by J. L Rose
“Yes. It’s the same DEA agent that was helping with the Dante Blackwell case.”
“What do they want?”
“There’s been talk of a meeting, but I haven’t been told anything yet.”
Angela was quiet as she pulled her car forward. There were still four cars ahead of her at the drive-thru. She finally spoke up: “Okay, Joanna. If the chief asks if I called in, let him know I said I’ll be in, in about fifteen minutes, but don’t mention anything we discussed.”
“Of course, Angela.”
Hanging up with her assistant with an odd feeling in her gut, Angela sat in thought for a few minutes wondering why her boss and the agent in charge of the Dante case for the DEA would be in her office waiting for her.
The horn blaring behind her broke her train of thought. Angela cut her eyes over to the rearview mirror and saw a black Escalade behind her. She then pulled up in front of the order speaker to order breakfast.
After ordering, Angela pulled up behind the car in front of her at the pay window. She then picked up her cell phone and dialed her lawyer’s number, still having an odd feeling about what was going on at her office.
***
Alinna smiled at seeing Dante appear in front of the visitation window as she, Natalie, Vanessa, and D.J. sat waiting until he and the rest of the inmates were allowed inside the contact visitation area. She remained sitting when Dante finally walked inside the room, while D.J. took off toward his father. Natalie and Vanessa stood there smiling.
The women all watched as Dante carried D.J. and walked toward them. Alinna waited while he hugged an excited Vanessa and then gave a hug and kiss to Natalie.
“What’s up, shorty?” Dante said after releasing Natalie and looking at Alinna and meeting her eyes.
Alinna slowly stood up and walked up to Dante as he put down D.J. She reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck. She could feel his arms wrap around her waist as he lifted her up in the air, and he leaned in to kiss her lips.
“I love you!” Dante told her after he and Alinna ended their kiss while still holding each other.
“I love you too, Dante,” Alinna told him, kissing him again before he sat her back onto her feet, releasing her.
Alinna sat down across from Dante, who sat on the same side where the other inmates sat. She couldn’t help but smile as Dante picked up D.J. and set him on his lap.
“So how you holding up, big bruh?” Vanessa asked, speaking up first, smiling across at Dante.
“I’m doing what I do. Where my brother and nephew at? Why they ain’t come with you?”
“Dre handling some business, and your nephew with Harmony and Tony T out of town.”
Nodding his head in response, Dante shifted his eyes over to a smiling Natalie, meeting her eyes: “What’s up, beautiful?”
“I love you, Dante!” Natalie cried as tears began running down her face even though she was still smiling at him.
“I love you too, Natalie,” Dante told her, winking his eye at her, which caused Natalie to lightly laugh.
“Mother told me to tell you that she misses and loves you and that that she’s sorry she couldn’t see you before she left with Dominic.”
“She was down here?”
“Yes, but Dominic came and took her back home.”
“Why didn’t you go back also?”
“Because you’re still locked inside this place, and I no longer have a home to go back to.”
“What the fuck!”
“She’s living with us now, Dante,” Alinna spoke up, seeing the look that appeared on his face.
“What happen?” Dante asked, staring hard and straight at Alinna.
“It’s not important!” Alinna told him. “If you’re wondering why Mya isn’t here, Angela wouldn’t let her come with us.”
“I figured that when I didn’t see her here when I walked in,” Dante explained. “What she say when you told her what I said?”
“She said fuck you, Dante!” Natalie replied, telling Dante. “She said that she didn’t give a fuck what you wanted and that you should be more concerned about the death sentence they’re trying to give you.”
Slowly nodding his head after listening to what Natalie just told him, Dante shifted his eyes back to Alinna as she asked, “Did you know that Angela is married?”
Seeing the look on his face, Alinna continued, “You remember her brother, Geno, who you met when you went over to see Mya? Well, Angela admitted that she lied about Geno being her brother. He’s actually her husband.”
“So what’s up with the case, Alinna?” Dante asked, speaking through tight lips.
Seeing the anger building on his face, Alinna still went ahead and told him everything she now knew about what was going on with his case, from the issue with Monica to what was happening with Angela and her meeting with the chief of police and the DEA.
“Find Monica!” Dante said as soon as Alinna finished talking. “Put somebody on Angela and keep a watch on her ass, Alinna. But I want you to do whatever you have to do, and get me the fuck out of here!”
“I’m already on it, Dante,” she told him, staring back as they held each other’s stare.
***
Seated behind her desk after her meeting with the chief of police and Agent Murphy, Angela was deep in thought about what was said inside the meeting and all the questions that were asked concerning the disappearance of Sergeant Aaron Banks and Detective Howard Fuller.
Digging out her cell phone from her bag, Angela dialed the number she had for Agent Monica Martin, only to hear that the number was no longer in service.
“What in the . . . !” Angela started, but then quickly dialed the number to DEA headquarters.
Angela finally reached and spoke with someone at the front office of the DEA. She found out that Monica was not only not in at the office, but that she had also resigned from the agency. Angela asked the woman she was speaking with for a number to contact Agent Monica Martin, only to find out that the agency didn’t have contact info for the resigned agent.
“What the fuck is going on?” Angela said out loud to herself after hanging up the phone with the DEA agency.
The odd feeling she was having now turned into a strong feeling of worry. Angela was just about to make another call when her desk phone rang and her assistant, Joanna, rushed into the office.
“That’s the chief calling you,” she warned her boss.
“Captain Perez,” Angela answered the phone, staring straight at Joanna.
“Angela . . . it’s Johnson. You got a minute?”
“Sure, Chief. What’s up?”
“I just got a call from Agent Murphy. It looks like Agent Paul Young, who was a part of the investigation, has now also turned up missing. He was supposed to show up for work today and never did. Also, no one’s been able to contact him. When another agent was sent over to his house, he wasn’t there, but his car was parked inside of the yard.”
“What time did this agent go by to see if Agent Young was home?”
“This morning.”
“What about his family? Has anyone called or gone by his family’s house to speak with them?”
“Agent Young isn’t from Florida, and the only family he has live in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.”
Going into her own thoughts while Chief Johnson continued talking, Angela really didn’t pay much attention to what was being said anymore. She caught the ending of Chief Johnson’s letting her know that he would contact her later. She then hung up the phone and fell back into her desk chair.
“What’s going on, Angela?” Joanna asked her boss after Angela hung up.
“I wish I knew,” Angela answered. She had a plan to get to the bottom of whatever was happening—and soon.
***
“Here goes my nigga now!” Rob said, nodding to Kyree as homeboy came walking out of the trap house talking on his cell phone.
Fish Man stared out the back of his Escalade as he, Rob, Russell, Sean, and Brian
sat out in front of the trap house. Fish Man sat watching the young dude as he was walking far away from the front gate. Noticing the four other guys not very far from the young dude, he followed Rob from the Escalade and walked over to the front gate.
“What’s up, Rob?” Kyree said as he slid his cell phone into his pocket. He then nodded over to Fish Man and said, “This ya man you was telling me about?”
“Yo, Kyree. This my nigga, Fish Man,” Rob introduced the two.
Kyree talked with Rob’s homeboy, Fish Man, a few minutes to get a feel for him. He then finally got to more important matters and asked, “So what’s up, playboy? What you and this nigga Rob talking about copping?”
“My dude Rob already done gave me ya prices, so you think you can fuck with three of them things?” Fish Man asked, staring into Kyree’s eyes.
Doing some quick math in his head, Kyree slowly nodded his heading and said, “I’ma fuck with you on the three. You got that $7,500 now, or you need some time?”
“You got that work now, or do YOU need some time?” Fish Man responded while holding Kyree’s eye contact.
Slowly smiling, Kyree said, “Get up with me tomorrow at 12:00. I’ma have that ready for you.”
“That’ll work,” Fish Man said as he and Kyree dapped.
***
“When we leaving to handle this with the cabin out in Georgia, Alinna?” Vanessa asked as she, Alinna, Natalie, and D.J. drove away from the county jail after finishing their contact visit with Dante.
“Call Tony T and Harmony, and see if they back yet,” Alinna told Vanessa while staring out the back window of her Phantom and thinking about the look on Dante’s face when he told her to do whatever she had to in order to get him out of jail.
Pulling out her cell phone, Alinna called Dre’s number.
“Who this?”
“Dre, this Alinna. Where are you?”
“We just got back to the penthouse from grabbing something to eat. Why? What’s up now?”
“We changing up plans!” Alinna told Dre. She then explained that he and Wesley were going out to see Monica’s sister and pick up her and her husband, and then contact her once they had them.
Alinna finished up her phone call with Dre and explained everything she needed him to do. She then hung up the phone, only to look over at Vanessa after hearing her call out to her and hold out her cell phone for Alinna.
“It’s Tony T,” Vanessa told Alinna, releasing the cell phone.
“Tony T. Where you at?” Alinna spoke into the phone.
“Me and Harmony about to take A.J. to get something to eat. Why? What’s up?”
“Meet me at the penthouse after you and Harmony finish. We’ve got some stuff to handle.”
“We’ll be there in a few minutes,” Tony T replied. “Hold up, though. Harmony wants to talk to you.”
Waiting until Harmony got on the phone, Alinna barely heard everything Harmony was telling her. But she caught a few things Harmony mentioned about something her mother had sent her.
After hanging up the phone with Harmony, Alinna looked at Natalie and heard her ask, “You’re planning on killing everybody on this case in order for Dante to walk free, aren’t you?”
Staring back at Natalie a moment, Alinna said, “If there are no witnesses, then what can they say about Dante?”
Slowly nodding her head in understanding, Natalie turned her attention out the window, feeling a small smile pulling at her lips.
***
When they arrived back at the penthouse, Dre, Wesley, and Maxine were already there. Maxine walked straight up to James and pulled him away from Gomez. Alinna ignored the two while leading the others into the den as D.J. rushed off to the back of the penthouse.
“So what’s the play, Alinna?” Dre asked as he leaned back into the couch while Vanessa sat on his lap.
“We’re getting Dante out of jail before they can get him sent to prison,” Alinna told the group. “He goes before the judge tomorrow at noon.”
“How you plan on getting Dante out?” Maxine asked as she stood next to James at the entrance to the den.
“Think about it. If the courts don’t have no witnesses, who can testify against him?” Alinna asked, looking at each of the faces inside the room with her. “The state really doesn’t have anything to hold Dante, and the federal court really don’t have anything either, or Dante would already be locked up inside of a federal jail waiting to see a federal judge. The only thing that’s holding Dante where he is, is whoever this person is that’s working with the courts.”
“So again . . . ,” Maxine said, speaking up, “How are you planning on getting Dante out? We don’t know who this person is that’s telling.”
“I think I have an idea who it may be,” Alinna said with a faraway look on her face. But she quickly focused back on what she was talking about. “This is what we’re going to do. First, I want to find Monica’s sister, and we’re going to hold onto her until we find out exactly where Monica is. As for the DEA agent in charge of Dante’s case, he’s going to be taken care of as well. I also want the state attorney on this case to be handled, too.”
“What about the judge?” Tony T asked, drawing everyone’s attention to him and Harmony as they stood with Maxine, James, and Natalie’s bodyguard, Gomez, at the entrance.
Nodding her head slowly as Vanessa walked over to Harmony and took her sleeping son, A.J., Alinna agreed with Tony T and said, “He’s a part of the case as well, so the judge gets handled as well.”
“So basically everybody dies so my brother comes home. I’m with it!” Dre said, smiling.
“Me got one question!” Wesley spoke up from beside Amber. “When do we start the blood clot killing? Me want me brethren back home.”
Looking to Dre, Alinna asked, “Dre, what time you and Wesley leaving for Tampa?”
“Now!” Dre answered, lightly slapping Vanessa on the ass for her to get back up from his lap. He nodded to Wesley but then looked over at Alinna and said, “Write down the address where we’re headed in Tampa.”
While writing down the address for Dre, Alinna said to Tony T and Vanessa, “I want the two of you to come with me, Natalie, James, and Gomez. Harmony and Amber, I want ya’ll to keep a watch on Angela while I’m gone. Maxine and Keisha will be with the two of you for backup, just in case. I’ll also leave you some of our men as extra backup if ya’ll need it.”
“Why are we watching Angela?” Amber asked.
“Dante wants her watched, and I agree with him now,” Alinna answered while handing Dre the paper on which she had been writing the address.
“When are we leaving?” Tony T asked Alinna, pulling out his vibrating cell phone and glancing down at the phone’s screen.
“We’re leaving tonight,” Alinna answered, standing up from the sofa, only to pause as Vanessa said, “Alinna, you do remember we’re supposed to have moved into the new house today, right?”
“Shit!” Alinna exclaimed, completely forgetting about the new house. “Alright, Vanessa. You take care of things with the house. Get some moving people to help you, but then make sure you take care of what I asked concerning Angela.”
Leaving the den and the family, Alinna went to find Rose, the housekeeper, to explain that she was leaving town for a few days.
11
A ngela walked out to her car, leaving the station during her lunch break, when her cell phone started ringing. She dug out both the phone and her car keys, just as she was walking around to the driver’s side of her car.
She unlocked the door and then climbed inside. Angela then answered the phone without first checking the caller ID: “Captain Perez.”
Angela heard the prompts from a collect call from Dante at the county jail, so she hung up and tossed the phone over onto the passenger seat with her bag. She cranked up the car, throwing it in reverse, and backed out of the parking lot just as her cell phone went off again.
She snatched up the phone, looked at the caller ID, and
saw an unlisted name and number. Angela sent the call to voicemail, already knowing it was Dante calling back again.
She then dropped the phone into her lap and pulled up to a stoplight. She instantly began thinking about the disappearances of Monica and Agent Paul Young, as well as both Detective Fuller and Sergeant Banks.
Hearing the horns behind her begin to honk took her out of her thoughts, and Angela noticed that the light was now green. She pulled off, still a bit confused on what the hell was going on. She was really beginning to worry.
“What the hell!” Angela said, snatching up her ringing phone from her lap and glancing at the screen to see the unlisted name and number. She answered, “Hello?”
“You forgetting how to answer a phone now, huh?”
Hearing Dante’s voice and not the automated operator, Angela felt her heart pick up speed and beat hard against her chest. She finally spoke, “Da . . . Dante. How are you calling me?”
“I got your message, Angela,” Dante told her, ignoring her question. “So since you feel how you do and since you’re refusing to let Mya come see me as I requested, I’ll deal with things my way. Tell me something, though, Angela. Why is it that the DEA handed over the case to your people and not handle it themselves?”
“W . . . What are you talking about, Dante?” Angela asked, surprised at what he was asking her.
“I see you’ve taken up playing games now!” he told her. “Don’t worry about it, Angela. As I said before, I’ll handle things my way. Yeah! Don’t disappear any time soon. I’ll see you real soon.”
Hearing Dante hang up the phone, Angela had to pull over to the side of the road, feeling her hands shaking too hard. She sat inside her car playing back in her head his words before he had hung up the phone: “Don’t disappear any time soon. I’ll see you soon!”
Angela quickly called her husband’s phone to tell him that she was on her way home, only to hear her husband’s voicemail pick up. Angela hung up the phone and then called the house phone, only for that phone to ring and ring over and over.
