Chapter 12

Talib waited until after work hours to return. He and Saul planned to search Ashanta’s office.

Talib felt a sting in his chest when he thought about Ashanta. He didn’t want to kill her, but he had no choice. She knew too much and believed she was behind his missing money. His uncertainty was only overshadowed by his distrust of Saul.

A man that turned his back on his family for money could not be trusted. If he was capable of killing and stealing from his blood, why would he think twice about doing the same to him? With that in mind, he’d made a resolution to do anything, and everything necessary to get his money and return home.

Talib scanned the parking lot. He saw a few cars. He noticed a vehicle turning into the parking lot. He sat up. As the vehicle approached he saw Saul’s pale skin illuminated in the overhead lights.

He removed the keys from the ignition and felt his lower back for his gun. Satisfied that he was prepared, he opened his door and stepped out of the car. He activated the alarm, sending a distinct chirp through the night’s silence. He dropped his keys in his pockets and let his hands casually hang at his side.

Saul was moving around in his car, but he hadn’t exited yet. Talib discreetly brushed his piece, lightly gripping the handle as he made his way to the car. He scanned the parking lot, once again before tapping on the window, causing Saul to visibly jump. He checked the car for other occupants. Saul was alone.

“Today, Saul, today.”

Talib stood back, giving him room to exit the car. Saul stepped around him and opened the back door removing his jacket. He took his time buttoning it and leisurely strolled towards IJDC’s office building.

They entered and spoke to the guard, Richard. Saul engaged in small talk as Talib eyed the front entrance. He noticed two sets of doors that merged into one walkway, which ended at the security guard station. He saw the metal detector, however, the guard remained seated. He figured in was due to having Saul with him. He exhaled a sigh of relief because he didn’t want Saul to know he was carrying.

He zoned in and out of their boring small talk, he heard something or another about graduate school and homework.

“Saul,” he stated in an impatient tone.

Saul nodded his goodbye to the guard and they made their way to the elevator. They rode the elevator for several floors before either spoke.

“So, what did you do with Ashanta?”

“What did you do with Harold?”

Neither one of them answered. Talib knew Saul’s cool exterior was a façade. He would remain focused and if that meant leaving another dead body on his trail, so be it.

“Do you know what we’re looking for?” Saul asked as the elevator doors opened. He walked over to the keypad behind the receptionist desk.

“No,” Talib said absently as he looked across the ceiling for security cameras. Saul noticed his concern.

“We have cameras, but they don’t record sound. The front desk has access to viewing the common areas only. Right this way.”

They walked through the office passing departments. Saul removed his keys unlocking the solid Oakwood door that led to the accounting bay. Once inside, the floor configuration differed from the other areas. It was narrow with a line of file cabinets embedded into the walls and several secretarial cubicles filled the open walkway.

Saul opened a door with a gold-plated nameplate that read Ashanta Kenani. Talib followed as they surveyed her office.

“I’ll check the file cabinet,” Saul said, moving to the file drawers along the wall. The office was neat, although much smaller than Saul’s. Talib walked to Ashanta’s desk.

He began checking the drawers. He would start by looking for any notes, markings, anything that would point to his money. He opened the right drawer, pushed papers around and found a little notebook. He flipped through the pages, noticing a few pages had been torn from the worn book. He looked through the drawer again. Maybe he’d find the missing papers, he thought, as he rummaged past hairpins, lipstick, ink pens, and other knick-knacks.

“Do you see anything over there?” he asked Saul.

“No, I still don’t know what we’re looking for.”

“How much did she know about our arrangement?”

Saul stopped as if contemplating his question. “Very little, unless my dad shared more with her. She was senior financial director for international accounts. She would see the financial documents, financing details, that type of information. But I have your accounts coded.”

“What about deposits?” Talib asked, searching the top of Ashanta’s desk. He sat back, thinking about what he’d do if he was her. If I wanted to hide a half million dollars where would I begin? He turned to the computer and searched her documents. He found nothing.

“Yes, but again, they were coded according to the account names.” Saul slammed the drawer closed and moved to the closet.

Sitting back in the chair, Talib began running his open hands across the top of Ashanta’s desk. His fingers brushed against several indentations. He sat up and ran his finger over the area in front of him. He reached for a pencil from a cup that sat in the far corner of the desk. He turned the pencil on its side and lightly shaded the lead over the impressions. He read the words, “Dear Cami…”

Camille?

Talib’s face hid the surprise he felt. His hands opened and closed into tight fists. He glanced up to see Saul still going through files. He sat motionless as his tried to wrap his mind around what he should do next. He knew he had to get his emotions in check. He clearly recognized the growing effect Camille had on him and he did not know why.

He refocused on his minor discovery. He tilted his head closer to the desk calendar. He shaded the areas around the words. He could make out the beginnings of a letter. His discovery was short-lived due to other indentations on the desk calendar. What did Camille know? Why would Ashanta write her a letter?

He leaned back in the chair, lightly tapping the pencil on the desk. Talib had more questions than answers. He looked behind Saul to an open closet. It appeared to be more like a personal closet than a file storage area. He could see a few things strewn about the floor. He moved to the doorway.

Saul stopped his digging and watched him for a few moments. Talib could feel the tension. Saul seemed satisfied by Talib’s entrance into the closet and returned to his search.

Talib walked into the closet and flipped on the light switch. He noticed a small shelf with toiletries. He bent over to unzip a small tote bag; inside he found running shoes and athletic wear. He figured it was Ashanta’s workout bag. She always took good care of her body, so the bag didn’t surprise him. He closed it and scanned the rest of the closet.

His eyes caught sight of a small black box hidden in the shadows of the clothes hanging from the overhead rack. He moved closer on his hands and feet in an animal-like crawl across the floor. Talib surveyed the area around the opened box. There were papers spilling over. He pressed his finger to his mouth in thought. Had Saul come in here?

He looked over his shoulder, Saul was reading a file, and he turned back to the box. Talib lifted several pieces of paper, scanning it looking for anything that could help.

“What is the name on my accounts?” Talib asked Saul while looking through the documents carelessly thrown around the box.

Saul paused and his eyes flicked about as if he was calling upon his memory. “You have several.” He put down the file in his hand and thumbed through the open drawer. He pulled out a file labeled Imperial Investors. Saul brought the file over and handed it to Talib while looking around the closet.

Talib stood and quickly flipped through the pages. He was growing frustrated with searching and coming up empty-handed. He exhaled a sigh of frustration and continued to look through the file, making note of the names and Ashanta’s handwritten notes.

He glanced towards the doorway where Saul stood casually with his hands in his pockets. Talib’s eyebrow lifted and his eyes narrowed as he looked around him again. He was inside the closet and Saul blocked the only exit. A smug expression passed over Saul’s face as if he’d read Talib’s mind.

Talib slapped the file closed and walked toward the entrance without pausing to allow Saul to move over. Saul noticed a hair too late, stumbled backward and lost his footing. He tumbled to the floor.

Talib stepped over him and walked toward Ashanta’s desk. He pivoted and watched as Saul tried to get up from the floor. One of embarrassment replaced his pompous look. Coward.

He planned to watch Saul. Talib did not want to underestimate him. Hell, he knew the cost of underestimating frenemies. It had been the downfall of many of his victims. After a brief stare down, they resumed the search. Talib sat behind Ashanta’s desk, reviewing all that he’d learned tonight. He went through her computer again, searching for any files that would associate with the handwritten notes in the file, but he came up empty. Talib slammed his fist on the desk. Saul jumped from the unexpected nose, yet said nothing.

They searched for another twenty minutes before leaving the office. He was no closer to finding his money, but he did have Camille as a small lead. Talib kept his findings to himself. He would start by talking with her tomorrow.

“Can you have the system searched for accounts Ashanta last accessed?” Talib asked as they walked back to the parking lot.

“Sure, we have to be careful though. We don’t want to spark any suspicion. I’ll assign Camille to work with you on the files, which should help make things appear normal,” Saul said.

Talib thought it was important to make his stance known. “Saul, I want my money. If we don’t find it within the week, you need to pull it from your account or things will get ugly.”

Saul’s eyes flashed with red-hot anger, yet he did not speak his mind, which solidified Talib’s thoughts about his weakness. He did not stand up for himself, which ultimately lead to his father not respecting him. He had to find a backbone.

Talib watched him retrace his steps back to his car. He jumped in and drove off. Talib shook his head at the thought of a grown man cowering before another man. He was not here to teach Saul…but he would school him.

He learned as a boy that respect did not come easy. His first years as a soldier in the Imperial Dynasty were some of the hardest days of his life. He had made it through and became the youngest known leader of the infamous group. He had strengthened the group and its members. They now spanned several continents and they no longer dealt solely in illegal arms and terrorists activities. Under his leadership, they had expanded their enterprise to include highly lucrative relationships with companies such as IJDC.

He had a vested interest in finding his money and keeping his relationship with IJDC intact. However, he would only tolerate this game of hide-n-seek for a short time. He did not intend to stay in the United States longer than a week. In the meantime, he would find his money and, hopefully, pinpoint his attraction to Camille.

He did not like being drawn to Camille. He had to figure out what it was about her that made him feel this way and remember things that he’d forgotten for most of his adult life. He placed the key in the ignition and turned it. The engine hummed into submission. He reached for the gear shaft to place the car in drive when it hit him. Camille reminded him of his mother.

Talib collapsed back in the seat. His hands were positioned on the steering wheel. He held the wheel tight and squeezed to relieve some of the tension he was feeling. He could hear the black leather protesting to his grip.

He had not thought about her for years, not until he sat next to Camille at the board meeting. Her smile was genuine, although her eyes appeared guarded, and rightfully so. He’d built his life on fear. It was somewhat like his secret weapon, but he felt awkward about her fearing him.

He dropped his head, eyes shut tight, in the stillness of the night. His heart raced until it flooded his ears. The pounding only heightened his mental strain. He clenched his teeth and allowed the pent-up air filling his lungs to escape through his nose. His mind flashed to the last time he saw his mother. He felt his eyes burn.

Talib snapped the gearshift into reverse, pulling out of the parking space. He slammed on the brake. His head fell between his outreached arms. His attempts to steady his breathing were not helping. How could you hide from yourself?

Camille’s eyes flashed before him again, jolting his foot onto the gas pedal. He needed to get out of Houston, and soon.