The World in Reverse (34 page)

Johnson sucked his teeth and looked over at the mirror.  “What about your relationship to all four children?”

Ferris froze. “What relationship?”

“The fact that all four children were forme
rly at your child care facilities is one relationship.”  Johnson watched Ferris’s face as it told on him.

“I wasn’t aware of that?  If it’s so, then I’d be happy to help you in your investigation.”

Johnson’s voice lowered and sweat started to form on his forehead.  “Don’t you find it odd that you didn’t know that before? That you of all people would lead this charge when they were all children you had come into contact with?”

“This interview is over,” Ferris snapped. “I want my lawyer.”

“Why do you want a lawyer? Didn’t you just say that you’d be willing to help with this investigation?  Don’t you find it odd that a hit was put on myself and Steele only after we talked with you?  And Mooky, DeMario’s cousin was found dead, after we spoke with him. That’s all too coincidental for me.”

Ferris attempted to stand but Johnson pushed him back into his chair. “Sit your punk ass down,” Johnson snarled.  “And don’t get up again, or I promise you, you’ll regret it.”

Steele panicked. “We need to pull him.”

“Wait,” Magnelli said, standing up. He walked over to the glass.  “Wait for it.”

“Did you put a hit on us with your partner?  He was going to take care of us while you wrap the city around your pampered finger and run for mayor on the back of the same children that you were fucking. Is that about right?” Johnson asked, getting in his face.  “But you didn’t account for hiring fucking amateurs to do the job. So, you had to stage your own attempted murder.”

Ferris had heard enough.  “Now you listen to me.  I won’t take these ridiculous accus
ations.  What? You’re so inept at your job that you’re grasping for straws by accusing anyone in sight?  I have worked in this city for years. I’m an upstanding citizen and public official. I will not be harassed by some low-level detective who couldn’t find a turd in a shit storm.”  He went to stand again.

Johnson reached into his cargo shorts and pulled out a field knife.  Before Ferris could react, he grabbed the man’s wrist, pushed it to the table and stabbed the knife through his hand straight into the table.  The sound of metal tearing through bone and flesh echoed throug
hout the room. 

Ferris screamed out at the same time that Steele went to the door to stop the investig
ation, but Magnelli held her down.

Blood began to paint the table in large oo
zing patterns.  Pushing the handle harder, Johnson pushed Ferris back down into the chair.  “I thought I told you to sit your fucking ass down.  The next time you move, this goes through your short cock, you piece of shit.”  His nostrils flared, eyes blazed.

Ferris screamed out for help, but the door did not open.  No help came.

“Give me a name!” Johnson spat.  “Give me a fucking name!” He pulled his duty weapon and shot Ferris in the knee cap. “I will fill your ass full of holes if you don’t start talking and there  is not a damn thing anyone here can do about it.” The door flung open but Johnson pointed it at the cop who came to Ferris’ aid.  “Back the fuck up!” Johnson growled.  “A name, Ferris, dammit!” he screamed.  Twisting the knife in the man’s hand, he waited.

“Sammy!” Ferris yelled.  “I don’t have an
ything to do with it.  I’ve just been paying people around the city to tell me anything that could solve the case and the only thing that I’ve turned up is a drug dealer named Sammy and a cop, but I don’t know his name, and I don’t know the drug dealer’s last name…just Sammy.”

Steele was at the door with the other cop now. “Detective Johnson,” she said, gun poin
ted at him. “Please put down your weapon.” She cocked her gun.  “Dammit, don’t make me fucking do this, Luke! Put the gun down!” she begged.

Johnson turned to Ferris and spit in his face.  “I’m going to get you mother fucker.  I promise you that. This isn’t over.”  Dropping the gun, he raised his hands.  “I need a shrink,” he said as the police came in and handcuffed him. “I don’t feel well.”

“We’ll get you some help, son,” Magnelli said, walking through the door calmly.  He looked at Ferris and spit on the ground.  “Get this bastard some help in here,” he said, turning away. 

“I’m going to bury all of you!” Ferris yelled, holding his bloody hand as one of the cops pulled the knife out of his hand. “All of you!”  As soon as his hand was free, he collapsed to the ground, knee throbbing and bleeding. 

Carting Johnson off, Steele cursed. “Fuck, Johnson. Why?”

“Because it’s time that we start playing by the same rules as them until we get some a
nswers.  Carmen’s dead, Steele. She’s dead and she’s not coming back and someone has to pay for that.”

Steele stopped walking and ran a hand through her hair.  “But why does it have to be you?”

Johnson smirked. “I could give less than a fuck about myself,” he said holding back tears. 

“I’ll take him,” Magnelli said, walking up to them.  “Steele, go back and make sure that we get that recording to the right people.”  He patted Johnson on the back and escorted him down the hall as officers looked on confused and in shock.  “We’re getting close,” he said under his breath to Johnson.  “I can feel it.”

***

After Nicola and his entire family went mis
sing, a meeting had to be convened by the police heads to decide what to do about his hearing.  The mayor’s office had already called and strongly suggested that his case be strongly reconsidered and investigated to make sure that no foul play had taken place.  And the media was swarming around anyone at the police department who could possibly have answers.  On the twelfth floor of the police headquarters downtown, a group of officials met quietly, hoping to come to some resolution on the matter, so that they could get back to the many other fires that they had to put out quickly.

“What the fuck happened today with Ferris,” Amway asked, slamming his hands on the table.  “It’s not bad enough that we have a dead officer, slain in another cop’s house during a clear assassination attempt, but we now have the lead guy pushing for our heads rallying the community for a news conference where he plans to publicly display his wounds from the hospital.  More police brutality? This is your answer!”

Magnelli sat quietly at the table, eyes half closed.  “The boy lost his cool.  People lose their cool under these circumstances.”

“Who let him in the room with the guy?” Amway asked, looking around at the men.

No one answered.

“Who?” Amway asked again.

“I did,” Magnelli answered flatly.

Amway took a deep breath and swallowed hard. “Magnelli, I want you home.  Do you understand?  I don’t want you on this case in anyway.  Just go home and take care of your family.”

“I plan to,” Magnelli answered, “after this is done.”

“Not fucking later, now!” Amway yelled. “I’m sorry about your daughter.  I am, but I have everyone else and their families to consi
der too. You’re off.”

“My daughter’s killer deserves to be caught!”

“Yes, her killer deserves to be caught.  Those dead kids should have the same justice and so should DeMario Washington and shit load of others.  That’s what we’re here for. That’s what we’re paid for, to protect and to serve.  And we weren’t doing either when we put Johnson in the room with Ferris.  I hate to say this, Magnelli, but your daughter isn’t the first cop to die on this force.  We’ve all had friends and family who have fallen to the same fate.  My baby brother and Keegan’s son.  There are hundred just like us.  But we took an oath. This has to be done through a process.  This isn’t the wild west and we are held accountable.”

“You think I don’t know that?” Magnelli asked.  “But let’s face the facts.  Something isn’t adding up.”

“Obviously,” Amway gasped.  “Right now, we are here to fix this.  It starts with Nicola Agosto since half of the city is outside either demanding his head or demanding that he keep his job.  The other half is out there to find out what we’re doing about the dead kids and a few more are protesting about police brutality.  This problem isn’t going away until we fix it.”

“Agosto is a good cop.  It’s obvious that he was framed now.”

“Is it?  Because no one in this room has brought me anything to say otherwise.  The justice system doesn’t deal in hunches.  Bring me something, damn you!  He’s my friend too.  He’s a damn good cop, and no I didn’t want this to happen to him and his fucking family.  And you, Magnelli, you’ve been gunning for him since day one. What changed all of a sudden?”

“Everything changed.  Hey, when I took the oath, I didn’t suddenly become omnipotent and omniscient.  I just put my fucking life on the line for over twenty-four years to keep people safe, some of which didn’t deserve it. So, you’ll excuse me if I don’t feel sorry for some arr
ogant nigger with a hole through his fucking hand and knee, while my baby girl rots in a fucking box. The mother fucker had it coming!”

The men jumped up and caught Amway b
efore he could charge across the table and snatch Magnelli up.  “Nigger? Nigger?  I got your nigger, you racist bastard. Get the fuck out of my office, Magnelli!” Amway screamed, trying to get out of the grip the men had on him.

Magnelli’s eye twitched.  “This city is going to burn, Amway.  Do something about it before it does.”  Grabbing his jacket off the back of his chair, he turned and left, slamming the door behind him.

The men released him, and Amway snatched away, straightened his clothes and walked over to the window and looked out at the masses as they gathered in the streets with their signs and cameras, demanding answers.  The crowd had grown from tens to hundreds in less than an hour.  He had to focus, hand to regain control.  The city couldn’t burn on his watch.  Turning around, he went back to the table and picked up his pen.  “Get our riot unit activated and down here.  Find out what time Ferris is going live on the air. We need to beat him.  Keep our guys looking for Agosto and pull all the Intel together that we’ve found and get a target.  I keep hearing the name Cane.  Find out who and where the fuck he is and bring him here to me.”  He clenched his teeth. “Does anyone have a problem by law with pushing off the Agosto hearing?”

No one responded.

“Fine, we’ll review this case at a later date pending further investigation into his actions,” Amway said as his assistant walked to the door.

“Sir, the mayor is back on the phone for you,” she said, hating to bother him again.

He nodded at her. “Put him through,” he said, standing up.  “Let’s get this done, men…now.”

***

As promised, the plane was waiting on the Agosto family on the private airstrip, gassed up and ready to leave upon their arrival.  Getting out of the SUVs, the bodyguards secured the area while Ivy and Nicola said their last goodbyes.

“Do you think he’s helping us because his wife is black?” Ivy asked, still lingering on her first  interaction with Dmitry.

Nicola kissed her forehead.  “No, baby. He doesn’t care about that.”

“Then what does he care about?” Ivy asked afraid.  What could a man like that possibly want with her husband?

Nicola hated to see her worry so much.  He touched her face and smiled. “He’s a business man.  He cares about his business.  That’s all.”

Ivy didn’t like the answer.  Holding back tears, she closed her eyes and tried to calm her breathing.  “When can we come home?”

“When it’s all over, but you’ll be safe in Miami for now.  My folks won’t let anything happen to you and there is plenty of security there.  You’ll be fine.  Plus, I spoke with Dmitry. He has men there.   You’ll be under constant watch.” He rubbed through her hair. “And I’ll come for you soon. I promise.”

Ivy grabbed his hand and held it to her face. “This is one promise that you better keep, Nicky.”

“It’s the only one that matters.”

The door opened and Boris appeared stoic as ever. “Time to go,” he said, reaching for Ivy’s hand.  He held it gently despite his outward bruteness. 

Nicola quickly kissed all four of his sons.  Time had run out for them.  “I love you,” he said, tears running down his face.

“Daddy, we don’t want to go,” Madison complained. “We want to stay with you.”

“I know,” Nicola said, wiping his face. “But it’s okay. You’re going to see Grandpa and Grandma Agosto.  It’ll be fun.”  He hugged them tight.  His voice cracked.  “Be good for them, okay?  Be big men for me.”

“We will,” Adamo promised.

“And take care of your little brothers.  They’ll need you,” Nicola added.

“We will,” Adamo promised again.

“You must go now,” Boris urged.

Helping the kids out of the truck, Nicola watched the men as they escorted his family onto the jet and then moved from the runway.  Standing by the truck, he watched as they began to taxi down the strip.

He swallowed down his worry and said a prayer. 
This is for the best
, is what he kept telling himself.

30

In all the years that Nicola had been a police officer, he had never been able to fully infiltrate the Medlov Crime family and its many layers.  True, he had sent more than his fair share of undercover cops into the organization, but they had all returned with little evidence that would stand up in court against the city’s most powerful criminal. Some had even been fired in the process of the investigations. 

He had spent painstaking hours going over video and audio, trying to put together the pieces of a puzzle so elaborate until even kno
wing what he was looking at, he was often confused about its intricacies.  Joint-task forces with the FBI had failed.  Charges piling up in court had been dismissed.  The city itself had been sued, and always Dmitry Medlov and his men stood above the ashes untouched. 

Dmitry’s reach was limitless as far as Nicola knew, but what he couldn’t understand was why the man had chosen Memphis as one of his U.S. bases.

At the moment, Nicola sat in Dmitry’s study back at the compound waiting for him to come and meet with him before they went to some undisclosed location to introduce him to the men who would help him finally put the men responsible for ruining his life in a box.  It was quiet in the study, a peaceful place that was mixed with old world charm and modern art.  The breathtaking view from outside the large bay windows made the room tranquil, but the many monitors displaying the many vantage points of the house, let him know that no matter how Dmitry tried to pretend that he felt untouchable, invincible, he was actually as paranoid and untrusting as any other man would be in his position.

Nicola’s family was wealthy, but not like Dmitry.  Nicola wondered if many men in the world were as wealthy as the man.  No one knew just how much the Medlov family was worth considering that they were probably legitimately as wealthy through their legal businesses as they were wealthy through their illegal businesses.  Dmitry’s portfolio was extremely extensive crossing over ten industries including manufacturing, bottling, logistics, software, commercial real estate and pharm
aceuticals.

In comparison, Nicola’s father had amassed a fortune in Miami, but had done so the legal way.  No one had died for his father’s luxuries and no one ever would.  He worried now about what his father would think of him if he knew what he was about to do.  His entire life, the old man had preached honesty and loyalty.  Now, here he was the former glory of his father’s morals, about to become a turncoat.

Large footsteps echoed down the hall as Dmitry approached the study. Nicola stopped his daydreaming and focused. He needed to be exact in his expectations of this new partnership, even though he wasn’t sure on Dmitry’s end what was expected of him. 

The door opened, and Dmitry entered alone.  Without an entourage, however, he was no less intimidating. His presence was still overwhel
ming, both physically and psychologically. 

But Nicola did not fear him.  Instead, he wanted badly to understand him. 

Who walked around in a suit all day anyway
, Nicola thought to himself.  A man who had conditioned himself after many years to be a reflection of what he wanted others to see him as
at all times
?  Someone who had come from little to nothing? Someone who enjoyed but never took for granted all that he had come to obtain?  Each summation was both a question and a statement, because so much was known about Dmitry Medlov, where he came from and where he was going. He was a constant enigma, a never-ending evolving portrait of success in America. 

Nodding Nicola’s way as he sat on the sofa, Dmitry closed the door behind him casually and walked over to his desk.  Hiking up his pants, he sat down and grunted.  “Did you see your family off?”

“Yes,” Nicola said, putting down his cup of coffee.  “Thank you again for flying them out.”

“Of course,” Dmitry answered. “And I see they gave you some better clothes.”  Sweeping a gaze of Nicola, he approved.  When Nicola had come in the night before, he was covered in soot and blood.  Now, he was dressed in new jeans and a shirt provided by Boris at Gabriel’s request.

“Yeah, thanks for that too,” Nicola said, looking down at his clothes. 
Not his brand but nice. 

Dmitry turned on his large screen Mac co
mputer and flipped through his financials quickly.  Leaning back in the chair, he quietly scribbled something on a notepad and then turned his attention back to Nicola.   “We don’t have much time to do this.  I have other pressing business.  So, I have asked my men to expedite this process for you quickly.”

“We’ve been on this investigation for some time, Dmitry. I hate to sound negative, but I don’t know how you can just fix it just like that,” Nicola said, unconvinced that such a situation could be
expedited
.

Dmitry was nothing if not efficient.  He couldn’t help but feel a bit offended by Nicola’s lack of appreciation for his resourcefulness. He raised his hands and counted off his fingers as he spoke.  “You need guns.  You need men.  You wanted that woman, Roxie, located and you want revenge.  Does that about sum it up?”  His hand held up four fingers.  Dmitry didn’t blink. His face was like stone carved into a beautiful statue of elegance.

“That sums it up,” Nicola answered flatly. 

“Four things.  You need four things from me, and in return you will work for me.” Dmi
try tilted his head as though the exchange was too elementary for him to take seriously.

Nicola shifted in his seat.  “Correct.  I will come and work for you.”  His voice lowered as he said the words, showing his hesitation. 

Dmitry picked up on it instantly.  “Your concern is?”

“It’s pretty obvious, right?  All this time,” Nicola spread his fingers as he spoke. “We’ve been on opposite sides.  I don’t know how you can trust me.”

Dmitry scratched the side of his mouth and stared at Nicola. “We are gentlemen.  We have a gentleman’s agreement. Your wife and children have dined at my table.  You have slept under my roof and received my kindnesses.  As a gentleman, I can trust your word.” He reached over and took a mint out of the crystal bowl by this computer and slipped it into his mouth.  “Can’t I?”

Nicola did not hesitate this time. “Yes.  I don't go back on my word.”

Dmitry turned up his lip.  Voice low, he cracked a devious smile.  “Neither do I.”

“How do you want me to work for you?  I’m not a cop anymore.  I just don’t understand how you plan to use me?”

“Let me figure that out.  I have a few ideas, but I need to flesh that out more.” Dmitry went back to his fingers.  “Four things I’ve promised you…done quickly because of my other pressing business.”

“Four things,” Nicola repeated. 

Dmitry narrowed his eyes.  “I know it’s killing you.  You’re sitting here in front of me,
needing me
and despising me at the same time.  But you will learn that I’m not such a bad man.”

“It's not you that I despise,” Nicola said, swallowing down his pride.  “I despise the bastards who tried to kill my family, who set me up, who killed those children.” His eyes burned with hatred as the truth came out. “I despise myself for allowing this to happened, but I don’t despise you.  Is it killing me?” Nicola rolled his eyes. “You bet your fucking ass, it’s killing me.  But what am I going to do?  Sit around and sulk?  I don’t think so.”

“Men like us don’t sulk,” Dmitry said with a raised brow.  “To make you feel better, I will answer one question for you…any question.  Years of investigation me must be like torture now.  And you know what, it will make you feel better.  Knowledge always does.  Ask me anything you want to know, and I will answer it.”

Nicola was taken aback. 
Was he serious?
  Just like that, he would divulge information about himself.  He found it odd, almost insulting.  Dmitry must have felt him to be less than nothing now if he would share
anything
with him, a complete non-threat. 

Still curiosity peaked inside of him.

“Why Memphis?” Nicola finally asked.  He could have asked a million questions about his operations, his family, his council, but that was what he really wanted to know.  Memphis was Nicola’s home, but it was a small, country place with the potential to be a mecca but the stunted growth of a sick child with its crime, poor education system, racial segregated mindsets, lack of creative influences and unskilled labor force.  There was so much to do to make the city competitive, yet he chose this of all the places in the U.S. to call home.

Dmitry pursed his lips together, and Nicola couldn’t tell if he was disappointed in his question or perplexed by it.  Running his large, tattooed hand over the oak desk, he wryly replied,  “I’ve always been talented in seeing a diamond in the rough.  My wife and my chosen occupation are only two of the opportunities that I have acted upon.  It’s a gift of mine to see things for what they could potentially be if only given a chance.  And in my entire life, every time that I’ve bet on the proverbial diamond, I have won, except once with my only relative.  He was not…manageable.”

“Ivan Medlov,” Nicola said, watching Dmitry’s back straightened at hearing his brother’s name.

“Anyway, I came to Memphis to handle some other business, not pertaining to your question, and I saw a very critical thing for a man in my line of work.

Nicola was dying to know.  Sitting on the edge of his seat, he listened with both his ears and his eyes, noting every inflection in Dmitry’s voice, every facial expression. 

“Did you know that the Port of Memphis is the fourth largest inland port in the entire country, served by all five of Memphis’ Class 1 railroads with direct access to your interstates?  I mean, you’re literally on the Mississippi River.  If you put that together with your corr
idors into other metros, your amazing logistical air transport options, your trucking lines, your alternative federal trade zone authorization for exporting and importing goods and the cheap commercial property that I buy up like candy, then your question is answered.”  Dmitry smiled.  “Simple.  Plain.  Prosperous.”

“And that’s the only reason?” Nicola asked.

Dmitry shook his head.  With his eyes locked on Nicola, he raised his finger.  “One question.”

Answering that one question for Nicola only made him want more, but he willed himself to stop.  Right now was not the time to bite the hand that fed him.  “So how do you plan to expedite this?”

“We had discussed previously, if you recall, having a meeting with my contacts in your department and other branches.  Well, we are going to do that…” Dmitry looked at his watch.  “Right now.” 

“How comfortable are these men with hel
ping me?” Nicola could just imagine his accidental death by someone who felt that he was too much a risk.

“They are comfortable because I tell them to be,” Dmitry answered as he stood.  He could see that Nicola would have serious trust issues throughout their relationship, but he could hardly blame the man considering all that had happened to him. “Shall we?” Dmitry said, motioning towards the door.

“Sure,” Nicola said, getting up.

***

Dmitry had no intention of having his key men inside of the police department and other agencies meet him at his compound.  It was far too much of a risk for far too less of a return. However, he did feel that they all needed to meet on his territory to ensure full cooperation. 

With a smaller contingent of men than usual, Dmitry loaded with Nicola, Gabriel and Boris into a black Escalade with pitch-black tinted windows and headed to the designated location. Bodyguards on fast black Mitsubishi bikes flanked them as they drove, though the co
mmon onlooker could not tell that it was a small convoy. 

Gabriel sat up front while Boris drove, li
stening to talk radio and texting on his IPhone. He seemed completely removed from the situation, only there to protect his uncle, if needed.  Neither he nor Boris spoke to each other or Dmitry the entire drive.

Dmitry sat back in the comfort of his plush leather seat with a television going and his ear plugs in while Nicola watched as the city’s landscape changed from multi-million dollar homes to spotty commercial property to finally the old community of South Memphis.  Jum
ping off of I-55 to Norris Road, they passed a large new church and an old golf course, before turning down the residential street Prospect and following it to a large industrial park that had been closed for over a year.

Dmitry’s words echoed in Nicola’s head.
Cheap commercial property that I buy up like candy.
  There was just no telling what all Dmitry truly owned in this city.

Two guards in grey uniforms ran out from a small hut, unlocked the chained fence and moved the gate out of the way so that the men could rush in.  They drove through the empty lot past vacant unloading docks for trucks until they came to a large warehouse.  Pulling into the back of the building, they parked quickly beside several other cars and trucks that were already there.  

Nicola’s heart constricted.  The men who would help him were waiting for him, and while they were ready for what they saw. He was not.  What if he knew one of them?  What if he knew all of them?  How would he handle the idea of being in the dark for so long? 

The bodyguards on the bikes checked the perimeter quickly and then signaled Gabriel and Boris.