Baby Chris pointed toward the doors that led to the hallway. “They went in there.”
“Go after them. I’m right behind you,” Rain said, and Baby Chris ran toward the door thinking about loyalty.
She took seven shots a coupla days ago, but here she is, on the front line and she’s got my back.
When he got to the door, he looked back at the boss of the family and knew that he would die for her.
’Cause she would die for me.
When Carter and Jackie got to the offices, they were immediately confronted with gunfire. Jackie hit the floor and fired at the men. She shot one in the back as he turned to run for cover; Carter hit the other with two shots to the chest to clear the hallway.
Jackie got up and started walking down the hall. Just then, another man stuck his head out of an office and began firing. Carter grabbed Jackie and rammed his shoulder into the door of another office to take cover inside.
While one man covered, Kwame Coleman and Barry Hamilton came running out of the office and ran down the hall. Carter reloaded his weapon and was about to start down the hall after the men, when Jackie shot a man as she passed by the office. But she didn’t see that another man came out the door and prepared to fire.
“Behind you, Jackie!” Carter yelled and took aim. She turned in time to see Carter drop him with a shot to the head before going after the two that got away.
As Carter ran behind them, firing shots the entire way, Coleman and Hamilton continued down the hallway toward another door that led back to the garage. Hamilton reloaded his weapon on the run.
“Told y’all it was a stupid idea to go up against these niggas,” he said as he and Coleman reached the door.
“Can’t tell them niggas shit!” Coleman fired a shot, grabbed the handle and he ran into the garage.
With his gun now loaded, Hamilton fired a few shots down the hall. Carter, Jackie and Baby Chris were coming fast and firing at him. He fired once more, quickly opened the door and ran into the garage.
Inside the garage, Rain had reached the doors that led to the offices just in time to see Coleman come running into the garage. She fired at him with the MP7A1 as he stayed low and made it safely to the door. Barry Hamilton wasn’t that lucky.
When he came through the door, Rain lit him up.
Carter, Jackie and Baby Chris reached the garage in time to see Rain, with the pump pointed, slowly closing on Hamilton’s body.
“Either of you ever seen him before,” Carter asked Jackie and Baby Chris as Rain reached them.
“Never seen him before.” Jackie looked at Baby Chris.
He looked down at the body. “I never seen him either.”
Rain looked at Jackie; then she turned to leave with Carter walking next to her.
Jackie stepped closer to Baby Chris. “Find out who these mutha fuckas are and do it fast.”
“I’m on it.”
Chapter Twenty-six
While actively avoiding anyone that might have her escorted out before she could really get started, she looked around for Milton Petty. She knew if she was seen there in the Lotus Ballroom of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, even dressed elegantly in a sleeveless V-back embellished gown by Rachel Gilbert, she would be promptly escorted out.
Also in attendance at the party were FBI Agents Matthews and McCullough. They were investigating Marietta Dynamics in relation to stolen EMP schematics. They knew that Carmen had been investigating the company for a long time.
“I think we should talk to her,” Matthews said.
McCullough laughed. “You just wanna talk to Carmen Taylor,” she said. “But, it wouldn’t hurt to see if what she’s working has any bearing on our case,” McCullough agreed and the agents approached Carmen, socially of course, or as socially as they could be when they had to introduce themselves as the FBI.
“Ms. Taylor.”
“Yes,” Carmen answered tentatively, thinking she was about to get thrown out.
“I’m Agent McCullough and this is my partner, Agent Matthews.” They discreetly showed Carmen their ID.