The Conglomerate: A Luxorious Tale

by Santiago, Danielle

  Joey glanced at Zay. By his expression she knew that he shared Cee’s feelings.

  “There has to be another option. Cee, I feel you. I love Taleah as if she is mine, but Evan is one of us. She has done some terrible things, but we can’t hand deliver her to her death.”

  “Hey I am sitting right here,” Evan raised her hand and then she looked at Cee. “I can admit that I’m one selfish bitch, but I was there when you gave birth to that girl and her sisters. And, I have loved all three since that day. So nobody has to make the decision for me to go. I’d already decided that I was going when we heard her voice.” Standing, Evan paced the floor while talking. “I have four million in liquid cash that I can transfer to Gage’s account. The rest of my money is tied up in CD’s and bonds. If y’all could put the other two million up, I’ll go to him. I can handle Gage.”

  “Look Ev,” Cee faced her friend. “I didn’t mean to come off so harsh as if your life means nothing to me. Joey’s right we should try to see if there is something else we can do other than turning you over.”

  “Gage was always greedy,” Joey offered. “Why don’t we play into his greed and offer him an additional million and tell him to settle up with Ev on his own time.”

  Mish stepped forward. “If you don’t mind, I have an idea.”

  “Of course we don’t mind,” Joey replied.

  “Not in front of her though,” Mish nodded toward Isadora. “Is there somewhere we can move her to?”

  Joey checked her watch, it was a little past four a.m. “It’s too risky to move her right this minute, Bev might still be counting up and the cleaning crew doesn’t finish until five. How about we just move to the conference room?”

  Everyone filed out of the office, with the exception of Tony and Rico. They stayed behind to keep an eye on Isadora. In the conference room everybody took a seat at the oblong table. From the head of the table Joey asked, “Mish what do you have in mind?”

  “If dude will agree to your offer and you have the banking information. I can get the money back, once I take care of him. I think that this is the best plan, because if you,” she looked at Evan, “go with him, I may not be able to get to him before he kills you. I will get him.”

  “You sound very confident,” Zay said to Mish, curious as to whether she was really good as Kisa claimed her to be. He’d really wanted to call Asaad’s people in on this situation, but Zay didn’t want to indebt himself any further to his connect than he already had.

  “I am confident, this is what I do and I have one of the best hackers in the world on my team. She’ll have the money back into your accounts like it never left, minus a ten percent recovery fee. I can also take my hit fee out of that money.”

  “That’s not a problem as long as you deliver, the paper isn’t an issue.” Joey remarked. “In the Luxe payroll account we have right at two mill that we can transfer, so that puts us at six. We need to be able to offer an additional million.”

  “I got that covered,” Cee said. “Petey’s life insurance checks have all cleared.”

  Joey initiated a Facetime call to Gage. “Let’s see if he’ll bite.”

  Grinning evilly Gage came on the screen. “Y’all ready to make this happen?”

  “Not quite yet, I have a counter offer.”

  “I’m not into negotiating on this here, but I’ll listen.”

  “Look we can’t just give you Evan, if you catch her on your own great. So instead of handing you Evan, we’re offering you another million on top of what you’re asking.”

  “Joey-Joey,” Gage chuckled. “You were always the business minded one out of three musketeers. The only way I’ll walk away without Evan is if you good people give me ten million.”

  “Ten! We barely scraped the seven together!”

  “That’s not my problem. You have two options if you want your friend’s daughter back. Pay the six million and hand over Evan or pay the ten mill.”

  “We’ll do the ten million,” Cee shouted out.

  Joey looked at her and mouthed. “How?”

  “I can cover it’s available in my account.”

  “We’ll pay the ten,” Joey told Gage.

  “I know Evan is in the room. Hey Ev, if you can hear me your friends must love your shady ass.”

  “More than you ever did,” Evan retorted.

  “One day, we’ll have a chance to re-hash history before I put three bullets into your skull. For now, send my money to my account. Then meet me on the tarmac at the Wilson Air Center by the jet waiting for takeoff at five-thirty-five a.m sharp. Bring Isadora and I’ll bring this sweet little thing. Don’t try no silly shit,” Gage warned with the wave of a finger. “If you do Cee will have twins instead of triplets.”

  Chapter Twelve

  The entire crew went in three different vehicles to Wilson Air Center. The five men traveled in Cee’s Escalade. Carrying a small arsenal of guns, Mish rode shotgun with Evan in her Jaguar. With Isadora tied up in the back seat, and Cee in the passenger, Joey drove her Range straight to the tarmac. They pulled alongside the only idling jet and waited for Gage to arrive. All agreed that it wasn’t a good idea for Evan to go onto the tarmac, because Gage could possibly get aggravated and kill her on the spot. From a distance Mish and each of the men positioned themselves in different spots hoping to get a clear shot at Gage.

  At exactly five-thirty-five Gage arrived in silver 750li and parked opposite of Joey. He stepped out of the car and yelled out. “Where’s Isadora?”

  Joey got out. “No good playboy, we sent the money, so you let us see Taleah first and then you can have your foolish ass bitch.”

  “No manners,” Gage went to the rear of his car and opened the trunk. Slowly he pulled Taleah out the trunk to her feet and with the muzzle of his gun shoved her into the side of the extra-large beige overcoat that she was draped in as he escorted her to the front of the car.

  Excited Cee jumped out the truck and ran toward them screaming. “Taleah!”

  “Mom!” Taleah shouted gleefully.

  Gage turned the gun on Cee, “Un uh.”

  Cee stopped on the dime.

  “You see your daughter. I didn’t harm nan hair on her head, even though y’all worked my girl over damn good.” he kissed Taleah on the cheek, “Now bring Isadora to me and if anyone thinks about shooting me,” he shouted out for those whom he knew were nearby to hear. “If I get shot, she’ll be blown to pieces.” He opened Taleah’s overcoat, revealing four short metal capped pipes connected to a plastic box strapped to her chest by duct tape.

  Every person that had a gun pointed at Gage, lowered their weapons. No one dared to take a shot that would not only endanger Taleah’s life, but anyone close by.

  “Nooooo,” Cee doubled over with both hands covering her mouth and tears flooding her face.

  “Ain’t no need for all that hoopin’ and hollering lil mama. You see this?” he held up a little black remote, with three buttons. “This only has a four hundred yard range. So, once I’m high up in the sky you won’t have a thing to worry about.” Pulling Isadora by the arm, Joey led her within five to six feet of Gage.

  “Come here sweetheart,” he told Isadora.

  “Not yet,” Joey yanked Isadora back. “Same time Gage, fair exchange, no robberies.”

  “You right,” he replied then suddenly with brute force he shoved Taleah in Cee’s direction.

  Taleah fell to her knees at her mother’s feet. Cee threw her arms around her child. Holding Taleah tight Cee, rocked side to side caring absolutely nothing about the bomb wedged between their chests.

  Joey released Isadora’s arm and nudged her forward. “Go.”

  Hands tied behind her back Isadora slowly limped her sore body over to Gage. Exhausted, dehydrated, and dirty she collapsed against his chest and sobbed. He embraced her.

  “I know they hurt you bad. It’s almost over now we just need to make it on to this jet and we’ll be home free.”

  Gage tucked the pistol into his
waistband, not even bothering to untie Isadora, assisting her up the steps and onto the jet. Gage spun around on the top step clearly holding the bomb remote he announced. “Good doing bizness with you girls and please let Evan know that I will see her soon.” Stepping backwards he boarded the jet, moments later a crew member retracted the steps and shut the door. The plane taxied to the nearby runway. After receiving clearance for takeoff, the jet sped down the strip and rose steadily into the early morning sky.

  Joey watched as the jet got smaller and smaller as it ascended higher and higher. Sitting on the asphalt, Cee cuddled Taleah in her arms as they both sobbed deeply from the gut. Evan, Mish, and all the guys converged on the tarmac. Glad to see Jason and Zay, Taleah cried out to them. “Please get this off of me.”

  Neither men knew shit about bombs, but here was a girl that was like a daughter to them, therefore they had to do something. Both men felt that if one of their children were in Taleah’s current predicament they would want someone to at least try. With the circumstances surrounding the situation, calling the law in had to be an absolute last resort.

  “I can’t diffuse a bomb,” Zay said. “I’m not even going to front. We might can get it off of her real quick and throw it in those trees.” He pointed to a wooded area that outlined one side of the tarmac.

  “Yeah that might work,” said Jason. “I just hope this muhfucka really can’t blow it up from the plane. Cee,” Jason spoke softly to the distraught mother. “You’re going to have to let her go so that we can see what we can do.”

  Reluctantly, Cee slowly released her child.

  Bending down Zay told Taleah. “Carefully open up the coat.”

  Following his directions, Taleah grabbed the coat’s lapels and pulled them apart. Immediately, Zay and everyone else became suspicious of the bomb’s authenticity. An up close view of the device revealed that the multi-colored wires were not running intricately from the beige box to the pipes. It looked like a pile of random wires were just glued to the box and to the pipes. Mish leaned in and tapped the pipes and the box with the tip of her nails.

  “Let me guess,” Zay said. “You know about bombs too?”

  “I don’t know how to make them or diffuse them,” Mish responded. “I’ve handled enough of them to know that this one not only looks fake, it feels fake. Listen,” she tapped the device again. “It’s hollow; there is nothing inside of it.” Unexpectedly Mish ripped the device from Taleah’s chest. Holding it in the air she shook her head. “He got us with a fake.”

  “Damn,” Tony chuckled. “You gotta give it up to this dude he is quick on his feet.”

  “Man, fuck him,” Jason spat then asked Mish. “How you supposed to catch up with him now?” he looked her up and down. “Him and that bitch could be flying anywhere in the world in a matter of hours.”

  Mish was use to men doubting her ability as a hired killer because of her gender and appearance. Jason was giving her the doubtful look that the other men had. Smiling her words came out wrapped in sarcasm.

  “They could be. Since I do know what I’m doing. Before they land I will know where they landing.”

  “Jason,” Joey interrupted. “She’s the best, she will get them. As for right now we need to go before security or the police come.”

  A black Benz G-Wagon drove up and the dark tinted window rolled down. Behind the wheel, dressed in gray tank and grey sweat pants, Kisa nodded at the small group.

  “That’s my ride.” Mish said. “Joey, can we discuss a few things real quick.”

  “Sure.”

  The two women stepped off to the side. “The ticket for the hit, on the guy is one hundred thousand, and like I said before I can take it out the money when my hacker gets it back.”

  “That’s cool.”

  “What do you want me to do about the girl?”

  “Is the price the same for her?”

  “Same price.”

  “One second,” Joey called Evan and Cee over to the private conversation.

  “Cee, what do you want her to do with Isadora?”

  “Put a bullet in the middle of her head for my husband.”

  “Ok then there you have it,” Joey told Mish, then directed her attention to Evan, “The fee for her service is two hundred thousand and plus the ten percent recovery fee will come out your money.”

  “I have no problems with that. I just want it to be over. Whatever I need to pay to get this psychotic nigga out of my life once and for all.”

  “That’s what it is then,” Mish said. “When it’s done I’ll bring confirmation.” She got in the car with Kisa.

  “Aye Joe,” Kisa called out. “Everything worked out for you?”

  “Only time will tell, thanks for the referral though.”

  Lightly smirking, Kisa nodded her head, chucked the deuces, and peeled off.

  Evan stopped Cee and Joey as they were walking away. “I wanna say something before we leave.”

  Both women paused and silently gave her their undivided attention.

  With a noticeable awkwardness in the air Evan began. “Um I know what a lot of people think of me, especially now that my past has been aired out... I want y’all to know that I’m truly sorry for the pain and trouble that was brought to your families because of what I did and I deeply regret hiding things from my two best friends.”

  Stoic faced Cee and Joey stared at her with no response.

  “Also, I really appreciate that after everything you suffered because of me, you still cared enough to protect me from Gage.”

  Dead silence.

  “So, I guess whenever y’all are ready we can discuss where we go from here personally and business wise.”

  Still nothing.

  “Well, talk to you girls later.”

  As Evan passed, Cee grabbed her hand. “There is nothing for us to talk about with regards to our friendship or the Luxe Group.”

  Saddened, tears welled up in Evan’s eyes. “I deserve that,” she wiped a plump tear off of her cheek with her finger. “I’ll have my attorney contact yours to figure out how to split the conglomerate up.”

  “That’s not what I meant. There is nothing for us to talk about, because nothing has changed. Our businesses will remain a conglomerate.” Cee placed her hand on Evan’s shoulder, “our friendship, isn’t just a friendship. We are sisters. Three girls from the westside, from the dirt, and at the end of the day we are all we got. Yeah, you fucked up royally and it may take a while for everyone to get over the things that happened. I’m highly upset, but you will always be one of us and I love you.” Cee pulled Evan close and embraced her tightly.

  Evan planted her face against Cee’s shoulder and let out a good shoulder heaving cry. Joey wrapped her arms around her best friends, she kissed Evan’s cheek. “I’m pissed with you, but I love you Ev and I always will.”

  “Ayo,” Zay shouted. “Hate to interrupt y’all lil moment, but we gotta blow.” he dapped Reza. “We need to get up soon.”

  “On the real my nigga.”

  “I can tell you really down for Evan. Just remember keep one eye up at all times.”

  “No doubt.”

  ***

  “What a welcome home this has been,” Tony said sitting on a stool eating breakfast on the center island in Joey and Zay’s kitchen.

  “I can’t even put last night into words,” Rico added animatedly. “I mean, we went from the best party ever to being in the middle of some wild gangsta movie type shit.”

  From the opposite side of the island Joey and Zay laughed at Rico. It felt good to laugh after all the recent occurrences. Finding out that Gage was behind it all had brought a small sense of closure. They wouldn’t be able to ascertain full closure, until they knew that Gage was eliminated. “It isn’t always like this,” Zay said to his brothers. “We live a calm family life.”

  “That’s right,” Joey added.

  “You ain’t just plain Suzy Homemaker,” Rico joked at Joey. “Not the way you were handling business
last night.”

  “Every now and then Joe-Joe from the westside creeps out,” Joey smiled. “I have to keep that bitch tucked deep inside ’cause she ratchet!”

  Rubbing the back of Joey’s neck, Zay shook his head and laughed. One of the things that he loved about his wife was her quirky-sometimes-dark sense of humor. He missed moments like this with her. Now that all the Gage and Evan drama hopefully behind them, he prayed that many stolen moments like this were in store for the days ahead. Zay took his hand from behind her neck to answer his vibrating phone.

  “Hello?”

  “Hey Zay,” his attorney Scott Fleischman greeted, “if you got a minute to spare I need to speak with you.”

  “Go ahead I can talk.”

  “No, not over the phone. I’m having breakfast at Pancake House on Charlottetowne Avenue. If you can get over here kinda quick before I have to be in court we can talk.”

  “I’m on the way.” Zay ended the call and stood up.

  “Who was that?” Joey asked.

  “My attorney, he needs to see me.”

  “Do you need me to go?”

  “You might as well come, he close to the hospital right now.” He looked at his brothers. “Since I gotta make a stop, if you want y’all can take one of the cars and go ahead to the hospital to be with mom.”

  “I don’t feel like driving,” Tony replied.

  “Me neither,” added Rico. “I don’t have a problem waiting while you stop. Besides, moms called before we started eating. She said Aunt Fran is stable and resting, so she’s going home to shower and get some clothes.”

  ***

  “Jason,” Cee shook him lightly as he lay asleep on the couch in her bonus room.

  “Yeah,” he stirred awake looking around trying to remember where he was.

  “I didn’t want to wake you. I know that you’re dead tired.”

  “I’m straight.” he slowly sat up, “just dozed off for a minute.”

  “A minute! More like two hours.”

  “Damn, I been sleep two whole hours.”