Black 01 - Black Rain Read online

  She’s the woman I need, and she’s my soul mate. I like you a lot, Chase. You’ve been through so much. Don’t throw your career away like this. Too many people have died over this case,” I reason.

  “Joe, you have everything—family and friends. I don’t have that. I’ve given so much of myself to the Bureau that I can’t get back. It’s time to think of me now.

  Dread has over one hundred and fifty million dollars in untraceable money in different foreign accounts. I have all the account numbers and dummy names he has them under. All that can be ours, Joe,” she pleads.

  I don’t even blink. Money is not worth my family nor Vincent Alexandria

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  my friends that have been wounded and have died for her. “Not interested. I’m not going anywhere with you, Chase. I’m surprised you’d ask. You know where I stand. I’m here to help you, but not like that. Why do you have Agent Duvall tied up?”

  “I’m saving her life, Joe. I’m sorry you’re not coming with me. I’m going to miss you,” she says as she zips her bag.

  I let my gun down for a split second and look at her, confused. Surely Chase has not played me. As much as we’ve been through, it numbs me. I see the bedroom door open, but my reaction is delayed by the confusion in my head. He comes out of the bedroom and shoots me in the shoulder. He gets my gun from me and tosses it in the corner.

  “Yes, you fucking idiot, you should have listened to her and left when you had the chance!” he yells as spittle flies from his mouth.

  “No! You said you wouldn’t hurt him. You promised!” Chase yells as she runs over to me. She pulls her gun on Missouri Governor Tom Brush and checks my shoulder.

  The governor has held a grudge against Pretty Kevin for pimping his stepdaughter, Courtney Roberts. Kevin never realized that the woman was kin to Governor Brush until after she was kidnapped, raped and killed by the Missouri River Serial Killer. We also learned the horrible family secret that Governor Brush had impreg-nated his stepdaughter. Pretty Kevin now raises the four-year-old child he has named Timmy as his own. The governor knows that we’re friends and his grudge has spilled over onto me, as well.

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  “Well, I lied.” He snaps as he steps closer to me.

  Governor Brush is a medium-built man with blond hair, small eyes and a square chin. His pale skin is flushed now. “You and that pimp friend of yours are a big pain in the ass, Detective. He got my daughter killed, and you guys tried to ruin my life. I had to work too hard to persuade Mayor Peterson to put you on this case so you could be my eyes for me. That man will do anything for a vote. This is a political year and the mayor is on shaky ground in the community. So I put fifty thousand dollars in his campaign fund via a business associate and he gave me whatever I wanted.”

  The governor chuckles, “I know you called my wife in Jefferson City. I have a top-notch staff that’s paid for their loyalty. She thinks she’s going to divorce me, but I’ve worked too hard to put this black ring of cops together. I’ve made too many sacrifices and too much cash for either of you to come in and ruin it for me by exposing me to the good people of the state of Missouri.

  But I promise you, when I finish with you I’m killing her ass, and your pimp friend, Pretty Kevin, too.”

  Chase cocks her gun and steps closer to him. “So, you think I’m just going to let you get away with this, right?”

  “Agent, you’re not in a position to do anything about it now, are you?”

  Two of the governor’s men come in from the bedroom with their guns aimed at Chase. “Agent Chase, if you’re leaving, you better leave now. My jet is waiting at the Downtown Municipal Airport to fly you out of the country.

  Call me as we discussed, once you’re in the air.You’ve got forty-five minutes to make it there, so you’d best be on your way. Make no mistake, bitch, if you double-cross me Vincent Alexandria

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  with my money, I’ll personally hunt you down like a dog and kill you slow,” he threatens, pointing his finger at her.

  I lie on the floor bleeding from the shoulder and Agent Duvall sits on the couch, her head down, the picture of hopelessness.

  “Boys, get her out of here!” The governor screams.

  Agent Chase jerks from the men’s grasp, kneels down and kisses me on the cheek. She whispers in my ear, “Joe, I love you and I’ll make this up to you, I promise. I’ve been through so much, you couldn’t imagine. I’ll send help. If you ever change your mind about me, I’m yours. Bye, my darling.”

  She never looks back. She walks out with the accounts and money from Dread’s dirty transactions, and leaves us to die. I guess it was all about the money.

  Money changes people, and God only knows what-all Dread put her through, but I would never have thought she would turn on me. I try to buy some time in hopes that she will at least alert someone to our situation.

  “So, Governor Asshole, how much money did you make in this little scheme of yours, you sinister prick?”

  Governor Brush rushes over to me and strikes me in the face. “You respect my authority, Johnson,” he orders as I burst out laughing. “What’s so fucking funny, Detective?”

  I look him in the eyes, smiling. “You hit like a little bitch,” I say, laughing again.

  He stands over me. “Well, if you think I hit like a bitch, let’s see if I shoot like a bitch,” he snarls as he shoots me in the thigh.

  I grimace. “So, you still haven’t answered my question.” I tear off part of my shirt and wrap it around my thigh, which bleeds profusely.

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  Governor Brush walks over and sits across from Agent Duvall, who jumps. The governor laughs as he rubs and pats her thigh. He turns to face me. “Well, to answer your question, Detective, let’s just say, if I let Agent Chase leave with one hundred and fifty million, my take has been measurably more. Like, nine hundred million, more. “I don’t have a problem telling you this, because when Agent Chase calls me safely in the air from my jet, you will be history, and your lovely cur-vaceous chocolate friend will be, too. I hope you didn’t get too attached to Agent Chase, because after she de-posits my money into my account she will be killed, as well. I’ll have it all. I don’t like loose ends.”

  He rubs Agent Duvall’s ample breasts, winks at her and checks his watch. He licks his thin lips. “I’ve never had sex with an FBI agent before. After I get this phone call, my dear, I plan to make that dream come true. I’m good—just ask my stepdaughter.” He snaps his fingers and chuckles. “That’s right you can’t, because Joe’s pimp friend got her killed.” He kneels and starts to rubs higher on Agent Duvall’s thigh as he holds the gun to her chest.

  She stares at him as though she wants to kill him.

  I pull myself up against the chair, and try to get comfortable and think of a way to stop this and a way to de-fend myself and Agent Duvall, who is seated directly across from me on the couch. Governor Brush keeps his gaze on me and tilts his curly blond head to warn me not to try anything stupid.

  “How did you recruit your men, Governor?” He stops his advances and turns his attention to me as I’d planned.

  “It was very simple. Being the governor, I knew how much the state received from the seizure of drugs and Vincent Alexandria

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  property from law enforcement each year. It’s in the billions. I knew that if I could get the right lawmen behind me and pay them handsomely, we could funnel millions of tax-free untraceable money, and who would be the wiser?”

  “But you had to have an inside man, right?”

  He shrugged arrogantly. “I just needed an enforcer who could front for me. That’s where Dread came in. He had been investigated twice by Internal Affairs for shady dealings and had beat both cases. I knew he wasn’t stupid and would go for the money. The other men had gambling debts, sick children, materialistic wives, drug habits and girlfriends. After a bust we’d tempt them with ten thousand dollars. If
they took the bait, they were part of the club. It was very easy and grew faster than we thought. We are in five states and four more were about to come on, until you started to become a nuisance.”

  “So what did FBI Agent James have to do with it?”

  I questioned.

  “I had to make sure I knew if you guys were on to us or not. That’s why I made sure he had the finances to pay for the investigation. Agent Chase was getting too close. By paying the finances, I was kept abreast of what was going on. I had the best of both worlds. Dread was falling for Chase and beginning to do crazy things.

  The fool would have given her my name sooner or later.

  Agent James had no clue I was the head of the black ring. It was his job to keep me abreast of the investigation. You know how much of a by-the-book fucking bastard he is. That’s exactly what I needed from that prune.” The governor’s cell phone rings.

  “Well, Detective, I guess our conversation comes to 240

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  an end.” He arrogantly winks as he answers and places the cell on speaker phone.

  An engine hums in the background. Chase says,

  “Governor Brush, I’m on the plane, but it’s not your plane. I was able to persuade another pilot to get me out of the country for forty thousand dollars. Your pilot is still waiting for me at the municipal airport. I called the police to have him picked up, so you can’t use the plane and your two goons are dead in your limousine in the parking lot at the airport. They should have checked me for additional weapons. I always carry at least three at all times. I took the liberty of taking your bank accounts out of your duffel bags in the bedroom, so your nine hundred million is mine, too. So I suggest you get out of there as soon as possible with your stupid ass,” she says, laughing into the phone.

  Chase is smarter than I thought she was. She’s pulled the perfect crime and who’s to be the wiser? She screwed everybody that screwed her. She must have been through a hell of a lot to turn the tide like this. I don’t agree with what she’s doing, but I understand.

  The governor’s eyes bulge with rage. His mouth falls open and his hands shake. His thin lips tremble with anger and he turns redder than a tomato on a hot August day.

  “You bitch!” He runs and grabs his bag, checking its contents. “You fucking bitch!” Those seem to be the only words he can muster. He rubs his chin and tries to gather himself, looking around as if trying to find what to say next. “Chase, we can work something out. Let’s renegotiate.”

  “That’s Ms. Bitch to you. Why do you think I need you? So you can try and kill me later? Fool. You been Vincent Alexandria

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  played, like you thought you were playing everybody else. I’ll send you a postcard now and then to let you know how I’m spending your money. That’s the least I can do. Oh, and I forgot to tell you, I called in a shooting at the hotel and gave them the suite number. I’m sure the police and FBI are on their way. Thanks again, Governor!” she says.

  “I’ll kill Joe and the agent if you don’t return with my money.” He shoots me in the shoulder again.

  She hesitates. “So what, he didn’t want me, remember. He chose his family over me and the money and I don’t know the agent. I’ll get over both of them as I’m drinking a pineapple piña colada on some hot island somewhere, but you’ll be getting the death penalty for killing two officers, and you’ll be some big guy’s play-thing in federal penitentiary.” She laughs as she hangs up.

  The governor screams as he looks at the phone in dis-belief. I lunge at him, knocking him backward. I leap into the couch where Agent Duvall sits, knocking it backward to give us a shield from the imminent gunfire. Two shots pierce the couch. Cotton and fabric float in the air in front of us. We duck as low as we can behind the coach.

  “Put down the gun or you’re dead,” a husky yet fa-miliar voice orders.

  “What do I have to lose? Take your best shot!” the governor screams as four more shots ring out. There is silence and a loud thud.

  “Damn, dude, you really took him out,” I exclaim as the gunman’s aim turns on me.

  Brutus and I look at each other. I smile and pull myself over the top of the couch.

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  “Whoa! I’m the good guy! Put that gun down,” I order.

  “Joe, I’m glad you’re okay. I’m Brutus Tucker and I work with Internal Affairs in the Nebraska Police Department. We’ve been on to Dread for about twenty-four months now. You and your guys almost blew the case for us. Where’s Chase?” He asks as he puts his gun away and unties Agent Duvall.

  “She took the money and ran. She’s on a plane headed somewhere. She was undercover with the FBI,”

  I answer.

  “I figured she was a fed. I can’t believe she would turn, but with all she went through, I can understand. I tempted her several times trying to see if she was in with Dread. She never budged or took the bait. She was a good cop, but I guess the money got the best of he,”

  Brutus says as he scratches his huge head.

  I stumble over to kick the gun away from Governor Brush and check his neck for a pulse. None. Brutus unties Agent Duvall then comes over and helps me over to the chair I was once leaning against.

  “Is he dead, Joe?” Agent Duvall asks as she rubs her bruised wrists.

  “Yes, he is,” I say with a heavy sigh.

  “Good for the bastard. Brutus, I’m sure glad you are on our team. Joe and I were in a bad situation. If I ever get my hands on that heffa, Chase… She just left us for dead, Joe,” Agent Duvall says with her hands on her hips.

  I don’t argue with Agent Duvall. I know we can’t judge Chase because we don’t know what she had been through. But, I know we owe her our life, because she caused all the distractions that allowed us to get out of Vincent Alexandria

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  this mess, and at any time she could have had us killed if that was what she wanted. She held all the cards.

  “Brutus, please hand me my gun—it’s in that corner.”

  I take the gun from him and place it in my holster. “I don’t know if we’ll ever catch Agent Chase. She’s long gone now. By the time we try and find what aircraft and pilot or what flight plan they took, they’ll be across the border in either direction.”

  Agent Duvall brings me some towels out of the bathroom, presses them against the wounds on my shoulder and wraps a couple around my thigh.

  Commissioner Wayne, FBI Agent James and other federal agents and police officers flood the room. We explain what has just transpired and I’m escorted by the paramedics to a waiting ambulance where my wife and Diamond rush to me. Sierra looks at me with relief and cries, “Baby, you’ve been hurt. Are you all right?”

  She cups my face and kisses me.

  Diamond puts her hand on my arm as I grimace from the paramedic applying bandages to my leg wound. “I’ll be fine. I was shot, but we solved the case. The governor was behind all this.”

  Sierra shakes her head in disgust, “What is this world coming to?”

  Diamond lets the paramedic get by as he checks my heart rate, bandages my shoulder and gives me the thumbs-up. When he’s done she grabs her sister by the hand and pulls her closer to me, “Joe, you need to talk to Sierra. We saw that reporter Tracy on the news. When Sierra heard her call you ‘Killer Joe’ like she was trying to blow your cover or something, she pulled me out of your mother’s house and made me get in the car. We 244

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  drove down to the Plaza and she beat that woman with her own microphone. I’ve never seen her like this before.

  Joe, you’re having a bad influence on my sister, man.”

  Sierra pulls away from Diamond and puts her hands on her hips, “Tracy’s had that coming for years. She could have blown Joe’s cover and she had no business calling my man a killer on television, anyway.”

  Agent Duvall walks up, “I heard that, girl. Take up for your man. I would have slapped the heffa for you myse
lf.”

  I look at all of them. “Y’all some bad ladies.” I turn to my wife with love and appreciation. “I’m sorry I put you through this.”

  “Joe, you know I would die for you, baby,” she says as she kisses me. “Let’s get you to a hospital.”

  I smile at my wife and hug her tight, “You tough, baby, and cute, too. I like that little bad-ass thang you got going on. You go, girl!” I tease.

  Sierra smiles and raises her eyebrow, “Just don’t make me go there on you, Mr. Man.” We both laugh.

  Epilogue

  A week has passed since we ended the Black Ring case. The FBI has found no trace of Chase or the assumed money and bank accounts that had been seized from the drug dealers. Chase got clean away with over one billion dollars in untraceable funds.

  She sent a letter of resignation to Agent James of the FBI. The letter was postmarked from Belize with no return address.

  I received a large box in the mail from Chase two days ago, postmarked from Bermuda. It contained twenty-five million dollars in cash. I told Agent James and Commissioner Wayne, and they ran the serial numbers on all the money. None was registered with any of the drug busts the Federal Bureau had on file. Chase had been smart enough to launder the money with brand-new one-hundred-dollar bills. The money was 246

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  not traceable nor could they prove it was from any illegal activity. There were absolutely no records of any of the money transactions Dread and Governor Brush handled. The IRS even did their review. I was taxed out the ass, but was told to consider it a gift. Sierra and I have talked about what to do with the money. After we put some aside for the kids’ future, we’ll share it with our family and friends. I will send money to St. Louis Slim’s family. I plan to give Pretty Kevin, Mo-Mo, Little Tiny, Agent Duvall, Agent Smelley’s family and Vernon one million each. I know one thing though; it sure made my gunshot wounds feel a whole lot better.

  We buried Sweet St. Louis Slim in St. Louis, Missouri, two days ago. Mo-Mo and Slim’s family made sure he went out in style with his canary-yellow suit and a pair of Stacy Adams two-tones on his feet. Mo-Mo took it hard, but Agent Duvall was right there by his side.