Karma
Sucks to be you
Ari set the bloody mini-sledgehammer down in the kitchen sink and washed his hands, drying them on a nearby cloth.
“Not as tough as he thought he was…” Simo grumbled at the smell of urine.
“Thankfully, he was not… this business is grisly and cruel.”
Simo rubbed his aching chest. “I would have been happy to take over for you…”
Ari patted Simo on his shoulder. “I know, my friend, but if I cannot do this thing, then it should not be done. You should return with the others due to your injuries. I can deal personally with Joel Miller.”
Simo smiled. “Ari, I wouldn’t miss that for all the ouzo in Greece. Are you thinking of making it quick or long?”
“Very well, then. I was considering quick, though what Stealth described concerning Selena and her family… I am under the notion of making sure that he has no secrets left before he leaves this world. To answer, perhaps something drawn out… as a precaution.”
“Understood. You want all the bodies in those graves?”
“Yes, use the acid as well. Destroy any and all evidence of this atrocity.”
Simo nodded his big head as he looked down on Harding’s unconscious body.
Simo pressed his finger to his ear, listening.
“Gunnar almost here with the helo. I’ll help Eleni there, then instruct Stealth to return and watch over Halo.
If Theo is out of the safe room, I’ll have him return with Gunnar.
Alabama stays here on guard. We will hit Joel at his place before morning, nea? ”
“Excellent.”
The bandaged flesh wound in his leg was throbbing, but Simo ignored it as he dragged the unconscious Harding out to the last open grave.
Chen was there, kicking the last of Harding’s men’s bodies in, and Jessie was at his side waiting.
Simo stepped up to the grave and flung Harding into the deep, dark hole.
They heard a thump and heard Harding cough and groan in pain.
Jessie shined a flashlight down at Harding. Her voice purred down at the broken man. “Hey, big man, remember the comment about burying me alive? Sucks to be you…”
“What?” he croaked. “You promised it would be quick!”
She picked up the nearby gloves, slipped them on, then picked up the jug of sulfuric acid.
Her voice lost its seductive quality as she sneered down at him.
“I made you no promises! Selena was alive when you poured the acid on her, and I bet you made her watch her family die! You get the same acid treatment, fucker!” Without another word, she began pouring the contents of the bottle over Harding, who screamed out in agony, too broken to move or try to escape the raining acid.
With the last of Harding’s dying screams echoing from his grave, Jessie hurled the bottle down upon him. “Fucker!” she hissed.
Simo came up to her and placed his hand gently on her shoulder. She flinched away, then stopped. “Sorry, Boss.”
“Come walk with me.” He turned to Chen. “Need help?” He gestured to the graves.
“Go on ahead. Shall I keep the one with Harding open for Joel?”
Simo smiled. “Good idea.”
With that, Simo began heading back toward the house with Jessie at his side. “You should have gone back with the others and had that injury looked at,” Simo admonished.
“You didn’t! So, why care?” Jessie huffed. “I want to see that fucker, Joel, dead and gone.”
“I care…”
She inadvertently interrupted, “Not the way…”
“I care,” Simo raised his voice, cutting her off. “You are my family, goddamn it.”
“Yeah… you don’t treat me like it… still,” she retorted.
“You want to have this out again? Here?” Simo demanded.
She threw her hands up in the air. “Why the fuck not?”
“Spill it then, get it out,” he ordered.
She stopped and saw his dark eyes illuminated by the faint light coming from the kitchen window. “I can’t help the way I fucking feel anymore! You dancing with me, and Eleni trying so hard to be my so-called wingman with you? It’s driving me mad!”
“Go on.”
“I fucking know I’m not Greek like Eleni… and—and when you found me...”
“What?” he demanded.
“You—you just think I’m some whore that was strung up, I know it…” She trailed off, her anger fading to anguish.
He reached out and gripped her shoulders hard and gave her a quick shake. “Why do you keep asking me that? I have never thought you were a whore or anything else but Jessie, or should I say Anastassia Antonov?”
“I am not that girl anymore!” she hissed. “She died with that life you saved me from. Why did you risk everything to save me? I know you were ordered to not get anyone else out, why? WHY ONLY ME? Ok… why only me at the time?”
Simo sighed. “I couldn’t leave you like that. Maybe I see too many damn movies… fuck!” He paused and adjusted his long ponytail as he met her stare. “Ok, I saw you hanging there… so young, so… I—I just wanted to help you, give you a fucking chance at a life. That’s why.”
Jessie sighed and held her side at the pain the exertion caused. “I still can’t help the way I feel…”
“That’s why you covered me even though I have a vest on, nea? And why you won’t get fixed up. Do you have the same death wish like Xan did?”
She paused for a long moment. “Maybe…”
“Ach! You women are going to make my head spin off.”
“I—I’m sorry,” she mumbled.
“You have enough money to retire…”
“No!” she interrupted.
He pointed his finger at her. “So, what am I supposed to do now? I can’t afford a relationship…”
Jessie sighed and turned away. “You mean with me.”
He groaned and shook his head. “You women! Fuck!” He paused, staring at her.
“I… love you all. You, Eleni, Ari, all the way down to Becky. I worry every day that I will lose one of you… Ach!” He shook his head and pointed his finger in her face.
“You do not tell that to anyone,” he demanded.
“I must be fucking losing too much blood… or it’s Xan’s fucking fault, making me all fucking squishy now. ”
“So, he’s rubbing off on you?” She smiled.
“Fuck, I hope not.”
Seeing this was not going anywhere productive, she segued. “He did save our asses…”
“Fuck, I am never going to live it down.” He chuckled. “So… what the fuck now?”
“You never thought of me as a whore? Seriously?”
“Never.”
“Good.” She sighed, truly relieved.
“I am very sorry you keep feeling that way…” He wanted to tell her how beautiful she was, but he bit his tongue.
“Holy shit, Simo! You really are getting squishy,” she smiled.
He groaned. “I’m so fucked.” He reached out and squeezed her shoulder warmly.
Jessie relished the feel of Simo’s strong hand on her. “So… can you see that I am stuck between a rock and hard place?”
“I… do. I am sorry…”
“Now is not the time, ok?”
Jessie nodded, knowing this still wasn’t going anywhere. She adopted a grin and aimed it at Simo. “Fine. Let’s go find Joel and kill the little bitch.”
“Best idea all night!”