The Kill

by Jonas Saul

  I wish it were that simple.

  “It’s nothing, really. I’ll be fine once we’re on that plane to Athens. This is going to be awesome. I cannot wait to see the Acropolis.”

  “Me too,” Rosina said as she looked out the window and took in Rome’s downtown.

  On a couple of wide turns, Darwin looked over his shoulder to see if he could spot anyone following them. As far as he could tell, no two cars behind the bus stayed there too long.

  Within twenty minutes, the bus went up a ramp and merged onto a highway. They said the ride from Termini Station was an hour to Fiumicino airport. Darwin settled back, closed his eyes and prayed. All they had to do was get to the airport, check in and get past security. Once that was accomplished, they would be in the clear. The men hunting him wouldn’t get through security with a gun. They’d also have to buy airline tickets and try to get through security in time to find them before they boarded their flight. Tall order, even for those assholes.

  Bumps in the highway woke him. He’d almost fallen asleep, the stress of the last few days piling up.

  That was why he chose Hotel Luigi. They accepted cash. Sure the hotel staff took their passports and wrote information down, but that information wasn’t readily handed in to the Italian officials in a timely fashion. That meant Darwin and his wife would have a few days in Rome before they were detected.

  The same for Athens. He had a nice hotel picked out that offered the same kind of anonymity.

  As long as they were still alive to board the plane.

  Rosina had nodded off beside him. At the front of the bus, a red digital clock told him they were fifteen minutes away.

  He looked out the window as a late model Crown Vic raced by the bus on his side. A moment later, another one did. He watched as both vehicles lined up in front of the bus. Then they started to slow down, slowing the bus too.

  No, no, no. They can’t do this. Not in public. Not like this.

  He’d almost got his wife to safety. He’d almost done it.

  Instead of feeling defeated, he had to think. What could he do? He had no weapon. He had no way to escape. Open fields were on both sides of the bus, which had slowed down to half its speed. The bus driver hit his horn and shouted something in Italian. The two Crown Victorias drove side by side, blocking all exits for the bus and the traffic piling up behind them.

  The speed couldn’t be any more than twenty miles per hour now. The bus jerked with the brake pedal, turning left and right, in a futile attempt to get around the two vehicles. Passengers were getting anxious. They had planes to catch. One man stood up in the aisle and shouted in Italian.

  Rosina woke and lifted her head. “What’s going on?” she asked.

  It startled Darwin. He turned to her. “Looks like a couple of idiots playing a game on the highway. They’re blocking the bus, not leaving us a chance to get around them.”

  Rosina leaned forward. “Assholes. That’s ridiculous. Look at them, acting like children. People have planes to catch.”

  “Exactly.”

  The bus came to a complete stop. The driver spoke on his phone.

  Then a siren in the distance.

  Awesome!

  A moment later, a police cruiser raced by their window just as both Crown Victoria’s driver’s-side doors opened. Darwin stood and looked out the front window at four men as they stood on the highway beside their car, all dressed in suits, staring at the bus, two of them with their hands up to ward off the glare from the sun.

  Two police officers jumped from their cars and yelled something. Horns blared behind the bus, and yet none of the four men moved. They just stood there, staring.

  One of the men lifted his hand and made the symbol of a gun. He dropped his thumb and lifted his finger as if it recoiled. The man opened his mouth to make a swoosh sound.

  “That’s fucking rude,” Rosina said. “They stop us and then get mad at the bus driver. Unbelievable.”

  If she only knew. That parody of a gun going off wasn’t for the bus driver, it was for me.

  “I know, eh …” was all Darwin could say.

  The police convinced one of the men to move his vehicle. After a few minutes delay, the bus got underway again. The passengers all cheered in unison.

  I can’t keep getting that lucky. I have to do something. It’s too risky traveling with Rosina. Either I tell her what’s going on, or she goes on alone.

  He made his decision. He also figured out how to do it.

  Ten minutes later, the bus entered the terminal and stopped alongside a row of travel and tour buses.

  Darwin and his new bride got off by way of the middle door, collected their luggage, and headed into the airport.

  He kept his eyes peeled for anything, but every second that passed, he felt safer and safer. No one would try anything with all the airport security. Policemen and security guards roamed the corridors of the check-in side.

  “Are you sure you’re okay?” Rosina asked. “You look even whiter.”

  “Really, I’m fine. I’m just not feeling so hot, but don’t worry about me. We’ll have a blast when we land in Athens.”

  They lined up to walk through security. A smattering of people had lined up ahead of them, but the line moved well. Instantly, people converged behind them too. In a matter of minutes, a sea of people swallowed up Rosina and Darwin, all heading to different destinations, all leading different lives, not knowing that a man in line with them was one of the most wanted men in recent history.

  Wanted by criminals, not by the police. How does life get so fucked up? How is it even fair that this is happening?

  Darwin and his wife were about to begin their life together. What a wedding present this shit was. When Rosina found everything out, she would probably ask for a divorce. They’d only been married four days and she’d want out. He was sure of it.

  As they stood in line, he thought about what his father would say when he told him about the marriage. Her parents were going to freak out. Both their parents had objected to them being together in the first place. Rosina’s parents were from the old country in Italy. Darwin’s mother had died when he was born and his father was from Athens. They had chosen Rome as the city to elope to, in honor of her parents, and Athens as the city to finish their honeymoon in as a respectful gesture to his dad.

  When they were done touring, they’d go home and announce to everyone that they’d gotten engaged. Set some ridiculous date two years away and let their respective families work it all out. In the end, if the parents were to absolutely refuse to sign off on the wedding and let them be happy, Rosina and Darwin would drop the bomb that they were already married and had been for a long time.

  Take that.

  The line moved. People ahead removed their shoes, pulled off belts, and took laptops out of their carry-ons. It would be their turn soon.

  Darwin took a final look over his shoulder and studied the faces of everyone he could see. Nonchalant, bored, tired and impatient faces looked back. No one stared in anger. No one aimed ill intent at him. At least not as far as he could see.

  Bringing Rosina to the airport was the smartest thing he could’ve done. Sure, they’d know where he was. But it’d be difficult for them to find him. It’d take time. If his plan worked out, at least Rosina would be safe.

  After what happened on the highway and the attempts on his life in Rome, he had to make her safety a priority, and he was going to do just that.

  It was their turn now. Darwin watched as the woman ahead of him took off at least ten pieces of jewelry. Then she undid her earrings, took off her boots and started working on her pockets.

  He couldn’t believe it. If you knew you were coming to the airport and you knew security would require you remove all that junk, why would you cover yourself in jewelry and fill your pockets before coming?

  After a moment, she turned back and whispered an apology to Rosina. The woman didn’t look at Darwin. The scowl on his face would have unnecessarily upse
t her. He was tired of people at that moment. People walking all over others, doing things their way, imposing.

  Those men on the highway, and the organization they belonged to, were trying to kill him. They would kill more than just him if they achieved their goal. They’d kill a lovely marriage and break the heart of a wonderful woman.

  It was time to get angry. It was time to deal with the issue at hand. In fact, it was past due. He’d let things go on too long.

  “Are you sure we should be doing this?” Rosina asked.

  Darwin snapped out of his reverie. “What? Doing what?”

  “This. Flying to Greece. Maybe we should just go home to Toronto.”

  “What? Why?”

  She took off her shoes. Then she set them on the conveyer belt. “You haven’t been yourself lately. Even now, you’re pale, and at the same time, you look angry. I just don’t know that side of you.”

  Darwin undid his belt and then set his backpack on the belt.

  “I’m sorry. I’ve got a lot on my mind.”

  “Is it the accident that has you rattled?”

  The accident. That was no accident. They drove down that street and tried to hit us on purpose.

  “Yeah, maybe that’s it. You almost got hit. I don’t know what I’d do if I lost you.”

  A security guard gestured at Darwin. “Step forward.”

  He didn’t like leaving Rosina with so many strangers so close to her, but he took a chance that no one would try anything in a crowded terminal with this much security.

  He walked through the metal detector without incident. Rosina followed.

  In silence, they got dressed and stepped away from the area.

  “I guess, since you’re unclear on what’s bothering you, I’m starting to feel that it’s the marriage. Are you sure you didn’t rush this?”

  Darwin stopped, grabbed both her shoulders and turned her to face him. “Don’t ever think that. This was my idea. I bought the tickets to Rome and drove to your job at Yonge and Bloor to pick you up. It was my idea to do it before anyone could stop us. I love you and will always love you. It’s an honor to be your husband. I can’t pinpoint anything in particular that’s bothering me, but maybe it’s just me formulating a new story idea. I have to always be thinking, formulating, ruminating. You know I write five to six novels a year and that’s been my secret to my success. This week off, to come here, doesn’t stop my brain. Okay?”

  Oh, baby, I’m so sorry. I hate myself for lying to you, but I have no choice. Your life hangs with this decision.

  Rosina looked down and twiddled with her fingers. “I’m sorry, I just haven’t connected with you ever since the accident.” She looked back up at him and stared into his eyes.

  The accident. The one where I ran a man down in the street and the police ruled it an accident. That one. The one which resulted in us running for our lives.

  “I think that accident has affected you more than you know,” Rosina continued. “I think it’s killing you on the inside and you aren’t talking to me about it. I just want you to include me. I’m your wife now, that’s all. Don’t deny me.”

  It’s not just killing me on the inside. Those men are trying to kill me on the outside too.

  Darwin released her shoulders. “I’m sorry. You’re right.”

  Together they turned and started toward their gate.

  “I’m right about what?”

  Rosina looked so beautiful in that moment. With all that had been happening, he’d had a hard time enjoying himself. The whole time they walked the Coliseum, he’d been watching over his shoulder, wondering when a bullet would enter his head. They were almost run over by a car two streets from their hotel. A gun went off somewhere in the street and took a chunk of cement out of the wall by them as they left a pizzeria the night before. Two attempts on their life since they’d been in Rome wasn’t coincidence.

  It was his idea to leave the hotel two days early. He had to get her out of there. His assailants had found them.

  “You’re right. The accident has affected me.”

  They reached their gate as the attendants prepared for boarding.

  Rosina chose a seat in the lounge by the large windows so she could look at the planes. After Darwin sat, she said, “You have to remember it was deemed an accident after the re-constructionists did their magic. Besides, that guy was a criminal. You did the world a favor by running into him. Not just that, he fired a bullet at you. He could’ve killed you.”

  Her voice had raised a little. Two women across the row of seats looked up at them.

  “Keep your voice down,” Darwin said.

  “Okay, I know, I’m sorry.”

  “Sure, it was ruled an accident, but do you ever wonder, even if I’d aimed at that guy with the intent to kill him that it would’ve been classified an accident anyway?”

  She frowned. “Why would you say something like that?”

  “That man at the airport hangar in Toronto killed a lot of people. There were bodies littered all over that hangar. He was part of a group that did a lot of killing. When the cops saw that I’d mangled the guy with my Ford, they patted me on the shoulder, said I did a good thing and that’d I’d be taken care of. Well, I got taken care of all right. I got notoriety. My name was printed in the papers all over the world.” He lifted his hands to portray a marquee. “Darwin Athios Kostas, average Canadian guy, writer of novels, mafia killer.”

  “Well, the notoriety sure helped sales of your books, didn’t it? The guy’s dead. He can’t come after you.”

  But the family he was connected to can, he almost said out loud.

  Instead he nodded. “I know, you’re right. Also, I got those bikers to deal with.”

  “Has anything new happened with them?”

  “Ever since I did that part in my novel, The Biker, about their Port Dover adventures and Ride For Sight, and how bad I portrayed them, they’ve been out for blood. Richard H., at least what they call him, has contacted me three different times. You remember when we were having dinner at Red Lobster?”

  Rosina nodded her head.

  “He told me to take that stuff out of the book, or else. I said that I couldn’t because it was already selling on Amazon. It was too late. It was out there. And you remember what he said next.”

  Rosina patted his leg. “I know, but they aren’t going to hurt you. If they were, they’d have done it already.”

  “He said that I had to make good. This guy is scary. I mean, that’s fucked up.”

  “I know.” Rosina started as the attendant announced the flight to Athens would commence boarding people with disabilities and children first.

  “No one is celebrating a man’s death,” she said. “Just don’t let it kill you.”

  I’m trying. Oh, how I’m trying. If you only knew.

  “Look honey, I have to go to the bathroom. Will you wait here?”

  “But, Darwin, they’re already boarding. Can’t it wait? Use the one on the plane.”

  Darwin shook his head. “No, I hate how small and confined those toilets are. If I wait much longer I’ll piss in my shorts anyway. Boarding takes time too. I’ll be back in less than five.”

  “Okay, but hurry,” she said.

  Darwin got up and turned away, walked three steps, stopped and turned back. “I almost forgot. I’ve got something for you.”

  “Can’t it wait? Go to the bathroom.”

  “In light of what we just talked about, I’d like to give it to you now.”

  The attendant announced the boarding of the back half of the plane.

  “You’re running out of time.”

  “I have at least ten minutes and I only need three,” he said as he pulled a white envelope out of his backpack.

  “What’s this?” Rosina asked, a smile playing across her lips.

  “It’s a surprise. Inside this envelope is everything you’ve been waiting for. But there’s a condition.”

  Darwin started hopping from one f
oot to the other, implying his desire for a bathroom. What he was really doing was building the courage to do what had to be done.

  “What’s the condition?”

  “You cannot open it without me present.”

  “That’s fine. Now hurry along. Go to the bathroom and come back. We’ll board the plane and I’ll open the envelope. Deal?”

  “Sure,” Darwin said as he back stepped away. At ten paces, before he turned around and lost eye contact with her, he said, “Get on without me. I’ve got my boarding pass right here.” He slapped his back pocket. “Save me a seat. Keep it warm. I’ll be with you sooner than you think.”