The Random Affair

by James H Roby

  With Cody were three of his men - the disposables. They were needed, of course, but like tissue paper when you have to sneeze you want nothing more – but afterwards, you can’t wait to get rid of it. This was Slash’s lot. Men of unmistakable low character, capable of physical labor and little else yet always wanting more. If Cody was like them, he would kill them the instant the deal was done. As it was, he would give them no further thought. He’d move on to his next mission and put this whole affair behind him.

  And the next mission…oh yes. The death of Jordan Noble. He thought of it and little else for four years. It was so close, he could taste it. But he had to finish this deal. Cody bounced his shoulders and turned back to the window. It was practically the entire north-eastern wall. The city spread out before him. It was still in sad shape but from here he could see the new baseball stadium and a corner of the football field. Below him, some sort of construction on the street below – it ran down the avenue as far as the eye could see, from the river, disappearing somewhat far north in the heart of the city. He imagined it was very exciting and of keen interest to the citizens, yet he couldn’t be bothered.

  A smudge just at eye-level marred the glass. Cody breathed on it and rubbed it out with the sleeve of his black suit jacket. He was making such an effort to be focused. This deal, this crush, yes, it was important. He had never doubt he was a genius and once he got a venue to test said genius, he experienced success. The CIA drafted him and took his talent and like he was some kind of weapon, aimed him at one mindless project after another. Explosives. Something he conquered as a child, terrorizing bullies and neighborhood cats. But this is what the CIA wanted from him. And since he was a genius, the explosives he gave them were no garden variety. They were more potent. Harder to detect. To be fair, given the clandestine mission of the CIA being unnoticed yet destructive this would be of a high interest. To them, not Cody. Finally, the CIA noticed his ability, his potential and turned him loose on controlled substances – drugs.

  Drugs, and their impact on people – now that’s what piqued his interest. Since the death of his father, Cody at been at the mercy of other people’s interest. Their desires, their wishes. When the men his mother shacked up deemed it worthy to give her money, Cody and his brother ate. And when these same men felt like beating the crap out of him, that happened too. He knew through some means, he would have to be the controller. To make decisions affecting men’s lives. Lacking money or power, thanks to his fool of a father, Cody relied on his brain. And a good thing too – his mastery of chemicals allowed him control of drugs and in turn men. Maybe if the CIA had paid him what he was worth – maybe he would have been a good boy and followed the rules. As it was, he would have power again soon – he would be out of the control of his benefactor. And he would hunt Jordan Noble for taking the one thing Cody Random could never get back.

  The elevator dinged and out stepped the faithful Slash and one other man. Cody rolled his eyes at the sight of Robert Fields. He was another needed pawn, for just a fleeting time more. But now, the thin black man with the ridiculous designs carved into his hair was going to be a problem. Fields outpaced Slash and speed walked the length of the room to Cody. For his part, Cody clasped his hands behind his back and reminded himself not to kill this fool.

  “Where my boy at?” Fields asked as he got to Random. The disposables closed in behind him. Random raised a hand, stilling their violent urges. Robert Fields was an old friend of Kevin Small. Just another link in the chain the benefactor laid out.

  Random blinked, then looked around the room. “He’s not with you?”

  Robert Fields wore an electric blue suit with eight buttons. The shirt was yellow and while he probably thought he looked good, to Cody he was a clown.

  “Don’t play with me, man,” Fields said. “The only reason I got involved with this is my boy vouched for y’all.” He raised his head as if his words were a threat. Random didn’t brook threats well.

  “We’re about to get rich. Don’t you want to get rich?” Cody cocked his head to one side. Fields matched his gaze, the wheels in his mind turning. When no words came out, Random leaned in closer, eyes blazing.

  “Yeah, man,” Fields said, eyes sliding away. “Course, I wanna get paid. But -”

  “But nothing!” Random shouted. A pair of deep breaths and he continued. “I don’t know where your friend is. Things go awry with matters such as these.”

  Fields screwed up his face. “A-what?”

  A third deep breath. “Awry. Wrong. Out of place. In any event, I believe Mr. Small would not want all our hard work to go in vain, right?” Random saw Fields’ eyes wandering around, his mind trying to adjust to the new situation. It the midst of his confusion Random added, “Besides, the good family men, who are on their way, won’t be so understanding if you bowed out due to your missing friend.”

  Fields’ head bounced up. His eyes were large compared to the calm visage of Random. He dumbly nodded, realizing he was in a penny and a pound. A pound of his flesh, that is. A buzzing came from his jacket pocket.

  “Speak of the devil,” Random said.

  Fields drew his phone and stepped away. He pointed to Random as he walked. “This ain’t over, dog.” He answered his phone.

  Random smiled and straightened his jacket. He looked toward the elevator and Slash had crossed the room. He stopped next to Random.

  “You seem ill at ease, my friend,” Random said. Slash shook his head. They were an odd pair, these two. Random in his black suit. His long hair was drawn tight at the back of his head. Slash still in the cowboy gear of a long tan duster, blue jeans, t-shirt, and boots. His hair was a wild mess on his head.

  “I don’t know, Cody,” Slash said.

  “What?”

  Slash sighed. He drew his hand across the whiskers on his chin. “You know these people. They only want to deal with their own kind. We ain’t got Small no more.”

  Random nodded at this. The original plan was for Small to facilitate the closing deal with the buyers. Slash obviously meant African-Americans when he said, ‘their own kind’. Nothing could be done about that. Small was dead and that was that.

  “We’ll have to make due, old man,” Random said. He patted Slash on the shoulder to reassure him. As if on cue, one of the disposables called to Random from the window.

  “Hey, they’re here.”

  Random, his pace noticeably quicker, walked back to the window wall. He peered down to the ground floor. A late model Mercedes Benz pulled up to the entrance of the building. Fields reappeared.

  “You see ‘em, right?” he threw his chin out the window. “It’s all good. Kevin ain’t here, so I’ll do the talking. I know these people.”

  Random tried not to smile. He almost felt sorry for Robert Fields and his delusion of importance. “Whatever you say, Mr. Fields.” He gestured for Fields to move to the window. Fields joined the disposables, Random and Slash.

  Five stories down, four men exited the vehicle and headed for the building. Soon, everything Random had planned for his entire adult life would bear fruit.

  If only Mikey were here. He pushed the thought of his brother from his mind. The time for such things would come later.

  He walked away from the window and rapidly went to the elevator on the building’s south side. Behind him, Fields came up quickly. Random waved for his disposables. The three men in dusters stood behind him, hands folded before them. Random liked that. The doors would open and the first thing his guests would see is him, flanked by his guards. Yes, very impressive.

  Ding.

  The elevator doors opened and off stepped four men. Center most was Anthony Pagani. A good family man. He was big, not fat but his suit probably came from a place with Big and Tall in the title. His jet black hair was combed to one side. His eyes narrowed with suspicion and on the lookout for threats. The mouth was a tight line beneath fleshy jowls. The two men flanking him were clearly bodyguards. Tall, lean, dark
suits and cupped hands at their sides. The final member of the group wore what looked like clothes he slept in. The bespectacled man had on a wrinkled black shirt and cotton tan pants. A messenger bag crossed his body and in each hand, a large backpack.

  They could have been stockbrokers or bankers. Of course, they weren’t. They worked for the largest drug cartel in the Midwest. For years, the cartel funneled its ‘product’ into the inner cities, suburbs, and just about everywhere else imaginable through men like Rob Fields.

  Pagani lumbered off the elevator. “So, we just gonna stare at each other. Ain’t like I ain’t got better things to do.” The Italian accent was thick. It could be excused if anyone thought they heard the ‘Godfather Theme’ being played.

  Random came forward. The guard on the right stepped before his principal. Random’s hands went up and he took a step back. He drew a breath to speak but Fields beat him to it.

  “Mr. Pagani. Hey, it’s good…it’s good to see you, sir.”

  Pagani’s eyes moved to Fields. They lingered on the man’s face for long awkward seconds. Fields straightened his tie and went through the motions of thinking of an intelligent thing to say. He missed his opportunity. Pagani pointed a pudgy digit to Random and eventually his eyes moved in the same direction.

  “Robert here, I know. Not well, but through Charlie Tate. Now, Charles, he’s a good guy. So, when he tells me he’s got a good deal, I’m of a mind to listen. Be nice if Kevin Small were here, but…” Pagani breathed in a long noisy breath. “Now, you…you I don’t know.”

  Random nodded. “Indeed. A friend of a friend as it were.”

  Pagani wagged his finger. “Uh, uh. A friend of a friend of a friend. I wouldn’t go so far as to say Robby here is a friend.”

  “Ah, c’mon, Mr. Pagani! You know me. I did that thang in New York -” whatever else Fields was going to say, died in his throat at Pagani’s icy stare.

  “A gentleman doesn’t remind another of a favor.” Pagani’s voice was slow and labored – like each word cost him a measure of life. A measure he wasn’t fond of wasting on fools. He turned back to Random. His hand came up. “This is not a good start.”

  “Agreed,” Random said. “Let’s to it then. Cody Random. I’m the one who called your man, Charles Tate with an offer. I’m sure you have all the details…”

  Pagani nodded. “All the unbelievable details.”

  Random turned sideways and gestured to the laboratory equipment behind him. “A claim I am now ready to prove. Within these walls is the very product I have promised.” He turned back to his guest and pointed at the man laden with bags. “And I can only assume that your man here will verify just that.”

  For the first time, Pagani smiled. “Straight to the point, huh?”

  Random shrugged. “We are doing business.”

  Pagani chuckled now and wagged his finger again. “I like your style, Random.” He shot a thumb at the man with the bags. “This here’s Bernie Leone. Nice Jewish kid. Did real good up at MIT. Now, he’s working hard to pay off them student loans. When it comes to chemistry, ain’t no one smarter.”

  The introduction done, Leone moved forward to get to work. He stopped as Random held up a palm.

  “We are, as you said, not acquainted.” Random smiled.

  “I’m sure you’ll understand if we search you for weapons.”

  It was like a bell rang. The two guards moved forward between Pagani and Random, their hands close to their belts. Pagani smiled slyly and casually raised his shoulders. Random casted a look over to Slash who made a slight shake of his head. Random pursed his lips and turned back to Pagani.

  “I see your point. Perhaps a little personal security will make everyone more at ease.”

  “Yeah, that could do it,” Pagani said.

  Random gestured again and Leone passed by him. He went down the row of covered equipment until he stopped a good fifty feet away. He looked back at Random, who figured the man had reached the only station not protected by plastic.

  “That is where you’ll find the product.”

  Leone nodded, dropped his bags and got to work.

  Pagani and his two guards wandered over to a small seating area near the elevator. He sat but his twin goons maintain vigil.

  “I hope this won’t take long,” Pagani said. He took a piece of mint candy out of his pocket. He unwrapped it and threw it in his mouth. His words were the kindest since he had arrived but his meaning was clear. If he didn’t get the answers he expected and soon there’d be hell to pay. Random tossed him a casual wave.

  “I suspect no more than an hour. Can I get you anything while you wait?”

  Pagani rocked his head, his fat lips spread in a toothless grin. If he were a lesser man Random would panic. But he had nothing to fear. Leone would complete his work and prove the drug was nothing short of a modern miracle. He smiled at his guest and went to a seating area opposite Pagani’s position. Slash and the other henchmen joined him. Random was just about the take a seat when Fields rushed to his side.

  “Yo, man, we really need to talk about where Kevin at.” Fields words hissed in an angry whisper.

  Random peered over Fields shoulder to Leone and his party. He smiled to give the impression everything was going smoothly.

  “He’s not with us,” Random whispered. “I don’t know what else you want me to say.”

  Fields face went slack. He stepped back from Random, not quite sure what to do next. “What? What? How can that be?” His voice was a bit too loud and started to echo through the near empty room.

  “Quiet!” Random spat through his teeth. “He’s gone. Get over it.” He sat in the chair, an overstuff leather piece.

  Fields opened his mouth but Slash got him by the arm. He put his lips close to Field’s ear. “He’s dead, all right?”

  Fields drew back like he was slapped. His next breath came out in a short gasp. “Are you fucking crazy!” he whispered as much as he could given his shock. “Didn’t you hear this man? He don’t know me. He knew Tate and Kevin. When he figures out Kevin ain’t-”

  Random stood smoothly, buttoned his jacket and turned with his back to Pagani’s group. More harsh whispers. “Get a hold of yourself, man! Small’s dead. There’s nothing we can do about that. He was killed by a man named…Jordan Noble. For reasons that are too detailed to go into now, sufficient to say, they didn’t like each other very much.”

  “Jordan Noble?” Fields searched for answers in Random’s face.

  “Yes. Kevin was screwing Noble’s old girlfriend.” Random felt his words represented a motive Fields could understand. “Look, you can avenge your friend’s death later, I will even help you. But now…” He glanced over his shoulder to Pagani. “Let’s. Get. Paid.”

  They locked eyes and after a handful of seconds, Fields nodded. Random was sure the nonsense over the fate of Kevin Small was over.

  Awkward minutes of still passed as they all waited for Leone to finish. Across the elevator lobby Random stared at Pagani. In turn, Pagani just smiled, sucking on his hard candy. He was definitely in the catbird seat. No losing for him today. Either he would get ahold of a new form of cocaine or Random and his bunch would get bullets to the back of the head. Random could use some of the influence of the benefactor but that was impossible. He had to be a mystery. This deal would rise or fail based solely on the efforts of Cody Random.

  One hundred and twelve minutes later, Leone walked slowly back to the two opposing groups at the elevators. His footfalls were practically thunder in the otherwise hush of the room. Pagani looked over at his man but not with much interest or excitement. His twin goons made no signs of even being aware of anyone or anything other than their charge. Random also was still - eyes focused, as before, on Pagani - as if the echoing steps were just another sound populating the near empty building. Fields reacted, a half step forward until he noticed no one else had moved. He tried to return to his original position as unnoticeable as pos
sible.

  Leone angled to Pagani and breathed out a long sigh. Random crossed over the elevators, figuring now would be the appropriate time to interact.

  Pagani twisted in his seat to get a look at Leone. “Well?”