While Jay scanned the congregation for anything or anyone that seemed out of place, Leon kept his eyes on the man who had just joined the crowd. The low wine of the machine came to a stop as the coffin hit the base of the grave and Leon heard the Pastor say something about ‘dust to dust and ashes to ashes’ and then give the signal for the grave-side help to finish their job. Within minutes the straps used to lower the coffin had been raised and the majority of mixed federal Agents and news reporters had melted away - almost as if, staying too long would be a sign of something indecent. A few of Leon and Jay’s Ex-FBI colleagues walked by them as they stood underneath the tree but none of them said anything, just kept their heads down and kept on walking as if Leon and jay never existed. The official story within the department - issued from FBI head-office, was that Leon and Jay had been fired for gross miss-conducted shown during the case involving Black and the South-Side Syndicate – which eventually resulted in the DEA urging the court to throw out the case due to a lack of evidence. The stigma alone turned Leon and Jay into outcasts, which in turn made them enemies of all law enforcement. Sure they were not picked up and arrested but they could feel the eyes of the law following them everywhere they went. They may have been alive but the career they had worked so hard for was dead and gone.
A few more minutes had passed and now all who were in attendance had departed, except the new arrival in his pristine suit and shiny black leather shoes. He just stood by the edge of the grave watching the two helpers - could be escaped convicts, shovel dirt back into it hole.
‘What you think he’s doing… ?’ asked Jay. ‘. . . He doesn’t think we’re going to walk down there.’
Leon did not reply but clearly understood where his friend was coming from. The distance between them and the suited gentleman was at least 20 ft. which made the walk from their location - under the tree, seem very exposing.
‘Well, I ain’t moving?’ Jay said abruptly. No sooner did those words leave his mouth the guy in the blue suit started to waive at them.
‘Is this guy being for real?’ Jay said sternly.
‘Quick, go down there and see what he’s saying.’
‘And what about…’
‘If he wants it - Then he needs to come over here.’
Jay nodded in response and without saying another word began the slow walk over to the grave. When he was about 10 ft. away the guy moved from his position and took a few steps forward to meet Jay on his arrival.
‘Afternoon…’ He said with a smile.
‘Yeah, yeah, yeah…’ replied Jay. ‘. . . What’s the deal?’
‘I think you have the reasons for this meeting confused.’ replied the suited gentleman. ‘I believe you were advised to be here with the bonds.’
‘Hmmm, I’m not sure how to tell you this,’ Jay said smiling ‘but I believe YOU were miss-advised. See as far as I’m aware we were just told to turn up in our Sunday best and on time and as luck would have it - tadaah. Here we are.’
‘Don’t test my patients.’ The man snapped back. ‘Do you have the bonds or not?’
Jay smiled, looked at the two tattooed men - who had now stopped shovelling dirt and was trying their best to listen in on the conversation, before saying, ‘Not.’
‘Very well, have it your way.’ The man replied.
The guy looked at Jay, then over at Leon still standing under the tree and scoffed. Taking a phone out of his pocket he said, ‘I never understood people like you.’
‘What does that mean?’ Jay replied.
The man did not answer. Just shook his head and waited for the person he had just called to pick up. After a few rings he said ‘Hello, sir… Yes, I’m here.’
After a short pause he looked up at Jay and gave him a look of slight expectation but upon getting nothing in return, looked away and almost regrettably said ‘No sir. They don’t.’
Jay smiled to himself as he watched the guy on the phone take what seemed to be a long list of orders and then hear him say ‘Yes, sir. I understand…’ However before he could say anything else Jay moved in and snatched the phone from the gentleman’s grasp. Disappointed he had failed to stop Jay from taking his phone, Clive reached for the weapon hidden within his jacket. However to his astonishment the clear, crisp sound of multiple guns being cocked, caused him to retract from his own weapon and drop his hands down to his side. Leon let out a chuckle.
‘Do you know who I am?’ The guy in the blue suite said - tapping his chest.
‘No and I don’t care.’ Replied Jay nonchalantly.
Placing the man’s phone to his ear he said ‘Hello.’ but no one replied. The line was dead. ‘I guess they don’t care what happens to you, huh?’ he said smiling.
‘Why do you think they would want to speak to you? You just don’t get it do you. But you’ll learn.’ The guy’s statement was spoken with a smile but carried a clear sinister tone. Jay did not care. Just shrugged his shoulders and said, ‘Yeah, yeah, yeah - Whatever!’ while motioning the grave-side help to move in closer. The gentleman turned around just in time to see the two men who were posing as diggers approach with both of their hands gripped around automatic pistols, - trained directly at him.
‘So what’s this supposed to be?’ asked the guy calmly. ‘. . . You’re planning on holding me hostage, or something stupid like that?’
Jay motioned to one of the grave diggers to retrieve the guy’s gun and then said ‘Ha, you should be so lucky.’
Turning his back on the man in the blue suit, Jay casually walked over to where Leon was still waiting and handed the guys phone over to him.
‘Did he say anything?’ Leon asked.
Frowning Jay replied ‘What do you think?’
A few seconds passed before the two fake grave diggers - known to Leon and Jay as Mervin and Delroy from the Norland Posse, walked up to them with the suited gentleman in tow.
‘Afternoon.’ Leon said cordially.
The guy in the suit did not reply.
‘What’s your name?’ Leon asked.
Still no reply was given.
Jay took his own gun from the waist of his pants, poked it into the man’s shoulder and barked ‘Yo, you deaf? He asked you what your name is!’
With a roll of the eyes the guy in his navy blue suit and unbuttoned shirt let out a sigh before unwillingly replying ‘Cedar. Clive Cedar.’
Resting most of his weight on his good foot, Leon raised his crutch and pointed it at Clive.
‘So Mr Cedar… I assume you work for the guy I spoke to on the phone?’
‘Yes.’ He replied, - looking down at the rubber grip on the end of Leon’s metal cane just a few inches away from his chin.
‘And I assume you were sent here today in hopes we would have brought the cash-bonds and the codes.’
Clive Cedar took his time to answer but after a short moment of silence he finally nodded his head and answered with a simple ‘Yes.’
‘Well I’m sorry to tell you I don’t have it.’
Smiling, Clive shook his head. ‘Well I suggest you be a good little cub and go get it.’ He said.
Leon was starting to get annoyed with that reference, - mostly because of what it represented - and let out a sigh.
‘Nahh, I don’t think you understand,’ Leon replied. ‘. . . When I say, I don’t have it, I mean, I don’t have it! It’s gone.’
‘What you mean, it’s gone? It can’t be gone!’
Tempted to slam the end of his walking-aid into Clive’s forehead, Leon lowered it to the ground, distributed some of the weight resting on his good leg into the arm holding the metal handle that stuck out from its side and said ‘Look. When something is not in my possession, in my mind, that shit – whatever it is - is gone. SO I guess you’re gonna have to take that trek back to wherever you came from and tell the
dude on the phone I don’t have it.’
‘You’re either extremely smart or extraordinarily dumb.’ Replied Clive, - taking a step forward now Leon’s crutch was back on the floor.
Seeing Clive’s forward movement towards Leon, Jay instinctively raised his weapon for the kill but was stopped short by Leon vigorously waiving him off with his free hand.
‘No need,’ Leon ordered.
Allowing Clive to get just a few feet away Leon said ‘That’s enough. I can smell your breath from here.’
For a split second Clive Cedar was stunned by the insult but then was quickly revived with the thought that he was a grown man and was not going to allow a stupid statement to cause him to feel shame. He had power, money and respect. Something he was sure Leon and his cronies would never live to experience.
‘The only reason you are alive,’ Clive said dryly ‘was on the proviso you brought the codes and the cash bonds. Now you say you don’t have them, means the whole deal is off.’
Leon started to laugh.
‘What, the same deal my father; Pyro and the Chief were given? The same deal where we get used and can never say no deal? Well, we all thought about it and decided to, how should I say it… ?’
‘Fuck your deal.’ Jay cut in.
‘Yeah exactly that.’ Leon said smiling. He could see the anger building up in Clive Cedars face. His nicely tanned skin was giving way to a flush of red around his neck and cheeks and is hands were in the shape of fists. However Leon knew Clive was not stupid. Technically Leon was walking on one leg which made him the easy target however there were no less than four guns aimed at Clive’s back, which meant any sudden movement would mean lights out for him.
Leon gave Clive a smile, turned his back on him and began to walk away. Then over his shoulder said, ‘If it’s any consolation, I might know someone who has an idea where it is?’
Not moving from his position Clive Cedar replied ‘Who?’
Still walking away Leon chuckled and without turning around said ‘Come, let me introduce you.’
Not wanting to look too eager Clive decided to stand his ground for a moment however his intention was not fulfilled as Jay came up behind him and shoved him in the back. Jay and the two Miami thugs watched him to fall forward onto his hands.
‘Why you stalling… ?’ Jay said, in a mixture of agitation and joy all at the same time. ‘. . . You wanna know where the dough is? Then get up and get your whack suit wearing behind on.’
Slowly, Clive got back to his feet and made his way over the grass, (behind Leon) to a silver and black Maybach parked a short distance away.
‘Who’s in the car?’ Clive asked, as they walked up to the black and silver $350,000 car.
‘You’ll see.’ Leon replied.
‘Can’t you just tell me?’
Leon did not reply. Just took his time to walk around the luxurious vehicle and wait for the rear door to open. Clive Cedar stood next to the rear door on his side expecting it do the same but when nothing happened decided to open it himself.
‘Whoa, whoa. What makes you think you’re getting in here?’
Clive Cedar gave the question a moment of pause before taking a step back from the Maybach to quickly scan the area around him. Leon chuckled.
‘I thought you were taking me to your contact.’ He said finally - unsure if that was the best thing to say.
‘See, that’s why you should never assume. All it does, is make an ass out of you and me, you know.’
Clive stayed silent. For the first time in years he actually felt as if he had no control. Apart from his immediate superiors he was a boss in his own right – a director if you will. Someone who had as much, - if not more power than the Chief Superior Upson himself. Sure his power was used in different ways, but it was power none-the-less. However at that very moment he was unarmed and outnumbered and was finding it hard to understand how he allowed himself to be caught in this predicament. He was now the underdog, not the prey and now all the power he thought he had was meaningless.
Keeping his eyes on Clive, Leon placed his walking stick inside the car and gently tapped on the roof of the Maybach. A second passed before the electronic curtain behind the glass of the rear door - facing Clive, parted to the side and the vehicles irregularly thick glass made its way down. To Clive Cedar’s astonishment sitting in the seat closest to the open window was Arif “Red Death” Karim. Alive and smiling and sitting directly next to him was the Sultans youngest son – Saheed Karim. The same young man Aaron had the late night meeting with a couple weeks ago.
Leon had located Usain’s number from Aaron’s phone and called him the same day they left the hospital. He advised Usain that Aaron was dead and that he was going to be double crossed. He then managed to convince him to meet back in New-York so that they could give him proof of what they were saying. After they helped Usain to realise they were all being used, Karim decided he would pass the information onto Karim. He did not like what Karim had become but now being armed with the truth he knew Karim would see things differently.
Seeing the two brothers sitting in the back seat almost knocked Clive out for the count. He had figured Leon either sold the bonds to someone on the black market or worst case scenario try to blackmail Camistock with a bidding war over the bonds. But handing them to Karim was the last thing he or Camistock expected.
Regaining his composure and remembering who he was, Clive bent at the hip slightly - so he could see directly into the vehicle and calmly said ‘Karim, It’s been a long time.’
‘Yes, it has Clive.’
Hearing there introductions made Leon just a little uneasy as he had no idea Karim knew Clive but he kept silent.
‘So you’re the ones with the bonds?’ asked Clive rhetorically.
‘For now?’ replied Karim with a nod of the head.
‘For now?’ Clive responded.
Leaning forward Saheed cleared his throat and said ‘We know everything. How you recruited my brother and brainwashed him. How you turned him against his family, And now our new friend here has advised us of where this money comes from…’
Cutting Saheed off in mid-sentence, Clive started to laugh and without apology turned his attention to Karim and said ‘Come on Karim. How many years have you been selling weapons to countries that couldn’t afford toilet paper? Do you really care where the money comes from? You know as well as I do the Government has a slightly chequered past but which country doesn’t. Take the bonds. Deposit them. Use the money as you see fit and we will call it a day.’
Without waiting for a reply, Clive looked up and over the roof of the Maybach at Leon standing on the other side and said ‘I knew you weren’t smart. Didn’t you know the bonds were supposed to be for Karim anyway? All you did was make the drop for us?’
Leon shook his head.
‘He did more than that.’ Karim interjected.
‘Oh?’
Karim’s face gave way to a very faint smile before he said, ‘Clive we met when I was what… ? Twenty, twenty-one…’
Clive nodded.
‘. . . Well, I’m not the same person I was back then. Before I left home my family instilled certain values in me, I guess never left. You could say I am the prodigal son and now I am going home to my father. I will be taking the bonds with me and will be informing him of your full intentions. You know the moment I am home you can never touch me; and with what I know about Camistock it would be best we just let our relationship die here. What my father decides to do with the bonds will be down to him. Let’s just hope he will now be able to make certain decisions without being impeded or held to previous agreements. I’m sure Camistock knows exactly what that means…’ He paused to give Clive a broad smile and then said ‘. . . We wouldn’t want him to have to call the president with demands - now, would we?’
Clive shook his head from side to side. ‘Karim, you know the kind of power we have…’ he said. ‘. . . Not just over the US government but over the world. You know what we are capable of; don’t you know we planned the rise and fall of every nation for the last 120 years. Do you really want to make the decision of becoming an enemy of Camistock… on behalf of your father and your country?’
Both Karim and his brother started to laugh.
‘How would you know what our father or country wants?’ Saheed replied from within the car.
Again, not answering him directly Clive turned to Karim and said, ‘Think about what you’re doing Karim. Think about what you’re throwing away. Are you sure this is what you want?’
Nodding his head Karim simply replied. ‘It is.’ Then after a short pause said ‘You did not buy me out. I quit. Let’s hope we will never meet again Clive, not in this life or the next.’
‘You can’t be serious Karim…’ Clive shouted while taking a step away from the car. ‘. . . You know Camistock does not take kindly to threats.’
‘This is not a threat.’ replied Karim.
With a smile Clive looked over at Leon then at Jay - who was now standing at the front of the Maybach with Delroy and Mervin, then back at Karim before saying, ‘You know we will just find someone else to take your place. May be these guys.’
‘I don’t think so.’ Replied Karim adamantly.
Clive was about to say something else but Karim cut him off with a simple waive of the hand and the words ‘good bye.’
With that Leon closed the door in front of him, tapped the roof of the Maybach with his knuckles and watched the luxury vehicle slowly drive away. Clive looked at Leon standing in the same position and said ‘Do you know what’s going to happen to you?’
‘No…’ Replied Leon casually, ‘. . . but I can tell you what is going to happen to you.’ Leon paused, motioned to Jay to come in closer, removed one of his P-266 from underneath his jacket and said ‘. . . First you’re going to call the boss man…’ Leon paused again to pass the phone over to Jay - to hand back to Clive, then said ‘. . . And then you’re going to tell him what has happened here today and that there is a new deal.’
The Desert Lion's True Colours Page 30
