Chapter 20
“Chad?” Esmie stepped back glancing between Chad and Samson. Samson mimicked Esmie’s furrowed brow.
“You two know each other?”
“Unfortunately, we’ve met.” Esmie frowned, unsure whether she wanted to bolt from The Bodega, punch Chad in the face, or punch Samson in the arm for tricking her.
Samson had to know she knew Chad from the other night.
She could’ve kicked herself for trusting her heart.
Samson was trouble. She just didn’t think it would happen this soon.
“I thought we hit it off quite well at Nightcrawler.” Chad sneered.
Samson cut off Esmie’s retort. “Since we all know each other, why don’t we get down to business.”
“Sounds good to me.” Chad sat down with Samson following suit.
Samson glanced up at Esmie then gestured for her to sit.
She hesitated before finally sitting opposite Chad and next to Samson.
Chad leaned back in his chair, smirking behind his cardboard cup with the bland coffee logo on it from the shop behind Esmie.
“I hope it’s okay Esmie is here for our meeting.” From the inflection in Samson’s voice, Esmie got the impression he didn’t care if Chad was okay with it or not.
Chad shrugged. “Like I said, Esmie and I go way back. She’s seen some things so a little more can’t hurt.”
“Perfect. Now, you told me you wouldn’t talk.
What changed your mind?” Samson pulled out his tablet, clicking the button that revealed the keyboard.
He sat poised ready to take notes. Esmie fumed in her seat.
Samson had better have answers for her when they left.
She turned her attention to Chad, who shifted in his seat, the switch in topic changing his nonchalant attitude.
“Look, I only do the runs. I don’t know anything about manufacturing or where they store the glass.
They call me, I show up to the location they specify, they hand me the glass, and I take it and distribute it.
A couple days later, I drop off an envelope with the names of the people I distribute to at their requested location, and then I wait until they contact me again.
” Chad sipped his coffee, his knuckles white. Did Esmie just see his hand quiver?
“Who calls you?” Samson pressed.
“Don’t know.”
“Who shows up to the location?”
“Guys in suits who get out of fancy limos. They are also just messengers, with the real head honchos inside the limousines, refusing to do the dirty work.”
“Do you recognize these messengers? Is it always at the same location?” Samson typed away.
“Nope and nope.”
Samson paused his typing, then leaned back in his chair to stare at Chad, but the usual bravado Chad held was not present.
He shifted in his chair, refusing to look at Samson, his eyes swiveling all around.
If Samson stared down Esmie like that, she would be uncomfortable too.
Or she might melt into the ground. Darn it, Esmie.
Stop. Samson betrayed you with this surprise interaction. Play it cool.
“If you’re not going to give me any information then why did you insist on meeting me?” Samson’s voice was low, an almost growl sending shivers up Esmie’s spine despite her anger with him.
“Because I need protection. There’re some shady things going on. I’m giving you what I can give. The logistics of how the operations run.” Chad sat up in his chair, panicked.
“I could care less about logistics if I don’t have names.”
“You know I can’t give you names, man.” Chad sat back again in his chair, arms folded.
“Fine, I have one last question. It’s dual sided. Why did you have purple glass in your possession the night the cops raided your place, and do you still have it?”
Chad’s mouth hung open. Samson glared back at him like a predator waiting on its prey to make their final move before ending them. Esmie enjoyed watching Chad squirm. He glanced at Esmie then back at Samson.
“I-I don’t have purple glass.”
“That’s not what Esmie here told me. She saw you spill it all over the floor outside the back door of the club.
I think the Law Enforcement Department would like to know about your dealings.
” Samson threw that bit of information out there before Esmie could even object.
She told Leo in confidence, who told Samson in confidence.
Esmie turned her body toward Samson, who ignored her.
Chad’s mouth opened and closed as if he was trying to sound out a puzzle, but his voice would not work.
He leaned forward, his hands visibly shook on the table as they cradled the coffee cup.
His wild eyes searched everywhere around him before landing on Esmie.
“You promise I will get immunity if I talk.” Chad’s voice was almost a whisper, directing his request to Samson.
Samson merely nodded. “Fine. Same deal went down like normal, except this one had a higher price. One I couldn’t pass up.
I was told to meet this one over at the steel factory, late at night.
This time, it wasn’t a messenger who met me.
It was Tyler, the CEO of Genetronetics TMC.
He asked me to distribute it and get the names of those who took it along with addresses this time. ”
“This is a big reveal, if what you’re saying is true,” Samson whistled. “How can I trust you?”
Chad reached into his pocket, pulling out his phone.
He opened, scrolled, then slid it over to Samson.
“To protect myself when I go to these meetings, I set up a camera ahead of time and record.” Samson tilted the phone so Esmie could see along with him.
It was dark, but Esmie could make out Chad then, the same tall man with the shoulder length mahogany hair they saw earlier at the Law Enforcement Division popped out of a dark car, black-rimmed glasses sitting at the edge of his nose.
He handed Chad the brown paper bag he had with him at Nightcrawler.
After the exchange, Tyler’s lanky body walked away, and the video cut off.
Samson slid the phone back over to Chad. Esmie held a gasp in her throat.
This was big. The CEO was involved in distributing glass beyond a lab scenario with no protocols in place to protect the people taking it?
If this leaked, Genetronetics would be ripped apart by legal.
The Law Enforcement Department Lab could also be implicated if any of them had any knowledge or involvement.
It could put both Leo’s and Samson’s jobs on the line. No wonder Samson was invested in this.
“Can you send me that video?” Samson tapped notes into his tablet.
“Maybe. Not to a work device. I’m not getting implicated in anything.”
Samson plucked a business card from his pocket and gave it to Chad. “It goes to my personal, encrypted device. No one can access it but me. Send it and we can talk more.”
The men stood and shook hands. Chad pocketed the business card.
He eyed Esmie who stood but refused to extend her hand to shake his.
She still didn’t trust him. Samson walked Chad to the doors of The Bodega, with Esmie close behind.
A phone buzzed. Samson grabbed it from his pocket, excused himself, and walked outside.
When Esmie went to follow him, Chad grabbed her elbow yanking her backward.
“What are you doing with the cops? Giving them intel on me and my club?” he hissed in her ear.
“They’re not cops. They work in the lab.” Esmie struggled against Chad’s strong grip, forcing herself not to shudder at his threatening frame against her.
“You better not say a word, or I will become your worst nightmare.” Chad squeezed her elbow.
Anger shot through Esmie’s system. She twisted around to face him, grabbed Chad by the collar, then swung him around and pushed him toward the doors.
He flew back against the glass, then stumbled outside when the doors slid open.
In a flash, Esmie met him outside, caught his wrist, righting him before he could fall.
Pulling him close, she leveled her gaze at him, twisting his arm until pain flickered in his brown eyes.
“Threaten me again, and you’ll know what a real nightmare is.” Esmie kept her voice low, with their bodies close together to ensure no one saw what she was doing or saying to him. Chad’s eyes widened.
“What happened to your eyes?” Esmie released his wrist, her hands flying to her face. The sunglasses slid down during their tussle. She adjusted them while Chad took a couple steps back.
“I fell and hit my face on the pavement because of you bursting out the door. Don’t you remember? This is your fault.” Esmie curled up her fists.
“Everything okay?” Samson returned from his call, returning the phone to his pocket.
“Fine. Everything’s fine.” Chad backed away, narrowing his eyes at Esmie. She hoped he accepted her excuse, but the way his eyes moved up and down her body, and not in the ‘I’m checking you out’ kind-of-way, Esmie had a sneaky suspicion he knew something was up.
“Yup, we’re good.” Esmie agreed just so they could get out of here.
“I’ve gotta go. See you around.” Chad mumbled, seemingly more to himself than them. He pulled out his phone, then tripped on his feet when he turned around. Regaining his composure, he glanced back several times as he walked away.
“What spooked him?” Samson’s warmth was right next to Esmie, but she refused to drink it in. She ached all over and wanted to lie down.
“Not sure. He was also weird the first time I met him.” Esmie shrugged. Samson contemplated her, then gestured for her to walk. She put her arms around herself until a text message came through from an unknown number.
That’s some killer strength you have there.
Almost like you took something, and from the appearance of your skin, it was something purple.
I’ll be seeing you around, Esmie. Even if it’s just to see how your progress is going with that…
problem you have. Your friend, Samson and his law enforcement buddies aren’t the only ones with access to technological advances. Accessing you is easier than you think.
Chad