Ch 2 - Always The Hard Way
James and his partner Lawrence had set up position in two separate condos across the street from the grand terrace of the Ritz Carlton in downtown New Orleans targeting the podium from two different directions when the call came.
James could not believe his ears, but it was Finch's voice on the other end: "I got the missions director to let me handle the bust as I pleased! I gave Lawrence instructions to place a small charge under the podium and when Hickson and Lafayette accept their awards to activate it!"
"Are you crazy?" James almost shouted in the receiver.
"No, and I don't like collateral damage, but the only risk is hurting some of their security detail…and I cannot be overly concerned with that. It's a contained charge!" Finch's voice eld the cold element James remembered with crystal clarity that his boss had used to insist he eliminated the Douglas family a year ago in Dallas.
"I can take both of them out from my position!" James wanted to argue, but Finch cut him off: "That's exactly why I tasked Lawrence with the charge, and left you as plan B. If something goes south and they get up from the podium or get escorted, you take over! Got it? Besides he still has not reported that the charge is in place, so for now you take the best shot you get! " and he hung up leaving James steaming with anger both with the fact that Finch had not trusted him and with the direction the Op had taken.
He took his position again and looked through the scope at the people arriving at sitting at the big round tables in the hall, of which he had counted twenty, when his heart froze as he spotted Pote in a black suit walking in, belly forward, being followed by Kelly Anne (?!) and another woman with slick black hair. Both women were wearing evening gowns. What the hell was Kelly Anne doing with them again!
But his mind didn't linger on the question as he spotted Teresa in a white suit and hair pulled up in a bun, accompanied by the clown Javier, also dressed to perfection. A man in a black suit followed them closely and after exchanging looks with the dark haired woman walking next to Kelly Anne, took his place by the door, pretending to be invisible security.
The group took their seats at a table in the front row, but not directly in front of the podium at which time James noticed he exhaled a deep breath he had been holding. This second of relaxation was also cut short as his scope moved over the guests at the two tables in front of the podium and he spotted a pretty woman with long red hair hanging on the shoulder of a tall balding guy, fitting the description of his target.
At his point a man in a tux took the microphone to introduce the honorable Judge Lafayette and James observed the short slim figure of a man in his early 60s enter the hall accompanied by the applause from the audience.
His comm unit cracked and he heard Lawrence's voice reporting that the charge could not be placed as the security window had expired. James took a deeper breath again and got off from his position to light up a smoke, while his mind was cursing Finch and his particular operational style of 'divide and conquer".
Teresa was listening to the speeches of the Judge's entourage with half ear as her gaze kept sweeping the hall. There were many interesting faces, from the mayor and the police chief, several city council members to the chief prosecutor and several businessmen in stark suits with their detail. The event was covered by three TV channels, and she could see reporters walking around in search of the best position. The pinche Judge did own the city!
Teresa sipped her champagne and observed Oksana and Kelly Anne refill their glasses, while Pote kept frowning at the sight of the heure' d'oeuvre that was placed in front of him. Lafayette kept talking about 'ensuring the success of the judicial system' when Teresa's eyes fell on an elegant slender redhead in a green revealing dress getting up from the table closest to the podium and heading towards the ladies' room. She looked familiar and it took Teresa several seconds to place her. When she finally did, she felt her heart in her throat and without a second thought, whispered to Pote to watch the direction of the restroom area before sneaking out.
As she pushed the bathroom door open and walked in Teresa was certain that the woman was who she thought her to be.
Kim had felt the stare from behind as she stopped adding more make up on her already perfectly made up face and briskly turned backwards to Teresa. Her face froze and then was lit by recognition: "I remember you…You…ahh…worked with Jimmy!"
"I remember you too". Teresa heard her voice come out. She wasn't quite sure what she expected Kim to know, but it was obvious to her that she wouldn't have rested, if she had not asked the question: "Where is he?"
Kim's eyebrows wrinkled: "Who? Jimmy?"
Her voice sounded weird, then she got over her surprise and said with an expression close to empathy: "I don't know…But if you're asking me …looking so uptight...then I wasn't wrong about you two!"
Then she laughed outright: "What did you do to lose him? What was your name?"
"Teresa". Teresa said slowly, almost realizing that it had been a long shot.
"Yes, Teresa! Well, he left when I told him he wasn't really there for me…and I never heard back!" Kim turned back to the mirror and made a final touch to her make up, then shoved her make up kit in her purse, looked Teresa from head to toe and added:
"I know it stopped working between us because he was distracted! Yes, his line of work was at fault….but there was another woman on his mind…I felt it…You know women's intuition...And I do acknowledge the fact there were many circling around him in that warehouse … like flies on honey! I mean some of own friends for fuck's sakes had the hots for him…"
The babble seemed too much for someone who had had time only for a glass of champagne, Teresa thought: " ...But after he had started working with you, and he brought you to the house for that dress…I knew his attention was somewhere else...So, yeah….I got no clue where he is, and I don't care…I got myself a man whose attention is …ahh…directed at me!" and with that she took a step towards the exit.
"So, you really don't know where he is?" Teresa felt she needed to keep the conversation going as if something might shake loose.
Kim made a pitiful face: "Oh honey, no...If Jimmy doesn't wanna be found, you ain't finding him!" she said in that unmistakable Texan drawl that Teresa found so annoying.
At this point a man with a wire in his ear approached the bathroom and just as another loud round of applause exploded from the hall, he said over Teresa's shoulder: "Miss, you need to come back now. Orders of Mr. Hickson!"
Teresa moved to the side for Kim to exit and a few seconds later spotted Pote waiting for her down the corridor.
They took their seats and Teresa noticed that George had arrived and taken the last seat at the table. His suit was beige, in contrast with all men strictly following the expected dress code of dark suits. At least he isn't in a Hawaiian shirt!
Teresa felt her heart beat in her ears as she nervously moved her chair to the left to get a better angle at Kim's table. The woman was giggling and whispering something in the ear of a balding man, whom Teresa was had seen in Lafayette's office when she had gone to ask his Honor to intervene in the war Dumas had waged on her.
The Judge finished his speech and called for 'time to mingle' so that his guests would have the opportunity to open their wallets to his 'charitable causes'. James decided to smoke another cigarette as it became clear that the cleanest opportunity to get Hickson would be when he took the stage to receive his awards.
That's when he saw Teresa walk in the direction of the small conference room to the right of the Hall, where the Judge was sipping a drink. Hickson followed her shortly after, which scenario disturbed James and he nervously wiped his hands on his jeans. With them in a small adjacent room a shot would be much easier, but Teresa's proximity was stopping him, not because he doubted his shooting skill, but because he didn't want to put her in the cross hairs of an attack, when she wasn't even supposed to her there, damn it!
"Miss Mendoza, I needed to introduce my dear associate Mr. Hickson because I believe we can help each other in the current situation!" Lafayette was saying in his most honeyed voice.
Teresa had shaken Hickson's hand and was biding her time to see what they'd want, while thinking that 'helping each other out' was her phrase!
Without much preamble Hickson expressed his desire have her distribute his molly and ecstasy using her northern routes, while the Judge didn't miss to remark that the transport company she owned had been acquired with his important and generous assistance.
"I will consider the request, but I have one of my own to make!" Teresa said and as the two men waited patiently, she continued: "Your molly needs to leave Atlanta! I can help you move it further north, but Atlanta is where an associate of mine has established her area."
"So, you and Volkova are associates!" Hickson seemed surprised. "I don't know the woman personally, but unless she negotiates her territories, I am pushing my product. Can you arrange a meet?"
Teresa was tempted to tell them that Oskana was present and was enjoying their champagne right now outside in the Hall, but the thought that her friend might not be happy being thrown into such a meeting without preparation took over. So, Teresa agreed to consider both matters.
At his time the Judge's assistant knocked and entered without waiting for an answer. It was obvious people in the Hall were looking for the Judge and he needed to resume playing host.
James had an inkling to take the shot in the brief second Teresa and Hickson were left alone in the room, but something stopped him, and he watched them shake hands again and exit into the big Hall.
Pote was right next to Teresa handing her a glass of wine whine: "Who was the woman from the restroom?"
Teresa hesitated for a second as she expected him to ask about the reason behind the Judge summoning her. Then she managed: "Ahh...James's ex!"
"Wow...Giant peach was a Romeo, I always suspected it though!" Teresa realized George had come to stand behind her.
"Callate, Cabron!" (shut up) Pote grumbled and George got startled at his tone.
Teresa was sure she was in control of her face and the meeting with the Judge and his protegee had distracted her for a few minutes from the emotions of seeing James's ex-girlfriend, but she knew her upset was readable by people who knew her, people like Pote.
Javier had also approached to advise that Oksana and her detail had left because they had been informed that a competitor was present and that things might not be 'safe' for her here.
Teresa considered the situation and turned to Javier: "I doubt anyone would attempt anything in this crowded venue! Let's just sign up our donation cards and mingle!"
After she dropped the sealed envelope with her pledge in the wooden box, she heard Pote again: "I thought you stopped looking for him...and hooked up with that...musician!" The man was not letting go! Couldn't he see she was not eager to go down memory lane?
Teresa mumbled without looking at him directly: "Never stopped!"
"Orale pues! What did his redhead tell you…hah?" (Okay then) he grumbled.
Teresa cleared he throat: "That if he wants to stay hidden, I cannot find him!" her intonation was down, and her voice sounded like she was imitating Pote's grumbling. She was certain it came out like that on its own. She was not one to tease and taunt people.
It seemed Pote got the message as he only mumbled: "Always the hard way!"
Or maybe he let go because Kelly Anne appeared from somewhere and negligently snuck her arm under his elbow: "Honey, let's refresh our drinks and say hello to the mayor! I need him to remember me not being single because I'll be approaching his office on the Waterfront property issues very soon!"
Kelly Anne's Texan drawl sounded so much like Kim's that Teresa knew she had made a face. Her mind flashed her Pote speaking about how a relationship with James was dangerous for everyone… and now that James had been gone, he was having a relationship with someone from the team himself! But so was Javier, hiding with the fiancée of his cousin Boaz. It was so messed up with relationships in this Life! The painful reality was unbearable at times!
Just as Teresa's eyes observed Hickson and Kim with two other men, clinging their glasses, the sound of broken glass startled her as she saw Hickson, who had been standing with his back to the window, fall to the ground in a pool of blood.
Kim screamed, which was followed by others, until a full panic ensued.