Setting Off a Firecracker

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Sasha was out taking care of personal business. Her girls were in school and her wife Susan (a.k.a. Siren) was out with friends of her own. There were no scheduled performances for herself or the band for the next few months. So, she’ll be able to spend time with her children and her wife.

She had breakfast with her older sister after she dropped the girls off at school. Her sister was healing but still felt jumpy around loud noises.
She still had bodyguards that were around her any time she left her condo or when she went to work. Her family was being cautious about any retaliation. Even though, the men responsible have been dealt with by her parents. They still weren’t taking any chances with their daughter.

Her sister announced her engagement to the family. She already knew and kept quiet, so her older sister could tell their parents about her engagement. Her new baby brother was settling into the family and they were being totally supported by him. Her older brother was spending time with him to teach him the manly ways. He was forging a brotherly bond with him and adjusting to having a loving family.

Sasha walks down the sidewalk, enjoying the sunshine and doing a little bit of shopping. She was planning on visiting the hair salon today. She stops at a few stores to buy a few items for the girls. Nothing fancy or too expensive, but something they would enjoy.

As she is walking along, she spots someone running towards her. There was another figure chasing after them.

She hears “Stop! Police.”

A smile appears on her face as she watches the young man get closer to her. Just as he is about to push her out of the way. She grabs his arm and using his momentum to slam him down to the concrete. She pushes his arm up behind his back while using her knee to hold him down.

“Thanks.” Officer Young pulls his handcuffs out and arrests the perp.

“So, what did he do?” Sasha was looking at the young man she helped take down.

“I caught him selling drugs.” Officer Young looks at Sasha as she stood in front of him.

“I’m going to need to get your information.”

“No problem.” Sasha gives him the information and her business card.

As she is walking towards her favorite magic supply shop. She wonders why the young man was selling drugs? What would drive him to such measures? She walks into the magic shop and browses through the items they had on display. Some of the items were party favors for amateur magicians starting out doing children parties and sideshows.

“Sasha, it’s good to see you. What can I do for you today?” Dedi loved when Sasha came into his store.

She and her mother have been buying their stage supplies since he first opened his store. He watches as she walks around the store looking at some of the new items he has put out for display. He knew a few items would grab her attention.

Sasha spot a few concealable items that would come in handy for her performances and for the extra work she does. She tests the balances on a few throwing knives and does a few tricks with them.

“Nice, who is doing your knife work now?” Sasha looked the balance and edge on the throwing knives.

“A lady name Morgen Chinn makes them. She can make any type of ancient weapon for you.” Dedi loved her work and hired her to make all sorts of edge weapons items for him to sell in the store.

“Well, I like her work. I might have her construct a few items for my girls.” Sasha carries the items up to the counter.

“So, what else would you like?” Dedi pulls his pad and pencil out to write her order down.

“I need these supplies.” Sasha pulls out a folded-up piece of paper and hands it to him.

Dedi looks at the items listed and then up at Sasha “you want them delivered to the same address you use?”

“Yep. How much do I owe you?” Sasha pulls out some cash.

“$1,200.00.”

Sasha hands him $1,200.00 in cash. She tucks the rest in her purse, in the secret compartment she has.

“How long?” Sasha didn’t need the supplies right away.

“I can have everything shipped to your place in four days.” Dedi knew he could have it there faster if she needed it earlier.

“Four days is fine.” She didn’t need the supplies right away.

Sasha leaves the store and heads over to a coffee vendor cart. She orders a large Irish Cream coffee. As she is standing there waiting for her coffee. She spots a couple of guys following a young woman. As she continues to watch the guys. She notices one of the guys pull a gun out.
She palms an explosive golf ball into her hand and walks over towards them. When she gets close to the guys, she drops the ball in front of them and grabs the young woman, just as the golf ball goes off.

The three guys that had been following the young woman are blown backward off their feet. She and the young woman watches as the police show up and arrest them.

The young woman looks at her “who are you?”

Diamond was started when the strange lady grabbed her. It also didn’t help that an explosion went off behind her. It was enough to make her jump.

Sasha smiles at the girl “Sasha Wolfhart”

“Why did you grab me, Mrs. Wolfhart?” Diamond was curious.

“Because of that guy.” Sasha points towards the young man that had the gun “was getting ready to shoot you in the back.”

Diamond looks at the three guys lying on the ground. One guy she knew, but the other two she had no idea who they were. The one guy she knew was a member of The Royal Thorns. They were a local street gang that ran her neighborhood.

“Do you know why he was trying to shoot you in the back?” Sasha was watching the girl's body language.

She was experienced in reading body language. If she had to, she could hypnotize the girl to draw the information from her.

“I was going to testify against a member of their gang. I witness the killing of a police officer by a member of their gang.” Diamond was nervous as she looks down at the three men.

“And they didn’t give you any protection?” Sasha couldn’t believe how careless they were with this young woman’s protection.

“I don’t think they realize how dangerous the gang is.” Diamond was grateful that Mrs. Wolfhart had shown up.

“Well, why don’t we go by your place to get you a change of clothes and I can take you somewhere safe. I’ll also talk to the DA about getting
you some protection.” Sasha knew her sister knew who to talk too.

“Thank you.” Diamond follows Mrs. Wolfhart to her car.

Diamond gives Sasha directions to the projects where she lives. Sasha parks her car and walks up to the walkway with Diamond. Several Latino guys block their way.

Sasha notices they had gang tattoos on their neck and arms. Sasha kept walking towards them, a sly smile appears on her face.

“Where do you think you’re going chica?”

“Are you talking to me?”

“Yea, I’m talking to you, chica. You don’t belong. This is Royal Thorn's territory.”

“And that is supposed to mean something to me? Maybe you should get a better publicist.” Sasha knew she was playing with fire, but that was her specialty.

“Are you dissing my gang, chica? Cuz, if you are. I’m going to have to teach you some respect.” The guy speaking steps closer to Sasha.

Sasha just smiles as her right-hand stops a few inches from his neck. She had palmed one of her throwing knives and had it hidden by her hand. She had the tip pressed against his throat.

The other two guys move closer to surround her and Diamond. They had moved their hands to their weapons.

“Drop your weapons, before I give your friend here a new breathing hole.” Sasha looks at both teenage boys.

She notices that they were causing a crowd to form around them. She knew there wasn’t any way she could take on a large number of people without her full gear.

“Diamond step closer to me.”

Diamond steps closer to Sasha. She starting to get nervous and wonder if it was a good idea to come back here. She was keeping an eye out.

Sasha pushes the blade further into the guy's skin “I said drop your weapons now.”

“Do what this puta says.” The guy looks at his other gang members.

Sasha watches as they laid down their weapons.

“Now, step back away from them.”

“Do it.”

Diamond watches as the guys step away from them. The crowd was getting bigger surrounding them.

“Diamond, pick their weapons up and slip them in my purse please.” Sasha kept her hand right where it was.

Diamond kneels and picks up each weapon. She checks to make sure the safety was on before she slips them into Sasha’s purse.

“Now, I’m going to remove my hand from your throat, but first I’m going to do this.” Sasha uses her free hand to strike a nerve cluster, so the guy couldn’t move his hands.

She removes her hand away from his neck and searches behind his back, where she finds his weapon. She pulls it and tucks it into her waistband.

“Come on Diamond, let’s go and get your stuff.” Sasha walks past the guy she had been holding a knife too.

“You’re a dead woman.”

Sasha turns around quickly and throws the knife she in her hand at the person who had said that. She watches as her knife embeds itself in his shoulder.

“Say that again, and my aim will move a little further over to your heart.” Sasha turns back around and heads into the building to pack-up some clothes for Diamond to take.

While Diamond was grabbing some clothes, Sasha kept an eye out for the activity going on outside, since they were going to have to go that way again. She couldn’t understand why the residents here haven’t done anything to the gangs here. She knows the only way a community can fight gang activities is to join and force them out.

“How long have things been this bad around here?” Sasha spotted a few guys lurking waiting to ambush them.

Sasha checks the guns she made the three gang members give her. One of them was a Smith&Wesson.40 caliber. She pulls it out and checks to see how many rounds it still had. The magazine was full.

The gun itself needed to be clean. She tucks it into her waistband.

“They really need to teach gangster how to clean their weapons.” Sasha looks towards diamond to see if she was ready.

Diamond had just finished packing a carry-on bag. She was hoping she won’t get shot. She grabs her bag and heads towards the door.

“I’m ready.”

“Stay behind me.” Sasha pulls the gun out of her waistband.

She makes her way towards the entrance and tosses a few of her smoke bombs out into the courtyard. She guides Diamond through the smoke cloud towards the parking lot.

“How can you see through this?” Diamond’s eyes were watery.

“I can’t. I just know which direction the parking lot is and where I parked.” She tosses a few more of her specialty balls down to catch the lurking men.

The ones she tossed was the strong itching and sneezing powder. They were going to be itching for hours, till they took a shower.

“Get in.” Sasha unlocks the doors and climbs in.

Once Diamond was in and secure. Sasha takes her to the building where her place was located. She takes her up to the same floor her apartment was, but instead of going to her place. She takes her to the one next door to her. She bought it when the previous occupants moved out. She had decided to use it as a safe house for people she was protecting. She had a hidden connecting door installed so she could go between her place and the safe house.

“Here you go. Make yourself comfortable.” Sasha had changed the lock to a mechanical key type.

“Thank you.” Diamond goes in and looks around the place.

She liked how it was laid out. It had a balcony you could go out and stand on. It looked over the pool area below.

It had two bedrooms and the Master bedroom had its own bathroom. The kitchen was up to date and had all brand-new appliances. There were a computer system and a huge flat screen television.

“This place is amazing.” Diamond-like it.

“Thanks. I had it updated and remodel recently. You don’t have to worry about snipers trying to shoot you. The nearest building that is close enough for a sniper to shoot you, is about a mile out. Also, the glass on the door can stop up to a .50 caliber tungsten round. My aunt's company designed it.”

“Thank you.”

“Your welcome. If you’re hungry, I can fix you something or have it delivered to my place.”

“I’m not hungry right now.” Diamond just wanted this mess with the Royal Thorns to be over with.

Sasha could see that the poor woman was nervous “you’re safe here. You must be buzzed in by the occupant of the place. Even to use the elevator, you need the security code.”

That was one security features Sasha loved about this building. You needed the security code to use the elevator. Which normally meant the person’s apartment number.

Diamond felt her cellphone vibrate. She pulls it out and checks the number. It was the DA’s office.

“Hello?”

“Hello, Ms. Dow, this is Assistant DA Bernard. I managed to get us an early court hearing. Do you think you can meet me at the courthouse tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. tomorrow?” Da Bernard had managed to get an early hearing.

“Yes, ma’am. I can be there.”

“Good, because the sooner we put Adelma Carrasco Agosto behind bars. The safer you will feel.” ADA Bernard will be happy that he was behind bars.

Diamond couldn’t wait to put all this behind her. There were some days she wishes she never saw Adelma shoot the police officer. She ends the call with the ADA.

“Is everything okay, Diamond?” Sasha had learned Diamond’s name from a few pieces of mail at Diamond’s place.

“Yes, the ADA managed to get an early court date. She needs me to meet her at the courthouse tomorrow at 10:00 a.m.”

“I’ll drop you off tomorrow morning. I’m going to go and make us some dinner.” Sasha heads for the front door.

She walks out and heads towards her place. She wasn’t about to use the secret door that connected the two apartments. Sasha goes into her studio apartment and starts making some dinner for herself and Diamond. She sends a text message to her wife letting her know she’s helping a witness out.

After letting her wife and children know what is going on. Sasha takes the meal she made next door for Diamond and find her crashed on the sofa asleep. Sasha wraps the meal she made and leave it in the refrigerator for Diamond. She goes back to her apartment and takes the guns she took from the gang members and clean them. She notices the serial numbers have been removed off the guns. She had the S&W .40, a 9mm Glock 17, 10mm Glock 20. She puts the guns in her collection. If she ever needs to use one. She’ll have these to choose from.

She can’t believe how fate had stirred her to interfere in this matter. All she wanted to do was spend a day not having to handle any problems. Then go back home and enjoy being with her family.

She turns in for the night after setting her alarm clock for 8:00 a.m. tomorrow she ‘ll have a talk with the ADA about taking better care of their witnesses. If she hadn’t interfered, Diamond might be dead right now.

Diamond wakes-up early and was a little startled about where she was until she realizes she was at a safe house. She uses the Master bathroom and takes a shower. She wasn’t the type to wear a lot of make-up. By 8:30 a.m. Diamond was a dress and ready to go. She found some coffee in the cabinets and made herself a cup of coffee.

By 9:00 a.m. Sasha was up and ready to go. She knew the metal detector at the courthouse will pick-up any metal items she had inside her purse. She puts her specialty items in her lined hidden pocket.

Diamond meets with the ADA and they go over what they were going to go over in court.

They managed to convict Adelma Carrasco Agosto, along with several members of the gang. Adelma gets life for killing a police officer, while his friends get 10 to 15 years for their crime. No deals were made, except for Diamond testifying. They were going to relocate her, so members of the gang can’t retaliate against her.

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Comments

I'm surprised the gang didn't

I'm surprised the gang didn't try to take her out at the courthouse, but maybe they weren't as big of a gang as they proclaimed to be

I would swear Diamond has been mentioned before,

But for the life of me, I can't recall which story it might have been where she was mentioned.

It's either that, or I'm mixing up characters from multiple authors, which could be possible, I suppose.

Other than unusual mistakes

Other than unusual mistakes in tense and such. A quick, good Guy wins story

More morons

Jamie Lee's picture

Suspecious actions draw attention to those in the know. If these morons had any brains they would have gone after Diamond at her house, instead of someplace where their actions are out of place.

And where they aren't likely to be seen by any cameras.

Those at Diamonds home must be slow learners. Sasha could have given the one guy a new air hole and put a hunk of steel through the forehead of big mouth. But she didn't, she restrained herself. And she didn't off the two trying to setup an ambush.

With her skills that gang could be history should they bring their stupidity after her.

If this is a stand alone story it was very nice. If it's the first chapter then the second chapter should be as exciting.

Others have feelings too.