The System - A Detroit Story - (20 page)

Davenport gave him the address. "Cass Corridor. Apartment building, right on the corner of Cass and Ferry."

"I know where that is," said Lincoln. "Right across from the party store. Down by Wayne State."

"That's right," said Davenport. 

"Thanks, dog," said Lincoln. "I owe you one."

 "Just don't involve me."

*   *

Lincoln pulled over on Cass, in full view of the two-tone gray Victorian apartment building. He picked up his cell phone and dialed Chris's number. 

Chris and Elena pulled out of the junkyard when the phone rang. Chris looked at the number and didn't recognize it. He paused, and then answered.

"Yes?" he said.

"Listen, motherfucker. Give me the bitch and I'll forget I we ever talked." 

"Who is this?" said Chris. "You got the wrong number, dude."

"This ain't no wrong number. I know you are. Christopher Wolfe."  

This sent a mild shock wave through Chris. Who the hell was this, and how did he know his name, and that he had Elena? He felt exposed, naked.

"What do you want?" 

"Just give me the ho. Give me the ho and you walk. Plain and simple," said Lincoln. "Otherwise, man. Otherwise I will fuck you up so nasty you will never know what hit you."

Chris remembered the newscast with the Mayor. "You know what?" said Chris. "I know who you are too, asshole. Just saw you on TV with the Mayor." 

Lincoln paused.  "Give me the ho. You don't know who you're dealing with."

"Oh yes I do," said Chris. "I'm dealing with you, punk." 

"I can make it worth your while," said Lincoln.

"How's that?" 

"We could maybe work out a little deal. Cash transaction." 

"How much?" 

"We can figure that out," said Lincoln. "Meet me in front of the party store. You know the one. Right across the street from where you live."

"I got a better idea," said Chris.

"What's that?" said Lincoln.

"Go fuck yourself."

*  *

Chris and Elena passed by the apartment and Lincoln's black Tahoe, turned right on Kirby and took Woodward toward I-94 and the airport. He dialed Vlad's number.

"I have your dope," said Chris.

Vlad was silent on the other end.

"I'll make a deal with you," said Chris.

"Deal? What deal would that be?" 

"You keep your dope. I'll give it back to you. I keep the girl," said Chris. "Meet me at JetView Parking. I'll be there in a half an hour."

Chris snapped the phone shut right at the entrance to I-94 West toward Chicago and the airport.

*   *

Chris stopped in front of the International Terminal.

"Buy some clothes," he said. "And buy a carry on. Put the clothes in it. The money and diamonds should be okay in the checked bag." He pulled her over and kissed her. "This is your best shot. Go. There isn't much time."

Elena held Chris and wouldn't let go. "I love you," she said. "It will work for us. We can live in Florida. Like you said. You, me, and Sanja. I will come back." Elena started crying.

"Call me when you get things settled," said Chris. "Go."

"You saved my life," said Elena. She got out of the car and walked through the terminal door. Chris watched until she was out of sight.

*   *

Chris pulled into JetView parking, took the automatic ticket and looked for Vlad's CTS.  He drove through the Byzantine rows, and finally saw Vlad. He pulled his gun from his jacket. Vlad sat with the windows up, Glock in his lap.

Chris pulled along side Vlad, the cars facing opposite directions, driver's side windows parallel. Chris rolled down the window. Vlad rolled down his. 

"Do you have my property?" said Vlad.

"Yes I do," said Chris. "It's yours. I don't want it. Just leave Elena alone is all I ask," said Chris.

"You do not understand," said Vlad. This is not how the system works. We shook hands. It's your honor." Vlad laughed. "You try to bargain? Make demands? With something that you
stole
from me?

"If that's the way you see it, then yeah," said Chris.

Vlad looked at Chris and picked up the Glock. "I liked you," he said. "I thought you were honorable. We could have done great things together. How unfortunate."

Vlad's arm whipped out the open window. He pointed the Glock at Chris and fired. Before Chris could react the world went bright white, then black forever. He slumped to the right over the console, blood seeping from his head onto the passenger's seat.

Vlad got out of the CTS and looked in the window. The heroin was in the back seat. He opened the door, reached in the back, being careful not to get any blood on his silver track suit. 

 Vlad pulled out of the JetView lot and turned right on Middlebelt Road, away from the airport. The tiny but powerful transponder broadcast a homing signal as Vlad headed east on I-94.

Chapter 37

The Takedown

Vlad drove on I-94 and got off at Woodward. He dialed Lincoln's number. Time to cut losses and eliminate loose ends. And Lincoln was a big loose end. So was Alanzo.

"First, get in touch with our friend," said Vlad. "We have some problems. I just eliminated one of them."  He turned onto I-375 toward the River. "We need to make a new deal. I have the product with me," he said. "And second, where are Elena and Miri?"

"I'll get back with you on that one," said Lincoln. "First things first. Let me call Alanzo. I'll call you in fifteen minutes." 

Lincoln thought about how he was going to approach Vlad about the whores. Especially the dead one.

*   *

"It's a long story," said Lincoln to Alanzo. "Long and short of it, someone stole our shit, but we got it back."

"Man," said Alanzo. "You incompetent or what? How you let someone steal your shit?" he said. "It ain't just yours, it's mine too."

"It's all under control," said Lincoln.

"Gonna cost you," said Alanzo. "Cash money. Now I got all the risk."

"That shouldn't be a problem," said Lincoln. 

Alanzo lay back and took a hit from the large blunt. These dudes must be in some kind of shit.

"Tell you what," said Alanzo. "Give me three twenty five along with the shit and we're good."

"Vlad's got it, but I got a better deal for you."

"What's that?" said Alanzo.

"Vlad's got the shit himself. We take Vlad out, and we go get it. All of it. You keep the shit and the money. I just want to get separated from this all this."

Alanzo thought about it. "Sounds reasonable."

"Come packed. I'll call you back. Later, dog."

"Adios," said Alanzo, terminating the call. 

*  *

Peabody and Washington picked up the transducer signal and followed Vlad to the Roostertail. They saw the CTS parked near the front door. Exposed on the wide open, abandoned spaces on Marquette Drive, Washington turned around and slowly drove the other way. 

"Just make sure that signal stays strong," said Peabody.

*   *

Vlad sat inside facing the channel and drank a vodka and tonic, thinking of Albania. It was time to go back for a while, let things around here cool. With a little luck he could take both of these budallas out at the same time. He was looking at the empty slips across the street at the Detroit Yacht Club when his phone rang. 

"How far are you from Atwater and St. Aubin?" said Lincoln.

"Just a few blocks," said Vlad.

"Our friend will meet us there in a half an hour. Near the old Globe warehouse." 

*   *

Lincoln got there first, stopped near the derelict Globe Trading Company building and turned off the Tahoe's lights. Alanzo swung around the corner in his Land Cruiser and did the same. Lincoln got out of the Tahoe and walked to the Land Cruiser and got in. An Uzi sat on Alanzo's lap.

"Where the fuck is your friend?" said Alanzo.

 "He'll be here," said Lincoln. 

A set of headlights turned the corner.

Seeing Lincoln and Alanzo both in the Escalade, Vlad pulled along the driver's side. Might make it easier, killing both with just a few shots. He rolled down the window and looked up at Alanzo. 

Alanzo rolled down his window. "Why the fuck do you want to dump the junk in such a hurry? Now I take all the fuckin' risk." Alanzo stared at Vlad. "You got the junk and the money?"

"Money?" said Vlad. "What money?"

Lincoln looked straight ahead as Vlad pulled his Glock and shot Alanzo in the head, twice. Alanzo bounced back and forth in the driver's seat, momentarily hitting the horn.

"What the fuck are you doing?" yelled Lincoln. 

Vlad got out of the car. Lincoln slammed the shifter into drive and the Land Cruiser crept forward. He tried ducking as far as he could beside Alanzo, slumped dead against the wheel. Lincoln pushed down on Alanzo's leg, hitting the accelerator and reached for the Uzi. The Land Cruiser surged forward. Vlad ran and held on to the steering wheel. He shot down at Lincoln, drilling him in the neck and chest. Lincoln gasped, his mouth moving like a fish out of water. Vlad shot again hitting Lincoln right above his left ear, spraying the passenger's window with red mist.

Peabody and Washington saw the last shot being fired. The Land Cruiser slowed and rolled along the open parallel to Atwater on the left and the abandoned row of buildings on the right. 

"Move!" said Peabody and Washington gunned the engine and raced across the field after Vlad, just missing the Land Cruiser. Washington pulled his weapon. Vlad turned and fired. Peabody saw the orange muzzle flash and pop pop pop the windshield spider webbed around three bullet holes, one bullet hitting Washington in the shoulder. 

"Shit," cried Washington, stunned by the sudden pain.

Peabody opened the door. Vlad fired three more shots, pinging the door twice. One bullet grazed Peabody's ear, stunning her. Vlad stood and aimed. Peabody knelt and fired, hitting Vlad in the chest with two clean, well placed shots. 

Vlad dropped to his knees and raised the Glock. Peabody rolled off three more rounds hitting Vlad in the top of the head, skull fragments flying. Vlad dropped face first into the dirt.

 Peabody, blood gushing from her ear looked at Washington. "Hang in there," she said. "Just hang with me."

Chapter 38

Sami and the Field

"Sanja," said Milos. "Hide in here. This is not a game. You must stay in here and not say a word." Sanja hid in a small broom closet at the back of the kitchen. "No matter who you hear you stay here until I come and get you. Promise?"

"Promise, Papa," said Sanja, peering out from between two brooms.

"That's good girl. I will be back soon."

*   *

Milos sat in the dining room holding the double barrel shotgun when Sami's Mercedes rose over the hill and pulled in front of the cottage. He got out, knocked on the door, and when no one answered walked in. He turned the corner from the main room to the tiny dining area. Milos steadied the shotgun and pointed it at Sami's head.

"What is this?" said Sami, looking down the barrel. "What are you doing? Are you crazy?"

"Crazy to have trusted you with my daughter," said Milos, his finger tightening on the trigger.

Sami opened his mouth to say something, then stopped and hung his head. "Where is Rada?" 

"Gone. I will kill her if she comes back," said Milos. 

"What? Where will she go?"

"That is not my concern," said Milos. He hefted the shotgun.  "Now turn around. Go. Out the front door."

"You aren't going to shoot me, are you?"  

"Move," said Milos. 

Sami turned and Milos nudged him with the shotgun.

"It was just a business decision, for a debt I owed," said Sami. "It was nothing to do with you, or her. It was just business." Sami walked out the front door followed closely by Milos, who held the shotgun a few feet from the back of Sami's head.

"Turn toward the field," said Milos.

Sami stopped. "The field?" he said.

"Go," said Milos. "Or would you rather face this?" Milos motioned with the shotgun.

"Think about this," said Sami. "I have friends. In high places. You do something to me, something happens to you."
"Where are they now to help you?" said Milos. "Now walk. With your hands up."

Sami turned and started walking in the direction of the open field. "I can make you very rich." 

"Rich how? By selling daughters? Mothers? Children? Rich how?" said Milos, his arms feeling the weight of the shotgun. He suppressed a cough.

Sami stopped at the edge of the field. The field, filled with small anti-personnel mines left from the war, was flat and grown over with short grass and tall weeds.

"Walk."

"You really are crazy," said Sami. "The mines."
"Walk."

Sami took two steps forward into the field then turned and rushed at Milos.

"I'll kill you, you stupid fool," he said.

Milos took careful aim and fired, taking off Sami's right hand. Sami dropped to his knees and screamed.

"Get up and walk," said Milos. "Take your chances with the mines. If you make it across, you are free to go. I will not bother you," he said. "If you stay, I will take your head off." Milos aimed the shotgun at Sami's head.

Sami stood on his feet unsteadily, turned and started walking through the field, holding his arm to stop the bleeding. 

"I will come back and kill you, I swear," he said, looking toward the end of the field, then down before taking each step.

Sami got fifteen paces and thought he might have a chance of making it to the other side when he heard a small click.

The anti-personnel mine was especially vicious, filled with ball bearings and razor shards. It ripped off Sami's left leg above the knee, destroying his groin and shredding his inner thigh. He dropped screaming to the ground. He lay in a fetal position for a moment then crawled forward. His left elbow triggered another mine near his head.