Disclaimers: Any comments can be sent to me at bironel@gmail.com

Synopsis: See Chapters 1 thru 6

Warning: This chapter is particularly violent and examines disturbing themes. If you prefer a tamer read perhaps you should give this chapter a miss. I promise to briefly touch on these events in the next chapter without all the gory details.

The Chapter Opening Quotes: At the start of each chapter are what I call “borrowed seeds” which sprang from essays, performances, novels, TV shows, films and songs I've bumped into along the journey of the characters of DITP. These “borrowed seeds” inspired the weaving of this story. However, I don't own them, only borrowed them and have tried to concisely give an accounting of their original source(s). If your curiosity has been provoked, I encourage you to explore them at your leisure.

Dreaming

in the

Pit

By Everett Deane

Chapter Seven

I am the stone that the building refused.

I am the visual,

the inspiration that made lady sing the blues.

I'm the spark that makes your idea bright.

The same spark that lights the dark,

so that you can know your left from your right...

-Rap lyrics to the theme song of animated TV show The Boondocks , recorded by hip hop artist, Asheru

McNulty: “Let me understand… every Friday night you and your boys are shootin' craps, right? And every Friday night, your pal Snot Boogie… he'd wait ‘til there's cash on the ground and he'd grab it and run… you let him do that?”

Corner Boy: “We'd catch him and beat his ass but ain't nobody ever go past that.”

McNulty: “I gotta ask ya… if every time Snot Boogie would grab the money and run. . . Why you even let him in the game? If Snot Boogie always stole the money, why you even let him play?”

Corner Boy: “Got to. This America, Man.”

-Dialogue between McNulty and another character from the critically acclaimed HBO show, The Wire

Karima paced in her living room area. A bundle of energy ever exponentially expanding without an appropriate outlet to dissipate, Karima completed the circuit of her entire four thousand square foot apartment–five times! She silently stood in the doorway of her bedroom staring at the tired woman murmuring nonsense in her sleep.

I should just kick her ass out! I ain't no bodyguard! Karima admonished herself for the hundredth time. She walked around the apartment once more. Noting for the first time in five years that her sterile kitchen and her spacious living room looked like no one had ever moved into the apartment unit. She moved towards her open bedroom door and again stared at the smaller mound of human deeply sleeping on HER bed. HER Eddie Bauer™ lightweight goose down duvet sloped over her sleeping tenant's hips as she possessively hugged Karima's hypoallergenic pillows.

Karima frowned as the little woman slept soundly in a room where Karima frequently encountered insomnia, her naps fretfully plagued by vague dreams and restlessness. Karima knew that the deep sleeping was necessary for her tenant's body to heal from the recent physical insults she endured, but Karima also knew she was pissed off about how easily the woman slept. Just ‘cause I ain't slept for long periods of time in MY bed for months didn't mean it was available for other people to use it! It's MY bed! I have the receipt for it and everything! Karima argued to herself as she resumed her exhausting pacing through the night and into early dawn. She realized the woman probably would sleep for many hours considering what she had physically gone through so she pushed her thoughts to consider the issues she needed to attend to namely a storm on her horizon named Sincere. She settled her nerves thinking of busy work to pass the time, until her solution for dealing with Sincere revealed itself from the depths of her insomnia induced mental fog.

Karima eyed her stereo unit the need to hear music built from a craving to a hunger. Then she remembered how annoyingly vocal her tenant's protests were and decided to put her headphones on, searching through her CD collection. She loaded a Jimi Hendrix CD The Valley of Neptune and put the bluesy song ‘Red House' on continuous replay as she stood by the bank of windows in her living room and watched the shy sun stretch slender streaks of orange and red across the rich blue black darkness.

– – –

As the sunlight reached across her cheek and its light danced along her thick eyelashes, Sienna woke up bewildered. She didn't know where she was nor immediately remembered how she got to be in this strange bedroom. Then her recent memories flooded in. She remembered getting ready to go out to spend time with her friends, she remembered Kalid's attack, she remembered being in the hospital, the violation of her sanctuary by pests, and then she recalled she was in her builder owner and manager's apartment.

In her bedroom.

In her bed.

A rather comfy bed.

I wonder where she slept. Sienna pondered briefly.

She took stock of the nearly empty massive room that housed a large queen sized bed, one silver metal night stand with a lamp and digital alarm clock on it, and mirrored doors to a step in closet. The windows were covered with silver metallic Venetian blinds. She looked around the Spartan room and noted that there were no personal items anywhere.

No photos.

No framed wall pictures.

No knick knacks.

Sienna found the absence of these familiar things very curious.

Well I don't need an interior decorator I need protection. More aptly I need to learn how to protect myself , Sienna decided with determination while she wiped the remnants of sleep from her eyes with a wide mouth yawn. When the morning urge to void her bladder plagued Sienna, she scrambled out of the bed and stood up quickly on stiff legs. Her head throbbed a bit, her arm was still sore, and she sat back down on the bed to get her bearings, breathing deeply. After a moment her need for relief pushed the pain and discomfort aside as she stood again.

She noted that this unit was a mirror image of her own, knowing that there was a large bathroom connected to this bedroom. She quickly shuffled towards it to prevent an unfortunate accident.

As she relieved herself, she looked around the bathroom. It was as sterile as the bedroom only with a faint scent of peaches. The smell of chemically recreated fruit scent made Sienna's stomach growl. She was hungry and wanted waffles.

Waffles with peaches on them.

She yawned again then noticed that the stark white shower curtain surrounding both the large bath tub and shower stall wasn't fully closed allowing Sienna an unobstructed view of the large bath tub it surrounded. She noticed a large bottle of peach bubble bath tucked away along a vanity shelf on the corner wall of the shower stall.

So there's a little bit of fem inside the butch. Interesting . Sienna mused.

Sienna contemplated taking a shower or perhaps an inviting bubble bath when her hungry stomach growled incessantly. She washed her hands and face, with large white cake of soap that smelled like peaches. She dried her hands and face, and then stared at her likeness. The bruises were still there but there was something different in her eyes that startled her. Perplexed by what she saw, not knowing what it was, she exited the bathroom.

Back in the bedroom, the metal alarm clock on the nightstand with the blue LCD screen flashed 7 AM. Sienna listened and was shocked that the loud music wasn't booming throughout the building.

She moved through the bedroom and out into the living room. She looked for her bodyguard/building manager and found her sitting on the floor with her legs crossed, her eyes closed.

In meditative pose, Karima was wearing a pair of tight jeans with splotches of dried paint on them and a blue tee shirt with a drawing of a pissed off black tea kettle asking a pissed off black pot “What the hell did you JUST call me?” Sienna laughed out loud wondering where Karima got that tee shirt. Then her laughter abruptly stopped when she also noticed that Karima was wearing headphones! Karima was slightly rocking to whatever music that she was listening to through those headphones.

“Headphones! You have headphones?” Sienna shouted at her accusingly.

No response, just more swaying.

She walked over to Karima and waved her hands in front of her with still no response. Standing directly in front of Karima, Sienna reached over to tap her on the shoulder to get her attention. Her eyes still closed Karima grabbed Sienna's finger before it made its intrusive jabbing contact with her shoulder.

Karima opened her eyes, as Sienna yanked her finger away. She took off her headphones, looked up at her annoying tenant/client and asked, “What?” with both her mouth and her tired eyes. Sienna grimaced as she could hear loud rap-esque music booming out of the headphones.

“You have headphones? Why haven't you used them–as in regularly?” Sienna demanded.

“I move around a bit too much to be attached to my stereo while I'm working. I used these now because I thought you were still sleeping. Why aren't you still sleeping? Karima inquired as she gestured with said headphones.

“I'm hungry.” Sienna explained.

“I guess you'll want to go back to your place to get something to eat.” Karima hoped aloud. She wanted to get started working on her Sincere problem while working on an apartment unit. She was already an hour and three minutes off her schedule.

“I threw everything out of my refrigerator before I came here and hired you.” Sienna replied.

“What exactly do you need me to do for you?” Karima asked exasperated as she rolled her eyes.

“My lover's husband practically tried to kill me in the hallway downstairs! He also left a threatening message in my voice mail. I need you to help me convince him that hurting or killing me is a very bad idea.” Sienna explained.

“You could just stop fucking his wife,” Karima suggested as the best course of action.

Sienna gave her the ‘that will not be an option' narrowed eye stare, complete with hands akimbo.

Karima sighed, stood, and stretched out the kinks in her neck and shoulders. She heard the popping sound of her spine as she slowly bent side to side. She breathed deeply as she recounted in her mind the long list of things she wanted to complete in the unit three floors below her own. She wrapped the headphone wire as she walked towards the entertainment center where her stereo unit was housed.

“How did he get your cell phone number?” Karima asked off handedly as she turned off her stereo unit and placed her headphones neatly wrapped on the hook next to her entertainment center.

“Who?” Sienna asked bewildered.

“Your lover's husband.” Karima supplied with a sigh.

“What does that have to do with anything?”

Karima just raised a questioning eyebrow as she turned to face Sienna.

“He probably used some CIA procedure, monitoring on my phone to get my number. The fact that you should focus on is that he threatened me and I need you to make him leave me alone.”

Karima stared at Sienna. She contemplated walking away. I should just let this woman's convergence of pain and destruction happen naturally. It was her life. She painstakingly constructed the mess her life is currently in. Besides I'm not remotely heroic, Karima thought.

She blinked, rubbing tired eyes realizing she recently saved this messed up life, which contained expectations of her abilities. Karima groaned realizing why Sincere always told her to avoid such situations when he trained her.

“When you save a life you are responsible for that life.” Sincere said after they cleaned up the body of the boy who raped her. It was Sincere's cryptic way of saying that he felt responsible for her. The act of dissolving the boy's body in acid and removing any trace of his existence created a bond between them that extended beyond mentor and student, beyond lovers, beyond that of father and daughter. It was organic. It was unyielding until their current rift.

Karima looked at Sienna again; Sienna's eyes manic with frustration and her jaw set in determination.

Her face bruised yet heavy with the pride of being a survivor.

Sienna wore her expectations on her face. Karima realized what a daunting job it was being responsible for another life besides your own. Life is erratic, annoying, and irritating. Karima took escape in comfort from it in her music. Wrapping the bass sounds around herself was a meditation lifting her up above it the chaos called life. She stared at Sienna again realizing this woman was like everyone else on the planet, floating around in misinformed assumptions, ignorant of the dangerous truths all around her.

Karima knew that Sienna saw security in following an arcane recipe list of tasks designed to impose some measure of control on the mess one makes of one's life. With the desire for security comes the expectation for access to power, Karima thought darkly.

She recognized Sienna's expectations having seen it often in the demands of the bosses who thought they controlled Sincere. Sienna expected Karima to be her private weapon, a tool to keep the darkness at bay. Karima didn't suffer under the illusion that she wasn't a weapon; she was a rather dangerous one. But she had been retired from being a tool of mass destruction for sometime existing outside the traps of modern life and she realized that with Sincere out there somewhere she needed to call upon those aspects of herself that she had suppressed. Assisting this woman with her issues was a call to the beast sleeping inside herself, she decided.

“Cops have to have some evidence, suspecting that you regularly commit criminal activities. Then convince a DA or judge that you are so dangerous that you require surveillance. I look at you and you scream from your pores: law-abiding citizen. So, if you didn't give him your phone number, you should consider the possibility that whoever knows you and knows him, that person probably gave him your address and your phone number.” Karima explained logically as she donned her utility belt.

The jeans and the utility belt, the way they hugged Karima's hips and thighs had Sienna pondering how to get Peggy to wear something handy and sexy like what Karima was wearing during their next intimate encounter.

Wait what did she say just about phone numbers? Sienna asked her distracted self.

There was definitely going to be more Peggy time in my immediate future , Sienna decided. Sienna realized that Peggy's husband's jealousy was a tad problematic but that wasn't a good enough cause to live the life of celibacy. She smiled at herself when she realized she could find another lover, but sex with Peggy was amazing and more importantly Peggy fit too well in her schedule of wants and needs to let an irate spouse dissuade her.

Sienna thought about involving the police when she remembered that her building manager figured out Peggy's husband was a cop! That was when she decided to hire this woman. The way she handled herself on that subway platform was more than enough evidence of the woman's skills in dealing with a situation such as this one with Peggy's husband.

“But he is a police officer! You sussed that out! How can I stop a man with the entire police force behind him?” Sienna exclaimed. She reconsidered what Karima said, but was convinced that none of her friends would give this angry, potentially dangerous man her private mobile number.

Karima looked at Sienna with raised eyebrows. Sienna took note that she had beautiful almond shaped brown eyes.

“Hmmm. You do have a problem.” Karima stated thinking deeply.

“That's exactly why I hired you.” Sienna replied. Then her stomach growled.

“I can't brainstorm effectively in early hours without some sustenance. I'll get our breakfast started.” Sienna suggested as she walked into Karima's kitchen area. She thought of making waffles or pancakes and hoped there were some eggs and milk when she opened the refrigerator–finding it full of books?

Paperback books. Lots of paperback books. There were books tucked in the door compartments. There were books stacked in the crisper.

Sienna examined some of the books closely; some were science fiction books, some were classical English Literature, a lot of the books centered around African American cultural issues, most of the books were non fictional biographies, computer programming books, and lots of mathematics and advanced chemistry books. Sienna looked at Karima who was the essence of innocence.

“Do you have a book spoilage issue or do you have some weird fiber problem?” Sienna sarcastically deadpanned with much confusion.

“Don't eat breakfast.” Karima said quietly.

“How can you NOT eat breakfast??? It's the most important meal of the day!” Sienna exclaimed.

“I only eat when I'm hungry.” .

“If I lived by that meal plan I'd be as big as a planet.” Sienna deadpanned.

Karima shrugged her physically fit shoulders. Sienna stood up from stooping in front of the refrigerator and turned to look at Karima who for some reason was avoiding her stare.

“And why do you have books in your refrigerator?” Sienna asked as though Karima was a student who had not completed an assignment.

“My book case is full.” Karima explained succinctly.

“So?” Sienna asked as though Karima were brain damaged.

“It has adjustable shelves in it.” Karima explained logically.

“For food items NOT books!” Sienna yelled.

“There was nothing in the paperwork that came with that refrigerator when I brought it that said I was forbidden to put books in it.” Karima responded indignantly.

Sienna blinked rapidly. There is a certain logic to that. But seriously, who in their right mind puts books in a kitchen appliance. What the hell does she store in her stove? Sienna asked herself.

Sienna sighed. Perhaps the loud music and the chilling books are signs of insanity. She may have the right kind of insanity to make Peggy's husband stay away from me. Sienna concluded to herself.

“Most people don't have a pressing need to chill their books.” Sienna replied with a smirk.

“I'm NOT most people.”

“A fact I am learning as each moment passes.” Sienna quipped. “Well I need to eat and you do too. Since I'm your client, it will be my treat. There is a diner down the block,” she added.

“I need to get to work.” Karima interrupted.

“You are on the clock right now. I'll jump in the shower. It won't take me but a few minutes to get dressed then we'll grab some breakfast at the diner.” Sienna commanded as she left the mortified woman standing in the living room as she retreated to the bathroom.

I'll savor that bubble bath later , Sienna mused to herself.

“But I need…” Karima tried to say to Sienna's quickly retreating back. She watched dejectedly as Sienna disappeared into the bedroom. Karima narrowed her eyes at the empty space where Sienna once stood.

She better not be using my shampoo ! Karima thought then grimaced at how nebulous her threat was if Sienna in fact did help herself to Karima's beauty care products. She then frowned wondering why she was allowing this inconvenience. She had more important things to focus on. Jealous spouses? Let the chips fall where they may , Karima thought darkly. Then she remembered the violent policeman who accosted her tenant in her building.

How he had menaced her.

How on the edge he was. Karima knew the edge having crossed it often enough without provocation. She recalled the physical signs, he was ready, willing and able to do more than hurt, and he was a cop.

I don't need no jealous cops hanging around my building! Karma concluded.

– – –

When they entered the diner, Karima walked to the last booth in the back and sat in the seat with her back to the wall. Sienna slid into the seat facing her. Karima had a view of the front door, the rest rooms, and the rear exit. She wasn't comfortable but at least she felt she had a good vantage point should something pop off. She felt a bit naked without a weapon but she noted the diner had a nice array of items that could be used with deadly accuracy should the need arise.

Sienna noticed how absentmindedly Karima reorganized the napkin dispenser, the condiment caddy, and the salt and pepper shakers. A classic OCD , Sienna concluded. She discretely noted that these items were readjusted numerous times before the waitress came to their table. She was a middle-aged woman with an infectious smile.

“Hi my name is Mabel. I'm your waitress. You guys didn't have to sit all the way back here–we got lots of room closer to the front. I can set you both up at another booth if you like. One closer to the door?” Mabel informed them as she handed them menus.

“This booth is fine.” Karima replied as she ignored the menu and placed it face down on the table as Sienna quickly scanned hers.

“Well alright. What can I get you gals this morning?”

Sienna looked up and ordered, “I'll have the Belgium Waffles with peaches and whipped cream. Do you have any of those country sausage patties? Not the links, the patties. And a cup of coffee.”

“We got turkey sausage patties.” Mabel offered.

“I'll have that.” Sienna said enthusiastically.

Mabel wrote all that down then looked expectantly at Karima.

“I'm good.” Karima replied as she handed the menu back to the waitress.

“She'll have coffee too.” Sienna added.

“How you want those coffees?” Mabel asked.

“Two creams and two sugars.” Sienna replied with a smile knowing how Karima took her coffee. Karima raised her eyebrow.

“Coming right up.” Mabel replied as she carried the menus away.

The silence returned to their table as Sienna noticed Karima's long, slender right hand as it rested on the tabletop. Long fingers ended at neatly manicured, clean and shiny fingertips. Her hand had neither blisters nor blemishes. Curiously, Sienna wondered how Karima kept her hands looking as though she never did manual labor considering all the work that she did throughout the building. She looked up into Karima's guarded gaze for answers never to be revealed. Sienna decided to take a more direct approach at discovering the secrets of this strange woman.

“So… what do you prefer to be called? Ms. Jenkins or Karima? Any nicknames?” Sienna asked in a friendly manner.

Mabel returned and brought two mugs and spoons to their table and poured freshly brewed black coffee into both of them. The smell woke Sienna up. Mabel put a pitcher of cream and a bowl of sugar on their table. Sienna inhaled a delicious cup of coffee with two sugars and a hefty dollop of cream.

“Don't matter to me,” Karima replied. As she applied the same ministrations to her sacred mug of morning brew. She hadn't planned to consume anything but she was pleased with her first sip. She really wasn't surprised that Sienna knew how she took her coffee since she had noticed the little woman following her around like Nancy Drew for a week before that incident in the subway. She stirred it with her spoon then took a few more sips. She felt more alert as the coffee entered her bloodstream. She looked up at Sienna.

“Karima it is then. That's better than ‘Hey you!' isn't it?” Sienna joked with a nervous cough. She noticed that Karima had intense, clear dark brown eyes with a light brown ring around her iris.

“Probably tamer than some of the other stuff you called me under your breath,” Karima guessed as Sienna turned beat red. She coughed nervously then smiled at Karima.

Mabel came to the table carrying a large plate of a three large thick fluffy waffles covered with thick slices of peaches and whipped cream. She placed it before Sienna with a smaller plate with a stack of country sausage patties. Sienna picked up her fork and knife smiling in anticipation.

“Are you sure you don't want any? This is probably more than I can eat,” Sienna offered as she poured maple syrup on them. Sienna's stomach growled selfishly.

Karima shock her head negatively, while slowly moving her hand up and down her hot cup of Joe. She watched as Sienna cut some of the waffles into bite sizes and dipped a bite into the maple syrup. She then scooped up a piece of peach with her fork and stuffed the little slice of heaven in her mouth.

Karima noticed that some of the syrup dripped from the fork and landed on her lower lip threatening to slowly drizzle down her chin. For some reason, Karima was mesmerized by that drop of syrup.

Sienna was oblivious to the attention and as she chewed she made loud moaning sounds that broke the spell that the syrup on her lip had on Karima. The moans of pleasure from Sienna made Karima squirm a bit in her seat. She then looked everywhere in the diner but not at Sienna and quickly focusing her gaze above Sienna's head. Sienna continued to moan orgasmically in pleasure eating her breakfast as Karima made clearing her throat sounds which quickly progressed to fake coughing.

A burly construction worker eating his breakfast heard Sienna and stared at the coughing Karima enviously until she met his gaze, stopped coughing, and set her face into a stone cold mask. He blinked then nervously and resumed paying closer attention to the quickly disappearing food on his plate. Karima briefly contemplated ordering something then quickly nixed the idea. She preferred to work on an empty stomach. She planned to get her grub on at lunch.

“So do you have a boyfriend or girlfriend?” Sienna asked between mouthfuls of waffles.

“What does THAT have to do with your problem?” Karima coughed, annoyed.

“You need some water? I'm just trying to strike up some conversation. We should get to know one another since we'll be working together on my problem, as you put it. You know I have a lover. Her name is Peggy. We've been dating for about three years, on and off. Honestly, her husband was never an issue until now. As you guessed I'm a lesbian. Gold star to be exact. I was just wondering how you spend your time when you aren't making a lot of noise while working.” Sienna explained with a coy smile. She remembered that before her attack in the subway she saw Karima on the uptown platform dressed up, going somewhere. She wondered if she was meeting someone special.

“I read.” Karima answered succinctly as she rolled her eyes. She could care less what people labeled themselves. Sex was sex as far as Karima was concerned. Don't matter to me whether you had it with men, women, or by yourself with an inanimate object , she thought.

The only thing that disgusted her was those people who liked having sex with kids. In her entire career she never enjoyed killing someone as much as she did when she was contracted to off a pedophile. What surprised her was that the ‘pedo' was a woman who was suspected of having preyed on her own children–two boys. No one had done anything about it because her father was a rising star in the Pabon family and nobody was going to tell him what many suspected his baby girl was doing to his grandkids.

No one that expected to live after that revelation.

Imagine Sincere's surprise when the Grandfather ordered the hit on his eldest daughter. Apparently some brave soul, no longer living, spilled the beans.

Sincere gave the job to Karima who finished it quickly and efficiently. She electrocuted the women in her own kitchen after a week of surveilling her movements. The woman's death was ruled an accident by the medical examiner. That job was the start of Karima developing a finesse in the death trade where she could mask her hits as accidental deaths. She preferred to arrange accidents because suicides brought too much scrutiny. She had gotten a bonus for that one. Sincere gave her a set of keys to a secret hideout where there was an assortment of weapons for her personal use. It was a treasure trove of tools for mayhem and destruction. Karima got misty eyed as she catalogued everything: experimental unregistered automatic weapons–both handguns and rifles, she had various weapons which could only be used by her if she wore a special wristwatch otherwise they were inoperable, an assortment of blades, experimental explosives undetectable by dogs, and the best was a Canadian made Timber-wolf c14 sniper rifle and detachable cartridge, a 7 round feed system with a range of 3000 plus feet. It was currently stored in her fridge in a secret panel.

Sincere. Where was that bastard? Karima thought darkly. She needed to wrap up the situation with her so-called new client so that she could focus on Sincere.

“Yes all those cool books in your fridge,” Sienna joked. “Are you in a relationship or a situation?” she asked.

“What does that have to do with me keeping you relatively unscathed?” Karima inquired.

“Define relatively,” demanded Sienna as she instantly stopped eating. "I'll be paying you for absolute freedom from harm not relative freedom from harm! Besides, I need to know if you have other commitments that will limit the time you can spend on my problem. Relationships can be demanding.” She insisted as she gestured with her fork.

Karima stared blankly at Sienna, whom she found distinctly unnerving.

Sienna was taken aback by how closed off Karima was about herself. No girl chitchat about sex and romance. Sienna stared at Karima.

At her body.

Medium brown skin with hints of a reddish bronze as the light reflects off it. Her shoulders. Her arms. They were toned and subtly defined without her looking like some body builder. Her face. Long angular, almond shaped eyes centered with a surprising cute button nose. Full lips set in a tight smirk.

While Sienna didn't normally go for the athletic types, preferring rounder, softer more feminine body types, she wouldn't kick Karima out of her bed. She looked again at Karima's humorous tee shirt. They had distinctly different tastes in fashion. Sienna liked to be fashionable while it seemed to her Karima just needed to be neat and functional. Sienna thought that Karima, with her stature, would look amazing in some outfits she had seen at a fashion show she had attended with Peggy a year ago.

Then Sienna sadly realized that Karima was probably inept at meeting people, which would explain her caustic attitude and propensity towards violence. Sienna resumed eating her breakfast with silent thoughts; maybe she scares off potential sex partners with her music. Then she considered, she probably was emotionally scarred by… some women become frigid after THAT.

“Well there is nothing to be ashamed of; quite a few people have difficulty interacting intimately with others. Relationships are hard work.” Sienna offered to sooth Karima's perceived defensiveness.

Karima didn't answer immediately as she noticed a woman seating at the far end of the diner counter reading a newspaper and sipping coffee. She could tell that the woman was a streetwalker by her clothes. The woman had a hard look about her. Then Karima noticed the slight Adam's apple moving when the hooker sipped her coffee.

Definitely pre-op, Karima concluded. She concluded that the trannie prostitute was on her down time, as she seemed lost in her newspaper. Since it was so early in the morning the trannie working girl probably was clocking out for the day.

“I respect a hoe's hustle.” Karima said.

Sienna looked at her as a puzzlement wondering what provoked the release of that tangential tidbit of information. She wondered if Karima preferred the company of a prostitute over someone she didn't have to pay for attention.

That's a shame because she's actually a very attractive woman , Sienna thought. She turned slightly in her seat to follow Karima's lazy gaze finding that it rested on a prostitute reading a newspaper near the front counter of the diner. Sienna turned back to face Karima who seemed to be deep in thought. She felt a rush of energy when Karima shifted her gaze and looked directly at her.

“Some females like to think they're above the hustle of a street walker but real talk, what the fuck do they think any date is? A man, or woman in your case, who is paying for some time with your ass. Marriage? The diamond ring is just an ‘ass time' down-payment. Folks have gone into debt for ‘ass time'. Though nowadays folks get pissed off at having to pay right and left to get relief for a basic urge so many are taking copious notes from the ‘Pimp's Manual'.” Karima explained.

“The ‘Pimp's Manual'?” Sienna asked confused where this stream of consciousness was going.

“An unwritten pamphlet detailing how to get women to give up their resources, you know money, property, time etc. AND get sex from them. Now from time to time a chick will get fed the fuck up giving, giving, giving, not getting. So the trick to keeping her in line with the Pimp's credo is she has to fear losing something. It don't require violence though, she just gotta fear being alone more than her annoyance at being used. But I will admit I've witnessed how a hard backslap or two will get ‘bitch stay in check' results too.” Karima explained in a conspiratorial manner.

“You CONDONE that sort of behavior against women? Newsflash having a gun and knowing how to use it doesn't mitigate the fact that you are a woman and subject to this nonsense too!” Sienna whispered hotly as she gestured with her fork.

“Didn't say I condoned a thing. Real talk, females, no matter who they sleep with, need to recognize and stop acting like ‘well that shit ain't gonna happen to me because I'm the owner of the golden vagina'. Bitch, please. There ain't a vagina in existence with enough super powers to deflect toxic negativity or detect when a female is being played, about to be played, or has been played. Personally I don't care one way or the other about it. Just making conversation. Besides you're the one getting all ‘talk show host' about the merit of relationships.” Karima replied with an eye roll.

“I wasn't judging you. It's just more common for sexually mature adults to couple up regularly that's all.” Sienna said apologetically.

“Relationship. Main piece of ass. Same thing. If you got a main piece you running with regularly, then you financially obligated for entertainment, transportation costs to and from said main piece, you know general overhead. But what most folks won't tell you is that NONE of that upkeep will yield you more than 25% chance of getting ‘ass time'. Something always fucks up the getting sex regularly objective. Like your jealous husband issue, for example. That's why hoes are cost effective. A hoe is like a soldier for sex, ready, willing, and able. When you pay a hoe, the acquisition of ‘ass time' stays at 100%, guaranteed,” Karima explained.

“What are you some spokesperson for the sex industry?” Sienna asked. She was mildly disturbed and amused by Karima's world-view. It didn't stray too much from her own thoughts on the subject but she realized her disturbance was due to Karima including her and her situation in her lecture about sex politics. Sienna sighed admitting to herself that she probably was somewhat culpable in creating the volatile situation with Peggy's husband.

But I shouldn't have to be punished for what basically is an issue between Peggy and her husband, should I? Sienna wondered.

“That's the nature of the hustle.” Karima replied.

“Sex or ‘ass time' as you put it, is amazing, but sex within a relationship is supposed to be ten times better!” Sienna argued even though she was not an active proponent for commitment and intimacy. She had a vague sense that there was something more there. She saw that something more when she looked at her friends Troy and Helen. Together they seemed to have the solution to the question everyone was trying to find. Sienna knew Peggy wasn't her answer but what made Peggy so attractive to her beyond her amazing body was the fact that she IS married AND unattainable.

“Sex ain't a relationship it's just an urge. A hunger. You can satiate it from time to time. Sometimes you wanna pig out–cause the craziest, fucked up, most toxic folks tend to make sex explosive and explosive is addictive as hell. But when the debris from them explosions wears you down–you gotta put your shit on hiatus.” Karima spoke her truth.

“Yes but sex adds to a relationship.” Sienna added with a slight pout.

“Folks get it twisted when they start adding shit to sex, trying to put sex in a box and expect it to be served steady like a meal plan–three square a day. Then they get bent outta shape when all they get is a trickle now and then... maybe. See their mistake was putting sex in a box. Boxes are for gifts and dead bodies. Unless you brought it yourself, gifts rarely satisfy ‘cause folks don't know you like you know yourself. And only on really rare occasions is a dead body a gift.” Karima revealed.

“Real talk, the hustle of mankind is not developing relationships it's constructing hierarchies of scorn. The delusions of kindness, mercy, love even seem nice but man can survive comfortably without that shit. We can't survive without scorn. We got a deep psychological need to have scapegoats and to scorn them without mercy. Nothing can persuade anybody to give up his or her power of scorn as an act of mercy, don't matter what god they bow to. That power must be ripped out of their cold dead hand.” Karima spoke her philosophy.

Sienna stared wide mouth at Karima, blinking rapidly. Sienna closed her mouth but continued to stare at Karima wide-eyed, amazed not only at what Karima said but that she actually spoke more words that her normally cryptic monosyllable one- word responses.

“So are you currently... fasting?” Sienna asked after she took all that Karima said in.

“Somethin' like that. What do you need me to do about YOUR situation?”

“I need to learn how to really defend myself. But what to do about Peggy's husband, I don't know. What do you suggest?” Sienna asked.

“Can't kill the guy. Cops don't like it when you knock off one of their brothers in blue. If it were me I'd focus his attention elsewhere.” Karima suggested.

Sienna sipped her lukewarm coffee as she pondered how to accomplish getting Peggy's husband preoccupied with something or someone else.

“You'll need to find out some stuff about him. If his wife is sleeping around, he probably is too. You got a whole slew of city agencies up my ass about my music and followed me around for a week so you have good instincts. As for learning how to defend yourself just take a martial arts class.” Karima added.

“If you noticed me following you how will I be able to follow him without him noticing me too?” Sienna asked.

Karima took a few more sips of her coffee, contemplating what information she should convey to the woman sitting in front of her. Karima always supported a DIY approach to what life threw at you. Give her the goods so she can handle this by herself , she mentally concluding.

“Ok. Take copious notes.” Karima instructed.

Sienna leaned forward.

“Following people isn't rocket science. Most people are so self absorbed they wouldn't notice anyone tailing them and others think they are so amazing that everyone must be looking at them. So in-between those two aspects of awareness you can discretely follow anybody. The trick is not to be noticed. It's about being invisible while keeping the person you're following in your sight. Cities are great places to tail someone because of all the reflective surfaces. Remote places not so much but it's doable. Paranoid people and those who know you are harder to trail undetected but it still can be done. When you follow someone who suspects you are following them the best defense is to smile flirtatiously and keep walking past them. People like to think they are THAT special. Then pick up their trail later. Following someone on foot is the same as when you follow them in a car, it's best not to be physically directly behind them. When on foot DON'T follow them on the same side of the street. When in a car keep two cars between you and the subject and NEVER stay in the same lane as the person you are trailing. People driving tend to look in that rear view mirror 60% percent of the time and they will spot you. Drivers tend to check the right side mirror 25% of the time on average. I prefer to stay in the blind spots of the car I'm trailing but you have to be able to maintain that distance while driving in all kinds of traffic. It's not as easy as it sounds. If you're in the passing lane you have to pass them or you'll piss off folks behind you who want to speed, making everyone on the road notice you. Which destroys being invisible to the person you are following.” Karima advised in a conspiratorial manner.

Sienna digested all that information with an empty swallow of air. She wondered what the hell kind of job Karima had before she was a landlord to acquire that sort of knowledge. Then she realized all the mistakes she made when she followed Karima around for a week. Goodness that's the most she's ever spoken to me! Now I understand how she was able to detect me. No wonder she knew , Sienna thought. Sienna resumed eating her meal as her thoughts continued, this was all helpful but I need concrete ways to forestall any more attempts to harm me physically .

“I took martial arts classes in college. Fighting in the real world isn't a dance. I want to really know how to defend myself! A rapist or mugger isn't going to take the correct horse stance and perform a perfect front snap kick I can block! I wanna be able to kick some ass if I'm threatened again!” Sienna demanded as she gestured with her fork with the last bit of sausage on it. Then she ate it with determination.

Karima smiled as she sipped the remnants of her coffee. She noticed that Sienna ate all of her waffles, peaches, and sausage. Damn she can eat! She's got spunk though . Karima mused. She took note of the time realizing that she was now three hours behind on her work in the building. She had suggested solutions that Sienna could do alone but the feisty little woman insisted that she play a ‘Mister Miyagi' to her ‘Karate Kid'.

I suppose I could teach her a few things here and there. What she really needs to learn is how to survive by any means necessary. You can't teach that shit, you gotta live it , Karima concluded to herself.

“I want to be like one of those people no one messes with. Like you. A take no prisoners, ass kicking force of nature!” Sienna added.

“You've been watching too many action flicks. Folks don't kick ass these days. They just shoot each other.” Karima spoke as a matter of public record.

Sienna frowned, she didn't like guns and she didn't know how to use one.

“Okay, well there are guys out there capable of kicking some ass. They're called criminals. Say it with me: criminals. They're good at kicking ass because they have poor impulse control and carry angry petty grudges like a bitch. Plus they get in a lot of practice because they are constantly getting into fights. You, on the other hand, are a civilized taxpayer; the odds are overwhelming you will NEVER be good at kicking some criminal's ass. I can show you some moves that can get you out of a tough spot but sometimes all you'll accomplish is to piss off an already angry, violent person. So you gotta use what they lack–brains. Think your way out of the box they wanna put you in.” Karima informed Sienna.

“What box?” Sienna asked.

“The box labeled ‘victim'.”

– – –

A quiet, tree lined city block. A car zooms by with a booming sound system and a truck pulls up and double parks. The truck driver gets out, moves to the rear of the vehicle, and opens the padlock. Cars moving through the block can't pass through the small space beside the massive truck. Some cars backup the one way street.

Angry horns flare.

City life.

Detectives Harper and Richardson pull up alongside a basketball court in their unmarked car. As they get out of the sedan into the noonday sun, they notice a gathering of men in suits apparently on their lunch breaks and some possibly truant teenagers standing outside the metal gate surrounding the court watching the impromptu street basketball game taking place. Some men with tee shirts on, others with shirts off take their positions at either side of the basket as a player with sweat glistening down his bare chest, prepares to take a foul shot.

Slowly he rises in the air. At the apex of his short flight, he lets the orange-brown ball go off his fingertips with a snap of the wrist. The orange-brown orb hurled into space finds its place through the white netting around the rusted metal hoop.

SWOOSH

The men on either side of the basket move with a frenzy of activity to retrieve the ball. Troy, tall and athletic, with her short dark brown curly hair and Asian brown eyes, looks like you'd see her on an Italian runway not running through the lane for a pick and roll. Clad in her tank top and matching shorts Troy had the highest jump, returning to earth cradling the ball in her arms. Not taking a step one way or the other, Troy searches the sea of waving and blocking arms to find the digits of a friend.

Found him!

She lets go of the ball with a behind the back, no look pass to a friend running from behind her into her peripheral view. The basketball reaches the hands of the man wearing a Chicago Bull Jersey number twenty three and matching shorts, he sets up a play at the other end of the court. His silver chain sways on his neck to the weight of the capital silver T hanging from it.

A snap of the wrist. The ball is in space traveling again.

SWOOSH

Three easy points. The team wearing shirts celebrate while the shirtless curse and talk trash. Troy's team mate, holds up his hand for five, shouting, “That's what I'm talking ‘bout T!!”

Troy snaps the ball back into play. She catches the rebound after a frantic scramble from a missed shot. She easily defects attempts to steal the ball. Dribbling the ball while catching her breath, Troy allows her team to get into position under the basket. She advances to the foul line checking for a three point opening. One of the angriest looking men playing ball, wearing a scowl and a Puerto Rican bandana on his head, aggressively blocks her advance. She smirks slightly and takes a step back then jumps up with the grace of a ballerina.

The ball takes flight once more then it rotates around the metal rim three times before it drops through the basket, yielding Troy's team… THREE MORE POINTS!

“That shit wasn't no three fucking points. I ain't giving that cunt three fucking points,” complained the Angry Puerto Rican.

“This cunt took those three points,” boasted Troy.

The game is over. Everyone laughs except the Angry Puerto Rican. He storms off as Detective Richardson watches him closely while Detective Harper notices Troy speaking with the two men wearing suits. The one wearing shades discretely slaps a wad of bills into Troy's open hand. She smirks as she pockets the dough.

Detective Richardson could understand the annoyance of having been physically bested by a woman. He spoke with modest respect, “The bitch can play ball.”

“She can do anything that's lucrative,” Detective Harper cryptically revealed. She watches as Troy grabs a duffel bag up from off the ground and walks toward a gated construction site across the street. She disappears between a narrow opening in the gate surrounding the construction site. The detectives follow Troy noticing the sign on the scaffold surrounding the building reads: Another Empire Construction Company Project, Contact: TROY OCASIO LUI, Master Contractor.

Some men, recognizable from the basketball game earlier, are moving supplies into the property. Others are on the scaffold out front repairing the brickwork.

Detective Harper enters the narrow opening in the gate followed by Detective Richardson. Two men walk past the two officers carrying a large stack of lumber. One gets a look at the attractive female detective and almost knocks into the wall dropping his end of the lumber.

The noise startles an older, short rough looking black man mixing cement in a wheel barrel. Chomping on an unlit cigar, the older man rushes up to the two detectives waving his hands at her.

Speaking with a thick Jamaican accent, he tells them, “Can't be in ‘ere!”

Detective Harper flashes her badge. The older man looks at her suspiciously. He looks at her from head to toe and back.

“We need to speak with…”

The older man interrupts, “'Em who you need speak wit, he ain't ‘ere. No time for your Babylon foolishness Dawta. Seen?”

“Either we speak with the master contractor Mr. Lui, or we put in the paper work to shut down this work site. I already saw some illegal gambling and can probably find contraband if I look hard enough for it,” Detective Richardson threatened loudly.

The old man chomping on the cigar, eyed Detective Richardson from toe to head then nods his head towards the interior of the structure. Weaving under, across, and around wooden beams the two detectives quickly find someone working alone in this section, placing insulation in the ceiling.

Detective Harper noticed the pair of light brown construction boots on the middle rung of a tall ladder which disappeared into a large hole in the ceiling. Troy comes down the ladder and faces the two detectives.

“I don't like cops threatening my work crew,” Troy states.

Detective Harper searches Troy's hard gaze before she spoke, “We spoke with your Uncle about a cast of characters from your past and now we'd like to ask you some questions.”

“Still a bossy bitch aren't ya? You haven't changed a bit!” Troy accused Detective Harper.

“Neither have you.” Detective Harper replied quietly.

Detective Richardson looked suspiciously at the two women. He didn't understand why his partner insisted that he question this woman when they seemed to know each other already.

“We're looking for a black guy might have been called Truth or Sincere. He was a cleaner for the Pabon family,” said Detective Richardson.

“What the hell would I know about that?” Troy asked with irritation.

“Your Uncle seemed to have some info about this guy…”

Troy interrupted, “So you assumed I would too? I ain't in the bang for cash business. I'm a legit business woman now. You need info on criminal activities in the city speak with my brother Bing. Now if we're done, I got a legitimate business to run.”

“Where'd you get startup funds for this so-called legit business if not from your family? Unless, you know more about this person of interest than you're letting on. How about I take you in for withholding info pertinent to an ongoing investigation?” Detective Richardson accused and threatened.

“How about I throw your dumb ass in the cement mixer over there and add your hot air to the foundation of this building?” Troy suggested.

“Are you threatening me?” Detective Richardson inquired. He wanted this butch bitch to push his buttons. The anger inside him needed releasing badly.

“I don't make threats, I make promises.” Troy quipped. She eyeballed the attractive Detective Harper who stood behind Detective Richardson as though he were a shield and added, “Unlike some people, I don't arbitrarily break the promises I make.”

Detective Richardson balled up his meaty fist unaware that Troy had a discrete tight grip on a metal wench with an intention to use the tool more creatively upside the caustic cop's head than the tasks the tool was designed for. However, Detective Harper noticed the glint in Troy's eye and knew she had to stop them both before the heat between them escalated. She was puzzled about what it was in Troy's nature that drew out deeply rooted passions in people. In most women and some men the passions Troy elicited was sexual but in some occasions, too many that Detective Harper remembered, Troy could provoke someone to try to hit her. ‘Try' being the operative description. As much as she was reluctant to speak with Troy after all these years, Detective Harper was resigned to the inevitable with a long held sigh.

“I'll take it from here Detective Richardson,” Detective Harper suggested. She stepped in front of him and he reluctantly drew back his ire. She's gonna play bad cop good cop one time too far, he thought darkly as he allowed her to question the annoying dyke.

“As I recall before Bing took over you worked with your Uncle.” Detective Harper inquired.

“A few errands here or there.” Troy answered.

“As I recall there was THAT errand you'd set up after that shoot out at the Lam funeral a few years back. You did lots of errands like that for your Uncle,” Detective Harper offered cryptically.

“I was acquitted and I have nothing to say without legal rep present.” Troy answered.

“I'm not looking for new evidence on an old case I'm looking for a hitter. Black male. He would have been active when you ‘assisted' Uncle with his ‘errands'.” Detective Harper suggested.

Troy reluctantly thought back to the despicable and desperate act at the Lam funeral. It was the pinnacle of horrendous events that pushed her toward therapy.

Bao Lu Lam was youngest son of Thomas Lam, a respected member of the Lui Association. He was only eleven years old and was killed when he was hit by a car packed with young thugs running from a drug deal they had robbed. He had walked out into the crosswalk on his way to an after school enrichment program with his school friends. Because he was so young he didn't have a wake at his family home so the only arrangement was for his burial.

Under Troy's leadership the retaliation was swift as all the young men in that lethal car were found two days before Bao's funeral submerged in the East River.

At the time, Troy was a reluctant leader of the Lui Association, which was registered as a cultural/political association of Chinese immigrants. It had begun as a secret society during one of the many dynasties in mainland China rising to oppose the current leadership.

The original members of the Lui Association were run out of China into the new world. They used their close knit organization to protect them from other hostile immigrants, all fighting for the crumbs that dropped from the tables of the richer and older immigrant families, often running afoul of the law as they fought to survive then thrive. Uncle Bak Lui, brother to Troy and Bing's mother Alice Lui Ocasio, ran the tight-knit organization with an aspiration to groom his niece and nephew to replace him in time.

However the influence of the Lui Association was often challenged from time to time.

At young Bao's funeral a dark sedan pulled up and shot at the crowd who attended, wounding eighteen people and killing three. Uncle was furious but Troy was beyond livid. She quickly found out who was responsible. They were the drug dealers who were originally ripped off. They were pissed off that the Lui family prevented them from getting revenge themselves. They felt they lost face on the street and that any two-bit punk would try to rob them. The shoot out at the funeral was a message to the Lui family to mind their own business.

Troy sent her own message when she issued her contract. She didn't care who handled it and didn't know who handled it. She only wanted it done quick and hard. Industrial steel hard. Her enforced message was the Lui family stands in no one's way of making money, but the bullshit that effects anyone's ability to build wealth gets dealt with swiftly and finally.

In the aftermath of the explosion that leveled a legal auto repair shop the drug dealers used as their headquarters, the police found weapons, which had ballistics similar to the bullet taken into evidence at Ferncliff Cemetery where the Bao funeral was held. The District Attorney was given an anonymous tip that the head of the Lui family was involved in the hit on the drug dealers. So Troy and Uncle were brought in for questioning, threatened, charged, and acquitted by a grand jury whose members secretly got numerous gift certificates totaling one thousand dollars a few months later.

Troy didn't personally know who the hitter was who took her contract. She heard rumors of a shadow man, black, tall, unyielding, then she conveniently forgot. It was that job and the subsequent consequences that convinced her to leave that life behind. She realized her past life was one of the many things that ended her relationship with the earnest Detective Harper. That and the fact that Harper wanted the traditional house, kids, and trimmings Troy didn't want...with her. Troy knew Harper was just a stand in for Helen. She could go there with Helen if she wanted that. She smiled inwardly as she thought about the one woman who saved her from herself. Troy wanted the attractive policewoman to disappear back into the ether of her past. She briefly thought about the past without revealing anything incriminating in her expressive face.

“If you can remember anything, you have my number.” Detective Harper offered.

“I lost it.”

“Hostility, Troy? As I recall you've moved on... so have I.”

“There's no animosity on my part. There is nothing for me to remember and I have no need to call you.” Troy said before she turned to return to her legit business and thoughts of Helen, the only woman she would rearrange her life for without hesitation.

– – –

As a fire truck passed the diner, racing down the street, Sienna had to walk quicker to keep up with Karima's long stride on their brisk walk back to the building. She mildly entertained the thought of just holding onto Karima's arm allowing the taller woman to pull her along. She felt like the smaller dog desperately trying to keep up with a larger dog in one of those hilarious old ‘Kibble and Bits' TV commercials. She smiled to herself when Karima absentmindedly shortened her loping gait to accommodate Sienna's shorter stride.

Sienna looked up at Karima discretely. She had so many questions she wanted to ask, but she didn't want to piss the woman off again like she did about the discussion on relationships. She needed to get the jealous husband issue out of the way so she asked, “When can we start finding out information about Peggy's husband?”

“His wife. She'd be your primary source of info about him,” answered Karima.

Sienna was surprised that she hadn't considered approaching Peggy. Then she wondered, “While I'm doing that what will you be doing?”

“The unit on the second floor.” Karima explained.

“Can't your home improvement plans wait until AFTER we fix my problem?” Sienna asked exasperated.

Karima stopped abruptly turning to face Sienna and causing her to bump right into Karima's chest.

Nice, soft breasts , Sienna thought briefly before she backed away apologetically.

Karima raised her left eyebrow then spoke, “First of all, you ain't gonna solve this situation overnight. You need to gather some info, then figure out which of it is bullshit and which of it is truth. Only then can you…”

A massive explosion shook the ground knocking both Sienna and Karima off their feet. The alarms of cars parked nearby sounded off loudly. Laying on the ground, and slightly deaf from the blast, Karima stared incredulously, as she saw thick black smoke bellowing up into the morning air, above HER building. She watched wide-eyed as flames knocked through the windows all along the top floor of her building showering glass and bent metal rods down to the street below. She cursed as she got up from the ground and took off running towards her building.

Dumbfounded, Sienna ducked behind a fence when another loud explosion rumbled the ground under her feet. She pitched to her side finding her balance with the aid of a parked car. She watched in horror as Karima dodged flaming debris raining down on the street as she got closer to the quickly forming charred shell that was their home.

Dazed, Sienna walked slowly towards the building to find it engulfed in flames as numerous fire trucks arrived on the scene. From behind the police barricade, she watched through tears as ladders stretched out to reach the roof of the building where her beautiful loft apartment was on fire. She looked for Karima in the crowd that began to gather not finding her anywhere. She fished for her cell phone and quickly dialed Troy and Helen getting their voicemail. She left an urgent message with Lizz then her sister-in-law Suzanne.

Sienna was relieved that she had a network of friends she could depend on, but she began to worry when more flames exploded out of the rapidly deteriorating structure that used to be her home and she couldn't locate Karima.

God all my things! My car!!! God, I hope she didn't run inside the building! There is no way she would survive that inferno if she did! Who could have done this? She worked so hard on this building. She was loud but she kept the building in a clean, safe condition. That building had state of the art fire protection with smoke detectors and sprinkler systems. What the hell happened??? Sienna wondered as tears flowed down her cheeks. Then a thought immediately occurred to her as she stood across the street in the midst of a quickly gathering crowd. She turned away from the burning building that was her home and quickly thumb typed a quick text message then hit the send button.

– – –

The report came over their radio when they were on route to Sienna's apartment to speak with her for any more information about the subway incident. With the siren wailing and lights flashing, Detective Harper sped through the streets, navigating traffic like a pro driver. Detective Richardson was pensively silent. He called the hospital earlier to check up on the alleged assailant and was informed by the patrolman on duty that the lad hadn't woken up from his induced coma and the medical consensus was that he probably never would.

When their unmarked sedan screeched to a halt besides a fire truck, both Detectives jumped out and witnessed the inferno engulf the entire building from the ground. Detective Harper looked around the scene noticing the building crowd. She gestured to a patrolman on scene to handle the crowd, keeping them well clear of the fire department's operations.

The Fire Chief on scene noticed the two detectives who were woefully out of place and strode towards them.

“We haven't recovered any dead bodies yet. They training you guys at Crime Unit to be psychic Richardson?” The Fire Chief from Battalion 11 joked.

“We have a Vic who lives… lived at this address.” Detective Richardson answered as he watched the building burn.

“Chief you haven't found any... bodies?” Detective Harper asked.

“No Vics recovered. So far the structure is vacant so we're gonna let it burn itself out. Funny thing though, the call came straight from the building's alarm system. Shame. Musta been a state of the art system.” The Battalion Chief said.

“Arson?” Detective Richardson asked.

“We'll find out one way or the other after we sift through it.” The Fire Chief replied as he walked off to coordinate the efforts of his team.

“Why is it that everywhere we turn in this case there is a road block?” Detective Harper asked.

“There really ain't a case here anymore. The alleged suspect is a vegetable. The Vic is MIA and just an unlucky bitch. And you have us chasing hitman ghosts. I say we box this one Harper. The Vic ain't gonna give us anymore than she has already and I'd like to spend my time on something more substantial.” Detective Richardson complained.

“Still bucking for Lieutenant, Detective?” Detective Harper teased.

“You know it Sergeant.” Detective Richardson replied with a wink. He used to envy Harper having a higher rank than he did. He could never understand why she didn't take the numerous opportunities to have her own command, content to stay in the field. He had other plans. He knew it was politically expedient to be appointed to command positions so he planned to get his bars and new shield, but handling a lame case like this subway attack was not going to cut it. He just had to convince Harper of this case's futility. He was about to try to convince her to let this one go when…

“Damn it! Why the fuck didn't you just leave it wide open with a sign, 'Steal this shit!' on it. Do you not see the ‘hood we're in? These people will steal your skin if they could.” an angry voice shouted out.

Both detectives turned to see a diminutive patrolman cursing out a tall, lanky female rookie assigned to his car.

“I did lock it,” the rookie exclaimed but her training partner was fed up and stormed off. She couldn't understand who could have made off with the tactical sniper rifle that was stored in the trunk of the patrol car she was assigned to without anybody seeing them. She groaned inwardly worrying that the cost of the missing weapon was going to come out of her pay. She might even get an unpaid suspension over it.

Detective Richardson smirked, “Classic schoolboy mistake.”

Detective Harper remarked as she walked back to their sedan, “Not a stellar day for anyone all around.”

– – –

Peggy Unman-Johnson had just finished presiding over her foundation's early morning grant review meeting when her blackberry vibrated indicating a text message. She glanced down at it intending to ignore it when she noticed it was from Sienna. She smirked with delight as she read the brief message, ‘URGENT! Call me.' She excused herself from the meeting room and immediately dialed Sienna's number.

“Hey Baby!” Peggy cooed. “I was just about to send out a search party looking for you,” she added playfully.

“Pegs, have you spoken to your husband lately?” Sienna asked directly.

“Why? Are you leaving me for him? He's not worth the effort. Trust me. So are we getting together this weekend?” Peggy asked coyly, knowing the answer already.

“Your husband paid me a visit a few days ago and it wasn't a very friendly visit. I don't appreciate being completely burned out of my apartment! Thanks to your husband now I'm homeless!” Sienna revealed.

“What are you talking about?? What did YOU tell him?” Peggy demanded. She was pissed that Mitchell, her husband of ten years, was snooping around in her personal business. Mitchell is admittedly a pain in the ass and not in a good way. He had been making unnecessary annoying complaints about her comings and goings for the past six months, which Peggy found rather irksome. He knew she was a polyamorous bisexual before they were married. In fact, he admitted that was one of many things about her that attracted him.

He wanted to marry her as soon as he met her. Initially Peggy didn't encourage him because they were from different socio-economic classes. She was the sole heiress of a multi-billion dollar black hair care and beauty corporation and her husband Mitchell Unman, a city cop from a family of three generations of Irish-Italian policemen, worked on the security detail for the mayor's office at city hall. She foresaw how her economic status could rub a proud man the wrong way. Mitchell vehemently denied that his ego was so fragile.

Mitchell and Peggy met as members of the BSDM Red Dragons Society. They dated in a loose polyamorous coupling with four others at various play parties around the city. Many lovers drifted in and out of their circle but Mitchell and Peggy remained a constant so they legally married–mostly at Mitchell's insistence. At the time, Mitch thought it was a real coup for him to marry such a wealthy woman who didn't mind when he brought new women and a few drunken times when he was curious about sex with men, he brought a man home for them both to share.

Other men would kill to be in his position , Peggy mused to herself.

“Nothing! I denied knowing who you were! And for all my trouble now I am watching my home going up in smoke so apparently he didn't believe me!” Sienna insisted.

“How would he know to find YOU of all people? He hasn't contacted any of my other playmates.” Peggy wondered aloud.

Sienna cringed. She knew she wasn't Peggy's one and only, she just didn't want it so blatantly confirmed. There were egos involved, namely her own.

“I need to know how your husband found out about me. He physically threatened me earlier.” Sienna insisted.

“How should I know? We don't speak to each other. He shouts his insecurities at me. I try to avoid him as much as possible. I advise you to do the same. It's best if I have plausible deniability. He'll look the fool if he did this to you for no logical reasons.” Peggy offered as a vague solution.

She heard Sienna impatiently breathing on the other end of the phone call. She didn't want to get into this on the phone and she could tell Sienna was getting upset. Checking her wristwatch Peggy realized she was running late for her lunch date and needed to finish this call.

“Sienna I have another meeting but I need to see you. I want to make sure you are okay. Meet me at the Hampton Gardens on Sixth in the West Village at 5PM. We'll have an early dinner then I'll set you up in one of my foundation apartments nearby. No time limit on how long you can stay there. No one uses it. More importantly, Mitch doesn't know about it. Just in case the doofus has been following you, remember you don't know me and I don't know you. Smooches honey, I really, really have gotta run. See you later.” Peggy signed off before ending her call.

Staring at her cell phone, Sienna was a bit annoyed that Peggy didn't ask why Sienna didn't get back to her over the past three days. It was like she didn't register that anything else monumental had happened to Sienna and was only interesting in protecting herself. Sienna knew Peggy was a bit selfish when they first stated getting together. It didn't initially register as a deal breaker, but now Peg's minor flaw was quickly growing into a larger annoyance.

Sienna felt Karima's presence behind her before she heard her whisper instructions, “Walk back towards the diner. Don't attract any attention.”

When Sienna turned to question where she had gone and why they weren't staying to answer any questions the police and firemen may have, Karima was gone. She wasn't hungry and couldn't fathom why Karima wanted to go back there. She looked around noticing that no one seemed to register that she was standing there. Reluctantly, Sienna walked back towards the diner, her footsteps heavy with frustrations, fear, and many questions.

When she reached the diner she went inside and didn't find Karima waiting for her there. She stepped outside and looked around. A shiny black sedan with tinted windows pulled up alongside the curb where she stood. Curious she watched as the tinted window on the passenger side silently slide down to reveal Karima was driving the car.

“Get in.” Karima commanded.

“Why? We should go back to the building and give our statements to the police.” Sienna revealed.

“Get in or stay here. The choice is yours.” Karima answered.

Sienna narrowed her eyes. She didn't like being ordered about like this. But she didn't anticipate being burnt out of her apartment either. So far Karima has been a source of safety and Sienna rationalized that was the only reason she got into Karima's car and buckled her seat belt as they sped away.

As the dark car sped through the city streets Sienna took out her cell phone to type more text messages to her friends. Without taking her eyes off the road, Karima snatched the cell phone from Sienna before she could send her message. She opened the battery port with a thumb tip, popping the battery out and tossing it out her wide open window. She then handed the empty cell phone back to Sienna.

“Why did you do that?” Sienna demanded. Those batteries aren't cheap. With all her worldly possessions gone it would be difficult to replace it without cash! She thought hotly.

“Take out the sim card and snap it in two pieces.” Karima instructed.

“I'm not destroying my phone!” Sienna protested.

“Anyone who wants to find you to hurt can do so with THAT sim card.” Karima revealed.

Sienna nervously removed it and was surprised how flimsy it was. It snapped into two pieces between the applied pressure of her thumb and index finger. She followed Karima's previous action tossing the pieces out the window of the moving sedan.

Sienna sat quietly thinking about her conversation with Peggy. She thought about Peggy's husband and how dangerous he turned out to be. She realized since he was a policeman it was probably best if they didn't stick around to answer questions. The police might not believe he was the arsonist. Then it occurred to her that Karima was in danger too as she looked at Karima's determined face.

“I'm so sorry about what happened to your building.” Sienna offered. She felt so awful that she may have been the indirect cause for Karima losing her building to the inferno. She looked at Karima's stark profile as she drove the car in silence. She racked her mind trying to think of some way to make it up to the enigmatic woman. The silence was almost painful as Sienna imagined Karima pondering how to cut her losses and numerous ways to leave her on the side of the road without stopping the car.

“Won't they be able to trace this car back to you?” Sienna asked.

“This isn't my car.” Karima revealed.

“But if your friend loaned you this car he might be able to trace you through your friend.” Sienna insisted.

“I don't know the owner of this car.” Karima informed Sienna. She turned left on a yellow light steering the car through building traffic with precision.

It took Sienna an embarrassingly long time to realize she was riding in a stolen car. Really it was when she finally noticed the driver's side window was smashed in and bluish broken glass pieces peppered the floor-mats of the car. That and the exposed wires hanging under the steering column.

“Pull over! I want to get out right now!” Sienna demanded once she mentally put the puzzle together.

Karima rolled her eyes then guided the car onto the J Edgar Hoover Parkway. She avoided the traffic, which began to line up to enter the ramp onto the Triborough Bridge. The sedan picked up speed as Karima's right foot pressed tight on the gas pedal as they weaved through a sea of yellow taxicabs.

Sienna anger grew as she realized Karima wasn't going to acquiesce to her demands. She shouted, “Let me out of this car! Right now!” She knew Karima purposely got on the parkway so that she couldn't slow down and let her out. She refused to have being kidnapped added to the various recent offenses of malice directed towards her. She began hitting Karima on the shoulder and her arm to get her attention and make her pull over to on the emergency lane to avoid getting into an accident. Sienna wanted to get out of the stolen car even on the parkway. She knew she could walk along the shoulder to the next exit.

Karima was trying to work out some important details in her mind, but the shouting and the mindless hitting was giving her a headache. That was the excuse she rationalized to herself to explain the necessity to punch Sienna once in the middle of her chin, her fist aimed at the pressure point of Sienna's mental nerve in her lower chin. Sienna was instantly rendered unconscious. Karima adjusted Sienna's head resting it gently against the headrest. Then she turned on the radio allowing the music to assist in calming her mood so she could focus her attention on her next steps. She pushed the media button along the steering column, turning on the satellite radio. It was tuned to a station playing R&B music from the late 90s. The girl group Total was belting out the song ‘ Trippin'.

It shocked Karima to her core to see her building on fire. Then, the explosions. She hadn't expected that. When she noticed the graffiti of the word “Awake” on the shut metal gate to the bodega across the street from her burning building, she knew the fire and the graffiti was Sincere's calling card. Even though she hadn't really been hiding, she realized that he had been watching her for some time. She sent her mother a quick text message “to go underground” on her generic pay-as-you-go cell phone. Once she received the confirmation that her mother got her urgent message she knew she would be safe. She sighed in relief that she had squared her mother away, having planned for her to go into hiding at a moment's notice years in advance.

She glanced at her unconscious former tenant pondering if she should have left her behind. She realized Sincere had to know an innocent was on the premises, but he didn't seem to care as he set up the various incendiary devices to level her building. She remembered how he dismissively handled his ex-girlfriend Joan.

Sighing, Karima knew she would have been royally pissed off if that charred shell was the only building she owned in the city. So she wasn't acting from anger, which gave her a powerful vantage point. Her next move was to get her tenant/client to a safe place then focus her attentions on Sincere. She didn't think the threat to Sienna was as dangerous as Sincere and she didn't want Sienna to be caught in the inevitable crossfire.

Karima pulled the sedan into an empty parking space in the sparse abandoned strip mall area. She pulled a rag soaked in alcohol from a plastic baggy from her back pocket and wiped down the steering wheel, the seat belts, dashboard buttons, and door switches before exiting the car. She walked over to the passenger side to lift Sienna out of the car. Once she removed her unconscious client, she shut the passenger door close with her hip.

She needs to lay off all the waffles and sausages , Karima thought as she carried the small but hefty load into one of the abandoned buildings, unnoticed.

Once inside the long abandoned electronic superstore, Karima carried Sienna downstairs to the storage room where there are numerous signs that this store hasn't been abandoned at all. She was about to gently deposit her small tight load on mattress on the ground when it scrambled about in her arms as Sienna fought for consciousness.

Sienna kicked and punched for all she was worth, effectively toppling both herself and Karima on top of her onto the dusty blanket on the mattress on the tiled floor. She struggled to elude Karima's quick grips. Her kicks were gaining purchase against Karima's shin, thigh, and stomach. Sienna just knew the evil woman punched her, knocking her out and she wasn't going to let anyone do THAT to her again. Karima groaned when Sienna kicked the air out of her stomach and she doubled over, but quickly recovered to wrestle her weight on top of Sienna's legs and thighs, rendering her wild kicking ineffective.

“Get off me!” Sienna spat out. She fought to not cry hot tears. She hated this woman and she knew her world would right itself once she got away from her. What was she thinking to hire this woman to help her? She was no better that the man she needed protection from. Sienna was certain that she could find someone with a better reputation to assist her - someone who wouldn't resort to violence when it suited them!

Once Karima was able to immobilize Sienna's frantic thrashing about, holding her tight angry fists against the mattress and above her head, and keeping her legs relatively still tightly held under her own tight thighs, Karima feels her cold shield sliding down her face, letting it settle in her eyes as she stares into Sienna's wet, slightly pink, angry ones.

“Get the fuck off me!” Sienna spat out forcefully. The spittle hits Karima in cheek and she raises one eyebrow in response.

“Didn't you say you wanted to be a ‘fighting take no prisoners bad ass'? Consider this lesson one. You want to be able to fight and defend yourself? Fine. Well right now one of the most dangerous people you could ever meet has you trapped against the floor. And I'm a label you… victim. You can't power me off of you ‘cause I got a good fifty to sixty pounds on you. Yell all you want, ain't nobody gonna hear you. So what you gonna do now? How you gonna get out of this one? Think quick but get your solution right. You don't get second chances. Hint though, spitting again is only gonna piss me the fuck off!” Karima suggested as she struggled to maintain control over an increasingly frustrated Sienna.

Sienna attempted numerous futile efforts to displace Karima off of her. She wanted to slap that growing smirk off of Karima's face. Her anger grew until she remembered that Karima said something about using her mind instead of her muscles. So she used the only effect weapon she had… she lifted her head and violently pressed her lips against Karima's. Sienna noticed the look of surprise in Karima's widened eyes as their lips touched. Shocked, Karima leaned back away from Sienna losing her grip on Sienna's right fist.

Sienna's initial thought was to punch Karima in the nose with her free hand. Really, really hard but she quickly realized that she didn't know if the punch would hurt her hand instead because Karima looked like she had a really hard head. Then she noticed that she changed the playing field with the touch of her lips on Karima's shocked face and she needed to keep her unsettled so she grabbed Karima's tee shirt collar pulling back towards her for an angry kiss complete with tongue action and a moan or two.

What began as Karima's mortified reluctance quickly morphed into something else; something brimming with angry demands, on the cusp of violence. Fingers full of semi-exposed skin, slipping out of control along the angles and sloping lines of fabric draped along the contours of a demanding woman. Hands which were previously locked in battle began to scratch frantically at velvet soft skin.

Hot moist breath panting in synchronicity to the pulse of Karima's newly awakened desire. Sienna's tongue demanded access to Karima's mouth. The feel of her breath made Sienna thirsty for more. Her tongue, moved slowly across a neat row of teeth. Teeth that captured that wet, curious muscle of exploration.

Karima rode a compression wave that traveled up her spine from her stomach, a wave of a long neglected hunger as she sucked that inquisitive tongue. Tasting Sienna's mouth, her lips, a dangling earlobe, a fragrant neck, Sienna's scent awoke something primal in her as she groaned against it. It had been a long, long time since she had been with anyone. That part of her slept seemingly for decades. Although she hadn't considered this a possibility, Karima knew as parts of her body long forgotten awoke hungry and demanding. There was no retreat if Sienna was able to say, seemed to want to say, “Stop”. Her only higher consciousness was stuck in a mental groove mantra of “Suck. Taste. Ride. Inside. Come.” Not necessarily in that order.

Sienna's hands, lips, stomach, and thighs had other ideas - the need to touch as much of Karima's physical landscape as was possible,. She was easily frustrated by fabrics, buttons, zippers, all manner of barriers that needed to be breached. The humorous tee shirt flew across the room. The two hundred dollar designer blouse lost all its buttons with a hard tug. Bras quickly discarded, jeans, a skirt, and sexy panties all dropped to the floor.

Wide eyed, Sienna lurched as Karima thrust her bare thigh then insistent hand between her legs and along her hot, moist nether lips. Sienna thought to stop Karima when she slowly migrated her kisses down her neck, belly, and then pelvis. “That is way too intimate!” Sienna thought in a panic. But her deep need for the release she would get from this touch overrode her logical processing. She placed her wandering hand on Karima's shoulder. She felt the ropy muscle under soft, smooth skin. The touch of stop soon became the touch of go.

The silky softness of Sienna's pubic hair coated with her natural citrus fragrance energized Karima's tongue as they rocked against one another, holding on tight.

“Ah… yeah. Ah... just like that. Ah... don't move. Go deeper… deeper. Ah. Yeah... Oh... yeah. Oh! Oh! Oh baby! Right there! Yes… yes! Sh... ” Sienna whispered breathlessly.

With a swallow and shallow frantic breaths Sienna regained her composure kissing Karima, slowly rolling her over and straddled on top of her as she rested her forehead against Karima's neck. Karima's legs opened to a soft, insistent caress on her thigh. Karima's eyes widened with a glow as Sienna leaned in for a smoldering kiss… a bit further down south.

– – –

He grabbed the cold food from the take out container with his long, nimble fingers, slurping the long golden yellow noodles into his mouth as he watched across the street through the binoculars. He chewed as he knelt on the floor in front of an open window of a vacant corner apartment on the fifth floor of an apartment building. He licked an errant drop of the take out scallion and noodle soup juice from his chin as he watched the Asian young man yelling at a delivery man at the Happy Land Restaurant Emporium. He kept eating sloppily as he watched the delivery man arguing back and gesturing with a clipboard of papers, which looked like invoices with pink copies attached.

He slurped some bitter green tea adjusting the binoculars to see inside the open entranceway to the warehouse. He noticed four... no, five men with concealed weapons inside the warehouse and three more standing outside with his angry subject.

That would increase the kill number. A more surgical kill is required here, he thought as he put the binoculars down and looked longingly at the Barrett M-82A1 (XM107) tactical sniper rifle he had acquired for the kill. It had a decent scope. Although he was aware of the kickback on this model he knew it could do the job nicely.

He sighed then took some more noodles, content to munch even though he wasn't really hungry. This mindless eating tended to creep up on him from time to time during a long surveillance, which tended to be problematic to his waistline. He would have to step up his workout regime to handle the extra calories.

He checked his wristwatch and smiled. He had been watching Bing Ocasio Lui for weeks since he got the contract. According to Bing's tight schedule he knew that he still had time to complete this task before he resumed activity on his personal project - Karima.

Sincere wiped his brow and his chin casually with the back of his hand then resumed watching the events unfold five stories below him and across the street in the building he had been watching for the past few hours.

The eerie tennis match of their argument exploded as Bing grabbed the clipboard from the deliveryman and rapidly slammed it hard across his head and face. The deliveryman was unable to retaliate and protect himself from the rapid blows raining down on his head, only able to hold his arms up defensively. A powerful slap with the clipboard across his face knocked him to the ground. Foaming at the mouth, Bing proceeded to kick and stomp the deliveryman in the stomach and about the head. Two of his henchmen approached Bing to stop him but Bing violently slapped them away. He continued stomping at the unconscious body on the ground until a familiar orgasmic wave flowed through him. Breathing heavy, he spat at the bloody body at his feet and yelled loud enough for everyone to hear, “I bet next time your ass will listen to some fucking reason!”

Bing turned around and grabbed the towel that one of his henchmen handed to him. He wiped the sweat off his brow and his arms. He wiped the blood off his black wing-tip shoes. He threw the towel back at his henchmen who were standing around and barked out a command gesturing at the body on the ground and the parked truck of refurbished pizza ovens, “Why don't you morons do something useful. Clean this shit up!”

Bing could have paid the bill for the repair of those ovens but he needed the money for something more important besides he had learned at his Uncle's knee that, djayng yun cheut hau, bun yun cheut sau, which roughly translates into “important men tell stupid men what to do”.

Across the street, Sincere took note of how annoyed Bing's men were taking orders from the angry half-breed. He thought it best to close the circle of the kill zone with the assistance of some disgruntled thugs.

– – –

Sitting in the back of a late model E Class Mercedes Benz, Bing smirked as he watched the city float by behind tinted bulletproof windows. Beating that deliveryman was so satisfying that Bing told his driver to go to his sister's place of business. He had been planning to speak with her for some time. He kept tabs on her comings and goings. He wanted her to come back to the family business and stop wasting her life getting dirt under her nails and taking orders from men that were beneath her, men who should be worshiping her instead.

Bing despised his sister's need to hide her femininity. She still is a very beautiful woman , he thought longingly. He envisioned her dressed in the numerous dresses and outfits he brought her as gifts over the past few years and that she refused to accept from him.

Bing despised her sexual orientation, but he detested the estrangement between them more. Troy was his sister and she belonged with him. He planned to make her see the truth of things the way he saw it.

When his car pulled up along the sideway in front of the site where the Empire Construction Company was currently working under Master Contractor Troy Lui, Bing got out of the car and walked up the steps to the office trailer, gesturing to his bodyguard to wait outside while he pushed opened the door without knocking.

He found his sister alone in the trailer examining a stack of blueprints. She looked up at the intrusion then narrowed her eyes at him. She was not pleased to see him.

Troy had planned to finish up reviewing the changes on the blueprints the project manager sent. She was pleased the changes didn't increase the construction budget. She didn't want to skimp on materials nor make the workplace a hazard to her men trying to stay on budget as many companies were apt to do.

Her shoulder was sore from working all afternoon and she was looking forward to spending time with Helen, perhaps coxing a nice massage from her. Then there was Sienna and the weird turns her life had taken lately. She planned to check up on Sienna as well since she read a cryptic message from her earlier. Troy tried to call her and leave a message but none of her calls were going through. She had too many things to deal with. Bing was not on her “to do” list.

“I thought I told you to leave me the fuck alone.”

“Is that anyway to speak to family, Troy ?” Bing asked softly.

Troy ignored him packing up her stuff to leave the trailer office.

“I am still your brother Troy , a brother whose patience is quickly running thin. There have been enough heated words between us. We have had our differences in the past, but we were good together. The Lui twins were unstoppable. Remember?” Bing asked.

Troy left the blueprints out across her desk, writing a few instructions on a couple of post-it notes to remind herself in the morning of things she needed to address. She shutdown and packed up her laptop continuing to ignore Bing but being cautiously aware of his presence in relation to her.

“Well I remember if you choose not to. Let's end this distance between us. Okay I'm taking the first step. Pay attention Troy ! I am here offering an olive branch. You can keep this little distraction you call a business but you must take your rightful place beside me.” Bing commanded.

“Bing don't flatter yourself. I didn't go off on my own because of you; I left in spite of you. I don't want to attend family gatherings. I don't want to stroll down memory lane with you and I don't want to help you run the family business. I have my own interests to occupy my time. I found a place where I belong. Where I want to stay. I found a place where I'm happy.” Troy advised.

“You belong with me!” Bing yelled.

“I belong to the woman I see in the mirror every morning. I'm not interested in losing my soul again or have you try to pimp me out to rivals and allies. Fuck that life. You and your friends outside can crawl back to the swamp with the rest of the bottom feeding degenerates.” Troy replied.

“Careful! Those so-called bottom feeders are your family. Your family! Not that rug muncher you're sleeping with. She isn't even Chinese! You couldn't find a Chinese girl? You always chased after these white girls. Candy liked you. Candy knew her place and was discrete; she would have been perfect for you. Look I'm even willing to overlook your peculiarities as long as you return to your rightful place guiding the family.” Bing replied.

“Candy is a hooker. In fact she was one of your girls. I didn't want a woman out on the stroll every night.”

“Candy is a classy girl. You know I never had her on the streets!” Bing countered.

“You like Candy so much you fuck her and leave me the fuck alone!” Troy yelled

Bing grabbed his sister by the arm to yank her across the desk but she punched him hard in the middle of his face. Losing his grip he fell back to the floor of the trailer, rocking it a bit.

He jumps up and grabs his sister in a bear hug. As a tickle of blood flows down from his nose and drops on the floor, he smells her hair. He missed her scent desperately. Troy manages to push him off of her ramming her foot into his groin. He topples over in pain.

“I ain't that little kid anymore Bing. No one touches me unless I allow it.” Troy remarks as she steps over him slumped over on the floor. She walks to the trailer door, opening it and tells the bodyguard outside, “You better come and get your boss. He's bleeding all over my floor.”

The bodyguard enters the trailer finding Bing with a bloody nose and writhing in pain on the floor of the trailer. He wondered what had happened when the trailer rocked a little. He tries to help his boss up from the floor but Bing pushes his assistance away. Bing reaches out to his sister with tears, “I think you broke it. You broke my fucking nose!”

“You'll live.” Troy diagnosed as she reached for the door to leave the trailer.

“Troy I need you. You can have these stupid gwei mui you crave, but we've never been apart this long. I can't go for years not speaking with you, not fighting with you, not laughing with you, not being with you, not gazing at you, my beautiful, beautiful sister. This is too cruel, even for you.” Bing cried.

Troy turned to regard her older brother. She hated him on the surface. He was unstable and unpredictable. He was borderline psychotic, but deep down she loved her brother and probably always would. Maybe that's why things between them went too far, crossing lines and boundaries that should have never been crossed. Troy knew under Bing's obsession he did love her, perhaps too much.

Troy remembered the first time she and Bing were together in a way siblings should never be. They had just turned twelve years old. They were visiting their Uncle Victor at his warehouse. Initially, they played games in the warehouse. Bing hated playing hide and seek because he was so awful at it. Troy always found him, but he could never find her before getting angry then scared he would never find her. Bing liked to believe that because he was older he was responsible for Troy . He really was only ten minutes older than Troy . Troy was a more independent child than he was.

That afternoon in the warehouse the two twins heard a man scream and went to investigate like two amateur sleuths. What they discovered traumatized them for the rest of their lives. They saw Uncle Victor torturing a man with a razor blade. Every time Uncle Victor cut the man he would scream and yell in Cantonese, pleading for his life and the life of his children. Bing was both horrified and mesmerized by the blood and open flesh wounds. Troy placed her hand over Bing's mouth so that he wouldn't make a noise revealing they were watching.

Troy herself was mesmerized by how calm Uncle Victor was. He was literally slicing a man up for betraying him but he didn't seem angry at all. That night Bing had a nightmare that it was he who Uncle was slicing up because he ate the last piece of cake. Crying he came into Troy 's bedroom to seek comfort from her presence like he always did at night when his nightmares woke him from a fretful sleep.

That night Troy 's hugs encouraged Bing to became intimate and adult with her. The way he had heard Uncle's men speak of how they were with women. He knew it was best when a man took a woman rough and hard, but his Uncle told him on his twelfth birthday that a man needs to be gentle when it was a woman's first time if he cared for the woman. At the time he didn't understand, but with his sister holding him and comforting him he realized that he cared deeply for her and wanted to be gentle with her. That night Troy and Bing lost their virginity with each other. Throughout their adolescence and their early twenties they sought each other out sexually until Troy had a nervous breakdown over her desire for woman and her heartache of being a part of such a violent, immoral family. Uncle Victor knew the two twins were sexual with each other and never did anything about it. It was her Uncle's inaction that convinced Troy that he condoned and encouraged it.

Pulled back to the present from her memories, Troy looked at her brother in his misery, feeling the slight pang of compassion for him then she thought of the life she had created for herself and the parts of it she shared with Helen.

“I can't exist within the space of your gaze. It's too narrow a place for me to fit in.” Troy explained as she left the trailer to go home to Helen.

– – –

The loud and steady rhythm of a heartbeat under her ear aroused her from a hazy, lazy drowsiness. Sienna realized she was laying on a soft yet firm uneven surface of skin. She shifted her ear with a faint pop of a semi airtight skin on skin seal with a moan. Her lips brushed against a taunt dark nipple, which quickly stiffened and tightened by the sensation. Sienna opened her one eye to regard it. She watched as the skin surrounding the dark nipple, seemingly nervous under the scrutiny, pucker and wrinkle, tightening itself to a small dark nub. Then she closed her eye content to stay half asleep/half awake.

All these sensations weren't as powerful as the cool air that was caressing her exposed thighs and buttocks and fully roused Sienna from her post-coital stupor. She lifted her head from its perch and dragged cramped sweaty fingers through her unruly mop of damp hair pushing it aside to see where exactly she was - sprawled across Karima's body.

She opened both eyes to regard Karima's face relaxed in a closed eyed repose. Gone was the harshness, the hard lines. Sienna rode the gently tidal rock of Karima's breathing. She stared at Karima's face memorizing every contour, every slope. The angle of her cheek bones, the curve of her nose, and how the edge flared a bit as she inhaled.

Under the intense scrutiny, Karima who was already wake, but was lying still mulling over “what the fuck?” just happened, opened her tired brown eyes meeting Sienna's questioning stare. Sienna blinked rapidly unable to maintain her gaze as she slowly moved off of Karima, searching for her scattered clothes on the floor.

Karima sat up slowly and placed her arms around her knees and watched Sienna as she got dressed. That was effective. I just hope this isn't always going to be her “go to plan” when dealing with someone trying to hurt her. Karima thought as she took stock of her physical condition. She felt less tense and expanded her senses to their current surroundings - one of many basement storage rooms under the empty strip mall upstairs. She heard the compressor of the climate control machine she had installed months ago and the faint hum of the grow lights she also had set up in the other storage rooms.

Karima looked again at Sienna who now seemed to be avoiding her gaze. She wondered if the woman was beginning to regret having sex with her. She didn't remember how one was supposed to act afterwards. She wondered if she was supposed to say something or wait for Sienna to say something or were they supposed to not say anything.

Karima groaned inwardly not liking the growing air of awkwardness between them one bit. It smacked of one being out of control. As far as Karima was concerned whenever control is lost she was the one to do the smacking not the one to be smacked. As a semi-retired hit woman the acknowledgment that she wasn't in control of the situation was professionally embarrassing. Karima smiled to herself, which wasn't missed by Sienna.

“I don't find this amusing. I don't see how you do.” Sienna accused.

Karima looked up at Sienna dazed, then spoke quietly, “I wasn't laughing at you.”

“Please don't amplify my shame.” Sienna exclaimed as she brusquely put on her blouse. She stared at Karima willing her to say something. Do something, anything to stop the discomfort building up in her throat and chest.

Karima frowned.

She's ashamed of having sex with me? She wondered. Then she realized with a deep swallow, that Sienna finally saw her as what she really was - an unrepentant cold-blooded killer. She avoided Sienna's eye contact searching the floor for anything to disappear into. She thought, the shame is not yours... it's mine.

Sienna saw the pain drawing itself along Karima's expressive face. She realized that Karima didn't plan what happened and being truthful with herself, there was nothing they did that Sienna didn't want and desire. Truthfully the discomfort in her chest was born of the deep desire to do THAT again instead of standing here looking at Karima process her personal demons and her sorrow.

Karima looked up after a long moment and was about to form her lips to say, “I'm sor…” when Sienna interrupted her with a commandment, “Don't tell me how sorry you are!”

Karima looked at her wide-eyed, blinking intermittently.

“I don't want power over you I just want to understand why you hurt me. Not here but in the car. Why did you do that to me?”

“Too noisy. I didn't want to lose control of the car. I… I couldn't think clearly.” Karima responded quietly.

“So potentially causing me brain damage me was the only thing you could think to do?” Sienna asked.

“I just tapped a pressure point. Just hard enough to knock you out. That would have never caused you brain damage.” Karima explained.

Sienna narrowed her eyes. She was not amused.

“Actually hitting someone on the back of the head is a lot safer than hitting them on the side of the head. A blow to the side of the head can cause the head to rotate, causing the brain to move faster than the linear acceleration from a frontal or posterior blow. The rotation can also cause deeper tearing of the fibers in the frontal lobe leading to issues with attention and memory. Hitting someone in the back of the head doesn't cause as much movement within the brain. Not that most people know this, but just FYI if you need to knock someone out and don't want to cause a lot neurological trauma, do what I did.” Karima regurgitated these facts to appease Sienna, in keeping with their original contract that she would teach Sienna how to defend herself.

“I thought we had gotten past that. I thought we had begun to respect each other. I guess I was wrong.” Sienna spoke dejectedly.

Karima looked mortified and it shocked her how upset she was becoming. She was stuck mute and ashamed sitting in her nakedness. She never cared how her actions affected people before especially not the boys and girls who were her lovers in her youth. She never felt any sort of connection to them, which was why she never understood why people got so bent out of shape when their lover took other lovers. Desire isn't anything personal. It's just an urge . Right? She pondered.

All her young adult life, Karima thought that the sexual contract was limited exclusively by the boundaries from arousal to climax. She thought to create any sort of relationship based on the act of sex was an irrational delusional impulse to hide from the fear of being alone. We are born alone even if we come into being with a twin. A solitary journey. We die alone. Essentially, the same journey in a different direction , she recalled to herself. But now she no longer felt that she owned that philosophy body and soul anymore and she was bewildered as to what was currently replacing it.

“I understood why we couldn't speak to the police. I understood that you have unique talents that can help me. In the future… just talk to me. I am a reasonable person.” Sienna suggested with the words “don't ever hurt me like that again”, left unspoken but implied.

“It never helps you to help the police. In your attempt to be helpful and honest you may give them evidence against you about something else. No one can talk their way out of getting arrested. Everything you tell the police can be used against you but not for you because it will be…” Karima's voice tapered off as she sensed a presence.

Sienna jumped when they heard a loud crash in the corridor outside the room they were in. Karima jumped to her feet and grabbed a metal pipe from the ground and approached the doorway wielding it as a weapon.

Sienna looked at Karima and was about to tell her she was still very naked until a husky person entered the storage room and was about to be pummeled with the metal pipe just as Karima recognized him. She dropped the metal pipe to the ground with a loud clank and walked away from the doorway to sit once again on the mattress as Corey breathed a sigh of relief.

“Dawta! A weh ya baan? Me wander up your link up and you done, done us??? ” Corey exclaimed as he ogled her assets, relieved to have avoided being pummeled to death. Corey was shorter than Karima and heavier. He stood five feet nine inches tall, weighing three hundred and thirteen pounds. Although he was Jamaican through and through he was a natural ginger wearing short knobby dread locks. He had fair skin with a reddish under tone.

He secretly thought Karima was one of the sexiest women he came across, but he knew instinctively that she would kill him if he ever thought to try anything with her. Besides his old woman was a jealous broad. He didn't need the aggravation. He thoroughly enjoyed this rare opportunity to examine and study Karima's body.

Nice breasts , he thought. An ass man, Corey licked his lips as he noticed her “boom boom” when she bent down to sit on the mattress. He was surprised that Karima brought her “piece of tail” to his grow house ‘cause he thought Karima lived “la Vida” asexual. He moaned inwardly that he didn't swing by sooner, knowing that he just missed an amazing show between these two very attractive women.

“Who is this person Karima?” Sienna demanded as she wrapped herself in her blouse to cover herself from the strange man. She didn't understand a word he uttered but she was getting increasingly annoyed with all his lip licking and the hungry look he aimed at Karima's naked body. She was even more annoyed at Karima's total lack of care in just how naked she was in his presence.

“This is my man Corey. We go way, way back. Corey this is Ms. Sienna Joffe. Ms. Joffe to you. She's the package I told you about. I want her handled like priority express not on some postal service shit. I want a straight up private courier detail. Safe and tight. On some same day shit. You got me, son? Don't disappoint Corey. Sin is on scene and time done run the fuck out on me.” Karima instructed.

When Corey heard Karima speak of Sincere, a phantom from her dark past, he finally understood who this Joffe woman was. Somehow Karima done wifed this Ms. Joffe who was in a situation “peligroso”. Corey “overstood” the need to protect one's own. Especially since that rank rude boy Sincere seemed to arose from being “deaded”.

“Mos def, Dawta. Mos def. Maximum preparation for your Ooman. Nice and steady, Overstand Dawta?” Corey replied.

“She ain't my woman Corey.” Karima informed him regretfully.

. Irritated that they seemed to be talking about her while she was still in the room, Sienna yelled at Karima, “Would you please put some clothes on!”

Karima reluctantly dressed as Corey smirked at her. He knew a wife's commandment when he heard one and only them who be so attached heed such a warning as quickly as Karima did. He smirked because Karima didn't realize she had a woman… yet.

“What are you two talking about?” Sienna asked.

“Corey is going to handle getting you to a safe place and put into play a little distraction I've come up with for your lover's husband. While jealous cop is trying to put out that fire you can resume... your situation.”

It irritated Karima to recall aloud that Sienna had a lover she desperately wanted to get back to.

“You're not going to retaliate... you're not going to set their home on fire?” Sienna asked nervous of the answer. She didn't want Karima to jeopardize herself on her behalf.

“Trust me. Corey is going to take you somewhere safe. Stay there. Don't leave for anything. Call who you need to before you get where Corey is going to take you. Don't tell anyone where you are or where you are going, then just stay put. If you need to get in touch with me dial 687 on that phone. I'll come for you when it's safe. If you don't hear from me stay put for at least two weeks. After that everything should be fine. In the future, be more discrete.” Karima advised Sienna as Corey handed her an unlocked cell phone.

Karima finished getting dressed but she felt bone tired. The sooner she dealt with Sincere the better. She suffered no delusions that Sincere could just as easily kill her but she didn't fear her death. There were darker aspects of her that would welcome oblivion, but at the core of Karima, she was a survivor.

“Remember after you use that take out the sim card and break it.” Karima reminded Sienna.

“Why do I have to stay hidden for so long? What are you going to be doing? Wait… what do you meant IF I don't hear from you?” Sienna asked. She was beginning to feel nervous that something dark and dangerous was waiting on the horizon for Karima.

“Look it's best if you don't know what's about to fall on your lover's husband's head, but he'll be so busy dealing with that you will very soon be a forgotten memory. Besides I have to deal with someone more dangerous than your lover's husband. If this man even catches a scent of you around me he will hunt you and kill you as a message to me. You will be safe. As for me nothing is guaranteed in life.”

“You better make sure that you come free me from my safe place yourself. I'm not staying hidden for two weeks. Don't make me come looking for you.” Sienna teased.

Every atom belonging to me belongs to you. Sienna was surprised when she recalled that single line from a poem she read as a child. She couldn't understand what it meant until she saw a look of promise in Karima's eyes.

– – –

Breathing heavily, Bing laid flat on the floor of the trailer. He looked around frantically. The light from outside poured into the trailer in thin dusty streams. Tightly clutching his automatic pistol to his chest, he listened for any sounds beyond that of the car horn sounding loudly. He hoped that he could pinpoint which direction the shots were coming from. He frantically checked his pants pocket for his cell phone then dejectedly realized he had left it in his Mercedes.

He looked over to his left near the open door of the trailer. Slumped up against the open door, with a bullet through his right eye socket, and a thick smear of blood and brains on the door, was his former bodyguard. They were both about to leave his sister's office trailer when the shots rang out peppering the left driver side of his Mercedes sedan with holes, instantly killing his driver. As the dead driver slumped forward his dead body pressed against the car horn.

When Bing initially heard the gunshots, he instinctively kicked his burly bodyguard towards the direction of the gunfire to shield himself, grabbing the surprised man's weapon from his holster. He dived for cover under his sister's desk as bullets sliced holes through the trailer walls, one of them grazing his right leg. He shot a few times out of the window of the trailer to let whoever it was out there know he was armed and dangerous. Then he angrily emptied the magazine of his bodyguard's gun, cursed loudly, tossed the empty gun out the window then silently pulled out his own. He wanted whoever was out there to think he was unarmed.

As he lay on the floor, listening to the car horn sounding, he wondered if Troy got shot or got away. Then he wondered if it was Troy out there shooting at him. Anyone else would be crazy to take a hit out on the head of the Lui Family. This was definitely personal , Bing thought.

He grew angry with himself, held prisoner in the trailer, bleeding like a pig on the floor. His nose had stopped bleeding, but the graze on his leg was flowing profusely. He was annoyed that he didn't bring more men with him. He didn't think he was in any danger going to get his sister and bring her back to the family. He was pissed that he didn't have the balls to kill Troy when she first refused him. Being honest with himself he did miss having sex with his sister, but what really irked him about her absence was that look in Uncle's eye every time he looked at Bing. It was a look of disappointment. And all those little comments, how smart Troy was , how pretty Troy is , Troy would have handled that differently.

Fuck Troy ! Bing fumed.

Bing yelled out loud taunting, “You missed me Bitch! Looks like you gonna have to come in here and finish the job!”

And I'll be waiting right here for your ass , he thought menacingly.

He listened as he heard heavy footfalls on the glass scattered across the pavement, moments passed and the car horn stopped. For that he was grateful. It was giving him a headache. Another moment later, he heard a car engine stall then rev up to stall again. He thought he heard someone mutter a curse. The car engine revved up again, but this time the engine turned over with a roar.

That was HIS Mercedes! He knew that sound! Who the fuck was out there? Bing wondered. He slowly crawled across the floor of the trailer towards the open door to peek out to see what was going on. He saw his dead driver laying out on the street and the red taillights of his Mercedes E-Class sedan slowly driving away.

Who would do all this just to steal my car? Those MFs fucked with the wrong man. I'll find them and flay their asses. Bing thought.

He sat up inspecting his leg. He just needed to get bandaged up. He searched through he dead bodyguard's pockets for a cell phone but didn't find one. He tucked and rolled out of the open trailer doorway with his gun drawn just in case there was more than one person outside. He scurried along the ground commando style towards a parked car using it as a shield as he got his bearings.

He looked up the block, there was an abandoned building directly across the street from the construction site, there was a deserted basketball court across the street in the downtown direction, and a bodega on the corner, which was shutter closed.

They probably closed it when they heard the gunfire. The shooter must have been up in the building over there. Bing thought.

He looked back at the trailer next to the construction site noticing for the first time the bullet holes looked like they came from above.

A sniper? For my car??? Bing thought.

He looked for cover since he realized he was a sitting duck for someone still perched above him. He thought to break into the car he was hiding beside and escape but he didn't know how to do that. Of course Troy knew how. Troy knows everything, the cocky Bitch , Bing thought. Besides he didn't want to be caught trying to hot wire a car. He would have to find another escape route.

When he peeked out around the rear right fender of the car to investigate his options a long HSM .50 BMG cartridge tore through his left eye and exploded out the back of his head, nearly tearing it off.

Moments later, a pair of black combat boots stopped beside Bing's dead body. A black boot nudged Bing's dead body.

Sincere stooped down to pick up and examine Bing's gun. It was a matte black Beretta automatic pistol. He wasn't too impressed by the firepower. He placed it back in Bing's frozen right hand. He took a cell phone out of his cargo pants pocket and snapped a photo of Bing's dead body then sent it to an unlisted number. He stood up, slinging the heavy rifle across his shoulder as he walked away from his kill zone.

Sincere thought the rifle wasn't too bad to shoot but he found it too large and heavy to be carried easily and effectively during a sniper operation. He wondered why the police used them. The police were woefully under matched for the kind of firepower he could get his hands on. The rifle he pilfered from the trunk of that police cruiser was a decent long range shooting tool but he had employed better.

The .50 BMG rounds killed the accuracy potential of this rifle , he thought as he walked off down the street. He got five blocks away when he reached where the Mercedes had rolled into a double parked car. He got into the sedan, removing the brick he had placed on the gas pedal and drove off into the night to complete his “to do” list for the day.

– – –

Sienna sat in the back seat of the SUV watching the city drifting backwards. Its landscape changing from lower level residential buildings and commercial strips to a cavern of glass and steel skyscrapers in the downtown area of the city. Corey pulled into an indoor parking lot of a medical center and parked the massive SUV.

A large older Latina woman was waiting by the bank of elevators they passed when they entered the garage and approached the SUV as Corey opened his door to get out.

“All dem fruit be ripe, seen? Me speak wit me Ooman then we be gone.” Corey instructed.

“Who is that Corey?” the woman asked.

“No worry ‘bout she. Wat you got for me, Dawta,” he said as he offered a stuffed white business envelop to her that she snatched from him.

As the older woman opened the envelope to examine its contents, Sienna noticed that Corey had just handed the older woman a thick stack of money.

What the hell had Karima placed her in the center of? Sienna wondered.

“Don't give me any of your bullshit Corey. Who is THAT woman in MY fucking car? I ain't gonna have you playing me about!” The older women argued as she handed Corey a box with labels pasted all over it that read “Pharmaceutical Grade”. Sienna couldn't believe that Karima sent her to a drug deal!

How the hell was this safer than where she was? Sienna wondered.

“Me love ya cannot done, Babygirl. I and I get she safe and tight for a friend, seen?” Corey explained as cryptically as possible. He was supposed to take Sienna directly to the safe house but this stop was on the way. Besides supply was getting really low while demand was on the rise. He figured he could kill two birds with one stone. Now his old lady needed to squash her insecurities so he could get going.

Always ‘tinking I and I grindsman for some Ooman younger than she. I and I no Mr. Mention. Gotta recognize me hold that shit down, never up in her face. Got much respect for she. Corey thought.

“You ain't got no other deals than the ones I set up for you! You probably doing some fucked up shit for that psychotic friend of yours. What's that chick's name? Yeah Karima. Didn't she kill someone and dismember the body like some fucking Hannibal Lecter shit? I done told you to vaporize your friendship with her. That bitch is crazy. Bitch's libel to go the fuck off one day and kill your ass too for tickles and giggles.”

“Ooman you gotta be quiet about that shit. I done told you in a confidence. ‘sides he was a pedo. Got no love for dem batty man sickos.” Corey admonished his girlfriend.

Sienna was sick to her stomach.

She suspected something was up about Karima but these people confirmed her deep suspicions.

Karima was a killer. She made love to a killer. No! She had sex with a killer. Sienna thought.

While Corey and his girlfriend/drug dealing boss argued about the merit of having killers for friends, Sienna silently got out of the SUV and walked off into the night. She thought she would be better off nowhere near Karima and her criminal organization of friends.

Once she got outside the garage on Sixth Street Sienna knew exacted where she was in relationship to Peggy's apartment. She was in the West Village . She took out the cell phone that Corey gave her and called Peggy.

On the second ring, Peggy picked up and asked, “Hello?”

“It's me.” Sienna replied.

“Sweetie, where the hell are you? I got here an hour ago. I called your cell but I keep getting the message system.” Peggy asked.

“I'm six blocks away. I should be there in a few minutes.”

“Okay I'll see you when you get here. Be careful Sienna. You had me worried.” Peggy replied then disconnected the call.

Sienna pocketed the phone and hurried along to get to Peggy's apartment. Once she reached the Hampton Gardens apartment complex she entered the building. She told the doorman whom she was going to see. He ushered her to the elevator and used the key to access the penthouse via the elevator. Sienna was relieved that Peggy's apartment was so secure.

She rode the elevator up to the twenty-third floor. There was only one door at the end of a long corridor. She walked up to the door and knocked. She heard the locks open and she was pulled into Peggy's hot embrace after the door opened. Peggy kissed her possessively. Sienna tried to kiss her back but she was bone tired. She broke off from the kiss first to catch her breath.

“Let's lock the door, okay?” Sienna suggested. She felt a cold wave of apprehension flow through her.

“Sure baby sure. Let me get you something to drink to settle your nerves. Hon, I heard about everything on the radio news.” Peggy informed Sienna as she walked over to the bar to refresh her drink and pour one out for Sienna. This was Peggy's second scotch since she got to the apartment finding it empty.

“Heard about what?” Sienna asked. She was a bit nervous that Peggy would know she was with Karima.

“About that bad fire in your building. It was totally burnt out. Hon, I got the perfect spot for you rent free until you get settled.” Peggy said as she handed Sienna a tumbler of scotch over ice.

Sienna nodded then she took a sip of her drink. She felt it burn as it went down but it had a very smooth taste. She took another sip feeling her body release the tension she was under for the past few hours. She felt confident that her decision to go to Peggy was the right one. She felt better already. She sat down on the plush leather couch, settling into its comfort.

Peggy watched Sienna drain her tumbler. She took the empty tumbler from her then came behind Sienna and began to massage her neck and shoulders. Initially Sienna was apprehensive then she relaxed into the firm muscle manipulation. Soon healing fingertips became soft kisses as Peggy bent down to nuzzle Sienna's neck.

When Sienna was compliant, Peggy climbed over the couch on top of Sienna. She wanted Sienna to totally let herself go. Peggy was pleased with herself that she didn't invite anyone else to this rendezvous, besides Mitchell was being a supreme pain in the ass with his petty jealousies.

At first Sienna didn't want to have sex with Peggy. She didn't want to have sex with anyone. Then thoughts of how Karima's warm surprisingly gentle hands felt on her body shot through her brain. The hands that touched her now were vastly different and that was messing with her body's ability to respond to Peggy the way she normally did. She needed to erase Karima from her mind.

Sienna halted Peggy, got up from the couch, and pulled Peggy into the bedroom. She realized she still that the unlocked cell phone clutched in a tight fist and placed it down on the night table. Sienna smiled seductively as she removed her clothes for the second time today. She climbed on the bed and encouraged Peggy to join her. Sienna began to respond to Peggy's sensual ministrations. She opened up as Peggy fingered her but she could feel her vaginal walls tightening and drying up.

As Peggy began to apply tongue attention to Sienna's semi-awake clitoris, Sienna had to recall her moment with Karima to get her body to respond appropriately. When Peggy kissed and caressed her she imagined it was Karima.

When she came Sienna cried for the loss of her apartment, for the unnecessary loss of that student Sherraine, for the violence that Kalid directed towards her, for the pain her affair with Peggy seemed to be causing Peggy's husband that he wanted to hurt her, for having to use thoughts of Karima to come with Peggy, and for Karima, who she probably would never see again. She cried more for Karima because whomever this person was that Karima had to go after, he seemed more dangerous than Karima.

Peggy was surprised at the turn of events. She normally didn't pleasure her partners until after she had come herself. But she thought Sienna needed a little bit of pampering since she had such a shitty day. She never had anyone cry when they had sex with her. She knew she was amazing in bed but she never brought anyone to tears before. She hoped that Sienna wasn't catching feelings for her, especially since she hadn't come yet.

Peggy hoped that Sienna was emotional because being burnt out of her apartment was probably too much for Sienna to deal with, but the crying placed an awkward mood on the whole scene. Sienna got up from the bed and walked into the bathroom to get herself together.

“I'm going to take a shower.” She yelled through the closed bathroom door.

“You want me to join you?” Peggy yelled back.

“No. I just need to get my head clear.” Sienna responded. When she didn't hear any answer from Peggy, she turned on the faucet then flipped the switch to start the shower. She stepped into the warm water letting it flow down her body. She raised her face towards the shower head letting the water pour over her head and down her breasts. She lathered up with a thick cake of sweet smelling soap and rubbed the loofah from head to toe. She leaned against the tiled shower stall wall letting the hot water beat against her back.

When she was done, she turned off the water and grabbed a towel of the towel rack. She dried her body then wrapped the towel around her as she wiped the condensation on the vanity mirror. She heard a muffled bump on the other side of the closed bathroom door.

“Peggy, are you ok?” Sienna asked aloud.

She heard a rustle of someone leaving the bedroom. Sienna shrugged as she plugged in the hair drier. She took her time drying her damp locks. When her hair was sufficiently dry, Sienna turned off the hair drier and placed it back in its nook.

She regarded herself in the mirror. She seemed to have aged over the past seventy-two hours. Her eyes had seen more in the past few weeks than she had seen her entire life. Then Karima crossed her mind again and she felt as though she couldn't breathe. Hyperventilating, she got her tidal breath rhythm back under control. She thought about Peggy outside waiting for her knowing that Peggy would want multiple orgasms and she smiled but not in her eyes. She turned away from her reflected image to turn out the light and exit the bathroom.

When she opened the door and the steam escaped into the bedroom, Sienna stepped into a nightmare. There was blood all over the bedroom. Wide eyed, Sienna looked at the bed to see Peggy, dead, spread eagle with long metal rods pinning her arms and legs to the bed.

That can't be real , was her initial thought. And so she blinked as though the act of blinking would clear away the horror before her. But it remained. The blood was thicker and darker as it slowly dripped from Peggy's uncovered foot to the floor.

The shocked look frozen on Peggy's beautiful face. Sienna shivered. The blinking became faster as it was more effective in clearing away the tears that formed.

Sienna held her hand to her mouth when she saw the Peggy was gutted from her pelvis to her neck. To quell the gag reflex, Sienna's stuffed her entire hand in her mouth, murmuring sounds around it. Unable to stop the impulse, Sienna vomited the scotch and anything else that was left in her stomach on the parquet floor. When she was left with only the dry heaving, Sienna slumped down on her hunches, her sight line of Peggy's body obscured by the edge of the bed.

As she looked at Peggy's foot hanging over the edge of the mattress, Sienna just couldn't process that Peggy was dead. She cried silent tears at the violence of how she apparently died. She couldn't wrap her head around how someone so vibrant could be walking around one moment then no longer moving the next.

She remembered when she first met Peggy at a party thrown by a mutual friend for professional women. She remembered how drawn to her she was. Peggy had an infectious smile and a seductive smirk that seemed to suggest that she knew a secret. Sienna pursued her relentlessly. When she discovered that Peggy wasn't looking for anything serious only sought out fun, Sienna was in heaven.

Sienna shut her eyes not wanting it to be true. Wake up ! she screamed in her head. If only she would wake up. She smacked her head repeatedly with both hands praying this was a nightmare. If she just woke up, Peggy would be sauntering around the bedroom wearing a ‘G' string and a smile. She opened her eyes and then she saw it for the first time. With new tears overflowing her eyelids, Sienna noticed the word “whore” smeared in blood on the wall above the bed. She held both hands against her mouth to halt the scream of horror beating against her clenched teeth to get out.

From the corner of her eye, Sienna noticed something shiny on the floor partially hidden. It was the unlocked cell phone that strange drug dealer gave her on the floor half hidden by the dust ruffle of the bed. She grabbed it and darted back into the bathroom, quietly shutting and locking the door behind her. In the dark, she climbed into the shower stall, slipped down the titled wall into a small ball. She rocked back and forth, praying to any god who would listen to her tearful pleas that whoever killed Peggy wasn't still in the apartment. Then she cried for Peggy.

Sienna fingered the cell phone clutching it to her chest. Hot tears flowed down her face and overflowed through her nostrils. She pushed a button on the cell phone and the dark bathroom was illuminated in an eerie blue light. She cried not knowing whom to call until she remembered.

She dialed 687. She listened as a call went through and she heard her deep calming voice, answer, “Hello?”

“Karima? There's... there's blood... everywhere. She's dead! She's dead. He killed her.” Sienna half whispered, half cried.

“Where are you?” Karima asked.

“Peggy's apartment. The Hampton Garden apartments on Sixth. The penthouse.” Sienna cried softly.

“Where exactly are you inside the apartment?” Karima asked as she navigated a dangerous u-turn on a busy intersection, causing an accident between a city bus and a livery cab. She had to listen closely because Sienna was whispering, as she glanced in the quickly retreating rear view mirror. The cab driver jumped out his ride and yelled at the stunned city bus driver.

“The... the bathroom. It was horr... horrible. He cut her open! Karima, I think he's still here! I don't want to die.” Sienna cried softly.

“Keep quiet and stay where you are. Put the phone on silent. Don't open the door for anyone until you get my call. I'll be right there. Wait for me.” Karima instructed in a calming voice. She disconnected the call and floored it. As she sped through this city, she pushed the plans she had for Sincere in the back of her mind.

I need some plastic tarp and a large sharp knife , she thought as she sped towards Sienna.

To be continued...

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