The Outlaws

Chapter 5

I freeze. Why is it Honey who picks up Belle’s phone calling? A second later, my brain has worked well again. Oh, my holy God in Heaven! “Honey! What are you doing with my sister?!”

Honey laughs hard. “Benjamin, Benjamin, Benjamin. I told you before I would make you take back your words.” She laughs again. That sick woman!

“Honey!” Since some customers at the Dairy glance at me, I know I can’t stay here. “Wait, I’ll leave this place first.” So, I leave the Dairy. Once I’m outside, I reply, “What do you want, Honey?”

“Now we are talking. Benjamin, I will give you a new assignment; wait until I call you again. Meanwhile, I advise you not to contact the police or sabotage me. Otherwise-” 

There is screaming. “Ben, help me! I’m scared!” 

Oh, God, oh, God! What should I do?! “Belle, I’ll save you! I promise!”

I hear laughing again. This sick woman! If I’ve released Belle, I swear I’ll make Honey pay! 

“You have already heard of your sweet sister here. I will not hesitate at all to cut her in pieces and deliver the package to your front door, Benjamin. No one, I repeat, no one can cross me and then live in peace. Congratulations! You have just reaped what you sow, and you choose the wrong person to deal with, Benjamin. Very wrong.” Honey emphasizes the phrase as if she is delighted to say it. 

“I won’t call the police, I promise you. But please, release Belle!”

“Tsk, tsk, tsk! You don’t know your position, do you, Benjamin? Maybe I need to give you the incentive to help you understand.” Then Honey commands, “Cut the girl’s hair short!”

“No!” I scream. “I’ll do what you say. Please don’t touch her. Please leave my sister out of it. She’s nothing to do with this. I’m the one you want. You can do anything you please to me, but leave her alone!”

“It is too late, Benjamin. If only you said it before, this would not need to happen. But you are so stubborn, aren’t you?” Then Honey says again, “Cut the girl’s hair and put it on the box.” 

I’m shaking. What’ll Honey do to Belle? Oh, God, don’t let her hurt Belle! “You win! I’ll do anything. What do you want?”

“A box will come in an hour to your house, Benjamin. Be a good boy and wait. Then I will call you again.”

Before I reply, Honey has hung up the phone. My mind’s full now; I can’t think at all. This is all my fault! If only I were more careful in selecting my projects. If I had never dealt with Honey, Belle would be here with me. What should I do? I am messing my hair and screaming. 

My house! I walk fast to my car in the parking lot, and then I drive home. I try my best not to speed up though my mind is boiling now. After parking the car, I am waiting inside and peeking at my window every five minutes. 

Since I can’t think clearly, I breathe long ones until I feel calmer. Right! Panic won’t help me at all. I need to calm down and wait for whatever Honey sent me. I pray earnestly. God, I know I’m not a good man. But this time, please don’t let anything bad happen to Belle. She’s the only one I have. Please, I beg you. 

After waiting for an hour, I receive a package—sent to me in a small box that fits in my palms. My fingers are shaking while I’m trying to open the package. The box is falling to the floor. I sigh and pick it up. “Calm down, Ben! You can do this!” My heart beats so fast. Then I open the box. 

Inside I find brown hair there—Belle’s. Nothing’s inside unless Belle’s haircut. I sigh—at least hair can grow again. I breathe and thank God—secretly promise once it’s done, I’ll do something good.

Then I hear my phone ringing. Quickly I pick it up. 

“I am sure you have received my present. Do you like it?” 

Honey’s voice is so cheerful. I almost want to slam my phone to the floor since I hate to hear her voice. “Yes, I’ve received it.” I breathe and force myself to say, “Thanks for not hurting Belle more.”

“Benjamin, I will never hurt your sister if you do your work. Since I have delivered the message, don’t blow the next assignment. I will take care of your sister here. Meanwhile, she will be with me. If the project has been done, I will send her to you.” Then Honey says in her cold voice, “Do I make myself clear now?”

“Yes, absolutely—crystal clear! I’ll do anything as long as you keep your promise.”

I hear Honey’s laugh again. “Of course. I am not like you, Benjamin. Wait until I send the next assignment to you.” Then she continues, “Meanwhile, enjoy your day.”

The call ends. Honey got me…. Now, I don’t have a choice other than to do whatever she’s going to command me. The damage has been done. Now I reap the consequence.

***

~ Honey Turner/Honey (The Doctor) ~

I smile after the conversation ended. It will teach Benjamin a lesson never to double-cross me. I write something; then I push a button. A few moments later, my assistant, Vladimir Nikolaev, enters my office. 

“Vladimir, send this letter to the BRC today.”

Vladimir nods and then leaves. He closes my door and lets me enjoy the view from my office. As for Vladimir, he cannot speak, since I did something to him the first time I met him. Well, I don’t want to shock anyone. So, I shouldn’t disclose what I did precisely to him. However, after that, he has proven himself as a good and loyal servant to me. Well, to train a bird, sometimes you need to cut its wings—in this case, Vladimir’s tongue. Oops! Sorry, but I am not sorry. 

I have a meeting with Mr. President at 3 pm, but he does not need me before that. Being the president’s personal team and his secret advisor, I receive a lot of benefits. One of them is access to the most crucial facilities in Ringdom country. Martin J. Brown, our president, somehow trusts me a lot since I hold many of his cards. We need each other; I do not worry at all about him one day betraying me. He knows that if he ever thinks to bring me down, I will drag him along. 

The Swiss’ convention is all my work. Martin is too lazy to move his not so pretty ass to do the work. Well, after a few days, I will have more people to help with my jobs. I smile widely to think of Benjamin. Oh, right, I forget about Valentina. 

I am dialing her number. 

Valentina picks it up in no time. “Valentina’s speaking. How may I help you?”

“Valentina, it’s The Doctor,” I say.

“Ah, good afternoon, Doctor. Any new assignment for me?”

I chuckle to hear that. Valentina is one of my favorites now. “You know me so well, my dear! Yes, I have. You will meet your team members soon.”

“No problem. As long as the cash is good, I’ll do it. How much will you pay me?”

“100K. For you, it is a piece of cake job. Think of it as a bonus.”

“Okay, I’ll take it. So, what’ll be this time?” Valentina asks.

“You and your two new partners will enter a facility and get a code inside.” 

“I don’t understand. A code? Just a code? Why should we enter the building only to get a code? I don’t understand a lot of the computer stuff either.”

“Relax, my dear. That is your partner’s part. Your work—like yesterday’s assignment—is a distraction to help your two partners infiltrate the facility. Do you understand now, Valentina?” 

“Ah, okay. It’ll be a new challenge for me. So, who are my two partners?”

“I will let you meet them in a few days. You have met one of them, in fact. I am sure you will recognize your partner when you meet him later.”

“Okay, are they good? I don’t want to be paired with lousy people like yesterday,” Valentina says with her breathy voice.

“Don’t worry. Your working partners have an outstanding reputation for their work. You will thank me later and have fun with this work.” I can hear Valentina’s cheerful laughter after that.

“Then I’ll wait eagerly ‘till I meet with them. If I didn’t have any fun in the project, I’d ask for more compensation. You said yourself that I'd have fun.”

I chuckle to hear that. This girl is cute! “Don’t worry, Valentina. I always keep my words.” We end the conversation. I have planned so many steps. Valentina surely will experience all the entertainment, or she will even provide it herself for the others. 

I met Valentina last year. She was a server in a small restaurant I visited. She served me well, but more than that, she handled the problem with a customer there smartly. The customer complained of receiving the wrong meal while Valentina was sure it was not the case. 

Short story, Valentina found out the customer only wanted to give her trouble so he could force her to sleep with him. Then how Valentina manipulated the man was admirable indeed. She seduced him, and when he believed she would go with him after her shift ended, Valentina told her manager about the problem. In the end, the manager of the restaurant called the police, and the man was arrested. What a charming and smart girl!

I spent no time giving her my personal card under my nickname and then offering her a job. The rest was history. I am wondering if I can use her for bigger jobs from now on. I think she has been ready, but I will see the result of my next project first.