Gunslinger

Three nights later Johnny and Matt rolled up in front of one of the premier Miami nightspots and checked that they had semi automatics loaded. The promised funds had materialised and they had tracked Jimmy down to his latest business venture which both had to admit looked pretty impressive.
“Beer and titties.”
Matt smirked, Johnny sounded more than satisfied that their brother in arms had chosen to open a strip joint and it was sort of fitting. Why not enjoy the money you made when the risks to get it were ridiculous. They looked back at the long line of patrons snaking around the side of the building that almost seemed to move with the beat of metal music coming from inside. The two bouncers took one look and let the two men inside without searching them, the boss had been very insistent about that.
“How long do you think this one will last Matt ?”
“Until he’s screwed all the women and pissed off all the local dealers.”
Johnny shook his head ruefully as both of them pushed their way towards the bar. People reacted to stress in different ways and Jimmy’s was women and hard drugs. Whether they would need to sober him up to even talk about the plan to go abroad was a fairly important question. Johnny was arranging to ship a good stash of weapons to a hanger near home so he was hoping that Jimmy knew where Ana was. He had a plane but they needed a pilot. Johnny finally reached the polished surface and nodded at the barman.
“Whiskey straight up and we need to speak to Jimmy.”
There was something about the shorter man that didn’t broach argument so the young barman served up and then pointed towards the stairs that led up to the private suites. Matt was all for hanging around, a selection of beautiful women were stripping for the crowd and he wondered if there was a chance of a closer look. Johnny too paused, taking in the entertainment before shrugging towards the stairs with a muttered comment about work and not pleasure. Matt chuckled, noticing that some of the staff were watching them with curiosity as they headed up the stairs and towards a black door marked up as Mr Sullivan’s office.
Johnny opened it without knocking, a smile crossing his face at seeing Jimmy with his feet up on the desk, shirtless but wearing his favourite tie and telling a wild story with three naked women smiling up at him adoringly from the floor. He grinned when he saw his friends, brandishing a large cigar in one hand and a glass of scotch in the other.
“Then that fucking gnome there decided to detonate the explosives and that’s why I have that scar there…”
“As I remember it Jimbo, you were the one with the detonator, I happened to bump into you.”
Matt smiled, seeing Jimmy mouth not true at the girls before ushering them towards the door and hugging his friends. The girls liked the look of all three men, Jimmy towering over even Matt although without the ripped muscle. Not that there was an ounce of fat on any of them and to Johnny’s surprise his buddy was sober and in good shape. Wicked blue eyes sparkled as he planted a kiss on Johnny’s cheek. He had also noticed Matt’s interest in a certain stunning redhead and smirked.
“I’ll save that one for you Shads.”
“Most kind. Is that before or after this suicide mission ?”
Johnny locked the door as Jimmy produced a bottle and some glasses, listening intently as they laid out the deal with Colonel Hicks and the plan to free Syn and Zacky. Jimmy was the ordinance expert, procurer of fine weapons and explosives expert. He was well aware that any plan to rescue the boys would probably employ his skills.
“You know where they are ?”
“Lubyanka.”
Jimmy’s face said it all and Johnny knew that Matt agreed. He was pinning his hopes on faking a transfer and taking out a prison van on route. That would require getting someone into the building but not breaking out of it. Hard but not as hard as blowing a hole in the damn place and causing everyone to look their way. Jimmy puffed on the cigar some more before looking back up.
“We need more than some vague idea of where this supposed loot is.”
Matt passed him a list of locations and the history of the various convoys he had managed to find, both he and Johnny had agreed that it was like looking for a needle in a haystack of needles without specialist help. They would have to cross that bridge once they had a full team on board and now Johnny knew he had to broach the sensitive subject of their pilot.
“Do you know where Ana is ?”
“Yeah and I think you’re fucking insane.”
Matt smirked and refilled their glasses, glad that Jimmy had made the same assessment as he had. The old crew had been unbeatable but that was before things went bad between Syn and Ana and before the whole fiasco of the last mission in Russia. It would be better to find themselves a new pilot and take the risk. Johnny smiled too but looked like his mind was made up, addressing both men on his reasons as the music died away a little downstairs.
“Ana speaks Russian for one, two she’s the only pilot we know that would even take the fucking job and three, those two need to get the fuck over it. I won’t pass up a massive fucking payday because they choose to snipe at each other. Now where is she ?”
Jimmy sighed, the boss obviously had his mind made up despite the liability that they were adding into another risky venture.
“Down here, running guns and drugs out of South America. She’s not exactly stable.”
“She never was. She fucking married Gates for a start.”

Jimmy roared with laughter at Matt’s deadpan remark and stood up, unlocked the door with a gesture for the other two to follow him as they went back into the light, heat and noise of the strip club. The place was now full to capacity and the beat of the music had changed to something driving and full of sexual tension. They walked up to the end of another corridor and up another flight of stairs.
“You know she’ll tell you to fuck off.”
Johnny nodded, he was well aware of how the conversation would go but two pieces of information where in his favour and he wasn’t going to spring those on his friends until they were forced to hear it. The pistol felt good against his groin as he fought to forget certain other memories that came to the fore when it came to Ana.
“Yeah but I also know that she won’t want Syn to find out where his money went.”
Jimmy opened the door at the farthest end and flicked on a light switch. The room itself was fairly plush, a large double bed dominating it along with comfortable sofas, a low table and a door leading to a large en-suite. Matt noted the mirror on the table still flecked with white powder and a razor blade. A familiar old flying jacket was slung across it and all he could do was smile as Johnny grabbed a tall man with blonde hair from the bed and flung him half naked back into the hallway, ignoring the protests as he bolted the door and stalked back over to the bed.
The female occupant still slept, her face hidden under a mop of short dark hair and she wore nothing but a vest top and panties, all of them pausing to enjoy the view before Matt shook her roughly. There was no response other than a slight moan and so he grinned back at the other two.
“Shall I ?”
Johnny nodded, the devilish grin somehow matched Jimmy’s as Matt picked the girl up from the bed and marched into the bathroom. He dropped her and turned on the shower before turning and leaving. Jimmy counted down in his head as Johnny calmly waited for the screaming to start. It erupted along with a mixture of English and Russian swearwords that would have made a sailor blush before the woman appeared in the doorway, swaying a little and clearly extremely pissed off. Johnny painted a smile on his face.
“Anastasia, looking adorable as always.”
Ana blinked water from her eyes and fought down the coke buzz in her head so she could focus on the three men, recognition and then anger floating across her face before she leant against the frame and fixed Johnny with a scowl.
“Jonathan. Matthew. Might have known you two would fucking show up. Whatever it is, no.”
“We have a job. A cool ten million is coming your way if you come with us.”
Ana rolled her eyes and reached back behind the door to find a towel. There was no way in hell she would ever work with these guys again, not after they had left her to fend for herself in a mob run brothel and then tried to force her to testify when she had made sure that her beloved husband and his lover paid for it. Whatever the payday, whatever favour Johnny might think their past bought him, there was no fucking way.
“No.”
“It’s in Russia. Stolen gold, you just fly us in and out and help with some interpretation. That’s it. Oh and we are going to bust Syn and Zacky out.”
Now she did laugh, slapping Jimmy as she passed for selling her out and looking for the clothes that she was sure had been involved before whatever his name was had charmed her out of them. Matt watched her totter and glanced at Jimmy, he hadn’t mentioned that the girl was clearly teetering on the edge of addict.
“No. I like BRIAN where he is.”
“I know except ten mill will pay off those dealers you owe in South America and will prevent him from finding out that you snorted most of his money. Syn was near giving this whole thing up and if he finds out its all gone….”
Ana stopped, Johnny had clearly been doing his homework. It was true that she had emptied the joint bank account but that had seemed fair given that she had only got out of St Petersburg by being a better pilot than whore. Now it seemed that these men were intent on springing the other two and if that happened then the wrath of some fat Columbians was nothing compared to Syn’s temper.
“He’ll kill me on sight and if he doesn’t Zack will.”
Johnny grinned and pulled Ana around, she looked tired and would need some considerable detox before he was able to put her in a cockpit but Johnny liked a challenge and could tell that now even Matt and Jimmy were ready to throw down and put all their efforts into breaking out his oldest friends.
“So let’s hope ten million persuades them otherwise.”

Notes