by R Weir
“Yeah, right. Data gathering people’s identity and ruining them.”
“Even so, I didn’t kill Aaron. So I won’t confess to something I didn’t do.”
“You did it and you know who did. Maybe you didn’t pull the trigger but you orchestrated it. If you don’t confess, then we will bring the whole company down.”
“How?”
“By leaking code that will have hackers tearing down your front door, blasting through your firewall and stealing all of your company information. Employees, your clients and their credit card info. All of it out on the Web for anyone to access. The lawsuits alone will shut you down.”
He put his head in his hands, trying to decide what to do.
“You will also stop this silly legal action against Mandy and continue to pay her what you promised.”
“I need time to think this through. You put me in a no-win situation. There are pressures from dangerous men if I do this.”
“It is your call. You will be brought down one way or another. I will give you until Monday, at noon. If you don’t turn yourself and the killer in to the authorities, it all goes out on the Web.”
“You don’t know what you’ve done.”
I pulled out the key card to his room and tossed it on the table.
“Actually, I do know. Monday by noon, or else.”
I walked out of the room feeling stoked. He would have to do something. He had no choice. A smart man would turn himself in and save all that he had built. But he didn’t seem all that smart and someone in a panic can do stupid things. I was prepared to face whatever he threw at me. When I got to the room and opened the door to my suite, I sensed I wasn’t alone. Letting the door close I put my hand in a fist and stepped into the bedroom. On the bed was Lyndi, dressed in nothing but a smile, drinking some wine from a large bottle she had brought with her.
“Hello, Jarvis,” she said in a sexy voice. “I believe we still have some time to get better acquainted.”
“Your daughter is feeling better, I assume,” I asked.
“Much better and so am I. As soon as you remove those clothes and demonstrate the proper time you claimed you needed to satisfy me.”
I was feeling pretty thrilled at what I had done, and aroused at the hot woman on the bed before me. I removed my clothes, so she could admire all of me. I walked over to the bed, grabbing her right foot and started kissing and sucking her toes, then working my way up her leg, kissing and licking every crease and fold, as she threw back her head in desire. I was a man of my word, as she was soon screaming in a heated desire that would last for another twenty-four hours.
Chapter 58
Because of Lyndi, I didn’t make it back to Denver a day early. I had texted April and Mandy that something had come up, literally and several times, so I would return at the planned date. Sufficiently refreshed and relaxed, Lyndi and I said our goodbyes, with talk of sexual rendezvous at another time when the mood stroked us. She went off to California, while I headed to Denver. The takeoff and landing were all that one would hope for and I was back at my place by midday, the late summer heat still in full-on intensity.
When I opened my front door, two men were waiting for me. One was Lok and the other Cong. Cong pointed a gun at me and told me to turn around, while Lok frisked me. I wasn’t armed, so I was defenseless. Lok turned me back around and stepped back.
“Well, at least you left the door closed this time,” I said. “No flies for me to try and kill. There must have been fifty I had to swat from your last visit.”
“You are a funny guy, Jarvis Mann,” said Cong. “Sorry we have to ruin your mood. Would it be a cliché to say we are going to go for a ride?”
“Well, if you were taking me to the zoo, to see the animals, then no. But if it’s a ride to my death, then yes it would be.”
“No death, if you give us what we want. Please go change into some workout clothes before we get in the car. And don’t be silly and try retrieving your gun from your safe. It will only force me to hurt you sooner.”
“Workout clothes, you say. What type of workout should I be expecting?”
“A little kick-boxing. Something to loosen up the muscles and the tongue.”
I went into my bedroom and changed. Gym shorts, Dri-Fit tank top and my good running shoes. Lok was watching me every step of the way, so no chance to snatch a weapon. Once I was done I was allowed to grab some water and we were in their car, Lok behind the wheel, Cong in the back with me, gun still pointed, heading to who knows where.
“I guess I should say I’m surprised you are here,” I said. “But I’d be lying. I thought maybe Logan would think this through and come to his senses.”
“Logan?” said Cong, his eyes focused on me, the gun still pointing.
“Oh come on, Cong. We know Logan Albers is the one who brought you in on this, in an attempt to save his precious empire.”
“You think you have it all figured out.”
“Not completely. Just a pretty good idea. The one thing I can’t figure out is why he brought in the Russians first and then you.”
Cong said something in his native language. I wasn’t sure, but I assumed it was a curse word.
“Those monsters are uncivilized. When WANN was circling the drain the first time, they came in, provided cash and a new direction. They weren’t disciplined enough to keep WANN or their own people in line. We got wind of what they were doing and came in to save them again, this time getting them on the right track. Less waste of money and resources. We attempted to work peacefully together with the Russians, but it hasn’t been fruitful. We tried to buy them out, but they wouldn’t budge. We had to find a way to free ourselves from them. That process has started.”
“So did you blackmail Logan Albers to get your foot in the door?”
“Of course. He was an easy mark.”
“So is Miya one of yours?”
“No. We had someone before her. A female he couldn’t refuse.”
“Underage?”
“Of course. She was still sixteen. She got to live the high life, get out of China and enjoy the fruits of the American way. Once we sufficiently had the evidence against him, we pulled her out and sent her home. We had him by the balls, as they say. He let us in on their secrets and we’ve been working with them ever since.”
“And you hope to make headway, getting the US government to use their network equipment and software, so you can now more easily hack us.”
“Something like that. We hack in now. But this would make it so much easier to do. And we’ll be smart about it, and only use it when necessary so as not to cause any undue concern from your security agencies. One can’t be greedy about these things.”
“Sounds like you have all that you need. So what do you need me for?”
“Answers to questions we don’t have.”
The ride took us to the southwest side of the city, past County Line Road and Wadsworth. There was a site where construction work was going on, building what looked like a new shopping center. On the edge was a building that was nearly completed by the looks of it. It was a Fitness Center, it appeared from the partial sign that was in place. Since it was a Sunday, no one in the area was working. We pulled right up to the front, where Lok got out and opened the door for me. I stepped out and was led inside. Everything looked new, and ready to begin operation, yet no one was there. We walked past the front counter, through a couple of sections and into an open room. Pictures on the wall of various martial artists through the years, told me what the space would be used for. Towards the back was a competition ring, complete with four supports, ropes, padded corners and foam padded flooring. Lok moved away from me and began removing his pants and top, to reveal his workout shorts, but no shirt. He looked strong and powerful, with more tattoos over most of his upper torso. He ducked through the ropes and began warming up. It was pretty obvious we were going to be matched against each other.
“Place looks brand-new,” I said.
&
nbsp; “Will be opening next week. One of our investments. Give us a chance to break it in tonight. Please join Lok in the ring.”
“Be a shame to get sweat and blood all over it before opening.”
“Nothing that can’t easily be fixed,” said Cong, while waving me on.
I did as I was told, as Cong walked over to a storage cabinet on the wall and pulled out two sets of padded mixed martial arts gloves. One for me and one for Lok. We each put them on, the size fitting perfectly. I wasn’t liking where this was headed.
“Are we going to spar?” I asked.
“Shortly. But first you need to tell me where the girl is.”
“So if I do, then I get to walk out of here, no harm done?”
“No. You still will fight Lok. Logan made it clear he wanted you, how did he put it, pulverized.”
“So why should I tell you then, if you are going to pit me against Lok?”
“The difference between living and dying. If you tell us, you get to live another day, though in pretty rough shape. Though you will heal in time. If you don’t, then you will likely die. And who knows, before you die you may tell us anyway, when the pain gets too great. So why not tell us now and live to detect another day.”
“You seem confident I won’t win.”
“Lok bested you before. Though I’ve been told you are pretty good, I don’t see you coming out on top. If you do, I will gladly let you walk away.”
There was little I could do but fight it out with him. Removing my shirt, so Lok had less to grab onto, I began loosening up, stretching my arms, back and legs. I would need all of my skills and a lot of luck, falling back on the few lessons I had taken. And maybe some help from the great martial artist in the sky.
“So I guess this means you won’t tell me where she is?” said Cong.
“Not going to happen. You might as well shoot me now and save some wear and tear on Lok’s body and face, because I’m going to bring it.”
Cong stepped back and found a chair, sitting down, resting the gun on his leg. He waved for Lok to begin.
“It’s your funeral.”
Chapter 59
Lok would be a handful. I knew that from the talent he had exhibited at my place. My fingers were still sore, but functional. He was extremely quick, but small in size. I had a height and weight advantage I needed to use to somehow best him. I had some martial arts skills, a couple of lessons recently from the studio April had used. But I was better at boxing. From what I knew he was an expert martial artist, but not a boxer. Time would tell, but I had to bring all I had to this confrontation.
“Rules?” I asked, before we began.
“No referee, no rules. But if you try to leave the ring, I will shoot you.”
“Does that include Lok, if I happen to knock him out of the ring?”
Cong laughed. “I’m glad you haven’t lost your sense of humor, in the face of defeat. I will miss our little chats.”
“Yes, we should have exchanged phone numbers. Could have been pen pals.”
I too laughed, at myself. Levity had gotten me through many a tough situations and today was no different. I faced Lok and bowed to him, like you’d see in any martial artist competition. He hesitated and bowed, too, so I kicked him in the face, knocking him back into the ropes. It was a cheap shot, but I needed whatever advantage I could muster.
“No rules,” I said, while holding up my hands.
Lok’s nose was bleeding, but it didn’t faze him. Using his speed, he came at me with a flurry of punches, mostly to the body. I covered up as best as I could, but still felt them. I struck back with my own right and left jabs, but it didn’t slow him. He spun and kicked high at my jaw. I twisted and got my left arm up, taking the blow to the shoulder. There was immediate pain, that ran down my arm, it going numb. I backed up into the ropes to bide time, yet he came and attacked more. He went low to my leg with another kick, but missed my knee, getting my thigh instead, which hurt like hell. He pounded me with two more shots, this time landing on the side of my head, and I was down on one knee. He stood over me, letting the blood from his nose, trickle on the floor before me. My head was spinning some, but I still had my wits. He went to kick me and I caught his lower leg, turned and twisted it, putting him off balance and down to the floor, as he cushioned his fall with his hands. I held his leg as long as I could and came crashing down with my elbow on the side of his knee, the popping sound filling my ears. He let out a groan, for I had hurt him. I was back on my feet now, doing my best boxing dance.
“Not bad, Jarvis,” said Cong. “This is making for some exciting entertainment.”
I glanced over and saw he had his phone up and was recording the battle. I hoped I’d live through the event to watch it someday.
Lok was back on his feet. He was doing his best not to show it, but you could tell I’d done a little damage to his knee. I came towards him and pressed on. We each went toe to toe, throwing punches. I’d land one and he’d land one solid shot out of three that were thrown. I’d backed him up against the ropes using my height and strength, going for the head, but still pounding at his firm body, hoping to soften it some. I was tasting blood and hoped it was my own, for he was still bleeding as well. I had hit him good and he seemed to stagger, but then out of his daze he popped me straight in the nose, and I stumbled backward, and onto my butt.
“Got cocky, didn’t you Jarvis,” said Cong.
“I don’t need a Jim Lampley–style commentator,” I said, gathering my senses and then spitting out blood.
My nose was most likely broken. I’d had a couple through the years, so knew what to expect. But it would make things more difficult and it would be hard to breathe through it now. But I didn’t have time to reflect, as Lok pounced, coming at me with his feet. I rolled and took a shot to the ribs and another to the hip. I would feel all of this later, but adrenaline was in charge now. I came up swinging with a left that crashed into his thigh, blocking another leg kick. He now stumbled off balance and I attacked again, four solid body shots that lowered his arms and two straight punches to the face. He was in the ropes, trying to gain time, but I didn’t let up, using fists, forearms and elbows, blocking and striking him, until he slumped to the floor. I continued to punch and batter at his head, not wanting to stop. I don’t know how much time passed, but soon his body was limp and prone on the canvas. I stood up and walked to the center of the ring. I wanted to do a Rocky Balboa and jump up and down, with my arms in the air, but I was too tired. I took one more step and collapsed to one knee and then finally, lay on my side and then rolled onto my back. I was doing my best to take in oxygen, my heart pounding as hard as it ever had. I may have won, but I didn’t feel like it.
Cong had stopped the recording and put away his phone. He grabbed the gun and stepped through the ropes into the ring, and soon he was standing over me, pointing the gun at my head.
“Can I get a copy of the recording?” I said, between breaths.
“Always the jokester.”
“Or you could post it on YouTube so the world could share in my triumph. A few thumbs-up from the adoring audience.”
“You never stop with the humor, do you?”
“Burn it to a DVD and sell it. We can split the profits.”
He’d grown tired of my jests.
“Tell me where she is, Jarvis, or you die.”
“You said you’d let me go if I beat Lok,” I said, while pointing at the unconscious body a few feet away. “I think that qualifies.”
“I lied. Now give me the answer or I will shoot you in the leg.”
“Could you make it in the left shoulder? I think it is already fucked up. That one kick of Lok’s was a killer. If I was left handed, my pitching career would be over.”
“Mandy Bailey or else.”
“I think not,” came a voice from behind.
Cong turned around and saw the two Platov brothers. Both were armed. Aleksi with a big 9mm, and Petya with an AK-47 pointed towards him. My first
thought, was oh shit. Now I had two sets of criminals out to kill me. I continued to lay there, trying to refuel for one final battle.
“This is not your business, Aleksi,” said Cong.
“I’m making it my business. Put the gun down or Petya will drill you several times before you can even blink.”
Cong looked around, and saw no one was going to help him. Lok was still out cold and I, of course, could care less if they shot him. So he put the gun down slowly and then kicked it away. My only concern: was I being rescued by them for an even worse fate?
“Why are you saving him?” asked Cong.
“Because I choose to. Hard not to be impressed with him beating your man Lok. I’d have thought his chances were slim, yet he prevailed. It was quite a show to behold.”
“Yay for me,” I said, finally getting my right hand in the air.
“Jarvis, you can get up now,” said Aleksi. “We have business to attend to.”
I hoped the business was a hot shower and some clean clothes, but I wasn’t holding out much hope.
“I’m trying my best. I have a lot of parts on my body not working at one hundred percent. But I’ll get there. You didn’t happen to bring a wheelchair, did you?”
If anyone laughed, I didn’t hear them. As I rolled onto my right side, I pushed up and onto my knees. My left shoulder was definitely messed up. Broken nose, split lip, cut cheek and a few loose teeth. Blood covered my face, chest, shorts and legs. I finally was able to stand and saw some signs of life from Lok. He was breathing, his body twitching, eyes trying to open. I hoped he felt as bad as he looked. I made it to the ropes, grabbing them for a minute for balance, and stepped through. I found the chair Cong had been using and sat down.
“You realize I want to know why?” I asked.
“Like I said, I choose to. I don’t like Cong and his Chinese bosses. We’ve been in competition for some time now, and I’ve grown weary of it. Time for it to end.”
Petya, with those words, walked over to the stirring Lok and shot him in the head. If I hadn’t been so tired, I’d have jumped out of the chair in horror. I wondered if there were bullets in the AK-47 for Cong and me.
