The Scorpion's Tale (34 page)

“Charming,” Nick grumbled. “Okay, I’ll call
you. But can I trust you?”

Steven laughed. “Can you afford not to?”

Nick didn’t appreciate the tone of Steven’s
voice. “You and I will get this guy.”

“Move fast. Don’t bring any attention to
yourselves.” Steven hung up before Nick could get in another word.
It really didn’t matter whether or not Nick made it to Quito. If
Nick came, fine, if not, Steven knew what he had to do. The only
thing Steven was sure of was that Nick was beginning to unravel,
which was gratifying.

Nick booked two first-class tickets on the
next available flight to Quito, using assumed names from phony
passports. He would inform Giovanna about the new plans on the ride
to the airport. He also booked and paid for two seats, using their
real names, on the flight to New York with his men. For the first
time, Nick was scared. He had never had a contract on his life and
the Scorpion was after him. He thought about Steven’s warning about
returning home. It made sense. If the Scorpion was on his trail, it
was too risky to go home. Nick knew he had to go to Quito. Besides,
Steven was another loose end that needed to be taken care of.

-------------------

The Scorpion entered the lobby of the
Copacabana Palace Hotel and approached the bar. He ordered a
seltzer with lime and selected a leather chair in the middle of the
lobby. He had the perfect vantage point to view the front and rear
entrances of the hotel. He had paid four cabbies one hundred
dollars each to wait for him on each side of the hotel, with the
promise of another five hundred for transport to the airport. All
he had to do was patiently await the arrival of the Manzione
party.

-------------------

Nick finished packing and was beginning to
pace. He had smoked two cigarettes and still hadn’t heard from his
men. He was getting agitated watching Giovanna take her time.
Suddenly the telephone rang and Nick sprang toward it.

“Hello?” he said anxiously.

“We’re back in the room and we’ll be packed
in ten minutes. What’s the plan?” Pete asked.

“I’ve booked reservations for all of us on a
flight to New York tonight, but Giovanna and I are taking a detour
to Quito.”

“What the hell are you gonna to do in
Quito?”

“I’ve got a big problem in Quito.”

“Then I’m going with you.”

“No. You guys go back to New York, and I’ll
be two days behind you.”

“Alberto expects you back in New York. He’s
not gonna like this.”

“I know. I don’t have time to explain.
There’s a price on my head and the assassin is here in Rio.”

“You think that’s who did Renaldo and his
men?”

“Nothing else makes sense.”

“Who the hell would put out a contract on
you? Renaldo’s dead and you gotta figure Giorgio is dead. Who else
would want you dead?”

“I don’t know. I’m assuming the assassin is
in the hotel waiting for me. We need to create a diversion that
will buy me some time. Be ready to move in ten. Call me when you’re
ready.”

Nick hung up the phone and checked on
Giovanna.

“How are you doing, honey? Are you almost
ready?”

“I’ll be ready in ten minutes.”

“Make it fast, baby. We’ve gotta fly.”

Nick sat down on the couch and dialed the
concierge. He’d thought of a plan that just might work.

“Cherise, please.”

“This is Cherise,” said a female voice.

“This is Nick Manzione. I have a huge favor
to ask you. I’ll need a small amount of your time and it will
require you to leave the hotel for an hour.”

Cherise hesitated. “I would be very happy to
assist you, Mr. Manzione, but my supervisor isn’t here and I need
permission to leave.”

“It’s urgent and I’m in a huge rush. I’ll pay
you two thousand dollars for one hour of your time. I also need
your friend Roscoe, the bellboy. I’ll pay Roscoe the same amount
I’m paying you.”

“What can I do for you Mr. Manzione?”

“Be in my suite in five minutes.”

“I’ll be there as soon as I find Roscoe, Mr.
Manzione.”

-------------------

The Scorpion watched with interest as two
bellhops emerged from the elevators, each pushing a luggage cart.
Moments later a man in a suit exited another elevator, followed
closely by a well-dressed man wearing sunglasses and a tilted hat
that partially blocked his face. He was walking arm-in-arm with an
elegantly dressed woman, also wearing sunglasses and a fashionable
hat obscuring her face. Her long, auburn hair spilled out the back
of the hat. They were both flanked by two bodyguards who were
scanning the lobby. He watched as they walked out the main entrance
into a waiting limousine. The Scorpion waited a few minutes before
leaving by the rear entrance and getting into one of his waiting
cabs. A few minutes later, the limousine carrying the party of five
departed, with the cab following from a discreet distance. The
Scorpion was convinced that Nick Manzione and his bodyguards were
returning to New York, as he had anticipated. He wasn’t worried
about losing the limousine in traffic as he tracked Giovanna’s
purse with a hand-held GPS system.

-------------------

Ten minutes later the hotel elevator opened
and a modestly dressed couple emerged. Both were shouldering light
overnight bags. Giovanna wore a scarf on her head with her long
hair tucked underneath; Nick wore sunglasses. Nick scanned the
lobby and directed Giovanna to the side exit of the hotel where a
cab was waiting for them. Nick was relieved, even though he was now
involved in a cat and mouse game with the world’s deadliest
assassin.

Nick could not sit still in the cab. He kept
fidgeting and glancing out each of the windows, on the lookout for
any cars following them. He was making Giovanna nervous.

“Nick, what’s going on? Please talk to me.
Why the decoys and why aren’t we riding with Pete and Louie?”

Nick reached into his coat pocket and
withdrew two passports. He handed them to Giovanna.

“These are our new passports.”

Giovanna looked puzzled. “I have my
passport.”

“No, you don’t. It’s been given to someone
else so we can escape.”

Giovanna opened the passports to find their
photographs and new identities. “Who are Angela Fratore and Jimmy
Peters?” she asked.

“They are the names we will be using during
our little detour.”

“Where are we going?”

“Quito. The boys are returning to New
York.”

“What’s happening?”

Nick held her hand. “The man that killed your
family is after us.”

Giovanna looked confused. “I don’t
understand. I thought you took care of everything.”

Nick gripped her hand more tightly. “I took
care of the people who put out the contract, not the man who
executed it. This man is a professional hit-man who goes by the
name of the Scorpion. I just learned that he has a contract on both
of us and he is here.”

Her bronze face turned pale as the gravity of
the situation sank in. “Why would he want to kill us? I don’t
understand.”

“Neither do I,” Nick said.

“Why are we going to Ecuador?”

“Because we’re meeting my friend Steven.
Together we’re going to find the Scorpion before he finds us.”

“Who’s Steven?”

“He’s my friend who is hunting for the
Scorpion. The Scorpion killed his wife and daughter. I told you
about him, don’t you remember?”

Giovanna nodded as the pieces began to fit.
“Why did you have the concierge and the bellboy dress in our
clothes and leave with Louie and Pete?”

“I had a hunch the Scorpion might be waiting
for us in the hotel. I wanted him to believe that we were all
returning to New York. At best, I bought us some time.”

“And at worst?”

“I don’t want to think about it. I’m counting
on the fact that our diversion created some space between us and
the Scorpion.”

Giovanna sunk back into the car seat,
dejected.

Nick stroked her hand reassuringly. “If
you’re not up for this, I’ll send you back to New York. The
Scorpion wants me more than you. You’ll be safe with Alberto.”

Giovanna frowned. “No. I’m going with
you.”

“You’re a brave girl, Gia. All we need to do
is clear security. Once we get on the plane, we’ll both feel
better.”

She rested her head on Nick’s shoulder.
“Remember, it’s Angela, not Gia.”

Still in disguise, Roscoe and Cherise walked
to the ticket counter, checked their luggage, and got their
boarding passes while Braulio stood guard. Pete huddled with
Cherise and Roscoe and discussed their next move.

“We’re going to need you for just a little
longer.”

Cherise protested. “We really must get back
to the hotel. I don’t want either of us losing our jobs.”

Pete nodded and smiled sympathetically.
“There’s an extra thousand dollars for each of you for another
fifteen minutes. Walk through security with us, then you can
leave.”

Cherise looked at Roscoe, who nodded. “I’ll
take my chances Cherise.”

“Great. Let’s move,” Pete said.

The group entered security as the Scorpion
watched from a comfortable vantage point. Then he joined the line
several passengers behind his quarry.

Louie and Pete replaced their shoes and
finished gathering their personal belongings from the trays and
joined Braulio, Cherise, and Roscoe, who were already through
security.

Louie smiled at them. “Thank you for your
help.” He removed two envelopes and handed one to each. Cherise put
the envelope in the purse Giovanna had given her for her disguise
and Roscoe slipped his envelope into his pocket.

“Aren’t you going to count the money?” Pete
asked.

“No,” Roscoe answered. “If you shorted us,
what are we going to do about it, kick your asses?”

Louie and Pete laughed. “Smart boy,” Louie
said.

Cherise and Roscoe exited the security area
at the moment the Scorpion came strolling past. He looked through
the window and watched the young man and woman remove their
disguises. Nick Manzione’s men proceeded toward their departure
gate and the Scorpion realized he had been outplayed. He coolly
grabbed his cell phone.

“Manzione used body doubles for his
girlfriend and himself. His bodyguards are heading toward the gate,
but Manzione and his woman are not here. Watch the video monitors
for outgoing flights. Find them. I am sure they have booked another
flight. Call Tena. I need to buy some time now. Delay Capresi for a
day. Better still, scare him, too.”

The Scorpion hung up the phone and watched
Nick’s men reach the gate. He was furious for allowing Manzione to
fool him. He had been sloppy and arrogant while Manzione had risen
impressively to the occasion. Nick’s maneuvers made the game more
thrilling, and he was ecstatic that his quarry played an opening
gambit. He was alive with the thrill of the hunt, conjuring up
memories of a life that had vanished years ago in a jungle not far
away.

-------------------

Detective Johnston made the last flight to
Miami, now traveling as a tourist with no gun. He was relying on
two strangers to lead him to Steven. Without their help, he had no
idea what he was doing. It was now dawning on him how insane this
escapade was, fueled by an increasing obsession with both the case
and the man.

-------------------

Joaquin waited for Charlie at the Miami gate
and recognized him immediately. They hugged each other and then
stepped back for a better look, since they hadn’t seen each other
in years.

“Charlie, it’s so wonderful to see you,”
Joaquin said, with a mixture of sadness and happiness.

“It’s good to see you, Joaquin. It’s been too
long. Do you have a plan yet?” Charlie asked, as they walked toward
the exit.

“I’m working it out as we speak,” Joaquin
answered. “What about our police friend from New York. Is he
joining us?”

“He’s taking a later plane, but we can’t wait
for him. He’ll have to catch up.”

“When will he be arriving in Miami?” Joaquin
asked.

“I’m not certain. Let’s check the board.”

They walked over to the screens displaying
the remaining arrivals for the evening, and Charlie put on his
glasses and read the piece of paper with the detective’s flight
information. “He’ll be arriving too late to make our flight to
Quito. He can meet us there.”

Joaquin motioned to the waiting area in front
of the next gate, which was empty. “Let’s sit for a minute and
talk.” Joaquin stretched his legs and groaned softly. “Charlie,
I’ve always respected and liked you, so I’ll get straight to the
point. I don’t want you going to Quito. It’s much too
dangerous.”

Charlie looked confused. “Then why did you
ask me to meet you here? Why didn’t you tell me while I was in New
York?”

“It’s complicated. I had to tell you in
person because the plans have changed substantially since we last
spoke. We’re no longer going to Quito because Steven will be
leaving there. We are going instead to a private island off the
coast of South America.”

Charlie rubbed his eyes, red and irritated
from traveling. “Joaquin, please tell me what’s going on.”

“The Scorpion has arranged a complicated
rendezvous for a particular purpose that I have not been entrusted
with. You can do absolutely nothing to help the boy. He’s in
control of his own destiny, and the outcome is beyond our power to
intervene. The Scorpion knows you’re here with me, and that you
disobeyed him. You would be dead, but I interceded and begged him
to spare your life. He told me that if I persuaded you to return to
Chicago, he would overlook your transgression and leave you in
peace. If you come to the island, you will die.”