“Daniel, what do you mean you don’t think he will come here,” Natasha questions. She had been playing sitting duck for far longer than she had originally anticipated yet there had been no sight of Marcus. Hell she hadn’t even gotten any more anonymous phone calls from someone who didn’t want to talk. But she couldn’t let it lie. Something was up.
“Because I am going to need a little more assurance Marcus isn’t coming here if I want to bring Sam and Brittany home.You know something more along the lines of he’s dead, let’s go view his body in the morgue type of assurance,” She states pacing the floor in her front room.
“I don’t think you are on his radar. He has been home for more than two weeks. Has entertained plenty of women and they have all left walking straight up without a scratch on them,” Daniel affirms.
“So are we saying the last ten years he has been locked up has been for something I made up?”
“Of course not,” Daniel responds a little pissed off that his friend, former colleague is questioning his loyalty and trust in her. During Natasha’s time with the CIA Daniel had been her handler. Her only real contact with her employer. He delivered her assignments, helped her get whatever material she needed to get the job done. That made Daniel the only support system she had through it all. Doing what she did it was hard to make any real friends so he was really all she had most times.
“I‘m sorry I know that. Just what am I supposed to do,” Natasha concedes. “I’m just not hearing anything solid. How can I bring my family home without truly knowing what’s in Marcus’s mind?”
Natasha’s frustration grew not with Daniel but with the Marcus situation. Daniel’s visit didn’t come with what she expected. This wasn’t Daniel talking, she heard the agency talking, he had been sent to tell her they were pulling out. But Natasha would not bring her family home on a bunch of I think so’s and maybe’s of a third party. Truthfully she didn’t care about anything on Marcus’s mind she just wanted him dead. She didn’t want to add him to the list of people who may be looking for her.
“Daniel, I left my job because of threats on my life. That was hard I loved my job and you know that. The exhilaration and hazard to my life,” she smiled in memory. “But I will not live like that with my family.”
“And you won’t have to. He’s a civilian, what can he do?”
“Why do I feel like you’re handling me? Where is my friend?”
Taking a deep breath, “OK yes. Truth is the agency is over it. But I agree he’s trying to get things lax and comfortable.”
Natasha relaxed with Daniel telling her the truth and she knew it to be the truth. The agency like all government entities only pretended to care. Protecting only what affects them anything else is of no concern of theirs. Since Natasha left the agency she no longer existed as a priority to them, unlike Daniel who still worked for them. Although being a behind the scenes guy didn’t leave him with much danger looming over him.
“Then I will just have to go there and put a bullet in him myself,” she stated simply turning her back on Daniel.
“Natasha we both know this is the point were I am supposed to talk you out of this. Tell you not to take the law into your own hands, blah, blah, blah,” Daniels says moving his hand animately. “But as your friend I support you one hundred percent. I would want the same assurance for my family. Detail will come off your house after this shift, I can’t stop that. I can keep them on Sam and Brittany for another week. Now tell me what else you need.”
“A fast car with a big trunk that I can pick up in a place that I can leave my car. With a gun and silencer plus the regular trunk amenities. Also the notes that have been collected on Marcus since his release.”
“When are you planning on leaving?”
“As soon as you can get me that list of things.”
“Well I guess I got some work to do. Talk to you later and be safe,” he offered before hugging his friend and heading out.
Natasha sat thinking for a minute, oh how she missed her always cheerful child and loving husband. They had left one morning for school and work like any other morning except that morning they kept driving. With someone under Daniel’s instruction following to a safe house.
There’s no way Natasha could bring them home without knowing for sure that Marcus doesn’t pose a threat to them. Moving upstairs in the bedroom she shared with her husband she felt a longing for him. A longing to be touched by him, kissed by him, loved by him.
Yes her family had been gone too long. As she took steps to their walk in closet she cleared her head of her family so she could do what needed to be done. Behind her hanging clothes was a wall safe painted the same burgundy as the walls. Sam had an identical one on the wall opposite her, hidden behind his clothes with a combination unknown to Natasha and the gun she suggested he get.
Opening the safe Natasha finds her treasure, then stuffs two stacks of cash into her workout bag. She didn’t plan on this taking longer than a week, but she knew it could cost her a lot of cash trying to stay under the radar. A passport, driver’s license and birth certificate all under the name Janet Mosby went into the bag next. Information leaked caused her to retire before she was ready. The ID’s were from a the job she had just been assigned. A job she didn’t get to start because of the threats on her life.
On top of the cash and identity documents she threw in one workout outfit, along with her old all black cargo pants, hoodie, mask and gloves.
After showering and dressing in workout gear Natasha falls asleep on the couch waiting on Daniel’s call. Which came a couple of hours later when he called with the car details. Early that next morning she left her home looking the part of workout ready. She drove to drop off her Nissan Maxima and picked up an all black 2017 Audi RS7. Daniel had out done himself she thought sliding into the front seat melting into the leather.
This moment made her secretly miss her old life. The cars, the money, extravagant hotels, a variety of men of different cultures in different cities and a new identity with each one. Not to mention the thrill of the kills. Yet she also couldn’t imagine her life without Sam and Brittany.
Eight hours later Natasha arrives slightly outside of Atlanta. With no ID she checkd into a motel under the name Joyce Burns, after gracing the attendants palms with two hundred dollars. The bitch was tough because Natasha had started her bid at fifty.
Sitting in her borrowed space she looks over the info she has on Marcus noticing for the first time he has moved. He no longer lived in the home she used visit him in. The info told her the exact addresses the agency used in their watch, houses that say across from Marcus’s new home.
In the trunk of the Audi Natasha finds her usual gear she wanted for every job brass knuckles, zip ties, duct tape and rope along with the gun and silencer she asked for. Not thinking of sleep Natasha heads to one of the addresses. The sooner this got done, the sooner she could get her loves home.
Parking a few blocks away from the address Daniel had provided Natasha hikes, in her all black gear, to the house directly across the street from Marcus’s home. Inside she makes it up to the second floor never turning on any lights. The place looked as though it had been vacant for sometime dusty with creaking floors.
She continues in the darkness pulling a crate to the window where she could look straight at Marcus’s front door. Her watch became productive just minutes after taking her seat she notices a dark colored car pull up and park. Just in time Natasha thinks as Marcus and a lady friend hop out of the car. Natasha remembers everything from the notes about Marcus arriving with a happy female and a happy female leaving in the morning. The chick did look more than willing but so had Natasha before she knew that she had gotten involve with a monster. She had happily invited him to her home without any doubt.
Natasha watches as the woman grins endlessly at the undoubtedly charming Marcus. Watches as they walk into the house hand in hand. After about thirty minutes the house darkens and Natasha regrets her earlier zest to get to the location and not eat anything, but no way could she leave.
Sitting and watching Natasha has been unable to stop thinking of the night Marcus and his goons came into her home. Thoughts that made her just want to run in and kill his ass, but she didn’t do messy. If he hadn’t done anything wrong to the girl she would still kill him for the safety and peace of mind for her own family. Then she would have to deal with the screaming chick by killing her because by the time she got her calm the police would be there.
So instead Natasha just continues to sit and patiently wait.
Right as the sun kisses the sky and Natasha balancing on the edge of snoozing the front door to Marcus’s home opens. With last night’s clothes on the young lady steps out fixing her hair and wearing ruined make up under her eyes she made her way to her car. But the disarray of her hair and makeup isn’t what sticks out to Natasha. It’s the unsure look her eyes possess under the smeared makeup. Marcus on the other hand walks out smiling and dressed for work like he just had the night of his life. Natasha watches as he smiles and talks to the girl like the expression on her face is normal. She watches as the girl gives a wavering smile as Marcus kisses her goodbye on the forehead. In turn the girl rushes off to her car speeding off so fast Natasha almost misses her license number.
“Daniel I need a plate ran and a police badge.”
“What? Natasha what are you doing?”
Natasha knew that would come. Friend or not Daniel wasn’t up for losing his job and Natasha wasn’t trying to get it taken from him.
“What your team was either too lazy or too stupid to do. Sorry no shade, but I am sitting here watching an obviously disoriented girl leave Marcus’s house.”
“Are you serious?”
“Yes, Daniel. The expression on her face and the one on Marcus’s are completely different. They had different nights. She went in smiling and came out looking scared and confused.”
“Shit,” Daniel cursed.
“Shit is right. How many girls has he entertained since he’s been home?”
“I don’t know,” he answers sounding exasperated and pissed. “I will get you that info just give me a minute.”
Just as they were about to conclude their business Natasha watches Marcus’s front door open once again, “Daniel hold on.”
“What’s going on,” he questions as Natasha sits watching three big dudes similar to the men she had put down in St. Louis.
“I need that info yesterday, Daniel. Three more men just walked out of Marcus’s house. How long did your men stay put after Marcus left?”
“Not long. They left for food and sleep and were back by evening.”
“Not good enough but I’m sure you know that. These weren’t your men were they? Because neither of us do messy. You were always on me about checking everything.”
“No they were not under my direction,” Daniel admits, “they thought my closeness to you would interfere the investigation.”
“Don’t worry about it. I will put them all down and redeem your name,” Natasha tells her friend. She knew Daniel wasn’t this messy to leave areas unchecked. It appears her former employer never had her back.
Marcus seemed to be the ring leader of this womanizing operation.
After hanging up with Daniel and getting more info in one night than the idiot men had gotten in two weeks Natasha decides she needs to eat. Back at her hotel she showers, eat then takes a short nap.
On her way back to her stake out house Daniel calls to give her the young ladies information.
“I got what you needed from the plate but the badge is going to take a bit longer.”
Natasha didn’t think she had a little longer.
“What’s the info,” she asks pulling over so she could write it down.
“Her name is Sharon Jones she lives at….,” Daniel raddles off the lady’s address as well as her phone number, job, birthday and some other things that really didn’t matter.
“What are you going to do?”
“Do you really want to know?”
“No, no I don’t,” Daniel answers before hanging up. Natasha didn’t think so. Since she couldn’t get the badge she would just ring the bell and give Ms. Jones her truth.
“Hello Sharon.”
“Yes,” the young woman standing at the door answers. Natasha could tell she had been crying, probably wondering if she should report her night to the police.
“My name is Natasha. I believe that last night Marcus did to you what he tried to do with me ten years ago.”
Sharon looks shocked before she burst into an unruly fit of tears combined with rambling, “I…I…I don’t know what happened. I don’t remember anything.”
“Do you mind telling me what you do remember,” Natasha asks.
Without hesitation she allows Natasha into her home. How this woman knew what she has been going through when she herself didn’t. What she did know is that she needed to talk to someone. She needed to understand what had happened to her.
Sharon had awaken that morning at Marcus’s house disoriented and confused. It had been a wonder she could even drive home. And after she got home she couldn’t go to work with her mind overplaying scenorios. Her thoughts still trying to piece together the events of the night before, not until she got answers for the soreness between her legs.
Sharon told Natasha about meeting Marcus a couple of days ago. They had been talking on the phone and face timing. After going out together the night before she agreed to go home with him. He had been really charming, funny and smart she thought they had a genuine connection. They had been flirting back and forth so she thought why not.
Only when they walked into his home she had been surprised to see three other men sitting in his living room.
“Large, guerilla like men,” Sharon describes.
She tells Natasha that before she could form a thought or sentence Marcus covered her face with something and everything went black. She woke up the next morning in Marcus’s bed with him whistling and smiling as he got ready for work.
“He smiled at me and said good morning sleepy head,” she comments through more sobs. Then she continues to tell Natasha about the soreness between her legs and on her breast. She told her how she wants to tell the police, but she couldn’t remember anything. And if she could would they believe her after so many people saw them together and she went to his home willingly.
Natasha is sick to her stomach as she listens. Marcus didn’t stop he had just changed his game. Changed because his last play landed him in jail with dead friends. Natasha felt a bit flattered having obviously put some type of fear in him.
“Don’t tell anyone,” Natasha states before telling her own Marcus story to Sharon.
“I will take care of it for all of us past and present and prevent any future victims. But you can never tell anyone about me. As a matter of fact go have a good day,” Natasha spoke before handing Sharon two hundred dollars. “Go have a spa day, sleep well, go to work tomorrow and keep an eye on the news the next couple of days. Your relief will come.”
Natasha leaves Sharon’s house convinced of what she has to do and how soon she has to get it done.
Returning to the stake out house she hadn’t forgotten her snacks this time. From the notes Daniel provided she knew that if Marcus brought home a lady friend it was usually around nine or ten. Which meant the goons had to show up sometime before that. But because Daniel’s team wasn’t Daniel’s team everything that was done Natasha considered less than half ass so they hadn’t seen the men coming and going.
What the hell did they do all day, Natasha says speaking her frustration into the empty space.
Marcus returns home late evening from his parole conditioned job. Natasha sits and counts down the hours before one by one each of the guerillas from that morning returned.
Where does he find these men willing and ready to take advantage of women? I guess he had ten years to pull together a new team, Natasha informed herself. Being alone for hours she couldn’t help the ongoing conversations she continued having with herself.
A few hours later Marcus comes out looking all prim and proper. Appearing to be the perfect gentleman and contributor to society. He hops in a car with a guy Natasha hadn’t seen the night before.
Natasha’s original plan had been to take him alone, whether she caught him hurting someone or not. The thought that he could get in touch with her while she played with her little girl or sexing her husband left her uneasy so he had to go. No other casualties.
Only things changed after learning what he and his friends had done to Sharon, knowing there were other women that went in and came out disturbed, knowing he has gone out hunting at that very moment she couldn’t wait. She couldn’t sit and watch him turn more women into victims.
Natasha gathers her trash, didn’t need the obvious evidence of someone watching the house across the street.
Dressed in her all black gear under the dark sky she makes her way to the house of hell. Sneaking around the sides she looks into the window and see the men laughing it up in the front room. They were having a good ole pre-party drinking and smoking weed with a side of coke. This will be easy she thinks watching their laxed comfort levels. Going into their third week of this charade the men felt safe with what they were doing to these women, safe that no one had told and no one would come looking for them.
They have no idea a woman, one of Marcus’s pervious victims is at the moment prying open a window in the bedroom. The only room that doesn’t have a light on and had a window close enough to the ground for her to climb through.
Once inside Natasha could hear the roars of their laughter better over the rap music playing in the background. She could hear their vulgar talk of Sharon and the things they had done to her as she shut the window.
“Where does he find these sweet ass bitches,” one asks.
“Man his pretty ass at the club pulling right now,” a second one chimes in.
“But that one last night, ooouuu,” the third groans.
Natasha is past disgusted as she twist the silencer onto her gun still taking in the conversation.
“Where you say you met him, bruh? It’s kinda weird he just wants to watch.”
“Yeah kinda, but what I care for the quality of pussy he provide,” one laughs.
“Shiiit we done all watched some porn. He just like his live action in living color,” another one adds before they all break out laughing.
Natasha isn’t happy about the mess she is about to make. But listening to their sordid conversation makes it all worth it. Nasty muthafuckas she thinks as she creeps to the door way.
Glancing out she feels the same fearful exhilaration she experienced when working for the agency. Creeping out the door then down the hall she feels the unsure exhiliration she had felt when she had taken out Marcus’s previous Goon Squad. She knew she had to take them out quick before anyone could move on her so she appreciated their inebriated state.
Taking a deep breath Natasha steps around the corner into the front room surprising them as she let off two quick shots to the two on the couch sitting closest to where she stood, burying a bullet in each of their chest’s.
Just as fast she turns her gun on the third who is already on his feet storming toward her. Natasha doesn’t hesitate to pull the trigger a third time sending a bullet through the big man’s neck, dropping him instantly.
Breathing easier with them down Natasha takes in her work. The first two lay with their heads back, eyes closed. The third left a little mess charging at her and all. His bullet had went through his neck leaving a small splatter on the wall and more blood leaking around him.
Checking her watch Natasha notices she has less than an hour before Marcus’s earliest recorded return. Leaving the way she came she hikes back to the Audi. Driving it to the back of Marcus’s house she cut the lights as she turns into the alley. After backing onto the small slab of concrete in the yard she cuts the engine. At the back of the car Natasha pops the trunk and arms herself with zip ties, rope, duct tape and the brass knuckles.
Back through the window Natasha goes, cutting the lights before sitting and waiting. Waited until her trained hearing heard a car pull up, the engine being cut and a giggling flirty couple coming up to the door. Natasha pulls her mask over her face to conceal her features from Marcus’s lady friend, because she wasn’t sure of the reaction she would get.
When the door opens Natasha could hear the intake of air from Marcus at the darkness, usually they were on so his guest could see the party awaiting them.
“What’s wrong,” the mystery woman asks. But he has yet to come to the biggest surprise. Natasha hasn’t taken the time to hide his friends. They were too big and she didn’t want to exert her energy on them. Besides the one had bled out so there was that mess but more important she just wasn’t worried about making Marcus comfortable. He had gotten comfortable enough.
Marcus didn’t answer his new friend as he flicks on the lights, an action that is met with the coldness of Natasha’s silencer against his temple. The mystery woman stands stuck staring at both the dead men and the ninja dressed lady with a gun to Marcus’s head. The woman didn’t know what to say but her thoughts were what the hell had Marcus brought her to.
“Hello Marcus,” Natasha greets.
“You have got to be kidding me. How did you find me?”
“That’s not important.”
“For the last ten years all I did was research you,” he tells her with contempt.
“How did that go for you?”
“I know everything about you for the last ten years but nothing before that. But I was planning to come talk to you about that in the coming weeks,” he admits putting Natasha’s mind at ease. Now she knows she had made the right decision.
“Well I guess I saved you a trip.”
No sooner had the last word fell out of her mouth Marcus swings on her. The male ego has convinced him that it doesn’t matter that she had a shady past, that she took down now six of his oversized men. This woman could not get the best of him.
Knocking the gun from her hand Marcus swings again a move Natasha easily maneuvers away from. Each of his swings are with uncontrollable anger missing her and making it easy for her to follow in with a blow to his nose with one of her brassed fist. Marcus stumbles caught off guard by the force of her hit.
Quickly recovering he again charges Natasha with all anger and no control. This time Natasha serves him with a swift round kick to the head, followed by another kick to his chest that takes the wind out of him. Natasha takes the opportunity to jump on him with blow after blow to the face with her golden fist. Hit after hit to his ribs and finally throat cutting off what little air he managed to get.
Marcus tried to fight back but he hadn’t quite caught his breath before the new blast of blows came. Before long Marcus is down, as much as he wants to fight trying to find his wind seems much more detrimental. Natasha quickly took the chloroformed towel Sharon told her about from his pocket and put it over his face to settle him down. She hadn’t come here to fight and a simple bullet would be too easy punishment for his crimes.
With her own breathing returning to normal Natasha is stunned to see the woman still there. She wonders how long before her screams start alerting the neighborhood then police. But before Natasha could speak the woman asks the obvious.
“What the hell is going on? Why did you kill them?”
“Well Marcus isn’t dead,” yet, she adds to herself. “Did you notice Marcus wasn’t surprised at the dead bodies, he was surprised at the darkness? Look at the scene what do you think was about to happen to you here tonight,” Natasha points at the woman before going about her business at hand.
Mystery woman took a look at the half empty 1800 bottle, finished Hennessy bottle, numerous beer bottles, weed roaches in the ash tray and the mirror with the coke on it.
“And mind you I took the towel that knocked him out from his pocket,” Natasha tells her as she works to zip tie Marcus’s hands. The woman stood watching as Natasha ties his ankles with the rope bringing it up behind his back and around the zip ties. She isn’t screaming yet so she may be coming to but Natasha is not wasting the time to see.
As Natasha duct taped his mouth the woman spoke with a new revelation, “How did you know?”
Cutting Marcus out of his clothes she explained the ordeal that she was trying to leave in the past. Told her about Marcus just coming home from jail and up to his old tricks just with new treats.
“I advise you to go somewhere with friends. You are going to need an alibi.”
“An alibi?”
“Yes you were the last one seen with him. And tomorrow he won’t be seen. Sure you can go tell the police that you saw a small woman kick his ass after killing his three large friends, but I don’t think they will believe you especially with no evidence of me,” Natasha gave her straight. She no longer has time for this conversation. Marcus clothes were in the bag with the gun and silencer.
Without another word or need of explanation the woman leaves. Natasha didn’t know what the lady is thinking or what her decision would be. So as she hears the car speeding down the street Natasha prepares to exit stage left.
First she takes the trash bag and throws it out the window. Coming back to take Marcus she look at the others, oh how she wish she could dispose of all of them. But Marcus had been her only true target. Only Marcus had truly tried her. Picking him up by the rope around his ankle she drags him to the bedroom window. With a little bit of work she is able to lift him up and out the window. Marcus hits the hard chilly ground with a grunt through his chloroformed induced sleep, something Natasha had gotten a small pleasure from. Once Natasha is out the window she closes it like it never opened then pulls Marcus through the gravel to the trunk of the waiting Audi. She wanted to hurt him as much as he had hurt countless women.
Taking off her gloves and brassed knuckles she flexes and massages her sore hands. Shame on him for putting up a fight. With relieved fingers she dumps Marcus and the trash bag inside before giving him more chloroform. This would work out a lot better if he just stays sleep until he has been emerged under the water of the Sapelo Sound. It is the one body of water near Atlanta that fed out to the Atlantic Ocean. It also isn’t family friendly with its dangerous trail, so the possiblity of anyone finding him before full decomposition was slim. After decomposition impossible.
“Daniel,” Natasha speaks into her phone when she finally reaches the highway heading to Marcus’s final destination.
“Are you ok,” was the first thing out of her friend’s mouth. He hadn’t heard from her in close to twenty four hours. But he knew from experience to just let her work, it isn’t always ideal to call and check in.
“I’m great. Tomorrow morning I need you to make the call to bring my family home.”
“No problem. Glad you’re okay,” he tells her with a relieved smile.
“You should come to dinner Thursday, bring Kendall,” Kendall was Daniel’s long time girlfriend. Natasha would use the time to give Daniel a complete account of the things that happened.
“Sounds great. See you then.”
Three Days Later
“Where you with DeMarcus Cummins three nights ago?”
“Yes.”
“Have you spoken to him since.”
“No.”
“And why is that.”
“Not my type.”
“Is that all.”
“I don’t know what you know about this single life but that’s all it takes,” she smiles.
“Right,” the detective answers. “Well Mr. Cummins has been reported missing. Not seen since that night.”
“So you think I know where he is. Call his phone.”
“He isn’t answering. He hasn’t been to work. And there are some circumstances that lead us to believe he may be hurt.”
“And you think I hurt him?”
The detective knew it would sound crazy but he had to ask, “A number of people reported you all leaving together that night.”
“I sobered up on the way to his place. So instead I dropped him off and went to meet some friends for food. We laughed about my failed hookup as well as some other jokes my friends met that night,” she answers praying for this to be over with. After she left that night she looked up Marcus’s criminal record and learned a lot.
“I will need the names and numbers of those friends.”
“Sure,” she answers accepting the notepad the detective offered, grateful for the advice from her unexpected savior.
Across town later that night Sharon Jones sat watching the evening news. What she saw brought a relief of tears to her eyes. Marcus’s house sat in the background as the news anchor reported about the three men found dead inside and the missing owner. The police are asking for any information anyone may have on the whereabouts of DeMarcus Cummins. They were advising people to treat him as a suspect seeing as they didn’t know yet if he himself could also a victim or the one who killed the men.
Sharon knew she would never be the same after that night but she felt a relief in knowing they weren’t doing it to other woman. Relief in knowing that Natasha had given her better justice than any courtroom would have.
Hope you enjoyed Intruders three parts.
Check out short story Guilty next😍
Bambi St. James 