Fuck, this guy is a talker and a real asshole. Cole is going to enjoy fucking up his face.
“But then Los Servientes Del Diablos got greedy. They got in contact with the Mayor saying they have his daughter and that someone else was interested in her so whoever pays the most gets the girl.” Luka removes his glasses, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “The Mayor didn’t react the way I thought he would. I swear he was relieved she was gone. His own daughter! His votes were climbing. He started dating a woman.” His voice softens. “Don’t get me wrong, Colonel, he loves Savannah but she just wouldn’t climb aboard the campaign wagon and a man has his priorities.” He sighs loudly.
“Hey!” The American yells, suddenly bursting through the door. “What the fuck are you doing?”
“Just chatting,” Luka says calmly.
“I didn’t bring you here for a fucking meet and greet. Get out so I can get this done.” The American slips a pair of brass knuckles over his fingers, making a fist.
“Is that really necessary?” Luka asks, making a disgusted face as he stands up. “May I have a word with you outside?” He touches The American’s shoulder jumping back when the man turns on him grabbing his arm, twisting it.
“Don’t fucking touch me, ever!” The American hisses. “Outside!”
Luka nods as he rubs his arm, following The American out the door. It slams behind them leaving one man with a machine gun alone with Cole.
Cole tilts his head staring at the man. He’s so young, maybe early twenties. His face is sweaty and his body is shaking, making his fingers flex on the gun.
The kid tosses the strap over his head. “You move,” he says in a thick accent. “I blow your head off.”
Cole smiles at him and whispers something under his breath, waiting for him to come just a little closer, sure enough the kid takes two steps toward him. Cole suddenly grabs the side of the pipe as he kicks the barrel of the gun so it shoots up slamming the kid in the eye. He falls backwards with a scream and scrambles to the other side of the wall away from Cole’s reach.
The door flies open and The American sees the kid on the floor, holding his head and groaning in pain. He looks at Cole, walks up to him and punches him in the side of the head once with the brass knuckles.
It’s dark again when Cole comes to, a tiny crack in the wall providing a cool breeze. His skull feels like he was hit by a Mack truck, probably fractured. It hurts like hell just to open his eyes and he’s thankful the light is off. The door opens as another wave of nausea hits hard. He leans over, vomiting. Fuck. A water bottle is dropped at his feet. He looks up to find Luka standing above him. Oh Christ, here comes good cop-bad cop again. He moves his hands down the pipe using his foot to slide the water bottle toward him. He opens it and takes a drink awkwardly, the cool water like liquid gold. His stomach feels immediately better—if only he could get some painkillers. He chuckles a bit at the thought.
“Something funny?” Luka asks, sitting on the floor across from him.
“Not really,” Cole huffs as he drops the empty bottle on the floor.
“She hated the press, you know.” He starts his story like they never got interrupted. “Savannah hated her father for choosing his job over her so she’d get drunk and parade around town disgracing herself.”
Cole bends down reaching for his throbbing head, feeling the blood trickle down his neck. Luka tosses his water bottle at him, hitting his leg.
“You paying attention? ‘Cause this is where it gets interesting.”
Cole glares over at him, dropping his hands and straightening up.
“One night I found the Mayor drinking in his office. He confessed that someone contacted him with proof of life for Savannah but since he didn’t pay right away now they were blackmailing him saying he'd set the whole thing up. I knew Los Servientes Del Diablos told him I was behind the whole thing. I could tell by his look. I thought it was all over but instead he asked for my help. I was shocked, after all she is his daughter, but I realized I just dodged a major bullet. After all, we both want to be at the top and we’ll do whatever is needed to get there.”
He claps his hands together making Cole’s head pound. “So a new plan is hatched! We start to use the media as much as possible. No one could accuse us of not caring about our missing Savannah. We ignore the ransom demands and hope they’ll dispose of her. Everything was running smoothly. There was no contact with them, everything was good. But then, a few months later, I’m at a bar, and boots here,” referring to The American, “approaches me, saying we better pay up, or they’re going to release a recording they have with the Mayor on the damn phone discussing the ransom deal. They were going to prove that he did know his daughter was alive and he didn’t give a shit. So we started low balling. We started with fifty grand just to buy us some time to think but before we got the chance she vanishes into thin air.”