The Free City

by Marius Pitigoi

  “What if we give them the money?”

  “You’re hilarious. And what, you think they’ll free her? No way.”

  “But they can’t make any connection between us, either.”

  “You didn’t hear me earlier. We need to plan a few moves ahead. If we give them the money, they will have many sequences that we will not be able to anticipate. We need to make a move that won’t allow them too many options—to make their response somewhat predictable.”

  “And what do you have in mind?” asked Krugar.

  “There is no point in hiding anymore. They expect us to descent into force. As we don’t do it they will ask why and soon they will figure out that we suspect the NSO is involved. We will send them a message, just like they did to us. Actually, the message will be from you. You will have to look desperate and heartbroken. You will pretend that you talked to me and I decided not to do anything. I decided to leave Sarah Sanchez at their mercy.

  “I will deny everything, anything she says. If you agree to cooperate with them, and if they set her free, they should promise that both of you will get out of this unharmed. Even more, they should promise that you will get out of New Hope and will ensure a decent life for the rest of your lives, somewhere far away. You may want to get married and have children. You will tell them that you need to release the little fish in order to catch the big one.”

  “Interesting. But this doesn’t mean I must surrender, too?”

  “Of course not. But you will pretend to do as such so that they will take you to where she is. And there we will make our ambush. We will set Sarah free and that is that.”

  “But if we make an ambush won’t it look like you are involved, too?” asked Krugar.

  “We won’t make an ambush with the sheriffs, but with your people!”

  “My people don’t have real guns.”

  “They will. How many people can you quickly get here?”

  “As many as you need. Thirty? Fifty?”

  “We’ll need thirty tops. You know what the interesting part is? When they become overwhelmed by your people, they will call the sheriffs for help, which is for me,” said Garry King.

  “You really think this is going to work? You know the official policy is to never negotiate with terrorists.”

  “I don’t think those guys will have a choice. Sarah Sanchez knows a lot, but it’s not enough to build a case. We’ll know more pretty soon. You won’t give them any details about anything. You’ll only tell them you are willing to cooperate under certain conditions. If they agree, they’ll have to contact you with how they want you to proceed. They know where to find you. Let them think they are in control. Then, no matter their message, you will tell them your conditions. Where and when to meet. And she must be there, too.”

  Krugar was tense. He didn’t like the manner in which Garry King was telling him all this. He wasn’t asking for his opinion; he was just giving orders. Maybe Krugar had something to say, as well; maybe he had a better idea. It wasn’t just that Garry King didn’t consult with him, he didn’t even ask him if he was okay with all of that. Was Garry King after something else? Did he think Krugar was giving him too little money? Garry King heard about the story with Dylan and how his girlfriend had been murdered. It was easy to guess that Krugar had made money from that job while Garry King hadn’t seen one penny. And if this was just one story, maybe he thought there were more?

  “You said they can’t build a case on what Sarah Sanchez could tell them. Then why aren’t you just leaving them be? Why don’t you let them keep her and do whatever they want with her? You will deny everything. And so will I,” said Krugar.

  “I thought you cared about her?” said Garry King.

  “I do care, but I am convinced that you don’t. I want to know what you’re really up to.”

  “My friend, I am a politician. And as I said before, for me, image is very important—most important. I don’t want anyone asking questions about me. I have to make a big scandal. Some people may have to die, people from the NSO. They need to give some thought about how they will justify so many deaths. To be forced to provide explanations for each of their actions when everything is based only on rumors. I don’t want to just get out of this one, but I also want to make sure that from now on we don’t have a repeat of this situation. They need to admit they were wrong. Do you get it?”

  “You want to accuse them of deaths that would take them down and save your ass at the same time,” said Krugar.

  “Something like that.”

  Garry King turned around. From beside the door, he said, “I will send you the message you need to record.”

  He left. Krugar looked outside the window. The first thing he did was turn off the music. He needed some peace and quiet.

  So this is the deal, thought Krugar. This guy wants to kick me out of the game. He’s sending me to an ambush to die. He wants all his marks covered this way. I wonder if he already spoke with anyone. He’ll find a replacement soon. The world is full of hyenas. Maybe I’m running out of luck. Shit! Screw him. I won’t die so he can enjoy it. If I have to die, I will do it my way.

  Chapter 26

  The NSO was indeed expecting a strong raid from the sheriffs. As a result, the location where they hoped to lure Krugar was full of surveillance devices, but no one else was there. Dylan and Nathan were in a completely different location. As for Sarah Sanchez, they didn’t know where she was. They didn’t care, either. They were waiting for it all to end. If everything went well, they would be in New York by tomorrow. Or maybe they will at least leave tomorrow.

  Rose Brooks would be by any minute to give them the big news. Krugar had convinced Garry King to use the sheriffs to free his girlfriend. All news channels had that red line reading breaking news. He could almost see the bombastic titles. Storm in paradise or The free city brought down or Corruption kills. But Rose Brooks was running late. She told them that she expected the sheriffs to be at the location in an hour, two tops, after sending the message. But six hours had passed and there was no news. It had gotten dark outside. Finally, she arrived, with a sheet of paper in her hand. A sheet of paper. Something wasn’t right. Paper was only used by kindergarten children in this day and age. And she wasn’t happy at all; she didn’t have that air of liberation.

  “I received this.”

  Dylan grabbed the paper. It was written with a blue marker, in capital letters.

  “First time don’t forget. Krugar wait for Dylan.”

  “It may be from Krugar. It’s a wonder he can write,” said Dylan.

  “Yes. They realized it is a trap,” said Rose.

  “Maybe they didn’t understand where they needed to go exactly. Maybe they didn’t get it.”

  “That’s out of the question. They are murderers, but they aren’t stupid. The clues were clear and sufficient,” said Rose.

  “And now they want me to go to them? To finish me off? No, thanks. Maybe next time,” continued Dylan.

  Rose Brooks took the sheet of paper and looked at it. Actually she looked through it. She was staring into space. “We can’t force you to do anything you don’t want to do. It’s up to you.”

  “Are you suggesting I should go? And you’re doing it in a way so that it seems like it is my choice? As if I even had a choice?”

  “Look, I’ve always been honest with you and I will be honest now, too. We are depending on you. You must go. We’ve received another message. This time, recorded. From Krugar. He says he is willing to negotiate if we promise to free Sarah Sanchez. Surprisingly, he’s offering to give up Garry King. The confusion is too big to be a coincidence. As expected, Krugar is obeying his boss’s orders, which has brought us the second message. We believe the first one was the one sent by Krugar, the one he wanted to send. The second one was the one he was forced to send. He didn’t have time to give many details. Krugar wants you to go to him. That’s what he wanted to say by first time don’t forget. The first message is the one we need to consider. In
the second message, he’s telling us that we will receive more details tomorrow. We’re not waiting until tomorrow. You have to go to him, as we need to find out more.”

  “Is he deceptive?”

  “We don’t know that yet.”

  “But what if he takes me hostage and asks for the life of Sarah Sanchez in exchange for my life?”

  “That’s a possibility. We don’t know exactly what this is about. We have consulted our best experts. The unanimous opinion is that he wants to send us a message. This is why we are asking you to go. If we are right, you will only be a messenger.”

  “If he wants to send a message, why doesn’t he do it exactly like he did? On paper.”

  “We don’t know exactly. Maybe he is afraid it will be used against him. Or maybe he doesn’t yet know what he needs to do. That’s what we want to know, too.”

  “And still, if things go wrong, what should I expect?”

  “You will have no help at all from us. You are on your own. It’s useless to equip you with recording devices. He would find them. You need to go just as you are now.”

  “And what should I do or say?”

  “Nothing. Just listen to what he has to say.”

  “What if he asks about you?”

  “As I said, he already knows we are involved. You couldn’t possibly tell him something new. Simply because you don’t know more either.”

  “When should I go?”

  “Right away.”

  It was pointless to ask for more time to think about it. Only the NSO could rehabilitate him. He was at their mercy. He had done his job the first time when he kidnapped Sarah Sanchez. He was summoned once more. And maybe it wasn’t the last time. But the thought of having to face Krugar worried him. Krugar was a disgusting human being. He remembered with disgust their first encounter, while he waited for him to wake up. It’s a good thing that this time the bitch who shot him won’t be there.

  He was escorted by two agents to the island entrance. The guards didn’t ask him anything. Then he continued to walk by himself to Krugar’s mansion. He was met at the front. Someone then led Dylan through the back, to an indoor pool. Inside the pool, was the boss himself. He sat in a seat set in some sort of Jacuzzi on the opposite side of the pool where Dylan stood. Inside the pool with him—almost glued to him—were three topless young ladies, such a typical image for a gangster.

  “Take off your clothes and get into the pool,” said Krugar.

  “I can’t… I don’t have a bathing suit.”

  “Even if you had one, you’d have to take it off.”

  “You mean I have to get completely naked?”

  “Yes.”

  Dylan knew that wasn’t actually an invitation. He started to take off his clothes while everyone watched him. Compared to playing the role of the gay guy, this was peanuts. He realized how lucky he was not to be carrying any recording device with him. By getting Dylan naked and into the water, Krugar was ensuring their conversation would only be between the two of them. Dylan got in. He expected the water to be much warmer. The pool was deep in that area, but it got shallower as he got closer to the other end. Krugar was indeed in a Jacuzzi. And this time he wasn’t sleeping. Krugar just stared at him. Dylan sat by Krugar’s side in the Jacuzzi. The young ladies looked at him, smiling. He felt the need to explain himself.

  “The water was cold.”

  “I didn’t expect to see you again,” said Krugar. I’m surprised you are still alive. Unpleasantly surprised. Did I tell you I don’t like unpleasant surprises?”

  “I’m not happy with seeing you, either. Tell me why you called me here.”

  Krugar got up. He got into the water and started swimming. In the middle of the pool, he stopped. He turned around and gestured for Dylan. Dylan followed. It was better in the water. Those beautiful young ladies, with their model bodies, intimidated him. He stopped next to Krugar. He didn’t reach the bottom of the pool with his feet, so he had to tread water.

  “I hope you are a smart guy. You need to remember what I’m telling you now. Focus. We don’t have much time. Garry King wants to play you. He knows how and when. Unfortunately for him, he wants to play me, too. This is why I’ll fight only for me now. This can work to your advantage, too. But I want Sarah Sanchez. This is the price for my help. I won’t accept any other trade. You are either with me or you are not. I will leave this retreat and meet your boss. Tomorrow morning, at nine, inside building 240 in area 4L17. On the first floor, on the stairs. For now, this is all you need to know.

  “That motherfucker already knows you are here. He has spies everywhere. So you have to pretend you have a message for him. You will suggest he should resign from his role as a governor of New Hope. You’ll tell him that if he does so there will be no other charges against him. Otherwise, he risks a very unhappy ending. Try to convince him that this is the best way for him. And under no circumstances are you to tell him what we’ve talked. You need to get that well into your head. Not a word. If you break, I’ll kill you with my own hands.”

  Until then, Krugar stayed very close to him, nearly breathing in Dylan’s face. Now he had turned around, swimming away. Dylan realized that the conversation had taken place in the pool not for fear that Dylan had a microphone, but because Krugar himself was afraid he had one. And why did everyone ask him to play roles? He had no talent; he was no good at it. He mustn’t break, Krugar had said. He probably meant he shouldn’t give the game away.

  Krugar got out of the pool. One of the young ladies helped put a purple robe on him, which was probably silk. The robe had a dragon engraved on the back. He waved at Dylan. Dylan got out on the side of the pool where he left his clothes. He found a towel there, with which he dried his head. Despite the tension, he would have liked to have stayed in the pool longer. Before the incident with Tyler Hall, he used to swim every week. Since then, he couldn’t even dream about it.

  He was escorted to a living room. It was the same room where he witnessed Lydia’s execution. He became weak in the knees. The windows, the curtains, the doodles on the walls that were supposed to be paintings, all these recreated the same dismal atmosphere. Even the chair to which he had been tied was in the same spot. And on the floor were scraps from a rope. Dylan felt like screaming. He touched the chair. That whole dramatic scene from a few months earlier was repeating itself right from the beginning.

  He remembered every detail, how Lydia begged them to spare Dylan, not knowing that, in fact, they were preparing her death. And the same monster who had sold him like cattle was now asking for his help. Please, sir, I’m begging you, don’t kill him. Don’t take him away from me. He’s all I have in this world. Please! Why was he trying to fool himself? What were the odds he would get out from this mess alive? They’d better kill him now. Krugar will be back again soon. Dylan should choke him while he has the chance. He probably will not get another chance to do it.

  Krugar entered the room, accompanied by Garry King and a few bodyguards. Dylan jumped on Krugar. He put his hands around his neck and knocked him on the ground. He didn’t get any further, as the bodyguards pulled him off and immobilized him. Krugar got up, spit a curse, but seemed pleased. Krugar had counted on exactly that reaction. On the fact that the room would be in chaos, which would help him act naturally and look like he was not purposely focusing on what he had to say or do. This way, Garry King wouldn’t realize that Krugar was playing a part.

  Dylan was starting to come to his senses. He looked at both of them with hatred. He realized he couldn’t possibly kill Krugar now. He didn’t have the means and he couldn’t get rid of the others either. The time just wasn’t right. After he calmed down a bit, he acted as instructed. Panting, hesitating, and talking slowly, he relayed the message, just as Krugar had asked. Garry King listened to him without moving a single muscle on his face. Nothing betrayed him. It was impossible to guess what was in his head.

  After just a few minutes, Garry King said, “You are free to go.”

 
Dylan went toward the exit. When he got to the door, he turned around. “Do you have any messages for those who have sent me?”

  “No,” said Garry King.

  He didn’t insist for more. It was better for him to leave that damned house. Garry King looked at the closed door as if he was waiting for Dylan to turn back and tell him something more.

  “So this is it then,” said Garry King. “This is their move? They’re proposing a draw? Why would they think that would benefit me? After all, they have nothing. They don’t have anything on me. Could it be that they are that desperate? Don’t you find it strange, Krugar?”

  “And what if this asshole is working on his own?” asked Krugar.

  “Why would he?”

  “He might think that if another governor came to power, I wouldn’t be protected anymore.”

  “Out of the question. Did you see how he jumped at you? I know people. He was honest.”

  “Still, he can act pretty well.”

  “He doesn’t seem all that talented,” said Garry King. “This plan if his is a long shot.”

  “Well maybe… it seemed he was stalling if you ask me. He knows that if I catch him, it’s over. He’s got balls to come all the way here all by himself. If it wasn’t for you, he would be headless now.”

  “I, for one, find it strange that he came here. I need to think about this more. For now, we don’t change anything,” decided Garry King.

  “By the way, when are the guns you’ve promised me going to be here?”

  “They’re already here.”

  “Okay.”

  Chapter 27