FROSTBOUND

Three

When Coffey said we'd come to Jo'burg, I don't know why in the back of my mind I thought this would be like some adventure. I shouldn't have thought that because the place we were supposed to retrieve whatever it is, is the most remote part of the city.

More like a ghetto.

I can feel the eyes that are staring.

I know they can tell I'm an outsider. Most of them are speaking in their local language but I can get out one or two words. It kind of comes with the job.

The person I was supposed to meet apparently felt like this was the best place for us to meet. He said people wouldn't suspect.

I walk to this small restaurant like stall that doesn't look anywhere close to pleasant. It's filled with smoke from the roast meat and most of the chefs are in white aprons that are stained. I wonder how people eat from such a place.

"Cassidy, you're in?" I hear Cory's voice from the earpiece.

"Yea, what am I looking for?"

"I'm connecting you to Coffey."

"Okay." I walk into the stall and pick the table at the farthest corner.

"Cassidy can you hear me?" I hear Coffey's voice from my earpiece.

"Yes."

"Okay, so whatever you're retrieving is a gadget, it will be in a white suitcase, now I know those guys might try to play a trick on me, so make sure you confirm first before leaving."

"Okay."

"Good, and be very careful with the gadget, it's like a time ticking bomb, any small tampering and the thing is destroyed."

"Okay." If this couldn't be any harder.

I still have no idea whatever it is but I know it's important and some big guy somewhere is paying junks of money for it. Working with Coffey we don't really get to question how he does things or why he makes us do things. All we know is that, we work, the money keeps streaming in. He's helping us.

I don't know about the others, but I know he's helped me a lot, in a way that no one would ever understand.

After everything that had happened in my life, my brother and Kimberly were the people keeping me sane. My dad and I don't talk much anymore. We kind of drifted after everything. I always tried to find solace in Kimberly. But I couldn't anymore. Don't get me wrong though, I love that little angel. She's everything to me. But she is always that constant reminder of the fact that I would have been a mother. I was supposed to be a mother. I would be having my baby, probably the same age as her, but I don't. And I hate it.

Everyone thought I kind of just got over it. But losing a child is not something that one gets over. It's always that scar that never heals.

"Cassidy are you there?"

"Ahem, yes, you were saying?"

"No fighting, give the man the cheque and get the hell out of there as fast as you can, that gadget is wanted by a lot of people and we need to bring it home before people know it's in your hands." I clear my throat.

"I understand."

"Fine, good luck."

I'm definitely going to need it.

A few moments later this intimidating looking guy walks in. He is tall dark and huge and his face looks scary. I bet they send him to kind of scare me, but it's nothing I can't handle.

"Amara?" I nod.

Coffey has always advised us to use fake identities. I traveled to Jo'burg as Amara Smith.

He takes a seat across from me. I can see the suitcase in his hands. But it's not white like Coffey had told me. I feel like this is not going to end well.

"You have it?" He nods.

"The cheque." I pull out the cheque from my purse and place it on top of the table. He wants to grab it but I pull it away.

He gives me the warning look but I hold on a straight face.

"Let me see that first."

"You think I'd play a trick on you guys?" I can definitely tell from his voice, he's lying.

"It's just part of the business. Let me see the stuff first."

He nods and places the suitcase on the table.

As he is opening it, something catches my eye. Across from us just close to the entrance, there's a guy, actually a group of guys, no doubt they are his guys, because one of them has the white suitcase under the table. I turn to look at the guy.

"Actually, I think I changed my mind."

"What?"

"I don't need the stuff anymore."

"What do you mean?"

"Cassidy what are you doing?" I hear Cory's voice and I turn off the mic.

"I know the game you're playing, you want to give me a fake and walk out with my cheque, that's not going to happen." I push my seat back and tuck the cheque in my pocket.

I want to walk away when I feel him grab me by the shoulder. I turn and punch him on the nose making him stumble back. I pounce on him with a kick on the belly before he can get up.

When I turn towards the entrance, the guys are blocking the way and one of them is holding a gun towards me.

"Guys, I really don't have time for this." My hand is already reaching for the gun in the back of my pocket.

They don't say anything; they only have some weird grins on their faces.

I notice the one with the case is trying to leave, and that's when I strike.

I swiftly pull out the gun and pull the trigger on the one holding the gun. The others fumble to reach for their guns but I'm so fast. I grab the other guy behind me and place the gun on his head.

"One move, I blow his brains off."

They both take a step back.

"Now, drop your guns, and that nice guy over there with the suitcase, I'd appreciate if you handed it over."

I watch as the guy I'm holding the gun on shakes his head warning him against handing me the suitcase.

I punch him with the back of my gun and watch as he stumbles unconscious.

"Now, I won't hesitate to kill any of you, you give me the suitcase, with the real thing and we both walk out of here alive, as a bonus, I'll still give you the cheque. You don't, I shoot both your asses and still take the suitcase, oh and get the fun part, I'll leave with the cheque, because you'll all be dead." I say with a smirk.

One of the guys whispers something in zulu to the guy with the suitcase and he takes a few steps towards me before he turns back and makes a run for it.

Dammit!

I pull the trigger but they are too fast, I jump behind the table for coverage as the guns keep blazing.

I know they will walk out of here with it and I need to stop them. I load my other gun and check my bullet proof vest to see if it's intact before I jump out of my hiding place, firing both guns.

I keep walking towards them until I get to the last one of them. His gun is offloaded, I kick him in the face and walk out of the place.

I follow a lone path that leads to the market place. I can tell this is where the guy ran to because well, he was injured, he left trails of blood.

Lucky for me, I find him lying under one of the market stalls. He is bleeding like crazy and he still has the suitcase in his hand.

I reach for it and he is holding on too tight to it.

I shake my head in disbelief.

"You know I can still kill you and take the suitcase." He is wheezing in pain.

I take the suitcase and before I leave I take out the cheque and place it in his hand.

"I keep my end of the bargain."

I turn on the mic.

"Cory."

"Oh my God Cass! Are you okay?"

"Yea, where are you?"

"I can see your location, I'm about a meter from the market place, meet me at the exit in in five."

"Okay."

I see the nearest washroom and walk into it. I know it won't take long before the guys try to find me, so I need to change.

I take off the wig and put on a jacket I picked from the market. I safely tuck the suitcase in my backpack and walk out of the washroom. I know I haven't changed much, but without the wig, no one will notice me.

I find Cory's black sedan packed at the exit of the market and I hop in as he quickly drives away. I make sure to check if the gadget is intact before we leave.

I should be ready to have a long talk with Coffey. He hates messes. I just caused one.

***

An hour later I'm in the shower of my hotel room trying to have a nice warm shower.

We had a chat with Coffey earlier on and as much as he hated what I did he said I didn't have a choice and he was working on a way to clean up the mess. I trust him. He is really good at cleaning up messes.

Coffey has been in the undercover investigation job all his life, at least that's what he told us. He used to work with a governmental secret agent until he found out their dirty secrets and they threw him out. So he started his own investigative firm. He strategically recruited all of us. He has a lot of guys that work for him, but mostly on contractual basis. Me, Cory, Kira and Teddy are the ones on the ground with him.

I'm more like the undercover cop, I mostly deal with guns and doing the tricky jobs, Cory, he is our IT guy, he hacks into anything we need, talk information, cameras, accounts, credits, he even creates the fake identities for us. Kira, she is more into the woman part of the gang, if I should say so. She goes for the bad guys as the charming seductive lady, and believe me, Kira has everything that can seduce a man into spilling everything.

Teddy, he is the hands guy. I believe he does most of the dirty work. Talk of torture and the kind. We need information from someone the hard way, Teddy is our guy.

Funny to think that Teddy was the one that introduced me to Coffey. It's a long story but I know he saved my ass from a dangerous road I was leading. So, Melody might hate me and never talk to me, but Teddy is more like a friend to me now. Just that Melody has no idea, Teddy and I work together, it's like our little secret. I walk out of the bathroom and I'm startled to see Cory sitting on my bed.

"What the f**k Cory, don't you know how to knock?"

He chuckles before his eyes move to look at my body. I'm in a towel, but the way he's looking at me makes me feel like I'm naked.

"I did, when you didn't open I got in."

"Wasn't it locked?" He shakes his head his eyes still on me. He is making me feel a cold shiver.

Cory, is a fine looking man, I have to admit that hands down. He is twenty-four, definitely younger than me but he has the brains of an older guy and his physique screams nothing like twenty four to me. Dude's fit and extremely handsome.

"You know I can feel you undressing me with your eyes." I walk to the closet to pick some clothes.

"Can you blame me?" I can feel him walk behind me. I turn and yelp when I bump into his chest.

"You're so beautiful." He moves his thumb over my chin making me look at him. I'm holding my breath right now.

"Cory, a little space." I finally find my words. He doesn't even move an inch, instead I feel as his hand moves to my towel and he undoes it.

"Cory...we can't." His eyes are looking deep into mine. Before I can get another word out, I feel as his lips crash with mine and his hands go around my waist.

I want to fight back because I know it's wrong in all the possible ways, but what the hell.

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