“Keep an eye on my four geniuses in there,” Giovanni ordered the guard staying behind.
“You got it, boss.” Before the man made it back inside, the four brothers were gone, so he picked up the nearest phone. This one, though, was bugged.
Across Tchoupitoulas Street three men sat watching from a window, two of them with binoculars in their hands and the third hunched over a computer keyboard. “There’s something coming over one of the lines in the outer office,” Agent Lionel Jones said.
“Could be something going on with everyone making a run for the nearest door,” Joe Simmons added. “The brothers evil left via cars, and Daddy just hit the water. Dumb fucks, they have to know we have all the exits covered.”
“Just like we covered the big shipment of illegal liquor a few nights ago, smart guy? It’s time for us to go back to good old-fashioned detective work and start tying all this together, because I don’t think Cain’s just going to sit on her ass and not take a shot back at these guys.” Agent Anthony Curtis put his glasses down and increased the volume to listen to the conversation.
His fellow agents frowned at him, which made him throw up his hands. “I like Cain too, damn it, but we looked like idiots the other night. She didn’t do anything illegal, but we owe her for getting stuck with this crap assignment.”
“You know, Tony, we could’ve just looked in the damn crates. We were played, but Cain wasn’t doing the string-pulling. It was Kyle,” Lionel said. “And from what Shelby tells me, Cain’s going to be out of commission for a while yet.”
“People, do I have to remind you who signs your paychecks? We aren’t here to coddle some woman who would like nothing better than to fuck the whole lot of us over just to make her kid laugh.” He put his hands in his hair and pulled in frustration. “And is it so hard to remember it’s Anthony?”
“Lionel’s right, Tony. Cain isn’t doing anything but lying in the hospital with a bullet I feel somewhat responsible for. Besides, Agent Hicks said she isn’t our concern anymore.” Joe tacked on the moniker just to aggravate Anthony that much more.
“You mark my words, she’s going to come out of there swinging, and when she’s done there won’t be a Bracato left standing.” Anthony looked at the other two and wanted to scream at their bland looks.
Behind him the door opened and closed, only adding to the tension in the room.
“Is it a private moment,” Shelby asked, “or can anyone join in?”
“It’s nothing,” Joe said.
“Nothing? You’re about to throw away your career and you call it nothing?” Anthony couldn’t believe his ears.
“Who’s throwing away their careers?”
“Like I said, Shelby, it’s nothing. Tony’s all bent out of shape that Cain isn’t going down with the rest of these guys,” Lionel supplied. “Our buddy’s still smarting from the spanking Cain administered the other night when our raid netted us a shitload of legal liquor. I know she fucked us, but she did it almost with our permission. Not one of us thought to question Kyle or to check when all of a sudden she started burning up the wiretaps we left with information about her business. We just barged in there and watched Kyle shoot her for Giovanni Bracato. And even after that all we could do was salivate over the fact we’d caught her with a line of trucks full of booze—our payback for all those miserable days being holed up in places like this.”
“We need to take a step back and consider what we’re doing. Am I the only one who thinks we’re getting way too chummy with the enemy?” Anthony asked.
Shelby put her hands on her hips and let out a long, even breath. If they didn’t pull together and act as a team, they wouldn’t be taking anyone down for anything, not even a traffic violation. “Listen, Anthony,” she started, trying not to antagonize him any further. “Joe, Lionel, and I are on the same page, so if you’re not comfortable with that you need to say so now. True, we got scammed, but Joe’s right. Cain did it fair and square. We’ve gotten too far in to turn back now. Cain and her people are talking to me, which means they’re doing the same to you, with the help of our little toys.”
“They’re talking to you, Shelby, because they all want to sleep with you.” Tony dropped down to a chair as if he were tired of trying to explain himself.
“Are you questioning my integrity, Agent?”
“No more than you’re questioning mine. I want you to listen to me. All of this is going to turn out bad if you take sides. Giovanni Bracato is not as suave and cute, but Cain is no different from him. Pull back before it’s too late.”
“This has to be a team decision, Tony,” Joe said, “and I’m with Shelby.”
“Me too,” Lionel chimed in.
“Then I’m asking Annabel for a transfer. I like my job and want to keep it, not to mention I have no interest in going to jail. Keeping Kyle company for years to come isn’t something I relish.” Anthony picked up his coat and walked out, leaving total silence behind him.
“It isn’t too late, guys, if you want to join him. I think this is the best way, but it doesn’t mean it’s the only way.”
“He’ll drive around for a while and come back, Shelby. Don’t sweat it. Tony’s strung a little tight because his old man was in the agency and the rumors of him being on the take never did die down. Especially not after a big drug kingpin got away because the old man didn’t play it all by the book,” Joe said. “I’m thinking, though, that we’ve come too far with this for him to want out now.”
“I hope you’re right. Would this be a bad time to tell you two that I have a date for drinks with Muriel Casey?”
“I wasn’t too worried about Cain,” Lionel said. “But Muriel—keep an eye on that one, Shelby.”
“You think she’s dangerous?”
“Only in a quirky kind of way. Cain knew better than to get too close to you, but Muriel’s the chance-taking kind
