And that’s where my advantage came into play. Rattled people make mistakes. People on the edge fall off.
I just needed to be there when he dropped. And to catch Theresa in the process.
Shifting my attention back to the present, I kept myself a few car lengths back from the van. It wouldn’t do for them to spot me now. I needed them to lead me where they were holed up. Then I could make some moves to get Theresa to safety and take Larroca down.
The route they were taking was leading to the edge of the city on the southeastern side. Not much there anymore. Some old warehouses and empty buildings. There was always some talk that the city was going to renovate those spaces, or that some developers were going to make it a new Mecca for gentrification and improvement. But it hadn’t happened yet.
So as of now, it was still a rough, derelict area. Some place you didn’t want to get stuck in at night, alone. There was no one to help you here. And no way out if you got stuck.
I pulled farther back. The traffic was thinning and it would be easier for them to spot me. I allowed myself to drift as far away as three blocks, pulling over at one point as if stopping somewhere, just to keep them off the scent.
In this neighborhood, there wasn’t going to be a lot of places for them to head to, so I wasn’t worried about losing them. But timing could matter a great deal in this situation.
I watched as the van made a hard right down a hardscrabble street, mostly potholes and broken concrete. I could see over the low rooftops of old packing centers a larger warehouse looming. That’s where they were headed. I was sure of it. Lots of space, no one to bother them, no one to hear if things got loud.
I took my next right, guessing it would lead me to the same place in the end.
Two more blocks and my hunch was proven right. I was on the far end of the same building that they were heading to. I parked the car, turning it off and quietly got out.
Creeping along the edge of the building to my left, I made it to the corner and gingerly poked my head around it.
I saw the van pull up, stopping right at the loading dock of the warehouse. The side door opened and Theresa was shoved out roughly by two men, thugs if I ever saw one.
Right behind them…Larroca himself. I would be able to recognize him anywhere. He was lean and angular, looking around like a vulture looking for carrion.
Another car pulled up and four more men got out, all armed to the teeth. I watched as Larroca gave them some instructions and then they stationed themselves at various points on the loading dock to the warehouse.
Larroca said something to Theresa, which caused her to turn her head away from him. He laughed then, a sound like a goat chewing on glass. Made me want to take care of this clown once and for all even more.
He tugged on her arm, yanking her forward and nearly taking her off feet in the process. They disappeared inside the warehouse, the goons taking their guard positions.
Well, I thought. At least it will give me a chance to warm up before taking that bastard out myself.
15
Theresa
I was shoved through a door in the dank, dingy warehouse. A musty smell filled my lungs as I stumbled on my feet into the space.
Rough hands grabbed me and stopped me from falling.
“On no, no no,” I heard Larroca say in a mocking tone of voice. “Don’t go down yet. We’ve got so much more to go over before the day is done.”
I was dragged along through the warehouse to the back of the building, where a single old desk chair was set up.
Larroca’s men threw me into the chair then with force, almost knocking me backward. Each taking a wrist, they tied me to the arms of the chair and quickly secured my legs together in the process.
“Stick with me now, Theresa,” Larroca leered into my face. “We’re going to have a little Q and A, know what I’m saying? A little bit of reciprocity is what we are looking for here, a little generosity of spirit.”
“Generosity of spirit. Got it,” I rasped dryly.
“Good, good, glad we are on the same page, good,” he said. “Now, here’s what I’d like to know: I’ve sussed out that it was some members of my crew… my extended crew, in truth… who provided the DA's office with some information about me. But the problem is… I don’t know what they told you all. Not specifically.”
“I see,” I replied flatly. “That is a problem.”
“Sure is,” he nodded. “And now you’re going to tell me what those little pricks, Ox and O’Neill, had to say about me and my operations. You’re going to tell me and you’re going to tell me now.”
He stared at me then, cold as a cobra, and I met his gaze and didn’t flinch. Because when you flinched… that’s when the cobra struck.
“Oh, you mean… right now? No, I can’t do that, I’m sorry,” I said to him.
He laughed a little and looked over at his two thugs. They didn’t even blink. He turned back to me. “You can’t, huh. And why is that?”
“Because really… in the end… it doesn’t matter, does it?”
“How do you figure that, Theresa?”
“Well, Antoine, if I may be so bold…”
He glared at me with a wicked little fire in his eyes. “Of course, Theresa, by all means. We’re practically family,” he pushed through gritted teeth.
“Thank you, Antoine. See, it doesn’t matter what those two idiots told me. ‘Cause whatever I know, the rest of the office knows. You get me? In other words, it’s not privileged information.”
Larroca’s fury rose then, practically emanating off him.
“By the way, those clowns of yours, Ox and O’Neill… they couldn’t wait to sell you out. Absolutely couldn’t wait. Guess they were tired of your bullshit, Antoine.”
I was playing a dangerous game here and I was all too aware. It was likely I could push him too far here and he’d end up killing me in a rage. I was hoping however that he’d slip up and make a mistake of some kind. Just a small window to escape. That’s all I needed.
“Fuck them!” He shouted suddenly. “And fuck you too, counselor! I don’t think you have any idea who you’re dealing with here!”
“Actually, it’s just the opposite, Antoine,” I said calmly. “I know precisely who I’m dealing with. A psychopath who controls people through blackmail and fear. That’s not the best way to insure loyalty. Maybe you should think about that. Not that you’re going to get another chance at working your operation. I’d say the end is nigh.”
I thought I heard something then, something from outside. It sounded like it may have been….a struggle? Like a body dropping?
I couldn’t be sure. We were far back from the entrance, but it was possible.
Maybe the window of opportunity I was looking for had arrived.
“The END is NOT nigh, you fucking bitch,” he growled at me. Just like any other thug. He resorted to cheap sexist taunts when he didn’t know what else to say. He leaned down into me.
“In fact, the only end that’s coming up is yours.”
“Whatever you want to do to me, fucking do it, you little shit,” I said. “Because I’m telling you right now, it doesn’t matter what you do. My office is coming for you. HARD. You’re not getting away, Antoine. Not this time. No matter who you scare, no matter who you threaten—”