Heavy Traffic Ch. 06

Amanda had no intention of going to Perimeter Mall until a particular sign caught her eye. Samuel was still more than happy to accompany Amanda as she continued her quest, with the two of them sharing more and more details about what had brought Amanda to Atlanta.

On the drive back to the hotel they encountered the heavy rush hour traffic that Samuel told her Atlanta was famous for. While Samuel focused on navigating them through the multiple freeway interchanges and traffic bottlenecks, Amanda had one of the few opportunities she had had to let her mind wander exclusively to thoughts of Sean Wallace. She noticed a pair of tall buildings off the freeway with adornments on top of each. She asked Samuel about them.

"Those are the Concourse buildings," he informed her. "They're called the 'King and Queen' buildings because of the tops resembling crowns.

Amanda turned to look at the buildings more closely and she had to agree that they reminded her of the king and queen pieces on a chess board. More than that, them being referred to as "King and Queen" reminded her of her parents and the life that she had always thought would be her own destiny.

Amanda felt like her feet hadn't touched the ground since she had taken Sean Wallace's hand this morning, and while she tried not to think about the physical responses Sean's touch had elicited from her, she couldn't ignore the memory of them entirely. She wanted to dedicate her analysis instead to her emotional responses as she recalled them from throughout the day. Reflecting back on the things she had done for Sean earlier, everything had seemed so instinctual to her - as natural as breathing.

She fondly remembered how her parents had always seemed to know exactly what each other wanted or needed without exchanging words. Whether in business or in their personal relationship, her parents had always demonstrated a synergy built on more than their love alone.

Amanda knew that she had already developed strong feelings for Sean Wallace - feelings that she now contemplated in comparison to what she had seen in her parent's relationship. Strongest among these was the obvious trust and security that she had in him, but she also had to acknowledge that this was equaled by the almost overpowering desire for her to demonstrate to Sean that she was trustworthy, loyal, and totally devoted to him. Never before had Amanda felt the natural desire to put the needs of a man ahead of her own, with an inherent knowledge that by doing so, she was fulfilling her most basic needs as well.

Is this what her parents had shared? Amanda thought it might be the case, but regardless, she knew that she couldn't deny that there was something about Sean Wallace that had changed her forever, and the thought of anything about Sean being "forever" in her life made her more content than she had been in years. Her fear was that he didn't feel the same way, which made her feel more insecure than she had ever felt around another person.

Returning to the hotel at approximately 6:30PM, Amanda saw one of the I.C.E. Agents she had met on the bus, Geri chatting with a new clerk at the hotel desk. When Geri saw Amanda enter the lobby, she waved to catch her attention and motioned for her to join her. Samuel grabbed one of the luggage carts provided for guest use and wheeled it out to his car to unload Amanda's purchases.

"May I help you?" asked Amanda.

"Since Agent Anderson is still tied up, maybe you can help me straighten some things out with the hotel manager," said Geri.

Amanda glanced between Geri and the hotel clerk and sensed their trepidation.

"I'll do what I can," said Amanda. "What is the problem?"

"Apparently, the rooms were reserved by a vice president of the hotel chain and the clerk that checked us in assumed that they were complimentary," replied Geri. The clerk nodded silently in agreement with the statement. "The staff is concerned about how the rooms will be paid for. I'm sure that Agent Anderson could arrange for vouchers, but that will take a few days and the manager is looking for an answer today."

"I understand," said Amanda. Addressing the clerk she asked, "Is the manager available now to discuss this?"

The clerk checked her telephone console, "It appears that Mr. Bingham just got off a call. I'll see if he can meet with you."

While the clerk checked with the manager, Amanda spoke to Geri, "Have any arrangements been made for the girls' dinner?"

"We've been discussing what to get for them. Many of them have had cramps and upset stomachs from the box lunches they were served on the bus."

"I was afraid of that," said Amanda. "They had a very limited diet for the past few weeks and should be weaned into other foods gradually. "Let's discuss some options when we meet with the manager and see what facilities the hotel may have for us to utilize."

There was a brief exchange between the clerk and the manager before the clerk disconnected and then directed Geri and Amanda through a doorway leading into the back offices of the hotel. There was a squat but friendly looking man who was just stepping out of an office at the end of a short hallway.

"Good evening, I'm Dave Bingham."

"Good evening," said Amanda and Geri in unison.

Dave Bingham smiled and directed them into his office where he waited for the two women to take seats in front of his desk before he sat in his chair behind it.

"I'm sorry that I wasn't here earlier to welcome you to our property. I hope your rooms are satisfactory.

Geri spoke before Amanda had an opportunity, "We realize that our request and arrival caught you by surprise, so on behalf of the entire Atlanta Immigration and Customs Enforcement team, I want to thank you for your cooperation."

"Well that answers one of my questions," said Bingham. "We were wondering why there were so many agents in the hotel and watching the parking lot. Can you provide any details on what the circumstance are that necessitated your stay with us?"

"I'm afraid that I can't go into detail with you," said Geri. "Our presence here has to remain confidential for the time being, as well as the reasons behind it."

The smile had disappeared off Bingham's face, but he remained amiable when he asked, "Is there any reason that we need to be concerned about the safety of our other guests?"

Geri assured him that there wasn't any need for concern, and that the presence of the agents was routine. Amanda could tell that this explanation didn't completely appease Mr. Bingham.

"Doesn't the government have a budget to cover hotel room charges in these types of situations?" Bingham asked. "I'm also confused about why arrangements weren't made through the normal channels if this is a government operation of some sort."

"I'm afraid that was my doing," Amanda said. "I was asked to make the arrangements through Keith Longo, but when I found out he no longer worked for Wallace Enterprises I had to deal with Mark Morris. He is the one who selected your property for us and arranged for the rooms."

"Well Mark Morris certainly has the authority to arrange for complimentary rooms," said Bingham. "Did Mr. Morris mention anything to you about our policy for comp rooms as it relates to incidental charges?"

"He was not asked to provide the rooms for free," said Amanda with a grin. "We was just instructed to find a block of rooms for us."

"So how did you expect to cover the charges for the rooms if you didn't request them to be complimentary? Will the government be providing vouchers or provide an alternative payment method?"

"The girls are my responsibility," said Amanda as she pulled her messenger bag onto her lap. "And I'm not with the US Government. You do take American Express don't you?"

"Of course," said Bingham. "I'll figure out the lowest group rate possible for you and give it to Mrs. Adams at the front desk. You can settle up with her on your way to your room. Is there anything else I can do for you?"

"Do you have a conference room or large banquet type room that we can use to bring all the girls together for meals and such?" asked Amanda.

"We have a meeting room that can accommodate up to 100 people for dining. Would you like me to reserve it for you? I can include the rental of it along with your room charges."

"Yes, please. Do you have a kitchen on the property that we could use?"

Bingham was shaking his head as he replied, "I'm sorry. While we do have a kitchen that the staff uses to prepare the complimentary continental breakfast, snacks and the like, it is not available for guests to use."

Amanda ignored his rejection and continued, "Does it have a stove, running water, pots and pans and utensils?"

"It is a fully functioning kitchen, but as I said, it is not available for guest use," said Bingham.

"Mr. Bingham, we have twenty-five young girls who have some special dietary requirements right now. All we need is the ability to prepare enough scrambled eggs for their dinner tonight. I will pay for all the food and compensate you for the use of the facilities and any staff that you feel need to be involved in this process. Please don't make me arrange this through Mark Morris."

"I doubt that you would be able to contact Mr. Morris to make the arrangements since he has been unavailable since early afternoon, but let me see what we can work out here for you. How soon would you need the food prepared?"

"I think we should try to get the girls fed within the hour. I have some deliveries for them that will cause a distraction if we wait much longer than that." Turning to address Geri, Amanda asked, "If I gave you some money, could you send someone to a local grocery store to buy five or six dozen eggs?"

"I'll be glad to do it myself," said Geri. "No need for you to pay for it though. I'll get reimbursed if I pay for the food."

"Thank you Geri." Turning to address Bingham again, Amanda asked "Can we buy the food on the assumption that you will be able to assist us with getting it prepared?"

"Sure," said Bingham. "Let me work out the room charges real quick for Mrs. Adams, then I'll cover for her at the front desk so that she can assist you in the kitchen."

Rising from her chair and being followed by Geri, Amanda said, "Thank you Mr. Bingham. I apologize for any misunderstandings or concerns that we may have caused you. We appreciate your hospitality and will try to be ideal guests."

"We're glad you're here, and we appreciate your business. Please call on me if there is anything further I can do to assist you."

Amanda let Geri exit the office and then stopped in the doorway for a final word with Bingham, "As I mentioned, I am expecting some deliveries shortly for the girls. Will there be any problem having these taken directly to the meeting room when they arrive?"

"No problem at all. I'll instruct Mrs. Adams to program a door key to the meeting room for you and I'll direct your deliveries to the room when they arrive."

"Thank you," said Amanda as she left the office and returned to the front desk.

***

Tom Folsom had maintained his grin of satisfaction since the conference call with that shyster Pierre had ended. Kimberly was coming over to spend the night and he anticipated her being especially aroused because of him putting Sean Wallace and his lawyer in their place.

When his cell phone rang, he was tempted to ignore it, but since his e-mail access was still restricted, he thought it would be best to keep at least one channel of communication open between him and his company. His company - not Sean Wallace's. He'd seen to that with the Tri-Star Partners contract regardless of what some Ivy League law firm might think.

"Hello," he said as he answered his phone.

"What da fuck is up, Blo-Pop?"

"Hey I-Bar, what do you want?"

DeMarcus Steele, street name of 'I-Bar', had been in the same DeKalb County, Georgia street gang as Tom 'Blo-Pop' Folsom when they were in their early teens. DeMarcus and Tom had carjacked a Lexus from a couple one summer night and been chased by the police, DeMarcus was the only one of the two to get caught when they crashed because he couldn't untangle himself from the airbag fast enough to run, which is how Tom had escaped capture. While DeMarcus was spending five years in juvenile detention and learning more of the street skills he would later master, Tom had been sent to live with an aunt and uncle in Tennessee where he got into athletics and learned his own skills of manipulation. DeMarcus had become the preeminent gang lord of Atlanta behind a front as a successful gospel music singer and rap music producer.

"Where's my chipment? That's what I wanna know," said I-Bar.

Looking at his watch Folsom said, "It was supposed to arrive at the warehouse by 4PM wasn't it? It's only 6:30 there, so two and a half hours isn't anything to start worrying about. Shit, I-Bar, you've driven I-75 between Atlanta and Florida, and you know how construction, radar traps and accidents can affect schedules on that road."

"Don't tell me when to start worryin', Blo-Pop. I got cusmers waitin, serious money invested and dead air when I try to reach either dajungle monkeys bringin me da girls or da driver of da truck daybe in. Somethin ain't right and I wan you to find out whad it is."

"Okay I-Bar, I'll make some calls and check things out. While I have you on the phone I want to fill you in on some events involving Tri-Star Partners and Sean Wallace..."

"I thought dat pussy off meditatin on some mountain or some shit like dat."

Folsom proceeded to fill the owner of Tri-Star partners in on the events of the day as well as his conversation with Bryce Pierre.

"Maybe dis Boy Scout need to go to da big campout in da sky," said I-Bar. "No one else in da famly to run da bidness, so Tri-Star has no challengers."

"That's an option," said Folsom, "but there is now apparently a Mrs. Boy Scout that would also need to be dealt with."

"Well, worry about my chipment first then we'll discuss da Boy Scout and his missus." DeMarcus hung up on Folsom.

Folsom checked his directory and called his contact at the Georgia Department of Transportation. He learned that the truck's PrePass transponder had been read as it passed the weigh station near Valdosta, but had not yet been seen by the weigh station near Forsyth. Although the Forsyth scales were closed for service, the computer still read passing transponders so the truck was obviously still somewhere between Valdosta and Forsyth. Folsom then inquired into any major construction delays along the route and was told that there were none. Threatening thunderstorms in the area had postponed the construction for the day along that route. His contact did tell him that there had been a temporary closure of I-475 shortly before noon due to police activity, but he had no further details to offer.

Police activity? Well Folsom had a contact that should be able to get him the details on that. He dialed Morgan Smith's cell phone number and waited for it to be answered.

"Hello?"

"Sheriff Smith?" asked Folsom.

"He's tied up at the moment. May I ask who is calling?"

Folsom disconnected without answering. Why would someone else be answering Morgan Smith's personal cell phone? Searching papers on his desk until he found what he was looking for, Folsom called another cell phone number.

"Hello?"

"Fuck," thought Folsom as he quickly disconnected the call. The same voice had answered the throw-away phone provided to the film crew as the one who had answered Morgan Smith's phone. That didn't make sense.

His thoughts were interrupted by Kimberly walking into the room. As she started removing her clothes she was chuckling to herself.

"What's so funny?" asked Folsom.

"I was just thinking about how bent out of shape Mark is still over the way Amanda Wallace pulled his tail today. She really set him off, so I'm glad I don't have to spend the night with him."

"I got the impression that she had steam-rolled him earlier, but we both know that is easy to do with Mark," Folsom said as he took Kimberly's now naked body into his arms. "What did she do to him exactly?"

"I don't think it was what she had him do as much as it was the way she told him to do it. She requested that Mark find one of our properties in the Atlanta area with 30 available rooms for five nights. When he asked why, she told him "Because your boss told you to."

"Thirty rooms?" asked Folsom with renewed concern in his voice. "Do you know what Mark was able to arrange?"

"He said that he had to cancel a bunch of reservations for other guests and move a few already registered, but he was able to find the rooms at the Wonderland Suites property on the west side of the Atlanta metro area," replied Kimberly. "Why?"

"There have been too many coincidences today involving Mr. and Mrs. Wallace," said Folsom as he went to his computer and searched for the information he needed. Once he had the number he made another call.

"Wonderland Suites. How may I assist you?"

"Hi, this is Tom Folsom, Vice President of Wallace Enterprises. With whom am I speaking?"

"This is Latoya Adams sir."

"Latoya, did someone arrange for a block of thirty rooms to be reserved there today?"

"Yes sir, and Mr. Bingham was none too happy about it either."

"Have any of the guests under that reservation arrived yet?"

"As far as I know, they have all arrived, sir. Twenty five little foreign girls and a dozen or so adults. A bunch of other people have also shown up, but they're just hanging around the parking lot and lobby, kind of just watching for something. Don't worry though, Mr. Bingham is getting a good rate for the rooms because they were reserved at the last minute."

"Who is paying for the rooms?" asked Folsom.

"Well, from what her American Express card says, Amanda Wallace."

"Amanda Wallace is there?"

"Yes sir. Her and Sean Wallace are both here. They arrived with the foreign girls this afternoon."

"Thank you Latoya," Folsom said as he disconnected the call.

Folsom started recalling details from the day. His recollections started with finding out that Sean Wallace had made arrangements to fly Glenn Parker back home several days early, then to find out that Wallace owned the cabin closest to where Morgan Smith had sent the film crew, which happened to be Glenn Parker's cabin. There had been no word from the film crew, and now calls to the cell phone provided to them were being answered by the same strange voice that was answering Morgan Smith's. The truck transporting I-Bar's shipment of twenty five girls was missing, and now Sean and Amanda Wallace are sheltering that exact number of young girls at one of his properties. Too many coincidences for certain, but how could he get to the bottom of things? He decided to call DeMarcus.

Kimberly had put on a robe and was sitting quietly in an overstuffed chair just watching and listening to her lover. She could see his mood darkening.

"Yo Blo-Pop. Where's my chipment?" answered DeMarcus.

"I'm not certain of this I-Bar, but I think it was hijacked along the way," said Folsom.

"Say what?"

"Settle down I-Bar and I'll tell you what I know." Folsom then detailed the various pieces of seemingly disconnected information that when put together indicated that Sean and Amanda Wallace had stumbled onto both the film crew and the shipment of girls and were now keeping them at the motel on the west side of I-Bar's town.

"Get your ass down here now," said I-Bar.