Christmas in New York! I'd spent the last week showing her the city. I had no idea the stalwart special agent was into this fluffy shit until I heard her giggle like a little girl each time her new sisters brought up Rockefeller Center and the abominable tree. Shit I hadn't even thought of doing in years was now on the menu. When she wasn't dragging my ass all over the city I was parked at my parents' house or one of my brothers. Ma is in heaven. She had them all eating out of her hand, the little sneak and I dared not piss her off or I'd have four angry women on my ass with their shit. She hadn't quite forgiven me for going to see Durant behind her back, and now she had something else to be pissed about. This was the third morning she'd puked up her guts and I'd finally told her that I'd fucked up her birth control. Durant to spite me, refused to put her ass behind a desk, so I found the next best way to get her there. Now I had her impaled on my cock with her
I felt the burn in my muscles, as I lifted the two hundred and fifty pound weights for my last rep; this is just what I needed to take my mind off of the fuckery I have to deal with later. I've found over the years, that if I push my body hard enough, my mind goes into what I call 'phase'. I can put everything else aside and concentrate on the task at hand. It's just one of the ways I've taught myself to have total control. There's no one else around to distract me at this early hour, as I'm in my personal state of the art gym, on the thirty-third floor of my high-rise building. Though the room is covered wall to wall with mirrors, I do not watch myself. That is not what this is about; this is about control. In a few hours, I'll be sitting down across from what's believed to be one of the world's foremost criminals, a little less known fact by any who aren't part of the law enforcement communities of the world. He's wanted by almost every leading government agency for
I climbed into the back of my waiting car, another Breitling creation, after spotting the jackasses in a town car three doors down; and headed to my first stop of the day. Traffic was a little more sedate in my neighborhood on Central Park West, which would change just a few short streets over, where the hustle and bustle of the city began. I own clubs all over the city, as well as internationally, along with a few restaurants and one oil-company down in Texas. I have my fingers in a lot of pies yes, and it amazes me that I can control it all, with just the push of a button. Technology has gone a long way in making life easier for guys like me. I could sit in a pied-a-terre in Paris France and conduct business in Prague, gotta love it. Some business still needed to be handled the old fashioned way though, face to face; though I tried to keep those to a minimum, because people got on my fucking nerves. On the phone, or behind the computer screen, I could hang up or log o
I hope for their sakes they weren't trying to screw me over, I pay top dollar for premium beer, because that's what the people who come into my places expect. If I find that my distributor was playing me that would mean finding another reputable one. This fucking recession was turning everyone into fucking criminals; I hate shoddy business dealings, fuck. But it's part of the world sadly; see that's why I can't stand people, fucking dishonest assholes. "Sure anything else?" "Nope, that's about it, the numbers are on the spreadsheet; I don't know if you want to deal with orders since you're here, otherwise I've got it covered." "You do that; what about the floor, any problems in house?" "Nah, we're cruising along just fine. We don't ever really have any problems there, except for when one of the newbies get a look at you and fall for your piercing eyes and your handsome self; then it takes a few months for them to get over the heartbreak when they realize
Fucking FBI, those fucks stay on me like a lion on a rhino's ass. One of these days they're gonna piss me the fuck off for real, and I'll give their bitch asses something to cry about, dumb fucks. So far I've mostly been playing with the different agencies, foreign and domestic, that try keeping tabs on me. It was fun outwitting them at every turn, but they've all learnt in some capacity or the other not to go too far. I valued my freedom too much to have them trampled by a bunch of blowhards, who were sometimes almost as corrupt as the fucks they were supposed to be putting away. I opened up my laptop and typed in the series of numbers needed to get me into the FBI database undetected. These fucks were so busy hounding my every step that they'd left their left flank unprotected. It was comical how fucking easy it was to breach their security. I've been accessing most, if not all, of the delicate top-secret information of most government agencies, for the better part of eight
This was my secret, a little kernel of truth that had come to me during the darkness of night, one long ago night. I'd still been a young, impressionable girl; still the lost child, who was alone in the world. I stayed up nights, afraid to close my eyes, afraid of what the darkness would hold. Not because of the boogeyman no, my nightmare had been of a different nature. It was at night that I realized I couldn't remember their faces. Gradually they were fading away from my memory. I'd had no mementos left, no keepsakes. In the chaos of being spirited away in the dead of night, from the home of the friend I'd been staying over with that night, no one had thought to even ask. Then as the weeks went by, when it wasn't certain who had been the target of the massacre and if I was still in danger, all thought of such things got lost in the shuffle. So it was, that while others my age, were out having fun and doing the growing pains thing, going to parties with friends, enjo
I gathered my thoughts collectively, once more pulling everything in. Frank Connell was a little odd yes, with his quiet unassuming manner, the way he seemed to always be trying desperately to disappear into himself. I'm sure many people found this strange; but being strange did not make you a mass murderer. It just meant you were weary of your fellow man and knowing some of the shit I did, who could blame him? "This is our guy." I pointed to the second screen, at the man who stood out for me. I knew there would be an outcry; my choice is an upstanding citizen. The CEO of a leading brokerage firm; everything about him looks great on paper, well his professional and public files anyway, but in interview I'd seen the taint on the shine. Though he'd been there, not as a suspect, but as a character witness for his nephew, something about him had just jumped out at me. It wasn't anything I could put into words, as always with me, it came from a place beyond my control. That
I'm glad that was over; that had been one of the toughest exercises so far, in spite of the crumbs that were placed in our way to direct us to our conclusion, which turns out was the wrong one. My fellow agents had proven how easy it is to accuse and convict the wrong person, based on our need to believe, that the more normal seeming, upstanding citizen, was always innocent; while the society reject, was always the guilty party. The fact that Frank Connell is a fat, balding middle-aged recluse, painted him as guilty in their eyes. It was a sad fact that this kind of thinking had put many innocents behind bars, and worse yet, sent them to their deaths. I was willing to do everything I could to put a stop to such behaviors, one case at a time. I left the building and headed to the cafeteria for some much-needed tea. Yes I know, what federal agent or law enforcement officer worth their salt preferred tea instead of coffee? I couldn't stomach the stuff; it tasted like lead
Christmas in New York! I'd spent the last week showing her the city. I had no idea the stalwart special agent was into this fluffy shit until I heard her giggle like a little girl each time her new sisters brought up Rockefeller Center and the abominable tree. Shit I hadn't even thought of doing in years was now on the menu. When she wasn't dragging my ass all over the city I was parked at my parents' house or one of my brothers. Ma is in heaven. She had them all eating out of her hand, the little sneak and I dared not piss her off or I'd have four angry women on my ass with their shit. She hadn't quite forgiven me for going to see Durant behind her back, and now she had something else to be pissed about. This was the third morning she'd puked up her guts and I'd finally told her that I'd fucked up her birth control. Durant to spite me, refused to put her ass behind a desk, so I found the next best way to get her there. Now I had her impaled on my cock with her
Oh good gracious, crazy man on the loose. He all but dragged me out of the restaurant and I didn't have time to say hello to the young man whom I'd finally remembered. He was an up and coming agent, we'd worked indirectly on a program together a few months earlier and that's why I'd had a hard time placing him. Minimal contact. Things had cooled a little during lunch but I felt his tension once we were leaving and we passed the table. He hadn't said two words to me on the way back to the hotel and I could feel a different kind of tension in the air when he dragged me into the elevator and pulled me down the hallway and into the room. He'd never touched me like this, with that sense of desperation. I didn't complain when he tore my nice blouse or at the way he dragged my slacks off and threw them. I did make a little squeak when he threw me to the bed and came down on top of me. He's so fiercely intense always, that sometimes I'm afraid he'd consume me with all h
I didn't even break a sweat when I drove into the enemy camp. The jovial, laid back husband was gone and in his place was a man ready to tear someone's throat out through their ass. I walked into the building like I knew where I was going, like I'd done it a thousand times. It was surreal to see my face on fucking posters all over the place. These fucks are demented. I ignored the stares and whispers as I headed to the big man's office."I'm here to see Durant." I stopped long enough to tell the secretary in the outer office but didn't wait for her reply."Sir wait you can't go in there." I opened the door and walked in on some kind of meeting. The man himself stood up from behind his desk. I could see surprise written all over his face but he wasn't prepared. "Mancini, what the hell do you want?" That's the best you can do after hunting my ass for ten years?I walked up until I was in his face or as close as I could get with the slab of mahogany between us. The
I covered her head and upper body with mine as glass flew and bullets rained down around us. I'm not one for emotion in the middle of battle, but the fucker was dead, he shot at my fucking wife. What the fuck! I waited for another break in the action and then with my body shielding hers, got her back to my car. "Hank I have to stay with my partner.""Stay your ass in this car I'll be right back." I went around the other side from where we'd come and looked for an opening. The shots had come from outside, closer to the water. There was still a good chance no one was inside with the girl if she was still here. The asshole agent was still out there where I'd left him I was guessing; amateur.I found a door and worked to pry it open. Inside the place was cavernous and the only light came from the moon and the stars through the filthy windows. I didn't have time to comb the place so I closed my eyes and opened up my senses. The first floor was too obvious so I ma
I sat in the room he offered and waited. It wasn't long before he came back with the kid in tow. "I'll take it from here thanks." He huffed a little but closed the door behind him when he left. The kid looked like he was about to shit his pants and I hadn't even started yet. I walked around his chair and stood behind him, crowding him. An old interrogation tactic to put him off center. I wanted his nerves shot by the time I asked him the first question. "Are you ready to go to jail for the rest of your life?" He turned his head and opened his mouth to speak but I shushed him. "Before you say anything, think very carefully. In another hour or so, your friend Sven is going to be released to his parents, leaving you and your little cousin holding the bag. His parents are already making plans to get him off the island and who knows where he'd go into hiding." I didn't know that for sure but I know how that type works. The truth is, unless this was a horse and pony s
I accepted the new information he brought and looked over all the Intel they'd gathered thus far. My mind was already processing and discarding. "You've checked the whole island and you've had divers out there already." I said it more like a statement. "Yes, that's protocol in a situation like this. Plus there were a few sightings near the beach." "What about these boys she was seen with?""There's nothing there." Not the question. I looked up from the report I was reading over and stared him down. "You have these boys in holding?" He didn't like the question and I quite frankly didn't give a fuck. "Yes, but we can't hold them for much longer. Without any evidence of foul play, you know..." Yes I know only too well. Another reason I resent the fuck out of law enforcement. They cater more to the criminal than the victim. Thank fuck I don't suffer from that stupidity. "And why have you come to the conclusion that they're not involved?" I almost expected him to
I leapt off the bed and headed for the closet where I kept my travel kit with everything I could possibly need for a job. "How long?" I didn't have to iterate, I knew he'd read between the lines."Four hours. She went on holiday with some kids from college. They went out on the town and she just disappeared from the club they went to. The girls didn't take any chances and sounded the alarm right away so at least we have that on our side." "The plane's ready I presume.""Yes, Tony has the location, you're heading to Bonaire. I don't have to tell you how important this is to me. Cassandra is a flighty little thing but she's dear to my heart. Bring her home Hank." "Send me everything you have." There had been a batch of murders involving cruise ships in the last couple years. Something not many people knew about since it wasn't broadcasted for obvious reasons. The assholes that be, were more interested in the money tourism brought in than preserving lives. I
"That wasn't so bad now was it?" I was dancing ma around the makeshift dance floor under the marquee she'd had set up in the garden behind the family home. The wedding I'd expected to have at the most ten people had turned into about seventy-five. Don't ask. Since Cierra had no real family, Gracie was her only guest and the rest were distant relatives and friends of the family that ma had dug up from somewhere. "No, it came together quite well for all the notice you gave me.""You loved it. I had no doubt that you could do it." I kissed her cheek and spun her around, making her laugh like a little girl. "She's lovely Hank, I'm proud of you.""How come?" That was an odd thing to say."Because for the longest time I despaired of you ever finding the right girl and settling down. The girls and I had many discussions about it and we all agreed, you were a mess when it comes to women." "What girls? Sabra and Star?" Figures. "And what was wrong with the women I
Whatever, I'll just have to talk her into staying put in the city. We pulled into the short driveway of the ranch style house just as the sun was going down. A middle-aged man came to the door and looked out. I would've known him anywhere since I'd spent a lot of time researching all the players in this game. I probably had a better dossier on them than they had on me, something for which I was eternally grateful since it was about to come in handy. He recognized me as soon as I stepped out the car and I could see the indecision written on his face. Fucker wanted to go inside and slam the door in my face, but the intrigue of my very presence kept him where he was. "I'm guessing no introductions are necessary, but you might be wondering what I'm doing here.""You could say that. What is this? Have you come to turn yourself in?" He grinned in a way only a demented spook could but I didn't return it."No." I let that sink in until the stupid look dropped off his face.