Page 28

Aris

“Why the FUCK did you let him go?” Clyde roars over the humming of the boat engine. “You fucking let him go!”

“Because, Clyde, he is on our side,” I say and turn the boat on. “Now, go down and make sure they’re ready for the exchange.”

“But you fucking let him go! Why, Boss?”

I turn to him and clutch the steering wheel to steady myself. “He knows the CEO. Where she lives.”

“But we’re fucking handing over Declan, the demon, Harvey. What do you think is going to happen next? They’re fucking coming after us. They’ll track each one of us down and kill us. Or our families. They know we exist now, especially since we’ve held Declan in the warehouse. And now Reggie is free…well…we are fucked!”

“Would you please calm the fuck down, Clyde?” I growl and turn on the radio. Orange Sector’s song Farben blasts through the speakers. I turn it up more. Maybe the music will drown out Clyde’s bitching.

“Wait…did you say the CEO is a woman?” His jaw tenses.

“Yeah. And it’s not just any woman,” I say and motion to the ropes. “Can you untie us and give the boat a push?”

Clyde follows my request. “Then who is it?” He yells over the industrial music.

“It’s my mother-in-law,” I reply and put the boat into gear.

Clyde stares at me, his mouth agape, hands clutching the leaning post next to me. “I’m…I’m sorry?”

“You heard me. I said it’s my fucking mother-in-law.” I turn the wheel starboard.

“But…how?” Clyde scratches his head and stares out into the distance.

“Clyde! Please go down and check on the guys. And make sure Declan still has the God damn bag over his head. I don’t need him seeing anything until we get to the docks. I don’t want him to know where he came from. Nothing about it. Got me? We’ll figure out the rest later.”

“But, what the fuck, Boss? I mean, Reggie. And Tacy’s mom?”

I’m losing my patience. And my kids’ lives are at stake. “I said fucking go! She has my kids, Brother. I need you to just listen to me. Reggie isn’t the enemy here. Okay?”

He pivots and disappears below deck. I clench my jaw and accelerate. The boat roars faster and faster as we glide over the dark water towards the inner docks. My mind is churning like the ocean. How did I not see this coming? With all the money Judy came from…her family’s claim to fortune in the oil industry. The way Tacy’s father mysteriously died on a vacation in Egypt. On and on, the pieces keep coming together. I breathe a little easy knowing that she is my children’s grandmother…and I hope that means she won’t do anything to harm them. But the fact that The Org is threatening my kids’ lives is enough for me to return Declan. Even though the urge to string him up by his feet and gut him like a deer swims around inside of me incessantly.

Reggie’s voice rises over the sound of the engine and the water. “When we get there, who’s delivering the cargo?”

I shout back, “me and Clyde.”

Reggie stands beside me. I turn to look at him. His copper skin gleams in the haunting light of the city’s skyscrapers. His facial expression tells me he’s concerned. No. Downright frightened.

“I can do it,” he offers.

“No, that’s a bad idea, man. They know who you are, don’t they? They’d take one look at you and kill you once Declan’s in their possession.”

“With everything I’ve put you and the boys through, it wouldn’t be uncalled for.”

I turn the wheel and head the bow into a marina flanked by empty warehouses, crumbling tackle shops, and old sailboats.

“That’s bullshit,” I say. “You were doing your job.”

“I could’ve let you know what was going on sooner,” he replies and points at a pair of headlights in the distance. “Watch it.”

“I’m aware,” I say. “But you don’t deserve to die. If anything, you deserve a fucking metal, Reg.”

He shakes his head and bites his lip. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him this disturbed. Even when we had him tied to a chair in the coldest corner of the warehouse.

“For what it’s worth, Reggie, I forgive you for not telling me,” I say and grab his shoulder and squeeze it.

Reggie smiles at me. “Thanks, Brother.”

A few minutes pass and we pull up to the docks deep in the historic part of Harbor Towne, known as the Inner Harbor. This place used to be a bustling port where fishermen brought their catch and sold it to distributors and restaurants. Now that the bay is overfished, there’s less fishermen and the Inner Harbor has pretty much been abandoned. Which makes it the perfect place for shady dealings and criminal organizations. The mob’s known to run drugs and traffic women out of the Inner Harbor. Which makes sense why The Org wanted us to meet here. It’s quiet. It’s dark. And, even if something goes down and there are witnesses, the witnesses likely have a warrant out for their own arrest and would never go to the cops and risk exposing themselves.

Reggie returns below deck and Clyde takes his place by my side. We tie off the boat, kill the engine, and survey the scene. There’s a car with its headlights on sitting just beyond the dock. I’m sure it’s The Org’s men.

I reach below the seat and locate my blade. Then secure it in my boot. They said no weapons, but Lord knows these slimy mother fuckers will have guns and who knows what else on them.

Clyde shoots me a look, as if to say it’s go-time, just as he pockets his own revolver. He disappears below deck, then reappears with Declan in front of him. He has his gun pressed to the small of Declan’s back. There’s a black cloth bag over our hostage’s head.

“You can take the bag off,” I say. Though I have no desire to see this Benedict Arnold’s face.

Clyde nods. As soon as the fabric slides off Declan’s head, he looks at me like a shark ready to devour his prey. Which is funny, since he’s the one who’s bound and has a gun buried in the small of his back.

“I fucking knew it,” he says and continues to smirk. “Solomon fucking Rountree is alive.”

I’m seething. There’s a voice inside of me telling me to blow his fucking face off. Fuck the consequences. But the logical voice tells me my mother-in-law still has my kids. And who knows who else is with her. What if she was forced to make this deal?

“Funny, since you seemed to harp on the fact that I was dead. You can’t fucking kill me, Declan. I keep coming back.”

“Like a fucking disease.”

“Like a fucking nightmare.”

“Get up there,” Clyde growls at Declan. “It’s midnight. Let’s make this quick. I don’t want to look at your ugly fucking face anymore.”

We step onto the dock and slowly make our way towards the idling vehicle.

“I’m not handing him over until I have word my children are safe. Until I know they’re safe and sound with my wife.”

Declan chuckles under his breath. The snide piece of shit. I reach for Clyde’s gun and motion for him to let me take over. Then I shove the barrel harder into Declan’s spine. He flinches but continues laughing.

“What’s so fucking funny?” I shove it harder into his spine.

“You’re delusional, Sol,” Declan declares. “You can only cheat death so many times until the reaper’s had enough of your shit.”

“Maybe the reaper and I are close and personal friends.”

“If death doesn’t come for you, it’ll come for Tacy.” The words drip from his mouth like toxic sludge. “Or perhaps Cammy…or Ben.”

I grab the back of Declan’s neck and move the gun from his back to his temple. “Keep their names out your filthy fucking mouth or I’ll splatter your brains all over the pavement.”

“Drop the gun!” Someone shouts. Three men exit the car and approach us with guns raised.

“Tell you what, I’ll drop the gun when you can ensure me my family is fucking safe. Until then, the gun’s home is right here.” I push the gun into Declan’s temple so hard I’m surprised it doesn’t break the skin. He grunts but keeps his mouth shut.

“That wasn’t part of the deal,” a man with sideburns and a black beanie roars. “We said no weapons. And the boss said nothing about collateral or an exchange of any kind.”

“You’ve got a gun, don’t you? I guess you better get your boss on the fucking phone. My children are to be returned to my wife. Or your sleazy governor here will be chewing metal.”

The bald man accompanying the beanie guy keeps his gun pointed at me but reaches in his jean pocket and slips out a phone. He dials and puts the receiver to his ear. “We’ve got a problem. They’re saying they won’t give us Harvey until the children are returned.”

Silence as the man listens. Then…

“I can’t do that…. fine…yeah, we can handle it.”

He pockets his phone and glares at me with a furrowed brow. “We’ll hand the kids over when you hand us the Governor.”

“No dice,” I say and move the gun to Declan’s other temple. Just so the imprint is symmetrical on each side of his face. “And, hey, listen. I can stand here all night. Or I can pull the trigger and…”

I cock the gun and Declan growls, “tell her to let them go. I know this man. He’ll fucking kill me if he doesn’t get his kids back. Call her. Now.”

I wonder if he’s talking about Judith. Or is it another woman high up in The Org?

The men talk amongst themselves and make another call, just out of earshot. They return with scowls on their faces. A car horn blares in the distance.

“The children are already at home,” the man in the beanie says. “Call your wife.”

I nod and motion to Clyde to take over holding Declan for me. He obliges, and I call Tacy. She answers, voice shaking, and tells me the kids are back in her arms. Safe at home. But then, I hear a voice. The voice of my mother-in-law, the CEO of The Org. Fuck. I have to warn her. But I can’t say it over the phone. I don’t want her to hear me.

“Your mother is in on the whole thing, Tacy,” I text. “She’s a member. Maybe even set up the whole thing.”

“No, you’re wrong, Aris,” she types back. “There’s no way.”

“Think about it, Tacy,” I reply. “She’s always there when things go wrong. Almost like she already knew about your abduction. The break-in. All of it. Just get her out of there, now. And watch your back.”

“Okay,” is all she sends back. “I’ll take care of it.”

I slide my phone back in my pocket and motion to Clyde. “Let him go.”

Clyde hesitates but lowers the gun to his side. Then shoves Declan forward, sending him toppling into the ground. Declan stands, then turns to us and says, “you’re on borrowed time, Solomon.”

“Solomon’s dead, Declan,” I retort. “My name is Lazaris.”

“Get the fuck out of here,” Clyde shouts at Declan and tosses the cuff keys to the man in the beanie. “And don’t fucking look back or I’ll change my mind and erase you from the fucking planet.”

The men laugh as they work to remove the cuffs. “Night, Boys.”

They hop in a black Benz and speed away, leaving Clyde and I in the dark. As we climb back into the boat, Thor and Reggie join us above deck.

“You know how we’ve been planning the takedown for next week? It goes down tomorrow.”