Chapter 6 - The Dead Drop
The screen glowed in the darkened room.
Vincent stared at the face of his own flesh and blood.
Dominic.
His little brother had signaled the hitmen.
Lauren had paid them to miss.
Marco was stealing from the family and threatening the staff.
Vincent was trapped in a house full of vipers.
He closed the laptop just as Tessa walked back into the room.
She looked pale and shaken.
"Tessa, are you alright?" Vincent asked.
She nodded slowly.
"Marco has a gun."
"They all have guns," Vincent said darkly.
"He put it to my ribs."
Vincent's hands gripped the armrests of his wheelchair until his knuckles turned white.
"I will kill him."
"Not yet," Tessa said, wiping a tear from her cheek.
"I bought us some time."
"But we need help."
"Real help."
Vincent knew she was right.
He couldn't fight a war from a mattress.
He reached into a hidden compartment under his desk.
He pulled out a heavy gold coin.
"Take this," Vincent commanded.
Tessa took the coin.
"There is an old Italian diner on 18th Street."
"It's called Sal's."
"Go to the back booth."
"A man named Paulie will be there."
"He is the only Capo in this city who owes his life entirely to me."
"Show him the coin."
"Tell him the King is bleeding."
"He will know what to do."
Tessa looked at the coin.
"How do I get past Marco?"
"I will cause a distraction," Vincent promised.
Ten minutes later, Vincent triggered his medical alert alarm.
Sirens blared through the mansion.
Guards rushed up the stairs in a panic.
In the chaos, Tessa slipped out the back service door.
She ran through the rain, finally flagging down a taxi.
She arrived at Sal's Diner thirty minutes later.
The neon sign buzzed ominously in the wet night.
She pushed open the glass door.
The diner was empty except for a cook in the back.
She walked slowly toward the back booth.
A man in a heavy coat was sitting there, slumped forward over a cup of coffee.
"Paulie?" Tessa whispered.
The man didn't move.
Tessa reached out and touched his shoulder.
Paulie slid sideways, revealing a massive pool of blood soaking the vinyl seat.
His throat had been cut.
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Before Tessa could scream, red and blue lights flashed through the diner windows.
Three police cruisers slammed to a halt outside, boxing her in.
