The Devil To Pay (Hennessey.)

by Marnie Perry

  ‘’Cos you like me?’

  Lando pursed his lips and looked away from Hennessey’s smiling face. He stared at the cross as he said very quietly, ‘I thought I saw something in you back there, when you looked at the woman. I thought it was regret, penitence.’ He looked back at Hennessey, ‘but you would never regret anything and you’re too far gone for penitence.’

  Hennessey remained silent for a while as though digesting Lando’s words, ‘all right, Lando, you really want to hear the truth?

  Lando frowned but held his palms outwards as if to say go on.

  Hennessey blew out a breath, ‘you won’t believe this perhaps but I did intend to bring Desi back here, but not for the reasons you think.’ He looked into the other man’s eyes and his own held something Lando had not seen before, ‘Miss. Faraday hit the nail on the head when she said I should have more sympathy and compassion for Desi’s plight than most people. That I of all people should empathise with her situation. I laughed at her, but the fact is I do sympathise, I do have compassion for her. More than you'll ever know.'

  Lando frowned at this but did not speak.

  ‘When I first saw Desi, about two years ago, I thought she was just another gangster’s bimbo, a mindless druggie Glissando had picked up. But even then there was something about her that made her stand out. She would look at me with fear and loathing but also defiance, as though daring me to judge her. That amused me I must say, but at the time I didn’t give her much thought. I was there to get my instructions on my next assignment or to collect my fee, not dwell on Glissando’s whores.

  It was only when she escaped the first time, about a year ago, that I started to realise that she wasn’t there willingly, that something sinister was going on. So I made enquiries. I discovered that he had taken Desi from a brothel when she was just a child and had kept her ever since. I knew of course of Glissando’s involvement in people trafficking, but I didn’t realise that he kept some of the stock for himself.’

  Lando was amazed that Hennessey could speak so lightly of something as sickening as slavery, child slavery at that. But then he had probably seen many horrible things on his travels, and done many horrible things himself. Hennessey as though reading his mind gave a wry smile, ‘I apologise if my choice of words offends you, Mr. Lando, as they should any decent person, but they’re just words, the actual practise of human trafficking is much more offensive.’

  Lando was not as surprised by Hennessey’s words as by the hard look on his face. Hennessey went on, ‘I discovered that he took other girls to his place, girls that were never seen again. I found out that he liked to torture and rape those girls, sometimes even sharing them with others like him. I have no doubt he did the same to Desi, except he didn’t kill her. I never did find out why he chose her. He took a deep breath before finishing, ‘so I decided to rescue her.’

  Lando leaned back stunned. His eyes narrowed with scepticism then disbelief.

  Hennessey smiled, ‘I see you don’t believe me, Mr. Lando. Knowing my reputation as a liar as you do I don’t really blame you, nevertheless, it’s true.’

  ‘Why didn’t you then? Why didn’t you rescue her?’

  ‘Something came up. Another job I simply couldn’t turn down, not at that time anyway. But I intended to set my plan in motion after it was over. By the time I came back she had once again escaped.

  I planned to find her and make sure she was all right. I knew I had to get to her before she did something stupid that would get her caught again. Wherever she went Glissando would never have stopped looking for her.

  But imagine my amazement when Glissando called me and asked me to do just that. He not only hired me to track her down but would pay me five million dollars to do what I had every intention of doing anyway. That’s irony for you, Mr. Lando.’

  Lando said nothing just stared at the man, this man who sounded so genuine, so credible. ‘How could a man refuse such an offer. So I accepted. But I had to come up with another plan…and quickly. So I planned to bring her back by whatever means necessary, get my money then get her out of there again before he could hurt her.'

  Lando gave him a look of such intense disbelief that Hennessey laughed, ‘yeah, I know, but it was all I could come up with on such short notice. But I know what you’re thinking, why didn’t I just go find her and help her disappear, which was my original intention? Well, Glissando threw the five mil into the mix there so there were now five million reasons why I didn’t. I don’t deny I wanted that money and I knew Glissando wouldn’t part with the rest of the four million if I’d told him Desi was dead.

  Plus, and more importantly don’t forget the woman; she would have still been in danger from Glissando. He might have wanted prove that she was in fact dead. Although that wasn’t an insurmountable problem; there are ways to make people look dead.'

  He sighed deeply, ‘I can’t accurately pinpoint the exact time I knew I couldn’t hurt Miss. Faraday. Maybe as I said when she sang that song. Or when she came face to face with the panther. Or maybe when she cried when relating a horrible story from her childhood about her drunken mother. Or maybe the seed was planted that first day when she defended the young waitress from a rude trucker in the diner. Anyway, I knew pretty soon that I couldn’t do it.’

  Lando’s eyes widened in surprise then the suspicion and scepticism that were so prevalent whenever he was with Hennessey surfaced. Before he could voice his thoughts Hennessey said, ‘I know what you’re thinking, bullshit, but it’s true.’

  ‘So why kidnap her?’

  ‘When I set out on an assignment I never let anything stand in the way of completing it, and this assignment was more important than any other I’d undertaken. I'm very single minded, it's a trait that stood me in good stead in my life as a marine.'

  'And as an assassin.'

  Hennessey smiled wryly, 'that too.' But this time it was personal. I still needed to find Desi and only Miss. Faraday could help me.

  And with every passing minute Desi was in more danger of capture by Glissando’s men. Glissando might have taken her somewhere else then I might never find her again, I couldn't take that chance.

  So I did intend to abduct Miss. Faraday, take her somewhere and get the information, by terrifying it out of her if need be. After all, it would be for a good cause and both she and the girl would have been ultimately safe. What was a little terror for the girl’s life, for both their lives?’ Hennessey sounded as though he asked the question more of himself then of Lando. The latter said, ‘and for five million bucks of course.’

  Hennessey looked sharply at him looking suddenly angry before saying rather guiltily, ‘and five million bucks. But there was also another reason. The thought of getting one over on Glissando, taking something he valued from right under his nose excited me much more than the prospect of five million dollars, and more importantly than killing a woman.

  At first I was appalled by Glissando’s request for me to kill the woman, yet at the same time excited and few things excite me any more, money, women, the planning and execution of a hit, all had lost there pull. So I took the job, for the promise I’d made to rescue Desi yes, that was the principle I was talking about. I had to fulfil it; it was a matter of honour. But also for the excitement. To do the exact opposite of what my client wanted. To be able turn everything on its head was quite intoxicating I’ll tell you. Plus, I knew that if he had refused he would have just hired someone else, someone with no morals who would have had no compunction in torturing and killing Miss. Faraday.'

  ‘Why didn’t you just tell the woman what you intended from the get go?’ Lando asked.

  Hennessey gave him a look that clearly said, “are you for real?” Out loud he said, ‘and what should I have said d’ya think? Hey Miss. Faraday, I know about Desdemona and your part in her escape from Glissando’s clutches. But don’t worry I’m here to help. Tell me all and I’ll make sure you’re both okay?’

  Lando looked annoyed at Hennessey’s sarcasm b
ut also embarrassed by his own inane question.

  ‘Miss. Faraday maybe be naïve and trusting, and sometimes rather reckless, but she ain't stupid.’ Hennesey added.

  Lando said nothing to this but nodded in agreement.

  Hennessey went on, ‘but Glissando had one good idea and that was to woo the lady and get her to trust me, a task I knew would be very easy for me. But I really didn’t want to waste time playing games. I knew Glissando would be conducting his own investigation, and he had more resources than I did. He could get people to check airlines and passenger manifests, view video footage of airports and so on. He had people all over this country and others working for him.'

  He paused, waiting for Lando to say something, when he didn’t Hennessey took another deep breath, ‘but there was one more reason for taking the assignment.’

  ‘What?’ Despite himself Lando was intrigued.

  ‘I wanted to see how low I could sink. I wanted to see whether I could actually hurt an innocent woman. Taking the contract was a challenge, a challenge to my conscience. I wanted to see which would win, my morals or my depravity. I wanted to see if I was that evil.

  Well, I soon found out. Although I never had any intention of killing her I wanted to be able to hurt the woman but I couldn’t, everything in me screamed don’t do it. I’ve never been indecisive, I do what I have to do, but I found I liked her, I was having fun, something I hadn’t had much of the last year or so, having to keep a low profile for so long. So that’s when I decided to return to Glissando’s first option.’

  He looked at Lando a smile on his face, ‘and d’ya know, it was fun. I haven’t enjoyed myself so much in a long time. Not only because of the excitement, the anticipation of getting what I wanted but because she was fun. Witty, amusing, smart and…well, sexy.’

  Lando’s eyes once more narrowed and his fists clenched as they did every time this man talked about the woman in that way. But what he’d said, well, it would take some believing. Why would this man, this killer, be so desperate to save a young girl he had never even spoken to? Why would he kidnap and terrorise a woman to accomplish that?

  He recalled what Hennessey had said about having empathy with, and compassion for, the kid. He had obviously told the woman something to cause her to say that to him, maybe something from his own childhood. Lando himself knew how a traumatic childhood could affect a person in adult life.

  The scepticism in Lando’s eyes would have been plain to a blind man and Hennessey gave an ironic grin, ‘yeah, I know, you’re thinking bullshit again, but it’s true. Once I had decided not to hurt the woman I thought I might as well get some enjoyment out of the situation.

  The day I beat up Maxwell she told me to come to her cabin, she would cook us dinner and tell me everything that had happened. I was elated, at last I would get the information I wanted to track down Desi without anyone getting hurt and end all of this.

  I intended to listen to her story, tell her not to worry, that she had done all the right things, be sympathetic and supportive and so on. Then go get Desi, take her to Glissando collect my fee then as I said, rescue her again. Then take both women to a safe place. Where I was going to take them Glissando, the FBI and Interpol combined would never find them. Off course that all went sour when I did what I did to Maxwell. Then I got a phone call from Glissando telling me he had sent his two goons to head her off on her way to Georgia and knew I had to act fast.

  I knew if I had told her the truth, that I was hired by Glissando to track down Desi through her, she would have flipped. I had lied to her for six days, deceived her, she would never have believed that I intended Desi or her no harm. She might have panicked, maybe called the police, maybe ran and gotten herself caught by Glissando’s men.’

  His eyes slanted sideways at Lando, ‘I knew time was running out, I knew they would find Desi eventually. I thought then that she knew more than it turned out she actually did, and I still needed answers. So I planned to take Miss. Faraday where I did and get those answers. I meant to explain to her, tell her everything, beg her to trust me, then when she had talked make her as comfortable as I could until it was safe to bring her to you. As it turned out I did wind up hurting her, although I swear that was not my intention, scare her yes, physically hurt her, no. I will always regret that.'

  ‘How did you know I wouldn’t call the cops or the feds? Or Glissando.'

  Hennessey regarded him, a small smile playing around his lips, ‘I just did. What were the chances do you think of you being there at her cabin the exact same time I was? I wondered at the time what you were doing there. I thought you might have been just passing. But when she talked about you and how you’d helped her when she was lost I began to realise that you had been checking up on her. That you weren’t quite as unconcerned or uncaring as you appeared. That you were interested.’

  Lando sent him a clear warning look and Hennessey added quickly, ‘as an ex- cop and neighbour, why wouldn’t you be?’ Lando narrowed his eyes not believing that that was what he’d meant by “interested.” ‘I believed that if I explained nicely, pleaded with her, begged for her help, even offered to take her with me she would have complied eventually. After all, all I’d done up until then is kidnap her and beat up Maxwell and I could have explained all that. But I hadn’t reckoned on Desi telling her about me...which is something I never could have envisaged.

  She called me Chirtoff; apparently it’s Russian for devil. She saw me as a stone cold killer;

  I knew then no matter what I said to convince her that I meant neither her nor Desi any harm

  she would never have believed me.

  If the chances of her trusting me before were infinitesimal they were zero after that.

  She would have dug her heels in and remained suspicious and sceptical…and scared, which she did. So I resorted to the original plan and tried to terrify her into submission.’ Lando grimaced but said nothing and Hennessey continued, ‘I intended to apologise later and explain my intentions; I believed that when she’d calmed down she would see why I had to do it.’

  He caught Lando’s look, ‘yeah, not one of my better ideas. But all I got was an earful

  about how sick and twisted and damned I am. She’s indefatigable, and I knew she would rather die than betray Desi, her fortitude and courage made me…ashamed.

  So when Glissando called and said he didn’t want me to kill her that he wanted her instead,

  I knew I had to bring her to you. But right then she was exhausted and in no fit state to travel so I let her rest. And okay, the way I did it was not one of my better moments, but I was afraid if I left her unrestrained she would try to escape and wind up dead. Rather a few hours of discomfort than dead in the swamp. And I knew too well her fighting spirit, I wasn’t about to underestimate her again.’ He looked shame-faced now, ‘but I don’t deny I behaved

  like a barbarian. I knew she had seen what name Desi had in her passport, I still had hopes that I could break her,’ he gave a self derogatory laugh, ‘huh, was I wrong.

  ‘So that was true what you told her, that you intended to transfer her funds into another account for her?’

  Hennessey nodded, ‘that’s the second reason I set her up to look as if she was involved with me. I know she’ll never believe that but it is true. She’s stubborn; she would probably have just gone to the police or gone home and one day Glissando might have discovered she was not in fact dead. I thought if I had all her cash I could persuade her to let me take her somewhere safe.

  I thought if the money plan didn’t make her run and hide then the thought of spending the rest of her life in prison might. She wouldn’t like it; she’s the kind that would hate to run from her problems, she would put her faith in the justice system, but it was an added incentive. I intended to bring her to you for safekeeping until I could come for her. I knew you would help her, protect her. Then of course that plan backfired too when she escaped.’ He gave a wry smile, ‘that woman just keeps messing up my plans.�
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  ‘Yeah, she sure is a pain in the ass ain’t she?’ Said Lando sarcastically.

  Hennessey chuckled, ‘well anyways, she made it to your place, God knows how but she did. She’s quite something that Adela Anne Faraday.’ He shook his head, ‘but fuck, Lando, I can’t tell you what those hours were like waiting for her, not knowing if she would make it, hoping against hope that she would but not really believing it. And knowing that if she didn’t it I would be to blame. I would have done what Glissando wanted me to do and killed her, unintentionally yes, but her death would still have been down to me.’

  ‘You got that right.’

  Hennessey did not smile at Lando’s bluntness but nodded in agreement. ‘I’ve not been that scared since I was a kid.’

  Lando’s eyes swung to his and there was something in the other man’s that caused Lando to frown, but he did not ask what he meant.

  Hennessey said, ‘I sometimes wonder how I would feel at this moment if I had done Glissando’s bidding, how I would be feeling right now. Pleased with myself? Disgusted? Sickened?’

  ‘The pertinent question is, how do you feel?’

  Hennessey looked into the other man’s eyes as he said earnestly, ‘relieved, Mr. Lando. Relieved beyond measure.’

  Lando looked at him oddly but said nothing and Hennessey looked away and his voice very low said, ‘I admit, she blindsided me. I’ve never admired a woman as much as I admire her, and I know no matter how long or short my life may be, I never will again.’ He looked at Lando and finished softly, ‘that’s my loss, my deep regret.’

  Lando’s stomach turned as it always did when reminded of Hennessey’s and the woman’s relationship.’

  He said bluntly, ‘why did you beat up Maxwell?’

  Hennessey seemed surprised by the sudden change of subject and hesitated. When he did answer it was through gritted teeth, ‘he called her a whore.’

  Lando’s eyebrows shot up as he demanded, ‘why?’

  Hennessey shrugged, ‘I told him he was jealous of my friendship with her, which he was. I told him I would be leaving in the morning so he'd better keep his filthy hands offa her or else I'd come back and make him pay. He said who was I kidding, she was fair game. And her relationship with me proved she was a woman of loose morals. Easy. A whore. I just saw red.’