by Bill Sage
Then he looked at Lopez and shrugged.
“Yeah, you can’t leave it open like that,” Lopez replied, shaking his head. “I mean, whaddaya think customers—”
“I understand, sir, but those are our rules.”
Shaking his head, Hack said, “I don’t get it, but okay, we’ll go around to the front. Would that make you happy?”
Nodding, the employee said, “Yes, sir.”
Hack hopped into the passenger seat. Then Lopez backed out and parked in one of the three spaces in front.
Getting out of the truck, Lopez got a chance to take another look at the building in the daylight. He noticed that the one-story, stucco building wasn’t much different from the other ones on that street. He thought they looked they’d been built in the 1960s.
The large sign above the building had a tar truck in one corner and read All States Paving. Low shrubs were on either side of the glass door.
As Hack and Lopez walked up to the front, they saw a small window on the side of the building that looked out at the shop next door. Although there were blinds on the window, they could see that lights were on inside.
Lopez said, “That’s probably the office.”
“We’ll check it out when we go inside,” Hack said, mashing his cigarette out on the walkway with his shoe.
A young girl sat at a desk, surrounded by wire baskets containing pink and yellow order slips. She wore a light-blue cardigan sweater, her lipstick bright red.
A radio on the side table played hard rock songs. She was on the phone.
They waited.
“She must be the tar baby,” Hack said out of the side of his mouth.
“Yeah, she’s hot.”
Hack nudged Lopez with his elbow as he glanced at the closed inner door to the right of them.
“Uh-huh,” Lopez muttered.
When the receptionist hung up, Hack asked, “Is that the office over there?”
She nodded.
“Looks like it’s locked.”
She smiled, didn’t say anything.
Lopez asked, “Is that where all the big decisions are made?”
With a blank look on her face, the receptionist said, “I guess.”
Hack said, “We have a gift for Sam and the crew. Is he around?”
“He’s out in the field. We’re trying to get in touch with him now. He should be back soon.”
“We’ll just leave it here with you,” Lopez said. “Can you see that it gets to the guy in charge right away?”
“For sure. I’ll give it to the guys in back.”
Then Hack placed the box on her desk.
She looked at it, then back up at Hack. “Is this the new invoice forms he ordered?” she asked, furrowing her brow.
“It’s some parts he said he needed. For his work. You know…”
Lopez smiled at her then turned to Hack. “Shall we go?”
“Yes. Have a nice day, sweetie,” Hack said. He turned and they stepped to the door. Lopez pushed it open, and they got into his truck. Then they headed back to McFadden Avenue where Hack’s car was parked.
Seeing them drive off, the receptionist picked up the box and walked over to the office door. Knocking, she said, “Hey, guys.”
The door opened an inch. “What is it?” a man asked.
“Two guys came in. They said this was a gift for the crew.”
Then, shrugging, she handed the box to him and returned to her desk.
A minute later, a scream came roaring out of the back room. “Oh, my god! Those motherfuckers!”
39
BACK IN NEWPORT BEACH, Jake and Al were waiting for the excrement to hit the fan.
“I’d love to be there when they open that box,” Jake said, sitting on the couch, a smile on his face.
“I just hope it doesn’t backfire on us. You know, Asher…”
“That’s not gonna happen. Like you say, now they got skin in the game.”
“Yeah, you’re probably right. Let’s hope they act rationally.”
“You know what’s gonna be great?” Jake said. “Seeing Linda’s face when she sees Ash sitting in the living room.”
“That’s what this has always been about.”
Moments later, the phone rang.
“I’ll get it,” Al yelled to Linda. He picked up the phone.
“You goddamn sonsofbitches!” one of the kidnappers roared. “You’re gonna pay for this. Not only are we gonna kill Burns, but we’re gonna kill you and all your fuckin’ friends.”
“I’m home. It’d be nice to see you.”
“Fuck you!”
“Now that you’ve shown me you have a four-year-old mentality, here’s what’s gonna happen.”
“Hey, asshole. Don’t forget we got Burns.”
“And we got Miller. We also know where you’re hiding out. Miller told us everything. If we don’t kill him, we’ll turn him over to the cops.”
“You wouldn’t look so smart if we killed Burns right now.”
“If you wanna trade dead bodies, we can do that too. But after we put a bullet in Miller’s head, we’ll come after you. Cut your fuckin’ heads off and then go after your wives and kids.”
There was dead silence. Roth could hear the guy breathing hard. Probably wondering if Roth was serious about going after their families.
He wasn’t.
Laughing to himself, Jake got up and stood next to Roth.
“I thought you were supposed to be a judge,” the kidnapper said in a scornful voice.
I only play one in the movies.
When Roth didn’t answer, the kidnapper said, “What kind of judge would do shit like this?”
A very pissed off judge.
“Don’t give me that ‘judge’ shit,” Roth answered. “If you wanna get Miller back, bring Burns to the parking lot at Angel Stadium. On the 57 Freeway side. We’ll make the exchange there then go our separate ways. That’ll be the end of it.”
After thinking for several moments, the kidnapper said something Roth thought was completely irrational. “If we do that, you’re gonna have to come up with a little cash before we release Burns.”
Looking at Jake and rolling his eyes, Roth said, “You want us to give you cash?”
Jake had to step away because he was starting to crack up.
“Yeah,” the kidnapper said. “If you want him back, you’re gonna have to pay.”
“How much you talking about?” Roth said, glancing at Jake and trying not to laugh himself.
Jake shook his head as he flipped the bird at the telephone.
“After what you did to Miller, it should be more than two million.”
Roth let out a loud groan.
“You got a problem?” the kidnapper yelled.
“Look, asshole, let’s stop the braindead screwing around. You’re not getting a fucking cent! So, drop your childish demands.”
“Fuck you.”
“Time is precious and you’re wasting it by trying to show how tough you can be. Either we have a deal, or we don’t.”
“Back off, Roth. You’re not in your courtroom.”
Roth let out a sigh. “I’m not playing this game anymore. If we don’t have a deal, we’re gonna torch that shithole you’re hiding out in and fry all you slimebags.”
“If you torch this place, Burns will die with us.”
“I don’t give a shit as long as all you assholes burn to death. And if you try running out, we’ll cut you down like rats.”
Roth could hear the guy taking a breath. But before he could say anything, Roth quickly added, “Meet us at nine and you’ll get Miller back.”
The kidnapper went silent for a few seconds. Then: “Okay, we’ll bring Burns to the stadium.”
Roth didn’t react. He wanted to keep the kidnapper on edge, worried that he might change his mind and torch the building.
After a few seconds, the kidnapper said, “Angel Stadium, nine o’clock…”
But before Roth could respond,
the kidnapper said, “Hang on a minute.” Then it sounded like he was holding the phone against his shirt. A few seconds later, he came back on.
“How do we know the cops won’t be staking out the stadium?”
“If the cops were in on it, they’d be raiding your building right now or setting up a perimeter. And ask yourself this, why would they wanna go to a public place like Angel Stadium and get sued if some innocent citizen gets hurt?”
“What if you guys try to attack us as soon as we leave?”
“Burns ends up dead.”
“Yeah, okay.” He paused a few seconds. “I still think the cops will be at the stadium.”
“Yeah, so then we’re supposed to explain to them how Miller has two fingers missing? And then admit we committed a felony by kidnapping him? You’re not making any sense.”
Again, the kidnapper didn’t say anything. Roth thought he didn’t know what to do. Although there were risks in meeting Roth at the stadium, there were also substantial risks if they didn’t. Roth could decide to turn Miller over to the police. Then they’d have to worry about doing prison time for kidnapping and extortion. But an even worse danger was Roth staking out the building and mowing them down when they left.
Meeting at the stadium was the least risky choice. If it went right, they’d get Miller back and there’d be no chance of jail time. They’d be back at the status quo ante.
“Just so you know,” Roth said, “while you’re stalling, we’re edging closer to torching your asses. Can you imagine how it’d feel to be burned alive?”
“Then we’ll all die. Who gives a fuck?”
“Hey, look, asshole. If you’re gonna keep screwing around, tell the girl up front to walk out. We don’t want her to get hurt.”
The kidnapper took a breath. “What kind of car you guys got?”
“A dark blue Suburban. What about you?”
“A white Camry.”
40
A FEW MINUTES later, Al called Ben and told him to come to his house.
“We’re making the exchange tonight. About four hours from now. I want everybody here now. You, Hack, Miller, and Phil. Tell Phil to drive alone in one of your tow trucks. When we leave here, he’ll go to the paving company.”
“You want him to tail ’em?”
“Yeah. If they’re thinking of double-crossing us, like meeting up with other guys on the way and attacking us, they won’t do it with Phil behind them. Even if they don’t like being followed, it doesn’t matter. There’s nothing they can do. No cards left.”
“Okay, we’ll get over there as soon as we can.”
After hanging up, Al stood up. Looking at Jake, he said, “I better go upstairs, get ready.”
Jake nodded then he picked up the Register and pulled out the financial section. When he wasn’t whacking guys, he traded equity options, doing spreads or selling naked puts.
Al went up to the bedroom. Linda was sitting in the chair, reading one of her motivational books.
“Was that them on the phone?” she asked.
Shaking his head, Al lied. “No. It was Claudio’s guy. He called to talk to Jake. He wants Jake and me to meet up with him. They want to tell us about something they’re thinking of doing to get your dad back. I’m bringing the boys with me.”
“Did he say what it was?”
“No. You know how secretive those guys are. Especially on the phone.”
“You still have to wait for the kidnappers to call, don’t you?”
“Not any longer. He told Jake that he’d already spoken to them and they’re waiting to hear what we decide at our meeting. So, they won’t be calling back over here.”
“Okay, but why are all the Detroit boys going with you?”
“They’ve been helping me. Checking with mob guys they know to see if they knew anything. And since it’s your father, they didn’t want to be left out. They said they wanted to be in on anything Jake and I did.”
Smiling, Linda said, “Yeah, that sounds like them.”
Al took off his suit and white shirt and put on his old khaki army pants and jump boots. Then he slipped on a navy-blue sweatshirt.
“How come you’re getting into your ‘combat’ clothes?” Linda asked.
Whenever Al went on an “operation” with Jake or his other Detroit buddies, he’d put on what he called his “combat clothes.”
“I’m not gonna wear a suit to meet mob guys.”
She stared at him for a moment, then sighed. “Well, whatever’s going on, be careful. Stay close to Jake.”
“I will.” Al thought she sounded a little skeptical.
Linda just nodded, looking at him.
“I’ll stand an arms-length behind him,” he joked.
Al returned downstairs, to the den. Jake was snoozing on the couch, his head back and the Register spread across his lap.
He’s probably dreaming about whacking the kidnappers.
Al quietly sat down in a chair. Thought about his plan again. A few minutes later, he got up, took his 9mm Walther out of the desk drawer. Cocked it, put it on safety, and placed it on the desk. Then he returned to the chair.
41
BEN TOSSED A HOOD over Miller’s head and put him in the back seat of his SUV. Hack got in and sat next to Miller.
They drove to Al’s house, Phil following them in the tow truck.
Close to an hour and a half later they arrived at Al’s. All except Phil went inside. He stayed behind in the SUV watching Miller.
As Hack and Ben were entering, Al asked, “Is Phil okay out there?”
“Yeah, we got a hood on him and he’s cuffed,” Ben replied.
Al led them into the den. “Have a seat.” Then looking at Jake as he was speaking, he said, “Smoke ’em if you got ’em.”
Hearing what Al said, made Jake smile. That’s what sergeants used to say in the army whenever they gave the men a five-minute break.
“Anyone care for something to drink?” Al asked.
“How about a little Scotch and water?” Hack said, grinning.
Al laughed, knowing they were aware of his longstanding rule against drinking booze before an operation.
“What about a Coke?” Hack asked, getting up.
“You know where they are.”
Hack walked over to the fridge under the bar.
Watching him, Jake half-whispered to Al, “I can’t believe that schmuck.”
“He was just joking.”
“You don’t have to stick up for him.”
Al didn’t answer.
Returning with a Coke, Hack sat down and said, “Before I forget, when Carlos and I went to All States, I saw a back door on the building.”
Al said, “Thanks for checking it out. But it doesn’t matter now. We’re not gonna break in or assault the place. I have a much safer way. Safer for all of us.”
When everyone had settled in, Al said, “Okay, we’ve completed the first two parts of the plan. This is the third prong. You probably know or have already figured out most of it. But here it is.”
He then filled them in on the details.
“Anyone have a question?” Al asked when he finished.
Hack asked, “Just to make sure I got it, when Ash gets in Ben’s car, it’s over?”
“Yeah, but you’re forgetting one thing,” Ben said.
All eyes shifted to Jake.
Jake sat still, not showing any expression.
A few hours later, Al was in the den with Jake. The others were outside on the patio or watching TV in the family room.
Looking at Al, Jake said, “It’s a good plan.”
Al knew Jake thought he was worrying too much about something bad happening to Asher. Jake was right, he was concerned. This one was different. Not just a street fight in Detroit or taking out Gerard in Munich.
It was about saving Linda’s father!
And as if that wasn’t bad enough, it was his plan. All the pressure was on him; Asher’s life depended on everything going right.
Al said, “I try to think of what I might have missed. You know, in how the plan will work. But other than those guys ambushing us or not showing up, I can’t think of anything.”
“If they don’t show up, we’ll come up with something else. And they can’t ambush us—we’re meeting in the parking lot of a stadium,” Jake said with a questioning look.
“I meant on the way to the stadium.”
“Phil’s following them.”
“They could’ve arranged it in advance. Have other guys do it. They could nail us on the way in. What’s Phil gonna do if that happens?”
“Yeah, but if they ambush us, Miller could get killed in the crossfire. That’d screw up the whole thing for them.”
“But what if they don’t give a shit if he gets wasted? Look at what happens if they kill all of us, including Miller. They’ll wind up still having Ash, leaving Linda completely on her own.”
Jake sighed. “Remember Rick Golino?”
“Okay, okay, I know.”
“We thought he couldn’t be that dumb, that he had to have something up his sleeve.”
“But he didn’t. He was that dumb.”
“I rest my case,” Jake said, smiling.
Yet despite all of Jake’s efforts, Al was still nervous. All of them could get killed, including Asher.
Or the worst scenario, maybe just Asher.
After another hour of napping, watching TV, and shooting the bull, Al went into the family room. “Ben, it’s time. Tell Phil to take off.”
Ben went outside, told Phil to leave. Then he took over watching Miller. Phil got in the tow truck and drove to the paving company.
Back inside the house, Al started picking up soda cans, glasses, and empty nut bowls. “This place is a mess.”
“I’ll help you,” Jake said.
Hack said, “Me too. You don’t wanna leave all this crap for Linda.”
They gathered up all the glasses and bowls and put them in the dishwasher. Al threw out the trash and wiped down everything.
Meanwhile, in the Suburban, Ben said, “In a little while you’ll be back with your buddies. You can go on to bigger and better shit.”
