The Take by Mike Dennis

Author:Mike Dennis
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Mystery, Crime, Thriller & Suspense, Noir, Literature & Fiction
ISBN: 9781603182768
Publisher: L & L Dreamspell
Published: 2013-08-01T00:00:00+00:00

22

Rafael Vega cursed the traffic. It wasn’t supposed to be heavy like this, coming back into town in the late afternoon. But a stalled eighteen-wheeler and a minor fender-bender had caused a major pileup, turning the Washburn Tunnel into a parking lot.

“What do you think’s gonna happen with Chico?” Tomás asked.

“You heard the doc. He ain’t never gonna walk again.”

“No, I mean with the business. The organization.”

Vega looked at Tomás with wary eyes and turned defensive. “What do you mean by that?”

“You know. The business. If Chico can’t run it, then you’re probably the one who —”

Vega’s coal-chunk eyes narrowed into thin, dark lines.

“Listen to me, Ese. As long as Chico’s breathing, he’s running the business. I work for him and so do you. And don’t you forget it.”

“Hey, man, I didn’t mean nothing by it. It’s just, you know, that if Chico’s laid up pretty bad, well, we all know that you’re his number one man, and this could be your opportunity …”

“Opportunity for what?”

“Hey, you know, Ese. The opportunity to take over. I mean, we’d all work for you and everything, because we want —”

Vega slapped his face. The resounding crack startled Tomas, and Vega could see it stung.

“I don’t give a fuck what you pendejos want. Chico’s in charge. I don’t care if he can’t even sit up. He’s still the fucking boss!” He slapped him again, harder. “If I hear you talking that shit again.”

He pulled his nine millimeeter semi-automatic from under his cashmere topcoat, then held it hard to Tomás’ forehead.

“If I even think you’re talking that shit again,” he said, “you die. ¿Me entendés?” Vega could see the chilly fear slinking into Tomás’ eyes, even though he knew that Tomás was not easily cowed.

The reply came. “Y-yeah, Ese. I understand, man. I understand.”

Tomás quaked in the passenger seat under the cold steel against his flesh, while Vega growled more threats. He pressed the heavy weapon tighter against Tomás, forcing his head back into the passenger side window. The gun looked dangerously large in Vega’s small hand, like he wasn’t really up to handling it. It also looked like it could go off any second, spreading Tomás’ brains all over the snowy interior of the new Cadillac.

The thing was, Vega had more than enough backbone to use it, and he knew Tomás had gotten the picture.

Vega seemed the natural choice as a successor in the organization. Chico had fostered his rise up the ladder, and Vega owed him. He had sided Chico all the way, and he wasn’t going to dump Chico overboard now. Vega wasn’t that kind of man.

Beneath the threats, however, he knew all too well what Tomás meant. The word on Chico’s condition would eventually get out, leading to fast-spreading talk among certain ranking members of his organization. The general consensus would undoubtedly be that, while they all wished Chico a speedy recovery, no one wanted to work for half a man.

It was that simple.

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