A few minutes earlier…
Coming out of the bedroom, Gambrisi overlapped the ends of his robe and tied the belt. “This had better be good. I had just gotten off to sleep.” He glimpsed Aviator sitting cross-legged on a couch, arms spread wide across the back before coming back to his lieutenant. “What’s going on?”
Lieutenant, a dark-haired man in his late twenties stood with hands clasped in front of his muscular body. “Sir, we think there’s been an intrusion.”
“What? By who?”
“There was a call from the main desk on the first floor. The only words before the line went dead were ‘someone’s broken in.’ Shortly after that, one of our men reported seeing two people with guns in the lobby. We’ve lost all communication with that man and the one guarding the main door.”
“Do we know who they are…why they’re here?” Gambrisi went to the desk and picked up the phone. “Has anyone called 911? This sounds like police business.”
“The phones aren’t working. We can’t dial out.”
The Mafioso eyed his second in command. “How’s that possible?”
“Every security camera in the building is down, and cellular signals are being disrupted as well. Sir, I think this is a coordinated attack.”
Aviator scoffed, while rolling his head back and forth.
Gambrisi stared across the room at the seated man. “You have something to add?”
His ankle resting on a knee, the man leaned forward and pulled a shoestring. “Five men.”
Gambrisi came out from behind the desk and strolled up to the man, who had removed the shoe and was massaging his foot. “Five men for what?”
Aviator locked eyes with, and lifted eyebrows at, his employer, while putting on and tying the dressy footwear.
“You think this has something to do with the girl, the man in black…the abduction that you screwed up?”
The man of few words glimpsed the henchman before squinting at Gambrisi. If I didn’t like your money so much, both of you’d be dead right now. He held up a hand, five fingers spread apart.
The mobster faced Lieutenant. “Kyle, get four men and,” he jerked his head, “go with him.”
“Yes sir.” Kyle left the room.
Gambrisi came back to Aviator. “You better not muck this up…or you’re dead. You hear me?”
The man stood, fastened buttons on his jacket and straightened the garment, while observing the short, old and pudgy man. I hear you. And when this is all over…I’m going to kill you. He pivoted and strode toward the door.
… … … … …
Aviator and Kyle stood behind four other men, who pointed Kel-Tec SU-16D9’s—5.56mm compact rifles that accepted standard AR-15 magazines and had 9-inch barrels—at the elevator doors. Aviator studied the screen above—55…56.
“Get ready people,” said Kyle.
Aviator drew his weapon and moved to the side…57…58. He looked up. The number 58 remained on the LCD rectangle. Seconds later, he stood straight and lowered his weapon. They’re getting off two floors down. Tapping Kyle’s shoulder and getting the man’s attention, Aviator nodded at the elevator, “Fire everything,” before jogging toward the stairwell door.
∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞
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