Mr.Tickle's Waterloo

Sometimes people surprise you....Kool Kat and I sat freezing and dripping wet in the sub basement of Cadillac Jenkins's building in Patterson, New Jersey...We were willing to die just to defy these bozos,but we didn't know if we could depend on Bonnie Shay...

I wouldn't have been mad at her if she cracked...She wasn't used to this kind of crap..Hell,neither was I.

Will Bonin and another goon grabbed Bonnie Shay and dragged her to the ice water tub...She looked horrified...For the first time, Kool Kat and I were afraid...For her...

They dunked her head in the tub and held her seemingly longer than us and pulled her up...She was shivering and struggling for breath....and spitting water and coughing....I felt so sorry for her...Neither Kool Kat nor I said anything...but both of us were outraged that these punks would treat a woman like that!

Bonnie Shay spit water out of her mouth and coughed and looked at Cadillac Jenkins..

"Okay...Okay...I'll tell you....I'll tell you...The cops know...They know all about you...Cadillac..."she said ,still trying to catch her breath...

"Yeah,what do they know?"he asked...

"They know....They know....That you have a penis the size of my pinkie.."she said..

Kool Kat and I and Eric Stroh busted out laughing...Even West Side Willie and Mr. Tickle laughed..

Cadillac Jenkins didn't find that funny...He stomped his foot in anger...

"West Side!!!...Shoot out their knee caps...."he barked..

Just then the lights went off!

"What the hell???..The power went off..It's dark!!!"said Cadillac Jenkins....

"You are good at stating the obvious! Aren't you?" snarled Mr. Tickle..

A gunshot rang out!!  Then two more!!

"OWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW...Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh lawddd...I been shot in the ass..AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW lawddd! I DON'T BELIEVE IT ...I"VE BEEN SHOT!" screamed West Side Willie,who tossed his shot gun up in the air and fell to the ground...

"What the hell???..It's the cops!"shouted Cadillac Jenkins...

"No..It's someone else!!!...Probably one of Mr. Morris's many operatives...Let's get the hell out of here."said Mr. Tickle.

Five  more shots rang out..I heard reloading....

"We being shot at!"said Will Bonin...

"REALLY?  I CAN SEE YOU WERE AT THE HEAD OF YOUR CLASS!!Let's get the hell out of here."said Mr. Tickle...as bullets whizzed by his head...

He and Cadillac Jenkins and the two men ran up the stairs...

More gunfire rang out...

"Arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh..I'm hit...I'm hit...I don't believe it,I've been shot!! arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...I'm shottt babyyyy.....OHHHHHHH!!!"screamed Will Bonin...and he fell down the steps...He had been hit in the side and the back ,both buttocks and in one of his arms...He spun around and fell to the ground...his blood splattering everywhere....

"OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.....I'm shot....agrhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!.LAWD!! I'm hit...OHHHHHH!!!!I don't believe it...I'm shot....Hey where you guys goin? Help me...Don't leave me...Don't leave meeeeeeee!" he moaned..

Caddillac Jenkins ,Mr. Tickle and another goon ran down the hall towards the door...More gunfire rang out..

"Arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh,I'm hit .I don't believe it,I've been shot!! arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh..."" said the other goon who fell to the ground...he had been hit in both buttocks, his arm and his side...."Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhh lawddd...I'm hit...Don't leave me..Don't leave me...Don't leave me you rotten dirty bums..arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! DON'T LEAVEEEE MEEEEEEEEE,Lawwwddddd...it hurts...LAWDDDDD!!!!OHHHHHHH...I'm hit..." he screamed..

Cadillac Jenkins and Mr. Tickle did not care....They ran for all they were worth..Gunfire just missed Cadillac Jenkins's head as he ducked ,stumbled and ran... ran out into the street,following Mr. Tickle..

 "They tryin to kill us!!!!...Arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...They tryin to kill us...Helppppppppp!  Hellpppppppp! LAWDDDDDDDDDDD Jesusssssssssssssssssssssssssssss!HELPPPPPPP!!! THEY TRYIN TO KILL US...lawddddd!!!" he screamed like a woman as he followed Mr. Tickle to his car..

''Will you shut up before you draw the attention of the police?? Come on ,start the damn car!"yelled  Mr. Tickle...

One last shot destroyed the back window of the car!...Glass went flying!!!!

"ARGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" screamed both men...

"START THE CAR!!! START THE CAR!!! START THE DAMN CARRR!!!" screamed Mr. Tickle....

  Their  car started and they pulled off in haste...

"Somebody is pitchin a bitch in this joint..."laughed Kool Kat as he tried to work his way out of his bonds..I did too....

''Sit tight Bonnie, we'll be free in a few seconds."I said.

Kool Kat got loose...,Bonnie and I sat still in the darkness...Who had been our savior? We all wondered...

The power came back on and standing there holding my .38 smokeless was ,who else? My wife...Sepia..

"I followed behind you  as close as I could...I saw them marching you guys down to the basement and then I saw them when they brought Bonnie in....I got the nice building mechanic to show me how to turn the power off in the sub-basement and then I did the best I could to get these guys.I had to reload twice.."said Sepia, who untied Bonnie and me....

"Baby, you did great! Just like I taught you"I said.. I kissed her passionately...and hugged her..

Kool Kat hugged Sepia too..

"I'm not going to tease you for a week." laughed Kool Kat...

"Oh shut your lying mouth Walter."laughed Sepia.

"Ughhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...ahhhh....My ass...I got shot in the ass...Ohhhhhh lawd...ouuuuuuu...I"m losin my minddd!!!! AWWWWWWW!"moaned West Side Willie...who was lying on the ground in pain...

Kool Kat was getting ready to kick him...but I stopped him...

"Well things have certainly turned around for you haven't they Willie? Now it's your turn...Tell me where Cadillac and Mr. Tickle would go to hole up when the heat is on..."I said.

"Man, my ass has been blown out...I need medical attention....mannn...Come On! Ughhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...ahhhh....My ass...I got shot in the ass...Ohhhhhh lawd...ouuuuuuu...I"m losin my minddd!!!! AWWWWWWW!"he moaned.

"Kools..I think he needs a dunk in the water." I said.

"With pleasure.."said Kool Kat who lifted West Side Willie and dragged him towards the tub of ice water....

"OKAY!!...OKAY!!!...I'll tell you...I'll tell you anything you want to know........My ass has been blown out...I need medical attention....mannn...Come On!!..just keep him away from me."he said looking at Kool Kat with fear..

"These girls have more stones than you."I sneered...He disgusted me...

In the hallway and on the stairs lie Will Bonin...shot multiple times...and bleeding profusely,but still alive..moaning and groaning....Sepia had shot the place up...

I looked at both of them..."I should have my wife execute you both..you lousy punks...or should I let the big man dunk you both in that cold water like you did us?" I scowled..

"Man,we shot,please...please don't hurt us..owwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww.Man,I got hit in the ass...This hurtsssss ....Damnnn man...Owwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!" begged one..

"Lawd Jesus,it hurts....ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh..We need medical attention...Awwwwwwwwwwwww lawdddd..aarghhhhhh"squealed Will Bonin..."Kev...Kevin look, we go way back..way back...elementary school baby...I'll tell you anything you want...anything...please,please just don't let me die...arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, lawd...I'm hit....awwww motherrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!" He wailed...

"Not so tough now are you?" I said shaking my head.

"No." he wimpered....



II-

The Patterson police arrested and booked William "West Side Willie "Johnson and Willie Bonin and the other goon on Kidnapping and attempted murder charges and booked them downtown...It was a sad fall for such a decorated policeman...Despite the good he had done..He'd now be remembered only as a corrupt cop...and he'd spend the rest of his life in prison, segregated for his own safety with many of the felons he put behind bars...So Sad..

All three men were put on gurneys,handcuffed and taken to the hospital...They were all shot up and more than willing to talk about Cadillac Jenkins and Mr. Tickle, who they felt had abandoned them...

"I'm bettin they left a lot behind in that office." I said..

We went back to the office and searched around...

 "Jackpot....I found it!!!!.."said Bonnie Shay...

It was the Zip drive...

I erased the hard drive of  every laptop in the office....I checked the zip drive...

"This is it!!! We got it Bonnie...Call Whittendale and Cornfield and tell them mission accomplished.."I said happily...

 ''What about Mr. Tickle and Cadillac Jenkins?" asked my wife Sepia.

"Yeah...I owe Cadillac some payback!"said Kool Kat...

"Hmm, my guess is that they didn't get far and that one or both of them will try to come back here and get this zip drive...They don't have to know that we found it...I have a plan...."I said smiling..

"Oh,I think I'm going to like this..."laughed Kool Kat.

III-

 Two Days Later-

Mr. Tickle's smartphone rang...He hesitated , but answered...

"Hello...Who is this?" he said.

"It's me...Eric Stroh." came the voice..

"You? what do you want? How did you get this number?" he said.

"How I got it isn't important...I have a business proposition for you."he said.

"Oh you do huh?" said Mr. Tickle..

"Look....Those Private Investigators are gone..They're back in Philly...They found your Zip drive in Cadillac's office after you guys left in a haste...And they wiped all of his laptops clean." said Eric..

"I figured as much.."said Mr. Tickle..

"They took the original back to the Harris Group and they are probably being well rewarded for completing their job...Only thing they didn't figure on was me making a copy of it...So we are still in play..."said Eric Stroh..

"Ohhhhh? Why do you need me? You're off the hook...Cadillac Jenkins is in prison...The New Jersey State Police caught him trying to go into New York....I know you heard about it!"said Mr. Tickle..

"Right? but you and I can still make some money...I have the ip addresses and the phone numbers to the Harris group...that you don't have...They think their problems are over...Imagine how they'll feel when we start contacting them again?" laughed Eric Stroh..

"Oooooh that is splendid...."said Mr. Tickle.

"We need to meet." said Eric...

"Yes...West Side Willie gave up the other place we stayed at....We need to meet someplace public."said Mr. Tickle..

"The Stinger" said Eric...

"Noo..that's your spot...A speakeasy!!!.....The Jazz Club... Sloppy Joes...Wayne Mills is playing tonight...We'll meet there...After hours..."said Mr. Tickle.

"Okay...I'll bring the Zip Drive with me." he said.

"And Eric....If I even get an inkling that this is some kind of trap....They'll find you scattered all over the Jersey Shore..Do you understand me?" said Mr. Tickle.

''Sure."he said and laughed..

He hung up....He looked at me...

"How did I do?" he said.

"Just fine...Just fine...You help us capture Mr. Tickle and the ADA said that he won't press any charges against you...One thing I want you to do Eric."I said.

"What's that?" he asked.

"Get in Gamblers Anonymous and AA...You need help."I said.

"I know Mr. Kevin,I know."he said and hung his head.

"Cheer Up,this is almost over."I said.

IV-

Sloppy Joes was a hot new club in Patterson...It reminded me of Josies...A lot..

I knew Mr. Tickle was thorough, which was why I actually had Sepia and I,Kool Kat and Bonnie Shay check out of our motel..We were a town away in another motel under different names...I needed him to believe we were gone..Back in Philly...

"Ladies and Gentlemen...Tonight we have the smooth stylings of Patterson's own...Wayne Mills!"said the announcer as the crowd applauded...

Wayne Mills came on the stage and began playing...The crowd was mesmerized....

Eric Stroh sat near the restroom....

He felt something poke him in the back....He turned and not to his surprise..It was Cyrus Tickle..

"You have the zip drive?" he asked..

"Yeah."said Eric..

"Let me see it!" he said.

Eric tossed it to him....

He smiled..

"Good...."and he got up...

"Hey wait a minute Tickle...What about plans? How do we plan to do this? Contact these people?" asked Eric.

"WE AREN'T PLANNING TO DO ANYTHING!  While you need me,because of my contacts...It has occurred to me that I DON'T NEED YOU FOR ANYTHING!" said Mr. Tickle tersely...

"Heyyyy so what do I get out of the deal?" said Eric...

"You're not in any debt and you get to walk away alive...I'd say for you that's a pretty good deal...You're better off than you were a few days ago...Now sit tight...I'm armed..." he said as he eased out the back door..."Oh and Eric, get some help..Alcoholics Anonymous ,Gamblers Anonymous...You're too young to have such vices.."laughed Mr. Tickle..

"THAT'S GOOD ADVICE CYRUS!!"came my voice as he turned around startled...

"YOU!!!! DAMN IT!!! NOT YOU!!!OHHHHHHHHHHHHHH Nooooooooo, Nooooooooo I DON'T BELIEVE THIS! DAMN IT! CAN'T YOU...CAN'T YOU EVER STOP MEDDLING IN MY AFFAIRS??  YOU ARE COSTING ME MILLIONS! MILLIONS!!!" he screamed and stomped his foot angrily....

"Yes Mr. Tickle it's me...I gambled on your greed outweighing your common sense...and I was right...Your greed led me right to you once again...Now allow me to introduce you to a friend of mine."I said as several FBI agents, disarmed him and handcuffed him...

"This is FBI Deputy Special Agent in charge of the Philadelphia Region, Sharon Ferrell-Hopkins..and she has a warrant for your arrest, Interstate flight to avoid prosecution for murder, Wire fraud,kidnapping,attempted murder..Escape from prison....I could go on and on."I said smiling...

"Mr. Tickle...we have your girlfriend, the prison guard at your last prison and her boyfriend who forged those letters allowing those unsuspecting country bumpkins at that prison to release you from custody in our custody now...They rolled on you immediately...You're going to a new Super MAX prison just for people like you..Escape risks...and I promise you...You'll be there until your execution date."said Sharon....

"Goodbye again Mr. Tickle...and this time..I hope it really is goodbye."I said.

He looked at me and snarled..

"You'd better pray I never escape again...because the next time I do...I promise...I will do everything in my power to put you in your grave Kevin. I am so sick of you getting in the way of my plans to make millions..I needed that money..I had plans for that damn money...I needed it..I needed it! ...I needed it..I needed it! I had plans for that money... "he said and stomped his foot in frustration as the FBI men ushered him off to prison.

"He's crazy!" I said.

"Ya think?" laughed Sharon..

Sharon hugged me...

"Thank you Kevin...Luckily,his escape didn't reach the papers...This could have been very embarrassing for law enforcement.." she said.

I smiled..

"Good Night Sharon,thanks for coming."I said.

"Always." she said.

I put my arms around my wife Sepia..

"I'm glad I brought you along...you saved the day." I said and kissed her..She giggled like a school girl.

"I'll say...Your wifey is the truth Kevin,you're lucky to have her....Mrs. Morris..I'll be calling you soon about that house.."said Bonnie Shay..

"I look forward to it..Call me Sepia...We are kind of like old friends now.."said Sepia..

"Don't sell yourself short Bonnie...You were a real trooper under pressure...I was proud of the way you held it down with those guys..Neither Kevin nor I would have blamed you if you had broken." said Kool Kat..

 "I'm a team player Mr. Jones..When I saw you guys holding it down...I couldn't see myself doing any less."said Bonnie Shay...

I smiled..

"Okay guys...Let's find a place to get some food and some drinks and let's get the hell out of here and head home." I said..

"Now I can get behind that." said Kool Kat.

We all busted out laughing.

EPILOUGE-

 Cadillac Jenkins,West Side Willie and Willie Bonin got up to 25 years in the New Jersey State Prison system....The other goon got 10 years.

Richard Woo, Stephen Grusin and their 47 co-conspirators all went to federal prison with 25 year sentences with no chance of parole for at least 15 years for Hacking, Extortion by Wire and  Federal Wire Fraud charges...

Cyrus Tickle is in a new Super Max Prison outside of Chester PA. awaiting execution for his many murders..

Eric Strol did go into Alcoholics Anonymous and Gamblers Anonymous...He's back in school I hear.

I met Richard Cornfield in a tony coffee shop in downtown Philadelphia...

"Great Job Kevin."he said and passed me a final envelope filled with cash..."What could have been a major emergency was averted and nobody is the wiser..."he said.

"What about Whittendale?" I asked.

"He thinks he was the one who averted the disaster."he laughed..

"Well his investigator was equally good..She and I worked together on this case.."I said.

"Well you did good work..everybody responsible for this is safely behind bars....and a lot of people will have a merry Christmas thanks to you guys...I can't thank you enough Kevin."he said.

"This is what I do Rich."I said.

"And you do it well my friend...Can I call you uh My friend?" he asked.

We had never really been friends per se..More like adversaries before...but that was all in the past now.

"Yeah..Sure."I said...and we shook hands...

"Merry Christmas Rich." I said...

"Merry Christmas to you too Kevin."he said and walked away...

Sepia and Bonnie Shay walked in the coffee shop just then....

"Hey ladies..What's going on?" I asked..

"Was that Cornfield that just left?" asked Bonnie..

"Yeah,he just paid me."I said.

"Yeah Whittendale paid me yesterday.."laughed Bonnie...

"So you two ,hangin out huh?" I asked..

"Your wife just showed me a house that I'm thinking of buying...Not too far from where you guys live." said Bonnie Shay...

"It's beautiful.She should be moved in just in time for Christmas."said Sepia...

"Well..Welcome to our neighborhood Bonnie...How bout I buy you ,ladies a tumbler of Hot Chocolate?" I said.

"Great Idea husband of mine." laughed Sepia...

And I did and the three of us drank Hot Chocolate and laughed at our good fortune.

FOR SLC