Dark Corners - Twelve Tales of Terror (34 page)

Surrounded by twelve-foot high walls and situated on
five acres of lush land, Victor’s home was more of a fortified
compound than a living space. Boasting eight bedrooms and two
swimming pools, it truly was the visual expression of the fruits of
his labour. He employed a full time staff of cooks and cleaners, as
well as a twelve-man security team to patrol and protect the outer
perimeter of the property. As an extra precaution, all the windows
were bulletproof.

Victor’s office was on the upper floor. It was
panelled in oak, and the large, wall length window looked out over a
great water-fountain that dominated the courtyard. The carpet was
Persian and deep red, offset beautifully by the antique furniture.
His desk was large and clean and as he sank into his oversized
leather chair, he nodded to Salvatore to play the DVD. The pair
watched as the fifty-inch television that hung on the wall came to
life.

The screen faded in on a darkened room and a simple
wooden desk. A black suited figure walked slowly into view and sat,
looking directly into the camera. He looked to be anywhere between
sixty and eighty. His white hair was thin and straggled, and his
features were gaunt. His aged skin seemed stretched over his skull,
and although he had obviously tried cosmetic surgery to mask the
signs of age, the folds in his gizzard like neck were still visible.
His slanted eyes were hard and cruel, and they appeared to look
through the screen directly at Victor and Salvatore. He folded his
bony hands on the desk and managed a weak smile. He then began to
speak, his English vaguely tinted with his Cantonese dialect.

“
Mr.
Mallone, I’m sure this message has come as a surprise to you,
and indeed I would not have sent it unless I had something of
importance to convey.”

“
It’s
really him,” said Salvatore excitedly, Victor silencing him
with a wave of his hand.

“
I’ve
grown old, Mr. Mallone—too old for this constant conflict
between our organisations. I grow weary of the bloodshed, and as you
can see, my health will not allow me the strength to persevere.”

Victor couldn’t quite believe that this old man
was his great adversary. He shook his head slowly.

“
I
long to return home, to die in the peace of my homeland, and as I
have no family to pass my business to, I have decided that—should
you desire it—I shall turn control of my territory over to
you.”

Victor and Sal shared a quick glance, then looked back
to the screen.

“
I
know you are probably wondering why I would hand over my life’s
work to you, Victor—and I don’t blame you. The fact is,
despite everything that has transpired between our organisations, I
have great respect for you. I respect your work ethic and I respect
the ruthlessness with which you conduct your business.”

“
Un-fuckin-
believable,” whispered Salvatore under his breath. Victor
watched on intently, a small amused smile on his face.

“
I
have only one condition, Mr. Mallone; should you accept my offer, you
must retain my staff. I may be returning to China, but my men are
not. They are hard-working and have families to feed. You will need
the muscle anyway, as my territory is much larger than your own.”

The old man smiled but his eyes remained focussed and
sharp.

“
If
you find this arrangement agreeable, I would suggest a meeting
between you and myself at a secret location. To dispel any thoughts
of deception on my part, I will allow you to choose the time and
location, but I must stress the importance of keeping this
arrangement confidential. There are certain parties that would be
most interested in knowing we are in the same room together, and
would greatly benefit from one or both of our deaths. Of course, you
are under no obligation to accept this offer. If you do not, there
are most certainly others who would be more than willing to take
up the territory and business interests. If you would like to
proceed, send one of your men to my restaurant with the time and
location of the meeting. Tell him to ask for Lei Ling. She can be
trusted with any information.”

The old man leaned forward. His face now out of the
shadowy half-light, he looked even older and more tired.

“
Let
us put an end to this war, Victor. I have had enough of the bloodshed
and simply wish to retire peacefully. You have three days to respond,
after which I will assume you have declined my offer.”

The screen faded to black and Sal looked to Victor, his
mouth open in shock.

“
Did
that really just happen, Vic? Did the old bastard just…give
up?”

Victor smiled. He wasn’t convinced. Sure, the old
man looked like hell, but he was still together upstairs.

“
Don’t
get too excited, Sal. This could be a trick to draw us out.”

“
I’m
not so sure, Vic. Did you see him? He looked sick. Like really sick.”

“
Sick
or not, it seems too good to be true. That usually means it is.”

“
What
if we use the situation to our advantage?”

“
What
do you mean?”

“
Well,
he said we can choose the place right? So let’s pick a spot
where we can hide a few people, just in case things get outta hand. I
know it’s a risk, Vic, but think of the gains.”

He
nodded. Undisputed control of little Italy
and
Chinatown. It really was too good an opportunity to miss.

“
You
know what, Sal, you’re right. But we need to organize, do it up
proper. The fewer people who know about it, the better. Bring in Joey
and Franco.”

“
What
about Alex?”

“
Nah,
he’s working something else for me.”

“
What
about Marco?”

“
I
thought he was still in the cage?”

“
Paroled
last month. He’s ready for action.”

“
Ok,
sounds good. Make the arrangements.”

Sal nodded. “Any ideas where you wanna set up the
meeting?”

“
We
need a private place that affords us the advantage if things turn to
shit.”

“
What
about the waterfront?”

Victor considered for a moment and then nodded slowly.

“
That’s
not bad, Sal. We can use one of our boats. That way we don’t
have to worry about an ambush.”

“
Are
you legit gonna meet him, Vic? No funny business?”

“
It’s
worth the risk, Sal. The benefits outweigh the risk.”

The Docks were situated just off Broadway. Split into
three distinct sections, it was used for not only commercial import
and export purposes, but also doubled as a naval shipyard. Millions
of dollars’ worth of goods moved through here, going to and
from all corners of the world. The ninety-foot vessel ‘Lady of
the sea’ was tied to the dock and blended in perfectly with the
other boats around it. Its white hull shimmered in the mid afternoon
sun as the waves gently rocked it back and forth in its berth.
Initially used for deep-sea fishing, Victor had purchased the boat
five years earlier to smuggle weapons, drugs, and people on occasion.

The boat had been refurbished inside to Victor’s
specifications. The usual maze of corridors typical of commercial
boat interiors had been almost completely done away with. The lower
decks had been converted into compartments (or cells when they needed
to be used for the purpose) in which various goods were stored. Above
this was the original crew’s quarters, and the upper deck had
been completely opened up and split into three areas. There was
Victor’s private bedroom and bathroom, next to which there was
a large living space, and towards the stern of the boat was a long,
windowless meeting room, which was to be the location of Victor’s
meeting with Wang Li.

Nervous and not wanting to show it, Victor sat and
sipped his double scotch whilst he waited for Wang Li to arrive. His
people had shown up early to inspect the ship, and satisfied with the
arrangements had cleared the meeting to proceed. Three guards from
each family were stationed in the hall of the meeting room to deter
any conflict that might arise. There were more men from each side
stationed on the dock, watching one another carefully. Secretly,
Victor had positioned a sniper on the large crane directly across the
dock in the event that things went south. Although there was no line
of sight into the meeting room, the sniper had instructions to kill
Wang Li as he exited the vessel, should Victor give the signal—which
would be sent via the red panic button under the conference table.

Victor sipped his drink thoughtfully as Salvatore ducked
his head into the room.

“
He’s
here.”

Victor nodded and drained his glass.

“
Show
him in.”

He looked even older in the flesh as he shuffled into
the room. He was walking with a cane and his hand shook with the
effort of supporting himself. Victor suppressed a small smile as Wang
Li was assisted to his seat by one of his aides who then left,
closing the door behind him. Victor looked Wang Li in the eye, and
was met with an equally icy stare that made him uncomfortable. He was
used to people breaking eye contact, too intimidated by Victor’s
reputation. Wang Li folded his hands on the table, and Victor fought
the urge to grimace at how thin and wiry they were.

“
Welcome,
Mr. Li,” Said Victor sincerely.

“
I
am happy that you agreed to this meeting, Mr. Mallone. As you can
see, I am quite unwell and desire a quick end to this matter.”

“
If
what you said in your message is true, then I’m sure we can
come to an arrangement.”

Wang Li smiled at this. Victor couldn’t imagine
him having very many years left. He looked frail, weathered. He
thought this would be an easy negotiation.

“
Mr.
Mallone, you are no fool, and neither am I. I desire an end to this
pointless battle. For many years, we have fought over territory, over
business dealings, and both of us have lost people we care about.”

Victor nodded, although he personally didn’t care
about those he had lost. Sure it was an inconvenience, but there was
always a good turnover of down on their luck, willing to do anything
scum looking to join his organisation. He said nothing and allowed
the old man to continue.

“
I
no longer desire these things, Mr. Mallone. I am too old, too tired.
I’m sure you have noticed my health is poor.”

Victor nodded. Indeed, the old fuck looked like he was
ready to drop dead at any second, but he wouldn’t say that. Not
when it looked like he was about to inherit a huge stake of territory
without lifting a finger. He lived for days like this.

“
Mr.
Li, I don’t believe in extended negotiations or wasting
people’s time, so I will tell you exactly where I stand and we
can make this deal happen. I’m sure you are aware of the
dangers to us both in meeting this way. Now—in regard to the
condition of retaining your staff, I am prepared to accept this. But
my concern is their loyalty.”

Li looked offended, but only for a second.

“
Mr.
Mallone, the loyalty of my men is unquestioned. They will do as I
instruct them.”

“
I
appreciate the sentiment, but how can I be certain that when you have
retired they will remain loyal... and do as
I
tell them?”

Li smiled and sat back in his chair.

“
If
I command it, they will do it. Let me give you an example of their
unquestioned loyalty... Two years ago, I needed a transplant—my
liver was failing me. Of all of my men, only one was suitable; but he
himself was in excellent health, a young man of just twenty-two. He
gave me his life, Mr. Mallone. Without my asking he committed
suicide, demanding that his liver be given to me. That is loyalty
that you cannot buy.”

“
Loyalty
to
you
,
Mr. Li. Not to me.”

Wang Li leaned forward and appeared angry, but then
smiled.

“
Mr.
Mallone, there is no question that they will do as you ask, or they
will answer to me.”

Victor decided to let the point go. The bottom line was,
if they didn’t do things his way, they would disappear never to
be seen again. It was crunch time. Victor wanted to see if the old
man was genuine. It was time to put the cards on the table.

“
Ok,
Mr. Li, I think we have a deal.”

“
Very
good. You will assume full control of my business assets and my
territory upon the transfer of three hundred million U.S. dollars
into my account.”