Page 20
Fancy
We’re in the alley watching the back door of the casino. Roja parked her vehicle where we’d have access to follow from either direction.
Three men went into the casino through the back door, leaving one with the vehicle. One reminded me of the man who killed Phil.
Roja slips her backpack off and removes something from the side pocket. “I need to get this tracker on that vehicle. Can you cause a distraction from the other end of the alley without being seen?”
I nod.
She indicates the earbuds we’re wearing. “Just whisper when you’re in place. I’ll hear you.”
After making my way down the street I cross back to where I need to be. Peeking around the corner I discover the guard has his back to me. Distraction. I need to cause a distraction. There are several booze bottles on the ground next to the dumpster. I pick up as many as I can hold. “Ready?”
“Yes.”
“Go.”
I scream as loud as I can. “You lying, cheating son of a bitch. I saw you!” I throw the first bottle into the alley where the guard will hear and see it break. “Bastard.” I follow up with another bottle. “I saw you fucking that bitch and now you want to come back to me!”
I throw two more bottles and bang on the nearest dumpster. A soft chuckle comes over my earbud.
“I’m going to castrate you, you bastard.” Three more bottles into the ally, glass shattering.
“Retreat. He’s headed your way,” Roja whispers. “I’m good.”
I throw the last two bottles and run the other way banging on dumpsters as I go. Hitting the main road, I slow my pace and walk with the crowd.
“Good job. You’re a natural,” Roja says. “Meet me at the car.”
She’s waiting at the end of the alley where we’re parked behind a dumpster, a camera to her eye. “Stay behind me and watch the other end of the alley. These photos will be automatically sent to Diego and my boss. I’m taking shots of the car, the guard, and anyone who steps out that door.”
Suddenly she stiffens. “Fuck.”
“What?”
“They have your men. Get in the car quietly. We’re going to follow.”
Putting the camera and a phone in my lap, she adjusts another phone on the console. “This is our tracker on their car. We’re gonna follow. Open the phone I just gave you. It’s already cued for Diego. Call him. Put him on speaker.”
“Roja, where the hell are you? Where the hell is Fancy?”
“She’s with me. They got Rico and Kade. We’re following. I’ve got a tracker on the vehicle they’re in. Can you track the same phone?”
“I’ll see what my guy can do. Where are they headed?”
“Seems like Lake Mead or at least nearby. We’ll text you mile markers as we go.”
“Keep this line open, I’ll call back.”
Watching the tracker on the phone and the cars in front of us, Roja keeps her distance while my heart is pounding.
“I need you to focus. You’re breathing too fast. Ground yourself. Do you know the 4-7-8 technique?”
“No.”
“It works. I use it when I need to focus before action.
Place your tongue behind your upper front teeth and exhale completely making a "whoosh" sound.
Then, inhale quietly through your nose to a count of four, hold your breath for a count of seven, and exhale completely through your mouth with a "whoosh" for a count of eight.
“Do it with me, tongue in place, whoosh, one two three four…”
After the fourth time I do feel more focused.
She looks over at me. “I’m an operative, but I’m also human. What we do…. have to do, sometimes takes its toll. Every time I rescue someone, I get a little of my soul back.
“I consider these guys friends. Hang in there, sister. We’ll do this. Diego won’t be far behind. I know he was trying to get backup from some of the other guys who work for the same company we do. Our lawyer and CO are also on the way and have state connections.”
We drive in silence. Me watching the tracker move, her watching traffic around us. “They’re slowing down.”
“Yeah. Definitely Lake Mead.”
We see their taillights turn off.
“Wait,” I cry out as she goes past. “That was the turn.”
“I know, but the sign said private property. There was a gate that opened for them. They probably have cameras watching.” She drives a little farther and does a U-ie and pulls off the road out of sight of the driveway. “Hand me the phone.”
She puts it on speaker and dials. “Yeah,” Diego answers, already in mid-conversation.
“We’re pretty sure that property belongs to a shell company owned by DeStefano.
We’re working on search warrants but are talking to a judge and have stated exigent circumstances.
She’s given us the go ahead. We’re about fifteen minutes behind you. ”
“Do you have a map? If I go up the road to the property next door, can we cut through the woods on foot?”
“Not sure.”
“Fifteen minutes?” I ask. “We just need to distract them until you get here, right.”
“Stay put. We’ll be there in less,” Diego says.
“Okay. Hurry.” I jump from the car and run up the drive dodging under the fence.
I hear a car door slam. It takes no time for Roja to catch up. “This is really stupid.”
“Let me go to the door. I’m who they want. That way maybe you can sneak in another way and buy us time until Diego gets here.” I pull the dog tags from my pocket. “I found this on the roof. It’s Phil’s dog tags but there’s a flash drive, too.”
“Give me your weapon.”
“Why?”
“Because they’ll disarm you immediately if you walk in with one. If you have one, they’ll assume you know how to use it. Not having one, they may get sloppy around you.
“Take off the balaclava.” She pulls her own off as she speaks and removes the stick holding her top knot in place. “This is a very thin but deadly dagger. The blade is hidden in the stem, which is actually a sheath.”
She puts the covered hair stick in my hand and places the tip against her belly. “Strike under the ribcage and go for the heart. Push up and slightly angled from here.” She lays it against her torso in example. “Hard and fast, do not hesitate.”
She shows me how to slide it out of the sheath. “You saw what he did to Phil. Don’t pull it if you can’t use it. You’ll only get one chance. Any hesitation and you’re dead. Or someone else is. If you can’t do it, get it to one of the guys.
“If they have sensors they’ll already know they’ve had a breach from the gate. We run as one, I’ll be behind and match your steps. Maybe they’ll think it’s just you. Stall, stall, stall. Diego should be here soon.
“Any shots, hit the floor and roll for cover. Kade and Rico will take care of themselves.”
Together we race up the edge of the dirt road. She stays in the shadows behind me. As we get close, she peels off into the forest behind a large tree then I lose her all together. I keep running until the house comes into view and charge up the broad porch stairs.
“Well look who’s here.” The porch lamp comes on. Phil’s killer stands behind me. “How’d you know where to find us?”
“My mom told me about this place.”
The door opens and DeStefano stands in the light. “I never brought your mother here.”
“Well, you know Mom. She was nosey as hell and always checking people and places out. She probably followed you one time.”
Phil’s killer pushes me through the door and into the room.
My men are tied to two wooden chairs in the middle of the floor with a plastic tarp under them. Rico looks the worst for wear. One eye swollen shut, a split lip and slightly hunched over to one side, as if favoring his ribs.
The mental anguish in Kades eyes says it all. His shirt is ripped open and a wound from shoulder to just under his heart is trickling blood. Bruises have already formed on his abdomen.
“Your mom was a greedy bitch. Never knew when to stop asking for more.” DeStefano looks me over. “You’re a damn sight prettier than her. You suck cock too, for pretty trinkets?”
Stall . The voice comes over my earbud.
I lift my chin. “No. That’s short-term employment. Information is my thing. It’s ever fluid. Hear it today, pass it on tomorrow. Being in the right place to learn things, that’s job security.
“Yeah, you’re a hat check girl in my casino. What you learn there?”
“Well let’s start with the fact you play the part of the bumbling cousin who’s really the brains behind everything.
Adorno likes to act like he’s smart and in charge while you’re really running things, aren’t you?
Keeping his ass out of jail and saving the family business.
Of course you’re also setting him up for a fall.
“On the other hand, Adorno hates you equally as much and wants you out of the way. He was leaking stuff to the feds to put you away.”
“You know shit.”
“Yeah, that’s what you thought about Phil.
You thought he was a nobody. He was twice the man you are in intelligence.
He played the part the whole time he was collecting info on both of you.
His death automatically released everything he’d found to two federal agencies that are knocking on your door as we speak.
“They know about the money laundering in your restaurants, sex trafficking, the drug sales at the casino. Oh, and that little gold ingot that was so precious to you? They have it. And we haven’t even discussed all the murders.
“You’ll be out of business in seventy-two hours. And you didn’t even see it coming. All because of Phil.” I cock my head and widen my eyes. “Who doesn’t know shit?
“You bitch. You fucking bitch.”
“Were you the one who overdosed my mom or was it your lackey here?” I ask.
He looks at Phil’s killer. “Take her to my room and tie her to the bed. I’ll take care of her later.”
Phil’s killer grabs my arm and drags me across the room to a closed door. I can hear my men cussing and struggling. He shoves me into the room like I’m nothing more than a ragdoll. I go flying to the floor slamming my shoulder into the bed frame. Fuck that hurts.
Giving my head a shake, my topknot slides sideways, and I grab the stick. Don’t pull it if you can’t use it. You’ll only get one chance.
“Your mom was a stupid cunt. She’d do anything for a fuck or a fix.
After she threatened the boss, I gave her what she wanted.
A good hard fuck and a fix she was guaranteed not to recover from.
Too strung out to move, you should have seen her face when I lit the car on fire and sent it sliding off the side of the road into the tree.
“After the boss is done with you, I’ll get my turn. I’ve got something special planned for you, too.”
The bastard. He killed them both, took both of them from me. “Guess you’re good with sloppy seconds. Can’t get any on your own?”
“Bitch, I get plenty of my own.” He grabs my left shoulder squeezing painfully and drags me to my feet.
My brain registers a commotion and voices from the other room, but emotion has already set my path.
Bringing the weapon up along my side I replicate the move Roja showed me.
Warmth pours over my hand and forearm as I slide and lift the blade.
Everything else fades as he gasps, gurgles and falls back on to the bed clutching his chest. Blood flows from his chest and abdomen. All I can do is stare….
“Babe, it’s okay. Look at me. Look at us,” Rico says.
Warm hands on my upper arms turn me from my focus. I raise my gaze to Rico. Kade is beside him.
“They hurt you. I’m so sorry they hurt you. They hurt both of you. My fault.”
“We’ll be fine.” Kade says. He winces as he shrugs out of his shirt, using it to wipe the blood off my arm and wrap the blade. Looking past him, I see several people in different colored uniforms easing in the door. Diego stands outside looking in. Roja next to him. She meets my gaze and nods.
It’s hours before we finally get home. Cuddled between my men, wrapped in my man cocoon, sleep settles over me. Here I’m safe, warm, wanted. Here I’m loved.