The Good Deed ~COMPLETE~

Chapter 19: Not Everything Is As It Seems

The security guard called for me to stop. I ignored him and my brisk walk, became a slow jog. Again, he said, "Hey you, stop. Come back here."

I looked back to find the triple threat walking my way. I ran faster.

As I neared the stairwell, I could hear the six legged beast running toward me. I charged down the long corridor to the stairwell entrance , where Mark was waiting.

"Run Mark, run." I warned.

We tried the side exit. But it was locked. We returned to the steps and headed back up. Racing up steps two and three at a time. The security guard was faster than the Dragovic brothers. But Mark and I were faster than the security guard. The echoes of their footsteps ricocheted off the walls, making it hard to know exactly how close they were.

We had reached the fourth floor and lost them, but to be safe we continued to climb as fast as we could. Back at the sixth floor we returned to the only room we knew to be available; the room Jacob Scholtz was sleeping in and the room Rockie was hogtied in. Room 637.

Once back in the room, we took a breather. Our pulses pounded. Did I mention I hate steps?

Mark listened by the door, he heard nothing. I checked in on Rockie. He hadn't moved. Scholtz was still passed out in the laundry cart, minus his briefcase.

Rockie looked to me with a desperate look in his eyes. I sat on the bed next to him. I leaned close and asked, "Rockie, if I remove the gag, do you promise not to scream?"

Rockie nodded and I believed him. I removed the rope from his mouth. It had only been a few minutes but his cheeks had impressions from the rope.

"Thanks." Rockie stretched his jaw.

"I really am sorry about all this, Rockie, I shouldn't have involved you."

"What exactly is all this, about anyway?"

"Okay Rockie, you really want to know? I'll tell you. A large crime organization known as The Operation has harassed me and my family. They smashed my girlfriends windshield and set my car on fire. They have threatened my entire family with death if I don't work for them and they have assigned me to steal Mr. Scholtz's briefcase."

Rockie laughed, "Yeah right, you expect me to believe that, Doc or officer or whoever you are."

"My name is Joseph Wayne and I am not a doctor or a cop. Everything I just told you was the truth. I work at Value City in the warehouse."

"Oh, then you must know Marvin, my cousin." Rockie tried to catch me in another lie.

I proved myself to Rockie. "Marvin Pender, yes I know him very well; an older black gentleman, a bit grumpy at times, but a hard worker. He works in the repair department of the warehouse." Then, I sealed the door of Rockies doubt, "but Marvin is not your cousin. He's your father."

Rockie's whole demeanor changed. "How did you know?"

When I first met Rockie at the klitchen, I knew I had seen his face somewhere, I just couldn't figure out where. I realized it, the moment he mentioned Marvin's name. "Your father has shown me pictures of you. He speaks highly of you."

Rockie just looked at me, he believed my story. "So what are you going to do?"

"I don't know. We somehow have to get out of the hotel without Jacobs armed guards seeing us.

"Well, maybe I could help." Rockie offered his services once more.

That reminded me, "I still owe you three hundred bucks don't I?" I pulled the cash out, thumbing it into a fan.