Page 10 of Saved By the Game

“Everything’s settled Mama Porter. I’ll go and add the money to my bank account for the bank transfer to the Paris jail. Then I’ll call you back when I have more information. I’ll talk to you later.” Hazel waved goodbye and drove away.

Although Hazel said she would call Brian’s attorney, Vanessa took the initiative to call Brian’s lawyer also. After several rings, there was no answer, so she left a voicemail for a call back. He had the best attorney on his payroll, Craig Davis. The only problem was the attorney was a celebrity attorney with a busy client list. It made it hard to contact him. Once Mr. Davis received the voicemail, Vanessa was sure he’d get to work on Brian’s case. She hung up the phone and went back to her gardening. It kept her mind free from the stress of being Brian’s mother.

Thirty minutes later Vanessa’s phone rang. Looking at the caller ID, she saw it was the lawyer. “This is Craig. I’m sorry I missed your call. I heard your voicemail, and I did some research about Brian being in Paris’s jail. I called the court staff in Paris’s jail to find out when his court date would be. he judges in Paris to find out when his court date would be. The court staff informed me that Brian didn’t have a bond or court date now. Usually, I’m able to get my way but not this time. It was understood that Brian made the officers angry in Paris. Apparently, they are taking their time on his case. Once the court staff returns my phone call then I’ll contact you. Don’t worry Mama Porter, I’m working on it.” The lawyer hung up the phone without allowing Vanessa the opportunity to reply. She took the phone from her ear and shook her head.

After he hung up, Vanessa took the opportunity to research more about Paris jails. She found out that in Paris, bail exists as an alternative to pre-trial detention, but it’s not a right and bail bondsmen are not part of the system. She prayed that Brian would be granted bail. She prayed that he wasn’t charged with a very serious crime because then only the High Court could grant him bail.

“Vanessa bawled her eyes out all night. She missed her son and didn’t know when she would see him again. Her stomach began to growl from an empty feeling. She curled up on her couch with her phone in hand awaiting to receive a call from someone with good news.

6

Joey Harris (The Hitman)

It was visitation time. Joey successfully obtained a permit for visitation by submitting an online application using a falsified identification card. He sat in the waiting room filled with women and children. He was the only man in the room waiting for an inmate to visit. Finally, Bourbon entered the room with eyes toward Joey. “ My guy. What’s up?” Bourbon offered his hand, and Joey gave him a fist pound instead. Joey sucked his teeth in frustration and straightened his eyeglasses while waiting for Bourbon to sit down. The eyeglasses were a part of his disguise. He wore a plain white dress shirt and tie along with dark, well-fitted jeans to look refined, even though he was a thug.

“Hey, no contact!” The guard yelled. “Take your hat off too, sir.”

Joey quickly took off his Brunello Cucinelli suede ball cap as the guard suggested. He was told by a prior guard to take off his cap but was able to slip by without further mentioning it until now. Bourbon stood much taller than Joey. He was only five feet and ten inches tall, but he was a stone-cold killer. He was known as the Silent Assassin in their hood. As a professional hitman, Joey took his job seriously. “Now what’s my assignmentthis time, Boss?” He scrunched his thick brows with a look of confusion.

Bourbon leaned in closer to Joey. “X out Adonis the Game Ferguson. The basketball player for the Dallas Mavericks. The job is due as soon as possible while he’s here in France. I’ll bank wire your payment to you after I find out the job is done.”

Joey nodded his head in agreement with Bourbon. He reacted with an empty look in his eyes. He rose quickly, detached from his surroundings and left Bourbon sitting at the table.

As soon as Joey made it inside his vehicle his phone rang. “Hey hunny, when are you coming home from work?”

“I’m on my way home now. I had to do an inspection an hour away. So, after I fight this traffic. I should make it home to you in about two hours.” Joey replied to his wife. He lied to her because he was actually nine hours and twenty five minutes away from Dallas. He was in Paris, France, but he didn’t want his wife to know it.

Joey’s wife Miranda didn’t know he was a professional hitman. He’d been married to Miranda for a year, and she thought he worked as a home inspector and appraiser. Prior to starting his car, Joey took a few pills to help manage his road rage. The doctor had him on two different types of medication for his schizophrenia and manic disorder. He kept the pills in a Tylenol bottle to keep his wife from finding out he was mentally ill. It’d been hard for him to conceal both his illness and his profession. Sometimes he’d come home with blood on his clothes and would lie about it to keep her distracted. He legally changed his name years before they met, but never told his wife, keeping his past identity a secret throughout their entire relationship.

As a child Joey witnessed his dad giving his mother crack cocaine. When he’d had enough, he pushed his dad down the stairs and killed him. It had looked like an accident, and no one was the wiser. That was the onset of his acts of violence. His mother couldn’t handle him and sent him away to a boarding school. In boarding school, he confessed the crime to a psychiatrist who put him on many prescription drugs. The psychiatrist had the legal, ethical right, and duty to break confidentiality and inform authorities about a serious crime. The psychiatrist informed the authorities to protect victims. Then he was held in a psychiatric ward until he was twenty-one.

Joey’s profession as a hitman had become a breeze for him. His heartless nature had allowed him to commit over thirty murders in the past two years. Which was the reason Bourbon hired him to get the job done for Brian. Despite all calls being recorded, the criminal managed to get away with crimes by using coded language and having someone make key calls on his behalf. This was the first time someone had hired him to kill a celebrity. He planned on taking calculated steps to keep his winning record perfect. The payment from the job wasn’t needed for Joey, but it definitely had the potential to elevate his lifestyle from a modest one to lavish. After he got the bag from the hit, he planned on leaving Texas for good. His hope was that he could convince his wife to leave with him. He and his wife lived in a small, cozy, three-bedroom home with a white picket fence in Dallas. He promised her after a year of marriage that they would buy a bigger house. Just like he’d lied about his career, the homebuying process was staged as well. Joey set up a fake closing with a friend at a title company to convince Miranda that he’d purchased her a house. He went through the process of convincing her he brought a house to maintain the illusion that he was a stable, trustworthy man, when in reality he was aliar living a double life as an assassin. The house they lived in was only a rental. Now that the lease was over, they needed to move out. If Joey’s plan was successful, he’d buy a modern house out of the country or convince Miranda to travel the world with him. Since Bourbon said the hit was urgent, he decided to call Miranda.

Miranda picked up the phone on the first ring. “Hey, handsome. I was just thinking about you. What’s going on baby?” Miranda smiled after each word she spoke.

“Honey, what do you think about taking a vacation out the country? I was thinking about visiting Qatar. The weather in Dallas has been abnormally cold. I want to go where there’s deserts, turquoise seas, and ancient sands. The environment in Qatar will give us the opportunity to see the culture steeped in hospitality, deep rooted traditions, and strong communal spirit, where family and celebration of heritage shapes everyday life. First, I need to take a quick business trip to Paris. He lied to cover up the fact that he’s already there. Once I come back, we can take our vacation to Qatar. So, have all your bags packed for a few weeks’ stay. I’ve done my research on the best hotels in Qatar. I plan for us to stay at the Hilton Salwa Beach Resort & Villas. What do you say about a two-week vacation to Qatar?”

“This is insane! I can’t believe it! The turquoise beaches, the desert, and the culture-I’ve always wanted to go to Qatar! This is the best surprise ever! Thank you, honey!

“You’re welcome, baby! I hope you’re not crying, being all sentimental, messing up your pretty make-up on your cinnamon skin. I know you think I don’t listen to you, but I took note when you told me about your desire to travel to different countries. I remember you told me you wanted to learn about different cultures. With you being Black and Asian, you’re basically awalking passport to fitting in everywhere over there. They’ll think you’re a local.” He said with a chuckle.

“Good thing I’ve got the perfect mix-I’ll blend in so well, they’ll probably think I’m secretly royalty!”

“Haha, yeah, yeah, royalty for sure. Alright, I gotta run, but we’ll talk more later. You have our credit cards. Please order the vacation clothes you want now. Honey, if I love it in Qatar, I might want to live there permanently. Pack your bags, we’ve got a trip to catch soon!”

“This was a surprise for me. I’m down for whatever as long as I’m with you. I’ll pray for your safety while you’re away in Paris. Smooches hunny.”

He hung up the phone to begin his hunt to find Adonis and kill him at first sight. Once the task was completed, he planned to return home and start a fresh life in Qatar with his wife.

7

Kybella Vonshire (Bella)

As soon as Bella caught sight of Adonis in the crowd, she ran to him. He gently wiped the tears from her eyes and pulled her in for a loving embrace. “Are you okay, baby? Did he hurt you?” All Bella could do was shake her head from side to side.

“Ma’am, we need you to go to the hospital with us. We have to do a rape kit. It’s protocol when sexual assault is reported as part of a hostage situation.”” The female officer sternly stated to Bella.

“Can my boyfriend come with me? I don’t want to go alone.” The female detective stood, contemplating for a couple of minutes, then responding, “Yes. I also need to ask him a few questions. If it were not for him, we probably wouldn’t have found you. He demanded to speak to the police officer in charge. The Prefect of Paris Police had all our officers working hard to find you. I can tell he cares deeply for you. I could’ve asked him questions when he reported you missing but I wanted to ensure that emotions or biases didn’t cloud the investigation. So, I allowed him to help because he insisted that he come with us knocking at each hotel door here. I need you to get on the véhicule de secours et d'assistance aux victimes – rescue and casualty assistance vehicle because the driver is waiting for you.You too, Adonis. You can assist the medics and help her get onto the stretcher.” The officer demanded as she stood watching them like a proud mother.

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