Taking Over
We're both met with guns pointed at us; Seth's guy has his aimed right at Seth's head while mine is lazily pointed at me.
"What's wrong is you're dead," Seth's man said with a bitch face.
Oh shit.
Seth turns slowly to fully look at his bald man. He has a straight face on as he speaks, "Well, what are you waiting for?"
The bald man smirks and nods, "Now it all makes sense."
"Oh, good," Seth nods, though you can tell that neither one of us knows what he's talking about.
"Coupla days ago, dude comes in, says his name is Richie Sanz, says that Eddie Cruickshank vouches for him. He's a big player in the flesh trade. Wants to make a deal with the Browns."
Seth's eyes pull together in confusion, both of us not hearing about Richie since he killed them off the cliff. "The Browns, huh?" Seth asks, not hiding his confusion.
"Now that I see you, it all makes sense. He ain't no Richie Sanz, he's Richie Gecko, and you, you're the other one," The bald man nods to Seth.
Nodding and giving him a fake smile, Seth says, "That's one and only to you, asshole."
"Your brother took something from me. Now, I'm gonna take something from you."
My eyes turn to my guy when I notice him move, catching him raise his shotgun steadily at me. Seth seems to notice and slightly steps in front of me, holding up his arms high and wide so it's blocking me slightly.
"Okay, wait a second. She shouldn't have to die because of my brother."
The bald man smirks at Seth, his eyes drifting over me with fire. "Maybe I got something else planned for her."
I can hear Seth gritted his teeth next to me, the realization that Seth and I are wearing little to no clothing becoming obvious to both of us. But that doesn't stop me from raising and eye at the bald man and angrily replying with, "And what's that? Because the only thing I plan on doing for you is putting my foot up your-"
Seth cuts me off, looking slightly over at me, "Okay, okay. Maybe we all should just-" Seth starts but cuts himself off with his action. In seconds, Seth had one hand on me, pushing me back while he grabs the gun that's aimed at me and slams it against my guy's head.
I watch my guy for a second as the gun is ripped from his grasp and he drops to the ground, covering a bloody nose.
Using the gun he got off my guy, Seth is able to pin the bald man to the wall. My eyes catch sight of my guy starting to recovering, and I'm quick to notice the bald guy's gun is laying on the floor. Waiting to be picked up. Waiting to be shot.
Quickly, my hands grasp the gun and I aim it at my guy as he stands. With one pull of the trigger, I shoot the man in the stomach, knocking him back on the ground. My eyes go to Seth who manages to yank the gun away from the bald man and shoot him in the stomach as well.
Both of us are breathing heavily as we look at the dead men before us. My eyes drift to Seth who seems to do the same. Both of us catch out breaths as we hear footsteps approaching us.
In seconds, Seth and I have our guns aimed up at the person, quickly realizing that it was Eddie. We lower our guns as Eddie's eyes trace over the dead bodies, acting like he's been there all this time.
When Eddie's eyes land on me, he looks at me impressively, "Huh, think I know what Seth see's in you."
I don't respond, but instead hand my gun over to Seth, "I'm getting dressed." With those words said, I turned and grab my clothes before disappearing into the bathroom.
Slipping on some jean shorts and an elbow length black shirt, I slipped into some shoes and let my hair fall before joining Seth and Eddie. Both boys were sitting at the table, papers in front of them. Seth had changed back into his black pants and shoes and tank-top, waiting for his button up shirt to be returned to him.
"This is my score. I did all the hard work. Ain't nobody takin' this one away from me," Eddie said as I sat next to him, Seth across from me.
"Okay, Eddie. Eddie. Nobody's taking anything away from anybody. But that formerly living person right there said Richie was trying to do a deal with the Browns, however politically incorrect that sounds. And you've been tracking said Browns, am I right? I mean, what is this shit? You got Alvarez, 120K, Garces 95K, Greely 150K," Seth gestured to the map with different circles and number, next to it was a spread sheet with names and amounts.
Eddie looked at Seth, squinting his eyes, "Richard ain't got nothin' to do with this."
"Again, the stiff said different," Seth said, gesturing to the dead body that was covered up with a sheet. My eyes glanced at it before returning to Seth and Eddie.
Uncle Eddie's eyes lingered on the map and sighed, "All right. You know I got ears everywhere. People tell me things."
Seth nodded, "Yeah."
Moving the papers to reveal the large map, Eddie points to a large red circle. "These are all stash houses. Drugs, guns, money. You name it. It all runs through here, mostly by trucks. What gets to the other side is ten percent less."
I nod, my eyes staying on the map, "Which means someone's taking it."
Eddie nodded, "Yeah, and I hear they even got flesh trucks. Lots of human cargo."
Seth and I exchanged shocked looks, both of us knowing what that meant. When Seth's eyes returned to the map, he sat back in his chair and shook his head. "Jesus Christ, Eddie. That's like the entire state of Texas. It's huge!"
"You think that's huge... Have a look at that."
Eddie reaches over, taking the spread sheet booklet and setting it in front of Seth and I. My eyes glance over the names and numbers, finding Browns towards the bottom with a number next to it. "This says 33 million dollars. Is this right?" I asked, looking at Eddie.
"Every penny of it." He returns to the map, pointing to the large circle again. "Somewhere in here is the Shangri-fuckin'-la of stash houses. Your brother might be onto it. You ask me, he's onto somethin' much worse."
Seth smiled slightly, almost excited, "Eddie, this is huge. This is very, very good, Eddie. This will work," He nods, looking between Eddie and me.
Of course, our first priority was to get Richie, since he'd have a better idea of where everything was kept. So, Seth and I drove out there, Seth instancing that he go in alone and wrangle his brother up.
At this rate, I was fine missing half the fight between Seth and Richie, having witnessed it enough times before. Seth went in with a shock gun while I hung outside, standing by the car and waiting. A gun was in my back pocket, waiting to be used if need-be.
Luckily, it didn't, although when Seth and Richie walked out of the club building arguing I started to reconsider.
"Where the hell are you goin' now?" Seth asked, chasing after his brother who was headed towards a black car.
"I don't need your help," Richie said, not even looking over at me.
"Yeah? Well, Uncle Eddie did. He almost got killed because of you," Seth said, stretching the truth a little. We all knew that Richie wouldn't care to much about Seth or my life at the moment, but Uncle Eddie bight be a different story.
Hopefully.
Richie glanced over his shoulder, shaking his head frustrated. "This has got nothing to do with Eddie or you."
"It's a little late for that, wouldn't you say? I heard you asking about a truck. You tryin' to follow it?" Seth asked? Richie didn't answer, instead grabbed the black car's door handle and opened it. Just as the door opens, Seth shoots his gun at the tire, flattening it.
"Are you insane?" Richie yells before slamming the door closed and moving to the black SUV that was parked next to it.
"What truck?" Seth asked again, chasing after his brother once again.
I watched the two argue, my arms crossing as I did so. At this rate, it was better to let them clear this out themselves. Like Uncle Eddie said, they'll fight but come back together.
Answering his older brother's question, "It's a truck. Full of people."
"Yeah? What kind of people? Little girl people?" Seth asked? Richie stopped, his words not being said which made Seth stop as well. "Jesus Christ, Richard!"
Richie shook his head, "Look, none of them are gonna get eaten, if you just let me get outta here."
"The shipment's for the Browns, isn't it? You're using them as bait to find the boss's hideout."
"Just move," Richie said, opening the SUV door. Once again, Seth shoots the tire on that vehicle, causing Richie to stop. "Fuck!" He yells, slamming the SUV door closed.
Seth glared at his brother, "I'm driving." He starts to walk over towards the car, his eyes set on me, "Keys," He said. I snatched the keys out of my pocket, tossing them into his open hand.
Richie was quick to deny that, chasing after his brother with a pointed finger, "Oh, no. No way." He suddenly stops by the car, his eyes finally noticing my body as he leans against the car. "What the hell is she doing here?" Richie asks his brother, gesturing over to me.
As Seth lays his gun in the back, he speaks. "We've stuck together since you decided to go all commando with your snake girl."
"I don't believe this!" Richie yells, throwing his hands up as he looks up to the sky.
"Nice to see you too," I said, eyeing him annoyingly. Richie's eyes settle back on me, giving me a look that told me to shut up.
Seth opens the drive side door, leaning on it as he looks at his brother, "Truck's getting away." He climbs in, closing the door behind him.
As much as I'd love to climb into the passenger seat, I feel the tension in the air has put my best judgment forward. Instead, I climbed into the back, hearing Richie sigh before taking the passenger seat.
With a few mumbles from Richie, we headed out, hoping to catch the truck.
Seth pulls out his cell, calling Eddie and talking to him for a minute before ending the conversation. "Yeah, okay. Got it," He says before hanging up and shoving the phone in his pocket.
"What did he say?" Richie asked?
"He sends his love," Seth replies sarcastically, his eyes focused on the road.
Richie shakes his head in the passenger seat, "I don't even know why you called him."
"He knows a sheriff up a ways that's crooked as a Picasso painting. He's gonna help us locate the truck," Seth says, gesturing up ahead.
An annoyed sigh left Richie's mouth as he looked over at his brother, "We don't need any help."
God, these two sound like a married couple sometimes.
"I'm sorry, is there some kinda snake radar in that melon of yours now?" Seth asks, his voice angry as he looks between the road and his brother. He sighs and looks ahead, "As far as I can tell, we're flying blind."
"Hey, look, Blanchard said it's up the I-45. I would have had the answer if you hadn't started blastin' away like it was the goddamn Tech Noir."
"I wasn't gonna take any chances, okay? And I'm not gonna take any chances with this truck, either," Seth said, his hands gripping and un-gripping the wheel multiple times. My eyes moved between Seth and Richie, Seth hand and Richie head, my hands and the window.
Richie rose and eye at Seth, talking like he was sick of this, "Aw, what? Katherine turn you into a defender of justice? Is that why you got the little flames tattooed on your neck? You know, maybe you should get a chest dragon like Iron Fist."
Quickly my voice came out, my eyes glaring at him from the back, "Oh, shut up Richie!"
Seth put his hand out, straightening the conversation, "Look, I am not a defender of justice, okay? But I am the archenemy of dumb-assery, of which you are king."
I watch Richie's eyes as the glance back at me, catching mine that were burning holes in the side of his face. "Still doesn't tell me why Katherine's still here."
"Hey, she's sticking with me, got it!" Seth yelled, seeming to get defensive.
"Why, cause she's your girl or something?"
That seemed to set Seth off slightly, his voice rough and denfensive, seeming to grow tired of Richie dragging me into this just because things weren't going his way.
"Yes, as a matter of fact, she is, who almost died because of you, by the way."
I couldn't help the small blush in the backseat at Seth's words. When he calls me his girl, it send the blood to my cheeks and I can't help but smile slightly at the feeling. I could get used to being called his girl.
Richie faked his smile as he rose an eyebrow, "Oh, so you two finally got together huh? Took you two long enough," his last words came out as a mumble.
"Sorry if we're all not exchanging blood on the first encounter like you and snake queen," Seth said. We both noticed Richie's silence, stirring up red flags for both of us. "Oh, what? It's not all butterflies and gumdrops with her?" Seth asked, though the tone of his voice didn't sound surprised.
Neither was I. I mean, it all started with a rush, no time to ease into it.
"She's complicated," Richie said, unable to face anything but the window.
A scuff left both Seth and I's lips, though Seth was the only one to respond. "Algebra is complicated. She's fuckin' AP trig. Richard, you're gonna start a war. She's taking you on a suicide mission. I'm sorry, I'm sure that doesn't matter to you. You're happy being Richard... Sanz?" Seth asked, raising an eye at Richie.
The atmosphere changed, both boys voices lowering somewhat. "Ms. Sanz from Sacred Heart? You couldn't think of anything else?" Seth asked, cracking a small smile.
"She was the best teacher we ever had," Richie said with a toothy grin.
I couldn't help but roll my eyes at the two boys as my phone dinged. I pulled it out, opening it to see a text from Eddie. Before my eyes can even glance at the screen, Richie has it in his, snatching it out of mine.
"Hey!"
"Sheriff's gonna meet us. It's close," Richie says, closing the phone and handing it back to me.
My eyes glared at Richie as I snatched the phone and shoved it into my pocket. The rest of the car ride was quiet, minus Richie's directions and Seth's comments that he was sure we were going to an abandon building.
Boy were we surprised when we pulled up to an open 24 hour diner.
Seth, Richie, and I climbs out of the car, making our way inside the diner. A sheriff sat at one of the tables, sipping a cup of coffee, probable trying to stay awake since night had taken over.
Richie whispered something into Seth's ear, clearly trying to find an easy way out of this as we walked.
"The only thing you're biting is your own goddamn tongue, okay? Just shut up and let me do the talking," Seth said to his brother before approaching the sheriff.
Seth opened his mouth to address the sheriff when his words cut him off.
"I look like Poncharello to you?"
"Sheriff, we're in a bit of a rush, so..." Seth stated, taking one of the chairs in front of the sheriff while Richie took the one next to him. I grabbed another chair, sitting at the end of the table, able to watch them both.
The sheriff asked again, "Do I look like Poncharello to you? Do you even know who Poncharello is?"
Seth sighed, "Yes, I know who Frank Poncharello is."
"Then you know he lives in a fantasy world where he can just get on the radio and call out a "Be On The Lookout". 'Cause in the real world, a BOLO's a tricky thing, bureaucratically speaking."
A sigh left my lips, seeing as already the sheriff had made up his mind about these two boys. Me on the other hand, he has yet to meet Katherine Fuller.
"Alright. Listen," I stated, turning in my chair to look fully at the sheriff.
"Kath-" Seth started but I quickly cut him off with a "shut up", quieting him. My arms leaned on the table, looking straight at the sheriff. "The truck is stolen, clear as day to anyone. You got a hint from a dealer you took in a few weeks ago. I'm assuming you take in a lot around here." The sheriff didn't respond, but his eyes on me gave me my answer.
Continuing, I said, "These guys, their big players, ones that will throw everything you love in a shredder and have it for dinner." My head nods to his wedding ring, which causes him to glance at it before returning to me. "Now, you seem like an okay guy. Which is why it won't surprise me if they already have a few eyes on you. So, if you want to stay an okay guy for a few more years, you'll send out the BOLO."
I shrug, leaning back in my seat casually, "Or you can kiss their ass when they kill your wife. Your choice."
There is a pause, my words sinking in the sheriff's mind. He lets out a long sigh before looking at Seth. "Alright, I'll do what I can." He stands, taking a step away from us before stopping. His attention is fully on the two boys, "Next time, do yourselves a favor and lead with her."
As the sheriff leaves, Seth looks over at me with a smirk. Richie on the other hand didn't even try to hide his rolling eyes and groaning as he stood up.
I smiled proudly, finally feeling like I had just as much control as Seth and Richie in this case.
The three of us headed back into the car, driving around for a bit until we would hear something from the sheriff. It was quiet in the car, nothing but the engine. That is, until Seth started to talk, his first chosen words throwing me for a second.
"It's pretty big, though, isn't it?"
"What's big?" Richie asked, raising an eye at his brother, both of us seeming to think the worst.
Seth eyed his brother, "Well, the operation. Everything the Browns got going on."
Richie scuffed slightly, looking away, "Okay, that's racist. And we're not all brown."
Covering his ass, Seth quickly spoke up, clearing his words. "It's not my term, brother, not my term, okay? Uncle Eddie says that's what they're called on the street. Apparently, he's been tracking their shipments."
"What's he know about it?" Richie asked, raising an eyebrow as he turned to Seth. When I spoke up, his eyes moved to me.
"Apparently enough for us to know where to find you."
Looking back at Seth, Richie asked, "What's his play?"
"I don't know," Seth scuffs.
Richie's eyes linger on Seth for a second before looking back at me, hoping I'd have an idea. I shrugged in response, honestly not having an idea what he's cooking up in his mind.
Seeing the worry and nerves in his brother's eyes, Seth speaks up. "Come on, man, you know fading cons, they like to dream." Richie scuffs, causing Seth to look at him questionable, "What?"
"I can tell when you got a stiffy for a score, brother. This is my sandbox. Stay the hell out."
Seth's phone rings, grabbing the attention of the car as he pulls it out and answers it. He pauses multiple times, listening to the persons words. "Sheriff. Chapel Road. Got it."
Just like that, the phone is hung up and the car makes a sharp U-turn. Seth's eyes look in the rearview mirror at me, a smile on his face. "Looks like your words worked.
Richie scuffs, looking out into the night as he mumbles to us, "Get a room." I only smile, hoping to hide my blush, in return.
We race down the road, trying to catch up with the truck. As we approach Chapel Road, Richie notices Seth is speeding up. When the truck comes into view, Seth doesn't lighten up.
"Slow down! What the hell are you doing? Just follow 'em," Richie yells.
"Want this job for yourself? You shouldn't have brought me along. Kathrine, hold on," Seth says, causing me to quickly hold onto the left door, preparing for whatever Seth is about to do.
Seth pulls up next to the truck, turning it, and hitting the back of the truck. The truck spins out of control before it comes to a halt on the large, empty road.
"Son of a bitch! What the hell did you do?" Richie yells, grabbing his door and opening it.
"What I had to do," Seth replies as me and him climb out of the car as well.
As we approach the truck, the driver climbs out, looking pissed. "You almost killed me, asshole!" he yells at Richie.
Richie points to the truck, barking off orders like he's in charge. "Get back in the truck and keep driving."
Seth quickly shakes his head, "No, not until he empties out the back. Katherine," he says, looking over at me. I nod, making my way to the back of the truck. I notice the driver quickly step in my direction, ready to stop me.
"Oh no, your sticking with me. Where's your boss?" Seth asked, grabbing the driver's arm and pulling his attention to him.
My ears block the conversation off as I unlock and open the back of the truck. Tons of girls sit in the back, all dressed in ball gown dresses. My eyes go wide at the sight, my mind trying to process all of this.
One by one, I help the girls out, their bodies huddling by the truck and unseen by any one's eyes.
The sudden sound of police sirens are heard in the distance, grabbing my attention. My head quickly turned to the group of girls, "Go, hide." They all quickly race doff into the woods, their bodies and dresses unseen in the night woods.
When I return to the situation with Richie and Seth, I catch the sheriff getting out of his car. Seth approaches him, his words now being picked up by me ears. "I thought we had a deal, Sheriff?"
"New deal. I've had my share of lookin' the other way for these guys. And they ain't cartels, son. They are wealthy, though, and they gonna pay handsomely for this. Which means I get my own Affordable Care Act. But as for you three, it's bullet-in-the-brain-dot-gov. Get your partners out here."
As the sheriff talks, my feet move silently and my hands pull out my gun. As soon as his words end, I'm next to him, aiming my gun at his head. The click from my gun, makes his body go slightly tense.
"I'm not his partner. I'm his girl."
The sheriff laughs at my words. "And just when I was thinking of letting you walk."
"Well, that's just shit then, isn't it?" I say, though my tone proves that I could care little or less at the moment. Wouldn't be the first time I'd gotten myself in trouble when I could have just walked away.
Probable won't be the last with the Geckos.
Seth spoke up, "Here's what you're going to do. You're going to get in that truck, lead us to the main house, and we'll cut our roads and never have to see each other again."
"Or I could just put all three of you in the ground," The sheriff said.
Somehow, the sheriff managed to hit my hand, taking the gun from me. In a matter of seconds, my gun was in his hand and went off. Seth quickly grabbed me, pushing me away from the gun. I felt a sting of pain in my arm, feeling the blood already dripping down it.
Richie quickly approaches the sheriff, only to get shot twice in the stomach. Richie froze for a second before slumping to the ground.
Seth and I looked up at the sheriff, meeting my gun in the process.
"Well, this is my lucky day," the Sheriff says with a giant smile.
Before I knew it, Seth and I were handcuffed and tossed into the back of the police car.
"I'll be back soon. Don't wait up," The sheriff smirked before closing the door. Seth and I watched as he climbed into the truck and drove off, believing that the girls were still inside.
Seth and I were quiet, struggling with our hands cuffed behind our back. Suddenly, Seth kicks the seat in front of him, "Shit!" I jump slightly at his action, watching him as he looks pissed.
"Hang on, maybe I can get out of these," I state, trying to slide my cuffed hands under my butt. Seth watched me, watching me hiss in pain slightly and fail.
Sighing, Seth states, "This isn't rope, their specifically made so you can't do that." His eyes suddenly land on my arm, noticing the blood that has stained my shirt and dripped down my arm. "You were shot?! Why didn't you say anything?"
"Sorry, was a little busy being arrested. Besides, it's just a graze," I said frustrated.
"Well, your bleeding so either way it's not good," Seth said, trying to break his cuffs but failing. Anger, frustration, and worry dripped in his voice as he struggled against the cuffs, cursing under his breath every now and then.
Suddenly, Seth's door opens, causing him to jump and lean back. Richie bent through the door, looking at Seth and me. "Trouble in paradise brother?"
"Just get us out of here," Seth said, yanking at his restraints again in frustration.
Richie grabs Seth's cuffs, breaking them. He then reaches over Seth and grabs mine, breaking them as well with an incredible strength. As Richie does this, Seth quickly pulls out a handkerchief and wraps it around my bleeding arm tightly.
"We have to get to the girls," Richie says as Seth and I climb out of the police car.
"Actually..." I start, grabbing Richie's attention. My head turns to the woods, spotting the group of girls as they step out fearfully. Richie and Seth turn, catching the girl's as well.
Richie looks relived, "Huh. Maybe you're not so useless."
My eyes lightly glared at Richie while Seth looked at his brother with eyes that said "Did you have to say that"?
"Well, we still don't know where their headed," I comment as the group of girls started to join us.
One girl spoke up, looking between the three of us. "Actually, I do. I heard them mention something about Jacknife Jeds."
Richie looks slightly surprised by her words, causing Seth and I to look at him.
"What? Do you know the place?" Seth asked Richie.
He nods, letting out a sigh, "Yeah. It's a bar nearby."
Seth and I exchange looks, both of us slightly shocked by his words. Seth was the only one to speak up about it though. "Ain't that somethin'. I thought the big man was operating south of the Border."
Richie smirks at his brother, seeming to remind us both of the world Richie lived in compared to ours. "Ancient tradition, brother. Borders mean nothing to us."
Long chapter for everyone! Hope you all enjoy! Please comment so I know you want an update!