The Unbelievable Mr Brownstone Omnibus 3

by Michael Anderle

  The Professor smirked. “He’s currently involved in other important matters. You do have to keep in mind, Miz Carson, that the Fixer is responsible for the entire planet, and there are a lot of dangerous things going on all the time on Earth.”

  Shay pulled out her phone to tap in a quick text to Peyton. “This sounds like a good job. When did you need it done?”

  “Sooner rather than later.”

  Shay frowned and nodded. “Could you give me a few days? I think I’ll need them to get James onboard.”

  The Professor nodded. “That’s fine.”

  “By the way, you said the military is patrolling the forest. Do you know of any places that are weaker in the perimeter? I’d rather not have a shootout with a bunch of soldiers.”

  The Professor pulled out his own phone and sent her some information. “Don’t worry. I have some contacts there who will be able to get you past the patrols, but of course, those military forces won’t come and help you if you’re in trouble. You’ll be on your own.”

  “Fine. The only things worth being afraid of in that forest will be James and me.” Shay grinned.

  10

  Trey relaxed in a corner booth at the White Sun, just soaking in the light jazz playing over the speakers. He was taking his time as he sipped his Manhattan and checking out everybody in the room. Although he was now full-time in Vegas, he still couldn’t identify every major criminal on sight, and that was a hole in his knowledge he needed to correct to provide the best leadership for the local Brownstone Agency.

  The more I know, the less I’ll be surprised.

  Kathy chatted quietly with a man at the bar, laughing with her hand on his arm. Trey was always impressed by the differences in how she and Tyler operated, but they both got useful information in the end. He respected them both for that. Even James had to rely on information brokers for his job, proving how critical they were to a good bounty hunter.

  I might never be as great at this job as the big man, but there’s no reason I can’t get close.

  A suited man with slick-backed hair entered the White Sun and looked around. Trey recognized the new arrival. He was Marco Esposito, a local man; son of the leader of the Esposito Family.

  Well, look what we have here.

  The bounty hunter didn’t bother to hide his frown. He hadn’t had any trouble with the Mafia in a few months, but his last few major dealings with them hadn’t left him with much trust in their ability not to stir up trouble. Plus, every once in a while, one of their guys gave him a dirty look or made some annoying comment that reminded him they weren’t on good terms.

  I hope those fuckers have learned their lesson. I’m already tired of dealing with their shit. If they come at me again, maybe I won’t be so nice next time.

  The mobster continued scanning the room until his gaze landed on the bounty hunter. A slight smile followed as he walked toward Trey, his stride easy and loose. He didn’t look like he was preparing for a fight.

  This is promising shit.

  Trey sighed and shook his head, unsure. If Esposito started any trouble in the White Sun, Trey would need to make an example of him, if only to make sure that everyone knew that just because the big man wasn’t there, that didn’t mean they could push the Brownstone Agency around. The value of the place as an information source would go down if people didn’t believe the neutrality would be defended, too.

  Esposito stopped beside the booth and offered Trey a pleasant smile. The man had blindingly white teeth.

  Damn. He must use those to light up the road at night.

  “Mr. Garfield. We haven’t met, but I’m Marco Esposito.” He extended his hand.

  “I know who you are.” Trey narrowed his eyes and gave the other man’s hand a light shake. “The only real question is why the fuck you are here and talking to me? I guess that’s two questions.”

  The mobster chuckled. “I like you. None of this fake politeness bullshit. No wonder you work for Brownstone.” He nodded at the seat opposite Trey. “I’d like to join you to discuss certain matters. I think you’ll find this interesting to listen to and at least think about. But I wouldn’t want to impose.”

  Trey’s gaze flicked around the room. There were a few other men from various Families and factions present, but none seemed to be paying him or Esposito particular attention. If this was some sort of trap, it wasn’t obvious, and the meeting wasn’t considered noteworthy enough by others to require close personal scrutiny.

  “I don’t mind talking to any man who just wants to drink with me,” Trey replied evenly.

  “Good.” Esposito sat and folded his hands in front of him. “First off, let me note that I’m aware that you’ve had some unpleasant dealings with some of the local Family men. Obviously, each of our groups has its own concerns and goals, but everyone now mutually agrees that it was a mistake to antagonize you—and our Families don’t always agree on things.” He chuckled.

  Trey snorted. “You’re damned right it was a mistake. So, what, you here to apologize and shit? Kind of took a long time, don’t you think?”

  Not gonna be petty, but also can’t let them think I’m too “live and let lie.”

  “While I do apologize, that’s not why I’m here.” Esposito smiled. “I’m here instead to talk about mutually beneficial opportunities, things would benefit both you and us. In the end, we’re both businessmen, right? So that’s what we should be focusing on: business.”

  Trey furrowed his brow. “Opportunities? What opportunities?”

  “Yes. You see, we Family men understand and respect strength. We also understand and respect people who keep their word. Say what you will about Brownstone and his agency, no one’s ever said that James Brownstone doesn’t keep his word, even if it involves him saying he’s going to fuck someone up.”

  Trey chuckled. “Yeah, that’s the big man, and that’s how we run things. We ain’t going around looking for fights to start. We just go after people who already have made a big enough mess to get themselves a bounty.”

  Esposito leaned forward, a plastic smile on his face. “That’s the thing. Your agency is still new in town, and I get it—you’ve got money to make. We could help with that.”

  Trey frowned. “You could help us with that? How? We don’t need leads. We go after public bounties.”

  The other man’s smile never wavered. “I understand that, but we could provide you with opportunities and point you at certain people making things unpleasant for people of concern here in the fine city of Las Vegas. For example, we might be able to highlight where certain bounties might be when you otherwise have trouble finding them. You take them down and get your money, and people concerned with local stability benefit. That’s not objectionable, now, is it?”

  Trey snorted. “What? Let me get this straight. Are you saying the Brownstone Agency should form some sort of motherfucking alliance with the Vegas Mafia?”

  Esposito sighed. “I’m just saying that we both represent businesses interested in making money. You people are bounty hunters, not cops, so perhaps certain accommodations could be made that would be mutually beneficial to all parties, especially in terms of taking certain rewards to perhaps focus on not every available bounty. A short-term loss for a long-term profit is a valid business strategy.”

  Oh, hell no. Is he saying what I think he’s saying? Time to set some shit straight.

  “You said your name is Marco Esposito?” Trey asked.

  “Yes, and call me Marco. All my friends do.”

  We ain’t friends yet, bitch, but I’ll play nice so you’ll listen to what I have to say.

  Trey cleared his throat. “Let me break it down for you then, Marco. I was under the impression already that everyone local understood how this shit worked, and I’m kind of frustrated that I have to explain it again, especially for someone who seems like he’s a pretty smart guy.”

  Marco shrugged. “Go ahead, break it down for me. This ought to be interesting.” He looked more curious
than annoyed.

  “It ain’t no thing. It’s like you said. We ain’t 5-0. We’re bounty hunters, but that’s the thing. Because we’re bounty hunters, we go after anyone with a bounty, because anyone with a bounty has already fucked up enough and made enough noise that they need to be handled directly.” Trey picked up his drink and took a sip. “And once we’re committed to going after a bounty, we ain’t gonna take money to look the other way just because you’re Mafia, if that’s what you were getting at. The minute the Brownstone Agency does that shit, it looks like we’re taking sides, and that causes all sorts of problems. You know what I’m saying?”

  Marco frowned, the first significant displeasure he’d shown since starting the conversation. “I think you’re pushing away some very good opportunities for us to be friends. I believe you will want to think about this very carefully, or perhaps bring it up with Mr. Brownstone.”

  Trey laughed. “You’re tripping if you think that James Brownstone is gonna take bribes to ignore a bounty, and he’s told me a shitload of times that I can run Vegas however I need to.”

  “I see.” Marco’s mouth twitched. “That’s unfortunate.”

  Trey sighed. “Let me make this shit clear. I may have knocked some heads around, and some local people learned why they shouldn’t fuck with me, but I ain’t shit compared to James Brownstone. Hell, that was why other fuckers came after me, and if this shit is about threatening me, well, learn your damned lesson, bitches. Even if you manage to push me aside, you’re not gonna want to deal with the big man.” He gestured toward the door.

  The mobster quickly recovered his smile. “Let me give you a scenario, Mr. Garfield, so I can make sure we’re both on the same page. I think we can still reach an accommodation that’s mutually beneficial as long as each party understands the other.”

  “Fine. Go ahead.” Trey leaned back and crossed his arms.

  “You’re not a cop. Neither is your boss.” Marco glanced over at a single uniformed officer on the far end of the bar. “So it is our understanding, which has only been reinforced by this conversation, that if a Family man hasn’t threatened you and doesn’t have a bounty, you wouldn’t have any interest in them. Is that an accurate statement of the situation?”

  Trey lifted his chin and gave a slight nod. “Yeah, that’s true. You keep your shit clean in public and avoid bounties, and you won’t have a Brownstone problem unless you go looking for one. We’ve got better shit to do than run around messing with every fucker out there.”

  “And the Harriken? Everyone says James Brownstone didn’t used to care about those sorts of groups, and although there was an organizational bounty when he finally took them down, initially there were mostly only low-level bounties.”

  “Because they disrespected the big man, and I’d think y’all would understand.” Trey laughed. “Those Harriken bitches were the dumbest motherfuckers on the planet. He would have left their asses alone after the first time if they hadn’t come at him again.”

  “I see.” A combination of concern and slight confusion played out over Marco’s face.

  “Here’s the deal.” Trey picked up his drink and took a sip. “You know what the big man wants out of life?”

  Marco furrowed his brow. “A lot of money, I’d assume. That’s where we can help him.”

  “Shit, no. He don’t give a fuck about that. If you had seen his house, you’d be asking yourself, ‘How does a motherfucker who has that much money live in some tiny house in the middle of a shitty neighborhood?” Trey held up a hand. “And I know it is a shitty neighborhood because that’s where I was born and raised and lived most of my life. Sure, the place is now getting better, but that’s just the last year or so.”

  “I don’t get it. If he doesn’t care about money, what does he care about? He’s not a justice freak, or he wouldn’t be so obsessed with only going after bounties. What? Are you saying Brownstone doesn’t care about shit except for the thrill of the hunt?” Marco sat up with a disturbed look on his face.

  Oh, so you fuckers thought you had him all worked out, is that it?

  Trey almost laughed in his face. The idea of playing James up as some ruthless coldblooded hunter appealed, but keeping the Vegas situation reasonable and stable was at the top of his list of concerns. He wasn’t about to sign some treaty with the Mafia, but if he could keep them on their best behavior, it’d make things better for both the agency and the cops. It was just a matter of managing expectations on both sides.

  “Nah, you still ain’t getting it.” Trey shook his head. “The big man wants a simple life, but he’s got a talent for ass-kicking, so he ended up a bounty hunter. Now shit’s no longer simple for him, so whenever anyone can make something easier and simpler, it makes him less cranky and less likely to throw said motherfucker through a window. You know what I’m saying?”

  Marco nodded slowly, some of the fear retreating from his face and the smarm seeping back in. “I think a lot of people are like that. It’s understandable.”

  Trey stared at him for a few seconds. “Exactly. So, nah, the Brownstone Agency don’t want no special shit from you, other than what you feel like giving, and you shouldn’t expect no special shit from us other than you keep your guys away from bounties and away from us and we won’t have no problems. Is that clear enough for you, Marco?”

  “I appreciate your candor, Mr. Garfield.”

  “You can call me Trey.”

  “Okay, Trey.” Marco smiled. “We Family men are still figuring out how we feel about the changes in Vegas over the last couple of years. The Brownstone Agency moving into town has made things interesting. Me personally? I kind of like it.”

  Trey chuckled. “You like it? Color me skeptical, Marco. I don’t see how anyone who does something on a certain side of the law would like the fact that there was a bounty hunter like Brownstone in town.”

  “I understand why you might think I’m spouting bullshit, but the truth is that the agency being here makes things fresh in a way they haven’t been in a while. Probably not since the gates opened.” Marco’s gaze flicked to an elf in the corner.

  “We have an understanding, then?” Trey stared at him. “I don’t want any misunderstandings. I only want motherfucking trouble from people I’m looking for motherfucking trouble from, and you seem like a reasonable enough guy, Marco.”

  “Yes, I think we have an understanding.” Marco pushed himself up as the waitress arrived. “And I’ll let everyone else know, but I can’t vouch for every group in the city. Please keep that in mind if there are any more incidents?”

  Trey frowned. “Do you expect there to be more incidents?”

  “Not offhand, but this is Las Vegas. It’s always best to expect the unexpected.”

  “Fair enough.”

  Marco nodded to Trey and walked away.

  The waitress looked at the bounty hunter and he shook his head.

  What does that shit mean? Does that mean they ain’t gonna fuck with us going forward? Or just some of them? Suppose we won’t really know until we grab someone they give a shit about.

  Trey lifted his glass and snorted. “Interesting is just another way of saying complicated.”

  11

  James glanced at Shay before he turned the corner in the F-350. She was talking to Peyton on the phone as they made their way to a florist. While James didn’t care much about whatever flowers they might have at the wedding, Shay insisted it wouldn’t hurt for him to come along and note anything he might have absolute and unyielding objections to. She also admitted she wasn’t sure she cared about having flowers at the wedding, and even suggested they get Zoe to find them some Oriceran fighting plants guests could battle for fun at the reception.

  Shit. Now that I think of it, that doesn’t sound half-bad. I wonder if she was joking?

  “Uh-huh.” Shay nodded. “Thanks, Peyton. No, I think it’s a good time to do that, especially given how the timing of everything else is going to work out. Okay, I’ll talk to you
later.” She ended the call and slipped her phone back into her pocket.

  “You sure about that?” James asked. “From what I heard in the first half, it sounded like you were telling him to go on a vacation. You really want him to go away right before you head out on a major tomb raid?”

  “Heather’s on a three-week vacation right now, so why not Peyton?” Shay shrugged.

  James slowed as they approached a light. “I just wanted to give her some time. I’ve fucked her over on vacations before, and since high-level shit was slow and she had to do all those background checks, she deserved time off.”

  “Peyton’s been whining about going on vacation with his girlfriend for a while,” Shay explained. “And from what the Professor said, having a remote hacker on this job will be worthless anyway. Good time for everyone to get in their summer fun. Otherwise, it’s just him sitting around being bored while I’m kicking ass and out of communication.”

  James shrugged and stopped at a red light. “We can’t leave until Alison’s back on the train, so not for another forty-eight hours.”

  “That’s fine. The Professor wanted it handled within a week according to his follow-up message, but he was flexible about schedule other than that. The Fixer’s stupid figurine should take us right to it. I swear that he’s just fucking with me, or maybe he’s fucking with the Professor.”

  James grunted. “Who gives a shit, as long as it works?”

  “It’s still annoying.”

  “And what about Lily? Check in with her? She might want in on this.” James accelerated as the light changed. “Or is she still in Trinidad?”

  Shay nodded. “Yeah. She admitted she is on vacation, and Harry just flew down there yesterday, so she’s going to be distracted for a little longer. I don’t give a shit. She’s done plenty of jobs, and it’s good that she can take on some of these easier jobs by herself. She might as well have a little vacation, too.”