door in the burned out facilities. I round a large shelf stacked with mechanical debris and finally see him, standing with a gun in his hand. And I see Lilly, sitting in a chair, her hands behind her—likely cuffed or tied.
“David!” She calls out to me. Even in the dim light, I can see she’s been crying. Mascara is smudged across her face and her eyes are red.
“Shaddup girly.” Bobby, fat as ever, nudges her shoulder with his gun. “Tony told ya to be quiet.” He looks nervously at Tony and I quickly realize that, as before, Tony is the one calling the shots in this duo. Bobby is just along for the ride. He’s harmless without someone to give him instructions.
“It’s okay, Lilly,” I assure her, keeping my voice calm and smooth. “It’s going to be okay. Did they touch you?”
“Nah, she’s still your little princess,” Tony cuts in. He smiles and licks his lips as he nods at Lilly. Her wide eyes are staring at me, pleading.
“I didn’t ask you.” I settle my gaze on Lilly. “Are you okay? Did they do anything to you? Are you hurt?”
“I’m fine.” She manages to croak the words out. Her hair is in a messy ponytail on top of her head but her outfit is business-like. She’s clad in a short-sleeved white blouse and a knee-length navy skirt, complete with small heels. She thought she’d be meeting her new employer shortly after her arrival. She certainly wasn’t expecting to be met by Tony and Bobby. “They didn’t do anything,” she says between sobs, “just drove me out here and tied me to this chair.”
“Okay.” I nod, a small wave of relief running over me.
“Yer girlfriend missed ya,” Tony sneers. He looks smug—until he sees the crew of men behind me appear. “Ey, what the fuck Milner, we said you alone! What the fuck…. MILNER!”
“Shut the fuck up!” My patience has reached its limit. I pull out my phone and start scrolling
“Who the fuck are you calling?!” Tony’s trying to keep up his tough guy façade but I’ve rattled him. His arms are crossed and his chest is puffed out, but he’s bluffing. I’m sure of that. Just like in cards, people have their tells in everyday life. Tony’s insistently crossed arms are a dead giveaway. He’s afraid…because he’s just realized that the only thing he’s accomplished by taking Lilly was signing his own death warrant.
“Your boss.”
Tony relaxes immediately, a huge smile breaking across his face. “Yer full of it.” He says.
“Yeah,” Bobby is even giggling slightly now. “Nobody’s got the boss’s number.”
“Insignificant foot soldiers like yourself might not,” I say as I find Mickey’s number, “but I do.” I click the call button and hold the phone to my ear.
Bobby eyes Tony nervously but Tony just shakes his head slightly. He’s still looking smug, convinced that I’m bluffing. He may have been staying on top of the Vegas kitchen gossip but clearly he’s failed to stay up-to-date on what’s happening in Chicago. He has no clue that I paid a little visit to Mickey.
“What?” A gruff voice picks up the phone after a few rings.
“Mickey. It’s David Milner.” I pause.
“Yeah!” He sounds vaguely surprised. “My new pal in Vegas. What can I do for you?”
“Look, I’ve got a little situation here that maybe you can shed some light on.”
“Uh huh?”
“About three months ago two guys were cheating in my place. A Tony and a Bobby. Now, normally I’d have cut their hearts out and dug a hole in the desert, but they begged like two little girls. One of them even pissed himself.”
“And?”
I pause before I say the words that will explain his brand new problem in life. “They also said that they were with you.”
“That so?” he says, with his full attention.
“That’s right. Now, as a gesture of good will, and as a courtesy, I cut these guys a break and sent ‘em home to Chicago. I figured the message would get back to you—I don’t interfere in your business, you don’t interfere in mine.”
“Sure, sure. That’s decent of you, David. I appreciate it. Why didn’t you mention this when we met the other week? I wasn’t aware these guys were causing you trouble. What’d you say their names were?”
“Tony and Bobby.” Nobody else in the room can hear what Mickey is saying except for me, but the fact that I’ve had to repeat their names is a clear indication that Mickey has no clue who these fuck-alls are. “I