Ionshaker (Part I) - Felix Timothy (ebook reader with internet browser .txt) 📗

just a matter of time. Everyone was in on the hunt for different reasons, from utter greed to promotions. Ordinary Californians were parched for the money, to reporters Trey was hot news, and to detectives, busting Trey was a sure career boost.

And with every passing second, his legroom shrank more and more, cutting his chances of escape.

In desperation, Trey made himself calm down and remember his training. He could remember his trainer’s voice in his mind: “Before running, first know how they plan to catch you. Otherwise, you’ll run straight into them. You need to be au fait with their thinking, conversant with their traps, familiar with their weaknesses and cognizant of their strengths. Then and only then, you can run. Otherwise, it’ll just be a matter of time before they catch you.”

“It’s just a matter of time,” that was their thinking.

All over sudden, Trey was the springboard to promotions, recognition, headlines and money. No one really cared whether he was guilty or innocent, and for what? It didn’t matter. The harsh fact of the matter was, it was simply not their job to determine his culpability or innocence. That was the jury’s job.

And not caring about Trey’s innocence was their weakness, because it blinded them from looking for the real culprit.

Road inspections throughout LA had been beefed up, with vehicles on all major thoroughfares undergoing painstaking inspection involving sniffer dogs. The same had been replicated at the airports and subways.

To get out, he needed more than a whizzo plan.

He branched off North Alameda Street and headed to one particular dark backstreet. He had no choice but to get around the law. After five minutes, he reached his destination.
It was a dark, narrow and heavily littered alley between two tall deserted buildings. But more specifically, the filth that sullied the forsaken street was no household trash – he spotted several used syringes. He was in a gangland, the haven of lawbreakers and no longer in the “city of angels.”

Through his windshield, he could see gaudily dressed prostitutes, shamelessly smoking and waiting for business.

Trey parked his dark-green SUV and got out.

One of the girls, Hispanic, slim, pretty, wearing a skintight red basque with a couple of glitzy bracelets and a gold necklace, saw him first. With an engaging smile, she leisurely cat-walked towards him, artistically stepping with her matching red stilettos, working her charm, trying to entice him.

Trey remained stoic.

After getting close enough, she leaned on the hood and said, “Call me Rosa.”
“Hi Rosa.”
“What can I do for you?” She asked with her left hand playing with her hair.
“That’s what I’d like to find out.”
She thought for a moment before responding with a contagious smile, “I can do anything for you, baby.”
“Good to know,” he smiled back.
“But of course, it depends.”
“With what?”
“How loaded you are,”she said touching a button on his shirt.
“I’m loaded alright, don’t worry about that,” he responded confidently.
“Seriously, how big is your budget?” She asked with her head seductively tilting to the left.
“Three to seven.”
“Three to five what - grand?”
“Uh-hmm.”
“Loaded and a smooth talker huh, I like the combination.”
“But of course as you said, it depends.”
She cracked up. He was good.
“Four grand?” She asked, trying to commit him to a price.
“What, it’s too little?” He joked.
“Actually it’s way, way way generous.”
“Then what’s the problem?”
“It’s not usual.”
“And who said I’m usual?” He challenged her.
Rosa was now intrigued, she liked this one. She couldn’t read him.
“Sorry to disappoint you sugar, there’s no one unusual on this street. Once you stepped into this part of town, it kinda spelt out what you were in the market for Mr. Unusual.”
“Believe me when I tell you, what I’m in the market for will shock you.”
“Really?” She teased him but was also eager to find out what it was.
“Really.”
“Okay, I’m ready. Shock me handsome, what’s this unusual that you so want me to give you?”
“Slight correction there; it’s something you can do for me.”
“Fine Englishman, tell me your unusual.”
Trey stepped closer to her, and whispered into her ear. The other girls were watching them.
After the whisper, she looked at him then asked, “You promise?”
“Cross my heart and hope to die.”
“Okay.”
The girl robotically turned then imitated Arnold Schwarzenegger’s voice in the movie Terminator: “I’ll be back.”

* * *

“Didn’t I tell you this door is for emergencies only?” Juliana asked furiously after Rosa had repeatedly knocked on her back door. Juliana’s house was the hub of the underworld, as well as the second home to a mean, dirty cop named Wolf.

Wolf relished in harassing, assaulting and demanding bribes from Rosa and other illegals. Wolf was the mayor of the gangland and because of his status, every night he reveled in free booze supplied at Juliana’s house. And though Juliana undoubtedly felt the pinch of pampering the dirty cop, they had an unwritten symbiotic understanding. From time to time, Wolf provided reliable tip offs on ATF, INS or other government impending raids on the cast off society.
“Ilo siento, Juliana.”
“Que quieres?”
“Nothing.”
“Rosita, are the police after you again?” This time her tone was much lower.
“No. Actually, I’m the one after the police,” Rosa smiled.
“What are you saying child?” Juliana asked with her hands akimbo.
“Is Wolf in?”
“Yes, why?”
“I’ve brought him his money.”
“He’s asleep like a dead man. You know, just lying there with no clothes on. He has no respect for my house.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll just wake him up.”
“Okay.”
Rosa avoided the living room, made her way through the kitchen and headed straight to the guest bedroom. There he was with a tummy of a nine-month pregnant woman, stretched on top of the bed with only his boxer shorts on, snoring like a well fed chubby baby. His police pants and shirt were lying on the floor, as his police cap and car keys rested on the bedside stool. Wolf had recently reported Rosa’s sister, Sophia, to the INS which saw her deported back to Mexico the previous week. Sophia’s mistake? She had been late with Wolf’s weekly bribe. But that didn’t mean Rosa was happy about it.

Slowly, she closed the door behind her, tiptoed to an open closet on the wall, and gently picked up a gym bag lying at the bottom. Then she turned and picked up the police pants and shirt and stashed them in the bag. Turning to her left, she spotted the car keys and police cap on the stool. Furtively, she tiptoed to the side of the bed and gathered the keys in her palm. Suddenly, Wolf mumbled something. Rosa’s heart almost gave out, but he was still sound asleep. Finally, she grabbed the cap. It was time to go.

With her eyes still focused on Wolf, she tiptoed backwards, with the gym bag in her right hand as her left stretched behind her towards the door, to avoid smashing into it. At last, her middle finger felt the door and slowly she turned, opened the door carefully, and left getting out of the house the same way she came in, avoiding the cramped living room - avoiding eyewitnesses. By the time Wolf would figure out what had hit him, she’d be miles away.


23


Know how they plan to catch you.
Regardless of the risk, Trey had to call her just to ease her anxiety. Ever since he arrived in the city of angels, he hadn’t spoken to her. And he knew she was going crazy, worrying about him because of the things that were being aired about him. He’d literally become the news, with every news agency running a special feature on him.
He took out his cell phone and made the call.
“Hello?
“Uh, Trey, are you alright?” She answered with great enthusiasm.
“Yes, I’m good.”

* * *

In the meantime, back at the Federal Building, Brett had returned from Rendell’s house to concentrate on finding Trey. Shirley and Jack were still busy at their desks searching. Eventually, their efforts paid off when Shirley traced a call.
“Gotcha!” she exclaimed.
Everyone turned to Shirley.
“It better be good,” Brett said, with his interest evoked.
“It is good. I’ve just intercepted Trey’s call. I’m now triangulating. We should have his calling location in just a bit.”
“Good work Shirley, who is he calling?”
“Who else?”
“I knew it. Robin Ironside is his weakness. Running and romance don’t mix. Put the call on speaker, we’re all dying to hear.”
Immediately, Trey’s phone conversation became audible to everyone in the vast open office.
“You’re all over the news, the police are looking for you, there’re road blocks everywhere, how will you come back?” She asked with great concern.
“Don’t worry,” Trey said reassuringly.
“Is it true what they’re saying about your attorney, that somebody shot him?”
“Yes it’s true.”
His wife says you were at his house this morning.”
“Yes, to talk.”
“She claims she saw you beat him up at his gate from her bedroom window.”
“I shook him up a bit but that was it. I left him and drove away.”
“She also says she saw you fleeing from the house when she returned to pick a file. That’s when she found her husband dead.”
“Forget what she’s saying. I didn’t shoot anybody. I don’t have much time, I gotta go.”
“Please take care.”
“I love you mom.”
“I love you too son.”
The line went dead and everyone in the office was left speechless. The master of deception had fooled everyone yet again. They had all assumed Trey was speaking to Robin.
“This guy’s good.”
Shirley blurted and everyone immediately scowled at her as if yelling: “What’s wrong with you? Which side are you on anyway?”
Sensing the hostility because of her remark, she rephrased.
“I meant he’s good in a bad way…okay not that, I mean he’s brilliant in a…”
“Shirley!”
Brett fumed at her and she shut up at once. But all was not lost, they had his location.
It was just a matter of time.

* * *

The dark-green Ford Explorer was once again on North Alameda Street burning rubber, and the FBI had linked in satellite feeds, the traffic cameras on the street and all other roads joined to it. It was all being relayed in real-time on the gigantic monitor at the Wilshire Federal Building. There was absolutely no way out for Trey. The circle had become smaller and it was just a matter of time.

Shirley had already gotten a visual on the dark-green Ford and everyone was watching