Thin Ice 4 - Resurrections (17 page)

“Why dis fool he don’t get the message KiKi, she don’t be wantin’ him,” Shells asked as Tariq sighed deeply.

“
He’s delusional, Shells,” he told him. “Ice actually believes I’ve managed to brainwash KiKi into believing she loves me and not him.”

Shells chuckled slightly and shook his head.

“
Him definitely not playin’ with a loaded gun, dats for sure,” he replied as they all laughed.

“
Ice is deadly though,” Tariq reiterated growing serious once more. “If we don’t find this fool and make him deader than dead, he’s going to make all our lives a living hell.”

They were still conversing and making plans, stopping only when the pizza arrived and they began eat. After their meal they began making more plans and strategies to kill Ian when Shells, cellphone went off.

“
Yah,” he answered, not recognizing the number. “Dis he,” he returned the frown deepening on his face as the rest of the men watched quietly.

Speaking quickly, a series of yes and no’s Shells disconnected.

“
Come now,” he told them all, the look on his face silencing all questions as they rose and headed out of the door following him to an unknown destination.

*****

Tae was dozing slightly when the door opened and she sat bolt upright once more, eyes wide open as her yet unseen visitor came through the door. Jalen saw the woman regarding him as he made his way into the room. Tae watched him warily as he got close enough to speak.

“
I’m going to untie you,” Jalen told her quietly, looking over his shoulder every few seconds. “I need you to push me down,” he went on as Tae continued to regard him. “No one is in the living room right now,” Jalen said as he finished untying her hands. “The front door is unlocked, open it and run like hell.”

Tae gave him a distrustful look and he sighed deeply.

“
Look, I know you’re trying to figure out what I’m up too,” Jalen began again. “But seriously, I can’t do this, and my brother is absolutely crazy,” he told her.

Tae could see the struggle going inside him as he talked.

“
Then why are you here helping him,” she asked quietly.

Jalen sighed deeply and gave her a few quick rundown of his finding out about, meeting, and now working with, Ian.

“
I’m not cut out for this shit, seriously,” he freely admitted.

Tae told him it was okay, most people weren’t.

“
Ice will kill you if he finds out you let me go,” Tae told him seriously.

“
I’m pretty sure,” Jalen replied. “That’s why you’re going to push me hard,” he told her. “I lose my balance, by the time I get up, you’re gone.”

Tae nodded slightly, praying he wasn’t setting her up and Ian would be waiting for her once she left the room.

“
You need to get away from Ice and go back to Philly,” Tae admonished standing so she could get her balance and feeling returned to her legs. “If he doesn’t kill you himself, he’s going to get you killed,” she added for good measure before actually surpising Jalen and pushing him hard over the bed and to the floor on the other side. Wasting no time, Tae flung the bedroom door open and ran for the front door. Jalen was true to his word and the door was unlocked when she reached it. Tae made it outside before she heard the first voice screaming for her.

She kept running having no idea where she was, or where she was going. She heard voices behind her and then footsteps.They were chasing her.
I’ve got to get the hell away from these fools,
Tae thought as she continued to run.

“
Get the car,” she heard Ian bark.

Tae knew if they found her Ian would kill her, no questions asked. The footsteps were getting closer and Tae was terrified. She was running as fast as the heels would allow. She should have removed them, she thought now as she ran, but at the time she only wanted to escape the house. Tae heard tires squealing and knew that Ian had reached the car. Tae felt the arms encompass her as her feet once again left the ground.

“
No,” she screamed beginning to flail, scream, and claw at her would be captor.

“
Stop, fuck,” Creeper told her, trying to hold onto the out of control woman.

Tae got lucky and one of the kicks connected near his groin.

Dropping her, Tae immediately began running again. She saw lights in the distance, alerting her woods were about to run out. Still running full speed, hearing the man behind her again, Tae sprinted out of the woods. The headlights hit her full force, the smell of the burning rubber assaulted her nose as the sound permiated her ears. The last thing to register was the pain. Tae felt herself lifted off her feet floating in the air for a split second before colliding with the unyield hood of the car and finally the lukewarm asphalt of the pavement.

“
Oh my god,” the woman screamed as her husband jumped from the car.

“
Diall 911,” he told his hysterical wife as he checked her vitals and found a weak pulse.

Creeper, watching from the shadow of the woods, frowned deeply and turned around walking away. There was nothing more he could do, and by the looks of things, nothing more Tae would ever say.

*****

Jacoury watched as DeNoah talked to the man he’d met after leaving Tariq’s house.
He’s supposed to be watching KiKi,
he thought evenly. Jacoury wanted to know what the two were discussing so intently, but he couldn’t get close enough without giving himself away.
Hmph,
Jacoury continued to muse and watch. DeNoah seemed to be growing agitated as they talked, even attempting to rise and leave on one occasion. Jacoury noted that he was quickly subdued however by something the other man said to him. The meeting went on for the next forty minutes, before the unknown associate rose and left. DeNoah ordered another drink, nursed it for another fifteen minutes and then left headed back to Tariq’s. Jacoury followed him to the parking lot, noticing the associate was still there. Waiting for both men to leave, he decided to follow the unknown instead of DeNoah.

The drive was uneventful as they drove through the city. Jacoury enjoyed the skyline and the stadium, where a night game was in full effect, as he drove. They eventually came to an empty building.
This shit just keeps getting better,
he thought as he continued to watch unobserved. The man got out of the car and was joined by three more. They all went inside the abandoned building and closed the door. Jacoury decided he needed to see just a little more and slipped out of his own car, casually making his way to the same building. He moved toward the solitary light he saw glowing from the dirty windows. Just as he arrived, Jacoury heard movement and hid himself among the discarded debris left in front of the structure. The men were leaving. They got into their respective vehicles, cranking and leaving before he could obtain any useful information.
Yeah, that fool is up to something,
Jacoury continued to think, making it to his own car and calling Ramell. His friend answered, telling him where they were and to come join them. Shaken by the call, Jacoury made one of his own while he drove headed to meet the rest of his crew.

18

         
Creeper saw her and texted Pirate that she was headed his way. Ian had them watching the hospital once they found out Tae survived and was admitted.
“KiKi is going to show up,” Ian told them. “It’s time for our reunion.”
Shaking the thought Creeper continued watch seeing DeNoah saunter inside moments after the woman boarded the elevator. Quietly, Creeper began following the man, boarding the same elevator as it opened moments later. There were two other people on the car with them, complicating his plan slightly. Creeper wasn’t deterred however, moving directly behind DeNoah and putting the cold steel in his back. The doors opened and the other passengers disembarked, leaving them alone.

“
Don’t be stupid and you’ll live to talk about it,” Creeper told him ominously.

Shit,
DeNoah thought as the man continued to hold him at gunpoint, pushing the button to take them down to the basement, the opposite direction Kaitlyn was headed.

*****

         
Kaitlyn stepped off the elevator at the 12
^th
floor and headed for Tae’s room, flowers in hand. She was so happy her friend was finally awake and alert. Shells called earlier telling them about Tae’s progress and her ability to have visitors. Kaitlyn knew something was amiss from the way Tariq and Shells were whispering when they talked. He of course didn’t share it with her and Kaitlyn went out of her way not to think about it. Still smiling she rounded the corner bumping into the man heading the opposite direction.

“
Wow, I’m sorry,” Pirate told her as the flowers fell from her hands.

“
It’s okay,” Kaitlyn replied amiably as she bent to pick up her bouquet.

Pirate was quick. When she leaned forward, he quickly moved behind her, grabbing her around the waist and covering her mouth. Kaitlyn’s instinct took over and she began fighting. Pirate was slowly dragging her toward the stairwell. Kaitlyn was fighting not to be taken down the solitary flights away from anyone who could or would help her. She heard voices coming down the hall and began to fight even harder. Pirate heard them too and knew he had to hurry. Finally tiring of pulling her, he swept Kaitlyn from the floor running into the stairwell just as the two nurses rounded the corner where they would have been spotted had he been a moment later.

*****

         
DeNoah’s mind was racing.
What the hell is this guy out for,
he wondered as the man’s cell went off and he glanced at it, reading the text. DeNoah’s cell went off at exactly the same time.

“
Answer it, but don’t be stupid,” Creeper growled in his ear.

Smartly holding his finger over the name on the display, DeNoah answered.

“
Yeah, Mook, what’s up,” he threw out calmly.

Tariq frowned deeply on the other end. “Have you been blinded,” he asked evenly. “Yeah, the light was out when I got there,” DeNoah replied, careful not to draw the man’s suspicion as he continued to hold him at gunpoint.

“
Where,” Tariq asked loading his gun and using his other phone to text Mook, Jaron and Shells.

“
We just got to the hospital,” he said smoothly.

Creeper thought nothing of the comment. It was the truth and it didn’t give away that anything was amiss.

“
Straight,” Tariq said and disconnected.

DeNoah knew what that meant and he needed to be alive when the man got there to give him all the information he could. The blow came out of nowhere and the darkness descended quickly. Creeper stood looking at the unconscious man, satisfied he wouldn’t awaken and follow them, left him on the cold basement floor.

*****

         
Gabrielle met C-Rod as he arrived at the hospital. Today was the first day of clinical for them.

“
You nervous,” he asked, seeing the expression on her face.

“
Just a little,” Gabrielle replied honestly.

He chuckled and told her to relax.

“
They’re just human oranges,” he told her causing Gabrielle to burst into laughter.

They used to practice giving injections using oranges when they were in class.

“
That’s better,” he told her making yet another face as they headed to the elevator and the 5
^th
floor where they were meeting their instructor. “Jaron wasn’t mad at the wings was he,” C-Rod fished of their luncheon almost two weeks ago.

“
No,” Gabrielle replied. “He’s just very protective and didn’t know where I was,” she added, not elaborating further.

“
Oh okay cool,” C-Rod replied. “I just didn’t want to cause any drama.”

Gabrielle assured him everything was fine with them.

“
He seemed to be in a hurry when he dropped you off,” C-Rod said again. 

Gabrielle frowned slightly and told him Jaron had business to take care of.

“
Oh okay,” he said once more. “Come on, there’s Ms. Cascade,” C-Rod told her as they stepped off the elevator and saw their instructor.

         
Gabrielle was still smiling and laughing with C-Rod twenty minutes later after being given their assignment. Seth watched them walking down the hallway and sighed deeply. He loved Gabrielle so much and he was about at his end with this waiting thing. Today they were beginning to scout the hospital and set up the retrieval.

“
OK, C-Rod just texted me their patient listing,” Victor told Seth disturbing his thoughts. Seth looked over the text seeing the room numbers.

“
Cool, so we need to watch the timeframe, see how long it takes between patients, breaks, lunch, the whole nine,” Seth replied as Victor nodded his understanding. Carefully the two men continued to observe the couple, inconspicuously following them around the various parts of the hospital they were forced to visit. Seeing them headed toward the lab, Seth spoke.

“
This would be a perfect snatch point,” he told Victor who nodded.