luncheon room for the rich.
In the far corner sat a large banker’s desk and, behind it, a man who appeared from a distance to be at least seventy-five years old.
“Come, sit,” he said, with a flourish of his hand.
Rosina was directed to a solitary chair positioned in front of the big desk. She walked up and stood in front of it. All the men fell back, some took positions near the door and others sat on the plush couches.
“So good to finally meet you,” the old man said. “Please, have a seat.”
“I’ll stand, thank you. But I think you have it wrong here. I’m the one who is happy to finally meet you.”
He cocked his head a little. Someone behind her laughed under his breath. The old man raised his hand and the laughter ceased instantly.
“Why would that be?” he asked, his voice firm.
“You, or at least I’m assuming it’s you, have been terrorizing my husband and making his life a living hell for too long. It has to stop and that’s why I’m here. To make some kind of deal, some kind of arrangement so this petty bullying will come to an end. Then we can all move on.”
This time it was the old man who chuckled.
“Where do you people come from?” he asked.
“I’m sorry?”
He stood up, reached for a cane beside the desk and limped around it. He stepped closer to her, studying her face. He bent a little to the left, then the right, and gawked at her as if he was attempting to figure something out.
“Do I have something on my face?” Rosina asked.
He stood to his full height, which was still an inch shorter than Rosina’s five-nine, and shook his head.
“Not yet.” He lifted his cane, put it in both hands, like he was about to bunt a ball with a baseball bat, and shoved forward with the strength of a boxer in the ring. The cane smacked into her chest so hard, she had no time to recover. Her balance lost, she fell backwards, into the chair.
“I told you to sit down when you first entered my office. The next time you disobey me, the consequences will prove to be more severe.”
The old man turned away and walked away on both legs, without a limp, and without the use of the cane.
Rosina sat there, breathing rapidly as her heart rate shot up.
Concentrate, breathe, no fear. Concentrate, breathe, no fear.
“You and I have a unique problem,” he said. “You, personally, have done me no harm.” He reached his desk and sat down again. He picked up what looked like a gold-colored letter opener and started tapping it on the desk. “But I have to do you harm.”
“Why?” It was out before she could stop it. Her voice was weak, frightened and limp.
No, be honest with yourself. That’s fear.
“Because Darwin Athios Kostas does not have any children for me to kill.”
What the fuck?
“I can see by the expression on your face you either don’t understand the gravity of the situation, because you don’t understand what’s happening here, or you think I’m a sick and twisted individual.” He stopped talking and ceased movement of his letter opener. He looked down at it and then, after a moment he looked back up at her. “Or maybe you think I am all of the above. Either way, it doesn’t matter. The world is one big machine, living off the foundation of cause and effect. More specifically, I’m talking about consequences.” He started tapping his letter opener again. “You do something, you have to answer for it. There are consequences and there are debts to be paid.”
“What has that got anything to do with my husband and me? We don’t owe you any money.”
“That’s not the kind of currency that’ll pay this debt. The currency I want is blood.”
“What? You’re insane,” Rosina said.
Blood? Get real. This is crazy. Oh Darwin, where are you?
The old man dropped the letter opener and stood up, placing both hands evenly on either side of his
In the far corner sat a large banker’s desk and, behind it, a man who appeared from a distance to be at least seventy-five years old.
“Come, sit,” he said, with a flourish of his hand.
Rosina was directed to a solitary chair positioned in front of the big desk. She walked up and stood in front of it. All the men fell back, some took positions near the door and others sat on the plush couches.
“So good to finally meet you,” the old man said. “Please, have a seat.”
“I’ll stand, thank you. But I think you have it wrong here. I’m the one who is happy to finally meet you.”
He cocked his head a little. Someone behind her laughed under his breath. The old man raised his hand and the laughter ceased instantly.
“Why would that be?” he asked, his voice firm.
“You, or at least I’m assuming it’s you, have been terrorizing my husband and making his life a living hell for too long. It has to stop and that’s why I’m here. To make some kind of deal, some kind of arrangement so this petty bullying will come to an end. Then we can all move on.”
This time it was the old man who chuckled.
“Where do you people come from?” he asked.
“I’m sorry?”
He stood up, reached for a cane beside the desk and limped around it. He stepped closer to her, studying her face. He bent a little to the left, then the right, and gawked at her as if he was attempting to figure something out.
“Do I have something on my face?” Rosina asked.
He stood to his full height, which was still an inch shorter than Rosina’s five-nine, and shook his head.
“Not yet.” He lifted his cane, put it in both hands, like he was about to bunt a ball with a baseball bat, and shoved forward with the strength of a boxer in the ring. The cane smacked into her chest so hard, she had no time to recover. Her balance lost, she fell backwards, into the chair.
“I told you to sit down when you first entered my office. The next time you disobey me, the consequences will prove to be more severe.”
The old man turned away and walked away on both legs, without a limp, and without the use of the cane.
Rosina sat there, breathing rapidly as her heart rate shot up.
Concentrate, breathe, no fear. Concentrate, breathe, no fear.
“You and I have a unique problem,” he said. “You, personally, have done me no harm.” He reached his desk and sat down again. He picked up what looked like a gold-colored letter opener and started tapping it on the desk. “But I have to do you harm.”
“Why?” It was out before she could stop it. Her voice was weak, frightened and limp.
No, be honest with yourself. That’s fear.
“Because Darwin Athios Kostas does not have any children for me to kill.”
What the fuck?
“I can see by the expression on your face you either don’t understand the gravity of the situation, because you don’t understand what’s happening here, or you think I’m a sick and twisted individual.” He stopped talking and ceased movement of his letter opener. He looked down at it and then, after a moment he looked back up at her. “Or maybe you think I am all of the above. Either way, it doesn’t matter. The world is one big machine, living off the foundation of cause and effect. More specifically, I’m talking about consequences.” He started tapping his letter opener again. “You do something, you have to answer for it. There are consequences and there are debts to be paid.”
“What has that got anything to do with my husband and me? We don’t owe you any money.”
“That’s not the kind of currency that’ll pay this debt. The currency I want is blood.”
“What? You’re insane,” Rosina said.
Blood? Get real. This is crazy. Oh Darwin, where are you?
The old man dropped the letter opener and stood up, placing both hands evenly on either side of his
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