It was early morning and I was on a stake out...Something I hadn't had to do in a long time.. I'm Kevin Morris...and sometimes I think I should get out of this business...This Private Investigator business.. I mean, I own a very lucrative Communications company...
In the sub-basement of my communications business is my other thing...The thing I'm doing now..
Morris Investigations...Here I employ 39 people, all vetted...Administrative assistants...and five investigators, all former members of the intelligence community, (CIA, Homeland Security, 1 ex KGB agent) and two old friends, Lockpick Johnson, who can break into damn near anything and "Peeping" Tom, himself a former CIA agent...They worked for me before I started this agency, doing small jobs..When I bought this building and put my company in here...They told me , why not start a detective agency...
Peeping Tom brought all of the latest law enforcement software and devices..and spyware...and he vetted all of my 39 administrative assistants who work here and brought in 5 of his associates, all former agents... This making Morris Investigations one of the best detective agencies in the city..
If you needed our help you contacted us through email.. Morris Investigations had no formal address and all communications through mail went to a mail deposit box.
Even my good friends at the Criminal Investigation Division , FBI and ATF didn't know who worked for me with the exception of my associate, Walter "Kool Kat" Jones.
or the location of our office., It was better this way..Since of lot of our activity was often quasi legal.
My phone rang...
Today, we were looking for a man named Cyrus Cummings, a key witness in a very important case.. A witness who was looking to get out of town fast....
"Speak to me." I said.
He saw himself looking down the barrell of Walter "Kool Kat" Jones's .357 Magnum and my other three operatives
"Thanks Kev, we got here as soon as we could." said Duke.
''We've been doing this a long time...Worked on a lot of cases together...We are still a good team." said Lt. Sissy Van Buren to me.
"We've been looking for this guy for a lonnnng time. Thanks Kev." said Detective Tyriq Pile.
"You're still the best Kevin." said a smiling Detective Carlotta Rodriguez-Wallace.
"I see you've subpeonaed him huh? Your dance card is going to be packed pal." said Detective James "Jimmy" Barlow.
"On your feet..It's tank time stupid." said Sirena.
Hop handcuffed him and read him his rights..
"This was the linchpin."said Detective Angela Bekton-Barlow..
Assistant District Attorney Keith Wallace walked up...I hadn't expected him to be here.
"Kev, we've spotted him..He's leaving the cafe...I think he's got his ticket." said one of my operatives.
"Stay on him..but keep your distance... I'm coming around the bend." I said.
"On him...Uh oh... I think he made us...He's on the move." said my operative..
I immediately dialed Kool Kat.
"YO!" said Kool Kat.
"Our boy is on the run..let's take him down." I said.
Then I made another call...
"Duke, We are on him...Tell Boss Lady to move in now.."I said.
"Hang on...We are about a block away." said Detective Edwin"Duke" Baylor.
Cyrus Cummings was the bag man, a collector for suspected Drug Kingpin, Lonnie Lancifer, a Real Estate baron ,who was rumored to have the hot package on the streets in Philadelphia..He was also the one witness who could clear my client's client of a murder he did not commit..Which was why wanted him.. to Subpeona him..but a man like him was marked and even if I did subpeona him.. He'd just run..
I knew my good friend, Lt. Sissy Van Buren
had also been looking for him and any information she and her detectives could get on Lonnie Lancifer and his organization, So she was in on this too!
Cyrus saw me and two of my operatives and he bolted, just like I knew he would..
Through the airport... but I didn't come alone..
who put the bite on him...They used zip ties to tie his hands up..
"Games over Cyrus...You know, I turned this city upside down, but I finally found you..."I said and I stuffed the subpeona in his suit jacket pocket.
"This is a subpeona..Make sure you're in court on that date."I said smiling.
"I'm not going to be in court and you can't make me...You aint no real cop.,...you're just a private dick workin for some lawyer." he snarled.
"You know Cy, you're right....but you seem to be a popular guy...I have friends who were looking for you and they ARE REAL COPS...They'll make sure you're in court."I said.
"Cyrus...you've got nowhere else to go, except to me... Lonnie knows you're in my custody...He's going to put a contract on you...The only place you will be safe from now on is with me." he said.
Cyrus's head hung...It was bad enough he had been caught by me, who had been searching for him for weeks...but now the detectives of the Criminal Investigation Division of the Philadelphia Police Department and the Assistant District Attorney, he was double screwed.
I hung around after everyone else had gone... I called the two attorneys I was working for, Jasmine Coley and Kayla Bennett- St. Jacques with the news.. They were ecstatic... Cyrus Cummings was the witness who could prove that their client did not commit a murder he was charged with... Their client had nothing to do with the drug world..but he knew Cyrus Cumings...
II-
An attractive young lady called me just as I was getting ready to leave the Airport..
''May I help you?" I asked.
" I saw you in action today in the airport...Are you a cop?" she asked.
"No...I'm a private investigator...The two attorneys I was working for needed that man's testimony...I was here to serve him a subpeona.. It just happened that the cops were interested in him two..So we worked together... I work with the police a lot sometimes." I said and smiled.
"Could I get a ride into the city.? I'll pay you." she said. She looked like she was afraid and in a hurry.
"Against my better judgement...I said yes."
We pulled off...
" Kim, Kim Brown....I'm from Atlanta....I uh used to work at a dance club...My boyfriend was a drug courier...I know...I know I should pick better company...Anyway...The guy he was working for discovered he was skimming and selling off some of his packages to a rival dealer...They killed my boyfriend and they are going to kill me..That's why I fled here...I have family here..Do you have anyplace I could stay for awhile until I can get in contact with someone?" she asked.
"WOW!!! YOU ARE IN TROUBLE...I guess that's why we are being followed huh?" I said.
She looked out the back window..
"How did you know?" she asked.
''I've been doing this a long time.. When I was in the Marines , I was an NCIS investigator.. After I left the Marines..I used the G.I. Bill to get a B.A. and eventually a masters in Communications.. I bought the company I initially worked for and expanded it into Morris Communications ,I also started a Detective agency...Morris Investigations...So by day, I run a communications company, by night, I'm a P.I. with a whole agency.." I said.
"Ouuuuu impressive...I could have used your help in Atlanta." she said.
''Sounds like you could use it now....Let me lose these guys."I said.
I pulled off at top speed and began to make some distance between me and the the Black mustang...
They tried to speed up...but I knew these streets better than they did.
If they were out of towners...They were completely out of their element ,trying to out maneuver me in these streets..
Kim looked around in amazement...
"Wowwwwww.all of this is yours?" she asked.
"I used to work for Hype Magazine...I was the Editor in chief... My uncle had died and left me and my wife some money...She is a realtor...She and her friend and two friends of mine chipped in and started their own real estate business...They do quite well.... I chipped in my money and she , her friend and my two other friends chipped in some money and two guys I know who own a lot of real estate around here chipped in some more and I bought Hype Magazine from it's parent company...My two friends gave me this building for free and I renovated it and set my new company up...I kept all of my old employees and have since added more as my communications company grew... Later on after I had paid all of my partners off, I started my investigative agency...It's whereabouts are a secret...People contact me, either here or by email or mail to a deposit box at the post office." I said.
"I like the way you work." said Kim.
"Now about you! You got big trouble.. Whoever you crossed in Atlanta has long reach...There were guys waiting for you here in Philly...Tell me again...What happened?" I asked.
"Well My boyfriend was a courier...He worked for a very powerful guy in Atlanta named "Sweat"... I don't know his real name..but he had the hot package and he used to sell it to a guy here in Philly they call "Big Tuna." you ever hear of him?" she asked.
"Sure have...Overnight, he took over all or most of the territory in North, South and Northwest Philly...He sold his package to most of the drug organizations in those areas...but there is a guy named
Lonnie Lancifer, his chief competition, who has been floating a package to West Philadelphia, Southwest Philadelphia, Manyunk, Roxborough and some suburbs...A much bigger operation..An operation that Big Tuna would like to capitalize on... You're playing with some rough boys... Look..I have friends..Friends who can help you...You saw them today...The Criminal Investigation Division of the Philadelphia Police Department...They handle big cases, Criminal Enterprises and such like this..They can help you...I have friends in the DEA, ATF and FBI...They can help you too...I can call them, arrange for them to pick you up...They can keep you someplace safe...Why don't you let me?" I said.
"I don't know...I've got to think..." she said.
I didn't know it..but at that moment , my wife, Sepia was in front of my building about to go in..
She didn't notice the man who got out with glasses on until it was too late.
He stuck his gun with the silencer in her ribs..
"Alright Mrs. Bowling....Come with me...Somebody wants to talk to you." said the man.
"I don't care what your name is...Let's go!" he snarled...
Sepia followed him to the car and got in the backseat with him...They pulled off..
III-
In A High Rise in Olde City...
''You Idiot...You got the wrong girl...That's not Bowling's wife....I just looked in her purse..Her name is Jo-Anne Cokely -Morris, She's a realtor and she's the wife of that meddling Private Investigator, Kevin Morris..."said the man known as Big Tuna.
"I'll go back...Maybe she's still there... I'll snatch her.." said the goon...
"Nahhhhh, I got a better idea...We'll make an exchange....An even exchange...Well not quite even...When Kevin shows up to get his wife, as I know he will, We'll waste him and her...And we'll have Bowling's wife to boot...Killin two birds with one stone, laughed Big Tuna.
My phone rang...
"Hello, Morris Communications, Kevin Morris speaking." I said.
"Mister Morris..We haven't spoken in awhile.. Not since years ago when your snooping got me and my entire crew arrested and sent up the river..My how things have changed since then...You and I both are uh businessmen now ,Heh Heh Heh!" laughed Big Tuna.
"Cut the small talk Tuna..What do you want?" I asked.
"You've got something or rather someone I want and I've got someone you want..heh heh heh!" he laughed and put the phone to Sepia's mouth..
"Tuna, you hurt my wife and I swear...There will be no place on Earth you can hide..." I said.
"Look, I have no intention of harming your beautiful wife and she is fine...How did YOU get her? Hahahahahahahahah... Just turn over Mrs. Bowling to me and I'll hand your wife over to you, oh with your word that you won't try to jack me up with a kidnapping rap....Do we have a deal?" he asked.
"Look....I-I need time to uh think about this.."I said, visibly shaken.
"You Got One Hour....Don't think too hard or too long...And don't call your cop friends...Your spot is being watched...I'll talk to ya...A little later.HEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEH!" laughed Big Tuna.
(Click!)
''Who was that?"she asked.
"What is your real name? Your name isn't Kim Brown is it? Your last name is Bowling? Who are you?
That was Big Tuna...One of his goons grabbed my wife...They're going to kill her if I don't exchange you for her...I've got to figure out a way-" I said, but I was cut off..
She pulled a .38 smokeless out...
"Uh Uh....I'm sorry...I'm sorry about your wife...But I'm not going over to them....They'll kill me.. Big Tuna is as ruthless as they come..He'd never turn your wife over to you..He'd kill all three of us.." said Kim.
She was telling the truth...I knew how ruthless he was.
"I know that..I was trying to think of a way to outsmart him..I wasn't going to turn you over."I said.
"I can't chance it..That's your wife...You don't even know me!" she said.. She took my 38 smokeless and my 40 caliber pistol off of me
"Now hand me your car keys....Come on... I'll leave it where you can find out once I make my getaway..Come on!" she said.
She had the drop on me and she had three more guns than I had.. I had no choice..I tossed her my keys..
"I'm really sorry Mr. Kevin...You're a nice guy and you really helped me, but this is a matter of life and death...Mine....I'm sorry about your wife. I really am.." she said and she slipped out and went to the elevator..
I looked out the window.....as she pulled off in my Escalade!
Now I was in trouble..deep trouble!
I didn't have much time... I had to find Sepia and checkmate Big Tuna.
IV-
I took the elevator down to the sub-basement... And informed Peeping Tom of my dire situation...
Sepia had a GPS tracking device both in her phone and in the Platinum Watch I had given her for a wedding present last year..
They immediately began picking up signals from both...Big Tuna wasn't the brightest bulb in the world..He was too stupid to think there might be a tracking device in both and even if he figured out about the phone..He certainly wouldn't figure out the watch...
I called Kool Kat in...
"He's got Bad Girl huh? " said Kool Kat... That was his nickname for Sepia..
He adjusted his silencer on his .357 magnum.
"Soon as they get a scope , I'm on it." he said with that baleful grin that scared the piss out of many a
so called hard core street guy...
Time was ticking and while it was... Other things were happening.. Thanks to Cyrus Cummings...
The man I had helped capture this morning.. Lonnie Lancifer's world was crumbling down on him..
backed by CID Detectives,
While in the city..
Backed by Tactical Squads arrested 40 associates affiliated with Drug organizations that purchased drugs from Lonnie Lancifer..
And at his Condo..
in town...
Assistant District Attorney Keith Wallace and U.S. Attorney Karla Williams were ecstatic.
FBI/ATF SPECIAL AGENT in Charge, Sharon Hopkins
Led a team of Federal Agents to his doorstep...
The "MAN" Lonnie Lancifer as he was known was arrested on a number of RICO Charges... He and his organization had fallen just like that..
At His Philly Highrise...
There was much celebration!
Champaigne Bottles popping..
"Lonnie Lancifer and all his people got arrested and all their stash houses raided...And we didn't have to whack him...Wowwwwwwwww!" said Big Tuna to his underlings...He had completely forgotten to call me...The Hour had passed..
Nightfall had come... We had located Sepia... The GPS tracking device in her phone and her wrist watch led my guys to her..
Time to checkmate Big Tuna.
(TO BE CONTINUED)
