by Finian Blake
“Permanently messed up,” Perry added.
“Sal is this clown as good as he thinks he is,” Wayne goaded.
“How’s your nuts,” Henry fired back. “I hear that little bitch put a real twist on them.”
“You asshole,” Wayne shook his fist at Senator Belight. “You promised not to tell anyone!”
“I haven’t made all of the tests that I want to do, but it should boot up,” Henry offered hoping that it would give him a little more time.
“Then fire the piece of shit up,” Salvador bellowed.
“All right Salvador it’s your computer.”
“You have known him long enough just call him Sal,” Wayne slurred.
“He hasn’t known me long enough, and neither have you,” Salvador slurred back. “Call me Salvador or Mister Ardent.”
Henry turned on the power relieved to see the normal boot up screens display. He was completely thrown off by the fact that the computer went directly to the desktop without asking for a password. Henry searched the icons for any files that looked promising finding one marked projects.
“I think that I will hold off on this one until we check out the rest of the programing,” Henry said nervously. “We are dealing with Boris Baronov.”
“Stop being a pussy,” Salvador laughed mockingly at Henry.
“A few nights ago we were within inches of a complete melt down and now you want to discount him as some cartoon figure,” Henry was desperate. “I have not slept in days and I am not going to take Boris on half in the bag.”
“I am ordering you to open that file.” Salvador was drunken spitting mad when he talked.
“You pushed Perry into this afternoon’s disaster, and berated him when it went south,” Henry said sourly. “You are supposed to be a computer wizard. If you want into that file show me how smart you are.”
“Go take your ‘baby’ nap,” Salvador pushed Henry toward the door stepping up to the keyboard to take his place. “I’m in with no problem. Henry you need to grow some balls.” The door was still open when he heard Salvador scream. Henry was almost to the elevator when Salvador raced into the hall.
“Henry get your ass in here,” Salvador screamed. “Where do you think you are going?”
“I am off to look for my balls,” Henry said mockingly walking ten more feet before stopping. “Alright genius I will be right there.” Henry walked back in his lab holding the door wide open.
“The drunks had a good laugh when you pushed me out to look for my balls maybe they will find some entertainment in your apology.” Henry said trying to imitate Salvador’s sardonic laugh.
“It was not my intention to make fun of you,” Salvador said physically choking on the words.
“Well then, let’s get to work.” Henry stood in place until he moved well away from the work station. He would graciously accept Salvador’s apology knowing that the other drunks would ride Salvador for him. Henry walked over to the computer cabinet removing the mother board from the cabinet watching the screens go blank.
“After Boris got in the first time I made some adjustments and installed several manual cutoffs to prevent this type of intrusion we did a few thousand dollars, worth of damage but we cut off a load of damage.”
“Why did you load it in the main frame asshole,” Salvador flared.
“I had the manual cutoffs in place. I wanted Boris to activate the intrusions that he set up the night that Nadia and Ted broke in so that I could find them.” Henry said with pride. “I also wanted him to see how stupid you are.”
“I also wanted to see how good you were,” a voice with a heavy Russian accent floated in the air. “I already know how stupid Sal is.”
“That was very good Henry. I should have offered you more, but I wanted to see who was in on your venture. Wayne Haggard, Senator Marvin Belight, Salvador Ardent, and the head of his security Perry Church are all in attendance.”
“Boris, I have your link now,” Henry growled.
“Let me show you what I do have,” Boris said with a comic whine in his voice. He typed in a command on his computer and the surveillance footage from the Metro station popped up on the monitor for Salvador to see. “You will notice that Mister Church was directing the operation, Sean snatched the laptop and your two goons moved in to take out my darling wife. Henry killed the feed to the Metro Security at the consoles, but he didn’t kill the cameras. Detective Barragan filed his report on his computer and I can insert a copy of the action footage in it.”
“Fuck you, Boris,” Salvador screamed into the air.
“We may fuck, but I will have the top,” Boris said trying to sound seductive. “I would love to chat longer, but you are too crude for my guests. Say good night to Sal.”
“Good night Sal sweet dreams,” everybody in the room said in unison after which Boris broke the connection.
“Everybody, out,” Salvador shouted not wanting to prolong the evening.
“I have a long way to go and it is late,” Wayne protested.
“Then you should leave right away,” Salvador said sourly. “Perry, would you escort Mister Haggard and Senator Belight to the parking lot.”
“We carpooled. Wayne and I live in opposite directions,” Senator Belight protested.
“That wasn’t very smart of you. Look, when you get out the front door you can work out any arrangements that you want,” Salvador said impatiently. “Perry, have one of your people take the Senator home.” Salvador relented not wanting to piss off the senator to badly before he left the building.
“Why are you pissed off at me,” Marvin asked in a wounded voice.
“You and Wayne both knew what that bitch could do. You also knew that she was packing a Taser,” Salvador said irritably. “I have two employees that will never be the same again because you had your head up your ass.” Salvador took Henry firmly by the arm walking him into the next room before another word could be said.
“I had to get out of there before I said anything else,” Salvador growled as the door was closing.
Perry escorted Marvin and Wayne to the lobby. Senator Belight was just stepping out of the elevator when his cell phone rang. He instantly recognized Mary Lee’s voice.
“Don’t let on to who you are talking.” Mary Lee cautioned. “Perry is going to lock the doors as soon as you pass through them and Wayne Haggard is going to pimp you for a ride back to D.C. They are going to leave you stranded in downtown Baltimore. When that happens, pace up and down cursing for a few minutes. Then as quick as you can walk two blocks down to a bar called the Blue Oyster.”
“And then,” Marvin asked.
“Before you order your third drink it will be obvious.” Mary Lee broke the connection. True to her prediction Perry locked the doors the second that they passed through. Wayne only unlocked the driver’s door laughing at Senator Belight as he pulled at the door handle until the car drove off. Salvador fell out of his chair laughing as Marvin stormed up and down cursing.
“Screw the prick. Perry, send a couple of your boys down to mug the good Senator and send somebody that won’t fuck it up.”
“I will handle it myself, and I’ll take Sean Aghra for insurance.” Perry said confidently.
Senator Belight turned and started to walk away from the Metro Station which pleased Perry greatly. Perry was disappointed when he turned into a lounge called ‘The Blue Oyster’ which was an upscale gay bar. He decided to wait across the street from the bar in a recessed doorway. Two men that were holding hands as they walked stopped in front of Perry and Sean.
“Take it in the bar ‘Sweetie’ the cops get really pissed when you do it in public.” Sean and Perry suddenly realized what they looked like huddling in the doorway.
“Fuck off fag,” Perry snarled.
“We thought that was what you were doing with your ‘bitch boy’,” the couple snapped back. Perry started to move out of the doorway causing the couple to run into the bar across the street. They were both grateful that th
is was their only confrontation. After fifteen minutes two beautiful women walked around the corner seductively dressed for clubbing. One was petite in the extreme and the taller one had one of the most amazing pair of legs that either man had seen on a woman. Perry swore that he knew the petite one, but could not put a name to a face. Both women were dressed in short shorts and halter tops presenting a bawdy air about them.
Mary Lee and Rhonda walked into the dimly lit club immediately looking down to the end of the bar spotting Senator Belight nursing a drink at the far end. His expensive custom tailored suit made him stand out among the casually dressed club goers. Marvin noticed a sudden lag in the hubbub of the bar patrons when Mary Lee and Rhonda walked in. He always admired Rhonda’s magnificent legs which the short shorts were now highlighting and Mary Lee’s outfit displayed her chiseled body to perfection. The bartender was about to explain that this was a men’s club when he recognized Mary Lee.
“You’re the Rampage girl,” Oliver exclaimed pulling a copy of ‘Fire Arms Monthly’ out from under the bar. He turned the pages until he found the rampage ad with Mary Lee holding a twelve gage auto loader between her legs and a caption reading ‘GET MY GUN OFF’. “Could you sign this for me? It’s for my husband Jack.”
She wrote clearly: TO JACK A MAN THAT APPRICIATES BIG GUNS, MARY LEE. “Would you like an autograph too?” She said warmly.
“I’ll give Jack a call and have him run another copy down we just live up stairs.”
“Well if you want me to wait I will need a drink for me and my friends.” Mary Lee said playfully indicating Rhonda and Marvin throwing $100 on the bar looking around to see that there were only ten other customers in the bar. “As a matter of fact buy the house a round. Mary Lee pulled out another hundred tossing it on the bar. My Girlfriend and I will take a double shot of Patron and whatever our friend is having.” Oliver made an excited call to Jack and started pouring the drinks.
“By the way you said girlfriend I take it that you are special friends,” Oliver said.
“Rhonda’s wife thinks that we are just friends,” Mary Lee said using a coy voice holding a finger to her lips as Oliver smiled with a wolfish grin.
“What about the gentleman,” Oliver asked cautiously.
“There are times that plastic will not do it for me and I just have to have warm meat.” Mary Lee said lewdly.
“That is her,” came an exclamation over her shoulder from Jack.
“You are right ‘I do love big guns’,” Jack said reading the note handing her another copy of Fire Arms Monthly that was open to the Rampage ad which Mary Lee inscribed: TO OLIVER YOUR DYNAMITE DRINKS JUST BLOW ME!!!...AWAY.
“I do have a problem,” Mary Lee said solemnly indicating Rhonda and Marvin. “My friend’s and I have a party scheduled and I don’t want Rhonda’s wife to find out. There are two private dicks hiding in the door way across the street. Is there any way that you could distract them for just two minutes while we slip out the back?”
“We tried to exchange some pleasantries with them and they called us faggots,” a couple down the bar lied.
“Well it’s party time,” Mary Lee hoisted her glass downing the double shot in one go, adding twenty dollars to the change on the bar. “All we need is two minutes.” Oliver led the three partyers to the back door while Jack led the make shift lynch mob across the street.
Perry and Sean were watching the door of the club when ten people stormed out of the bar marching directly to the darkened doorway.
“I don’t appreciate you spying on my customers, or you calling them names,” Jack said forcefully. “If you continue to harass my customers I will have you arrested.”
“Get lost fag, I know the chief of police,” Perry said forcefully hoping to impress the mob.
“I know him too and you may call me Detective Jack Faigan.” He said producing a gold detective’s badge holding it just a few inches from Perry’s face. “Let me see some ID.”
“Here,” Perry said producing his badge from Ardent Security hoping to impress Jack.
“Oh, a rental cop with a ‘cracker jack’ badge,” Jack said unimpressed noticing that Perry was carrying a concealed pistol. “You need a concealed carry permit with that ‘cracker jack’ badge, since being a want to be cop does not count for squat.”
“My permit is in my office,” Perry offered.
“No problem,” Jack smiled, “I will call an on duty cop and he can verify your information or your friend can run down to your office and bring your permit back here.”
“Sean my permit is in the top center drawer of my desk. Here is the key.”
“I tell you what. Give me your card and I will stop by your office to check out your paper work tomorrow,” Jack said not wanting to give up any more of his evening. “That is if you promise to call it a night.”
“That’s bullshit,” Perry started to flare. Jack grabbed his right arm putting it in a hammer lock forcing him against the door looking directly at Sean. “Your partner is going to jail would you care to join him or come down to post his bail.” Jack’s evening was ruined by Perry’s stupidity so he was determined to make this as unpleasant as possible.
“I am sorry to hear that,” Mary Lee said to Oliver on the satellite phone. “I would like to do something nice for the two of you if you would care to join us for dinner tomorrow night, but you will have to promise not to say anything about the three of us leaving for a party.”
“Tomorrow is a slow night, so I can round up some coverage, thank you.”
“We will send a car to pick you up so you can plan on drinking.” Mary Lee was grateful that she did not have to damage Perry or Sean.
“Senator Belight, you will notice that we knew that Salvador was going to pimp you before he did anything. Perry and Sean were supposed to mug you on your way to the Metro.” Rhonda tried to sound as formal as possible.
“Yes, how did you do that,” Marvin was dying to know.
“We heard every word that they were saying and had a good picture too,” Rhonda said as she booted up a laptop turning it so that he could see the screen. “Salvador forgot to turn off the Skype and we had a full view of their whole conversation.” Rhonda started the play back so that Marvin could hear every word of Salvador’s instructions to Perry. After it was through Rhonda placed her hands on his cheeks moving her face just a few inches from his face.
“Salvador is vicious and careless. Either you go with him or us, but you can’t sit on the fence any more. Two years ago I made a promise to you and have never broken it.”
“How did Mary Lee know about me,” Marvin protested.
“You are still doing the same old shit. The only thing that needs to happen is to spend a few hours with you and they have it figured out,” Rhonda said in frustration. “I made a promise to you that we would never reveal what was in those files. That will not save you from your current stupidity.”
“I am not stupid.” Marvin said firmly.
“You keep doing the same thing expecting a different result,” Rhonda said in frustration. “What the hell do you expect?”
“You never ‘outed’ me,” Marvin pressed with desperation.
“The information never went further than Cherry or I. Your habits betrayed you, but if you decide to go with Salvador you are on your own. The Sweeper file and everything before that will remain secret, so is your relationship with Mary Lee, but beyond that you are operating at your own peril. Remember Salvador sent Perry to mug you and we intervened in your favor.”
“I believe that I will accept your offer,” Marvin said quietly.
“Good, I hope you remember this discussion fifteen minutes from now,” Rhonda said brightly.
“You don’t believe me?”
“No, you absolutely believe what you are saying,” Rhonda said sweetly adding, “for the next fifteen minutes.”
“So what are you going to do,” Marvin asked as the limo pulled up to the helicopter pad.
“I am going to ho
pe that you are on the right side of the fan when the shit hits it.” Rhonda said as she pushed Marvin out of the limo toward Cherry.
“And what is that supposed to mean?” Marvin stuttered as Cherry guided him to the passenger cabin.
“It means don’t fuck up,” Cherry said as she closed the door. She was in the pilot’s seat and firing up the engines before he could ask another question. “The trip to Regan National is only fifteen minutes.” Rhonda and Mary Lee watched the chopper fade into the distance.
“I hope that we don’t have to do anything nasty to him,” Mary Lee sighed.
“It was a simple enough task,” Salvador snarled at Sean. “All that you had to do was rough him up and take his wallet. Just put a few lumps on him.”
“He had a block head start on us and the bar is only two blocks away.” Sean protested. “He was in the bar before we could get within range. We hid in a door way, but these two fags walked by saying something and Perry 'brassed' them off proper. They went in the bar and came out with a lynch mob. Perry got smart with the leader only to find out that he was a detective lieutenant with the Baltimore police, so Perry went to jail and I came here.”
“I am tempted to leave him down there,” Salvador snarled.
“He is your man, but I must say that you depend on him heavily,” Sean offered before he ran to Perry’s office to retrieve the concealed carry permit. He did not stop by Salvador’s office, but headed directly to the downtown lock up. He was surprised to find that all he had to do was present the permit and go through a few documents in order to get Perry released. When they finally got the car on the road Perry opened up.
“It took you long enough.”
“You were arrested forty minutes ago,” Sean protested. “By the time that you were booked it could not have been more than ten minutes in the holding tank!”
“Ten minutes in the holding tank is way too long,” Perry said with a grin.
“Ten minutes and you already smell like piss,” Sean laughed mockingly.
“You did good,” Perry roughly rubbed the hair on top of Sean’s head. “Let’s go talk to Salvador.”
