jumpsuit.
Suddenly, the van slowed. It then made a turn onto what felt like cobblestone or some type of rocky road. Feeling the turn, Luke grew more nervous than before. He knew he was nearing his destination. The fear of the unknown had a grip on him. He finally realized he was stupid to think Chetti couldn’t reach him. He was stupid to underestimate her power.
Moments passed.
The van finally stopped.
Luke listened but couldn’t hear anything outside.
Finally, the back doors opened.
“Step out,” an officer ordered with his hand touching his holster.
Luke was hesitant.
“Now!”
Luke stepped out reluctantly. When he did, what he saw surprised him …
* * *
In a ponytail, jumpsuit and flip flops, Chetti didn't quite look like the Chetti she'd always prided herself on. Given the circumstances though, she looked damn good. Her jumpsuit was brand new. Her ponytail was neatly combed and she smelled of Chanel’s Parfum Grand Extrait; perfume costing $4200.00 per bottle.
Knowing exactly who Chetti was, the bitches and COs in Chetti's pod knew not to fuck with her. They knew she had the power to murder any of them, their families included. Because of that, they showered her with commissary, favors, phone privileges, postage stamps and everything else that inmates valued and found importance in.
"So?" Chetti asked as she sat down in the steel chair across from her attorney. "What's the latest."
"Disheartening news," Deena Phillips, a beautiful black woman of about forty years old answered. She was wearing a navy blue Dolce & Gabbana pant suit. Her long black hair fell to her shoulders. Deena was mesmerizing.
"What?"
"Luke was transferred to another jail."
"Why?"
Deena hesitated before answering.
"Well, why?" Chetti asked again impatiently.
Deena cleared her throat then glared toward the ceiling.
"He has agreed to testify for the Feds against you and Darien."
Chetti frowned instantly. She couldn't believe her ears. Shaking her head, she said, "That's nonsense. Luke would never do no punk shit like that."
Deena opened her briefcase slowly and pulled out the paperwork. She slid it across the steel table toward Chetti telling her she needed to see it for herself. Chetti snatched up Luke's agreement to testify against her and Darien. It was all there in black and white. Reading through it and then seeing his signature, she snapped. "That ungrateful son of a goddamn bitch!" she screamed. "That muthafucka!"
"I'm sorry, Mrs. Bishop," Deena shivered. She hoped none of the officers would enter the room. Chetti’s voice had turned extremely loud and disturbing.
"Sorry's not going to stop that bastard from testifying. Sorry's not going to stop that bastard from destroying everything I've worked so fuckin’ hard for!"
"I've got more bad news," Deena stated hesitantly.
"What?"
"Brandon knew of the raid. He wasn't directly involved in the investigation but he knew of everything."
"You fuckin’ with me, right?"
Deena shook her head. "My source in The Bureau said Brandon definitely had knowledge."
"That snake. That fucking snake! I had that bastard on a salary. I paid that muthafucka thirty thousand dollars per month. And this is how he pays me back?" Chetti stood and began to pace the floor angrily. "They're trying to take me down. Them muthafuckas tryna play me. But I'm not going down by myself. Fuck that."
"The only way to prevent that is to try and cut a deal of your own."
Growing beyond infuriated at the suggestion, Chetti yelled, "Hell no. I'm not a rat. That's not in my character. It never has been and never will be."
"There's no other way out, Mrs. Bishop."
"Yes, there is."
"And what's that?"
Chetti made her way back to the table, rested the palms of her hands flat on the table and looked Deena directly in the eyes. "I'm going to murder them."
"Mrs. Bishop…”
"I'm going to murder Luke, Brandon and even that nappy headed girlfriend
Elmore Leonard, Dave Barry, Carl Hiaasen, Tananarive Due, Edna Buchanan, Paul Levine, James W. Hall, Brian Antoni, Vicki Hendricks