Featured image by Bruno /Germany from Pixabay
“Relax! It’s not one of my usual places. I learned a lot from you when it comes to setting up shell companies and putting untraceable money into them. I’m the majority owner of two restaurants and a bar down here. One of my companies owns a nice place in Uptown with a two car garage. There is even a clean ride in one of the bays. We can hid your vehicle in the other” stated Henry as he got to the door and took off his booties before opening. We had little choice, we followed, but I stopped him before he opened the door.
“Two of them need to check their assignments. I strongly suspect we are their new targets” I stated.
“And you are okay with that?” asked Henry.
“If we are, then I know exactly how fucked I am” I responded.
“Ignorance is bliss” muttered Henry as Stretch handed me the pistol before putting a battery in his phone. Slim put a battery in his as well.
“You are just going to stand here?” asked Henry.
“They aren’t going to live much longer than us if they do the job. You already spotted the watcher.
Stretch opened the assignment and turned the phone so I could see the image. “Some Russian guy. Is this that Dimitri you spoke of?”
“How do you know about Dimitri?” asked Henry.
“Pretty Little Thing left me a message” I responded.
Slim turned his phone so we could all see and asked “Is this the same guy?” Stretch turned his phone to Slim who said “That would be no then.”
“You each have the optional MicroSD card installed I hope?” I stated more than asked. They nodded. “Save the file to the card and power the phone off. We will poke at them with the laptop later.”
“What now?” asked Giant. Odd for him to just go with the flow like that.
“We go to Henry’s place. Freshen up, then I go find Dimitri.”
“You going to do a hit now?” asked Stretch.
“I wish. Now I’ve got to talk to him and leave him breathing” I responded. “Are their any plastic bags in the kitchen Henry?”
“Under the sink” he responded.
“I’ll get them” offered Slim. “I want to look at the other one anyway.”
“What about the money?” piped up Giant. That’s why he wasn’t himself, he was salivating.
“Being laundered” answered Henry.
“Seriously?” Giant spat incredulously, removing his hankie completely.
“I got some clean cash for some of it and gave some to supply drivers I trust with instructions not to spend it in this state. That cash will be tripping bank sensors all the way to Seattle by now” answered Henry. “Don’t you guys carry operational funds?”
“They do now” I answered.
“So we are running on your stash and mine” Henry stated as Slim returned.
“That was another one of the condoms from our last ‘bait the bear’ game. They were definitely sent here for us” stated Slim.
“That would mean the Badger was sent for you two” stated Stretch thoughtfully.
“Unknown. All he said was that he was waiting for Old Timer” spoke up Henry.
We all turned to look at Henry before he felt the need to offer any more. “We were both here when those three showed up. Two through the front and one through the rear kitchen entrance. I took care of the one in the rear. The Badger shot these two and one of them got lucky on the way down. Never got to inquire about his intentions. It all happened on the day you were supposed to get here. Now! Let’s get out of here!”
Booties went into the bag before leaving and gloves outside once the door was closed.
Quietly I stated into the air “Say nothing until we get to Henry’s. Watcher could have returned while we were inside. Let’s take the other way back to the car.”
I let Stretch and Slim take the front. Henry, myself and Giant sat in the back. Giant, of course, didn’t want the middle, so I took it. Henry said he would need to get out and unlock the gate. In all my time with Henry I would never have suspected he manage to own a massive two story on Fontainebleau Dr. with a two car garage and a car port tucked safely from prying eyes behind a gated drive.
“Let me open the second bay and you can back in there” Henry told us after he unlocked the gate.
“Why do we have to back in” muttered Giant.
“Because he learned more than he let on” I answered. “Best to crash through a garage door going forward if you have to both mow down and dodge shooters. Trying to back out and Rockford into drive leaves you too exposed. He wasn’t kidding about Badger. That was a lucky shot. Just under the chin, through the throat, severing the spine.”
“How do you know all of that?” asked Giant.
“The bullet hole in the wall and the three in the other wall. Nobody moved those bodies. Badger couldn’t have shot after he was hit.”
“So you believe his story?” Slim asked as he backed into the garage.
“It could have been the other way around. Henry could have been keeping the condoms company when Badger walked in, but, the bodies were in the wrong order. Badger was in the living room when the other two came in” I answered. “What I believe or don’t believe cannot hold a good argument with the evidence.”
Henry turned the lights on and closed the garage door. “There are plenty of rooms upstairs. Just choose one which doesn’t look like I’ve been sleeping there. You can each choose a bathroom to clean up in. I’ll make us something to eat.”
I bust out laughing seeing that deer in headlights look The Acrobats got.
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