A thin bead of light shone through the slits between the blinds that tilted down at an angle. It did little to brighten the room.
A Hispanic man sat behind a metal desk, looking up at us. The lantern at the corner of the desktop shined on the left side of his face. He leaned to the side, then bent down.
Anna removed the pistol from Antonio’s head, then pointed it at him. “Leave it be, Domingo, and show me your hands.”
He stopped, then sat up straight in his chair. He raised his arms in the air, then narrowed his eyes at us. “What the hell is the meaning of this, Anna? Have you lost your damn mind?”
“We’re just here to talk.” Anna pulled back on Antonio’s jacket. He stopped.
I swept the large, empty room for any more men, but found none. I covered the entrance, then glanced over my shoulder at Domingo.
“Doesn’t look like you’re here to just chat,” he said, his voice laced with contempt. “Not many people have ever survived after pointing a gun at me. You’re making a big mistake here.”
Anna scanned the room. “Like I told your lapdog here, if I wanted you dead, there would be a hole in your head right now. I’m just here to talk, but we don’t have much time. The McCones have an SUV parked a few blocks down waiting for us to return, or they’ll come in here with guns blazing. I suggest we don’t waste time.”
“I’d like to see those bastards try something.” Domingo pointed at us. “Talk about what? We have no business to discuss. Not since parting ways after your last job.”
“It’s about the information you recently got on the McCones,” Anna answered from behind Antonio.
“How do you know about that?” Domingo asked. “Did they contract you or something to get it back? Is that why you’re here?”
Anna shook her head. “Not exactly. The bottom line is they want their property back and you dead.”
Domingo snickered. “What else is new? We’ve been gunning for one another for years. I’ve finally got some dirt on their operation and I’m not looking to give it up without a fight. You know as well as I do, I have many more men stationed inside this building. You kill me, the odds of you and your friend here getting out alive will be null.”
“Yeah, I know that.” Anna glanced over at me. I nodded. “What if I offered an alternative solution, though? One that could see you get a foothold on the McCones.”
Domingo rubbed his chin for a moment. “Such as?”
“Give me the data you took and I’ll deliver it back to the McCones. I’ll tell them that you’re dead and no longer a threat,” Anna replied, looking at me again.
Domingo sat in his chair, then chuckled at the suggestion. He waved his hands around. “Is this some sort of joke? Am I missing the punchline here? How does me giving up that data and you telling them I’m dead help me out?”
“You’ll no longer be a threat to them if they believe you’re dead,” Anna replied. “I come back with the file and tell them the job’s completed, and they’ll believe. You know me and how I operate. They won’t be looking out for you any longer, giving you a window to strike at them.”
“I do know how you operate. That’s part of my hesitation. You’re good at manipulating people.” Domingo shook his finger at her. “How do I know I can trust you?”
“I’m not trying to mess you over or anything,” Anna said, speaking in an even manner. “Consider this my way of making good on that job that went sideways. I know you lost money and men on that.”
“I did, but more so, it gave my enemies confidence that they could move on me,” Domingo replied. “That’s something that hasn’t happened in a long time.”
“Are we good to talk business, then?” Anna shot back.
Domingo stroked his square chin with two fingers, mulling it over. “We’re good, for now.”
Anna released Antonio’s collar, then lowered the pistol from the back of his skull. She took a step back and put her arms up.
Antonio moved toward the desk, then turned around to face us. His nostrils flared with anger and his chest heaved.
“What are you doing?” I asked Anna, confused by her actions. “You sure about this?”
Anna secured the piece in the front waistband of her jeans, keeping her focus trained on Domingo. “Yeah, I’m sure.”
I lowered the barrel of my AK to the floor. My finger stayed on the trigger as I watched both men.
Antonio looked at Domingo, then pointed at us. “We shouldn’t trust them. This is a trap. They’re setting you up for something big. I say we kill both of them, then worry about the McCones.”
Domingo raised his hand at Antonio, shushing him. “This could work to our advantage. You know how hard it’s been to get a leg up on the McCones. This could be the break we’ve been looking for, and she could be our ticket to making it happen. Besides, she owes us and it’s not like we don’t have backups of the data.”
“Still, this could screw us over big time,” Antonio shot back.
“This isn’t a ploy or ruse,” Anna said. “You hit them hard right now with everything you’ve got. With the power being down, you being dead, and your men scattered to the winds, they wouldn’t be expecting such a move. You’d have the element of surprise. Plus, you’d have us on the inside helping you
