Thin Ice (15 page)

“Look what the cat dragged in,” Kaitlyn mumbled as Ice finally spotted her and walked over to the table where she sat, throwing back yet another shot.

“We need to leave,” he told her plainly.

Ian was well aware of Kaitlyn’s activities today and he was just as sure her meeting with Tariq hadn’t gone as she originally thought.

“Yeah, I’m ready, so let’s go,” she threw back nonchalantly.

“KiKi,” Ian began looking in her eyes as he spoke. “I need you to get over your little reunion blues and pull your head together.”

Kaitlyn didn’t flinch. She knew Ice was still having her watched and followed, even if he’d lied and told her he called the watchdog off.

“Is Jaleesa dead,” she asked finally.

Today was just as good as any to deal with every bit of bad news, Kaitlyn thought, waiting on his answer. Ian didn’t miss a beat.

“Yes,” he told her plainly.

Kaitlyn nodded slightly, sighing shortly. “You killed her,” she asked again, her eyes riveted to the man sitting across the table from her.

“Yes, I told you I would,” Ian once again answered.

Again the short nod, and quick sigh, as Kaitlyn spoke once more.

“So when the hell were you gonna tell me Ice,” she asked as Ian regarded her silently, gathering his thoughts. “You figured what, I’d just somehow know or some craziness like that,” Kaitlyn added bitterly, calling the waitress to get another shot.

“You’ve had enough,” Ian said evenly, his tone edgy.

Kaitlyn never took her eyes off him as he dismissed the waitress.

“So that’s that then huh,” Kaitlyn told him as Ian sighed deeply.

“You can’t do business drunk,” he replied.

“No, ass,” Kaitlyn returned uncaring of the dangerous ground she was charting. “I mean you killin’ my best friend, deal done,” she finished as Ian took another deep breath to calm himself.

He knew Kaitlyn was hurting, but he wasn’t going to put up with the disrespect much longer.

“Yeah, it is,” Ian returned calmly. “Now drop it, and lets go do this business,” he finished, rising from the table and reaching over to help Kaitlyn from her seat.

“Hmph,” Kaitlyn replied simply as Ian paid her tab and they headed outside to his car.

*****

“Destiny will be done Friday,” Ryan said evenly, rising from the bed and putting on his pants. “You need to have it together by then,” he added turning and looking Jaleesa directly in the eye.

“I’ll be ready,” she replied, hoping she sounded a lot more confident that she actually felt.

Jaleesa was still completely overwhelmed with the operation, but decided she needed to get over it quickly. Friday was only four days away. Thinking once more about the DVD she saw earlier, Jaleesa knew her well being depended on her fulfilling her promise.

“Good, that’s what I wanna hear,” Ryan returned, pulling his shirt over his head and grabbing his watch. “I’ll be back tomorrow afternoon,” he told Jaleesa calmly as she nodded slightly.

“Come here,” Ryan called to her as he stood in the bathroom mirror. Jaleesa obediently rose and went to him, grabbing the cotton candy pink silk robe hanging on the chair as she walked by. Slipping it on, she entered the bathroom, standing behind him looking at him in the mirror.

“You’re doing real good so far,” he told her looking into her eyes from the mirror’s reflection. “This doesn’t hafta be hell for you, that’s totally up to you.”

Jaleesa smiled slightly and nodded her understanding.

Mumbling slightly, he turned to face her, pulling her to him and looking into her eyes.

“I meant what I said about you, and me, and anyone else being with you,” Ryan told her, a slight edge to his voice.

“I’ll be here, waiting for you,” Jaleesa assured him never looking away.

Grunting again, Ryan kissed her shortly and released her, walking back into the bedroom and retrieving his keys.

“You need anything,” he threw out turning to face her once more.

“My pills,” she told him quietly, referring to her birth control.

Ryan picked up the pack lying on the nightstand and pulled out his phone. He took a picture and sent it to someone, before addressing her again.

“I’ll bring them back with me tomorrow,” he told her as Jaleesa once again nodded her understanding.

“Keep an eye on LaDonna,” Ryan told her as Jaleesa paid rapt attention. “I think she’s cuttin’ side deals,” he explained as she once again nodded her understanding.

“What do you want me to do if she is,” Jaleesa ventured.

Sighing deeply Ryan addressed her once more. “Make sure it’s on the DVD and then tell me,” he replied simply, but Jaleesa knew from the underlying tone, the answer was far from simple.

“OK,” she told him as he hugged her gently once more and kissed her lips softly.

“See ya tomorrow,” he told her opening the door and walking out of it.

Finally alone, Jaleesa sat down and allowed her mind to absorb everything that was going on in her life.
My mama has to be freaking out by now,
she thought sadly knowing she couldn’t reach out to her. If Ryan even thought she was trying to contact someone, he would kill her.

Yeah, after he does all manner of crazy shit to me,
Jaleesa thought again, the DVD screaming blindingly again in her minds eye. How was she going to get out of this mess, Jaleesa continued to think. She needed to escape and let KiKi know she was alive.
Damn KiKi, what the hell did I get us into,
Jaleesa thought once more, the consequences of her greed hitting her squarely between the eyes. She began to cry quietly, all the while vowing that somehow she was going to liberate not only herself, but her best friend, from the pit of hell they both found themselves in.

*****

Ryan was on his cell as he drove, waiting for the call to connect.

“Yeah, Wassup man,” Ian answered.

“Everything is straight,” Ryan replied. “Your end,” he asked as he lit a cigar and inhaled deeply.

“KiKi’s on a trip,” Ian threw back as Ryan sighed deeply.

“What went down,” he asked as Ian filled him in on the day’s events.

“So old boy went off on her,” Ryan asked calmly as Ian replied that was the report he received back.

“You took out Hasaan?” Ian asked as Ryan grunted a yes. “Why,” he asked simply.

“He had it coming for one,” Ryan threw back as Ian continued to listen intently. “Two, I knew it would make baby brother flip and do just what he did, show his ass and push KiKi away,” he replied as Ice in turned grunted his own understanding this time.

“No more interference,” Ryan added as Ian agreed.

“She finally asked today,” Ian told him as Ryan took another deep drag from his cigar. “How’d she take it,” he asked, releasing the smoke from his mouth and turning on the street heading for his destination.

“KiKi isn’t gonna tip her hand in front of me,” Ian threw back.

“It’s all good,” Ryan threw back. “Tweety’s settlin’ in good too, so things are workin’ out like they should,” he added as Ian agreed once again.

“I’m keeping an eye on KiKi though,” Ian told Ryan, the concern coming through his voice. “She hasn’t said more than ten words since we left Atlanta,” he added as Ryan grunted again.

“Like you said Ice,” he began. “KiKi ain’t gonna tip her hand to you,” he went on. “She’s hurt, you know that,” Ryan patiently told his younger brother. “Leave her alone, give her some alone time and let her cry it out.”

“You know where I am with this girl,” he admitted to his brother who assured him he understood. “She’ll be cool,” Ryan reassured Ian. “KiKi’s a tough soldier, she just needs to work this out her own way,” he finished as Ian again told him okay and changed the subject.

The two discussed a new project they had in mind for a few moments before Ryan told him he’d arrived at his destination.

“Hit me up later,” Ian admonished his brother as Ryan assured him he would and disconnected.

*****

Kaitlyn’s mind was on overload.
Tweety can’t be dead,
she kept repeating again and again in her head, yet Ice hadn’t flinched when he answered her question. She knew without a doubt he was more than capable of killing her friend minus any remorse.
Damn, Tweety, shit,
Kaitlyn thought as the tears began to flow and hurt came full circle. She and Jaleesa had been friends since she came to Atlanta. They knew each other better than their own parents and family. Now it was over and her best friend was gone. Killed by the man she was sharing a bed with every night. The more Kaitlyn thought, the deeper she sobbed feeling as if her heart would burst from the pain of her loss. She thought about Mrs. Mitchell.
I need to ask Ice about her body,
Kaitlyn thought and burst into a new round of tears.

After gathering herself slightly Kaitlyn picked up her cell and pressed a button. The call connected and began to ring as she waited for it to be answered.

“Hello,” Landon answered amiably.

Sighing softly, Kaitlyn responded. “Hi,” she said quietly.

“Hi baby, are you okay,” he threw out concerned, thrilled she called again but hearing the distress in her voice.

“No, not really,” Kaitlyn replied.

“Did Ice hurt you,” Landon threw out, growing immediately angry.

“Yes,” she replied softly, not clarifying the hurt wasn’t physical.

“Dammit Kaitlyn,” Landon began again. “Leave baby, come here, I’ll protect you,” he told her. “Or tell me where you are and I’ll come and get you,” he threw out hoping he was getting through to her.

“I can’t,” Kaitlyn replied still whispering. “Ice would find me.”

“Baby, we can have him locked away where he won’t hurt you anymore,” he pleaded as Kaitlyn remained mute.

“I hafta go,” she told him hurriedly as Landon implored her not to. “He’s coming,” Kaitlyn threw out and disconnected as the key slid into the slot and turned the lock.

*****

“Damn,” Landon fumed as he slammed his cell on the counter.

She’d blocked the number again so he couldn’t call her back. Landon’s mind was racing thinking of Ian hurting Kaitlyn.
Trifling hood,
he thought helplessly, knowing there was nothing else he could do right now except hope and pray she called him back. Landon continued to brood thinking about Kaitlyn’s call, finally formulating in his mind that she was being forced to continue the relationship with Ice. “That definitely explains a whole lot,” Landon mumbled aloud again. That had to be it. There was no way a woman like Kaitlyn would hook up with a loser like Ian “Ice” Bailey unless he forced her.

“Please watch over her God, and let her be okay,” he prayed aloud, his eyes coming to rest on the business card lying on his counter. Picking it up Landon sighed deeply. If he made the call and opened the door, there was no turning back.
I don’t have a choice,
Landon told himself.
If I don’t do something, he’ll hurt her again, or worse,
Landon’s mind told him as the anger once again took hold and he dialed the number, waiting for the call to connect.

19

“Hey man,” Landon greeted his friend as he sat down in the booth of the busy restaurant and the waitress came over to take his order. Landon could barely hear parts of her descriptions with all the laughter and talking buzzing through the restaurant.

“Glad you finally called,” Ben returned.

Ben Gordon was the lead agent, narcotics and gambling division for the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, or GBI. He and Landon had gone to college together and become close. They remained friends and helped each other out when the need arose.

“You said you were definitely ready to go forward,” he continued after Landon gave the woman his order and she left them alone once more.

“Just sorry it took so long for us to finally get together, life has been crazy around the place,” Ben added, explaining the month long delay in their meeting. Immediately assuring his friend he understood, Landon began his story.

“So what’s the set up?” Ben asked once Landon finished explaining the situation and what he hoped his friend could and would do to help him in his quest.

“The security is very elaborate,” Landon began taking a sip of his coffee. “Ice has camera’s everywhere, and he has plainclothes as well as uniformed security,” he finished and waited on the man’s response.

“So where is the viewing room?” Ben asked.

Landon told him he wasn’t sure, he hadn’t been afforded the opportunity to wander in the club they way he’d like.

“Ice makes sure no one goes out of bounds,” Landon said plainly.

Ben sighed lightly. “We have to get something we can use, if we’re gonna take this guy down,” he told Landon. “That is what you want right?” he questioned and Landon told him it was indeed what he wanted.

“I’m going to go back when I know he’s out of town,” Landon began once more. “His head bodyguard, Carlos, likes the ladies and he spends an inordinate amount of time distracted,” he told Ben, who nodded his approval.

“What about the other security and plainclothes?” he threw at Landon.

“Normally if they think you’re really drunk, they don’t bother you,” Landon responded. “So I’ll just stumble out of the casino area and try to make my way down that back corridor Ice keeps off limits.”

Ben sighed deeply and looked at his friend hard. “Landon, this guy is dangerous,” he began. “And this is one helluva dangerous game; you better be sure Kaitlyn’s worth all this,” Ben told him plainly, reminding him it could cost him his life.

*****

There he is,
Kaitlyn thought as she watched him. Trayvon Daniels. He was one of Ice’s inner circle. He had been trusted with the operation here in Mississippi for the last year. Pulling herself together and emotionally shutting down after arriving a month ago, Kaitlyn had done some investigating and things were definitely not what they seemed. She was here today to begin the cleanup. This was a pretty congested area, but like most neighborhoods of the kind, no one would see anything when she committed her crime. Kaitlyn sat in her car for the better part of an hour watching Trayvon selling his wares to the various clienteles that approached. Finally deciding to take a break she assumed, Trayvon went inside the dilapidated duplex he’d been standing in front of. Kaitlyn stealthily made her way from the car to the back of the building, listening for any sounds coming from inside. She heard three maybe four different voices, all male, talking.