir righted the van and swerved into the correct lane, but not without taking the other car’s side-view mirror.
“Shit. That was close.” Abrianna panted with a hand placed over her heart.
Kadir said nothing as his hands remained locked on the steering wheel. At the next intersection, he took a sudden left and then left again.
The police fell behind, but they were definitely still in hot pursuit.
“You know, you’re getting pretty good at this,” Abrianna said, impressed.
“Yeah. It’s a lot easier when people aren’t shooting at you.”
“I see that.”
They cornered right at the next intersection, but another roadblock was up ahead.
“Shit,” they swore together.
“Hang on.” Kadir slammed on his brakes and jerked the wheel.
Abrianna’s fingers dug into the dashboard as the van whipped around a hundred and eighty degrees, laying fresh black tire tracks in the road.
He slammed onto the accelerator again and took off, heading back toward the racing policing cars.
“Uh, maybe I shouldn’t have complimented you so soon,” she said, staring wide-eyed into the oncoming flashing lights. It was an endless sea of blue and white. “Do you know what you’re doing?”
“We’re about to find out.”
Abrianna’s heart launched its way into her throat, and their dangerous game of suicidal chicken was in full force. They’ll stop. They’ll stop. They’ll stop.
But they weren’t stopping.
This is it. We’re going to die. Abrianna braced for impact. Make them stop. Make them stop. Her entire body grew warm and then hot. The van’s radio came on full blast and the interior lights flickered on and off.
Startled, Kadir’s foot came off the gas pedal as he looked around.
In the next second, the speeding police car directly in front of them kicked up a shit load of smoke as the tires squealed.
Just when the patrol car got within a few feet of their nondescript van, it fishtailed and then spun. The cars speed
ing behind it were all slamming on the brakes and kicking up smoke, but still T-boned the first cop car.
Kadir reached the next intersection and made a hard right. The van swung wide and felt as if it was about to flip over, but at the last moment, it righted itself before speeding away from the train of police cars still slamming and piling on top of one another.
“The fuck,” Kadir said, startled. “Did you see that?”
Abrianna swallowed hard. “I saw it. I just can’t believe it.”
48
“Are you sure that this is the right place?” Kadir asked, looking around the humongous but empty home. “I mean, it’s nice and all . . .”
“No. No. No. This can’t be happening,” Abrianna said, raking her hands through her thick hair, just barely stopping herself from pulling it all out by the roots. She couldn’t reconcile the luxurious and ornate place that she and Shawn had visited just days ago with this vacant shell. It threw everything that she thought she knew into a tailspin. So much so her legs threatened to drop her where she stood. “I need to sit down.”
Kadir turned toward her and saw that she was already halfway down before finishing her announcement. He rushed to help before she crashed to the floor. “Careful,” he said, succeeding in reaching her and aiding her to a soft landing.
“I don’t understand what’s happening,” she whispered as a series of images and a warped timeline comingled inside of her head. Did this mean that Madam Nevaeh really did have something to do with the dead speaker? Had she set her up? How far did all of this go? Zeke? Moses?
“I feel sick,” Abrianna confessed, light-headed.
Kadir glanced around. “Do you know where the bathroom is in this place?”
She did know, but shook her head because she didn’t have the strength to get back up.
“Oh. Okay,” Kadir said. “Usually I’d suggest that you put your head between your legs and take a deep breath.”
Abrianna complied. “You mean like this?”
Conspiracy Page 25