“What will you do with it?”
“I’m going to erase the traces of the gun and throw it into the Hudson River. I will burn the clothes and shoes in the oven of my workshop. You must immediately take a bath to thoroughly remove all traces of gunpowder and metal particles from your hands, your face, your hair and all parts of your body that were exposed.”
The girl went to her room and returned with the gun and clothes. Charley stood up and said.
“I’m going to get rid of all this right away.”
“Thanks Charley. Listen! I have a question.”
“Tell me.”
“What did you mean I have other options?”
“You know it. Some people are interested in you.”
“Charley, you swear to me that Marcos will never know what I just told you.”
Paddy O’Halloran was furious. He threw the cell phone into a corner breaking it to pieces.
“Damn ape! It seems that someone massacred his men and he is now desperate and squeals that I have to protect him from his enemies. He is trying to blackmail me using all the money he paid me over the years.”
“Is it true about the money?” Asked Laura Sandoval.
“Of course. Where do you think I got the resources for our holiday, to satisfy all your whims and also maintain Sheila?”
Perceiving the state of crisis he was in Laura approached the man. She stroked his head for which she had to stand on her toes. She said softly.
“You will find a solution, I´m sure. You must realize that the status of that man Jemal has changed.”
“What do you mean?
“He’s no longer your boss, now he is a danger for us.”
“I know that perfectly well. The ape that was once an asset has now turned into a liability.”
“What you do with a liability?”
Paddy smiled in reply. Then he lifted the woman in his arms as was his custom, took her into the bedroom and closed the door.
The man got to the door of the cheap hotel and surveyed the scene of the central desktop. A groggy employee was watching a portable TV without observing the door. Just then rang a phone located on a way to the bathroom wall. The man knew that the timely call was made by Laura.
Paddy pulled down the balaclava covering his face, put some disposable gloves and placed plastic bags in his shoes. He took the gun in his hands and slid through the hall towards the wooden stairs holding his breath. Fortunately the old stairs did not creak under his weight.
Jemal had told him the room number where he was so she went directly to it, on the third floor. He pleaded not to find anyone on the road, but the late hour ensured that all guests would be sleeping in their rooms.
As he arrived in front of room 304 Paddy took a lock pick and in one second stealthily opened the door. He peered into the small deserted living room and then saw the light from the bedroom, from which came groans and creaks of a bed. He walked silently and saw a scene that sickened him. Jemal was sexually penetrating a young white man who was kneeling on the bed and offering him his ass. The state of excitation of both was extreme; alongside them was lying another black naked boy who was sleeping despite the activity in the same bed certainly under the influence of drugs. The bed squeaked in a precipitous manner due to Jemal´s jolts. At one point, the man realized that someone else was in the room. Without removing his penis from the young man´s anus Jemal turned his head.
“What the hell…?”
The sentence was interrupted by a dry noise emitted by the pistol Paddy was holding in his hand.
The accurate shot had impacted Jemal in the middle of his forehead, causing him to collapse on his lover. The boy also turned his head, showing a face rotted by drugs, with bloodshot bleary eyes. Another shot shattered his head and the two participants in the sexual act fell on the bed in a grotesque position. The other young black boy stirred in his sleep but kept immersed in it.
A decrepit Volkswagen was located in a street corner close to the decadent hotel, covered by the night shadows. When O’Halloran surreptitiously got out of the building a click was heard inside the vehicle. When the lieutenant pulled out the mask that covered his face, certainly not to draw the attention of some unlikely passerby, several more clicks followed. As he left the hotel, the driver of the Volkswagen started the car without turning on the lights. O’Halloran kept walking a couple of blocks until he reached the place where he had left his own car. The succession of pictures covered the whole trajectory until the lieutenant arrived at his own home.
The follower stopped then his car and kept his camera. The memories of Leroy Washington´s face, the image of Vince Caruso on crutches, of Sheila Flynn badly beaten and finally the picture of an Ethiopian girl with her throat cut toured the mind of Sergeant Eric Murphy. No, he was not happy, he felt sad but relieved.
Laura heard when Paddy opened the apartment door. The woman was pleased with the news that she was planning to give him once he confirmed he had done his job that night. Laura had not given him the news before due to the outbreak of anger he had experienced with the call of that dirty rat Jemal; she had then postponed it until the man was in a good mood, because that would be the best news of his life. The doctor had confirmed what the previous tests had indicated, she had a six-week pregnancy. What the damn Irish wife had never been able to give Paddy, Laura already had in her womb.
Once the man had penetrated her Laura asked.
“Could you get rid of the … problem?”
“Yes.” Was the terse reply.
The woman waited a moment.
“Come on, you know I want to hear all the details.” That said the woman began to increasingly roll her pelvis. Paddy began the description of what had happened from the moment he had entered Jemal´s room.
“And he was riding a white boy?” Asked the woman, always eager to hear gory details. “What was Jemal´s size, big?”
“I guess so.”
“And was the boy enjoying it?”
“I do not know. He was completely drugged.”
“So, go on.”
O’Halloran continued with the story. Finally came the time he was withdrawing from the room, leaving the young black gay asleep.
“And did you come back? So what did you do?”
“I put a bullet between the eyes.
“You did that for me! To tell me about it!”
Laura´s cry was triumphant. The movements of her hips turned spasmodic as she felt the orgasm coming.
“This is the best gift you’ve done to me since I first met you.” Saliva foam emerged from her mouth and her face contorted in pleasure.
Paddy reached climax at the same time as the woman, both in a burst of joy. His genitals ached intensely for the effort, but he had never enjoyed a sexual act that way. The image of the frigid Sheila crossed his mind but he immediately shooed it away.
Were both lying on the soaked sheets. Laura said.
“You know? I have something wonderful to tell you.”
O’Halloran looked at her questioningly.
“The doctor confirmed it yesterday. I have a little Irish teddy bear growing in my womb.”
Chapter 15
The same night in which she had carried out the slaughter in the warehouse Nubia awoke with a jolt, her heart beating fast. The girl had insisted on sleeping alone that night because she was very anxious and had asked Marcos to sleep in the attic. The images of what happened since she had arrived in the country followed one another in her brain at a breakneck pace. The assault to the site where the girls were guarded by traffickers, the flight with the unfortunate Sanwarit, the image of her cutthroat friend, the instant when she ha
d sunk her sharp heel on the throat of the murderer, the nights and days she was forced to hide, her foray on the previous day in the new den of the smugglers, the face of each of the men who she had killed, all emerged in a whirlwind of memories where they mingled in such a way that there was not a before or an after. Nubia tried to get up but the sense of balance failed her and she fell heavily to the ground, where thoughts calmed down and the whirlwind disappeared.
After what to Nubia seemed like an eternity but in reality were only seconds she felt that someone pulled her up, placed her back on her bed and opened her lips forcing her to drink water from a glass. The girl opened her eyes in fear of reliving the horrible scenes that her mind had conjured up, but only saw Marcos and Uncle Charley´s worried faces before her.
“Dear girl, how are you?” Said the older man.
“A little dizzy.” Replied Nubia sitting up in bed. Instinctively she opened her arms and embraced Marcos´s neck. The woman needed to find a haven of tranquility for her emotions dancing a wild dance. An agonized cry emerged out of her mouth and long repressed tears flowed profusely in her eyes.
Marcos looked questioningly at Charley, who whispered.
“Do not be afraid, it’s the best thing that can happen to her at this point.” Charley told the young man. “She is releasing all the demons that had possessed her. Let her be tied to you. You’re her rock now.”
Eventually Nubia fell asleep, curled up in the boy body, who had hollowed it to that end, but now her dream seemed placid.
“It must be the first time she can sleep peacefully in a very long time.” Concluded Charley. “ We must have patience.”
Marcos stroked the girl’s head. He felt invaded by a feeling of tenderness, now that he noticed a change, still incipient in Nubia´s general attitude. Her usually demanding and self-assured pose had given way to that of a fragile creature eager for care. The boy watched her countenance and kissed the beloved forehead. Softly he changed the position he was around the woman and lay down beside her. At that moment he realized that Charley was still there smiling.
“ Old friend, tell me what happened to her?”
“That, old friend, she´ll have to tell you herself.”
Paddy O’Halloran and Laura Sandoval left her house amid a festive atmosphere for the exchanged news. As they opened the door men dressed in black combat suits, wearing helmets and bulletproof vests emerged from behind the cars parked on the street and neighboring portals of the houses in the opposite side of the street. Many weapons were pointed at their breasts. Paddy immediately recognized a tactical group and raised his arms immediately.
“Paddy, what happens? What is this?” Laura yelled frightened.
“Do not worry, they have nothing against me. Just raise your arms and keep your mouth shut.”
At that time he saw in awe Eric Murphy coming out of one of the cars parked, also wearing a protective vest.
“Do not count on what you just said.” Added the old sergeant. He then formal tone recited. “Patrick Michael O’Halloran, you’re under arrest for the murder of Jemal Gebre and two foreign nationals whom we are trying to identify. You can keep silent, anything you say can and will be used against you in a trial; the state will provide a lawyer if you do not have one.”
“You have nothing against me.” Repeated O’Halloran.
“I strongly recommend you stick to the possibility of remaining in silence.” Was the dry answer. Leroy´s image flitted again across Murphy’s mind.
“You think you’ve won, old fool, but do not know where you stuck your nose.” The prisoner was evidently falling prey to one of his usual moments of obfuscation.
“Maybe, but no one can save you.”
Paddy O’Halloran was a prisoner in a cell. To his surprise he shared it with a young African American who manifestly exhibited homosexual tendencies, despite some unwritten rules about separation of prisoners for various reasons, including sexual preferences. Ray Smith was one of those involved in human trafficking and had had sporadic contact with various people from that environment. A member of the prison service opened the barred door and said.
“O’Halloran. You have a phone call.”
Accompanied by two armed men Paddy walked into a room where there was only an unknown man who to the surprise of the prisoner approached him without a word and handed him a cell phone, “Somebody wants to talk to you.” Said the man and stepped away, standing next to the officers following the scene from afar.
“Paddy.” Said a well known voice. “You know who I am?”
The aforementioned answered affirmatively.
“Do you remember the woman who managed to escape in the alley? She has seen you and me next to your car that night and apparently can recognize us. We have to…say… remove her. Did you ever get to know who she was?
Given Paddy´s refusal the voice continued.
“The other girls who were with her must know who she is. I need you to tell me who acquired those girls.”
O’Halloran thought for a moment.
“Our client in Albany. It may be that he still has sold some of the women with him.”
“Thanks, I’ll take care of the problem. Hey, I’ll also take care of you. Hold on up to then. Now return this cell phone to the man who has given it to you.”
The caller cut the conversation. Paddy handed the phone as he had been requested and was taken to his cell.
O´Halloran was lying on his hard bed meditating on everything that happened half an hour before. It was totally unexpected that Dr. Herbert Plummer himself, nominally Comptroller of the Mayor of the City of New York office and a high up member in the food chain that Paddy was part of in his clandestine activities, called him when he was in prison. He felt his erect member had but could not explain the causes of the strong erection. Ray had also noticed and rushed to join the party, as he did every afternoon. He opened O’Halloran fly, took with relish the erect penis in his hands, massaged it until it reached the degree of rigidity sought and kneeling beside the bed placed it into his mouth, beginning to suck immediately. Paddy, who had always had a phobia about homosexuals, allowed him to go on and stroked the head of curly and short hair.
O’Halloran was still deep in thought and suddenly a disturbing idea crossed his mind. Ray Smith was one of the few who knew, if only because of his subordinate functions, the identity of Herbert Plummer. The idea startled him and gave Paddy a clue why they were together in the same cell. His thoughts were cut off by the sudden ejaculation in the mouth of his cellmate, who coughed choked by the flow of semen.
Chapter 16
The phone rang in another galaxy. Eric Murphy had taken his usual sleeping pills the night before and it took him a while to wake up. In the meantime the device had been ringing and Tony, the fox terrier that was the only company the sergeant had at home was standing beside the bed looking at him expectantly.
“Damn, what the hell … What time is it? … Three twenty.” Blasphemed Eric as he took the call.
Walt Kolski was on the other side of the line. Eric automatically guessed that it was a serious problem because Walt was a prudent guy.
“Tell me Walt.”
“O’Halloran was found dead in his cell.” Said bluntly the cop.
“What? What do you say?”
“The wardens found him dead as well as a man named Ray Smith, a gay black. Both in the same cell.”
“I remember Ray.” Reflected Eric. “He was involved in an issue of human trafficking. But how come he and Paddy were in the same cell?”
“I don´t know. It is extremely rare. But still you do not know the worst part.”
“Well, let me hear it.”
“The official story is that Paddy and Ray killed each other with prison made blades, both identical.”
“Absolutely clumsy!”
“They alleged Paddy´s irascible character and his hatred of homosexuals.”
“Thank Goodness they did not invent a hatred for blacks.”
&nb
sp; “It would be too unbelievable. But there’s more.”
“I´m listening.” Said resignedly Murphy.
“The Coroner found semen in Ray´s mouth and anus.”
“That sounds more like Paddy.”
“But this discovery has been deleted from the report of the autopsy. I learned firsthand from the coroner.”
“ I cannot believe that these things happen in New York City.”
“Do you understand what that means?”
“Yes, that they shut up O’Halloran to protect someone very high up.”
“Well, you have not heard this from me. You´ll know what to do with it. I let you sleep.”
“You damn bastard … But thanks anyway.”
The next step was to wake up Vince. Loretta answered the call. Murphy passed the message without any introduction or apology.
“I’ll put you with Vince.”Loretta’s tone changed as she was talking to someone beside her.
“It´s Eric, they´ve killed O’Halloran in prison.”
Vince heard the lengthy report of his protector, then he returned the device to Loretta.
“He wants to talk to you.”
“Loretta. You must seek contact with that Sudanese woman, such Nubia or Amilah. Prepare another meeting with her but this time I need to be present. The girl is at serious risk.”
Loretta and Vince found Nubia at seven pm at the same place where they had interviewed her before. She was accompanied by a young man whom she introduced as her boyfriend Marcos. With no introduction Vince said.
“We must walk a couple of blocks to a deserted place. Trust us.”
“Let me introduce you to Eric, he is an honest police officer. Just hear what he has to say.”
Murphy reported the information to the girl, who looked nervously at her boyfriend.
“Do you understand what that means?” Asked Eric.
“That there is somebody above O’Halloran who got rid of him.”
“Exactly, that someone is probably the other man you saw in the alley on that bloody night.”
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