My Journey in Writing, Ranting, and Woodworking

Richard enjoyed a steak and salad while he sat at the table in front of the window.  The lunch crowd hadn’t started to arrive yet and the kitchen wasn’t exactly open, but he was well liked there, known for being a big tipper.  The view across the street to the restaurant was unimpeded and he saw Charles arrive.

The wait staff had set up another table in the back room.  When he asked, the waiter brought a phone to the table.  He waited a few minutes, nobody seemed to be watching Charles or following him, so he placed the call.

Charles walked across the street, looking both ways, not for traffic, but for the eyes he was sure were watching.  Richard got up and greeted him.  “Charles, you look, well…not marvelous.”

“All things considered, I am fair.  What did you want to talk about?”

Richard nodded towards the back and Charles followed him.  The table had bread and a bottle of wine.  After the waiter took Charles order, they were alone.  Richard asked, “What do you think are the odds of us getting out of this bloody mess?”

“I keep playing it in my mind.  I was looking right at Pyotr’s face as he killed John.  He didn’t blink or jump.  I saw men die in the war, but I never saw such soulless killing.”  Charles reached for a piece of bread, then pulled his hand back and added, “So, to put it bluntly, I think our odds are slim.”

“These are serious men.  We must match them.”

“Match them how?”

“I imagine we all looked pretty shaken Friday, when we left with our bags of blood money.”

Charles didn’t say anything.

“They have been thinking about us.  The Russian is worrying that any one, or perhaps all of us, will crack and ruin the whole deal.”

Charles was getting his appetite back and started to butter a roll.

“What do we really know about Kerwin?  Before Daniel’s death, all I ever knew was he was the second in charge.  I peg him as being a Russian plant.  That leaves Martin.  He didn’t leave when we did.  Did you see his face?”

“I don’t think I did.  Maybe, I don’t remember.”

“He looked, how should I put it…business like.  He is a snake.  I would wager he has been privy to who the client was all along.”

“You think Martin is a Russian?”

“No, I think he is without a soul.”

Charles never liked Martin Van Sythe.  “So he is the enemy too.”

Richard thought to himself, now he is thinking clearly, we may get out of this yet.  “Yes, he is definitely on their side.  What about William?  Which side do you think he is on?”

“Damn, I don’t know.  He looked more scared than all of us.  I thought he was going to be sick.”

“I don’t know either.  I tried to call him.  Actually, I tried a few times, but no answer.  For now, we will just have to think of him as neutral.”

Charles, feeling like he was back in the army, and Richard was his commanding officer, said, “So what is the plan?”

“We need to put them at ease.  That is the first step.”

“They are Russian spies, how ‘at ease’, do you think they get?”

“That is an excellent point, but I am merely saying we need to do our level best to show them we have bought in.  At the very least, it will give them pause about killing us.”

Charles looked a little deflated, “Give them pause?  That is the best you’ve got?”

“Look where we stand.  You are a wreck, William has disappeared, and we are about to commit treason.  Well, actually you are, as I am not American, but still I don’t want to help the Russians.  The point is, we need to figure a way to stop them.”

“Just the two of us?”

“I think we are going to need someone outside of the group, who they won’t be watching.”

“Who?”

“I think we need to go see Henry Wood.”

“Who?”

“Martin said a detective was looking into Martin’s death.  He told me to be on the lookout for a man named Henry Wood.  I looked him up, he is a private dick.”

“Oh yes, Martin said something about him, but I ignored him.  I really don’t like that guy.”

“If this Henry fellow is already investigating Daniel’s death, which I think we may now assume wasn’t a suicide, then he just might be able to help us out.”

Charles leaned back in his chair and thought for a moment.  “It may not be much of a plan, but it beats the hell out of anything I could have come up with.”

The men talked for another hour, mostly just rehashing Friday night, and how they had gotten in such a mess.  They decided to meet at Henry’s office first thing the next morning.