II. Double the Trouble

When Saturday quickly came, Ivory and Harley were ready to recruit a new personal maid. Ivory stood outside Harley's bedroom door, waiting to be let inside. Harley opened her door and granted Ivory access to her room. Ivory saw that it was an average looking bedroom; nothing suspicious lingered. Harley was looking into her vanity mirror, applying chap stick. Ivory glanced at Harley's bedroom vent, sensing nothing. Ivory thought that was odd since she's felt extremely uncomfortable near all of the vents. She wondered why Harley's was different.

A white door opened, and Lauren appeared.

Harley glanced but said nothing.

"Hey, Harley, when do you need your laundry done?"

"Well, Ivory and I will be gone all day, so midnight should be fine." Harley narrowed her eyes, "Why do I sense that something's wrong?"

Lauren chuckled. "Lucky slept in Hawks' room last night and got some odd red liquid on his sheets."

"I didn't know Lucky had a period," Ivory giggled.

The women laughed.

Then, the three heard male voices coming from the narrow hallway.

"Oh Lucky, do you need a sanitary napkin?" Hawks said in a high-pitched voice.

Harley scoffed and rolled her eyes but was obviously amused.

"What have I ever done to you, Little Lady?" Lucky asked.

Ivory rolled her eyes.

"The sleepovers end now, Lucky," Blue's voice boomed.

Lauren stood uncomfortably.

"What does it look like?" Harley asked. "Does it resemble blood?"

"I'm not too sure," Lauren said, "but I'll have your stuff done when you return."

Then, Lauren left.

"Okay, are you ready?" Harley asked Ivory, who nodded.

The two made their way to the garage and sat in a black limo. The driver then exited the base, and honked the horn through some black speaker. When the driver heard nothing, the limo sat on something heavy, and suddenly, something lifted the three and the limo into the air. When the three made their way to the top, Ivory recognized the familiar green scenery.

Ivory and Harley were ready to recruit a new maid.

Harley went through her bag and handed Ivory some papers. Ivory read the white paper, seeing that Harley created a list of personality traits that she wanted in a maid.

"Okay," Ivory finished reading the list, "So, you want a maid that's loyal only to you, independent, obedient, someone that no one will try finding, hard-working, and a maid that doesn't gossip. Your ideal maid seems difficult to find."

Harley shrugged. "There are so many people; we'll find someone."

"I'm assuming you want someone that doesn't stand out, average like most people, and will be grateful for their job and survival."

"You'd be correct."

"Well, I know that Viper and I would never be good personal maids," Ivory peered through the window, "I guess it would depend on what a recruiter wants."

"You never know that others see in you," Harley stared at Ivory.

Ivory sent Harley a questionable look.

Harley sighed. "What I mean is that most people have a general idea towards someone; People are unaware of specific traits they possess, which could help them in certain situations and land them different opportunities that they wouldn't expect."

"I understand that; I sent you that look because you seem like you're good at reading people."

"Reading people is easy; that's how people are chosen for jobs. I'll teach you when we reach our destination."

Eventually, the two made their way to a cafe with outdoor seating, sat down, ordered lattes, and began searching. Ivory didn't think that Staten Island seemed so different from Queens and Manhattan, but the energy was more relaxed, and the streets weren't as crowded.

Harley kept her head low and nodded toward a lady around their age. "If you had a high school class with her, what would you think of her? Listen to your intuition; what is it telling you?"

Ivory read the girl and made a face. "Honestly, she looks like an easy target; she always seeks validation and will do anything if it means that she'll obtain approval. I sense that she's not very street smart and that she will hang out with anyone that she's just met."

Harley laughed and took a sip of her latte. "You see how easy it is? I got the same feeling."

"Well, she seems loyal when needed," Ivory chuckled.

Harley scoffed, "She's an idiot, for sure. Let's move on."

Ivory spotted a blonde. "Does hair color matter to you?"

"As long as it's a natural color, then no," Harley turned to see where Ivory was looking.

There was a girl with blonde hair and blue eyes, and she looked hip. The girl was listening to music.

"She's hard to read," Ivory said.

"The young one wears makeup," Harley said, "The more makeup someone wears, the harder they are to read."

"That's interesting."

"The people who cover up the most have the most to hide; that includes makeup and clothing," Harley shrugged. "If she wears that much makeup, she's vain, and that's an issue."

Ivory nodded. "I thought girls caked their faces to appear more attractive."

"That's not true for all girls; some are insecure, some use makeup as an accessory, and others are vain."

"I see," Ivory nodded. "That girl's a no, then."

"Yes, she also seems lazy. I hate sloths."

Ivory heard a loud voice and turned to see a dark-haired woman exiting the coffee shop while speaking to someone. The two women were talking about a romantic interest.

"Listen, if your boyfriend cheated, then that means that he knows you're too good for him. Don't sell yourself short. Find a man that appreciates you and will be loyal," the woman smiled.

The woman's friend thanked her; they hugged and went their separate ways.

Harley and Ivory's eyes met each other.

"She fits your criteria," Ivory watched the lady walk down the concrete.

Harley nodded. "Let's go," she said, and the two followed after her.

Harley took out her phone and sent her location to someone who said they'd meet her. Ivory guessed that it was the driver. Ivory noted that the woman was maybe an inch taller than her, had dark hair and green eyes. Nothing stood out. Harley put a finger to her mouth, and Ivory nodded, and the two quietly walked behind.

Harley mouthed, "Watch this," and said, "Excuse me."

The unknown lady turned around, facing the gang members.

"Hi, my name's Casey, and my friend here is Rose," Harley began, and the woman smiled at Ivory, who gave a small smile back. "We have a friend that lives around here, but we can't find their house. We're not from around here."

"Oh, I've lived here my whole life. Do you know what street your friend lives on?"

Harley looked on her phone and said, "It should be a few blocks from here."

Harley quickly deleted some messages as the driver sent her a fake address that was a two-minute walking distance.

Ivory thought that Harley had rogued skills.

Harley had shown the random lady her phone, and the lady perked up. "Oh, I can show you. I'm passing by that street anyway."

Harley and Ivory followed the lady, and the lady began speaking to Harley. Ivory wasn't paying attention to them, but she noticed the limo parallel parked near them. The driver opened the trunk and pretended to search for something.

Ivory had felt apprehensive. She looked around, seeing no one.

The lady pointed down the street, and Harley thanked the lady for her kind gesture.

"Anytime," the lady said.

The driver grabbed the lady, who began screaming, and he threw her into the trunk. Harley then closed the door as soft bangs echoed.

"Well, that was certainly easy," Ivory said, bewildered at everything that had taken place.

Harley smiled. "Let's get back to the base."

The two gang members were driven back to the base.

When Ivory and Harley were in the parking garage, Blue and Red were waiting for them. The driver opened the trunk; he and Harley grabbed onto the thrashing lady. Ivory stepped aside, watching the action. The drive held the lady's ankles as Harley held the wrists; Blue then came over and briefly updated the lady on recent current events (minus Viper). The chauffer and Harley placed the woman on the floor; Ivory couldn't tell if the woman felt fearful, shocked, or angry. Maybe all three.

"My only warning, lady, is that if you even consider escaping or betraying your new boss, then you and I will have a problem," Blue smirked at the woman, who gulped. "Am I clear?"

The woman nodded.

"Do you have any questions?"

"Who are you?" the lady asked.

"A mafia gang," Blue said.

The lady took a deep breath, trying to process the new information. Harley then grabbed the lady and pushed her through the entrance. The woman screamed as Harley roughly dragged the woman away.

Blue gazed at Ivory, "Nice work today, Ivory. You're dismissed."

Ivory thanked Blue and entered the base, breathing in the cold air. She climbed the stairs and entered her room, deciding to watch a movie on her laptop. As she was intrigued by a comedy, she dismissed the sound of metal scratching through her bedroom vent.

***

Birdie made her way down the crosswalk, seeing two familiar faces. The man and woman waiting waved as she walked over toward the restaurant.

"Hello, Emily, Hello Joseph, it's been a long time," Birdie sat down.

"Yes, it has," Joseph smiled. "How've you been?"

"I've been all right," Birdie sighed. She was happy to relax.

The three began conversing over dinner; the three had spoken about what they've been doing and had mainly discussed two young women. Eventually, the three were ready to leave, said their goodbyes, and parted. Birdie walked into the train station and got on the subway and smiled to herself. Birdie acknowledged that she and a man wearing a hoodie were the only ones aboard but thought it was nice not to ride a crowded train. However, the man saw Birdie while sending a brief text message. The man put his phone away and smirked, wondering what his recipient would say. The man knew that revenge wasn't always sweet.