Page 3

CHAPTER 3

Diesel

Diego glances at his vibrating phone. “It’s I-Tee.” He puts the call on speaker.

“Diesel, go to the area where your sister lived. Your caller is close. There’s a park down the street to the left. She’s there. She already disabled the phone but maybe you can get a visual.”

I surge to my feet. I see a woman in the center of the park lifting a child that from a distance is the same size as Eizlee.

“Wait,” Diego stops me. “Let’s not confront her. We’ll follow and see what we can learn. She probably knows a whole lot more than we expect.”

She pauses and looks around.

“She senses us,” he continues, “Split up and see if one of us can follow her. This is a woman who’s been on the run and in hiding before.”

A few minutes later, Diego’s voice comes through the com. “She just cut through the laundromat. I’ll bet she’s coming out the back side. We’ll trade off following her.”

I get in place in time to see her cut across the road and head between two homes. I glimpse Diego move forward to follow down the next street over. I stay in place until I get his next command. “Go. I’ll follow.”

We continue leap frogging past each other.

Sure enough, she’s gradually making her way down the street using the buildings as cover, until she cuts between two sections of what could have been an old motel. The sign in front reads Hollow Apartments.

I watch her take the stairs to the second level Eizlee Jane cuddled high with her arms around her neck. She follows the walkway to the end and bears left, leaving my sight.

“Got her. Second floor, back side, far corner of building two.”

I can barely hear Diego’s breathing as I imagine him repositioning.

“She went inside the last corner unit that overlooks the alley between another two buildings like hers. I saw her check her window on the alley side. It’s big enough she could climb out and go down the rear stairs between the dumpsters. This woman’s been on the run before. We need to be careful or she’ll bolt.”

“My thoughts exactly. She knows what she’s doing with the phones, too.” I join Diego at the back. I’m at one corner watching the way in and her apartment. He’s in the opposite corner doing the same. We’ll see anyone coming to her apartment, or if she tries to leave.” We settle in and wait for her call.

* * *

At exactly midnight my phone vibrates. For the last thirty minutes we’ve seen a shadow cross back and forth in front of the apartment window. I wondered if she’s cuddling Eizlee to sleep.

A friend: You ready?

Diesel: Yes. Where are you?

A friend: Go to Sunrise East. There’s a lighted bus stop. I’ll meet you there. If you aren’t alone, I keep going.

Diego and I watch as she exits the apartment. Eizlee cuddled against her shoulder as if she’s asleep. The woman carries a bag in the other arm and wears a big ass hiking backpack. Burner phones. Long distance backpack. My gut twists. What is she running from?

I text Diego the location. He’s going to follow her. I need to take a different route to get to the meet spot. It’s not more than a fifteen-minute walk. Ironically, it’s close to where we parked my rental car. I sit on the bench under the light. Shoulders slumped, elbows on my knees, trying to look non-threatening. Every sound, every footstep has me on edge.

Diego’s voice comes over the com. “We got trouble. Not sure it’s coincidence or a problem but a couple thugs picked up her trail about two blocks ago. They don’t know I’m behind them yet.”

“Fuck. Could it be tied to my sister?” I whisper.

He grunts. “Stand to.”

I wait until she gets closer and turn toward her. Standing, hands loosely by my sides, shoulders relaxed. There’re three guys a half block behind her, another comes out of the coffee shop on the corner and greets them.

Something about the way he moves bothers me, but I’m distracted. Too many moving pieces and I’m on alert, ready for a physical confrontation. I’d like to think it’s just some buddies meeting up, but their attention on the woman tells me it’s more.

Like Diego, I’m wondering if it’s opportunity or planned? He nods at me from behind the thugs, and it’s like I hear him say; let it play out .

She’s almost to me when the men quicken their steps. One of them says something behind her. She spins, almost stumbling.

Rushing forward, I reach out to steady her. “Honey, you okay?”

One of the thugs looks at the newcomer who shrugs, then back at me. “Get lost buddy, this ain’t any of your business. Bitch, get over here.”

“Excuse you. This is my wife. Who the hell are you?”

The men look at each other, the newcomer scowls. “Then she’s two-timing you buddy, cuz she belongs to someone else. He’s been looking for her. You need to get lost before you get hurt.”

“No.” The woman is trembling and holding Eizlee even tighter and shaking her head. “No.”

Wakened, Eizlee cries into the woman’s shoulder. “Mama. Wan’ Mama.”

Something snaps in me. Are these the men who killed my sister? If not, they’re the same kind of scum who prey on women. Stepping forward I shift her behind me.

“I think you need to leave my family alone.”

Newcomer gives me a once over, apparently not impressed with my button up shirt and dress slacks. Yeah. Well, looks can be deceiving.

One of them steps toward me. None of them notice Diego. He grabs two of the thugs by the sides of their heads and slamming their skulls together lets them drop. Newcomer takes off like a rat in an alley leaving the last one behind.

Diego smiles, if you can call a shark showing its teeth a smile and grabs the last man standing by his shirt front. Pulling him close he simply says, “Talk.”

“I-I-I don’t-don’t know nothing. I’m new. My boys,” he nods at the two on the ground, “asked if I wanted to make some extra cash. I said yes. We were supposed to follow the broad and keep tabs on her till the other guy showed. That’s all I know. That’s all they told me. Nobody said nothin’ about a baby or things going down.”

Diego gets right in his face. “You better find some new boys. I catch you doing this kind of shit again, nobody’s gonna find you.”

Once released, the kid runs like his pants are on fire.

Diego takes the bag the woman was carrying. “Let’s get out of here before anyone else shows up.”