The Hitman: Dirty Rotters

  The trunk flew open.

  I knew Russian men were standing near because I had heard them talking. They spoke in short sentences. They had angry tones and harsh words. They talked about a traitor and what they thought Andrik and The Bear were going to do to him. It would be painful, they all agreed. In the end, he would die screaming to everyone’s delight.

  They were talking about me.

  Light flooded in when the click sounded and the trunk flew up and five angry faces looked down on me. They were ugly, scarred, and pale faces. Faces you knew didn’t mind a good beating. Like the thought of someone else’s knuckles cracking against their jaw made them all tingly inside.

  “Up!”

  The ugliest one barked at me, but I did nothing. I assumed he’d see my feet and hands taped up and figure it out. But he didn’t. Neither did guy number two.

  “Get up!” the second followed.

  A third guy shoved aside the other two. This guy was thick like a bodybuilder, like a brick outhouse. He hoisted me out all by himself. He stood me upright as the ugliest one used a knife to cut away at the tape around my feet. They kept my hands and my mouth taped, but I didn’t care. I had nothing to say anyway.

  “Move!”

  I was pushed by the ugliest one. His eyes were a cold blue and the side of his face looked like it had been clawed by something big. Maybe a polar bear. Maybe a Siberian tiger. Maybe his mother.

  Another Russian took the lead and we walked away from the car. Jeff Dimeglio drove a beige Buick LeSabre, a late nineties model. A good hitman car. You would forget about it right after you saw it.

  A guy was at each side of me. I assumed the fifth one trailed at a distance in case I got the best of the one behind me. I did nothing though. One foot after the other.

  We were in a large garage. It was well lit and empty. It had a smell to it, thick in the air like garbage or sewer. Ahead of us was a single wooden door. The Russians didn’t talk. From what I could tell, they weren’t armed. Which may explain the broken noses and the cauliflower ears.

  We reached the door and the first guy opened it and walked inside. We all followed. It was dark. We were in a hallway. I could see the far end of the room, it wasn’t big. It was an office of some sort. There were red carpets hanging on the walls like enormous pictures. I could smell women’s perfume lingering. We walked past closed doors and a small open room with a few circular tables and vending machines before we reached a stairway leading down. The lower level had a light on further away. The first guy led us down. He reached the bottom and stood still. I reached the bottom and stopped next to him. He was looking into the open area. So I did the same. I turned just in time to see the back of a blond woman walking into a room in front of Jeff Dimeglio, who closed the door behind him.

  The other woman was Ivana.

  Ivana.

  I had forgotten about her. Poor helpless Ivana. Unable to scream for help. Unable to get away. She was in the enemy’s possession, along with Palo, Anna, and hopefully Sally, regretting their choice of hitman.

  I was pushed in the back and we began walking. We went into the open space. It looked like an apartment. There was a television, a few couches and chairs, off to the side of that there was a small kitchen setup and on the far wall were three doors. One which held Ivana and Jeff Dimeglio. I assumed one was a restroom. Figured that the other would be a bedroom.

  We walked past the black leather couches and went straight to the door at the right of the room Ivana was being held in. The lead guy used a key and opened the door. A guy behind me shoved me inside. I almost fell. The door shut closed behind me before I could turn back and scowl at him. I heard the lock click.

  The room was lit from lights at the ceiling. It had a few bunk beds. There was a long dresser with a giant mirror bolted into the wall above it. There was no closet. No windows. I saw a hair brush on the dresser. It was full of black hair. The entire place smelled like a woman. Maybe a few of them.

  I could hear faint female voices through the wall.

  I sat on the closest bed and thought about taking a nap. Nothing fancy about the bed itself, it was barely comfortable. Nothing like what Sally had to offer. I lied down on my left side facing the door and waited.

  The door opened almost immediately. I watched Jeff Dimeglio walk in and shut the door behind him. He wore a black sweatshirt like mine. I looked at him closely. His eyes were beady and dark. Sure he had the same stubble that I wore, but his face was rough. Beneath the hair, he had plenty of acne scars. He walked leisurely over in front of me and smiled. I didn’t care for it. I remained lying. I had a headache.

  “Should’a just gave me my money,” Jeff said as he squatted down in front of me. “What are you? CIA? FBI? Doesn’t really matter. They both hire me to kill the other.”

  I sat upright. The cop bit was getting old.

  I stared at him hard and used my hands to slowly peel back the duct tape across my mouth. Hurt like hell, but I didn’t show it. I could have cried, but instead I said, “I’m going to kill you.”

  Jeff laughed. His voice was low and raspy. “I don’t think you’ll get the chance, cowboy.”

  “Where’s Palo and Sally?”

  He shrugged casually. His eyes held a wild look that never changed. “Funny how things turn around on ya. The cute blond calls and wants a hit done. Wants me to off her old man. Her own dad. How messed up is that? The money was right though, so what do I care? Then you come along and take my hit and my money. I really needed that money, man.” He smiled then. “But here’s the kicker. This is what you never see coming. Her old man is now paying me to off you and her. And the money is better, man. I don’t know who you are, but you really screwed yourself up bigtime.”

  “You shot Sally. Did you kill her?”

  “Sally? That the bull cop? I thought her house would have been a barn. I guess there’s always more than meets the eye.” More smiling. “I knew you’d go back there. When I saw you on the street I thought for a second I’d have to leave you dead on the sidewalk with that old hag watching. But you just moseyed on by. Gave me plenty of time. Thank you.”

  “Where’s Anna?”

  “Let it go. It’s over. Nothing left now but to do the job and get paid.”

  “It’s only just started.”

  “Out for revenge, huh?”

  “For justice.”

  “I make my own justice.”

  “You dug your own grave.”

  “Look around. Outside that door are trained killers with eyes on you. It’s over. You did what you could, cowboy.”

  I said nothing. I was counted out. Judged to be helpless. Everyone makes mistakes. I forgave him.

  Jeff Dimeglio yawned, stood up and stretched. “You kept me up all night. I’m going to go take a nap. I’ve got a very busy day ahead. You put me behind schedule, but the Russians are happy with what I’ve brought for them so far. They’ll be here soon enough. Then we’ll see what happens.”

  “What is this place?”

  “The Russian goons tell me it’s a holding place for the women. Get ‘em cleaned up and ready for delivery.” He almost looked upset. “It’s despicable. But money talks and the Russians talk big.”

  “You’re as guilty as they are.”

  “We’re all guilty, cowboy. Get some rest. You’re going to have a bad day.”

  “Where’s Palo?”

  “You’re not a real cowboy and this ain’t no happy ending.” He shook his head at me. “You’re nobody’s hero.”

  Jeff turned and walked out. I heard the door lock. I lied back again and thought that sleep might be a good thing after all. I waited for a minute, to see if anyone else was going to come in, but no one did, so I allowed myself to drift away.

  When I awoke the room past the door was loud with voices. I recognized Andrik and Jeff, but there were several others and some were speaking in Russian. I used my teeth to bite into the duct tape around my wrists and worked on it until my hands were free. I walked
over to the mirror. I had a nice gash above my left eye, crusted over with dried blood. I looked like I had been beaten up pretty bad. Still had all my teeth though.

  I paced the short room impatiently. I was nervous. A smarter man would have spent some time figuring out a plan. I took a nap and thought about how I looked.

  About ten minutes later the door clicked open and in walked a few Russian guys, one of whom I remember seeing from the police station, with Jeff Dimeglio, Andrik, and behind them came in the biggest man I ever saw. He was about seven foot tall and about four hundred pounds. He had to duck to get into the room. The wild in his eyes made Jeff’s look like daisies. He wore velvet red sweats and a matching fleece jacket. Not flattering. He wore gaudy gold rings on his right hand and a gold necklace that looked like a yacht’s anchor chain. His head was shaved clean and beneath his nostrils lied a line of fine black hairs. His eyebrows slanted down angrily. He was a beast of a man. Menacing. Uptight. Impatient. Definitely the one making the calls.

  He barreled into the room like a wrestler heading into the ring. The others scattered off to the side and I had to assume I was now face to face with The Bear. I could hear Andrik huffing and puffing, breathing quickly in through his nose. No one else made a sound. The Bear stepped into my personal space and looked down on me like I had toppled over one of his cubs.

  “I will spill your blood today!” His voice was deep and angry. “You are police?”

  “I’m not a cop.” My automated response. “Where’s my friends?”

  He stepped closer. We were almost touching. He towered over me. His left hand came up and he rubbed his chin. His hand could squeeze my head like it was a grapefruit. I didn’t care. I stepped closer, pressing my chest against his stomach. I could feel the fetid breath pluming out from his giant nostrils like a dragon. He said, “You cost me time and you killed my men!”

  “And you’re next.”

  The others were in disbelief. The Bear lowered his head and pressed his nose against mine. His eyes were filled with rage. “You are going to die for this. I am going to rip you wide open and let my tiger chew on your spine!

  He kept still for a moment, longer that I cared, then stood erect. His hands turned to fists that could smash concrete. He yelled back to his cohorts in Russian. They were to take me away from him and I wasn’t going to be returning. A few Russians walked around and stood behind me. Andrik walked for the door. The Bear said, “Your cop friend is going to die today. I will decorate the walls with her blood.”

  Sally!

  “Where is she?”

  His answer was a punch to my gut. It was quick and devastating. I doubled over and nearly collapsed, unable to breathe. I heard the door open then felt a few hands grab ahold of me. Russians were escorting me out. My eyes teared up and I was gasping, gulping in air frantically as if I had been drowning and just surfaced. I stood upright and noticed Jeff Dimeglio smiling, trailing us.

  We walked out of the room and back towards the staircase. I saw The Bear walk to the other closed door where Ivana went in. Andrik stopped Jeff Dimeglio and I heard them whispering. I turned back to see Andrik hand Jeff an envelope. Money. Probably for my capture. Maybe for my death.

  Now or never.

  Two Russians were right behind me. The one on my right was fairly close. I turned quick and jammed my right elbow into his nose then sent my left fist to the other’s chin. Success. They fell back in screams of pain and surprise. I bolted for the closed door. I screamed for Sally and Palo as if they were battle cries. I made it to the door and turned the doorknob, pushing the door in before anyone stopped me. Behind me I heard several voices screaming. But I saw inside the room. And I saw what I needed to see.

  It was a bedroom, similar to the other. The Bear was at the far end of the room looking down at Palo, his face in shock when he saw me. I also saw Sally Rhode on a bed. She wasn’t moving. Her left shoulder was bandaged up. Ivana was walking to the door and stopped midstride. She did nothing but stare at me in shock. I think there were two other women on the far bed, but I didn’t have time to get a good look. I went down hard.

  Black boots were kicking me in the head and chest. Russians. They were relentless. I heard a lot of screams then. Men and women alike. As I hit the ground and right before it was lights out, I made eye contact with Palo. The relief in her eyes turned to worry. The Bear was racing towards me, but I kept my eyes on hers.

  The kicking to my stomach stole the air from my lungs. But it was the boot to my head that sent me spinning into unconsciousness.

  My last thoughts were wondering why all the women were in bras and panties. Except for Ivana.

  Chapter 20