The Most Dangerous Dame

She slid her tongue over her glossy lips. “Le Chat Noir. Meet me there at ten tonight.” I barely managed not to flinch when she raised her hand to stroke my cheek.

“Make sure not to shave. I like a little stubble on my men.” She gave my cheek a last pat before sauntering away.

Moe’s smile was apologetic. “My cousin is a bit hot-blooded. Focosa, is what my Nonna would say. You’re a lucky man, Mick. Hope you can handle your business.” His chuckle raised the hairs on the back of my neck.

“You’re ok with putting her at risk like this? I’m not shooting bunk when I tell you these people are pros, Flacco.”

“The take is worth the risk.” Moe frowned, and for a moment looked like a weary old man. I saw the toll the ordeal took on him, the burden of appearing fearless and decisive when his house of cards was on the verge of collapse. “If we can flush these rubes out then we can finally get a shot at them. Electra knows what she’s doing.”

“Ok, Flacco. I hope it pays off.”

His expression turned grim when he looked at Nelson. The poor sap’s eyes were glazed as he stared at the ground. Bloody drool glistened from his bottom lip.

“My boys can mop this up, Mick. I don’t think he’s got anything worth more of our time.”

I took a hard look at Nelson. “This is my mess, Flacco. I’ll clean up after myself if you don’t mind.”

“Suit yourself.” He gestured to his boys. “Clear out. Let’s give Mick a moment.”

No-Nose pulled a snub-nose from his jacket and handed it to me. “This heater is clean. You can drop it when you’re through.”

The gleaming wheelers pulled out as the Borgata took a powder. I was alone with Nelson, the unluckiest man alive at the moment. The realization took a moment to dawn on him. He lifted his swollen, discolored face as I cut the duct tape that bound his hands together. His expression was resigned, that of a man ready to take the express train to whatever lies on the other side.

I pulled out my flask. “Drink?”

He nodded, accepting it with trembling, badly damaged fingers. The booze went down fast and hard until he coughed from the burn.

I patted him on the back. “Take it slow, Mack. Don’t wanna waste it, do you?”

The whiskey dribbled down his chin as he took another swallow. “You gonna hurt me some more?”

I pulled out my deck of smokes. “Nope. Don’t wanna add any more injury to the insult.”

“You gonna kill me?” The question sounded hopeful.

“Not my choice to make, Nelson. Smoke?”

He nodded. I placed the gasper between his lips and lit it, then one for myself. We smoked in silence, listening to the West River lap against the docks outside.

I finally flicked my gasper to the darker side of the warehouse. “Funny how these things work. We never met until now, yet here we are. Victims of time and chance. I got a hunch you might want some last words. Time to spill before the lights go out.”

He stared at me without comprehension. “What… whaddya talking about?”

“I know you’re holding on to something, Nelson. But whatever misguided loyalty or fear that’s keeping you clammed up doesn’t amount to anything at this point. You’re at the end of the line. Your people fed you to the lions. So you might as well tip your mitts and toss out that last card.”

“I don’t know what—”

“Where’s Natalie?”

“I told you — I don’t know.”

“But you know something.”

His shoulders sagged. “Yeah. I know something.”

I gestured with the borrowed pistol. “Keep talking.”

“There’s only so many ways to get into this Haven. Natalie was smuggled in with a cargo shipment.”

“What kind of cargo?”

His voice turned bitter. “The illegal kind. Someone paid top dollar and greased enough palms to keep it off the books. I never got a name. But find out who bankrolled the shipment and you’re one step closer to finding those bastards.”

I opened the cylinder on the snub and emptied the slugs in my hand. “I appreciate you confiding in me, Nelson. That’s why I’m giving you a choice. There’s the hard way: I can let you walk. Try your luck on getting the hell outta here. Now I’m sure Flacco left a couple of lugs to watch and see how things turn out. He might like me, but he can’t afford to trust me. You don’t look like you can outrun a dead dog in the shape you’re in, but who knows? Might be your lucky day. ‘Course if they nab you, it’s gonna be a while before you earn your cement shoes, catch my drift?”

He gave a resigned shake of his head. “Leg’s… busted. No chance.”

I placed a single bullet back in the cylinder and snapped it in place. “That brings us to the easy way.” I offered him the heater.

He hesitated, staring up in my face. “How do you know… I won’t just shoot you instead?”

I looked him in the eye. “I’ve been plugged by better than you, Ace. You wanna be a legend, better make sure the shot counts. But I think you can come up with a better use for that thing.”

His face crumpled when he took the pistol. Tears slid down his cheeks. “What does it feel like, Mick?”

“What does what feel like?”

He lifted his head. “To be free of them. Be your own man.”

I hesitated. “Still trying to figure it out.”