Читать книгу 1 Law 4 All - Billy Angel - Страница 14

Kitiona thought living in Chinatown would conceal her presence in the City. But, it didn’t. She was on the run, again, and she didn't like fearing for her life.

She'd recognized the two men that chased her into Original Joe's. Eight months earlier the same two ex-military types had cornered her near the site of the fire. She narrowly escaped their terminal intentions.

One of the two men asked her for directions. The other circled behind her. He grabbed her with a bear hug from behind. He threw her to the ground. As the two were about to stab her, one man said she should have left well enough alone. "Wasn't the insurance money enough for you?" he questioned.

Just then a series of growls and barks approached from behind them. They both turned noticing four dogs charging them, Kitiona broke loose at their surprise. The dogs delayed the men long enough for her to escape into the jungle behind her village.

Shortly after that incident, Kitiona left American Samoa for the big city. She needed to continue her investigation into the fire that killed her family. Besides, she suspected that eventually her search would end up at Amerastar's corporate headquarters. She didn’t count on seeing the same two menacing men again. Dodging these two was getting tiresome.

She had to get the few things out of the Chinatown apartment. She knew the men chasing her would be watching it. She also knew that these two guys were getting information from sources beyond her control. They were connected enough to find her new identify and where she lived.

Kitiona didn't bring much from her island home. The fire has destroyed most of her belongings. But what she did bring was valuable to her. After fast forwarding through several plans, she settled on her Salvation Army idea.

Her rent had been paid to the end of the month, so Kitiona believed the apartment manager would cooperate. She sent him a text message. She asked him to call the Salvation Army and have them pick up her belongings. She gave him the name and number of a specific Salvation Army manager.

Salvation Army manager's name was Frederick. He liked to be called Freddy. Kitiona prearranged with Freddy to donate her meager furnishings to the Salvation Army. In addition, he would make a little cash for himself. In turn Freddy would pick up her belongs and bring them back to the center. There she would take what she needed and leave the rest.

Freddy made the pickup that afternoon. While he noticed a black Ford SUV parked across the street, he paid it and the two men sitting inside, no mind. Freddy went about his business. Once all Kitiona's belongings were loaded, he drove off to make another pickup.

Kitiona watched the job from the corner deli. She was eating a sandwich and drinking iced tea. She disguised herself with a pair of fake glasses, a Giants baseball cap and a Forty-niners windbreaker. She looked like every other college kid in the City eating lunch.

She spied the same black Ford SUV as Freddy. She recognized them as the two men who chased her into the jungle and around Original Joe's.

One of the men had a square jaw line, flat-top hair and chewed up right ear. The other had glasses, a boxer's nose and ears and long curly, black hair, They were imposing and scary.

Kitiona watched the Salvation Army truck pull away. The black Ford SUV didn't budge. She let out a deep sigh. Then she wrapped up the rest of her sandwich, left a tip on the table and walked out the door. She turned in the opposite direction of her old apartment and sped off on her 1991 Honda Shadow.

She cruised around the City, stopping to walk around Lombard Street to kill some time. A few hours later, she arrived at the Salvation Army center and found Freddy. She felt like hugging him, but didn't want to give him the wrong impression. So, instead she shook his hand. She asked him about her belongings.

Freddy responded. "They're over in that corner," he said pointing about 30 feet to his right.

She saw the pile and gave Freddy the rest of the $100 she promised him. He smiled. "A pleasure doin’ business with you.”