024

The closer the rental car drew to the New Jersey waterfront, the more nauseated Kaitlynn Stryfe felt. The sun was already sinking in the sky by the time they came to a stop in front of a seemingly normal warehouse. The gun she'd been given sat on her lap, clutched in her clammy hands. She looked down at it, checking the magazine like her ex-husband had showed her in what seemed like a lifetime ago. Silence reigned as she swallowed hard past the lump in her throat, looking out through the windows at the building. "So, this is it?" The question was almost rhetorical, but she felt a need to break the silence.

Marco looked over at her with a nod of his head. "Well yes, but if we do this right, you won't have needed that gun to begin with. However, it never hurts to have a contingency plan." He added, loosening his tie and throwing it into the back seat as he pulled out his cell phone. "Your presence was not part of the plan, but with it, I believe that we have a much better chance of getting your husband." He fished out a prepaid flip phone, dialing a number quickly.

"Hello, this is Marco. Could you pass word along to Mr. Gambini that I have brought him a little added surprise? …...Yes, I am fully aware of that. But I thought since he had one Stryfe, he might rather have the set, I have with me Kaitlynn." A smile crossed Petrillo's face as he nodded. "Oh, that is most kind of you. Thank you." He rolled the window down, tossing the phone out into the harbor and turning back to Kaitlynn. "I'm afraid there is the matter of a little accessory you're going to need to wear before we go in."

Her eyes were narrowed down to cold slits as she glared at him, resisting the urge to point that gun in his face after what she'd just heard. "An accessory?" She echoed with equal measures of fear and loathing in her voice, "what? A blindfold? Handcuffs? Do tell, sweetie..."

"Well you see, for me to get to your husband would have required some...fireworks. But with you, am very content that we can almost get escorted to him. One of Gambini's surrogates informed me he is here. And he is anxious to see you." He turned back towards the back seat, removing a pair of handcuffs from his bag. "Now before you object, these are not properly functioning handcuffs." He pulled them around, pointing out a very small button just near the wrist area. "If you press that..." He did so, and the cuffs opened immediately. "I will need you to wear these, otherwise it looks very suspicious."

She didn't trust the man as far as she could throw him, especially now that he'd essentially flipped on her. But if going along with this plan meant that she could see her husband again, she was willing to play along. "And I get to keep the gun?"

"By all means, tuck it into your back and pull your shirt down over it so it doesn't look so obvious." He picked it up, reaching behind her and stuffing into the back of her pants, letting his fingers caress her lower back for a moment before he pulled the top down over it to conceal it. "If I bring you in uncuffed, it is going to raise unnecessary alarms with our hosts."

She'd tensed at his lingering touch, feeling her stomach almost heave. With effort she took a deep breath and then nodded. "You should cuff me behind my back, then." Her eyes lifted to the building, hoping that she wasn't walking into another of Gambini's little games. "If you want me to play along... I will."

"I am most grateful. And we are keeping our hosts waiting.." He reached back behind her again, placing the restraints around her wrists and listening to them lock into place. "Don't worry, I know what I am doing. I have had ...unwilling guests before. Just none I have wanted to fuck, as much as I do you." He said it so sweetly, almost as though he had just paid her some compliment before he stepped out of the car and moved around, opening her door and pulling her out by the arm as he nodded to two men who were opening one of the doors for them a few feet away. "There'll be time for that later however."

"In your dreams, asshole," she spat, aware of their audience. She allowed him to walk her towards the door, providing resistance the entire way. When they were more than halfway from the car to the door, she faked a stumble and then lashed out with her foot, catching Petrillo in the thigh hard enough to make his knee give way. Jerking away from him, she attempted to make a break for it.

Petrillo fired a shot in her direction that caused her to stop before he moved towards her and roughly grabbed her by the arm as they walked towards the doors. The interior of the warehouse showed stacks upon stacks of crates, with logos of various furniture manufacturers on them. Marco glanced back to the men at the door as he stepped through. "If you could take us to see Mr. Gambini... I'd like to collect my fee and leave this one with you."

One of the thugs nodded, pointing in the other direction as the pair were escorted to the far wall and into what looked to be receiving office. The other thug gave a rap with his fist on the door before opening it. Petrillo shoved Kaitlynn through the door and followed in behind her. He pushed the door back shut, looking to the back of an office chair where its owner was watching CNN. "Mr. Gambini..."

And as he said, the chair spun around to show the very familiar form of the man they had came to see. The cold eyes of Anthony Gambini glanced from Marco to Kaitlynn, almost undressing her with them as he gave a very slow golf clap. "Excellent work, Mr. Petrillo. You have far exceeded my expectations." His eyes turned back to the brunette. "And Kaitlynn... it's been so long. You may not recognize me without my zipper unfastened." A smile began to form across his face as he rose out of the chair.

"Fuck you," she spat in contempt, the extreme loathing she felt for the man evident in her glare. "Where's my husband, you disgusting piece of shit?"

"Shut up, Kaitlynn." Marco replied, shoving her down into a chair across from the bane of her existence. He moved around behind her, as Gambini smiled.

"I am quite glad to see you, Kaitlynn. And not to worry, I plan to reunite you with your husband soon enough. But before we do that, I want to collect on a debt you owe me from several years ago."

"Oh yes, you have mentioned this many times." Marco responded. "Do you mind if I stay? I have always enjoyed one form of voyeurism or another."

Gambini gave him a strange look as he moved around the table, but not dismissing him as he began to unfasten his belt. "As you wish, Mr. Petrillo."

The hitman nodded his head as he pressed the barrel of his gun to Kaitlynn's temple. "Now be a good girl, no more teasing him then." He grinned as Gambini's zipper lowered, letting his pants fall to his ankles.

"No," she whispered, not having to fake the fear with the gun pressed to her head. "I won't..." the words caught in her throat, making her cough, "I won't put that diseased thing in my mouth."

Gambini's eyes narrowed as he looked down to her. "Still so loyal to your husband. That is quite admirable." He shook his head, looking up to Petrillo. "Kill her."

The hitman's finger slid around the trigger, looking down at her. "Kitty...here I was hoping for a preview." Marco said as Gambini gave him a rather peculiar look before he raised the weapon in his hand towards Gambini's face. "I'm afraid, Mr. Gambini, you have been caught with your pants down."

"Maybe you should get on your knees, and suck his dick," Kitty's words were cold, almost as chilled as the metal of the gun that was in her free hands even though she kept them behind her back.

"What the...I W—" Gambini began to shout as Petrillo shook his head.

"I'd be very quiet at this moment if I were you. I need you to do two things. One, use that intercom and give your associates the rest of the night off." He demanded, though Gambini looked reluctant as Petrillo spoke again. "My finger is feeling awfully itchy today...."

The mob boss moved around the desk, touching the button on his intercom system. "Gentlemen, I am expecting company this evening, and I do not wish to be disturbed. Take the night off." He let the button go as Petrillo glanced back through the closed blinds on the office door, seeing several men moving towards the exit that he and Kaitlynn had entered the building through.

"You should just shoot him," Kitty murmured, leaving the gun tucked into the back of her pants as she let her hands fall to her sides. Making a show of rolling her shoulders, she dropped the fake handcuffs on the floor at Gambini's feet.

Gambini's eyes widened in anger as Petrillo moved around the desk, shoving him back into his seat before kneeling down in front of him and pressing the gun under his chin. "Atta boy, and I promise you I'm not here to do her job. The second thing you can do is tell me two things. One, where is Alexander Stryfe? And just as a reminder, if you don't tell me, you won't be telling anyone."

"Upstairs in the manager's office." Gambini snarled as Petrillo nodded his head.

"And secondly....where is Anthony Gambini?"

Kitty blinked, her eyes swivelling to Petrillo and then back to the man with the gun pressed to his jaw. "That's not... oh shit."

"I recognize this fellow, you were in Denver, weren't you?" He asked the man in front of him.

The dead ringer for Gambini nodded his head as Petrillo rose to his feet.

"I had a feeling. I never forget a face, and I knew you looked familiar because you are the one I thought was him in Denver. Then after what happened, I realized I have never actually stood in the presence of the real Anthony Gambini. Just his hired doubles..." Petrillo shook his head. "But I will give you credit for putting on a convincing show. You fooled a lot of people with your theatrics in Denver. Good show." Marco patted the other side of his gun as though he were clapping. "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice... but never again." And with a squeeze of the trigger, the gun fired into the man's chest as he slumped into the chair.

Kitty was on her feet even as the shot was fired, the gun he'd given her in her hands as she averted her eyes from the body. The last thing she wanted to see was her husband's face— not some dead doppelganger. "You didn't let him answer the question," she said softly even though her ears were still ringing from the gunshot.

"I doubt he knew. Gambini is far smarter than I gave him credit. He wouldn't tell his doubles where he was, likely none of those men that just left realized that this wasn't him either. But I'm pretty sure I can find him." He added, replacing the gun into his side as he looked back to her. "My employer just paid me to find your husband, and I have done that. If they want Gambini, that is going to cost a bit extra."

"I want Gambini," she snapped in annoyance, "I don't give a shit what your employer wants or doesn't. I want that son of a bitch dead." Refusing to go through the door first, she stepped back and gestured for him to precede her. "I'll pay the extra fee, Marco. Once we have my husband back, safe and sound, I'll pay you whatever you want to bring me Gambini... the REAL one."

Petrillo pulled open the door, peering around to see the coast was clear first. "You're not willing to pay my fee, and I always get paid up front." He checked again as the pair headed for the stairwell, taking the metal steps two at a time as they arrived outside the manager's office door at the top. Visible through the window was a blindfolded and restrained Alexander Stryfe, who looked to have a few minor bruises and scrapes as he was tied to a chair. "But do me a favor, and tell my employer that you have your husband back. I'd take a picture, but my phone is somewhere out there in the harbor and I don't fancy a swim."

She frowned at his words, confusion settling in against the relief she felt at seeing her husband alive. Her hand closed over the doorknob and then she looked back at the hitman. She knew what he wanted, and if it meant having the devil gone from their lives forever, she was more than willing to pay it. "Your fee is more than worth it," she said quietly, "if we can live our lives without the threat of that bastard hanging over every moment."

That brought quite a smile to his face as he looked her up and down, admiring her features that he was now promised to enjoy. "I admire your drive, Kaitlynn. I guarantee you I can find and kill Anthony Gambini. But as said, I do require payment up front for such services." He glanced around again, looking out of one of the upper floor windows to the exterior. "You should probably free your husband now however. You can take the rental car. I will find my own way out."

He began to head back towards the stairwell, getting about halfway down before he reached up and handed her a matchbook with a hotel in town's name on it. "I'll be there for two more days before I depart. Feel free to drop in anytime. Room 763." He went down the steps to the bottom, calling up to her.

"One other thing. Do tell my employer that we have recovered your husband. She is a fine woman, Miss Star."