The Keepers of the Rose
Page 52
Anna was tired of riding in the car. She did, however, realize its necessity. Earlier, Vitori decided to ignore her advice and had arrived at Anglin’s Fishing Pier, shadowed by a dozen armed men. They blended quietly into the surrounding location and were instructed to grab Rock the moment he was identified. But he never came. Instead, Sayla met them on his behalf. Since that time, the girl had driven them all over Miami, running lights and taking quick turns. Once, they even left their car and entered a large office building from the East side and exited the West, only to change vehicles and start moving again.
As the ride passed the one-hour mark, Vitori began to lose his patience. “How much longer do we have to do this,” he complained. “This is becoming a little outrageous.”
“If it makes you feel better, we’re on our way there now. No more stops,” Sayla answered. “We had to lose your whole team back there.”
“It was just me, “ Vitori said. “Like we agreed.”
“Sure it was.”
The time was passing 9pm and night had settled over Miami. Vitori’s face fell into shadow except for a few brief moments as the car passed beneath various street lamps. Anna avoided looking over at those times. His creased skin, highlighted by a quick flash, made him look even more evil.
“Rock trusts you now,” she asked Sayla, turning her attention to the girl who played both sides. She didn’t receive an answer.
To her credit, Sayla kept a cool head the entire time. She didn’t allow either Vitori or Anna to get through the tough exterior, though both of them had tried. Vitori wanted information. Anna wanted to see where Sayla’s loyalties actually lied. But she gave away nothing in her silence.
They finally took an exit from the freeway and Anna felt her body unexpectedly tense as she moved into a state of anticipation. She began to notice every subtle detail. To her side, Vitori clicked his right hand fingernails on the window in a triplet pattern. He held his other hand across his stomach where he hid a gun. In the front, Sayla’s right arm shook when she held the wheel. Her breathing was controlled but sounded shallow and fast. She was as nervous as either of them. Outside, she noticed the light spatter of rain on the car roof and the small drops that trailed down the glass.
Two more turns and they pulled onto a long road that took them to a graveyard of vacant parking lots, covered in stray garbage and weeds. They pulled into a circle drive and stopped at the entrance to one of three large office buildings, arranged in an arc. Anna couldn’t tell the exact color, but this night, they took on a greenish tint.
“Is this it,” Vitori asked.
“Of course this is it,” Anna responded.
“I wasn’t aware of addressing you.”
“This is it,” Sayla replied. “You both are to get out and go into the middle building. Take the center hallway until the end and take a right, follow it to the office with the light on. Rock will be waiting inside.”
“What are you going to do,” Anna asked.
“I’m leaving,” Sayla said. “My part’s done.”
Vitori removed himself from the car and prodded Anna to do the same using a swift knock on the trunk. When she was clear, Sayla immediately pulled away, leaving them alone. The rain had stopped but a fine mist still hung in the air. She could feel it dampen her skin.
“This it is,” Anna said. “I’m not going to miss you when this is over.”
“Nor I you,” he returned
Vitori pushed her in front of him. He kept one hand on her back as they walked towards the front. Anna wanted to swipe his hand from her, and start running. Maybe, she thought, she could disappear into the darkness.
“Don’t think about,” he said. “I feel your muscles tensing. If you try, I’ll put you down. I’m a decent shot. Remember that.”
“I’m not going anywhere,” she said.
They arrived at a set of glass doors. One of them was propped open by a stone. She glided inside and Vitori followed. It was dark. The lobby was cast in various shades of grey and sat eerily still. Nothing moved. Vitori kicked up dust from the floor and Anna coughed as she breathed it in.
He turned in a circle, squinting into the shadowed hallways and opened doors. As an older man, his vision was probably on its way out and the lack of light only served to put him on edge. He stepped closer to her and grabbed her arm, pulling her in. He finally brought out his gun and stuck it into her back. “Let’s hope nothing scares me,” he said.
Anna ignored the comment. “Down the middle and to the right,” she said leading them in the direction. They crept down the hallway, never going faster than an old man’s walk. At the end of the first corridor, they made a wide turn. A faint light shone from inside a doorway, a hundred paces further down. The cone of light spilling into the hallway was a stark contrast to the rest of the building.
“You first my dear,” Vitori urged her forward. At the end, the hall split off both to the right and left before the threshold. She could see into the room but there was no sign of Rock. When they arrived at the juncture, Vitori tightened his grip. He took a long look in either direction. She knew he couldn’t see any further than she could and if somebody was hiding, they would never know.
“Rock!” He yelled from outside the room. “I have Anna.”
Suddenly, Rock appeared before them, twenty feet away, standing perfectly erect. He watched them for a moment. “Come in,” he finally said. “We’ll make the exchange in here.”
Vitori pushed Anna into the office. As they came into the light, she felt him raise the gun to rest securely against her head.
Chapter 48
Florida, August 2012