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This story is a work of fiction, a product of the author's imagination, any similarities to persons or locales is purely coincidental.

FRAMED

Brothers, Clay and Cory Powers grew up in Miami Beach. They both became Organized Crime figures.

Cory Powers was an hired gun who worked through several contractors.  He was usually summoned through encrypted email or through coded words placed in the classified ad section of major newspapers.   Cory was known as the king of wet work (assassination).  He considered himself a connoisseur of women and he often went to a friend’s modeling agency to thumb through portfolios, searching for dates.  He also hired the agency to supply models for his parties.  Cory’s job cover: Professional gambler. Casinos flew him to Monaco, Vegas, Tahoe and Atlantic City.

Clay Powers was involved in three lucrative markets. He sold classified information which included U.S. Customs flight schedules to drug smugglers.  He was also a pilot who smuggled gallons of potassium permanganate to South American drug dealers.  Potassium permanganate disinfects cocaine and makes it 100 percent pure.  Clay also sold boat covers to smugglers, when boat engines were cut off on the water, the cover would be placed over the boat making the boat undetectable by cameras used in customs planes and helicopters, the cover made the boat resemble a wave.   Although these markets were very lucrative, Clay wanted to become a major player in the drug trade.

On an impulse, Clay decided to make additional contacts in the drug industry.  Cory put him in touch with the biggest supplier in Florida.  They came to a quick agreement and within months, Clay quadrupled his profits.  He also used his supply of potassium permanganate to purify his cocaine.  Within eighteen months, Clay became the biggest drug dealer in South Florida.

Clay created a job cover as an Entertainment executive.  He contacted his friend Taylor, she had high-level entertainment contacts and she agreed to supply him with concert tickets, all-access backstage passes and she also agreed to refer names and contacts to Clay for a generous kickback.

Clay went to a memorabilia store and purchased platinum records and celebrity photos to line the walls of his rented office.  He also had business cards printed up listing his occupation as Entertainment consultant.  Clay was in a festive mood when he returned home. He picked up the phone and made dinner reservations for two, his next call was to a beautiful blonde named Tiffany Masters.

Tiffany Masters had grown up in Orange County where she appeared in local commercials and she worked in her mother’s art gallery during the summer months.  She developed a deep love and appreciation for art.  Tiffany also blossomed into a promising artist.

Tiffany spent her spare time playing tennis, she was known for her quick reflexes.  She often played with her stepfather Jack.

Tiffany was shattered when her brother Brandon overdosed on black tar heroin.  From that point on, Tiffany developed a deep hatred for drugs.

Tiffany would receive an Art scholarship to the University Of Miami. Her parents helped her relocate.  Before long, she was involved in a love affair with an CEO, he moved her into a corporate apartment and paid all of her expenses.  They eventually drifted apart but Tiffany had developed an appetite for rich men.  Over the next few years, she became involved with several tycoons.

Tiffany and a group of coed’s decided to spend their spring break at Daytona Beach.  Clay approached her and introduced himself.

Over the next few months, they attended A-List concerts where they would sit in the front row and go backstage to mingle with celebrities.  They also attended stock car races and greyhound races.

They eventually fell in love.

After a hot session of lovemaking, Clay went to take a shower.  Tiffany got up and began searching for her boots, she found them under the bed, nestled on a duffel bag.  She pulled the boots and bag out from under the bed.  The bag was halfway unzipped, she was taken aback when she saw kilo’s of cocaine stacked on top of one another, she jumped back, when she turned around, Clay was standing there staring at her.

He stepped forward and slapped her and accused her of spying on him, he also threatened her if she went to the cops.  Tiffany was petrified, she had never seen this side of Clay, she feared for her life as he blocked her path, he pushed her down on the bed.

After ranting and raving for ten minutes, he came to his senses and apologized.  He professed his love for her.  An inner-strength overtook Tiffany, she stood up, gave Clay a look of hatred, walked passed him and slammed the door.

Clay spent the following weeks trying to lure Tiffany back with roses and jewelry.  She sent each item back.  Clay also tried to phone her, she hung-up in his face.  Over time, her resistance began to wear down.

She was packing when the phone rung, it was Clay.  He apologized profusely, she told him that she was leaving for Orange County the next day.  He quickly suggested that they meet at the airport café prior to her departure, it was urgent and it couldn’t wait. Tiffany reluctantly agreed, she also reminded him that she had no intention of getting back with him.

Clay was waiting at the airport café when Tiffany arrived.  He immediately apologized for striking her and agreed to the breakup.

He presented her with a wrapped gift in the shape of a painting.  Tiffany unwrapped the painting.  It was beautiful but she decided not to accept it.

Clay insisted that she keep it on the basis of a farewell gift, take it to Orange County and show your mother at the gallery.  She thought about it and finally agreed with the reasoning.

Her flight was announced over the loudspeaker, Clay bid her farewell.

Tiffany was in line, waiting to go through customs when security appeared.  They apprehended her, she asked, what the hell is going on?  They didn’t respond, they escorted her to a private room.  After a few minutes, a man entered the room and introduced himself as head of customs.  He told her that they had received a tip that she was smuggling heroin in a painting, he instructed the agents to search the painting.  Tiffany stared in disbelief.

Within minutes, the agents discovered plastic pellets of heroin planted in the back of the painting.  Tiffany said, there must be some mistake, then it dawned on her, Clay gave her the painting, she angrily said, that son-of-a-bitch!  At that precise moment, Tiffany was placed under arrest.

Clay denied giving Tiffany the painting when police questioned him.  Police couldn’t find any witnesses to collaborate Tiffany’s story.

At the pre-trial motion, the judge discovered that Tiffany wasn’t read her rights before her arrest, she was let go on a technicality. She returned home to pack, she took a break from packing, after showering and drying off, she took out a razor to shave her legs, she was putting a new blade in the razor when the blade slipped out of her hand, she bent down to palm the blade, when she looked up, a man was pointing a gun at her.

The man introduced himself as Cory, Clay’s brother.  He screamed, no one crosses the Powers brothers, bitch! I’m here to kill you but I think I’ll rape you first.  He lowered the gun as he attempted to unzip his fly, Tiffany saw a window of opportunity, she positioned the blade firmly in her hand, suddenly, without warning, she relied on her quick reflexes as she lunged at Cory and sliced his jugular vein. Cory screamed out in pain with a look of disbelief on his face. He dropped the gun and clasped the wound with both hands as he sunk to the floor, he would bleed to death.

Cory’s death was ruled as justifiable homicide. Clay would die six months later in a drug sting.  The police cleared Tiffany when they found a notebook in Clay’s apartment detailing a plan to frame Tiffany.

Tiffany moved back to Orange County.