Thin Ice (39 page)

“The bitch cut me,” the man cursed as the voices started fading.

“Top told you to be careful fool,” the other man told him as the silence became deafening and Kaitlyn passed out.

1

Ian was frowning deeply as he looked the Benz, glass shattered, empty. “Why didn’t you walk her out,” he asked Dixon, the irritation evident in his voice.

“I tried too, but KiKi said she was fine,” he implored Ice to understand.

He knew firsthand how deadly his boss could be. He also knew how deeply the man loved Kaitlyn.

“What did the camera’s show,” Ian asked.

He’d had the security cameras installed just last week to encompass the parking lot. Dixon told him the cameras were off.

“KiKi always shuts them down before she leaves,” he replied as Ian’s anger grew along side his fear.

What the hell is going on
, he thought. They obviously weren’t trying to rob her. The bank bag was still lying untouched on the passenger seat. His cell rang and disturbed his thoughts as he answered seeing Ryan’s name.

“Anything,” his brother asked as Ian sighed deeply and told him no.

“Anybody you can think of right off hand with a vendetta,” Ryan asked again.

Ian sighed deeply and told him he could write several pages of names with that in mind. He had made plenty of enemies over the years. Ian just didn’t think any of them were dangerous enough to snatch Kaitlyn over their issues.

“So what do you wanna do,” Ryan asked.

Ian immediately told him they would handle it. They wouldn’t involve the police at all. “Way too many questions there,” Ian told him as Ryan agreed.

“I’m hoping they will call, give some sort of demand or something,” Ian added as Ryan told him right now that was about all they could do.

As soon as he disconnected his phone vibrated. Ian checked the message seeing he had picture mail. Clicking on the image he frowned deeply. Kaitlyn was sitting in a chair, bound, blindfolded, and gagged.
What the fuck is going on,
Ian thought as another text came through. ‘Act right and ur girl might live thru this,’ the message read as Ian cursed aloud. The third correspondence gave the message when to expect further instructions and how much it was going to cost him. Ryan pulled up just as he finished the message.

“It’s a money snatch,” Ian told his brother as Ryan grunted his acknowledgement and two headed inside the club to work out a strategy as well as begin gathering the 1.5 million dollars that was requested.

*****

Jaleesa arrived at Mardi Gras twenty minutes after Ryan, rushing inside to find the two men in the establishment’s office.

“Has anybody called,” she asked looking directly at Ice.

“They want money,” Ian replied calmly as Jaleesa sighed deeply.

“Do you have any idea who took her,” she asked again, pouring herself a drink as her hands shook.

This was serious. Her best friend was being held hostage and even if Ice paid them there was no guarantee KiKi would live through it.

“No,” Ian returned.

“But we’re gonna shake enough trees to find the fuck out,” Ryan added irritably as Jaleesa nodded her understanding.

And it would have to happen today of all days,
she thought silently, recalling her earlier conversation with Kaitlyn.

“Did they let you talk to her, make sure she was okay,” Jaleesa asked again.

Ian sighed deeply and told her so far all he’d gotten were a succession of text messages.

“This bites,” Jaleesa mumbled aloud as she left them alone again. She needed to clear her head, to think and rack her brain of anything unusual that might give them a clue where KiKi was.

She returned to them for a moment asking if she could see the photo that was sent. Ian forwarded the photo to her phone and Jaleesa thanked him. Sitting now with her drink, Jaleesa poured over every detail in the photo. It was obviously someone’s house from the couple of portraits she saw hanging on the wall.

“Fuck,” Jaleesa mumbled aloud angrily as the tears came and rolled down her cheek.

There was nothing in the picture that would vaguely help them find Kaitlyn. Seeing her friend tied up and helpless like she was brought searing pain to Jaleesa’s heart.
Please don’t let these people be sadistic killers that hurt KiKi,
she prayed silently as she continued to cry. Moments later she felt arms encompass her, as Ryan held her and spoke softly in her ear.

“It’s gonna be OK, Tweety,” he told her sweetly. “We’re gonna get KiKi back, and soon,” he added as she cried harder and clung to him needing his support.

Ian observed them, Ryan holding and comforting Jaleesa, as his heart ached. He loved Kaitlyn with his entire being and he was helpless to save her right now. Ian hated that feeling. Picking up his phone from the bar where he’d laid it, Ian finished his drink and headed to his car, praying he would find some answers as he drove the streets of Atlanta, beating the odds and getting information of Kaitlyn’s whereabouts.

*****

Kaitlyn was trying to orient herself. She’d been ushered into the small room after what she assumed were photos being taken. She heard the soft click of shutters going off while she sat blindfolded and bound to the chair. Her hands had been untied once she reached the room and was pushed inside. Kaitlyn immediately removed both the gag and the blindfold. The room was small but comfortable. It held a twin sized bed, adorned with a colorful patchwork comforter and two pillows. Glancing to her left she found a small desk with paper and pen. In the right corner she saw the television set, VCR, and DVD player. Kaitlyn also saw a small assortment of tapes and DVD’s. She heard movement at the door and turned her attention to it. The tray came through the large opening at the bottom as Kaitlyn stood looking at it. It held a beautiful oriental tea pot, with cup, a bowl of soup, and half a roast beef sandwich on sourdough bread.
Her favorite, but how would they know that,
she thought praying the food wasn’t drugged. She was famished.

After her meal, Kaitlyn continued her exploration, finding the bathroom and all the accessories left for her. She found a small closet with several outfits her size as well as shoes. Kaitlyn found underwear and sleepwear also enclosed in the closet and a note telling her to make herself comfortable.
What in the hell is going on,
she thought still completely on guard. Picking up the remote, Kaitlyn turned on the TV hoping to find a channel that would give her an indication where exactly she was. As she flipped she found she could only access cable channels, no local.
So much for that idea,
she thought once more leaving it on A&E and heading into the bathroom. Deciding a shower might just clear her head a bit more and relieve her headache; Kaitlyn turned the water on and let it run as she went to retrieve the sleepwear left for her. Returning moments later, she stepped under the steaming hot spray and let it run down her body as she tried to figure out why she’d been taken and if she would live to find out the answer.

*****

“You take care of the message,” Tariq asked as he watched Kaitlyn finish her shower and dress.

“Yeah Top, just like you told me,” LaRon replied.

“Good,” he returned and said nothing else for a while.

“Tell Role, if he ever calls her a bitch again, I’ll kill him,” Tariq spoke again coldly.

He’d overheard the man complaining to another comrade about the six stitches he needed to close the wound Kaitlyn inflicted. LaRon sighed lightly recognizing the tone. His friend was deadly serious and he knew it.

“I’ll tell him,” he replied as Tariq grunted and dismissed him from his presence.

Alone again Tariq continued to watch the woman he loved, undetected. She was still so beautiful to him.

“We should have never been apart,” Tariq said aloud draining his glass of vodka and pouring another.

Tariq chuckled to himself at how surprised Kaitlyn would be at the new him. The Tariq Taylor she knew was dead, just as she thought and believed. The man he was now was nothing like the soft failure he used to be.

Tariq sighed deeply as Kaitlyn finally lay down and closed her eyes. He watched her until she fell asleep, clearly exhausted, before he finally turned away from the two way mirror. Closing his eyes his mind went back to that fateful night exactly two years ago. The EMT told him they’d pronounced him and called the coroner. Keifer, the paramedic on duty that night, told him his gut just wouldn’t let him give up. Against the wishes of his partner he’d set the defibrillator at a slightly higher setting and shocked Tariq once more. To Keifer’s delight and amazement, he began to breathe again, short raspy breaths, and the paramedics sprang into action, siren wailing as they rushed him to Grady Trauma center. As soon as they arrived, Tariq was hustled to surgery and then ICU, saving his life. Tariq had spent almost six months in the hospital, then another five months of rehab before finally being released. He immediately began looking for Kaitlyn finding out bit by bit all the things that had transpired during his admittance to the hospital. It was then Tariq made up his mind to take back his life and to have the woman he loved share it.

He knew the only way to beat Ice was to play the game better. Tariq wasn’t a hustler. Not in the true sense of the word anyway, but his rage and revenge drove him to learn. Starting with a couple of the street hustlers who showed him the ropes, Tariq learned quickly and began to make bigger and better deals than his teachers. He acquired the nickname Top from his constant drive to run things. He started taking over territory, people wanted to connect, and follow his lead. After about eight months he was running a pretty successful operation of his own. He was nowhere near Ice and Ryan’s league, but that would soon change. True he’d asked for the money, but that was simply to invest in his growing enterprise. Tariq already had what he wanted and she was lying in the next room. Still he couldn’t reveal himself just yet. He wasn’t going to make the same mistakes of last time.

Ice had beaten him, taken away his life, his brother, his heart. This time Tariq was following a different plan, one that would ensure him the victory and all the spoils that entailed. He had to be careful though, extremely careful. Tariq knew Ice’s hands reached deeply into every illegal enterprise. He also knew the man had plenty of enemies and those were the people he was trying to reach out too. Tariq heard the short scream and turned back to the mirror, seeing Kaitlyn sitting bolt upright in bed, sweating profusely.
Bad dream,
he thought wanting very much to go and hold her, assuring her everything would be all right.
Soon baby,
he thought as she lay back down and closed her eyes once more.

*****

Kaitlyn’s eyes popped open moments later as she rose stealthily from the bed. After the dream she hadn’t been able to fall back to sleep. Waiting until her sight adjusted to the darkness she rose, dressed, and made her way to the door, gingerly turning the knob and finding it unlocked. Smiling slightly at her good fortune, Kaitlyn carefully opened the door praying it didn’t creak and give away her position. Holding her breath she finally opened it far enough to slip her body through it. She looked down the short hallway leading away from the room seeing darkness except for the flickering light of what she assumed was a TV set.
Shit,
Kaitlyn thought. That was the only way out that she saw and obviously there was someone in the room to impede her escape. She turned her head in the opposite direction and spotted the small window at the end of the hallway.

Again taking her time and being as quiet as possible, Kaitlyn headed for the window, praying it didn’t have a lock or that like the door, it was open. It was a bit tall and she would need a chair to stand on to get out of it. She quickly glanced around, all the while listening for any sound of movement from her captors in the other room. She didn’t see anything but remembered the small chair in her room as she turned and hurried to get it. As soon as she stepped completely inside the room taking the three steps needed to reach the chair, the door slammed and she heard the lock click.

“No,” Kaitlyn screamed. “Let me out of here,” she continued to scream, beating on the door with her fists.

She was absolutely furious with herself. “Let me go,” she screamed again angrily.

She wasn’t prepared when the door suddenly opened with great force pushing her back and causing her to fall to the floor. The men with masks were inside and on her before she could react. Gathering herself quickly Kaitlyn fought back with all she had, the two men were struggling hard to contain her. They finally managed to subdue her, holding both her arms and legs prone as another hooded figure entered the room.

“Who the hell are you,” Kaitlyn screamed at him as he stood looking down at her.

*****

Tariq sighed gently. It was killing him as he looked through the 2-way mirror again, to see Kaitlyn struggle but he couldn’t reveal himself yet. It wasn’t time. He watched as LaRon straddled her, sitting on her chest, and forced the pill into her mouth. Kaitlyn was trying desperately to spit it out as he poured water down her throat and held her nose making her swallow. After they were satisfied she’d taken the pill the men let her go and left the room as Kaitlyn drew herself into a corner, hugging her knees tightly still coughing and wheezing from the experience. Tariq’s heart broke when she started to cry. He hated to see the fear and hear the pain of her sobs as the drug began to work. Kaitlyn was once again unconscious in a matter of moments.

He entered the room, picking her up from the floor and placing her on the bed. He tenderly dried her and changed her clothes, kissing her lips softly from time to time. Tariq brushed her hair and laid her on the pillows, covering her with the comforter. “This is going to be over soon, KiKi,” he told her lovingly, kissing her one last time before leaving and locking the door behind him.

“LaRon,” he called out as the man materialized in front of him. “Who left this door open,” he asked calmly.