with disbelief. He nodded to Oscar, then they escorted Flood into the room.
Carol lay stretched naked over a shower curtain covering the bed, her ankles and wrists tied to the posts. Her eyes bugged above her gag. God, she’s beautiful, Flood thought. The rotund, perfect implants quivered, her flat stomach sucking in and out in terror. Flood quailed when he noted the sand-mitts on the dresser, along with a cord and tourniquet, a manual drill, and a soldering iron.
Flood reserved comment. Instead he pointed to the gap in the salmon curtains. “See. At just the right angle, you can see in from outside.”
“Bullshit,” Leon muttered. “There ain’t nothin’ but the Gulf of fuckin’ Mexico out there,” but then he peeked out and up.
“The end-wing of the building,” Floor said. “I was on the fifth floor. It was a million-to-one that the bed, the gap, and the vantage point all added up.”
“Shit,” Leon muttered and closed the curtains. He rubbed his face. “I still don’t know what the fuck’s going on. I can’t believe this.”
Flood chuckled again. “And I can’t believe that Oscar hasn’t frisked me yet. Shame on you, Osc. You’re the bulldog, right? You’re Leon’s lieutenant. It’s your job to protect The Man.”
Oscar slammed Flood belly to wall and began to pat him down.
“Right and left jacket pockets, Osc...”
Oscar’s face gaped like a kissing fish when he extracted five bands of $100 bills. “Holy fuck, Leon. There’s a lot of fuckin’ money here...”
“Fifty grand, Oscar,” Flood told him. “I just got it out of the bank. It’s for you guys.”
Silence brewed like broth while Leon counted the money. His eyes seemed alight against the dark, shiny face. “Mr. Flood? To what do we own this excess of generosity?”
Without asking, Flood lit a cigarette while he tried to tame the nervous tremor in his hands. “I’m buying the girl,” came his blunt reply. “Ann.”
Leon was shaking his head. “Mr. Flood? This is quite unusual.”
“Yeah,” Oscar agreed.
“And I sense that you’re a smart man...”
I’m a fucked up man, Flood almost chuckled. Not necessarily a smart one. “So are you, I hope. I think that handing fifty grand in cash over to you guys is proof of my good faith—”
Leon opened his mouth to talk but Flood cut him off.
“Let me have my say first, Leon, because you and I both know I could be dead a minute from now. You can keep the fifty grand and let the girl go, or...” Flood looked to Oscar. “Care to finish the sentence, Osc?”
Oscar smirked. “Or we can keep the fifty grand, kill the girl and kill you.”
“Bingo,” Flood said. “And you’re thinking if you let her go, she’ll go to the cops but, really guys, there’s no evidence that any crimes have been committed here. She’s a junkie and a prostitute. If you let her walk out that door, the only place she’s gonna go is straight to the bus station. She’d be too afraid of you guys coming after her later.” Flood turned his gaze. “Right, Leon?”
Leon looked back at him deadpan.
“And if you kill her and me,” Flood continued, “you guys will never get the other fifty grand.”
More silence stretched over the room. “What other fifty grand might this be?” Leon asked, tapping his Gucci’d foot.
Flood dragged his cigarette deep. “The other fifty grand I give you after the girl is out of here.”
Oscar stepped forward. “It’s on you?”
“Of course not, Einstein.”
Oscar seemed duped by the remark. “Who’s Ein—”
“Shut up, Oscar,” Leon cut in. “Mr. Flood’s got this thought out pretty well.”
Flood chuckled out loud. “At least I hope so. Let the girl go, Leon. You’ve got nothing to lose.”
Leon stroked his chin. “And fifty grand to gain, you say...”
“Right. How can I be bullshitting when I just handed you the first fifty?”
Leon sat down. The silk slacks hissed when he crossed his legs.
“I don’t know about this,
Carol lay stretched naked over a shower curtain covering the bed, her ankles and wrists tied to the posts. Her eyes bugged above her gag. God, she’s beautiful, Flood thought. The rotund, perfect implants quivered, her flat stomach sucking in and out in terror. Flood quailed when he noted the sand-mitts on the dresser, along with a cord and tourniquet, a manual drill, and a soldering iron.
Flood reserved comment. Instead he pointed to the gap in the salmon curtains. “See. At just the right angle, you can see in from outside.”
“Bullshit,” Leon muttered. “There ain’t nothin’ but the Gulf of fuckin’ Mexico out there,” but then he peeked out and up.
“The end-wing of the building,” Floor said. “I was on the fifth floor. It was a million-to-one that the bed, the gap, and the vantage point all added up.”
“Shit,” Leon muttered and closed the curtains. He rubbed his face. “I still don’t know what the fuck’s going on. I can’t believe this.”
Flood chuckled again. “And I can’t believe that Oscar hasn’t frisked me yet. Shame on you, Osc. You’re the bulldog, right? You’re Leon’s lieutenant. It’s your job to protect The Man.”
Oscar slammed Flood belly to wall and began to pat him down.
“Right and left jacket pockets, Osc...”
Oscar’s face gaped like a kissing fish when he extracted five bands of $100 bills. “Holy fuck, Leon. There’s a lot of fuckin’ money here...”
“Fifty grand, Oscar,” Flood told him. “I just got it out of the bank. It’s for you guys.”
Silence brewed like broth while Leon counted the money. His eyes seemed alight against the dark, shiny face. “Mr. Flood? To what do we own this excess of generosity?”
Without asking, Flood lit a cigarette while he tried to tame the nervous tremor in his hands. “I’m buying the girl,” came his blunt reply. “Ann.”
Leon was shaking his head. “Mr. Flood? This is quite unusual.”
“Yeah,” Oscar agreed.
“And I sense that you’re a smart man...”
I’m a fucked up man, Flood almost chuckled. Not necessarily a smart one. “So are you, I hope. I think that handing fifty grand in cash over to you guys is proof of my good faith—”
Leon opened his mouth to talk but Flood cut him off.
“Let me have my say first, Leon, because you and I both know I could be dead a minute from now. You can keep the fifty grand and let the girl go, or...” Flood looked to Oscar. “Care to finish the sentence, Osc?”
Oscar smirked. “Or we can keep the fifty grand, kill the girl and kill you.”
“Bingo,” Flood said. “And you’re thinking if you let her go, she’ll go to the cops but, really guys, there’s no evidence that any crimes have been committed here. She’s a junkie and a prostitute. If you let her walk out that door, the only place she’s gonna go is straight to the bus station. She’d be too afraid of you guys coming after her later.” Flood turned his gaze. “Right, Leon?”
Leon looked back at him deadpan.
“And if you kill her and me,” Flood continued, “you guys will never get the other fifty grand.”
More silence stretched over the room. “What other fifty grand might this be?” Leon asked, tapping his Gucci’d foot.
Flood dragged his cigarette deep. “The other fifty grand I give you after the girl is out of here.”
Oscar stepped forward. “It’s on you?”
“Of course not, Einstein.”
Oscar seemed duped by the remark. “Who’s Ein—”
“Shut up, Oscar,” Leon cut in. “Mr. Flood’s got this thought out pretty well.”
Flood chuckled out loud. “At least I hope so. Let the girl go, Leon. You’ve got nothing to lose.”
Leon stroked his chin. “And fifty grand to gain, you say...”
“Right. How can I be bullshitting when I just handed you the first fifty?”
Leon sat down. The silk slacks hissed when he crossed his legs.
“I don’t know about this,
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