by Vi Carter
I quickly step away and turn to the mirror. He’s still behind me watching me and I try to ignore the burn of his eyes on my back. I brush my teeth in record time. I don’t use the soap or cloth. Once I turn off the tap, I gather up my supplies and hold them close to my chest. He nods and touches the small of my back as I’m directed back to the room.
“You can put your things in the bedside table,” he says and I want to tell him to shut up. That’s what I was going to do but now that he said it I need to pretend I don’t understand. Going to the corner of the room where my shoes lie I hold my toiletries. He moves to the bedside table closest to me and opens it, points at my things and then at the drawer. I give myself five seconds of looking like I’m trying to figure out what he is saying before I step towards the drawer where I lower the items.
He points at the food after closing the drawer. “Eat. I’ll be back soon.”
I don’t move as he leaves the room, once the door closes I move around to the food. My stomach rumbles but I don’t touch it. It could be laced with sleeping tablets again; instead I go to the corner and sink to the floor.
CHAPTER EIGHT
LIAM
“Wanda.”
“What can I do for you today?”
“Lock down the living quarters.” I leave the area to let the girl eat her breakfast. She hadn’t eaten much yesterday, but she ate enough that my sleeping pills worked. I had added the same amount to her breakfast. Keeping her sleeping while she was here would be easier for everyone.
“Gregor, how is everything moving along?”
Gregor rises from the couch as I enter the entrance area of what I like to think of as my domain.
“Unfortunately Art overdosed last night, he had a very heavy drug habit.” I’m always impressed at Gregors skills and delivery of his work.
“And the other two boys?” I ask.
“Mark and DJ both died after their car veered off the road and into the lake. I was present when they recovered their bodies.”
Always so thorough.
“I’m meeting Gardaí Brady today to give him up the final boy and then Darragh is free to go. I will let him know now. I have another job for you, but just let me finish this up first.”
Gregor nods and I leave him to see Darragh. Opening the slot the sound of a car chase and guns firing reach me. Looking in he’s lying on the bed watching a movie from a portable device on his lap. Plates are stacked up around him. When he notices me he pauses his movie.
“Am I allowed out?” hope fills his voice.
“It depends on you,” I tell him.
His jaw clenches.
“Art overdosed last night,” I say.
His face crumbles but he tries to hide it. “What about DJ?” Regret fills his eyes, he wants to know but doesn’t. He needs to.
“DJ and Mark died in a car accident last night.”
He’s at the slot staring at me with pleading eyes. “Why didn’t you just shoot DJ. Did he suffer?”
“Does it matter?”
“Of course it matters.” Darragh’s back to hitting the door.
“Your behavior is telling me you’re not ready to come out yet.”
He swallows and fights to compose himself. “I am. I know it’s over and there is nothing I can do.”
I nod. “I have to meet Gardaí Brady now. Once Barry is in custody, I will inform Gregor to let you out.”
“Liam.” Darragh comes close to the slot so I can only see half his face, but he’s shaking his head. “I can’t live with doing this to him.”
“You’ll just have to.” I close the slot and walk away as he continues to throw himself uselessly against the door. The alarm sounds from my apartment and I’m not surprised she’s out again.
The bedroom door slams the moment I enter the living quarters. She didn’t wait around to be caught this time. Opening the bedroom door she’s in the corner again. Her back plastered against the wall, her eyes dart around the room as I step in. She hasn’t eaten her food.
“Eat,” I say.
She looks at the food but then she shrugs and frowns very unconvincingly. “No English.”
She was fluent in English, I knew this when I researched Mr. Novak. She was well educated and clever. I was comfortable pretending she didn’t understand me. But right now I couldn’t sit around and babysit her. Walking to her food I lift the tray. “Eat,” I say again and she widens her eyes as if she understands. When she reaches the food, I expect her to take the tray, but she shakes her head.
Lowering it down I take the cuffs out of my pocket and see the moment she decides to scurry away. Moving quickly, I Wrap my fingers around her small wrist. I don’t think about the feel of flesh under my fingertips. She tries to resist, but she’s not very strong. I close the cuff around her wrist and quickly move to the post of the bed, I’m ready to close it when she rolls unexpectedly, and the cuff comes free from the bed. I move quickly onto the bed and grab both her arms, she thrashes as I force her arms down pinning them either side of her head. Leaning my body against hers finally stops her. Feral ice-blue eyes filled with fear stare at me and for a moment I wonder why she’s so afraid. She’s breathing heavily, the pulse in the side of her neck flickering wildly. Her slim throat works as she swallows and I loosen my grip on her wrists. Heat burns from her skin penetrating my suit and I shift my fingers until they touch the metal of the cuff. Releasing her I pull the cuff until she moves towards the post understanding that fighting is a waste of her dwindling energy. I close the cuff around the post and get off the bed. The tray sits on the bedside locker within her reach.
“You should eat.”
She looks away from me as tears trickle down her face. Leaving the room I lock down the living quarters in case she manages to get out.
***
“Gardaí Brady.” I greet him as he sits waiting for me with another member of the Gardaí.
“This way gentlemen.” They both rise as Gregor and I make our way to the gentleman’s club. The room is empty and the two men follow me. Gregor stays on the door making sure we have full privacy.
“Can I get you a drink?” I offer and both decline.
“Mr. O’Reagan this is Gardaí Weldon. He’s new on the force and has shown great judgement with situations.” Gardaí Brady uses his words carefully as I sit down and push across the file that I had Sam make on Barry Fitz.
“Gardaí Weldon we shall see your worth,” I tell him.
He gives me a nervous smile.
“Here is everything you need.”
Gardaí Brady touches the brown file but doesn’t open it.
“This is an open and close case.” I remind him.
He opens the file and looks through the information that will put Barry behind bars.
“I’m impressed,” he says looking up at me.
“All you have to do is go to that warehouse and you will find the ATM’s and a lot of money. The warehouse is registered in Barry Fitz name.” I point at the next line. “Location of two of the vehicles that are covered in his finger prints and some hair samples. He didn’t act alone. You will also find traces of Darren Jordan, Art Bell and Mark McGuiness.”
The new Gardaí frowns. “Darren Jordan and Mark Mc Guinness were pulled from the lake in the early hours of this morning.”
“How unfortunate,” I say and focus on Gardaí Brady. “The evidence is all there Gardaí. You have Barry’s address. I can assure you he’s at home.”
“Is he alive?” The bite in Gardaí Brady’s voice tells me he isn’t happy about the other’s being dead. But I wasn’t here to make people happy.
“Yes.”
“What about Art Bell?”
“I assume he is Gardaí Brady. But I can’t guarantee anything. The boy after all had a serious drug addiction.” I stand to let them know this meeting is over. “I want word when Barry Fitz is arrested. I want him behind bars as quickly as possible. Set bail at a million. He is after all a flight risk,” I say.
; Gardaí Brady nods at everything I say.
“In the warehouse, there is a black bag behind the ATMs that’s for your service.”
They both get up and Gardaí Brady takes the file with him. I’ve been avoiding the next job on my list but I know it’s time. I can’t allow myself to regret my decision. If someone chooses to force my hand then it is no longer my choice.
“Gregor.” He enters the room and stands close to the table that I stay seated at.
“John Cummings recently retired from the Army. He had a heroin addiction ten years ago and has remained clean.” I stand before I say the next part. I’ve never felt conflicted before but this was the world I was forced into. The one of impossible decisions and an ever ending circle of violence. “He needs to return to his old habit, and he needs to die with a needle in his arm.”
Gregor nods his understanding. He never shows any discomfort or hesitates no matter what I ask him to do.
“Also tell Sam to give me a report on Mr. Novak’s movements and I will release Darragh myself.”
The door closes and I get up and pour myself a drink. I can’t allow myself to think about John. He had too much knowledge. He was the one who knew all about heroin and the correct dosages. He had injected it daily into Darragh’s arms for weeks. I drink a full glass of whiskey before I pour another. I had trusted him not to hurt my brother, and he had lived up to his word. I knew asking him to do it again wouldn’t be easy on him, but I didn’t think he would say no. A part of me wished he had just agreed.
***
The minute I get word from Gardaí Brady that they have Barry in custody I go to Darragh. Opening the slot I’m surprised when he stares back at me.
“I’ve been waiting for hours,” he barks.
I pull back the lock not prolonging the inevitable. The door hasn’t fully opened when he storms out like a bull released from a cage.
“Where are you going?” I call after him.
“For a fucking shower.” He slams the door as he leaves the area.
“Wanda.”
“What can I do for you today?”
“Unlock the living quarters,” I say as I pull my tie off.
“Living Quarters are unlocked.”
I enter and scan the area but nothing has been disturbed. Opening the top button of my shirt I move quietly across the room and push the bedroom door wide open. She’s awake and is making good work of cutting through the poster of my bed with a blunt knife. She holds it out to me. Her food still sits on the tray.
“Wanda.”
“What can I do for you today?”
“Shut down the basement except for the living area.”
“Shutting down the basement.”
I walk towards her and a tremble in her hands vibrates down into the knife.
“I’m going to uncuff you so you can make yourself some food.” Her clothes are wrinkled and she looks like she could do with a wash. She looks away from me before returning with the frown she uses to make herself look confused. I turn my back on her and go to the wardrobe. I don’t have much to offer her but a white t-shirt and a large pair of black jogging pants.
“I don’t have anything else but you can shower and get changed.” I place the clothes at the foot of the bed.
She’s still holding the knife refusing to lower it. “You can either put the knife down and place it on the tray. Or I’m coming over there and I’ll remove it from you myself.” The knife rattles as it hits the tray.
“Your understanding of English has evolved so rapidly that I’m impressed.”
Her cheeks tinge with a pink hue and she drops her gaze.
I uncuff her. She cradles her hand to her chest.
“If you try anything I will recuff you,” I say.
She doesn’t look at me. “No English.” She can’t even look at me as she lies poorly. I don’t correct her but leave the room. I’m removing every sharp object from the drawers as she enters the kitchen. Her footsteps are unsure.
“Make whatever you want, just clean up after yourself.”
I use a pillow case to gather up all pointy objects. I leave her in the living space as I check the cabinets in the bathroom. Her moving around in my kitchen has me tightening my jaw. She’s touching my things, and I don’t like it at all. I take everything back out to the living area where I place them on a table and start up my laptop. I check in on all the hotels and back-end business. My mind goes to John again wondering if Gregor is now with him. Is he dead or high?
The food smells lovely and I glance over at the girl. She’s still nervous, her eyes darting around the room. She notices me looking at her and drops my gaze. The tremble in her hand is making it difficult for her to cut up onions and especially with a blunt knife.
My email dings and I open the report from Sam on Mr. Novak. He’s been down in Kilkenny, Longford and Athlone, it’s the next three places I wanted to open up my new ventures. Nothing was out of the ordinary.
Good job Sam. Stay with him.
The smell of food is to my right. The girl stands there and I close my laptop that she is staring at. She’s left a plate of food beside me, noodles with chopped peppers and onions. The sauce smells like a mushroom and she gives me a quivery smile before handing me a knife and fork. She walks away and the nervous tick in her walk has me looking at the food.
“I want you to take a bite.”
She pauses her stride and turns to me and shrugs.
I pick up the knife and point at the food and then her, it was unnecessary but I would keep up the pretense. “You eat.”
“Ah… Hmm…. You.” She points at the plate and then at me.
“You,” I say. I can see the moment she knows she should just taste it. She walks over and takes the fork from my fingers, her pulse flutters in her neck as she takes a very small amount of noodles. I stop her before they reach her lips.
“More,” I say the word strongly and her nostrils flair.
She drops the small amount back onto the plate and takes a large fork full.
“Eat it all,” I say standing.
“No… hmmm. You.”
Her attempt at broken English is almost amusing. I go to the counter where her plate sits and I pick it up while getting a clean fork. She watches me nervously as I start to eat hers. She pauses eating mine.
“All of it,” I repeat and I enjoy the results. Her eyes drop closed, and she fights it, trying to pretend that she didn’t scrape the remainder of the tablets off her breakfast and into my dish. I finish my own food and walk towards her just before she slides off the side of the couch. Lying her down, I pull her arms to her side and brush her hair out of her face.
She was clever I had to give her that.
CHAPTER NINE
SVETLANA
My head hurts as I slowly open my eyes. I’m sideways. A slick black laptop sits on a coffee table in front of me. A black object under the table catches my attention. Opening my eyes fully I don’t move as I focus on the gun that’s strap to the base of the table.
Footsteps have me sitting up too quickly; I hope my face doesn’t portray what I just saw. I hold on to the arm of the couch as he places a glass of water in front of me.
“You fell asleep,” he says. At this stage I think he knows I understand English. My parched mouth won’t give me a second, the water looks so good. I gulp the full glass down as he stands over me.
“Would you like another?” He asks his hand reaching out for the glass. I glance up at him and into ink black orbs. I have no idea if I’ve angered him or if he’s feeding me water to drug me.
“Ano.” I refuse to speak English but hand over the glass. I watch him as he moves across the floor, his broad back shifts under the fabric of his tailored suit. He fills the glass from the tap; I don’t see anything being added to it.
I gulp it down and this time when he watches me I’m more conscious of him. Was he waiting for me to relax so he could punish me for trying to poison him? What would my uncle have done? He wo
uld have sent me to Holic or worse. Placing the glass on the table I wrap my arms around myself. My mouth dries up as he slowly descends before me until he is on his hunkers. I want to sink back into the couch but my hand has gripped the arm of the couch and I don’t move.
“You tried to drug me.”
My stomach roils and flips at his words.
His eyes tighten ever so slightly as he continues to speak. “I know you understand what I’m saying. So understand this. I will let it go since you didn’t succeed. But the next time you try to do anything like that, there will be consequences.” He rises and fixes the sleeves of his suit jacket.
My heart palpitates as he stares down at me.
“Consider this your final warning.” When his back is to me my hand flutters to my chest, trying to keep my heart in place.
“I have business to attend to. I would suggest you get fed and washed before I return.” He turns back to me each step has me sinking into the couch. I wish time would speed up as it feels like he’s walking towards me forever.
He picks up the slick black laptop. “Wanda.”
“What can I do for you today?” The robotic voice comes from speakers that I can’t see but seem to be all around us.
“Unlock the basement,” he says as he walks from the living space. He disappears out a large door and I’m tempted to follow him to see where he goes. But I don’t move from the couch. I’m trying to calm down my frantic mind. I wasn’t sure how long he would be gone but a shower sounded good and maybe more food.
I’m hesitant to remove my clothes. There is no lock on the bathroom door. There is nothing I can move to push against it either. Returning to the kitchen I pull in one of the large stools under the breakfast bar. It weighs a ton, but I manage to get it into the bathroom and push it against the door. It won’t stop anyone from coming in, but it will take force to get in fully and I will hear it. I quickly strip down and jump into the shower. I don’t want to think that this is his shower. Opening up the shower gel, it reminds me of him, a kind of minty smell with a hint of grass. The night he picked me up it was there under all the other smells. I wash myself quickly not lingering in the bathroom too long. I should have brought in my clothes. I find towels in a press. None of them are very big. One wraps around me but cuts off well above my knee. Wrapping myself in it, I try to find a bigger towel but come up empty. Holding the towel with one hand I pull the stool away and nearly topple it on my toes, luckily I catch it before that happens. Goosebumps rise over my bare skin as I step out of the steamed up bathroom and into the living space. I want to run through the space and into the bedroom but I force myself to walk. I remind myself that I’m fine, no one is here. The clothes that he has given to me still lay on the bed. The t-shirt is brand new, the lines from the packaging still available to see.
