Bow Down(28)

His face fell. “I don’t know much about them.”

“Well, I’m sure that’s partially true.”

“What are you implying?”

“I’m not implying anything, Frank. I just want to know what’s going on with them.”

He sighed, leaning back in his chair. “It’s a group of vigilantes. They’ve been attacking some whorehouse spots, liberating the girls, that sort of thing. For the most part, they’re harmless, unless you’re in the sex trade.”

“Have you made any arrests?”

“No. They’re hard to get ahold of.”

“I see.”

“Are you coming here to ask me to go after them?”

“No, I’m not. I’m just curious about them.”

“I wish I had more to tell you. We don’t even know who their leader is. We’ve never actually picked one up.”

“You’d think you’d know more about a group with their resources.”

“You’d be shocked at how secretive they are, Wyatt.”

“I believe you.” Good old Louisa, confounding the police.

Could it really be that the cops weren’t going after the Spiders because they were incompetent? I’d been assuming that it was because they were paid off somehow, or maybe because someone was a believer like Louisa suggested.

Maybe it’s because they really can’t find them. Or maybe it’s a combination of all three.

“There’s another thing,” I said. “You know about the south side drug gangs?”

“Sure do. We’ve been bringing those assholes in for years and they always manage to get off somehow.”

“Crack down,” I said.

He raised an eyebrow. “I’d love to. But the charges don’t stick.”

“They’ll stick. I’m promising you that. Crack down.”

He nodded slowly. “Okay, Wyatt. I don’t want to know any more than that.”

“Good. That’s all you need to know.” I stood and we shook hands again. “Thanks for your time, Frank.”

“Sure.”

I turned and left his office.

As soon as I was outside of the building, I called Louisa’s number. She didn’t answer again, forcing me to leave another voicemail. “Come to my hotel tonight at eight. I had a nice chat with the chief just now.” I hung up the phone.

It was time to make moves against Arturo. I didn’t know whose side the cops were on, but it seemed like they were going to stay out of the war no matter what Arturo wanted.

I dialed another number. A young woman answered the phone. “Arturo Barone’s office.”

“This is Wyatt Carter. Is Arturo available?”

“Not right now. He’s in a meeting.”

“Tell him I phoned. Tell him I spoke with the chief, and to call me back.”

“Okay, sweetie.”

I hung up and slipped my phone into my pocket.

Moves within moves. I was setting us up for something, and I hoped that Louisa was going to be able to handle her side of things.

It was too early to doubt, though. We’d make it work.

We had no other choice.





16





Louisa





I showed up at his hotel wearing a short dark dress that showed my body off. I wasn’t sure what I was trying to accomplish with it, but I wanted him to look at me. The other men in the lobby seemed to be, at least.

In the back of my mind, I knew that Kasia and her girls were getting in position and preparing to attack that mafia stronghold. They wouldn’t actually go ahead for a few more hours, but they were preparing themselves, moving their pieces into striking distance.

And here I was, sitting in a hotel lobby bar, sipping a vodka martini.

I had to admit, I didn’t like that I was never in any real physical danger. The things I participated in had their own risks, but rarely was it my life on the line. I understood that I couldn’t risk myself, because without me the whole thing fell apart. Kasia could probably step up and keep it going for a while, but she didn’t have the vision or the contacts or the skills that I had.

In the end, my game was completely different. I could still remember the last time I was in the field.

It was a meeting with my father. Actually, it was the first meeting with my father, the day I actually revealed myself to him. He was livid, so angry, and I loved that look on his face, that shock and anger. He didn’t believe me, treated me like his stupid daughter, and that was his downfall.

My people set off smokes and began to slaughter every single mafia person around. It was pure terror and chaos. The abandoned warehouse where we met became a slaughterhouse. Men screamed as bullets flew through the air. Kasia pulled me out of there before we could become targets, but I wanted to stay. I wanted to help. I wanted to hurt the man that had hurt my city so badly.