Obsession

by Dee Dawning

  Jamal came over and whistled. Under a cloth was an arsenal of attack weapons. A sawed off sixteen gauge Remington shotgun, a Remington 700 sniper rifle, two compact mini Uzi submachine guns with ten extra thirty-two shot magazines, two Heckler-Koch G36 assault rifles with ten magazines, twenty hand grenades and a tear gas-smoke screen pistol.

  Jamal joked, "What, no flame thrower?"

  "What's your pleasure, Jamal?"

  "Can I take more than one?"

  "Take whatever feels right."

  "Can I take both Uzis?"

  "Like I said, take whatever makes you comfortable." Drew reached in the hollowed out removed seats and pulled out two black trench coats. "Put this on. It'll hide our weapons and carry our ammo." After Jamal put it on and Drew handed him six Uzi magazines and six hand grenades. Jamal picked up the Uzis.

  Drew slid his arms into his own trench coat, then grabbed the shotgun, loaded it and shoved it in one of the fabric loops inside his coat. He shoved a dozen extra shells in one of the pockets. Looking over the remaining arsenal, he passed on the assault rifle, because of the limited use of his left arm. He thrust ten grenades into a couple of other pockets and the teargas-smoke pistol along with a couple shells of each. Drew replaced the rear seats. "Ready to kick some ass?"

  Jamal nodded.

  "Then, let's roll!" Drew headed for the Hotel.

  Thanks to Jamal, using his special key, Drew and he were able to ride the elevator straight to the women's section on the thirtieth floor. When they got off the elevator, to their surprise, no guards were in the small anteroom just off the elevator. No one was manning the two desks that were usually occupied by guards. That was an unexpected break. Drew figured they would have to fight their way off the elevator.

  Jamal whispered, "Where is everyone?"

  Drew shrugged and signaled with his finger toward the adjacent reception room. When they peeked around the corner, they found Ali's goons. More than usual, eight were standing at the window wall looking down at something. The reception room, which acted as an entrance to the women's area, doubled as a security room. It contained three more desks at which guards sat, a walk through metal detector and a conveyer image machine, just like at the airport.

  To the left was a wall of lockers in which to deposit prohibited items and an entrance to the changing-shower room where all visitors were required to shower and change into hotel supplied disinfected pajamas, socks and slippers. Ahead past the metal detectors were the double doors into the women's area—what the guards euphemistically named Shangri-La. To the right, with a magnificent view to the west of the Strip and the valley, were the windowed wall and guards.

  Drew wanted to surprise them and take them out, but Jamal was worried about drawing more guards. They settled on trying to sneak past the crowd, with guns out and ready. They moved stealthily past the deadly horde toward the doors to Shangri-La. They thought they would pull it off, but one of the guards happened to turn, saw them and started firing his 9mm. He was rewarded with a shotgun blast to the gut as Drew blew the offender away. That shot also wounded the guy next to him.

  Immediately, the entire group was down on the floor or scattering for cover, firing a fusillade of munitions. Jamal and Drew were forced to duck down behind the last desk.

  ~* *~

  "Move it Mallory," Campbell yelled. "There's a flock of Ali's men headed this way. Get in, quick."

  Mallory closed the lid of the cell phone and jumped in the driver's side backseat. The nearest pursuer leaped onto the running board and tried to open the door handle, which Campbell had forgotten to lock. The door began to swing open so Mallory, hoping to dislodge him, shoved the door into him. It almost worked but at the last second before he fell, with his feet still on the running board, he grabbed onto the edge of the door. He and the door were both swinging wildly as Campbell began fishtailing around the virtually empty parking lot. Suddenly the man and the door were gone as Campbell ran him and the door into a parking light standard.

  Mallory looked back and saw the door and the guy rolling along. He came to rest with the door on top and was either dead of out of commission. "Good one Campbell!"

  The three other henchmen were close and playing matador with Campbell. They would stand still while she would try to run them over with the wide-bodied Hummer. At the last second, as she approached, they would shift to the left or right and try to jump onto the running board. Finally, one of them managed to get on the running board right where the missing door and Mallory were.

  Holding on with his right hand, he grabbed Mallory with his left hand and was about to pull her out, when she smashed him in the nose with the only thing she had—the cell phone. The phone slipped out of her hand and crashed into the pavement shattering, but the assailant let go of Mallory and put a hand to his nose. Holding on with only one hand, Mallory dealt him a swift kick to the groin, dislodging him. He followed the cell phone to the hard pavement and was out of commission.

  Just then another Hummer, a gold one, the bigger H2 came bursting out of the up ramp and headed straight for them. Campbell made a sweet running back maneuver faking right but going left. Leaving the bigger Hummer and the two pedestrian henchmen behind as she scooted toward the down ramp.

  Mallory looked back and got a passing glimpse of the bad guys before Campbell carried out the first of several two wheel turns. The guys on foot were following, running full speed and the H2 made a quick one eighty and was on their trail. "Good driving Campbell. Where did you learn to drive like this?"

  "My whole family, back in North Carolina, drove stock cars—me too, on ladies night."

  ~* *~

  Carboni dialed his phone. "Goodwin? It's Ritchie. I've got the den of iniquity in sight. How soon will you be here?"

  "Twenty minutes maybe. I just entered the valley and I'm approaching Blue Diamond exit. If I remember right that's about fifteen minutes from the strip."

  "I think so. I'm going to pull into the parking lot near the strip and wait for you. Look for me just north…well I'll be."

  "What?"

  "I think I found Stevens's Xterra. SGY 665, that's it. We've found his vehicle, now if we can just locate him. John, when you get here go to the main entrance to the Hotel, where their beautiful fountain and huge gaudy sign is and turn in, then make a quick left around the sign. Paige and I will be waiting here. Hurry"

  "I'm on it, partner!"

  Tuning his head his gaze fell on Paige who had fallen asleep. Pretty girl, fabulous bod and a great lay. He was strongly attracted to her. There was a chance something enduring would develop between them. Reaching across the seat, he kissed her lightly on the lips. She smiled and sighed. Moving her arms she stretched and turned slightly to a new position, but didn't waken.

  Ritchie left Paige, got out, walked over to the Xterra and tried the doors. They were locked. He tried peaking in the heavily tinted windows, and saw zip, so he headed toward the front to find out if he could see better through the un-tinted windshield. Then his foot kicked something. Looking down he spotted a shotgun shell that had just finished spinning. Bending down, he retrieved and studied it. 16 gauge. Hmm, you don't carry a full sized shotgun across a casino. He knew it must be a sawed off shotgun, and decided a bloodbath was about to take place on the top three floors of the hotel. He dialed the number for the Las Vegas Metro Police Dept. When the automated operator came on he hit O like he always did.

  "Police Department."

  "Yes, this is Sergeant Carboni, Hollywood division of the LA police Dept. I'm at the Babylon Hotel and—"

  ~* *~

  They were outnumbered and out flanked, but not out gunned. Drew pointed at the double doors to Shangri-La, less than ten feet away. He whispered his idea to Jamal.

  He nodded,

  Jamal gave the bad-guys a double dose of automatic Uzi fire from the thirty-two shot clips as they both stood and scooted for the doors. Bullets riddled the doors while they passed through and shut them.

  With a huge
grin, Drew started counting backward, moving his hands up and down as if it were a New Years countdown, 4, 3, 2, 1. Then like a conductor, he raised his arms calling for the crescendo clash of cymbals, the doors blew in as if on cue.

  One of the bad-guys followed, falling face first to the floor, a victim of the blasts of the four high power grenades, Drew had activated and left behind.

  ~* *~

  All of a sudden, Ritchie heard an explosion and glanced in the direction of the central high rise. Glass spewed forth from the top floor followed by a couple of bodies. Carboni was mesmerized, watching the falling bodies and glass. The bodies weren't moving as they fell—a sign they were already dead.

  ~* *~

  "Khalid!"

  Drew heard his other name and looked around.

  "Khalid! Khalid, thank God, you're all right."

  Drew turned around just in time to be mugged by two bikini clad beauties—Tiffany and Brenna.

  Brenna broke away and hugged Jamal. When she put her arms around him, he flinched, "Oww!"

  Drew was concerned. "What's the matter, Jamal?"

  "I don't know, but suddenly my back is killing me."

  "Let me see." He removed the trench coat, lifted up his cousin's shirt and examined the Kevlar vest. There was a slug located just above his left shoulder blade. "You were hit, but the vest stopped it. I think you have a bad bruise. It'll be sore for a few days."

  Drew turned back to Tiffany and Brenna. "Have you seen a girl named Mallory?"

  "Yes, she escaped a few hours ago with Campbell and Morina."

  "My sister," Jamal screeched incredulously.

  Brenna said, "Yeah, isn't that something?"

  Drew said, "Okay listen. We're taking you girls outta here. You have four minutes to get dressed and get your things."

  Tiffany said, "We can't get dressed and get our things in four minutes. We have bathing suits on. What's wrong with them?"

  "Nothing at the beach or around the pool, but they're a little skimpy, even for Las Vegas, if that's possible."

  Brenna said, "Yes, you're right. I don't really have anything I want to take with me. Why don't we throw our cover-ups on and get out of here?"

  Jamal grasped Brenna's hand. "I agree. Let's get going."

  Tiffany ran the ten paces back to the pool and retrieved her and Brenna's cover-ups and scooted back.

  After the girls had donned the cover-ups, Drew grabbed Tiffany's hand and followed Jamal and Brenna into the demolished security room past the blown out window wall. Drew said, "Hold on a minute." Looking thirty stories below, they watched two Hummers race up the main driveway, each trying to make the other wreck. Instead, they both crashed into the grandiose fountain at the entrance.

  ~* *~

  Ritchie looked back up at the tower. He could barely make them out, but he thought he saw two men and two women staring out the opening.

  Suddenly, Carboni heard a racket and looked up. Abruptly, two Hummers exited the parking garage and made a beeline for the main driveway. Each was jockeying for position, going airborne over speed bumps, trying to cause the other to run off the driveway and into parked cars. Instead, each lost control and crashed into the Babylon's hallmark fountain. Water was spraying straight into the air and gushing everywhere.

  ~* *~

  Drew noticed that a half dozen of the women's guards were running from the entrance to the parking garage toward the crashed and partially immersed SUVs. He wasn't sure what was happening, but he suspected it wasn't good. Then he saw someone get out of the backseat of silver Hummer, scramble over the edge of the fountain and scamper into the busy traffic of Las Vegas Blvd South or as most people know it, The Strip.

  The person running from the accident, dressed in men's clothing must have been a hundred yards down and two hundred yards away, barely visible to the naked eye, yet Drew had been watching this person for four months and he would recognize her anywhere. "It's Mallory! Let's hurry!"

  ~* *~

  A blue Echo pulled in the parking spot next to Carboni. It was Goodwin and the bartender. He jumped out and looked straight at the high rise. Kelsey also, got out and looked.

  "Sergeant? Are you there?" came the voice on the phone.

  "Sorry. I just witnessed an explosion from the top floor of the main tower of the Babylon Hotel. Broken glass and debris, including a couple bodies, fell to the top of the parking garage, located beside the hotel. I suggest—"

  More explosions a floor down.

  "Sergeant? You were saying?"

  "I was saying…I think you better get a dozen squad cars and four or five ambulances over here on the double! All hell is breaking loose!"

  Chapter Fourteen

  Goodwin moseyed over to Carboni. "What's going on Sergeant?"

  "We didn't get here in time to stop Stevens, that's what. He's after his woman and heaven help anyone who gets in his way. I'd better call Ginger back and find out the rest of what she was going to tell me."

  "Hello, Ginger? Carboni."

  "Hi Sergeant. Are you finally ready to hear the rest of the scoop on our boy Drew—Khalid Stevens?"

  "Yes, Ginger. That's why I called."

  "Well for starters, he's a bad boy. I don't mean a bad person. I mean a bad ass. A former marine and special forces, Navy SEAL."

  "Yeah, I think I'm discovering that for myself. Oh shit! Ginger, I'm going to have to call you back." Carboni watched, somewhat surprised when a slightly built man got out of the silver Hummer, climbed out of the fountain soaking wet and scrambled, dodging traffic like a halfback, across the strip and headed for a large garish building.

  Kelsey joined them. "Boy. That guy is sure in a hurry to get to that strip joint."

  Strip joint? Carboni looked once more across the wide eight-lane boulevard. Sure enough the sign read Chaz's - Beautiful Girls - 24 hours - Totally Nude - Lap Dances $50.

  Six rough looking pedestrians ran by with 9mms in hand. One peeled off to the gold Hummer, apparently to check on his friends. Then he glanced past the gunmen trying to traverse the busy street, horns a blearing at the slender man. He wore jeans and a long sleeved shirt. A baseball cap hid his hair, but nothing could hide that ass. It was Mallory! He needed to go and he needed Goodwin. He reached into his glove box and pulled out his spare gun, he showed it to Kelsey. "You know how to use this?"

  "Hell yes, I'm a bartender! I even watch football games! I can do anything a man can do except pee on a tree and I'm working on that."

  Carboni smiled and looked at Goodwin. "You better hold on to this one."

  "I intend to."

  He handed the 9mm Sig Sauer to Kelsey. "Don't use this unless you have to. Go over to that silver car in the fountain—"

  "Yeah, yeah, go over to the silver Hummer and help Mallory's friends while you and pretty boy go ogling at the all nude cabaret. Probably looking for your personal hummer."

  "No, really. Didn't you see those Neanderthals that just ran across the street?" Goodwin protested.

  Kelsey smiled and kissed him on the cheek. "I was kidding. Cops should be here soon anyway. Have fun. C'mon, Paige."

  ~* *~

  Mallory was cold wet and terrified in reverse order. She'd seen the five men, guns drawn, follow her. They would be there any minute. She had to hide. It was dark inside. Coming out of the bright morning light she couldn't see anything except the spot lit stage where two well endowed women cavorted entirely in the nude. Oh shit! I'm in a girlie joint. Being about seven in the morning there were only a couple handfuls of customers. She didn't know what to do.

  A burly blond man with tattoos came out of the rest room and headed her way. She looked at the sign on the wall and realized there was a twenty dollar cover charge. Mallory didn't have twenty dollars. She saw one of the cocktail waitresses, a pretty auburn haired girl wearing an aqua blue baby doll nightie, carry her tray through curtains next to the stage and one of the two girls from the stage, a tall elegant dancer, go through a similar curtain. She headed to the curtain and
stepped through.

  The pretty auburn haired young woman turned. "Sorry, men aren't allowed back here."

  Mallory peeked back through the curtain. Five mean looking, brawny brutes were standing by the entrance searching for the person who had run from the Hummer. She turned back to the young woman and pulled off her cap and shirt. "I'm not a man. There are five goons out there chasing me, I need to hide."

  The elegant dancer, built much like Somalian supermodel and rock star David Bowie's wife, Iman, had just finished her set. "Yeah, I saw them come in. A mean looking bunch. I'm Candy and that's Mysta."

  Mysta smiled and nodded.

  "I'm Mallory."

  "Where did you come from, honey?" Candy queried, "Do they know you're a woman?"

  "I don't think so. I came from the Babylon, top floor. That's why they're after me."