Payback is a… #2
Ari paused and looked each of his men in the eye. “Thank you all for enduring my… aggravation. If you would all please excuse me, I need some downtime.” Ari closed his eyes and began breathing deeply as if he were meditating, mindless of the three men in the jet watching him.
Simo settled into his seat and tried in vain to find sleep, but the horror of seeing Tammy’s and Marty’s mutilated conditions ate at him.
Part of him felt vindication for Tammy as they tortured Tony Marinaro in turn, though a part of him felt wrong in doing that to another human being.
The plan now was for CIA contractors to set up the ‘finding’ of Little Tony’s remains and leak through back channels that this was a ‘lesson to be learned’ for anyone who might consider a move against Aurae’s owner.
Then Simo’s thoughts turned to Ari’s rage.
For as long as he had known Ari, he had never seen Ari so angry.
And as they finished with Tony and were leaving the warehouse, Ari had ordered the doctor to go first. With a speed that shocked everyone, Ari ran his katana through the evil Turk’s black heart, killing him instantly.
Then there were his memories of killing the fake wife of Iravani out in the Arabian Sea.
All these thoughts raced through his tired mind, fighting to be considered, and keeping him wide awake the entire flight.
“Simo… did you not sleep either?” Theo whispered as the plane’s landing gear rumbled under their feet as they lowered.
“No.”
Theo nodded knowingly. With his head, he gestured to Ari and Chen who were fast asleep. Simo nodded, and soon the plane landed with hardly a bump. As they were taxiing off the runway, Ari and Chen awoke. Ari met Simo’s eyes, then looked at Theo.
“You both have not slept… my apologies. You both will need real sleep or you may become run down and fall ill… if you need a sleep aid, please call our doc in Los Angeles.”
Simo nodded as the captain’s voice came over the intercom, interrupting the conversation. “Gentlemen, your transportation is parked outside the gate...”
Simo set his weapons bag down on the dark, polished wood of his kitchen table, pulled out a chair, and sat down hard.
It was 10:33 PM, and he felt as if he hadn’t slept in months.
With a sigh, he stood up and went to his liquor cabinet.
He poured himself a double shot of Ouzo and downed it.
He filled another double and went to his pantry.
Retrieving his gun cleaning kit, he sat back down at his kitchen table and with swift deftness he had all his weapons stripped, cleaned, reassembled, and reloaded.
Placing his weapons back into his bag, he grabbed his glass and the bottle of Ouzo, got up, went up the stairs, and started a hot shower.
He ended up draining the hot water, stepped out, dried off, then downed yet another double shot of Ouzo.
Going into his bedroom, he pulled back the sheets on his bed and slipped under the covers.
Staring up at the dark ceiling, he considered turning on the TV.
Nothing sounded good but sleep; sleep that would not come for him.
Simo sat up when dawn’s light came streaming through his bedroom window.
He rubbed his eyes and cursed himself for wasting time by lying awake in bed.
Looking at the time, he guessed he could try to sleep before he had to prepare for Eleni’s arrival.
Deciding otherwise, he got up and looked out of the window.
The marine cloud layer was hanging low this morning, making everything look gray and drab.
He headed to the bathroom to get ready for the day.
An hour later, Simo arrived in Chen’s office, underneath Club Aurae, to find Chen busy at work on his computers. Chen turned and lost his smile as he watched Simo walk in.
“You didn’t sleep…” Chen said with concern.
“That bad?”
“You look like hell.”
“Great,” Simo replied as he pulled up a chair next to Chen. “So… about Eleni.”
“She arrives this afternoon. Ari would like a meeting right away with you all. I take it you and Theo will be there to greet her?”
“That’s the plan.”
“So, there is something bothering you…”
“The bonus Ari gave me… I want half of it transferred to my operations budget. Her salary is going to push my overhead.”
“We have enough to employ Eleni. It’s not a problem, Simo.”
“She will need an apartment at some point.”
“I see. As you wish, Simo. There is something else, yes?”
Simo sighed and ran his hand down his ponytail. “Something doesn’t feel right…”
“Are you referring to Tony Marinaro?”
Simo met Chen’s dark eyes and shrugged. “I don’t know. I feel off… everything feels off right now. I can’t put my finger on it.”
“Your nose itching?” Chen asked.
Simo shook his head slowly, ‘no’.
“I will do a security sweep and check on things… I never discount feelings such as these, though you should get some sleep to see if that is the problem.” Chen pulled out a pill bottle, opened it, and held out an ugly green pill at Simo.
“Please, head up to your office and take a nap. I have some things I’d like to discuss with you but it can wait until later. ”
“Fine. Thanks, Mother,” Simo tried to joke, accepted the pill from Chen and downed it dry.
“I’ll have Theo wake you when Larry arrives with the limo. Sleep well, my friend.”
Simo patted Chen on his muscular shoulder. Without another word, Simo made the journey up to his office and soon the drug was taking effect. He laid down on the couch and closed his eyes.
It seemed like he had just closed his eyes when Theo was shaking his shoulder and calling his name.
“Ella! Simo!” Theo said in Greek with a raised voice.
“I’m up…” Simo said as he came awake. He focused on Theo and looked around. “How long?”
“It’s 2:30, so you tell me.” Theo smiled.
“Ah… since 9. Larry here?”
“Outside, waiting. You better wash up.”
“Sure.” Simo grunted and tried to smile.
“I’ll wait downstairs.”
Simo headed to his small bathroom. Looking into the mirror, he saw that the dark circles under his eyes had lessened only slightly.
Fortunately, his tan Mediterranean skin helped hide them, though not the puffiness under his eyes.
He quickly washed up, changed into clean clothes, and met Theo out front of Club Aurae where Larry was waiting with the limo.
Theo sat with Simo in the back as Larry headed the long limo toward the freeway and LAX.
“You got some sleep,” Simo said in Greek to Theo.
“A little.”
“Chen gave me a pill this morning… I hate pills.”
“I remember when you thought you didn’t need stitches after being shot…” Theo reminded Simo.
Immediately, Simo’s memory flashed to the image of Jessie hanging by her hands on the slave ship. He shook his head as if clearing cobwebs. “It wasn’t bad.”
“A bullet hole that needed six stitches isn’t bad?” Theo chuckled.
Simo segued into a different topic. “So what are you going to do with your bonus?”
“Oh… uh, investing. Chen is helping. You?”
“Investing, too.”
“Chen is a financial wizard. He told me that Ari taught him most everything he knows. Chen told me he is going to be one of the financiers on a Halo Raines movie.”
“Oh?”
“He didn’t tell you this morning?”
“No. All I got was the pill and the ‘mommy look’ to get some sleep,” Simo joked. “What movie?”
“Something Halo has wanted to do. Chen said Ari thought it might be an Oscar-award performance for Halo. He also said that he, Ari, and Ronson created a secret company to help Halo on her movie project… she doesn’t know it’s them. So don’t say anything.”
“Like I will ever see her again. She’s a smart girl, not using all her own money,” Simo mused.
“Chen said one reason they are doing it is because Joel Miller is her partner…” Theo eyed Simo at this revelation.
“That little bitch? Ok, maybe she’s not as smart as I thought.” Simo chuckled.
“I have heard he knows his job as a producer, even though he is a little bitch.” Theo laughed. “They want to help Halo be in a powerful position with Joel, I guess.”
“Makes sense. Did Chen ask you if you wanted in?”
“Uh…”
“You are in?” Simo said with a raised eyebrow.
“Yes. I don’t want you to think I’m throwing away my money. The investment is backed by insurance if something goes wrong…”
“What if the movie stinks?”
“Well… then it’s a loss.”
“Ah… I forgot you usually win when you gamble.” Simo smiled. “Maybe I should ask Chen?”
“I think Ari or Chen will talk to you. I heard that everything Halo has done makes money.”
Simo interrupted. “Speaking of Joel… was he in the club much while I was gone?”
“No, I haven’t seen him since before you left for the Middle East. Why?” Simo sighed and gave Theo a serious look. “Your nose isn’t itching, is it?” Theo replied at Simo’s look.
“No. But something is off…”
“Miami?”
“No. I don’t think that’s it…”
“Is it Eleni coming here?”
“Maybe…”
“Wait! I’ve heard Eleni joke about taking you to bed. Are you worried?” Theo began laughing.
“NO!” Simo said, red-faced.
“Lilly is going to be so pissed!” Theo began laughing harder, then stopped when he saw the look on Simo’s face. “What? Lilly knows?”
“Remember? I told her to… scare her off.”
“Well, it didn’t work. She loves you,” Theo stated flatly.
“I don’t need that,” Simo said loudly.
“Yeah, just keep telling yourself that!” Theo grinned. “Lilly is beautiful…”
“Vray Malaka!” Simo chuckled. “Not going to happen.”
“If you say so…” Theo grinned, his white teeth beaming at Simo.
Simo shook his head, smiling. “You find a woman yourself, then I’ll think about it. How’s that?”
“Deal,” Theo said with sudden seriousness.
“Hey, I was only joking.”
“Too bad. I accepted your deal, Malaka!” Theo laughed.
Simo could only shake his head and smile.
“There she is!” Theo waved in Eleni’s direction. Eleni saw Theo and shot him a warm smile.