Zammatra

By Duarl Richardson

Jessica was driving in New York City in her 1967 Mustang; she had a weakness for classic cars. She shifted into fifth gear so she could beat a red light. She was shopping for a retirement gift for her stepfather, and she was in a hurry. He was retiring from the FBI, and she had been shopping all day with no success.
Jessica pulled into the mall parking lot. Getting out of her car, she saw her best friend, Queda Lynn Wright. She was a tall, long-legged redhead with a desire to become an FBI agent, but for some reason, she would not apply. Jessica believed, she didnt have enough confidence in herself.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Mar 25, 2014
• ISBN: 9781493166039

Book preview

Copyright © 2014 by Duarl Richardson.

ISBN:      Softcover      978-1-4931-6602-2

      eBook         978-1-4931-6603-9

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Rev. date: 03/11/2014

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Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

CHAPTER 1

Jessica was driving in New York City in her 1967 Mustang; she had a weakness for classic cars. She shifted into fifth gear so she could beat a red light. She was shopping for a retirement gift for her stepfather, and she was in a hurry. He was retiring from the FBI, and she had been shopping all day with no success.

Jessica pulled into the mall parking lot. Getting out of her car, she saw her best friend, Queda Lynn Wright. She was a tall, long-legged redhead with a desire to become an FBI agent, but for some reason, she would not apply. Jessica believed, she didn’t have enough confidence in herself.

Jessica yelled at her, Hey, Queda!

Queda turned and said, Hi, what’s up, girl?

I’m looking for a present for my father, no luck so far, she replied. And I still don’t have a clue on what to get him.

Queda walked over to her, put her arm around her shoulder, and asked, Want some help? I do have some expertise on expensive gifts. After all, I am an attorney.

As Jessica and Queda walked to the entrance to the mall, Jessica said, I need all the help I can get. Then she wondered why Queda was alone. She usually had Earl Holloway glued to her. Where is your shadow? Is he out on a case? Earl was an FBI agent too; he worked with Jessica from time to time.

He’s out with the guys, Queda said with a disgusted sound in her voice. He’s probably at some damned porno flick. Her voice lowered as she said that. I don’t understand, don’t I have enough to satisfy him? She tried to strike a sexy pose but started laughing.

Jessica looked her up and down, trying not to laugh. Well, if you’re not, he must be impotent, she said with a snicker in her voice, or you wore the damned thing out.

They entered a collectibles store. Her stepfather collected Elvis memorabilia. They looked around and found an autographed picture and a 45 rpm record on the Sun label, one of his earlier recordings. Her gift problem was solved.

After she purchased her stepfather’s gifts, she and Queda went to a restaurant in the mall. The waiter seated them at a table. Queda started flirting with the waiter and gave him a sexy smile. Jessica was confused. What are you doing? I thought you were in love with Earl.

Hey! Queda replied. He was eyeing me like I was on the menu. As they say, service with a smile.

Jessica changed the subject. Have you applied to get into the FBI training program? You know they run an extensive background check, and that takes time, so get busy. The 2018 training session starts soon.

Queda replied, I’m working on it. As the waiter brought their order, Queda began flirting with him again. Jessica was annoyed at her not paying attention to her; she finished her meal and left.

Jessica went to her car and found a note under her windshield wiper with the name Philip Dunlap on it. That was her stepfather’s name. She couldn’t wait to give it to him, but she had to open it. The note read, YOU WILL NOT LIVE TO RETIRE! She thought to herself, How stupid, he’s retiring tonight.

As she sat behind the steering wheel, she heard a loud bang, and a bullet came through the back window. She fell out of her car, rolling and pulling out her weapon at the same time. After lying in a prone position for a couple of minutes, she began getting up, still looking into the shadows for her attacker. Jessica was shaken, but she was a professional. She grabbed the note. I’ll have it examined, she said to herself. She put the note in her purse and started the car. As she was backing out, a police car pulled behind her with his lights on.

An officer got out of the car, pulled his weapon, and ordered her to put her hands out the window. She complied. He opened her door and ordered, Get out, and put your hands on top of the car. Again she complied. The officer began to frisk her. His hands began squeezing places they shouldn’t. Jessica, remembering her special forces training, flipped the officer to the ground, got his hands behind him, and handcuffed him with his own handcuffs. She rolled him over on his back to get a better look at her attacker.

Hey, asshole, Jessica said. The next time you want to cop a feel, make sure she isn’t in law enforcement too. She pulled out her ID and showed it to him. She called the NYPD. They came and collected their bad boy. As they took him, Jessica looked at her watch. Damn! she exclaimed. I’m going to be late.

Before she could leave, an officer grabbed her arm and said, He’s not a police officer. We will have to find out where he got the car and uniform from.

Jessica replied, I’ll be down tomorrow morning and question him myself. She got in her car and sped away.

As Jessica pulled up to the Marriott, where her stepfather’s retirement party was being held, the valet gave her a claim check, looked at the back windshield then at her, and got into the car, shaking his head. Bob Morris was waiting for her at the entrance. He reached out his arms and kissed her on the cheek. Bob was about five foot ten, with black hair, and in great physical shape. He and Jessica had been dating a few months.

Everyone’s here in the dining room. Where have you been? Bob asked.

Jessica snapped back, Why are you keeping track of me? At that time, Earl Holloway walked toward them.

Queda thinks you’re out with the guys, what’s up with that? Jessica asked.

Earl looked away from her and answered, I need some time alone to think about what I want. I’m not sure about where our relationship is going. Earl stood six feet three inches tall and had red hair and a thin build.

I knew, when two redheads got together, there would be problems, Jessica said.

When they opened the dining room door, there stood John Beckford, their boss. He was a pudgy man, five feet seven inches tall, bald on top, and wore glasses. He looked like an old Buddy Holly. Beckford pulled Jessica to the side, saying, Excuse me, gentlemen, I need a word with my girlfriend here. Jealous, Bob? When they got away from them, his personality changed. What the hell is going on? You take down a cop that isn’t a cop, your window in your car is shot out. Don’t look so surprised, NYPD called my office.

Jessica took a deep breath. You know as much as I do. I am going to see the man with the hands tomorrow. Don’t say a word to Phil about this. It is his night, and I don’t want it spoiled. Understand?

Beckford made a rough grunting sound and nodded his head in agreement. I don’t like this one bit, but get me some answers tomorrow. They returned to their colleagues.

Everybody sat down. Jessica sat at a table with her mother, Angelica, and her stepfather. She sat across from them. Beckford stepped up to the podium and made his speech and asked Philip to join him onstage. He presented him with a mini laptop computer and the usual gold watch given at these occasions. Philip made his speech. He asked his wife, Angelica, to join him. When she got on stage, she gave him a kiss.

He opened the laptop, held it in front of him and pushed the power button. An explosion ripped through the dining room. The concussion from the blast sent Angelica across the table, into Jessica’s lap, knocking her chair backward. Philip was killed instantly. Parts of the computer went through his body like bullets. Jessica was sitting on the floor, holding her mother’s head on her lap, staring at her dead stepfather. Jessica had a look on her face like she was dreaming and would wake up soon. She never noticed her arm bleeding.

CHAPTER 2

Jessica was sitting by her mother’s hospital bed. The doctors had her sedated. She hadn’t left her mother’s side since it happened; she’d just sat in the chair, praying that her mother wouldn’t die.

Suddenly, she felt a hand on her shoulder. When she opened her eyes, it was Queda. How is she? I came as soon as I heard, she said.

Doctors say she has a fifty-fifty chance, Jessica replied, then broke into tears. Queda put her arms around her and held her.

Queda felt her hands become wet; she looked, and there was blood on them. What’s this? She looked at Jessica’s arm and said, You should have that taken care of. Queda pulled the