Carolina Dance

Chapter 2

2.If I didn’t know the drill I probably would’ve gotten shot because there were so many commands howled my way at once. I had missed my window of opportunity to escape. Actually I probably could’ve still run, but I didn’t see a reason to since I had done nothing wrong. So I just slowly got on my knees and carefully put my hands behind my head. The price of being a black man while walking outside early in the morning, I thought. Two officers from the seeming army approached me. One of them kept his firearm trained on me. The other holstered his firearm and then removed his handcuffs from the case on his belt. He cuffed my hands behind my back and then frisked me, taking my wallet and keys and then helping me to my feet. The second officer then holstered his g*n and approached.

“This doesn’t seem like standard procedure. Can you please tell me what I’m being charged with?” I asked the officers.

Neither responded to me. They just started walking me towards the squad car, one on either side of me. They set me in the back of the car, then closed the door. I glanced out the window and saw an unmarked black car pull up. Out of the driver’s side stepped a black man. He was tall, somewhat muscularly developed, and dressed in a dark suit. He had a mean look on his face. Meanwhile, from the passenger side of the car exited a female. She appeared to be white or maybe Asian. She was clothed in a nice, slightly loose-fitting pantsuit. She walked towards the two officers who had escorted me to the squad car. I could tell by the way she walked that she was the one in charge. She and the officers exchanged some words, then I saw the officer hand her my keys and wallet.

“Yeah, this will be a long day,” I sighed. I knew this was a big deal. I just didn’t know what it was or how I fit into all of it.

The lady nodded to the officers and briefly pointed to the squad car where I was sitting as she began to walk back to the unmarked car. It was clearly a gesture signaling to the officers that they had their marching orders and she would see them later. The two officers came up to the car and got in the front. They buckled up and we pulled off.

“So is there any chance you guys are going to tell me what’s going on?” I asked.

Not a word or reaction from either officer.

“Am I under arrest? Because I don’t think I was ever read my rights.”

The officer in the front passenger seat shook his head and kind of chuckled. The one driving looked at me through the rearview mirror. “You’re not arrested,” he said.

I looked back at the rearview mirror. “Well, can you tell me why I’m in custody?”

The officer in the front passenger seat turned over his left shoulder towards me. “Sit back and shut up now!” he said.

There was a fierce, rapid rush of energy that shot through me as I looked that officer straight in the eyes. If I wasn’t in these cuffs I would literally knock your head off your body. The officer slowly turned back to face the front, as if he had read my thoughts through my eyes. I kept my gaze fixed on him, almost in a raging trance, but I snapped out of it as I felt my eyes blink. I knew this wasn’t good. I was in custody when I had done nothing wrong and I knew if I didn’t get answers soon I could go off the rails.

We turned into the parking lot of the police station and parked in the officers-only yard in the back. The officer sitting on the passenger side leaned in towards the other.

“Hey Pete, are we going to take him to booking?” he whispered.

“No, she told us not to process him yet, remember?” Pete replied.

The one on the passenger side responded with a nod.

Pete stepped out of the car then opened the back door to help me out. The second officer came over to the driver’s side with his hand close to his firearm and grabbed my arm as Pete held my other one. We entered the station through a side door and were hit by the station’s very distinct stench; it smelled like coffee mixed with over-worn gear that needed to be washed. There was a lady sitting at a desk about three yards from the door we entered. She looked Hispanic, maybe in her mid-fifties. She saw us and stood up from her desk.

“Good morning, Pete and Chris,” she said.

“Hey, Maria,” the two said in sync.

Maria leaned forward over her desk. “Who do you guys have there?”

Pete and Chris scooted down the hall, ignoring her question. As I was pushed along I looked over both shoulders and commented, “You two are a pair of rude rascals, I see.”

Chris didn’t respond.

Pete slightly extended the arm he was holding me with forward. “Just keep walking, please,” he said.

We arrived outside the door of an interrogation room. The door was open. Inside the room sat a small table with four chairs, two on each side. The table was oriented parallel to the doorway. There was a two-way mirror in the room, positioned on the right wall. Officers Pete and Chris walked me inside the room. Pete removed the keys for the handcuffs from his pocket and began to undo my cuffs. When the right one popped open I balled my fist and twisted my wrists from side to side.

“Thank you. My wrists were becoming uncomfortable,” I said.

Pete moved my left hand in front of me. “Not too fast.”

He then cuffed my hands in front of me. I looked down at the cold jewelry around my wrists.

This is really starting to get annoying.

Chris pulled one of the chairs out. It was on the side of the table opposite the door. Pete put his hand on my left shoulder and guided me into the chair.

“Have a seat,” he said.

I settled in the chair. Pete and Chris both walked back towards the doorway and stopped to whisper to each other. It was hard to make out what they were saying. Pete looked over at me briefly, and after a few more seconds they both nodded. It was a nod of agreement. Chris walked out of the room and Pete followed, looking back at me.

“Hold tight,” he said.

I looked at him and sarcastically raised my cuffed hands to about chest height. Pete closed the door behind him.

I sat in the interrogation room alone, thinking. I looked around the room until my gaze fixed on the two-way mirror. I lightly huffed with grim humor and shook my head. I then turned my attention towards the direction of the door and got lost in my thoughts. After some time, Pete re-entered the interrogation room. Just a few steps behind him followed the woman from the unmarked car and the tall, fit guy who had been driving her—her partner, I assumed. Pete walked closer to the wall on my left side to give the other two room as they entered. He gestured in the direction of the partners.

“This is Special Agent Rose Lee and Special Agent Ben Davis. They have some—” He was cut off as Rose stepped forward.

“That’ll be all, Daniels, we appreciate you and Williams bringing in the suspect.”

I automatically started to put information together in my head. Pete Daniels and Chris Williams. Of course, I’d already known their last names, since they were written on their brass nameplates after their first initials. Now I had Agents Lee and Davis. I smiled because I knew they were with some intelligence organization. Rose had just said that I was a suspect. That was news to me, and it didn’t make me happy.

Rose glared at me. “We can take it from here, Daniels,” she repeated.

Daniels cleared his throat then walked around her. He closed the door behind him.

Rose kept her gaze on me. She pulled out a chair opposite to me and sat in it. She was a very attractive woman with beautiful clear skin and shoulder-length jet black hair. Not to mention her voice. It only made her more attractive: It was very soft and alluring, but I could hear an unequivocal strength resound from it as well.

Davis remained standing with his arms folded.

Rose continued to stare at me. I stared back. She leaned in closer towards me from across the table.

“So let’s get to know each other. You heard our names and who we are. Why don’t you tell us your name and who you are?” she said.

This wasn’t my first rodeo, so I just continued to stare at her. I wanted them to give me more information before I spoke, especially since I was considered a suspect.

Rose leaned back in her chair.

“Hey Davis,” she said. “Looks like we have the strong, silent type.”

Davis grinned slightly. “That’s my favorite type.”

Rose smiled and leaned forward again. “I’ve seen the worst of the worst, so you can cut the tough guy act. All we need is for you to tell us what you know.”

I didn’t feel they had anything on me so I thought it was time I played along. Plus, I could feel myself starting to get agitated with this whole situation for wasting my time. I smiled, then for a few seconds fiddled with the cuffs I was wearing.

“You seem to be an educated woman, so you should know my name. It’s written on my license that Daniels handed to you. In regard to who I am… I figure you already know, since you’ve been observing me from the other side of this two-way mirror since I got here. Something else I know is I’m tired and I’m being illegally held for something I know nothing about nor care to get involved with. I know you have nothing on me and you’re just questioning me to cover all of your bases. I know there’s more to you than just a pretty face and you know I’m not the man you’re looking for,” I said.

Rose was tough as nails. I knew I struck a nerve with her because of her micro expressions, but she had a great poker face. Despite how tough she was, we both knew she had nothing on me.

She smiled then leaned back. “So you think I’m pretty?”

I smiled back. “No. I believe I said I know.”

We smiled at each other for a moment.

Rose looked over at Davis. “Please give Mr. Black his keys and wallet. We don’t want him to think he’s being held here involuntarily.”

I looked at her. “See, you do know my name.”

Davis walked over, reached in his pocket, and pulled out a small key.

“That doesn’t look like my keys,” I said.

Davis grunted as he unlocked my handcuffs. After placing the cuffs on the table he reached into his pockets and pulled out my keys and wallet. I reached out my hand to accept my personal items. Instead, he lightly dropped my things on the table and walked back towards the door while I picked them up.

“Smart-mouth punk,” he grumbled.

I stood up and walked directly towards the door without saying a word or making any gestures. Just as I reached for the door handle, I heard Rose’s voice echo over my back.

“We’ll see you around, Mr. Orlando James Black.”

I really didn’t like it when people used my full name like that, but I didn’t mind hearing her say it. With my back still turned to her I smiled and slightly shook my head then walked out of the room. Outside Daniels stood waiting for me.

“Hey, Mr. Black, I can give you a ride back to your place,” he said.

I thought about it for a couple seconds. I didn’t want to be bothered with anyone else and had no desire to make small talk during the drive.

“Thanks for the offer, Daniels, but I think I can find my way.”

He responded with a semi-surprised look on his face. “Your call. I’ll at least walk you out.”

He directed me toward the same way we came in.

“Officer Pete!” Maria shouted from her desk ahead.

Both Daniels and I stopped, and Maria walked to us quickly.

“Do you know where Officer Chris is?” she asked.

Daniels shook his head. “I haven’t seen him since I went into the observation room with Agents Lee and Davis. That was about forty-five minutes or an hour ago.”

Maria nodded. “Okay, well we have a tip about those missing girls.”

Daniels realized I was listening and raised both his hands up to silence Maria. “Okay, thanks, Maria. Fill me in with the details when I come back.”

I thought to myself for a second. Missing girls? I wonder if this has anything to do with that little brat I saw earlier. I gathered my thoughts. “Hey, Daniels, you know what?”

Daniels looked over at me.

“I think I’ll take you up on that offer for a ride.”

Daniels nodded at me then turned his attention back to Maria and whispered with her. I really didn’t want to get involved, but I thought it wouldn’t hurt to pick Daniels’ brain for more information about the whole situation. After a few seconds, Maria started to walk back over to her desk. Daniels led me down the hall.

“The car is out here, Mr. Black,” he said.

We headed for the door. “You know you don’t have to call me ‘mister’?” I replied.

Outside, day had fully broken. It was still early morning and I took a moment to breathe in the fresh air. This was something I have been taught to be mindful of. It’s good for the body and mind, especially if you have a temper with the occasional tendency toward rage. We walked over to the same squad car I had been hauled to the station in. I went to the back door of the car.

“Mr. Black… I mean Black, sit up here in the front,” Daniels offered.

I shrugged. “Okay.”

I walked around to the front passenger door and as I opened it, I noticed Williams about twenty yards away, exiting another parked squad car. He rushed towards the station. There were quite a number of squad cars in the parking lot, so Daniels didn’t notice him. I just kept it to myself and jumped in the car. The front felt much more comfortable than the back. Daniels put the car in reverse and streamed out of the parking lot. For the first minute or two of the drive, there was a bout of silence. I really was not good at small talk, and Daniels was focused on driving. It was as if he was trying to get me home quickly so he could get back to work. I guess he had the tip on his mind that Maria had mentioned.

“Hey, Daniels, seems like you’re in a bit of a rush,” I said.

He looked at me briefly before turning his attention back to the road. “No, I just have some work I need to get back to.”

I thought I might as well ask him straight. “Does it have anything to do with the tip Maria was telling you about?”

He glanced at me again, slightly shook his head, and lightly exhaled as if he was amused. “So you overheard her?”

“Maria is not exactly the inconspicuous type.”

We both lightly chuckled.

“But to answer your question, Black, yes, I want to follow up on that tip.”

“Why not just get your partner Williams to do it?”

“Williams is not my partner. I don’t have a partner right now,” he said with hesitation in his voice.

I guess that’s what I get for assuming, I thought.

I took a look in the side mirror and saw a black van tailing us. It looked exactly like the black van I saw earlier at Don’s Coffee. I didn’t make any alarm. I just calmly continued my conversation with Daniels.

“If Williams is not your partner why were you two driving in the same squad car?”

“We were both at the station, I got a tip from a source on a case I was working, and we needed some extra bodies, so Williams tagged along. He’s only been with the station for about two months or so. I try not to deal with him too much because he has his own stuff going on. I believe he’s in the middle of a divorce. His wife cheated or something.”

I could still see the van tailing us. I decided to have Daniels drop me off at the Epic Center. The Epic Center was in uptown and had a lot of foot traffic that time of morning. I wasn’t afraid but wanted to be careful. I needed to know whether the van was following me or Daniels.

“Make a right at the next intersection,” I said.

“That’s not the way to your house.”

“I know. I want to go to the Epic Center.”

He looked at me and shrugged. “Okay, it’s up to you.”

Daniels wasn’t very easy to read at the time, but I felt he knew I had nothing to do with whatever this mess was, and I figured they had pulled at least part of my file, so he knew that I had served our country. This made me believe he saw me as more of an ally than anything else. So I thought I would just ask him what I had on my mind.

“Daniels,” I began, “I also overheard Maria mention missing girls. Is that what this whole thing is about?”

Daniels took the right I asked him to make before he spoke. “Here’s the story. I’ve been working on this case for over two months now. Last month two young ladies went missing. One was eighteen, the other twenty-one. This month two more went missing, one nineteen and the other twenty. All the incidents seem to be related due to the age of the victims and the victims’ day-to-day activities. That’s it. That’s all to the story so far.”

I could tell he was trying to stop me from asking him any more questions, but I knew there had to be more. Why were Rose and Agent Davis involved? Why didn’t Daniels have a partner? Why would someone who’s essentially a patrol officer be working a missing persons case? I took a peek in the passenger side mirror. The black van was still behind us. And who are these clowns that are following us?

But none of this involved me. The little girl I saw earlier was younger than the missing girls Daniels described, so why should I be bothered with any of this? I figured I would get Daniels’ contact information just in case the guys in the van were after me, which wouldn’t bode well for them—but if they were after him, I would let him handle it himself.

“Hey, Daniels, I know you’re tired of me asking you questions,” I continued.

Daniels kept his eyes on the road.

“But I have one more question.”

“And what might that be, Black?”

“Can you give me your contact information just in case something comes up? I mean, you guys took me in custody around where I live, so I’m guessing there is a possibility that something of significance could present itself around there.”

Daniels pulled over at the curb. The car was situated so that the passenger side was right in front of the steps that led to the Epic Center. In front of us was a bus station with the light rail train tracks above it. There were many people milling around the area, just as I expected. Daniels reached in his shirt pocket and pulled out his card.

“If anything comes up, you see or hear anything, call me first,” he said, handing it to me.

I glanced in the mirror again and caught sight of the van parked about fifteen yards back at a curb perpendicular to us. I put Daniels’ card in my pocket. “Well, hopefully I won’t have to,” I said as I opened the door.

I stepped onto the curb.

Daniels threw his hand up to signal he was leaving.

I gave him a half salute to gesture the same. I walked across the wide sidewalk towards the steps which led up to the Epic Center, keeping my eyes on the black van until I saw it pulling off after Daniels. I felt relieved and a smile began to form on my face; in that moment I believed it was all Daniels’ problem.

Out the corner of my eye I caught the van stopping. Two men jumped out and started making their way in my direction. One man was black and the other white, and both were dressed in black suits with dark shirts and ties. The smile on my face faded, and I felt some anger rise inside me.

The van then continued behind Daniels.

I continued walking as if I was unaware of the two men. This is not a good morning for me, but it’s going to be an even worse morning for them.

Shall we dance?