AWAKENING (26 page)

S
he held on, sucking in the pain when h
e climbed out the window,
gripped the base with gloved hands then began his descent. He used the brick’s imperfections to scamper
down three stories. Lots of rock climbing with the boys at Chelsea Pier made the descent easy even with a hundred and ten extra pounds on his back. When feet touched solid ground, Nico surveyed the dark. They were on side of the building, and he could
see the precincts
’
west wall.
At this hour he’d have an unimpeded drive to the pier where
Alberti’s yacht waited to sail him
home to Barbados. H
e’d get her to the pier then
he’d go solo.
He wasn’t sent to babysit
anybody
and the last time he did, he got in
serious
trouble.
Air fanned the nape of his neck and a pitiful moan like an injured cat
elicited a frown. Damn, how was he to know he’d been sent back-up? He hadn’t been told and if he had he would’ve declined the help. He worked alone and the times he
hadn’t, his partner was Vincent.

He moved through the dark, staying out of the lights and got to his car. He put her down and she slid in the backseat where she lay on her side watching him with slanted eyes.
Nico started the engine and cruised from the area,
driving along
darkened streets as
he
head for the highway.

“Nico?”

He looked in the rearview mirror at his passenger, “What?”

“I think you broke my rib.”

“Then be glad that’s all I did.”

“I have to get to New York by tomorrow.”

“Good luck with that.”

“I
need your help getting there.”

“We part ways after this sweetheart, sorry.”

The expressway traffic was light. The car maintained speed with other vehicles. He couldn’t help her. When she got in this business, she should’ve considered the danger. An ass-kicking came with the territory for novices. He eased off the gas when he spotted a cruiser on the side with a radar gun.

“I heard rumors about you, are they true?”

“Depends on what you heard.”

“You’ve disgraced the family.”

Nico chuckled, “That’s all, huh?”

“
Was she pretty
, prettier than me
?”

“What’s with the million questions?”
He knew where she was going. They had a history, albeit short-lived.  They met four years ago, during one of his ‘assignments’ in Bangkok. Double-hit, easy job till she showed up. Some other bozo put out a contract on the same guy and sent her.
She nearly fucked up his job when she tried to take
out the
guy in a seedy club
and n
early, got herself killed. Nico saved her ass that time, too
. She
almost didn’t make it out the club
and he had to hit the target before he went into hiding, since her botched attempt served as a warning. He took out the mark and an innocent bystander in the process, thanks to
Miss Can’t Kill Right. Anyway, they hooked-up. Heck,
Yei’s
hot, but
one
night
don’t
amount to shit. She knew that, so this ‘is she prettier than me?’ nonsense made him scoff.
“It’s not always about look
s
sweetheart.”

Yei
hadn’t a clue then and apparently she still didn’t. She was a ‘free-lancer’, one of those private contractors whose loyalty
lies
with money. She’d take any job for anybody. He had a problem with that,
and he didn’t trust her. Selange he trusted.

“There
’s
a time you thought I was pretty.”

“Why do women waste their time comparing themselves to other women when they’re
individually
unique?”

She paused the
n
said, “Because we
have
yet to discover our uniqueness.”

Nico’s eyes were riveted on the side
mirror;
the cruiser was coming off the
shoulder.
“Then go see a mother-fucking shrink!”

“Roll down the window back here, it’s hot.”
Yei
requested.

To shut her up he did it.
The cruiser
raced
forward. Now it
rolled on their tail.
“Shit!”

“What’s wrong?”

“Got company sweetheart.
The law
, keep quiet goddammit.
I’m Hank Andrews from New Hampshire, Six
Gribben
Lane, who are you today?
”

“Um…I’m your girlfriend,
Joy Ling,
dinga
-ling and now
I’ve fallen asleep
, g
ood night.”

She spread out on the seat and feigned sleep.
Nico shook his head. The woman’s comedic timing was worse than Vincent’s.

‘Whoop-whoop!’

Nico signal
ed then cruised to the side of the roadway.
The trooper
’s car stopped and an officer emerged but not before aiming his light on the car’s rear window. The officer
cautiously
approach
ed
. Nico noticed the anxious hand touching the sidearm. American cops were trigger happy scaredy-cats.
“License and registration, please.”
The trooper asked as he leaned toward the driver’s window.

“Sure, did I go over the speed limit?”

“You got a busted tail light.”

Nico reached in the glove compartment for the fake license and registration then passed it to the officer.

“Your passenger’s alright?” The officer asked as he
swiveled the
flashlight
to
the backseat
and light fell on
Yei’s
body curled in a ball
.

“Yeah, girlfriend
, she’s sleeping
.
W
e
’ve
got a long drive to New Hampshire.”

The license matched a New Hampshire address as did the registration.

“Miss, can you sit up please.”

Yei
didn’t move.

Nico tapped her on the ass, “Sit-up
Joy
, we’ve been pulled over.”

She gave an exaggerated moan and sat up, “Ah, what you do
Hank,
you speeding?”

Satisfied the young woman wasn’t a reluctant passenger or worse, the officer addressed Nico, “Be back, sit tight.”

The trooper headed to his vehicle and
Nico heard rustling
in the back seat. He spun around and caught
Yei’s
arm before she made it out the door. In her hand was a weapon. The silver six points were sharp and he
guessed what she planned to do.
“Ah, no-no-no.
Sit your ass down. This officer isn’t dying by our hands missy.”

“He’s seen our faces.”

“I see you’re wearing contacts, so am I. is your hair that natural color, mine neither, get where I’m going amateur?”

She settled in the seat. Nico glanced up and saw the officer returning, “Lay your butt there and do anything stupid I’m killing you. Got it?”

“Fuck-off!”
Then she feigned sleep.

“Here you go sir. I gave you a citation for the busted light. Get it fixed then send the receipt and the ticket is waived.”

“Thanks officer.” Nico replied, he took the summons, “be careful out here, you guys have a dangerous job.”

“Yeah, take care and don’t forget. Fix it, send the receipt and you’re fine.”

“I will, so long.”

They were on the road again and Nico
glanced in the rearview mirror.
The officer was in his car, then going through the half-circle which took him to the southbound lane. He sat there, waiting for speeders. Sure enough, zoom and the trooper was in pursuit.
Nico addressed his unwanted passenger, “If you want to stay in this business and live, you better put a clamp on that impulsivity. One day it’s going to get you killed!”

CHAPTER
FIFTEEN

Giuseppe closed his coat to the c
hill
and walked ahead of his guards, unafraid of potential threats. He traveled with his best men at all times, but refused to cower behind them like a woman.

Roberto’s father requested his presence, their meeting place a secluded end of the pier overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. The old man, stood there, formidable and no
sign of th
e
heart condition, Roberto mentioned
. 
The man was the height of his father, not quite five-eight but with the body of a man who’d seen rough streets. He was flanked by his four sons, an odd-ball assembly of heights and builds, with unreadable expressions. Giuseppe didn’t need to
guess why he’d been
ask
ed
to meet here, he already knew the reason. He halt in front of the old man and greeted him with a customary kiss on each cheek, “Buongiorno
Don
Benaducci
, how are you?”

The man gripped Giuseppe’s shoulders, “Not well Giuseppe, there is pain in my heart.”

Ah, so Roberto had not lied on this, either. “Then, you should rest. Take a long vacation. There are many beautiful islands which can relax a man’s bones and revitalize his flesh.”

The old man smirked, “Eh, you seek to kill an old man telling him such things.”

Giuseppe put his hands in his pockets, “So, why this meeting in the cold, why not a social call in the warmth of my mother’s home?”

The old eyes
became steel, “It is Roberto. He has not come home in several days. His family is concerned.”

“Roberto is a grown man. This is not the first time he’s gone off like a stray dog,
and then
wanders back.”

“Eh, but he often calls. He has not called his brothers or me. That is unusual.”

“Um.”

“Have you spoken to him, you are his closest friend?”

“No. Last we spoke he owed me several thousand euros in a friendly poker game.”

“Ah.”

Giuseppe looked at Roberto’s brothers who were staring him down, none smiled. He was not
stupid;
they suspected his involvement in Roberto’s disappearance. This was an exploratory meeting to confirm their suspicions. He chuckled, “Maybe, he’s gone to avoid paying up.”

Don
Benaducc
i frowned, “We will cover his debt.”

“A man must cover his own debts. I will wait for him to return, to collect.”

Don
Benaducci
nodded, “Yes, you are
right,
a man must pay his own debts.
Only in death are debts waived.”

“In hell a man cannot escape it. The payment is still due.”

The old man’s aged face pulled tight. Giuseppe was
more
ruthless
than his father. He actually believed the wicked young man would travel to the underworld to settle a score. “Well, I will not waste anymore of your time Giuseppe. If Roberto calls, please tell him we are anxious to hear from him and we will not rest until we do.”

“Such a long message which you can deliver yourself simply by calling.”

“He hasn’t answered any of our calls.”

“Then he’ll call when he calls. Don
Benaducci
, I will have ears and eyes out for Roberto, if that’s what you’d like. Is it?”

“The safety of my eldest son is all I request.”

Giuseppe frowned, “
P
arents w
orry too much, if I hear from him I will tell him to contact you before you send a search posse. If that’s all this is about then I say good-bye. I have an important meeting to attend.”

Giuseppe turned his back on the men and marched away. He was certain his guards were far more cautious.

Don
Benaducci
stood with his sons watching Giuseppe’s retreat. Once he was in his car
, the
youngest son spoke. “He’s lying.”

“Of course he is, but we do not have proof.
B
efore we
retaliate
against the arrogant
cazzo
, we must be absolutely certain he is responsible.”