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This story is fiction, a product of the author's imagination.  An interview with Myra Panache, the author of the "Ballin" series follows the story.

PANACHE REPORT ORIGINAL

Ballin 3:

Over 2000 years ago, a young peasant man named Lucien Bartimeus, witnessed the most despicable crime in the history of mankind, the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.

Lucien was asked to participate in the clean-up, after a few minutes, the rest of the men were distracted, at that precise moment, Lucien came upon a bloody nail and a bloody hammer covered in tissue spatter.

Since Lucien was a collector of sorts, he took an old work cloth out of his pocket and wrapped the nail and hammer in the cloth.

When Lucien returned home that evening, he went into his workshop and spent the evening constructing a self-made compressor set at the right temperature to preserve the items.  He took the work cloth out of his pocket, removed the hammer and nail and gently placed them in the compressor.

Over the next few years, Lucien taught his son Jeremiah his trade, he even taught him how to build a compressor and he versed him in preservation and temperature.

Over the next decade, the compressor broke down three times; Lucian and Jeremiah were able to make it operational again.

On his dying bed, Lucian told Jeremiah. What we have in the compressor may be of great significance one day.   Teach your son what I taught you (on how to preserve it) and have him teach his son and so on.  Our family lineage goes all the way back to Egypt, in the year 1400 B.C., one of our relatives helped preserve the Egyptian mummies and tombs and helped construct the pyramids.

Preservation is a family trait.   Keep the nail and the hammer in the Bartimeus family and pass it down generation by generation, never let it out of the family.  Promise me you will do that, Jeremiah made the promise; Lucian expired two minutes later.

Jeremiah kept his promise, the hammer and the nail stayed in the family and was preserved and in excellent condition for over 2000 years.

PRESENT DAY (2005)

In 2005, a member of the family, Lance Bartimeus, came in possession of the nail and the hammer.  Lance had heard the stories surrounding the nail and the hammer; he didn’t know how much of the story was true.

A few years later, Lance developed a drug problem and he was in major debt.  He decided to contact a scientist and DNA specialist, Dr. Pierre Page.

He had read about Page in several magazines, he was the leading DNA and cloning expert in the country and he collected old artifacts in his spare time, he was in a field by himself, renowned by his peers.  Unsubstantiated rumors claimed he operated a clinic but the whereabouts were unknown to the general public.  The government kept a close eye on Page and had an undercover agent on his staff. Page also lived in Florida, the same state as Lance.  Lance had a detective track down his phone number.

At first, Page was reluctant to meet him until he said he had items dating back to biblical times, for effect, Lance made reference to DNA, Page’s curiosity was peaked.

They had dinner, after drinks, Lance showed him the hammer and nail, Pierre was impressed by the condition of the items and agreed to have the hammer and nail examined, a week later; Pierre told him, my expert has come to the conclusion that the hammer and nail were the same type of tools used 2000 years ago and the items are in excellent condition, the condition of these artifacts are similar to the Egyptian mummies and tombs; but where did the blood and tissue come from?  Usually cells are only viable for three days but the artifacts are so well preserved, the cells appear viable in this present day and time, incredible.

Lance replied, the blood and tissue came from the Jesus Christ crucifixion, Pierre laughed, Lance laughed along with him; that was the only part of the family story he refused to believe.

Later that evening, Pierre went on the Internet and researched the crucifixion; he was stunned when one report mentioned that a hammer and nail were never recovered.  Page immediately contacted Lance and arranged another meeting.

This time, Pierre was taken aback by Lance’s appearance, he was unshaven and he had the shakes.  He told Lance, since I am a collector of artifacts, I would like to offer you money for the nail and hammer. Lance’s eyes lit up, he certainly needed the money.

Are you willing to sell, Lance said, if the price is right.  Pierre offered $100,000, soon the price got up to $1 million; before they went any further, Lance asked Pierre, why are you willing to spend that much money on a old hammer and nail, Pierre said, I am a devoted collector and I lack these type of items in my present collection.   Lance sighed and agreed to the $1 million dollar offer, they shook hands and agreed to meet the next day in Pierre’s office.

The next day, Lance met Pierre in his office, he handed Pierre the nail and hammer and Pierre handed him a briefcase with $1 million dollars in it.

Thirty minutes after he left the office, a man approached him with a gun, demanded the briefcase and shot him, killing him.

Later that evening, the briefcase was returned to Dr. Page.  The next morning, Dr. Page had a staff meeting.   He stood up and said; I have a new project.  I have two objects (in excellent condition) in my possession; I want to retrieve the DNA of tissue, blood and cells off these objects to create a human being.  You are the best doctors and scientists in the world and I expect you to be successful.

After retrieval, I want the cell nucleus immediately transferred into a mother’s egg; I have the perfect candidate for this procedure.  A single cell can be used to create a genetically identical fetus; the fetus will be reborn (cloned) from this cell.

Dr. Page returned home and called Sarah Patterson, a young lady who had taken one of his courses when he taught at an Ivy League University, they kept in constant touch throughout the years.  She still had a crush on him, she always talked about one day having children; this was her chance.

After exchanging pleasantries, Dr. Page asked Sarah would she be interested in becoming a surrogate for a family that was desperate to have children, she would be doing them a great service, Sarah was reluctant at first until Dr. Page turned on the charm. She agreed to come in for a consultation at the clinic.

Dr. Page hung up the phone and poured himself a Brandy, he was celebrating the biggest find in world history; the objects he had in his possession were priceless.

As he sipped the Brandy he thought, “I am going to recreate Jesus Christ.”

JACKS:

Jacks and G-Mac had just left a support group meeting for the “The Parents Of Murdered Children.” They consoled each other in the car; they still hadn’t got over the death of their daughter Leticia.  It had been a year; G-Mac went to work everyday but Jacks was on a leave of absence.

G-Mac was pulling out of the parking lot when Jacks ‘Vertu’ cell phone (with international access) rung. Jacks ignored the ring until G-Mac persuaded her to answer it. It was Lear.  Jacks had met Lear a few years earlier; they became fast friends, two black women with high-ranking positions in the intelligence community.

Almost immediately, Lear noticed sadness in Jacks voice, Jacks explained that they had just left a support group meeting.  Lear understood and expressed her condolences.

Lear told Jacks, I have to meet with you and G-Mac, it’s urgent; ‘above top secret.’ Lear said, also, before I forget, can I bring my friend Dayna Silva along and can you invite Nikki Campbell, Jacks was shocked regarding Dayna, she had heard of Dayna Silva, the ‘HIV assassin’ who was well respected in the espionage community.

In the last few years, she had intentionally infected a dictator and a diplomat with HIV, both men were deemed a threat to national security, they were no longer a threat after their medical status was leaked, both had dropped out of the public eye.

Jacks told Lear, she could bring Dayna and she would contact Nikki who happened to be in town, she also told Lear she usually put the kids to sleep at 8:00 p.m., it was best for Lear and Dayna to arrive after 8 p.m.  After she hung up, she wondered; what could this be about?  G-Mac interrupted her thoughts and asked, what was that about? Jacks took a deep breath and recounted the conversation.

DAYNA/LEAR:

Video girl/model Dayna Silva was speeding down PCH (Pacific Coast Highway) in her convertible Ferrari.  She looked in her rearview mirror and saw model Elan Carter coming up the rear in her purple convertible Porsche.  They had just finished shooting an ad campaign for a swimsuit company.  Dayna not only worked in modeling and music videos, she also worked in espionage.

Elan pulled up beside her and said “can’t nothing take a curve like a Porsche,” all at once, they started speeding down PCH; passerby’s gawked at these two beautiful black women behind the wheel of expensive sports cars speeding down PCH.  Elan caught up and sped past Dayna, she was going at such a high speeds; her fishtail emerged from the back of her Porsche.

They got off the highway and pulled into Malibu market. They departed their cars and went into the store.   They were discussing auditions and videos, Elan was telling Dayna to hire Jazzmyne PR for publicity when Dayna’s ‘Vertu’ cell phone rung, she knew it was business, she excused herself before she answered, it was Lear.  Lear said, we have a situation, I will pick you up later this evening; we have a meeting to attend.

JACKS:

When Lear and Dayna arrived, Nikki Campbell was already there.  Lear introduced Dayna to G-Mac, Jacks and Nikki.  G-Mac was taken aback by Dayna’s beauty until Jacks gave him a stern look.

Lear got down to business. Sterling Bryce asked me to assemble a ‘shadow unit.’  All of you were chosen because you are the best in your particular field.

A woman was admitted to a psychiatric ward last night, ranting and raving about her dead brother, before his death, he sold valuable artifacts, allegedly, containing the blood tissue of a ‘classified identity.’  Her story was overlooked until our deep cover operative confirmed the story.

Our mission is to retrieve these artifacts, we need to have these items in our possession before the DNA is retrieved and used to create a human being.  These items are currently under close watch at a clinic in Florida run by the notorious Dr. Pierre Page, who specializes in fertility, cloning, gene selection, gene mapping and DNA research, he is the best in these fields and he has surrounded himself with some of the best ‘rogue’ scientists and doctors in the world and he has armed guards discreetly posted outside the clinic. The clinic is located in a very remote and isolated location outside of Florida, the nearest neighbor is 20-miles away.

This mission has been classified ‘top priority.’

Jacks, I know you are on a leave of absence but we need you on this assignment.  G-Mac, I requested clearance from your agency, clearance was granted, G-Mac nodded. Nikki, since you are an independent contractor for a variety of agencies, I will ask you now, are you interested in taking on this assignment?  Nikki replied; you don’t have to ask me twice, I’m in.  Lear looked at Jacks and asked her, are you in?  Jacks hesitated until G-Mac spoke up, honey it will do you good to get back in the mix and my mother can watch the kids.  Jacks mumbled, I guess you’re right, count me in!  Lear looked at Dayna, I don’t have to ask you, I briefed you in the car on the way over here; you already agreed to lend us your skills.

Lear gave each person an “Eyes Only” folder containing a photograph and dossier of Dr. Pierre Page.  The women were surprised at how good looking the doctor was, he resembled the late actor Montgomery Clift.

Dayna, your job is to initiate a relationship with Dr. Pierre Page, he’s been involved with black women in the past; also, you don’t have to intentionally infect him, we don’t want him to die a slow death, if we decide to terminate him, we want it to be quick, if intimacy is called for, use condoms, Dayna nodded.

G-Mac, your assignment is to construct and supply our weapons, Jacks, we need you for logistics, Nikki; we need your firepower.   A private plane is waiting to take us to Florida, lets go.

On their way to the private hangar, Lear called her boyfriend Pierce, he worked for a government law enforcement agency; he was currently on assignment in Tokyo.  They expressed their love for one another before hanging up.

Jacks called to check on the children and Nikki called her boyfriend Sherm, she told him, she was on assignment indefinitely, she would see him after the assignment was over, since Sherm was in espionage, he understood.

Dayna called her fiancé Mario, he was on assignment in South America, after both of their assignments were completed; they planned to take a long vacation.  Mario also reminded her to take her AIDS medications; he had just taken his.  After Dayna hung up, she excused herself and went to the bathroom.

They had a good time on the plane, G-Mac was trying to cheat Lear and Dayna at poker and Nikki had Jacks laughing at her jokes and funny espionage stories.  G-Mac was a happy to see his wife laughing and enjoying herself.

After beating G-Mac at poker, Lear opened a briefcase and took out five cell phones; she kept one for herself and passed out the other four.  We will communicate via these phones. They are ‘Enigma T301’ phones.  These phones use military-level encryption to enable unbreachable communication between users via all standard GSM networks.

They arrived in Florida early in the morning, after unpacking, everyone took a nap, later that afternoon; they went jet skiing, speed boating and scuba diving on Florida’s gold coast.  Afterwards, they went grocery shopping and to a video outlet.  G-Mac rented the first season of the cancelled series “Playmakers.”

When they returned to the safe house, G-Mac put in his movie and opened a Budweiser while the women went in the kitchen to prepare dinner.  The menu consisted of Lear’s Mississippi deep fried chicken, homemade buttermilk biscuits, baked macaroni and cheese, steamed broccoli, peach cobbler and German chocolate cake.

Lear seasoned the flour with her four secret spices before rolling the chicken in it.  Nikki started on the cake and cobbler, Jacks was shocked to see Nikki cooking. Jacks said, Nikki, you can cook? Nikki said, you damn right; I’m a black woman aren’t I?  They started laughing.  Jacks replied, just make sure you don’t design the cake in the shape of a gun.  Everyone started laughing.

Since Dayna didn’t know how to cook, she washed the dishes and kept good conversation.  Everyone had a good hearty meal; G-Mac ate so much; his stomach ached.  After everyone went to sleep; G-Mac stayed up, he went in the basement and started making alterations to the firearms; he also made silencers as he listened to Tupac and Biggie on his i-pod.

The next day, Lear called Sterling Bryce, he said the assignment was delayed a day.

They decided to have breakfast at the News Café. Lear read in the paper that Alicia Keys and Maxwell’s benefit concert was sold-out.  She decided to contact her personal concierge to request five front-row tickets and backstage passes.

The concierge had the tickets and passes delivered to the News Café within the hour.  That night, everyone enjoyed the sweet soul sounds of Maxwell and Alicia Keys.  When they went backstage, a few fans recognized Dayna from her video appearances and requested her autograph.

Afterwards, they went to a seafood restaurant where they enjoyed blackened salmon steaks, red skinned roasted potatoes and crab clusters.

They decided to finish the evening up in South Beach where they walked down Ocean Drive and went to several clubs and danced the night away.  They returned to the house exhausted. Everyone slept peacefully that night.

PIERRE:

Dr. Pierre Page was in a local market; he had finished the majority of his shopping when he decided to go to the magazine aisle.  His heart skipped a beat when he saw the most gorgeous black woman he had ever seen in his life, leafing through a surfer magazine, another good sign since Pierre loved to surf in his spare time.  Due to the pressures of his work, he hadn’t surfed in a year.

Pierre eased next to her and picked up a magazine, he decided to initiate a conversation. I see you are reading a surfer magazine; do you surf? The woman turned to Pierre and said, I am a surfing fan, I love to go to Hawaii and watch the surf tournaments. She asked; do you surf?  Pierre eagerly replied, yes I do.

They conversed for several more minutes; they realized they had a lot in common.  Pierre introduced himself and the woman introduced herself as Dayna. Pierre asked Dayna for her number, she paused (for effect) before giving it to him.  Pierre thanked her, promised to call and left.  After he left, Dayna put the surfer magazine back and purchased her favorite hip-hop publication, “TRUE Magazine.”

Pierre didn’t want to appear too eager; he didn’t call the first night although he thought about Dayna throughout the night; he would call her tomorrow from the clinic.  He smiled at the anticipation.

The next day, Sarah arrived at the clinic for her consultation. Dr. Page assured her; the procedure was routine, Sarah was still reluctant.  She wanted to have children the old fashioned way with someone she loved; she really had no interest in being a surrogate.

Dr. Page told her, I’ve been working so hard over the years and I have taken you for granted.  Would you accompany me to dinner tonight, Sarah was so overcome with emotion she almost screamed yes.

After Sarah left the office, Dr. Page called Dayna, they agreed to get together over the weekend to go to the movies.

Dr. Page charmed Sarah over dinner, by the time they left, he had talked her into going through with the ‘implant’ procedure. Dr. Page was ecstatic; I will schedule you for the procedure next week.

From that moment on, Sarah would call Dr. Page everyday at the clinic, she now considered him her boyfriend, Dr. Page played alone with her but reminded her that he was too busy to take her out on a consistent basis, she understood and was content with talking on the phone everyday.

Dr. Page planned to have her killed immediately after she gave birth.  No loose ends.

DAYNA:

Dr. Page and Dayna went to see the movie “Ray,’ they both agreed, this was one of the best films to ever come out of Hollywood. Afterwards, they went to lunch at an Italian restaurant.  Over lunch, Dr. Page talked about Florida.  This tropical paradise has the highest ratio of millionaires, 1 out of every 30 people in Florida are millionaires.  This is also the place where Jennifer Lopez, Enrique Iglesias, Ricky Martin, Gloria Estefan and Julio Iglesias are treated like royalty.

From there, they went to the greyhound races. They finished up the evening at “Club Deep” in South Beach.  The doorman recognized Dayna from her music videos and unhooked the velvet rope.  The place was buzzing, video girl Dayna Silva was in the house.  People crowded around for her autograph and one guy asked her to dance. Dr. Page stood in the background; he was impressed; he had no idea that Dayna was famous.

Dayna hit the dance floor, she could tell her dance partner was also a professional dancer, people made room, they put on a show, as people stomped, cheered and clapped.  After the dance, Dayna joined Pierre, he said, I had no idea you were famous, I guess I was so busy talking about myself and Florida that I never took the opportunity to ask, what do you do?  Dayna replied, I model and dance.

They returned to Dayna’s apartment, she lit candles and put on Luther Vandross.  She did a sexy strip tease as Pierre watched transfixed; she suddenly took his hand and led him into the bedroom.

Afterwards, Dayna had her head on Pierre’s chest, Pierre thought; not only is she sexy, beautiful and famous but she knows how to satisfy a man completely; she was incredible.   He got up and went to the bathroom, Dayna smiled seductively, he was hooked.

When Pierre came out of the bathroom, he heard the sounds of Will Downing; Dayna was on the bed gesturing for him seductively. Within seconds he was fully aroused as he walked towards her.

Over pillow talk, Dr. Page couldn’t contain his excitement, he told her, something major is going to happen next Wednesday evening regarding an implant procedure, this project is so important, it is the only appointment scheduled for the day. Dayna tried to get additional information on the sly but he shut down.

After he left, Dayna contacted Lear and told her about the ‘implant’ procedure that was taking place on Wednesday evening, the only appointment scheduled for that day.  Lear told her, we cannot allow this procedure to take place, our source inside of the clinic contacted me today, I believe he knows the identity of the woman receiving the implant, when I returned his call, he was unavailable, I won’t stop until I reach him.

Also, it’s urgent you talk Dr. Page into going to Cocoa Beach to surf on that day since the procedure is in the evening, tell him it will relax him prior to the procedure.  We want him away from the clinic (so he can’t do the surgery) we will also raid the clinic and retrieve the artifacts and incriminating evidence.

Lear continued, Plan A: For now, terminate him with muscle inhibitor while you are surfing in the water, we will go to Plan B if the powers that be decide against termination, take your cell phone, I will keep you posted.

Later that evening, Lear heard from her source, her and Jacks met him, he informed them that a woman by the name of Sarah Patterson, a former undergraduate student of Dr. Page’s had a consultation in the clinic a few days ago, more than likely, she was the one receiving the implant.

Lear decided to put a surveillance team on Sarah’s residence.

Over the next few days, Dayna didn’t answer Dr. Page’s calls or return is calls, she wanted him eager, that way, he would go with her to Cocoa Beach.  On Tuesday, she answered his phone call, she could hear the desperation in his voice, he said, where have you been, I have been worried about you, I absolutely have to see you. Dayna told him, she had been taking time for herself but she had been thinking about him.  She suggested, let’s get together tomorrow, we can go to Cocoa Beach, I want to watch you surf.  Dr. Page hesitated, I have a urgent matter I have to conduct at my clinic tomorrow, Dayna cut him off, I guess you don’t want to see me that bad, huh?  She hung-up.

He called back twice, she ignored him, he called back a third time; she answered the phone.  He was pleading, okay, we can go to Cocoa Beach, I will dig out my surfboard, we have to leave early and can only stay a few hours because I have to get back to the clinic.  Dayna blew him a kiss over the phone and hung-up.  She called Lear; it’s done.

They arrived at the beach very early, it was deserted on an overcast day; they were the only ones there.   Dayna stripped down to her bikini, Dr. Page’s eyes almost popped out their sockets, damn; this woman is gorgeous, I am one lucky man. Dr. Page stripped down to his swim trunks; he left his pile of clothes including his cell phone and pager in a bundle on the beach.

Dayna had a thick belt tied around her bikini that contained a tracking device, a container of muscle inhibitor and a cell phone; all the items were waterproof.  When Dr. Page asked her why was she wearing the thick belt, she replied, she got the idea from a James Bond movie; Halle Berry had a thick white belt tied around her orange bikini in the movie.

Dr. Page carried his surfboard out to the water, Dayna walked beside him.

LEAR:

Lear was back at command central organizing a strike team to raid the clinic while Jacks monitored wave currents for Cocoa Beach and G-Mac and Nikki were putting silencers (he had constructed) on to several guns.  Nikki was admiring G-Macs work, she had a suggestion, hey G-Mac, my favorite clothes designer is Versace and you are my favorite gun designer, why don’t you put your label on the gun handle, “Killed by a G-Mac Gun,” kind of like, “Body By Jake.”  G-Mac busted out laughing, Nikki you crazy.

Jacks said, Lear, you better come here; according to my wave monitoring data, Cocoa Beach will be experiencing giant and powerful waves all day.  Dayna and Dr. Page just entered the water; their images should be coming up on the screen right now. Lear and Jacks turned around; the satellite showed two thermal images on the screen.

SARAH:

Sarah Patterson had just hung up the phone; her sister had just informed her that their mother had suffered a minor heart attack. Sarah called the airlines; she could only get an evening flight out.  She would have to cancel her appointment with Pierre but she didn’t want to disappoint him, maybe she could move the appointment up.

She called Dr. Page’s cell phone, no answer, she called the clinic and was informed that Dr. Page was away from the clinic but his second in command Dr. Jacques Davis was available. She explained her situation to Dr. Davis, he listened intently, he put her on hold and tried to call Pierre, he wasn’t answering his cell, he paged Pierre, usually after a few seconds, Pierre returned his page, not this time, where the hell was he on such an important day?

He thought for a few minutes, Pierre had stressed how urgent this implant procedure was; Jacques decided at the spur of the moment; I will do the implant procedure, my chance to impress Dr. Page with my ability and leadership skills in his absence.

He got back on the line and told Sarah to come in; he lied and said, Dr. Page was experiencing an emergency, he asked me to get you started with the procedure and he would come in and finish it up. Sarah said okay, after I finish packing; I will come to the clinic, from there; I can leave for the airport. Jacques stressed, after implant procedures, I usually request that my patients rest, Sarah interrupted him, I will be fine, I have to go visit my sick mother, Jacques said okay, I will be expecting your arrival.

DAYNA:

Dr. Page and Dayna were in the water, Dr. Page wanted to show off, he got on his surfboard and surfed a few feet away while Dayna told him how sexy he looked.  She opened a compartment on her belt and discreetly brought out the container of muscle inhibitor.  She loved using muscle inhibitor, quick, easy and lethal, after she sprayed it in his direction, every muscle in his body would freeze up and he would sink to the bottom of the ocean and drown; suddenly, the ring of her cell phone startled her.

Dayna hurriedly answered the phone, Lear shouted, plans have changed, ‘do not terminate,’ the powers that be want him alive, he might be helpful to our government but the order came down to ‘disable him.’ We have to resort to Plan B. A giant and devastating wave is headed in your way, it will arrive at you precise destination in one minute, make sure his back is facing the wave, when it hits. After the wave hits, swim him to shore and call the paramedics.  Your assignment will be complete and the government will intervene. Return to the safe house we will meet you there later this evening.

Dayna saw the wave in the distance, she called out Pierre, he rushed to her, she positioned him in the water where he couldn’t see the wave fast approaching from the opposite direction, she gave him a passionate kiss, he responded, after a few seconds, she fondled him, this is the last thing that Dr. Pierre Page remembered before a powerful wave crashed into his back, severing his spinal cord, paralyzing him from the waist down.

The power of the wave knocked both of them backwards towards the shore and underwater, Dayna struggled to come up for air, she also hoisted Pierre up.

Dayna used all of her strength to swim ashore with Pierre, after she caught her breath, she did mouth to mouth on him, he spit up water but he was going in and out of consciousness, she called 911; when she heard the sirens, she mysteriously disappeared.

LEAR:

The surveillance team contacted Lear; she was informed that Sarah Patterson was on the move, Lear told them; we have Dr. Page neutralized where he is unable to do the surgery but follow her anyway.

Fifteen minutes later, Lear’s cell phone rung again, the surveillance team told her that they had followed Sarah to the clinic.  Lear thought, what the hell is going on, why would she be at the clinic, didn’t the clinic cancel the surgery after they failed to locate Dr. Page?

A few minutes later, Lear was going over final preparations with the Strike Team when her phone rung again, her source reported that they had moved Sarah’s implant surgery up; she was at the clinic right now being prepped for surgery! Dr. Page’s second in command, Dr. Jacques Davis was going to conduct the surgery.

The team was quickly assembled as they rushed to the clinic. Nikki was fitted with an earpiece; which would enable her to have communication with Jacks, G-Mac and Lear from their high-tech van.

The Strike Team arrived and bolted out of the van, they were shot at by the armed guards, fire was returned, a few of the guards went down and one strike team member was killed.

Nikki led the team into the lobby, the team split up, they complex was big and sound proof, they still hadn’t found the surgery room, each member communicated with Lear on radio, no success.   Meanwhile, in the van, Lear and G-Mac were doing a video feed surveillance of the clinic, the complex was vast with hundreds of rooms.

Nikki (walked alone) door to door when Jacks spoke in her earpiece, a hostile is coming in your direction, 12 o’clock.  A pot-bellied guard appeared in front of Nikki, gal what you doing in here?  The cleaning crew uses the back entrance, now get, before I call the cops on you.  Nikki stared him down and said, motherfucker you in the wrong era.  He replied, you got a smart mouth gal; the guard also noticed her gun, he drew his gun and asked, what is this, some type of driveby robbery and where in the hell did you get that silencer, on the Internet?   He continued, are you stupid and dumb enough to think we have money or drugs in here?  Gal, this is a clinic but you probably think it’s an abortion clinic, huh?  Figures.  You need to take your black ass home and bake some cookies.

Nikki laid her gun down and assumed a hand-to-hand combat stance, she said, come on big man, show me what you got.  He laughed and said, you must be on crack, but it will be my pleasure to show you what I got, if you lucky, maybe I will rape you after I kick your black ass.

After he laid his gun down, he didn’t see the first kick coming, it hit him in the gut, he lost his breath and fell to the ground, Nikki kicked him in the face while he was on his knees holding his stomach, when he gathered enough strength to stand up, she did a roundhouse karate kick and broke his kneecap, he screamed out in pain and said, you must watch “Alias,” what kind of woman are you? Nikki said, a woman who kicks hillbilly ass from coast to coast.

She took him by the collar, retrieved her gun and placed it against his head, now motherfucker, you going to tell me what I need to know. In what room are the doctors conducting surgery and I know you know because it is the only procedure scheduled for today. The guard pointed upstairs and mumbled, room 3A.

Nikki said, I got to give you credit, you covered every negative stereotype within five minutes, you real good at that, now, let me show you what I’m real good at.

Nikki pointed the gun at him, he had a look of terror in his eyes, Nikki said, I think race relations may improve if you’re dead, what do you think?  He shook his head vigorously and shouted no!  She shot him twice, killing him.  She raced upstairs, two stairs at a time as she shouted the room location to Jacks over the wire.

Jacks alerted Strike Team members, they all busted through Room 3A seconds before Jacques was going to inject Sarah with the cells. Nikki told everyone to back away from the patient.

Out of nowhere, government officials appeared and gathered up the needle in Jacques hand as well as everything else in the room, other government officials were in Pierre’s office, they found a safe that used a time synchronizing lock which enabled the combination to change every 60 seconds, a expert was called in, he used a an hand held wireless monitor to read the current combination, within 60 seconds, before the combination changed again, the safe was opened and the artifacts were retrieved. Classified documents and other incriminating evidence were also recovered.

Everyone was ordered to evacuate and the clinic was torched.

JACKS:

The crew celebrated at the safe house with Cristal Champagne, everyone was eating, drinking and dancing; they were having a good time.

G-Mac made a toast, here’s to a mission that went off without a hitch, Nikki said, holdup, I did get detained for a few minutes, I kicked redneck ass and had to blow him away, they all laughed.

After the party ended, during the course of clean up, G-Mac turned on the television just in time to see an urgent bulletin.

The newscaster reported, Kendall Taylor, formerly known as the Prince Of Soul has escaped from Pelican Bay Prison.   Taylor was convicted last year of raping and killing several underage girls.  You may also remember, Taylor’s voice box was forcibly removed; no suspects were ever apprehended for that offense, in other news…

Jacks was staring transfixed at the screen, she began to shiver with rage as G-Mac put his arms around her.   Lear, Nikki and Dayna were stunned.  An eerie silence penetrated the room.

KENDALL:

Prison had been a nightmare for Kendall; he was raped everyday and became known as the cellblock bitch.   Inmates teased and taunted him about his inability to talk.

The only bright spot in his prison stay was Lynn.  Their relationship started off as a pen pal friendship, she was his biggest fan and believed Kendall was innocent, she even slept with a photo of Kendall under her pillow and she had all of his albums.  She visited him every week, Kendall could tell she was in love with him and she didn’t seem to mind that he couldn’t talk; he decided to use this to his advantage.

He wrote her a note during one of her visits, telling her that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her but he couldn’t do it behind bars. She smiled from ear to ear.   After a few more visits, Kendall wrote her a note detailing his escape plan, she agreed to be a part of it.

The day had come, while working on detail in the outdoors, once the guard was distracted; Kendall made a run for it.

Kendall ran through the woods, faster and faster, as he heard the search dogs barking in the background.

His heart was pounding as he stopped to take a breath; he hid behind the thick shrubs when he heard the helicopter from above.  The helicopter finally left when nightfall came.

He was cold, dirty and hungry as he waited for Lynn at their designated spot, where the hell was she?  Suddenly, he saw headlights and breathed a sigh of relief.  She stopped the car; he got in the back seat and pulled a blanket over him.

Lynn decided to take the back roads, the authorities had roadblocks on the main roads but they had yet to put roadblocks on the back roads according to Lynn’s police scanner.

Lynn talked non-stop; Kendall was half listening because he had one thing on his mind.

He planned to extract revenge on the people who destroyed his life and career.  The same people who removed his voice box.  He had thought about it every day for a year, now the time had come.

Jacks, G-Mac, Sherm and Nikki were going to pay for what they did to him.

Click the following link to read Ballin 4-7: Ballin 4-7

Interviewer: Elan Carter

Q: How did you get into writing and publishing?

A: A very good friend of mine was a contributing writer for a regional magazine in the bay area, I had two story ideas that would fit perfectly into the format; she suggested that I call the publisher of the magazine.  I presented him with my ideas and he made the suggestion, why don?t you write the articles.

Q: Did you freelance after the articles were published?

A: Yes I did, I was disappointed in how my work was being edited, to the point; I didn?t even recognize my work.  One afternoon, I was having lunch with a friend, when I complained about it, she said, take control and launch your own publication, the idea stuck in my mind.

Q: You have never taken any writing courses or journalism courses; your writing ability is natural, correct?

A: Correct, God blessed me with the ability to write.  My strength isn?t writing, it is rewriting.  My first drafts are laughable; my strength comes from polishing up those drafts.

Q: When you were creating Panache Report.com, what did you have in mind?

A: I wanted to create a publication that combined hip-hop and pop and a publication that featured short stories.  I wanted a different format from other entertainment publications on the market.

Q: Columnists who influenced you?

A: Dorothy Kilgallen, Rona Barrett, Matt Drudge and Jeanette Walls

Q: How did you get into Urban Fiction and how did the Ballin series come about?

A: Sister Souljah?s book ?The Coldest Winter Ever? influenced me to write urban fiction. When I wrote the first draft of Ballin, I called you on your cell phone to run it by you, I remember, you were exercising your Porsche on PCH (Pacific Coast Highway) and you hit a dead zone, we kept getting cut off and you kept calling back until I finished reading it . You loved it and said, that is one of the best stories I have ever heard and if it ever gets adapted for film, I want to play Jacks.  This influenced the scene in Ballin 3, where you and Dayna are racing down PCH in your sports cars.

Q: You were originally going to end the Ballin series at ?Ballin 3,? has anything changed, will it be extended?

A: Yes it will; originally, Ballin 3 was titled, ?Ballin 3, The Finale? but numerous readers emailed and asked me to reconsider, and the staff also asked me to reconsider, so I decided to extend the series.

Q: You receive a lot of email regarding the short stories?

A: Yes, many of our readers say they print out the stories to read on their lunch break, or when they are commuting.  Other readers say, they print out the stories to read on the plane when they are traveling or before they go to sleep at night.

Q: What are your favorite stories on the site?

A: ?Secret Weapon (Video Girl)? the ?Ballin? series, ?Female Assassin,? ?Downlow in Hip-Hop,? ?$20,000 Per Weekend Call Girl,? ?Golddiggas? ?Darkside,? ?Hatin,? and ?The Pawn.? But one of my all-time favorite stories is ?not? on the site; it?s titled ?Experiments.? This story is unpublished, written in treatment form.

Elan adds, I read Experiments, it is a masterpiece; I consider it my favorite story as well and the twist at the end is mind-boggling.

Q: You don?t drink or smoke?

A: No, I don?t do nicotine, caffeine or drugs, nor do I drink.  Besides the fact that smoking, drugs and drinking are not good for you.  I have to keep my mind clear in order to create.

Q: If the ?Ballin? series gets adapted for film, who would be your choices to play the principal characters?

A: Meagan Good (for a teenaged Jacks) Elan Carter (for a twentysomething Jacks) LL Cool J for G-Mac, Gabrielle Union as Nikki, Sanaa Lathan as Lear, Naveen Andrews as Sherm and a newcomer for Dayna.

Q: One of the highlights of your career?

A: Loida Lewis (the widow of Reginald Lewis who owned the billion dollar conglomerate, TLC Beatrice) happen to read a issue of my magazine, she wrote me a letter, telling me my product was very good and informative and that I seemed to have the same business traits that made her husband successful and to never give up, I have that letter framed.

Q: Who are you favorite writers?

A: Old school: I like Alex Haley, James Baldwin, Donald Goines, Sidney Sheldon, Harold Robbins and Richard Wright. New School: E. Lynn Harris and Relentless Aaron. I also enjoy Kathryn Harvey, Erica Kennedy, Toni Morrison, BeBe Moore Campbell and David Balducci.

Q: It?s rumored that you read 2-3 books per week and you have a photographic memory, name some of your favorite books?

A: ?The Coldest Winter Ever? by Sister Souljah, ?Just As I Am? by E. Lynn Harris, ?Butterfly? by Kathryn Harvey and ?The Winner? by David Balducci.

Q: What fascinates you?

A: The pyramids in Egypt and various languages.

Q: Favorite travel destinations?

A: Monte Carlo, Copenhagen, Rio de Janiero, Las Vegas, Lake Tahoe and Montreal.

Q: Hobbies?

A: Gourmet cooking, reading, poetry, jazz , theater and travel.

Q: Your biggest fear in writing?

A: I never want to become boring or one dimensional, I try to keep my skills sharpened by writing all the short stories for every category on the site, urban (hip-hop gallery) mainstream (rock & pop short stories) and racy (sensual intelligence).

Q: How long does it usually take you to write a story?

A: I am a speed writer and a speed reader, it normally takes me 1-2 days to write a story start to finish.  It took me a weekend to write Ballin 3.  I have written over 100 stories that have yet to be published.

Q: People you admire?

A: I admire Berry Gordy, what he did with Motown was amazing.  Here was an small indpendent label coming out of Detroit with talented artists going up against larger labels with bigger budgets and Gordy came out on top because his product was quality and the public couldn?t get enough of the Motown sound.   I also admire Sylvia Rhone, the President of Motown/Universal and Oprah Winfrey as well as Magic Johnson, Earl Graves and Hilary Clinton.

Q: Favorite Entertainers?

A: Usher, Prince, Janet and Michael.

Q: Favorite singers, male and female?

A: Luther Vandross, Rachell Ferrell, Alicia Keys, Will Downing, Howard Hewitt, Stephanie Mills, Teena Marie, Jaheim, Maxwell, D?Angelo, Jill Scott, Erykah Badu, Whitney Houston. Old School: The Isley Brothers, Al Green, Michael Henderson, Marvin and Tammi, Angela Winbush, Peabo Bryson, Jeffrey Osbourne, Teddy Pendergrass and the Temptations (Elan, make sure you tell your stepfather, Otis Williams that I mentioned the Temps). {Laughing}.

Q: Favorite Movies?

A: ?The Learning Tree,? ?Black Orpheus,? ?Men Of Honor,? ?Lady Sings The Blues,? ?Basic Instinct,? ?Ray,? ?Hotel Rwanda,? ?The Long Kiss Goodnight,? ?Point Of No Return,? ?Something The Lord Made,? ?Forever Mine,? ?Soul Food,? ?The Best Man,? ?The Assignment,? ?Antwone Fisher,? ?Remember The Titans,? and ?Conspiracy.?

Q: Favorite TV Shows?

A: ?24,? ?Law & Order,? "Prison Break," "Nip & Tuck," ?CSI,? and ?Law & Order SVU.?

Q: Favorite Actors & Actresses?

A: Denzel Washington, Angela Bassett, Stanley Tucci, Cate Blanchett, Regina King, Morgan Freeman, Keifer Sutherland, Bobby DeNiro, Don Cheadle, Meryl Streep, Mariska Hargitay and Sanaa Lathan.

Q: Favorite Food?

A: Seafood and southern cuisine, New Orleans has the best seafood and Texas has some of the best southern cuisine along with the ATL, I also like good BBQ, Kansas City and Texas have very good BBQ and Vancouver has really good food and I also like the museums and art galleries in Canada.

Q: Ultimate goal for the Panache Report.com

A: We will continue to present quality interviews and stories and we will continue to be informative, entertaining and consistent.  One of our ultimate goals is to become:  A full-service entertainment showcase, where you can read about your favorite celebrities, read a short story, get the latest entertainment gossip, read the sports column, place a wager in our casino or watch a movie in the theater, located on the ?Sensual Intelligence? side of the site. I am also going to add video games in the near future for download or purchase.

Q: Upcoming highlights?

A: For Panache Report.com: We just completed an interview with singer/actress/dancer Mya, she also discusses her upcoming fashion line; she will be the April cover story. 

Q: What are the most popular features on the site?

A: The short stories (in every category), the hip-hop gallery, cover stories, celebrity profiles, sports and the ?Breaking News? column, actually, Breaking News has become so popular that we have given reprint permission for several overseas publications and our blind items are wildly popular, Wendy Williams announces them on her radio show and we have also given permission to other media outlets to announce them, as long as they credit the site and/or pay the reprint fee, it?s all good.  Because of the popularity of Breaking News, we are seeing an increase in publicists emailing us information on their clients to be included in breaking news.  They realize that it will not only be featured in our column but will be picked up by other columns and be announced on radio stations.

Q: Could you tell us a little about Ballin 4?

A: Yes, it will have more of an urban flavor to it against a backdrop of espionage and I will honor my Aunt Bessie?s cooking, I will have a caf? in the story named ?Aunt Bessie?s.  My aunt has pecan trees in her yard; she can take those pecans and make the best pecan pie from scratch that you have ever eaten in your life.  She is an amazing cook.   Starting with 'Balin 4,' the series will be exclusively available through my upcoming books that can be purchased on this site or through the publisher.  Future installments will not appear on the site.

Q: Would you like to add anything else before we close this interview?

A: Yes, I would like to thank all of our readers for making Panache Report.com a success.