When Dead in Greece (12 page)

THERE WAS NO CIRCULATION IN the hallway when the doors at either end were both closed. The floor and ceiling were void of vents. The smell of mold saturated the air. I looked up and saw water damage along the edge of the ceiling on both sides. The carpet below my feet was thick and would soak dripping water right up, creating a breeding ground.

Chris sniffed and wiped his nose.

“Allergic?” I said.

“Shut up,” he said.

“Why aren’t you in there counting the money?”

He said nothing.

“I mean, seems like an important job. He doesn’t trust you?”

“Maybe your life is more valuable to him.” He paused a beat. “Don’t know why, though. You don’t seem to care about it.”

“How so?”

“First, you get in the middle of my guys when they’re working.”

“Didn’t like the way they looked.”

“Then you do it again.”

“If anything, I’m consistent.”

“Then you come out here.”

“Y’all asked nicely.”

“And you do it with way less money than you were supposed to bring.”

“I’m broke.”

The last part was a lie. But I figured by now, Frank had the majority of my assets frozen so that no one could access them. Not even me. But I always had a backup plan.

“You’re stupid,” the guy said. “He’s going to string you up by your nuts.”

“Sounds painful.”

“Then take target practice at you with that fancy pistol of his.”

“Do I get to spend the night with a couple of those girls out front first?”

“Are you really this arrogant?” Chris said. “I mean, you’re facing certain death and all you can do is think with your dick?”

His was exposed to me. Guard down. The sentries were positioned at either end of the hall. We were in the middle. I could take him out. Break his neck right there. They wouldn’t reach me in time.

But they would reach me.

And then it’d be over. I’d be shot or beaten, and certainly killed at some point. Isadora would remain the old guy’s
guest
for however much longer. I guess until he decided to kill her too. Or drug her up and make her part of his crew in the front house.

The guy smiled at me like he knew what I was thinking. He even tucked his hands behind his back and turned his face to offer me a better shot. I could see it in his eyes.
Do it
, he was saying.
Take that first shot.

He had as much confidence as I did. But he wasn’t hurt or wounded or in danger of being strung up by his testicles and used for target practice. That bolstered his thoughts of himself.

The door to the room opened. Kostas stood there, silhouetted by the dim light.

“Get in here,” he said, turning toward his desk.

Chris extended his arm. The bald guard with the thick head and mustache held the door for me. By the time I entered, Kostas was behind his desk. But I wasn’t paying attention to him.

Isadora took one look at me then turned her head. I couldn’t tell if she was crying or not.

“Sit,” the old guy said.

I remained in place.

He shifted his glance to my right and nodded. A second later, my right leg was swept forward and a heavy set of hands slammed into my chest. I tried to twist and extend my arms to break my fall. Didn’t happen. I landed on my left side. The fall was hard, but the carpet was thick and soft and it almost felt like landing on a wrestling mat. Still, the jarring slam left me slightly winded.

Someone grabbed me by the hair and the back of my collar and dragged me up. They tossed me toward a chair. I hit the back of it with my face and it toppled over and so did I. This time the corner of the seat caught me just above the gut on one of my bruised or broken ribs.

The guy righted the chair and pulled me up and sat me in it. I fought to show no reaction to the pain in my midsection. Couldn’t. I leaned forward, to the side, hand on my ribcage. My breathing was rapid and shallow.

“Did you really think you could come in here with less than a quarter of the original debt and walk out alive?” Kostas said.

I felt a buzzing against my thigh. Heard it, too. The old guy glanced at my pocket, then back at me.

“What is that?” he said.

I shrugged.

He glanced to the side and made a motion with two fingers. Four hands descended on me. Yanked me up. Pulled my arms back.
 
Someone went through my pockets. They reached into the cargo pocket and pulled out the cell phone.

The guy stepped into my field of view. The bald guy with the mustache. He set the phone on the desk. The old guy picked it up and stared at it for a moment. Then he set it to the side like it didn’t matter. Like someone couldn’t use it to track my location.

At least, they could do something like that in the States. I had no idea about here. Even if Alik could pull it off, what were the chances he would have managed a flight over so quickly? I was alone. Isolated. On my own.

“Where is the rest of the money?” the old guy said.

“That’s all he’s got,” I said.

“You know what this means?”

“That was the original deal, right? Twenty grand on a set schedule.”

“He missed too many payments on that schedule.”

“The guy lost his wife. And he’s your friend. Old friend, been through a lot together. He’s entitled to a little leeway, right? I mean, damn, he’s giving up what he’s got left.”

Someone behind me cleared their throat. Soft and gentle. Almost missed it. Isadora. Had it been one of the guys it would have cut through the moment of silence like thunder.

Kostas shook his head slowly, smiling. “You sit there so smug. Think you know everything.”

“What don’t I know?”

“The only thing you don’t know that matters is that Esau sold you out. He set you up. Sure, you might pull it off. Or you might die. Doesn’t matter to him.”

“It’s all he’s got.”

“He’s got the house. The cafe.”

“You want those?”

The old guy sat in his chair and leaned back like he was thinking about it. A couple times he asked himself, “Do I want those?”

The atmosphere in the room was heavy. Big shadows moved through the light wash. The door opened. I couldn’t tell if people shuffled in and stopped by the doorway, or if they shuffled out. All that was left was the sound of our breathing. The stink of the men. The fragrance of Isadora’s hair.

I tensed my abdominal muscles, clenching hard. The pain was manageable. I looked over at Isadora. She stared at me. No tears. No smile. No look of hope. It was as though she thought my being there was a hopeless cause. I was starting to agree. Going in with a fraction of the money was stupid.

The old guy leaned forward. He spun the book with the cutout and the .22 around in a half-circle then stopped it. With his thumb he fanned through the pages front to back, then in reverse. He placed his left palm on the stack of parchment. Retrieved the pistol.

“What assurances do I have he’d hand them over?” Kostas said.

“His word, I guess,” I said.

“His word means shit to me,” he said.

“That’s between the two of you,” I said.

“Besides, he doesn’t own the house free and clear. Hardly any equity built up.”

“The cafe does good business.”

“I suppose it does, but maybe that’s because of him.”

“Maybe it’s because of her.” I jutted my chin over my shoulder toward Isadora. “The old guys that come in seem to like her.”

“She doesn’t want to be there, though.”

“How would you know?”

The old guy stared at the silver pistol, turning it over in his hand. He looked at it like it was the first breast he’d ever touched. “What would you say the place makes in a day?”

“Me? How would I know?”

“You’ve been there, what, a month now?”

“Suppose so.”

“Well, you have eyes. You see the customers. How much?”

“Like you said, he hasn’t made a dent in his house note. My guess is not that much.”

The old guy looked up as he shifted the pistol in his palm and gripped the handle and threaded his finger through the trigger guard. He pointed it in my direction without actually aiming it at me.

“Not doing yourself any favors, Jack Noble.”

“What do you want me to tell you? The place makes a grand a day? Take it off his hands and you’ll be paid back in no time at all?”

His face folded into a thousand crinkles as he smiled. “What did Esau think would happen?”

“He didn’t.”

“Come again?”

“I said he didn’t. He didn’t think anything would happen. I made him do this based on what he had told me about you two growing up together and going to war. You see, we’re not all that different. I’m a soldier, too. I’ve been through a lot with a couple partners. One is like a brother to me. The other, not so much. Despite that, I’d die for either, even though one would be happy to set me up under the right circumstances.”

“What’s this have to do with me and Esau?”

“You were brothers growing up. He lied to join you in the war so you’d have someone always watching your back. That kind of relationship persists no matter the situation. He’s been on hard times. You know that. Hell, that’s why he came to you in the first place. You’ve got twenty grand on your desk. It’s all he has. He’s giving it to you in good faith. Whatever you want to do after this point is up to you, but I think you need to take it up with him now.”

The old guy said nothing. His gaze shifted between me and the money.

I looked at Isadora again. She watched me with the same blank look on her face. Shock, I presumed. The situation had left her rattled. Or maybe they’d already started drugging her. That’s one way to deal with a combative hostage.

“Let me leave with the girl and I’ll present an offer to him,” I said.

“Of what?” Kostas asked.

“The cafe. He’ll sign it over to you. It’s got built in clientele and is right on the water. Maybe you could use it. You know, filter stuff in.”

“Like what?” He lifted a curious eyebrow. “What do you know of my business?”

“Your business is your business. I don’t care a thing about it.”

He sat back and rubbed his chin with his brown age-spotted hand. The other rested on the desktop next to the pistol. His gaze drifted around the room. It stopped four times. The money. Isadora. Me. Someone behind me. Chris, I assumed. That was it. We were the only people in the room. How many remained in the hallway? Smart money said only those who had to be there. The rest would take the opportunity to wait in the first house until they were needed.

I looked back. Chris leaned against the wall next to the door. Too far away for me to reach without risk of being shot either by him or the old guy. He stared at me. His hand went to his holstered pistol. His head swung side to side, slowly.

The old guy cleared his throat, a raspy, hollow sound. “Tell Esau I’ll wipe the slate clean. The interest is forgiven. He has two days to come up with the rest of the original debt.”

“If he doesn’t?”

“Use your imagination.”

“The girl?”

“It’s up to her.”

I stood and turned toward her. “You ready?”

She looked away from me. Didn’t get up.

“Isadora?” I said. “Come on, let’s get out of here.”

Her eyes were closed. She shook her head.

“What are you doing?” I said.

“Sounds like she doesn’t want to go,” the old guy said. “Chris, escort Mr. Noble out.”

The guy approached me slowly and cautiously. He reached out for my arm. I fended off his hand and took a step back.

“Isadora,” I said. “What the hell is going on here? Why don’t you want to go?”

She opened her mouth, but after casting a glance toward Kostas, closed it. I turned to face him.

“What did you do to her? What’s she on?”

“On?”

“You drugged her,” I said. “With what?”

“Drugged her?”

“No way she’s acting like this on her own.”

“Like I said, the choice is hers. She’s not being held here against her will.”

“What?”

“Never has been.”

“We went to the old house. Found her torn clothes. Hell, I can see the scrape on her face from where you assholes threw her on the ground.”

The old guy laughed.

“They took her at gunpoint,” I said.

“All with her knowledge.” He leaned back, smiling. His pistol was within reach. He must’ve seen me look at it. “Go ahead and try. I may be old, and true I’m a bit slow now. But I’m not that slow. And neither is Chris.”

I turned and walked over to Isadora and bent down. “What is he talking about?”

Her eyes were wet and red. She smelled fresh. She shifted, pulling the white shirt tight against her breasts, revealing the outline of her dark nipples. She said nothing.

“Is it true?” I asked. “You knew about all of this?”

“Sort of,” she said. “I knew why they were coming.”

“And she agreed to be taken,” the old guy said.

“What?” I said. “Why?”

“He has the money, Jack. Uncle Esau has it. Maybe not at the cafe or the house, but he has it.”

“How do you know this?”

“Because he never used it.”

“What do you mean he never used it?”

“My aunt never had the surgery.”

Chapter 23

I ROCKED BACK ON MY heels after hearing the confession. Esau had come across as a man devastated. He’d lost everything, including his wife, and in the process had taken on a loan greater than he could handle from a criminal. And now Isadora was saying some of it was a lie.

I took a deep breath, inhaling her lavender scent. Tears spilled over and dripped down the sides of her soft cheeks. A couple drops fell on my hand. Her hair splayed over the pillows and her shoulders. A synapse fired deep in my brain and I wished we were alone somewhere far from this mess. I realized what it was about her. She was the kind of woman who made any situation so light it floated away like a balloon.

“How do you know this?” I asked her.

She licked her lips and cleared her throat. “After they started harassing my uncle, I started digging around his paperwork. He wouldn’t come right out and tell me what had happened, so I really had no choice. I found all the doctor and hospital receipts. But never anything for the operation. I even called the doctor, posing as my mother. They were confounded by my request. There had been no surgery. But he had a pamphlet on it, with what I thought were dates and times scribbled on it.”