Sorry it took so long, but I was having some technical difficulties.
Updates should be coming sooner now. Some character info is revealed here,
so hopefully you like how the story's going. Thanks for the reviews!! It's
very encouraging. Well, enjoy! As always, I don't own GH characters and I
make no money.
***** Niki had gone over everything that night. Before her sedatives took effect, the details were worked out mentally. It would be close and rushed, but not impossible and that was enough. When she got up early that morning, she booked her flight for later that day and called for a van. She quickly packed everything she really needed, which didn't include the furniture, much to her dismay. The house had grown on her and the furnishings were up to her tastes, but she'd find replacements soon enough. Her life in that city was over. Just like in the last one. As much as she reassured herself it was the right decision, she couldn't push Lorenzo from her mind. She wished she could've stayed, if only for him. She scoffed. The only person worth staying for was the one she was leaving because of. Fate definitely wasn't on her side.
Now she was running again. She spent a while the previous night thinking of where to go. Apparently across the country wasn't far enough, so this time she had to cross an ocean. She liked Europe but didn't want to have to learn any new language, so she stuck to Spain. She had taken a few Spanish classes in high school and refined it in the past couple of years, so she figured it would work out. Niki always loved Spain anyway. If she had to move it might as well have been somewhere she liked. It would take time to get some real work, but there was plenty of money for her until then. Her services were sure to be needed. They always were.
Back at his place, Lorenzo couldn't sleep so he called many of his old associates, who were very happy to have their best ally back in business. He had to make sure people were willing to help him with whatever he decided to do. He still needed some information. There were questions and he knew how to get them answered. Lorenzo sent for his best know-it-all guy, who arrived quickly enough. The guy, Bobby, was young and trying to make good with Lorenzo and his associates. He was easy to read and naively honest. He came in dressed in loose, sloppy clothes, spiked back hair, and out of place sunglasses. He was clearly nervous and jumpy, but his eagerness to impress took over.
"Well good morning Mr. Alcazar. You don't know how good it was to hear from you again. I heard on the street that you were outta the game, but I knew you wasn't. You're the top player. The big dog. You'd never bow out. But it has been a while so I was kinda shocked to hear from ya."
"Shut up Bobby. I need to ask you some questions."
"Yeah, yeah! Sure thing boss. Whatever you need to know I'll tell you." Bobby answered in his overexcited, fairly shrill voice.
"Good. I need to know everything I can about a particular woman. A Phoenix hardy."
"Niki?"
"Yeah," Lorenzo answered amazed, "That's her. Who the hell is she?"
"You really haven't been payin' much attention to things have you?"
"Spare me Bobby before I loose my patience, now why don't you fill me in."
"Well, let me see. Niki's pretty big in town these days. She kinda new, but man did she make an impression. A lot of guy been askin' for her services."
"Her services? What are you talking about? Is she a hooker?"
Bobby laughed, annoying an already irritated Lorenzo.
"A hooker? Naw, she ain't no whore. She's a hit man. Or is it hit woman? I don't know what the hell to call her."
"Wait, wait. She's an enforcer?"
"Yep. She's probably the best anyone here's ever seen. Her second week here she took out one of Costellano's best men. Real clean too. The police couldn't trace a damn thing to her."
"So who does she work for?"
"Well no one really. Whoever's willing to pay enough. If they do what she tells 'em, she helps them out. She's got some grudges though. Like with Costellano. He wouldn't take her seriously so Niki wanted to show him what she was made of, ya know? I'd hate to be on her bad side. She's a mean one. I ain't ever met her or nothin', but I'm always hearing about the stuff she does, and man it sounds brutal. Why do you wanna know anyway? Is she givin you trouble or something?"
"Don't make me kill you Bobby."
"Oh don't worry sir, I won't. I like the living, breathing thing."
"That's all for now. I appreciate your help, and remember, you were never hear and we never had this conversation."
"Yes, sir, as always. Got it boss."
"Good." Lorenzo said, pulling a wad of bills out of his pocket and handing them to Bobby, who stared at it hungrily. 'Probably needs it for more crack or whatever the hell he's on' Lorenzo thought. "My men will see you out."
After Bobby left Lorenzo had to sit down. A mob enforcer? Could he really have been so detached that he didn't even know about her? He knew there was some talk around town about a new player, but he paid as little attention as he could. Bt even with this new knowledge, Lorenzo couldn't figure out why she got so upset the night before. He doubted she was afraid of him. Maybe she didn't want to be involved with another mobster. She didn't seem to care if he knew her name, but never said anything about her work, and even seemed to avoid it. He didn't really want to talk about his either, so it made some sense. Still, Lorenzo was lost.
Soon he was on the phone again, gathering whatever else he could on her. He now knew what she had been up to since coming to town. In the year she'd been there, her body count was almost 20 in and around town. All were unsolved and there was nothing connecting her to any of them. In fact, the police were still clueless to her business there. She was definitely good. She never missed a hit, and she always got her payment. Guys learned early on not to double cross her. She could easily trade cash for lives and didn't seem to know the difference.
While he was hearing the details of her affairs, an eerie feeling kept crossing over him. She sounded so heartless and bloodthirsty. That wasn't what he felt during their time together. Sure she was defensive and obviously wounded and bitter, but not like what he was hearing. She had a heart. He saw it in her eyes.
He tried to find anything before she came, thinking info from another city would help him piece some things together, but there was nothing. No trace of her before Florida. His best resources could find nothing. It was like she didn't exist before a year ago. Fed up with research, and being an impatient man to begin with, he decided to go straight to the source.
He took one of his cars and drove out to Niki's as the sun was beginning to set. He wondered if he should just tell her what he knew or ask and see what she says. He didn't want to upset her, but he wanted to hear her side of things and maybe find out some details and background.
When he pulled up he immediately noticed her car was gone. He got out and knocked anyway, thinking it never hurt to try and he could just wait if she wasn't home. No one answered, as he suspected, and started to turn around and head back to the car to wait, but something caught his attention. One of her curtains was partially open and out of the corner of his eye something seemed off. He got closer and looked inside. The rooms were bare of the touches he'd seen before, and the ground was cluttered with papers, rags, books, and many other loose items. He knew it had been abandoned, and that threw his worry into overdrive. His mind was starting to panic, but he tried to stay clear headed. Where could she have gone? Getting back into his car he phoned his head associate to get any info he could and tell him immediately.
Hours passed and Lorenzo called again, but there was no knew information. It was like she just disappeared. He yelled at the man to try harder and be as thorough as possibly, not resting until he knew something. Lorenzo was at home, just waiting and not knowing what else to do. He thought again about the last few days. They had been almost surreal. If he didn't know any better, he'd think it had all been a dream and he had just woken up. But it wasn't. He also knew that no matter what he had to do, he was going to find her somehow. There was no way he could let her go so easily. He couldn't accept defeat knowing it would mean he never saw her again. No, she was out there and he'd find her if it took all he had left.
***** Niki had gone over everything that night. Before her sedatives took effect, the details were worked out mentally. It would be close and rushed, but not impossible and that was enough. When she got up early that morning, she booked her flight for later that day and called for a van. She quickly packed everything she really needed, which didn't include the furniture, much to her dismay. The house had grown on her and the furnishings were up to her tastes, but she'd find replacements soon enough. Her life in that city was over. Just like in the last one. As much as she reassured herself it was the right decision, she couldn't push Lorenzo from her mind. She wished she could've stayed, if only for him. She scoffed. The only person worth staying for was the one she was leaving because of. Fate definitely wasn't on her side.
Now she was running again. She spent a while the previous night thinking of where to go. Apparently across the country wasn't far enough, so this time she had to cross an ocean. She liked Europe but didn't want to have to learn any new language, so she stuck to Spain. She had taken a few Spanish classes in high school and refined it in the past couple of years, so she figured it would work out. Niki always loved Spain anyway. If she had to move it might as well have been somewhere she liked. It would take time to get some real work, but there was plenty of money for her until then. Her services were sure to be needed. They always were.
Back at his place, Lorenzo couldn't sleep so he called many of his old associates, who were very happy to have their best ally back in business. He had to make sure people were willing to help him with whatever he decided to do. He still needed some information. There were questions and he knew how to get them answered. Lorenzo sent for his best know-it-all guy, who arrived quickly enough. The guy, Bobby, was young and trying to make good with Lorenzo and his associates. He was easy to read and naively honest. He came in dressed in loose, sloppy clothes, spiked back hair, and out of place sunglasses. He was clearly nervous and jumpy, but his eagerness to impress took over.
"Well good morning Mr. Alcazar. You don't know how good it was to hear from you again. I heard on the street that you were outta the game, but I knew you wasn't. You're the top player. The big dog. You'd never bow out. But it has been a while so I was kinda shocked to hear from ya."
"Shut up Bobby. I need to ask you some questions."
"Yeah, yeah! Sure thing boss. Whatever you need to know I'll tell you." Bobby answered in his overexcited, fairly shrill voice.
"Good. I need to know everything I can about a particular woman. A Phoenix hardy."
"Niki?"
"Yeah," Lorenzo answered amazed, "That's her. Who the hell is she?"
"You really haven't been payin' much attention to things have you?"
"Spare me Bobby before I loose my patience, now why don't you fill me in."
"Well, let me see. Niki's pretty big in town these days. She kinda new, but man did she make an impression. A lot of guy been askin' for her services."
"Her services? What are you talking about? Is she a hooker?"
Bobby laughed, annoying an already irritated Lorenzo.
"A hooker? Naw, she ain't no whore. She's a hit man. Or is it hit woman? I don't know what the hell to call her."
"Wait, wait. She's an enforcer?"
"Yep. She's probably the best anyone here's ever seen. Her second week here she took out one of Costellano's best men. Real clean too. The police couldn't trace a damn thing to her."
"So who does she work for?"
"Well no one really. Whoever's willing to pay enough. If they do what she tells 'em, she helps them out. She's got some grudges though. Like with Costellano. He wouldn't take her seriously so Niki wanted to show him what she was made of, ya know? I'd hate to be on her bad side. She's a mean one. I ain't ever met her or nothin', but I'm always hearing about the stuff she does, and man it sounds brutal. Why do you wanna know anyway? Is she givin you trouble or something?"
"Don't make me kill you Bobby."
"Oh don't worry sir, I won't. I like the living, breathing thing."
"That's all for now. I appreciate your help, and remember, you were never hear and we never had this conversation."
"Yes, sir, as always. Got it boss."
"Good." Lorenzo said, pulling a wad of bills out of his pocket and handing them to Bobby, who stared at it hungrily. 'Probably needs it for more crack or whatever the hell he's on' Lorenzo thought. "My men will see you out."
After Bobby left Lorenzo had to sit down. A mob enforcer? Could he really have been so detached that he didn't even know about her? He knew there was some talk around town about a new player, but he paid as little attention as he could. Bt even with this new knowledge, Lorenzo couldn't figure out why she got so upset the night before. He doubted she was afraid of him. Maybe she didn't want to be involved with another mobster. She didn't seem to care if he knew her name, but never said anything about her work, and even seemed to avoid it. He didn't really want to talk about his either, so it made some sense. Still, Lorenzo was lost.
Soon he was on the phone again, gathering whatever else he could on her. He now knew what she had been up to since coming to town. In the year she'd been there, her body count was almost 20 in and around town. All were unsolved and there was nothing connecting her to any of them. In fact, the police were still clueless to her business there. She was definitely good. She never missed a hit, and she always got her payment. Guys learned early on not to double cross her. She could easily trade cash for lives and didn't seem to know the difference.
While he was hearing the details of her affairs, an eerie feeling kept crossing over him. She sounded so heartless and bloodthirsty. That wasn't what he felt during their time together. Sure she was defensive and obviously wounded and bitter, but not like what he was hearing. She had a heart. He saw it in her eyes.
He tried to find anything before she came, thinking info from another city would help him piece some things together, but there was nothing. No trace of her before Florida. His best resources could find nothing. It was like she didn't exist before a year ago. Fed up with research, and being an impatient man to begin with, he decided to go straight to the source.
He took one of his cars and drove out to Niki's as the sun was beginning to set. He wondered if he should just tell her what he knew or ask and see what she says. He didn't want to upset her, but he wanted to hear her side of things and maybe find out some details and background.
When he pulled up he immediately noticed her car was gone. He got out and knocked anyway, thinking it never hurt to try and he could just wait if she wasn't home. No one answered, as he suspected, and started to turn around and head back to the car to wait, but something caught his attention. One of her curtains was partially open and out of the corner of his eye something seemed off. He got closer and looked inside. The rooms were bare of the touches he'd seen before, and the ground was cluttered with papers, rags, books, and many other loose items. He knew it had been abandoned, and that threw his worry into overdrive. His mind was starting to panic, but he tried to stay clear headed. Where could she have gone? Getting back into his car he phoned his head associate to get any info he could and tell him immediately.
Hours passed and Lorenzo called again, but there was no knew information. It was like she just disappeared. He yelled at the man to try harder and be as thorough as possibly, not resting until he knew something. Lorenzo was at home, just waiting and not knowing what else to do. He thought again about the last few days. They had been almost surreal. If he didn't know any better, he'd think it had all been a dream and he had just woken up. But it wasn't. He also knew that no matter what he had to do, he was going to find her somehow. There was no way he could let her go so easily. He couldn't accept defeat knowing it would mean he never saw her again. No, she was out there and he'd find her if it took all he had left.