CHAPTER 27
The next morning, Jordan called me.
"You had told me you were going to France for work. How come you came back so quickly yesterday?" he questioned.
I couldn't answer his question. What could I say?
"I guess it was a lie, isn't it?"
"Jordan, you won't understand. A lot is going on with me right now. I wish I could tell you, but I'd just endanger your life."
"I won't force you to say anything to me now, but whatever you do... please be careful. I can't lose you."
I smiled and put the phone down. It meant that he still considered me his mother.
We were all in the kitchen. Everyone was chefing up something for themselves except for Marissa, who was glued to her laptop as usual.
"Is there no chutney sauce?" I asked as I opened the fridge and noticed there wasn't any. I looked over the shelves, but there was nothing.
"Why don't you eat ketchup? It's very nice!" Lupita marketed her favorite sauce.
All the ladies loved it except for me, and when asked why I didn't like it, I always said it was too red.
"Lupita is right, Brandi. Just slap ketchup on that bun and lay out everything you want to add. Take a bite and feel everything fall into place," Marissa dreamily said, resting her face on her right hand.
"Look, I don't eat it because I don't like it, and that won't change. That reminds me, does anyone here put ketchup in rice or pasta? Because I found a half-eaten plate of rice with traces of ketchup," I asked them.
They all shook their heads.
"Then who did it? Because that is disgusting. No disrespect to whoever committed the deed, though," I said, resting my case.
It had to be Lupita because Lupita put ketchup on almost everything she ate.
Just then, the telephone rang.
Marissa was closest to it, so she picked it up and put it on speaker.
"Hello, ladies!" Kora said on the other side. You could hear her excitement through the phone.
"What do you want?" Marissa asked her.
"Chill, girl. Why are you so feisty? Anyway, I have no time for you. Pass the phone to Brandi because I know you all are hovering over the phone."
"I can hear you!" I loudly said so she could hear me.
"There she is. I'm sorry about what I told Jordan. I didn't mean to!" She laughed mockingly.
"I'm glad you actually did. At least now I won't have to carry the burden of lying to him. I'm also sorry that your plan didn't work."
Silence.
"Real talk, if you're trying to turn my son against me, then give up because you just got a taste of your initial failure," I told her.
"Don't get too excited! You never know, tables might turn. Why don't you and Lupita go ahead and tell your sisters about Lupita's police officer boyfriend? You heard me right, Indira. Police officer!"
She hung up immediately.
Indira was staring at me while Marissa looked at Lupita.
"Care to explain what she just said?" Indira asked us.
"A boyfriend, Lupita? Seriously?" Marissa asked too.
"It's true!" she blatantly told them.
She enlightened them on everything—how they met and where their relationship currently stood.
"I can't believe you hid something as big as this, Lupita. And to top it all off, he's a cop!" Marissa shouted.
She rarely did.
"We were here talking about Kora's choice of men without knowing that you went outside our sisterhood and got yourself a cop! Were you that horny?"
Anger, betrayal, and pain reflected in Marissa's words.
I stole a glance at her face, and I could see tears beneath those glasses.
"I'm sorry, Marissa! I just wanted a man to love me!" Lupita cried.
"People like us don't have anything to do with love! People like us can't be loved because we are criminals, Lupita. When people like us fall in love, we just end up hurting everyone, including ourselves!"
Marissa went toward Lupita, who was painfully and loudly crying.
Her words were painful but true.
People like us had no right to love.
Marissa held Lupita's face up.
"In our world, a perfect life, a perfect love story... it's all a myth. It's a scam."
Marissa let go of Lupita's face.
"Does he know anything about us?" Indira asked.
Lupita shook her head.
"It's only a matter of time. I'm sure once Interpol gets intel that we're here, every officer in Singapore will be at our door!" Indira said.
That was very true.
We wouldn't be able to outsmart the police forever. The day was sure to come.
As if what was happening wasn't enough, Violet ran into the house. Her eyes were red, and she was wearing sweatpants and a T-shirt, which was unlike her. She was panting and sweating.
"Hey, what's going on? Who's chasing you?" I said as I held her.
She couldn't speak.
"Breathe, Violet, breathe!" I told her.
I gave her a glass of water, but she did not drink it.
"Jordan! Jordan! Jordan!" she shouted.
That was when I started understanding what was happening.
"What do you mean Jordan? Is he not at your house?" I asked.
"He is not. I came back from work and he wasn't around. I thought he was at school for basketball practice, but he is not."
I instantly felt my hands get cold.
My eyes were already getting teary.
"What do you mean he's not at home nor at school?" Lupita asked her.
"How could this happen?" Marissa shouted at her.
She still hadn't cooled off from Lupita's issue.
"Don't shout at her. We don't know what happened yet! Let's just calm down," Indira defended Violet.
"Who picked him up from school?" Marissa asked.
We had questions but no answers. I kept avoiding the thought of my baby missing. I just couldn't. I had spoken to him in the morning, so I could not believe he was missing.
Lupita called the school and asked who had picked Jordan Knowles up from school.
"Why didn't you take Kora's name off Jordan's pickup list?" she angrily asked me.
"Kora picked him up, and we don't know where she took him!" she added.
That lunatic had my son.
Everything was too overwhelming for me.
"This is all my fault," Indira sadly said.
"What do you mean it's your fault? Do you know something?" Violet asked her.
"Remember when Kora called? She said Brandi was going to suffer the consequences."
Indira's always-held-high head fell.
"You knew? Why didn't you tell me?" I asked her.
I repeated the question, shouting.
"If you had told me, then I would have known what to do!"
Indira's decision to keep Kora's threat to herself had led to my son's abduction.
"You knew that the only way she could get under my skin was by messing with my son, but still you kept quiet!" I shouted at her.
I had never been this angry at her.
"I just thought that... she wouldn't hurt Jordan," she said with regret in her voice.
Somehow, what she just said only made me angrier.
"You didn't think she'd hurt him?" I said as I walked toward her.
Lupita knew things were about to go south, and she held me back.
"Because of your useless thinking, my son is in the hands of that frustrated fool! You better pray, Indira. Pray nothing happens to Jordan because if anything happens... I'll send you to hell."
Indira was profusely weeping, and her tears made me even angrier.
"Please, Brandi, I'm sorry. Forgive me," she pleaded.
Her pleading and her voice were making my blood boil.
At that moment, all I thought about was strangling her.
Lupita couldn't hold me for long as I was overpowering her. Noticing this, Marissa joined her, and they held me back.
I never thought Indira would be this senseless and insensitive.
After I had cooled down by five percent, I sat down looking at the telephone.
I was hoping that the phone would ring.
Hoping that Kora would call and tell me what she wanted.
We waited for hours before she finally called.
I hurriedly picked it up.
"I told you! I told you that you would be the one to suffer, Brandi!"
"Where's my son, you useless piece of trash?" I furiously asked.
"Oh, he's here. He's very happy. Jordan! Brandi wants to talk to you. Say hello!"
"Hi, Mom! Kora is taking me to Madrid, and from there we're visiting Mexico. I'm so excited."
Jordan had no clue that Kora had kidnapped him.
She was using him as bait.
"Okay, my love. I'll be with you soon!" I tried to keep my voice as composed as possible.
I couldn't let him know what was really happening, as it would scare him.
"Did you hear that? Madrid and Mexico. I'm putting your son on a plane, and if you ever want to see him alive, bring me the map!"
Click.
She hung up.
I looked at Indira.
"The map. I need it," I demanded.
"I'm sorry, but I can't give it to you." She clenched her fists.
"Indira, give me the map! You heard what Kora said. She's not giving me my son until I hand over the damn map."
"Like I said, I'm not giving you the map!" She stood by her words.
"Are you seriously going to trade Jordan's life over a piece of paper, Indira? Really?" Violet jumped in.
"Very well then. My son is on a plane to Madrid as we speak, and if you don't want to give me the map, then suit yourself. But I am going to bring him back," I calmly informed her.
"But how are you going to do that, Brandi?" Violet asked.
"Alone," I answered her.
"You know you can't board any plane without getting caught?" she asked me.
"That's where you come in, Violet. I need a private plane in the next ten hours at least and twelve hours at most. Can you do that?" I asked her, hoping she really could.
She nodded and ran out of the house.
The phone rang.
"So what's it gonna be?"
"Think about what you're putting yourself into. You have Brandi Knowles' son in your possession. I'm giving you ten seconds to decide because what will happen next depends on your answer."
I gave her the liberty to choose because there's no prayer after death.
"I'll hold on to your son till you bring the freaking map!"
"Good. When I find you, Kora... I'll peel that lovely skin from your flesh and feed it to you. I swear on you!" I threatened her.
"Enough with the empty threats. I'm giving you a week to bring me the map! Bring it to the place where the map stuff all began."
"I'll be there in less than seventy-two hours!"
I cut the call myself this time.
Where it all began?
Jordan was saying something about Mexico.
And the Don's den was in Mexico.
He was connected to the map, so it had to be Mexico.
I had to get to Mexico.
"If Kora harms a hair on Jordan's head, I'm telling you, Indira... I will kill you! I promise you, and I have never broken a promise. I don't intend on starting with you either."
It sounded like a threat, but it was a warning.
I did intend on killing her if Jordan was hurt.
I went upstairs, and Violet called.
"I got you a twelve-seat plane with a private pilot. Our flight is in the next twelve hours."
"Our? What do you mean, our?"
"I'm coming with you, Brandi. I can't let you go alone."
"No, Violet. You can't go! I can't put your life in danger. Look, I've lost all my family members, and I can't afford to lose you too!"
"But, Brandi..."
"No buts, Violet! You can't even cut a cucumber properly, nor can you carry a gun! You are not going anywhere. If something happens to me over there, I need someone to look after Jordan, and there's no one who can be a better caretaker than you!"
Sigh.
"Okay... the ammunition you asked for is also in the plane. Be safe, please... I love you!"
"I love you too!"
I took out the Sako TRG and put it in a bag. I opened my toolbox and took out the knives I was going to use and threw them into the bag that had the guns.
I walked to the bathroom and stared at the woman in the mirror. I was looking at the woman who had suffered injustice at everyone's hands. The little girl who was raped, the lady who was deceived and betrayed by her own husband, the woman who spent eleven years in prison, the woman who killed everyone who wronged her.
I was trying to conceal that woman, but now I needed her more than ever. I needed that ruthless and fearless woman to take control.
I dropped my motherly image, and BRANDI took over.
I washed my face and took a quick shower. My hair, which I had styled in cornrows, was getting a bit long, so I cut it short to a bob length.
I opened my wardrobe and took out a black elastic leather jumpsuit. I put it on, threw black shades on, and grabbed my bag.
I went downstairs, where there was no one. I walked over to the kitchen, and a big kitchen knife caught my eye. It was well-sharpened and looked new. It would be a good tool. Its sharpness could pierce through any flesh.
I grabbed it and stuffed it into my bag.
Marissa walked in, carrying a backpack.
"When's our plane arriving?" she asked.
Without waiting for an answer, she continued.
"Oh, you thought I was going to let you go alone? Hell no! Those imbeciles have my computer genius partner, and I have to get him."
I advanced toward her and hugged her. I really appreciated it.
Lupita walked in from the main door, and behind her was Shaun, the policeman.
I pulled out the handgun that was strapped to my thigh and directed it at him.
"Easy, Brandi... easy!" Lupita said, raising her hands.
"What is he doing here?" I barked.
"Who's this man?" Marissa asked.
"That's the cop your sister has been humping!"
"What the... what are you doing here?" Marissa advanced toward him.
"If you're here to take me into custody, then you're too late!" I informed him.
"No, I'm not here to arrest you. Lupita told me what happened, and I happened to see you on the Red Notice. If Lupita wasn't going with you, then trust me, I would have loved to cuff you and send you to jail," Shaun boasted.
"You have balls, huh? Answer the damn question. Why the fuck are you here?" I asked, getting impatient.
"You know she only gets arrested if she wants to... no cop has had the honor of taking her into custody!" Marissa told him.
"I'll be accompanying you in case you need any help," he said.
"Do you know that you're standing in front of the most dangerous women you'll ever set your eyes on?" Marissa asked him.
"He's here to help, guys. Cut him some slack!" Lupita backed up her lover.
I took steps toward her.
"Just make sure he doesn't get in my way... because if he does..." I stopped midway and smiled because she already knew where I was going.
Lupita ran upstairs to get dressed.
We were left with Copboy downstairs. Marissa was looking at him in a very intimidating way.
"We have a problem?" Shaun asked, noticing Marissa's face.
"I don't know! You tell me... do we?" she said with a lot of sarcasm. I could tell Marissa did not like this guy one bit.
Shaun shook his head and avoided eye contact as much as he could.
Lupita came downstairs.
"Hey, I have some new blades in my bag that I bought for you!" she told me while opening the bag.
She took the blades out, and they were a sight! I put them in my bag.
"When you said that if Kora hurts Jordan, then you'll kill both Kora and Indira, were you telling the truth?" Marissa asked me.
"A thousand percent. I will kill them both if anything happens to him."
We were set and were about to leave when Indira got into the car.
"Were you seriously going to leave me?" she asked.
No one answered her.
The drive to the location of the plane was in complete silence.
The interior of the plane was breathtaking. Everyone got comfortable, and we took off.
"So you have quite the reputation, Ms. Knowles. What's your body count?" Shaun, who couldn't keep quiet, asked.
"Body count? Where I come from, that means the number of people I've slept with! Be specific."
"How many people have you killed?" he blatantly asked.
"I don't know the exact number, but it's more than thirteen. If what we're going to Mexico for isn't a success—or even if it is successful—I'm adding three more bodies to the count," I told him.
"Three?"
"Yes, you're the third one."
Marissa laughed.
"So where exactly in Mexico are we going?" Marissa asked.
"The Don's Den," I answered her.
Eerie silence.
"That place gives me chills, you know... we killed a lot of people there!" Lupita added, making Shaun stare hard at her.
"What? Yeah, she's a criminal! We're all criminals, Copboy!" Marissa fired at him.
Shaun didn't want any bad blood with Marissa, so he ignored her.
I took out my son's picture.
Curly hair, green eyes, and the dimple that had recently appeared on his cheek.
I missed him. My light-skinned boy.
Tears were stinging my eyes, but I held them back. I couldn't let myself soften because that would break my resolve and determination.
I had to throw our sisterhood with Kora into the backseat for the time being.