at several websites. Once he had found the one he wanted, he turned on one of the sterile cell phones and dialed Lumpy’s Bail Bonds. He identified himself as Mushir Ali Mohammed of the Somali Friends Association of Nashville and explained that they had taken up a collection at their mosque in hopes of bailing one of their members out of jail. Cheng asked if the bail bonds agent could help. The man took Wazir Ibrahim’s information and then asked him to hold for a moment while he checked the county court computer system.
When the agent returned to the line, he listed the charges against Wazir Ibrahim, as well as the bail amount. Cheng was relieved on both counts. The fact that Wazir was even eligible for bail meant that he hadn’t yet tried to cut a deal. If he had, the FBI would be involved and there was no way they would let him walk—unless they were trying to set a trap.
Suddenly, that seemed all too plausible to Cheng. It was very much like the FBI to try such a sting. They could allow Wazir Ibrahim to bond out and then follow him to see what he did, where he went, and whom he talked to. Cheng would have to take extra precautions.
The bail would burn through most of his cash, but he had no choice. If he didn’t pay the cost of the bond in full, plus the bond agent’s fee, then collateral and residents with ties to the community would be required to act as cosigners. The fewer people involved the better.
After the bond agent finished explaining the process, Cheng asked how quickly Wazir Ibrahim could be released. “As soon as I walk across the street and sign the paperwork.”
This was good news. Cheng thanked him and, after hanging up, removed the battery and disassembled the phone.
The only other thing he needed at this point was a middleman, someone he could use as a cutout to shield his involvement and add to the authenticity of his plan. If the Somali community in Nashville was big enough, that wasn’t going to be a problem at all.
Cheng searched the Web again and, finding what he was looking for, pulled up the directions online. It was downtown, on Murfreesboro Pike.
Traffic was light and it took less than twenty minutes to get there. When Cheng arrived, his eyes exactly what he had hoped to see—taxicabs. And as it was a Somali restaurant, he had no doubt about the ethnicity of the drivers.
He parked out of sight and came back to the restaurant on foot. It didn’t take him long to find what he was looking for. The young Somali man was a flashy dresser. He wore pressed jeans, expensive basketball shoes, and a designer shirt. In his hand was a brand-new iPhone. He was louder than his colleagues, with a big smile and a bounce to his step. He thought highly of himself and liked to show off. This was exactly the kind of man Cheng needed.
As the Somali reached his cab, Cheng approached him and asked if he was free. The man nodded and Cheng climbed in back.
“Where to?” the driver asked.
Cheng asked to be taken to Music Row. He wanted enough time to make small talk and feel the man out. Nodding, the driver started his cab, turned on the meter, and pulled away from the curb.
As they drove, Cheng learned everything he needed to know about the driver. He would be perfect.
When they arrived at Music Row, Cheng paid his fare and gave the Somali a hundred-dollar tip. The man was extremely grateful.
“If you need a taxi again,” he said, scribbling down his cell phone number and handing it to his passenger, “call me.”
Cheng took the number and smiled. “Actually, I have two important errands to run tonight. How would you like to make a thousand dollars?”
CHAPTER 29
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The taxi driver had balked at only one thing, having his signature on the bail paperwork. When Cheng offered him an additional thousand dollars, the young man’s reservations magically disappeared. Cheng had definitely chosen the right man for the job.
Cheng turned on the second cell phone and gave the driver the number in order to keep in touch. Once the bail agent had been taken care of, the taxi driver parked across the street from the jail and waited. He had only two questions. Where was he supposed to take Wazir Ibrahim and whom should he say