Chapter Eight

Aegean Restaurant

219 Columbus Ave.

New York City, New York

While John gathered his belongings from his locker in back, Jimmy and Simon waited just inside the front door for him. Simon glanced nervously around and opened his mouth several times as if to say something, but then shut it just as quickly. Jimmy was aware of his friend's squirming and let him continue to do so for another few moments.

"You have something to say, Simon," Jimmy stated finally. "So say it."

"Jimmy," Simon blurted, "what the fuck are you doing?" Jimmy shrugged casually.

"I'm just finding out what Mr. Clark might remember." Simon gawked at him as if another eye had just sprouted in the middle of his forehead.

"He doesn't - ," Simon began shouting, then looked around furtively and lowered his voice in midsentence, "- remember a fucking thing!"

"I disagree."

"Why?"

"Call it instinct. I haven't been that long off the streets that I don't remember instinct. That guy knows more than he's telling." Simon mulled this over and sighed.

"And if you're right?" he asked. Jimmy did some mulling of his own and then shrugged again.

"Maybe he'll give us reason to defend ourselves. With deadly force." Simon wasn't happy, but made no further comment.

John emerged from the locker room and was passing through the kitchen when the glint of the knives caught his eye. He slowed his step and examined them more carefully, lifting a hand and running it just over the surface of the metal. Without conscious thought, he selected one and hefted its weight. Balancing the handle in his palm, he flicked his wrist, setting the knife spinning vertically. With another flick, the handle was secure in his grip, blade down. He slid the knife into his backpack and continued to the front door.

Mathilda hurtled down Highway 27, keeping one eye on the radar detector and one on the speedometer. Wouldn't do to get pulled over. Her fake ID might get her into clubs, but she doubted it would fool an officer of the law. She was also trying desperately not to think, but it wasn't working very well.

Leon.

Alive.

She was having trouble wrapping her mind around that one. Maybe she'd always known though. She'd never been able to forget him, stop thinking about him. She'd never been able to let him go.

As she entered New York's city limit, she made her way to Columbus trying to locate Aegean Restaurant. There. She pulled up front and jumped out, throwing the keys to the valet.

"Keep it handy, huh?" The guy nodded and she headed inside. The hostess approached her.

"Just one tonight?" she asked, picking up a menu from the lectern.

"No, actually, I'm here to see an employee. John Clark?" The girl frowned and looked unsure.

"Um, he's not here right now. He – "

"It's all right, Kim" a man interrupted her. "I'll handle this." Kim nodded and left them alone as the man came forward and held out his hand.

"I'm Dino Lucceri, I own the place." Mathilda shook his hand. "You're here for John?" She nodded. "You know, this is gonna sound bad, but I didn't think he had any...well, anybody."

"He has me. And I need to see him, it's important. She said he's not here, is he off tonight?"

"No, he was here earlier . . . some men came by to talk to him and he left with them."

"D.E.A.?" Mathilda asked urgently. Dino eyed her curiously and nodded.

"Yeah, how did you know?"

"Was one of them a man named Pace?" Dino nodded again and looked worried.

"What's going on? The guy's legit, right?" Mathilda bit her lip and shrugged.

"Kinda. Did they say where they were taking him?"

"Yeah, headquarters. He left a card, do you need the address?" Mathilda shook her head.

"Twenty-six Federal Plaza. I've been there." With that, she turned and walked out of the restaurant. She signaled the valet to bring around the car and flipped open her cell phone, dialing a number and hitting send.

"Thank you for calling Guido's, this is Holly."

"Hey, Holly, it's Mathilda. Put Tony on, would ya?"

"Sure thing, Mathilda, just a sec." She was put on hold as the valet returned with her car and she traded a ten dollar bill for the keys. As she pulled away from the curb, Tony came on the line.

"Mathilda?"

"Tony, I need you to do me a favor and not ask questions."

D.E.A. Building

26 Federal Plaza

Jimmy and Simon approached the lobby doors, John walking sedately between them. Jimmy waved to Gerald Drewry, the guard on duty in the lobby, who immediately came over to let them in and watched as they entered the elevator, the doors closing on the trio.

The ride to the fourth floor was made in silence, but Jimmy could sense Simon's unease growing. That coupled with John's unnerving calm was starting to crack even Jimmy's usually unflappable demeanor. He examined John more closely as the elevator rose, trying to detect anything that might give a clue to the man's state of mind. There appeared to be none of the usual signs – a tenseness in the shoulders, beads of sweat on the upper lip or brow, fidgeting from one foot to the other. Nothing. Not one thing to indicate that John Clark had a care in the world or a guilty bone in his body. Jimmy narrowed his eyes at the back of Clark's head as the elevator doors opened and Simon led the way down the hall.

A stretch limo pulled to a stop at the curb outside 26 Federal Plaza. Gerald looked up from his magazine to the limo and frowned. The building had its share of city officials and various other people of importance arriving in limos, but Gerald couldn't recall a one that visited after 5:00 p.m. unless there was some serious emergency. The limo driver exited and came around to open the back door. As soon as he did, out popped a woman who stalked to the front and began banging on the glass. Gerald walked cautiously over, taking in her appearance. Early 20's maybe, long wavy bleached blonde hair, shiny scarlet lips, tight form fitting dress, stiletto heels, and a purse thrown over her shoulder. It was her eyes that caught his attention though. They held a barely contained fury. He felt sorry for whoever that anger was directed at.

"Hey!" she screamed. "Is Jimmy here?! Cause if he's not, his ass is in some serious shit." Gerald winced at the strong Bronx accent, it was the one New York dialect he couldn't stand. The woman continued her tirade. "We had plans! And what happens? He cancels because something 'came up at the office'. What the fuck does he think I am, stupid?!" By now Gerald had reached the doors and held his hands up placatingly.

"Miss, I'm sorry, I don't know what you're talking about." The young woman scowled.

"Jimmy Pace. He's a big important man here," she said sarcastically, rolling her eyes. "If he's here, you tell him Sheila is waiting for him and he can't just brush me off! I have admirers further up the food chain than him. And you can also tell him – "Gerald held up his hands again. Her voice was giving him a headache and he really didn't want to be in the middle of whatever this was.

"Miss, please," he said soothingly, unlocking the door to let her in. "Why don't you come over to the desk and we'll call up to his office. I'm sure it's just a misunderstanding." She immediately brightened and stepped through as he held the door open for her.

"Well, aren't you the sweetest thing? And I'm sure Jimmy will be very appreciative." Gerald waved his hand dismissively and led her to the front desk.

"Eh, don't worry about it."

As soon as his back was turned, Mathilda lost her smile. Gerald rounded the desk and lifted the phone as she followed him around. He eyed her nervously as he looked up the extension for Jimmy's office. She slid backwards onto the desktop into a sitting position then crossed her legs. Gerald finally found the correct number and picked up the phone. Mathilda casually reached into her bag and pulled out a taser, sliding it along the length of her leg so that it was hidden from his view. Before Gerald could push the last digit, she brought the taser up fast as a snake strike and zapped him on the neck. He convulsed for a few seconds then she dropped the taser and jumped up to help ease him to the floor. She turned him on his side so that he wouldn't choke, then took a plastic zip tie from her bag and secured his hands behind his back. She stood and flipped open her cell phone, telling the limo driver to circle the blocks a few times. That done, she took Gerald's keys, retrieved her taser, and made her way to the elevators, bypassing them and entering the stairwell. She took a look up towards the fourth floor and looked down at her stiletto heels.

"Fucking heels," she muttered, stepping out of them and stuffing them in her bag. She then took out her favorite Beretta M92 hand gun, slid an extra ammo clip into her cleavage, and stuffed the bag under the stairs. She paused at the bottom of the stairs and took a deep breath. "I'm coming, Leon," she whispered, then started her ascent.