Chapter 14 #2
“Maybe a little.” She gives him a mischievous smile. “But no, really, that’s no problem. I can definitely play the grieving fiancée while you do whatever it is you need to do, Constance. I hate that this happened to your man. He seems like a good guy.”
“He is,” I reply. “Trenton, tonight I need you to get one of the SUVs ready and swap out its license plate. Use one that Maximo wouldn’t mind getting rid of, in case we need to junk it.
All I need you two to do tomorrow,” I add as I turn to Van, “is go to the hospital and be seen visiting Maximo. I’ll use the burner to text you as soon as I’m done and Trenton can bring you back. It’s as easy as that.”
“You sure confronting Irina by yourself is the best idea?” Trenton asks me.
“I’ll have Jamie and some of his crew stay nearby in case things go sideways. I’m going to make her meet me someplace very public, so she’ll feel safe. Maybe out at The Westchester, if she’ll agree to it.”
“Parking is kind of tight in their lot. You want to make sure there isn’t too much collateral damage,” Trenton warns me.
“I’ll make her meet me early so it won’t be crowded,” I reassure him. I have no intention of dragging anyone else into this mess. That’s part of the beauty of my plan. I can pull the trigger on it at a moment I choose.
Leonard walks back into the kitchen carrying an ancient gray Nokia phone. “This one is charged up and ready. It’s primitive, but it can call and text. Do you need something fancier?” he asks me.
“No, that’s perfect,” I reply as I take it from him. I open up the messenger app in Maximo’s phone and stare at Irina’s number, mentally preparing myself to make the phone call.
“Before you call, just a thought,” Trenton interrupts me.
“Don’t go to the Westchester Mall. They have a paid parking lot.
You’d get photographed going in and getting your ticket, then you’d have to stop on the way out and pay.
That’s a lot of extra problems if you’re trying to make a quick getaway. ”
“Good thinking,” I compliment him as I rub at my temples. The stress of the last few days has given me a headache. “Where would be a better place, an open lot that I can get in and out from quickly?”
“How about where the old Walmart used to be up in White Plains? It’s just up Route Twenty-Two, ten minutes away tops.
Tell her to just park on the street outside.
They have some shitty surveillance systems that will pick you up nearby, but if we swap your tags out and you wear a hat and mask, they won’t be able to identify you well enough to get past the alibi we’re setting up. ”
“That should work. I’ll need to tell her what I’m driving…” I mutter as I think out loud.
Trenton interrupts my train of thought by saying, “No, ask her what she will be driving. Don’t give her the option of getting the drop on you. Make her get there first and then you arrive. Don’t give her any advantage.”
“I can see why Maximo keeps you around.” I give a resigned shake of my head. “I’m glad you’re here to help me plan this.”
“Maximo would walk you through all of this if he were here. Everything I know about our business I learned from him. If I didn’t help you through this, he would skin me alive when he wakes up.”
“All right. I think I’m ready. I’m going to go into his office to make the call. Trenton, come with and listen in to see if you hear anything worrisome.”
“Whatever you say, boss.” Trenton grins at me as he follows me out of the kitchen. That’s the first time it really dawns on me. Jamie, Trenton, Leonard, the entire crew…they seem to be taking directions from me as naturally as they do from Maximo.
Did I earn their respect by killing Kirill Volkov, or by killing those guys who tried to kidnap me? Whenever it happened, I’m glad they have my back.
Once we’re in Maximo’s office Trenton closes the door behind us and I punch in the number on the burner Nokia Leonard gave me. I take a deep breath to try and stifle the butterflies that have exploded into flight in my stomach.
“You need me to do it?” Trenton asks. He must be able to see my struggle from the pained expression on my face.
“No,” my voice hardens. “I have to do this myself. She won’t agree to meet anyone else, and I want to be the one to put an end to her.”
“Just asking.” Trenton holds up his hands in surrender. “You look like you’re struggling…”
I hit the green send button and put the phone to my ear. It rings and rings until I’m sure that it’s going to go to a voicemail. I’m almost caught off guard when a gruff male voice answers, “Who is this?”
“Put Irina on the phone,” I demand.
“Who is this?” I can hear the sneer in the man’s voice.
“This is the person who dealt with Kirill. This is the person who’s getting ready to deal with Jacob. Put that fucking bitch on the phone right now.”
I can hear the phone being handed off, and the gruff-voiced man saying in the background, “Some woman wants to talk to you. She says she’s the one who did Kirill and that she has Jacob.”
“Give it to me,” I hear faintly, before the whoosh of the phone being passed around. “I take it this is Constance Monroe?” a roughly accented but definitely feminine voice asks.
“It’s me. And you had better be Irina Volkov.”
“I am,” she replies. “So, you’ve figured out who Jacob is and taken another of my sons from me. Did you call just to gloat? I hurt your man today, and I’ll hurt you too.”
“Listen to me carefully,” I say keeping my voice steady.
“I’m going to give you one chance to get your son back alive.
You and I are going to meet, just the two of us.
You will be at the closed down Wal-Mart in White Plains tomorrow morning at ten a.m. You will drive that van you used today to attack us.
You will bring Gregory Bianchi with you to trade for Jacob.
If I see you there with anyone else, anyone at all, your son dies.
If you try to fuck me in any way, your son dies.
Be at the Wal-Mart in White Plains, parked on the street at ten. Do you understand?”
“I understand,” she says, then tries to add, “But I will need…”
“You don’t get to demand a fucking thing from me,” I interrupt her. “You bring the Bianchi boy, you get your son back, and we’re done.” With that, I disconnect the call and take a long, shaky breath.
“I had better get some guys out there early tomorrow to canvass the area and make sure she doesn’t try to set up any shooters,” Trenton says as he pulls out his vape and takes a long drag. “Otherwise, everything sounds good. You did well.”
“It won’t be a problem.” I shrug as I drop the Nokia into my purse. “Once I see that she’s there I’ll call her and move the meet down the road. If we see anyone trying to follow, we can call it off. I don’t think she would take the chance on getting her son killed, but she might.”
“That’s a good idea. You’re catching on quick,” Trenton remarks. “Once you spot her, move the meet over to Delfino Park. I’ll have some boys out there to keep an eye on things too. Lead her out there, do the hand-off, and then…” He lets the sentiment hang in the air.
“Then we finish this once and for all.”