by Teri Woods
“Even in death, you are still beautiful,” he whispered to her.
He lifted himself and walked out of the room, closing the bedroom door behind him. He went into his office and began to play video footage of the night before. He watched his own wife leading the intruder into their bedroom. How dare she betray me? he thought to himself as he picked up the phone and called for the authorities. He continued watching the tape as he hung up the phone and slowly sat in his alligator-skin high-back chair. He opened a twenty-four-karat gold-plated humidor and picked Gurkha’s, His Majesty’s Reserve, the most expensive cigar in the world, infused with Louis XIII Cognac. He held the cigar under his nose, inhaling deeply the flavorful aroma. He cut off the television monitor, sat down, lit the cigar, and exhaled.
GREEN-EYED BANDIT
Newark, New Jersey
We just found his body.” Those were the words that had awakened Nina out of her sleep every night ever since she heard the news reporter claim they had found Dutch’s body.
It had been over three months now, but it seemed like yesterday when she hustled down to the courthouse, ready to confess her undying love for a man she barely knew yet couldn’t let go of. She remembered the courthouse massacre as if it were yesterday. She had finally made up her mind to commit to him. She knew exactly what that commitment would involve, as Dutch was on trial for the Month of Murder and was looking at life in prison. So there would be prison visits, absent holidays, appeal denials, disappointments, the dream and the nightmare of it all. But it was okay, she was ready… until she heard the reporter on the radio.
“Yes, this is Miriam Roughneen reporting for Channel 11 News from the Essex County Courthouse, where today’s trial ended in a deadly bloodbath.”
In a daze, she heard the reporter but couldn’t believe what was being said. Tears welled in her eyes. It hit her. It was over. She listened as the reporter ran off names of the dead, and she prayed his would not be included. A horn honked behind her and she pulled her car over to the side of the road. She couldn’t drive, her emotions wouldn’t let her, and as she realized the reality of the situation tears began to stream down her face.
The reporter finished the list of names. Nina had prayed that she wouldn’t say Dutch’s, and she hadn’t. Relief filled her and she thanked God, knowing that they were destined to be together. She put the car in drive and continued heading for the courthouse. But by the time Nina got there, the police had blocked off the area. Luckily, she found parking and it was then that she heard the reporter speaking with Detective Smalls.
“We just found his body.” Those were the words still ringing through her. She dropped her small purse on the passenger seat as her body went limp.
Nina jumped out of her sleep as the morning sun rose, realizing she was having another nightmare, the words still ringing through her head. “We found his body.”
She made her way into her bathroom and washed her face in the sink, realizing her hands were trembling. She looked at them, rubbing them to get them to stop. She rinsed them under cold water, splashing her face once more before turning off the faucet. I miss you so much, she thought as a sea of tears streamed down her face. Nina had never gotten the chance to tell Dutch just how much she truly loved him. By the time she reached the courthouse it was too late. The police had the entire place taped off.
Nina dressed in a rush, not wanting to be late for work. She was assistant branch manager and was responsible for opening the bank, which meant it was her job to be the first one there.
She threw her jacket over her shoulders, closed her front door behind her, and hopped into her car. She had a briefcase and a cup of coffee, which she managed to juggle carefully as she sat the coffee in the holder and her briefcase on the passenger seat. She started the car, threw it into drive, and headed down the street. Maybe it was her imagination, but she always had the same daydream that Dutch would be waiting for her inside the bank when she opened the door. Only he would be so clever as to be seated at her desk.
Occupied in the daydream of finding Dutch in the bank, Nina didn’t even see a car speeding through the intersection she was crossing. Out of nowhere, the vehicle slammed into the tail end of the passenger side of her car. She spun around in the intersection, turning a complete 360 degrees. Shaken, but all right, she looked out the window at the other driver in the car that had just crashed into her, damaging the entire side panel, lights, and bumper of her car.
A few days later she went to an auto body shop. The insurance, of course, would cover the damages. She just had to get her car fixed. She pulled up in front of the auto body shop and got out to see if someone could help her. Before she could take another step, one of the mechanics was already in front of her.
“I’m Dwight Gaines. How can I help you, ma’am?” Dwight asked as he wiped the oil off his hands with a rag.
“Um… I had an accident. Someone ran into the side of my car,” Nina said, pointing out the obvious.
Dwight walked around the side of the car as Nina walked behind him.
“Looks like four, maybe five hundred dollars,” said Dwight, looking to see if that was acceptable for her.
“Really?” Nina was surprised.
“Yeah, all I got to do is pound out your fender, buff it up a bit, then paint it. I can get that done right away for you, two, maybe three days tops.”
Nina dropped the car off and two days later Dwight called from the auto body shop. When Nina got there, her car looked as good as new.
“Wow, that’s a great job. You really know your stuff,” said Nina, smiling at the tall, brown-skinned mechanic.
“Yup, it’s what I do,” said Dwight, stroking the side of his face.
“Well, I’m impressed,” she said, following him over to the counter.
“Here’s the bill,” he said, presenting her with the slip.
Nina looked at the balance, it was $422.83. She took out her checkbook and wrote a check to Dwight’s Auto Body.
“Wow, I don’t know how to thank you,” she said, all smiles as he handed her the keys to her car.
“How about letting me take you to dinner?” he asked, hoping she would say yes.
“Sure, why not. Dinner it is,” she said, exchanging numbers with him over the counter.
Four days later, they went out on their first date, and then again, every night thereafter.
Copenhagen, Denmark
Eight months after taking Fernando Enrique for his precious jewels, which turned out to be worth more than the Picasso painting hiding them in the wall, Dutch found himself in the capital of Denmark. He was there in pursuit of a twelve-carat green diamond, which he was to acquire at an auction, of all places. Dutch wasn’t there to bid, he was there to steal it from the buyer. His intended target was Paavo Bixby. He was the richest man in Denmark, with a transportation empire that supported the entire railway and airline systems for all of Scandinavia.
Bixby requested that the auction be held at the Nationalmuseet, Denmark’s largest museum of cultural history. He wanted to host the auction at an immense venue so as many people as possible could witness him outbid all the wealthy attendees.
Dutch got seated in the last row and was handed an auction paddle right before the bidding began. The first item to be auctioned off was a champagne saltwater pearl necklace that had been worn by the queen of France. After five minutes of bidding the necklace was sold to a Polish businessman for six hundred thousand. Bixby was seated in the first row, and Dutch had a clear view of him. He noticed that after ten bids Bixby had not raised his paddle once. Dutch knew he was waiting to put all his money on the green stone, which would be the last bid of the evening.
When the green diamond was finally brought to the auction block, the bidding began at $250,000. A gentleman in the right-hand corner of the room challenged Bixby until the bid for the diamond was $950,000.
“Nine hundred and fifty thousand going once, going twice, and sold to the man here in the front row,” the auctioneer said,
pointing to Bixby. Dutch smiled and left the museum before Bixby claimed his item, then took pictures with his diamond for the local newspaper. He walked out of the museum along with a security guard where his driver was holding the door to his Rolls Royce Phantom. They traveled down the road, never noticing the Hummer following behind them. Bixby gaped at his diamond, unable to take his eyes off it, just as the Hummer slammed into the rear of the Phantom. The collision caused Bixby to drop the diamond to the floor of the car. He turned around to see the Hummer ramming into the rear of the Phantom again.
“Drive faster! Drive faster!” Bixby demanded.
He’d never been in a situation like this before. One minute everything was fine, the next, disaster. The driver stepped on the gas but Craze kept up with the car and was soon right beside them. Craze rammed the car on the side until it eventually veered off the road and into a ditch.
Bixby’s door wouldn’t open, trapping him in the car from his side. His driver rolled down the window and tried to emerge from the vehicle but was met with four bullets to the chest and died instantly. Bixby feared for his life as blood from his driver splattered all over the toffee-colored leather interior.
Dutch looked inside the car at Bixby shaking in his pants.
“Where’s the diamond?” Dutch asked in a calm tone. Bixby looked up and saw the barrel of a Smith & Wesson .38 staring at him.
Bixby nervously pointed to the floor, hoping his life would be spared in exchange for the jewel. But he was wrong. Dutch looked down at the floor where Bixby was pointing and saw the green diamond he was there for. He pointed the gun at Bixby and began to fire at point-blank range. Dutch grabbed the green diamond from the floor and jumped back into the Hummer as Craze drove off like nothing had happened. He drove them straight to the airport, where Mr. Odouwo had a private jet waiting to fly them back to France.
FED UP
Two Years Later
Los Angeles
Kimberly Nicole Reese was far from the toughest girl coming up through school. She got into a lot of fights and lost most of them. The lack of respect she had received as a youth led her to a career in which respect would be given, not necessarily earned. She became a Philadelphia police officer. After a few years on the force Kim, as everyone called her, wanted to do something that would make her tougher than patrolling the streets of Philly ever could. She sought to become an FBI agent. She took the required knowledge test and went through training camp with flying colors. After graduation she was sent to the West Coast and reported to the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Los Angeles office.
Her first big case as a field agent was to assist Agent Vincent Shipp, a hard-nosed agent who was in his seventh year with the Bureau. Their assignment was to track down a Mexican drug lord, Chico Dego, who flooded narcotics throughout Long Beach, Compton, Watts, and other cities by way of Tijuana. They finally got a tip that Chico was lying low in a beach house in Santa Cruz. They set up surveillance in a carpet-cleaning van down the street and tapped the phone lines. They kept a watch of the home to see if Chico would make his presence known.
Kim was assigned to watch the house and report any movement or activity. She watched for two days straight, with no signs of Chico. All she saw was his men going in and out all day long. After a long day of looking through binoculars, Kim finally saw the man of the hour, Chico Dego himself. Chico walked out on the back deck of the house and lit a cigarette. Kim identified him by distinctive tattoos he had on both his arms. The diced-up crucifix on his right arm and upside-down angel with her legs wide open exposing her private area on his left were listed in his profile.
Chico wasn’t a very tall guy, or even muscular, for that matter, but his treacherous ways stood out to everyone who had ever heard of him. He once killed a priest in Acapulco for not letting a drug transaction take place in front of him. His gang had been under watch for the past year, and this was actually the first time he had allowed himself to go outside. This casual smoke break would cost him dearly.
Kim and Agent Shipp watched as Chico flicked his cigarette onto the sandy beach.
“I hope that smoke was worth it, my friend, because we are coming for you,” Agent Shipp said, lowering his binoculars as Chico went back through the sliding door.
“So when do we go in?” Kim asked, a little nervous. Agent Shipp could read her like an open book and knew she was scared as hell.
“Relax, rookie. We’re not going to go after ’em until nightfall. That is as long as he stays put. But if that son of a bitch takes one foot toward the front door we’re going to slam his ass like a grizzly bear on steroids. He won’t get away,” Agent Shipp said, his words a far cry from comforting for Kimberly. She just wasn’t sure if she was ready or if she could handle the pressure under fire.
It was 9:22 P.M. and Chico had not made any attempt to leave the house. Agent Shipp had all his field agents in place around the property, ready to strike. Kim followed Agent Shipp as he crept along the beach, up against a sea cliff. They climbed up the grassy hill, an army of agents close behind. Kim’s brow was now dripping with sweat and her palms were clammy. This is it, she thought to herself. In a few moments she would have to invade the house and do what the FBI had been trying to accomplish for the last year: capture Chico Dego, one of the most lethal drug lords to come out of Mexico in recent years. Agent Shipp gave her the nod and she got on the walkie-talkie and gave the field agents the go-ahead. They were now ready to turn Chico Dego’s world upside-down. Kimberly made sure her vest was on tight.
Chico Dego sat on the couch with his bare feet up on the center glass table, drinking a Corona and watching the Spanish network, Telemundo. He had a few chicas running around the house with his hands chasing behind them. Chico could have women any time he wanted, but at the moment, he preferred to just kick back and watch a couple of shows and drink some cold ones. He had no idea the FBI were right outside his door, but he was about to find out. Before Chico could remove the Corona bottle from his lips, the front door flew open, and in poured field agents, moving in unison, holding high-powered assault weapons.
“FBI! Get on the floor, now!” one of the field agents shouted as they rushed forward.
Chico decided he wasn’t going out with his tail between his legs. He dropped down and pulled an M-16 from under the seat cushions and fired away. He then jumped behind the couch, preparing to avoid the hail of bullets that was going to come his way. The field agents took cover as well, shooting up the glass tables and lamps in the process. Chico’s two men heard the shots and ran from the back room with guns in hand ready to take on their adversaries.
Agent Shipp and Kimberly were behind the wall that led into the living room where the gunfire was coming from. Agent Shipp spotted Chico as he was slipping through the gunfire and down the hall into one of the back rooms.
“Hey, rookie, we can’t let Chico get away. Go around the back of the building, in case he tries to get away out the back,” said Agent Shipp, thinking of the river not too far away. Kimberly went back downstairs and ran to the side of the house, careful to look up at the windows. She knew he could come out a window in an attempt to escape. But she held her pistol, fearless and ready, hoping she didn’t have to use it, not today.
The Mexicans managed to kill a field agent and injure two others, relieving some of the force that was going against them. They didn’t see Agent Shipp approaching from behind, and by the time one of the Mexicans realized Agent Shipp was there, his partner was already dead. The lone Mexican aimed his gun at his new target but Agent Shipp was too fast for him. Agent Shipp laid him down with a single shot, shattering his skull. The field agents ceased fire while the two men were down. All they could hear was the women screaming in the background.
Agent Shipp cautiously approached the hallway, stepping over the bodies of the Mexicans. He had the other field agents following closely behind him, securing the area and making sure there were no more surprises. Agent Shipp tried turning the knob to fling back the door but
it was locked. He gave his agents a look and signaled for them to stand back, then shot through the doorknob. As the door flung open, Chico began firing a barrage of gunfire.
“It’s over, Chico! Your men are dead! There’s nowhere left for you to go. Come on, don’t let this day end like this, my friend. Come on, be smart! Let the girls go and give yourself up!” Agent Shipp said, trying to talk him down once Chico’s gunfire ceased while he changed the clip in his weapon.
“Fuck you, pig! I’m not going back to no fucking prison, motherfucker! We end it today, we end it now,” Chico said before letting off another shot.
Agent Shipp knew that Chico wouldn’t surrender and would probably fight to his death. Agent Shipp was prepared for that outcome. He was ready to put an end to the standoff.
“Okay, men. This asshole is just as good to us dead as he is alive, so if he wants to press his own stop button so be it, but we end this now.
In the middle of Agent Shipp’s message they heard a single shot come from the room, followed by screams and a loud thud. Agent Shipp assumed Chico had taken himself out, but he was wrong.
“I just killed one of the girls, assholes! Back off before I do another one! Comprende?”
Agent Shipp didn’t want any more innocent women getting killed but knew backing down wasn’t an option either. For all he knew, Chico was going to kill the girls anyway. He decided to proceed as planned and try to save them in the process.
Chico stood his ground, waiting for the agents to move back. He had his gun pointed at the back of one of the remaining girls’ head just in case the agents didn’t cooperate. He was prepared to end her life just as easily as the girl before her. What he didn’t realize was that Shipp never played by the rule book. So, he wouldn’t be backing down. Shipp made the next move, a gutsy one, but one still within his character. He rolled in front of the door with his gun extended, hoping to have Chico’s head in his sight, but he didn’t. Chico was hiding behind two girls, so no one could get a good shot at him.
