Ensemble [Book 1: SEKTOR V Trilogy]

Chapter 14: The New Unholy Alliance?

Chapter 14: The New Unholy Alliance?

Gus personally searched every inch of room 333. He had instructed his CSI team to do the same on the entry door. They missed something yesterday, but what exactly? Perhaps there was some Underground hidden surveillance. Maybe that could shed some light on what went down. Gus regretted not putting surveillance video on Dial. It may not have helped but it also couldn't have hurt. Still, worrying about that now was pointless.

He was on his knees studying the bullet hole on the far wall when Joliet entered with the two Russians and a third person whom Gus assumed was Jack Cranston.

Gus stood up, pulled off his latex gloves, and put out his hand, "Gus Lebanchek. Jack Cranston, I presume?"

Cranston ignored his attempt. "I'm a busy man, Mr. Lebanchek. Please state your business so we can get on with this."

Who the hell does this guy think he is? So used to always getting his way. Well, not today, buddy. "Cuff him, Rick, and them too. Make them sit here where they were killed." Gus walked out of the room and halfway down the hall.

A couple of minutes later, he returned and walked around the men sitting at the blood-splattered desk/table, locked to each other with matching "bracelets".

"I would offer you something to drink, maybe some coffee, perhaps a donut, but I really don't give a shit. Plus, as you say, you're all very busy and in a bit of a hurry. Given all that, let's keep this short and sweet." Gus halted and crossed his arms. "Two of your men were killed here right in this room 32 hours ago. We know they were your men from DNA forensics and criminal records we uncovered. What we don't know is why the first man was killed, which of course set off the whole unseemly and completely unnecessary exchange that ensued."

"Sure," snorted Cranston.

"Excuse me? Please speak up."

"How can you not know why Fiore was killed when your people killed them?"

"This Fiore you speak of, I assume, was the one with the Tree tattoo on his hand?" Gus looked over at Joliet who nodded in the affirmative. "Well, Mr. Cranston, that's where you would be mistaken. We, the Ministry that is, did not initiate the gunfire exchange that ended in the demise of Mr. Fiore. That act of aggression was initiated by your so-called allies from the Underground."

Jack Cranston shook his head and looked down at his cuffed wrist, purposefully ignoring the bloodstains on the table in front of him.

"I expect the disbelief, really, I do. Why should you trust me? After all, the Ministry, being 'above board', busts 'below-board' people like you all the time," he added with air quotes. "Nevertheless, when you look at the facts, it's quite clear that the Ministry was incapable of pulling off such a precise execution. One bullet to the forehead shot through a closed door by a ghost..."

After a moment, Cranston took the bait and looked up at him. "What are you talking about, 'a ghost'?"

"A ghost," Gus said, "you know, someone who's invisible. It had to be, because we had several of our men in that hallway, not far from the entryway, waiting to come in if any of your people showed aggression towards Stanley Dial. But we both know that's not what happened."

"No, obviously not," quipped Cranston, apparently still unconvinced.

Sensing his skepticism, Gus added, "So, then how did it happen?"

"Stop with the games, Lebanchek. Why don't you tell me how your men killed Fiore? Unless you're very stupid, I'm sure you had surveillance on Dial. Doing that would allow you to set up a shooter with the angle needed. You wouldn't necessarily need a visual since you could triangulate the shot. We both know this, so just cut the bullshit."

Gus Lebanchek stood still for several seconds. "Jesus," he mumbled, "triangulate...that's it." He rushed out the door, spun around as he surveyed the angles from the hallway. Seconds later, he ran back into the room.

"Rick, un-cuff them and give me one of those chairs."

Joliet did as he was asked. With a chair in hand, Gus returned to the hallway outside room 333. Curious as to what he was doing, Joliet and the three mobsters followed him. Gus closed the door behind them, placed the chair against the hallway wall facing the doorway of room 333, and eyeballed an angle that would enable a bullet to go through the door and hit someone standing behind the desk, just as Fiore had been doing prior to his unfortunate demise. Perplexed, the rest of the men watched Gus as he stood on the chair and examined the wall for well over a minute.

"Sir," Joliet said, "what exactly are you doing?"

Gus pressed his hand against the wall and slid it around, feeling the surface. Still finding nothing, he looked over his shoulder at the door and adjusted his search by about a foot to the left. As he did that, he felt it and smiled as widely as a Cheshire Cat as he looked down at the men.

"What?" asked an impatient Cranston.

Still grinning, Gus pointed with his head and eyes at his hand, as they all moved closer to look.

"Watch my hand." He pushed half of his left pinkie finger directly into the wall. It reappeared as he pulled it out, then disappeared again into the invisible hole in the wall. He did this five times before Joliet blurted, "Hologram!"

"Bingo!" said Gus. "Local power generation and shielded. Something like this, if you weren't looking for it, could remain hidden indefinitely. Years, in fact."

Jack Cranston's disinterested annoyance quickly escalated to vitriol as he felt the veins on his neck beginning to stand out. He distinctly remembered Wilheim talking to him after the shooting and conveniently mentioning, more than once, "triangulation" and "video surveillance" as to how the Ministry likely had pulled this off.

Fucking bastards. If they want a war, I'll give them one they won't ever forget. And that goddamn blue pill bullshit she added on for "good measure". He snorted. How sweet it would be to use it to end her miserable life.

"Still too busy to talk, Mr. Cranston?" The Ministry man on the chair lifted an eyebrow at Jack.

Suddenly, something behind Jack drew Lebanchek's attention. Jack looked over his shoulder to find Joliet becoming visibly distraught as he texted on his phone. Jack narrowed his eyes and turned back to Lebenchek whose smile quickly faded.

"What's up, Rick?" asked Lebanchek.

"Dial... He's gone."