‡‡‡
AJ PUT CHAS on hold and turned to the computer screen in her apartment’s makeshift version of mission control. She had a version of mission control in every apartment she lived in, and a portable one she always traveled with. She realized with annoyance that she could be infinitely more helpful this way, though every part of her soul burned to race down to the Lower East Side. She dialed the Boss’s private cell and waited for him to lift his head off the table. Though she’d never met him, she had all his info. She had access to the Hudson Hotel mainframe and was currently watching them all on one of her surveillance screens, and could see the pathetic scene spread out before her from three different angles. The Boss, Lisa Bee, and Jackson had spent the night in the living room of their suite, and they all looked the worse for wear. Especially the Boss, who needed the entirety of his theme from Gone With the Wind cell phone ring to open his eyes, peel his head up, wince, and answer.
“Who is this?”
“Hello, John. This is Susannah’s hacker contact, and your secret weapon. You can call me Fingers. I’m sorry we’ve never met, but them’s the breaks, kid! As it happens, I’ve hacked into your hotel’s mainframe and am currently looking at you via the surveillance cam over the microwave.”
“Wonderful,” the Boss grumbled under his breath. “I didn’t even know there was surveillance over the microwave.”
“Now, now,” said AJ. “You really thought those awful flowers were décor? Interesting. But let’s move on. Here’s the dish: the guy who was gonna fully blow Susannah’s cover has been killed, so she’s in the clear. Well, kinda. You’ve seen the tabloids, right? My favorite is the one where they call her Plane Jane. Anyhoo, that’s the good part. Then there’s this: Susannah cracked this case wide open with a little help from yours truly while you were getting drunk, and now she’s being held hostage by a really volatile Italian on the Lower East Side. She’s being used as bait to trap Chas Palmer, who may actually be the good guy here, and he’s waiting on a street corner near her location, where I’ve got him on hold. I’ve got full surveillance of the area, and am currently hacking my way into the basement, where she’s bound and gagged. Now how ’bout you grab a cup of coffee and some hair of the dog and do what you do best?”
“On it. I feel like I’ve been in the dark till now, but I appreciate you shedding some light,” the Boss said, standing up and rousing the others. “Come on, you guys. Up. We’ve been given another chance. Let’s not fuck it up this time.”
AJ could see Lisa Bee and Jackson snap to the ready, inquisitive looks on their faces.
“Good,” she said, “now it’s time for a plan. And John? Tell Jackson I said nice work.”
12
TWENTY MINUTES LATER, as a result of Jackson flashing a $100 bill and Lisa Bee flashing a bit of cleavage to the cabbie, the three remaining members of FTP made it down to the Lower East Side in record time, where they met Chas Palmer on Stanton Street. He looked panicked, Lisa Bee noted, rubbing his hands together and pacing up and down the sidewalk. And more human. Now that they were all meeting, he suddenly seemed like a real person, and not just a cog in a criminal wheel. And he was even better-looking close up, she mused. How on earth was that possible?
The Boss took point, striding ahead to introduce himself to Chas. “Palmer. John Collins Boss. People call me Bossman, or the Boss. This is Lisa Bee, who runs our office and keeps us in line, and Jackson is a jack of all trades, pun intended. The lady on the earpiece”—and here he paused to give Chas an in-ear listening device that they were all wearing—“is the hacker who goes by the name of Fingers and has known Susannah all her life. Sexy voice. Probably a troll.”
“Thanks, Bossman,” AJ said huskily over the earpieces. “Excuse me while I eat a few people who are coming over my bridges.”
“No prob,” he replied. “By the way, Chas, we’ve had you under surveillance since you met Susannah. So we know everything there is to know and we’ve hacked into your computer and iPhone and we’ve heard you having copious sex with our friend. Sorry about that. Occupational hazard. Now Jackson’s going to detail the plan. Jackson?”
“Right,” Jackson said, brandishing a notebook. “So first of all, Chas, we’re all really impressed with the sexual stamina. Takes one to know one, buddy. And you’ve got it.” Chas looked wildly uncomfortable, but nodded a vague gesture of thanks and reluctantly took Jackson up on his fist bump. “Cool,” Jackson went on. “Now we gotta get you in there, Chas, ASAP. Our girl’s life depends on it. And we know you’re supposed to go alone. No biggie. You’re gonna go, and go soon. Just wanted to let you know we’re there for backup, we’re all on headset, and the Lady Fingers in our ear has hacked every joint from here to Kalamazoo. Meaning she’s got eyes and ears in places you don’t wanna know about.”
“Great,” Chas said, “can I go now?”
“Not yet,” Jackson replied. “Two minutes. Do you need another gun?”
“No,” Chas said, “you know he’ll have me drop it at the door anyway.”
“How ’bout a gun that looks like something you’d wear?”
“What on earth do you mean?” Chas asked.
Lisa Bee jumped in. “We have a gadget lover down in Baltimore who hooks us up.” Opening a manila envelope, she said, “This is his ‘Ready to Wear’ line: pen, watch, tie clip, money clip, shoelace, and toupee. He doesn’t recommend the toupee or the shoelace if you’re short on time. Whaddaya think?”
Chas looked taken aback, then smiled. “Awesome. Give me the watch. That way if I accidentally shoot myself, it’s only in the wrist.”
“Great,” she said, “basically just touch the knob and shoot through the 6. Also he says here that there’s a timer on it, so be careful. Also the bullets, which are 2.34 mm and made specially by a Swiss manufacturer are in fact lethal. He says this is one situation where size doesn’t matter. Ha ha. Bossman? What else do we need here?”
“Jackson?” the Boss asked. “Checklist?”
“Right,” Jackson said. “We got the rope, the surveillance cams, handcuffs, ammunition bag, earpieces and extras, face masks, disguise bag, extra cell phones, police badges, and several manilas from Doc Scrubs. Anything else we need?”
“God!” Lisa Bee exclaimed. “Why do I suddenly feel like we’re in The Great Muppet Caper?”
“Because those Muppets were smart,” Jackson snapped. “And they knew their shit.”
“Right,” Chas said, “Sorry to interrupt. I’ve got it. As long as I don’t put it on twelve noon, I should be fine. I’m on my way in. Thanks for everything, and I’ll see you on the inside.”
With that, he was off, and there was silence for a moment. Then the earpieces crackled. “Is it just me,” AJ asked, “or is that man so hot he’s steamy?”
“It ain’t just you,” Lisa Bee murmured as they each grabbed a bag and ran into the McDonald’s on Delancey to put on their disguises.
‡‡‡
THE DOOR TO THE panic room burst open, and this time Susannah was ready. She had bound the hired muscle (still unconscious) to the chair using the restraints she’d busted out of and was just waiting for her chance. The minute the door opened she trained the gun on the Italian and saw Chas directly behind him. She felt conflicted about seeing Chas again, both excited and angry at the same time. Thankfully this wasn’t about Chas, so she could put her focus elsewhere. “Hold it, Bruni,” she said, keeping her voice steady. “It seems you’ve underestimated me.”
The Italian looked a bit startled for a moment, looking at his man tied to the chair, then smiled. “Oh, no, bella. It is you who have underestimated me. First of all, I like a challenge. Secondly, I thought Antonio needed to be knocked on his ass. Thank you for that. Lastly, there’s more where that came from. Bruno? Salvatore? Please show Ms. Carter a bit of what you can do.” And with that, Chas was roughly thrown into the room, and subsequently kicked in the
ribs, hard, by one of the two large bodyguards who followed. Then they both pointed guns at him.
Chas gritted his teeth and said, “Well, I guess I had that coming.” Susannah nearly rushed to his side, but kept her gun on the Italian. She was glad to see Chas again, but seeing him now made her furious on several counts. Not the least of which was that she felt he was compromising her ability to take care of the situation at hand.
The Italian smiled more broadly. “You see, Ms. Carter, you are more than welcome to fire at me, or my friends. But then your boyfriend gets it.”
“He’s not my boyfriend,” she said with a clenched jaw, letting the gun drop. “In fact, he’s a total idiot. Chas, what the fuck? I had this under control.”
“Oh, did you now?” he said, eyeing the three other men around him. “Did you think you’d disarm them all yourself?”
“I’m not a little porcelain doll, Palmer. I can take care of myself. Even when a douche bag like you tries to break my cover and smear my reputation. I can still do my job.”
“Yes, of course you can, Susannah. I just wanted to protect you, to get you out of there, that’s all.”
“By calling me a whore?”
“No—yes—I was really just trying to protect you.”
“I don’t fucking need protection! I need a goddamn partner!”
“Well, this is all very charming,” the Italian said, clearly done with them both. “Bruno, get Antonio out of here. Throw him out on the street. Che palle! Salvatore, please restrain our friends here, but don’t hurt them. Much. I’ll deal with Palmer. You may enjoy the girl. Later.”
“Wait a minute, Bruni,” Chas said, standing up. “You said you wanted to talk to me. Let Susannah go. She had nothing to do with this.”
Susannah felt her face redden. She could take care of herself. And no way was she going to leave Chas there alone. “Wait, Chas—”
But Chas cut her off. “Let her go, and we can talk all you want.”
“Talk?” the Italian spat. “About how you are double-crossing me? About how you are working with an undercover agent to expose me? Oh, no, Palmer, I think we’ve had enough talking. You are just like your traitor of a father. The best day of my life was when I slit his throat.” Chas’s face flushed red as the Italian turned to his men. “Bind them both together, now.”
A scuffle ensued, and Chas meaningfully said, “Fingers . . . SOS.” Susannah gasped in understanding, and then they were bound together, back-to-back, under the stern gaze of the Italian.
‡‡‡
AJ SAT IN MISSION control in Harlem. She couldn’t see into the panic room—it was the only room with no camera—and was forced to be all ears. As soon as she got Chas’s SOS she responded with “Roger that, Palmer. FTP is on the move and will be at your location in five.” Then she enabled the earpieces so everyone could hear each other as well. “Bossman? This is Fingers. I’ve just connected us all. I couldn’t see what happened, but Chas and Susannah are now bound together in that room. Also, there are two other men with the Italian guy, probably armed and ready for battle. How quick can you get in?”
The Boss replied instantly. “Fingers. Boss here. I’m dressed as a cop at the entrance of Heavenly Balls, Lisa Bee is parading as a tourist trying to find another way into the building, and Jackson is going to deliver a pizza in ten. We’ll be in ASAP. Hold on, Chas. We’re coming.”
“Why on earth would Jackson be delivering a pizza to a restaurant?” AJ asked. “How will that help?”
Jackson jumped in on the conversation. “Sometimes, baby, the stranger the thing, the easier the entrance. And I’m all about the easy entrance.”
“Well,” replied AJ, “I’ll keep that in mind. Get in there, guys. Our girl’s life depends on it.”
‡‡‡
THE BOSS ENTERED the meatballeria and walked over to the counter. It was just about noon, and the place was already hopping. The boy at the counter looked up at him. “May I take your order?”
“I need to talk to your boss,” he said. “It’s about an inspection issue. Tell him I need to close the place down for the day.”
“For the day? Yikes! He’s not going to be happy about that,” the boy said. “Wait here, and I’ll call him.” After a quick run to the back the boy returned. “He’s sending his associate right up.”
Great, the Boss thought, one of his hired guns. But at least that was one he could get out of the way. He’d occupy him, and hopefully Jackson could make his way downstairs. In the meantime, he raised his voice loud and held up his badge. “Police. We’re going to need to close this joint down for inspection. Make your way out immediately. Staff members, too, please.” The place was empty within two minutes.
The hired gun emerged, and suddenly the Boss was intimidated. This man looked to be about six feet tall and just as wide. And who knew what he had strapped under the jacket. The Boss swallowed and said, “Hello. I’m Detective Johnson with the NYPD. We need to talk to you about an inspection issue.”
The man approached him, and towered over him. The Boss could smell his meaty breath. “Listen, buddy, I don’t know who the fuck you are, but I know every cop on this beat. The inspection is fine. I know. I ran it. I just put a call in to my friend on the force, and they don’t know what this is about, but they’re on their way. Now you wanna get the fuck out or wait to be taken down?”
At that moment, timing perfect as always, Jackson entered. “Somebody order a pizza?”
‡‡‡
TYKA HAD MADE a rather massive error in judgment. She believed she’d have a better vantage point from one of the apartments above Ludlow Street and was scaling up the side of a building from the alley. She was halfway up when she saw someone she recognized down below, searching for an open window. Using the zip cord she had hooked on to the roof, she slid down, landing a foot behind Lisa Bee.
“Holy Batman!” Lisa Bee said, whirling around. “Are you a superhero or a lunatic?”
“Neither, unfortunately,” Tyka said with a smirk. “But we have the same interests. I’m looking for Chas Palmer. I’m his self-appointed bodyguard. And I’ve been watching him for some time. He called for my help. And I believe his girlfriend works with you?”
“Well, my stars.” Lisa Bee chuckled. “You’re the blonde Chas was making out with in Paris.”
“He did that to keep my cover,” she replied. “That was why he compromised the redhead. He was protecting me. But now we are all on the same side. How about I help you do what I do best?”
“And what might that be?”
“I’m an assassin.”
The earpiece crackled. “She’s a damn fine assassin, too, one of the best in the biz,” said AJ with awe. “Methinks this is just what the doctor ordered. Bee, tell the lady there’s a window to her left. If she has a lock pick she can scurry in, and she’ll be near the front right air shaft. Tell her—”
“Hang on,” Lisa Bee said, “tell her yourself.” She removed the earpiece and offered it to Tyka. “Here, Wonder Woman. It’s for you.”
‡‡‡
BACK IN HEAVENLY BALLS, Jackson, the Boss, Johnny, and the hired gun were all at a standoff. When the big guy reached into his jacket, Jackson didn’t think twice. He pointed the pizza box at the man and shot him in the heart.
“Whoa,” Johnny said. “Did you shoot him with a pizza box?”
“Old-school trick, kid. Hiding the gun inside a pie. That’s a classic.”
The kid looked scared to death. “They’re down there. Through a secret door in the lock-in freezer. The owner, Mr. Bruni, is terrifying, and I try to stay as far away from him as possible. He knows my uncle, so he gave me a job, but I wish he hadn’t. I’m always scared he’s gonna kill me if I don’t roll the meatballs right.”
“Thank you, young man,” said the Boss. “Now get out of here before he grinds you into a meatball pie.”
<
br /> The boy burst into tears and ran out.
“Gee,” said Jackson. “Now I wonder why you don’t have kids. You’re so very, er, good with them.”
“Shut up, this is no time for jokes,” said the Boss. “I’m good with them when I want to be. Now let’s get down there and help the team out.”
“Roger that, Bossman.”
‡‡‡
CHAS AND SUSANNAH were bound in chairs back-to-back, and the Italian and the second bodyguard had run out when they heard the shot. Chas was able to hear everything that was going on through the earpiece and relayed it to Susannah. They then tried valiantly to get out of their restraints, but to no avail. Chas thought it was time to take the bull by the horns. “Fingers? How much time do we got? And are we safe?”
“Looks like you’re safe, cowboy, if a bit tied up,” she said drily. “What do you need?”
“Just turn everyone else off and give us a moment, would you?”
“Turning people off is not my strong suit,” she replied. “But you can have your moment. I’ll let you know when you need to make a move.”
“Thanks, Fingers,” he said. “I owe you one.”
“In all fairness, you owe me a whole lot more than one.” Then there was a click, and the noise over the earpiece went dead.
Chas took a deep breath. There was an odd silence in the room now, and all he could hear was Susannah’s breathing, and he could feel her back rise and fall against his. “Susannah,” Chas began, wanting to look her in the eye but being stuck back-to-back, “I am so sorry for everything—”
“Why the fuck did you blow my cover?”
He let out a long breath. “I was stuck in a tough situation. It was my only option at the time. And I thought I could save you from that kind of life, let you do something you’d rather be doing, like art history or—”
Game On (The Bod Squad Series Book 1) Page 14