Page 3 of Three

But I still need to call Gabe since it’s his turn to help me discard the body.Oh joy!My brother is a robotic fucker. Stiff, humorless, emotionless. Unsurprisingly, he’s a lawyer.

He answers after the first ring. “What do you want?” His monotone voice is irksome.

“C-3PO, is this how you always answer your phone, or is it a special fuck-you reply just for me?”

Predictably, silence follows my teasing.

“It’s your turn.” I sigh.

“Are you sure?” I hear paper rustling on his side. Does he ever stop working? I’m pretty confident his phone has fossilized to his hand.

“Yes. Ariel did it last time.”

“Ariel?” he absently asks.

“Uri.” Uriel, our brother’s full name sounds like Ariel, the Disney sea chick, and it’s hilarious. But of course, I get nothing from Gabe. “Fuck, remind me to remove the John Hancock antenna out of your ass later,” I taunt him.

“Who’s the donor?” he asks. We can talk freely on our phones, I cyclically secure all our lines.

“August Gene Baker, a hitman who enjoys killing his victims’ families, partners, and friends in front of them before giving them the same treatment.”

I hear the grinding of teeth, the only sign that Gabe has a heart—a very tiny, barely-beating one.

“Where are you?”

“I’ll send you my position. I’m waiting for the donor to leave a pub,” I reply.

“A pub? How many is he with?” Gabe continues.

“Don’t know. Entered with his brother, don’t have eyes on him.”

“Don’t docrazy you. I’m coming.”

Like his words would stop me. I snort. “Crazy me?”

“Yes.”

“What’re you talking about?”I might know what he’s talking about.

“Let’s see… You and that escaped bear at the Lincoln Park Zoo.”And there it is.

“They were starving her. I just gave her some nightly out-of-the-cage time.” I respect bears tremendously. I mean, they can look all cuddly and kill you at the same time.

“The Navy Pier stroll on top of the Ferris wheel,” Gabe keeps going.

“I needed a different point of view to clear my head.” And that stroll gave it to me; I nailed my donor…right in the head.

“Almost stabbing Uri three days ago…at Millennium Park!”

“NearMillennium Park. Nobody saw. And we had a bet, he was supposed to give me his shirt since he lost. He refused. A bet is sacred,” I retort with a scoff.

“The evidence is piling up, Rami. There’s recklessness, and there’s foolishness.” His toneless voice vexes me even more.

Fucker! I’m not unhinged. I’m a bit…impulsive. I can give him that. But I always plan ahead if there’s someone else involved. When it’s just me…well, who cares? Fuck, I hope the donor comes out with some friends, an uneven fight always makes me feel alive. Any kind of fight really. That and fucking.

“Serena texted you the van's location and mine.”

“Got them. Be there in thirty.”