NANOVISION: What Would You Do With X-ray Vision? (16 page)

“There’s nothing
to forgive,” he answered.

Paige nodded and
got up. “I’m going to take a shower now.”

Daniel sighed as
she slipped away into the other room. He heard the water running through the
pipes in the wall and wished to all hell that he was in that shower with her.
He’d have given anything for that.

Stripping down to
his underwear, Daniel turned off the lights and crawled under the blankets. As
he lay there he watched the fire, popping and crackling. It was a nice sound.
He heard the water shut off and imagined Paige drying herself−oh, that
body. The thought was too much. Looking at the wall separating her room from
his, he watched as her shadowy figure came into view. He really didn’t see
much. His eyes weren’t that good or powerful enough, but he still saw her naked
outline and wished to all hell that he could be with her.

Suddenly the door
to her room opened and Paige appeared standing in the doorway. “You’re watching
me? Aren’t you?” she stated matter-of-factly.

Daniel felt like
a little boy getting caught with his hand in the cookie jar. “No,” he managed
to cough out. “I wouldn’t do that.”

Paige grinned at
him as she walked over to the couch, a large towel wrapped around her body.
Daniel looked up, taking in her wet hair and the bright smile that lit her
face. Under the glow of the firelight he was forced to catch his
breath−she was without a doubt a vision. “Come on, Superman,” she said
with a smug laugh. “It’s too cold to be sleeping out here alone.” She grabbed the
blankets covering him and threw them aside, noting the erection in his
underwear. The look on her face suddenly became mischievous as she took him by
the hand and led him to the bedroom. “Come on, Superman,” she quipped. “Let’s
find out if you have any other super powers.”

Chapter 9

Mickey was
fucking pissed. After spending half the day looking up and down the streets of
Santa Cruz for Daniel, he’d given up. The kid was nowhere to be found. With his
body aching from being hit by the truck and all his walking, Mickey was spent.
There had to be an easier way. Then it dawned on him. He knew where the
piss-ant lived and the kid had to go home sometime. Mickey grinned at the
simplicity of the idea. He’d just go back to Santa Clara and wait for him.

Retrieving his
car, Mickey drove back up the coast to Daniel’s home. On the way he stopped off
at the grocery store and picked up some supplies, then made his way back to Los
Gatos. Driving past Daniel’s home several times, he assured himself the place
was still deserted. He knew it was only a matter of time. Sooner or later
someone would return. He just needed to hide out until then. Sitting alongside
the street with his binoculars, Mickey studied the house. As he waited he got a
call. He glanced at his phone−it was Benny. “Fock,” he muttered under his
breath, no way was he answering. He killed the phone and set it aside, sliding
down into his seat to grab a quick nap.                                                                               

*   *   *   *

           
Judy’s heart was pounding as
her feet slapped the sidewalk on her morning run. The early morning air was
cold, and her breath was chugging like a locomotive heading full steam across
the intersection of Jones and Blue Diamond road. It was ironic she thought, as
she turned west toward the Spring Mountains. There just several miles ahead was
the new Blue Diamond Hotel, a forty story blue-glass high rise dominating the
west end of the Vegas Valley. It was the latest addition to Las Vegas and the
newest legacy built by the one crook she’d never been able to bust−Benny
Marcos. Judy shook her head. The guy was as smooth as oil on glass, with a team
of attorneys always one step ahead of her and her team. It was aggravating to
say the least.

Putting her
frustration aside, Judy focused on her run. It was all she could do for the
moment−
someday
, she thought,
someday I’ll get you
. Her cell
phone rang. “Yeah” she gasped, answering the call in between heavy breaths.
“Salinski, here... yeah, Mimi... what’s up?”

Mimi’s voice
brought Judy’s run to a cold stop. “Judy, I just got a call from Joseph Curry’s
secretary in San Jose. She told me that their office was broken into over the
weekend and that there was a message from Daniel Raye on their answering
machine. The message said that Mickey, ‘the Spoon’ was at his house and that he
tried to kill him.”

“Are you shitting
me?” Judy yelled into the phone. “When did this happen?”

“I don’t know?”
answered Mimi, “Looks like Saturday night. She’s called the police and they’re
investigating the break in as we speak. I also called the Santini residence,
but got nothing−there was no response on the aunt’s cell phone either.”

“Jesus,” swore
Judy, pacing back and forth. “Okay, first things first. We need to find out
what’s going on? Have you contacted the San Jose office?”

“Not yet, I
wanted to let you know what the situation was.”

“Okay... call
them right now and tell them to get some people out to Daniel’s house
immediately and Curry’s office as well. We need to see who’s been compromised
and when. I just hope we’re not too late.”

“Will do,”
responded Mimi..

“And get me on
anything going to San Jose−corporate, private, military whatever,” Judy
instructed. She noted her whereabouts. “I’m about three miles from my home and
it’ll take me about thirty minutes to get back and shower. Have someone ready
to pick me up in an hour and get me to the airport. I’ll call you back then.”

Judy ended the
call with a quick slap to her phone. She then broke into a run, fear forcing
her stride into a gallop.

*    *    *    *

“Where do you get
the energy?” asked Paige, laughing with Daniel under the covers.

Daniel kissed her
and pulled her close. “You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen and those
eyes...”

Paige laughed
again. “You don’t get out much, do you?”

“No, seriously, I
mean it.”

“You’re too
nice,” she replied, giving him another soft, tender kiss.

Daniel wanted to
tell her that she was the first, but he suspected she already knew. The night
between them had been the most wonderful experience of his life and he wasn’t
eager to see it end. Unfortunately though, it was getting light outside and he
had to get back to Santa Clara and his family.

It was nearly
seven by the time the two got out of bed. Daniel hit the shower while Paige
made coffee and breakfast. He joined her in the kitchen.

“I hope you like
eggs, bacon, and toast” she said. “I’m not the greatest of cooks.”

“As long as
they’re not raw,” he quipped.

“Smart-ass,” she
replied, pouring him a cup of coffee.

Sitting across
from Paige, the two began to eat when Daniel took notice of the TV on the
counter and the morning news on the screen. There were several commentators
discussing the opening of a new hotel in Las Vegas, The Blue Diamond. Daniel
heard one of them announce: “And coming up next, after our commercial break,
our own Tori Landis, and her one on one interview with Benny Marcos, direct
from Las Vegas.”

The screen
flipped to a commercial.

Dropping his
fork, Daniel was on his feet, heading for the TV. He jacked up the volume which
blasted out the commercials. Paige watched him curiously.

“What gives?” she
asked. “My breakfast that bad?”

“No, of course
not,” he said, shooting her a quick look. “It’s this guy, the one they’re
talking about. I think he’s the one who ordered my father’s death.”

“You’re shittin’
me?” exclaimed Paige, joining him.

Daniel shook his
head and the two stood alongside one another waiting for the commercials to
end. It seemed to take forever, but shortly the news returned and on the screen
appeared Benny Marcos with Tori Landis. Daniel and Paige watched in silence.
The interview was recorded, having taken place the night before at the Blue
Diamond’s grand opening.

“Good Morning,
Reno. This is Tori Landis, here in fabulous Las Vegas for the grand opening of
the Blue Diamond. And here with me is Benny Marcos, the owner and CEO of Las
Vegas’ new legacy, the Blue Diamond. Mr. Marcos, might I say it’s a pleasure to
meet you.”

“Thank you,
Tori,” Benny responded.

Daniel watched
intently as the camera focused on Benny. The guy was tall, of slender
build−a good looking, lawyer type dressed in an expensive suit. On his
hands were several good-sized diamond rings, including one with a large blue
diamond. The cameraman made sure the audience got a good look.

“So Mr. Marcos,
how does it feel to have staged one of the grandest, grand openings in Las
Vegas history? The fireworks were spectacular!”

“Tori, what can I
say? My people worked very hard to have this opening be the crown jewel of Las
Vegas,” Benny enthused.

“I also
understand you had a record turnout and an unprecedented monetary return for a
Las Vegas opening,” noted Tori.

Benny feigned
ignorance and bypassed the question like a slick politician. “Well we’re still
tabulating the figures,” he said offhandedly, “but I will say this...” He
looked directly into the camera. “I want to thank everyone in Las Vegas who
took the time to attend our gala... without the people of Nevada supporting our
success we wouldn’t be here today. So thank you, Las Vegas!”

On that note, the
TV picture shifted back to the newsroom in Reno and Daniel slammed his fist on
the counter. “What a God-damn douche-bag,” he swore. “I’m going to get that
prick if it’s the last thing I do.”

Paige rubbed
Daniel’s arm. “How?” she asked.

Daniel shook his
head. “I’m not sure. But there’s got to be a way. I’ve got to find some way to
prove that he killed my father. Listen, can I use your cell?” 

“Sure, it’s in my
purse. Who you gonna call?”

“I want to try
and reach Judy Salinski with the FBI in Vegas − and give her a heads up
on things.”

Paige retrieved
her cell only to find it dead. “Jesus,” she swore, showing it to Daniel. “I
keep forgetting to put this thing on the charger. We’ll have to wait until we
get in the car. We can charge it on the way.”

Daniel was
disappointed, but there seemed to be no other option. He and Paige left the
condo about a half an hour later.

*    *    *    *

Mickey sat on the
hillside watching the Santini home from a safe distance. Hidden amongst the
vegetation he studied the house through his binoculars, looking to see what was
going on. Initially, early in the morning, there had been a flurry of activity
with police coming and going and then animal control. They stopped by to
retrieve the dog he’d shot earlier−he saw them take the pooch’s body out
the back and leave. After that, everything grew quiet with only one police car
staying to watch over the place.

About an hour
later another car arrived, unmarked, but official looking. Two suits got out,
one male, one female. They met with the cop who’d been watching the house and
were still talking to him when a third vehicle pulled up, a black and white.
Exiting that car were two women, a young girl and an older woman and the cop
who drove. Mickey was pretty sure it was the two who lived
there−especially when he saw the young one run in, then back out, balling
her head off as the old woman hugged her.
Yeah, kid, your dog’s dead,
snickered
Mickey.
Mutt got what it deserved
.

Mickey waited for
another half hour to see if there was any more movement from the police. There
wasn’t much−except one cop car leaving. That left the unmarked car and
the black and white−two cars and three cops. Mickey didn’t like the odds,
especially since there was no sign of Daniel. The kid was still on the lam.

Mickey felt
backed into a corner. If Benny found out the kid was still alive, it was over
for him, and his death wouldn’t be pleasant. He had to find out where Daniel
was hiding and that meant he had to get into that house. Sighing with
resignation, Mickey decided it was time to get down there and take care of
business. He just needed to get in without being seen, but how? He was
pondering that very question when he spotted a UPS truck making its rounds.
Perfect
,
he thought,
just what I need.

Mickey got his
car and drove down to where he last saw the delivery truck. After a few minutes
of back tracking he found the guy two streets over. He followed the parcel van
and waited for the precise moment when the driver was preoccupied and in an
isolated location. Two deliveries later Mickey had his opportunity. He parked
his car and walked to the truck. When the driver returned from his delivery
Mickey was there waiting with his gun behind his back.

“ey…” Mickey said,
waving his free hand. “Ken yah teel me where Los Gatos Circle is? Aye think aye
may ‘ave taken a wrong turn.”

“Sure,” responded
the driver with a friendly nod. He walked around the van and stepped out into
the street and pointed down the road. It was the last thing he did. Mickey
shoved his gun under his rib cage and fired, point blank, killing the guy
instantly.

The driver
collapsed in Mickey’s arms as he pushed him into the back of the van. As he lay
there, Mickey stripped him of his UPS hat, brown jacket and keys. He then drove
off with the truck, taking it to a secluded location, where he parked alongside
the road. Climbing into the back of the van Mickey rooted around for a large
box−one that could easily hide his face. Finding one, he emptied it out
and put his gun inside. He re-taped the box, then cut a hole in it large enough
for his hand to slide through. He was ready.

Mickey drove to
the Santini residence and pulled the van up the driveway, parking it between
the house and the cop car, effectively blocking anyone inside the house from
seeing what was going to occur. Jumping out the door on the right side of the
van, Mickey came face to face with the cop who was getting out of his vehicle
to check him out.

“...’ey,” said
Mickey, waving a clipboard. “Delivery for the Santini’s.”

“I’ll need to
see...” was all the cop said before Mickey ran him through with his knife. A
quick upper thrust with a nasty twist was all it took and the cop was dead.
Mickey pulled him close and jostled him to the door of the truck, shoving him
inside. He then grabbed the delivery box he’d made, carrying it in front of him
as he approached the front door. He rang the bell.