Flu
Chapter 17
"Go kill the motherf****r!" Dino orders, springing out of his seat. His palms smack the surface of his desk. "What the f*** are you waiting for?"
"For one thing, the lawyers to get our guys back on the street," Carlucci explains, wishing he'd just called Dino instead of showing up in person. "We were running short of men to start with, and the cops are still holding a lot of our soldiers. There's no way we can go up against whoever's guarding DeNuncio at the Saracen."
Dino sinks back into his desk chair. "So, you don't go up against them. You go around them. At a hotel like the Saracen, nobody knows everyone. We send someone in as staff, a maid maybe. No one even looks at them. Half of them don't even speak English. Sophie can play the part, and leave DeNuncio a little surprise."
"Boss, Leo could spot a bomb a mile away," Chris protests. "He's like one of those dogs. He can probably smell one."
"Who said anything about a bomb?" Dino smirks. "Housekeeping replaces all the fancy stuff the Saracen puts in the rooms, right? The coffee, bottled water, the mints on the pillow, Sophie can doctor any of them and be long gone before the cops figure out what happened."
"That's genius, Boss."
"Someone with a brain has to run this organization," Dino retorts. "You go set things up at the Saracen. I'll talk to Sophie myself. We don't need any more f***ups."
Chris gratefully turns for the door. "Right away, Boss."
Strings of tiny white lights add an air of romance to the Lacy G. As the other guests board with Kate and Rick, he judges the boat will be about half full. That should be perfect. He and Kate can have a table without anyone on top of them, and there will be room to move on the dance floor.
Kate's been straining to escape medical bondage since before she left the hospital, and Rick can understand her relief at the freedom their little Saturday night excursion will afford. But he's growing increasingly excited as well. Except for their night of joy with help from a very special movie, he's missed intimate adventures with his bride. Not that he plans any hanky panky on deck, but he's looking forward to some together-time, away from files and computer screens.
A woman with a clipboard in hand takes a final count of the guests before signaling to the captain that the vessel can shove off. A tuxedoed waiter leads Kate and Rick to a table covered in a white linen cloth. Glasses sparkle and flatware shines, as the couple studies the evening's bill of fare.
"Want to share a Chateaubriand?" Rick offers.
Kate pictures the juicy cut of meat. "Sounds good, and I definitely want first crack at the dessert tray."
Rick's eye winks under a raised eyebrow. "I always say, if you're going to sin, sin big. I guess since you're off your meds now, you don't have to worry about alcohol. In the spirit of adventure, you want to try the house red?"
Crystal rings as Kate dings her empty wine goblet. "Absolutely."
Lana comes to the cop bar where she's indulging in nachos and slowly draining a beer, more for the company than drinks or snacks. Usually, she has no trouble finding people she knows, but the crowd tonight is thin. The game on the big screen doesn't hold much attraction, either. Her team is down by four runs and shows no signs of being able to catch up.
The redheaded cop is considering leaving when she spots the approach of a newly familiar face, Eli Douglas, in the mirror behind the bar. He looks around as if expecting someone before taking the seat next to her. "Nice to see you again, Lana. Do you come here a lot?"
"Counselor, if that's your pickup line, you need to work on it," Lana advises.
"No line, just curious," Eli protests. "I've never been here before. I'm supposed to be meeting Roy Montgomery."
"Business on a Saturday night?" Lana queries.
"Family business, and not the Scarpellas. Roy's wife Evelyn and I recently discovered we're cousins. Roy and I were going to work out the details of what I guess you'd call a family road trip we're going to be taking in a couple of weeks. He probably got held up in traffic."
"That happens," Lana allows. "Since you're a newbie here, I can recommend the beer on tap, and the nachos aren't bad either. But whatever you do, stay away from anything deep-fried. I think the cook changes the oil in the fryer on about the same schedule as the oil in his car. Maybe not even as often."
Eli grimaces. "Thanks for the warning. I think I'll stick to the pretzels."
"Probably a good move," Lana acknowledges. "Oh, I see Montgomery coming in now."
Eli waves at the captain before returning his attention to Lana. "We won't be discussing any family secrets. You're welcome to join us."
Lana shakes her head. "I was about to get out of here, anyway. You have a good night, and maybe I'll see you around."
"I hope so," Eli mutters to himself as he appreciatively watches Lana make her exit.
At the rail, with a breeze in her face, Kate leans back against the warmth of Rick's body. His arms encircle her waist as he rests his chin on her shoulder. "Cold?"
"No, just cool enough." She gazes at the gently rippling water. "It's lovely here. We spend so much time obsessing about the dark underbelly of New York; it's easy to forget how much the city has to offer."
Rick presses his lips to her neck. "Then, it's wonderful to have a chance to remember it. Any ideas about what pleasures you want to seek out tomorrow?"
"I think I want to start by sleeping in. I won't get to do that much after I go back to work. Then we can figure the day out from there."
Rick wraps his arms more tightly around Kate's slim body. "Sounds like a plan."
Maria Teresa Gonzalez isn't crazy about her job at the Saracen. When she's had the time, she's applied for better ones all over town. Unfortunately, she hasn't had much time lately. With so many at the hotel out sick, she's doing double shifts. Not that she minds the money, she's just tired of cleaning up after rich guests who think nothing of leaving wet towels on the floor and coffee rings everywhere.
Maria likes the guy in 1538. He doesn't look or act like the assholes who usually book rooms on the restricted VIP floor. She hasn't noticed anything in his room being out of place – except for the bedspread he didn't like – and the towels are all neatly folded. He even wipes out the sink. As she slowly works her way down the hall to his room, she doesn't expect to be in it long. There probably won't be anything to clean up.
Sophie peers out the door of 1536. Thanks to Cyber Rita, she had no trouble getting the room. Now, the woman pushing the cart full of cleaning paraphernalia, towels, and sheets is heading straight for her. Reaching into her pocket, she fingers her injection pen. The maid will barely feel the jab before she loses consciousness. Sophie considers killing her, but there's no point, she's getting paid for one contract, not two. The original plan was for Chris' guys to arrange for a switch, but Sophie can do a much neater job by herself. Her temporary victim won't remember anything from at least the hour before she loses consciousness. By the time she wakes up, Sophie will be long gone, and Leo DeNuncio will be dead.