by Vivi Paige
“I don’t know what that bitch is talking about,” he sputtered. “Come on, Tony, you guys know—”
Slappy strode forward and lived up to the name I’d given him on the fly. He smacked the apparent Enzio a good one in the mush.
“Don’t use names, you stupid fuck,” Slappy warned. “Awful convenient, she found out about Father Gilberti.”
“And he’s been flashing that new watch of his around,” another masked man quipped.
Masked heads bobbed in agreement as Enzio’s voice grew high pitched and cracked.
“C’mon, guys. You can’t take anything she says seriously. She’s a lawyer, fer Crissake! She gets paid to lie.”
“Yeah, but where did you get that watch?”
“My girlfriend bought it for my birthday,” Enzio sputtered. “I already told you that.”
Slappy glowered at him, then shook his head and returned to me. He dragged another chair, a wooden one, over in front of me. With a twist of his wrist he turned it around to face backward and seated himself, arms resting on the backrest.
“Start talking, toots.”
“It was so obvious,” I said, trying not to panic. Slappy was so close to me he could have reached out and snapped my neck in a heartbeat. “I mean, the Loggias have bristled under Maloik rule of the Sinister Six for ages.”
His eyes narrowed. “That name is a dirty word. We don’t like being called that.”
“So, you are working for the Loggia family?”
He glowered, and one of his friends laughed.
“Yo, this bitch is good! Maybe we should hire her to defend us from now on.”
“Yeah, who’s interrogating who here?”
Slappy glared them into silence, then turned his attention back to me.
“Seems to me like we have ourselves a little situation here. You’ve stumbled onto something that’s real hazardous for your health to know. Now, this could go a couple of different ways.”
“I’m listening,” I said.
His lips twisted into a smile. “You’re a real cool chick, aren’t you? I like that. It’s the tough ones like you what scream the loudest when I’m having my fun.”
I swallowed hard. “But it won’t come to that, will it? You said it could go a couple different ways?”
“Indeed. You could play nice, tell us what we want to know… or I could get my toolkit out of the van, and we could have some fun. Personally, I kind of hope it’s the latter—”
A stack of pallets collapsed to my left. Slappy leaped up so quickly he knocked over his own chair.
Then, all hell broke loose.
Chapter Thirty
Indro
While the Loggia goons went to check on the stack of pallets, assuming I was over there, I took careful aim at the big guy’s back. Thanks to a little ingenuity, a length of rope, and lots of luck, my diversion had gone off without a hitch.
I squeezed the triggers, the Berettas coughed and spat out bullets, and the big man’s back erupted into a bloody spray. He jerked about and fell to the concrete, twitching and gurgling as his sightless eyes stared up at the ceiling.
“Ambush!” The Loggias ducked for cover as I rattled off a few more rounds. To my frustration, I didn’t hit shit but wood and concrete.
“Sophie, come on!” I shouted.
She leaped out of the chair and flopped down to all fours. Sophie crawled rapidly toward me, her eyes wide and frantic.
“Shoot the bitch!”
A pang of fear ran through me. I leaped out from behind the stack of pallets I’d been using as cover and fired at the man who’d shouted the command. I figured if I made myself a target the Loggias would leave Sophie alone.
Unfortunately, my plan worked. I scrambled back behind cover as they lit up the warehouse with a hail of bullets. I thrust my arm between two slats and fired away at their position. A cry of pain greeted my efforts, bringing a grin to my face. I hit one of the bastards.
Sophie’s scream split the air. I turned about, head on a swivel as I tried to locate her. I saw her vanish behind one of the towering pallet walls, one of the masked men in hot pursuit.
I realized an open patch of floor more than fifteen feet wide separated me from that relative safety. Their guns rang out again, sending sparks flying near my feet. As a testament to how worried I was about Sophie, I didn’t even worry about my Bruno Maglis.
I hated to give away my position, but my fear for Sophie’s safety made me shout her name.
“Sophie? Where are you?”
I heard her cry out above the din.
“Indro, I’m here!”
“End of the line, bitch!”
I stretched my legs out and ran for all I was worth. This wasn’t like when I ran down Diego. I was running all out, without caring about exhausting myself. I skidded around the corner of a pallet tower and saw a masked Loggia thug grabbing the lapel of her gray blazer. I’ve got to say, my girl fought hard. She scratched his hand, leaving trails of blood.
“You stupid bitch!” My heart stopped when he cracked her across the mush with his pistol.
I ran toward him, screaming as I emptied one of the Berettas into his torso. He jerked and spasmed about as the bullets ripped through him, leaving gory red holes in their wake.
I dove to the floor and checked on Sophie. “You all right?”
“I think so,” she said. Her lip had been split, but not bad. She turned her dazed gaze on me. “Are you all right?”
“Me, I’m fine.”
“You’re bleeding.”
I followed her gaze to my shoulder, where a dark stain spread over my leather jacket.
“Aw, what the fuck? This coat set me back two grand!”
Yeah, that’s the kind of guy I am. More worried about my threads than my flesh and bone. Thing was, the wound didn’t even hurt until she pointed it out. Then it hurt like a mother fucker, but I still had plenty of functionality. I figured it was just a graze.
Renewed gunfire spurred me back into action. I pocketed the empty Beretta and grabbed Sophie’s hand, dragging her to her feet.
“Come on and stay low.”
We crouch-walked through the stacks of pallets as bullets rained down on our position. I turned around and squeezed off a couple of rounds, knowing I wouldn’t hit shit but also knowing it would give them pause.
I wanted to work my way back to the service entrance I’d used to get inside the warehouse. Only problem was, the Loggia thugs stood between us and it. Then I caught a whiff of water.
The warehouse opened up onto the lake. All we had to do was follow that smell and we’d be scot-free.
“Come on,” I growled, tugging her along. I winced when a bullet smashed a wooden plank to splinters right next to her head. I stuck my arm out behind me and fired blind while throwing her forward.
“Go, run toward the smell of water.”
Sophie stumbled a few steps, then stopped, looking back at me as if unsure.
“Now!”
I spun around and fired again. My gun made the dreaded clicking sound, indicating it was empty.
“Fuck.” I only had one clip left. Yeah, I know it’s called a magazine and not a clip. Fuck you, too. It’s my God damn story.
After casting a glance Sophie’s way to make sure she was still running, I ran toward a stack of pallets and shoulder blocked it. Pain shot up through my arm. Fuck, why did I have to use my bad shoulder?
The pallets teetered toward the Loggia thugs, then back my way, and for a scary second I figured I was going to get crushed by my own stupid plan. Then, it swung back their way and I threw myself against it again. At last, the entire column toppled over onto the Loggias.
I didn’t wait to see how many of them I got with it. I made tracks something fierce. I caught up with Sophie, my heart jumping with elation when I saw an open bay door and Lake Michigan’s sun-dappled surface.
I wasn’t even bothered by the ominous clouds looming on the horizon. All I knew was we were going to escape
the death-trap warehouse.
I spotted an aluminum four-seater boat bobbing in the water. We were still neck-deep in Loggia territory, but their turf ended at the water line.
“Get in the boat,” I cried.
Sophie ran to the edge but skidded to a halt. “There’s no ladder, or stairs or anything.”
“Not going to be a problem.” I grabbed her hand and we leaped into the boat together. She screamed the whole way down. We collapsed onto the floor, setting the craft to rocking wildly.
“Are you okay?” I asked, holding her arms.
“I’m okay, I think,” she said. “Twisted my ankle a little but it’s not bad.”
I yanked the ripcord on the outboard engine, and it rumbled to life. The boat surged forward, nearly knocking me right into the water. That would have really sucked, as I was a shit swimmer and the water remained frigid.
“Can you pilot a boat?” Sophie asked as I leaped behind the wheel.
“One way to find out.”
We tore away from the warehouse, heading out over the choppy waters of Lake Michigan. I figured we were safe, at least for the time being.
As usual, I turned out to be dead wrong.
Chapter Thirty-One
Sophie
I hugged myself, shivering from the cold wind kicked up by our mad flight across the water. The clouds rolling in threatened rain, but worse, they drove a stiff wind before them.
Fun fact: Lake Michigan has more shipwrecks rusting at its bottom than the Bermuda Triangle. Part of the reason is how suddenly storms can whip up out of nowhere.
And it looked like we were barreling right into one.
My heart sank when I saw a large swell looming before us. Indro glanced over at me and scowled.
“Sophie, sit down for Christ’s sake.”
I sat, looking for a safety harness, but finding none. That just seemed dangerous to me.
I settled for sticking my arms between my legs, splayed in an unladylike fashion, and gripping the seat for dear life.
We hit the swell with a loud slap of the hull, careening into the air for a good dozen feet before slamming back down. I bounced in my seat but held on tightly enough not to fly over the side. Indro glanced over at me.
“Are they still following us?”
“What do you mean, still?”
“I mean I heard another set of engines before the wind picked up.”
I turned about in my seat and spotted a larger boat bouncing along in our wake. It featured one of those half-canopy things to keep out rain, and a sunken cockpit for the pilot. Several of the masked men clung to the back, guns in their hands and menace in their hearts.
“Yes, and they’re gaining—”
I had forgotten about the swells. We hit another, and I was jostled out of my seat to sprawl onto the floor of the boat. I picked myself up, thoroughly drenched and more miserably cold than ever.
“Sophie, you all right?” Indro gasped.
“I’m fine, keep your eyes on the road—water, what the fuck ever!”
I climbed back into my seat just in time for us to hit another swell. This one rolled up on us taller than the boat itself. The impact made me bite my tongue, causing me to yelp.
I slammed back down into my seat and risked a glance behind us. The Loggias were still closing the gap, though the heavy swells had slowed their ascent somewhat. Their heavier craft seemed to fare better in the high sea—er, lake.
“Indro, they’re still gaining on us.”
“Yeah, they’ve got three outboards to our one.” He grimaced as clouds rolled overhead, blotting out the sun. I fairly whimpered when I saw how high the water had truly become. White caps tickled the tops of the waves now.
“We’ll be fine, Sophie,” he said. He glanced over at a storage locker. “Open that and see what we’ve got to work with.”
I flicked open the lid, remembering to brace myself afterward for the impending wave. I kept my tongue pressed against the roof of my mouth so I wouldn’t bite it again.
We slammed down on the other side only to hit another swell immediately. I spent a few moments bouncing crazily, trying to hold on to my seat until we got to a slightly calmer section of water.
“You all right?” Indro shouted above the din.
“I’m fine.”
“What have we got in the locker? I don’t suppose there’s any guns.”
“No,” I grimaced. “Not even a spear gun.” I dragged out a plastic bag and unzipped it, finding wetsuits inside.
“Scuba gear, I think, but there’s no tank.”
Indro glanced over at the wetsuits. I could see his dark eyes growing narrow and crafty.
“I’ve got an idea.”
“I hope it’s to turn around and head for shore.”
“They’d be on us in a second if I let off the throttle enough to make the turn.” Indro jutted his chin toward the wetsuits. “How many are there?”
“Two.”
“Perfect. Put one of them on.”
“Now?” I gasped. Then we hit another wave. I slammed into the side of the boat, barely clinging to the rail.
“Yes, now. I’ve got a plan.”
I had a sinking feeling—no pun intended—that we were going into the water sooner rather than later. Confused by his command, yet too afraid to argue, I slipped out of my skirt and blazer and struggled into the wetsuit. It was difficult, trying to manage this while bouncing around over every swell.
I finally zipped it up and struggled back to my seat. “Now what?”
“Now, you take the wheel.”
“What?” I gaped. “Are you out of your fucking mind?”
Indro grinned. “Always.”
He tapped the dashboard. “See this? It’s the throttle. Keep it wide open. Point the nose directly at the waves and hang on tight.”
“What are you going to do?”
A look of disgust twisted his features. “I’m going to throw away a God damn Armani suit.”
I clambered awkwardly under his arms and took over the wheel and throttle. Indro scrambled out of the seat so I could take his place. The wheel rattled terribly in my hands, making it difficult to hang onto. Indro doffed his coat and began putting on the wetsuit.
I cringed as my first swell approached. I held on tightly and tried to keep the wheel steady. We hit it and I think I screamed, though my throat had long since become raw.
We slammed down on the other side, my pulse throbbing in my ears. I’d done it! Confidence surged in me. I even felt a bit of a thrill, racing along the storm-tossed lake.
“All right, Sophie, switch with me again.”
Indro appeared, looking hot as hell in the tight wetsuit. I couldn’t keep myself from checking out the bulge between his legs. The suit conformed to the smooth contours of his muscular physique in a pleasing way.
“Stop staring at my dick, you goof, and get out of my seat!”
I scrambled out and into the opposite seat just in time for us to hit another wave.
“Why did we have to put on the suits?”
“Because the water is freezing, and the suits should—hopefully—keep us from freezing to death. Hang on tight, this is going to be rough.”
It had already been plenty rough in my estimation, but I clung to my seat for dear life. I screamed as he banked the boat sharply to the right, surfing along the edge of a wave and turning us back toward the pursuing craft.
“What are you doing?”
Indro used his discarded belt to rig the throttle wide open and the steering wheel firmly in place. He tugged the leather strap to make sure it had cinched. “Give me your hand.”
He grabbed my arm and dragged me out of the seat. I stared up in horror as the nose of our boat pointed directly at the pursuing Loggia craft. Their pilot realized the imminent collision and tried to turn off, but he stalled out his engines in the process.
“Now!” Indro and I leaped off the side into the frigid water. A split second later the boats collided with
a tremendous crash, sending debris raining down on our heads.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Indro
The cold waters slipped over my head, cutting off light and air. Bits of debris rained down into the water as I snapped my gaze about, searching for Sophie. Panic flooded my mind. Had I doomed her to death by drowning because of my crazy scheme?
The fact the Loggia goons would definitely have killed us had I not rammed their boat didn’t even enter my mind. All I could think was my stupidity had gotten her killed.
I then realized I was in danger, too. I couldn’t tell which way was up. I fought down the panic and looked about until I spotted a bit of engine sinking past me. I swam in the direction it had come from, kicking my legs like nobody’s business.
I never was much for being in the water, but I knew how to swim—barely. I remembered one time when Don Maloik had sent me down to Miami after a snitch what had entered the witness protection program.
I’d found him easily enough, tending bar in one of those glorified tiki huts along the beach. Offing him had presented little difficulty. I waited until he headed into the stinky bathroom and made my move. I kicked open the door, came up on him with a silenced .22 and pumped three rounds into his chest before he even had a chance to scream. Then I turned and calmly walked away. Nobody even noticed he was a goner for half an hour after he failed to return from his bathroom break.
After that, I figured what the hell? I’d try taking a dip in the ocean. A lot of the waves were pretty big, as it was high tide at the time, bigger than the waves rippling Lake Michigan.
Here’s the thing, though. The Atlantic Ocean is salt water, and it’s a lot easier to stay afloat in salt water. Maybe you did that experiment with the egg and the glass of water when you were in elementary school. Maybe not, but trust me, the science is sound.
Thing is, Lake Michigan sure ain’t got no salt in it. I hit the surface and immediately got washed over by a rearing wave. I swallowed about three gallons before I came out on the other side, sputtering.