Bax
Bax stood on the waterfront at the end of St. Peter Street, watching the steamboats paddle back and forth in the Mississippi River.
He wondered if he'd ever be able to visit New Orleans again once this con was over. He supposed he might not, and the thought made him sad as he remembered all of the trips his family had taken to The Big Easy when he was a kid. Since then, he'd seen just about every city America had to offer. Some were beautiful, some were thrilling, some were dangerous—but none of them had ever seduced him the way New Orleans had, with its jazz and voodoo and tall tales. To him, it would always be the most magical place in the world.
But as long as he had Stef with him wherever he went, he figured he could still be happy.
Mule was positioned at Bax's right side, and when Bax saw him shift his considerable weight, he turned and saw Benny and Silvio walking toward them. Benny was still disheveled, but he didn't look confused and unfocused anymore.
If anything, he looked pissed as hell.
I don't like that, Bax thought. Whatever gave him that look, it definitely wasn't part of the plan. And this is too late a stage to start dealing with surprises.
“Thank you for meeting with me,” Bax said. “I have news.”
“Oh? And what might that be? Some new complication that will require me to blindly hand over even more of my money?”
Well, that didn't sound good, for starters.
Bax frowned, trying to look confused. “I'm not sure why you would say something like that, but no. I heard from the Burmese militia members last night. They've released my father. He's finally coming home.”
“I'm so happy for you,” Benny replied in a steely voice.
Bax slowly allowed his expression to shift from confusion to irritation. “There's a tone in your voice that I'm having some trouble deciphering, Benny. Have I done something to upset you?”
“Several nights ago, my wife saw you sneaking out of Stef's bedroom.”
Shit.
Bax hoped Benny's cell phone would ring soon. He felt like it already should have happened, but he couldn't risk checking the time to be sure.
“Don't try to deny it,” Benny continued. “I should have been suspicious when you insisted on spending a few hours alone with her after your first date, but after the shoot-out with the bikers, I was too turned-around to think anything of it. You seemed like such a gentleman, a man of honor. And now my wife tells me she's heard Stef getting sick in the mornings. You've betrayed me and defiled my daughter, you lousy, filthy Judas.”
Bax's mind raced. It was bad enough that Benny had found out about them. But could Stef really be pregnant?
Of course she could, shithead, his mind answered. You didn't wear a condom, remember? You took Sex Ed in high school. You knew what could happen, and you went charging in anyway.
Please, God, let Benny's cell phone ring. Now. Right now. Please, please, please.
“Don Altamura...you're right,” Bax said, trying to sound humble and contrite. “I won't deny it. I've had an inappropriate relationship with Stefania behind your back, and your anger is entirely justified. But you must believe me when I tell you that this hasn't been some meaningless fling for me. I'm in love with your daughter, sir, and that's the truth. Now that this business with my father is over, I want to marry her. I want it more than I've ever wanted anything in my life. And if she is indeed with child, then I will dedicate my life to making sure that your grandchild is the happiest and most beloved kid in the entire world.”
Bax couldn't be sure, but he thought he saw Benny's eyes soften, just a little. Before he could say anything else, Benny's phone chirped. He checked the caller ID, but Bax already knew what it would show him: “UNKNOWN CALLER.”
Benny answered, putting the phone to his ear. “Whoever you are, you're not supposed to have this number.”
He listened for a moment.
Then his eyes bulged in terror, and his jaw went slack.
“Yes,” Benny whispered hoarsely. “Yes, he's with me.” After another moment, he lowered the phone, staring at Bax. “They know you're here. They want me to put them on speakerphone. They...Jesus, they say they've got Stef.”
Bax allowed all the breath to leave his body, adopting the expression of someone who'd been punched in the chest. Inwardly, he celebrated. The call had come at just the right moment.
Benny hit the button on the phone, holding it out in front of him.
“Who is this?” Bax asked.
A high, reedy voice with a clipped Asian accent emanated from the phone. “This is Commander Letrong of the Kokang Independence Army, Mr. Lupo. Surely, you remember me from our discussions regarding your father.”
“What is this?” Bax demanded. “I paid your ransom, and you've released him. Our business is concluded.”
“Perhaps,” the voice admitted, sounding amused. “Perhaps it has. But once we became aware that Mr. Altamura was the one holding the abundant purse strings which secured your father's freedom, we decided that our business with him had just begun. So I have traveled to New Orleans with several of my officers, and now we have Altamura's daughter in our possession.”
“Bullshit,” Bax snapped. “I know how your organization operates, bluffing big and shaking people down with your terrorist tactics. I'm really supposed to believe that you dirty jungle bastards traveled over a thousand miles across the world just to grab some girl for ransom?”
Letrong laughed. “We have managed to fight back against the full force of the Burmese government and their military for over a decade without being captured or killed, Mr. Lupo, despite being dramatically outmanned and outgunned. Do you truly believe that it is beyond our capabilities to purchase a couple of airplane tickets to Louisiana?”
“Fine, then prove it. Put her on the phone.”
“Very well.”
There was a pause, and then Stef's voice came through the phone. She was sniffling and sobbing, and her voice was ragged with panic. “Dad? Leo? Can you hear me?”
Bax tried to look shocked and horrified, noting Benny's expression as he did. Benny's eyes were full of tears, and the muscles in his face sagged. His face was as white as his hair.
“No,” he whined. “Not my baby, please. Not my only child.”
“We're here, Stef.” Bax tried to put a heroic, take-charge edge in his voice. “Can you tell us where you are?”
“They...they have a blindfold on me, and...God, they've hurt me so bad...they keep hitting me, and they broke two of my fingers...they...they say if you don't pay them, they're gonna...do things to me...I'm so scared, I've never been so scared, please, get me out of here...”
Bravura performance, Bax thought. This girl's a natural. Maybe once this is all over, she'll make a good con artist. He felt a sudden burst of newfound pride and affection. She was beautiful, she was smitten with him, she was dynamite in the sack...but best of all, she was smart.
“We'll get you out of there, sweetheart,” Benny insisted. “I promise, whatever it takes, we won't let them hurt you anymore.”
Letrong spoke again. “The price is fifteen million American dollars. You will meet us in Metairie Cemetery tonight at ten o'clock, in the mausoleum marked with the name 'Fournier.' Only you and Mr. Lupo are invited, and you are both to come unarmed. If any of these instructions are not followed, the girl will be made to suffer a series of unspeakable violations before she dies. Do we understand each other?”
“Yes,” Bax said. “We understand. We'll be there.”
“I'd like to hear it from Mr. Altamura too, if you don't mind.”
“Of course.” Benny was weeping openly now. “Anything. Just please don't hurt my little girl.”
There was a click, and the line went dead.
“You're not going in there without me,” Silvio said immediately.
“Look, I know you're a tough guy,” Bax assured him. “No one's disputing that. But you heard what they said. If they see someone else with us, the deal is off. Letrong wasn't fooling around when he said his rebels have been fighting the army in Myanmar for years. These aren't a bunch of goombahs in silk shirts we're dealing with. They're hardened soldiers. They don't value life, not even their own.” He turned to Benny. “Can you get the cash together in time?”
“I suppose I can,” Benny replied in a small voice. “But after the fifteen thousand I've already paid...I'll have to use everything I've got. All my savings, all my businesses, all the money the crews who work for me have brought in, everything I own. My entire operation will be ruined. I'll have nothing left. Nothing.”
“We can't worry about that right now. The only thing that's important is making sure Stef is safe. After that, my family can keep yours afloat until the heroin shipments start coming in. With everything you've done for us, it's the least we can do.”
“I can set up a sniper rifle nearby,” Silvio said. “Fire at them from cover.”
“You're not listening,” said Bax. “These are jungle commandos we're up against, trained in guerrilla tactics from the time they can crawl. Whatever you can think of, believe me, they've already thought of it.” He addressed Benny again. “As long as we do what they say, everything should turn out fine. Just meet me outside the gates of the Metairie Cemetery a few minutes before ten. Make sure you bring the full amount, because that's the first thing they'll check. I promise you, Benny...we'll get your daughter back.”
The look of pathetic gratitude on Benny's face was almost enough to make Bax feel sorry for him.
Almost.