by Chris Green
“That’s not true!” Mariah said on the verge of tears.
“Oh?” Leaning forward, she blew out a mouthful of smoke. “Just look close enough and you will see him. There’s a reason his name is Ghost,” she mouthed as Frost entered the room.
Looking at her daughter, she stood to her feet.
“Don’t kill her, we need all three of them here. I know he’ll come,” she said with a stern tone.
“I won’t.”
Watching Coco walk out of the room, Frost placed a pair of thick gloves over her hand.
“It will only hurt while you’re awake,” she smiled before delivering a hard right fist to Mariah’s jaw.
***
Federal Building
Pryor Street
Making her way into the Federal building, she moved swiftly through the metal detectors and headed to her superior’s office. Instead of knocking she entered while he was in a conversation on the phone.
Looking at her with an awkward expression, he ended the call. “Something just came up, I’ll have to give you a call back.”
Hanging up, he removed his glasses, “Where is Rivers?”
“He’s situated, sir. I have it under control.”
“You left a Federal informant who’s under the protection by the DEA alone? Myers, what the hell is wrong with you?” he shouted standing to his feet.
“Sir, there may be more to this story than we can see and I think I can crack this case within the next forty-eight hours on the Ramirez family.”
“And we’ve already discovered that way, Myers. By using the Rivers family. You’ve done enough and it’s a job well done but making any other action could cause us to lose it all in one,” McKenny stated.
“Sir, I’m not here to be disputatious. What if I can prove to you that Chance Grey isn’t dead?” she asked folding her arms.
“Then I would ask you how in the hell you would figure something like that?”
Pulling out the copy of Frost’s birth certificate, she placed it in his face. “This is the hospital’s copy of Franchesca Ramirez’s birth document the day she was born.”
“Okay and what does this prove?”
“The original copy had a signature of Eva Ramirez as her mother. Look at what it says on the clinic’s copy.”
Placing on his glasses he stared at the name. “And?”
Pulling another piece of paper from her pocket she sat it in front of him.
“What is this?”
“The last ten locations of this woman’s whereabouts who’s listed as her real mother.”
“Myers what significance does this hold to say that Chance Grey is still alive?”
Flipping the paper over on the opposite side, she showed him the same locations.
“Myers, this is all the same.”
“Exactly, those are the last ten locations that Chance Grey was spotted from our files.”
Reviewing the information again with a close eye, he placed a hand over his mouth.
“She’s following him.”
Flashing a huge smile, Courtney stood up straight with an arrogant expression.
“Let’s say you’re right on this. Why would she be in Atlanta?”
“If I were chasing someone, I would want to be in Atlanta where that person’s daughters are too.”
McKenny agreed with her and crossed his fingers that they were right as a sly smirk crossed his face.
“Give em forty eight hours and I’ll have a warrant.”
Opening the door to leave, he stopped her.
“Myers! Wait for my call. I can see the look in your eyes. Follow protocol and watch Rivers until you hear from me.” McKenny authorized.
“If you know me so well, you shouldn’t have to say anything, sir,” Courtney replied before leaving out.
If things went according to this plan, everything that she plotted would fall directly into place.
Chapter 18
“I get what you’re saying Laylah, but we can’t just run around murdering innocent people in order to find her. We need a plan and that starts with getting information on where these people are, first,” Stone said trying to ease her tension.
“You don’t understand. My mom and stepmother are not going to accept anything less from me. I was raised on handling situations like this. I have to find her before they take matters into their own hands,” Laylah stressed, sounding more nervous than anything.
“Laylah, what could they possibly expect out of you? You’re only one person. You can’t take on the world by yourself,” Reeses said standing up.
Shaking her head, “You really don’t understand the veracity of this problem,” she mouthed.
“I understand that they have high expectations of you, but guess what? You’re not with them right now, Laylah. You’re with me and we’re family. The way I was raised, family looks out for each other, no matter what. Me and Stone are going to be beside you until your sister walks back through that door. Then we’re gonna get the fuck out of here. So, I need you to cheer up because everything is going to be okay. We can’t win if we’re thinking with madness and pain,” Reeses reasoned while grabbing ahold of Laylah’s hand.
“Okay,” Laylah mumbled, as she tried to contain her burning anger.
“Where is the ring I gave you? You haven’t been acting like yourself since you stopped wearing it,” Reeses asked, making a joke to lighten the mood.
“I’m just not a big fan of jewelry. Mariah has it on.”
As Stone typed on the laptop, his mind flashed back as if he was experiencing a case of de ja vu.
As a sudden feeling of nausea rushed through her system, Reeses puked violently on the floor.
“Are you okay?” Laylah asked, as Stone jumped out of the chair.
Holding her hand up, she nodded.
“My stomach has been hurting since last night. I think it was something I ate.”
“We probably need to get you to a doctor,” Stone suggested with a worried expression.
“I’m fine, I just need a little water.”
After retrieving her request, he looked at Laylah. “The ring that Reeses gave you? Are you sure that Mariah has it on?”
“I think so, why?” she asked.
Moving quickly towards his duffel bag, Stone quickly unzipped it and began to scan through its contents. Flipping the entire bag over, he rambled in his belongings until he found Justin’s Iphone.
“This is why,” he said holding the phone in the air as if it answered all their questions.
As both of them looked at him with a confused expression, Stone began to break things down.
“When I first started working for Reeses, I placed a microscopic device on that ring. I connected it to Justin’s Iphone in case of critical situations like these. That’s how I was able to find you in the Virgin Islands.”
“So you can basically track where she is?” Reeses asked, feeling a little hope.
“If she has it on, yes! I’m gonna connect it to the laptop and it should tell us the exact spot she’s located,” he replied, springing into action.
Praying to herself Laylah hoped that they could receive an answer for Mariah. Protecting her sister was a mission she was born for. Regardless of what Reeses and Stone felt, her heart and skills were big enough to take on the world and plenty more when it came to Mariah. All she needed was an address.
Typing quickly on the computer, Stone tried his best to connect the phone’s Find Me app. His anger was starting to rise as he fumbled with the cell numerous times. Just as his frustration was about to make him give in, the information he desperately needed flashed across the screen.
“I got it!”
Jumping to their feet Laylah and Reeses eyes roamed curiously.
“She’s in Macon Georgia,” he said looking up at them.
***
Virgin Islands
Walking swiftly through the elegant home, Tiffany headed into her master bedroom. Stepping inside her enormous closet, h
er light green eyes moved around until she found what she was searching for. Pulling the medium sized box from the shelf, she opened it and began to flip through the stack of passports. After finding the correct one she moved down to the titanium safe that sat in her closet wall. After entering the code, she opened the steel door and removed two navy blue Glock 23 handguns. Checking the chambers, she closed the safe and maneuvered to her bed.
Even after sixteen years Tiffany’s beauty was still like no other. Her body was still magnificent and tight like the body of a twenty year old. Her long hair now hung past the small of her back and her ambition to be the queen of all the islands was at its peak.
Placing her hair into a ponytail, she pulled a black GA Pro bulletproof vest from under her mattress. Sitting it on the side of the bed, she made her way back through the hallway.
“I’m going to Atlanta,” she said to the man who was walking up the steps.
“What’s wrong?” Michael asked seeing the trouble in her face.
“Laylah and Mariah,” Tiffany replied dryly.
Hearing his granddaughters' name, his heart started racing as he closed his eyes.
“Please tell me they’re okay?”
Instead of giving an answer that she wasn’t sure of, she kept it simple. “They need us.”
Moving past him down the stairs, Tiffany made her way out to the large backyard. Before opening the glass door she stepped out and spotted Erica. Her silky hair was blowing with the breeze as she stood in the grass watching the waves form on the gigantic beach that sat behind their home.
After closing the distance between them, Tiffany walked up to Erica and greeted her with a kiss.
“We have to go,” she said with a straight face.
Looking at her with a raised eyebrow, Erica turned to face her.
“What’s going on? What do you mean we have to go?”
“Our daughters need us.”
Erica shook her head with disapproval, she folded her arms and a frown wrinkled her beautiful face. “I told you I didn’t want them going up there. This job was too dangerous for them. Didn’t I tell you that?” she questioned through clenched teeth.
Lowering her gaze, Tiffany stood in silence not wanting to add more fuel to the fire.
“Are my daughters okay?” Erica asked placing a finger under Tiffany’s chin to lift her head.
“We need to go,” Tiffany repeated staring into her brown eyes.
Picking up her grey Gucci pumps out of the grass, she eyed Tiffany with fire dancing in her pupils.
“I’ll deal with you when we come back. Let’s go,” she stated heading for the house.
During the sixteen years she had been away, she changed. The soft spoken woman who everyone remembered as Erica, no longer lived inside of her. The power struck mind frame she developed was enforced from Jamaica, St Croix, St Thomas to the Virgin Islands. Her temper could rise in a second and the murder rate was rising daily from the orders she issued. After losing Bernard and Ghost to the world, she vowed to herself that God himself wouldn’t be able to touch another member of her family. That was a promise that she was willing to enforce by any means necessary.
***
Macon Georgia
7:30pm
After watching the black Maserati pull inside the gated home, Courtney wasted no time stepping out of her vehicle. Dressed in black, she headed to the bushes that sat on the side of the humongous house.
All she needed to do was get close enough to snap a picture of Eva or Frost, in order to have the warrant signed by the judge immediately. Valuable time was being wasted and in order for the plan she’d devised to push through, the Ramirez family would have to fall.
Looking at the nine foot wall in front of her, she jumped and grabbed the ledge. Courtney lifted her head slightly and stared at the secluded section of the home. Taking her chances, she lifted herself up and leaped over. Pushing her back against the side of the home she peeped around the corner and saw the guards who patrolled around the perimeter. Spotting the black Maserati, her heart began to race as Eva climbed out of the passenger seat.
Snatching her camera from the hip, she quickly snapped four pictures of the notorious queen pin. Looking at the woman who got out on the driver’s side, she paused. Her face was familiar but she knew if you were in the same vehicle with Eva Ramirez than she had to be someone important. Placing the camera on her she took a few pictures before they disappeared into the entrance of the home.
Viewing the pictures on her small Sony screen, she never spotted the Spanish guard approaching her from behind.
“Can I help you?” he asked with folded arms.
Turning around, she didn’t hesitate to send a vicious kick to his groin. Watching him kneel over in pain she landed a punch directly to the center of his nose. As Courtney prepared herself to jump back over the wall a pair of strong hands grabbed her and slammed her to the ground. Pulling the cuffs off her waist, he placed them on her wrist as she struggled to break free.
“Feisty chica!” the guard smiled lifting her up.
“Get the fuck off me!” she screamed, kicking her feet wildly.
As the first henchmen regain the feeling back in his nuts, he stood to his feet and backhanded Courtney viciously. Grabbing her by the hair, they walked her around the corner and headed to the front of the home.
***
“Ma’am, de hace a problemas,” a guard stated stepping into the living area interrupting Eva and Coco’s conversation.
Standing to her feet Eva watched as the two men walked in pushing Courtney to the floor.
As she looked up into Eva’s eyes, Courtney couldn’t help but grow nervous. Eva’s menacing gaze felt as if she would burn a hole straight through the center of Courtney’s head.
“Who are you?” she asked as the entire room stood back in silence.
Not wanting to expose her hand, Courtney remained quiet.
“You have to be someone if you’re standing in my living room. Where did she come from?” Eva asked turning her attention to one of the guards.
“I caught her on the side of the house taking pictures with this camera,” he stated while passing it to Eva, “After I confronted her, she attacked me and tried to leap over the wall like a ninja or something,” he added while holding his bloody nose.
Raising her hand to silence him, Eva viewed the photos with a disturbed expression. Glaring at Courtney, she took her seat and sparked a cigarette.
“She’s a fucking cop,” Eva said in a calm tone.
Removing their pistols quickly, she stopped them before anyone could place a bullet in the back of her head.
“I want to know why you’re on my property taking pictures. Obviously you’re here for a reason I presume.”
Courtney knew that moving alone was officially the biggest mistake she could have ever made. There was no way to call in for back up and her life was now on the line. The guards looked as if they were anxious to take care of her with brutal punishment and she saw no way to get herself out of the turmoil that was presenting itself.
“You snuck on private property, assaulted my guard and now you sit in front of me with nothing to say.”
“If you harm me in any type of way, this entire place will be seized and everyone who stands with you will be arrested within the next forty eight hours,” she replied, hoping to cause a little nervousness with the comment.
“Thank you for the heads up. Take her upstairs with the other one,” Eva commanded with a nonchalant expression.
Grabbing Courtney by the hair, a guard pulled her towards the steps. Dragging her to the top he walked into a room and placed her in a chair. After slapping a piece of tape on her mouth he began to tie her to the seat.
“Behave yourself or you will die quicker than expected,” he said before walking out.
Shrinking in fear of his words she stared at the woman in the chair across from her. Her face was severely swollen and by the way her head dangled you could tell that she was
unconscious.
Tapping her feet to see if the girl would move didn’t get any reaction. The handcuffs on her wrist were starting to bite and there was no way for her to climb out of the shitty situation. All she could do was wait and see what the devilish woman had planned for her.
Chapter 18
10:30pm
Spotting the black Maserati pulling out of the parking lot, Stone and Laylah prepared themselves for the task that was at hand.
“Sue, are you ready?” Reeses asked through the earpiece.
“I told you the first time, I got it. This uniform starting to itch my ass,” she replied loudly.
Shaking her head, Reeses looked at Stone.
“Are you sure you want this bitch to be the one doing this?”
“We don’t have a choice,” he responded while watching Sue pull up to the gate.
“Now!” Laylah said stepping out of the vehicle with her guns tucked inside her holster. Grabbing his AR-15 assault rifle, he jumped out of the car directly behind her.
***
Pulling the car in front of the huge gate, Sue watched as the man walked to her passenger side window with a odd expression on his face. She rolled down the window, the man lowered his head.
“Can I help you?” he asked with a thick Spanish tone.
“I deliver a plate for Ms. Ramirez. She order spicy chicken, four eggrolls, one shrimp rice”
Waving his hand as if he wanted her to shut up, he buzzed the gate giving her access to go in. Before he could straighten his back, Laylah plunged her hand held hunting knife into his throat twice. Seeing the life exit his body, she pulled her Glock from its holster and entered the driveway with Stone behind her.
Tapping the infer-red beam on the side of his weapon, he released four loud shots that eliminated the two guards who moved towards them.
Boc! Boc! Boc! Boc!
