Pawns & Kings Read online

  “That’s the same thing that I was about to ask you,” I said as we continued to stare out of the window. At that point I could see a few mountains in the distance. Wherever we were, that place was absolutely beautiful.

  A few minutes later, the landing strip came into view. Once we finally landed and the plane came to a halt, I unbuckled my seatbelt and jumped up from my seat. I marched over to the door of the pilot’s cabin and knocked until the door opened. Melissa, the stewardess, came out and closed the door behind her quickly before I could even get a glimpse of the pilot or co-pilot.

  “Is there a problem, Mr. King,” Melissa asked, sounding all sweet as if there was nothing wrong.

  “Yes, there’s a problem. Where the hell are we? This ain’t Atlanta,” I said just as Janelle came up beside me.

  “Sir, I understand your concern, but please rest assured that…”

  “I want to speak to the pilot right now,” I demanded, cutting Melissa off.

  Melissa paused, glanced at the door, then said, “That’s not possible right now.”

  “Why not?” I said getting angrier and raising my voice more.

  “Because, he’s taking a very important call at the moment,” Melissa explained calmly.

  “I don’t care! You go in there and tell his ass to get out here right now!”

  “Darius, calm down,” Janelle said as she gently grabbed my arm.

  I snatched my arm away from her and said, “What do you mean calm down?! I’m trying to figure out what the hell is going on!”

  “Mr. King, please. There’s no need to yell,” Melissa said.

  “I want some answers and I want them now!” I shouted. That was enough to draw Ben, the pilot, out of the cabin to where we were. He was a medium height, stocky dark-skinned man with a small afro and a goatee. He came over and looked at each one of us before speaking.

  “What seems to be the problem?” he asked calmly.

  “That’s what we’re trying to figure out,” Janelle said as she placed her hand on my arm to keep me from exploding again. “Why aren’t we in Atlanta?”

  “Well, I had instructions to bring you here,” Ben said.

  “What?” I said. “Where the hell are we?”

  Ben and Melissa glanced at each other before Ben said, “Cancun.”

  “Cancun? As in Cancun, Mexico?” Janelle asked, voicing both of our thoughts.

  “Yes.”

  “Why the hell are we in Cancun when we are supposed to be in Atlanta, Georgia?” I asked.

  “I know that you had other plans, Mr. King, but the boss instructed me to bring you here,” Ben replied.

  “The boss? What the hell do you mean, the boss? I am the boss!”

  Once again Ben and Melissa looked at one another as if they knew things that they weren’t at liberty to tell me. But if they knew what was good for them then they would tell me what I wanted to know.

  “Yes sir, you are the boss,” Ben said. “But there’s a… higher boss that told me to bring you here. We all take orders from him.”

  I was seriously confused then. A higher boss? This wasn’t making any sense and I could tell that something wasn’t right. I was about to start asking more questions until Janelle grabbed my arm and pulled me off to the side so that Ben and Melissa couldn’t hear our conversation.

  “Something isn’t right about this,” Janelle said. “Who is this higher boss and why did he bring us here?”

  “I don’t know,” I said, glancing at Ben. “But we gotta get out of here because I feel like some shit is about to go down.”

  “Darius, I think that this has Francisco’s name written all over it,” she said causing me to pause for a second.

  “Francisco? You really think that he’s the one behind this?”

  “Who else could it be?” she said, shrugging her shoulders. “You and I both know that Francisco’s influence stretches all over the world. He owns properties on six continents, in 14 different countries. So it wouldn’t surprise me one bit if he’s the one behind this.”

  “But why bring us here?” I asked. “He could have killed us in Miami if he really wanted to.”

  “Well, Francisco always has a reason behind why he does things the way he does it.” Janelle looked over at Ben and Melissa who were staring at us before turning her gaze back on me. “If they are under Francisco’s thumb then they’re not gonna take us back to the States until we do whatever he brought us here to do.”

  “Fine then,” I said. “Let’s find out why we’re here.” I turned and walked back over to Ben and Melissa with Janelle not far behind me.

  “Take us to the boss. We want to talk to him,” I said.

  “We?” Ben recanted. “There will be no we. He only wants to see you.”

  Janelle and I glanced at one another before looking at Ben like he was crazy.

  “He’s not going anywhere without me,” she said.

  “That’s right,” I concurred. “So take us to see this higher boss.”

  Ben gave us another long and stoic look before turning toward the cabin and saying, “Let me call ahead to tell him that you’re both coming.”

  *******

  We waited until Ben made his call and then we were instructed to de-board the plane. Once we were off the plane there was a black Navigator waiting on the lot for us. Janelle and I got into the backseat while Ben and Larry, the young co-pilot, got into the driver seat and passenger seat. They drove us away from the private airport and through a rural area. The scenery was mostly trees and water at first, but eventually we arrived in the city. We rode through a busy shopping area and could hardly get through because of all of the people and cars who were in the street.

  After riding through the busiest part of the city, we went into a more domestic area where there were cottages and cement houses. It wasn’t long before we were in a more upscale part of town. I could tell by the more modern style of the homes and the amount of brand new foreign cars that we were in what they considered the suburbs.

  Eventually the scenery changed and again there was nothing but trees. We rode down a bumpy dirt road that led us to a farm with a large, red barn in the middle of it. Beyond the barn was a beautiful two-story white house. I figured that we were finally at our destination.

  We parked in front of the house and I didn’t wait for any instructions before I got out of the SUV. Larry was polite enough to open Janelle’s door for her since she was sitting on his side. Once she was out she came around the truck and stood beside me.

  “Let’s go inside. The boss is anxious to speak to you,” Ben said as he led us to the front door. Janelle and I were checking our surroundings the whole time and nothing seemed suspicious or out of place. Everything seemed normal, but I still couldn’t relax, not until I knew why I was there.

  We went into the house which was quiet and empty except for the expensive furniture that filled the rooms. Most of the rooms didn’t have doors, only sheer curtains covered the doorways. All-in-all, it was a beautiful foreign-style home that was reminiscent of a beach house.

  Ben led us into the living room and asked us to have a seat before he disappeared into another room. Larry remained in the living room with us and stood near the window behind us. The living room was fully furnished and decorated in white, brown, and gold. There was a fire place at the far end of the room from where we were sitting facing the patio doors. They were also covered in sheer curtains so I couldn’t really tell what was on the other side of them.

  “Who’s house do you think this is?” Janelle asked me, speaking in a hushed tone so that Larry wouldn’t hear us.

  “I don’t know,” I said as I subtly looked around for any clues. “But I doubt that Francisco is the one that had us brought here. This isn’t exactly his style.”

  “I think you’re right,” Janelle replied. “But if it wasn’t him, then who could it have been?”

  I didn’t have an answer to that question and at that point I didn’t know when I would get any answe
rs. The whole situation was confusing and all I wanted was for someone to start telling me what was going on. I was still shocked by the fact that members of my staff had been taking orders from another boss. What the hell did that mean? And how much power did this man have? I was tempted to call Walter and ask him what was going on, but this was something that I wanted to get to the bottom of on my own.

  Fifteen minutes passed and nothing happened. That turned into thirty minutes, then forty-five and by that time I was pacing the floor. My steady steps back and forth in front of the fire-place was the only thing that was helping me keep my sanity, but my pacing was about to make Janelle lose hers.

  “Darius!” she snapped at me from her spot on the couch.

  “What!?” I snapped back as my steps came to a brief halt.

  Janelle stood and said, “You are driving me crazy with all this damn pacing. Will you sit down please?”

  “No. Not until they give us some answers.” Just as I said that, Ben came into the living room looking calm and relaxed as if nothing was going on.

  “Mr. King, can I offer you and your guest some lunch,” Ben said. “The cook has prepared a nice pasta salad for you.”

  “Nah, bruh. I wanna know what the hell is going on,” I said as he and I now stood face-to-face. “When can I speak to this boss?”

  “He’s busy right now, but as soon as…”

  “Busy doing what?” I said, cutting him off. “He’s had us waiting down here for almost an hour and I’m getting tired of waiting.”

  “Just calm down, Darius,” Larry said as he came and stood beside Ben and I, obviously trying to make sure that I kept my temper in check.

  “It’s Mr. King too you,” I spat as I shot him a warning glare.

  “Mr. King, there’s no need to get upset,” Ben said. “As soon as he’s ready to talk with you, he will. In the meantime, his cook has prepared a lovely…”

  “Listen, I don’t give a damn about him being busy or about some damn pasta salad!” I said, my voice now fully raised. “Either he comes to talk to me right now, or you can take us back to the plane so that I can go home.”

  “I understand your frustration but please rest assured…” This time it was the ringing of Ben’s cell phone that cut him off. He took the phone out of his pocket and answered it. He put the phone to his ear and didn’t even have to give a greeting before the person on the other end started talking. I was willing to bet that the person on the other end of the line was the boss.

  “Yes sir,” Ben said simply before ending the call. “It looks like he’s ready for you now, so I will escort you upstairs.”

  I noticeably relaxed as he led us upstairs. I followed closely behind Ben, and Janelle and Larry weren’t far behind us. Once upstairs we walked to the end of the hallway where a single door was.

  “You can go inside, but only you,” Ben told me. “She’ll have to wait out here.” That was all he said before he and Larry went back down the hallway and then descended the stairs.

  “I’ll be out here if you need me,” Janelle said. She lifted the hem of her dress, revealing the handgun that was strapped to her thigh. I gave her a nod before placing my hand on the doorknob.

  Once I was inside the room I closed the door behind me. My nostrils were invaded with the scent of a cigar and what I determined to be a mint air freshener of some kind. The room was dark except for the few rays of light that were shining through the sheer curtains which were hanging over a small window. At first I didn’t see anyone so I stayed in my spot by the door. I was about to reach for my gun when I heard a gruff voice from the corner of the room.

  “Hello, Darius.”

  I locked my gaze on the corner of the room where the voice had come from, but the person was concealing their identity in the shadows and I couldn’t tell who it was.

  “You don’t know how long I’ve waited to meet you,” he said as he stepped out of the shadows slightly but it was still hard for me to tell his appearance. All I knew was that he was a tall, muscular black man. He had an impressive form, much like a professional athlete, and he was clothed in black slacks and a black button-down shirt.

  “Who are you and why did you bring me here?” I asked. I tried to sound as strong and as in control as I could, but my heart was beating so hard that I thought it was going to jump out of my chest.

  The man reached over and turned on a lamp that was near him. It was then that I could see more of my surroundings and I could tell that we were in some kind of study or library. The walls were ceiling-to-floor bookshelves filled with books. There was a desk in the center of the room and a few tables here and there.

  I looked at the man who was staring back at me. He wore a solemn look on his face that was partially hidden behind all of his facial hair. He had a full beard and goatee that went up into sideburns that connected to his thick hair. Even with all of that hair though he didn’t look unkempt. He and his clothes were all perfectly groomed. The facial hair added mystery, and I figured that was what he was going for since he was up here hiding out in a dark room. He didn’t look crazy or deranged or anything so I took that as a good sign.

  “I brought you here because I figured that it was time for us to meet, and so that we could talk,” he explained, now leaning against the wall near the window. “There’s been a lot going on and I want to help you.”

  “Help me?” I said. “I don’t need your help. I’m doing just fine.”

  “Oh really,” he said matter-of-factly. “It seems to me that Francisco Baptìste has been giving you some problems.”

  That caused me to pause. “You know about Francisco,” I said as more of a statement than a question.

  “I know about everything and everyone, Darius,” he said as he took a few steps toward me but then stopped short. “I know Walter, Jeff, and Jai. Your mother, Donna. Your friends Terry, Derek, Mike, and Kenny. And that beautiful young woman of yours, Natalie.”

  “How the hell do you know me and my people,” I said, beginning to get upset all over again. “And who are you?” He just stood there and didn’t even attempt to give me an answer so I reached for my gun.

  “There’s no need to pull out your gun, Darius,” he said in a steady tone. “I’ll tell you who I am, but you have to promise me that you will believe me.”

  “Why does it matter if I believe you or not?” I asked.

  “Because if you don’t believe me then all of this will have been in vain. And more importantly, if you don’t believe me then I won’t be able to help you.”

  I took my hand off of my gun and let both hands rest at my sides. “I’m waiting,” I said. “Tell me who you are.”

  He moved toward the desk and stood directly in front of it. Now he was standing in front of me and he was looking me dead in the eyes.

  “I’m Daniel King… your father.”

  Chapter XXVII- Leah

  I was grateful that I didn’t have to wait long when I came into the police station. I wanted to get this whole thing over and done with so that I could move on with my life. Getting a restraining order against Allen may or may not make him stop trying to contact me, but it was a step in the right direction. My mother and father were the ones to suggest a restraining order, but I originally did not want to do that. But when I asked Terry what he thought, he agreed with my parents. So I was taking all of their advice.

  I tried to get Terry to come in with me, but he said he couldn’t because he had warrants so he stayed in the car. It still baffled me that someone as sweet and caring as Terry could have such a dark past. Maybe I was being naïve and choosing to see the good in Terry because he saved me, but I always believed that everyone had some good in them. That was one of the reasons that I stayed with Allen for so long. I chose to focus on the good in him instead of acknowledging the fact that he had some serious issues. But I was stronger now and I liked to think that I was wiser too. After today, Allen would no longer be a problem for me.

  I followed the female officer who was le
ading me down a hallway and to the back area where we could do the paperwork for the restraining order. We arrived at the main floor where most of the officers for the precinct did their day-to-day work. There was a lot of movement going on as officers walked back and forth to their different destinations in the building. The female officer brought me to her desk and asked me to have a seat. She went into her desk to retrieve the paperwork that I needed. Once she found the documents she laid them on the desk in front of me and handed me a pen.

  “I know this may seem overwhelming,” she said as she watched me comb through the fifteen or so pages, “But this is necessary. And you’re doing the right thing. Not a lot of young women have the courage to go through with something like this.” She gave me an encouraging smile then said, “I’ll give you some privacy. If you have any questions, just ask.”

  She walked away and I was left alone to do what I should have done a long time ago. I sighed because even though this was hard, I knew that getting a restraining order against Allen was for the best. A part of me still wished that things had turned out differently between us. There was a time when I loved him. Or, at least I thought I did. I thought that what I had with Allen was love until I met Terry.

  With Allen, even before he began to abuse me physically, his verbal abuse was pretty much an everyday thing. He would criticize everything about me from my clothes, to my hair, to the fact that sometimes I didn’t wear make-up. He told me that he was only trying to make me a better person so that I could someday be the type of woman that could stand by him as his wife. I used to think that I was lucky to have a man like Allen making plans to make me his wife. He’s a smart and handsome guy with a bright future who came from a rich family just like I did. He could have any girl that he wanted, but he chose me. And I used to think that I was unworthy of a man like him, but now I saw things very differently. He was the one who didn’t deserve me and I realized now that I could do much better.

  Being with Terry had caused my confidence and self-esteem to be higher than it had ever been. To have a man who thinks the world of me and tells me that he does every day was truly a blessing. Not only that, but Terry saved my life. He went out of his way to rescue me when he didn’t have to. And ever since then he had been my protector. We haven’t spent more than a day apart and it seemed as if we couldn’t get enough of each other. I wanted to be with Terry all the time, and he wanted the same thing.