Thin Ice 3 - Armageddon (16 page)

“
This is she,” the woman returned in the same soft tone.

“
Um Ms. Cisnero’s, I found this flyer you put online,” Kim again spoke haltingly.

“
OK,” Hope replied giving away nothing else.

Kim cleared her throat and gathered her nerve. This wasn’t like her. She was a professional for goodness sake. She’d drawn guns on people, pistol whipped people, why the hell did this woman frighten her so much, she asked herself beginning to speak again.

“
I’d like to talk to you about it,” Kim told her sounding much more confident now.

“
Do you have information to offer,” Hope asked sounding tired.

Kim guessed the woman had probably grown leery of people calling saying they had something to offer only to be disappointed later.

“Yes, Ms. Cisneros, I think I might,” Kim replied calmly. “I’d like to email you something,” she offered.

The woman sighed lightly before acquiescing and giving her an email address.

“
After I send the email, if you think I can be of help to you, simply reply to my email,” Kim told her as she typed the email and added the attachment. “If not, then there is no further contact on either end,” she finished as Hope told her that sounded like a good plan and to go ahead and email her.

Kim hit the send button as she still talked to the woman.

“
Thank you for your time today,” she told her. “If I don’t hear from you in 48 hours, I’ll consider the matter closed,” Kim finished up telling Hope the email was waiting for her. “Thank you,” the woman said simply and quietly as they disconnected and Kim sighed deeply wondering if this were the beginning or just another dead end.

*****

Shells continued to follow Kaitlyn, each stop more along the lines of her normal daily routine.

“
What game ya playin’ gal,” he said aloud again continuing to follow her as she arrived at the hair salon.

Deciding she would be all right on her own for a little while, Shells turned the Hummer around and headed back toward the hood. He needed to do some investigation of his own. Driving through the streets he spotted Sonny, one of the street dealers he was cool with. Pulling up to the stop sign, Shells rolled down the window.

“
Wassup Shells,” Sonny greeted him smiling.

“
Nuthin’ much Sonny,” Shells replied, pulling out a $100 bill.

“
Damn Shells, how much you want,” he asked eying the money.

“
I don’t want no dope,” he told him calmly. “I need information,” he added as Sonny nodded and waited on the man to speak again.

“
Python supplying’ these gals,” he began as Sonny nodded knowingly. “One, she drive a green Infiniti, you know her name,” Shells questioned.

Sonny smiled and told him he knew exactly who he was talking about.

“
She’s fine as hell, I wouldn’t mind supplying her too, you know what I mean,” he returned lewdly as Shells smiled but said nothing. “Her name is Tae,” Sonny supplied. “You know where I can find her,” Shells returned.

Sonny supplied him with information that Tae spent a lot of time at several upscale boutiques and Hale’s, a local barbeque joint.

“
Thanks Sonny, stay up,” Shells returned, giving him the $100 and driving off headed for Hale’s.
Gotta find out for my man Top what de hell his woman up to before she get herself killed,
Shells thought firing up the ganga and turning up his reggae, singing along.

*****

Tae heard her doorbell ring as she walked toward it. She was on her way to Hale’s. The ribs were definitely calling her name right now.

“
Who is it,” she asked calmly, grabbing her purse.

She wanted whomever was on the other side to know she was headed out and their arrival didn’t change that.

“
Delivery,” the male voice said simply.

Tae sighed lightly and opened the front door. The young Caucasian delivery man smiled and gave her the clipboard for her signature.

“
Be right back,” he told her running out to his truck.

What the hell,
Tae thought slightly amused as he returned moments later with two huge vases filled with red and yellow roses.

“
Wow,” Tae remarked as she took them, one at a time, and sat them on her dining table.

“
Thank you,” she told the young man, handing him a nice tip.

“
Have a great day, ma’am,” he replied smiling as he walked away.

Closing the door and walking back to the table, Tae continued to take in the beautiful arrangements, searching for and finding the card enclosed. ‘Don’t run from me beautiful Tae,’ the card read. ‘I have so much to give you, to show you, to introduce you too,’ it went on as she continued to read, the small smile playing on her lips. ‘Let me be that one for you, the world is yours.’ The flowers were from Kareem and he’d signed the card with ‘Loved first and always’.

“
Well damn,” Tae remarked. “How you gonna stay mad at a sweet ass man like this,” she murmured grabbing her purse again and making it to her car, visions of roses clouding the thought of ribs as she turned on I-20 and headed for the spot.

12

“Ice is already on the move,” Mook told Tariq as they met at Mardi Gras inside his private office.

“
Shit,” LaRon replied frowning deeply as did Tariq.

“
What’s the story,” he asked as Mook told him about Dixon being found dead in his mother’s house.

“
She called me, knowing he worked for me doing security,” Mook explained.

Tariq nodded as Mook continued, telling them both he’d sent the money for Dixon’s funeral as well as another 15K to his mother.

“
That’s cool,” Tariq replied.

“
The problem is,” Mook began again as both men gave him their attention. “We have no idea how much Dixon did or didn’t tell Ice before he killed him,” he spat irritably. The others sighed knowing he was right.

“
What do you know so far,” LaRon asked Mook.

He went on to tell them about the sneak attack in Miami on two of his biggest distribution houses.

“
They take anything? We lose people?” Tariq immediately asked.

Mook smiled slightly and told them both no.

“
The lieutenants I got at those houses make Tony Montana look like a bitch in comparison,” he told them referring to the character from Scarface.

“
They killed all but two of them,” he added as Tariq nodded thoughtfully.

“Make them muthafucka’s talk,” LaRon said grabbing a glass and pouring himself a drink.

There was entirely too much going on today.

“
Lemme get one of those,” Mook said as LaRon agreed and made him a drink as well. Tariq already had his glass in front of him.

“
Shells is on KiKi,” he told them calmly as they all sat again.

Grunting LaRon told him it was a good choice. Mook didn’t know who they were talking about, so he withheld comment. Tariq quickly brought him up to speed on the man and his expertise.

“
Good looking’ out,” Mook told him after the explanation.

“
She has no clue?” he asked giving Tariq a look.

“
No, but I know that sonofabitch is plotting how to make sure she knows he’s alive,” Tariq said angrily.

“
I should have killed him,” he murmured half to himself, speaking aloud what the other two men had been thinking for years.

“
Just make sure you kill him this time,” LaRon told him, dismissing the, what ifs, and moving forward.

“
Without doubt,” Tariq said plainly.

“
What about these DuBois brothers,” Mook asked, recalling what Jaron and Mace reported.

“
If they get in our way, they’re dead,” Tariq replied without hesitation. “I don’t have beef with them personally, but it’s up to them to keep it that way,” he added as both men agreed.

“You want the two brought here,” Mook asked, pulling out his cell readying himself to call his crew.

“
Yeah bring me one,” Tariq said. “The weaker of the two,” he added telling them it would be easier to break them if they were divided. “That way they can’t draw on each other for strength,” he finished as LaRon nodded and Mook agreed, making the call.

He talked for a few moments and gave the order. Disconnecting he told Tariq they would be leaving the city within the hour.

“
They should be here by morning,” he told them knowing how long the drive was. “That’s fine,” Tariq replied. “Let’s make a spot for our impending guest, shall we,” he threw out as LaRon and Mook smiled sinister smiles and told him that sounded like a plan. Rising finally, and heading out into the dusk as the sun was beginning its descent and the night was preparing to have its way.

*****

Zeke was waiting for his cousins and Ian to arrive. He’d found a of couple men who said they’d seen something. Hearing the truck pull up, Zeke headed to the front door to open it and let everyone inside. He was surprised to see Kareem and Mecca. They normally didn’t come around much, thinking they were socially superior to himself. Zeke suspected they looked down their uppity noses at Seth and Peyton too, but were too chickenhearted to voice it.

“
Hey ya’ll,” he greeted them all as everyone returned his greeting, except Kareem and Mecca, who gave him a condescending smirk.

“
What you find out,” Peyton asked impatiently.

He wanted his sister back right now. Zeke held his hand up, signaling him to relax. “They be here in a minute,” he returned as Seth groaned and Ian said nothing.

He was almost positive that Brie being snatched went back to Tariq.
If they hurt her, I’m going to kill them even more painfully,
he thought to himself of the man or men that had the woman.

A knock at the door interrupted everyone’s thoughts as Zeke again headed forward to open it, inviting the yet unseen guests inside.

“
Hey Calvin, Leeman,” Seth greeted the two men, recognizing them immediately as did his brother.

Calvin greeted them both as Zeke introduced Ian, Kareem and Mecca.

“
Tell ‘em what ya’ll told me,” Zeke prompted knowing the men were growing impatient. Calvin and Leeman swallowed hard and began to speak.

“
Two of em, askin’ questions bout you and Seth,” Calvin told Peyton.

“
Yeah, could tell they wasn’t from around these parts,” Leeman chimed in as the men all continued to listen.

Peyton prompted them to say more as they both began to excitedly tell them about the questions, describing each man and the car they drove.

“
You see the plates,” Seth asked as Ian paid close attention.

“
Aayeah,” Leeman replied. “Don’t member the number, but was Mississippi plates,” he told them as Ian frowned deeply and Seth knew the man’s suspicions had just been confirmed.

“
When the last time you see them,” Peyton asked.

Leeman told them last time he remembered seeing them around was the day Corey was killed.

“
Did you see Brie with them,” Ian asked, speaking finally.

“
No, I seen them alone,” Leeman replied. “They was going in the direction of the riverfront though,” Calvin added as Ian again frowned and thanked them.

The two men left soon after and the talking began in earnest.

“
We got descriptions but they could be anywhere in Mississippi,” Peyton spat, frustrated.

“
No, not really,” Ian replied as everyone again gave him their attention.

He named a city for them and even gave them an area they should look in.

“
Ghosts of the past,” Kareem asked calmly.

Ian nodded slightly.

“
Lets go, get there tonight, darkness will definitely be our friend,” he told them as Seth rose first, Peyton following.

All the men headed outside deciding the driving and riding order as Zeke appeared moments later loaded with weapons.

“
Thanks Zeke,” Seth told him as Zeke nodded.

He didn’t ask to go, knowing his place was here in Louisiana in case things went wrong and they needed rescuing themselves.

“
We’ll hit you up later,” Peyton told his cousin, climbing into the Range and putting on his seatbelt.

“
Ice, why don’t you ride with me and Mecca,” Kareem threw out as Seth gave him a look.

Ian frowned slightly before turning to Seth and giving him a look.

“
Go ahead,” he told him amiably.

Shrugging slightly Ian turned and climbed into the Escalade with Kareem and Mecca, all of them starting the trucks and headed toward Mississippi, blood in their eye and murder on their minds.

*****

“Who is it,” Kysha asked warily. She knew she was wrong for the text she sent LaRon last night and she’d been on pins and needles all day waiting for him to respond or show up.

“
It’s me baby,” LaRon replied calmly.

Kysha caught her breath as he heart began to race.

“
Open the door baby, its okay,” he told her again sweetly.