by D.L. Cox
Simon cut in, “I don’t need her to tell you anything. She will lead me to whoever hired her. Just stay out of my way.”
Thomas smiled. “We got it.” He threw his arm around Marcus’ shoulder and asked him, “Don’t we.”
“Yes Sir,” Marcus answered.
Tracy told Thomas, “You can see your way out.”
Stacy watched Thomas and Marcus leave and then asked Simon, “Do you believe them?”
“Yeah,” Simon nodded. “I believe they didn’t know that she was hitting our people, but I don’t believe the son will stay out of it.”
***
Ben was in a room on the fourth floor of Simon’s building. It was known as the concentration room. There was no furniture and the room was lit by candles that were mounted on the walls. Ben sat on the middle of the floor Indian-style, completely naked surrounded by a circle of fire with four-foot high flames that appeared to be coming out the floor. Two headless chickens lay in front of him and his face and chest were covered with the chickens’ blood. His eyes were closed and he mumbled something unintelligible. The entire scene screamed satanic ritual. Simon walked in the room carrying a photo of Sheba printed from the conference room footage.
Ben opened his eyes and the circle of fire slowly withered away. He climbed to one knee and bowed to Simon. “Is there something you want me to do?”
“Yes,” Simon said and handed Ben the photo. “I need you to track this woman.”
Ben eyed the photo. “You do not wish me to engage?”
“No,” Simon insisted. “I believe she is working with Tess. Follow her and see if she leads you to anyone interesting.”
“If she does?” Ben asked.
“Report back to me,” Simon instructed before leaving.
Ben turned the photo over and found Sheba’s home and business address on the back.
***
Thomas and Marcus didn’t share a word until they returned to their seven-bedroom Hampton mansion. Mary was in the living room eating a bowl of ice cream while she watched Jersey Shore. Marcus stormed into the living room and paced with a scowl. Thomas quietly sat down and ran his hands over his head.
Mary sat her ice cream down, “In case anybody is wondering, the job went smooth.”
“I wish,” Marcus muttered.
Mary looked confused. “What happened?”
Marcus explained. “Turns out that job was against one of our other clients, and he has Sheba on tape.”
Mary jumped to her feet in panic. “What are we going to do?”
“Nothing,” Thomas said as a matter of fact.
Marcus snapped, “We sold her out.”
Thomas said, “I did what I had to do to protect my family.”
“She is our family!” Marcus shouted.
“Wait,” Mary said, still confused. “What the hell are we talking about?”
Marcus said, “Instead of telling who hired us to do the job, Dad told them Sheba’s working on her own.”
Mary turned to her father with tears in her eyes. “Why would you do that?”
Thomas slowly stood. “First, I did not know the job was against Simon Clash, but even if I did, this other client is a part of a European Conglomerate that has ruled much of Europe since the Dark Ages. They’re not the kind of people you can turn down.”
Marcus threw his hands in the air. “And Simon Clash is?”
“No,” Thomas admitted. “That’s why I didn’t reveal the other client. Whatever they have going on with Simon, we don’t want to get caught in the middle of it.”
“No we don’t,” Marcus spat. “Not us, just Sheba.”
Mary asked, “If this other client is so powerful, why don’t we just get them to help Sheba?”
Thomas turned cold. “The fact is, Sheba failed. If she hadn’t gotten caught on tape we would not be in this situation. She’s on her own.”
Marcus stepped into his father’s face and said, “You coward.”
Thomas matched Marcus’ gaze. “I understand you’re upset, but my decision stands. No contact with Sheba. She wanted out, and now she has it.”
“Dad,” Mary said. “Please tell me this is not about Sheba wanting to step away from the business.”
Thomas kept his eyes glued to Marcus as he replied, “No, but I also can’t say that Sheba didn’t slip because she wanted out. The reality is that she put us all at risk.” Thomas stepped back from Marcus. “Sometimes it takes more courage to make the right decision than it does to make a hasty decision.”
Thomas turned and walked out the room. Mary plopped down on the couch and Marcus sat beside her.
“I don’t believe this,” Mary sighed.
Marcus shook his head. “Me neither.”
“We have to do something,” Mary insisted.
Marcus stared off into space. “I’ve never seen Dad so scared,” he thought aloud. “He believes he doesn’t have a choice.”
“So we just turn our backs on Sheba?” Mary asked.
“No,” Marcus assured. “But we have to be smart about how we help her.”
Mary’s eyes lit up. “I’ve got an idea.”
Chapter Fourteen
A three-story office building sat surrounded by miles of trees in a remote location in Connecticut. It was literally in the middle of nowhere. A path of trees had been cut to form a five-mile stretch of dirt road that led to a nondescript two-lane highway. The building had been there for over a decade without a single visitor. It was about three in the morning and two armed security guards sat at a security desk in the lobby doing what they did every night; playing cards. Izzy, Saleena, Tess, Kim, and Phil walked in the building and the guards jumped to their feet and drew their weapons.
“Stop right there!” One of the guards shouted.
Everyone stopped except Tess. “Calm down,” she told the guards.
“You’re on private property,” the other guard said. “We will shoot.”
Tess waved him off. “This is my property. Now scan me in.”
The guards looked at each other and the first guard told his partner, “Keep your gun trained on them.” He grabbed a laptop looking gadget from a drawer and flipped it open to reveal a hand scanner, a keypad, and a LCD screen. He typed a code into the keypad and motioned Tess to place her hand on the scanner.
Tess placed her hand on the scanner and the screen prompted, “System Access Granted.”
“It’s her,” the first guard announced.
The other guard lowered his gun. “I’m sorry, ma’am,” he told Tess.
“It’s okay,” Tess assured.
Merely a second passed before one of two elevators opened, and out stepped a clean-cut, no-nonsense looking man in a three-piece suit. He had a radio transmitter in his ear. He walked across the lobby with a confidence that announced he knew how to handle himself. Everything about him screamed Secret Service. He was pushing fifty but barely looked a day over thirty. He greeted Tess with a handshake, “Martin Crown at your service.”
Tess pointed to Saleena. “This is Princess Saleena. Your services will be rendered to her.”
Martin smiled at Saleena and nodded. “Princess? Well I assure you my security force is fit for royalty.”
Saleena asked, “What exactly is the extent of your services?”
Martin began, “I am the head of your own personal security force. Within twenty-four hours you will have at least twenty guards on post here at your residence at all times. You also have a fleet of seven armored vehicles with twelve additional men available for transport convoys. The building has a penthouse on the third floor and two living units and four offices on the second floor. Our security services are extended to anyone you select to take up residence in the building.”
Saleena eyed Martin before asking, “Your services are limited to security?”
Martin looked directly into Saleena’s eyes as he s
aid, “All of my men are ex-military. They’ve been in Afghanistan and Iraq. We say security force,” he paused for affect. “But you can think of us as your personal army. Your business with us is confidential. We are here to protect and advance your interests, no matter what those interests are. You are our commander and chief. You give me an order, and I will make sure me and my men carry it out with no questions asked.”
Izzy said, “That’s what we needed to hear.”
Martin cut his eyes at Izzy and then told Saleena, “From this moment on I answer only to you.” He motioned to the hand scanner. “You need to inform me of who else will be staying in the building so I can get them coded into our security system.”
Saleena informed Martin that she, Tess, and Izzy would be the only residents in the building for the time being, and he scanned them into the system and placed a gold bracelet around their wrists.
“The bracelets contain GPS chips,” Martin explained while leading the entourage onto the elevator. The elevator doors didn’t close until Martin placed his hand on a LCD panel. “The elevator won’t operate unless it can confirm your identity.” He pointed to a camera in the upper left corner. “However it can be activated from any of the residences. Only the penthouse can authorize the elevator to go to the third floor by remote activation.”
They took the elevator to the third floor where it opened into the living room of the penthouse. The place was immaculate. It had eight bedrooms, a wet bar, an exercise room, a pool room, a movie theater, and a mini-club with a raised stage equipped with a stripper pole. It had excess and Tess written all over it. Martin gave them a tour of the place and then took them to the master bedroom, which had a massive den attached. A huge, touch screen, console remote sat on the bed.
Martin grabbed the remote. “This controls the entire penthouse. It’s pretty self- explanatory.” He hit an icon on the remote and music blared throughout the penthouse.
Tess clapped her hands. “Yes! It’s exactly how I had envisioned it.”
Tess stepped down into the den and the others followed. There was a sofa and a large oak desk with a high back leather chair. The walls looked like they were inlaid oak. Tess sat at the desk, which had nothing on it but a keyboard. She hit a switch under the desk and oak panels moved on the walls to the left, right, and rear of the desk. A huge aquarium was built into the wall behind the desk and large TV screens covered the walls to the left and right. Tess hit the enter key on the keyboard and Windows Operating System appeared on the screen to the left.
Martin said, “We update the software every three years.”
Tess stood and motioned Saleena to take the chair. “It’s all yours.”
Saleena sat and told Martin, “We need to be alone.”
Martin pulled out a smartphone and tossed it to Saleena. “That’s a direct line to me. I’ll be in my living quarters.”
Izzy asked, “The second floor?”
“No,” Martin answered. “I live in the basement.”
“The basement?” Kim frowned.
Martin nodded. “This is a state of the art facility. I call it a basement, but it’s more like another floor under the building. We have security cameras throughout the building and all around the parameter. The surveillance room is in the basement.”
Tess added, “The basement’s as big as this penthouse, except there’s fifteen four-man rooms and it’s connected to an underground garage.”
Martin nodded. “That’s correct. But it’s not as nicely furnished as the penthouse.” Tess protested, “I requested the basement have a game room and a swimming pool.”
“It does,” Martin assured. “I wasn’t complaining. It is very comfortable. My men and I appreciate it a lot.” He told Saleena, “I’m going to go now.”
Saleena waited for Martin to leave and then told Phil, “You and Kim will turn this PJ fellow.”
Kim asked, “Then what?”
Izzy replied, “You take over the real PJ’s business and report to us instead of Simon.”
Phil scratched his head. “But won’t Simon come after us when the real PJ and Kim up and disappear?”
“Maybe,” Saleena said. “The question is will he know where to look.” She told Phil, “You and Kim will stay in the Connecticut mansion with PJ. Run the operation from there until you each can relocate. Your human vessels were criminals; they were used to hiding their actions from the authorities. It should come natural for you to hide your actions from Simon.”
Tess said, “I should go with them.”
“For what?” Saleena questioned.
Tess explained, “I should be there when they flip PJ in case something goes wrong during the possession.”
Saleena stood. “Fine, oversee the possession, and then I want you to arrange a meeting with Simon.”
“Simon?” Tess asked in disbelief.
“Yes, Simon,” Saleena confirmed. “I feel like throwing a monkey wrench in my father’s plans.”
“Okay,” Tess reluctantly agreed before leaving with Phil and Kim.
Saleena eyed Izzy and seductively licked her lips. “So,” she purred, approaching him. “We’re alone at last.”
“I thought we’d never get rid of them,” Izzy joked.
They quickly grabbed at each other’s clothes like a couple of teenagers stealing a moment of privacy behind some bleachers in the school’s gym.
Chapter Fifteen
It was nine in the morning and Lamont’s cell phone rang while he was engaged in his normal morning-after sex with a strange woman he had brought home the night before. The large breasted brunette continued to bounce up and down on him like a seasoned jokey. Lamont recognized the ring tone and grabbed his lover by the hips in an attempt to stop her.
“Let it ring,” the woman said, struggling to breathe as she continued to ride him.
Lamont sighed, “I have to get it.”
“It can wait,” she insisted.
“No it can’t” Lamont barked and tossed her on the bed. He got up and grabbed the phone from his pants. “Yeah,” he answered.
“Did I wake you?” Sheba asked on the other line.
Lamont cut his eyes at the brunette. “Nah, I was just lying here on my back.”
The brunette sucked her teeth. “Prick,” she snapped while getting up and gathering her things.
Sheba hesitated and said, “I need a favor.”
“I usually don’t do favors,” Lamont said, watching the brunette get dressed. “But for you, I’ll make an exception.”
Sheba blurted, “Would you happen to have your friend’s number?”
Lamont followed the brunette as she stormed out the bedroom. “Hold on,” he told Sheba before yelling to the brunette, “Thanks for the good time.”
The brunette rolled her eyes and gave him the middle finger and then walked out the house and slammed the door.
“I’m back,” Lamont told Sheba. “Unfortunately I don’t have his number.”
Sheba exhaled, “Well thanks anyway.”
“Hold up,” Lamont said. “I’m in a good mood today, so I’ll put you on the phone with him.”
“How?” Sheba asked apprehensively.
Lamont rushed in the bedroom and tossed on a bathrobe and slippers and then headed out the house and across the hall. “He lives right across from me.”
“Don’t do that,” Sheba protested. “He’ll think I’m desperate.”
“Too late,” Lamont announced and knocked on Nat’s door. “And let’s face it, you are desperate. Otherwise you wouldn’t have called me.”
Nat answered the door in his boxers looking half asleep. He frowned when he saw Lamont. “What is it with you and these early morning visits?”
Lamont held the phone out and said, “Here, talk.”
Nat reluctantly took the phone and raised it to his ear while Lamont barged inside. “Hello?” Nat asked, closing the apart
ment door.
“Hi,” Sheba said nervously. “This is Sheba. We met the other day at—”
“The stylist,” Nat said with a smile.
“Yeah,” Sheba replied softly.
“What’s up?” Nat asked, eying Lamont, who watched him like a hawk.
Sheba paused and said, “I was wondering if you could come by the shop around noon.” Nat was a bit confused. “Is there something wrong?”
“No,” Sheba assured. “I mean, would you like to eat lunch,” she stammered. “I mean have me for lunch. No, I mean—”
Nat chuckled, “Are you asking me out to lunch?”
Sheba quickly responded, “Yes. I would like to have lunch with you this afternoon.” “Okay,” Nat agreed.
“Okay?” Sheba asked. “Like, okay I’m asking you to lunch, or okay you’re accepting?” Nat shook his head with a smile. “Okay, I’m accepting.”
“Okay,” Sheba said slowly. “So it’s set.”
“It’s set,” Nat said. “It’s a date.”
Sheba giggled girlishly. “Yeah, it’s a date.”
“Well,” Nat said. “I’ll see you then.”
“Oh, okay,” Sheba stuttered. “So, I’m going to hang up now.”
“Me too,” Nat teased. “Bye.”
“Bye,” Sheba said and hung up.
Nat tossed Lamont the phone and played it cool. “What was that about?”
Lamont plopped down on the couch. “I don’t believe it!”
“What?” Nat asked.
Lamont slapped his knee. “Man you might have just caught the last American virgin.” Nat frowned. “What are you talking about?”
Lamont rambled on, “First I thought it was something wrong with her. Then I thought she was a lesbian. Not that I care. She has a right to any lifestyle she chooses.”
Nat cut in, “What are you talking about?”
“She likes you,” Lamont stood looking shocked. “I think she really likes you.”
Nat shrugged. “Is that a bad thing?”
“No,” Lamont replied. “But you’re a man, and I just assumed she didn’t like men.” Lamont headed for the door. “Who would have thought?”
“Well thanks for bringing me the phone,” Nat told him.
“No problem.” Lamont opened the door and then turned to Nat. “I have about as much respect for women as your average pimp. They are a means to my end. But Sheba’s different, which is why I truly believed she was a lesbian. Even I respect her. And that’s saying a lot.” He paused. “If she likes you, don’t screw it up.”
