Chapter 5: Meeting Antonio
1072 Words
TYSON
I take back my weapons to my armoury underground my shop.
I had the shop designed myself and no one else knows about the armoury except me.
It has all sorts of weapons from guns, sniper rifles, a battle axe, swords, knives, lashes, and ammunition.
I used most of the proceeds from past contracts to stock on the weapons I possess and every time I am down here I feel peaceful within, knowing that I didn't waste my money.
I place the weapons each in to its own place then I exit, heading back to the shop.
I go straight to my office and draft all the events I have witnessed.
A lot of questions need answers very quickly, like the people who followed Antonio all the way to the rendezvous. What were their intentions? Who were they?
What guarantee do I have that the same people won't trail him again tomorrow? What can I do to stop them because I don't want them to see me?
I just can't risk my cover being blown!
I can't get the answers so I close the shop and go home, it's already dark and I sleep very early these days.
At home I make some quick supper, take a warm shower and go to sleep.
Tomorrow is a day of intense activity and inquiry.
***
Wednesday morning I call Antonio and inform him about where to meet and indicate to him that time must be kept to the latter.
If he is late again I will decline to meet him again. That, I emphasise.
At exactly twenty minutes to time I am at the venue, and I can see his car through my binoculars. He can't see me since I'm deep in the forest. He is now serious. This, I can tell since he arrived in time.
Further surveillance shows another car parked a hundred meters away from him and a man in binoculars looking around.
Antonio was followed again! It's either this man ain't a professional or he's dumb! Which professional assassin let's himself be followed without even noticing?
I wait for our agreed time to come then I call him. I tell him to get out of the car and crawl into the forest.
The man in binoculars doesn't see him as he goes deeper into the forest.
Still on phone I instruct him to get up and run towards me.
On my binoculars I see him approaching but he still can't see me. He only sees me when he gets very close.
I order him to stop. I'm now sure the man who is trailing him has lost him.
“Mr Antonio, I presume?"
I ask.
“Nice to meet you Tyson,” he replies.
“We need to take a walk,” I suggest, leading him deeper where I have hidden my car.
He understands perfectly that I'm in control so he asks no questions as we get into the car and I ease out of the hideout.
We join the road and drive for about two kilometers where I park at the edge of the forest.
Further ahead, I can see where the forest ends and a small town further down the road. Just the perfect place for a picnic.
“Mr Antonio, you can start talking.” I tell him, reclining on my seat.
He clears his throat then goes on explaining about his boss's frustrations after losing out to a new competitor, how diplomacy has failed and the decision by his boss to eliminate the said competition.
He goes on to say how he got my number.
“The rest as they say is history.” He concludes.
I don't want to ask him about his boss, I'll find out for myself. So I ask about the competitor.
“He is a very security conscious man. He has hired experts to guard him." On that I agree. Those trailing him must be from the competitor.
But being guarded by experts has never stopped me.
However, I'm retired and I am not taking this job. I explain to him that I'm now out of the game and as a show of good faith I give him contacts for two guys in the game.
He insists that he wants only me because he was given a good picture of what I'm capable of.
Not interested in a lot of talk, I ask for time to think about it.
Our meeting is over and I drive the car back to where I picked him.
I walk him back to his car and I can still see the other car deep in the forest.
With my electronic sweeper I can tell that Antonio's car has many electronic listening devices but I choose not to tell him.
I'll be careful when I call him.
I get back to the forest and he drives off.
I have his car registration so it will be easy tracking him down.
I witness as the other car eases from it's hiding place and follows him. Carelessness will kill this Antonio guy soon.
***
A few hours later, I'm armed with all the information I need.
The car is registered under one Tiger Carter.
A contact at the motor vehicle registry helped me out.
Immediately I hear the name I know what I'm into.
The Mafia.
Tiger Carter is not his real name. I know a lot about him and his game of never taking no far an answer.
If I decline his offer I may end up exposed for who I was before my reformation.
That's something I don't want to happen. Taking out someone is as easy as ABCD to me. It doesn't matter how needed up his security is. I'll just take the said guy out and when I'm done with him, I'll change my contacts and continue living a clean life!
Also, the mafia pay good money for services rendered.
I ponder my next move while in my house, taking a cold beer and decide to take the job.
After all, it's only this one job then I get done with dirty jobs!
The new guy can start counting himself among the dead. If he has me on his tail then he is dead.
I call Antonio and inform him that I'm on if the funds are availed. I need a down p*****t so as to make the work easier!
I can hear him celebrating in a noisy place, probably a bar.
- Writer
