Let’s Play a Game
No rules
Still inside the safe room, Halo saw another number she didn’t know on her phone as it rang. She showed it to Theo, and he nodded for her to answer it.
“Hello?”
“Oh! Hello, bitch! You are still alive!” Joel cackled. “Too bad for you, you worthless cunt!”
“Joel? You motherfucking asshole!” Halo yelled into the phone and heard nothing but Joel’s laughter.
“Hey, bitch, listen up! I have everyone now. You are going to watch them all die one by one, and you can’t do shit about it!
” Joel howled with laughter. “Then, when they are all dead… we are going to come after your baby! And you can watch that fucker die, too!” He laughed again as Halo stared in shock at Theo. Joel continued to laugh.
Halo swallowed hard and steeled herself.
Then, her voice went as cold as ice and cut through Joel’s laughter.
“Fine, Joel. If that’s the way you want to play this.
You know my net worth is over three hundred million, and I will spend every fucking last dime paying an army of people to find your skinny punk ass and kill you…
very slowly, you m-o-t-h-e-r-fucker! I’m calling Sugar Man and setting up the contract on your life RIGHT FUCKING NOW!
” She didn’t wait for his response and hung up her phone.
With her anger rising and breathless, she pointed at Theo. “I don’t care what it costs! Joel dies!” she shouted.
JJ wrapped her arms around Halo and tried to console her. Halo looked up. “Oh shit! Where is Selena?”
Theo’s dark eyes widened and turned to JJ. “Call her.”
JJ pulled out her phone and dialed Selena. “Nothing…”
“Oh no, oh hell…” Halo sighed and shook her head sadly, wishing desperately for Xander’s, and everyone else’s, safety.
Xander’s phone rang. He reached over the nightstand and picked it up, expecting to see a call from Halo. He had to rub his eyes and answered the phone. “Jessie?”
“Get out NOW! We are compromised. Dump all electronics. Johnny will call Halo to warn her. GET OUT!”
Xander threw his phone on the nightstand, shot out of bed, grabbed his pants, shoes, and bag, and took off out of the room and down the empty hallway. Instead of the lobby, he headed up the stairs, getting dressed the whole way. Coming out on the top floor, he almost ran into a maid.
“Miss! Can you call security? It’s an emergency!”
She nodded, pulled out a key, and ushered him into the nearest unoccupied room. She picked up the hotel phone and dialed. She began speaking rapidly in Spanish. She turned to him, her eyes wide with surprise. “S—sir, you speak to manager.” She handed him the phone.
“Hello! I am a guest here. My name is Kostinos, Xander. Yes, that Xander Kostinos. I was warned I was going to be attacked in my room. Yes, it’s 3141.
Warn your guests to stay inside and call the police.
No, I can’t wait for you; I need to leave, and my guess is that you are being watched.
Yes, thank you.” He handed the phone to the maid.
He watched her nod a few times as she spoke, then hang up. “I take you to laundry. You can get outside.”
Xander checked his bag, keeping his hand inside it, and followed the maid to the elevator.
He stood next to the elevator door as it opened, and the maid beckoned him in, giving the all-clear.
He watched as she inserted a key into a lock, turned it, and the doors shut and they headed nonstop downstairs.
As the doors opened, she stepped out and looked around, then waved him out.
She ushered him toward the service entrance. He grabbed her and pulled her behind a cart of soiled clothing. He pointed to the window next to the door and whispered into her ear, “You know that man?”
She shook her head at him. “Stay here. I call security…”
“No!” he whispered harshly. “Someone might get killed.” He glanced into the laundry cart and got an idea.
After he was dressed in soiled chef’s clothing, he held up his finger to his lips.
“Don’t be afraid. I have a permit.” He pulled out his FN Five-seven and placed it under his white chef’s jacket and into the waistband of his pants.
He silently thanked Simo for talking him into carrying it at all times now.
He watched her sort through the dirty laundry, pull out a chef’s hat, and place it on his head. “I take you out of kitchen, si?”
“Thank you.”
He followed her through the underbelly of the Hyatt Regency Hotel to the kitchen. She ran up to what appeared to be the head chef and began rapidly speaking in Spanish to him.
The chef rushed up to him and grabbed his arm. “I recognize you. You are that Xander guy. Estella says you need to get out and bad people are looking for you, yes?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Take off your hat. Come, I take you to garbage room. You ride in garbage to the dumpster outside. There you can get Lyft or taxi.”
“Thank you so much!” He shook Estella’s hand and followed the chef.
Soon, he was under a pile of cardboard and being wheeled outside. He heard the chef say “hola” to someone but kept pushing the cart. He heard a door being dragged open across concrete, then he was rolled in. The chef peeked under the cardboard at him.
“No one can see you in here. Two men in dark sunglasses out by the doors. They look like military guys. You can climb over the wall over there and they won’t see you.”
“Thank you so much…” He glanced at the name tag. “Danny.”
Danny smiled. “I’ll dump the garbage now. When I go inside, you go over.”
Xander nodded and watched as Danny emptied the cart.
Then he watched as Danny shut the doors.
He crept up and peeked through the space in the door frame as, thankfully, both men watched Danny go back into the kitchen.
With a run and jump, he was over the cinderblock wall.
He sprinted across the walkway, then slowed down as he entered the crowd on Market Street.
He reached into his pants pocket, pulled out his gold pin locator, and tossed it into the back of an open delivery truck.
Now he faced a dilemma… to risk finding a phone to call Halo or not.
If they were compromised electronically, the rule was to meet at Ari’s or Club Aurae and not call anyone.
Then, how was he going to get home? Flying or renting a car would be the only option, as there was no going back for his new car from Halo from his birthday.
“Shit,” he muttered as he kept walking through the crowded sidewalk, then he saw a taxi drop off its fare on Beale Street.
He ran up to it and knocked on the window with a smile. The taxi driver motioned him inside.
“Where to?”
“The Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral on Valencia.”
For the entire ride, he kept wondering what could have gone wrong.
Was it Harding who was after him? Was Halo involved?
Was she and Athena okay? He wished he had a damn cellphone.
Simo had drilled the protocol into him if they were ever electronically compromised: no contact with anyone by cellphone and find his way to Ari’s or Aurae.
Soon, he was dropped off in front of the cathedral. He went inside the main offices and right up to the receptionist.
“Oh, Mr. Kostinos… you are back! Were you cooking somewhere today?”
Xander glanced down at his dirty clothes and shook his head. “Miss Alexiou, my family and I are in big trouble. I really need to speak to the bishop again.”
Seeing the seriousness on his face, she nodded and picked up her phone. After her call, she smiled at Xander. “His Eminence Archbishop Stelios will be right out.” She pointed to the chairs in the waiting area.
As he sat down, the archbishop came bustling out. “Xander, please come into my office.”
Sitting down across from the bishop, he began his story of today’s events and added the backstory of Major Harding. He ended the conversation by asking the archbishop for help in getting back to Los Angeles as quickly and quietly as possible, adding that money was no object.
The archbishop smiled. “I have just the help you need. We have a member who runs a helicopter business that does tours of the wine country. I will call him directly.”
Xander listened to the conversation and was immediately relieved as the archbishop nodded and smiled at him.
“God has his blessings on you, Xander Kostinos. I will have Miss Alexiou drive you to the heliport in Sausalito, where Meletis Taramas will be waiting to fly you to Santa Monica. You can reimburse him for the fuel and his time at your convenience.”
“Thank you so very much!” Xander had a mind to kiss the man’s hand, as Evie always did with the priests, but he simply bowed his head in respect.
“Would you care to contact your betrothed?”
Xander winced hard. “I—I am desperate to speak with her, but I must follow the protocols given to me… I’d ask you to call but... it might be tracked.”
They were interrupted by Miss Alexiou rushing inside. “Apologies, Your Eminence, Mr. Kostinos, you have to see this!”
“What has happened?” the archbishop demanded.
“On, on my laptop… Joel Miller has escaped prison in Oregon!”
Xander felt his blood go cold as he stared at the receptionist. He turned to the archbishop with his guts beginning to boil in anger. “Your Eminence… you may not want to help me after all.”
The man shot him a concerned look. “Why is this, my son?”
“My family will never be safe as long as that man is still alive…” He looked down at his shoes, shaking his head. “I am so sorry to say this here, and to you, but I should have ended Joel Miller’s life when I first had the chance.”
The room went quiet as he kept staring at the plush beige carpet.
He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up at the archbishop’s serious stare.
Then, the man seemed to change his mind on what he was going to say.
“I have heard of the evil that man has brought into this world. This is from Luke, 10:19. Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you. Go with God, my son, and please use your best judgment rather than your passions should you ever find Joel Miller.”
“Thank you, Your Grace.” He held up his bag. “Now, if I can change into my clothes somewhere, please?”
For the entire flight to Santa Monica, Xander’s mind was bouncing back and forth between Halo, Athena, and how to track down Joel.
He was sure Simo was on the job. Unless…
he got a tingle up his spine. Jessie said they were compromised.
Shit, he muttered under his breath. Then the decision: Home or Aurae?
The club was close to the Santa Monica Airport.
Then, how to get word to Halo, knowing they might be monitored…
The pilot interrupted his thoughts and pointed down. “Santa Monica Airport.”
The pilot got clearance to land near where Ari’s plane was parked. Xander gave the pilot his credit card number and asked him to wait until tomorrow to charge for his time and fuel. Then, he was out of the helicopter and running toward the car rental shop.
He rushed up to the counter and rang the bell. Soon, a pretty lady came out from the back and stared at him for a long moment as if she recognized him.
“Uh, sir, what can I do for you?”
Xander saw the woman’s name tag; it read “Johnna.” “Ma’am, I need to rent a car ASAP.”
“Yes, sir… excuse me, are you Xander Kostinos?”
“Yes, I’m sorry, but I am in a little bit of a hurry.”
“A little bit? Sir, uh, you and Halo are on the news…”
He gasped. “What? Is she ok?”
“They think so. Y—you don’t know?” she stuttered.
“No! I just flew in from San Francisco. What’s going on?”
“Hurry! Please come back to the breakroom.”
He followed her back, and she pointed at the TV screen. Xander’s mouth fell open, and he nearly fell over at the sight. He felt Johnna’s hand steady him as he stared at the charred remains of Halo’s beloved home, as viewed from a news helicopter.
He felt nauseous as he watched in shock.
“Reports are that everyone is okay. Something about a safe room? Oh! Sir, you should sit down.” She helped Xander into a chair as he began to wobble, then rushed over to the water dispenser and brought him a cup of water.
He accepted it with shaking hands and downed it.
“Mr. Kostinos… does this have something to do with Joel Miller’s escape?”
He nodded and handed back the cup. “Ma’am, I really need a cellphone. I have to warn you it may be dangerous if I use yours…”
Johnna nodded, then smiled. “We sell the disposable types for our international customers!”
He nodded his thanks as he watched the fire crews trying to douse the hot flames near the safe room at Halo’s home. “Anything else happen on the news?”
“Yes, another house was attacked. The reporter said their security shot it down; the police are still hiking down the canyon trying to get to it. I’ll be right back.” She ran out into the office and brought back a cellphone. She opened the box, and soon had it set up. “Here, it’s ready.”
“Can I text?” She nodded, and he entered in Halo’s number, his finger beginning to tremble as he began texting by using Halo’s old emergency safe word.
Finn?
Who is this? came the reply from Halo’s phone.
Finn? he typed again.
The response took a bit longer. Why do you need Finn?
Apologies, I was told to ask for Finn at this number when I got back home. My bad.
The response this time was much quicker. Good luck, I hope you find your friend.
Yes thank you I hope so too.
He sighed a great breath of relief and put his head in his hands.
“Is everything okay, sir?”
He nodded, then looked up. “Yes, thank you so much, Johnna. Now, about that car…”