I sat down on the bench and locked eyes with the skinny kid, and motioned for him to sit down next to me. His eyes darted around nervously, and then reluctantly he came over to sit next to me.
"Yo kid you got legs on the outside?" I asked.
He eyed me suspiciously, "naw man, how I know you ain't no trick?", he whispered as he tried to leave.
I pressed my hand down his on shoulder and forced him back on the bench. I saw fear in the kids eyes. That was not what I was looking for. I elbowed him in the ribs to make him look down, then I threw up the three point crown with my hands. A slow knowing smile came to his lips. He extended me his hand and gave a complicated handshake.
"Ernesto," he said. So you wear the crown man black and gold ?"
" Been off my head for a long time now, but you know how it is, once LK always".
"What they call you back then man?", he asked excitedly.
" Diabolito", I answered.
"So what you need man ?" he asked.
"You got legs on the outside, one the streets?" I said.
"Kings got legs everywhere, you know that", he boasted.
"My daughter, she is missing, ran away. I know she is out there on the street somewhere, and I need the streets to find her. She was raised like a princess. Julie has to be in over her head, and if anyone hurts her," I stopped talking and shook my head.
"That is easy after chow time come see me in the Rec area, I'll being playing chess with some of the family. Bring a picture of your little girl", Ernesto told me.
I took the only picture of Julie from the wall and place it into my shirt pocket. I found Ernesto with the rest of the kings. They were over in a dim corner playing chess. A large guy gave me a nod and point to the empty chair next to him.
"Sup man, I checked you out, put in a call. You a G from way back, banged hard for a minute, before you Joined uncle Sam's gang. Ernesto tells me your shortly went missing". You got any place, in particular, we should start looking, where does she hang?", the man ask.
"That's just it, she has been running in a different circle since I have been away," I said.
Cortez discreetly pulled out a Smartphone, then placed it in my hand.
"Go back to your cell and talk to your baby mama, see if she knows anything", He said, in a hushed tone.
I slid the cell phone into my pocket, went back to my cell, sat on the bed and called Rachel.
"Hello, who is this?", she asked.
"It's me ,Carlos."
"How are you calling me from.."
"Don't worry about that Rachael, have you heard anything from Julie?" I said cutting her off mid-sentence.
"No, we are going to let the police do their job. There is not much anyone can do if she does not want to be found," Rachael replied in an annoyed voice.
"I am going to ignore your I don't give a shit attitude and blame it on your pregnancy hormones because I know you have to be just as worried about our daughter as I am", I told Rachel hoping I had kept the edge from my voice.
"Look, Carlos, I don't need parenting advice from you, Julies has been a pain in the ass for the past few months. I don't know what happened to my sweet little girl, but this is a new person I don't know. Sara said you were a wild teen, maybe she is turning into you", Rachael complained.
"Or maybe she is a scared, hurt little girl, who could benefit from some more attention, or maybe even therapy", I growled low.
"I am planning for two babies, I have a career and a husband and my other kids, I don't have time to indulge her antics. She is hanging out with a bad crowd and I don't want that around my babies or other kids."
"Who are these people, do you have any names?", I asked.
"I don't know and I don't care, it just needs to stop. My husband has had enough! ", Rachael snapped.
"Is he the problem Rachael, the reason you suddenly can't be bothered to care about our child anymore. Guess he is not losing any sleeping knowing my little girl is out there on the street somewhere and his twins are safely protected in your womb," I replied.
" Screw you, Carlos, you have no idea much it hurts him to see Julie crying for you when he is the one who has been there for her every day," Rachel argued.
"Rachael, I am going to get off the phone now, before I lose my temper, and you start crying," I said as I hung up"
I paced my cell as I clenched my fist trying to calm my anger. Rachael was such a loving and caring mother, now it was like Julie was in the way. I had to find my little girl and quick.
I dialed Hector and hoped he picked up.
"Sup boss," he answered.
"How did you know it was me?" I ask.
"The cell phone you are calling from is pinging from a tower near your location and the IP address from the mobile hotspot on the phone has synced into the Prison WiFi," Hector explained.
"Impressive," I said. Now, what can you tell me about my little girl? "
"She is active on social media, she has an Instagram, Kik and Tumblr, no Facebook." Her boyfriend is … he's 19. The girls she is hanging out with look like a bunch of T.H.O.T.s".
Clark Kent is what the call the kid, and he post pics of money , weed ,and weapons all over his social media pages. He calls Julie L.L. cause she is his Lois Lane. He is low level, but working his way up. Wherever he is, Julie is with him. There has been no activity from her phone," Hector reported.
"Anything else?"
"Yeah boss, Rachael enrolled Julie in a teen boot camp program called Morning Wilderness Mountain in Colorado for the next eighteen months. It's like a baby boot camp, supposedly, but I found some bad Intel on them. This company has paid out large settlements to cover up sex abuse, there even evidence of students who have been murdered at the camp. They have convicted felons on their payroll, and while they claim to be based on military principal, they don't have a single veteran on employed with the boot camp."
"Rachel and her husband have sold their house and bought another one in Orlando. The move in date is next week," Hector Reported.
"Are you still coming down ?" I asked.
"If you need me to Boss," he replied.
"Call Stephanie, tell her what's up with Julie. She will agree to take Julie. When she does, explain to her that you will be bringing Julie to Seattle. Assure Stephanie that I am still locked up, and have no intention of bothering her, this about Julie. Babe has a soft spot for my little girl. She won't let me get in the way of her helping Julie."
"I am going to have someone retrieve her, and when they do, I need you take her right away. Call Manny, my accountant, and have him wire you what you need from one of my offshore accounts, I owe you big for this one Hector," I said before hanging up.