Bargaining Chips

Cyrus Tickle and Evan Tool and another man who I did not know came into the room they were holding Robert Foxworth and I hostage in...Naturally they all had guns drawn on us...Cyrus tossed a smartphone on the bed..

"Mr. Morris..You're going to call your wife in Philadelphia...I'm sure she's worried sick about you by now ." he said.

I said nothing...I glared at him with a deep white hatred I had never felt for any human being before...I almost wanted to risk getting filled full of holes and rush him and just beat him to death...but that would be foolish..I'd never survive...He had me by the short and curlies and he knew it!

"You are going to call your wife and tell her to wire one million dollars from her account and from your account into this account at this bank here in San Juan...You are also to tell her to call whatever church you donated the rest of that money to and have them do the same if they ever expect to see you two alive again...
Once I know the money is in the accounts...You both will be released." he said.

"You're a liar...The FBI is looking for you...Once they detect money going into an account with your name on it...They'll be down here in swarms." I said.

''They would if the account was in Cyrus Tickle's name...but it's not...It's in your name...She'll be wiring money to your account...The account I set up in your name down here...As far as these locals know...I am Kevin Morris." he laughed..

"You've thought of everything huh?" I said.

''What do you need us for after you get the money?" asked Robert Foxworth.

"I really don't." he said.  " I could arrange for you two to vanish and never be heard from...After all, only your wives and a few people know you're down here and nobody knows I'm down here." he said.

"So if we are going to die anyway, why should I call my wife and have her do anything." I said.

"Because if you don't you're going to die right now!" he snapped...."Rather than later." he said.

"Then kill me then...You still aint gettin a red cent out of me." I said.

Tickle knew that with me dead he couldn't touch the money and had nothing to bargain with....Robert smiled.

"Better yet...How bout I kill your friend??...Who I don't need anymore ,one way or another he said and aimed his .45 at Robert's head....I didn't want him to die...so once again...I blinked as Kool Kat would say..

"Alright...Alright...I'll make the call...." I said.

"Don't mention my name...Just instruct her to do it...Tell her if she goes to the police or FBI, you and Mr. Foxworth are dead.  Try to get cute and use some verbal code...and you are both dead.." he said.

I had witnessed this man gun down in cold blood an equally cold blooded gangster...I knew that he would kill in a heartbeat....I had no choice...I picked up the phone...

Just them Kitty walked in....

" Cyrus....I need to talk to you." she said...

''Not now,I'm busy." he said.

''Now"she said.

''Get out of here."he snapped.

"I'm tired of the way you're talking to me..." she said...

I was looking for anything, a chance to take one of them by surprise and get their weapon...I could shoot fast enough to take down at least one of them, thus making it a little more even....

"I went in town today." she said very calmly...

"Yeah and...Is there any food left?" he said...

Tool and the other man laughed...

"Go ahead,laugh...I went to a Cyber Cafe and did a little research...You aren't a surgeon!!!!....You're not a Doctor and you haven't practiced law in 20 years...You were disbarred...You've lied to me.." she said.

"What? Not Now Kitty..." he said...

"You're a big liar...You were never planning to give me that big operation...You just used that to string me along to make me take part in this stupid ,evil plan of yours to take that man's money...."

''KITTY, GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE!" he screamed.

"I WILL NOT BE DISRESPECTED!" she screamed and stomped her foot... She made the entire room shake..then she hauled off and slapped him...The force of her slap knocked him across the room...This was the distraction I needed...

"Robert..!!!" I yelled...

Robert grabbed the unknown man's arm and aimed it downward....I hauled off and punched Evan Tool so hard , his head slammed up against the wall...He dropped his weapon and I scooped it up... The other man got his hand free and pushed Robert away, but I fired just one shot...All I needed and it went right between his eyes and out of the back of his head...He was dead before he hit the floor..

Cyrus Tickle ducked and fired back at me..I fired three shots at him, but missed..I dragged Evan Tool out of the room with me..Robert picked up the dead man's gun and we retreated out of the room , down the stairs and  into the gun sights of Brenda..!!!!

"You wanna drop that heater?" she said. "You Too" she said to Robert.

Robert and I dropped our weapons...and released Evan Tool..

By now Cyrus Tickle was running down the steps...

"I ought to kill both of you now!" he yelled.

"But you won't cause you need me to make that call about that money." I said.

He knew I was right...It may have been the only thing that saved us...

He took the gun off of me and Brenda marched Robert and I right back up the steps and into that room and locked the door.

"I'll deal with you later." he snarled..

"Cyrus, we have to talk!!" said Kitty..

''Aww Fat girl, go lose some weight." snapped Brenda..

I heard a loud slap and Brenda screamed...

"Cyrus are you gonna let her do me like that? She hit me..This fat bitch hit me!" she screamed...

I heard another loud slap...

"OWWWW, CYRUSSS!" screamed Brenda..

"Stop it..Stop it you two...I have to think." he yelled..

II-

"Well man, we almost made it out." said Robert..

''All aint lost...look...they left that smart phone on the bed!!!...Pass it to me quick." I said.

Robert passed it to me... I sent Sepia a text message...I explained what had happened to me in the past few days and that I was being held prisoner, along with Robert by Cyrus Tickle..I explained to her to alert the FBI that he and Evan Tool were in San Juan ,Puerto Rico and then I gave her the account number they wanted her to wire money to...I told her to tell the FBI to trace the account number...If they did that they would get closer to where Cyrus Tickle and Evan Tool were...After I sent the text...I erased it...I then placed the phone back on the bed.

"You think she got it?" he asked.

"Oh she got it.....The girl checks her text messages every hour..." I said.

Robert laughed..."Yeah, Bonita does too." he said.

Just then, Evan Tool, Cyrus Tickle and Brenda walked back in the room...Their dead friend was still in the corner in a pool of blood.

" Evan, get that body out of here, Fatty Patty will come in and mop the blood up. Alright Kevin...No more games..make the call..Do it NOW!" he barked.

I picked the phone up and called Sepia...

She answered right away....

''Kevin...are you alright baby?" she said.

"I am... Look, some real bad guys are holding me hostage...I'm going to read you an account number..Go in my account and yours and wire one million dollars a piece to this account...Then call Pastor Struthers...tell him he's going to have to give that "gift" we gave the church up....tell him my life is in danger..." I said. Sepia knew I was faking it for Tickle's benefit...She had already read the text message I sent her.

Sepia whispered.....

''I've already contacted the FBI...Those idiots that have you didn't block the number...If I give em this number, they can trace it." she said.

"Good deal baby..I -I-I love you too...Hope to see you soon." I said and hung up. I passed the phone to Cyrus Tickle.

"Happy now ??...You'll get your money....The transfers will take some time..but you'll have 3 million dollars by this time tomorrow." I said, laughing to myself...They wouldn't get a red cent!

"Ha ha...I'm rich..." he said.

"You mean we rich Cyrus...We gone get married and move to the islands." said Brenda..

"Married?? You aint goin nowhere with Cyrus...He's my man." said Kitty, who had just entered the room.

"Cyrus will you tell Fat girl here the deal." said Brenda..

"Tell me what?" said Kitty...

"Yo man....What about my cut?" said Evan Tool...

"All of you just chill and shut the hell up...there's enough money for all of us to get a nice cut." said Cyrus..

He wasn't planning to share that money with any of them...I knew it, Robert knew it and he knew it...

Robert and I eyed each other...While they argued amongst themselves..We looked at each other and smiled...

The tide was slowly turning...In our favor..

III-

A few hours later. Evan Tool brought us our dinner....

''Hey Tool"said Robert Foxworth...

''Yeah, what you want?"he said.

"You really think Tickle is going to give you one million dollars and Split two million with Kitty and Brenda and himself?? That's crazy....Is that what he told you?   Mannn ,he's a jive ass liar." said Robert.

"I know what you're trying to do...It won't work." he said.

"Look man, you from Philly, You ever hear of Dice Lawson?" I asked.

"Yeah..he was big time playa out of West Philly..." he said.

"That's one of the guys he's on death row for killin...That was his partner...He double crossed him and aced him out of the deal...Did the same thing to Patrice Johnson...His other partner... and even killed the girl who helped him kill Patrice Johnson...He aint plannin to let none of yall leave here alive with none of that money..If I was you...I'd be thinkin abou the future...I'd be thinkin about myself...I hate Tickle...Even though I hate it that you two are taking my dough...I'd rather see anyone with it but Tickle." I said.

"I've known Cyrus Tickle a long time bruh."said Robert..."He's a back stabbin,lyin bastard.   Look how he strung Kitty along, told her that crap about him being a Surgeon and an Attorney...He aint neither. You know that...Don't be a dupe man.Like my man Kev said...Think about the future."Robert continued..

"Just somethin to think about....If I was you, I'd get to that bank early in the morning." I said.

Tool laughed..." Yeahhh right....Nice try guys." he said and left the room, locking the door.

"He didn't buy it Kev..We'll do better working on Kitty." said Robert...

"Oh he bought it.!!..Believe me..He's thinking about it.These guys don't trust each other." I said.

IV-

With no clock and no window...It was hard to know how much time had elapsed....I assumed it was night...I could hear through the walls and determine that there was another room next to ours...

I tapped Robert on the shoulder...

"Listen man.." I said...It was Cyrus Tickle and Brenda.

"Look, tomorrow by noon, that money will be in the account...We'll drive there and pick it up and be gone.." said Cyrus..

"What about Evan and Kitty and those two in the next room?" she asked.

"What about them? They'll all be dead by then....By the time they find the four of them...They'll be a moulderin in this house...and you and me...we'll be in the Caymen Islands.." laughed Cyrus...

"Ohhh Baby, you are making me so horny..." she said.

"Oh reallly?" he giggled...

I heard a zipper , then what sounded like straps unbuckling....

"Ummmmmmmmm..."

"Ohhhh Cyrussss...."

"Ohhhh Brenda...I've been thinkin about you for weeks...ouuuuuuuuuu..."

"Ohhhh Cyrus Daddy, put it onnnnn me...."

"Ohhhhhhhhhh baby..give it to me...give it all to meeeeee..ummmmmmph..."

There was the sound of head board slamming against the wall, the bed springs squeaking....

"Ouuuuuuuuuu baby...Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh..."

"Awwwwwwwww lawdddddd girl...."

''Rock me daddy..rockkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk meee....ohhhhhhhhh!"

Robert looked at me...

"He's in there screwing that broad....and me and you stuck in here...I might kill him with my bare hands if I can get ahold of him." said Robert..

I smiled..

"In time friend...In time... Mr.Tickle is about to get the shock of his life ..very soon." I said.

Outside of our room in the hallway....I heard the quiet sobs of Kitty Holland.

(Conclusion Next)