Chapter Four: Shadows Emerge
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As the sun began to come up over the horizon, Danny found himself alone in the employee parking lot. The crime scene tape had disappeared as the police had apparently gathered all of the evidence they had wanted to. As he sat on the hood of his own yellow and black convertible, his brown eyes quickly glanced at the red Hummer H2 that was parked next to him. Letting out a sigh of despair, he looked at the lot in front of him. All he could think about was how he had let Ed down by not fighting back harder.
Suddenly not wanting to think anymore, he quickly hopped off of his car. The noise and bustle of the casino floor would take his mind off of things. It was at that precise moment that his cell-phone chose to ring. Hoping for some sort of adrenaline rush, like chasing down a cheater, Danny answered it quickly.
"Danny McCoy."
"Danny, it's Mitch." came the reply. "You'd better get up here to the surveillance room. Brunson's on the line in Ed's office, and he doesn't sound happy."
"Great." Danny replied sarcastically. Brunson was the owner of the Montecito, who made Ed look like a carefree individual. Dealing with him wouldn't be easy.
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"That voice." Ed said to himself as the lights in the room came on. He turned his head to see a younger, dark-haired, dark-eyed man standing in the doorway of the room. As a smile appeared on his face, the stranger walked casually over to the desk in front of Ed.
"Surprised to see me?" the man asked, sitting down on the desk. It was Jack Keller, Ed's former protégé from his CIA days. The two had last seen each other a few months ago when Keller had tried to rip off the Montecito, only to be stopped by one of Ed's plans.
"What the hell is this about, Jack?" Ed asked, glaring at the man in front of him.
"Payback for last time." Keller replied with a grin. "Much like yourself, no one gets the better of me and gets away with it." He leaned forward slightly. "So, how much do you think Brunson's going to cough up for your safe return?"
"You can't come up with anything better than the hostage shtick?" Ed chuckled slightly. He shook his head. "You really didn't learn anything from me."
"Careful, Ed." Keller replied, "I don't want to kill you before I have to."
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Letting out a cry of anger, Danny threw his wadded up jacket and tie across the room. He had just gotten off the phone with Brunson, who only seemed to care about the Montecito's image and not the safety of one Ed Deline. Sinking into Ed's usual chair, Danny put his head in his hands and stared at the floor. The ex-Marine couldn't help, but think that he could have done more to prevent what had happened. He should have noticed the men in the parking lot earlier. He should have brought reinforcements with him. If anything, he should have fought back harder.
As he lifted his head, Danny looked at Ed's desk. Pictures of the Deline family stood out among the various papers scattered upon it. Ed's spirit still lingered heavily in the room. After he slowly grabbed one of the photographs, Danny stared at Ed, who smiled unwaveringly back at him.
"What in the hell do I do now?" he asked the picture quietly. "What would you do?" He smiled as he realized that Ed would already be launching some sort of rescue. "Well, actually, I know what you would do." He frowned slightly. "But, I'm not you. I'm not sure that I can do what needs to be done."
"You know what Ed would say to that?" Mary asked, getting Danny's attention. The dark blonde woman stood in the doorway of the office. Danny didn't know how long she had been standing there, or what she heard.
"What?" Danny wondered as Mary walked over.
"Damn it, McCoy. I don't have time for excuses." Mary smiled, putting a comforting hand on Danny's shoulder.
"That's true." Danny chuckled, "He never has taken anything from me." He looked up at Mary, who had a serious look on her face. "What's up?"
"Luis called." she reported, "They've just arrested one of the attackers from yesterday."
To be Continued......
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As the sun began to come up over the horizon, Danny found himself alone in the employee parking lot. The crime scene tape had disappeared as the police had apparently gathered all of the evidence they had wanted to. As he sat on the hood of his own yellow and black convertible, his brown eyes quickly glanced at the red Hummer H2 that was parked next to him. Letting out a sigh of despair, he looked at the lot in front of him. All he could think about was how he had let Ed down by not fighting back harder.
Suddenly not wanting to think anymore, he quickly hopped off of his car. The noise and bustle of the casino floor would take his mind off of things. It was at that precise moment that his cell-phone chose to ring. Hoping for some sort of adrenaline rush, like chasing down a cheater, Danny answered it quickly.
"Danny McCoy."
"Danny, it's Mitch." came the reply. "You'd better get up here to the surveillance room. Brunson's on the line in Ed's office, and he doesn't sound happy."
"Great." Danny replied sarcastically. Brunson was the owner of the Montecito, who made Ed look like a carefree individual. Dealing with him wouldn't be easy.
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"That voice." Ed said to himself as the lights in the room came on. He turned his head to see a younger, dark-haired, dark-eyed man standing in the doorway of the room. As a smile appeared on his face, the stranger walked casually over to the desk in front of Ed.
"Surprised to see me?" the man asked, sitting down on the desk. It was Jack Keller, Ed's former protégé from his CIA days. The two had last seen each other a few months ago when Keller had tried to rip off the Montecito, only to be stopped by one of Ed's plans.
"What the hell is this about, Jack?" Ed asked, glaring at the man in front of him.
"Payback for last time." Keller replied with a grin. "Much like yourself, no one gets the better of me and gets away with it." He leaned forward slightly. "So, how much do you think Brunson's going to cough up for your safe return?"
"You can't come up with anything better than the hostage shtick?" Ed chuckled slightly. He shook his head. "You really didn't learn anything from me."
"Careful, Ed." Keller replied, "I don't want to kill you before I have to."
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Letting out a cry of anger, Danny threw his wadded up jacket and tie across the room. He had just gotten off the phone with Brunson, who only seemed to care about the Montecito's image and not the safety of one Ed Deline. Sinking into Ed's usual chair, Danny put his head in his hands and stared at the floor. The ex-Marine couldn't help, but think that he could have done more to prevent what had happened. He should have noticed the men in the parking lot earlier. He should have brought reinforcements with him. If anything, he should have fought back harder.
As he lifted his head, Danny looked at Ed's desk. Pictures of the Deline family stood out among the various papers scattered upon it. Ed's spirit still lingered heavily in the room. After he slowly grabbed one of the photographs, Danny stared at Ed, who smiled unwaveringly back at him.
"What in the hell do I do now?" he asked the picture quietly. "What would you do?" He smiled as he realized that Ed would already be launching some sort of rescue. "Well, actually, I know what you would do." He frowned slightly. "But, I'm not you. I'm not sure that I can do what needs to be done."
"You know what Ed would say to that?" Mary asked, getting Danny's attention. The dark blonde woman stood in the doorway of the office. Danny didn't know how long she had been standing there, or what she heard.
"What?" Danny wondered as Mary walked over.
"Damn it, McCoy. I don't have time for excuses." Mary smiled, putting a comforting hand on Danny's shoulder.
"That's true." Danny chuckled, "He never has taken anything from me." He looked up at Mary, who had a serious look on her face. "What's up?"
"Luis called." she reported, "They've just arrested one of the attackers from yesterday."
To be Continued......