Chapter 7

Burwell's safehouse was a pretty decent place, perfectly concealed among the other houses in the neighborhood. The only thing that might have given away what was really going on inside, was a small camera over the door.

Tony rung the bell, giving a quick look at the camera. The door opened almost immediately.

"Almeida", said the man inside like he had just seen a ghost.

"Where is Burwell?", asked Tony abruptly while stepping in.

Burwell appeared behind the man as soon as he moved away from the door to let Tony in.

"Hi Scott", greeted Tony when he saw him.

"Tony – exclaimed Burwell –Never thought I would see you again."

"Life is a constant surprise", replied Tony.

Burwell glanced at two of his men.

"Search him", he ordered them.

Tony made a small grin and raised his hands, putting them on his head while one of the men started to search him.

"I have a gun", stated Tony just a moment before the man found it and passed it to the other one. Then he lifted Tony's shirt looking for wires.

"C'mon, do you really think that I would help again the people who ruined my life in the first place?", asked Tony a little upset.

"You never know", responded the other man, lowering his shirt and starting to look into his ears.

"He's clean", he admitted a moment later, after finishing his job.

"Can I have my gun back now?", asked Tony still a little annoyed by the whole process.

Burwell nodded. Tony took the gun an put it back in his pants.

"Come on, Tony – Burwell said – take a seat, I think you have a lot to tell us, starting from how you escaped from prison."

"Yeah, how about we just start from the reason I'm here, instead? Let's not waste time in futile prison story and get right to business."

"We'll get there, don't worry. C'mon, take a seat. Do you want a beer?", insisted Burwell.

Tony paused a second and looked at the other men in the room with the feeling that something was off. He needed to be careful.

"Yeah, sure", he replied. Then he sat on the couch as Burwell passed him a bottle before sitting himself on an armchair.

"So – begun Burwell – you told me on the phone that you were held in a former Starkwood facility. What I don't get is how exactly did you managed to escape from a military base, guarded by, probably, tens of men, without any help?"

"Never said I didn't get help", replied Tony with confidence.

Burwell gave him a confused look.

"The man who wants to do business with you helped me escape. He needed me to be able to get to you and vouch for him, so this will tell you how much he's willing to do to close this deal. Trust me, when he smells a good business, he stops before nothing."

Burwell was still uncertain.

"Tell me about him. How do you know him?"

"His name is Jack Rapp. Emerson and I already did some good businesses with him over the years before you came into the group. He has powerful connections so he's able to pay a lot of money when he thinks there's a rewardable opportunity."

"Never heard of him."

"That's why he's good covering his tracks and preserving his clients' privacy. You don't want to make this kind of sensitive affairs with someone widely known and already probably under the FBI radar."

"Ok, but why do I have to trust this Rapp guy I know nothing about?", asked Burwell, still waiting for something to convince him.

"Because I told you so – replied Tony – And because he's willing to pay a 7 zeros transfer to get something he wants from you."

Burwell's uncertainty turned into surprise.

"7 zeros? What does he want from me?"

"Do you really have so many ongoing businesses worth tens of millions? C'mon, you know what I'm talking about."

Burwell studied him for a moment, not willing to talk first.

"You tell me", he eventually said.

Tony sighed. Then he started speaking:

"A'right. Rapp thinks that you came across some nuclear material, probably in a weaponized form."

"Nuclear material?", asked Burwell very surprised.

"Yeah. Highly enriched uranium", responded Tony, getting sick of the play.

"Whoa, that's some serious stuff. Radiations can be easily detected and the consequences of getting caught with that kind of material are really severe. It's a huge risk to deal with nuclear weapons, nobody does it."

"Yeah, I know. But you do, don't you?"

Burwell stood quiet for a while, not sure if he should answer the question.

"Maybe. Or maybe not", he replied at last.

"A'right, look – said Tony standing up – I'm losing my patience here, if you wanna keep playing games and wasting a chance for a life-changing business, maybe I came to the wrong door."

"Hey, you seem a little nervous, Tony, relax – mocked Burwell gesturing him to sit back, before continuing – I'm not saying I'm not interested. How could I not be interested in a 7 zeros business?"

Tony stopped and looked back at him.

"So, you do have the uranium."

"Yes. But there is something more. I already have another buyer."

Tony frowned. This could complicate the whole thing.

"Well, I guess it won't be bad to find a more rewarding one – he said, trying to open up his way to convince Burwell – I can call Rapp to tell him where you can meet him, then you can look him in the face, choose if you trust him, hear his proposal and decide if you wanna stick to your original buyer or try to get more out of this situation. You have nothing to lose here."

Burwell took a moment to think, glanced at one of his man and then nodded at Tony.

"Ok. Tell him to come here. I will call also the other buyer and then we'll see who has the better offer."

"A'right."

A few moments later, in Jack's car, his phone started ringing.

"Hello", he answered, finally relieved to receive that call.

"Hi Rapp – said Tony on the other side – I'm here with Burwell, he wants to see you. Can you come at 41st, Latham street?"

"Ok."

"When can you be here?"

"20 minutes."

"A'right, he's waiting for you. You'd better prepare a good offer because there's another buyer on the plate. I don't wanna leave with empty hands."

"I will – said Jack a little concerned – I'm on my way."

Tony ended the call and looked up to Burwell.

"He'll be here in 20."

"Ok", said Burwell. Then, raising his bottle at Tony, he added:

"Welcome back, Tony."

Tony raised his beer too and took a sip, hoping he really made it to get his trust back.