by Nadirah Foxx
As soon as I finished having tea with Mom, I drove to the Liberty Heights Mall and purchased the latest iPhone for her. I bought the top-of-the-line model along with a nice case. The device was ready to use. All I had to do was transfer over the data from her old one. It was something I’d ask Debbie to do. I wanted to make sure the phone couldn’t be hacked or cloned again.
Halfway back to the house, I contacted Josh to let him know what I’d learned.
“Please tell me you haven’t been arrested and this is your one phone call,” he joked.
Rolling my eyes, I said, “Very funny. If you must know, I’m on my way to my mother’s.”
“That should be safe enough.” He cleared his throat. “I’m sure you didn’t call just to tell me that. What’s going on?”
“I know you want me to be the responsible one, but I need you to get Lidia and Darius on board. We have to go to the Martin Company tonight.”
Static came through the car speakers as Josh exhaled. “What did you do?”
“Nothing. I simply gathered some much-needed information.”
“Like?”
I steered the vehicle onto my mother’s street and then noticed a sleek black sedan parked in the driveway. “Hang on, Josh. I have to check something.”
Although there was little chance of Walter recognizing me in Ryan’s SUV, I chose to park a few doors down. I reached into my handbag and pulled out my mother’s old phone. I clicked on the Find My Phone app again. After a few seconds, the icons displayed my position and Mom’s house. Not a surprise. I only hoped Walter couldn’t detect my location.
“Kerrie?”
“Yeah, Josh, I’m here. We have a big problem.” I turned off the phone before tossing it into the glove compartment. Putting the car into gear, I headed back to the highway. “I’ll be at the office in about twenty minutes. I’ll explain everything when I get there.”
Common sense should have dictated driving carefully, but it didn’t as I sped toward the Business District. Common sense should have also told me to take my mother’s phone to the LCPD. Let them determine whether Walter Puckett was a real threat. But I’d never been a big fan of doing things by the book. Even while employed with the police department, I always looked for the workarounds in every situation. It was that type of thinking which made me invaluable to the force.
Before the wave of snatch-and-grabs plagued our city, Captain Stratham once said to me, “Ms. King, maybe the department should be investigating you? You have an uncanny ability to think like the crooks. It’s actually a little terrifying.”
At the time, I laughed off his assessment, but it was the truth. I had prided myself on my abilities for years. As a teen, whenever I saw a parked car, for example, I imagined how a thief could get inside it. I was the kid in school who could envision how others might break into a locker or even a secured office. Eventually, I used that knowledge to figure out computer programs. I learned the ins and outs better than the instructors who taught me. Little did anyone realize, but I had the makings of a hacker. If I had continued on that path, I could have possibly been better—or at least equal—to Debbie.
Unfortunately, when Dad died, I had more than one opportunity to test out my skills as a two-bit thug shoplifting from establishments in Shade Land. I came close to getting caught a few times. If it hadn’t been for Josh, I would have gotten myself into a mess of trouble. Probably would have spent some time in detention too. My friend kept me on the right side of the law. Ryan wasn’t even aware of the things I did. If he had been, he wouldn’t have mentioned it. The man only saw the good in me.
When I pulled into the garage, my best friend was waiting for me. Josh opened the passenger door and climbed inside. “Start talking.”
I wanted to inform everyone at the same time, but Josh’s furrowed brow and set jaw told me it was better to do it with him first. “I went to the Martin Company.”
“What did you find?”
“Walter is the senior vice president of corporate engineering, technology and operations.”
Josh’s gaze widened.
“It gets worse.” I reached across him and removed the phone from the glove compartment. “This is Mom’s old phone.”
“Old?”
“I bought her a new one. This one has been cloned.”
“Shit.” Josh raked a hand through his hair. “Walter?”
“Walter.”
My friend stared out the windshield. “We need to find out if he’s behind the burglaries.”
“That’s why I want to go to the Martin Company. I’ll search his office. See if I can find any proof.”
“No, Kerrie.”
My voice rose a notch as I asked, “What do you mean by no?”
Josh faced me. “If Walter is responsible, he won’t keep the evidence in his office. I’d bet any amount of money nobody else in the company knows what he’s up to.”
My friend had a point. Men like Walter had too much at stake to leave shit in the open. Then it occurred to me. “What about the Warehouse District?”
“What about it?”
“I overheard Walter speaking to someone there. What if we found the right facility? He could be hiding the proof there.”
Josh cracked open the door. “If that’s the case, we need to hit the road. Lidia and Darius are waiting upstairs with Debbie.”
“Bring them down here. I’ll change clothes and meet you in the lab.”
◆◆◆
Fifteen minutes later, the four of us sat around a table in the back of the tech lab weighing our options. Josh and I had already decided we were going inside the Martin Company complex. My friend had mad skills with cracking security codes, so he was definitely needed.
Darius, however, was not a fan of storming the castle. He thought it best we gather as much information as possible and then take it to the cops. The man wanted to keep his hands clean. Part of me wanted to label him a coward. Thankfully, my reasonable side realized the man was well within his rights. According to Josh, the instructor was newly married with a baby on the way. So, he became our designated person, along with Debbie, to remain at the bunker. Darius could help her disseminate important details.
“I’m good in the field,” Lidia said. “I’ve never been one to shy away from the action.” She held up a finger. “Oh, and I have a little something for you, Kerrie.”
Lidia reached beneath the table and brought out a long rectangular case. When she popped it open, I saw a high-powered gun inside. A bolt-action rifle to be exact. Granted, I’d never used a sniper weapon, but I was familiar with what they looked like thanks to Detective Da Silva. She made it a point to show her students the different types of rifles.
“I didn’t ask for one of those.”
The Latina smirked. “That’s mine.” She lifted it and pulled out what looked like a large switchblade. “This is for you. It’s a military-issue automatic knife.”
Taking the weapon from her, I ran my fingers over the black handle with a fish scale engraved frame. I was tempted to remove the safety switch. Instead, I placed the item on the table in front of me.
Debbie cleared her voice as she approached the table, carrying a box. “This is the redesigned holster. You’ll be able to carry the blade and your pistol.” My assistant removed the belt and handed it to me. “Put the weapon inside and see what happens.”
I did as she suggested. One minute I could see the knife, and in the next, it disappeared. I only knew it still existed from the weight shifting in my hand.
“When you strap the holster over the suit, it disappears too.” She reached into her pants pocket and pulled out a small black case. “This contains your comm device. We need to make sure it works.”
Lidia sat forward and folded her hands on the table. “Let me get this straight. We’re on a reconnaissance mission. Beauty Queen goes in with Code Breaker. I’m your backup, watching for anything that might go wrong. The Digital Pirate will stay behind with Guru.”
Debb
ie smiled. “Mind if I use those names?”
“By all means. We never want to use our real identities in the field. Will we be wearing comms?”
My assistant nodded. “I’ll grab the box.” Debbie glanced at Darius. “Why don’t you come with me? We should get set up at one of the monitors.”
After they walked out, Lidia said, “We should get ready too. Kerrie, I suggest you don’t use your weapon unless absolutely necessary.”
Crossing my arms over my chest, I stared at the cop. “Don’t worry. I can handle it.”
“Not my concern. We don’t want to draw any unnecessary attention. Unlike you, I care about my position with the force. I’d like to go back when this is over.” Lidia didn’t wait for my response. She gathered her case and walked toward the stairs.
My muscles tensed, and my judgment clouded. Before I knew it, I was on my feet ready to follow her. Thankfully, a hand landed on my upper arm, stopping me.
“Not a good idea, Kerrie.”
I clenched my teeth.
“We need her.” His fingers began massaging my tight muscles. When he reached my neck, I couldn’t help but sigh. “It feels like you need something else.”
My heart pounded hard. It wasn’t the time or the place. “Josh.”
He leaned in, and his hot breath tickled my ear as he whispered, “I’m not talking about sex, but that’s never off the table.”
“I just need to relax a bit.”
Oh, man did I need to. Every hair on my head stood at attention. Every skin cell tingled beneath Josh’s hand. Every neuron in my body fired. It was wrong. I’d known him most of my life. We were the best of friends. He’d been with me during my best times and even at a lot of my low ones.
“A shower?” he suggested.
His sultry voice refocused my thoughts. “Y-yes. Give me a few minutes.”
Josh tapped my shoulder. “I’ll go see Debbie. We roll out as soon as it’s dark.”
I nodded and practically scurried toward the apartment. As soon as I reached the bedroom, I shut the door and leaned my back against it. Only once in my life had Josh and I ever come close to being more than just friends.
It was the day of Dad’s funeral.
So many people had been in our tiny house in Shade Land. I’d overheard my uncles talking about selling it and moving us to the suburbs. The last thing I wanted was to leave my childhood home.
When everyone finally left, I gave my grieving mother a sleeping pill. It didn’t take long for her to pass out on the bed.
“Want some help cleaning up?” Josh asked with a black trash bag in hand.
I nodded.
We worked for an hour, picking up rubbish and putting other items away. Once the last of the folding chairs were placed in the garage, Josh and I collapsed on the sofa.
“I can’t do this shit, Josh. How the hell am I supposed to take care of myself and my mother?”
“Jeremy—”
“No. My brother leaves for France in a few days. He has a new job. He can’t jeopardize that for me.” I sniffed, unable to hold back the deluge of tears.
Josh wrapped his arms around me. “You have me. That will never change. Plus, you have your aunts and uncles. They’ll make sure you’re cared for.”
I knew who I wanted to care for me, and it wasn’t a family member. It wasn’t even my boyfriend. When Josh brushed his hand across my cheek, I felt a spark. The way his face lit up told me he felt it too. The heat from his hand burned my skin. All I wanted was to get naked. Let him fuck my troubles away.
I reached for the hem of my dress, ready to yank the thing off.
Josh touched my hand. “Not like this. You don’t want to ruin what you have with Ryan.”
“I don’t care,” I cried.
“Yeah, you do.” Josh kissed my forehead. “Come tomorrow, you will.”
I turned on the shower. Honestly, I’d forgotten about that moment. I never told Ryan how close I came to cheating on him. Thankfully, Josh never mentioned it. He was too much of a gentleman to throw my shortcomings in my face.
The water trickled over my hair and down my face. At some point, my tears mixed with the drops. Backing into the corner, I slipped down until I was sitting on the floor of the stall. I missed Ryan so much it hurt. On top of my grief, I had to add shame. A woman doesn’t desire her best friend just months after losing her husband and child. It was wrong.
Once I found the person guilty of killing my family, I’d take care of myself. Maybe I’d go to France and spend time with Jeremy. It didn’t matter I was still young. I was a widow. It was high time I started acting like one.
28
Stumbling Upon the Truth
Thanks to a sudden downpour, it was a cold and clammy night in Liberty City. Too damn chilly to be traipsing around town in a souped-up Halloween costume. To make it easier to be seen by my companions, I wore a black flight jacket over the prototype. The garment was another article of clothing belonging to Ryan I couldn’t part with. Needless to say, I was only visible from the waist up. If I donned the balaclava, the jacket appeared to be floating in air. Worth a laugh if the situation hadn’t been so dire.
Josh drove while I rode shotgun with Lidia in the backseat of the SUV. Thankfully, our trip was spent in silence. I couldn’t determine whether it was from a desire not to speak about our pending mission or simply a lack of words. The reason didn’t matter to me. I was too grateful not to have to talk about anything.
Ever since the memory hit me in the shower, I couldn’t stop replaying it in my head. After Josh rejected me that night, I never thought about kissing him or having sex with him again. At least I tried not to. I would admit my preoccupation with my best friend didn’t help matters between Ryan and me. For a little while, it seemed as if we might have parted ways. He even said he thought my relationship with Josh was a little too visceral. Basically, Ryan insinuated that Josh and I had more going than just friendship. I strongly disagreed and worked hard to prove to Ryan that he was the only man for me.
I glanced over at Josh, and we exchanged a look. The curious expression on his face baffled me. Did my best friend know what I was thinking? Was he thinking the same thing? I sure hoped like hell he wasn’t.
Nevertheless, I was a widow. There was a certain decorum expected of women who lost their husbands. Wanting to fuck your best friend wasn’t appropriate, especially when the aforementioned woman’s spouse hadn’t even been in the ground a year.
Maybe if Lidia wasn’t in the backseat, we would have discussed the matter. Once we returned to the bunker, I should probably pull Josh to the side and bring up the situation. No matter what I said, however, we had to remain just friends. Surely, Josh would understand that nothing could ever happen between us. He was also Ryan’s friend and our son’s godfather. Any type of relationship, outside of what we already shared, would be seen as inappropriate by everyone.
About a half mile away from the Warehouse District, Josh pulled into a vacant parking lot. He killed the motor and turned in his seat. “This is the end of the line, ladies. We go the rest of the distance on foot.”
Lidia removed a large semi-automatic pistol, a P226, from the holster inside her jacket. Despite its size, it didn’t appear clunky in her hands. When I stared at her loading ammo, Lidia said, “I’m going in too. No need for a sniper.”
I nodded and opened the door. Before I could get out, Josh grabbed my arm. “Lidia, give me a minute with Kerrie.”
“Don’t take too long.” Lidia quickly exited the vehicle.
My heart pounded, and butterflies took off in my gut. “What’s going on?”
“I could ask you that.” He let go of my arm. “You’ve been weird since before your shower.”
Exhaling, I scrubbed a hand over my face. “Not now, Josh. We’ll talk about it after we’re done here.”
His shoulders slumped. “Okay. Just promise me you’ll be careful. That suit doesn’t stop bullets.”
“I promise. You do the same.�
��
“Of course.” He grinned. “I have to if I want to hear what you have to say.”
I tried to ignore the meaning behind his words as I shrugged off the jacket and slipped out of the vehicle. Tapping my ear, I said, “Debbie, are you there?”
It was silent for a second, and then static came through the device. “Yup. The trackers in your suit are activated too.”
It was part of the latest upgrade. Before we left Sentinel, Debbie informed me that a few tweaks—suggestions by Josh—had been made to the suit. He wanted a way to keep up with me should things go awry. I wanted to object but realized it was too late. What was done was done, and if I argued the point, I would have been met with a strong battle.
“Okay. Let’s do this,” I said and began walking down the empty street into the Warehouse District.
It was quiet, possibly too quiet. At that hour, I would have expected to hear and see semi-trucks pulling away from the various facilities. I even anticipated seeing a few workers in the area. There was something decidedly strange about the scene.
Thirty minutes later, we were ready to give up. We’d searched nearly every building with Josh cracking security codes and Lidia picking locks. It was frustrating to keep looking and discovering nothing, but there was still one area left to check—the one closest to the airport.
I walked over to Josh and Lidia, who were standing in a darkened alley between buildings. “Guys.”
Lidia flinched. “Shit! You scared the fuck out of me.” She glanced at Josh. “Can we put a bell around her neck?”
Josh chuckled and slipped out of his jacket. He held it out and waited for me to take it.
Feeling a bit like the Invisible Man with only half of me visible, I draped the garment over my shoulders. “We have to check the warehouses closest to the airport. The other night when the Colossal Burger was hit, the criminals came here. I remember hearing the sound of planes taking off while I was in the van.”
“Any idea which building they used?” Lidia asked.
“No. I’ll just head over to the general area. Maybe the Digital Pirate can help direct us.” I dropped the jacket and bolted over the rain-slicked pavement.
