“Let's hope so.” Mack checked his gun and then waited in silence, listening to the icy wind outside grab at the pieces of ice floating in the east river. As the wind howled, Joey Curanto's black limousine pulled up in front of the warehouse.
Chapter 7
Joey ordered Andy to drive away as he dragged Amy out of the back of his limousine. He spotted the front door to the warehouse kicked open.
“Move,” he snapped at Amy, pushing her through the front door. “Remember your part.”
As Andy drove away, he called Stan.
“The boss is inside. Get into your position.”
“Got it.” Stan parked the black SUV a few warehouses down from Joey's warehouse and then jumped out into the snow.
“Let's move,” he ordered.
Fortunately for Stan, Roberto was now too high on crack cocaine to even think straight. The leather faced snake slithered out of the back seat with wild eyes. Stan watched Roberto's hands remain at his side as he looked out at the frozen river.
It has to be now. I'll deal with Smiley later.
Without wasting a second, Stan walked around to the back of the SUV and acted as if he were withdrawing a set of AR-15's. But as soon as Roberto's back was to him, the man spun around, whipped out his gun, and plowed Roberto down with three hard shots.
“What are you doing?” Smiley screamed as Roberto's old body dropped down onto a pile of dirty snow.
“He's high! He turned on us. He threatened to kill the boss...” Stan ran to Smiley and grabbed his face. “Smiley, you and me go back. We served in the military together. I've never done you wrong. Stay with me, man.”
“But… he was my Uncle...” Smiley couldn't stop staring at Roberto's dead body. “You… you whacked my uncle! No… blood is thicker… have to remain loyal...”
Smiley yanked away from Stan and began going for his gun with drunk hands. Stan had no choice but to gun the man down.
“I've got to get out of here. The boss isn't going to take any story I make up. I have to get out of here.”
He quickly dragged his two victims over to the icy river and threw the bodies in.
“Smiley, didn’t have to be this way. Hope we can meet again someday. Roberto, well, just rest in hell.”
He flew to the flashy SUV and sped away without anyone seeing him.
***
The icy wind howled too loud for any sound to be heard, not even gunshots. Joey was still under the assumption that his best men were going to burst through the back door of the warehouse and trap his enemies while he covered the front door.
“It's time to play, girl,” he hissed at Amy, stepping up to the door leading into the main part of the warehouse.
“Lawson, I know you're inside and I know you can hear me! I want you to listen to me very closely. Come out with your hands held high or I'm going to feed this girl a lunch filled with bullets. And don't call for help because your own people have put you to death!”
Joey nudged Amy with his elbow while holding his Russian gun into his right hand.
Amy winced and then cried out: “He's going to kill me. Please, help me.”
“The game has changed,” Mack moaned in their hiding spot.
“Yes, it has,” Brenda agreed, looking at Mack through the darkness. “Mack—”
“We have to split up, now, Brenda. You go for the girl and I'll stay here and pick off our enemies,” Mack ordered in a reluctant voice. “Go.”
Right outside, Stan slid the SUV he was trying to escape in into a stop, nearly crashing into the side of a warehouse.
“If I run, I'll be running forever. I have to play this hand out. Maybe if I kill off the cops, Mr. Curanto will forgive me. I can tell him Roberto was high. Tried to kill me. Smiley turned on me when I killed in self defense.” Stan looked back at the line of warehouses and decided to play a very deadly hand. “I have to go back.”