The Scorpion's Tale (25 page)

“It’s torn up pretty badly, but the doctor
says it’ll be fine.”

“Were you successful in finding your man?”
Steven asked.

Mike shook his head. “No, we weren’t, but
we’ve still got people looking.”

“Where’s Pablo now?”

“He’s on the veranda waiting for you.”

Anxious to get his quest back on track,
Steven made his way through the house and out to the veranda where
Pablo was sitting in his customary seat at the patio table. He
gazed up at Steven from his magazine and grinned. “How was your
nap?”

“Much needed.”

“Sit down next to me so we may talk.” Pablo
reached into a cooler next to his chair, pulling out two frosty
bottles of Corona. He slid a bottle toward Steven with a wedge of
lime.

Steven took a few satisfying gulps, then sat
back and admired the fading sunlight reflected on the sea. “Thank
you. How’s your leg?”

“Thanks to you, I’ll be fine. Thank you for
saving our lives. You have my undying gratitude.” Pablo’s demeanor
changed as he stared off into the distance. “I’m sorry about what
happened today.”

“It wasn’t your fault.” Steven paused. “Do
you have any idea who did this today?”

Pablo thought about his complicity in the
Scorpion’s plan. He nodded. “Yes, I do. It’s the Scorpion. He’s
making his point because he knows you are here with me.”

“If the Scorpion has found me then I’ve found
him. I’m closer to my goal.”

Both men remained silent and watched the
seabirds dive beneath the surface, feeding on a school of baitfish
near the shore.

“I’m very sorry about your family,” Pablo
said.

“Thank you,” Steven said, looking surprised.
“How do you know?”

“News travels quickly in my circles.”

“You know the Scorpion, don’t you?”

“I know
of
him. We were in similar
circles. However, there is only one who can find him. The Scorpion
could be anywhere and anyone. For all we know the Scorpion is down
the beach, watching us.”

“Tell me what you know about Veeksburn,”
Steven said, abruptly changing the subject.

“What are you talking about?”

“Where is he now?”

Pablo realized Steven knew about Billy’s
death and that Steven was testing his credibility. This was a
critical juncture and now, he would have to divulge some meaningful
information to Steven. “Veeksburn is dead.”

“What happened?” Steven inquired, without any
trace of surprise. Steven’s demeanor confirmed Pablo’s
suspicion.

“After you left him, he was found shot to
death. He paid the ultimate price for directing you to me. I
believe the Scorpion has been following you for quite some time. He
visited Charlie in his apartment after you were there, but for
reasons I don’t comprehend, left him alive. But you know all of
this already, don’t you?”

Steven said nothing.

“For now, you can relax. He may think you are
dead. Anyway, while you are within my compound you are
untouchable.”

Steven sank back into the chair. The sun
dipped below the horizon and evening was upon them. His thoughts
drifted back to Billy, dead in the desert. “What could this scum
want from me? He’s taken everything I loved.”

Pablo shifted in his chair as his chef
approached with two bowls of jumbo shrimp. Pablo dipped a large
shrimp into cocktail sauce, consuming half in one bite. Steven was
uninterested in the food.

“You weren’t being truthful when you told me
you only know
of
him,” Steven said, as he watched Pablo
devour a shrimp. “You know more.”

Pablo looked toward the black water. “What I
know is unimportant. You must know more than I can tell you to have
any chance of killing him.”

Steven frowned. “No Pablo, all I need to know
is where to find the son-of-a-bitch and what he looks like.”

Pablo’s gaze settled on Steven. “You are
trying to kill a man whose soul is already dead.”

“Where do I have to go next?” Steven said,
ignoring the comment.

“You will be going to St. Thomas.”

“Will Joaquin be expecting me?”

Pablo nodded. “Yes, I have already asked his
permission.”

“And does he have his own army of
bodyguards?”

Pablo laughed. “Joaquin lives a humble
life.”

“What does Joaquin know about me?”

“He knows you have won my respect, and that I
owe you my life. You’ll leave in the morning. It is best to move
quickly. Your journey is no longer at your leisure. The Scorpion is
playing a game with you. He does everything with a purpose; he let
you live in Vegas, yet he tried to kill you here. You must learn
his rules to have any chance of winning, which remains highly
unlikely.”

“His death is all I desire. A tie is a win
for me,” Steven said.

“I hope we have the opportunity to spend time
together again. You are welcome to be my guest anytime. And
if…well…”

“If I live?”

Pablo nodded. “Yes. If you live, I would love
you to return. I believe that you and I could be great
friends.”

Steven sighed. “I’d better make arrangements
for a flight to St. Thomas and...”

“The arrangements have been made,” Pablo
interrupted.

“I insist on giving you money.”

“Nonsense,” Pablo said, raising his hand to
silence Steven. “You were my guest, and now you are my friend.”

“Thank you, Pablo. But tell me–you don’t
approve of what I’m doing.”

Pablo lowered his eyes. “On the contrary, I
completely understand. As a younger man, I would have done the
same. But having the benefit of many years of experience, I know
that you are embarking on a journey that will end your life. It
saddens me.”

“Do you feel there is another choice for me,
Pablo? I have nobody to give me advice. Everyone tells me I’m young
and I will love again. Everyone tells me to forget about this man
and move on. Tell me what I should do.”

Pablo pondered Steven’s question. “You have
no choice but to find him and kill him. If you don’t find him, you
will die slowly inside. You will end up hating yourself. Going
after him, you will just have a faster, more honorable death.”

“I never asked for any of this! I was a
simple man living a simple life.” Tears of anger welled up in
Steven’s eyes.

“Fate can be unkind. Sometimes we have no
choice but to follow our heart, wherever that may lead.”

“Thank you for your honesty,” Steven said,
quickly regaining his composure. “You’re the first person who
hasn’t told me I’m crazy.”

Pablo laughed. “You are crazy. To do this is
insane! There just isn’t any other way for some men. Are you
prepared to kill him when you find him?”

“Yes,” Steven answered, much too quickly.

Pablo looked off into the distance. “I see.
Have you ever killed a man, Steven?”

“No,” Steven answered, more tentatively.

“Have you ever seen a human being die before
your eyes? Take his last gasps and watch his life slip away?”

“I almost did today.”

Pablo frowned. “It’s not a pleasant
experience, but in this case you’ll undeniably know pleasure. If
you’re lucky enough to kill him, you’ll see his face for the rest
of your life. I promise you he’ll haunt you like a ghost. But
that’s better than the ghosts that now haunt you.” Pablo snapped
his fingers. “Miguel… Raphael!”

Miguel and Raphael emerged, dragging a man
whose hands and mouth were bound with tape. His face had been badly
beaten and his eyes were wide with fear.

Pablo stood and walked over to the man,
motioning Steven to follow. “This man conspired to kill us today.
What shall we do with him?”

Miguel handed Pablo a gun, which Pablo then
placed into Steven’s hand. “If you are going to kill the Scorpion,
you must be able to kill without a second thought. Kill this piece
of shit.”

Steven stared at the gun and then into the
victim’s terror stricken face. “I have no reason to kill this man,
but I have every reason to kill the Scorpion.”

“This man tried to kill you this afternoon.
His role in our attempted murder is his death sentence. Kill him
now!”

Steven hesitated and stared into the eyes
that pleaded for mercy. “I won’t.”

Pablo nonchalantly took the gun and shot the
man in the head. His body fell to the ground.

“If you couldn’t do that, you’ll never be
successful in achieving your ultimate goal,” Pablo said. “Your
flight will be departing at noon tomorrow.”

Pablo raised his glass to Steven, whose eyes
were still wide with horror. “I toast your innocence and hope it
does not interfere when your time of revenge is at hand.”

Steven looked straight into Pablo’s eyes.
“May I ask you one final question?”

“Certainly.”

“Why can’t you return to New York?”

Pablo collapsed back into his chair and
clasped his hands behind his head. He dismissed his associates and
motioned for Steven to sit down next to him again. Pablo regarded
him closely. “I’m not in the habit of answering such a personal
question, my young friend. But under the circumstances, I will give
you an answer. There is a very powerful family in New York with
whom I did much business. The patriarch is Alberto Manzione.
Alberto Manzione had a brother named Pierro. For many years, we
were great friends. Pierro had two sons–Carlo was the eldest and
Nick the youngest.”

Steven’s eyes were wide with anticipation on
what Pablo would say about the Manzione family. He could barely
contain his excitement. “What happened?”

“We had a business deal with the Manziones
and two other groups. This happened a few months after Pierro died.
The deal soured and several people were killed. Carlo was one of
the casualties. Alberto and Nick accused me of murdering Carlo.
Alberto ordered my execution so I secluded myself here. The family
has sent several mercenaries to Roatan over the years to
assassinate me. As you can see, all have failed.”

Steven stared at Pablo in total disbelief.
“You killed Carlo Manzione?”

“No, I didn’t. I tried to explain the truth
to Alberto, through intermediaries, but he wouldn’t listen. I had
nothing to do with Carlo’s death, but there were several other
people who knew the truth. All of these men tried to tell Alberto
what actually happened; they’re all dead now.”

Steven looked puzzled. “Do you know who
killed Carlo?”

“No, but I know who had Carlo killed. It was
his brother, Nick.”

“Nick?” Steven bellowed, unable to contain
himself. “You’re crazy. I know Nick. He was my best friend growing
up. Nick and Carlo were inseparable; Nick idolized Carlo!”

Pablo, surprised by this revelation, looked
into the distance. “Yes, I know the boys were close when they were
younger, and I admit I don’t know what Nick was like as a boy. But
it’s obvious that you know nothing of Nick Manzione the man. He is
an evil, amoral sociopath.”

“You’re no saint.”

Pablo glanced at the dead man on the floor.
“Evil knows evil. Nick will kill anyone if it means advancing his
own interests. He has no honor.”

“Can you prove that?”

“Not anymore. The evidence is gone and the
witnesses are dead. It would be my word against Nick’s, and in New
York, Nick’s word is law. I understand that Nick is keeping company
with a young woman named Giovanna Milani, from San Remo. After your
family was killed, the Scorpion murdered her brother, father, and
mother. She is trying to find the killers and Nick is helping her.
I tell you this now because you know Nick Manzione and because I
have learned there is a contract out on him and this woman. You
must be very careful if your paths cross. I caution you to keep
your distance.”

“Who has this contract on Nick’s life?”

“I think you already know the answer.”

“Do you have any idea where I can find
Nick?”

“My sources tell me he’s in Rio.”

Steven stood and extended his hand toward
Pablo. “Thank you for everything.”

Pablo stood. “Remember, Steven, trust no one.
Especially Nick. Good luck.”

Steven walked back to his cottage and
finished packing. He couldn’t believe what Pablo told him about
Nick, but his safest course was to trust no one, including Pablo.
Steven decided he needed to find Nick, since they now shared a
common bond.

-------------------

As soon as Steven left, Pablo’s cell phone
rang. Pablo knew who it was before answering; he also knew he was
still being watched.

“I want no discussion. Play the tape.”

Pablo took a digital recorder out of his
pocket, connected his phone to it, and played the entire
conversation he just had with Steven. For the first time in years,
a tear rolled down Pablo’s dry cheek.

Giovanna awoke before Nick. She changed into
a pair of shorts and Nick’s tee shirt before leaving for an early
morning swim to clear her head.

Giovanna had the pool to herself; not even
the cabana boys had arrived at such an early hour. Giovanna slipped
into the pool and swam a few laps, enjoying the sensation of the
water washing her thoughts away. After her swim, she leaned her
head against the pool’s coping and gazed absentmindedly up at the
hotel’s facade. A shadow suddenly fell over her, blocking the early
morning sunlight. She turned around and covered her eyes with open
fingers, straining to see the face hovering over her.

“Giovanna, I must speak with you.”

She instantly recognized the voice.
“Giorgio?”

“Please walk with me,” he said, extending his
hand to help her out of the pool.

She hardly recognized him. “Giorgio, what are
you doing here? You look terrible!”

“Please. Walk with me to the beach. Nick
can’t see us together.”

“How did you know I would be here?”

“Giovanna, move quickly. I’ll explain
everything.”