TEARS OF RAGE

Chapter 23

Captured upon the horizon, in a prism of colors that paint the sky in burnt orange, vermilion, and lavender hues, the sunset began to fade into darkness.

Beyond the gathering of FBI agents spread out about the block, surrounding Broderick and Shonda's apartment, the backdrop of neighbors and passing traffic had the group of agents eager to receive their marching orders.

Every minute spent waiting for the search warrant to arrive, reduced their window of opportunity, to advance on the apartment unnoticed.

After having informed his team of agents about the information received from Broderick Williams, agents Price and Wainwright had set the manhunt for Kenny Mathis in motion.

A twenty-man team of FBI agents, dressed in full tactical gear were posted up in the rear trailer of an eighteen-wheeler. Special Agents Anthony Price and Carl Wainwright pulled onto the curb, leading into the parking lot for Shonda William's apartment.

The call was given to confirm the search warrant at Broderick's apartment, five minutes after Price and Wainwright arrived at Shonda's apartment.

According to Broderick, Kenny lived with his sister.

That was the first place they drove to, upon leaving the DeKalb county jail.

They wanted to be there when Kirkwood Kenny was apprehended. Some cases had the power to push law enforcement officials to the brink of their boundaries.

And Wainwright and Price were driven to get him off of the streets before he killed anyone else...

"Okay. Listen up," agent Price called out." From the moment we make entry into the apartment, be sure to stay alert. This guy is armed and desperate... "

"Don't take any chances," Wainwright added

When the SWAT unit exited the eighteen-wheeler, they split into two groups. One, the ten-man squad went east through the front entranceway into the apartment complex.

The other unit went south, straddled the residents' parking area, and came up along the rear of Shonda's apartment.

The first unit went up the stairs in single file, automatic weapons leading the way before them.

A handheld battering ram was used to take down the front door. A bark of voices followed the crash of the door being knocked open."FBI... Get Down!"

A quick sweep through the apartment produced only the body of D-Money, laid across the sofa in a lifeless pose.

Dressed in the same outfit as Pluto, and the crew that had robbed the Kennesaw Bank and Trust, the SWAT unit could tell that D-Money was another cohort to be found dead.

Clothes were strewn all across the apartment.

There was no sign of Kirkwood Kenny, and it was obvious that the apartment had been ransacked.

There were no photographs. No money. Nothing.

When a crew of crime scene techs entered the apartment, Special Agent Price called out over his team.

"Listen up, I think that these guys are trying to eliminate each other. Maybe we can catch a break... Our guy doesn't know that we're on to him yet, so have roadblocks set up along every highway and back road out of the city. Get a composite of him, from his mug shot, and have a BOLO notice sent out." Agent Price paused and point a finger into the general direction of the world beyond the apartment. "If a makeup artist gets his ass kicked, for fucking up a client's makeup, I want to know about it!

If a disturbance call is made, for shots fired, and it happens to be a false alarm; firecrackers let off by teenagers... I want to know about it."

When the SWAT unit reassembled at the truck, they went mobile, prepared to respond immediately.

Agents were at Broderick's apartment. Shonda's apartment. And searching the city records for any lease registration in the name of Kenny Mathis.

But, at that point, there was no sign of him...

A special report was sent out to every news station across the city, to announce a ten thousand dollar reward for anyone with information on the whereabouts of Kenny Mathis. He was classified as a person of interest in the Kennesaw Bank and Trust robbery.

That was all that had been required to get the public involved in the hunt to bring Kirkwood Kenny to justice.

An hour after the SWAT unit exited Shonda's apartment, Kirkwood Kenny met up with Karen Carmichael at the MacDonald's off of Memorial Drive.

She was dressed and ready for their weekend in Miami.

They had rented a dark blue Toyota Tundra, but Kenny did not want anyone to see him riding in it.

That would be used as his transportation out of the city, with Karen at the wheel, until they reached the Florida line.

After that, her life wouldn't be worth the weight a person can place on a gnat's back... That was what he had been thinking as he began his spiel, to convince her to remain parked at MacDonald's until he returned.

He had her sit with the Tundra, while he drove to the Meadows in her car. Its tinted windows gave him a chance to move about the streets with anonymity.

Within the circle of chaos that draws a person into its orbit of darkness, a predator understands the impact of moving in silence, to execute an ambush.

With the approach of darkness settling over the city, and streetlights lit up across the avenues and intersections that made up the Meadows, Kirkwood Kenny pulled to the curb outside Big Nannah's apartment.

Alston Drive was cast in darkness, the streetlights having been broken out for as long as anyone could remember.

When the headlights of the car went out, Kenny took a moment to case out the darkened alleyways that separated the grid of apartment buildings.

The rumble of music blasting could be heard through the eshroudment of darkness.

Kirkwood Kenny stepped out dressed as the grim reaper, a pistol tucked at his waist. He was a man on a mission.

When an opportunity presents itself for a predator to hasten the hunt for its prey, destiny determines how the outcome will play in the hunter's favor.

As groups of costume wearing children, between the ages of six and sixteen, roamed the neighborhood, Kirkwood Kenny stepped up on Big Nannah's doorstep armed with his pistol. He intended to set a trap that would force Swaylo to put himself on a plate...