Being Inspired, maybe - 101
A picture paints ... well, as many words as you like. For instance:
And, then, the words:
The doors to the warehouse opened and we drove in. The look on Latanzio’s face was one of surprise but also knowing. He didn't say anything yet.
The van stopped.
His chains were unlocked but not the cuffs and I dragged him out of the van, closing the door after us. The whole operation took 35 seconds. It was only the two of us, the others remained with the van, ready to tackle the intercept crew.
By the time I reached the side entrance, the van was gone and the street side doors were closed.
That was when he spoke for the first time. "You can remove the cuffs now." I had deliberately left the hand and foot chains on, and although it limited his movements, I didn't want to give him an opportunity to escape.
I didn't speak, just dragged him up the passage towards the room where Amy was waiting.
He stopped and tried to shrug me off. "What the hell is going on here. Where are my people?"
I gave him what I thought was one of my death stares before saying, rather savagely, "We can do this the hard way or the easy way. The hard way, I shoot you. One way or the other we'll get to our destination. It's up to you how you arrive."
"Just who the hell are you?"
"If you keep talking, maybe the last person you'll see alive. Move. Now."
He was wise enough not to argue just then. He had been liberated from police custody, he had to accept for the moment it was best to follow instructions, something I guess he wasn't used to.
We went through the large steel-clad door that separated the building we arrived in with the one next door, and if anyone came looking for us they would only get as far as a door that was locked on the other side and also looked as though it hadn't been opened since the dawn of time. As soon as I slammed it shut and rammed home the bolts, a team on the other side were doing their job as set decorators.
They didn't have very long, perhaps 10 minutes, 20 at most before everyone discovered Latanzio was missing.
As soon as I had shut and bolted the doorway, Amy appeared with a gun in hand. It was not aimed at him but held loosely at her side. The room had been set up as a sound studio, and we had four cameras on us, recording everything.
"Who are you?"
"The person who orchestrated your escape from custody. You don't look very grateful though?"
"Believe me I am, except for this bozo. Where did you find him? And how about taking off these cuffs?"
We were in a large room, where Amy had put a chair in the middle. On the opposite side to where we were standing there was another door. That led to several other rooms where surprise guests were waiting.
"First, you have to sit down. We have a few issues to sort out."
He looked confused, but again, he was free, so it was probably a small inconvenience. After all, he had a lot of money that could smooth over any problem. Or so he believed.
He sat.
There were two other chairs and both Amy and I sat down opposite him.
He started. "Whatever the problem is, I'm sure we can sort it out. What is it you want?"
"Money. And a lot of it. It isn't going to be cheap getting you and your family to a safe haven."
"Who said I wanted to leave. I can beat this rap. You heard the news; this so-called witness is missing. That means he's either dead or didn't exist in the first place. Either way, the DA's got nothing."
All true. And still, he was not giving anything away.
"Then the question remains, why did a squad of anonymous men hit the hotel where there was supposedly a witness if you are saying there isn't one?"
“I know nothing about that. What other people do, and their reasons are their business, not mine."
"Then why were we asked to break you out if you’re not guilty and can beat this charge. It seems logical, on what you're saying, we should take you back. I’ve haven't been paid yet, and this seems to be a colossal waste of my time. I need to have a discussion."
She stood and started walking towards the back rooms.
"Who are you going to talk to if not me."
She stopped and partially turned.
"You are just the subject; my business is with the people who employed me."
"Who are they?"
"Oddly enough, I don't really know, and for that matter, I don't really care. But what I am sure of, it's none of your business."
I saw her motion to someone lurking in the shadows, and not one but two men came out.
"Take him and put him in the room with his wife and children."
"Angelina is here?"
"Yes. Any your mistress, Gianna. It's going to be interesting if they meet."
He looked at me just as the two men arrived, each standing on one side of him.
"What the hell is going on here?"
I shrugged. "I just do as I'm told. Best not to annoy her. She has a really bad temper, and I don't think she likes you."
I nodded, and the two men took him away. Now it looked like we had him worried.
And, then, the words:
The doors to the warehouse opened and we drove in. The look on Latanzio’s face was one of surprise but also knowing. He didn't say anything yet.
The van stopped.
His chains were unlocked but not the cuffs and I dragged him out of the van, closing the door after us. The whole operation took 35 seconds. It was only the two of us, the others remained with the van, ready to tackle the intercept crew.
By the time I reached the side entrance, the van was gone and the street side doors were closed.
That was when he spoke for the first time. "You can remove the cuffs now." I had deliberately left the hand and foot chains on, and although it limited his movements, I didn't want to give him an opportunity to escape.
I didn't speak, just dragged him up the passage towards the room where Amy was waiting.
He stopped and tried to shrug me off. "What the hell is going on here. Where are my people?"
I gave him what I thought was one of my death stares before saying, rather savagely, "We can do this the hard way or the easy way. The hard way, I shoot you. One way or the other we'll get to our destination. It's up to you how you arrive."
"Just who the hell are you?"
"If you keep talking, maybe the last person you'll see alive. Move. Now."
He was wise enough not to argue just then. He had been liberated from police custody, he had to accept for the moment it was best to follow instructions, something I guess he wasn't used to.
We went through the large steel-clad door that separated the building we arrived in with the one next door, and if anyone came looking for us they would only get as far as a door that was locked on the other side and also looked as though it hadn't been opened since the dawn of time. As soon as I slammed it shut and rammed home the bolts, a team on the other side were doing their job as set decorators.
They didn't have very long, perhaps 10 minutes, 20 at most before everyone discovered Latanzio was missing.
As soon as I had shut and bolted the doorway, Amy appeared with a gun in hand. It was not aimed at him but held loosely at her side. The room had been set up as a sound studio, and we had four cameras on us, recording everything.
"Who are you?"
"The person who orchestrated your escape from custody. You don't look very grateful though?"
"Believe me I am, except for this bozo. Where did you find him? And how about taking off these cuffs?"
We were in a large room, where Amy had put a chair in the middle. On the opposite side to where we were standing there was another door. That led to several other rooms where surprise guests were waiting.
"First, you have to sit down. We have a few issues to sort out."
He looked confused, but again, he was free, so it was probably a small inconvenience. After all, he had a lot of money that could smooth over any problem. Or so he believed.
He sat.
There were two other chairs and both Amy and I sat down opposite him.
He started. "Whatever the problem is, I'm sure we can sort it out. What is it you want?"
"Money. And a lot of it. It isn't going to be cheap getting you and your family to a safe haven."
"Who said I wanted to leave. I can beat this rap. You heard the news; this so-called witness is missing. That means he's either dead or didn't exist in the first place. Either way, the DA's got nothing."
All true. And still, he was not giving anything away.
"Then the question remains, why did a squad of anonymous men hit the hotel where there was supposedly a witness if you are saying there isn't one?"
“I know nothing about that. What other people do, and their reasons are their business, not mine."
"Then why were we asked to break you out if you’re not guilty and can beat this charge. It seems logical, on what you're saying, we should take you back. I’ve haven't been paid yet, and this seems to be a colossal waste of my time. I need to have a discussion."
She stood and started walking towards the back rooms.
"Who are you going to talk to if not me."
She stopped and partially turned.
"You are just the subject; my business is with the people who employed me."
"Who are they?"
"Oddly enough, I don't really know, and for that matter, I don't really care. But what I am sure of, it's none of your business."
I saw her motion to someone lurking in the shadows, and not one but two men came out.
"Take him and put him in the room with his wife and children."
"Angelina is here?"
"Yes. Any your mistress, Gianna. It's going to be interesting if they meet."
He looked at me just as the two men arrived, each standing on one side of him.
"What the hell is going on here?"
I shrugged. "I just do as I'm told. Best not to annoy her. She has a really bad temper, and I don't think she likes you."
I nodded, and the two men took him away. Now it looked like we had him worried.
© Charles Heath 2020
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