Simple Man

- PROLOGUE -

   Ironically, Jack Dice never enjoyed gambling. He seldom liked the odds. The game was rigged, the house usually won and Dice never took kindly to losing. That's what all this felt like being flanked by two large men he didn't know as he rode up the elevator to the South Beach penthouse he had been summoned to. He had clocked the younger of the two possessed an M16. An impractical choice of weapon in such a confined space but the young man was obviously still rather wet behind the ears and it probably made him feel tougher than he was. Dice smirked to himself. He didn't enjoy gambling but in his line of work there was a lot of that, that's why he always hedged his bets.

He wasn't nervous but he felt exposed. He had been parted with his numerous weapons on the car ride here. He knew he didn't need a weapon to kill people but it surely made the job that much easier. While the men on either side of him looked stoically ahead Dice scanned the man to his left who wore a loud hot pink shirt with cheetah print on it, it was unbuttoned far too low which showcased three obnoxiously large gold chains, "Nice shirt." He commented sardonically.

   The man didn't even so much as look in Dice's direction, just ahead like the good little soldier he was.

"Has anyone ever told you boys what wonderful conversationalists you two are? No? Shocking."

   The elevator finally came to a stop and chimed pleasantly so signalling their arrival to the penthouse floor.

   The mirrored doors that showed Dice and his companions in its' reflection parted and cheetah-print stepped forward to move the Art Deco-style brass gate out of their way.

"Straight ahead." commanded the other gentlemen to his right.

   Dice observed the long elegant hallway before him seeing there were no doors to other rooms, just fresh tropical bouquets sitting atop four highly polished foyer tables, a few large oil paintings hanging along the walls and a pair of large marble wolf statues down at the end. "Is there any other way but ahead?" Dice asked cheekily.

"Now." said cheetah-print, shoving him roughly out of the elevator.

   Dice took a millisecond to laugh under his breath before he whipped around and punched the bastard in the face. Cheetah-print didn't have time to react before Dice grabbed his assault rifle to uppercut him with the butt of it. He cried out in pain as blood gushed out of the man's nose and chin, retro-pulsing back against the elevator wall. Dice had the rifle in his hand now and he pointed it triumphantly at cheetah-print. "Push me again, I dare you sweetheart." He goaded with a wink.

   As Dice suspected he felt the business end of the other guards' Glock 21 on the back of his head, "Drop it or I'll do Jackson Pollack proud with both your fucking brains." Dice said calmly.

"Now is that really necessary sir?" a smooth, collected Cajun accent interjected from down the hall. The sharp, sure footsteps of a well-made dress shoe on marble floor came closer towards the three men until the sound stopped just shy of Dice's nine o'clock. He didn't look over his shoulder to see the mystery man. His eyes were still decidedly fixed on the man he cornered in the elevator who had slid down with his hand up, squatting awkwardly as blood still flowed freely from his nose.

"Besides, Julio," Continued the reasonable, soft-spoken voice to his left, "From what I've read of my guest here he would have no qualms killing you both had I not be not been ready to greet him. Seems odd considering I pay you to two protect me, I don't recall it working the other way around. Lower the weapon. Now."

   The contractor felt the gun drop, "Is this how you treat all your guests?" Dice asked the unknown man behind him as he kept the rifle and his eyes fixed on cheetah-print's who looked murderously back up at him.

"I have forty plus men here and hundreds out on the streets of Miami, many of them cops. Despite your nickname I heard you don't like to gamble. Your work is calculated, methodical. I appreciate it. This is why you were called. But first I suggest you give your weapon to Julio or you can see firsthand how I treat my enemies."

    He had heard of this man from others in his line of work. Dice was sure he could kill him too but at what cost? He had only boasted the manpower he possessed in Miami but Dice knew that was only one of several Isaac Wolfes' strongholds. This wasn't yet to mention his international connections in Ireland, Germany and Saudi Arabia. He lowered the rifle and sharply pivoted to face the mystery man as he laughed, "It's all in good fun-I mean, no hard feelings? Right?" Dice replied as he handed back Julio the weapon like it had all been nothing more than a harmless joke between old friends. Dice might have work on his material a bit though because Julio wasn't laughing.

"Water under the bridge. I had just entered the hall when Hector pushed you, I assure you we're working of his manners. Allow me to apologize on his behalf." Wolfe replied and without breaking his smile nor his eye contact with Dice he addressed Julio, "Get your brother cleaned up and presentable-like, but if he so much as bleeds a drop on my new cream carpet you both are dead men."

Julio pulled Hector up from the floor and they both retreated down the hallway with their tails between their legs. Hector held his bloodied face as though there wasn't anything empty about Wolfe's threat. Wolfe spoke in such a soft, easy manner but Dice couldn't be certain so it was probably smart on the part of both men not to chance it.

"Goodness, where are my manners? I'm Isaac Wolfe, but I'm sure you already surmised that." Wolfe said extending his hand.

"Jack Dice." He replied, glancing at Wolfe's hand but not extending his own.

"Ah, yes. Right." Isaac said to himself, letting his hand drop back to his side, "Germophobe. Read that in your file, curious. I also read you're exceptional at tracking persons in hiding..." Isaac trailed off but looking expectantly into Dice's eyes.

"I am." He stated, no air of boastfulness. He merely confirmed a fact.

Wolfe smiled congenially as he ushered Dice forward towards the penthouse entrance, "For your sake and mine, I truly hope so."