by RJ Scott
"This wasn't the plan Manny," Josh said.
"We're going with the flow. There's desperation in her eyes—"
"Manny—"
"My call, Josh."
"Nik? Bring him home. Let's talk about this."
Manny chuckled that his erstwhile handler was going direct to the other half of this team. Nik simply repeated 'it's Manny's call'.
Josh sighed and then seemed to get his senses together and focus on what was happening. "Talk to me then," he said irritably.
"Heading downtown."
"Too general to call. Not the Capitol though, clearly. Maybe the senator's house? Other properties on this line are in the name of Selby Corp, including the apartment that Alastair and Greg used when in the city."
"Okay, turning left," Nik's voice was calm and controlled and Manny shot him a glance.
"Narrowing it down to two other Selby properties and the apartment."
"She wouldn't take us to the apartment, would she?"
Nik said. "The press are all over the senator."
"Your guess is as good as mine," Manny commented as he stared forward and refused to take his eyes off of the black car ahead of him.
"This is bad, Manny. They're taking you somewhere we didn't scope." Worry filtered through the earpiece from Josh.
"So you'll scope it on the fly," Manny offered by way of appeasement.
"Another left," Nik interrupted.
"Left—hang on—okay, I have you. Away from the apartment and one of the properties, so what remains is one Selby property, although it's not definite that is the place they are taking you—"
"For want of something else to focus on, pull up intel for me." Manny calmed Josh with the words.
"Okay… eighties office block… seventeen stories… insurance firms, an oil company, couple brokerage firms. I can't see anything for Selby Corp. Tenth is empty, eleventh. Wait. Twelfth floor—registered address for Schofield Enterprises. Schofield. Schofield? Why do I know that name…" Josh went silent for a few seconds and Manny didn't push him. Moments like this when you were the handler on a moving case was where the magic happened. When information nested and twisted and
suddenly there was a connection.
"Selby owns Schofield. I knew it. So, let's focus on that being your destination. Twelfth floor, two office spaces, both owned by Schofield aka Selby. The building is called the Enstone building, that's not important. Four elevators for staff, one good elevator that goes to the lower basement. Parking under the building. I'm checking on street view."
"He's good," Nik mouthed silently as they halted at a red light behind the car they were following.
"I know," Manny mouthed back.
"Here. I have street cams linked in. Security is one desk and one guard. I'm not seeing anything fancy and the marketing for the building talks of low-impact firms. The Secretary of State's website for New York have Schofield described as a company specializing in book restoration.
Buying and selling services online. Incorporated nineteen eighty-eight, same year as the building was constructed."
Josh chuckled. "Built by Enstone Construction, yet another wholly own subsidiary of Selby."
"We're going off the main road onto Parkland drive," Nik said clearly.
"The building I'm talking about is the second block down on the right. Are they indicating?"
Manny waited and then exhaled when the dark car
indicated and slowed. "Yes."
"Okay. Underground parking is on one level with a single down ramp and a single up. No barriers, but I hooked into parking cams and there are about fifty or so cars and not many spaces. There is a large space for outside parking, a green area, even a fricking fountain."
"They're pulling in. Stopping in a no wait zone outside the front door," Nik confirmed. He followed suit and Manny tensed as only Emily Selby left the car. Shit. He could see this playing entirely the wrong way.
"Shit," Manny cursed.
Nik turned in the car. "Manny—"
"It's fine Nik. I'll stay with comms."
"Manny?" Great, now Josh was coming in on this.
"What's wrong? What's happening?"
Manny held up a hand to forestall whatever Nik was going to report—hoping that he would get the hint that he didn't want Josh worried. The bastard wasn't letting Manny get over this quite so easily.
"She's going in on her own, standing there waiting for Manny," Nik said quickly. "Left her driver in a no parking zone. He's driving to the parking—"
"No, Manny. Don't go in there on your own, wait for Nik," Josh said with no small amount of anxiety in his words.
"What do you think she's gonna do, guys? Strangle me with her pearls?"
"Don't trivialize what the Bullens can do, Manny.
Last guy the cops found had his intestines wrapped around his throat."
Manny swallowed hard at the visual. He'd seen worse in some of the cases that he had worked but he kind of liked his intestines where they were. Determined, he opened the door and looked back in at a serious, focused Nik.
"Keep talking, Nik. Come find me," he said. Nik nodded.
CHAPTER 11
He was by Emily in seconds; within a minute they were bypassing security who didn't bat a single eyelid, and were in the elevator. She pressed the large oval black-on-white button marked twelve and said nothing as the elevator moved upward. Manny wondered what was going through her head. He was listening to Josh who was intoning information about her. Fifty-three, two daughters, both married and long gone, one in New Zealand, one a wannabe actress in LA. She was from political royalty, granddaughter of a senator and daughter of a presidential hopeful who died young and never fulfilled his promise.
Married to Thomas Bullen, she had been part of the Bullens for over thirty years. She was the calm, supportive, and smiling face behind Thomas as he blustered with political rhetoric and campaign promises. Her husband had wanted president but he downgraded it to governor and hell, with a resignation hanging over him Manny wondered if the marriage would survive.
The elevator opened into a long corridor and two armed guards immediately formed a wall that Manny was not going to be passing anytime soon. Both over six foot, like two Niks but on steroids, neither of them would be easy to take down. Never before had he wished for Kayden's absolute skill in martial arts. There again. What would that prove? They'd probably think he was here to kill. Thoughtfully he regarded the goons.
"Are we really doing this?" he asked carefully.
Emily flicked her gaze over him and dismissed him as no threat in an instant. Manny had seen that look before.
"Your gun," she said. He had made a point of having his gun in view. The more in plain sight it was the less likely they would think of patting him down for anything else. Inclining his head in mute agreement he lifted his jacket a little more and then with one finger he released the catch on the holster and pulled out the gun. It was his favorite and he hoped to hell they wouldn't hurt it or do something stupid. Placidly he handed the gun to the guy he had labeled goon one, who then placed it on a small table by the elevator.
The guards separated and Emily gestured toward door number three. She didn't move though.
"Are you not coming in?"
"What was it you said? That you wanted to meet man to man?" With this she turned on her heel and pressed the button to call the elevator and as soon as the doors opened she was in and clearly heading back to the parking lot.
"It has been very nice to meet you," Manny said solicitously. A flicker of pain edged across her face and her hand rested in the space on her skin between throat and heart. In a low, soft voice she said something but it was so gentle he couldn't be sure. He wasn't convinced but it sounded suspiciously like 'I wish I could say the same'. The tone though, was sad. What did she mean? The words certainly hadn't been filled with hate. Not at all. The bittersweet expression that darkened her eyes and thinned her mouth was an interesting one. Manny filed it away for further thou
ght. She could very well be the link that was easily broken. The people she must have seen over the last thirty years probably read like the who's who of crime. The doors shut and the elevator began its descent. Manny turned to the door he needed to walk through, catching a glimpse of his gun as he did. Okay, so he wasn't completely unarmed, but hell, he really liked that gun. Time to roll this one forward.
Josh was quiet in his ear. Procedure dictated radio silence on contact but the absolute emptiness of no longer having the man's voice there was unnerving. One of the guards opened the door and Manny stepped inside. My name is Vincenzio Mannet Luis Altosinno. From San Diego. I know weapons.
"Altosinno," a voice proclaimed from his left. He turned on his heel. Alastair Bullen in all his creep-assed glory was standing with a crystal glass of whisky in his hand. Manny stifled an instinctive and nerve-ridden need to laugh. All the guy needed was a moustache to twirl and he was the archetypal bad guy.
"Bullen," he replied. He took the step forward and extended his hand, which Alastair took. "My condolences on losing Gregory."
"Did you know him or is that empty pleasantries?"
They released the hard grip both of them had given.
Alastair turned to fill another glass and handed it to Manny who sipped it carefully.
Josh butted in quickly. "Oh-nine Gregory visited LA," he whispered into Manny's ear. "It made the papers because he was dating a woman twenty years his junior who had just finished an affair with a presidential aide."
Manny made a note to tell Josh he didn't need to whisper when he imparted information. He focused on replying to Alastair.
"Maybe three years ago, two thousand nine, he was in LA. How can I put this delicately? He was with a much younger woman who was being pursued by photographers.
It was difficult but not impossible for us to have a meet."
"I remember her," Alastair said simply.
"Losing a brother is hard," Manny offered.
"Not as hard as losing both parents and a sister."
Alastair paused and there was a question in his gaze.
Evidently he was waiting for Manny to say something, but Manny was not being pulled into this little game of 'I know what you know'.
"Anyway, as I said my condolences. He seemed to have his head screwed on right and he was interested in how the West Coast kept control."
"Plainly not with the Altosinnos at the head,"
Alastair commented dryly.
"Sadly not then. But now, we have a tenfold increase in traffic, both financially and in terms of property reach. The old days are long gone but we can be newer and stronger. Forge relationships with the new-style street gangs who are all show and no substance." Alastair was listening to him. Alastair was taking the bait. "We have a stash of weapons, semis and pistols with all associated ammunition that I confiscated from the street. Gregory called me a few months back requesting a 'weapons-for-money' trade. I have money but I want more to buy into new markets. We have the weapons. You have the money."
"He never mentioned it to me," Alastair said suspiciously.
"He wouldn't have," Manny started. Playing for time he moved to the window to look down at the edge of the city below. He prayed Josh came up with something.
Casually he placed his hand in his pocket, his fingers closing around the small bugging device in the silk inside.
Drawing attention to his other hand by shaking the liquid in the glass he pressed the bug on the underside of the window sill. He hoped it was enough.
Josh's voice was a welcome return. "Reports have Gregory as the lesser brother. Alastair definitely ran the show. Every photo of the two of them has Alastair foreground and Gregory background. The only photo of all three that I have has a similar position but the senator is foreground also."
"He told me that he always felt you were the one guiding the family and he wanted you to be proud of something he had done." Manny was confident as he said this.
"He did?" Suspicion in Alastair's voice had been replaced with something akin to fondness. "He actually said that?"
"He did—"
"Alastair!" The voice was strident and accompanied by the loud banging of the door against the wall. Both he and Alastair turned. Senator Thomas Bullen, a silver fox, handsome, chiseled, and at the moment way past furious.
"We need to talk," he bit out angrily.
Alastair held up a hand and then indicated to Manny. "We have a guest."
The senator blinked as he looked at Manny and went from furious to oily smooth in a nanosecond. Damn the guy was good.
"Vincenzio Altosinno," Manny offered his hand.
The senator shook it. His hand was hot and his skin was covered in a thin layer of sweat. Evidently the senator had been in a hurry to get here. As much as Manny wanted to stay and hear exactly what the senator was so riled up about it may be for the best to leave this alone and hope that the bug picked up what was discussed. Hope be damned. The surveillance Manny worked on was the best. It would pick up everything.
"I'll leave now," Manny said considerately. "If you are interested in discussing an exchange of services then you have my number." Really Manny wanted to be out of here now.
Alastair showed him to the door and opened it with an accompanying nod. "I would be very interested."
"Shall I pull together some information?"
"Do that."
"Alastair." The senator's tone brooked no argument and with a sigh Alastair closed the door on Manny.
Manny turned to face the two guards who separated
and allowed him through. He picked up his weapon turning it over in his hand and checking to see if either of these goons had touched it.
"Get out now," Josh insisted in his head. "You're done there."
The elevator doors opened immediately and Manny walked in with an awkward sideways motion. There was no way he was turning his back on the goons. Especially goon two, who he could swear was staring at his ass. He pressed ground floor. He didn't allow himself to relax even when the doors shut. He couldn't be the only good guy who'd seen a Bond film where the floor fell away from under the hero's feet. He must have muttered something out loud because Josh was chuckling and explaining how Manny should stand with his feet on either side of the elevator.
Manny wasn't going to admit he checked that out and realized even at six-foot Josh wouldn't be able to do that.
The elevator was office-sized.
Out into the lobby, passing security, and finally out into the air of an Albany day he was never more relieved to see Nik waiting by the car with his strong arms folded over his chest.
"Boss?" Nik said gruffly.
"Home," Manny replied quickly.
Just. Let's go home. Back to Morgan and his
awesome coffee. Back to the comms room with the silent code that Manny loved.
Back to Josh.
CHAPTER 12
Josh transcribed as quickly as he could even though the full conversation was being recorded in minute detail by the software Manny had synthesizing the words. He was summarizing directly to both field operatives as Nik drove them back here.
"Okay. After the initial 'you shouldn't visit me here diatribe' we have a very pissed senator. Says he's been questioned over a necklace. Thought it had been buried with the body. Alastair assures him it was dealt with. He didn't know that Greg's whore, sorry, that's what he said, not me, of a wife had removed the necklace from the body.
Senator is agitated. Shit. He says if his wife found out then he's finished. Okay. Did you get that. The wife?"
"We got it Josh—" Manny smiled at the exuberance in his lover's voice. Lover? Wow. When did Josh move from casual blow job guy to lover? Jeez. They'd only shared one ten-minute encounter. Oh yeah, and the snuggle in bed. Potential lover maybe? Well, for as long as Josh was with Sanctuary. At least until he got whisked away into witness protection with a new identity. The thought of that filled Manny with a great big ball of discontentment. He didn't like the feeling
. Tuning back into Josh's voice he realized he was spending way too much time imagining Josh laid out under him naked and writhing with Manny buried deep inside him. Damn sure wasn't professional.
"Alastair is trying to change the subject. Talking about Vincenzio. About you, Manny. Said you are West Coast and have weapons for money. Senator is all up in his face about how they would have no money if Emily cut him off. Interesting. It's quiet. I can hear everything. Jeez, Manny, this is so cool, I could probably hear someone taking a piss in the next state with this."
Manny loved that Josh found the listening device so exciting. Yet another tick in the potential lover column.
"Okay. More. They're discussing the third quarter.
Guns would be good. Mentioning gang names? I don't know. I didn't get it clearly but it's recorded. Oh and we're back to burying bodies. Come on… come on… give us a location… talking about a tree and roots and loose soil down to a foot. Hell, no location. Wait. Alastair is laughing, saying if Emily ever put two and two together that it was so close to what she held dear. Okay. We could narrow it on that. Alastair promises he'll deal with the necklace. Senator is saying she is cleverer than Alastair thinks and that he shouldn't underestimate her. Alastair tells senator not to be stupid. Jeez, the senator is shouting at him, about money, and the fact that his, and I quote, ' damn fool brother couldn't even keep a lawyer under his control'.
This is good stuff, guys."
Manny looked at Nik who said one word, 'Austin'.
They were both thinking the same thing. Austin, the lawyer who was supposed to get any evidence Beckett Jamieson had and to turn it over to the Bullens.
"Ouch," Josh added, "I think one of them hit the other one. No guessing which way round that was. Okay, lots of fuck yous and anger here. Wait. The door opens and shuts. One of them left. I'll pick it up on cams when he exits. Jeez. I don't need to. Evidently Alastair likes cursing to himself in an empty room. The senator has left the building, guys. All quiet. I'll keep listening till you're back."