Glazov

I sit in my office and talk on the phone to one of the very few men I’ve ever known that inspires a feeling of caution in me. I’m not in the habit of fearing anyone, regardless of his abilities, but Antonio Wayne Ramirez is a force to be reckoned with. When you deal with Antonio, you’re also dealing with his brother, Ricardo, and as if that wasn’t enough, the Ramirez brothers are backed by the Colombian cartel. Those motherfuckers are crazy. They have a nasty little appetite for violence. Add that to Antonio’s sadistic nature, and under the right, or I should probably say wrong, circumstances, you have the recipe for a full-blown war. Keeping the peace with them is much easier than dealing with the repercussions when they’re pissed off.

Relations between us have always been fine. That is, up until now.

“Antonio, what you want me to do could cost me a shitload of money. The shipment of guns has already arrived and is in my warehouse, ready to go. Money has changed hands. What you’re asking…”

“I wouldn’t normally ask you to do it, but this is a unique situation in which a friend needs help. Damon D’Angelo is a high roller here, and he’s connected to a lot of people on the right side of the law. He’s got tons of money, and doing this for him means that he will owe me a favor. You know how beneficial that can be.”

Knowing he’s right, I sigh and ask him for the details.

“Damon’s girlfriend is a model. She’s been abducted by some crazy fuck who has a personal vendetta against him. The guy just happens to be affiliated with the IRA as well, and that’s where we come in.”

“If you’re telling me that to reassure me…”

“The kidnapping was personal for this prick; he took the girl just to get back at Damon. Now, for what reason, I don’t know. As for the guns, he’s doing this shit without the IRA’s knowledge. I didn’t give him enough time before the meeting to call in for backup, and I think he’s trying to impress them by closing this deal all on his own. Once this is done and it’s made known how royally he fucked it up, the IRA will kill him themselves just for failing. This is the perfect opportunity, Glazov. You get the guns, I get the money, and after a little bit of coercion, we find out where the crazy fuck hid the girl. Everybody goes home happy.”

“The guns are already mine!”

“He doesn’t know that though! He thinks I bought them from you and that I’m going to sell them to the IRA instead of giving them to the Colombians. Look, all I’m asking is to borrow the guns to make it look real—that’s all. Ship them here for this meeting, and you’ll get them back when we get the girl.”

“You’re just riding on everybody’s coattails, aren’t you, Antonio?”

“Fuck you! I make my own success, and I don’t like anybody else to do it any more than you do…”

Even through the phone, the tension feels almost palpable, and there is an angry, awkward silence.

I take a slow, deep breath, trying to suppress the rising frustration this little shit is making me feel. When I finally feel calm enough to answer, I speak slowly.

“Antonio, because of our alliance, the Russians and Colombians have always had a good working relationship from New York to Louisville, Kentucky. That’s the only reason I’m willing to consider doing this. However, I am NOT willing to put my money on the line for your friend, Damon D’Angelo. I don’t give a damn how many models he fucks. If anything happens to the guns, I want my money back. I don’t care whether it’s you or he who pays. I don’t have guns, money, or time to gamble with. I’m doing this as a favor to you and your brother.”

“I can assure you, I won’t be losing the guns. If, by chance, something fucked-up goes down, then I’ll pay for them. Who better to have indebted to you, Glazov, than Antonio Wayne and Ricardo Ramirez? Fuck, doing this gives you more favor with my brother, solidifying your connections in Guatemala and El Salvador.”

He is right about that; it does. That’s the only fucking reason I am agreeing to this crazy ass idea of his. The Colombians aren’t in the habit of playing nice with anybody. Having connections with the brothers does give me a lot of power. Even if Antonio Wayne is an antagonistic little shit, he is a good man to have in my corner.

“My regards to your brother.”

I hang up before he has time to say something else that will, undoubtedly, only piss me off. Antonio likes stirring shit up, and I’m not the kind of man who has the time or the patience for his games. It is the reason I normally deal with his older brother when I need to do business with them. Ricardo is more like me—no nonsense.

What I hadn’t told Antonio was that I would be at that meeting, hidden in the shadows. Granted, it would only be via a live video feed that my boys would put in, but it would still be fun to watch Antonio in action. He’ll be in New York, we’ll be in Louisville, Kentucky, and we’ll all still be together. Oh, the wonders of the modern age…