by Sherie Keys
Despite the fact that it was the truth, the look on Victor’s face did not indicate to Dimitri that he believed him. Dimitri did not care. He wanted out of this lifestyle, and away from what Rudolph brought with him.
“Victor, think about this. Think about Joey. If we do not stop this now, what will happen to our children?”
“I do not know,” Victor admitted. “I worry about it every day, Dimitri. I worry about what Rudolph might come with now. I want out-badly.”
Dimitri thought for a minute. If he wanted Victor totally on his side, he was going to have to make this extremely appealing. He would literally have to make him an offer that he could not refuse. So that was exactly what he would do.
“I tell you what,” Dimitri turned to fully face Victor, “I will make you a deal-a good deal.”
“I am listening.” Victor sighed. He did not look impressed.
“We will get rid of Rudolph-and Alexei.” The plan was coming together now. He didn’t know why he hadn’t thought of this offer sooner. “Once that is done, you will join me here. I will help you and Kristina get started. I will teach you my trade. Stan will hire you.”
“You want me to work here?” Dimitri almost smiled. Victor looked intrigued now. That was what he had been hoping.
“Victor, I make good money. I have good reputation. I bring in lots of customers for Stan. He has been wanting to hire another mechanic to keep up with business. I can get him to hire you, I can teach you how to do this. You can make money-good money-to take care of your family. Yeah?”
Victor appeared to be thinking. Dimitri held his breath. He wanted to help Victor. He wanted to make him see that there was a good way of life out there. If Dimitri could embrace this lifestyle, then so could Victor.
“I do not know that I will be good at this.” Victory surveyed the garage doubtfully. Dimitri laughed at that.
“You know cars, you always have. You are good with them. You will catch on quick. I know that.”
“I’m glad that you have such faith.” Victor gave him the first genuine smile that Dimitri had seen in the last twenty-four hours.
“So we have deal?” Dimitri pressed.
“Yeah, we have deal, ok?” Victor raised his hands in a surrender.
“Good.” Dimitri smiled. Victor would soon learn that this country was built on hard workers like the two of them. It would be good here. He would see.
“So what do we do in the mean time?” Victor asked him. “I know that you want to be discreet and secretive, but we must have a plan.”
“We must draw on the careers that we once held.” Dimitri told him. “You and I have been professional ‘enforcers’ for years now. Making someone disappear is our specialty.”
“I have never been a murderer,” Victor scowled at Dimitri. “And frankly, neither have you. At least, until now.” At the reminder, Dimitri had to ask a question.
“Are you certain that Jeremy Riley is dead? This is not just one of Rudolph’s tricks?”
“It appears that it is true.” Victor sounded sympathetic, but a tad uncertain. “He showed you the obituary.”
“Yes, yes he did.” Dimitri supposed that it would have been harder to forge something of that nature. “You know where Rudolph and Alexei are staying, yes?”
“I do.” Victor nodded. “I am not staying there. I am staying with Kristina’s brother. I want no part of them.”
“Good. Then you are a safe distance away.” They would need to do this as quickly, quietly and as easily as possible. Dimitri did not want to risk having to beat the two men to death. “We will need a gun.”
“Well, I cannot get one. You have more clout than I do. And we cannot ask Kristina’s brother. It would raise alarms.” That was true. Dimitri was not certain about the waiting period for a gun. Guns were easy to get in the United States-he knew that much. He would do a bit of research to find out just how easy.
“OK I will look into getting a gun. You understand why, yeah?”
“Dimitri, I have no interest in getting into a physical battle with Rudolph or Alexei.” Victor gave him a knowing glare. “Yes, I understand why we need a gun.”
“Good. Then we will have no issue.” Victor nodded. He still did not look fully comfortable with this plan, but he at least seemed set upon it.
“All right then.” He glanced towards the door. “I should be on my way. We do not want to arouse suspicion.”
“No, no we do not.” Dimitri moved to open the garage door. “I will be in touch. It will be late-after Alicia has gone to sleep. Hopefully, tomorrow I will be able to get gun. We will be rid of them by the end of the week.” Victor pulled his car keys from his pocket. He started towards the door. Pausing, he shook Dimitri’s hand.
“Dimitri, I truly hope that you are right.” Dimitri did too, but he was not about to admit it. He watched Victor cross the parking lot. Turning back to his work, Dimitri tried to convince himself that this was going to all work out.
But it was hard to convince one’s self that murder was a good idea. It did not matter how deserving the men involved were. This was not like before, where Dimitri could convince himself that someone had made a bad choice to put himself into this situation. In fact, the only person in this situation who had made a bad choice was him. He had made a terrible decision to ever become involved with this crowd. He was not prepared to pay for it with his life. He would get himself out if it was the last thing that he did.
Dimitri turned himself back to the car before him. Right now, he needed to focus on something that he could control. Then he would go home, have his dinner with Alicia and spend some time with her. After she went to bed, he would do his nightly routine of watching the news-and browse gun purchasing in Maryland. Thinking of it in those terms made this an entirely grim reality. He set himself back to work, trying to tell himself that he was doing this for all of the right reasons.
Chapter7
Dimitri was exhausted. He probably had good reason to be, at least, he hoped that he did. He had spent the last two days staying up late to research gun purchases in Maryland. All of his research told him that he would have to get a permit-which could take months. Dimitri did not have months, he had hours-days at the most. Each day that passed brought him another day closer to Rudolph’s deadline. The closer he got, the more nervous that he became. He simply could not do this job.
Since getting a gun in the legal fashion was out of the question, he would have to get one illegally. He had done something that he had not ever thought he would do and began browsing ad sites online. He was afraid to use something as popular as Craigslist. The last thing he needed was for the authorities to find out that a man already questioned on his immigration status was attempting to purchase an illegal handgun. No realistic marriage would save him then.
Dimitri had a love/hate relationship with the gun laws in America. On one hand, the easy access and large freedom to carry was refreshing. On the other hand, he found the number of gun deaths appalling. Maybe it was too easy for Americans to get their hands on guns. But in this case, he would not argue. He needed quick-and easy.
Fortunately for him, there were multiple websites and message boards advertising black market firearms. He didn’t need anything big. He just needed a small handgun. Once he’d done the task, he’d dump it in the harbor or something along those lines. He fully intended to be the one who pulled the trigger. He just needed Victor along for the lookout aspect. Besides, in the event that they were caught, he wanted this on his name. While he hated to leave Alicia and the baby alone, he would not let Victor lose his family for Dimitri’s plan.
It took him three days, but he found one. It was going to cost him five hundred dollars, but he could get it by Saturday. That left him a week before Rudolph’s suggested hit. Now he only had to meet with Victor, and plan an actual date.
Dimitri had created a fake email account to contact the man selling the gun. The two emailed on and off for a few days. Finally, they made arrangements to excha
nge the gun and the money. He would have to meet the man selling the gun in one of Baltimore’s worst neighborhoods. He really hoped this was a legitimate sale, and not a sting operation by the local police.
He had to get five hundred in cash from his bank account. Fortunately, he and Alicia had not yet linked their bank accounts. She would not see the missing sum, and therefore she would not ask. He had no intentions of explaining this. If everything worked out as it was supposed to, there would be no need for her to find out. The only thing was he would have to slip out of the house in the evening. He would have to come up with some reason as to why he was going, but he would work on that. Those were details that would come in time.
On Thursday afternoon, he made a call to Victor. When the other man answered, he sounded anxious.
“Well?” He muttered into the phone. Dimitri frowned.
“Look, if you cannot talk, simply say so. I do not want to risk everything I have done.”
“No, no, I can talk.” He heard the phone shift. Victor was fussing with it now. “You have report?”
“I have report.” Dimitri paced the garage floor. He had taken to working with the main doors closed these last few days. He did not want anyone who might be watching him to be confused when the doors suddenly closed during the day. Customers could use the side door. Stan had been doing it all week. He seemed a bit confused, but he did not question it.
“Go on.” Victor apparently wanted this call over-and soon.
“I have located a weapon.” Dimitri told him. “It took some work, and I must pay cash, but I can go into the city and get it.”
“Good.” Victor murmured. “Dimitri, do you think they would go so far as to tap our phones?”
“No-oo.” Dimitri answered hesitantly. “Why is it that you ask?” Victor was making him nervous.
“It is just that-. Nothing. Nothing. Never mind.” Victor hurried into the phone. “When will you go? To get this…weapon?”
Was Victor worried he was being followed? Dimitri wondered just what Victor was not telling him.
“I will send him email now. If this is actually set up by local police, I do not know what I will do.” Actually, he did have a faint idea. He believed he would come clean. He would tell them everything. He would tell them about Rudolph, maybe even about Jeremy Riley. If nothing else, he would tell them that he wanted to gun for protection for his family. That was certainly true.
“All right then.” Victor’s response sounded short. “We have spoken too long. You let me know by a text message when you have it. Then we will meet.” With that, he hung up.
For a long moment, Dimitri simply stared at his phone. He wondered again what it was that Victor was not telling him. He could not possibly be this nervous just from the prospect of acquiring the gun. It had to be something else…something worse.
Dimitri knew this was all illegal, but he promised himself that this would be the absolute last thing of that nature that he would ever do. He made himself promise it. Though he doubted that it would be hard to do once he was looking at his son or his daughter’s face. He was going to be the man that they wanted him to be. He held to that thought.
Alicia was a bit worried. She didn’t know if it was pregnancy hormones, or if something was up, but she was concerned about Dimitri. In the past week, he’d been different. It was not really a bad different, but it was different none the less. She didn’t know what could have brought it on so quickly. One minute, he’d been fine, the next he was darker, and sullener.
She hoped that he wasn’t having second thoughts about the baby. She was over the moon with her excitement. It was her dream come true to have a home and a family. The idea that such a bizarre marriage situation had turned around so perfectly was incredible. She did not know what she would do if everything suddenly fell apart.
She could understand him being nervous. She was nervous too. They had made a lot of major changes as of late, and they had all happened so fast. Anyone would be nervous now.
But Dimitri had stopped coming to bed with her. He had not touched her once this week. He had been content to order take out or eat in restaurants as opposed to cooking. When they were out, or at home alone together, he was dark and quiet. She did not understand.
By tonight, she knew that she needed to ask him. Something had to be said. She had to at least talk to him if something was bothering him. She’d taken an hour cleaning the bathroom, working up her nerve to bring up the conversation. In the course of their “marriage”, they’d never really had a serious conversation or an argument. She hoped that bringing up one was not the cause for another.
“Can we talk?” Dimitri was sitting on the couch, scowling at the television. Chris Matthews was interviewing some sort of political guest on Hardball. Dimitri seemed to be fairly focused on the matter.
“Of course.” He looked up. “What is it?” Alicia motioned to the television.
“Could you turn that off, please? So that we can really talk?” That got his attention. He turned it off, and now looked concerned.
“Alicia, is something wrong?” The exotic roll of her name in his accent melted her heart. It was truly a simple pleasure. Moving in front of him, she sat down on the coffee table. Her hands reached out to take a hold of his.
“I’m hoping not, but that’s what I want to know.” She squeezed his hands. “Dimitri, you haven’t been yourself lately.”
Something was apparently wrong, because his jaw set. She thought his face might even have paled a little. So something was going on that he was trying to keep from her. She was momentarily hurt. He claimed to love her, but he couldn’t open up to her when something was wrong?
“I…do not know what you are talking about.” He lowered his eyes, looking away from her. He was clearly a terrible liar.
“You’ve been distant.” Alicia leaned slightly into him. “And quiet. You don’t want to cook. When we’re together, you just sit and stare. Dimitri, if something is wrong, tell me. I need to know so that I can help you.”
“Alicia,” Dimitri shook his head, “you are thinking too much.” He raised his eyes to her, giving her a small smile. “There is nothing wrong. I am just…tired. From work. You know?”
No, she didn’t know. She knew that he did hard work, but she had never seen him come home so tired.
“Is that it? Really?” She pressed gently. She didn’t want to make him angry, but she just didn’t believe him.
“Yes, that’s it.” Dimitri squeezed her hands. Alicia nodded. If he wasn’t going to talk to her, she couldn’t push him.
“OK” She answered faintly. “If you’re sure that nothing is wrong.”
“I am sure.” He leaned over to kiss her cheek. Alicia lowered her head.
“I was worried that…you were having second thoughts.”
“Second thoughts? About what?” Dimitri’s hand raised to stroke her cheek. In that moment, Alicia wondered if she truly was being silly. He might very well have just been tired. She knew that the shop was very busy-thanks to his hard work. It was understandable that a man working on his own would be extremely exhausted.
“About the baby. About me. About us.” She looked at him sadly. Dimitri shook his head.
“Oh Alicia, no. No. Never.” He leaned in, pressing a hard kiss onto her lips. “I could never have second thoughts about the two of you.” He was reaching for her, pulling her into his arms. Alicia wrapped her arms around him, holding him close to her.
“OK good. Because I love you.” She pulled back to rest her forehead against his. “I love you so much. And I don’t ever want to lose you. I don’t want to lose what we have.”
“Neither do I.” He smiled, running his fingers softly through her hair. “Believe me, it is ok. I get through the projects I have this next week, and then I get some rest. Everything will be ok, yeah?”
“Yeah.” Alicia smiled. “Maybe we should think about taking a little getaway. Maybe Labor Day weekend?” Dimitri considered her request, and then sh
rugged.
“I do not see why we could not do that.” He leaned in for another kiss, allowing his forehead to rest against hers once more. “You will start looking, ok? Find some place that we could go. Away from Baltimore.”
“Somewhere that neither of us has ever been?” Alicia pressed gently. Dimitri nodded.
“Yes, some place that neither of us has ever been.” He pulled back a moment, and then sniffed at her faded, house cleaning t-shirt. “Those chemicals, they are strong. Are they safe for baby?”
Alicia hadn’t thought of that.
“Um, honestly, I’m not sure. I didn’t check. I just wanted to get it done.”
“I understand.” Dimitri raised one hand, flicking his index finger against her nose. “Next time, you let me clean bathroom, ok? You and baby do not need to be around chemicals.”
“Offer accepted.” Alicia smiled, she felt better for the first time in days. Dimitri leaned in, pressing another kiss onto her lips.
“You must take it easy, for both you and the baby.”
“I will.” She rested her hands lightly on his shoulders. “I’m sorry if I’m being silly. I just worry…sometimes. I guess it’s a bit magnified now.”
“I understand.” Dimitri kissed her cheek. “And I appreciate it. I am sorry too. I do not mean to worry you.”
“As long as you tell me that I have nothing to worry about, I’m happy.” Alicia kissed his lips. “Come on, why don’t we go to bed? I know that it’s early for you, but if you’re that tired, it would be good for you.”
“And you need all of the sleep that you can get.” Dimitri nudged her. “You go ahead. Get ready. I will be along in just a moment. I need to get a drink.”
“OK” Alicia pressed her lips to his just once more before getting up. She headed towards the hallway. “Don’t be long.”
“I will not be.” Dimitri gave her a bright smile. As soon as she had disappeared into the bedroom, he set his jaw. He knew exactly what he was about to do. He could not go to bed just yet. He had an errand to run.
