The Miami Contract #2
“True. Speaking of hearts… has Lilly visited you at the club?”
Simo inadvertently shot Chen a hard look. “Unfortunately.” Simo’s look softened as he changed the subject. “I was waiting to see you in person to tell you… Eleni Tsekeris will be staying with Theo for some time. I am thinking of adding her to our team.”
“Is this a good thing?”
“Maybe. She was fired because of me.”
“I see.”
“Chen, our budget will be tight with her on the team. Your thoughts?”
“With Gunnar up in Oregon, we could use Eleni’s skill set. We can rotate Eleni in with Gunnar for Annabeth and Christina’s security. I think it is a good thing, if that is what you are asking.”
“Yeah, thanks.”
Chen turned north off Highway 41 and onto a bumpy, poorly kept, paved road. “It will be like this until we arrive.”
“How do we know we are not being watched at this place?”
“Their… doctor explained that he alone was to dispose of the remains. The place is rather remote… but it’s always a possibility.”
Simo paused, nodded, then reached up and held onto the handle as Chen did his best to dodge the bumps and potholes.
After a few miles, Chen slowed and turned right.
The trees and grasses bordering the sandy road seemed to get denser, if that was possible, Simo thought.
A few minutes later, Chen slowed the Expedition to a crawl and parked in front of a dilapidated and rusted corrugated metal warehouse. “Prepare yourself.”
As Simo got out, the humid, dank air assaulted his nose. Simo scanned the area and noticed a generator and electrical lines going inside the building.
“I’m thinking this wasn’t the first time…” Simo said aloud.
Ari came up behind Simo and sighed. “You are correct, though after I am done, it will be the last.”
Simo gestured at Theo to follow, pulled out his ever-present handkerchief, and readied himself. Chen led the way, as Becky remained outside on guard.
The smell hit Simo first. It was like someone shit on fresh-cut grass and poured hot tar over it—the smell of death and rotting flesh.
It turned his belly even though he was holding the handkerchief over his mouth and nose.
Simo turned to Ari and saw that Ari’s anger had turned his ears a deep red.
Simo followed Ari and Chen over to where Marty was splayed out.
The rotting had already begun in earnest. Flies were all over her, and maggots were already eating her flesh.
He heard Ari growl and angrily mutter, ‘Bloody bastards’.
Simo heard Theo quietly retching. Simo turned to him, patted him on the shoulder, and looked into Theo’s green-tinted face. “Go ahead and go outside.” Theo wasted no time and rushed outside, retching all the way.
Simo heard Theo vomiting outside the metal building.
Moving over to what was left of Tammy, Simo’s belly turned and he thought he might have to join Theo.
He had seen some horrible deaths, but this one was steeped in utter evil and cruelty.
As horrible as it all was, he wished the same death on the people responsible.
The flies were laying eggs in Tammy’s hanging body parts.
Simo watched Ari as it seemed he was examining Tammy. “She died last…” Ari glanced toward where Marty was. “They made her watch as they slowly killed Marty first. Then they started in on poor Tammy.” With a last look, Ari shook his head sadly and gestured for them to leave.
Once outside, Simo took in deep breaths of the humid, musty swamp air. He noticed that Ari was staring back into the building. Ari turned to him after a time. “Simo, are you still up to this?”
“Payback is a bitch… I plan on helping.”
“Chen?”
“Of course, Ari.”
Simo looked toward where Theo and Becky were standing, watching them. “I think we should have Theo and Becky stay out here…”
“Yes.” Ari nodded.
“What shall we do with the remains?” Chen asked.
“We will bag and ready them for a proper burial. Sagar is working on the particulars and will handle their interment.”
Chen moved over to the Ford, opened the back, and retrieved two black body bags, face masks, slip-on coveralls, and black neoprene gloves. Chen handed Ari his gear and looked at Simo. “You up to this?”
Simo nodded and took the gear from Chen. He noticed Theo begin to head toward them, and Simo shook his head at Theo. Theo nodded and shot a grateful look back at him.
It took almost an hour to remove the two bodies from the foul and evil-smelling building.
It had been hell removing Marty, as she was actually spiked onto the wooden table.
They had to use a crowbar to pull her off the spikes, tearing through her rotting flesh.
It made them all retch repeatedly, as Ari kept repeating the word ‘bastards’.
Outside, Simo stood by a black plastic bag that Chen was holding open. He tore off the paper-like coveralls then turned to Ari. “You never said why exactly they did all this.”
Ari looked away momentarily, then met Simo’s eyes.
“According to their doctor we have in our custody… they were trying to find out who really owns my clubs. Me. Tammy did not know… I had known that Little Tony was digging into this for quite some time. He stepped up his search right after his father, Big Tony, died. I had no idea or information that Tony would commit such a horrible travesty.”
Simo suddenly understood why Annabeth had taken Christina up to Oregon and gave Ari a sympathetic nod.
“And now I want that bastard.”
“That is Tony’s house?” Theo asked.
“Yes, Theo,” Becky replied as the yacht they were cruising on passed slowly by Little Tony’s opulent home.
“Logistical nightmare…” Simo replied.
“Yes, it is big. Other houses too close,” Theo replied.
“That his boat, too?”
“Yes,” Becky replied.
“Is bigger than this one.”
Simo looked toward Ari, who was casually leaning against the teak railing and seemingly not paying heed to Little Tony’s home. Simo looked closer and saw that Ari was using his eyes to watch the house as they slowly cruised by.
Simo looked at his diver’s watch. It read 6:37 AM. He hoped that Little Tony felt like fishing today.
They cruised by the Ritz-Carlton at Bal Harbour and entered the Atlantic Ocean. The yacht picked up speed as they continued cruising eastward. About a mile out, the captain slowed, turned the yacht parallel to the shore, cut the engines, and dropped anchor.
Ari picked up two fishing poles, put them in holders that were attached to the railing, and dropped the lines into the water. Completing that, Ari made haste into the parlor where Simo, Chen, and Theo were getting into their black scuba gear.
“Becky. You are to keep guard. If you see anything amiss, you will radio me immediately, cut the anchor, and leave the area. This is an order.”
“Yes, Ari, understood,” Becky replied in her Minnie Mouse-like voice, then left up the parlor stairs to the upper deck.
Ari began gearing up.
“You’ve done this before, yes?” Simo asked.
Ari grinned. “Haven’t we all?”
“Making sure,” Simo replied, then went about checking Chen’s gear, then Theo’s, and finally Ari’s.
“You need to make sure…”
Becky’s scream interrupted Simo, ‘INCOMING!’ They all turned to see Becky lunge down the stairs screaming, ‘DOWN!’
Without a second thought, they all dove for the floor. A huge explosion rocked the boat, with debris and smoke raining down on them.
Simo looked up and saw a gaping, burning hole where the stairway to the upper deck had been. “Sound off!” Simo yelled.
“Indaxi.” Theo mumbled as he began crawling over the debris to where he last saw Becky.
“Present…” Ari replied. Then Chen called out, “Here.”
Finally, Becky spoke. “Tony’s yacht… is headed this way. He had a LAW launcher…”
“No time to waste! Everyone in the water now! I got the gear! Opposite side! GO! GO!” Simo grabbed the bag their gear was in.
He looked up and saw that the yacht’s pilot house was gone and the yacht was on fire.
The captain and engineer must have been killed.
“Theo, buddy up with Becky.” Simo waited until they all were in the water when another explosion rocked the yacht behind him.
As he dove overboard, he caught a glimpse of the parlor erupting into a ball of fire.
The cool water enveloped him as he let the weight of their weapons pull him down toward the sandy seafloor. He adjusted his descent to where Ari, Chen, Theo, and Becky were gathering.
Simo dug into the gear bag and handed out the weapons. Simo made a gun gesture with his hand, pointed up at their flaming yacht, then to where Little Tony’s yacht slowed and was nearing their burning hulk.
Ari nodded emphatically. Simo pointed to Theo and Becky, pointed to his own eyes, and made a circle motion at Tony’s yacht. He got nods back as Theo was sharing his air with Becky.
Simo began swimming at a fast pace toward Little Tony’s yacht. Soon he was under the yacht with Ari and Chen right behind him. Looking up, he saw that the screws of Tony’s 116-foot yacht were stopped. He waited for their anchor to drop, but it didn’t come.
That worried him.
Simo pointed toward the rear of the yacht and got thumbs-up from Ari and Chen.
Simo came up from underneath and grabbed hold of the rear ladder, but remained under the water out of sight to the casual observer.
Suddenly, the big diesels roared to life and the screws began churning the water.
Chen was forced to dive deep to clear the spinning propellers.
Since Ari was ahead of Chen, he swam harder toward Simo and the ladder. Then the big yacht began to move.
Simo reached out and grabbed Ari’s outstretched arm as the yacht began accelerating.
The pull from Ari’s arm began to get heavy as the boat picked up speed.
With all his strength, he pulled Ari up to the ladder rung.
Relieved, he watched as Ari finally gripped the ladder rung as the yacht dragged them through the churning water.
Simo clenched down on his mouthpiece and pushed his head close to the hull, as did Ari.