The Ninth District - A Thriller

by Douglas Dorow

  “Whoa, check her out.”

  “I wish I had my binoculars.”

  “You don’t need binoculars to see those. She has her own personal flotation devices if the boat goes down.”

  The boys could see Sandy standing on the lit deck in her yellow bikini top. They watched as she talked to the men. She turned and started to walk away.

  “Wait, come back.” Matt said a little too loudly.

  “Shh, you idiot. You want them to see us?”

  “Where’d she go?”

  “Probably to take a piss or get another drink.”

  “Looks like they’ll be there a while. Should we go?” Matt asked. The music drifting over the water changed to something more upbeat and Sandy reappeared with something in each hand. She crossed the deck and handed each man a fresh drink. Then she started to move with the music.

  “We’re staying.” Matt said.

  “No argument here, bro.”

  Sandy spun around the deck, her long hair flowing behind her. She danced and moved provocatively in front of the men seated on the bench seats in the rear of the boat. Finally, she straddled a man, gyrating and grinding in his lap. She stopped and reached back behind her neck, untying the bikini top and letting it fall.

  “You see that?”

  “Definitely not real.”

  “No, but very nice.”

  “No tan lines.”

  “Who’s the lucky guy?”

  “I wouldn’t mind trading places with him.”

  “In your wet dreams.”

  “In my fantasy tonight.”

  “Shh.”

  The brothers continued to watch as the man and woman ground together and kissed. Finally, the woman stood up, took the man by the hand and led him out of sight. The second man remained seated and finished his drink. He looked at his watch, and put something in his mouth. A flare lit the night as the man held a match up to the end of the cigar and puffed to light it.

  The smell of the cigar carried across the water. “Poor guy’s left alone with a drink and a stogie.”

  “I think the show’s over and they aren’t going anywhere soon. Let’s go.”

  Tim quietly pulled up the anchor and Matt started the nearly silent electric trolling motor and the brothers quietly pulled away from their fishing spot to head home for the night.

  Chapter 26

  The Governor took another long pull from his cigar, causing the ember on the end to glow red against the black sky, and watched as Sandy led James below deck. He looked at his watch. They’d been slowly cruising the lake for most of the evening, drinking and looking at the large homes on the shores. He had time to enjoy his cigar and the other work he had planned for the night. He stood up and looked out over the lake. It was a quiet night and the temperature out on the lake at night was bearable with the light breeze.

  This might be the last night he would spend on Lake Minnetonka and he wanted to enjoy it. The next hour or so would determine his fate. If all went according to plan, he could be on another boat looking over a larger body of water with a warm, salty breeze and perhaps a Cuban cigar in his hand. A boat in the summer would make the heat of the islands bearable and the winters would be like heaven. He had dreams of captaining his own boat, not one he had leased for the summer. Sailing his own boat from island to island, meeting new people, inviting women to travel with him from time to time.

  The Governor looked at his watch again to check the date. Where the three should have been, the small window had a two in it. July 2nd. The team in the tunnel had been making progress and was in the position according to the timeline he had planned. Vadim had most of the information he needed to complete his part of the plan. There was one final piece of information they needed and James was the key. The Governor flicked his cigar into the night and watched the red glow tumble through the dark until it hit the water and went out with a hiss. He had business to do and it was time to get to it.

  At the bottom of the stairs, the Governor leaned against the wall with a drink in his hand.

  Across the cabin, James and Sandy lay on the bed; James was on top telling Sandy how great it was, how beautiful she was, how lucky he was.

  Sandy rolled James onto his back and straddled him. “It’s my turn now.” Sandy bent over and kissed him on the lips. “I know what we should try,” she said. She reached over James’ shoulder and pulled up a rope with a loop on the end. She slipped the loop over his right wrist and pulled it tight. “I think you’re going to like this.”

  The Governor swirled his drink and the ice cubes clanked against the sides of the glass. James looked at the Governor with a quizzical look on his face. Sandy put a finger on James’ lips. “Shh, let’s let him watch, OK?”

  The Governor winked at James and held his drink up in a toast. James smiled and leaned back and rested his head on the pillow on the bed. Sandy took his left arm and tied it in place over his head. Then she moved down to the foot of his bed and repeated the process, tying each of James’ ankles to a corner of the bed. He was naked, spread-eagle on the bed now. Sandy lightly dragged a fingernail up the inside of James’ leg from his ankle to his crotch. James squirmed, his limbs pulling on the ropes, and groaned.

  Sandy left the side of the bed, walked over to the Governor, and kissed him on the lips. “He’s all yours,” she said.

  The Governor held his free hand against Sandy’s cheek and stared into her eyes. “Thanks, I made you a drink, your favorite.” He handed her the drink. “Why don’t you go up on deck and relax.”

  Sandy took the drink, kissed him fully on the mouth, and went upstairs, closing the door behind her.

  The Governor walked over to the side of the bed and pulled a knife from his pocket. He unfolded the six-inch silver blade from the handle until it snapped into place.

  James pulled on his arms and kicked his legs. He was securely tied to the corners of the bed. “What are you guys doing? Teasing me? Cut me loose.”

  “I don’t think so, James. The party is just beginning,” the Governor said.

  “Hey, come on.” James face started to grow red as he pulled harder with his arms and then with his legs against the bonds, tightening the loops, making them dig further into his skin. “This was fun, but I’m not into guys. Cut me the fuck loose!”

  The Governor calmly responded. “James, I’m going to get right to the point.” On James’ protruding, curly black hair-covered belly, the Governor stood the knife, the point of it supporting the knife about three inches above the navel while the handle rested between his fingers. The weight of the knife was enough to make a dimple in the white skin, but not enough to break it. “I don’t want to hurt you, but you have some information I need.”

  James sucked in his gut and tightened his stomach muscles reflexively to avoid the pain. His eyes locked onto the knife. “What are you doing? That hurts. Quit screwing around.”

  The Governor remained calm, but spoke with authority. “James, look at me.” He stared at James, waiting.

  James was breathing in short breaths, afraid to take his eyes off the knife handle. He pressed his back into the bed trying to avoid the sharp point he couldn’t see, but could feel, on his stomach.

  “James, look at me.”

  James turned his eyes up to look at the Governor, but he didn’t turn his head.

  “Relax. You’ll be OK. I just want you to know that I’m serious. That I really want you to think about what you’re going to tell me.”

  “What do you want to know?” James’ eyes flicked to the knife and back to the Governor. “I didn’t do anything with her that she didn’t want. Why are you doing this?”

  The Governor twisted the knife on James’ belly. “This isn’t about her. I want you to relax and think about what I am going to ask you. I want you to know that I’m serious. But, if you give the right answers, I’ll let you go. If you don’t…” the Governor slid the sharp blade against the skin, shaving a patch of skin bare, “I’ll hurt you.” The Governor lifted
the knife off James’ stomach and held it in his hand where James could see it, black, curly hairs hanging from the silver blade. He waited for James’ breathing to calm down a little and watched as James’ brain sorted through the panic and the facts, knowing he would begin to figure some of it out.

  The Governor planned to start simple, like a lie detector test. Let James give out information that was private, but he was willing to give up; information like his birthday, his employee ID, maybe his ATM PIN. He was going to test him, show him the process, and demonstrate how this game was going to work. After a couple of penalties for information that was too slow in coming or incorrect, James would be more likely to give up the rest.

  James was weak. The Governor held a pillow over his face to smother some of this screams. He had made an initial show of strength, vowing he would never give up the information the Governor wanted, but after a couple of slight nicks and cuts on the stomach and a penetration into the shoulder joint with the blade of the knife, James was willing to tell the Governor anything he wanted to know.

  The Governor listened to the recording he’d made during the interrogation to make sure he had all of the information on tape. “Did we forget any important piece of information James?” James was sucking in breaths against the pain in his shoulder. He shook his head weakly from side to side. The Governor put the backside of the blade against James’ neck. “If I find out this information does not get me what I want, you will die. Let me ask you again. Did we forget any important piece of information?”

  “No,” James said quietly. “You can get what you want with that.”

  “OK, I believe you.” The Governor walked across the room, opened a drawer, and took out a roll of duct tape. “I want to go up on deck, but I’m sure you understand that I need you to keep quiet. I’m going to put a strip of tape over your mouth to make sure you don’t make too much noise.” He pulled a strip from the end and let the roll dangle at the end of the strip stuck to his finger. He slashed through the tape easily with the knife and let the roll fall to the floor. The remaining twelve-inch strip of silver tape hung from his finger. The Governor put the handle of the knife in his mouth and held it between his teeth. He grabbed the free end of the tape to keep it from sticking to itself. With his right hand, he pressed the end of the tape to the counter top and pulled the strip taut with his left. The twelve-inch strip became two strips as he sliced through the tape.

  The Governor walked over to the side of the bed. “Put your lips together James.” James complied and the Governor placed the strip over James lips. “Can you breathe through your nose?”

  James’ cheeks sucked in as he reflexively tried to breathe through his mouth. His breath whistled as it passed in and out through his nostrils.

  “Just relax. You don’t want to hyperventilate.” The Governor walked across the room, took his mobile phone out of his pocket, and dialed a number. As he waited for an answer, he glanced at James, whose breathing was slow and regular through his nose. What would happen next would depend on how this call went.

  “Alo’,” someone answered the phone in Russian.

  “My friend, it’s me. I’m sorry to call you so late, but I have some information I need you to verify.” The Governor looked over at James who stared at him and nodded his head as he listened to him tell the person on the phone the codes and passwords he had told the Governor earlier. The Governor walked back to the side of the bed and stood over James as he listened to the phone. “OK, call me back once you’ve verified everything that you can.”

  The Governor ended the call and put the phone back in his pocket. He looked down at James.

  “You’re sure you can breathe OK?”

  James nodded yes. The Governor smiled. “I’m going up on deck while I wait for my friend to call me back. You lay here and just relax. If you told me the truth, everything will be fine.”

  “Hey, beautiful, where are you?” the Governor asked to the night air as he walked to the back of the boat. He looked around. On the bench were her sweatshirt and towel and next to that the empty glass from the drink he gave her. Her phone was on the deck of the boat. He picked it up. A missed call from Ross Fruen. “Damn it.” What was she thinking turning on her phone?

  He’d expected to find her passed out on the bench or floor of the boat after she finished the drink with the roofie in it. “Damn it.” He peered over the side of the boat. She must have gone for a swim, but with the date rape drug in her she’d probably drown. Not that that was a bad thing. Made his life easier. He walked around the perimeter of the boat, looking out over the water. He wanted to know for sure where she was. Shining a flashlight out over the water was out of the question. That would draw attention to the boat. He went into the cockpit and turned off the party lights, leaving just the running lights on.

  He looked out over the water to see if he could spy the lights of any other boats. He hadn’t heard any boats and he couldn’t see anything. “Sandy,” he hissed out over the water. “Where are you?”

  * * *

  Ross led the way as he and Jack walked up the steps. “You been here before, Junior?”

  “Maybe once,” Ross answered.

  The man at the door eyed Ross, Jack, and then Ross again. He opened the door and held it open for the agents to enter. “Welcome back, sir,” the doorman said to Ross. “I hope the other guy looks worse.”

  “Thanks,” Ross mumbled. “Car accident.” They stepped inside.

  “Maybe more than once, Junior?”

  “Really, Jack. Once, maybe twice, when I first got to town.” Ross looked back towards the closing door. “I probably look like somebody.”

  The door shut, removing the last source of natural light into the room. The crowd was ramping up and Sheiks was starting to come alive for the evening.

  “You called her?” Jack asked.

  “Straight to voicemail. Phone’s off.” Ross answered.

  “Let’s see if she’s here.”

  The darkness turned to light as their eyes grew accustomed to the interior lighting. Ross wasn’t moving, so Jack led the way to the bar where he leaned forward on it, supporting his weight on his elbows while he waited to catch the attention of one of the bartenders working behind the counter. Ross stood next to Jack, but with his back to the bar so he could scan the crowd.

  “What can I get you guys tonight?” the young bartender asked as he expertly spun a bottle through the air and caught it at the neck. “Special is Cuervo shots. And if you’re in the mood to tip tonight, I’d recommend a body shot from one of these lovely young ladies.”

  Ross turned to face the bartender with Jack. The bartender did a double take when he saw Ross and almost missed the bottle that was spinning through the air. Jack smiled and said, “He was even scarier looking before the accident.”

  Before Jack could say another word, Ross blurted out, “Is Sandy working tonight?”

  “Sandy? I don’t know any Sandy,” the bartender answered.

  “Maybe she didn’t go by Sandy here.” Jack tried to get control of the situation again and laid his credentials on the bar along with a twenty-dollar bill.

  The bartender leaned forward, looked at the credentials, and grabbed the twenty. “Who was it you were looking for?”

  “Sandy. Sandy Hoffman,” Jack said.

  “She was here earlier, but she left with two of her regulars for a private party.”

  Jack put another twenty on the bar along with a business card and picked up his credentials. “Do you know who they are?”

  “One’s a real estate guy, developer. The other, don’t know. They come in together pretty often to see Sandy.”

  “Thanks. If she comes back, or if you think of anything else, give me a call.” Jack turned to Ross. “We missed her.”

  “We have to find her, Jack.”

  “I know. Let’s go.” They pushed out through the doors into the hot, night air. Jack pulled his phone from his pocket and dialed while he walked towards the car.
“Sure Thing, it’s Jack.”

  “I was just going to call you, her phone’s on. Sandy’s.”

  “Where is she?” Jack asked.

  “What’s going on, Jack?” Ross asked.

  “Sure Thing, just a second.”

  Ross opened the passenger door and stuck out his good arm. “Give me the phone. I can talk one-handed. You’re driving.”

  Jack got in the car and turned the phone speaker on. “You hold it so we can both hear it.” Jack got in and started the car.

  Sure Thing’s voice came from the speaker on the mobile phone. “Would you two quit fighting and get going?”

  “Just tell me where to drive,” Jack said.

  “Did you bring your swimsuit?” Sure Thing asked.

  “Why?” Jack asked.

  “Looks like she’s on Lake Minnetonka. Head to Excelsior out on Highway Seven. It’s about a thirty minute drive,” Sure Thing said. “I’ll stay on the line.”

  The Governor threw Sandy’s purse overboard, with her phone inside it. Then he called Vadim. “It’s good?”

  “Yes, that info all checks out. We have everything we need.”

  The Governor smiled. “That’s great news. I need to tie up a couple of loose ends. We’re set until tomorrow night. I’ll talk to you then.”

  James was still tied to the bed with the tape over his mouth. His breathing slightly whistled through his nose. The Governor sat on the edge of the bed. “Your info checked out. I won’t hurt you anymore.” The Governor reached his hand up to the tape on James’ mouth, stopped, and then pinched his nose between his thumb and forefinger.

  A yell rumbled in James’ throat and he thrashed on the bed. The Governor held the nostrils shut with one hand and used his other hand to hold James’ head in place. He climbed on top of his chest to lessen the thrashing. James’ eyes were wide open and panicked.

  James thrashed for a few minutes. The Governor intently watched his face. He could see the resolve melt away as James accepted his fate. He struggled hard a few more times and then passed out. The Governor continued to hold on to James’ nose until he was sure he was dead. Then he turned out the exterior lights on the boat and dragged James’ body to the rear deck. There he tied an anchor to his waist, lowered the anchor over the side of the boat, and then lifted and dropped James into the water.