Tomlin furrowed his brow. “I’m not so sure of that. If I were a criminal, I wouldn’t use my own van as a getaway vehicle. And if I did, you can bet I wouldn’t use my own license plate. I’d bet there’s a good chance we’re going to get a report of a stolen plate or an abandoned black van somewhere in the area. And when we do, we can go from there.”
That wasn’t what Payne wanted to hear. He was hoping the captain supported his theory on the van’s origin. When he didn’t, he felt an unexpected burst of betrayal. “What are you saying, that these clues are a waste of time?”
“No, I’m not saying that at all. Every little bit helps. However, I’m not going to blow smoke. I respect you way too much for that.”
“Good! Then tell me where we stand. I need to know.”
Tomlin leaned back in his chair and searched for the appropriate words. “In a standard kidnapping, there’s little we can actually do until we get some kind of ransom demand. Sure, we’ll continue to search for evidence and witnesses, but without some kind of break, the odds of us finding her
before
they call are pretty slim.”
Jones glanced at his friend and waited to see if he was going to speak, but it was obvious he was done talking for the moment. “Captain? In your opinion, do you think this abduction was done for money?”
Tomlin didn’t want Payne to feel responsible for the kidnapping, but there was no denying the obvious. “To be honest, that would be my guess. Payne Industries is a well-known company, and Jon is recognized as one of the wealthiest men in the city. Since Ariane doesn’t have a history with drugs or any other criminal activities, I can think of no other reason for her abduction.”
“Thank you for your honesty,” Payne said. Then, to the surprise of Jones and Tomlin, he stood up and headed for the door. “If you find anything at all, please let me know.”
“I promise,” Tomlin called out. “The same goes for you. Call me day or night.”
***
WHEN
they reached the parking lot, Jones questioned Payne. “Jon, what’s going on? First you snapped at the man, then you bolted from his office without even saying goodbye. What’s going on in that head of yours?”
Payne shrugged. “I’m not really sure. But I’ll tell you one thing. I’m not going to sit at home, waiting for some ransom demand.”
“I kind of assumed that. You aren’t exactly the sit-on-your-ass type.”
Payne nodded as he pondered what to do next. Even though he valued Captain Tomlin’s advice, there was something about his opinion that bothered him. He couldn’t place his finger on why, but he knew he didn’t agree with Tomlin’s assessment of the black van.
While thinking things through, Payne pulled from the crowded police lot and turned onto a busy side street. He maneuvered his vehicle in and out of traffic until he got to McKnight Road, one of the busiest business districts in the area. As he stopped at a red light, Payne reached across Jones’s lap and pulled a small book out of the Infiniti’s glove compartment.
“What’s that?” Jones asked.
“It’s my address book. I’m checking to see if I know anyone from Louisiana. I figure maybe a local would know something about the Holotat. You don’t know anyone down there, do you?”
“Sorry. My roots are up north, just like yours. Why, do you have someone in mind?”
“No, but—” The light turned green, and as it did, the word
green
clicked in Payne’s mind. “I’ll be damned! I just thought of someone from New Orleans.”
“Who?”
“Did I ever introduce you to Levon Greene?”
Jones’s eyes lit up with excitement. Levon Greene was an All-Pro linebacker for the Buffalo Bills before a devastating knee injury knocked him from the NFL. Before getting chop-blocked by Nate Barker, a guard with the San Diego Chargers, Greene was a fan favorite. He was known throughout the country for his tenacity and his colorful nickname, taken from a famous Bob Marley song. “The Buffalo Soldier? You know the Buffalo Soldier?”
Payne nodded. “He lived in Pittsburgh for a year after the Bills cut him. The Steelers signed him and kept him on their injured list for over a season. Our paths crossed on more than one occasion on the b-ball courts. He liked to play hoops for therapy.”
“But that doesn’t mean you
know
him. I see Steelers and Pirates all of the time, but that doesn’t mean they’re my boys.”
“True, but I know Levon.” He handed Jones the address book and told him to look for a phone number. Jones quickly flipped to the
G
s and was stunned when he saw Greene listed.
“Holy shit! You do know him.”
“I told you I knew him. What’s Levon’s home number?”
Jones glanced at the page for the requested information. “You don’t have a home number. You only have a cell listed.”
“Yeah, that makes sense. When he gave me his info, he was just getting ready to move back to New Orleans and didn’t know his new number.”
“He was moving to Louisiana, and he gave you his number? What, were you guys dating or something?”
Payne laughed. “Jealous?”
Jones shook his head and grinned. He’d always been amazed at Payne’s ability to keep his sense of humor in the most tragic of times. Sure, his buddy would have the occasional flare-up and reveal his true emotions during a crisis, but on the whole Payne was able to conceal his most personal feelings under a facade of levity.
Originally, when the two first met, Jones had interpreted Payne’s frivolity as a lack of seriousness, and he actually resented him for it. After a while, though, he learned that Payne’s sense of humor was simply his way of dealing with things. He realized that Payne never mocked the tragedy of a situation. Instead, he tried to use humor as a way of coping with the fear and adrenaline that would otherwise overwhelm him. It was a good trick, and eventually Jones and several other MANIACs learned to do the same thing.
“Seriously, what’s the deal with you two? Have you known him long?”
“I met him in North Park playing basketball. We were on the same team, and the two of us just clicked on the court. He was rehabbing his knee, so he couldn’t move like he used to on the football field. But he was strong as an ox. He set some of the most vicious screens I have ever seen in my life, and most of the time he did it to get me open jumpers.”
Jones laughed at the description of Greene. “It sounds like Levon plays hoops with the same intensity he showed in the NFL.”
“Hell, yeah! Even though we were in the park, he had a serious game face on. In fact, some people were afraid to play against the guy.”
“I bet, but that still doesn’t explain why he gave you his number.”
“We ended up making it a daily thing. We’d meet at the courts at the same time every day, and we’d take on all comers. Kicked some serious ass, too. Unfortunately, right before Steelers camp started, he failed his physical and was released from the team. But he told me if I was ever in New Orleans I should give him a call.”
“Wow, I’m kind of surprised. I thought I knew most of your friends, and now I find out you’ve been keeping a celebrity from me. So, are there any movie star chums that I should know about?”
“Did I ever tell you about my three-way with the Olsen twins?”
Jones laughed at the comment. “What are you going to do about Levon?”
“It’s not what I’m going to do. It’s what you’re going to do.” Payne handed him his cell phone. “I want you to dial his number for me.”
“You want me to call Levon Greene? This is so cool!” Jones dialed the phone, then looked at Payne when it started to ring. “What should I say to him?”
Payne snatched the phone from Jones’s grasp. “Not a damn thing. He’s my friend, not yours.”
“You are such a tease!”
Payne was still laughing when Greene answered the phone. “Who’s this?”
“Levon, I don’t know if you’ll remember me. My name is Jonathon Payne. I used to run ball with you at North Park when you were living up in Pittsburgh.”
“White dude, nice jump shot?”
“Yeah, that’s me.”
“Yo, man, wazzup? I haven’t heard from your ass in a long time. How ya doin’?”
“I’m fine, and you? How’s the knee?”
Greene winced. It was one topic that he didn’t like dwelling on. “Still not a hundred percent, but it’s better than it used to be. I’m still hoping some team needs a run-stuffing linebacker and gives me a look in camp. But I don’t know. It’s getting kind of late.”
“Well, they’d be crazy not to take you, Levon. You’re as fierce as they come.”
“Thanks, man. I appreciate it. So, wazzup? Why the call out of the blue? Are you coming to New Orleans? I got a big-ass house. I can hook you up with a room. Won’t charge you much, neither,” he joked.
Payne wasn’t sure what he was hoping to find out from Greene, but he figured the only way to learn anything was to be up-front with the man. “Actually, Levon, the reason I called is an important one. You know how I told you I was doing fine?”
“Yeah?”
“Well, I lied. Something’s going on up here, and I was hoping you could give me a hand.”
“I don’t loan people money, man. You’re gonna have to ask someone else.”
Payne grinned. If Greene knew how much money Payne actually had, Levon might be asking him for a loan. “No, it’s not about cash. Nothing like that. I promise.”
“What is it then? What’s the deal?”
Payne exhaled, trying not to think about Ariane. “I was hoping to get some information about a gang that might be operating in Louisiana, and I figured since you play a lot of street ball, you might be able to find something out on the courts.”
“Is that all you need? Shit! No problem, man. What’s the name of the posse?”
“Actually, that’s what I was hoping you could tell me.”
“All right, but you gotta give me something to go on, ’cause there’s a lot of motherfuckin’ gangs down here. And every day a new crew pops up.”
“Damn,” Payne mumbled. He had been naively hoping that New Orleans was a one-gang town. “Do any of the gangs have Holotats? You know, tattooed gang emblems on their wrists?”
“Hell, yeah. A lot of crews do. Just tell me what it looks like, and I’ll tell you what I know.”
“The letter
P
, with a bloody knife sticking out of it.”
Greene thought about the information for a moment, then responded. “Off the top of my head, there’s nothing I can think of. But if you give me some time, I can ask around. If anything turns up, I’ll let you know immediately.”
“That sounds great,” Payne replied. “And I’d really appreciate anything you can come up with. It’s a matter of life or death.”
“Give me an hour, and I’ll give you a buzz at this number. I know a couple of brothers that know about this type of shit. Let me get ahold of them, then I’ll get ahold of you.”
“Levon, thank you! I’ll be awaiting your call.”
Jones, who’d overheard the entire conversation, questioned Payne the minute he hung up the phone. “So, he’s going to hook you up?”
“He’s going to try.”
“And what if he does? What are you gonna do?”
Payne smiled as he put his hand on Jones’s shoulder. “How does Fourth of July in New Orleans sound to you?”
CHAPTER 15
The Kotto Distribution Center
Ibadan, Nigeria
(56 miles northeast of Lagos)
MOST
aspects of the sprawling complex were recognized as legitimate. Hundreds of Nigerian-born workers came to the center each day to unload massive shipments of cacao, palm oil, peanuts, and rubber that had been brought in from Hannibal Kotto’s various businesses. Because of these ventures and the numerous employment opportunities that he offered, Kotto’s name was known and respected throughout Africa.
And it was this respect that allowed him to take advantage of the system.
As he sat behind his mahogany desk, Kotto waited for his assistant to give him the go-ahead to start the conference call. When the woman nodded, Kotto knew that everybody was ready.
“Gentlemen,” he said into the speakerphone, “I realize that English is not the strongest language for all of you, but since I’m dealing with several clients at once, I feel it is the most appropriate selection.” Kotto took a sip of Oyo wine, a local beverage made from the sap of palm trees, then continued. “In order to give everybody a sense of who they’ll be bidding against, I’d like each of you to name the country that you’re representing. Each of you has been assigned an auction number. When your number is called, please tell the group where you are from.”
As Kotto’s assistant read the numbers, heavily accented voices emerged from the speakerphone, each announcing his country of origin. Algeria, Angola, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Kenya, Libya, Namibia, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo were all represented.
“If you were listening,” Kotto stated, “I am sure each of you realizes that Africa is the only continent that Mr. Drake and I are dealing with. We’ve had several offers from Asia and South America as well, but we’re not ready to deal with their politics. At least, not yet.”
“When do you expect to broaden the operation?” asked the Ethiopian delegate.
“That’s a decision we haven’t made. If all continues to go well, there’s the possibility of expansion within the next few months.” Kotto took another sip of wine while waiting for further questions. When none came, he changed the course of the discussion. “I realize that some of you were disappointed with the last shipment. Mr. Drake and I discussed the issue, and I apologize for any problems it might’ve caused. I would like to assure you that you will have no such problems with the next delivery. It is the best quality we’ve ever prepared.”
