Read Online Lost Art Assignment by Austin Camacho - Free Book Online Page B

and you get ten percent on everything you bring in, long as it’s top quality. Sonny will show you the deal. One little thing. What I said about America. Land of opportunity. Need to feed the free enterprise system and what not. No more money sent to some bank over the ocean, you feel me? Set up here. I pay cash, but it stays in the U.S. Can you dig it?”
    â€œI think I understand, but how shall I explain such a large sum?” Felicity asked. “On The Continent or even in Asia I could legitimize these amounts easily. But I am too recently arrived here in the US.” Of course, she could set up a laundry system in days, but Nicole could not, and right then, she was Nicole.
    â€œGot you covered, mama. Tonight you head for Atlantic City with your boy here. He’s working a gambling sting down there. He’ll give you cash to put down on this deal. You’ll win your bundle and it’s legally yours. So, you guys want to hang and eat? Cook’s making chicken, a mess of greens, dirty rice and some of her killer corn bread. There’s plenty.”
    â€œI think the flight’s probably tired Nicole out,” Davis said, rising. Felicity stood with him. “Besides, I need to get to Atlantic City. Let me get her into a hotel room. We cancome by and eat another time.”
    â€œThat’s what’s up.” Slash stood up with them. “Just a couple more things, chickie.” He gently took her arm. “Listen. Don’t be getting all bent out of shape cause all you see is brothers. You ain’t the only white chick working for me, and if I’m going to crack the top markets, there’s going to be more and more. Okay?” Felicity offered a smile, just as Slash’s dimmed.
    â€œOne other little thing, Scarlet. I’m buying into the fake name bit, okay, cause, like, it don’t say J.J. Slash on my birth certificate and everybody’s got their own thing. But don’t get it twisted. If you lie to me, or start skimming on me, well, Daddy Boom here will just come over and…well, you see where I’m coming from?”
    Slash’s barracuda smile returned, and Felicity looked from him to the giant black man she now knew as Daddy Boom. He smiled also in a pleasant way, but an invisible icy finger traced her spine as Davis guided her out the door.

-11-
    Morgan Stark enjoyed watching the watchers. Not so much because they were all that interesting, but just because they never thought anyone would be watching them.
    On that cloudy afternoon, Morgan stood at a hot dog stand having a small but tasty lunch. He was dressed as a typical street wise New Yorker, which in fact he was. His posture, his walk, his speech pattern were those of an average New Yorker. He was armed slightly better than average. At least, he hoped so.
    For three days and nights, Morgan had lived in an outer orbit of the pulsar called J.J. Slash. He planned to observe Slash’s lifestyle long enough to find a good way to ease into his organization. In this way, he could stay near Felicity at a reasonable distance so as not to arouse undo suspicion.
    Finding Slash turned out to be easy. Every brother on the street knew of him, and he was constantly in motion. He travelled in one of two white Mercedes limousines, depending on whether the stretch model fit conveniently on the streets he planned to visit. At first, surveillance was a challenge, as close surveillance always is. Slash had three regular bodyguards, at least two of whom always stayed with him. Morgan rented a taxi for a little more than its daily take, and in this almost invisible vehicle, tried to keep the gang leader in sight.
    Soon he realized he wasn’t alone. Someone else was tailing Slash, but doing it right, with a team of a dozen floating watchers. They maintained their stations front, back and on both sides. A tricky situation, but it made Morgan’s job a good deal easier. By simply sticking with the