The Dark Knight

Chapter Twenty Two

"You want to give me the name?" Toni asked as she carried on wrapping. The plastic film had covered Sofia's nose and in another couple of passes, it would have covered her mouth as well. She refused to talk, so Toni finished off the job, tore off the tag end of the roll, and left her sitting there unable to breathe.

I could not watch this, so I turned away. Ric caught my movement and he reached out to pull me into his arms. I relaxed into his warm embrace and hid my face against his chest. If Toni was crazy and hormonal enough to kill Sofia then I did not want to watch.

I could hear Sofia's cuffs rattle as she struggled against the chair, fighting to breathe. There was a faint crinkling sound, followed by the unmistakable sound of someone sucking in a huge lungful of air. I lifted my head away from the safety of Ric's shoulder and peered at Sofia. A hole had been pierced through the saran wrap where it covered her mouth.

"Ain't gonna ask again, lady," Toni drawled. "Got a whole kitchen full of sharp things, and a stove to heat them nice and hot. So tell me who you called on Tuesday and Friday."

Sofia shook her head, "I don't know what you mean."

"You called a guy on a burner in the Trenton area on Tuesday and Friday. You asked him how everything was going, and he replied that everything was going to plan. Both times you asked him where the package was, and he replied that he didn't know, but that it didn't matter because the plan was working. Who is the guy, and what is the package?"

"It wasn't me, I never made those calls. You have to believe me," she pleaded.

Toni laughed, "So someone else used your cell to make those calls?"

"They must have done," Sofia said as her cuffs chinked together. "Someone must be setting me up. Let me go, and I won't say anything to anyone, I promise."

"Not inclined to believe you," Toni shot back. "You know what? I've had enough."

"Please," Sofia whispered.

Toni turned her back on the ATF agent and started rummaging through the kitchen drawers again. "I need a boning knife. Where will I find a boning knife?"

Tank pulled open a drawer and handed her a short, curved knife. His face showed no emotion. Toni showed no emotion either. This was sick. I nestled my face against Ric's shoulder again, and he pressed his lips to my hair.

"I think we'll start with a finger!" Toni exclaimed.

Sofia gasped.

"Now now, Ms Hernandez, don't be difficult," Toni chastised. "Just unclench you fist for me. You can do it yourself, or I can get my glamorous assistant to help. Be a good girl now, or I may just decide to leave him alone with you for a while. He's very creative, and it really turns him on when they scream. He likes it when they struggle too."

"She smells so good," Tank whispered.

"Would you like to play with her?"

"Stop," Sofia sobbed. "Please stop. I'll tell you, I promise."

"Well?" Toni prompted.

"I called my brother."

"Wrong answer, sweetheart," Toni responded. "I've read your file, and you don't have a brother."

"I do!"

"Don't."

"Please, I do, I swear."

Toni sighed, "and I thought we were getting somewhere. I really don't want to start hacking your fingers off, because then the blood will splatter all over my nice, clean kitchen floor, and I really hate mopping. But you're not leaving me with any choice, are you Sofia?"

"I use my middle name and my mother's maiden name," the ATF agent blurted out.

"Okay, Ms. Sofia Hernandez, what's your real name," Toni demanded.

"It's Mariana, Mariana Lopez."

Ric's body tensed when he heard the name, and Tank muttered something under his breath. Toni was silent for quite a while, before she said, "Thanks for the information; you can go night-night again.

---

I'd wanted to know what the hell the name meant, why it had caused Ric to react, but no one wanted to talk with Sofia still in the house. Tank had drugged her again, bundled her back into his truck, and driven her across town to drop her off in her apartment. Ric had gone with him, willingly, I might add. I was under the impression that he and Tank now had a common enemy.

Toni had gone to throw up in the bathroom. I'd asked her if she's really been willing to cut off one of Sofia's fingers. In-between bouts of retching into the toilet, she'd given me a look, and said something about never making threats lightly and always being prepared to carry them out. "Bit pointless, otherwise, Plum," she'd stated.

I didn't want to think about what that meant, about what she may have done, what Tank may have done, or Ric. I was going to think of a happy place, of a warm beach, with a cool breeze, and clear water lapping around my feet as I stood in the soft sand. I was still there, sipping an imaginary margarita when the guys got back.

Tank had gathered up some beers, and a soda for Toni, and we'd all decamped to the lounge. "Who is Mariana Lopez?" I asked.

Ric rubbed his hands over his face. "Manuel Lopez's sister. She was also Raphael Lopez's sister too."

"I don't understand. Who are Manuel and Raphael?"

"They were part of my crew," Ric said. "They went down when Tank sold us out to the cops. Both got a couple of years on weapons charges. Raphael got shanked in prison, bled out. And Manuel..."

"Manuel got out and went straight," Tank added. "Got his GED in prison, and I offered him a job. He's worked for Black Hawk ever since."

"Manuel?" I asked. "I don't think I know... Hang on, Manny?"

Tank nodded.

"Manny is Ric's AFT handler's brother?"

"Yup."

"I didn't know that!" I exclaimed.

Ric shrugged. "I don't think any of us knew that."

"So she's working with her brother, but what are they working on?" Toni mused. "Are they behind the murders on Stark Street?"

"Why?" I asked.

"Because their brother is dead," Tank replied. "Ric cut deals for himself, Lester, and Bobby. The rest of the crew did time. Raphael died in prison, and I know Manny had a pretty shitty time in there. Maybe they feel that Ric should have done more to help the gang, that he should have kept them all out of prison."

"Can you put a tail on Manny?" Ric asked Tank.

"Gonna need to get someone from another office, or use an independent contractor if we don't want him finding out," Tank replied. "Let me have a think."

The side door banged open, and everyone went for their guns. I say everyone, but what I mean is that I just sat there in shock at the sudden noise, whilst the mercenary, the arms dealer, and the spy pulled a gun, or two in Tank's case.

And then they put them away again when Lester and Bobby walked into the room.

Lester took one look at Toni, "Baby?"

She choked back a sob, lurched off the couch and threw herself into his arms. She was sobbing, Lester was sobbing, and I had something in my eye.

"Why? Why did you go? I don't understand. Tell me," he pleaded. "I thought you died. I didn't want to carry on."

Toni pulled away from him and wiped her tears on the back of her hand. "I'm sorry."

"Why, baby?"

She started crying again. "Because I'm pregnant," she wailed.

Lester's eyes went wide, "Fuck! A baby? My baby?"

Toni nodded.

"I'm going to be a father?"

She nodded again.

Lester smiled, then dropped to his knees, wrapped his arms around her, and put his ear to her belly. "How long, chica?"

"Three months."

He slid his hands into hers, and kissed her fingers, "Antonia Harrison, will you marry me?"

Toni's bottom lip wobbled, and then she burst into tears again.

"Toni, what's wrong?" Lester begged. "Don't you want to marry me?"

"Yes, but I'm a spy for the British government, and my name's not Toni," she wept.