The Collectors

Chapter 13

Two days wait for new weapons and Gregory was becoming a nervous wreck; he'd even lost weight! The suit, however seemed to shrink with him and he shifted uncomfortably in its restraint. It was so tight across the shoulders he felt numb. Now, with their new guns they sat in the car outside the DeWhitt building studying the patterns of pedestrian flow in and out. The weather was turning chilly and none of them had coats and the windows were steaming up. The three Russians sat in their rented car the entire day and at last they saw the remaining employees in the building trickle out to the street, all laughing and chattering as they said their good nights.

"They all seem very happy to be slaves to capitalism," Anton noted.

"It is the privileged class." Nikoli pointed out.

Gregory wrenched his arm around and heard something rip. "What are you two jabbering about? They are workers, nothing more. Besides, it is their Christmas season, happiness is mandatory."

"Why would workers for capitalists be happy?" Anton persisted.

"Because they are slaves to the elite." Nikoli pronounced.

Gregory silenced them with a fierce glare as he fingered the part in his jacket seam.



Holly sat at the kitchen table in Jacob's bungalow and waited for someone to answer the phone she held to her ear. Through the doorway she could see the tiny artificial tree he had erected for Christmas. A few ancient ornaments and a string of old lights hung desolately from the perfect branches. Jacob was busy at the stove frying bacon for sandwiches after reluctantly divulging a little more of his 'other' life. Holly learned with jaw dropping revelation that Jacob had been a decorated member of an elite government military unit that specialized in political hostage rescue. She had never really thought of him as anything but, uncle Jacob, her parent's old friend from their youth.

"Malcom? Where the heck were you, I've been trying to reach you for days?"

"I'm in lockdown at the office. I've temporarily closed the operation and let my people off. My security people have seen the Russians watching the building and I'll bet they've been trying to get onto my floor."

"Why don't you call the police, this is going beyond just a feud between collectors."

"If I call the police then I'm open to all kinds of questions I don't want to answer. You know what it's like, Holly."

"I know what it's like for you. You left me hanging out to dry, Malcom."

"I wouldn't have- I couldn't- what could I do?"

"The right thing, obviously, but then you never really cared much about ways and means did you; it was the end result for you. Always the end result."

"Holly, you don't understand..."

"Oh yeah, I do." They waited each other out and then she spoke again. "I've decided to put it behind me, Malcom. It's no longer my worry. You have what they want and they know it and also where you are."

"I've got three security people with me... well actually none of them are really security, they're just employees." His protest sounded weak and it was. The phone was muffled for a second and he came back sounding disgusted.

"What happened?"

"Oh, Ted resented being called, just and employee. It's very stressful here, Holly."

"Why don't you call your real team back in. Pay them extra, Malcom, it isn't a time to be cheap."

"You're right, I should. I will. I'll talk to you later, Holly."