Chapter 5: Do or Die

Honus City was a small town at its heart. Too many people for everyone to know each other but not so many that Candice's nurses and receptionist didn't have the goods on anyone who mattered. In Honus, Jeremiah Blood playing the part of crime lord made him worthy of their attention.

With a turf war, Mr. Blood should have kept to a less predictable schedule. Not that I had any complaints--Friday night at his club just like the ladies told me. They even had his exit to within ten minutes. Four bodyguards, plus the driver. They'd be armed, probably heavily. The club was between two empty, fenced-in lots. I'd chosen the closest building on the west side for its height.

Falling five stories and landing with the proper look takes practice. Nothing would have ruined the effect more than planting my face on the concrete. Like in the movies, landing on one foot and a knee! The crack of the street giving way to the momentum of my weight and a fifty-foot drop punctuated the moment.

Blood's head went up to trace where I had to come from. I walked forward. The bodyguard closest to me pulled a gun. The driver was already taking aim. Two birds with one body. I grabbed the guard and threw him over the SUV into the driver. Brakes and tires screamed as someone tried to avoid running them over. The second bodyguard had badass instincts. He actually came at me throwing punches!

"Idiot!" I let the punches land, grabbed him, and threw him over the fence about halfway into the empty lot.

"Freeze! FBI!" Somebody was coming in hard behind me. I sighed and tilted my head at Mr. Blood. "Get on the ground, motherfucker!"

"I don't think the F-B-I is to supposed to talk like that," I said turning around. Blood's other two guards had hands on their firearms but were assessing the danger represented by the agents running towards us.

Agent Tan led the way. Agent LaDon was right behind him. Something was off! Tan and the two agents bringing up the rear had their eyes on me. Diana was burning holes into the back of Tan's head.

"I said, get on the ground!" Tan yelled.

"Actually, you said, 'Get on the ground, mothafucka!' Tan had the FBI lack of humor part down. He came to a halt a few feet from me. Too close if they knew about my capabilities, unless Tan was an idiot.

"Taser," I said looking at his weapon of choice. Idiot, it is.

"I'm not going to tell you again," he yelled. "Get on the ground!"

"No." I spread my legs and folded my arms. He fired. Diana's eyes widened at my shaking. Tan looked over his shoulder to smile at her triumphantly. It took thirty seconds of shaking before he noticed that I wasn't going down.

"You can stop now," Diana told me. I shrugged and pulled the electrodes off my sweatshirt.

Tan dropped the Taser and pulled his gun. Diane popped him in the back of the head with the business end of her 9mm. I folded my arms again to watch the show.

"We have orders, Agent Tan," Diana said between her teeth. "You will holster your weapon!"

Tan stared bullets at me. (A lot of people like to do that!)

"Brunette, smoking body, got that 'I take care of my man' vibe, AND she follows orders to the letter." Tan tightened his grip on the gun at my words. "I'm just saying, dude. Like damn!"

"Stop it," Diana told me.

I shrugged and met Tan's eyes, "I don't think she'll shoot you so how about that dance?"

Diana cocked the gun.

"Ooh! Maybe I'm wrong. Sexy bitch!" I said to Tan. "Next time, buddy."

I turned back to Blood. He raised a hand when his bodyguards took a step forward to claim the newly empty spot on my dance card.

"Blood, really?" I approached to step away from him.

"Doesn't hurt to advertise consequences," he replied. "Like the dark clothing and mask advertise your intentions."

"And what exactly do I intend?"

"Bad things."

"Tell me, Mr. Blood, do you have an evil soul?" I took off a glove and reached out the hand for him to shake.

"So what is Mr. Blood doing?" Candice asked. We watched the FBI SUVs pull into the parking lot of her office building. "And did you have to confirm the FBI's suspicions to get an answer."

"I was wearing a mask! And which is it exactly that you think confirmed anything for them?" I smiled. "The five story drop or the five story jump."

"It's not like killing Chain the way you did hasn't done enough damage, Tavi," she said. "They knew something and now they know a lot more."

"You really think they were on Blood to catch me in the act?"

"I'm sure Agent LaDon is not above taking advantage of circumstances."

"Blood is trying to do the same thing."

"What?"

"He's following Ahmo and my dad hoping to take advantage when Black Road tries something."

She stood quietly for a minute, "That's a dangerous game to play."

"He doesn't have the men or firepower to win the war," I said. "But if he throws his weight in at the right time behind my dad and the Feds..."

"Blood can make sure it ends with finality."

"Dr. Card?" Diana's voice came from the receptionist area.

"Do you think they're going to search for my clothes?" I asked Candice. They were in the bottom drawer of her desk.

"Not yet," she said. "In here, Agent LaDon!"

"I should go," I said.

"Into the exam room, Tavi."

Diana's heels announced her coming closer and closer.

"Black Road," I said.

"Blood's the only one following Ahmo." Candice pushed me through the side door into her exam room. "You have time."

She closed the door. I settled down next to it. Eavesdropping on Candice Card and Diana LaDon doing their dance over me! When life hands you lemons...

Catherine gave me the evil adopted mother look when I walked in the door. My dad had been working many more late nights. It left Catherine a lot of time to scratch her latest itch. She finally realized I didn't give a shit about her opinion of me.