The Mike Black Saga; MOB by Roy Glenn

for her usual five-mile run. While she was running, she thought about what Bruce had said to her the day before. How you gonna live with yourself when I’m dead?
    Naturally, she was concerned about her brother, but she was more concerned about Brandy. Bruce could take care of himself; he always had. Brandy, on the other hand, was just child and not accustomed to dealing with the type of people that her father came in contact with. Lost in her thoughts for Brandy’s safety, Me’shelle stumbled and pulled a muscle in her thigh.
    She turned off the treadmill and limped to the phone. She planned to say that she would be a little late for work because the injury was causing her to move slowly. Instead, she decided that she desperately needed a mental health day. She called the school and told them that she would be in the next day if she was feeling better.  Me’shelle knew she had to do something to get Brandy out of that situation, so she left the possibility open for another day off if she needed to take it.
    Me’shelle got her heat wrap and went back to bed. She lay there thinking, ignoring the pain as best she could as she considered her options to save Brandy. After about an hour, the pain in her leg became more intense.  She could no longer ignore it. She got up and paddled her way to the medicine cabinet. When Me’shelle grabbed the empty bottle of Motrin, she realized that she had forgotten to get some more when she was at the grocery store. Probably too busy thinking about that fine ass Travis Burns, she thought.
    Slowly and painfully, Me’shelle got her leather coat and prepared to go to the grocery store to get some Motrin to ease her pain. Maybe Travis will be doing some early morning shopping.
    That same morning at 7:45 sharp, Jackie and Ronnie arrived at Travis’s place in two stolen cars. Jackie drove an old Toyota Tercell, and Ronnie was in a Ford Galaxy 500 that would be used as the escape vehicle. The night before, Jackie had also stolen an Infinity Q45 and parked it on the escape route.
    They knocked on the door. Travis came out right away and they proceeded to the grocery store. They arrived at the store and assumed their positions adjacent to the front of the store, waiting for the armored truck to arrive.
    “Sound check. Mr. White?”
    “Check, one, check two.”
    “Acknowledged. Mr. Green?”
    “Sound check, one, two.”
    “Acknowledged. Time check,” Travis said.
    “Eight-thirty,” Jackie replied.
    “Eight-thirty, check,” Ronnie said.
    “Acknowledged. Weapons check,” Travis said.
    “One pump shotgun, two nine millers, check,” Jackie said.
    “One AK-47, two nine millimeters checked and ready,” Ronnie said.
    “Acknowledged. Equipment check,” Travis said.
    At that point, Jackie turned on the C-Guard. “C-Guard engaged,” she said.
    Ronnie took out a cell phone and checked the screen for a signal. “Signal at one hundred percent.” He tried to make a call. “Call cannot be completed.”
    “Acknowledged. Maintain operational silence,” Travis said and they waited.
    At 8:45, the armored truck turned into the lot and parked in front of the store in perfect position. The bagman exited the vehicle and went into the store. Once again, Jackie engaged the jamming device. “C-Guard engaged,” Jackie said.
    “Acknowledged,” Travis shot back. From that point, they waited. Minutes seemed to pass like hours as they sat patiently waiting for the bagman to reemerge from the store. Then, all at once, Travis’s heart began to pound as he watched a red Honda Civic pull into the lot and park two cars down from Jackie. He looked on in horror as Me’shelle got out of the car and limped gingerly pasted Jackie’s car.
    “Damn she’s fine,” Jackie said.
    “Maintain operational silence,” Travis said nervously.
    “Acknowledged.”
    Travis became excited at the sight of Me’shelle in spandex and black leather, but his excitement turned once again to horror at the thought of what