THE PERILS OF JESSICA SANTANA
By
J.R. Francisco
****
CHAPTER TWO
The waiting was excruciating. Jessica had no idea what time it was and thankful for that. The last thing she needed was to be reminded how long they had before Chester Waltrip opened the diner. She did all kinds of mental exercises to pass the time. She thought about her childhood memories back in Texas, helping her grandmother cook Mexican dishes. Despite those pleasant memories and thoughts the tight duct tape around her limbs and the stifling gag reminded her how uncomfortable she was.
Jessica shook her head and exhaled, wishing she could eject the panties from her mouth. Her writhing disturbed Janie, who was on the verge of falling asleep against Jessica's shoulder. Janie sat up and they stared into each others eyes, expressing mutual frustration at their hopeless situation.
For the next several hours, Jessica drifted in and out of sleep. Her hazy mind almost convinced her that it was all a dream, but when she tried moving, the tight bindings snapped her back into reality. She was grateful Janie slept most of the night. Their combined body heat kept them warm and it was comforting feeling Janie against her, reminding Jessica she was not alone.
****
Jessica emerged from a stretch of sleep, realizing both her arms had gone numb. Janie was awake next to her, squirming and grunting with frustration. Jessica winced and wiggled her arms, trying to restore circulation into her limbs. The duct tape around her arms did not have any slack and Jessica was unable to alleviate the pricking sensation on her forearms. She moaned with discomfort, wondering what time it was?
After more waiting, Jessica and Janie heard activity outside the storage room. Finally! Jessica thought with relief. Waltrip had arrived. Jessica and Janie snapped to attention. They stared at each other, nodding with agreement. They both took a deep breath through their noses and screamed. Jessica doubted if their muffled cries would be heard beyond the storage room, but that did not stop her and Janie from yelling their heads off.
The storage room door swung open. Chester Waltrip stood at the entrance. His dark eyes expanded and his mouth dropped when he spotted Jessica and Janie bound, gagged, and nude on the floor. He stepped into the storage room and stood over his two employees, taking in the incredible sight before him. Jessica and Janie glared up at their boss, writhing and grunting frantically.
Waltrip's eyes swept over the nude bodies of the two young women. "What the hell happened?" he demanded.
"HUUUUMMMPHHH!" Jessica shouted, shaking her head. You Moron! she thought angrily. We're bound and gagged! "UUURRRMPHH GUUUGGMMPHH!"
Waltrip made no effort whatsoever at releasing Jessica or Janie. "Oh, shit!" he exclaimed. "Don't tell me we've been robbed?"
He turned and darted from the storage room.
Jessica could not believe what was happening! Where the hell was Waltrip going? She and Janie had been bound and gagged all night and she wanted to be set free! She stomped her feet and grunted, yelling at Waltrip as he disappeared from the storage room. Jessica and Janie seethed, waiting for Waltrip to return.
Waltrip returned several minutes later. He was immediately greeted with desperate grunting and moaning from Jessica and Janie. Waltrip disregarded their muffled curses and stood over the two livid girls with a bemused look.
"Alright, alright," Waltrip said casually. "Keep your panties . . ." He chuckled as he stared at the two naked young women. "Oops. I mean . . . hold your horses. I had to make sure my diner was okay."
Jessica squealed with frustration at Waltrip’s cavalier attitude.
Waltrip shook his head and chuckled, staring at Jessica and Janie with cool appraisal. "I always suspected you two were into kinky stuff but this is too much, don't you think?"
Jessica glared at Waltrip, tugging angrily at her bindings. "UUMMPHH! URRRMPHH! HUUUMMMM!" she shouted.
Waltrip sighed and knelt before Jessica. His eyes shifted from her breasts to her private area.
"URRRMPHH!" Jessica exclaimed, stomping her feet, unleashing an angry but muffled tirade.
"Hey watch it or I'll leave you tied up all day," Waltrip warned. "Is that what you want?"
Jessica was about to unleash another string of curses but thought better of it. She exhaled and waited, fuming. She had never felt so humiliated in her life . . . again.
Waltrip nodded with satisfaction. "That’s better. Lucky for you I don’t understand gag talk. Okay, who wants to be first?"
Jessica remained silent, glaring straight ahead. She was not about to beg.
That was not the response Waltrip wanted. He turned to Janie, staring at her breasts. "I guess it's you then."
Waltrip stepped over Jessica's legs and knelt before Janie. He slowly and painfully unwrapped the duct tape from Janie's mouth and head. She closed her eyes and groaned when the sticky tape came off. Janie ejected the wadded up panties stuffed in her mouth. She sighed with relief and worked her jaw and tongue, taking several deep breaths.
“Bastards!” Janie exclaimed. “How dare they gag me with my own panties.”
Waltrip held up the tangled and wet underwear that been stuffed in Janie’s mouth. "Nice. Really digging the color.
“You perv!” Janie snapped. “Quit screwing around and untie us.”
“Hey, watch it or I’ll stuff those cute panties back in your mouth,” Waltrip told Janie. “Is that what you want?”
Jessica looked on with disbelief, shooting daggers at Waltrip with her eyes. His sleaziness had officially reached a new low.
“Let’s hear it. What happened?” Waltrip asked. “This should be interesting.”
“Two thugs broke in when we were closing up, looking for you,” Janie explained.
A concerned look appeared on Waltrip's face. "Two men? What did they look like?"
"Two guys in leather jackets. They looked like extras from a mob movie. One was shorter than the other. I thought they were going to. . . " Janie wiggled her bound arms. "We’ve been like this all night long."
Waltrip scowled, manhandling Janie as he examined the duct tape on her legs and arms. “Those guys really did a number on you two. I gotta get a knife."
Janie sighed with exasperation.
Waltrip stood and couldn’t resist and said, “Don’t go anywhere. I’ll be right back.”
"Wait a minute," Janie yelled at Waltrip. "Take the gag off Jessica first."
"Excuse me?"
"Remove Jessica's gag."
"What did you say?" Waltrip asked, feigning astonishment. "Are you telling me what to do? Is that the deal here?"
Janie did not back down. "Un-gag my friend now!"
Waltrip glared at Janie. "Wait a minute, baby! I'm the boss here. You don't tell me what to do! You're lucky to have a job here, so don't press your luck by giving me orders! You got that?"
Janie remained silent, staring straight ahead, burning with anger.
Waltrip exhaled and relaxed. “That’s better. Any more requests?"
Jessica felt ready to explode. She closed her eyes, clenched her fists, and trembled with controlled rage. Although she disliked Waltrip, she had never felt genuine loathing towards him like she was feeling now. Job or no job, Jessica was going to lay into Waltrip once she was free.
Waltrip walked out of the storage room, leaving Jessica's gag in place.
"Son of a . . ." Janie muttered under her breath. She addressed Jessica and said, “Don’t worry, Jess. It’s almost over.”
Waltrip entered the storage room two minutes later, carrying a butcher knife. "Your knight in shining armor has returned," he announced dramatically.
As promised, Waltrip stepped over Jessica and knelt next to Janie. He grabbed Janie by the shoulders and literally threw her face down on the floor.
Janie uttered a sharp grunt. "Hey, watch it!"
“Shut up,” Waltrip said. “You’re lucky I got here thirty minutes earlier than usual.”
It took all of Jessica's will power from lashing out with her bound legs and delivering a jab to Waltrip's side. Waltrip concentrated on cutting Janie free, slicing through the duct tape around her upper arms, wrists, and legs. He went out of his way to "accidentally" brush Janie's legs and backside. Janie closed her eyes, fuming inwardly. Once she was free, Janie bounced to her knees and grabbed her discarded waitress uniform.
“You’re welcome,” Waltrip said to Janie flatly. “Anytime.”
Waltrip turned his attention to Jessica. He seized her upper arms, forcing her down on her stomach. Jessica grunted and lay still, eyes blazing angrily as Waltrip cut through the duct tape on her upper arms and wrists. She flinched when Waltrip placed a hand on the back of her thighs as he sawed through the tape on her knees and ankles.
Janie finished slipping into her uniform. "I'm gonna call the police."
Waltrip shot to his feet and blocked Janie's path. "Wait a minute. No cops."
Janie took a step back from Waltrip. "What?"
"I can't let you call the cops."
"What do you mean you won't let me?" Janie asked angrily. “Get out of my way!”
Jessica painfully peeled the duct tape from her lips, taking some of her hair with it. She bounced to her feet and ejected her saliva soaked panties from her mouth with a look of disgust and anger.
"Call the police, Janie!" Jessica gasped, stepping into her waitress uniform.
"I said no cops!" Waltrip said emphatically.
"Are you out of your freaking mind?" Janie said incredulously. "Two thugs broke in here, threatened us with a gun and tied us up."
Jessica stepped past Janie and attempted to bull her way through Waltrip, but the heavyset diner owner held his ground. "Is this how you repay the man who rescued you?"
Jessica's face went serious. "Waltrip," she warned, "Get the hell out of the way!"
Waltrip sighed. "If you call the cops I'm as good as dead. And probably you too."
This got the attention of Jessica and Janie.
"What are you talking about?" Janie asked.
Jessica controlled her outrage. "Start talking and it better be good.”
"I know the men who did this to you," Waltrip admitted. "They're connected."
Janie did not understand. "Connected?"
Waltrip sighed, annoyed at Janie's ignorance. "Mob guys. Hired muscle. Enforcers. Hello. They kill and break arms and legs for a living. Get the picture?"
"What do they want with you?" Jessica asked.
"I've been paying them protection money," Waltrip explained. "In exchange for a monthly fee they make sure my diner doesn't get torched."
Jessica now understood the situation. "Extortion.”
Waltrip sighed with exasperation. "Something like that. Business hasn't been that good lately, so I've fallen behind on my payments."
While Jessica enjoyed the look of fear on Waltrip's face, she understood the seriousness of the situation. "What do you expect us to do? Pretend this didn't happen?"
Waltrip shrugged. "Well . . . yeah. If you go to the cops you can kiss my ass goodbye."
"You can't be serious," Jessica declared. "You think I'm going to let those two bastards get away with this, which on top of everything is your fault for leaving the backdoor unlocked! If I were a man I would punch your lights out!"
"This is my problem," Waltrip shot back. "I'll take care of it."
"Fine!" Jessica rallied. "But we're not getting in the middle of this. We quit."
Jessica and Janie stepped past Waltrip and walked out of the storage room.
"Wait a minute!" Waltrip said, chasing after them. "Can't we talk about this?"
Jessica suddenly stopped outside the storage room. She had been too outraged to think clearly and had forgotten her job interview at AweZome Magazine. "What time is it?" she asked Janie.
Waltrip shrugged. "I don't know. Why?”
"Your interview!" Janie exclaimed.
Jessica headed toward the back entrance. “I can still make it. Come on!”
"What interview?" Waltrip demanded. "What's going on here?"
"Shut up!" Jessica and Janie said at the same time.
****
"I'm sorry, Miss Santana, but Mr. Ezor is very busy," the pretty young receptionist told Jessica from behind her desk. "If you had an appointment at eight . . ." The young woman glanced at her thin wrist watch. "It's now fifteen after. I'm afraid you won't be able to see Mr. Ezor today. Perhaps I can reschedule you for another day?"
Jessica remained calm and composed. "Look, it wasn't an appointment. I had a job interview, but something came up and I couldn't be here at eight. If you could just tell him I’m here, I'd really appreciate it."
The young woman regarded Jessica briefly. She sighed and activated the intercom on her desk. "Mr. Ezor, your eight o’clock interview is here."
There was a short pause.
Jessica mouthed the words "thank you."
"It's fifteen after eight," Ezor said, sounding annoyed.
Jessica had no intention of letting this opportunity slip away. She leaned toward the intercom, taking the receptionist by surprise and said, "Mr. Ezor, my name is Jessica Santana. I don't know if you remember me, but I had an interview today. I apologize for being late but if I could speak to you--"
"I'm sorry about that, Mr Ezor," the receptionist interrupted, glaring at Jessica.
A tense silence followed as no one spoke.
The intercom cracked. "Fine," Ezor said flatly. "Send her in."
The receptionist eyed Jessica with an icy stare. "Through there," she said, gesturing toward a wide hallway leading to a closed door.
Jessica walked through the entrance way and stepped into the hallway. She gave herself a quick look-over. She wore a red turtle neck sweater, black leather blazer, knee-length dark skirt, and medium-heeled pumps. She had added a special touch to complete the outfit: a pair of seamed nylon stockings held up by garters. Compliments of Janie’s intimate collection.
****
Jessica entered Michael Ezor's office, poised and ready to impress the AweZome Magazine editor. She paused and looked about the room, surprised by what she saw. Small basketballs littered the floor of the spacious office, which was located on the eighth floor of the building. A tinted window offered a breathtaking view of the sprawling city.
Ezor's cluttered desk stood in front of the large window. He sat in a leather chair with his legs propped up on the desk top. Ezor was a pleasant looking man dressed in a white shirt, striped tie, and dark slacks. He was still relatively young, perhaps in his late twenties or early thirties.
At the moment, his face was set in concentration, holding a mini basketball over his right shoulder, ready to shoot it towards a small basketball goal attached to the wall at the opposite side of the room. He did not acknowledge Jessica's presence. She debated whether to introduce herself or wait until Ezor addressed her. Ezor shot the basketball. It sailed through the air and went through the hoop, making a swishing sound as it cleared the net.
"Yes!" Ezor exclaimed, pumping his hand.
He swung his leather chair towards Jessica. As expected, his eyes swept over her body, executing a quick look-over. It was not the first time a potential employer had sized her up in that manner so it didn’t bother her.
“Hi there,” Ezor said cheerfully.
Jessica flashed a tight-lipped smile. “Hello.”
"Have a seat, Miss Santana."
She sat in a soft chair in front of Ezor's desk and crossed her legs. Ezor was a skilled leg watcher. His glance was subtle but not too obvious.
Ezor frowned and sighed. “You're late. I can't stand tardiness. Show’s lack of character and determination."
"Mr. Ezor, something came up which I had no control over," Jessica explained. She couldn't resist and added, "Let's just say I got . . . tied up with something else. I'm not going to bore you with the details, but I'm here now. I give you my word it won't happen again."
Ezor stared at Jessica. After a long uncomfortable silence he said, "What if it does?"
"Excuse me?"
"What if I hire you and you're late for a meeting? What happens then?"
Jessica shrugged. "That's up to you. But like I said--"
"Can I spank you?"
Jessica heard the words, but her mind could not process the question. "Excuse me?"
"You heard me," Ezor said with a straight face. "Will you let me spank you while you say, 'Harder, Daddy! Harder!'"
Jessica stared at Ezor, her head spinning with shock. Surely her ears were playing tricks on her. Ezor's face remained serious. Jessica looked away with embarrassment, not knowing what to say next. She spotted a small basketball on the floor and it suddenly dawned on her.
Jessica chuckled, relieved. "That's funny. Not exactly politically correct but funny."
Ezor's faced softened and he laughed. "Very good! Congratulations, Miss Santana. You just passed part one of the interview."
Jessica wondered where this bizarre conversation was going. “Thank you.”
"How did you know I was putting you on? Most women would be bolting to the door, ready to call a lawyer."
Jessica shrugged. "Simple deduction. A man who plays basketball in his office has to have a healthy sense of humor. Although," she added, "I wouldn't go around saying that to all your potential female employees. Some of them may not take it as a joke."
"I knew you would," Ezor declared.
This surprised Jessica. "How did you know that?"
"Any woman who wears seamed stockings to a job interview can't be all that stuffy or . . . politically correct."
Jessica felt awkward and self conscious. "Could we . . . uh . . . continue the interview?"
"Of course,” said Ezor. After another pause he added, “So, Miss Santana . . . can I call you Jessica?"
"I don't mind."
Ezor gazed at Jessica with intrigue in his dark blue eyes. "Look, Jessica, I've read your resume and you seem like a nice person, but I have several people up for this opening. Most of them are seasoned writers who have been in the business for five, ten, even fifteen years. Having said that, I like your style. I can see that you're hungry and really want it, so I'm going to give you a chance to prove yourself. If you impress me enough, I'll hire you. What do you say?"
Jessica perked up in her seat. "You got a deal.”
****
"Jessica, I'm all for you getting this job," Janie sighed, "but do we really have to do this?"
"I want that job," Jessica replied, "and I'll do whatever it takes to get it."
Jessica and Janie stood in her bedroom of their apartment. Jessica was clad in a lace black bra, skimpy panties, and lace top thigh-high stockings. She scanned the various dresses scattered over the bed, deciding which one to wear. Janie stood on the other side of the bed. She sported a white lace bra with delicate matching panties. Jessica and Janie were like sisters and were comfortable enough to dress or undress in front of each other.
"But inviting Chester Waltrip over for dinner?" Janie asked with disbelief. "After what he did in the storage room today? He actually touched my underwear. Uuuuugghhh! I had to throw it away, which was a Christmas present from my mom."
Jessica gave Janie a questioning glance.
“Don’t ask,” Janie explained, shaking her head, waving her hand dismissively. “She’s my mom. Still thinks I’m sixteen years old.”
Jessica cleared her throat and moved on. “I have to make sure he goes along with the plan. We're going to butter him up like a corn cob."
"He's just so . . . creepy," Janie shuddered. "Did you see the way he looked at us when he was untying us? The man is obviously a pervert. He probably got off on finding us tied up and gagged. That’s just sick."
Jessica picked up a single-piece black dress. “We can handle Waltrip. This means a lot to me.”
"I know, but the thought of Waltrip inside our apartment . . . " Janie made a face and cringed. "Maybe we should cover our furniture with plastic first?"
Jessica stepped in front of a full length mirror and draped the dress over the front of her body. "I think this one will do nicely." She turned to Janie. "What do you think?"
"That's the one," Janie agreed. She smiled wickedly. "If you really want Waltrip's attention we should serve him dinner in just our underwear."
Jessica turned back toward the mirror. "Now who’s being creepy?”
****
Jessica, Janie, and Chester Waltrip sat around the kitchen table. The two young women watched in awe and disgust as Waltrip devoured his T-bone steak. Jessica intended to discuss the business at hand with Waltrip during dinner, but he did not believe in talking business on an empty stomach. For the past thirty minutes he had stuffed himself with salad, mashed potatoes, dinner rolls, and medium-well steak. And he showed no sign of stopping. Waltrip took a long swill from his beer. He placed the bottle down on the table, among four other empty bottles, and uttered a loud belch.
Janie groaned and turned away. “Oh, my god,” she muttered under her breath.
Waltrip exhaled. "That's some good shit. Didn’t know you could cook. You’re single, right?"
Jessica ignored the food review and remark. "Mr. Waltrip, can we get down to business?"
Waltrip looked over the table. "I ain't finished yet." He zeroed in on Janie's half-eaten steak. (She lost her appetite after watching Waltrip eat.) "You gonna finish that?"
Janie gladly pushed her plate toward Waltrip. "Help yourself."
Waltrip nodded and stabbed Janie's steak with his fork. He placed the meat on his plate and began cutting into it. "Alright. Let's hear it," he told Jessica. “You finally gonna thank me for rescuing you today. It’s about time.”
“Actually,” Jessica began. “It's about the two men who are extorting you.”
Waltrip stopped chewing. "What about them?"
"Have you paid them yet?"
"No. Why?"
Jessica placed her arms on the table and leaned forward, revealing a generous amount of cleavage. "I don't think those two guys are connected. You're being hustled by a couple of two-bit hoods."
Waltrip placed his fork down and stared at Jessica's breasts before making eye contact with her. "Oh, really? And you know this how?"
"Call it a hunch," Jessica said, disregarding Waltrip's gaze on her chest. "I've read about this kind of thing before."
"What thing?"
"Small time crooks pretending to be connected in order to scare business owners into paying them protection money. It's all a big hustle."
"Where the hell is this coming from?” Waltrip asked Jessica. “I thought we were gonna talk about you two coming back to work?"
"That's right," Jessica confirmed. "But we have to bust these guys and blow the lid off their scam. Otherwise we wouldn't feel safe."
To his credit, Waltrip was no dummy. "Wait a minute here. Why are you so interested in helping me with this? I already told you it's my problem."
"Jessica wants to write an article about it," Janie explained. "If she does a good job she might get hired to work for AweZome Magazine."
Jessica frowned. Janie had just put all their cards on the table without bluffing.
Waltrip scowled, focusing on Jessica. "Is that what this is about? You wanna use me to get a job at some piece of shit magazine? What the hell is the matter with you? You think this is a game?"
Jessica remained calm. "This will make a great story, Mr. Waltrip. Human interest. True crime. Not to mention plenty of publicity for your diner."
"No way," Waltrip said firmly, shaking his head. "You think I want to get my place torched? I've busted my ass to own . . . " He paused, processing Jessica's last statement. "Free publicity?"
"If the editor likes the story, he'll publish it," Jessica resumed, realizing she had Waltrip hooked. "The story will actually be about you and your diner. How you started with nothing and got where you are now. And how two low-life thugs tried to take it away from you. But you didn't let them. You'll be a hero to small business owners everywhere. The brave man who stood up for his principles."
Janie gave Jessica a side glance, rolling her eyes discreetly.
Waltrip remained silent, contemplating Jessica's offer. He finally said, "So you think these two clowns are bluffing me?"
"Have you ever met their boss?" Jessica challenged.
Waltrip's face lit up. "Come to think of it, no."
"I say we call their bluff," Jessica said confidently. "Janie and I have some payback coming too."
"Yeah," Janie added. "Nobody ties me up and gets away with it. Except one time when I went out with this guy and . . . " Janie caught herself and stopped.
Jessica gave her friend a curious look and then focused on Waltrip as he contemplated the offer. The four beers he had during dinner had obviously kicked in--just like she planned it. Truth be told, Jessica had no idea if the two men were actually "connected" or not, but she had to sell it to Waltrip.
Waltrip finally shrugged and said, “Screw it. Someone has to stop these morons. It might as well be me. I didn’t spend four years in the Navy to be pushed around by low-life thugs."
“My hero," Janie muttered.
Jessica scolded Janie with her eyes and stood from the table. "Why don't we discuss the details over dessert?"
Waltrip smacked Jessica's shapely rear as she walked past him. "Why don't we skip the dessert and have a threesome instead?"
Jessica paused and winced with anger as she stood over the counter where a banana cream pie was thawing. She seriously thought about calling off the whole thing and slamming the pie on Waltrip's face. She closed her eyes, clenched her teeth, and calmed down. Once a pig always a pig, she thought with despair.
****
"Just do what you normally do when you pay them," Jessica told Chester Waltrip.
Jessica, Janie, and Waltrip stood in the women’s bathroom of the Desert Shadows Diner. The diner was closed and the trio was discussing the final details of their bold plan. Waltrip stood before the grimy mirror with his black t-shirt hiked up over his ample gut. Jessica and Janie stood in front of Waltrip, adjusting the tiny microphone they had attached to his beefy chest with duct tape. Jessica grimaced as she touched Waltrip's hairy chest in order to make sure the microphone was secure. Janie scowled with disgust.
"Where the hell did you get all this high tech crap anyway?" Waltrip asked.
"I've got connections," Jessica said, pulling her fingers away from Waltrip's chest. She scowled and wiped her hands on her jeans. "You're all set."
Much to Jessica's and Janie’s relief, Waltrip pulled his shirt down. "This better work," he warned.
"Let's test it," Jessica said.
"No, I mean this stupid plan of yours."
"Just act natural," Jessica told Waltrip. "Get them to talk about what's going on so there won't be any confusion. But don't make it too obvious. You got that."
Waltrip glared at Jessica. "Easy for you to say, you'll be hiding in here."
Jessica knelt before two electronic components on the tiled floor of the bathroom. She picked up a pair of head phones attached to a component and placed them around her head. She adjusted some buttons and cleared the static in her ears. Janie followed Jessica's lead and donned another pair of head phones.
Jessica looked up at Waltrip. "Say something."
"Something."
Waltrip's crisp voice cracked in Jessica's ears. She made an OK sign with her fingers. "Perfect. Alright, go out there so we can test the microphone I put under the table."
"I should have my head examined for going along with this," Waltrip grumbled, walking out of the bathroom.
Jessica and Janie stayed in the bathroom. In less than an hour Waltrip would meet with the two men who had bound and gagged them in the storage room. They would listen and record the interaction when Waltrip paid the men extortion money. Solid evidence. Jessica would then write the story about how she and her best friend busted a racketeering operation, including their bondage experience, which would definitely appeal to a certain portion of male readers, maybe even some female readers as well.
Jessica had borrowed the high tech gadgets from an electronic shop where she knew the manager. She had used her feminine charms to convince the manager into letting her borrow the equipment for tonight--under the impression Jessica would go out with him sometime. It wasn't like she had to sleep with him. Though she rarely took advantage of it, men were always ready and willing to do just about anything for her.
****
Chester Waltrip opened the back door of the diner and was greeted by the two men who had bound and gagged Jessica and Janie in the storage room. Waltrip told Jessica he only knew them by their last names. The taller man was named Fierro while the shorter man was named Moracco.
Waltrip nodded. "Hey, guys, how you--"
Waltrip stopped cold, noticing a third man behind Fierro and Moracco. The man wore a long-coat over his Armani suit and appeared older, perhaps in his late forties. He had a stocky build, round face, and short cropped hair. Waltrip was immediately intimidated by his icy stare and presence. The three men entered the diner.
"Who's your friend?" Waltrip asked, closing the back door.
"None of your business," Fierro snapped. "The boss isn't happy with you, Waltrip. He doesn't like people who don't pay their bills on time."
Waltrip swallowed. "Business hasn't been good lately. But I have your money. Out of my personal savings."
Moracco laughed. "How did you like our little message this morning?"
Waltrip chuckled. "It definitely got my attention."
"Lucky for you those babes were here, or we would've trashed the place," Moracco said. "To work off some steam and what not."
Waltrip shrugged. "Perfectly understandable." He stared at the third man, who remained stoic. "You want your money now?"
"Later," Fierro said. "You mind if we use your nice diner for a private meeting?"
Waltrip shook his head dismissively. "Go right ahead."
Fierro chuckled and placed his arm around Waltrip's shoulder, making him flinch. "What did I tell you?" Fierro told the silent man. "Chester here is a good guy, and you wanted us to cut off two of his fingers for being late on his payment."
Fierro and Moracco chuckled.
The third man remained silent.
Waltrip swallowed, laughing nervously.
"We're hungry," Fierro told Waltrip. "We'll have three meatball sandwiches and three coffees with cream and sugar.”
Waltrip chuckled. "But the kitchen is closed. I'd have to turn on the--"
“You’re still here?” Fierro told Waltrip.
Waltrip tried to make the best of it. "Come on, guys. I really don't want--"
"Too bad that hot Spanish babe isn't here to wait on us," Moracco interrupted.
"And make it quick," Fierro told Waltrip. "We got places to go."
Waltrip was about to protest but thought better of it. He went in the kitchen as the three men made their way toward the dining area. Once the men had departed Waltrip cursed under his breath and went about somehow making three meatball sandwiches.
****
Jessica and Janie sat in the women’s bathroom, listening intently as the three men sat in the dining area of the diner. Jessica had switched the frequency and tuned into the tiny microphone she had placed under the table that Waltrip told her the men preferred when conducting business.
"Who's the new guy?" Janie whispered.
Jessica shushed her friend, listening carefully.
****
Fierro, Moracco, and the mystery man sat at a table in the dimly lit dining room of the Desert Shadows Diner. Chester Waltrip was still in the kitchen, preparing three meatball sandwiches.
The older man finally spoke. "Is this dump okay?"
Fierro nodded. "It's secure alright, and don't worry about that fat slob in the kitchen."
The mystery man lowered his voice. "Don Maldini's cousin is about to go on trial next month. They got solid evidence on him, so we gotta make the evidence go away."
"Who do we hit?" Fierro asked.
"Nobody," the man replied. "This prosecutor, Paul Renz, has a wife. We need to have a private meeting with her. Maybe she can convince her husband to . . . uh . . . play ball with us."
The two men chuckled.
"No problem,” Moracco said. “We'll take care of it.”
The older man reached inside his jacket, pulled out an envelope, and placed it on the table. "All the information you need is in there. I want to see Mrs. Renz tomorrow night."
Fierro nodded. "No problem.”
****
Jessica and Janie listened in the bathroom, hanging on every word spoken by the three men. The two young women stared at each other, their attractive faces reflecting concern and surprise.
"Oh, my God!" Janie whispered urgently.
Jessica nodded. "This is better than I expected."
"We should--"
Jessica shushed Janie. "I think Waltrip's coming back."
****
Chester Waltrip entered the dining room, carrying an envelope stuffed with money. The three men perked up and stared at the portly cafe owner.
Moracco shrugged. "I don't see no food.”
"Takes a while for the grill to heat up," Waltrip said. “But it should--”
Fierro stood from the table. "Forget it. We gotta go. Stick those sandwiches up your ass."
Moracco burst out laughing.
Waltrip joined Moracco in laughter. "Okay then," he said, offering Fierro the envelope. In a clear and deliberate tone he said, "Here's your money. Like every month, right? That’s why you’re here.”
****
In the bathroom, Jessica and Janie cringed simultaneously when they heard Waltrip's last statement.
"That idiot!" Janie said sharply.
Jessica and Janie listened in horror to the following exchange between Waltrip and Fierro:
"What the hell did you just say?"
"What?"
"Why did you say that?"
"Say what?"
"Don't play dumb! You said, 'like every month, right?' Why did you say that?"
A short pause followed as Waltrip thought of an explanation. He had none.
"Take off your shirt!"
"What for?"
"Just do it!"
Jessica placed her hand over her mouth and her face went pale. "Oh, my God!"
****
In the dining room, Fierro and Moracco stood. They stepped on each side of Waltrip, who was about to break into a cold sweat.
Waltrip took a step back. "What are you guys doing?"
Fierro reached inside his jacket. "If you're wearing a wire you're dead!"
Waltrip's face dropped as he backed away. "It wasn't my idea!" he blurted. "Those two girls that work for me put me up to this! They made me wear a wire. I wasn't gonna do it but--"
"Where are they?" Fierro asked, drawing his automatic pistol.
"In the women’s bathroom."
****
"That double-crossing bastard!" Jessica cursed, pulling off her headphones.
Janie's face was a mask of fear as she pulled off her own headphones. "Oh, my God! Let's get out of here!" Janie shot to her feet, looking about the bathroom frantically, as if looking for a place to hide. "Oh, God! Oh, God! Oh, God!"
Jessica remained calm and quickly ejected the cassette where she had recorded the conversation of the three men. She inserted another cassette into the tape recorder and stood. She darted toward the single stall in the bathroom.
"Jessica!" Janie exclaimed. "What are you doing?"
Jessica knelt and placed the small cassette behind the base of the toilet. She stood and stepped out of the stall--just in time to see the door swing open.
Moracco and Fierro stormed into the bathroom, brandishing their automatic pistols.
Janie and Jessica backed up against the bathroom wall next to the mirror.
"Please don't shoot!" Jessica pleaded, terrified.
Fierro and Moracco paused when they spotted the two frightened young women plastered against the bathroom wall. The two men noticed the electronic components on the floor.
Moracco stared at Jessica. "I told you we were gonna see each other again."
Janie swallowed nervously. "This is the ladies room. You guys shouldn't be in here."
Moracco chuckled and lowered his gun. "Looks like we're gonna get to finish what we started last night."
To be continued . . .