Chapter 28: Hunting In The Hills
For the last hour Geraldine drove around Rockford Hills, she went through the catalogs to see if she could find a house that she thought was good enough to live in. So far all she's found were places that were full of uptight snobs. Some of them looked at her and saw nothing but a hood rat who crawled out from a sewer hole, they looked at her like she would contaminate the atmosphere. The feeling was mutual as she didn't like them back, Geraldine compared them to a flock of vultures looking on as if their meal is about to be interrupted by some type of stray animal. She just ignored them and went on about of her business.
The catalog that she had went through did indeed have good looking houses, they really were something from the movies.
Geraldine had the money from the heist that she had done with Sunny and Dericourt had sent them some money along the way, plus they're about to do that heist with Chelsea at the end of the week. She hardly used that money that was buried underneath her shed, she may as well put it to good use and doing something with it. And what better way to do it then finding a new house for herself and Reggie. A fresh start for the both of them.
The neighborhood was big and that wasn't an understatement. It was almost alien to her seeing the streets clean. Green grass being trimmed, she was used to seeing lawns that were nothing more than mud and dirt. Their weren't any junkies prowling the streets and asking for change so they get their next score. Their wasn't any hookers asking some trick if they wanted to go for a ride. None of that was seen. Most people dreamed about living in these types of places, lots of them never make it though. Geraldine never thought in her life that she would make it here but here she is.
She stops by a small sandwich shop. A few side way looks make her feel unwanted.
Geraldine ordered a Reuben with Russian dressing along with a coffee.
After a few bites, a middle aged woman walks into the place; who also looked like she had an apparent chip on her shoulder; she ordered a cappuccino with lot of espresso. That right there showed the signs of that it was more than just a chip on the shoulder.
The way she was dressed gave an indication that she was a real estate agent. Judging by the amount of caffeine that she was about to drink, she looked like she had some words to say. The agent pulls out her phone. Geraldine turned her head slightly to listen in on the conversation.
"Hello? It's me. No, I haven't sold it; that Russian bitch refuses to leave. Well I can't make her leave, she's a stubborn one; I don't give a damn who she was with. She may have been fucking Martin Madrazo but that doesn't mean a bitch of her caliber can stay there for free. Madrazo isn't even in the goddamn state anymore, he left this loud mouthed drunken whore behind; I keep saying that we need to find a way to get rid of this skank; well I don't know how. Until you find a way to get that hag out she'll be there mouthing off her crap".
The agent hung up on whoever she was talking to. Geraldine now knows that their might a house that might be available if she says the right phrase.
"Excuse me, you a real estate?" she asked, the agent looked up at Geraldine "What's it to you?" "I'm lookin' for a house and I think I can help".
The agent looked at Geraldine, not just that red apple hair of hers or her tattoos or those hoop earrings. Her eyes never saw a person like her before "Well, I can't help you right now" she shoo's her away "I heard about your little problem" Geraldine whispered as low as she could "I think I can help you out with it". The agent looked at her like she was crazy "Do you have a place we can...negotiate?" "Yeah...I know a place".
They exit and enter the Cavalcade. They silently drive towards a nearby parking lot.
"What do you want? You're trying to blackmail me for money?" the agent suddenly implied "No, I need a fuckin' house; I got a lot of money right now" Geraldine looked at her "Where'd you get the money?" the agent suspiciously wondered "I'm not a fuckin' drug dealer motherfucker, if that's what you're fuckin' assumin'" Geraldine sniped back "I was a bounty hunter back then, now I'm not one anymore and if you're wonderin' on how I got this money, I just worked my ass off". The agent gave this look of 'I don't fucking believe you'.
"Look I overheard you havin' a problem, one thing that I'm good at is fixin' problems".
When Geraldine mentioned the word problem, her mood became numb "How about I help you solve your problem and you put me in touch for a really good house?" Geraldine proposed. The agent didn't know if this was a setup of sorts "Are you wearing a wire?" she asked nonchalantly "Do I look like a fuckin' police officer to you?" Geraldine felt insulted "No," the agent wisely answered "you got that look about you...you know what I'm talking about, don't you?" the way she spoke was as if she had been around the block, like she may done this type of work before.
"Alright, I'll bite; the names Joni by the way" she announced "Geraldine".
Joni looked around the lot to make sure no suspicious individuals were listening in on them.
"This bitch's name is Natalia. Some fake tanned Russian cock slut from whatever Eastern European cesspool that she crawled from, she's been shacking in a house in the neighborhood; we've been trying to get rid of her but she always finds a way to stay there. That slut does whatever she wants and it's because of that customers are being driven away from the area".
"You said Madrazo? As in Martin Madrazo, one psychotic Mexican motherfucker who'd likely kill everyone I fuckin' know?" Geraldine sounded worried "Madrazo left the state, I don't know where he is; when he left, he left behind this skank; she still says his name. She says it to scare people away but she's just some stupid fucking drunk".
Geraldine still looked nervous "Look, Martin Madrazo hasn't been seen since god knows when; he's probably dead or something" Joni reassures "Fine, I believe you" Geraldine still didn't feel safe "I need you to go to West Vinewood, the bitch hangs out at this bar on Eclipse boulevard, follow her around and when she enters Rockford Hills; take her out".
"And if I pull this off, will you help me get a house? A big one at least?" Geraldine desperately asked "I'll see what I can do, until then take the bitch out and maybe I'll be happy".
Eclipse boulevard, West Vinewood
An hour passes as she observed the whore drinking shots.
Shot after shot pours down her throat.
The bartender tries to stop her and tells that she's had enough "Trakhat' tebya! (Fuck you!)" she violently cursed and tosses the shot glass at the man. The glass breaks into bits and she now demands a new one. Bystanders look at her like some circus freak on a temper kept observing her, Joni was right about one thing. She was a drunk and she was loud. Geraldine couldn't understand how this dirty drunken whore managed to fuck Martin Madrazo, one of the most notorious gangsters in the history of organized crime; a man wouldn't hesitate to kill every person that she knew. A man who was feared by every gang banger in the whole state, just say his name and everybody would scatter to the wind.
The good thing was that Madrazo was gone from the state. The only bad news was that he left this drunken wretch behind. Geraldine thought that when this is said and done maybe the prices for housing in the neighborhood will improve. And maybe Geraldine could finally find a home worth living in.
The whore gets into another argument with the bartender, he promptly calls security.
The guard grabs her, she curses in Russian and is thrown out. She curses some more and yells at a cab to stop.
She enters the cab and starts yelling at the driver. He's probably already regretting giving her a ride.
Geraldine looks on as the cab drives north. She pulls out the sawed off 12 gauge; if she was going to do this then it was going to be quick. Just some random act of violence that just happened to a very equally bitchy person.
The Cavalcade closely follows the cab. From a distance Geraldine could see that the whore was still arguing and spouting whatever nonsense that she spouts out. She keeps on following. For more than twenty minutes Geraldine follows. A part of her feels irritated that she's doing this for the price of a house. Sounds stupid, if not, rather comical. Within a moment or two, this whores life is about to get shorter.
The cab pulls over, looks like the cabbie has had enough of this bitch. "You can't do this to me! Do you know I used to fuck? Martin Madrazo! Green light! Green light...!" she slurred her speech, the cabbie ignored her and drove off. Geraldine knew that this was her chance.
Natalia looked around. She was only a block away from her house, she spits on the ground and staggers her way home. The whore smelled of booze and puke. Here she was, somebody who was well taken care of and screwing the most powerful gangster in the state; now she's reduced to drinking at a bar. At least she still has a house.
"Excuse me" a voice from a Cavalcade calls to her "What the fuck do you want?" she rudely replied "Got a surprise for you, from a special friend".
Boom! The blast and pellets through her cranium, smashing the left side of her face open.
Some random scream is heard as the whore drops dead. The Cavalcade speeds off. For someone with a big mouth, she sure knew how to shoot it off. Too bad it got her killed.
When she was far enough and out of sight Geraldine get's on her phone.
"Hey, the bitch is dead" she coldly reported her result "Thank god, any longer and I was going to strangle that whore myself" the agent responded "Yeah, yeah; do you have a fuckin' house for me or not?" Geraldine impatiently asked "Yeah, I think found; sending you the coordinates right now". Within several seconds the address is sent to her phone. In a moment she's about to get a view of a potential new house.
...
The house was spacious. It was as grand as a palace. It was powder blue with white arches similar to those of the Acropolis. The driveway was all brick which gave it that homey feeling to it. The metal gate that had surrounded the door had a Victorian style that gave it that old school feel. The door itself was rich brown mahogany with two oval glass centers, which were shaded.
Joni had the keys and opened the door. It was magical, if not surreal. The stairs were covered in plush purple carpet. The floor was light brown and it was polished over "Oh my god" Geraldine felt stunned, being in the mere presence of this overwhelmed her sense of worth. The living room was spacious with the same shine from the hardwood floor, she could see herself putting a flat screen and watching it like a player. Their wasn't a fireplace which was a real downer for her as she always wanted a fireplace. Total bummer. Geraldine went to the kitchen area "Damn" was the word that she used, a flat electrical stove with no coils is the thing that impresses her. The top had no grill or coil, just clear white circles "Woo hoo hoo" she whistled as she could see herself cooking something special for everybody. The counter top was solid white tile while the floor was a mix of black with dark green.
"What do you think?" Joni asked "It's fuckin' great" Geraldine says looking around "Tell me there's a pool?" "You're in luck, there's one in the back along with a basketball court next to it". Geraldine's jaw almost dropped to the floor, she ran to what was the backyard. She saw the pool. The steps were at the beginning lead to the part of it, which was circuliar in design. The size was around 20x40 in length. It was perfect for parties, there was something missing though "Hey, isn't there supposed to be a Jacuzzi around here?" Geraldine wondered "Sorry to say, there isn't" Joni expressed "Well, it really doesn't matter" Geraldine stated "What about that basketball court?" Joni shows her the way.
A small chain link gate was nearby the pool, Joni opened the door. The basketball court was something that she didn't expect to have, Geraldine didn't play much ball but it didn't stop her from shooting hoops now and then. The pavement was all green with white lines marking the areas, reminiscent of all basketball courts. The hoops were just hoops, lacking netting.
"Do you want to see the rooms now?" "Yeah, let's get goin'" Geraldine says with eagerness.
They walked upstairs, the carpet on top matched the stairs. "How many rooms does this place have?" Geraldine wondered "Four, master bedroom has it's own shower and bathroom, guest room has a half bathroom. Let's look at the master bedroom shall we?". The bedroom door opens. It was big, Geraldine's eyes looked around on how spacious it was, she see's the crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling. An aurora of awe swept through her body "Shit..." she muttered under her breath. She looked at the closet, it was somewhat more spacious with at least two separate areas for shoes and another for clothes. It didn't to Geraldine since she never considered herself the fancy type, she never wore any type of dress. Let alone she never wore any high heels before in her life. Still there are plenty of uses for a closet of this size. "Hey, that a balcony?" she points to a set doors "Yeah, you missed it when we were looking at the pool and basketball court".
Geraldine dashed to the two doors. She opened them. It wasn't like the view at Sunny's house, this one here was a little smaller. Still it was nice enough to her own balcony.
"Let's see the other rooms shall we?" Joni insisted.
The other two rooms were just rooms, the windows letting in sunlight. She always wanted to put a stripper pole in one of these rooms, well when the time comes she'll differently put one in either room. The guest room didn't have any windows but it some had a skyline view in the shape of a small window in the middle of the ceiling. The bathroom was their lost stop. The tiles are a mix of blue and white, the toilet was powder blue; it matched the tiles along with the blue tub. The counter top for the sink was marble white, beautiful if sunlight had touch them. It's everything that a fancy bathroom is supposed to be.
"So what do you think? Is it up to your standards?" Joni inquired "Hell yeah it is! Fuck man, I never ever imagined myself living here" Geraldine had a passion in her voice that she never had before "How much?" "Original price would have been $800, 000 per month", Geraldine's jaw almost to the floor "But seeing on how you helped out, I'll do it around $50, 000" Joni proposed "Done deal" Geraldine gave a quick answer "Let me deal with all the paperwork and whatever, within a few weeks you'll be able to move in".
"Alright then, so we good?" Geraldine looked back "Yeah, we're good" Joni says pulling out her phone "You should have told me you know Dominic".
Geraldine looked at her stunned that she dropped his name "You know Dominic?".
"We're pretty much friends, and we've...been close; if you know what I mean?".
"Man don't even mention that" just the thought of that made her skin crawl "Right," Joni laughed it off "I got to do that paperwork; let's get out of here".
As the both of them walked out, Geraldine got one last look at her soon to be house. She was nearly there, all that was missing were a pair of strippers to top it off.
...
Arnold heaves the crate containing the rifle. It was brand new, the local National Guard depot had a soldier or two who needed to make a quick buck. So much for serving the country.
Chelsea looked at the expensive looking pottery. The one that she was looking at came from the times of ancient Greece. She didn't collect much art but she had an eye for price value. "Don't even think about taking" Sunny warned "I'm not going to take anything! What? You think I'm going to snatch pots and stuff them into my trousers?" Chelsea sneered back, Sunny eyes her with wariness. "Alright, here it is" Arnold announced as he opened the crate.
"This here is the M110" the rifle wasn't black like most rifles but a desert tan with the scope being the same color "This has been in use for only a few years but it does the job just right, fires a 7.62x51mm round, it can hold around ten to twenty rounds in the chamber".
"Does it come with a silencer?" Sunny wondered "See those ridges on the barrel? Silencer will easily fit onto it".
"How much?" she asked "$15, 000; the silencer is free of charge" "Sold, also pack a shit amount of magazines with it".
Arnold put the rifle down and went on to get a case along with a pair of magazine clips "Alright, we got the rifle down; now we need a helicopter" Sunny looked at Chelsea "Mm, let me take care of that. Shouldn't be too much hassle".
"Well we have a few days to do this, shouldn't really be a problem" Sunny sarcastically finished "By the way, do you even know how to get a helicopter? Let alone fly one?" she questioned "I know where to get one and don't worry! I know how to fly, it's not like I'll crash it into the mountain or something!" Chelsea stupidly laughed "That doesn't make me feel better" Sunny says with a worried look on her face "You're such a worry wart! See that's your problem there, you're always thinking negatively; don't worry so much" Chelsea assures "Their better be a lot of money when this over" "Their will! Like I said, don't worry so much".
This so better be worth it.
Chapter 29 is coming soon. Rate and Review.