In under a minute, it was all over. A man lay dead five feet from her. The old man wiped his letter opener on the dead man’s shirt.
“It appears that your Darwin is more able than I previously thought. I will not underestimate him again. I assure you of that.”
The old man walked behind his desk. “When I said stop, I meant it. Little Mickey didn’t stop. He winked at her. He blew her a kiss. That isn’t stopping. Defy me at your own peril. Now, we have other business to handle. Give her back her shirt. Get her looking reasonably good again. No one touches her until we have Darwin. We may need her intact.”
The old man looked directly at her. “I thought your husband would be here at any moment, but sadly he won’t be joining us quite yet. It seems he has killed two of my best men and escaped on foot.”
“What happened, boss?” The man in the suit stepped forward.
“I don’t know exactly. All I do know is that our men are dead in the van that was sent to get Darwin. They were killed in an accident on the highway.”
That was Darwin? My husband caused the accident that held up my bus? And now because he escaped, I’m getting a reprieve?
She wished they were together again so she could hug him and cry in his arms.
“But be careful. Do not underestimate this man Darwin. Apparently he was seen running away handcuffed. Most of the driver’s right ear is missing and my informant said it wasn’t because of the accident. They clearly saw teeth marks gouged in his head. Big John is dead too. Nothing could kill Big John, but he is gone.”
The old man addressed his crew. “Gentlemen, be on your guard. We may not have seen the likes of a man like Darwin Kostas who can be handcuffed, kill Big John, chew off the driver’s ear and then walk away from a van that apparently flipped numerous times. This man must be caught. He must be stopped. But until that time, no one touches her. We may need her for proof of life. Now, leave me. Find Darwin at all cost. But whatever you do, bring him to me with his heart still beating. I, and only I, will be the one who rips it out of his chest.”
Rosina found the resolve to smile.
Chapter 4
Darwin walked through the shopping mall, feeling like a new man. He had on new jeans, a new, slim-fit collared shirt, and a black jacket. Rosina wouldn’t recognize him. When he finished this business and got to Greece, she would be so happy that he did what he was doing.
He still couldn’t get over what just happened. Flesh from the guy’s ear was still stuck between his teeth when he’d gotten to the mall’s bathroom.
After washing up, he’d gone on a spree, buying up everything he needed to look good. It was time to do a deal. It was time to settle this. He had to do it from a position of power and status, and for that he had to look the part.
He strode out the mall doors and looked toward the highway, where a tow truck was trying to right the van.
A police car entered the mall’s parking lot to his right.
Could they be coming for me? Was I seen?
He headed back into the mall. He had taken the cuffs off right away, but there was a little bruising where they had cut into his wrists. If the cops stopped him, looked at his wrists and started asking questions, it could be a problem.
He hustled to the other end of the mall and saw, through the double doors, a taxi sitting idling.
He ran out and hopped into the backseat.
“Termini Station, please,” he said.
The cab driver was writing in a pad of some kind. He looked up and said, “My time off.”
Darwin reached into his pocket and pulled out a fifty euro bill.
“Take me to Termini. Then have your time off.”
The driver shook his head. “You want to go to Termini, one hundred euro.”
Fucking crook.
Darwin looked out the back window to make sure the cop wasn’t right behind them and then grabbed another fifty, thought again, and reached in for a twenty. He handed the driver the whole one hundred and twenty euros.
“Termini Station. And do it fast.”
The driver turned in his seat and said, “You got it.”
It took thirty-five minutes to get to Termini, making it almost three in the afternoon when he got there. He jumped from the cab and walked into the station, having no idea what he was looking for or how he would find it.
They would find him. That he was sure of, but he needed something to negotiate with before that happened. Or, he needed a weapon. Something to defend himself with, because he was prepared to deal, but they weren’t. He would need to take care of himself.
I’m convinced I can talk to them. Without that, there’s no hope. I can’t live on the run, so I have to try.
People rushed past him pulling luggage, yanking on their kids’ hands. Beggars asked for money. Uniformed policemen stood at the entrance to the station in pairs. A normal day at Termini.
He entered a McDonald’s where he ordered two cheeseburgers for a euro each. After getting his food, he headed for the downstairs. He needed a pay phone with relative privacy.
The call he was about to make was the first move in solving the Fuccini family problem.
Knowing Rosina was in Greece was such a relief that he felt he could do this. He was so happy she hadn’t run off that plane. Sure, she’d be pissed, but after he told her what had happened and filled her in on what he was about to do, she’d understand, forgive him, and they could really start to live.
He made it to a bank of phone booths, picked one at the end of the row and slipped his credit card into the slot.
He dialed Special Agent Greg Stinsen’s number and waited. On the third ring, the time zone thing hit him. Three thirty in the afternoon would be nine-thirty in the morning in Toronto. Would Agent Greg even be at the office yet?
On the fifth ring, Agent Greg picked up.
“Yeah?”
“Hi, Greg Stinsen?”
“You got him. Who’s this?”
“Darwin.”
“What? The Darwin? Our resident hero? How the hell are you? How’s life treating you?”
“Not good. I’m lucky to be alive.”
“What? What’s happening? Talk to me.”
“You know the man I killed with my Mustang?”
“Of course I know him. Go on.”
“His family is hunting me. They have tried to kill me twice in the last four days and stopped the highway traffic this morning to try to get to me. They actually kidnapped me hours ago, but there was a car accident and I was the only one to walk away. Two men are dead. I need your help.”
“How come this is the first I’ve heard of this? No one has told me about any renewed activity-”
“That’s because it isn’t happening in your jurisdiction. I’m in Rome.”
“You mean Rome, as in Italy?”
“The very one.”
Darwin looked around. No one paid any special attention to him.
“What the fuck are you doing in Rome?”
“Rosina and I came here to get married-”
“You have Rosina with you? And they still tried to take you out? Are they going after her too?”
Greg sounded incredulous.
“I don’t think they’re too worried about her. I need your help.”
“Tell me everything. Wait, you’re on a pay phone right?”
“Yes.”
Darwin started with the attempts on their life and finished with sending Rosina off to Greece and the accident in the van in more detail, leaving nothing out.
“You bit the fucker’s ear off? You are one crazy bastard. But you are one alive crazy bastard. I always knew I loved you, Darwin.”
“I got lucky, Agent Greg. I could’ve been killed.”
“I know. Listen. Call me Greg. No more Agent Greg, okay? Now, I’ll catch the next plane out. Don’t do anything without me. Stay low. Do not go anywhere more than once. Check into a ritzy hotel. They won’t expect that. Stay away from the cops. They could be on the payroll. Stay low until I get there, okay? Don’t do anything without me.”