The Bridge - Chapter Twenty-Eight - A Rose and a Hoagie
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. This work is copy written by the author. All characters involved in sexual activity are eighteen years of age or older at the time of portrayal.
This work will, at times, contain instances of lesbian sex, pregnancy, interracial sex, chastity, group sex, Dominance and submission, tattoos and piercings, slavery, intrigue, action, romance and affection. There are also threats of violence and a fair amount of heroism and family love and fun.
I have put this into the Lesbian Sex category because it is where I seem to be getting the most hits. Also, that's where the sex is in this one. Your positive ratings and comments, positive or negative, are welcome and appreciated. If you have read this story from the beginning, I would like to thank you. I hope someone is enjoying reading this as much as I enjoy writing it.
Chapter 28 - A Rose and a Hoagie
Gloria and I have an appointment with Dieter Rose at First Republic Antiques and Auction House today. Domingo and Rapper would be driving us, followed by the clown car, I call it, of four RFS agents ready to rock and roll at a moment's notice. We'd vetted this guy, Rose, and he came up smelling like his namesake. Rhee hadn't been able to find much more than we had, but I told her to keep looking.
When we walked through his shop's door and he stuck his slimy hand out to me, I just knew. Fuck the data. This guy is dirty six ways to Sunday. I've just got to make the connection. I told Mr. Rose that there was absolutely nothing I could do until my designer arrived. Moments later, there was Flora, with an attractive, but not stunning, man. Average height, average weight, pretty nondescript. Your 'Regular guy' right out of central casting. Nothing wrong, but nothing special. But he had very special talents that the eyes couldn't see. And the fact that he could exercise these talents, and nobody could see what he was doing, was beyond my scope of understanding.
Constantine 'Hoagie' Hinton, was a master magician, hypnotist, thief, safecracker, pickpocket, grifter, and master of disguise, but not an RFS employee. I am trying to rectify that, at least when it comes to working with my squad. But he agreed to work with me today, just to get a feel for how we work. I told Rapper and Domingo not to get within five feet of the guy, or they'll lose their wallets and supercells. I need
his
eyes looking over Rose's operation.
When we had our quorum, Rose gave us a tour of the premises, from gems and jewels, to five-hundred-year-old framed art. He had ancient arms and old agricultural implements. Gloria bought two large paintings from the nineteenth century. Cost a pretty penny, but she seemed to think they would be a good investment. And with the kind of money she had, this is the kind of investment she makes. But it's also the kind of thing home invaders are looking for. Without even knowing it, Gloria was laying out the bait. They already hit her place, and we beat the shit out of them, but that doesn't mean another outfit won't take a shot.
If I found a piece interesting, I'd talk to Flora about it, and Mr. Rose would bring it out and he would be flanked by Gloria and Hoagie when he did. Hoagie wasn't here for the artwork, or even the jewelry. He was collecting intelligence and working up a profile on this guy and his business. He was also planting bugs. And he had a million questions, driving the staff nuts. The art of distraction,
"Miss Todd," Rose asked, "Do you always carry a gun?"
"Pretty much. It's a dangerous town. A girl can't be too careful these days."
"Do you really think you have to worry about that?" Looking around at all the armed men, both inside and outside his building.
"If you're me, you do." Gloria got a good chuckle out of that. Rapper just grinned and put his hand on his hip where his gun resided.
"Mr. Rose, your shop is beautiful, and your wares are spectacular. I think I'll visit your website to revisit some of the pieces I saw today. Did you write those down, Dom?"
"Yes, Miss Todd. I scanned the codes on five pieces and you can you can just pull them up on your tablet or home computer any time."
Then it was time for me to dip my toe into the waters of evil.
"Tell me, Mr. Rose, what are you holding back? I have found that the best pieces are usually kept back for special clients. I'd like to be that kind of client, don't I, Flor?"
"That's right, Hannah. It's the hidden treasures you always seem to relish. What say, Dieter, what are you hiding from us?"
When she said that, his eyes locked on to one of his assistants, and the woman marched herself into the back, and Hoagie followed her. Was she going back there to get a shotgun? Or was she just, as they say, powdering her nose?
"Oh, Miss," Hoagie called out to her. "Can you direct me to the men's room?" Hoagie was going to get back there one way or another. And she led him through a large storage room, which had a restroom at the far end. When he opened the door to the restroom, he released a Wasp drone, and let it fly. He could see what the drone saw on his supercell, and directed it accordingly. They could also see it at Central, at the Navy Yard, as well as the video conference room at my house where it will be recorded.
Hoagie flew the drone all around the large back room, which he estimated at about five thousand square feet. Sizeable, to say the least. He flew that little drone through that entire warehouse, and left it parked up high above a rafter, ready to come out and spy when directed to do so. When he came out, he gave me a wink, and returned to acting like Flora's assistant. Before we left, I whispered to Hoagie that I needed to talk to him when we walk out of this place.
While Gloria was concluding her business with Mr. Rose, I walked out with Hoagie, and told him that he's coming to my house after this appointment and that we'd get him home later tonight after he and I finished our business.
"That's really not the way I do business, Miss Todd."
"Ah, but it's the way I do business. Right Domingo?"
"Absolutely Miss Todd."
"Hoagie, there's not much in my life that is trivial. And when trivial things happen, I just let them go, and my people make them go away. When important things happen, I seize them and make them my own. When I see exceptional talent, I need to be close to it. And when I see a perfect piece to fit into my organization, I do whatever I have to in order to obtain that piece. Right now, I see you as that piece. I want to spend some time talking to you about what you saw here today. And I want to have that conversation with you when it's fresh in your mind. And then I want to talk to you about joining my team. And I'd like you to meet them. Like you, they are the best at what they do. Coming?"
"And if I don't?"
"Well, one; it would be foolish; and two, I'd have Dom here blow your brains out. It's ugly, but at least we like you. Believe me, if we didn't, it would be a whole lot more painful. So much so that just describing what we are going to do to someone will make them shit their pants."
"Can I call my wife?"
"Absolutely. I would never deny a family man the opportunity to communicate with a loved one. Ever."
He walked about ten feet away and made the call. Obviously, talking to someone he loves, and before he hangs up, he says, "Kiss the kids." And "I love you." Hoagie's family is my ace in the hole. Hoagie never had a 'straight' job. Some of his magic work could be considered that, but pickpocketing, grifting and theft were what paid the bills. He had no other real marketable skills. We can offer him a chance to go straight, have a job with good steady pay and benefits, and a real retirement plan, all for doing what he does, anyway. I just have to convince him that it's for real. I wanted him on the team so badly, but I just felt like I had to make him squirm a little before he got the best job offer of his life. But I'm also going to tug on his heartstrings a little.
I sent Hoagie to my house in the car with the agents following us as our backup detail. Dom and Rapper drove Gloria and I. Flora was just a ploy and she knew it. I thanked and told her if she didn't send me a bill, I was going to send my biggest guy around to harass her. She kissed me and told me how much she loved me and that I was her favorite client. I just love when my vendors kiss ass. After a long day of doing that myself, it's nice to have the favor returned.
When we hit my driveway, Gloria and Rapper and two of the guys from the other vehicle were off to the Tuttlehills, and I had Mr. Hinton to myself. Lizzie was upstairs in the office and Duane wasn't home yet. Neither were the kids, but I expected them within the next forty-five minutes. I introduced Hoagie to Bertha, who looked him up and down, and almost fell over when he produced a deck of cards out of nowhere and told her to pick a card. She did, and when he told her what her card was, he guessed wrong.
"Some magician you are."
"Look in your apron, Bertha."
Damned, wasn't it the three of clubs, the card she picked?
"You got me there, Mr. Hoagie."
