11. Detour
Suzy dropped a bloody switchblade on the canvas. Mickey loosened his grip on her and Suzy fled the ring. Few people outside the ring noticed what went on, as most pushed toward the exits. One who did notice was McCall. He remained in his seat. He could not rush to the stage; it was too well covered by armed guards. Mickey saw that too, and quickly slipped the gun back under his shirt, hoping no one had observed it. He bent down to help Elise.
"Ouch," Mickey said as he observed the wound.
Elise nodded. Mickey grabbed a towel and applied pressure to the wound. "You think you can walk?"
"Where? We're boxed in."
As if to remind him, a thug announced. "You two, out here now."
The numbers were bad. Maybe if McCall, Jimmy and he all were firing at close range and there weren't dozens of people likely to get hurt in crossfire, it might work. If only. "You up to this?" Mickey asked Elise.
"Not much choice," she groaned as Mickey helped her up. "Oh, god," Elise moaned as she stepped over the rope to go out. She crashed onto the floor. The thugs just watched. Mickey followed her out, and helped her up.
"Okay fellas, what next?" Mickey asked.
"She comes with us."
"She's hurt. I'll have to help her."
The guard shrugged. "Bring her this way," he said, pointing his gun toward the door.
"Why?"
"Boss Man say so."
"He talk too much," Mickey complained but cooperated.
On the other side of the room, McCall and Jimmy talked. "Just so you know," Jimmy said, "someone else pulled the fire alarm before I did."
"Ah, yes, I should have seen that coming. The show runners, aware of an imminent raid, have elected to cut and run, making necessary their own diversion. They will take Ms. Cantrell as a hostage to keep the Bureau off their backs as they depart. Let us alert Vinny to watch their departure, and then we shall pursue them. I suppose we should alert the Bureau as well, in case their cameras have failed to perceive the nuances of what has transpired."
As McCall exited the Hall through the front door, he hoped that the Bureau had a decent handle on what had happened and were prepared to pursue the operators as they exited. He knew the job would be difficult for Jimmy and he, not yet in their vehicles. Once outside, McCall observed cars and vans loading and pulling out apace, but going nowhere fast as traffic snarled. McCall reassured himself that at least Vinny should be in a good position, possibly Ginger too. As he approached his car, McCall saw Mr. Wu who pointed toward the side of the building. Ginger waved at him to come. Her car was already out on the street. Cars honked at her for holding up traffic. She shot them a bird. McCall and Jimmy ran toward her. She yielded the driver's seat to Jimmy. McCall placed the keys to the Jag in her hand. She took them and left.
Inside the building, behind the ring, Mickey assisted Elise up. "Hey, let me take my bag at least. You don't want her dying yet, I'm guessing."
The talkative guard nodded in agreement. "I'll get it." He pawed through it first, picked it up and then, with his gun aimed at them, followed Mickey and Elise out the door with it.
Sweet, Mickey thought. Maybe he'd like to shoot himself next. Elise faltered on her next step. Mickey picked her up and carried her. "Hang on. It's not that bad," he whispered.
"Who's feeling it, you or me?" Elise groaned.
"You just lie low for now," he winked at her.
"Is this the best plan we have -- get us both taken hostage? Cause I really had this fucked up enough on my own before you got here."
"Shush," Mickey said, aware that their whispering was ill-received by the thugs.
Mickey set Elise in the back of a van and got in behind her. Four thugs joined them in the back. "My bag," Mickey reminded the holder of it who remained outside.
The guard dropped it in the back, closed the panels and thumped, "Go."
"We're on a ride to nowhere," Mickey whistled, "come on along." It hurt Elise to laugh, but she did. "The bag, fellas, please."
"What you need?" one said.
"What's inside, you moron. Just pass me the bag."
"Talk to me like that again and you a dead man." The thug waved his gun at Mickey.
Mickey realized two things: one, it had been a bad idea to run his mouth and two, it would be futile to pull his weapon just then. "May I please have the gauze and the tape?" he asked. The thug passed it to Mickey. Mickey stuffed the gauze on her wound and taped it tightly. Elise took it as well as one could; it was unpleasant stuff.
Mickey pondered how he might give Elise the small gun he had beneath his shirt, but her outfit didn't leave room to hide much. He continued to ponder that as they rode. Mickey trusted that McCall had them followed, or at least tried hard to.
In ten minutes, Mickey knew by sounds and the speed of the vehicle that they were on an expressway. That boded poorly for being intercepted. He worried that once their destination was reached, Elise and he became disposable. Mickey pondered what might constitute the best time and circumstance to fire his way through the four thugs with them and then deal with whoever was in front. He didn't find an answer.
McCall watched and followed the convoy of vans and sedans which headed towards the Jersey Turnpike, uncertain which one contained Mickey and Elise. The convoy split into two sections several exits south of Newark. Two vehicles stayed on the turnpike while the remainder took a state road. Vinny followed the larger caravan; McCall the other. McCall observed several other sedans split behind him, one following him and the rest following the larger convoy. He felt confident they were Bureau cars. McCall knew he would soon have to call Walter about what might happen next. He also knew he'd been told to steer clear. He therefore called his answering machine first. He hoped against hope to hear from someone who might be able to intercede better than either the Bureau or he.
After two irrelevant messages, McCall's breath paused as he heard the third. "Mr. McCall, Robert . . . this is Barbara. I am aware of certain events tonight in contravention of my promise. I very much regret this, as does the gentleman involved. He was misinformed by someone as to certain aspects of the situation. The source of that misinformation, whom I am sure was always a concern to you, shall not be a further problem. If there is anything else I can do to help ameliorate the situation, please call me." She left a number.
McCall understood that in the next several hours or days, a crooked Bureau employee would turn up dead. When McCall called his friend at the Bureau a minute later, he did not mention this likelihood.
"Walter, it's Robert McCall. A leak in your office caused the fiasco that is currently playing out. Elise Cantrell is injured and a hostage, as is a Company man, Mickey Kostmayer."
"I'm sorry, Robert. Clearly my people misread the risk."
"I do not seek apologies. I hope to save lives."
"You have a plan?"
"Have your people back off until you hear back from me."
"I need to know more than that."
"I believe that if I act quickly, I can extricate the hostages safely."
"How?"
"With the assistance of competent help who will not cooperate if your people are present."
"You don't mean . . ."
"That is all I shall tell you. Do I have some time or not, or do you wish your people to screw this up further?"
"All right, but keep me posted."
McCall hung up and called Mrs. Bonnano. "This is Robert McCall. Thank you for your earlier call."
"Is she all right?"
"Far from it. She has been injured and is currently a hostage."
"How can I help?"
"I believe that the help will have to come from your stepson. Should he agree to assist, the Bureau has agreed not to interfere."
"What do you want from him?"
McCall enumerated his plan.
"It shall be done immediately. Keep me informed please."
McCall continued to follow his set of vehicles as he touched base with Vinny. "Watch from a safe distance and hope that our Asian friends are not in a hurry. Should you get the sense otherwise, please advise and we shall adjust accordingly."
McCall drove another half hour. They continued toward an industrial area in the relative quiet of middle New Jersey. McCall fell well back of the convoy and turned off his headlights as the vehicles slowed by a large, fenced area. Someone moved a wheeled gate out of their path and then closed it behind the convoy. The area was completely darkened except for the lights of the vehicles, which illuminated the route to a large two or two-and-a-half story warehouse. Outside of the structure, there appeared to be a large tarmacked area. McCall drove around the perimeter of the area with his head lamps off. As he did so, the warehouse lights turned on and brightened the area. When he observed the hangar doors, he knew a darkened airfield lay outside.
The moment the van's engine cut out, Mickey had to make a judgment call. Situation: he with a small revolver under his shirt, Elise semi-conscious, and four armed thugs accompanying them. True, none of them were particularly ready for an attack just then, but the numbers were bad. He decided to hold off. Yet he still wanted to make some progress.
"I need to change her dressing," he said. No one blocked his access to the bag this time as he was fully covered. Mickey reached in, unzipped a hidden compartment, placed a small automatic weapon in the towel and brought the bundle out. With his back to the guards, he swapped his small revolver for the more effective weapon. As Elise stirred, Mickey decided there would be no better opportunity. He reached underneath her and tucked the smaller weapon in the small of her back. He wrapped tape behind her to conceal it. Elise groaned as she simultaneously acknowledged with a look her awareness of what Mickey had done.
The doors to the van opened from the outside. Two more thugs waited there. Bad, bad numbers even if no one was truly prepared to fire. Mickey was good, but well, reality was reality. You don't get six free shots.
Mickey and Elise were directed into the back of the hangar, into an office. Mickey picked up Elise and carried her. He gently deposited her in a dusty corner as the gentleman holding the gun insisted. Moments later the man Mickey knew only as "Boss Man" entered. He wore a scowl. "You, out."
"I don't think so," Mickey stated.
"You a fed too?"
"No."
"Why the hell I believe you?"
"Because you're smarter than you look?" Mickey quipped.
"Step aside, now." Four goons with guns ensured Mickey's cooperation. "You not such hot mama now," the man said as he leaned over Elise. "Get her up," he instructed to his goons. From the corner to which he'd been banished, Mickey tensed. He knew that soon would have no choice but to go for his weapon and open fire regardless of the odds.
"You cost me big time."
"Not big enough," Elise said softly. Boss Man slapped her across the face.
"I like you, I like your spirit. But now everything changed. You make big trouble for me. You pay."
"Think I have already," Elise groaned.
"No, you no get out alive."
"Tell me something I didn't already know."
"Mafia boss turn you over. Save my skin. At least I leave with big bucks. Fund nice retirement in Hong Kong."
"All the cheap suits and noodles with shrimp you want," Elise said.
"You smart mouth girl. I know how to stop that."
Boss Man put the end of a pistol up to her mouth. Mickey's hand moved towards his gun. The odds were not in his favor if Boss Man fired. Four armed thugs covered Elise. Mickey held back, hoping it was a show. His patience was rewarded.
"You scared. I like that," Boss Man said. "What make a woman act like you? Like big, tough girl." He smiled at her. "You not so tough now." Boss Man withdrew the gun from her mouth and aimed it lower. With a free hand he pulled down one strap of Elise's sports tank, then the other. The top stayed put. Boss Man stuck the muzzle of the gun on the top of the shirt and nudged it down. Elise squirmed, but was firmly held in place by the two goons. Boss man ran his free hand along her left breast. "Shame to waste this." Elise shuddered at Boss Man's touch. "You hurt me very bad. Change my life. Before I go, I hurt you bad."
"Shoot me already, then," Elise said. Mickey saw her body shivering. Mickey suspected infection had set in already or that she bled internally, although she had other reasons to shake.
Boss Man smiled. "I shoot you soon enough. First, I make you pay." He looked to his goons. "Hold her tight. I show her who is boss."
"Leave her the hell alone," Mickey yelled. He drew the renewed attention of the two gunmen who covered him with his outburst.
"He your boyfriend?" Boss Man asked, delighted at the turn of events.
"No," Elise said.
"What you say, pretty boy?"
Mickey said nothing.
"You tell me. You stick your big dick in pretty white racehorse?"
Mickey knew to stay silent, though he seethed inside.
"Now you watch me ride pretty white horse. I ride her to hell and back. Then I kill her. Or maybe I let my friends here ride too."
As Mickey raged inside, his two watchers' guns never moved off him. Mickey remained backed up by the wall, still as he could be. He prayed for a moment of inattention when he might draw his weapon and shoot the two, even as he dreaded what might soon take their attention.
Boss Man tucked his gun into the small of his back. He reached down to Elise's shorts. Elise tried to squirm free. The goons holding her each shifted so as to restrain her by arm and thigh.
"You like it rough, I give it to you." Boss Man reached into his pocket and pulled out a switchblade. He popped it open threateningly, then leaned forward. "You be still now or I cut you." He stuck the edge of the blade underneath her shorts. He sawed at the fiber edge before the knife began to ease through. He stuck his free hand deeper underneath as he pulled, copping a feel.
Mickey had had enough. The goons watching him had become distracted by the horror unfolding before them. Mickey reached for his gun. As he began to pull it out, one of the goons slammed Mickey back into the wall, rattling his already bruised rib cage. Mickey reeled downward, short of breath. The gun fell out from his shirt. The goon kicked it away, then held his own weapon at Mickey's head. The second goon backed up the first.
"Boyfriend is very jealous."
Elise said nothing.
"He sure care a lot about you. Maybe I cut off his dick."
"Leave him alone. He's just my trainer."
"He no trainer. He a fed like you. He your boyfriend too."
"Maybe I just don't like how you treat women," Mickey wheezed. Without instruction, one goon backhanded Mickey across his mouth with the butt of his gun.
"Or trainers," Mickey muttered, his jaw stinging and blood pooling inside his mouth.
"You funny man. Soon you be dead, funny man. Dickless, dead funny man."
Mickey cooled it. He'd shown his hand too soon. Elise stood to pay the price.
"No worries, funny man. First you watch me have my fun. See what you miss before you die. Look boys, pretty white horse has lots of shiny fur. Not like Asian girls." Boss Man stuck his face in Elise's groin.
Elise squirmed violently, but her effort failed to loosen the grip of her holders. She cried out, "oh, god."
"See trainer man, she like it. She yelp for more."
Mickey fought not to say the words in his mind: "No, you bastard, she's got a fucking belly wound and in bucking to get away from you, she's hurting like hell."
"Now I give her what she waiting for!" Boss Man squealed. He opened his fly and pulled out his equipment.
Elise grunted something in Chinese. Boss Man moved in on Elise. He tossed the knife to the side, seized her throat with one hand and viciously slapped her across the face with the other hand. Mickey guessed Elise's words had been insulting. He suspected Elise had commented on the size of Boss Man's equipment; Mickey also had been unimpressed. Boss Man moved down on Elise again.
"Fur glistens," he said, speaking English for no purpose other than to terrorize Elise and Mickey. He slurped loudly at her groin. Elise remained still, outwardly resigned to what was coming, though her body still shivered. Boss Man pulled his face back up, licked his lips. He moved his body up and in preparing to mount her. Mickey couldn't stand it anymore. He lunged forward. Mickey nearly broke free of his handlers in his fury, but he ended up with a punch to his gut instead. He could scarcely breathe after the hit.
Boss Man paused and turned at the distraction. "You not learn lesson yet, trainer boy? Not very smart one, Elise. Must be very good fuck, eh?" He moved back toward Elise. A ringing sound cried out and then repeated nearby. "What now?" Boss Man complained loudly. The sound continued. Boss Man barked something in Chinese. A goon fetched a ringing briefcase and opened it. He answered the phone inside.
"Joey Bonnano," the goon said.
Boss Man stayed in place and took the phone. "I in your debt, Mr. Joey."
The other side of the conversation could not be heard.
"I about to put her down, just like we agree." Boss Man thrust his dick forward at Elise as he spoke. Elise squirmed and bucked to prevent it, screeching in pain as she moved. Boss Man ended up bumped off to her side barely holding on to the phone. He collected himself, continuing to hang on to the phone. He forcefully swung his free elbow into Elise, catching her near the stab wound. Elise looked as though she would have reeled to the floor on the hit, but for being held in place. Her eyes lolled back in her head and she gagged in pain. Boss Man paced in a small circle in front of her, phone still to his ear. He handed the phone back to one of his men and then abruptly tucked his dick back in his underwear and zipped his pants. He took the phone back, then walked in a circle around the room continuing his conversation with Joey Bonnano. Boss Man's voice was pitchy and raised in anger at times, then controlled and obsequious at others. His phone call ended. Boss Man placed the phone back in the briefcase. He stood in front of Elise. "What you do to make Joey Bonnano so mad?"
Elise stared back looking confused.
"Mr. Bonnano offer me very generous help if I let him do you instead. I take him up on it. Let him finish his kiss of death."
Mickey stared questioningly at Elise to see if she understood what might be happening. Elise looked glazed. Mickey saw her wound oozing fresh blood.
"If he wants her alive, you better let me help her. She'll bleed to death before you turn her over."
Boss Man nodded, but only after speaking Chinese to his thugs. Mickey assumed he cautioned them to watch him closely. Boss Man exited the room. Mickey motioned toward his bag. A goon brought it forward and dumped the contents on the floor. He then kicked the bag across the floor.
At the time, Mickey didn't care. The remaining hidden weapons would not help Elise survive. She was feverish. Her breathing had become more labored too. Mickey pulled out fresh gauze, but had little left. He cut the tape binding her abdomen, put a towel over the wound and pressed on the wound to stem the bleeding. "I'm out of bandaging. I'm going to have to sew this closed, okay?"
Elise nodded slightly. She was fading out of consciousness.
"It will sting at first," Mickey warned as he poured antiseptic on the wound. Elise screeched and writhed as it burned.
A goon saw the old tape behind Elise and something else. "Get back," the goon directed Mickey. Mickey raised his hands in front with the threaded needle showing. His expectations for retrieving that gun had been low anyway.
"No problem, bud. You take it and I finish. We keep it all peaceful."
The goon took the weapon and claimed it as his own by pocketing it. Mickey understood that none of them wanted Boss Man to know that he and Elise had managed to bring two weapons on their kidnapping.
As the goon backed off, Mickey stitched Elise up as quickly as he could. "I'm not very good at this," he apologized.
"You're the best," Elise muttered.
Mickey smiled at her. "Nearly done." He covered the wound with the little bit of gauze remaining, then taped it. He bent over and kissed her on the forehead.
"You have any idea what that call was about?" Elise whispered.
"McCall."
"Huh?"
"How sure are you that Joey's kiss wasn't the kiss of death?"
"Very."
"No more talking," a goon demanded and waved his gun. Mickey nodded. He looked around for something to cover Elise up. The best he could do was to place a bloodied towel over her groin. "Take off towel. I like to look at pussy," the same guard ordered.
"Son of a bitch," Mickey muttered and pushed the towel down off her.
"You say one more word and I shoot you in the arm."
Mickey dropped the losing battle to preserve the arm. Fifteen minutes later, the sound of a helicopter startled Mickey. Helicopters always took his mind back to 'Nam and other equally dreadful places. Elise was dozing, but also roused on the sound as did the thugs. "Joey?" Elise wondered aloud.
"If so, play it his way."
"If you get a chance to go, take it."
Mickey just glared at her. She was too sick to argue with, Mickey knew. Because of her labored breathing, he fretted that Suzy's knife hit an organ and Elise bled internally. Mickey cradled Elise's head in his lap as they waited. Several minutes later, the door opened. Joey Bonnano strode in with six associates. Joey talked with the Boss Man and had yet to look Elise and Mickey's way. Mickey felt disappointed not to see Robert, Jimmy or anyone he knew with Joey Bonnano. He considered whether he had misread the situation. He decided no. Both McCall and Jimmy had been seen pretending to be Australians at the festivities earlier, separate from Bonnano's group. McCall would have deemed it a bad risk to take the chance to show their faces now.
Joey Bonnano's discussion with the "Boss Man" appeared to conclude. The Boss Man waved ceremoniously in Elise and Mickey's direction. Mickey watched closely as Joey approached. All of Joey's men, except for two who posted up by the entry door, followed Joey across the room. Mickey's first thought on seeing Joey up close was that he was a fine looking man who dressed impeccably.
Mickey was uncertain what to think, however, when he observed Joey Bonnano's face alight upon Elise lying injured, beaten and in a state of undress with the bloody towel positioned to suggest something happened that hadn't. Mickey thought he saw rage in Joey Bonnano's eyes. When Mickey looked down at Elise's eyes, he saw tears.
Mickey was confused. Elise had masked her fear throughout the process, put up with pain as well as one could hope to. Why did she now cry if she wasn't afraid of Joey? Had she realized she was wrong about him?
Boss Man picked right up on the situation. "She very afraid of you Mr. Bonnano. She no cry for me."
Joey Bonnano turned toward Boss Man; Joey's face revealed nothing to Mickey. "Yes, for good reason. Mr. Chow, would you be so considerate as to remain a few more minutes?"
"You promise to get me on flight to Hong Kong on time?"
"I absolutely guarantee it."
"I not have much time."
"I insist, to cement our friendship, our partnership. I want to share with you how my family deals with traitors."
"It not take long?"
"Not long at all."
Joey signaled the four men who attended him to take up the positions of Mr. Chow's thugs who had been covering Mickey and Elise. Mr. Chow's thugs crossed back to the other side of the room to join Mr. Chow. Two of Joey's men used their weapons to direct Mickey to standing, his hands laced behind his neck. Two others hauled Elise to a stand. Mickey doubted Elise could maintain the position for more than a minute without help.
Joey walked to Elise, coming within inches of her. He kissed her on the cheek. Several tears flowed down Elise's cheeks. Joey stepped behind her. One of Joey's men also stepped behind Mickey.
"Down on your knees," Joey said, "both of you."
"Just like in the movies," Mr. Chow chuckled.
Joey showed no amusement at Mr. Chow's comment, however. Both Mickey and Elise complied, with Elise more dropping to her knees than bending. "Hands behind your back," Joey ordered. Both complied again. "Would you like to beg for your life or pray to god, Ms. Cantrell? Now is your last chance."
Elise said, "no."
Mickey said nothing.
Mickey felt a gun barrel held up to the back of his head. He presumed that Elise experienced the same situation. Joey Bonnano spoke. "This, Mr. Chow, is how the family deals with traitors."
Gun fire exploded in the room.