by Bella Knight
Ivy had to speak carefully, with Pavel and Grace at the table. “I used to do what you used to do, Baby,” she said. “I now own a bar.”
“For real?” asked Baby.
“Yes,” said Ivy. “I learned how to tend bar, and how to cook bar food. I can do any job in my bar, but I farmed out the cooking and doing the books,” said Ivy.
“I can cook!” said Baby.
“Hard but very rewarding career,” said Henry. “You can be anything from a line cook to a pastry chef… to a sous chef to a chef running a kitchen. Vegas has some of the best restaurants and best food in the world.”
“Was just gettin’ by,” said Baby.
“So was I,” said Ivy. “I’m working hard, but I love the hell out of what I do.”
“Me, too,” said Bella. “I’m a barback in Ivy’s bar. I’m training to run the bar. Dirty Vegas is hopping.”
“People always want to drink,” said Callie. “It’s a thought. I could do something medical, but I need to go back to school.”
“Doable,” said Henry. “You can work a part-time job for full-time pay; bartender is a good one. Then, pay for school. You can go to school offline and online.”
“Mommy!” said Grace. “We can go to school at the same time!”
“Would be excellent,” said Callie. “I need to figure it out.”
“I need to sleep,” said Baby. Ghost moved to help her to the bed.
Henry answered the door and passed around the food. Pavel dug in.
They finished off breakfast. Ghost told Ivy Baby’s sizes. “Just get stuff I wear,” she said. “Dat girl still street.”
“Okay,” said Ivy, and took the rental car with Grace, Callie, Henry, and Pavel.
Grace got to get all the school supplies she wanted for her backpack, and Ivy got some games, colored pencils, crayons, and coloring books for her as well. Then shirts, shorts and a swimsuit. They got burner phones for Callie and Baby.
Ivy got medium T-shirts -they would dwarf her small frame. And shorts, camisoles, underwear. Then bras; a pair each, in pink, gray, and black jeans, and a swimsuit, and several nightshirts, too.
Callie was so happy to get some shorts, tops, jeans, underwear, bras, T-shirts, a swimsuit, nice black pants and a black blouse for interviews. Baby, Grace, and Callie all got new sneakers and sandals.
Henry took Pavel to load him up on jeans, shorts, T-shirts, underwear, two swimsuits, socks, running shoes, sandals, a soccer ball, and a handheld game. Henry used his cell phone to order the same type of tablet they used at the school for the kids to be delivered at the hotel. They loaded up the car with the loot and drove back to the hotel.
They had a fashion show for Ghost and Killa while Baby slept, then they took turns walking out by the river and taking a dip in the hotel pool. Callie and Grace stayed in the kiddie pool. They got Baby into a swimsuit, rolled her down to the pool on a rolling chair, and listened as she groaned with pleasure as she sank into the spa. Ghost and Killa got in with her, carefully keeping her head above the water.
The super-inquisitive Grace noticed all the tattoos and started asking questions. Henry explained about the motorcycle club and that some people got tattoos to commemorate important things in their lives. Ivy had a tattoo of her daughter’s face on her shoulder and her daughter’s birthdate as well. Callie asked where her daughter was.
“She’s in a special school. Some kids have autism, which means their brains can’t handle all the stuff coming in, which is harder in the modern world. She lives where she can ride horses.”
“Can I ride horses?” asked Grace.
“Las Vegas actually has several places that can teach you to ride,” said Ivy, “but, you have to do all your homework and your chores.”
Henry sighed, “Looks like I’ve got to get the rescue ponies up to snuff,” he said.
A bell dinged in Ivy’s mind about bringing her daughter home someday, but she ruthlessly crushed the hope. She had to deal with facts, then see where that took her. Every step forward with her daughter may be twelve backward; it was the nature of the brain difference.
They grabbed bowls of shrimp and sausage jambalaya and Po-boy sandwiches stuffed with shrimp and crawfish. They ate them at the tables by the pool. They washed them down with sodas.
They all took naps; most of them were exhausted from the day before. The learning tablets were delivered; Henry spent his time relaxing on the balcony and looking down at the river. He was installing kiddie-friendly gaming and educational software into Grace’s new tablet. He installed the same games Keiran always raved about onto the boys’ tablets, in addition to educational software.
They had a snack of various chips and salsas, and Henry took Pavel, Ivy, and Grace to the very long and impressive Atchafalaya Basin Bridge. After that they went on to see the swamps. They went to a swamp nature center and let them run themselves ragged on the trails, and saw birds, snakes, turtles, and baby alligators.
They took the kids to laser tag as the sun went down over the water, an outdoor venue with covered and uncovered areas. Henry had a major surprise. Yes, Lily was there with Keiran. Keiran ran to his friend, and the boys embraced and started talking over each other in English and occasionally in Russian.
“He okay to play laser tag with a head wound?” asked Ivy.
“Try and stop them,” said Lily, laughing as they rushed over to suit up with laser “armor” and guns and gloves.
Henry stalked them, making sure both boys stayed safe. He enjoyed the fun and began taking laser potshots at them from hidden blinds.
“Grace, I’m Lily. I’m so glad Ivy could help you and your mom. Do you want me to show you how to do it?”
“I already know,” said Grace. “They have rocks where I live, you know.” She skipped off to suit up in a climbing harness, climbing shoes, and a helmet.
Ivy laughed, “She sure told you!”
Lily laughed, but it was a tired one. “This waiting game is hard. Daisy Chain anonymously sent her results to Detective Lyssop and Officer Champas. They’re meeting the plane with Alexei and Nadia Krikov and telling them the truth -one gang member escaped with Pavel.”
“Skipping how the Iron Knights and I got him back, I assume,” said Ivy.
“How did you do that?” asked Lily.
Ivy told her. Lily clutched her chest as she heard the story.
“That boy is lucky to be alive.”
“Bet that surviving gangbanger wishes he wasn’t,” said Ivy.
“The Iron Knights have him, and have recorded all his interrogations. He -the guy’s name is Egypt, said some Russian guy wanted his son kidnapped and promised to give the gang a cut of the ransom. Since that dumbass gangbanger knew what was going on, he took Pavel to cut himself in on the take.” She stopped talking, stared.
“My god,” said Ivy. “That’s a monkey, not a child.”
Grace was turbo-climbing, with the spotter on her rope. She found handholds and footholds, pushing herself up nearly expertly. She rang the bell, and climbed down herself without being lowered down.
“I take it they used Egypt to tell Daddy to drop off the ransom?” Ivy said.
“Exactly,” said Lily. “Ace and an Iron Knight are going to pick up Daddy and get Daddy and Dimitri to implicate each other, and the gang.”
Grace ran up to them. “That was fun!” she said, her twin braids bouncing. “What’s next?”
“There’s a giant trampoline over there,” said Ivy, pointing. Grace was off like a shot. They had to jog to keep up with her.
Once everyone had bounced, or climbed, or laser-tagged their way into exhaustion, they all went to get hamburgers and hot dogs and chips; the women ate more shrimp Po-boy sandwiches. They gave the kids quarters, and they played video games and tried to win stuffed animal prizes at the midway.
Lily kept checking the time on her phone, waiting for the call that would tell her how the confrontation went.
“Their plane should be landing any minute,” she said
.
“As someone who ran all over New Orleans in the dark,” said Ivy, “I suggest you pace yourself.”
Henry’s aim won all the kids stuffed animals; a raccoon, tiger, and bear. Grace held her raccoon close. Keiran traded Pavel for the tiger.
“You’re Russian, you’re the bear,” said Keiran. They shoved each other and ran to shoot basketballs.
“Hit on the head or kidnapped one day, shooting basketballs the next,” said Lily to Ivy.
“They grow up so fast!” said Ivy.
Dimitri’s Fall
Ace sat on the bed his girlfriend had vacated. Dimitri came out of the bathroom. His shaving job wasn’t so good, and his face was ashen.
“Sit down,” said Ace, patting the bed in front of him.
“I will sit here,” said Dimitri, walking toward the little table near the window. “You know,” he said, simply.
“I knew about an hour into it,” said Ace.
“And you said nothing? Why?”
“I was waiting on you to say something,” said Ace.
“My sister is dead,” Dimitri said simply. “I just got the text. I did this to pay for her cancer treatment. I send all my money, live in tiny apartment, go nowhere, ride bike to save gas, take on as many after-school things as I can. Then I do terrible thing. All for nothing.”
“When did the asshole Alexei Krikov approach you?”
“He said he need money for expensive wife, he already take all of wife’s money, then he take money out of company and pay ransom, really pay into secret bank account. Untraceable. He say, my own son, I keep safe. He will eat ice cream, play video games, come back to live with me in Russia.”
Dimitri wiped a hand over his face. “I text from bathroom on, how do you say? Burner phone, say, ‘Come and get boy when we leave, I will leave first, then Keiran, Pavel will be last boy. Snatch him and run away, melt away on busy street.’ But no, they broke in like ninjas,” he said, waving his hands. “Have machetes. I did not hire anyone, I swear. He chose crazy people. Idiot!”
Ace was somber. He knew that Dimitri felt torn.
Dimitri smiled a ghost of a smile. “You should have seen your brother. Keiran was the devil himself, protecting his friend. I rush forward, protect Keiran.” He wiped his hand over his face and continued, “Today, I receive text on my real phone from Russia. My sister’s husband say she is dead. I have no one now. All of this, this crazy stupidity, is for nothing.”
Ace looked at the broken man in front of him. “I don’t know whether to hug you or kill you,” he said. “You could have come to any of us. We would have raised money for your sister, maybe even brought her here for treatment.”
“But you already raise money, so much money, for the little girl burned by battery acid.” He choked, tears streaming down his face, “My sister’s name is also the same as the little girl’s.” He wiped his streaming eyes, then gave up. “I would gladly have married Katya, but that hero bastard Gregory beat me to it. Tell them to -to seize each day.”
“You tell them,” said Ace. “I haven’t…”
“Not much… time,” said Dimitri. “Trace… on his phone, number… in my phone. Destroy the bastard, Ace.”
Ace ran toward him and grabbed his wrists. “What did you do?” He let go and scrambled for his cell phone.
“Tell those… precious boys… I loved them. I was stupid. But, I…” Dimitri collapsed sideways, falling onto the carpet.
Ace speed-dialed 911. He told them the hotel and room number, but by then, his friend was gone. Ace sat by the body, and there were tears streaming down the body, until the police arrived.
“Damn shame,” said Detective Lyssop, bringing the medical examiner with him. “We’ll use his phone to find out what he sent and when.” He bagged the phone.
Gregory stood in the doorway, looking down at the body. “Yes,” he said. “He has been like a crazy brother to Katya, an uncle to Elena.” Tears sprung up in his eyes and streamed down his cheeks.
Ace hugged Gregory one-armed, then took him from the room. He looked down at Katya, who peered up at him. She saw his face, and she cried out, hands covering her mouth.
“Nyet!” she said. Gregory hustled down the stairs and held her in his arms.
“That’s not good,” said Inola, coming up behind Ace. “We came here to eat jambalaya and dance to some zydeco music, maybe see an alligator, not get a kid kidnapped and see one of our own dead. Suicide?”
“Yes,” said Ace, “but I don’t know with what.”
“Let’s get out of the way,” she said. They went down, and hit up a small joint selling fruit ice drinks. They each ordered a lime-mint concoction.
“You tell everybody about Dimitri?” he asked.
“Nope,” she said. “None of us are still at this hotel except you. You’re the only one still working with the cops. They know the kid is safe, and that he’s been moved to another city, and that we’re busting the bad guy tonight. Let them celebrate a live boy rather than a dead friend.”
“Gregory and Elena,” said Ace.
“I’ll take care of them,” said Inola. “They’ll probably want to go home and hug their little girl. I expect we’ll have a wedding when we get back.”
“Hope so,” said Ace, draining his drink in the heat. “Be nice to have one of those.”
“Go get the bad guys,” said Inola. “I’ll take care of Gregory and Elena, and I’ll tell Bonnie to keep everyone away from here and send them out to listen to music and eat like pigs.”
“You rock, Inola,” said Ace, touching the tip of her nose with his fingers.
“Obviously!” said Inola.
Landing
The private plane landed right on time. Ace and a lanky, bony Iron Knight with ropy muscles named Smash parked their bikes and met the plane at the limo. Alexei Krikov had brown hair cut short, shading to white over the ears. Pavel had his wide nose from him. He wore a blue bespoke suit without a tie, a Rolex, and cufflinks. Nadia looked nothing like him. She was supermodel-beautiful with huge dark eyes, and deep brown hair flowing down her back. She was complemented by glossy, light brown skin. She looked terrified.
“Where is Dimitri Ridelov?” asked Alexei, his voice commanding and demanding.
“He suffered broken bones when he tried to protect your child,” said Ace. “My brother’s head was also cut by a man with a machete while trying to protect your son.”
Alexei recoiled, and Nadia nearly burst into tears.
“They had machetes?” she asked, her Russian accent strong.
“We have proof of life,” said Ace, showing a cell picture of Pavel holding up a paper with the previous day’s date. “You have had a ransom demand, I think?”
“Five million,” said Alexei. “It is nothing. We will pay. We will go.” He got into the waiting limo, his wife sliding in after him. Smash led the way and Ace came behind, a very small entourage.
They led the way to the parking lot at the base of the same trail where Ivy had caught the gangbanger. Alexei got out; his wife stayed inside, her eyes closed. They approached the same little brush of trees.
“Where is this little gangbanger with a machete?” asked Alexei, his voice much too loud.
Egypt stumbled forward. “Got your boy at a house right there,” he said, pointing to his former house. “You sendin’ us the mo-nay?”
“No transfer, no boy,” said Alexei.
Egypt held up a picture of Pavel holding the current day’s paper Henry had taken that morning in an entirely different city.
“Yay-uh,” said Egypt, holding up his burner phone. “House is right there.”
They crossed the causeway, Ace and Smash on each side of Egypt. Egypt opened the door with a key. The house was dark, with only a small light in a corner.
“Back bedroom,” said Egypt, and he stepped out of the way behind Smash.
Officer Champas entered the doorway, and closed it behind her. Detective Lyssop switched on the light, blinding Alexei. A very tall bl
onde woman with black glasses and a black suit stepped out as well.
“Do we have it?” asked Lyssop.
“All of it,” said Officer Champas. “We’ve got your bank sending the money to your own very private account we traced to the Caymans. Stupid man, stealing from your own company.”
Alexei said, “I do not understand. Where is my son?” he bellowed.
“Safe,” said Detective Lyssop, “but he wouldn’t have been if we hadn’t taken him from these chuckleheads dressed like ninjas, wielding machetes. Could have killed your son, easy.”
Alexei’s face went a pale white.
“You have the right to remain silent,” said Officer Champas, who grabbed Alexei’s wrist. Alexei struck her across the face.
Ace caught his hand as he went for his boot. “I see the stick in there,” he said. He reached down, took out the telescoping stick strapped to the man’s leg, and tossed it aside.
Alexei roared, and tried to punch Ace in the face. The blonde woman walked up, swept his legs out from under him, got him on the ground, and slapped on the cuffs.
“Alexei Krikov, you have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can be used against you in a court of law.”
She deftly stepped aside as he tried to headbutt her, and stepped aside again as he tried to knee her. She got the other hand in the cuffs, and stood, dragging him up with her.
“Gentlemen, please take this monster with you.”
Detective Lyssop answered his phone, “Martinez? Oh my god.”
He looked over at Alexei, still struggling.
“You are making big mistake!” he bellowed. “Where is my son!”
“Amend the charges,” said Detective Lyssop, sighing heavily. “He just murdered his wife in the limo. When officers went to question her, they found her with a broken neck.”
“Mr. Krikov, do you understand your rights as they have been read to you?”
In reply, he tried to smash her face with his elbow. She evaded, and stepped on his foot with a booted heel. He howled.
“Sorry, Sir,” she said, “must have tripped.”
Ace took out a paper, and held it up. “This paper gives custody of Pavel to me and to my girlfriend Lily. So, he never has to think about the man who just murdered his mother on a fifteen-minute ride from the airstrip.”