Chapter 8 - Tov Tech Tower
1721 Words
Killian
It was warm early summer weather. Killian walked to the edge of the river then slowly made his way to a bench. A woman with a breakfast burrito sat down on the other side. He knew who she was by her tall frame and the rhythm of her, the clicking of her heels on the pavement. The woman was in her fifties with gray hair barely starting to intertwine into her brown. Caterina Conte.
“They were long gone before you showed up, you know.” Her voice always had an unnerving soothingness to it. Like being hypnotized by a killer.
He turned his head slightly, catching on. “It was a test?”
“Of a sorts. I wanted you to get in, but I wanted it to be your decision. Tell me, how far did you get?”
He grumbled, realizing he had been played and could have easily been killed. He nearly was. “You couldn’t have had one of your agents do that? Let them get killed instead.”
“None of them have your drive, or experience. You accepting to help us has been a gift. Tell me, how far did you make it?”
He heard her take a bite while she patiently waited.
“Nearly to the house.”
“Who caught you?”
The image of her came into her mind. “A girl. Early twenties, brown hair, five’ten, five’ eleven maybe.”
“So you met her. I was hoping for that.”
“Met who?”
“The Executioner.”
Killian turned all the way around because of how surprised he was. “Her? The Executioner is female?” He and other agents had spent months searching out who The Executioner could be. There were plenty of rumors, of course, but he could never find any evidence except in the way she killed. A knife wound and poison detected inside. He remembered her throwing knives at the tree, and her skilled training. It made sense.
“Incredible, isn’t she?”
Caterina turned towards him. “I want you to find her and follow her. Let’s not engage just yet. You will report directly to me. She’s the key to ending this.”
He knew she could see the hesitation in his face, this was going further than he ever agreed to. He had a life, a job that took much of his time.
“You chose this, Killian. You chose it when you decided to save your family. So save your family.”
She stood, threw away the rest of her burrito and walked off. Killian turned back, facing the river. He knew what she had done, now knew what she was capable of. If she was the key to bringing down the mafia, he would find her, and he would use her.
Killian walked into Tov Tech Tower. Garrett, his adopted father, was the first to greet him as if he had been expecting him.
“Killian. It is good to see you, my boy. It has been awhile.”
“I know, I’ve been busy. Hows Cassius?”
“Ask yourself. He’s back with his masters in business.”
Killian smiled,he knew that. But that wasn’t what he was asking.
He walked out and his father followed. He walked into another office that, with its large windows, overlooked the ocean. The mahogany desk and book shelf made up most of the room. With a love seat sofa in the corner. Killian knocked on the open door.
Cassius looked up and his face broke into a large grin. “Killian!” He stood up and hugged him.
“How is the new graduate?” Killian pulled back, looking at his face, at a large blue bruise. “Whoa, what happened to your face?” He had a pretty good idea.
Cassius shook him off. “It’s good to be home, though I’ve been home for three weeks. Where have you been?”
Killian shrugged. “Working on stuff at the law firm.”
That wasn’t particularly true. He was a lawyer, a pretty successful lawyer, made partner last year. But that is not what he had been doing for three weeks.
Killian and Cassius were three years apart, and had been like brothers since he was brought into their home.
“What have you been up to?”
Cassius glanced at his father, still standing behind him. He took a deep breath and Killian saw his body tense.
“Well, I am getting married.”
Killain drew in his eyebrows confused. He was stunned. “You never told me about a girl in graduate school. When did this happen?”
“Last Night.”
Garrett shut the door behind him. That was why they kidn*pped Cassius? Anger flared. He was ready to storm the mansion again.
“You can’t go destroy The Crimson Spider.” His father said, interpreting his facial expression.
“Yeah, they are attacking my family.”
“And what if they figured out who you were?”
Killian paused. He had taken great strides to remove himself from DN.9, the mafia he had been a part of since he was a child, until he left at sixteen.
“What’s the deal?” Killian knew he wasn’t going to like it. Knew it was going to change the future of the family and what they had built.
“Ten percent of the profits, and Cassius marries Gallacini’s daughter.”
Killian stared at Garrett. “The crime boss’s daughter?”
Cassius nodded, touching the side of his face.
Killian pointed to the spot on his cheek. “She gave that to you?”
Cassius nodded. “Got a wicked swing. She wasn’t too happy with it, but this is the only way.”
“Geez Cassius, you got your work cut out. These are not people you want to mess with.”
Again, he saw the nervousness and stress in his younger brother’s eyes. So he gently nudged his shoulder.
“You’ll do fine. You are the next CEO of the biggest electronics creator and distribution company in the world. One of the richest men alive. What mafia princess wouldn’t want that?”
Cassius spoke as he touched his swollen cheek, “I don’t think you should ever call her that to her face.”
Killian laughed.
Father spoke, “Killian, we need your help.”
He faced his father. “How can I help?”
This family took him in when he was homeless and familyless with no other skills than how to kill, steal, and lie. This family saved him from a life living in the alley until another gang picked him up. He would do anything for them.
“Our very lives depend on making this deal work. I am sure you figured out that we have most likely upset DN.9. If we do not seal this with the Crimson Spider, we will pay dearly, and most likely with our lives and our employees' lives. I hate to ask this of you, son, especially since you’ve spent years trying to forget. But…”
Father hesitated, looking uncomfortable. Killian was catching on. “You want me to track her. Keep an eye out for this mysterious crime boss’s daughter. Ensure she keeps to this deal.”
He nodded.
Cassius said, “I’m sorry. We would never ask this if we weren’t desperate. But you are the only one we know and trust who understands the underworld.”
Killian nodded. “I’ll do it.”
What they didn’t know was, for the last year since becoming a partner at the law firm, crime rates had heightened. The Federal Bureau of Investigation had contacted him, wanting him during his off time to infiltrate and get information on crime activity. Apparently, too many police officers had been bought off and now turned a blind eye. He could keep a look out for this girl while he went about his business.
He looked at Cassius. “What does she look like? What do you know about her?”
Cassius's eyes grew wide, which entertained Killian. Obviously, he liked what he saw.
“She’s tall. 5’9? 5’10? Green eyes, brown hair, slender and fit. She was wearing a black leather jacket. And she has a strong left hook.”
Killian stilled. He was about to marry The Executioner! The very female that had killed government officials, so skilled in the trade. She was like a ghost, only leaving a dead man and a knife wound.
“You got a name for me?”
“Nikita.”
He nodded, he had a name. Despite how he felt, he didn’t want to worry Cassius more. He smirked, looking at his bruise. “She got you pretty good.”
Cassius gave him an annoyed look.
Killian said, “This is going to be interesting. Let’s go to dinner.”
Cassius shook his head. “Can’t. I got a date at The Lantern at eight thirty, if she shows.”
Killian nodded impressed. “You got her to go on a date with you? Now, I am impressed.”
Cassius tried to punch his arm, but out of instinct Killian blocked him. Which irritated Cassius.
“Oh sorry, I’ll let you hit me.”
Killian put his arms down.
Cassius shook his head. “Not even worth it anymore. I’ll see you tomorrow?”
He smiled. “Yeah.”
Killian tapped Cassius’s sore left jaw and quickly exited the room as he heard him groan in pain.
He walked to the elevator concerned with the arrangement made with the Crimson Spider. He grew up in DN.9. It was a rough life, and he had to kill to survive. It was a life he had run from. But the Crimson Spider was not even better.
He had seen victims of the adults and kids that entered the pits, what the Crimson Spider called their training facility. It was an underground facility unknown to anyone except the boss and the underbosses. Anyone brought to and left were unconscious.
He clicked the button to the bottom floor. What was done was done. But what he did know, was that he wouldn’t let anyone hurt his family, especially not some mafia princess. And now he had a name.
- Writer
