Here’s the deal. It is what it is, and I’m about half hooked already by her. I admit it and I don’t care.
She’s pouring a Michelob draft now and looks back at me over her shoulder. “I’m off early tonight. Around ten or so.”
She sets the beer in front of a poor guy two stools over. He’s doing his damnedest not to look at those jeans as she walks back to the register. The tortured asshole gives me an embarrassed, forced smile and shakes his head.
“I don’t know, babe. Sorry but I’m really busy these days. I’ll probably have to call you in a couple weeks.” I can’t believe I’m doing this cutesy, lovey bullshit, but I am.
“Is no problem. I find something else to do.” She pouts and shrugs. I realize she’s laying on the Polish accent pretty heavy again too. Jesus.
“All right, you win. Ten it is, but my schedule is pretty full.”
I finish my beer and walk over to the end of the bar. She comes over and I put an arm around her waist pulling her up tight to me for a second. Real tight. She puts a hand casually on my hip and smiles up at me again.
“We gonna do something right here, right now?”
“Hey, it’s your call. The tips would probably be really good after that.”
“See you at ten. Are you leaving, leaving?”
“Nope. The boss in back?”
“When is he not?”
“I’ll see you later. I’ll be around.”
As I walk towards the back, I’m thinking about her and the money and us together and a bunch more. It’s all good. Better than good.
I come up casually on a couple of big bruisers just inside the first hallway off the kitchen. Both are wearing sport jackets that are tight across the chest and arms. I can tell both have guns under those jackets too. One of them, the same blond crew cut ape, recognizes me from the other night I think.
“I’m Jerzy. Patrik is expecting me.”
He nods at me nice enough but holds up one very large hand as a stop sign.
He leaves to check with Patrik and the other guy stays with me. Not quite as big as crew cut but definitely put together. His chin is up a little, he’s got an attitude. A jagged, rocky face. Definitely Eastern European. He doesn’t say a word just looks back down the dark hallway, but he keeps a parrot eye on me. Crew cut comes back quick, nodding his head yes to his buddy and we all do the escort thing down the hallway maze.
Another guy walks toward us as we make the final corner that leads to Patrik’s office. Right away this guy gets my attention. Small wiry guy, ageless type. Could be thirty or fifty. You know, one of those guys. Age doesn’t really matter though, because he’s giving off that certain something that some do as he walks by. It’s like a ‘this is the day you’re gonna die’ feeling. Not him, you. Cops and criminals both know this vibe. It has nothing to do with big, strong, threats or ass kicking. He would have gotten Mick’s attention too, guarantee you that.
He’s wasting no time, looking straight ahead and his eyes…shit, his eyes are just fucking dead. Black. No soul. Like a shark. Tough looking little fucker. Lethal.
Could be a nobody, I suppose. Could be a soldier or a pissed off coke runner that just had to pay too much of his share. Could be somebody wanting in, or the fuck out, of Patrik’s organization. Who really knows, right? Then again, he might be the poor sap from the west coast who doesn’t know he’s being set-up to take the fall for this hit tomorrow. He did have the right eyes for that.
We get to Patrik’s office and crew cut turns to me.
“I will check you now.”
“Say what?”
“Put hands high in the air.”
“I have a gun, but I have no wire.”
“Of course you do. No problem, I will give back.”
I’m really not liking this at all now, but the money at the end of this game is calling my name.
I’m looking at him and he’s looking me.
“Mister Jerzy? Hands high, please. Right now.”
Ah, what the fuck. If this wasn’t Ambrozy’s though, no fuckin’ way do I do this.
“Sure thing, but watch the patting down. Don’t get me excited okay? Always had a thing for crew cuts.”
It’s a waste of a good smart ass line on this guy, who doesn’t get it, but I couldn’t help it.
“Good. Yes, that’s good. Mr. Dudek’s orders.”
He knows what he’s doing and does a pretty damn good check for a wire, considering he’s got hands like bear paws. Takes my Beretta and steps away.
Then he knocks on the door twice and says in a deep voice, “Patrik, Sawyer jest tutaj.”
“Wchodza.”
There’s a long buzzing and the door makes a heavy thwack sound.
Crew cut opens the door and stands to the side.
Patrik Dudek is sitting behind his desk and he ain’t smiling. All business. There will be no shits, grins and Belvedere this time but a half bottle of Makers Mark was in front of him. So, I mean hey, that works.
“Jerz! Come in here and drink with me.”
I smile at him and light a cigarette.
“Can’t do it, Patrik. I only drink with friends.”
“Haaa!” He stands and comes around the desk chuckling but there is no happy shit in this room.
I hold my lighter up.
“I can’t believe he let me keep this. And I want my fuckin’ gun back too. What is with this code red airport security bullshit? Am I getting on a Polskie Jet here or what?”
Patrik shakes his head back and forth, wags his finger at me.
“I mean, I’m gone a couple days and this place has turned into some kind of fortress.”
“Ah Jerz, you have always been funny. I love you for that.”
He gives me the hug and points to a chair.
“These are dangerous times, my old friend.” He looks pale and haggard.
Every time I sit down with Patrik, we seem to get stone drunk and smoke a fucking carton of cigarettes.
Except this time. This time, we sip slow and careful because there is some very serious shit that needs to be gone over. After about twenty minutes of the normal casual fluff, he gets that spooky ass look in his eyes. The look that I just can’t and won’t ever trust.
“So. Jerz. We must talk very seriously. I called you and said our timeframe is shorter than expected. We have to move even quicker than what we thought.”
“Old Viktor ain’t fucking around, huh?”
“Viktor Skansi has come to get his business back and he wants belated revenge for his son, Bogdan. He doesn’t know that you did his son, might not know you at all, but he knows we did it.” He stabs his chest with a finger.
“Fuck that old Russian dog and his dead son.”
“Agreed, but we’ve heard things the last few days. Things that suggest we need to act very quickly, before they get us. Before they get me. It has come to a boil. I lost two more good men last night while they were sitting in their car doing surveillance. They had been checking on who was coming and going at a tea room on Division. Some of Skansi’s top men were meeting.”
“Are they coming for you, Patrik?”
Patrik ignores my question. “Time is short. We hit him now.” He holds up his index finger. “Hit him, that is the key. The head of the snake, no?”
“So, give me this plan for tomorrow or I’ll go on my own again and whack the old fucker tonight.” I smile at him but he doesn’t smile back.
“Jerz, this is serious. This is very dangerous thing. We both could get killed tonight, tomorrow or the next day. In different ways, but we both could go down. Rozumieja?”
“C’mon, of course I understand. It’s me here, Patrik. I ain’t some stupid ass kid. I just hate those fuckers, that’s all.”
“As do I, my friend. But this won’t be like hitting his crazy ass son.”