Drago Sertic sat in the black van that they used for deliveries of "product". He didn't care if the product was opium from Pakistan or Chinese girls from Taiwan, guns from Bosnia or TVs from Okinawa. It was all product for him. He could pick it up and deliver it to whoever needed it enough to pay for it.
Today, the product was three bodies. But they were unlike any bodies he had ever had to deliver. These men whom he had known since they were boys together were supposed to be dead. But they had each risen from horrific wounds and walked out of the morgue.
Alarms had sounded, guards had chased but in the end they had gathered to him. Drago felt like he had an army of Rasputins working for him. Unkillable. Miro had enough holes in him that he could strain pasta. Kosta had a deep gash in his back through which Drago could see his heart pump. And Zoran. The .38 that Carmine had fired into his face had entered his cheek, but the soft lead shells had removed the back of his head. Now his jaw hung loosly from tendrils of flesh and his tongue hung out from the hole like a fat pink leech. Drago could not look him in his remaining eye for more than a few seconds. His face was a thing of nightmares.
Drago had been waiting outside Romano Investments looking for Carmine, since yesterday afternoon. He'd watched as several people had come and gone but there had been no sign of him. Then this morning he'd gotten the call from Ivan to meet him back at the bowling alley where the three ...strigoi was the only word he could think of... awaited. Ivan was drunk as a fucker and these three told him they were back and had to kill.
So now, they were outside of Romano Investments still waiting.
Miro was impatiently muttering in Croatian, "I say we just run in there and make them tell us where he is. It isn't like they can hurt us." Zoran made a chuckle sound deep in his ruined face that made Drago's bladder weak.
Kosta was quick to counter, "No, they can't kill us, but it fucking hurts to get shot don't it? I swear my insides itch from this fucking hole in my back." Zoran just tuned and looked blankly at him.
"Okay, no contest, Zoran, But you know what I mean," he said.
Drago took charge, it was what he was good at. "Look, is easy, we grab one of guys hanging around back. We ask him few questions; kill him if we must. Then we repeat until either draw too much attention or get answer."
Kosta muttered, "We must, Drago, we fucking must."
Miro pulled on a jacket that hid the holes in his torso and Zoran pulled up a hood to hide his face. The three walked around the block to an alley that led to the loading dock in the back. There were two guys out there. In their suits and ties they looked very out of place in the dirty alleyway clustered around a bucket full of sand and cigarette butts.
They talked casually about sports and TV until the trio got nearer. They then got quiet and watched suspiciously. Miro spoke to them, "Hey, any of you guys know a big fat dude named Carmine? We are lookin' for him."
They didn't seem reassured, but one of them spoke, "He doesn't work here any more. I don't know where he is. Sorry."
Miro shook his head, "Sorry doesn't cut it."
The three pulled out guns and started shooting. One of them men dropped quickly, the other managed to get his .45 Automatic out and shoot it at Zoran. The shot had the misfortune of hitting him in the head.
His jaw flew off in a different direction than the rest of him taking part of the right-hand side of his face with it. He made a sound like "Wack!" which made Miro laugh.
Zoran slammed into the guy and stomped on him until his head cracked like a melon. He croaked the sound "Waggah!" at him.
Miro and Kosta were going through the other guy's pockets. Miro pulled out an iPhone and pressed the address book. It had names, numbers and addresses of most of Balthazar's men. A sound from the loading dock made them decide to run.
Back in the van they poured through the phone. Carmine's name and number wasn't in there, but there was a note that Carmine was to be kept away from Balthazar Romano at all costs. Mr. Romano was going to be at the Graveyard club tonight.
Drago sat back in the van, "Balthazar Romano knows where Carmine is. So if I can get to him at the club then I can ask him myself. Boys, we are going clubbing tonight!"
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