Gabriel Morelli had a number of skills that were useful and profitable in his line of business, that being the flesh trade. One was an intelligent ruthlessness that made even men who were far stronger and more powerful think twice about coming at him with threats. He also had a keen understanding of power levels and underground politics in Chicago. He knew who to fuck with and who to get someone else to fuck with.

 

His stable of girls wasn't the largest, but he had acquired, through great personal effort and expenditure, a collection of call girls who were as top of the line as they come. He didn't tell them that, of course. That would be stupid and he was far from stupid.

 

Within his collection of call girls, one was, by far, the best. There was no doubt about this -- it was a matter of pure accounting. She pulled down the largest fees and brought her men to a loyalty so great, clients would actually get into bidding wars to have her on particular nights, such as New Years or the 4th of July, and the most popular and profitable of all, Halloween.

 

This star's name was Nicole Bower. This was actually her real name, because she came to him so innocent in the ways of prostitution, she didn't know enough to give a working name. Nicole not only made profits on her own, she increased the profitability of his other call girls, by willingly sharing what she did and her explaining the practical application of her philosophy on sex with powerful men. All Gabriel had to do was to have the other girls go visit Nicole a few days a month and profits increased, but no one ever surpassed Nicole on the accounting ledger.

 

Then, a week ago yesterday, she packed up a few things from her apartment and left him. No note, no phone call, not even a goddamn fucking email! The security cameras showed three men helping her, who no one so far recognized. They loaded her things down into a truck with a single trip. The truck had no license plate and no clear identifiable marks. The whole process took less than fifteen minutes. No one even knew she was gone until her driver called, asking if something had happened to her.

 

Antonio, Nicole's manager and a ruthless enforcer, sat peacefully on the other side of the desk from Gabriel. He always sat peacefully. Gabriel came to realize that Antonio did this because of a natural quirk of personality; also because Antonio always had a plan in his head for killing everyone in the room. Right now, his plan included Gabriel. So despite Gabriel's current fury, which could easily be focused on Antonio, the bulky Italian remained undisturbed and peaceful.

 

"Have you found her, Antonio?"

 

"No," he reported, using his normal soft, conversational tone. "No further leads are reportable at the moment, though we continue to search and to sift through new areas of investigation."

 

"She has left the city?"

 

"Doubtful. Highly doubtful. Our contacts in the PD have given us quality information suggesting that she has not left on any plane, train, or bus from Chicago. She has no car and, so far, no new car has been registered in her name. I have my doubts that she even knows how to drive."

 

"There are ways around registration," Gabriel pointed out.

 

"True, but none she would be aware of. The only TV she ever watched was financial news stories. She is as naïve about the world as she is experienced with men of power and the act of sex."

 

"No one has her in their stable? No one took her?"

 

"No. That is certain. If that were so, you would have ears already on your desk. Also, her list of clients appears to have no idea that she has gone. We have been putting them off for now by suggesting she is on a well-earned holiday in Europe and that we will inform them of her return."

 

"All of them have been accounted for?"

 

"One, Maximilian Rozzi, is currently in San Diego. He is probably unaware, but also not stolen from us. He will call on his return and we will place him with the most likely girl to fulfill his needs, just like the others."

Gabriel spun slowly in his chair. Antonio was infuriating, especially with his cultured, peaceful attitude toward everything, but he was valuable and skilled in his duties. "Where is she, Antonio?" Gabriel sighed, not really expecting an answer.

 

"In Chicago," he answered with a simple assuredness that was very upsetting to Gabriel.

 

"From where I am sitting right now, how far away is she?" Gabriel challenged.

 

"I would have to guess, but my guess is no more than ten miles."

 

"So close?"

 

"She is not running, Gabriel; she is quitting," Antonio explained calmly. "She is not even hiding. She has a new apartment, which she is currently decorating. She has a new job starting, but not as a call girl. I suspect something along the lines of a highly paid executive assistant somewhere downtown. She is skilled on the computer, knows finance, how to invest stocks with some skill, and is competent in understanding activities such as mergers, takeovers, and bankruptcy. It is, of course, possible that she is providing her new boss with sexual services, but I doubt it. She is done with that part of her life."

 

"She's not done!" Gabriel exploded. "She's mine!"

 

"Of course, but in her mind, this is not the case," Antonio clarified with peaceful assurance, as if Gabriel's wrath was merely a sweet summer breeze finding its way into the window.

 

Gabriel glared at him, "Which is why you believe she hasn't left the country or even the extended neighborhood."

 

"It's a nice neighborhood," Antonio pointed out. "I would like to point out, however, that her books are clean. She has no reason to come back and we have no grounds to hold her -- not even within underworld guidelines."

 

Gabriel's fury rose to such a level that even Antonio showed a waiver of doubt in his eyes as Gabriel said, very calmly, "She is mine. There is no leaving. She comes back, intact, and I will re-train her so that she understands this. That is all the discussion on this matter I will allow. Is that clear?"

 

"Of course, Gabriel," Antonio said without a noticeable amount of concern, though it was likely he reviewed his current plan of genocide.

 

"Find her, Antonio. Find her and bring her to me," he told his enforcer.

 

Then his phone rang and when he checked the caller on the display, it was unknown. He drummed his fingers, but generally speaking, in his line of work, if someone had his number and called it, it was worth answering the call. So he hit speakerphone. "Hello?" Gabriel asked.

"Gabriel?"

 

"Speaking," he said and it almost clicked before she spoke again.

 

"This is Nicole, Gabriel."

 

"Where are you?"

 

"That's not what I'm calling about. I want to make sure you understand that I'm gone. That I'm done. I have a new life and I intend to leave the city soon. Even if you find me, I won't come back. I'll never perform the show again. I'm done. I didn't take anything and I owe you nothing. Goodbye, Gabriel."

 

Then the connection broke.

 

Gabriel stared at the phone unable to give names to the emotional turmoil rising inside of him. There were so many, though most could be categorized under the heading of murderous.

 

Antonio calmly rose and picked Gabriel's phone up from the desk. He checked the caller ID and wrote down the reported number for the last caller onto his note pad. Then he set the phone back down. "I'll have her back on her schedule in one hour, ready to meet a client in three," Antonio said with peaceful assurance. "Is there anything else you require right now?"

 

Gabriel looked at him, then to his phone, and then back to Antonio. The white noise of murderous rage began to subside, "No, that will be all."

 

"Then after this matter is handled, I will be off for my regular three days. Davis will be your contact. He's a good man."

 

Gabriel nodded. Davis was a good man. "He might do well as a bodyguard for Nicole on her return, don’t you think? She is obviously so naïve; she is a danger to herself. I want to ensure nothing happens to her, Antonio. She is very profitable and must be able to work."

 

"Of course and I'll let Davis know of his… reassignment."

 

"Be sure to tell him that it is temporary and that he will be replaced and returned to his normal duties as soon as we can find someone suitable. Also assure him that his pay remains the same with normal commission considerations. I don't want him thinking he just got demoted."

 

"You are very generous," Antonio suggested.

 

"Yes,” he mused, examining this unprofitable corruption of his personality, “it appears that I am."

"I'll also get a new driver," Antonio reported as he walked for the door.

 

"The last one was very good from all reports. Perhaps you can locate him again."

 

"He has already moved onto another situation. He's into drug running now, I believe."

 

"That's a shame. I should give some thought to driver incentives for when we come across men of his caliber. Nicole told me his skills actually were the main reason she was able to salvage a high paying new client."

 

"I'm aware of the story, yes. It was admirably handled. Even the client was impressed," Antonio agreed.

 

"Goodnight, Antonio."

 

"Goodnight."