Leopard's Run (Leopard People 10)

Outside cameras were pointed in the direction of the wreck. The doors of the surveillance van parked down the street opened, and two men rushed over to see if they could help the crying victims. The front door of Ulisse’s house opened and the two men in overalls emerged from the house and walked back to the truck. Both men got in and the truck was started, but they seemed to be looking at the accident with some surprise. After a couple of minutes, three security guards emerged and went up to the truck. After a brief conversation, they waved and walked across the street to the dark sedan that had been parked there for the last couple of hours. They drove away.

“What the fuck, Timur? Couldn’t Fyodor just call me without all the melodrama?” Ulisse demanded.

Timur sent the traitor a small shrug. “You know him. He’s secretive. That’s how he stays alive. Besides, he was worried about the threats his informant heard against you. Whoever it is has a plant on your security force. We find out who, you can take care of it. In the meantime, you have the two you absolutely trust.” He glanced in the rearview mirror to make certain the car followed. Rodion was in the car with the two men.

“Your text caught me by surprise,” Ulisse admitted. “Although, come to think about it, I’ve interrupted conversations between a couple of the newer soldiers. I walk into the room and they stop talking immediately. If it’s one of them I’ll cut off his cock and feed it to him.” He glared out the window. “Emilio actually had the balls to ask me to incriminate myself because he thinks I might be informing the Feds. He got hit twice. I’ve got a lot riding on his shipments getting through. He better not be behind this.”

“I doubt if Emilio would take on someone of your caliber, Mr. Mancini.” Timur added a little bit of deference to his voice. Just enough. He wasn’t a man given to speech and Ulisse didn’t know much about him. Timur always made certain to fade into the background when the heads of the various territories were in the same room with Fyodor.

Ulisse nodded. “Elijah maybe. He’d have the balls, but not the reasons.” The man fell silent until they entered a warehouse. As soon as the car behind them entered, Timur indicated for the crime boss to get out of the truck. “We’re switching cars. The Feds can track both these vehicles through the city and if we want to bring anyone to you, we don’t want a trail of cameras picking up your every move.”

“Clever. Fyodor thought of everything.”

Timur shrugged. “He’s a careful man and a good businessman. A man to have on your side.”

Ulisse threw him a quick glance as if trying to discover whether or not Timur was trying to convey something to him. Timur wasn’t looking his way, but sent a quick meaningless smile to the two security guards with Rodion. They were already at the black SUV with tinted windows. Timur slid behind the wheel and Ulisse got into the front passenger seat. Rodion took the very back seat with the two security guards in the middle seat. Essentially, if Timur gave the signal, Rodion would kill both guards instantly. He hoped that wouldn’t happen as he didn’t want to drive around with two dead bodies in the car.

He drove as sedately as possible until Ulisse accused him of driving like an old lady. Again, he just shrugged. “We don’t give cops reasons for stopping us.” The car swept up the drive leading to the Arnotto mansion. Ulisse looked out the window. “You have a massive amount of security and fire power.” Everywhere he looked a man was stationed with a semiautomatic visible.

The crime boss stepped out of the car, his two guards flanking him immediately. Timur led the way around the house toward a side entrance. “I’m not to take any chances with your life. There’ve been too many attacks recently so I stepped up security on Fyodor, and now, with this threat to you, he wanted it doubled.”

He led the way down the hall to the small, hidden door leading to the cement rooms down below them. It was cool in the hall and he led the way, staying in front of Ulisse while his two guards stayed right behind him. “This meeting room is protected. Elijah has one in his home as well. No way can the Feds record a word, no matter how good their equipment.” He walked right into the first room and turned back to face Ulisse.

Ulisse’s smile faded and a dark scowl took its place. “What the fuck?”

Behind him, Kyanite kicked the door closed, stepped behind the guard nearest him and slit his throat. Rodion did the same with the second guard.