The Devil To Pay (Hennessey.)

by Marnie Perry

  Lando said, ‘I thought hired killers worked alone, that they never trusted anyone else.’

  ‘I don’t usually, but it’s amazing how much cooperation an operative of Homeland Security can get.’ He grinned, ‘the guy believes he’s helping to bring terrorists to justice.’

  Adela’s head shot up, ‘it’s Sammy isn’t it?’

  Hennessey arched his brows then smiled at her. ‘He’s just a boy,’ she said with contempt, ‘how could you get him involved in this?’

  ‘He thinks he’s doing some good, he was very happy camper when I left him spying on Glissando’s guys.’

  ‘He doesn’t know what kind of men they are, how dangerous, he could get hurt.’

  ‘He won’t, he’s not quite as simple as you might think.’

  ‘It’s not matter of simple; he could slip up and give himself away.’

  Hennessey shrugged, ‘I did what I had to do, and also gave the kid something to tell his grandchildren.’

  Adela shook her head and mumbled something that Hennessey couldn’t quite catch but was sure had the word unbelievable in there somewhere.

  Lando, impatient now asked, ‘so what now, Hennessey? What’s your plan?’

  ‘Plan? Well, first off I think Miss. Faraday should make us some coffee.’

  At Adela’s indignant look he hurried on, ‘I’m not being sexist, Miss. Faraday, it’s not because you’re a woman, but because as I recall you make very nice coffee, don’t you think so, Mr Lando?’

  Lando didn’t answer and Hennessey said, ‘oh, she never made any for you, hey? Pity, it really is very good. But then there are a lot of things about Miss. Faraday that are very good, maybe you discovered those instead.’

  Neither man saw Adela’s blush because they were looking at each other. Hennessey read the warning in Lando’s eyes correctly and said contritely, ‘sorry, I’m at my most flippant when the situation is most serious.’ He became grave now as he added, ‘and believe me when I tell you this situation is very serious. More of Glissando’s men are coming here for Miss. Faraday, and they won’t let you get in the way of their goal, Lando.’

  'Or your plans for her?' Lando replied as he stood up.

  Hennessey said nothing but glanced over at Adela his expression soft, but Adela was not fooled for a moment, she had seen that look before.

  Lando stood up, ‘so the plan is to drink coffee and wait, is that it?’

  ‘Coffee is only the first part of the plan, Mr. Lando, as for the rest we’ll just to have to wait and see what happens.’

  ‘I never did like wait and see kinda plans.’ Lando replied tartly.

  Hennessey walked over to Lando and gave an exaggerated sigh, ‘so, no coffee then. Suit yourself.’ He took a gun from behind his back.

  Adela gasped and stepped back, but Lando kept Hennessey’s eye waiting for the thing he had been expecting ever since he had heard Hennessey’s voice. A bullet in the head, and with his own weapon too.

  Adela stood clutching her hands to her chest ready to plead with Hennessey, to beg him on her knees if necessary not to kill Lando. To tell him that she was ready to go with him to Glissando. That she would do anything he asked if he just let Lando live. But before she could speak and to her, not to mention Lando’s utter amazement, Hennessey flipped the gun over so that the butt was now facing Lando and held it out to him.

  Lando locked eyes with him looking for the trick, but could see nothing in the other man’s eyes. The woman was right, he was very good, his face gave nothing away of his feelings, at least nothing he didn’t want them to see. Hennessey smiled, ‘it’s up to you of course, but I think you might need this before we’re through.’

  Lando slowly raised his hand and took the Smith and Wesson from Hennessy’s fingers and immediately pointed it at him. Hennessey only grinned, ‘you can pull the trigger if you like, Mr. Lando, but I think you’ll find you’re gonna need me before this day is over.’

  ‘Maybe I’ll take my chances.’

  ‘Oh I’ve no doubt you would, but what about her,’ he nodded in Adela’s direction, ‘the men that are coming aren’t fools like Tweedledum and Tweedledee back there. And they’re coming with a small arsenal and I’m not just talking guns but C.S. gas…which you’re already felt the effects of for yourself, and flash bangs. You’re gonna have to bring them down before they can lob one in here and that will prove very difficult on your own. What you gonna do, give her a weapon?’

  Lando cast his eyes in Adela’s direction then very slowly lowered the weapon. Adela’s mind was a whirl of confusion, what was Hennessey doing? What game was he playing now? She didn’t know it but she was echoing Lando’s own thoughts.

  Hennessey, after giving Lando one last amused look turned his back on him, supremely confident that Lando wouldn’t shoot him, and certainly not in the back. He said, ‘so how about that coffee?’

  He had reached the door when Lando said, ‘Hennessey.’ Hennessey turned, ‘when this is over, when we’ve dealt with your boss’s goons, all bet’s are off, understood?’

  Hennessey stared at him for a long moment and Adela was afraid that he would take offence at Lando’s comment about his “boss” and change his mind and there would be a shoot out between the two men. But he only grinned again, ‘I understand. I’d be disappointed with anything less from you, Mr. Lando. ‘He turned to leave the room but said over his shoulder, ‘hey, I’ll even let you pretend you’re a cop again, try to arrest me, it’ll be like old times for you.’

  Lando gripped the gun tighter in his fingers but said nothing only watched him leave before sticking the gun in the waistband of his jeans and turning back to Dante. Adela watched for a moment then sat down abruptly on the bed before her legs gave way completely. Not daring to look at Lando she stroked Dante’s head and said, ‘Mr. Lando, this is all wrong.’

  He looked at her, ‘what is?’

  ‘Hennessey giving you a weapon, offering to fight alongside you, it’s all wrong, he’s up to something.’

  ‘Ya think?’

  She ignored his sarcasm, ‘I’m so sorry,’ she looked at Dante, ‘this is all my fault, if not for me you wouldn’t be in this mess and Dante wouldn’t be lying here hurt.’ She looked up at him and flinched again at the cut lip and huge bruises on his cheek and jaw. ‘Mr. Lando, you have a weapon now, just go, go and get help for Dante. If you lose against Glissando’s men you’ll die, if you beat them Hennessey will take me with him and kill you. So either way you’re just throwing your life away by staying here.’

  He stared into her eyes until she became uncomfortable then he said, ‘well it’s like you said; I have this death wish thing going on. I have to keep punishing myself or I’m not happy.’

  Her eyes opened wide as her face reddened, she looked away from his steely gaze. He stood a moment longer watching her face then walked to the door. But as he walked out he caught the whispered words, ‘I hoped I might have been wrong.’

  In the kitchen Hennessey was standing watching the kettle boil. He turned as Lando came into the room, ‘I’m sorry about your dog.’

  Lando didn’t reply he was thinking about what he’d just said to the woman. He shouldn’t have spoken to her like that, especially since she had said what she had out of concern for him. She seemed to be obsessed with trying to save people, even from themselves. He recalled how she had taken care of Dante, so expertly and so tenderly.

  Her last words came to him, that she hoped she was wrong about him not caring whether he lived or died. Why would it matter to her whether he lived with guilt or not? But he felt ashamed of himself and he didn’t like that feeling.

  Hennessey’s voice broke into his musings. ‘She’s something ain’t she?’

  Lando’s head snapped up to see Hennessey smiling that knowing smile which was really beginning to piss him off.

  Hennessey nodded towards the bedroom door, ‘Miss. Faraday, she has a soft heart, see how she cares for your dog. Even in her shock at seeing me again and the horror of s
eeing men being killed, she took the time to think about your dog’s well being.’

  When Lando said nothing he went on, ‘of course she cares a great deal about people too, that’s her strength and her weakness. It’s why she’s here now.’

  Lando was amazed at the arrogance or was it self delusion of this man. He snapped, ‘she’s here because of you, Hennessey, because you kidnapped her and subjected her to threats and intimidation. You terrorised her so much that she had no choice but to run all alone and scared out of her wits into unknown and dangerous terrain. She could have died out there and the only one responsible would have been you.’

  Lando approached until he was face to face with the other man, ‘you should have been here when she arrived half dead with exhaustion and dehydration, but then maybe you would have gotten a kick out of that. Tell me something, Hennessey, does kidnapping and terrorising women make you feel like a real tough guy, does it make you feel like a real man? Or does that take putting a gun against someone’s head and blowing their brains out?’

  The two men squared off, Lando’s eyes full of anger and hatred and Hennessey’s, well his were hard to read. The mask of a man who made a living by lying and deceiving and killing, a man like that had to be able to hide his feelings. But as they stared at each other just for an instant Lando though he caught a glimpse of shame in the other man’s compelling blue eyes. He saw what women would see in him of course, he saw what the woman had seen; he was every woman’s dream, tall, dark, handsome, sophisticated, charming and dangerous, an irresistible combination. He knew from experience that women were drawn to the danger more than anything else. But somehow he thought this woman would have more sense, would be more discriminating than to fall for someone like him. Still, what did he know about her? Nothing. She had obviously been beguiled by the man.

  Hennessey was watching Lando closely as if he knew exactly what he was thinking. He said, ‘I never meant her to get hurt like that, but I did what I had to do, what I thought best for her at the time. Best for everyone. I underestimated her and she used that to escape.’ He gave a self derogatory laugh, ‘she took me by surprise…again. And there’s only one person who’s been able to do that in a long time. I must be losing my touch.’

  Lando knew he was referring to the time he had come upon him at the woman’s cabin. He said, ‘so because you never meant her to get hurt you think that excuses you?’

  ‘I didn’t say that.’

  After giving him one last contemptuous look, Lando turned from him but turned quickly back and said, ‘what did you mean by what you thought best for her?’

  ‘That’s something she should hear too.’ His tone was very serious now as he said, ‘I meant what I said, I never meant to hurt her.’

  Lando, his tone dripping with sarcasm said, ‘well that’s all right then, as long as you didn’t mean it. I’m sure she’ll forgive you, just before you hand her over to Glissando to torture and kill.’

  Hennessey sighed, ‘things aren’t always what they seem, Lando, you should know that better than anyone. You should know that there are sometimes mitigating circumstances.’

  Lando turned all the way back to face him and said through gritted teeth, ‘don’t compare yourself with me, Hennessey. I never kidnapped a woman from her home in the middle of the night, took her on the road trip from hell bound and gagged and blindfolded, not knowing where she was going or what would await her when she got there. Knowing only that a guy she liked and trusted had stunned her, knocked her unconscious and abducted her.’

  Lando saw anger flash in the other man’s eyes just for a moment then it was gone to be replaced by a deep regret and this time there was no disguising the shame.

  He felt a certain satisfaction, not just at the shame but the anger he had been able to arouse in him, at least it had wiped that smug, self satisfied smirk from his face.

  But not for long before it was back again as Hennessey said, ‘so she got to you too did she? I can’t say I’m surprised; she’s a good looking woman, even if she don’t think so. And you’ve been a long time without a woman haven’t you, Lando. It must have been hell for you this last few days, having her here and not able to touch her.’

  Hennessey’s smile widened at the expression of disgust on Lando’s face who said, ‘act like you ya mean and take advantage of her.’

  Hennessey’s smile vanished and he had the grace to look sheepish but said, ‘it took me a while to work it out but in the end I realised it was that air of innocence, that innate goodness that draws people to her, draws men to her. That untouched, virtuous air, it’s as sexy as all get out. Add to that the accent and the stockings,’ at Lando's look of surprise Hennessey beamed, ‘oh yeah, she actually wears stockings, all that innocence combined with suspenders, well it’s enough to make a man forget himself, don’t you think so, Mr. Lando?’

  Lando’s face was dark and ferocious as he took a step towards Hennessey his fist clenched but just then Adela came back into the room saying, ‘Mr. Lando, I managed…’ She stopped dead when she saw the two men toe to toe, Lando looking angry enough to kill and Hennessey smug.

  As though speaking to two wayward children she said, ‘don’t you think we have enough to worry about with Glissando’s men almost on the doorstep without you two fighting?’

  It seemed for a moment as though neither man had heard her so intent were they on each other then Hennessey said, ‘fighting? I assure you, Miss. Faraday no one is fighting. Just having a chat about strategy.’ He looked at Lando meaningfully, ‘isn’t that right, Mr. Lando?’

  Lando said nothing but kept his eyes firmly on Hennessey for a moment longer then said, ‘yeah, sure, strategy.’

  Adela didn’t believe them for a moment but didn’t push it instead she turned to Lando, ‘I managed to get Dante to take some water.’

  Lando turned to her and opened his mouth to speak but stopped at the sight of her changed into clean dark blue jeans, a cream coloured short sleeved shirt and blue sneakers on her feet. She lowered her eyes under his scrutiny and said, ‘he brought these for me,’ then her head came up and as if to reassure him rushed on, ‘they are my own clothes.’

  Lando turned to Hennessey and saw that maddening smile playing about his lips. He walked by Adela into the bedroom leaving her alone with Hennessey.

  She tried to hide the dismay and trepidation she was feeling being alone with him. She took several deep breaths before walking into the kitchen and began making coffee as though he wasn’t there.

  Hennessey stepped aside for her saying, ‘I was just about to do that, but as you know I much prefer yours.’ She ignored him but not to be dismissed so easily, ‘I know you hate me right now and with good reason, but you’re better off with me here when those men come.’

  She turned to him, ‘why are you here? Why are you helping us?’

  He didn’t answer but just stared at her and it took all her willpower not to look away from those eyes, those eyes she had fallen for so hard and so easily. She tried even harder not to recall those most intimate moments with him. She said, ‘you’re just using Mr. Lando and when you’ve no further use for him you’ll dispose of him. Why don’t you just take me now and leave Mr. Lando alone?’

  He smiled ruefully, ‘you and Lando seem so intent on protecting each other. Maybe you should start thinking about your own problems.’

  She tried not to let him see that she was caught unawares by his statement, not the last part, his selfishness did not surprise her, but the part about Lando trying to protect her. Was that what they had been arguing about? Her? She said, ‘be self absorbed like you are do you mean? Be unmindful of the pain and distress of other’s like you are? Be self seeking and self indulgent as you are? Be so dead inside that we cease to care about anyone but ourselves? Is that what we should do, Mr. Hennessey?’

  He took a step back amazed by her onslaught and her vehemence. He held up both hands, ‘whoa, whoa, steady on, ma’am, that’s not what I meant, well, not exactly. I m
eant that if you’re too wrapped up in your concern for someone else you can’t function properly, you wind up making mistakes that could get you hurt and those you’re trying to protect. And that’s not just the advice of a professional killer, Miss. Faraday but the experience and expertise of an ex -marine. Just ask your friend, Lando.’

  Still seething she kept his gaze looking for the mockery; she found none, only sincerity. But then he had always looked sincere especially when he was at his most insincere and most deadly. She turned from him and finished making the coffee. She handed him his, annoyed with herself that her hand trembled he noticed of course and frowned as he thanked her. He took a sip and closed his eyes, ‘hmmm, that’s real good. I’m glad you changed your mind.’

  She didn’t want him to think she had made the coffee because he’d asked her to or because he had said it was nice. ‘I just wanted my last coffee on earth to be the way I like it.’ She said dryly.

  He looked taken aback but smiled, ‘don’t worry, Lando and I will make sure it isn’t your last coffee, or ours either.’

  She narrowed her eyes. He put his head on one side and said mischievously, ‘although I think you wanted your friend to have the chance to discover whether I was lying or not.’

  She frowned as if not understanding. He grinned, ‘hey, there’s nothing wrong with trying to impress a man, you certainly impressed the hell outta of me. And if I’m not mistaken, Lando too.’

  She tried to hide her embarrassment behind the impatient and irritated look she sent him. She glowered at him then looked away. Never would she admit that he was right, that the thought had occurred to her. Oh what was the matter with her, why was she thinking about impressing a man with her good coffee while God knows how many other men were on their way here to kill them? The only reason that made any sense was that her mind was trying desperately to divert her thoughts from what was happening, and what was about to happen by thinking about trivial things.