Time is Money (7 page)

“And if I cooperate I get to walk away clean?” Randy asked with a raised brow.

Stone nodded his head yes.

“Fuck you! You just a worker! I need to hear that from your boss’s mouth!” Randy said.

“I’ll be back in a second,” Stone said as he exited the room. He walked back into the other room where Captain Fisher and a few other cops sat behind the two way mirror listening in on their conversation. “Captain I need you for a second.”

When Stone and Captain Fisher were out the room, Stone spoke. “I need you to guarantee this scumbag something so he can give up his partners.”

“I’m not guaranteeing this scumbag anything!” Captain Fisher barked. “Either he gives up his partners or he sits in jail forever! It’s up to him!”

“Captain getting four violent bank robbers off the street is better than one,” Stone pointed out. “It has to be something you can offer him.”

Randy sat in the empty interrogation room with a nervous look on his face. He didn’t want to roll over on Ghost and the rest of the crew, but for the last twenty minutes, he had been trying to convince himself that if they were in the same position that they would do the same thing. Not to mention Randy didn’t like how Ghost had always played him like a sucker and made him drive all the time. In his mind he had no other choice than to do what he had to do and that was look out for himself.

Seconds later, the door opened and in walked Stone and Captain Fisher. “This here is my boss Captain Fisher,” Stone said.

“Here are your options,” Captain Fisher began. “One you can spend the rest of your life in jail. Two you can tell us who your partners are and serve eight years for your cooperation or you can take this last option.” Captain Fisher paused for a second. “You can set up your partners. You can set up another bank robbery, we catch them red handed, and you get to walk away like nothing ever happened.”

Stone could immediately see the wheels turning in Randy’s head. Spend the rest of your life in jail or walk away free, was the decision that Randy had to make.

“So all I have to do is set up another bank robbery and y’all will be there to arrest my crew and I get to go free?” Randy asked just making sure they all were on the same page. “I’m going to need that in writing captain.”

“You can have that in writing, but did I mention that you only have two weeks to make this happen?” Captain Fisher smiled. “Now are you in or are you out?”

Chapter 15

Make a Choice

G
host pulled his black
Range Rover
in Dana’s driveway and killed the engine. Several days passed since the last time he laid his eyes on his little sister, which was unusual since the two usually spoke every day. Lately, Ghost had noticed that Dana had been acting a little funny. Now he was here to see what was up. Ghost stepped out of the
Range Rover
in a slim fitting black tailored suit, with a pair of expensive hard bottom shoes on his feet. He rang the doorbell and waited patiently for a response. A few seconds later Dana answered the door in a short fitting silk red robe.

“Hey Ghost what you doing here?” Dana asked. Her brother just showing up at her house had caught her a little off guard.

“Expecting company?” Ghost asked, taking in the sexy getup that his sister wore.

“Actually I was,” Dana said standing firm. Usually she tried to keep her boyfriends a secret, but not anymore.

“We need to talk,” Ghost said, entering the house without bothering to wait for an invitation. “I got a few things I need to talk to you about.” He made his way over to the bar area and poured himself a shot of Coconut 1800. Ghost downed the liquid fire in one gulp, and then quickly refilled his shot glass. “What’s up with Hawaii?”

“What’s up with it?” Dana asked with an attitude. She was tired of Ghost turning his dreams into
their
dreams.

“You began to pack your things and say your goodbyes yet?” Ghost asked.

“I’m not going to Hawaii Ghost.”

“Fuck you mean you not going?” Ghost downed another drink then looked at his little sister as if she was insane.

“I said I’m not going,” Dana said with her arms folded across her chest. “I’m going to stay here with my new boyfriend.”

“Your new boyfriend?” Ghost echoed with his face crumbled up. “How long have you been knowing this guy for?”

“A few weeks.”

“You don’t even know him; my point exactly!” Ghost shouted. “I’ve worked my ass off so we could be straight and be able to live with our feet kicked up on an island somewhere!”

“I can still live with my feet kicked up without going to Hawaii,” Dana said defensively. “I’m staying here and that’s final.”

“If you stay, there’s always a chance that the cops may figure out our identity later on down the line and come get you,” Ghost explained. “I know you think I don’t want to see you happy, but that’s the furthest from the truth. My main priority is to keep you safe!”

“Ghost I don’t know if you’ve noticed or not, but I’m grown and well capable of taking care of myself.”

Ghost laughed. He hated that his sister was so stubborn. If she stopped being so defensive all the time, she would clearly see that he was only trying to look out for her. “When can I meet him?”

“Huh?”

“When can I meet him?” Ghost repeated. “Your new boyfriend.”

“I’ll bring him to
your
going away party,” Dana replied.

“Listen Dana,” Ghost said walking up on Dana. “I know you are grown and I’m going to respect your wishes, but please know that I’m only trying to look out for you like I’ve always done since we were kids.”

“I understand, but I’m not a kid anymore Ghost,” Dana said. “I’m grown now and I know I’m your little sister, but you are going to have to start treating me like a grown woman.”

“You got it,” Ghost smiled. “From now on I’ll treat you like a grown woman and let you make your own decisions.”

“And promise me you’ll be nice when I bring my boyfriend to the party,” Dana said, giving Ghost a stern look.

“I’ll see what I can do,” Ghost smiled as he headed for the door.

“Where you going?”

“Randy just text me asking me to meet him at his crib,” Ghost replied. “I’ve been watching the news. The cops still have no clue who we are, but I still want you to fly under the radar. You know the rules, stay low key and don’t make any big purchases.”

“You already know,” Dana said, tightly hugging her brother.

She watched him climb back in his
Range Rover
and pull out into traffic.

Chapter 16

I See You

S
tone sat in the back of a van, alongside a young detective that was there holding a camera. He’d gotten a call from Randy informing him that the leader of the bank robbing crew, a man they called Ghost, agreed to meet him at his apartment today in about five minutes. Randy had described Ghost as a handsome, tall man that would be dressed in a nice suit.

“So what have you heard about this Ghost guy?” the detective that held the camera asked.

“I haven’t heard too much about him,” Stone shrugged. “All I know is that he’s an animal and a violent man that needs to be off the streets.”

“Why can’t we arrest this guy today?”

“Because we need Randy to get this guy to agree to do another bank job, so that we can catch him and the rest of his team red handed,” Stone explained.

“Hold on, I think we got some action!” the detective with the camera said. Stone looked up and noticed a black Range Rover pull up to the curb. A minute later, a man stepped out in a black slim fitted
Armani
suit. Just from how the man walked, Stone knew from first look that this was his man. That was indeed the man they called, Ghost.

“That’s him,” Stone whispered as the detective next to him snapped several pictures of Ghost heading into the building. Once Ghost disappeared inside the building, Stone and the detective quickly moved to the back of the van and covered their ears with headphones, hopping that Randy could get Ghost to incriminate himself on the wire.

Chapter 17

Switching Sides

R
andy looked at his reflection in the mirror for the hundredth time. He was afraid that Ghost would be able to tell that he wore a wire. A part of Randy felt bad about setting up his crew. They had all known each other for over fifteen years, which is what made his decision even more difficult. Randy had been convincing himself for the past few days that Ghost only cared about Ghost and if the shoe were on the other foot; he would have done the same exact thing.
“Fuck that it’s either them or you,”
Randy told himself. Not to mention Randy had blew most of his money anyway, so the deal that the cops offered him would be like a new start for him to get his life together. A strong knock at the door snapped Randy out of his zone. “I’m coming!” he yelled, gave himself a once over, then headed to the door. “Glad you could make it Ghost.” Randy stepped to the side so that Ghost could enter.

Ghost stepped inside the small apartment, looked around, and then frowned. “What did you do with all of your money?” He shook his head.

Randy walked into the kitchen area then returned carrying two drinks in his hands. “Ghost I need your help,” he said in a serious tone. “I got robbed the other night.”

“Got robbed?” Ghost echoed. For all the years, he’d known Randy, he’d never been the type to get robbed. “When did this happen?”

“Two days ago.”

“Why didn’t you come to me when it happened?” Ghost asked.

“I was trying to figure out something on my own,” Randy replied. “Plus I was embarrassed and you know men like us are not supposed to get robbed.”

“So what do you need from me?”

“I’m a little short on cash.” Randy’s eyes diverted down to the floor. “So I was wondering if we could maybe hit another bank.”

Ghost chuckled. “Randy if you’re asking me to rob a bank then the answer is no.” Ghost was discipline enough to never talk reckless, especially not in his own place. “If you need some cash then I can help you out.”

“I know you getting ready to move and everything so I didn’t want to ask you for no money.”

“So you rather ask me to rob a bank?” Ghost gave him a suspicious look. If he hadn’t been dealing with Randy for over fifteen years, he might have thought something was up, but since it was Randy, so he looked past it. “Listen Randy if you’re strapped for cash, I’ll help you out. We are like family and family always supposed to look out for family.”

As soon as the words left Ghost lips, Randy immediately felt like a piece of shit for even agreeing to set his crew up and hang them out to dry, but now he was at the point of no return. Even if he wanted to back out of the deal, it was too late. “You sure that won’t be too much on you with you leaving and all?”

“It’s never too much for family,” Ghost said finishing his drink and standing up. “I’ll have something for you when you come to my party next week.”

“I really appreciate this,” Randy replied. “Anything you need me to do for you?”

“All I need you to do is to take care of yourself when I leave and looked after my sister while I’m gone.”

“I thought she was going with you.”

Ghost sighed. “She’s her own woman and she said she’s staying here.”

“You going to let her?”

Ghost nodded his head. “It’s time for her to grow up. I’m out so if you need me you know how to reach me.” He stopped at the door and turned around. “And I know you didn’t get robbed for all your money. You back gambling again aren’t you?”

Randy nodded his head yes. “I’m sorry Ghost.”

“Did you really get robbed?” Ghost asked.

“No I lost all of my money gambling,” Randy admitted. He had actually lost most of his money gambling; not to mention the money that the police had taken from him. He figured that Ghost didn’t really buy his getting robbed story so he decided to be honest.

“I’ll have something for you when you come to the party next week,” Ghost said and then made his exit.

Once Ghost was gone, Randy quickly snatched the wire from his chest and tossed it to the ground. “Fuck!” he cursed loudly. That was too close of a call for his liking. If Ghost found out that he was wearing a wire, he could only imagine what Ghost would have done to him. Randy quickly pulled out his cell phone and called Stone.

“We need more,” Stone answered.

“What you mean you need more?” Randy snapped.

“He didn’t admit to robbing no banks and he didn’t agree to rob another bank with you. We have nothing on him,” Stone told him. “If you want to walk, then you better give me something that I can work with.”

Randy hung up with a frustrated look on his face.
“Fuck this shit! Whatever money Ghost gives me next week I’m just going to use that money and go on the run,”
he told himself. He knew there was no way that Ghost would agree to rob another bank. Ghost was out and once Ghost’s mind was made up, it wasn’t no changing it. Randy grabbed a bottle of liquor, turned the bottle up and guzzled the liquid fire as if it was water. He had to figure something out and figure it out fast.

Chapter 18