Mob Lawyer 5: A Legal Thriller

by Dave Daren

  I grinned as I realized what the young Febbo planned. I was happy that Arielle would be taken care of, and she definitely deserved a vacation after her performance today and surviving the tale this morning.

  “Of course,” I said. “I’ll let her know right away.”

  “Good,” Anthony said. “I need to go to a meeting. Text me when you have the flight number and time of your arrival.”

  “I will,” I said.

  I ended the call and stuffed my phone in my pants pocket while I turned to look at the beautiful woman on the picnic table.

  “Change of plans,” I said. “Gabriele, you’re going to transfer some money into Arielle’s account. And Arielle, you’re going to get out of the country for a few weeks.”

  “Nice,” the young hacker said as he balanced his laptop on his legs. “I’ll have it in there by the time we get to the airport. Actually, I’ll set up a dummy account for you. I think I have a few blank cards in my bag somewhere.”

  I watched in awe as the purple-haired man rifled through his black canvas bag and produced a black credit card from the depths. I shouldn’t have been shocked that he’d have something like that, especially since we might’ve needed one if things had gone south, but it was still amazing to realize how good a hacker he really was.

  “I need to go home to get my passport,” Arielle said. “And some clothes. They’ll probably be watching the condo.”

  “They will,” Hank said as he stood and stretched. “But we can get in and out without anyone noticing.”

  “Really?” the brunette asked as she looked between each of us. “Thank you all so much. This is… this is the best day of my life.”

  “I’m glad that we can help,” I said. “I was serious when I said that we couldn't have done this without you. We’re going to take Gryffon down, and your fiancé’s death will be avenged.”

  The beautiful attorney nodded her head, but she had trouble speaking as tears welled up in her eyes. She ran over to wrap her arms around me and gave me a quick kiss on the cheek before she brushed at her cheeks with the tips of her fingers.

  “Do you have any idea where you want to go?” I asked.

  “Saigon,” she said with a decisive nod.

  “Saigon?” I asked.

  “It’s where we were going on our honeymoon,” she said. “The scenery is gorgeous, and both of us wanted to tour the temples. I’ll probably take my time to really explore Vietnam since I have a few weeks.”

  “That sounds like the perfect idea,” I said.

  “Let’s go,” Hank said as walked toward the car with the keys in his hands. “We shouldn’t stay in one place for too long.”

  “I guess I can finish this in the car,” Gabriele muttered.

  He slid from the top of the table while he balanced his laptop in one hand, reached down to grab his canvas bag, and then snatched the energy drink that had been beside him. He chugged the last of it down, crumpled the can, and then tossed it into the too full trash can with beer bottles scattered around the base.

  Hank drove us back to Arielle’s condo so that she could pack, but he parked a block away, and he kept the engine running while he waited for us to get back. He’d told me to keep the pea shooter he’d given me, and to make sure that I didn’t miss if anyone made an appearance.

  I was thrilled that we didn’t run into anyone, though there was a cop car parked outside of her building. The last thing that I needed was to become an international fugitive, so I followed the brunette through the back door and up to her home. I helped her to pack as quickly as possible, and then led the way back to the rental car with my head on a swivel and my finger on the trigger of my gun.

  Gabriele had finished with Arielle’s new bank account and card by the time we got back. The hacker explained how he’d set up the PIN for her and the identity the money would be under. He didn’t have the equipment to make her a new ID card, but he programmed the number of someone that could help her into her new burner phone.

  Arielle nodded along with everything that Gabriele said, and even pulled out a small notepad so that she could take notes. Her pale-blue eyes had gone wide when the purple-haired man told her how much Anthony had paid her for her help, and she sputtered a thank you a few times as she tucked the new spending account card into her purse.

  “You did all of this in the last hour?” the brunette asked when she’d stuffed her purse by her feet.

  “It wasn’t that hard,” Gabriele said, though his cheeks did warm all the way up to his ears. “I’d have done more, but I only brought so much of my equipment with us.”

  “You’ve done so much!” Arielle exclaimed. “I really appreciate it. I’ll make sure to call Duc as soon as I land.”

  She fell quiet as Hank put the car into gear, and for a moment, she stared out of the car window at the home that she was leaving behind. She quickly swiped at her cheek as another tear fell from her eyes, but then she seemed to gather herself as she turned forwards and refused to look back.

  Hank watched the rearview mirror for any tails as we left the block where he’d hidden the car. He drove just above the speed limit, a tactic he explained would keep the cops from paying us much attention, and he only made one stop before we arrived at the airport.

  The beefy man rented a locker at a bus station, gave the key to Arielle, and told her to stash her phone inside along with any other electronic devices that could be tracked. He let her keep the burner phone, but everything else had to go. He had me add my gun before he put his in, and then told Arielle that she should keep them even after the Gryffon company had been taken down.

  “I don’t know how to use a gun,” the beautiful lawyer protested.

  “You can learn,” Hank said. “You’ll need to keep yourself safe.”

  “But if I wait until the news is released,” Arielle protested. “Then what do I need to be afraid of?”

  “There will be plenty of people who want revenge,” I warned her. “The government officials that were on the take may want to come after you. And the Serbians might send someone to kill you as a show of force. You’ll want to make sure that you can defend yourself.”

  The brunette pursed her lips together but didn’t argue any further as Hank led the way back to the car and our resident Hacker.

  Gabriele had already purchased tickets for Arielle by the time we returned the car to the rental agency, and we all walked the beautiful lawyer to her gate to see her off.

  “I guess this is it,” Arielle said as we stood outside of the gate where her plane was parked.

  “Be safe out there,” I said. “And take lots of pictures. You have my email address?”

  “Yep,” the lawyer said with a bright smile. “I’ll make sure to send you lots of updates on the food.”

  “I promise to be envious,” I chuckled.

  She gave me another kiss and lingered for a moment before the flight attendant called for her flight to start boarding. She waved, thanked me again, and then walked through the gate and onto the plane.

  I didn’t move from my spot until after the Boeing 747 had taken flight. I really hoped that she’d be okay, and I trusted that the hacker next to me had made her the perfect cover identity. But I also knew that the Serbians had a long reach, and if they knew about her previous honeymoon plans, then they would search in Vietnam first. I made a mental note to check in on her once the shit hit the fan, and then turned to the two men that were still with me.

  “She was nice,” Hank said as he stood next to me with his hands in his pockets.

  “She was,” I said. “And helpful.”

  “True,” the beefy man said with a nod.

  I shook myself out of my thoughts of flying with her to Saigon. I had a job to do, and she needed to go on that trip alone. I hoped that she stayed in touch, and that maybe she’d take a vacation to New York, but that was a daydream for another day.

  “So,” I said as I turned to look at Gabriele. “When does our flight leave?”

>   “In a few hours,” the purple-haired man said as he adjusted his bag. “It lands in JFK at three a.m..”

  “Right,” I said. “Well, I guess we should find somewhere to hunker down before the flight leaves.”

  “We should eat dinner, too,” the hacker said with a grimace. “I tried to pick decent meals, but even in first class the menu wasn’t very appetizing.”

  I laughed as I strolled toward the food court of the airport. I watched for anyone who paid us a little too much attention, but other than a few curious women that giggled and waved at us, we were just more faces in the crowd. I sniffed the air as the smell of cinnamon wafted over me, and my mouth watered as I turned toward the Cinnabon.

  “We should find a place that’s out of the way to eat,” Hank said.

  “Do you really think they’ll get through security?” Gabriele asked.

  “He’s right,” I said. “They paid off the magistrate and who knows how many city officials. It wouldn’t be hard to pay off a security guard to let them in. And if they realize what you took, then they’ll be desperate enough to open fire in a public place.”

  “Let’s get our food and regroup in that corner,” my bodyguard said as he pointed to a table for four that was well-hidden by a fake ficus.

  I nodded and then headed straight for the hot cinnamon rolls that practically called my name. I bought water, some apple slices, and orange juice to go along with my makeshift meal. I’d had enough grease over the last few days that I needed something healthy to wash the sugar down with, and the orange juice would help to boost my immune system as I hopped more timezones.

  We spent most of the next two hours in idle conversation while we pretended that we weren’t looking for men with guns, and then boarded the plane and took our seats.

  The cocoon on the way back to the US was cozier than the one I’d had on the way to Andorra, though I chalked that up to my being eager to get home. I gratefully took the blanket and eye mask that the flight attendant offered, snuggled deep into the little bed, and dozed off only a few minutes after the plane had taken off.

  I woke up once for the in-flight meal, but Gabriele had been right, and I’d left most of it untouched on the tray as I drifted back to sleep. I had dreams of Arielle’s long limbs and icy-blue eyes the entire way home, and was groggy when Hank shook me awake.

  “Hunter, we’re here,” the beefy man said with a yawn.

  “Huh?” I mumbled as I sat up.

  It took me a few seconds to realize where I was and what I was doing. I looked at my watch to see that the plane had been on time, and that it was three a.m. local time. I felt like someone had stuffed cotton balls inside of my head, though, and it took me several minutes to remember where here even was. I took the water that the stewardess offered, chugged it down, and then shook myself as I tried to chase off the jetlag.

  “Come on,” Hank laughed as he motioned for me to follow him once we were at the gate.

  “I am going to sleep for a week,” Gabriele muttered while he stumbled after us.

  The purple-haired man had heavy bags under his eyes, and he looked like he hadn’t had a decent night of sleep in weeks. He sighed as he reached into his black canvas bag, grumbled about airport security stealing his energy, and then glared around at everyone we passed on our way out of the terminal.

  We stepped into the cool air of autumn in New York, and Hank directed us toward the standard Febbo vehicle, a Chrysler 300.

  “Alfonso,” my bodyguard said as we reached the exit. “Are you our ride?”

  The man that waited for us was dressed in the same black suit that I expected from the Febbo security team. He was well into his fifties with short gray hair and deep lines etched into his face from years of squinting and scowling.

  “Yeah,” the man said in a gruff voice. “You couldn’t pick a better time to come in other than three a.m.?”

  “It was the fastest way back,” Gabriele huffed. “Would you rather have us get caught by the Serbs?”

  “Maybe,” Alfonso said with a shrug as he turned to lead us outside. “If that meant I could sleep through the night.”

  “Nice, Uncle Fonso, nice,” the purple-haired man said. “If mom heard that she’d tear you a new one.”

  “Luckily she ain’t here, you little shit,” the grumpy man said as he threw a look over his shoulder at his nephew. “And what did I tell you about that hair? You expect to represent the family looking like that?”

  The two of them went back and forth as we all climbed into the black Chrysler 300 that Alfonso had driven to pick us up in. They bickered like they were bitter rivals, but I saw the flash of pride in the old man’s eyes as Gabriele told him that Anthony had hand-picked him for the job we were coming back from. The grouchy driver still added another remark about the young hacker’s hair before he pulled out of JFK.

  I tried to follow along as their conversation turned to the family and the newest developments in the city, but my eyelids felt like they were tied down with fifty pound weights. I glanced over to see that Hank was wide awake, and I wondered how the bodyguard managed to function when it was so early in the morning. I needed a coffee, or another six hours of sleep, but the beefy man looked like he was ready for an ambush at any moment.

  “Where are we headed?” I asked as Alfonso passed the exit for Floral Park.

  “The main house,” he answered while meeting my eyes in the rearview mirror. “Mr. Febbo said he wanted you there as soon as you got back.”

  I wondered if it was Anthony or Sal that had given the order, but I was too tired to care, and I figured that I would find out soon enough. I drifted off a few times on the smooth ride across the LIE, and woke to the sound of rough gravel underneath the tires as Alfonso drove down the long driveway.

  The main house was lit up by lamps along the base, though none of the light reached the upper levels where the bedrooms were, and I saw that some of the light posts that lined the walkways into the gardens were on as well, presumably for the guards who patrolled the perimeter. Most of the windows in the house were darkened, but there were some in the living room that were still on.

  I followed after the others as they led me up the stairs and inside, waved at a few of the shadows that moved around the perimeter, and forced myself to stand up straight as I entered my client’s home. I knew that there was a spare room upstairs that I could use to crash, but Alfonso led the way into the living room, and I was greeted by several unfamiliar faces that were sprawled out around the room on their computers.

  “Hunter,” Anthony said as he came in from the patio. “You’re back. You look like shit.”

  “Thanks,” I chuckled. “Good to see you, too. What’s all this?”

  “My tech team,” the young Febbo said. “They’re going over the numbers and trying to figure out what they mean.”

  “I might be able to help with that,” Gabriele said as he pulled out a USB from his pocket. “This is the physical copy of the Gryffon Company’s files.”

  “Perfect,” the mafioso said. “I’ve already given them the digital copy. There are energy drinks and pizza in the kitchen. Mom made the pizza. And there are seats out on the patio if you need the fresh air.”

  “Bangin’,” the hacker said as he stumbled toward the food and caffeine.

  “He’s an interesting man,” I said once the purple-haired man was out of earshot. “But he’s pretty good at what he does.”

  “The best,” Anthony said. “That’s why I sent him with you. I know you were hoping for plan A to work, but it’s always good to have a backup.”

  “And it turned out that he was great at more than just getting into the Gryffon computers,” I said.

  My client lifted an eyebrow, but I shook my head and laughed.

  “You’ll have to tell me about that later,” the mafioso said. “Go ahead and grab a couch. I’ll wake you up if we find anything.”

  I didn’t have to be told twice. I shuffled over to one of the plush sofas, dropped my
bag on the floor, and then stretched out. I tugged down the blanket that was over the back of the sofa so that I could block out the light, yawned, and then succumbed to sleep again. I knew from experience that sleep and water were the best way to combat jetlag, and the former was my favorite.

  The smell of fresh baked bread and coffee woke me up. It was combined with the scent of roasted tomatoes, parmesan, and eggs, and my stomach growled as a reminder that I hadn’t had a solid meal in over twelve hours.

  I peeled myself off of the couch, wiped the drool off of my chin, and then looked around. I was surprised to see that more people had arrived, and I checked my watch to see that I’d been asleep for another three hours. I had slept so hard that I hadn’t heard them come in, but now that I was awake, they all seemed so loud. I stood to stretch out my cramped muscles, ran my fingers through my hair, and then scrubbed my face with my hands.

  “Hunter,” Gulia said as she glided in from the kitchen with a tray of espresso in her hands. “It’s good to see you’re awake. Go wash up and then come have breakfast.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” I said with a smile.

  I was sure that I looked like roadkill after the long few days that I’d had. I picked up my bag and headed to the downstairs bathroom where I could freshen up. I did a quick shave, washed my face, and brushed my teeth before I changed into a pair of jeans and a black polo. I needed to go back to the house to grab a suit, but if Anthony wanted me at the Febbo estate, then I might have to ask if someone could take my laundry to the drycleaners.

  The work in the living room had been stalled by the delivery of breakfast, and I waved at Anthony’s youngest sister, Annie, as she handed out plates of food. She waved at me and then pointed a delicate finger toward the kitchen where her mother breezed around giving orders to servants.

  “Don’t you look handsome,” Gulia said as I walked in. “Sit, sit, I have a plate for you and an extra strong cup of coffee. It’s a special blend that I use when I come home from visiting papa. Hank already had two cups this morning.”