Cold City (Repairman Jack - the Early Years Trilogy) by F. Paul Wilson Page A
Authors: F. Paul Wilson
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Darren could probably mop the floor with these two, but not the whole Gambino family. Harry had been a jerk, but Julio couldn’t let his pride get Harry’s family hurt.
As if things weren’t bad enough.
It damn near killed him to do it, but he leaned over to the cash register, keyed it open, and removed four hundred-dollar bills from under the tray. He placed them on the bar and stepped back, raising the shotgun toward the ceiling.
Aldo stepped forward. “You’re smarter than you look,” he said as he snapped them up
Julio clenched his jaw and resisted the insane urge to blow his head off and tell Vinny to take that back to Tony the Cannon.
As they went out the door, Vinny turned to him. “See you next week. Oh, I know you didn’t ask, but get rid of the ferns. They really suck.”
Julio screamed, “ Metetelo en el culo! ”
MONDAY
1
In the week or so since Nasser al-Thani had last seen him, Roman had moved again. He’d called his hotel and learned that he had checked out, leaving no forwarding address. No matter. Nasser had his mobile number. He called that and Roman answered immediately.
“I’m glad you called. The funding arrived.”
Wonderful. Although the amount had been approved weeks ago, putting that much cash together without raising eyebrows or leaving a trail was a delicate matter. Despite its contacts in the world of international banking, even the Order had to tread softly in these matters.
“Is that why you moved?”
“One of the reasons. Time for a change, anyway. Call me tomorrow and I’ll arrange for you to take possession. We’ll finalize the details of the project then.”
The project… that was how they referred to the plan. They practiced circumlocution at an art-form level during landline phone calls, and Nasser knew to be extra cautious when speaking over a cellular network. The calls were easily monitored, but worse: conversations occasionally leaked onto a third phone for no apparent reason.
“I will do that. I have another matter I’d like to discuss. Do you remember my mentioning the piercing passion of one of our new Brooklyn associates?”
“For a certain vocal rabbi?”
“That’s the one. The rabbi in question is speaking in town tonight. I was wondering if I should inform our associate. He might want to hear what he has to say.”
“He might indeed. But you seem hesitant.”
“There’s always the possibility that it could interfere with our larger plan.”
“The larger plan has a long-term payoff. If our associate takes decisive action, it could have an immediate effect. Retaliatory reaction will serve only to speed our larger plan. Tell him. This will be interesting to watch.”
“I agree. Most interesting.”
2
Another meeting with the man from Qatar.
Kadir joined his three Egyptian friends in a back room of the Al-Kifah Center to see what he had to say. It turned out he didn’t have much new except that he would deliver the money tomorrow night and finalize all plans then.
“That is all you have to say?” Sayyid said. “You brought us here just for that? Why do you waste our time like this?”
Kadir had to agree. He’d finished up his work labeling the cigarette packs at Tachus’s uncle’s place, and hurried here all the way from New Jersey just to hear this?
“My friend,” said Nasser al-Thani, staring at Sayyid, “you may change your mind about wasted time when you hear what else I have to say.”
“I am not your friend,” Sayyid said. “You say all the right things, but still I do not trust you.”
Al-Thani smiled. “So who am I if not who I say I am?”
“Oh, we know who you are,” Sayyid said. “We checked that out. But what you are… that is another question.”
“You think perhaps I’m CIA? FBI? Mossad? Would I be helping you bring riches to the cause of jihad if I were?”
“And bringing riches to yourself
As if things weren’t bad enough.
It damn near killed him to do it, but he leaned over to the cash register, keyed it open, and removed four hundred-dollar bills from under the tray. He placed them on the bar and stepped back, raising the shotgun toward the ceiling.
Aldo stepped forward. “You’re smarter than you look,” he said as he snapped them up
Julio clenched his jaw and resisted the insane urge to blow his head off and tell Vinny to take that back to Tony the Cannon.
As they went out the door, Vinny turned to him. “See you next week. Oh, I know you didn’t ask, but get rid of the ferns. They really suck.”
Julio screamed, “ Metetelo en el culo! ”
MONDAY
1
In the week or so since Nasser al-Thani had last seen him, Roman had moved again. He’d called his hotel and learned that he had checked out, leaving no forwarding address. No matter. Nasser had his mobile number. He called that and Roman answered immediately.
“I’m glad you called. The funding arrived.”
Wonderful. Although the amount had been approved weeks ago, putting that much cash together without raising eyebrows or leaving a trail was a delicate matter. Despite its contacts in the world of international banking, even the Order had to tread softly in these matters.
“Is that why you moved?”
“One of the reasons. Time for a change, anyway. Call me tomorrow and I’ll arrange for you to take possession. We’ll finalize the details of the project then.”
The project… that was how they referred to the plan. They practiced circumlocution at an art-form level during landline phone calls, and Nasser knew to be extra cautious when speaking over a cellular network. The calls were easily monitored, but worse: conversations occasionally leaked onto a third phone for no apparent reason.
“I will do that. I have another matter I’d like to discuss. Do you remember my mentioning the piercing passion of one of our new Brooklyn associates?”
“For a certain vocal rabbi?”
“That’s the one. The rabbi in question is speaking in town tonight. I was wondering if I should inform our associate. He might want to hear what he has to say.”
“He might indeed. But you seem hesitant.”
“There’s always the possibility that it could interfere with our larger plan.”
“The larger plan has a long-term payoff. If our associate takes decisive action, it could have an immediate effect. Retaliatory reaction will serve only to speed our larger plan. Tell him. This will be interesting to watch.”
“I agree. Most interesting.”
2
Another meeting with the man from Qatar.
Kadir joined his three Egyptian friends in a back room of the Al-Kifah Center to see what he had to say. It turned out he didn’t have much new except that he would deliver the money tomorrow night and finalize all plans then.
“That is all you have to say?” Sayyid said. “You brought us here just for that? Why do you waste our time like this?”
Kadir had to agree. He’d finished up his work labeling the cigarette packs at Tachus’s uncle’s place, and hurried here all the way from New Jersey just to hear this?
“My friend,” said Nasser al-Thani, staring at Sayyid, “you may change your mind about wasted time when you hear what else I have to say.”
“I am not your friend,” Sayyid said. “You say all the right things, but still I do not trust you.”
Al-Thani smiled. “So who am I if not who I say I am?”
“Oh, we know who you are,” Sayyid said. “We checked that out. But what you are… that is another question.”
“You think perhaps I’m CIA? FBI? Mossad? Would I be helping you bring riches to the cause of jihad if I were?”
“And bringing riches to yourself
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