Part 18 (1/2)
Gary walked the man back to his patient. ”We'll see, Frank. Just keep on with what you can for the moment and we'll see what we can do about the rest. Okay?”
The doctor sighed and returned to work.
Gary walked back to Valerie without ever looking at the mangled man on the table.
”I hate to admit this,” she said rather sheepishly, ”but I'd sort of forgotten all about him.”
Gary busied himself with some notes. ”You've got a right to be a little distracted right now.”
Valerie realized that she hadn't seen the lawyer's trademark grin for a great many hours. ”You're at risk now too. Aren't you?”
He nodded grimly. ”I admit that this is the toughest deal I've ever been involved with.” He looked up at her. ”But it keeps life interesting, wouldn't you say?” And the smile returned.
”Movement in the lot!” one of the bikers yelled out. ”And it ain't cops.”
Gary grabbed Valerie and forced her under the table with him. One of the other bikers came over to them, standing between them and the door with his Ingram machine pistol at the ready. Another stood by the p.r.o.ne Xenos.
”In the building,” an accented voice called out after an endless minute. ”I'm a friend.”
Gary looked at the biker nearest the movable board that served as a door. ”What d'you have?”
”Man, olive skin, thick hair, T-s.h.i.+rt and jeans. Don't see no gun, but it's dark.”
Gary grimaced, then slowly moved along the floor to the door.”Ma chi t'ha pagato?”
”La mia anima.”
The lawyer stood up and peeked through the spy hole. ”I can't tell,” he muttered to himself. The bikers c.o.c.ked their weapons.
”You gonna let me in or what?” the intruder called out in an irked tone.
”Adoro la politica Italiana,” Gary called out in an unsure voice.
”It's f.u.c.king cold out here, cretino! Forget the bulls.h.i.+t countersigns and let me in!” The man sounded furious.
”If he doesn't answer in one minute,” Gary ordered the biker nearest him, ”cut the f.u.c.ker down. The biker nodded.”
Long seconds pa.s.sed. Finally they heard a deep exhaling of an angry breath.
”This is bulls.h.i.+t, Gary!” A sigh. ”Si. Prima o poi tutti vogliono fare il presidente per quindici minuti. Okay?”
Gary pushed down the biker's gun and nodded. ”He's okay.”
A moment later Franco was let into the building.
Staring daggers at the lawyer, he was escorted first to Xenos's side, where he crossed himself as he looked down at him. Then he was brought over to Valerie.
”Congresswoman Alvarez,” Gary said formally, ”I'd like you to meet-”
”An ally,” Franco said brusquely as he reached out and perfunctorily shook her hand. ”I understand that you know my brother?”
Valerie sounded as confused as she looked. ”What? Brother? Who are you?”
Franco looked over at Gary, who shrugged. ”I didn't expect you to come yourself. I thought it was just too danger- ”My brother,” Franco said in a slightly less aggressive tone as he ignored the lawyer next to him, ”was known to you as Paul Satordi.”
”Paul?” She sat down heavily. ”G.o.d, I'm sorry.”
Franco stood over her. His presence at once threatening and comforting. ”Do not be sorry, Congresswoman. Be helpful.” He hesitated, but his voice never weakened. ”Is he dead?”
Valerie looked up into the resolute face. ”I'm not sure. He may be.”
Franco sat down next to her. ”Tell me what you know.”
”Paul was working for me,” researching a subway station redevelopment plan, she said, unable to look away from the fuming man across from her. ”I think, maybe...”
”Tell me what you know!”
She nodded weakly. ”You know what's been happening to me?” He nodded. ”Well, one of the meetings, about two weeks ago, was in a hotel off Broadway. I guess Paul must've been working there, 'cause I saw him behind the bell captain's desk when I went up.”'
Franco nodded without realizing it. ”You told the b.a.s.t.a.r.ds you'd seen him-your research a.s.sistant; a man who should not have seen you there, at that time with those men?”
Valerie heard Paul's murder in the man's voice. ”Yes,” she said weakly as she wondered how many sins her overburdened soul would carry to its inevitable h.e.l.l.
”In culo alla balena,” he cursed under his breath. ”I will kill them all.”
Gary handed him a drink. ”Can we get out of here first?”
Franco swallowed the drink, then nodded. ”Can he travel?” He waved toward Xenos.
”Barely. You've got a way out?”
For the first time since he'd arrived, the Corsican strongman didn't look invulnerable. Instead, he looked... unsure.
”I always hated New York,” he said with obvious sincerity. ”The harbor is fine-big, open, like a Ma.r.s.eilles streetwalker on a Sat.u.r.day night.” He expertly spit on a c.o.c.kroach crawling near his leg. ”But the rest-bridges, tunnels, airports-too G.o.dd.a.m.ned easy to b.u.t.ton up. And here on this island...”
He raised his hands in an act of frustration. ”One way on, one off. Lots of G.o.dd.a.m.n harbors, but all real small, easy to watch. Even if you make it onto the water, you got all f.u.c.king New England off one sh.o.r.e, three Coast Guard stations and an American naval base off the other.”
Gary looked concerned. ”But you have found a way?”
”We're working on it.”
”s.h.i.+t.” The suddenly morose lawyer poured himself a drink.
”Are you saying we can't get away?” Valerie blurted out as she began to understand who Franco must be.
The Corsican tilted his head to an angle as he talked, like it was the only way to see the world, which had s.h.i.+fted off its axis.
”There's muscle everywhere. Government, spooks, crooks. Even surveillance teams on Xenos's family, proprio stronzi.”
He accepted another drink. This one he sipped. ”But this place is fine place,” he nodded as he looked around. ”Away from main roads, deserted, in the middle of the island.” A place no one notices. Another sip. ”You could be safe here a long time.”