Ria and Kayden sit outside one restaurant early morning Monday, "it's three days since the apocalypse," Ria says,
"You call that small drama apocalypse. Jace was just the sneaky one, right from time immemorial," Kayden says
"I'm sorry for not filling you in, time was too short,"
"Ahh, no need for all that, but how do you guys get him anyway? Because I'm still confused,"
"Uh, it was kinda make and break, stuff like that"
"Like the electric bell," Kayden says, as they both laughed, "but for real how do you guys do that,"
"When TBC broke in, we had a tracker on Lobos. When T took Lobos, he was going with a tracker on his back,"
"So…"
"When we actually tracked them to the abandoned hotel, it was already too late, T and Lobos had already gone. The only thing we saw was lobos shirt, his pants, and the tracker lying on the floor of the reception. My idea was to call it in and get the whole building swooped out but Tancredi saw it differently. Since he had been looking for an avenue to get the rat that always sell us out to the street, he decided to call a meeting and duplicate everyone's phone in the process and wait for who will text first,"
"that's breaking our privacy policy,"
"You wanna file a report,"
"Just continue, it's interesting…" Kayden says looks throbbing
"Guessed what happened next,"
"What?"
"Jace called TBC directly, then we knew he was the jackpot,"
"That's my baby girl right there," Kayden yells.
• • • •
Kayden and Ria finished at the restaurant and head back to the office. On entering through the front door Kross came calling, "we tried your number, both of you, what's happening to your cell," he says
"My phone is working just fine. Are you sure you called me?" Ria dipped her hands into her mini handbag, "I haven't seen any missed calls,"
"It's boss, he called for a meeting, he has a very strong fervor taking down Jace," Kross says as Kayden whistles through her teeth, "you wanna say something," Kross says
"I thought it was you though, in TBC fancy hotel, I thought Tancredi was talking about you," both Ria and Kayden smiles
"Seriously, why would you two of all people think that, I'm funny I know but I'm a clean slate"
"hmm, signs were telling us," Kayden says
"What signs?" Kross replies
"You were shaky," Kayden pulls the glass door to the meeting venue, "legs and hearts vibrating. I really thought it was you, serious,"
"Everyone was shaky, well except Jacob, he never shakes,"
"Whatever, it's all gone now," Ria slides the chair in front of her and seats
"Good thing it's Monday," Kross says. They all echoed, "a day to start all over again,"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Pengman was at first warmed, then alarmed after he heard a soft but rather insistent push on the door. The African American inside the kitchen had promised his sister he'd prepare delicious dinner but later found out some surprise package as IC came through calling, "Pengman come on out or we'll take your sis instead,"
"What do you want?" Pengman answered
"He's in the kitchen, go get him," IC tells two bulky men beside him, "Yes boss," they replied
"IC I don't want any trouble of any sort, but I won't be working for you,"
"You like making things hard for yourself. You know you're the only one who can get me that cash. Just come out and we can sort things out,"
"I won't be any good so you know," Peng heart ran double pace.
"Yes you will," IC dragged Rina's hair, "ahh," she shouted,
"Don't hurt her I'm coming out,"
"I thought so myself…boys bring him," not long Pengman held tight, hands behind his back woks struggling out of the ghetto kitchen, "here you have me, what now,"
"No you're wrong, I don't have you. I have Rina. And my mistress in quarters just sent a message that we're short of workers. If you know me too well you'll know I don't like minus. I operate on the multiplication and addition binaries and Rina here is a perfect fit for my addition and multiplication process. That's of course if you comply,"
"I'm not working for you,"
"Let's negotiate a truce here, just a little…" IC feels his tongue, "let's say give and take kind of something,"
"I don't see anything I'm taking home here," Peng says. IC turns around to pretty Rina, "her life of course. And before you say anything, I'm the one taking the money, in full,"
"You're a joker,"
"I'll be going now, see you with the bag,"
"Please wait, I don't know where to start?"
"I would suggest something but you like being a good cop. And I don't like good cops,"
"What are you suggesting, in every nonsense, there's a bit of sense,"
"You said yourself T and Lobos are looking for the bag, you join them and run with it later," IC walks out of Pengman's apartment with Rina in his right hands. Pengman held up a hand, "please IC, I know you're right, but let my sister go. Don't take her to quarters, take me instead,"
"Different person's different uses. You are no good to me in the quarters," IC says
• • • •
Later in the kitchen, after Pengman had heard the soft push on his wooden door. He rushes to his phone and texts TBC, "hey T you said, you wanted IC"
After a split of seconds, TBC replies, "you got his location,"
"Confirmed, he's here in my house, but come fast,"
"I'll be there any minute,"
TBC on the other end sitting beside Lobos in an underground house drops his phone and turns to Lobos, "Pengman says he has IC in his apartment. I'll go check out,"
Lobos says, "I know Pengman saved your life from Sharon but are you sure it's not a setup,"
"I trust Pengman now more than ever. If he says IC has come around, I believe him,"
"Let's go check it out then," Lobos says
• • • •
"Where are you going, sweetheart?" Lobos tells IC, "don't worry, the silencer on the mouth of my gun didn't wake the neighbors when I took out two of your men,"
"Little rat, you stole from the wrong mother fucker," T smiles, "you've grown from the last time I saw you,"
"Hey Rina, come over here now," Peng shot her a double take, "now…"
"you are very silly," Lobos says, "I won't go down without a fight," IC says,
"Words for men with swords," T says, "drop your gun and sit, I won't be killing you today,"
"What about the Christian in the basket standing beside you, huh," IC says looking at Lobos,
"That will be left for him to decide. He's a grown-up man, c'mon you don't have to be this stupid. Now drop the gun and sit,"
"What do you want with him anyway?" Peng asked, "no one in the room knows where the money is, so we are all doom heads for all I care,"
"Stay out of this Pengman," Lobos says
"This is my house just in case you've forgotten,"
Lobos turns and moves closer to Pengman, closer to him, he hurls the tv remote and throws it towards the window. Pengman caught a grip "last time we met I promised you a trouble in paradise when next we meet,"
"I can well remember that, but it doesn't scare me, nice try by the way,"
"I see nothing scares you, it's quite unfortunate, but don't worry it's not yet time for your judgment,"
"You know where to find me," Peng sighs. Lobos stands right in front of Pengman for a while. He stares angrily, looking frustrated, "break it up guys, we didn't come here for each other," T says
"There's no each other, not with him," Pengman says,
"Just a step in, are we having issues here," IC is being strapped one hand to a steel chair,
"shut up piece of shit, you have no right to say a word," Lobos says
"None of you have answered the question. What do you need with IC?"
"it's none of your business, homeless," Lobos answers,
"T…what's going on here?"
"Just let it pass, you won't be in harm's way," T answers
"No one touches my prisoner, step aside Lobos," Peng says, picking the pistol from the table and pointing towards Lobos and T, drifting with Rina behind as he moves beside him.
"Behold my guardian angel, what a way to greet his master," IC says
"I'm not smiling, get away from him now," he pulls the hammer of the pistol and moves closer towards Lobos, "I told you we can't trust this guy T,"
"I want to know why you need him so badly,"
"He stole our shipments ok, now drop the gun, don't throw out friendship away," T yells, "we just need our shipments and we'll be gone,"
"How I'm I sure you're not playing me to kill me afterward," Pengman says,
"You have my word, you shouldn't be caught in the mix of this," Lobos says, "I just want part of my money back,"
Pengman looks pale for a sec and drops the gun afterward, "I know where the money is, but I'll need your help,"
"What? Where? If you know a place say it, now," T breathes heavily,
"How do you figure the place anyway," Rina says "not like you planned any of this,"
"Rina's got a point. Are you using us in any way?" T said
"I have a say in this matter," IC says leaning entirely on the chair, "shut up," everyone chorused,
"Let me make this clear skinny ass, if you're lying to me, then we'll have a problem," Lobos threatens,
"I'm serious about this one. I'm not lying, Linc and I used to have this code where we use the initials of each word in a sentence to form a location," Peng illustrates with his hands,
"I don't really understand what type of code you're talking about," T says, "all I want to know is where Sharon hid my money bag,"
"I only know the location but, what I don't know is, the exact address,"
"The location is a good start…" Lobos says,
"Here's the deal, my sister would not be used as bait and I'll get a million dollars after we've found it,"
"Alright, where is it?" T insists, "I just want my share of the money,"
"What? Are we gonna give him a whole million," Lobos says
"What choice do we have? We can't use torture, he won't break, you've done this before I'm sure,"
"Ok college boy what's the location, I'm all in,"
"Remember when Linc said 'close my eyes while I close the door' I think he meant something serious," Peng says
"Psychologically speaking I don't understand what any of this has to do with the location of my 5 million dollars," T says
"It means we have a lead on the money," Pengman shrugged, "Sharon disappeared for almost 12 hours then came back to say goodbye which didn't eventually turn out to be good for him. My best guess is he went to hide the money before coming back for final the step," Pengman says
"Final step of doing away with all my cartel men. Foolish but wise. Unfortunately, no one messes with TBC," T says
Rina says, "you're right, Peng, when Linc was here he was talking more about a man who worked for the king his whole life, lost his way later, and hid the king's most valuable possession,"
"Time for a quest, what do you say?" IC says,
"You're not to talk until I say so…in fact, I don't see your use in this journey except stealing from us at the end. Why don't I just end you right now and get this over with," Lobos plugs out his gun and points towards IC,
"Hey, Lobos, this is not the time, if it's Sharon that hid the bag himself. He'll make IC the key to finding it, because he knows we'll never get to work alongside," T says
"T's right, if we want to get the bag, we need to start thinking like Sharon,"
Lobos drops his gun and holds IC in the shirt. "You don't talk, until we need you, got it," IC nodded, "aye aye captain,"
"We are all in on this one," Peng says
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tancredi and all his six agents sit across the table in the meeting hall, "the security camera from Peng's house just pulled that up. What a nice movie it is. it seems we got more than three drug Baron to arrest," Tancredi says
"We got a lot of job to do guys, let's get started….we got three thieves plus a whopping 5 million dollars, let's get to work," Kayden says
"Yeah-yeah-yeah," everyone rejoices "And no rat," Ria says, "please,"