Doc (01)-Chapter 4

[Read Chapter 1 here]

[Read Chapter 2 here]

[Read Chapter 3 here]

CHAPTER 4

I felt out of place as I descended the flight of stairs of the Warren in my combat boots, green camouflage sweat pants, and fitted grey camisole. I did not plan to stay long or go anywhere that required me to wear better clothes. But the funny thing about going to The Warren or anywhere with G when you arrive, leaving is the last thing you want to do.

 

I plopped down next to Rochelle and avoided the brown eyes across from me. Everyone else was significantly better dressed than me. People with plans, I guessed.

G slid the manila envelopes to us one by one. When everyone had received theirs I picked up mine and weighed it in my hand before slipping it into my pant pocket.

“So. Mikki. Where are you going dressed like that?” Rochelle asked slowly.

“Movies with Kay.” I answered with disinterest.

“You dating him man?” G asked curiously.

I scoffed “No.”

Then Lex joined the inquisition “Does his fiancée know?” She raised her eyebrows when I shrugged.

“Mikki loving an engaged man?” Ray exclaimed. Across from me Seth’s jaw dropped in faux surprised.

“Yuh dirty.” G shook his head. These people were unbelievable!

“I am not!” I said exasperatedly. I put my head on the table. I knew that there was nothing more to say once they got any ideas into their heads. “Don’t you have dates?”

Everyone checked their watches, I smiled satisfactorily.

“Ghos, I gone.” Seth said as he stood.

“I wonder what woman he have waiting for him.” I teased.

Lex nodded “Is always a woman.”

“Doe worry it will good for them.” I laughed

His face tensed. “All you would know wii.”

But of course “Have fun.” I said sarcastically.

He sucked his teeth “I will.”

“Yea I gone too.” Naj got up and followed Seth out.

“All who have plans just go.” G dismissed them testily.

After five minutes the only ones left at the table were G, Trick and I. I looked over at G and grimaced. I wonder how far she had gotten.

“Watch.” I said calmly.

G looked at his bare wrist “Dammit, Lex!” he ran to the exit to retrieve his watch. Her pickpocket skills were getting better.

I looked over to Trick, his long legs knocked against my chair he was about Ray’s height but his clothing choice made him look shorter than he actually was. His skin tone was too dark to be called russet but it was close, he scowled almost as much as Naj and it was causing a crease between his eyebrows when he relaxed his face. I think of all my friends he had the sharpest tongue, it was probably the reason we did not talk much. I was never a big fan of giving shame to people who I could not take it from.

“I know she didn’t take anything from you. But don’t you have some sort of girlfriend?” I picked up a nacho covered chip and popped it into my mouth.

“Yep. She meeting me here.” Trick followed my example and grabbed some chips. “What about you?”

“Oh I lied.” Absentmindedly, I picked up G’s drink and took a sip. I coughed as the bitter alcohol hit my tongue. “Ack!”

“Serve you right.” G returned with his watch and took his seat. “Trick, your woman by the bar.”

We gazed at each other for a little while before I spoke. “Did you know Trick has a girlfriend?”

G rolled his eyes and did not bother to answer me; instead he began to hum one of his favorite songs.

I sat and reminisced about the first time I heard the song as G scanned the crowds for someone to occupy his time.

I could practically feel Jack Frost nipping at my nose as the frigid cold descended around me. I had anxiously rushed into the church where the warm air embraced me like an old friend, one I had not seen in ages. It was the last job I did by myself. I could feel the bubbly ambiance that filled the room, as elated faces hovered around me, suffocating me with their unbridled joy. However the wedding was taking an unusually long time to begin and that left an uneasy feeling of discontent.

My eyes took in the pure white scene before me. It was like the far reaching hand that laid the blanket of unsoiled white snow outside the church had extended its fingers to bleach every decoration. The pillars were festooned with white garlands and small bouquets of white roses hung all over the church in a way that left me mesmerized and almost overwhelmed by it all. I was afraid to touch the ornaments lest they be dirtied somehow by the uncleanness of my soul. But where was the bridal party?

The flautist had begun to play in order to appease the restless congregation; the rest of the orchestra took up their instruments and began to play a slow melancholy song. It eerily filled the church with inexplicable familiarity; I subconsciously began to hum along to quell the growing sense of panic. Soon the sounds of my hyperventilating blocked out the music, but nothing could block out the high pitched shrill like scream that echoed through the church. It was like having someone put a full stop at the end of an unfinished work because it left non-understandable nothingness.

I turned to the entrance where the bride had collapsed, a large butcher’s knife protruded from her lifeless body. Her blood stained the white a lethal red as it seeped out. I exhaled calmly as I watched the people converge on her like a tidal wave on a pitifully unprotected beach. In the dark shadow cast by the large church doors I could vaguely make out a stout figure. So G had gotten to her before I could.

I exited the church whistling “Pack up Your Troubles” I followed him into the eerily comforting woods and never looked backed. I would later learn the orchestra’s song to be his favorite. In truth I doubt I would have survived much longer in that business without him. I might have been a predator but I belonged in a pack and I was lucky to have found one.

A sharp pinch on my forearm brought me out of my reverie. Before I could complain G pointed to the flat screen TV that hung on the wall above the bar. The view the screen panned a wood paneled room lit with natural light. G did not bother raise the volume because we could both read lips.

I ground my teeth in mute frustration as the facts played out in my head. What: Robbery; who: unknown; when: shortly after Lex and I left; where: the art gallery why: unknown; how: unknown. That was too many unknowns. G and I exchanged a long glance that made it clear we were both on the same page. Before I could suggest we go to the closed booth G suddenly looked away from me. I followed his gaze to a young and familiar looking girl. If it was anyone else I would have chastised them but it was G and I made allowances for G because he was G.

“Go, I got this.” I sighed as I stared at the ceiling with a stubborn pout.

“Nah, I can just cancel.”

I glared at him for a short moment. “No. I said go so be gone with you!”

He sucked his teeth “I’ll just stay longer.”  We glared at each other for another moment and I was afraid he would win again and I would start to smile. Luckily, for once I won out and he got up.

“Tell her I said hi.” G raised his eye brows at the sincerity of my voice. I really did mean it; there was no hostility, sarcasm or that I-don’t-really-care-but-if-you-don’t-you’ll-never-hear-the-end-of-it tone. I liked her, she was nice.

There was no point in having him stay, a short call confirmed that the art collectors would be employing a different company. There was that there were not many groups that specialized in everything the way that we did, and fewer people who, in our world that covertly organized Temp Agencies. For the inexperienced it was hard to procure work or service so loner mercenaries allied themselves (in the shallowest sense of the word) with liaisons who acted as referrers. They then sold their information to the client whose needs fit the mercenary’s specific skill. Several liaisons worked out of this general area and only one was likely to be handling such a group if at all. And if the latter was the case he would at least have some ideas, although he would need some coercing.

I left the club and shadow walked through the parking lot until I came up to the FBI van. I picked the lock and pulled the door open and allowed the musty air to rush out of the back van. Three surprised agents turned towards the door to see their subject of surveillance climb into their van.

I leaned against one of the numerous screens in the tiny van “I have a proposition for you gentlemen.”

“Uh, ma’am we’ll have to ask you to leave.” The eldest man here spoke up, clearly he was flustered and did not know what to make of the situation.

“Shush, I’m talking.” It was imperative that I retain control, give them no opportunity to oppose me but always have an escape route. “You have been following me for what two, three weeks? None of your bugs ever stay for long or pick up anything of use. How long can the bureau afford to keep this operation alive?” Their eyes evaded my comfortable gaze. “How about you just tell me what you want.” There was silence, and eyes flicked towards handcuffs and guns, an unnoticeable anxiety began to come over, luckily my phone beeped just in time.

“Hold that thought.” Before I had confronted the FBI I had told Trick what I was up to. As soon as I had stepped into the van he had begun to hack into the FBI network from his phone and had sent me the case file. “O.K. So you got a tip about a major money laundering ring being operated out from this club. Some anomalies in the accounts, that’s a pretty big number to estimate. Seems like some accurate information.” They had the correct information but the wrong conclusion. I am going to kill Riley.

“Are you confirming that what is here is true?” The newest agent was the first to ask a valuable question. Although, I doubted that he would have processed everything that was happening, he had skipped past several layers of confusion quite quickly.

“I like you, you’re smart, Agent……” I scrolled trough the case file for the picture that matched that boyish face. “Martin. But if I was this aware that you were following do you honestly believe I would lead you straight to the center of my operations, if I had one?” I smiled slyly I stood up and moved closer to Agent Martin although neither combat boots, camisoles, nor camouflage pants were ideal for the femme fatale routine I would have to try anyway. I ran my hand under the desk until I found the main switch and shut down everything.

“Now that we’re alone and all the cards are on the table I can give you my proposition.”

“Actually, only our cards are on the table.” Martin interjected.

“You just keep interrupting me now don’t you?” I leaned in closer to him so he could feel the words that I spoke slowly. “If we’re getting rid of euphemisms then this is not a proposition, it’s an ultimatum.” I straightened myself slowly while maintaining eye contact. “I am going to give you what you want, one major money laundering ring and all you have to do is loan me you’re services.”

“We’re not guns for hire.” Supervisory Agent Philips stood up to protest. “I am going to-“

“Yes, yes Supervisory Agent Phillips you’re not going to risk your careers and work with a suspect even though it will result in the biggest bust you will ever see.” My eyes through daggers to him, he was nothing but a nuisance now that I had chosen my mark. “You can either work with me or you can continue to sit in the van for 10 hours a night waiting for information that does not exist.”

“Or we can arrest you.” Agent Martin stood in the small aisle, he somehow managed to look down at me in the small space.

I stepped up to him, daring him to cuff me “For what? Confronting a group of strange men trespassing on my club. Who did not identify themselves as members of the FBI? Sounds like a career killer.” I stepped forward once more and looked at him directly in the eye. “Agent you can either make or break your career and all you have to do is meet at this address in about an hour.” I slipped a card into his shirt breast pocket and smiled. “You can bring your people if you wish but only you come inside.”

I stepped away from him and backed out the door, dropping out of the van and disappearing into the night.

 

I dropped my pair of heels in the foyer and gave myself once over in the mirror, near the front door. The femme fatale routine was one of my favorite but the clothes were a bit against my personal code. I pulled uncomfortably at the dark green form fitting dress that reach mid-thigh and the black patterned stocking which clung seductively to my skin. I wrapped my navy blue scarf around my neck and let the loops fall to partly conceal the V-neck. Lex had once attempted to teach me how to apply the forest green lipstick and black lip-liner but I had not been paying much attention.

The bell rang twice and I leaned over and open the door. Agent Martin stood on the doorstep and sized me up apprehensively. I pulled him forward with so much force that I had to use my other hand to stop him from slamming into me. Neither of us moved for a moment whilst my hand slid down his torso. Agent Martin seemed to forget himself for a moment and leaned towards my rose and orange blossom perfume.

“No large and obvious wires. I’m impressed.” I pulled away from him, he was still wearing his suit but had ditched the jacket. “But you’re dressed all wrong for where we’re going.”

“What is this deal that you are offering us?” He recovered himself and stepped farther into the safe house that would most likely be put up for sale after this escapade.

“I need a certain bit of information from an uncooperative associate. He operates his money laundering ring out of a night club and if you play along I’ll leave you in contact with him. If you don’t we both die.”

I walked over to a blue button on the wall, as I expected he flinched in pain whilst his hand subconsciously flew to his forearm as if to suppress the pain. I pressed the button again and he ripped the transmitter off his body.

“If you had worn this into the club, you would be being tortured and questioned right this moment until you told them what they wanted to hear. Then they’d torture you some more, just for the fun of it, kill you and leave your corpse somewhere for a mother and child to find.” I looked calmly at him, letting it sink in “If, you are going to do this, then you do it my way and by my rules. You want evidence find a non-transmitting device, but not on this sting. This one is off the books.”

I took his silence as acceptance and motioned for him to follow me into the next room. Although the clothes in the closets had been chosen for Trick, I was able to find a suit that did not scream federal employee that would fit Agent Martin.

I stared blankly at the mirror as Agent Martin changed, although he was an asset… for now, he was not one so much that I was about to leave him alone for a minute.

“You do realize,” I turned to him, speaking softly, and lazily, “that if you ask him about me after I leave he will become suspicious and kill you?”

Agent Martin’s head snapped up as if I had been reading his exact thoughts, but he did not turn to face me. “Who is this him, he seems awfully anxious to kill me.”

“You’ll see when we get there but the people I operate with, they know better than to ask questions about the past, present or the future, or anything about me which I have not provided myself.”

Agent Martin turned towards me with raised eyebrows and questions in his countenance. I surveyed my handiwork. Martin looked decent in the grey jeans, blue shirt and black leather jacket. He looked good enough, nothing exceptional, nothing that would wow anybody or make him stand out in the crowd. This just might work.

 

I had made sure that when we arrived at the over-priced strip club that the FBI knew not to interfere, I did not need a liability in this precarious and haphazard scheme. I tried not to allow myself to worry about the possibilities of disaster as we weaved our way through the crowd. For a newbie Agent Martin did a good job of not looking too lost or overwhelmed. He kept his eyes on me and his expression serious as I had instructed. We moved past the pole dancers and the drunkards, past the guards in disguise and the watchful eyes to the bar.

I locked eyes with the bartender, climbed onto a bar stool and whispered “I’d like a Kingpin special order.”

He did not react, or even look up from the glasses he was shining “What name should I put on that order?”

“The Lady with the Black Patterned Stockings.” I smiled and watched him disappear into a backroom.

I turned in time to see a large man in a dark suit materialize from the crowd. He locked eyes with me and then motioned for us to come with him. Agent Martin kept his eyes on me as we moved out of the lower areas of the club and passed the salacious women.

Kingpin, as G had instructed me to refer to him, sat arms outstretched on a love seat in a sectioned off corner of the club. Unlike us, he enjoyed showing off his dominance, flaunting his power. The large guards stationed around the red velvet rope, the expensive furniture and rugs, the array of alcoholic drinks, and the group of well-dressed and most likely paid women who surrounded him all set out a message. He was the biggest, baddest, most powerful shark in this pond.

His chin was sharp and framed by the anchor type beard, groomed to perfection. His tanned fingers were adorned with an array of garish rings and a large diamond sat comfortably in his earlobe.

Kingpin flashed his whitened teeth and sharped canines at me as he prepared for another chance to flaunt himself to me. He rose to give me a hug.

“My Lady, it has been too long, but this is not your usual Gentleman.”

“Kingpin, these are different circumstances.” I breathed as soon as he released me, my eyes flashing to Agent Martin and back to him.

He bared his teeth again and motioned for us to take a seat.

I sat down and crossed my legs, allowing the fabric to recced further. “Kingpin this is my associate Marcus,” I placed my hand on his knee.

“Any business partner of My Lady is an interest of mind.” Kingpin let his greed show as he shook hands with Agent Martin.

“Associate. He is looking for someone to handle his finances. Someone reliable, someone with connection; someone who knows what he’s doing. Someone like you.” I wined and dined his ego. “As you are well aware, I am not capable of such a feat, so I referred him to you, who is of course, more than capable.” I smiled at him, watching him bask in my commendation.

“You are right of course.” He exposed his teeth for a moment before turning the full force of his scrutiny towards me. “But, we both know there are no such things as free gifts in this business.”

“All in due time. Before I ask for my reward you should hear what Marcus has to say.” I brushed a stray braid from my hair and angled my chin towards Kingpin.

Kingpin gestured impatiently for Martin to speak. If what Martin said interested him then he would do anything to keep this new asset from offering me any new business, if it did not then we would be abruptly escorted out of the club.

“Half a million.” Martin said as he sipped his bourbon.

Kingpin laughed haughtily “That’s it?” He pointed towards me still showing his teeth “You have brought me beggars worth more than that.”

I did not respond nor change my observant countenance; I merely looked once again at Agent Martin.

“You misunderstand me,” Agent Martin set down his glass, leaned back and placed his right leg over his left “I mean that I will invest half a million in the trial run. If it pleases me then we will increase the amount.”

Kingpin sobered up immediately. “Increase by how much?”

“Depends how favorable the result.”

“Boys, boys, let’s not discuss business in front of women, or at least wait until this woman has her business settled.” I smiled, pleased by the direction this was going. “Are you interested Kingpin?”

He smiled, and I swallowed hard as I struggled to keep my business composure. This was the do or die moment.

“I am intrigued.” His satanic smile did not disappear.

“Pleasure.” I rose and walked over to his love seat. Immediately one of his concubines rose and took my last seat next to Agent Martin. “Don’t get too comfortable.” I breathed as I lowered myself next to Kingpin.

I placed my hand on his silk covered forearm, I whispered to him, holding my emerald lips inches from his ear. “I need to know who has been messing with my business.”

He chuckled, his frame shaking “I had been wondering when you would come to enquire about that. Candy, why don’t you show Marcus the bar.”

Everyone, got up and left the king’s court. When we were alone, I slid my arm down to his palms.

“So you do know?” I struggled to keep my voice calm and wispy.

When we had taken over this area all the competition was eradicated. Kingpin liked to believe that he had survived the exodus because he was too powerful for us. In reality it was because G had decided that we needed someone whom our enemies would go to, someone who we knew and could keep an easy eye on.

“I didn’t want to be involved.” His tone indicated that he was not chosen to be involved. “I guess they knew about your occasional visits.”

“But what would they want with someone of your capabilities?”

“Nothing. The news is that all contractors and refers were bypassed, but all the best and most ruthless have disappeared off the job list… and then all your jobs start to go wrong.”

I slid my hand off his and onto his thigh, I leaned in once more and spoke slowly, “Do you know who has been taking your people.”

He curled his lip a little bit. “No one does. But this is coming from very high up the grapevine. I am talking about heads of countries, people with unlimited power and invisibility. Someone is gunning for your little go-lucky clan.”

“Nothing we can’t handle.” I assured him.

“I don’t know honey. You might want to jump ship before you sink, these people are invisible and strong.” He pulled me closer to him by wrapping his arm around my waist. “There are always spots opened for you.” He somehow managed to grab at me with the same hand.

I grabbed his arm, digging into the skin and forcefully removed it from around me. “I have not jumped ship yet.”

“Yet.” He laughed maliciously.

“It’s been a pleasure Kingpin.” I said stiffly as I rose to leave.

“I look forward to our next meeting.” He exposed his teeth. I flung a contact card for “Marcus” and departed to find Agent Martin.