The Devil To Pay (Hennessey.) (121 page)

He dived to the ground just short of the door; he had known instantly what it was that had been in the man’s hand. C.S. gas. His eyes immediately began to sting like crazy and his skin burned. He got to his feet coughing and retching and staggered blindly towards the bathroom door desperate to get water onto his burning eyes and face.

But the moment he was up he was down again pushed from behind by hands that twisted his arms painfully up his back; he heard the click of the handcuffs as they were fastened tightly to his wrists. He opened his eyes but the pain was so great he closed them again. He was hauled roughly to his feet and thrust towards the bedroom door, the guy pushed him hard in the back and he landed on the living room floor sending pain through his shoulders. He coughed and retched and tried again to open his eyes but it was agony, it felt like someone was pressing red hot pokers against his skin and pushing tiny burning pins into his eyes.

He was yanked to his feet again and pushed further into the room where he sensed rather than saw a man standing before him an instant before the blow caught him on the jaw, he staggered but didn’t fall. The agony in his jaw and cheekbone momentarily took his mind from the pain in his eyes. Through the mist he saw the hand come up again and braced himself for another blow but it never came, instead he heard a man’s voice, ‘leave him, Guildy, we need him to talk, and a man don’t talk too well with a broken jaw.’

Another voice said, ‘spoil sport.’

Lando shook his head to clear it and the first guy said, ‘get some water on his eyes.’

The one called Guildy said, ‘why, he killed Tully and Woodson and laid out Benson.’

The first man chuckled, ‘yeah, he’s quite something this cop cum wife killer; you gotta admire him, so the least we can do is flush his eyes out afore he goes blind. And anyway, I want him to see what’s coming to him if he don’t cooperate.’

It was Guildy's turn to chuckle as he yanked Lando’s arm and dragged him across to the  kitchen. He turned on the faucet and grabbing Lando by the back of his neck stuck his face under the water. The water stung painfully against his burning skin but after the initial shock it began to feel really good. He could have stayed under the faucet all day but Guildy of course had other ideas, he yanked him from under the water by his hair and still holding onto it dragged him back into the living room.

Lando blinked to clear the water from his eyes and realised that although there was still a misty film over them he could now make out the two men. One was very tall the other short, the tall one was bald and built like a linebacker. The short one had long hair tied into a ponytail and was sort of puny. Lando wanted to laugh, not just at the ponytail but at the incongruity of the pairing. His amusement must have shown in his face because the one called Guildy said, ‘hey, you find something funny about this pal?’

Lando said nothing and the man approached him his fist clenched but the other man said, ‘leave him, Guildy, we need him conscious and lucid.’

Guildy stared at Lando some more then reached into his pocket and took out a pack of cigarettes and a box of matches. As he struck the match Lando noticed he had only three fingers on one hand. Guildy lit the cigarette and blew smoke in Lando’s face, he didn’t flinch and Guildy looked disappointed then angry. The other guy noticed and said, ‘Guildy, go and see to Benson.’

Guildy turned to his partner, ‘quit telling me what to do.’

‘If you weren’t so stupid I wouldn’t have tell you what to do would I, you’d just get it done.’

Guildy took a step towards him saying, ‘who put you in charge?’

His partner never batted an eyelid, ‘you know who put me in charge, Guildy.’

The other man hesitated then smirked before turning to the bedroom door to do as he’d been told but over his shoulder said, ‘you in charge for now but that could change,
Rosie
.’

For the first time the man’s expression changed as he said menacingly, ‘lots of things could change, Guildy old pal.’

Guildy ignored him and went into the bedroom and there was silence until Lando almost jumped when a shot was fired in the bedroom. Lando’s first thought was that he had shot Dante but he hadn’t heard a whine so quickly realised that Guildy had killed Benson. Lando realised how ruthless these two were, he just hoped Dante and the woman stayed put.

The man Guildy had called Rosie walked towards Lando and said, ‘so, Mr. Lando, now that’s sorted out let’s get down to business. Where is she?’

‘Who’s she?’

Rosie smiled, ‘you know, Lando, I like you, I really do, the way you took out three guys, two of them feds is impressive, my boss could use a guy like you.’

‘And who’s your boss?’

‘Oh, I think you know who my boss is.’

‘Glissando.’

Rosie’s face darkened, ‘
Mr
. Glissando to you, show some respect.’

Lando laughed derisively, ‘respect? I save that for people that ain’t scum sucking murderers and slave traders.’

Rosie stared at him as though he was mad to say such a thing about his boss then he lifted his arm and backhanded Lando across the face knocking him over the table.

Lando’s head swam and he saw multicoloured stars as blood spurted from his mouth.

Rosie yanked him upright by his hair and putting his face close to his said, ‘you badmouth Mr. Glissando again and I’ll forget that we need you to talk and cut your fucking tongue out.’

Lando had no doubt that he would do it so thought it best to stay silent. Rosie let go of his hair and he staggered backwards against the table.

Lando wondered what Guildy was doing in the bedroom and prayed he wouldn’t find Dante. He also hoped that the woman couldn’t hear what was being said but he knew she probably could; he just prayed that she remained where she was. Although she might have gone for help when she heard the men's voices, because he knew now who they were, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. He deliberately hadn’t told her to go for help unless it was absolutely necessary because he couldn’t be sure who might be waiting for her in the woods.

He had to give her a clue as to what to do so he spat blood out of his mouth and said, ‘your boss mustn’t have much faith in you since he sent five of you to take down one lone man and a helpless female.’

Rosie laughed, ‘yeah, but you ain’t just any man are you, Mr. Lando. Ex -cop, convicted murderer, we came prepared for anything, good thing too.’

‘I
n that case are you sure five is enough?’ Lando asked.

‘It only took Guildy and me remember. Those three were just back up.’

So there
were
only five of them. Now he hoped the woman could hear and know that it was safe to run for help.

Just then Lando froze as he heard a loud whimper from the bedroom, a few seconds later Guildy appeared in the bedroom doorway dragging a terrified and struggling Dante by the scruff of the neck. Guildy said, ‘look what I found cowering in the shower.’

Lando tried not to tense as Guildy pulled a very reluctant Dante into the living room.

Rosie smiled and said, ‘well hello there, fella, got scared by the loud noises, hey?’ He patted Dante on the head who whined and tried to pull away from Guildy’s hold.

Rosie turned to Lando, ‘what’s his name?’

Lando shrugged, ‘no idea, he ain’t mine, just a stray that comes by sometimes scavenging for food.’ He didn’t want them to know Dante belonged to him; they might threaten to hurt him to get Lando to talk.

Rosie said wryly, ‘stray, huh? Well his timing ain’t the best is it?’

Lando shrugged again.

Rosie said to Guildy, ‘there wasn’t a woman in the shower too by any chance was there?’

Guildy laughed along with his partner, ‘nah.’

‘Too bad, it would have saved Mr. Lando and his dog here a world of pain.’

Lando’s heart did a somersault at this but kept his face impassive as he said, ‘pardon the pun, but you’re barking up the wrong tree, Mister. You’ve said yourself I’m a convicted murderer, convicted of killing a woman too, what woman in her right mind would come to me for help?’

‘That’s a good point,’ Rosie replied, ‘under normal circumstances I’d agree with you, but the woman we after was desperate like, and desperate times call for desperate measures.’

Lando said, ‘I don’t know how many more ways I can say this, I ain’t seen the woman since she left
Alabama.’

Rosie studied Lando very closely then turned to his partner and nodded. Guildy lifted his foot and kicked Dante very hard in the ribs, the dog yelped with pain and fell to the floor as Guildy kicked him again. Lando heard the dog’s ribs crack and despite his attempt to remain nonchalant by the dog’s fate he instinctively leapt forward, but Rosie was ready and caught him by his handcuffed wrists and yanked him back. Lando gritted his teeth as pain shot through his arms. He turned to Guildy and considering his anger said very calmly, ‘I’m gonna kill you for that you short ass, freak fingered, gremlin faced bastard.’

Rosie laughed out loud but Guildy advanced on Lando his fist clenched. Rosie stepped in between them saying, ‘now come on, Guildy old pal, ain’t you got no sense of humour? Sides, you’ll get your revenge soon enough.’

Guildy glared at Lando with hatred then his shoulders relaxed as he smiled at the thought of getting even with him.

Lando looked at Dante who lay whimpering on the floor. Rosie followed his gaze, ‘you could end this right now, Lando, just tell us where she is.’

Lando said nothing. Rosie shook his head as though disappointed. He said, ‘look, Lando, I know you feel you should protect the woman and I admire that, but it won’t do you no good, in the end we’ll find her. Mr. Glissando won’t never stop looking for her, so you might as well save yourself
and
your animals a lot of unnecessary pain and tell us what we know you know right now.’

Lando remained silent so Rosie said, ‘all right, you want to play the tough guy, Lando? So be it.’ He turned and once again nodded to his partner who smiled and walked towards the door taking off his jacket and throwing it over a chair rolling up his shirt sleeves as he did so.

Rosie turned back to Lando and said, ‘Guildy will start with your little animal hospital, he’ll search for the woman. If he don’t find her I’m afraid he might get real mad and start taking it out on them poor injured critters, starting with the littlest and working his way up to the foal then his mama. But he might be a while he likes to take his time with things does Guildenstern. Then when he’s finished with the animals it’ll be my turn with you.’ He smiled malevolently, ‘I prefer the human element. Well, what do you say, Lando? Last chance.’

Lando tried not to show how sick he felt at the man’s words. He knew he was in a hopeless situation but he prayed for one chance, just one small chance, to rip this guy’s face off, as for the other one God help him if he ever got his hands free.

Rosie gave an exaggerated sigh when Lando remained stubbornly silent. He said, ‘as you wish. Guildy, I know you like to take your time but remember we ain’t got all day.’

Guildy smirked and opened the door.

                                                   **********

Adela had remained standing staring at the little door in the ceiling after Lando had slammed it shut but at the sound of the first, what she could only term as explosion, had flung herself to the floor curled up in a foetal position her hands over her ears. She stayed like this throughout the second explosion and the crashing and banging and grunting. She could smell something strange and cloying that made her want to sneeze, she dug her fingernails into her palms to stop herself. That would be the ultimate in farce, after everything she’d endured to be discovered because of a sneeze.

When she heard Rosencrantz and Guildenstern’s voices and knew that they had captured Lando, her head spun and she almost passed out with fear. She tried taking deep breaths which was difficult in the stifling little room. What would they do to him? Would they take him to Glissando if so she would have to go to the sheriff there was no question about that and damn what happened to her afterwards. Or would they do whatever they were going to do to him here, would they torture him? Despite the danger she moaned at the thought of this, then froze and listened intently but all she heard were the men’s voices. This time the men didn’t attempt to lower their voices so she could hear everything.

She heard Rosencrantz ask Lando where she was and Lando’s replies, then the sound of skin on skin and a grunt and knew that Rosencrantz had hit Lando. She almost left her hideout there and then but didn’t, instead waited for an opportunity to maybe help Lando. She heard him ask about the five men being sent to get just two people, and Rosencrantz’s reply.

She knew what Lando had done, he was telling her that it was safe to run for help but she didn’t, she couldn’t, she had to stay and help him, how she could do that she had no idea, but she wouldn’t run and leave him alone. She was racking her brain for an idea, something, anything, to help Lando when she heard the words that made her head shoot up and her throat to constrict, Guildenstern saying, “Look what I found cowering in the shower.” And knew they had found Dante. She knew they would use him to persuade Lando to comply, Dante and all the other animals. She almost screamed as she heard a thud then a heart wrenching howl of pain followed by whimpering and knew that they had hurt Dante. She buried her face in her hands as she wept quietly.