Disclaimer: Everything familiar belongs to JE.
Warning: Adult Situations
Chapter 30: Tuesday, August 23rd, 2100-230
Somewhere in Miami
The shit is about the hit the fan, and I am not happy about being here. The Viper is not known for leniency, and when someone fucks up an order, it isn't pretty. Jimmy fucked up twice. First, by letting Julie Martine live and then by not making sure that Thomas Goodwin was dead. I know Viper is going to make me finish the job. While I don't mind cleaning up after the Goodwin mess, I do not want to touch Julie Martine with a ten-foot pole. She is Manoso's daughter. As much as Viper scares the shit out of me, Manoso is scarier. I mean, the proof is in the rumor that Ranger killed Abruzzi. That man, Abruzzi, was a crazy mother fucker who only messed with the Plum whore, Ranger's little piece of ass and he killed for her. I can only imagine what he'd do when he finds out who used his daughter. We hear the car pull up, knowing it's only a matter of minutes now before Viper is upon us with her wrath.
"What kind of two-bit operation are you running here, Cobra. You know there were to be no witnesses left at either the Martine house of the Goodwin house. I must come down here from Trenton because you couldn't kill two kids. What the fuck is your problem? Going soft on me? You never had a problem being hard before."
"Listen, Viper; it wasn't wise to kill Julie Martine. Leaving her alive will keep us breathing. Ranger won't kill us. Besides, she can't ID us, and we didn't speak English. We spoke in a combination of Spanish and Arabic, so there is no way the little cunt will know what we said."
"You're such an idiot. I thought you said that Rangeman was no longer monitoring that house?"
"They weren't. My cousin installed the system for Secure Miami. He told me he disconnected the Rangeman system, but made it appear that the house was still under their monitoring."
"Well, my inside man told me that the house is still sending signals to Rangeman. Who was responsible for Goodwin?"
"Jimmy."
"I want to see Jimmy now."
I pick up my phone, calling Jimmy to my office, where I am meeting with Viper. He enters the room, then pales when he sees who is standing before him.
"Viper, how wonderful it is to see you again."
"Save your bullshit, Jimmy. Why is Tommy Goodwin alive?"
"I don't know. I cut the brat Tommy just like his sister. He should be dead! The only thing I can think of is that those jack-offs from Rangeman arrived too quickly. I have no idea how they even knew we were there. We completely hacked their system."
"I guess they discovered your hack. But it doesn't matter how Rangeman knew we were there. What matters is that you left two victims alive, two witnesses. You need to finish the job, and I want both Julie Martine and Tommy Goodwin dead by Monday. I don't care if you must take out innocents to make it happen. If you manage to kill Stephanie Plum while you're at it, expect a nice bonus in the amount of half of a million. Do not make me have to spend any more time down in this cesspool called Miami. How you can live with all this humidity is beyond me."
"Yes, Viper, consider it taken care of, I won't let you down."
"You better not, Jimmy. Now, who is going to drive me to the airport so I can get back to Jersey?"
I volunteer to drive Viper. I know Viper is upset, but I might be able to relax her enough to take some heat off Jimmy as much as Jimmy fucked up, he's a good man and doesn't deserve to swim with the fishes. I know that is what Viper has planned for him, but I won't allow that to happen.
As I take Viper to the airport, I ask questions about our next course of action. "Do we know what the police know?"
"No. The bugs planted at MDPD are not functional. My man tried to plant new ones, but they aren't working either, which I know is Manoso's work. He has his men sweeping several times a day for bugs. However, it does seem they somehow linked the Goodwins to Trenton. It is imperative that someone eliminates Stephanie Plum. She is causing more problems. The SIC is not thinking straight and is liable to fuck up this operation even more if she isn't dealt with soon. In a perfect world, she's dead, but her going back to Trenton would work as well. However, don't do anything at the funeral. Wait at least two days. Then, I want you to hit a few more houses: Straight B & E, no injuries. I want to confuse the feds. I want them to get off our tail. Do you understand?"
"Yes, Viper, I understand. I'll carry out your order. You have my word."
"If I need to come back down here with reinforcements, you better have your affairs in order. Do I make myself clear?"
"Crystal," I answer Viper.
"Thanks for the ride. Remember, get a new burner before calling me. My new number is here." With that, Viper left my car and entered the private plane to return to Trenton. I head to the underbelly of Miami, to the dens of the gangs, getting them onboard for some breaking and entry. I can pay them well for their skills. It will be worth it to get the heat off. As for Plum, she has such a penchant for car bombs; I think one planted in Miami will be the perfect end. If we plan it right, we can get rid of her and the brat in one swoop. Maybe we can even work it out so that Ranger is with them. I wonder if Viper would give me a bonus if I take out Manoso. Hell, I know Viper might not, but I'm sure Shark will, as Ranger has been a thorn in his side for far too long now. Now, who should I get to build the bomb?