While The Night Is Still Young

Night approached rather quickly.....I had a briefcase filled with six million dollars as Mr. Tickle had asked..It angered me that he had the upper hand...That he had pulled this off and that I had no idea where he was holding them or where he was laying his head...

He had thought of everything ,or so it seemed....I was sure he even had an exit plan..Like a passport and airline tickets out of the country...One thing he didn't know..Was that the police and the FBI were feverishly searching the city for him and that he had already been implemented in this kidnapping...

He apparently had no idea how tight I was with local law enforcement....

Robert had somehow gotten ahold of a phone and had texted me what possibly could be a clue..

"Kevin...I'm being held hostage by Mr. Tickle...Me and an old guy who says he knows you...I don't have much time...but all I can tell you is that where-ever I am..I can hear trains running...Kind of like the El and water flowing...I hope that helps you find us..
R.F."

Where did the El run that was near water? I had to figure that out...

I sat in the basement of my office building in the headquarters of Morris Investigations with Sean Jackson, Peeping Tom, Lockpick Johnson and Clerow and looked at traffic cam photos of the Market -Frankford line from 69th Street to the Kensington section for a clue...

It took us awhile, but I think I had found it...Hazel had been on to something...When she told me about soil found in the Tacony Creek area...

The Frankford Creek area...It wasn't exactly near the Elevated Train, but that might have been how they were transferred without arousing too much suspicion...I wasn't sure..

Frankford Creek is a minor tributary of the Delaware River in southeast Pennsylvania. It derived its name from the nearby town of Frankford, Philadelphia County.

The stream originates as Tookany Creek at Hill Crest in Cheltenham Township and meanders eastward, then southeastward, throughout Cheltenham Township, until a sharp bend near the Philadelphia border at Lawncrest, where the place names Toxony and Tookany were used in historic times; the stream is still known as Tookany Creek in this region, where it flows southwest.

Turning south into Philadelphia at the crotch of Philadelphia's Y-shaped border, the creek is called Tacony Creek from here southward, it is considered the informal boundary separating Northeast Philadelphia from the rest of the city.

The Philadelphia neighborhoods of Olney and Feltonville lie on the western side of the stream in this area while Northwood, Lawncrest, Summerdale, and Frankford lie on the eastern side. It continues to be called the Tacony at least until the smaller Wingohocking Creek merges with it in Juniata Park, within the city-owned golf course.

 Beyond Castor Avenue it is known as Frankford Creek until the stream's confluence with the Delaware River in the Bridesburg neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The section of stream known as Frankford Creek is 3.1 miles (5.0 km) long, and the upstream section known as Tacony Creek, from Hill Crest, is 11.1 miles (17.9 km) long.

The Lenni Lenape Native Americans who lived within its watershed called the creek Quessionwonmink, which means “Eel Skin River.” Some believe the word Tacony to be derived from another Lenni Lenape word meaning "forest" or "wilderness".

There were no occupied houses in that area...but there were a lot of empty warehouses in that area...It was the perfect place to hide somebody...No residents around..Away from everything...quiet.....It wasn't cold outside yet...The surrounding neighborhoods were just far away from it as to not attract attention...

I called Kool Kat...We had to work fast....

II-

Kool Kat and I drove the length of the area...I had three hours before I was to be given instructions as to where I could meet Mr. Tickle...

We were just about to give up ,when we got a most judicious break...A White car drove up...

There he was, Cyrus J. Tickle...and a girl...Jean Bell..They had ,what looked like food..
Hoagies ,Sodas and what not...They met a man ,dressed in all black at the entrance of one of the warehouses and passed him the food...Mr. Tickle also passed him an envelope..

There was no sign of Robert and Otis...My guess is ..They were inside...

"Sit tight..I'm gonna scope the area..See how many people we are dealin with in there."said Kool Kat.

Here was a chance to nab them all....I thought.

Mr. Tickle and the girl got in the white car and pulled off...

I figured he wasn't staying there...He was running things from there...

Kool Kat walked back to the SUV we were in...

"Kev...I got a scope on Robert and the old man...I know where he's keepin em..I can't believe it..He's only got one guy in there from what I can see..Robert and the old man are blindfolded and in the back..." he said.

"Just one guy?" I said.

"Yeah...He's got a glock and a shotgun."said Kool Kat...

"Well...He can't use em both at one time can he?" I said ,smiling...

Kool Kat looked at me and smiled...

III-

Kool Kat and I entered the old empty warehouse quietly...It smelled like urine and feces as well as plain old decay...This place had once been a thriving factory that employed many...Now it was a shell of it's former self...Where junkies flopped and teenagers snuck to make out and perhaps do even more...

I wondered where Mr. Tickle was headed...

We finally located Robert Foxworth and Otis Teller...

"Man...You're a fool...Mr. Tickle doesn't plan to share that money with you anymore than he plans to let us live after Kevin delivers it to him...That's how he is...Don't you read the papers? He's killed and black mailed all of his partners..Ask Dice Lawson..that was one of his partners...He's in jail for killing him.."said Robert.

"Shut Up...You can't use your lawyer tricks on me to confuse me." said Matt Barrow.

"He's tellin you the truth kid...Him and that girl will pick up the money and you'll never hear from him again and you'll be left carrying the whole bag."said Otis...

"Kidnapping for ransom is life in prison ..Think on it." said Robert...

"Shut up..I'm all messed up...I'm tryin to think on it.." he said..

"Don't think too hard Barrow...Time is up for you." I said.

"Heyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy, how did you get in here?How do you know MY NAME???" he said and fired at me twice..

I ducked...

''We know all of the players....You can't get far...The FBI and The Police are all over this place." I said and returned his fire...

"You lie...They don't know who we are...This wasn't even in the papers...." he said and fired at us again...

Again,I returned his fire..

"Give it up Barrow..It's all over...Three of your boys are dead....It's only a matter of time before we nab Tickle...He's got nothing to bargain with now!" I said..

"Screw you!" he said and fired at me again...I ducked...

Kool Kat however, returned his fire....The force of his .44 magnum hit Matt square in the chest and knocked him backwards and out of the window and into the creek...

"ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!" he screamed as he splashed into the cold water...Dead before his body hit the water!!....

Kool Kat and I looked out the window and watched as his now still body floated down stream...

''He won't go too far...He might wash up on land down the stream."said Kool Kat.

"Kev, you found us!!!"said Robert Foxworth as Kool Kat and I untied him and Otis Teller..

"Nice clue you sent me yesterday..."I said.

"I knew you'd figure it out." he said..

"At least he hoped you would...How you doin young fella?" said Otis Teller..

"I'm doing good..Come on..Let's get you guys out of here.." I said as we got in Kool Kat's car and pulled off...

"What about Tickle?" asked Otis Teller..

"Oh yeah, him...I've got about one hour before I hand him that money..."I said.

Kool Kat looked at me and smiled..

"What? You just rescued us..."said Robert...

"Oh I know...but he doesn't know that...He's got a date with the prison doors and I'm going to make sure he doesn't miss that date."I said.

"We all smiled.."

IV-

I stood outside at the location I was told to stand in....I had the briefcase....Sure enough I was approached by the young lady.... She looked around... "Get in." she said.

"What? I have your money.."I said.

"If you want to see your friends alive you'll get in." she said.

"Okay...You're the boss. You know, you can still walk away...This guy is a dead end...You're throwing your life away Jean...Don't do this." I said.

"You know my name?" she said.

"I know all of you guys names and so do the cops....If you walk away now..You might have a chance at a life." I said.

"It's way too late for that now...I'm too far over that line..." she said and sighed...

A White car drove up.... She motioned me towards the car....I got in...Driving the car was none other than the mastermind himself...Cyrus J. Tickle..He looked at me and smiled... His female accomplice patted me down to make sure I didn't have a weapon as instructed or was wearing a wire...I had neither...just as he'd asked..

I got in the backseat, his female accomplice took the briefcase...She eagerly counted the money...The car pulled off...

"It's all here Big Daddy.." she giggled..

"You sure counted that fast." he said.

"I was always good at math."she said and they both laughed heartily!

Mr. Tickle turned around at the next corner...

"So....Mister Morris...We meet again." he said.

I said nothing...

"What? No smart alec quips??  I suppose not....I out thought you and out played you every step of the way on this one..."he said as he drove.

"You did huh?" I said.

"I did...Now get out." he said..

We walked to a half empty bar and sat down at a booth in the back...

"Where is this place?" I asked.

"Far from where you live...Just in case you had one of your associates watching or worse...The cops.." he said.

"Where are my friends?"I asked..

He passed me a piece of paper with an address on it...

It wasn't the warehouse where Kool Kat and I had rescued Robert and Otis hours before..

"You'll find them both at this address..When you get there, my man will know that the money has been delivered and he'll release them.." he said.

"What if I bring police with me?" I said.

Mr. Tickle and the young girl Jean Bell laughed...

"That is the plan isn't it? You don't plan to share that money with him...You two will be long gone won't you? He doesn't know where you two are heading or where you've been shacking up...You are double crossing him aren't you?" I said.

"Six Million dollars spends better two ways than it does three..."said Mr. Tickle..

"Think about that Jean...Six Million dollars spends even better one way than two...How long before he double crosses you too? You can't trust a man like this...He's crazy and he has no loyalty to anyone but himself..." I asked her...

"Don't listen to him....He's trying to trick you."said Mr. Tickle...

She was quiet...but I could tell she was thinking...

"I hope you choke on this money Tickle and I swear...If my friends turn up dead..I'll hunt you to the ends of the Earth.."I said.

He laughed...

"Come on Jean...Unfortunately this is our last meeting Mr. Morris...You were a very worthy adversary..." he laughed...

They walked out of the bar ....Detective James "Jimmy" Barlow walked up to him..

"Hey sport can you spare some change?" he said.

Mr. Tickle turned around..

"What? Get a job. " he snarled...

Detective Antonio Hopkins walked up to him and the girl...

"Hey man...That wasn't very nice...My man was just asking for some change..Like uh maybe six million dollars." he said..

They were both laughing....

Mr. Tickle looked at Jean..

"They're cops Jean..Run!!!" he said...

They both ran...but they didn't get farther than the corner...

Detectives Carlotta Rodriguez-Wallace and Sirena Pile had their glocks drawn and stepped out in their pathway...

"HANDS!! LET ME SEE YOUR HANDS! Both of you!!  GET YOUR HANDS UP!!!" yelled Carlotta...

"Drop the bag lady..DO IT NOW!!" said Sirena... Jean Bell just froze....She couldn't believe she was surrounded...

FBI Deputy Special Agent in charge, Sharon Ferrell -Hopkins, Lt.Sissy Van Buren,Detectives Tyriq Pile and Edwin "Duke " Baylor came across the streets with glocks drawn, followed by FBI agents and a few uniformed policemen with shotguns..

Mr. Tickle looked like he had drank a can of paint...

"You guys are making a big mistake...I still have two people in custody....All I have to do is make a phone call and they are as good as dead...It would be in your best interest to let us go." he said...

Sharon,Sissy and her detectives all looked at each other and smiled..I had turned Robert and Otis over to them hours ago and told them where they could find Mack Barrow's body. They had simply followed us in unmarked rental cars...

Robert Foxworth and his wife, Bonita stepped out of a car....So Did Otis Teller...

Mr. Tickle  was astonished...

"WHATTTT? Wha-Wha-What is this? What are you doing here Foxworth?" he said..

"Mister Tickle...You were a lousy host."joked Robert Foxworth,....I busted out laughing...

Otis Teller walked up and kicked him square in the behind...

"OOOOOF!" yelled Mr. Tickle in pain...

"I oughta beat the crap out of you, ya chisler!"said the old man....

"WHATTTTTTTT?  How-How-How...How can this be??" he said..

"What are they doing free???..We just saw them a few hours ago?" said Jean Bell..

I walked up to them at this point and snatched the bag containing the money...

"Well Mr. Tickle...Once again...You've gone up against me and once again you've failed.."I said.

"Noooo..Nahhhhhhhhhhhh, This can't be...How? HOW DID YOU GUYS GET AWAY?" He screamed...

"I found em...Hours ago.....Your guy wasn't too accomodating ,but wherever he is..I'm sure he understands the folly of his ways..." I said...

"I DON'T BELIEVE IT....NOOOOOOOOOO...NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" he screamed like a petulant child and stomped his feet...

Duke and Tyriq handcuffed him and turned him over to Sharon and the FBI...

"Come on Mr.Tickle it's over...You've got a date with a jail cell and this time..We'll make sure that you don't escape...You're going to Supermax until it's time for your trial and then right back to death row until...well you know..."said Sharon as the FBI Agents hauled him away...

"I DON'T BELIEVE IT....NOOOOOOOOOO...NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! This couldn't be happening...I NEEDED THAT MONEY!!!...I NEEDED IT!!!...I HAD PLANS!!I NEEDED THAT MONEY..ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH LAWD
JESUSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS...I NEEDED THAT MONEYYYYYYY!LAWDD!....THIS IS A DREAM!! A DREAM I SAY!NOOOOOOOOOO...NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO...Awwww LAWDD! THIS ISN'T POSSIBLE..." he screamed as they carried him to the paddy wagon...

"Oh My God...He's as crazy as a loon.." said Sissy...

Jean Bell was handcuffed by Sirena and read her rights...

''What's going to happen to me?  You know...I-I-I didn't kidnap those men...I just drove him to make the pick up. He is a crazy and scary man...I was scared to death the whole time I was with him...I didn't take part in all that kidnapping mess." she said.

"Youse a lyin heiffer...You helped em snatch me." said Otis Teller..

"He's mistaken...He's a crazy old man..I'm innocent...I was afraid for my life...I'm innocent." she said.

"That's for a court to decide." said Duke.

"Oh My God, you guys are  really going to arrest me? Come on..I really didn't have that much to do with it.."she said..."Can't we work something out?" she said,batting her eyes...

"Don't flatter yourself baby." said Duke.

"Come on guys...I'm innocent..."she said.

"Jeannie...Stop it...Just stop it ."came a voice...

She looked around and there was Attorney Olivia Bennet-Alexander, her Husband,Donnie Ray Alexander and her niece ,Beverly West...

"Oh My God..Ms. Olivia.... Bev.."said Jean...

"Jean...I did everything I could do to help you...I failed you.."said Olivia, who was tearing up...Donnie Ray, her husband and like me, a Private Investigator held his wife..

"Oh My God...I'm so sorry Ms. Olivia...I'm so sorry."said Jean who was now in tears herself...

Two officers led her to the paddy wagon...

We were all quiet for awhile...I looked in the distance and I saw Kool Kat drive up..He had my wife,Sepia with him....

She ran over to me and kissed me..Kool Kat was , surprisingly holding the baby...

"Kevin is everything okay?" she asked..

"Yeah baby...everything is just fine....Hey guys...The night is still young...Where can we go that can accomodate all of us?" I asked..

"Ihop...I'm in the mood for pancakes.."said Carlotta...

We all smiled and looked at Carlotta and laughed...

"Works for me" laughed Bev...

"Me too!" I said...

"I'm with it" said Donnie Ray...

"Hey...I hope to see all of you at Chris and Chess's week long concert next week at the new shopping center." I said..

Duke called Hazel,Sissy called Eddie C., Jimmy called Angie and Carlotta called ADA Keith Wallace...Likewise ,Beverly West called Nathan East...They were to meet us at IHOP....It would be an impromptu couple's night...

Everybody cheered and we all headed towards the nearest IHOP....Which ironically enough was in Chris and Chess's new shopping center...What a nice way to end a big case with my friends....early in the Philadelphia Morning....

EPILOUGE:

Jean Bell and Cyrus Tickle were convicted of two counts of Kidnapping and both sentenced to Life....Mr. Tickle was then returned to Death Row where he awaits lethal injection for his multiple murder convictions...Hopefully I won't have to see him again...

Later that same night...Sepia and I stood under the hot water of our shower and kissed passionately as soap and water ran off of our bodies...

We hadn't been together for days...It was so nice being back in our house......

"Oh My god Kevin...I missed you sooo much ."she said in between kisses....

"I missed you too." I said as we continued to kiss...

She gently fondled my raging erection....

"Ummmmmmm..I can tell you were missing me..." she said....

"Can you?" I said...

"Yesssss...." she said...

AND IN A  CELL AT SUPER-MAX-

"That money was mine...I was supposed to have it...I-I-I-I had plans...I had things I was supposed to do...I needed that money..I needed that money."said Cyrus Tickle..

"Hey Tickle,SHUTTTT UP, GO TO BED!" said an inmate in the next cell..

"I needed that money..and I will have it...I swear...I will have it..Kevin owes me that damn money...I'm supposed to be rich..." he said.

"Yeah so was I..Now shut it up!" said the inmate...

"That money was mine...I was supposed to have it...I-I-I-I had plans...I had things I was supposed to do...I needed that money..I needed that money.I'm going to escape from here and the next time...I will not only have that money...but I'll make sure Kevin Morris is in his grave...I will have that money and my revenge...just you wait and see!
I will..I will...I will..I will..I Will...I Will....." he chanted..

"WILL YOU SHUT THE HELL UP!!!" screamed another inmate.

For SLC!