“We need to find help to free Mr. Hamilton—” Laura looked toward her sister “—or Dwayne…from that building.”
“You know where Dwayne is being held?” Sonya leaned in and grabbed Laura by the arm.
“They’re in the same building I just escaped from. In fact, he helped me get out,” Laura replied, turning her attention to Sharon.
“They?” Sharon asked.
“Yes, he and Malik.” Laura looked back at Sonya. “Do you remember Malik Moyers from Techwood?”
“So Curtis is this ‘C.J.’ William is spouting out about.” Sonya’s hand absently went to her necklace. Out of habit, she rolled the thin chain between her fingers as she digested this new information.
“William?” Laura asked.
“Malik’s brother,” Sonya answered.
“Little Billy? Is he involved in this whole thing, too?”
“No, he’s just looking for his brother,” Sonya said.
“We have to call him and let him know where his brother is,” Sharon reminded Sonya.
“And start a war?” Sonya retaliated, shaking her head. “Too many people have been hurt already. No, we’re going to have to do this on our own.
“Are you crazy? I don’t know about you, but I have had more than my share of Cagney and Lacey to last me for the rest of my life. I think we need to wait until tomorrow and talk to the D.A.’s office,” Sharon responded.
“They could kill your brother tonight,” Sonya snapped.
Sharon and Laura were silent. Sonya stood and paced the floor. “There has to be some way we can help Dwayne and Malik,” Sonya mumbled.
“Then maybe our best hope is to go to William. At least he has an army of men behind him,” Sharon insisted.
Sonya gave her a disapproving look.
“Sonya, where else can we go? We are three women. What can we possibly do?” Sharon continued to reason.
Sonya knew that Sharon was right. Her mind was a blank—there wasn’t a thing the three of them could do.
“All right, we’ll call William.”
Dwayne and Malik had been imprisoned in their rooms only an hour before Dwayne freed his hands from the tight ropes.
“How did you learn to do that?” Malik asked while Dwayne began untying his hands.
“I wanted to be the next Houdini when I was a child,” Dwayne replied.
“A handy trade,” Malik joked as he stood up from the chair. “Now how do we get ourselves out of this joint?”
“The ceiling.”
Malik glanced up. “The ceiling?”
“Yeah, you’re not still afraid of heights, are you?” Dwayne started stacking the chairs on top of one another.
When Malik didn’t answer, Dwayne shook his head. “I can’t get over a big ox like you afraid of heights,” Dwayne joked.
“Let’s get this over with,” Malik said with a brave voice.
Dwayne hid a smirk. “After you.”
Malik climbed the first chair with no problem. But when it came to the next chair, his body froze with one knee on the second chair and the other leg still glued to the first chair.
Dwayne shook his head. “Come on, Malik, you can do it,” Dwayne tried to reassure.
Malik moved to the second chair and stood on his wobbly legs. Dwayne coaxed him into lifting up his arms and pushing up the cardboard ceiling with his hands.
Fifteen minutes later, Dwayne had finally gotten Malik through the top of the ceiling. He quickly climbed up after him. They balanced their weight along the wooden panel strips between the cardboard. As they moved along, Malik could no longer see he was actually on a ceiling, which caused him to relax.
Dwayne and Malik made it to the roof, and as expected Malik took one look over the side of the building and froze.
“Please don’t do this. We’re almost free,” Dwayne pleaded.
Malik didn’t respond.
Dwayne threw his hands in the air. He knew what he had to do. He pulled Malik away from the edge of the roof and like magic, Malik came out of his coma.
“I hate to do this to you, buddy.” Without another word, Dwayne swung his fist across the giant’s jaw, and he instantly sank to the ground.
Dwayne waved his hand in the air, trying to ease the stinging pain. He has to be made out of stone. Taking off both their shirts, he tied and looped them so he could strap Malik to his back and drag him down the platform fire escape.
After he placed Malik on the ground, he tried to revive him. Unfortunately Malik woke up swinging. One punch landed firmly across Dwayne’s jaw, knocking him back a few feet.
“Man, calm down. It’s me,” Dwayne hissed, rubbing his chin.
Malik glanced around anxiously. “Where are we?”
Dwayne blinked to clear the stars that danced before his eyes. What did he hit me with? A ton of bricks?
“We’re off the roof, if that’s what you’re concerned about.”
Malik’s shoulders slumped slightly. “Thanks, man.”
“You sure have a funny way of showing your gratitude.” Dwayne chuckled. “Here, put your shirt back on.” Dwayne put his on also.
Malik stood up and dusted off his leather pants with his hands. “Let’s get the hell out of here.” Malik started walking.
“You know where we are?” Dwayne asked.
“I know the streets of Atlanta like the back of my hand. Of course I know where we are.”
Dwayne stayed closed behind, but the paranoia of someone following them kept him turning around every few seconds.
Suddenly there were voices filtering down the small alley. Dwayne turned to tell Malik, but he had already heard them and had placed a silencing finger before his lips. Then he pointed toward a large Dumpster located a few feet down the alley.
Dwayne’s first instincts were to shake his head, but as the voices grew louder, he agreed and followed Malik into the Dumpster.
Curtis stormed down the alley with his men. “Where in the hell are they?” he barked at no one in particular. His men searched the alley but came up empty.
“Maybe they’ve already made it to the main road,” someone suggested.
“Do you think?” came Curtis’s sharp reply. The man fell silent.
“I want them found. I can’t lose everything in one day. I can’t afford for him to make it back to town. I won’t have any bargaining power to get that necklace. As long as Sonya thinks I have the lawyer, I have a better chance of her handing over that damn coin,” Curtis shouted.
More men scattered down the alley to search for Dwayne and Malik.
“If you find them, this time I want them dead. That’s less trouble for me to deal with.”
“But what about the necklace?” someone asked.
Dwayne listened as Curtis stood outside the Dumpster.
“Sonya will never need to know. Just as long as she thinks I have him. Do I make myself clear? If you find them, kill them.”
Francis Freeman sat in his office tapping his fingers nervously against his desk. Beads of perspiration formed along his brow. The last few hours were spent agonizing over his next move. A thousand excuses ran through his head. What was he going to tell Mr. Gaetano? He’d promised to deliver the Amaceo coin. He studied the medals and plaques that hung on his walls, then a deep sense of dread crept into his bones. How could he have sacrificed his career for this?
His subconscious knew the answer to that question. It was his chance to retire with more than a gold watch from the department. It was his chance to go out with a bang. He deserved this break for all the years of putting his life on the line. But nothing had worked out as planned. There was too much attention being drawn to Miss Walters and her sister. Now, Internal Affairs had started asking questions.
Freeman opened his top drawer and pulled out his blood pressure medicine. It wouldn’t be long before a connection between Officer Samuel Coleman and himself was made. His only hope was to get his hands on that damn coin and get out of Atlanta. The problem now was locating Son
ya.
Freeman’s eyes darted to his clock. Time was running out. Cradling his head between his hands, he tried to come up with a solution. There has to be something that I’m overlooking.
The sudden ringing of the phone scaled ten years off Freeman’s life. He felt an immediate acceleration of his heart while his temples throbbed. He reached to answer the phone.
“Freeman.” He failed to conceal the tension in his voice.
“We need to meet,” came the familiar voice of Mr. Gaetano.
“I’ve asked you not to call me on this line.” Freeman stood up from his chair.
“We need to talk,” Gaetano repeated.
Freeman shook his head against the phone. He recognized the dangerous tone in Gaetano’s voice.
“I’m…um…busy right now. I can call you with an available time and place,” Freeman reasoned.
“I will be in your office in twenty minutes. I suggest that you don’t leave.”
The line went dead. Freeman continued to hold the phone. What am I going to do? He glanced up to his clock. Seven o’clock. He had twenty minutes to come up with a plan, and time was of the essence.
Sonya, Laura and Sharon sat across the table at the busy pool hall and talked to William. The deadly look in his eyes warned them not to leave anything out.
William listened. A dark expression covered his face. Occasionally he would nod his head, but it was apparent to each of the women that he was not happy about what he was hearing.
“C.J. is your husband?” William finally asked while signaling men from behind them.
Laura nodded, then looked to Sonya, who in turn tried to give an encouraging smile. But Sonya’s hackles stood at full attention. She didn’t like this place. Everyone’s eyes were glued to William’s table. She couldn’t help but catch every movement of William’s men out of the corner of her eye.
“Do you think you can find the building you were held in?” William interrogated.
“Yes—”
Sonya cut into the conversation. “I don’t want my sister going back down there. She told me the location. I will be more than happy to show you, but I don’t want Laura going back there.”
William’s gaze shifted to Sonya with a curious brow lifted. “That’s fine with me. I just want to find my brother.”
“Then what?” Sharon asked.
William’s stone-chiseled face broke into a slow smile. “Now don’t you go worrying your pretty head about it. If your brother is with Malik, I will return him safely to you.”
“I don’t like the sound of that. What exactly are you planning to do?” Sharon insisted.
William’s demeanor visibly didn’t change, but his voice reflected his impatience. “The less you know, Mrs. Ellis, the better off you’ll be. Don’t you agree?”
Sharon held his dark gaze for a brief moment before nodding in agreement.
William looked to the bodyguards that stood behind the women and barked out orders. “Take the women back to the Sundial Motel, and meet me back here in an hour.”
The women stood up from their small table.
“Except for her.” William pointed to Sonya. “She stays.”
Sonya’s stomach lurched, but she held her brave facade. Laura clutched Sonya’s arm, her concern mirrored in her face.
“It’s all right,” Sonya assured her.
Laura refused to move until Sonya gently pried her fingers from her arm.
“Trust me, Laura.” Sonya leaned in and hugged Laura while whispering into her ear, “I’ll be back.”
Sharon touched Sonya’s shoulder. Sonya turned to her.
“I think I should be the one that goes. Dwayne is my brother.”
Sonya was silent for a moment, then answered, “I know, but I love him. He wouldn’t be in this mess had it not been for me. Let me do this.”
Sharon gave a weak smile while her eyes glassed over. “Are you sure?”
“I’m positive.”
“I hate to break up the soap opera,” William interrupted, “but it’s time to move.”
Sonya gave Laura her motel key, then leaned in to whisper.
“There is a gun in one of my bags at the motel. Keep it for protection.”
Laura nodded. “I will.”
Sonya then watched as Laura and Sharon were led out of the pool hall without a chance for either of them to change their minds. She was putting her trust in William. But it was the only way to help Dwayne.
James paced the lobby of the Sundial Motel. He stopped in midstride the moment his wife and Laura walked through the door. In two angry steps, he stood before Sharon. “Where on earth have you been?”
Sharon looked over her shoulder to see William’s men backing out of the lobby. She turned to her husband with a bright smile. “Everything is fine, honey.”
James’s face sagged the moment he recognized Sonya’s sister. “Laura?” He looked from Sharon to Laura, waiting for at least one of them to tell him what was going on. “Where have you been? Everybody has been looking for you.” He continued after neither of them volunteered any information.
“James, calm down,” Sharon said in a sugary tone. “Let’s go up to Sonya’s room, and we’ll talk there. Laura is tired and needs her rest.”
James allowed his wife to lead him toward the elevator. Laura walked silently ahead of them.
“Sharon, this time I don’t want you to leave anything out,” James warned.
The threesome made it to the second floor as James persisted in getting answers.
Laura unlocked the door, blocking out James and Sharon’s conversation. Her mind was occupied with thoughts of Sonya. If William is successful in rescuing Dwayne and Malik, will that mean the end of this madness? She doubted it. What we need is to get that coin to the right people. But who? She pushed open the door just when the bedside lamp clicked on.
Laura jumped back, hitting Sharon, who stood directly behind her.
“Come in,” a stranger’s voice instructed them.
“Who are you?” James thundered, stepping in front of the two women in a protective gesture.
Sharon released a startled scream when six men suddenly appeared behind them.
“Please,” the stranger said, signaling for them to enter the room.
The threesome looked among themselves before following the man’s instructions. The door was shut firmly by the last man entering the room.
“I knew we should have changed motels,” Sharon moaned.
Laura propelled a brave chin forward and watched each man cautiously. All seven were dressed in identical black suits.
“Let me introduce myself. I’m Lieutenant Stephen Rayford with the Federal Bureau of Investigation.”
“The FBI?” Sharon and James asked in unison.
The lieutenant nodded.
“May we see some sort of proof?” Laura asked sarcastically.
As if on cue, all seven men pulled out wallets that displayed their badges.
Laura inspected Lieutenant Rayford’s badge, then crossed her arms. “That could be fake.”
Rayford gave tight grin. “Ma’am, we are only here to help.”
“Who said we needed help?” Laura continued.
Rayford held up his hands as if to ward off the abusive tone. “The FBI has been on this case for well over a year now, Mrs. Durden. That coin your husband stole has landed you into nothing but trouble.”
“What coin?” James asked, looking at Sharon.
“Shh, not now, honey. I’ll tell you later,” Sharon responded.
“The Amaceo coin,” Rayford answered.
Laura clenched her jaw. “So what do you want from us?”
Rayford stood, showing his complete six-foot frame. His dark, brooding eyes pierced her as much as his next statement. “We want you to help us hunt down your husband.”
The room’s silence thickened before James asked his next question. “Isn’t her husband dead?”
Rayford lifted a curious brow in James’s directi
on just as Sharon elbowed him to remain quiet.
“Why would I want to help you?” Laura finally asked.
“Come on now, Mrs. Durden. I’m sure you want this nightmare to end for both you and your sister.”
“You mean to tell me that the FBI knew what was going on this entire time?” Sharon asked incredulously.
“We were about to close in on Curtis Durden about a month back. But his staged death threw us off track.”
“How was he able to stage his death?” James asked, trying to keep up with the conversation. “Wouldn’t the police know that wasn’t his body?”
“Unless the police are in on it,” Sharon said, looking to Rayford for confirmation.
“I see you’ve put a lot together,” Rayford acknowledged. “Yes, the Bureau has connected Sergeant Freeman with Mr. Durden—that is until Curtis decided to cut him out of the deal.”
Sharon tried to understand everything. “So Freeman helped stage his death, then when Curtis refused to cut him in…”
“He made a deal with Mr. Gaetano himself,” Rayford finished for her.
“Who is Gaetano?” James asked.
“Mafia.”
The threesome became deathly quiet. Laura held the lieutenant’s gaze for a long time before saying, “So what do you need for me to do?”
Chapter 31
Dwayne and Malik climbed from the Dumpster after hours of waiting for the coast to clear.
“I can’t believe I got in there,” Dwayne mumbled.
“You’re alive, so it served its purpose.” Malik wiped the trash from his clothes.
“Where do we go now?”
“My brother owns a billiards joint not too far from here. We can at least get a bath.”
“Lead the way.” Dwayne followed Malik down a dark alley while the moonlight served as their only guide. “Are you sure you know where you’re going?”
“We’re almost there,” Malik whispered over his shoulder. “There it is.”
Dwayne spotted the small building across the street. “Your brother owns that place?”
“Trust me. It may not look like much, but William is definitely making loot.”
Dwayne shrugged. “Whatever. As long as I can get a bath and fresh clothes, he’s all right by me.”
Defenseless Page 24
