Dying Is My Business

like you spent all night picking through the racks at Barney’s instead of doing what I asked. Do you know what that makes me wonder? It makes me wonder if I can trust you. And if I can’t trust you, something drastic needs to happen.” He flicked a speck of dust off the shoulder of his coat. “Here’s a little something for you to keep in mind, Trent. I may not be able to kill you, but that doesn’t mean I can’t make you hurt. It doesn’t mean I can’t make you wish you could die.”

I remembered the chair behind the black door, the drain at its feet. As if on cue, Tomo pulled a straight razor from his pocket and flicked it open. I saw the sharp edge of the blade and thought of the gaping slit in Bennett’s throat. “Let me give him a taste, boss,” Tomo said.

He and Big Joe both took a step toward me, but I put up my hands. “Wait! Just wait!”

Underwood glanced wordlessly at his two enforcers. They stepped back.

I let out my breath slowly. “It’s not what you think, Underwood. It’s this job. There are complications.”

“You and your fucking complications,” Big Joe spat.

Underwood lifted a hand. “Now, now, let’s hear him out.”

“The box wasn’t at the warehouse. They hid it because there are others looking for it.”

He frowned. “Who?”

“That’s the thing,” I said. “They’re … gargoyles.”

“Gargoyles?” he said. “Never heard of them. Who are they, a street gang?”

“They’re not a gang, Underwood, they’re gargoyles. Actual gargoyles, with wings and claws and teeth—”

He burst out laughing. “Christ, Trent. When did you start hitting the pipe?”

“You’ve got to listen to me,” I said. “This isn’t like the jobs you’ve sent me on before. Things are happening that I can’t explain. Impossible things.”

“Oh yeah? Like what?” He looked at Tomo and Big Joe, then back at me, a half-grin on his face. I got the sense he was only tolerating this because he found it amusing.

I took a deep breath. I knew how crazy I sounded already, and I was about to sound even crazier. “Just a few minutes ago, Bennett came to see me.”

Underwood laughed again, and Big Joe and Tomo joined him. They laughed like they’d never heard something so funny. “Now I know you’ve lost it,” Underwood said. “Trust me, Bennett’s not going to be paying any visits to anyone.”

“But I saw him,” I insisted. “That’s what I’m trying to tell you. It’s the box, Underwood. Everything connected to it is royally fucked up. It’s dangerous. You may think you can handle it, but you’re in way over your head.”

I felt Big Joe’s fist hit my cheek before I even saw him swing. I fell to my hands and knees on the thinly carpeted floor of the vestibule. “Know your fucking place, T-Bag!”

Underwood crouched down next to me. “Trent, Trent, Trent. When did you become such a disappointment? How did a simple job like this become too much for you to handle?”

I spat on the floor, my saliva tinged with blood. “Walk away from this one, Underwood. Whatever’s in that box, it’s not worth what’ll come after you once you’ve got it.”

“Walk away? Do you know how much money is on the line? Come on, Trent, enough with the bullshit. I’ll tell you what, just bring me the box and all will be forgiven. We can pretend we never had this conversation. I want it in my hands by tonight. Don’t make me come looking for you again. Am I clear?”

I shook my head. “It’s not just gargoyles, man, there’s this thing in black armor.”

“Okay. Give us a minute, guys,” Underwood said. Tomo and Big Joe left the vestibule to stand guard outside the door, leaving us alone. Underwood held his hand out to me. I looked at it like it was a dog ready to bite me. Finally, I took it and he helped me to my feet. His hand was ice cold, as though he’d absorbed all the air- conditioning from the fallout shelter. “I’ve always tried to do right by you, haven’t I, Trent? I gave you a job and a place to sleep. I made certain inquiries into your past, like I promised. Do you remember what I told you last night? I think you’re going to be very happy with what I found. Very happy.”

I studied Underwood’s face, but behind his sunglasses his expression was inscrutable.

“My name?” I whispered.

He nodded. My chest went tight. Underwood knew my name. He knew it and I didn’t. It was almost too much to handle.

“Tell me,” I begged. “Just tell me my name. Please. Just tell me that one thing.”

“I’m wondering if you’re ready,” he said. “Maybe you don’t want it as badly as I thought. After all, I told you what you had to do first and you still haven’t done it.”

“Please,” I said again.

“The terms of our deal are quite clear,” he said. “Bring me the box. Leave no witnesses. Hold up your end of the bargain and I’ll hold up mine.”

I swallowed hard. I was so close to the truth I could almost taste it, but what Underwood was asking me to do …

I’d made a terrible mistake, aligning myself with this monster. I knew that now. Hell, I’d known it ever since the little boy in the crack house, only I hadn’t done a thing about it, hadn’t even tried, and now it was coming back to bite me.

Underwood sighed. “I blame myself. This is my fault. I thought you could handle this one on your own, but I see now I was wrong. That’s why I’m sending Tomo and Big Joe with you.”

My chest squeezed tight. “What? No, Underwood—”

He raised a hand to shush me. “No, it’s okay, it’s good that they’ll go with you. The job will go a lot faster.” He turned to call Tomo and Big Joe back in.

“Wait,” I said quickly. Underwood faced me again. “There’s no need to get them involved. I can do this.”

“Are you sure?” Underwood asked. “They could be a big help. They’re not squeamish about torture, or killing. To tell you the truth, I think the crazy bastards actually get a kick out of it. I once saw Tomo gun down a man’s grandmother just to get him talking.”

“I’ll handle it myself,” I insisted.

Underwood bared his teeth. It took me a moment to understand that he was smiling. “There’s the Trent I know. Good dog.”

He clapped me on the cheek, harder than usual. There was nothing remotely friendly about it.

In that moment, I knew he was lying. He hadn’t found anything, and he never intended to. He’d lied to me from the start, used me, manipulated me into doing terrible things while he filled my head with empty promises. I’d wanted so badly to believe he would help me find the answers that I’d gone along with it willingly, ignoring any second thoughts. What a fool I was. What a goddamn fool.

Outside, sunlight swept down the street from where the sun crested the horizon. Dawn. Time had run out. I had to go now.

“I’ll have it for you by tonight,” I said again, hoping he wouldn’t see through the lie. I moved to get past him. “But I have to go—”

“Stay a moment,” Underwood said.

Damn. Why wouldn’t he let me go? “If you want the box, I have to go now.”

“Stay,” Underwood repeated. The tone of his voice told me I didn’t have a choice. “Did I ever tell you about Gibbons?”

“No,” I said quickly. The street continued to brighten. I wiped my sweaty palms on my jeans. Each beat of my heart felt like the ticking of a clock.

“Gibbons was my collector, like you, only way back in the day,” Underwood said. “I sent him to collect a diamond shipment headed for a Diamond Row merchant who’d crossed me. Only Gibbons never came back from the job. See, he thought he could just take the diamonds and run. He forgot who he was messing with. He forgot I’ve got eyes and ears all over this city. I caught up with him in a bar in Harlem, some cheap, off-the-grid joint where he thought he’d be safe. I walked out of that bar half an hour later, but he didn’t. Neither did his girlfriend, or his brother, or any of the others who helped him take what was rightfully mine. The dumb son of a bitch honestly thought he could run from me. But nobody can run from me, Trent. Nobody can be protected from me. I always get what I want. I always take what’s mine. I always win. Funny I never told you that story. It’s one of my