***
The second Gaby led Dalton into the darkened conference room, she shut the door immediately and pinned him against it, their lips entangled and hands running freely over each other’s bodies. She broke the kiss just long enough to say, “I’ve never done anything like this!”
“Me neither,” said Dalton before resuming the kiss.
Gaby pulled open his jacket and her hands fumbled with the buttons on his shirt, while Dalton tugged at the zipper on the back of her long, red dress. He pushed her from the door, laying her down on the conference table. Gaby left her handbag on the table and her hands went inside his shirt, rubbing the hair on his bare chest and wrapping her legs around his waist. Dalton’s hands moved over her torso and her breasts, kissing and biting at her neck. Gaby shut her eyes and soft moans escaped her lips.
A piercing ring interrupted their tryst. Gaby froze and cast him a questioning glance. Dalton sighed and reached inside his jacket, taking out a smartphone. Gaby could see the name on the backlit display read MELISSA.
“Who’s that?” she asked, unlocking her legs from his waist.
“Hold that thought.” Dalton answered the phone. “Yes?”
“It’s Bax, just listen. We’ve got to get moving on this, okay? Our window might be closing.”
“I understand,” said Dalton, trying to avoid Gaby’s inquisitive stare.
“Good, now I want you to say you’ll be home soon,” said Baxter.
“I’ll be home soon,” said Dalton.
“Nice. Now say you love me, too.”
“I…” Dalton rubbed his eyes and mumbled, “I love you, too.”
Baxter’s laughing prompted Dalton to end the call. Gaby slid onto her feet and straightened her dress, her eyes closed tightly as she did.
“Wife or girlfriend?” she asked.
“Gaby, I—”
“Don’t.” She turned and faced him, hurt evident on her face. “Just…don’t.”
Dalton sighed. Gaby zipped up her dress, picked up her handbag from the table and opened the door. “I should probably get back to Mr. Loerke. Enjoy the party, Mr. Pyne.”
Dalton said nothing, just stood in the room. The door closed, leaving him in the darkness once again. He buttoned his shirt back up and straightened his tie when he heard laughter in his ear.
“Did you enjoy that?”
“Ohhh…you have no idea,” said Baxter.
“Kindly tell me the reason behind that little stunt.”
“Hey, you’re still on the clock, Romeo, and you needed a reason to get outta there.”
“And what if I hadn’t made the pull?”
“Then you’re getting slow in your old age.” Baxter paused and then added, “You did get it, didn’t you?”
Dalton reached into the pocket of his jacket and pulled out a keycard with Gaby’s picture on it, the same card he’d taken from her handbag while he was kissing her. “What do you think?”
“That’s my guy. So let’s get on with this, huh?”
Dalton palmed the keycard and left the conference room. Down the left end of the corridor would take him back to the party, but right would lead to the elevators. He smoothed down his hair and turned right, pressing the call button on the wall. An elevator arrived instantly and he hit the button for the top floor.
Once he reached his stop, Dalton walked through the hall, reading the nameplates on the office doors. He stopped when he came to a corner office with the name M. LOERKE on the plate. Dalton held the keycard up to the door’s sensor and the light flashed green. With his handkerchief, Dalton turned the handle and entered the room. A desk sat in the outer office as well as a couch. On the desk was a nameplate reading GABRIELLE RUSSELL. Behind Gaby’s desk were a pair of doors without a lock. Dalton entered Loerke’s office and moved behind the desk, turning on the computer. A login screen appeared.
“Are you ready?”
“Yup, plug an’ play, baby,” said Baxter.
Dalton took a small black plastic case from his jacket’s outer pocket. Inside were two small USB drives. Dalton took one and plugged it into an open port. A small blue light began flashing.
“Let me work my magic,” said Baxter.
Dalton could hear keys clacking over the earpiece. After a few seconds, the login and password fields filled in on their own and the screen changed to reveal Loerke’s desktop. A window flashed on the screen, reading HARD DRIVE UPLOAD IN PROGRESS with an empty bar and 0% under it.
“Hurry it up, Bax.”
“Don’t rush me, man. There’s a lot of stuff on here. Just think about how much money we’re making off this job.”
The progress bar slowly filled. As Dalton waited, he sat in Loerke’s chair, leaning back.
***
Malcolm Loerke had been speaking with a group of people when he was approached by a tall, dark-skinned man in a suit. He towered over Loerke by a good foot or so and bent down to whisper in his ear. Loerke tried to hide the change in his expression by offering a smile to the people who had been hanging on his every word.
“Could you all excuse me for a minute?” he said before turning away and following the taller man to an area where they could speak just out of earshot. Still, they kept their voices low.
“Sir, we’ve received an alert.”
“What are you talking about?” asked Loerke.
“There seems to be a breach of protocol. An unauthorized transfer off-site.”
Loerke looked up at his chief of security, raising an eyebrow. “From where?”
The chief hesitated for a moment and cleared his throat before saying, “Your office, sir.”
“Take a security team up through the stairwell. Don’t alert anyone that there’s something going on,” said Loerke.
“Yes, sir.” The chief of security turned away, raising his wrist to his mouth, speaking commands in a whisper.
***
Once the upload finished, the computer’s speakers emitted a quick alert sound. Dalton looked at the screen and saw UPLOAD COMPLETE. He unplugged the USB drive and put it back in the case. Then he took the second drive, but hesitated, holding the connector hovering over the port.
“Are we sure about this?” he asked.
“Part of the job, buddy.”
Dalton nodded and plugged the drive in. Another window appeared on the screen, this one reading INITIATE UPLOAD? Dalton hit the OK button and watched as another progress bar appeared.
The door opened without warning and Dalton looked up from the monitor. He saw two men in suits raise their silenced guns. Dalton immediately dropped to the floor and slid under the desk as they opened fire.
“Got a bit of a situation here, Bax!” said Dalton.
“What is it? What’s going on?”
“Seems Loerke’s security found me in something of a compromising situation.” A string of expletives exploded through Dalton’s earpiece. He waited for Baxter to quiet down and then added, “Are you quite through?”
“Get the hell outta there now, Dalton!”
The two guards stopped firing, but kept their guns ready as they slowly approached the desk. One of them moved a step or two ahead of the other, holding out his gun as he circled around the desk.
Dalton grabbed the man’s forearms and the gun went off, firing a shot into the hardwood floor. Dalton swung his leg out, dropping his enemy to the floor and twisting the gun away from him, tossing it aside.
“Hey!” The second guard came around the other side of the desk and Dalton rolled across the floor to avoid the bullets. He sprung to his feet and lunged at the chair, delivering a swift kick. The chair’s wheels took it across the floor and into the guard.
Dalton charged towards the chair, slamming the guard between it and the wall. The thief grabbed the guard’s neck and delivered a few swift punches until he fell unconscious. Dalton picked up the discarded weapon by the barrel and approached the first guard, who started to rise. With a quick motion, Dalton slammed the butt against the man’s head,
knocking him down. He looked at the gun and tossed it into Loerke’s wastebasket. Dalton went to the computer and, once he saw UPLOAD COMPLETE on the screen, removed the USB drive.
He knew the likelihood of more guards being outside was high. Dalton pressed his back to the wall, holding the door in front of him. He slowly pushed it forward, staying behind it and peering around the edge. Another guard was in Gaby’s office and as soon as he caught sight of the target, he squeezed off a few shots. Dalton ducked behind the door and the bullets slammed futilely into its surface.
Dalton reached inside his suit coat for the shoulder-holster hidden beneath. He drew a gun quite a bit different from the ones wielded by security. Dalton swung around the door and pulled the trigger, firing a small dart that struck the guard’s neck. The guard seized up then dropped to his knees before falling unconscious.
Dalton took that man’s gun as well and exited into the corridor. Coming down from one corridor were several additional guards and they started shooting. Dalton ducked and ran down the opposite corridor.
“Bax, I need extraction fast!” he shouted into the comm. Dalton charged into the stairwell, but heard the sound of footsteps racing up the steps. “Dammit! Get Colin up there now!”
There was one flight of stairs leading to the roof and Dalton bounded up them. The only door had ROOF ACCESS stamped on its surface and he ran through it.
Dalton ran out onto the roof, the lights of the San Francisco skyline blinking against the darkness of the night. He reached the edge when he heard the door slam open and then the words, “Don’t move!”
He hesitated but slowly raised his arms.
“Turn around!”
Dalton followed the order and slowly turned, facing the chief of security and about a dozen other guards in suits. The chief walked towards him, keeping his gun raised. Dalton just smiled at him.
“I don’t suppose we could talk this out like gentlemen, eh?”
“Should’ve thought of that before you broke into our system,” said the chief. “What’s your purpose here?”
“What, and spoil the surprise? Where’s the fun in that?”
“I don’t like surprises.”
“Pity.”
Both Dalton and the chief could hear a sound in the night. A thwp-thwp-thwp that seemed to cause the chief to pause, while Dalton’s grin widened. “Dreadfully sorry, mate, but I’m afraid I’ll have to take a raincheck on our little chat.”
The chief was stunned into silence when a small helicopter rose up above the roof, hovering there. Dalton swung out a fist and struck the chief, not enough force to knock him down, but definitely enough to distract him just long enough. Dalton turned and planted a foot on the ledge, springing up just high enough to grab hold of the helicopter’s landing skids.
The guards fired at Dalton and the departing helicopter, but they struck nothing as it flew off into the distance.
CHAPTER TWO
Baxter adjusted his glasses as he approached the small motel room. He knocked on the door and after he assumed his identity was checked through the peephole, he heard the sound of the chain lock being removed and then the deadbolt turning. Standing on the other side was a man in his late twenties with floppy blond hair and a beard, who smiled and threw his arms around Baxter.
“Damn man, it’s been forever!”
“Uhh…yeah…sure.” Baxter patted the man’s back. “Can you let me go now, Colin?”
Colin released him and stood to the side to allow Baxter entrance and then closed the door. The door to the bathroom opened and a flood of steam escaped, followed by Dalton, who had a towel tied around his naked waist, his body glistening from the shower he’d just taken.
“Everything go smoothly?” he asked.
Baxter nodded. “Got all their files and then the virus you uploaded wiped them clean. Loerke won’t recover from this anytime soon.”
“And the payment?”
Baxter sat down on one of the two twin beds in the room. “Once they’ve confirmed the legitimacy of the files, they’ll initiate the transfer.”
“Good.” Dalton approached Colin and offered a hand. “Thanks again, mate. Lost count of how many times you’ve saved my ass.”
Colin gripped Dalton’s hand tightly and smiled. “Anything for you, brother.” His face became serious in an instant and he held up a finger. “So long as the checks keep clearing, you got me?”
Dalton chuckled and patted Colin’s shoulder. “Of course.”
“Hey Colin, we’ve still got some things to go over,” said Baxter.
“Sure, I got ya.” Colin slapped Baxter on his back. “You take it easy, Bax.”
“Yeah, you too.” Baxter waited until Colin left the room and put a hand through his short, brown hair.
Dalton returned to the bathroom but left the door open. “So what did you want to talk about? Thought everything was settled with the job.”
“Just about,” said Baxter. “Y’know, quite a few people saw your face in there. At the very least you could’ve taken out those guards in Loerke’s office.”
Dalton emerged from the bathroom, now clad in a pair of jeans and buttoning up a burgundy shirt. “We’ve had this discussion before.”
“Yeah, and we’re gonna have it again,” said Baxter. “You got caught in the act without a mask and they can now identify you. That’s a problem we easily could have avoided if you only—”
“If I only what?” asked Dalton, sitting on the bed across from Baxter. “Killed them?”
“I’m just saying…”
Dalton sighed, leaving the collar of the shirt open. “I’m a professional thief, not a murderer. I won’t kill anyone and that’s final.”
Baxter sighed. “You know that’s not always gonna be so easy. You live a dangerous life and frankly, you’ve been lucky so far. Can’t keep going like this. Sooner or later, you’re going to have to decide whether or not you’ll pull that trigger.”
“We’ll see about that.” Dalton stood from the bed and approached the door. He pulled it open and gestured outside. “I assume that’s all we have to discuss for tonight?”
Baxter groaned and rose to his feet. “Yeah, that’s it. I’ll let you know once the money goes through.” He walked to the door and placed a hand on Dalton’s shoulder. “Look man, I’m only lookin’ out for you, okay? I got the easy job, I get to sit back and do my thing from a distance. But when you get up close and personal like you have to do, it’s not always gonna be pretty.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
Baxter nodded and walked out of the motel. “Lay low for a bit, okay? The payday from this job will give us some much-needed R-and-R.”
“I will, thanks.” Dalton closed the door and locked it. He rubbed his eyes. It wasn’t the first time he and Baxter had this conversation and Dalton imagined it was far from the last. But he wondered just how long he could stick to his ideals.
***
The man in a white suit stood out on the terrace of the Cobra Club, an exclusive lounge resting atop a skyscraper and overlooking the city of New York. The guests sometimes cast a curious glance at the silver-haired man, particularly the patch that covered his left eye. But the man the world had come to know as Johnny Venom paid them no mind.
“Sir?”
Johnny turned at the sound of the voice. His head waiter stood behind him and gave a slight bow. “Your guests have arrived. They’re waiting for you in the private dining room.”
“Thank you.” Johnny walked with a cane, a silver cobra head topping it. “Bring a bottle of the good stuff, Kyle.”
“Of course, I’ll get it myself,” said Kyle.
Johnny walked past Kyle and stepped inside the restaurant. Soft jazz music filled the air and people smoked in open defiance of the city’s ordinances banning the practice indoors. Johnny moved through his business, nodding and smiling to any guests who cast him a glance. He approached a spiral staircase and climbed up. It led to a single door which was flanked by two of his
guards. They both nodded at Johnny and opened the door for him.
The private dining room was where Johnny preferred to conduct his meetings. It was a large room with a giant bay window overlooking the Cobra Club’s terrace and had a perfect view of the Empire State Building. A long, rectangular table sat in the middle of the room with a dozen chairs seated around it. Only three of those chairs were presently filled and those men all wore matching black suits. They rose when Johnny entered and the host flashed a smile.
“Gentlemen, welcome to the Cobra Club.”
One of the men approached Johnny and offered his hand. His bald head was shaved clean and he had a thin, black beard that blended with the dark skin of his face. “Mr. Venom, William Quartermain.”
“Call me Johnny,” he said, shaking his guest’s hand.
“You can call me Quartermain.” He said the comment without an inkling of humor and gestured at the other two men, who had similar dispositions. “Roger Stills and Matthew Roche.”
Both Stills and Roche gave simple nods and didn’t offer any further words. It was obvious to Johnny that Quartermain was the man he was really dealing with. The other two were just here for window-dressing.
“Shall we get down to business?” asked Quartermain.
“Of course.” Johnny held out his hand towards the table and Quartermain returned to his seat. Johnny sat at the head of the table and rested his cane against the side of his chair. He placed his elbows on the polished surface and interlocked his hands.
There came a knock on the door a moment before it opened. Kyle entered carrying a metal tray. He set it on the table between the men and then quickly left. Stills eyed the bottle that sat in the center of the tray with curiosity and his gaze brought a smile to Johnny’s face.
“What is that?”
“That, Mr. Stills, is a little something from my homeland. It’s why this place is called the Cobra Club.” Johnny pointed at the dead cobra inside the gold liquor, with a smaller viper held between its jaws. Johnny removed the four shot glasses from the tray and lined them up. He stood and took the bottle in hand, pulling the cork free, and filled each of the glasses. One by one, he passed them around.
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