Sovrano

by Michael Powers

  Richard had not expected such a calm reply. He was hoping Eric would sputter angrily and make a fool of himself. Shoving his chair back further, Richard walked between the guards to the boardroom’s huge double doors. Unable to resist one last taunt, Richard twisted his body slightly, raised a hand in mock salute, and shouted, “Heil, Eric! You won’t last nearly as long as the Third Reich!”

  “That might bother me, Richard, if Nazis were my role models. You’ve had your say. Now get out!”

  Prodded by both guards, Richard left the room without further comment. Eric spent another hour covering the details of transition to NEI control, then left the bank building.

  CHAPTER 12

  Downtown Minneapolis

  “Steven, if I’d known this place was going to be so crowded and hot, I’d have worn an old sweatsuit,” Eric complained to his roommate.

  “Come on, you old fart,” Steven exhorted Eric affectionately. “The bigger the crowd, the better the chance of meeting Mr. Right.”

  Eric’s mischievous grin appeared. “Nice spin, Steven. You know, I’ve never felt totally at ease in a gay bar. I think it’s because I don’t understand the rules of the game.”

  “You wouldn’t be so uncomfortable if you’d just dress like us poor white trash. Look at you! A gold monogram on a tux shirt, matching Italian silk vest and pants, and a pair of shoes that’d cost me a month’s pay! If I wore that outfit, I’d never go anywhere I might get dirty. Why do you dress that way?”

  “Everything else is at the cleaners,” Eric lied, knowing he would never mount a successful defense. Steven had tried to convince Eric several times that overdressing made other people feel inferior. Eric countered by saying when he wore non-descript clothing, he felt invisible.

  “Yeah, right,” Steven mumbled, deciding it was useless to try to change Eric.

  Eric glanced around like a kid in a candy store. “I’m really surprised at the size of this crowd, Steven. There’s nothing like a group of gorgeous gay man to get the old hormones racing.” Turning to the man on his right, Eric shouted, “What’s the occasion? Did the vice squad all resign?”

  “Cody Alexander’s in town! Don’t you watch the news?” he shouted, treating Eric to the same shocked expression he could expect if he had just asked the name of the current President of the United States.

  “I travel a lot,” Eric mumbled defensively. Turning back to Steven, he asked, “Who’s Cody Alexander?”

  Steven shook his head. “You’d better lay off the Wall Street Journal and catch up on your Advocate subscription, roomie. I can’t be responsible for keeping you informed!” When Steven saw Eric’s frustration, he relented. “Cody A1exander is one of the hottest actors and rock stars in America. He’s supposedly gay. Quite a hunk, too. Someone hacked into his phone last year and posted his naked selfies on-line. On a scale of one to ten, he’s a 20! Anyway, he’s doing a concert downtown tonight.”

  Eric struggled to find some meaningful comment. “Do you suppose we’ll see him?”

  “I’m sure of it!” Steven roared. “He’ll probably prance in here any second, look around, and ask where we are.”

  “Why not? We’re two attractive, available men,” Eric insisted.

  “Right,” Steven agreed cynically. “C’mon, let’s go to the disco side and see if we know anyone there.” Steven grabbed Eric’s hand so they wouldn’t get separated in the crowd.

  They spotted some friends on the dance floor and worked their way over to them. Bradley danced excitedly between Steven and Eric, shouting above the music, “You guys wanna go to a party and meet Cody Alexander?”

  “Will you stop!” Steven shouted. “First Eric and now you. Actually, Cody and I are meeting at midnight for a stroll around Lake Calhoun and then a quickie in the bushes.”

  “I’m serious!” Bradley yelled frantically. “My friend Jeff knows Cody’s business manager. There’s a party at Jeff’s condo. Starts at midnight. I don’t want to go alone. Will you guys go with me?”

  “Sure,” Eric agreed. “This place is too crowded for me.”

  “It’s a scam! I don’t believe any of it!” Steven insisted. “I’m picking up my boyfriend from work at midnight, so you two run along to meet your celebrity.”

  Bradley’s friend Jeff lived in a posh downtown skyscraper. Each unit was five thousand square feet, had two balconies, four baths, six bedrooms, and three fireplaces. The building shimmered with glass and chrome. It was the most prestigious address downtown. A security guard let Eric and Bradley in after obtaining their signatures and eyeballing their IDs and engraved invitation.

  “No party crashing tonight!” Eric whispered as they passed through the security door. The elevator ride to the thirtieth floor took only a few seconds. They floated down the brightly lit corridor, sinking into thick pile carpeting with each step.

  “Quiet as a morgue, isn’t it?” Bradley whispered. “This is no thin-walled Motel 6.”

  “I’ve been to livelier wakes than this,” Eric declared.

  When they reached Jeff’s unit, Bradley rapped the door knocker loudly. Eric didn’t hear the usual party noises, and began to think Steven was right about the party being a hoax. Disappointed and tired, he was looking forward to his cozy bed.

  “Let’s go, Bradley. We’ve either got the wrong unit or there’s been a change in plan.”

  “I know this is Jeff’s unit,” Bradley insisted. “I’ve been here before and he’s not the type to lie about a party.”

  “Then something’s wrong,” Eric replied. “Let’s get security.”

  As Eric spoke, the door opened.

  “Jeff!” Bradley cried. “See, I was right, Eric. Hey, what took so long? I don’t hear any music. Are we the first ones here?”

  “Cody’s sick…..and I…..ahhh……I canceled the party,” Jeff stammered.

  “I don’t believe you!” Bradley scoffed, shoving Jeff aside as he barged through the door. Jeff followed as Bradley entered the large, sunken living room and froze. “What the hell’s going on here?” he asked as he saw all the guests lying on the floor. “My God, Eric, I think we just crashed a holdup!”

  Two masked men dressed in dark jumpsuits trained their silencer-equipped pistols on Bradley as he spoke. The one closest to Bradley waved his weapon. “Remove your wallet and jewelry, place them on the sofa, then join your friends on the floor,” he ordered. Bradley complied immediately. Poking his head around the corner, the bandit pointed his weapon at Eric. “You, too, pretty boy!”

  Eric moved timidly around the corner and scanned the room. A second armed man stood in a corner at the far end of the room with his weapon trained on the guests. Two of the guests appeared to have been shot.

  “This stuff isn’t very valuable,” Eric whined as he fumbled with his ring and watch.

  “Shut up!” the bandit next to Eric commanded harshly. “One more word and you’ll find my boot up your fag ass!”

  Eric dropped his ring. When he bent over to retrieve it, the masked bandit couldn’t resist the opportunity to kick him. Eric trained his eyes on the boot. As it sailed toward his face, he moved with astonishing speed. Grabbing the boot, he locked onto it with all his strength as he rose from his crouched position, sending the gunman crashing helplessly to the floor. Eric scooped up the gun, aimed at the bandit across the room, and pumped two bullets into him. As his first target fell, Eric turned to the one he’d knocked down. With a fraction of a second to aim, Eric placed a bullet in the forehead of the man plunging at him. Blood, flesh, and bone fragments gushed from Eric’s second target as he lay on the floor.

  Screams rose from the guests. Sitting a few feet from Eric, Jeff shouted, “There’s one more in my bedroom with Cody!”

  As Eric turned to the bedroom, a naked, simian-looking man charged out the door. Eric emptied the revolver’s chamber, placing three bullets in a tight pattern around the heart. The force of the bullets threw the hairy target against the bedroom door. His blood splattered the fine wood grain
, drenching the ivory carpet as he slumped to the floor.

  Eric pivoted cautiously toward Jeff. “Any more?”

  “No, but just look at this mess!” Jeff moaned.

  “Call your security desk. Tell them to send police and ambulances.” When Jeff stood there in tears, staring at his blood-soaked carpet, Eric bellowed, “Move!” Startled, Jeff jumped, then moved toward the kitchen phone.

  “Bradley!” Eric yelled. “Grab the other gun and unload it. Everyone, stay right where you are. Nobody leaves until the police get here.”

  Eric scooped up the third gun as he entered the bedroom cautiously, eyes darting in case there was one more intruder hiding. Satisfied they were alone, Eric gaped at the nude body on the bed. A trim figure with perfectly etched facial features and long, blond hair wiggled furiously. His muscular arms were tied to the bedposts and his mouth was stuffed with his own underwear. He turned to Eric, making muffled pleas as he struggled with his bonds.

  Eric moved quickly to Cody, pulled the underwear out of his mouth, and began to untie the ropes.

  “Who are you? What’s going on out there? I heard screams. Is anyone hurt?” Cody demanded to know.

  “My name is Eric. I’m a late arrival. I shot all three guys dressed in those dark jumpsuits. Looks like two of the guests were shot before I got here.”

  “Which guests?” Cody asked, dreading the answer.

  “I’m sorry, but I don’t know their names,” Eric replied.

  “You’ve got a gun. Are you a cop? God, I’m so confused and I hurt,” Cody moaned.

  Eric found a robe in the closet and offered it to Cody, taking one last, full-body, mental snapshot of the well-endowed celebrity.

  “Thanks,” Cody muttered. “Well?”

  “Be patient, and I’ll tell you what happened,” Eric promised as he sat next to the rock star. “Steven’s never going to believe I was actually alone on a bed with Cody A1exander, although it’s not what it seems,” he chuckled.

  With obvious annoyance, Cody barked, “Get on with it! What happened?”

  Cody’s attitude annoyed Eric. He expected a bit more gratitude and a lot less hostility, then remembered Cody had just been through an ordeal. “My friend Bradley and I were late arrivals. We knocked repeatedly, then Jeff answered and Bradley barged in. The guys in dark jumpsuits told us to put our valuables on a sofa and lay on the floor. I purposely dropped my ring by the big one closest to me. When he tried to kick me, I grabbed his leg, he fell down, I picked up his pistol, and shot the one across the room. I think he’s still alive. Then I shot the big guy, and the one who was in here with you. Pretty sure they’re both dead. That’s about it.”

  Cody barely followed the Reader’s Digest version of events, but caught enough to find it incredible. “Who the hell are you? The local James Bond?”

  “What happened in here?” Eric asked, ignoring Cody’s sarcasm.

  Cody sat rubbing his swollen wrists. “Well, let’s see. Kong and I discussed the political situation in Cuba. Then he asked for my autograph which I gave him by holding a pen between my teeth. Oh….then he slapped me around a bit and raped me.”

  “Sorry,” Eric apologized meekly as he stood. “I’ll leave you alone now. I imagine the police will want to question you.”

  Eric was truly the reluctant hero. All the guests thanked him, praising his courage. When the police were through questioning him, Eric asked the detective in charge if it would be all right to leave.

  “Yeah, sure, Mr. Price.” The ruddy, seasoned cop screwed up his face for a moment. “Just one more question…..personal and off the record, okay?”

  “Sure,” Eric nodded.

  “What the hell were you thinking? You could’ve gotten yourself and several others killed! I mean, what went through your mind?” The cop’s genuine curiosity almost offset his judgmental tone. “After all, you’re an executive, not a Navy Seal.”

  Eric shrugged. “When I saw they’d already shot two of the guests, I knew they’d probably kill more of us. No matter what I did, there was little downside risk. The worst thing I could do was nothing. So, I did the last thing they expected. I created an opportunity to fight back. It would’ve been stupid to do anything else.”

  “You’re some character,” the detective chuckled. “I just hope you don’t become an outlaw. You’ll make my life more miserable than it already is.”

  Bradley was puzzled. “Hey, Eric, where did you learn how to shoot a gun like that? I’ve known you for five years. I had no idea you’d ever held a gun, much less handle one like an expert.”

  A sly grin crept over Eric’s face. “One of the many fascinating things you don’t know about me.” When Bradley scowled at him, Eric offered a better explanation. “My father made me take a gun safety course when I was 12. Then I spent six years in the Air Force where I earned the expert marksman medal with both a pistol and rifle. Guess it’s like riding a bike. Never really forget once you learn how.”

  Eric hated the publicity, phone calls, and media inquiries. Even though he wanted to forget the ugly episode, the world felt obligated to applaud him a while longer. Instead of going to his office at NEI, Eric worked at home, sending Steven out to face the world when he needed something.

  On the second day after the incident, Steven rapped lightly on the door to Eric’s study. “Can I come in?”

  “It’s open, Steven,” Eric yelled as he sat by his computer, scrolling through one screen after another of business news. He continued scrolling, selectively saving the most interesting news items. Without looking up, Eric remarked flippantly, “What’s up? Are the reporters out front massing for a charge?”

  “Nothing like that,” Steven chuckled. “You have a guest.”

  “Who?” Eric asked as he sorted printouts into three piles.

  “Cody Alexander,” Steven replied.

  Eric’s face tightened the way it did when he smelled spoiled milk. “One encounter with that prima donna was enough for me. Can you tell him I’m at my office or does he already know I’m here?”

  “He knows you’re here,” a new voice answered.

  Eric spun around and discovered Cody standing beside Steven. Blushing, Eric rose from his computer. “Don’t I feel like the town fool! I had no idea you were standing there, but since you are, won’t you come in and have a seat? Please?”

  Steven excused himself quickly, though he really wanted to watch Eric squirm some more.

  “I don’t blame you for not wanting to see me again,” Cody admitted as he sat. “I was very rude the other day. I felt awful about it as soon as you left the room, but all I wanted to do at that moment was crawl under a rock,” Cody explained, voice quivering slightly. “I probably owe you my life. Anything I say now will be inadequate. Please forgive me.”

  Moved by the apology, Eric slid into the chair next to Cody, and placed a hand on his guest's knee. “Apology accepted, Mr. Alexander. I admit I was a little hurt by what you said then, but I understand. I apologize for being insensitive.”

  Cody gazed at Eric through a veil of tears. “Please, call me Cody. And may I call you Eric?”

  “I’d like that,” Eric smiled. “Can I get you anything? Coffee? Water? Kleenex?”

  “Water, please,” Cody replied as he pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped his eyes dry.

  Eric crossed the room and filled two water glasses from a carafe by his computer. As Eric handed him a glass, Cody remarked, “You’re an interesting guy. I’ve heard a lot about you the past two days. Can’t help but wonder what kind of man rises to a top corporate job at thirty-three, but is able to walk into a room with three armed killers and turn the tables on them in less than two minutes.”

  “I wasn’t always a corporate executive,” Eric replied evasively. “I spent six years in the military.”

  Cody nodded thoughtfully, accepting Eric’s partial response for the moment. “I’m also told you’re right at the top of the eligible bachelor list. How does such an attractive, su
ccessful man remain single?” Cody asked with penetrating eyes.

  Tempted to toss out one of his many glib replies to that question, Eric decided Cody deserved a legitimate answer. “Guess I’m too selective, too busy, too suspicious, too insecure, or just too afraid of commitment. Can’t seem to put my finger on it,” Eric concluded with his outstretched palms facing up. “I should tell you I’m very popular with married men, the hardcore unemployed, and several Nigerian princes looking to park their fortunes in my bank account.”

  “What a coincidence!” Cody laughed. “The same group is stalking me.” Turning serious, Cody said, “You’re a puzzle, Eric, but I love a good challenge, so I’d like to get to know you better. No strings. No commitments. No rush. Interested?” Cody scrutinized Eric intently as his host stared at the carpet.

  Eric raised his head to meet Cody’s gaze. He was surprised by the size and clarity of Cody’s eyes, wondering if tears had made them so large and bright. Two rows of perfectly formed, gleaming white teeth smiled at him while warm air from Cody’s small, round nostrils wafted toward him. “I’d like that, but won’t you be leaving town pretty soon?”

  Cody shook his head. “My manager was one of the guests they killed. Since he was from this area, he’ll be buried here tomorrow, so I’m staying on for the funeral. I’ll be needed to testify at the trial of the one who murdered him. Plus, there’s some personal business I have to take care of, so I’m canceling my concert schedule for a few months to stay in Minneapolis.”

  “This has really disrupted your life, Cody. If there’s anything I can do to help while you’re in town, just let me know.”

  “Let’s begin right now. Tell me, who is Eric Price, and how did he get here?”

  They spent the next four hours chatting, laughing, sometimes sitting in silence, as they absorbed and processed each other’s words. Finally, Cody rose to leave.

  “You’re a fascinating man, Eric. I’ll enjoy getting to know you better, but I’ve taken enough of your time today.” Cody reached out to Eric, and kissed him lightly on the lips. “The time just seemed to slip away while we talked,” Cody commented as they walked downstairs. “I felt sick, hurt, and bitter when I came here today, and I feel very peaceful right now. And a little guilty about feeling good so soon after such a hideous thing.”