The Mike Black Saga; MOB (23 page)

Early that morning, Travis surprised Jackie and Ronnie with the announcement that he had another job planned. This was just what they both wanted to hear. Ronnie had made some bad investments and had to dip deep into his reserve to cover his loses. Jackie was deep into her reserves as well, as her gambling losses began to pile up.

Travis had decided to tell them that this would be his last job. Since the first day he began thinking seriously about it, he knew that his decision to get out would have a profound effect on his relationship with Jackie and Ronnie. They knew something was going on with him, but up until this point, he was able to convince them his recent changes in behavior were all about him working again and nothing more.

And for a while that was fine. Jackie had gotten wrapped up in doing a little modeling and Ronnie seemed happy and content to be trading stocks again. But now, with their recent financial misfortunes, Travis felt responsible somehow and obligated to do this last job.  

When Jackie and Ronnie arrived Travis laid out his plan to take the bank he had been surveying. “Alright, listen up. Our next job is going to be the taking of the First American Bank,” Travis said. He laid a diagram of the bank on the table.

The house phone rang, but Travis ignored it and handed Jackie a map of the area around the bank. “On Friday, this branch has a larger than usual amount of cash on hand to process payroll checks from the offices in the area. When the bank opens on Friday morning, there’s a small rush, which ends at approximately 10:15 a.m. Then there’s a lull that lasts until approximately 11:30, when the lunch rush begins. That’s our window. Our target time is 10:30. We will observe standard operating procedures as well as wearing standard operating gear, with business attire under our jumpsuits.”

Travis turned his attention to the diagram of the bank. “The security is stationed outside of the bank, supposedly as a deterrent to robbery. His standard patrol pattern is simple; he walks circles on the sidewalk around the outside of the bank. He goes into the bank every fifteen minutes for a period of time that never exceeds ten minutes. He will enter the bank here at the north door, and will exit here at the south door,” Travis said, pointing to the diagram.

The phone rang again, and once again Travis ignored it.

“Jackie will be positioned there and will advise on his entrance. Once he is in the bank, Jackie will move into position at the north door and stand by for the word ‘go.’ Ronnie, you and I will assume an ambush posture at the south door. When the guard exits the building, Ronnie will disarm and secure him while I cover. Once he’s secure, the word is ‘go.’

“Inside the bank there will be six people: five females and one male. There are four teller positions and three offices directly adjacent to them. During our target window, at least two of those positions will be manned, but all positions will be stocked.

“Once inside, I will cover the room, and, if it’s all right with you two, control the operation. Agreed?”

“Agreed,” Jackie said.

“Ronnie?”

“You da man,” Ronnie said.

“All right. The timeline is two minutes. Once we’re inside, your first objective is to move everybody to the center of the room. Ronnie, you clear these offices while Jackie moves everybody out from behind the counter, but you’ll maintain your position behind the counter and prepare to go for the money in the teller positions only.

“Ronnie, in the first office you’ll find the bank manager. She will have a key on her waist; secure it. Once we have accounted for and have secured the guard, all six employees and however many customers are there, Ronnie will join Jackie behind the counter.

“You should have approximately one minute to get the money in the drawers and from the rolling cart, which will be behind the counter. Ronnie, that key will open the cart and any of the cash drawers that are locked. Take the cart first, Ronnie, while Jackie clears the teller positions.

“Jackie, once Ronnie has the cash from the cart, you will give him your bag, and you will exit the building though the south entrance and prepare for our escape. Ronnie, you proceed to take any of the drawers that were locked.”

This time his cell phone rang and Travis answered it. “Hello.”

By the time she got Travis on the phone, Me’shelle was crying again, and it was very hard for Travis to understand what she was saying. “Slow down, Me’shelle. Are you all right?” Travis asked as he walked away from the table.

Jackie looked at Ronnie. “Who the fuck is Me’shelle?” she said softly and with a bit of attitude.

“How the fuck should I know?” Ronnie answered.

Travis was only able to make out the words ‘rape’, ‘Jacobi Hospital’ and ‘please come.’

“All right, Me’shelle, just calm down. I’m on my way,” he said and hung up.

Travis turned to Jackie and Ronnie, who both stood before him with questioning eyes. “What’s up, Tee?” Ronnie asked.

“Who the fuck is Me’shelle?” Jackie asked.

“I gotta go, y’all.”

“You leaving? In the middle of plannin’ a job?” Ronnie asked in disbelief. “I don’t fuckin’ believe this shit. What’s so fuckin’ important that you got to drop everything and run out?”

“Who the fuck is Me’shelle?” Jackie asked again.

“I’ll answer all your questions when I get back, but I gotta go. Y’all can stay here if you want to or bounce. I’ll get with y’all later,” Travis said and left the house.

“Ain’t that a bitch,” Ronnie said.

“It damn sure is. And who the fuck is Me’shelle?” Jackie asked.

When Travis arrived at the hospital, he looked around for Me’shelle. The duty nurse led him to Brandy’s room, where he found Me’shelle sitting quietly at her door. Travis sat down next to Me’shelle and the two sat quietly in the hallway holding hands. Me’shelle began to cry again, and Travis squeezed her hand a little tighter. Her thoughts were on Bruce and Natalie. Where were they, and why hadn’t either of them come to the hospital to see about their daughter?
Probably off somewhere getting high
.

When her aunts arrived, Me’shelle cried as she told them how Brandy was doing and what she knew. Travis stayed back and allowed the family their space. “Has anybody heard from Bruce?” Juanita asked.

“Nothing. The police said they were going to send a car by the house, but I haven’t heard anything else about that either,” Me’shelle replied.

“Him and Natalie are probably off somewhere getting high like they always do,” Miranda said, then she cried. “Can we see her?”

“I don’t know. You’ll have to check with the nurses. They said that Brandy was very agitated and they had to sedate her. They wanted her to rest.”

Juanita started walking toward the nurses’ station. “We’ll see her.”

While Juanita went off to talk with the nurses, Me’shelle introduced Miranda to Travis.

“I’m sorry to have to meet you under these circumstances. Me’shelle talks about you and her aunt Juanita all the time. She has a lot of love and respect for you both,” Travis said.

Miranda looked at Travis and rolled her eyes. “Did she teach you to say that?”

“No.” Travis laughed a little. “She really does talk about the two of you all the time.”

Juanita returned from the nurses’ station. “We can see her now, as long as we don’t wake her. I promised to call one of them if she wakes up.”

“Aunt Juanita, this is Travis Burns, the man I’ve been telling you about. Travis, this is my aunt Juanita.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I was just telling your sister that Me’shelle talks about the two of you all the time, and how she has so much love and respect for you both,” Travis said

Juanita rolled her eyes just like Miranda did. “Huh. So you’re the reason that Me’shelle can’t come have Sunday dinner with us old ladies anymore,” she said, looking at Me’shelle. “You know, the ones that she has so much love and respect for.”

“I guess I am,” Travis said softly.

“Let’s go see Brandy, Juanita,” Miranda said.  Juanita followed her to Brandy’s room. Before they entered, she stopped and turned back to face Travis. “I guess that means that you have to come to Sunday dinner with her now, since she can’t seem to do anything without you,” she said.

“It may be the only way we get to see her again,” Juanita added then the pair disappeared into the room.

Travis turned around and reclaimed his seat. “That didn’t go well.”

“Yes, it did,” Me’shelle said as she sat down next to him. “I think they like you.”

“What makes you say that?”

“When they first met Trent, Aunt Juanita told him he had a big head, and Aunt Miranda, well, she didn’t even speak to him. They were both looking forward to meeting you. I told them that you were the perfect gentleman and that you know how to treat a lady.”

“I’d never have known it from that response.”

“They invited you to dinner, Travis.”

“So they can fatten me up for the kill. A punishment for taking their Me’shelle away from them.”

As the day wore on, Me’shelle left Travis sitting in the hallway while she went in the room to be with her family. When she came out and sat down, Me’shelle noticed two men at the nurses’ station. The nurse pointed in her direction and the two men came down the hall.

“Who are they?” Me’shelle asked.

“Cops,” Travis answered.

“How do you know?”

“I can spot ’em a block away.” Travis wasn’t really feelin’ being this close to the cops, but he didn’t want to leave Me’shelle’s side or look suspicious to the cops. They both stood up to meet the officers.

“Ms. Lawrence?”

“Yes.”

“I’m Detective Richards, and this is my partner, Detective Kirkland. We just came from your brother’s house, and I’m sorry to have to tell you this, Ms. Lawrence, but your brother and sister-in-law are both dead,” he said

Me’shelle fell into Travis’s arms and began to cry.

“They were murdered sometime last night, we believe,” Richards continued. “The murders may be drug-related. I understand that your niece was raped. Do you know if she was in the house last night?”

“I don’t know. The doctor told me she’s in shock and hasn’t told anybody anything,” Me’shelle answered.

“Yes, I know, but I thought that maybe you could tell us something.”

“I don’t know,” Me’shelle said tearfully. “I don’t know.”

While Detective Richards tried to get answers from Me’shelle, Detective Kirkland stared at Travis. He couldn’t help but wonder if there was any possibility that this cop recognized him. Travis avoided making eye contact with Kirkland, choosing instead to focus his gaze on Me’shelle and Detective Richards. The detective’s eyes on him made Travis nervous, but he tried not to show it.

Kirkland put his hand on his partner’s shoulder. “I know this is a bad time for you, Miss Lawrence, but we’re going to need you to come in and talk with us.” With that, Richards took out one of his cards and handed it to Me’shelle. “So, when you feel up to it, please give me a call.”

Kirkland continued to stare at Travis as Richards turned and walked away. “Don’t I know you from somewhere?”

“No. I don’t think so,” Travis answered.

“What’s your name?” Kirkland asked. Richards turned around and returned to his partner’s side.

“Travis Burns.”

Kirkland looked Travis up and down then finally walked away.

Me’shelle looked curiously at Travis. “What was that all about?” she asked, wiping away her tears

“I have no idea,” Travis answered as he watched the two detectives leave. But now he was worried.

Me’shelle called her aunts out into the hallway and told them about Bruce and Natalie. They cried together while Travis looked on helplessly. He was really shaken by his encounter with the detective. The thing to do now was to remain calm and call Freeze. He would wait a half an hour before he got up and left the area.

“What was that all about?” Detective Richards asked when they got on the elevator. “You know that guy?”

“Nah,” Kirkland answered. “Never seen him before in my life.”

“You think he might be involved?” Richards asked.

“I don’t know, and to be honest, I really don’t think he is. But you know how these things are, Pat. At this point, we don’t have shit. So, sometimes you gotta shake shit up and see what falls out.”

Travis paced back and forth outside the hospital, waiting for Freeze to call him back. It had been almost two months since Travis had spoken to him. When Freeze called back, Travis told him where he was and what was going on, then informed him of his encounter with Detective Kirkland.

Freeze listened to what Travis had to say and told him not to worry. “Kirk is a homicide cop. His thing is drug-related murders. You wouldn’t be on Kirk’s radar. But he’s a smart cop, as far as cops go, so stay out of his way.”