"What vexes me is how I climbed down the balconies," Gustavo claims. "I would not have done that if someone offered me a million bucks. That is the power of fear."
"No, that is the power of self-discovery. "You have to be challenged to see how far you will go. My experience is that once you begin smashing the chains-limitations-it becomes ever easier to succeed in unlocking your potential."
28
Stolen
Back in the hotel suite, still conversing through a locked door, Aleksey instructs the man to transfer the delivery to hotel security.
"I am hotel security, sir," the man responds.
"Why are you blocking the peephole?" Aleksey asks.
"I am not. There appears to be a piece of duct tape over it. Okay, I just tore it off."
"Step backwards so I can see what is in your hands," Aleksey demands, peering through the hole.
The uniformed guard, a tall middle aged man whose lankiness is compounded by his scrawny frame, retreats two steps into the hallway. Holding a velour-padded tray with a plain envelope in the center, both of the guard's hands are visible. Aleksey yanks open the door a few inches, holding his pistol out of view.
"Set it down," Aleksey fiercely commands. "Now."
The guard lowers his valet tray to the carpeted floor in front of the tips of his shiny shoes.
"Hand delivery was guaranteed," the guard says, apparently resigned to the fact that a confrontation must be avoided as guests are sleeping in the surrounding rooms. "May I assure the client hand delivery was achieved?"
"Take two steps back and keep your hands at your sides."
"Yes, sir."
"What is on the platter?" Aleksey asks.
"Just a note in an envelope, sir."
"Is there anything inside or under the padding?"
"No, sir."
"Who is your client?"
"She did not provide me with her name."
"Turn and go now," Aleksey commands him. "You can report delivery was achieved."
"Very well," the guard replies, slightly bowing before turning and exiting out of the view down the hallway.
Aleksey observes the hallway for several minutes before he retrieves the tray and locks the door. The envelope is sealed. Aleksey uses the velour around his fingers to open it so that his fingerprints do not make contact with the paper. He unfolds the note, which is a triple-folded page of hotel stationery, and peruses the scribbled words. Aleksey photographs the letter with his phone and texts the image to Zachary. It reads:
"Dearest Zachariah Fellini, your presence is cordially requested, immediately, in the security of the hotel lobby. Only a few minutes of your time is required. A gratifying conclusion will be equitably achieved now. Respectfully, WB"
As Aleksey packs Zachary's case, then his own, he uses the room phone and reaches the hotel reception desk. He inquires whether a package was delivered to his room and requests the name of the attendant or security guard who knocked on his door. The receptionist puts him on hold for a minute, then relays that she is unaware of any emergencies and insists that they would never deliver items to hotel guests without an emergency or specific request, especially in the middle of the night.
Aleksey then calls Zachary and explains what occurred. They decide to leave Laughlin immediately and discuss where to meet. Aleksey insists that Zachary and Gustavo remain completely hidden behind the concrete walls and stay off the riverwalk.
Exiting the hotel by the employee entrance, Aleksey finds a concealed alcove near the employee parking lot. Due to the pitch dark hour, it takes him almost three quarters of an hour to secure a shared ride and instruct the driver where to find him. Once inside the back seat of the vehicle with the luggage, Aleksey is on the phone again with Zachary.
"I am arriving in a pearl 2018 Honda Accord with four doors," Aleksey says. "We are likely going to do a pass by the main entrance to the riverboat-style casino. You may be able to see us approach, but don't emerge until I give you an all clear signal."
Aleksey remains on the phone with Zachary, who spots the Accord turn off South Casino Drive into the vast parking area for the resort.
"Damn, you have company!" Zachary exclaims, noticing four people on two motorcycles swarming both sides of the car.
"Slam the accelerator!" Aleksey yells to the driver.
Instead, the panicked driver slams on his brakes. The men and women on the motorcycles, all with guns drawn and mask-like helmets, instantly subdue Aleksey and the driver and confiscate Aleksey's phone. Zachary starts to run to the scene, but Gustavo yanks him back into hiding.
"No!" Gustavo insists. "Aleksey does not want you killed."
Zachary agonizes as he watches two of the motorcyclists toss the driver from his car. He and Gustavo cannot see Aleksey, but from the amount of time the cyclists are in the back seat Zachary guesses what is happening.
"They are binding Aleksey's arms," Zachary says, "and keeping him in the car. One of them is going to drive and another is probably holding Aleksey at gunpoint."
The Accord speeds away, followed closely by the two motorcycles, which now have only one rider each. Zachary yells expletives and smashes his foot into the concrete block wall.
"Don't ever hold me back again," Zachary rages at Gustavo.
"I won't," Gustavo sullenly replies. "I am sorry."
"I feel like throwing your ass in that river."
"Could you have stopped four people with guns?" Gustavo asks. "I thought I was saving you from a rash decision. It all happened so fast."
"They could dump Aleksey's corpse by the side of the road," Zachary glowers. "I have to try and find him and rescue him myself. You cannot help me."
"So this is where we part? This is the end? If so, I might as well just throw myself in the river. Take the cobra. I never see want to see it-or you-ever again."
PART 3
29
Cabin
Gustavo Vila Nova, reposed in a comfortable hammock on a cedar-planked deck, watches the effects of the late afternoon sun. Rays of light and shadow, reaching new angles every minute, reveal and conceal the fir trees and mountain peaks. He is surrounded by a forest-green lake and the chill in the fresh air revives his lungs.
At the tip of Gibralter Point, a slender peninsula in California's Big Bear Lake, almost 7,000 feet above sea level in the San Bernardino Mountains, Gustavo feels temporarily elevated above the pandemonium of the past few days. He ignores his glass of tea, letting the ice cubes melt and shrivel, and keeps his arms tucked warmly against his sides.
Zachary Fellini saunters out of the rented cabin in a thick cotton sweater and climbs onto a lounge chair beside him.
"You did the best thing," Zachary states, looking ahead at the ripples on the lake instead of speaking directly to Gustavo.
Gustavo remains silent. He, too, only stares forward. The men are less than four feet apart physically, but the gulf between them is vast.
"Did you hear me?" Zachary asks.
"I am not pouting," Gustavo answers. "I just don't have any response at the moment."
"My words were a bit vicious. But I was not going to abandon you."
"You did, though. I followed you, twenty feet behind, because I had no other choice. It reminded me of something brutally ugly I once witnessed. An abused dog kept following, at a distance, a man who was screaming expletives at him. This happened in Los Angeles. It broke my heart. I was haunted for weeks afterward because I could not save him. I tried to get the dog to accept my compassion, but he insisted on following his hateful owner. He thought his survival depended upon it. This morning, I was just like that dog. Unwanted. Disgraced. A burden. I never want to feel like that again."
Zachary shifts the lounge chair to more of a reclining position, sighs, and takes deep breaths.
"I was not hateful," Zachary counters, "and I was not going to leave you in the lurch. I was just blowing off steam. If you had stopped following me, I would have chased after you. Everyone has a temper. I admit I do."
"I am not perfect either. But I do not ever want to be reckless with power, if I am ever fortunate enough to gain any of it, and wound someone dependent on me by threat of abandonment."
"I understand your point of view. For several minutes there, after my bodyguard and friend was abducted, I lost myself. I admit I was reckless and I am sorry."
"Thank you, Zachary. Apology accepted."
Gustavo leans to his side, balancing on his shoulder in the hammock so he can face Zachary.
"Why didn't you take the wand?" Gustavo asks. "I tried to give it to you. You could have walked away with treasure and done whatever you wanted with it."
"It's not mine," Zachary answers, turning toward Gustavo. "Did you mistake me for a scoundrel or a thief?"
"No."
"Then let's focus on what's ahead. The future. We have to save Aleksey. There are still too many components of the puzzle missing. I need tranquility and clarity to solve this-the conundrum of what is happening. Also, you have to decide for yourself what you are going to do with the serpent and how you want me to help. These are the bottom lines."