After looking over at Leon one last time Jay said ‘Well, it turns out Perry knows about our connection. So he contacted Pyro and told him to stay clear.’
‘And what about Black?’ Superior Upson barked.
Leon decided Jay had said enough so he chose to cut into the conversation and answer the rest of the questions himself.
‘Black has no idea who we really are.’ He said flatly. ‘Black is worried I’m making deals off the books, that’s all. He basically told me so when I was at the ‘SPOT’ last night. Perry must have had someone tailing us when we made the drop two weeks ago.’
While Leon was talking he realised something that caused his blood to run cold but he stayed true to form and decided to keep his thoughts to himself. Chief Edwards frowned and started to run his hands through his hair. After taking in a few deep breaths he looked at Leon and said, ‘I know this isn’t easy.’
Superior Upson interrupted the Chief’s words with a disgruntled snort, which caused the Chief to shake his head in disappointment; He did not say anything. Just heaved a sigh and continued where he left off. ‘We need you to do whatever it takes to get the information we need. Names, times, dates - any and every connection Black and Karim make you need to know.’
‘IN FOUR WEEKS?’ Jay exclaimed.
‘I know. The window is short but time is of the essence here boys. If we’re correct and Karim has somehow got Black to fund his operation, then we need to put an end to Black and Karim’s business once and for all.’
Superior Upson finally spoke, ‘Since you feel this will be too much for you two, I’ve arranged for a new member to be added to the case. His name is O’Neal.’
Now on his feet the Superior turned his attention to Chief Edwards and said, ‘Make sure they get introduced.’ He paused to look down at his watch then said ‘I have to get back to New-York. Make sure I’m contacted with any updates and I’ll make sure any pertinent information is passed down to you.’
Chief Edwards nodded his head and with that Superior District Upson exited the room. Once again the office fell silent and the sound of the AC system returned. The Chief looked at his two best agents and said ‘Do you guys honestly think you will be able to get the information… ?’
However before either of them could answer he said ‘You’ve been given the raw end of the stick. I admit that. But this is your chance to stick it to them. Hell! Stick it to me too. I never thought you would make it this far. When Jay got shot three years ago, the higher heads were looking to pull the plug on this investigation.’
‘Pull the plug?’ Leon questioned.
The Chief took in a deep breath and sighed heavily. He was looking directly into Leon’s eyes and for the life of him Leon could not shake the feeling his Chief was telling him sorry and for the split second it takes for you to flick a switch, everything fell into place. Leon knew what was going on and the look on his face alerted that fact to the Chief. However any further thought process was broken by a knock on the door.
‘Shall I answer it?’ Jay asked.
The Chief didn’t answer but kept his eyes on Leon and repeated his earlier question
‘Do you think you guys will be able to get the information?’
Before Leon could reply, the knocking at the door returned.
‘Who is it?!’ The Chief shouted impatiently.
‘Agent Carter.’
Jay frowned, ‘I thought the dude’s last name was O’Neal?’ He said.
‘It is.’ Replied the Chief, then turning towards the door he said ‘Come in Agent Carter.’
A second passed, the door opened and a smiling Carter O’Neal entered the room.
‘I saw the Superior in the hall and he said you wanted to see me.’
‘Yeah, I bet he did.’ Leon thought.
‘Yes, yes, come in Carter. Meet your new team. Agent Nathan Ferron, Agent Dean Ferguson aka Leon and Jay. Guys, formally meet Agent Carter O’Neal.’
Carter waived them both hello then said ‘How you guys doing? I’m looking forward to getting out there and getting our hands dirty.’
Jay looked over his shoulder at Leon as if to say, ‘Is this guy foreal?’
Jay would have complied with the same sentiment but he did not want to give the new guy anything to read, so he said ‘Yeah, we’ve heard a lot about you. Welcome.’
The Chief cleared his throat. ‘Well, now that we have got the introductions done and dusted, let’s get to business gentlemen.’
Leon walked over to Carter and shook his hand. Then without notice looked over at the Chief and in a reassuring tone, said ‘we’ll get what you need Chief.’
The Chief Edward’s face gave way to a smile
‘That’s what I like to here.’ He said.
Hearing Leon’s last statement, Chief Edwards did not think anything else needed to be said, so he just waived the three agents out the door and said ‘Now all three of you get out my office and do what you need to do, to get the info we need. Just don’t BLOW YOUR COVERRR!’
Jay made his way towards the door brushing by Carter with a noticeable thud. Leon acted as if he was unaware of the incident and turned his face away and the Chief’s head was already looking down at some papers so Cater decided not to make a big deal about Jay’s actions.
All three of them were now standing in the corridor outside Chief Edward’s office and Jay was looking at Carter, - not even slightly impressed with what he was seeing. Carter was black but had what the older heads down South would call ‘a high-yella’ complexion. Jay figured Carter was one of those guys who could switch between looking like a white or black man with a simple change of hairstyle and clean shave. He was about 5'9, lean – with noticeable muscle definition, but still way smaller than Jay.
‘Nerd’ Jay thought as he looked at Carter’s clothes.
He was wearing a blue shirt, navy blue pants and black leather shoes, a far cry from Leon and Jay’s baggy jeans, Timberlands, and designer tops. Jay thought about how taking Carter on board was going to be more of a chore than work and started to shake his head.
‘So what’s your name dawg?’ he asked. (Tone decidedly more aggressive than it actually needed to be)
‘Err, Carter.’
‘Nahh, fool! You’re NAME.’ Jay repeated.
Carter looked at his two new partners not knowing what to say.
‘What dah… Your street name!’ Jay exclaimed.
‘Oh! Sorry. Yeah, my street name. It’s gonna be Luke.
Jay flashed Carter a look of confusion. Unable to hold back his irritation any longer Jay shouted ‘What the Fuck! Are you being serious man?’
It was one thing to have some new guy be pushed onto them at the last minute but then it was a total different situation when the same guy has obviously never been placed in undercover work and has no clue as to how they did things.
‘Please, tell me what black hood nigger you know named Luke… ?’ Jay questioned ‘Nahh forget that, what black man – period, you know named Luke! I can’t believe this. We got four weeks and this nigger calls himself mother-fucking Luke! Who are you? Mother fucking Sky walker?’
Carter opened his mouth to speak but Jay cut him off.
‘The question was rhetorical, you fool. Seriously are you even black? I mean, when you wake up in the morning and you look in the mirror is it a black man looking back at you?’
Not waiting for a reply Jay turned to Leon and said ‘This fool crazy, he think he Luke Cage.’
‘Yo, you need to calm down.’ Leon replied.
Side stepping away from the Chief’s door and pausing for two fellow FBI Agents to pass them in the corridor Leon turned towards Carter so he was standing squarely in front him and said ‘What did you do, over in Counter Intelligence?’
‘How di, did…’ Cater started
to stutter but it was not long before he regained his composure and said ‘Did the District’ tell you guys that?’
‘What does it matter how we know… ?’ Leon replied. ‘. . . what matters’ is that we’re a team, so there can’t be any surprises. You feel me… ? So what did you do?’
‘Surveillance and some statistical analyses.’ Replied Carter proudly.
‘You have got to be kidding me?’ Jay exclaimed. He had finally heard enough. As far as he was concerned Carter was a desk hugging, button pushing - camera watching fool. Jay hated paper pushers – those who just sit behind a desk all day, while people like him and Leon were out in the streets doing all the real work.
Kissing his teeth Jay turned to Leon for some sort of validation for how he felt but unfortunately what he got back was Leon motioning him to calm down. Disappointedly Jay shook his head. In his mind Leon’s unwillingness to highlight Carters faults was the proverbial straw.
‘This is bullshit! You do know that right?’
Before Leon could reply Jay abruptly walked off with his middle finger high in the air.
‘Yo! Where are you going?’ Leon called.
‘I’m going home! Holla at me when you’re ready to ride.’
‘Aight, be sa…’
Carter cut Leon off before he could finish his customary sentence.
‘Shouldn’t we be going over how we’re going to move forward… ? How you guys are going to introduce me to Black? What’s my role going to be?’
Leon watched Jay turn the corner out of sight then looked over at Carter
‘Oh, I’m sorry Agent Carter.’ Leon replied sarcastically. ‘Didn’t the District already tell you that?’
‘Tell me what?’
‘Your role in this case?’
The pitch, pace and power of Leon’s words were placed perfectly. Those words alone, - for the first time in years, caused Carter to feel as if he was the one being scrutinised. However being the person he was he knew how to play the game and with that knowledge replied ‘Superior Upson hasn’t told me anything other than the facts of the case and that we have 4 weeks to get as much information on Black and Karim as possible.’
Leon stood there for a moment, scrutinizing Carter from head to toe. Ironically he was having the same thoughts as Jay but in contrast he was able to keep them to himself.
‘Aight man - your M3 outside?’ Leon said finally.
Carter was about to reply in the affirmative but before any words could be formed he realised if Leon knew what car he drove it also meant he did not go unnoticed last night. Leon could tell what he was thinking and smiled reassuringly.
‘Don’t worry about it’ he said. ‘I would have picked you out a mile away. Let’s just hope your surveillance techniques get better overnight.’
Carter nodded his head. Appreciating the fact Leon did not use his failed surveillance as a reason for him not to be on the case.
‘Let’s just head to your crib and there I’ll tell you how we’re gonna do this.’ Leon said.
Carter thought about it for a second before answering, ‘Ok. I’ll meet you round front. I just gotta go get my things.’
Without another word, Leon walked off in the same direction Jay had gone.
Ten minutes later Leon was sitting in his Mercedes outside the Co-Op building, waiting for Carter to exit the underground car-park. Another few minutes went by and the same silver BMW Leon saw the night before came out from the parking lot below and into the sun light. Carter was at the wheel, scanning the area around him. Ten minutes passed and they were on the ‘I-95’ heading north. While Leon followed Carter he used the time to piece everything he knew and had been told together. For the most part he had worked it all out. - His father’s involvement with the Fed’s, Karim’s dealings with Black, - It all made sense except for one thing. That he would be able to verify once he had a chance to go through the folder Chief Edwards had given him.
CHAPTER 7
Leon followed Carter up the I95 passed 119th Street and kept on going north, passed ‘Ives Dairy Road’, - which lead into ‘Broward County’; and then took an exit ramp West towards the I75. A few miles past and just like Carter Leon took the Knob-Hill exit and after a few minutes followed behind Carter’s BMW into ‘Knox Landings’, a housing estate for the rich and famous.
After passing a few homes that could only be described as mansions or mini castles and then driving through what looked like a golf course the two federal agents pulled up in front of a massive white house with rusty orange tiles. Leon counted eight windows on the front of the house alone. It was surrounded by a 6'ft high metal fence, with an electrical gate. Orchids hung from rails while vines clung to the wall around the front door. The driveway between the gate and the house wasn’t very long however Leon noticed it was in the shape of a horse shoe with an exit gate further down the fence. While the house did look good, Leon could not help but feel it did not go with the rest of the homes in the area.
Leon watched Carter pull up closer to the entrance and pause for a moment before the gate started to slide open. Leon drove up the driveway behind Carter and took in the rest of the yard that was hidden behind the fence. On the other side of the drive he saw a women walking towards a black Audi A7. The car had black 20' Inch rims with limo tinted windows. Leon tried to catch the registration but it was impossible due to the cars slanted position. The women had long, jet-black hair that shimmered in the sun-light. Leon thought compared to ‘Chocolate’ and ‘Cinnamon’ she was leaning more towards the heavier side but she wore it well – very well. She was wearing a white blouse, black pencil-skirt and a pair of black high heeled shoes. Leon figured her to be Spanish or mixed race due to her light complexion, - which made it easy for him to notice the tattoo of the Dolphin on her ankle. Leon was hoping she would turn around so he could see her face but she never did.
As Leon’s Merc came to a stop behind Carter’s car, Leon watched the women open the door to her ride, adjust her skirt and get in. Leon was still watching her as Carter got out of his M3 and walked back towards his Mercedes and tapped on the window. Leon watched the black Audi exit the gate, turn left and disappear.
‘Welcome to my humble abode.’ Carter said smiling on the other side of the door.
‘Humble?’ Leon said under his breath before killing the engine and waiting for carter to move away from the door.
‘Nice place you got.’ Leon said exiting his ride.
‘Thanks.’
Carter replied in a way that made Leon question if this was in fact his house, so he asked ‘Yours or the agencies?’
‘The Agency’s.’ Carter replied casually. ‘They seized this place a year ago from some banker for extortion. So since I’m supposed to be some big drug friend of yours the Agency thought this house would be the perfect cover.’
‘I see…’ Leon said frowning. ‘Well, are you gonna invite me in or what?’
Without a reply, Carter turned on his heels – much like a soldier would do when asked to perform an About-Turn - and quickly walked towards the front door of the house.
As Leon walked into the mansion behind Carter he could not help but feel he had just stepped into an episode of ‘MTV Cribs’. The main foyer was circular shaped with either doors or hallways leading off of it. The floor itself was made from slabs of see through glass enabling Leon to see giant Chinese gold-fish swimming around underneath. Immediately to the left of where he stood was a dining room and to his immediate right Leon figured the room to be a study or some other office. To the left of that room was a hallway which Leon could see lead to the Kitchen.
‘Come this way.’ Carter instructed.
He got no reply. Leon was quietly staring at the staircase that stood directly in the middle of the foyer.
‘It’s pretty isn’t it?’ Carter said smiling.
‘Pretty… ?’ Leon replied with a sarcastic chuckle. ‘Who would put something like this in their home?’
It was a double staircase. Made from glass, - with its steps wrapped around a frosted glass elevator.
‘Well, apparently some banker named Adonai Jaeger.’ Carter replied.
“I wonder how much of a kick-back the Agency got after locking HIM UP!” Leon thought.
Carter tapped Leon on the shoulder again.
‘No disrespect intended’ He said, ‘but if you don’t mind, I really do think we should get to the reason why your actually here.’
‘Sure.’ Leon replied under his breath.
Leon followed Carter around the staircase and through a door to the left which lead into another dining room. Carter walked past the table towards the back of the room and opened the sliding glass door that lead outside. Motioning Leon to follow he said, ‘Take a seat.’
Leon decided to sit in one of the chairs directly next to the sliding door, just in case he found himself in a position where a fast get away was needed. As soon as Carter could see Leon was settled he asked ‘So what is your plan?’
‘Hold up… !’ Leon replied abruptly, ‘I have some questions for YOU first. I mean Jay and I don’t know you from Adam. How do we know you can really help us? Sure, you can sit in an office miles away and use your satellites and shit. Listen in on peeps conversations, but have you ever had to plant a bug or get close enough to get visual contact with your own two eyes… ?’ Leon paused for a moment then said ‘Apart from last night that is.’
Carter did not give an answer.
‘Ok. Maybe the question I should be asking is do YOU believe you’re up for this?’
Carter did not appreciate the question. He was handpicked to work on this case and now Leon was questioning if he thought he was capable. Carter moved to the edge of his seat, leaned forward and said ‘You don’t know me Sure I may not know, what’s the new FUBU line for the summer, or what size rims I need to put on my car so as to fit in but the Superior needed someone to pull this case out of the gutter and guess what? He called me! Aiigght!!’
The Desert Lion's True Colours Page 8
