Nash Industries sat lit up like a Christmas tree atop Commerce Tower in the heart of downtown New Haven, until nine p.m., at that time the lights go out everyday so that is the time I start my stakeout, the girls have been hitting Rosu’s men hard the last few days but have yet to come by Nash Industries. That is until I spot two hyper flexible girls bouncing across the city streets being chased by a half dozen police cars.
I watch as The Blur runs along a raised concrete balcony a few feet above the sidewalk on one of the buildings below. She is like an acrobat on speed, the girl is amazing. The Calico Cat is no less impressive as I watch her scale a nearly flat wall in a matter of seconds. A few moments later they had lost their tails and were sneaking into the parking garage below The Commerce Tower. I quickly make my way back to Nash Industries and watch as they take out two guards with a couple tasers.
I finger the Kali Sticks on my back as I inch closer to the elevator. They should be coming any moment. I can see the numbers counting up slowly reaching me. As the doors open I dart in with Kali Sticks drawn, but it is empty. The elevator dings as the doors begin to close. There is only one floor lit up on the button tree, the basement button. I get a glimpse of Calico and Blur as they dart out of the stair well laughing as I was left to ride the elevator to the basement and then back up.
I didn’t figure my chances were good that I would find them when I got back to the offices. I moved cautiously in a prone position with my gun drawn. Not about to miss these chicks again I pushed the door to my office open and saw them sitting on a couch in one corner of the office, a left over from my father. He liked to do business there while drinking scotch.
“Please have a seat, Adrenaline,” Calico said.
“Why don’t I just shoot you?”
“Why would you?”
“Because you killed someone close to me.”
I charged them.
Calico, like a cat, jumped from a seated position to the coffee table in front of her and then in one swift move was in the air, flipping over and then behind me. My head stung as her foot struck me, knocking me to my knees. Blur shot from her seat with her knifes drawn and began slicing them in criss cross motions, bouncing off my armored suit. She throws a roundhouse kick that lands on the side of my face knocking me to the floor. Calico does two quick cartwheels and straddles my shoulders dropping to her knees. She places her right knee to my throat and I feel her muscles tense. Stars began to form in my eyes as my oxygen level drops.
Black.
I awaken on the couch unable to move, my hands and feet tied behind my back. My mask sits lonely on my desk. They know who I am.
“Well Simon Nash, I must say I am a little surprised. I had no idea a billionaire playboy was such a hard ass,” Calico said.
“You like the sound of your own voice don’t you?”
“Actually I like the sound of bodies falling to the ground after I cut them down for being the pigs they are.”
“My uncle did nothing to you, I guarantee you that.”
“I didn’t kill your uncle.” She said.
“No you didn’t, your sidekick did. Or are you the sidekick I haven’t figured that out yet.”
“You haven’t figured anything out yet,” Blur said. “I didn’t kill Uncle.”
“It was your knife, I saw it.”
“I won’t deny that, but I was trying to save him from Rosu’s men.” The Blur said. “But I failed.” Her head hangs at her small chest.
“I loved him like a father,” Calico steps into my line of view. She bends down, God she has an amazing body, and her blond hair flows like corn silk. Her green eyes look familiar to me.
She pulls her small blue mask over her head revealing her beautiful face. Katrina Mason had loved him like a father and he loved her like a daughter. A single tear rolled down her cheek and I felt a tug on the rope that tied me down. Then it went slack. Blur stood behind me sheathing one of her knifes. Blur was right, I hadn’t figured anything out. I heard the ding of the elevator and swung around to see the familiar dark figure step out of the sliding door.
*
“When did it start?” I asked Dr. Indestructible as we sat in my office taking advantage of my fathers scotch.
“That night you were at The White House and Rosu’s goon chased me down. He raped me.” Katrina said.
“That explains why you sliced his crotch.”
“He deserved worse,” Blur said.
“You’re right, he did.” I said. “I’m just lost as to what is going on.”
Richard explained that he believes that Rosu is planning something big in the city, what it is exactly he couldn’t be sure but he believes it has something to do with the Rosu Security Firm. He had under bid or muscled his way into ninety percent of the security business in the city.
*
Within a week I had discovered that The Romanian had secured the business of Kikomoro Tower, Toro Corp, Nash Industries, New Haven Art Museum, New Haven Hospital and nearly all of the warehouses in the Boneyard District and nearly all the industrial buildings in the Ford District as well as the residential neighborhoods of Saints, Coyote Village, Haven Village and Louis Falls. This gave him access to the whole city and soon his security officers outnumbered the police three to one.
The police looked at this as a blessing, less work for them. I on the other hand had a feeling this was exactly what the Romanian wanted.
Sitting atop the Mia Bella watching the dark building that had once been The White House. It looked lonely sitting there with its windows boarded up.
Two men stood outside next to the door smoking cigarettes and cutting up. They appeared harmless but something in the air felt wrong. Crystal Theater was about to let out its production of Fiddler on the Roof. Tuxedos and evening dresses filled the streets. Soon my attention was drawn to an older man and woman with pearls around her neck as they walked toward The White House. The two men stamped out their half smoked cigarettes and turned to move toward them.
I quickly climbed down the fire escape and talked into my ear piece. “I’ve got two muggers en route to an old couple.”
I pulled the Kali Sticks and jumped to the cold winter street. Just as I made my move on the two men, two Rosu Security Officers stepped out of a dark alley, how had I missed them? I spoke into my ear piece again.
“I’ve got two RS officers in pursuit.”
The officers swiftly and silently take down the muggers just as the couple notice they are in danger. They taser the two muggers who fall to the ground and begin to shake in pain. I watch in silence as the couple run to the officers thanking them the whole way. The officers handcuff the two muggers as the couple climb into their BMW and drive away thankful for Rosu Security. A small cargo van with the newly familiar Rosu Security logo sits next to the theater. The officers drag the two men and throw them in, putting on a show for the snapping cameras and flashbulbs of the paparazzi. I decide to follow as they speed away but lost them within two blocks.
“I lost them,” I said into my ear piece. I had a feeling it was going to be a long night.
“I haven’t seen anything tonight,” Dr. Indestructible said. “I think we call it a night.”
*
Cool early winter air filled my nostrils. Standing atop Louis Mountain overlooking Coyote River I could hear nothing but howling wind as it whipped in from the canyons below. The sheer rock cliff that stood before me was an out. A way to let it all go. A way to never care about Nash Industries, never care about those that I’ve lost, never care about Christof Rosu and his Romanian Mafia. I have no true friends, and no family that cares about me. My father left me in charge of a company I give two shits about and the responsibility of a city that doesn’t want my help.
Gravity began to tug on my shoulders as I leaned over the edge. The moon full hung high in the sky and all was calm. It seemed for an instant the world stood still. The force of the planet pulled harder on me as I bent my knees and extended them with a great force.
Leaping.
I instantly felt the wind whip against my face and I was free. Nothing for me to do except fall. Edward was gone, Russell was gone and New Haven was gone. They all had been left at the top of that cliff. I thought about nothing but the fall, the helplessness and the freedom of sky.
I closed my eyes for a second to feel the adrenaline as it pumped through my veins.
It lasts for only a second and I pull the cord to the chute and I come to a sudden stop, popping back to reality. Base jumping was truly an escape for me.
I maneuver the chute so I am headed toward Nash Estates with its high wrought iron fences. Beyond to the fences stood a large blue Colonial with white trim and white pillars. The mansion stood over looking the Coyote with New Haven in the skyline to the front and Louis Mountain in the back of the mansion.
A white cargo van with the RS logo on side sat just outside the gate. It had been part of the contract with Nash Industries for the Rosu Security to guard Nash Estates as well. Needless to say I was growing a bit uncomfortable with my new bodyguards. I think I would stick with Eli, who was waiting for me at the mansion and as my feet touched the roof of the house.
I checked my watch, heart rate fine but I’m a full thirty minutes late. I guess its a good thing he works for me and not the other way around. Inside my home office he had the things I had asked for, a large map of New Haven, post its, thumb tacks and red string.
After placing all the items on my office wall I began placing thumb tacks on all the locations that I knew had procured the services of Rosu Security. Next we began to string it all together and a red web appeared on the map. The city was completely covered with red string.
His company literally had eyes on the whole city. But all that work done and I still couldn’t see what he was up to. And I knew Rosu so I knew he was up to something. I left Eli to stare at the board after it had given me a headache.
hughiegibson author 