“Then why would he kill Freeman if he was working for him?” Laura asked.
Rayford’s expression became serious. “Freeman couldn’t deliver what Gaetano wanted—the Amaceo coin.”
Sonya shook her head. Will this ever end?
“It’s almost time. Are you ready, Miss Walters?”
“Do you think that he’ll show up?” Sonya asked the agent.
“William’s man said that he was more than willing to meet with you,” Rayford replied with an encouraging smile.
“But how safe will she be?” Dwayne asked, looping a protective arm around Sonya’s shoulders.
“We have men placed all around the designated area. She’ll be safe, Mr. Hamilton. You can trust me on this.”
“Well, let’s get this over with,” Sonya said with fake enthusiasm.
Rayford smiled. “Let’s go.”
Curtis smelled a rat. Something wasn’t right. This was too easy, but what other choice did he have? He had to get his hands on that coin. Word of Mr. Gaetano’s arrival had spread like wildfire on the streets. He knew that Gaetano had something to do with Frank’s death—it was probably a warning to him. He needed that damn coin before he was next on Gaetano’s hit list.
Frank had made the same mistake he had. He should never have dealt with an untouchable Mafia godfather.
Curtis went over his plan in his mind. He couldn’t afford to allow anything else to go wrong. His men had already taken their places. He didn’t believe in taking any chances. This could be a setup.
Underground Atlanta flowed with its usual crowd on a Saturday night. Couples passed Sonya while they held hands and laughed at the night’s festivities. The crowd was exactly what Sonya had hoped for. She felt safer to do “the exchange” here.
She inhaled the fresh air, wanting desperately for the night to be over. She spotted Dwayne across the street. He wore a pair of baggy blue jeans with an oversized Falcon jersey. His matching cap was pointed backward to complete his disguise as he blended with the crowd perfectly.
Having him as a protector relaxed her even more. Nothing could go wrong.
“Hello, Sonya,” Curtis’s familiar voice said from behind her.
He’s early. Sonya’s eyes widened in horror, but before she could turn around he stopped her.
“Not so fast. Act normal,” he commanded.
A large crowd of people obstructed her view of Dwayne. He can’t see me.
“A nice ensemble of people you showed up with.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Sonya lied.
“I’m sure you don’t. Walk.”
Doesn’t anybody see him? Where is everybody?
Sonya did as she was told. The moment she walked around a corner, everything went black.
Chapter 32
Back at the FBI building…
“Your plan failed,” Dwayne roared, sending an empty glass to shatter against the office wall.
Rayford’s men flinched from Dwayne’s venomous tone.
The office grew quiet as Rayford stood up from his desk to glare at Dwayne. “You need to calm down, Mr. Hamilton. My men are on top of the situation right now.”
“Do your men know where Curtis took her?”
Rayford was silent.
“What happens to her when he discovers he has a fake coin? Have your men thought of that?”
“Fake? The coin was a fake?” Rayford shouted. His anger flared in his eyes.
“You don’t think she was stupid enough to trust any of you idiots with the real thing, did you?”
“Then where in the hell in the real coin?”
Dwayne leaned over Rayford’s desk with a balled fist. “I have it. I am the only one she trusts.”
Rayford came around his desk to stand in front of Dwayne. “Give me the coin, Mr. Hamilton.”
“Nobody gets anything until Sonya is found and returned safely to me.”
As Rayford glared, Dwayne watched the muscles along the agent’s jaw twitch.
“I could have you arrested,” he finally retaliated.
“Then you will never find that coin.”
“Mr. Hamilton, it’s my job—”
“Your job was to protect Sonya. Why in the hell couldn’t you do your job then?”
The steady hum of an incoherent operator over Rayford’s walkie-talkie filled the room. Dwayne fought for control. This man had guaranteed him Sonya’s safety, and now she was gone. “I want her back.”
“We’re doing all we can, Mr. Hamilton.”
Dwayne turned his back to the incompetent agent. He didn’t want him to see the fear creeping into his eyes. He couldn’t lose Sonya like this. Curtis Durden was a smart man—he proved that tonight—but he was also a desperate man, and that made him dangerous.
“You are making a big mistake by not handing over that coin. Perhaps I should give you some time alone to really think it over,” Rayford replied before he and his men left the office.
Dwayne heard the soft click of the door. Is that it? We’re doing the best we can. Sonya’s life depends on these agents.
Dwayne sat in the empty office and listened to the agents buzz outside the door. There had to be more he could do. The doorknob turned, and Dwayne jumped to his feet. Slowly a small head peaked in.
“Bridget,” he whispered with outstretched arms.
She entered the room, then raced to him. They embraced. Dwayne was careful not to crush her bandaged shoulder. They held each other for a long moment as they both sought comfort from one another.
“I was so worried about you.” Bridget pulled away.
Dwayne touched her cheek gently. “Thank you.” He withdrew his hand, but she grabbed and held it in her own.
“I care about her, too.”
Dwayne stared at his daughter, who had fresh tears trailing down her face. “We’re going to find her.”
Bridget nodded and forced a weak smile. “I hope so.”
Her simple statement touched Dwayne’s heart. He squeezed Bridget’s hand for added comfort. “Maybe this is a good time to talk. There is something I want to discuss with you. It’s about Sonya.”
Bridget remained silent.
“I know this might come as a shock to you, or you may have a lot of questions—”
“Do you love her?” Bridget interrupted.
Dwayne’s thumb gently massaged the knuckles of her hand. “More than anything.”
She smiled. “I do, too.”
Dwayne clutched his daughter again. “I’m so happy to hear you say that.”
“Dwayne?” Malik rushed into the room.
Dwayne and Bridget released their embrace.
“I have a lead,” Malik announced. “We gotta move. One of William’s men spotted Curtis’s crew out in Marietta. We’d better go if we want to catch them.”
“I’m coming.” Dwayne turned to his daughter. “You stay right here. Go stay with your aunt Sharon and uncle James downstairs until I get back.”
Bridget grabbed his arm. “Shouldn’t we tell Agent Rayford?”
Dwayne looked at Malik, who in turn shook his head. “I think we ought to go alone on this one, sweetheart.”
“But, Daddy…”
“Bridget, trust me.”
“Daddy, I’m scared. What if something happens to you?”
“I’ll be all right, honey.” Dwayne tried to reassure her, but her grip tightened.
“Why can’t we inform Agent Rayford?”
“They’ve already botched one job,” Malik answered for Dwayne.
“Look, sweetheart, I’ll make you a deal. If we’re not back here in three hours, you can tell Rayford where we’ve gone. Deal?”
Bridget looked from her Dad to Malik, then nodded in agreement.
“Malik, where in Marietta are we headed?”
“The Cambridge Apartments off Atlanta Road.”
“You got that, Bridget?”
Bridget nodded again, then grabbed her father for another hug.
> “I’ll be back,” Dwayne whispered, kissing her forehead.
The two men left the office building and headed toward Malik’s car.
“What are you planning to do with me?” Sonya asked, masking the fear in her voice.
“Stop it with all the questions,” Curtis shouted. He looked out the window for the millionth time.
“Are you nervous?” Sonya taunted.
“I’m not the one that needs to be nervous.” Curtis gave her a dangerous look, but Sonya forced a cool smile.
“I bet Gaetano’s men are looking mighty hard for you. This is the second time you’ve cheated him out of his merchandise.”
“Shut up!”
Sonya’s head reeled backward from Curtis’s powerful backhand. She tasted the blood oozing into her mouth.
“He probably has men stationed at the airport and every bus station in the metro area,” she continued to taunt.
Curtis grabbed her arm and roughly lifted her out of the chair.
Sonya ignored the sharp stab of pain ricocheting throughout her body. She tilted her head up a notch.
“I’m warning you, Sonya. One more peep out of you, and I’ll give you something to control that mouth of yours.”
Sonya gave him a hard glare. “I’m not afraid of you.”
Curtis’s grip tightened. “You should be. You should be terrified.”
Sonya clenched her teeth in anger and resentment. Why was she pushing her luck?
Deep lines of aggravation penetrated his profile. Sonya felt proud to know the source of his frustration. Curtis was on the edge. He released her arm, letting Sonya fall back into her chair.
“I have to find another place,” he mumbled.
Sonya’s heart skipped a beat. She didn’t like the sound of Curtis moving around so much. Her chances of rescue decreased with every move they made.
“We’ll leave in an hour,” he said more to himself than to her.
Sonya held back her tears. She would not show him any weakness. She gave him a disgusted look. “They’ll find you,” she said in a low, venomous voice.
“Who? That lawyer boyfriend of yours? I’m shaking in my boots.”
Sonya’s eyes pierced him to the wall. “He will find me,” she answered confidently. In her heart, she knew that to be true. Dwayne would find her.
Curtis leaned into her profile until she could feel his breath against her cheek. “I can make it very easy for him, you know. It’s up to you. Do you want him to find you dead or alive?”
Laura stood up from her chair in the break room and dropped two quarters in the drink machine. She silently wished she had something stronger than a Coke. They’d been sitting in the FBI’s building, waiting to hear something about Sonya. She couldn’t stand this waiting. What will Curtis do with Sonya?
“Laura, please sit down,” Sharon pleaded.
“I can’t. I’m too nervous.”
“Dwayne is talking to Agent Rayford right now. He’ll be back to tell us what’s going on,” Sharon reasoned.
“He’s been up there for a while. Do you think we should go upstairs to make sure everything is all right?”
“He wanted us to stay down here in the break room until he returns.”
“She’s my sister. I have every right to know what’s going on.”
Sharon held up her hands. “I didn’t mean to start up an argument. Let’s wait until James comes back from the bathroom, and we’ll walk upstairs with you.”
Laura ignored her plea. “I’m going up.”
Sharon stood up from her chair. “Well, wait for me.”
They made it to the bay and waited for an elevator to arrive. Laura smiled at Sharon as she tried to relax. Maybe she was nervous about nothing. Then Laura thought she saw a familiar face walk past the other end of the bay.
She walked around Sharon.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. I just thought I saw someone I know.” A nagging feeling wouldn’t let her dismiss what she saw.
“Where are you going?” Sharon asked as she followed Laura.
“I just want to see who that man is.”
“What man?”
Laura ignored her question and continued along the hallway, searching for the familiar face. Soon she came upon hushed yet angry voices.
“How in the hell was I to know that she gave me a fake coin? I’m no coin expert,” Rayford’s voice boomed.
“Gaetano is not going to like this.”
“What are we going to do? Without that coin, we are two dead men.”
Laura gasped at what she heard.
“Oh my God,” Sharon whispered.
Laura placed a silencing finger over her lips, then continued to listen in on Rayford’s conversation.
“You mean to tell me you replaced a fake with another fake?” the other man’s voice boomed.
“Keep your damn voice down. You want the whole building to know what’s going on?”
“What difference does it make? We’re dead anyway.”
“We have to get that damn coin from Hamilton,” Rayford mumbled.
“And how do we do that?”
“Hell, we could take his daughter or sister. Take some damn body. All I know is, I didn’t risk my job for this sh—”
Laura leaned against the door too hard. Before she knew it, she and Sharon tumbled into the room.
“What in the hell?” Rayford shouted, going around the women to shut the door.
Laura and Sharon quickly jumped to their feet.
“What in the hell do we do now?” the man Laura recognized as Benjamin said.
Rayford drew his gun. “You get back down to the Cambridge Apartments before Durden discovers you’re missing. I’ll handle everything here. Maybe we still have a chance of getting that coin.”
Laura remembered the gun she had found in Sonya’s motel room and hid in her purse.
“Are you sure, man?”
“Yeah, I can handle these two with no problem.”
Benjamin looked to the women a final time, then slipped out of the door.
When it was just the three of them, Sharon spoke first. “So what’s the real story here?”
Rayford shook his head. “I’m real sorry you’ve learned about this.”
“Spare me,” Laura said, crossing her arms. Hoping her movement wouldn’t cause attention, she tried to snap open her purse.
“Since you’re going to kill us, suppose you tell us the truth. Who are you?”
“I’m who I said I was. Special Agent Stephen Rayford.”
“So you really do work for the FBI?”
“If you must know, yes. I work for the FBI. I also work for Mr. Gaetano.”
“Damn. This man must have one hell of a payroll.” Laura sneered. She pulled open her purse then slowly reached inside. Rayford didn’t seem to notice.
“Mr. Gaetano is a very powerful man. His eyes are everywhere.”
“Did he really kill Freeman?” Sharon wanted to know.
“Gaetano never dirties his hands.”
“So what happens now?” Sharon leveled her eyes with his.
“Now I get that coin from your brother, Mrs. Ellis. That’s all. He hands over the coin, and everything will be all right.”
“What makes you think he has the coin?”
“He told me himself, Mrs. Durden.”
“And you believed him?”
Rayford’s smile dropped. “What do you mean?”
“I mean just that. He doesn’t have the coin.”
Rayford blinked, then shook his head. “I don’t believe you.”
“Suit yourself.”
Rayford lowered his gun slightly to contemplate whether or not to believe her. That was just the break Laura needed. She shouted, “Duck” to Sharon while helping to push the other woman’s head down.
Laura extended her arm with the gun pointed to Rayford and fired.
Rayford had no time to react as he slammed back into the door, dropping his weapon.
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Blood poured out of his shoulder as he stared blankly at her.
Sharon retrieved his gun just as the room was swamped with agents.
James pushed his way through the agents, then gathered his wife in his arms. “What happened?”
“He works for Gaetano. He was going to kill us.” Sharon buried her face in James’s chest.
Agents quickly grabbed both women and tried to handcuff them.
“No. You don’t understand,” Laura screamed.
“Stand aside,” a voice thundered, coming into the room.
The women looked up to see a towering man with jet-black eyes and distorted features enter.
“Who are you?” Laura asked first.
“I’m Wade Harrison, the agent-in-charge. Suppose someone tells me what the hell is going on in here?”
Chapter 33
Malik and Dwayne arrived at the Cambridge Apartments.
“Do you know which apartment?” Dwayne asked. His adrenaline pumped wildly through his veins.
“William has a man stationed in the back.”
“How many men work for your brother?”
Malik gave him a you-don’t-want-to-know look.
“Hey, isn’t that one of Curtis’s men?” Dwayne nodded to a man standing nonchalantly in front of an apartment building. It was hard to see the face clearly in the dark, but Dwayne was certain the man worked for Curtis.
In that instant, they were recognized. Curtis’s guard wasted no time to draw his weapon and fire at the approaching vehicle. Malik and Dwayne ducked just as two bullets penetrated the windshield.
“Reach inside the glove compartment and get that gun,” Malik shouted.
Dwayne did as he was told. “Can you see where you’re going?” Dwayne asked, knowing Malik could crash at any second. And he did.
“We still don’t have the real coin,” Jack yelled, looking at Curtis.
Curtis’s men agreed, shaking their heads in agreement. Curtis eyed every man with contempt. “Don’t you think I know we don’t have the coin?”
“Do you have a plan to get it back?” someone shouted from the back of the room.
“The FBI must have it. How do you suppose we get it from them?” Curtis sneered.
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