Not in the Cards Read online

  “No, thank you. But if you don’t mind, I have an early engagement in the morning and would appreciate it if we could get down to business.”

  Drawing deeply on the cigarette, Rubin nodded. “As you wish.” Then, to the thin man, one more jerk of the head, and a video tape was pushed into the recorder.

  “Our filming is done with some of the best video equipment on the market today,” Rubin began in a salesman tone of voice. “No more crappy amateur super eight pictures that are all grainy and distorted. We use only the highest quality film. I’m sure you’ll agree when you take a look at it that our videos have the best picture, the best sound, and the best plotting of anything on the market. That’s what makes this such an exciting business. Because of our high standards, we’ll be the number one distributor of this genre across the country. So you see,” he said, turning to catch Delta’s gaze full on, “your investment could possibly net you a return of more than ten times your original investment, and in a very short period of time.”

  Delta nodded and turned to the television. God, she didn’t want to see this video. It was one thing to act like a business woman cutting a deal. It was quite another to watch snuff pornography and act like she enjoyed it. If she wasn’t careful, she could very well tip her hand right here.

  Just before the movie started, someone knocked twice on the door and the thin man answered. At the door stood a young man in his early twenties, holding something in his hands. But it wasn’t his cargo that caught Delta’s attention. His left hand had only two fingers, and scarred all the way up to his elbow.

  Turning quickly away, Delta fiddled with the zipper on the athletic bag. She was in big trouble now. The newcomer, now whispering to the thin guy, hadn’t yet noticed her. But if he did, she was sunk. Although he was one of the first busts Delta had made as a rookie, that wasn’t why he would remember her. No, he would remember how he lost his fingers to a K-9 dog when he reached for his gun during a raid. The dog had bounded across the room and tore into him the moment he moved. The cop partnered with the dog was patting down another suspect, and Delta didn’t know what to do. So, she did nothing.

  When the dog was through mauling him, his hand and arm were pretty ripped up. That was the first time Delta had heard the phrase “creative report writing.” She and the other officers agreed afterward that he lost his fingers because he wouldn’t surrender the gun and the dog made him surrender it. The brass bought it and no one was written up for it. The suspect, however, continued to rant and rave all through his trial that the cops let the dog maul him. The whole incident was filled with ugly memories.

  “Ms. Anderson, this is Dice. He’s our front man here in River Valley.”

  Delta slowly turned from the athletic bag. Maybe she looked different now. Maybe his memory was shot from all the speed he’d done during his short life. Maybe…

  Swallowing the ball of fear in her throat, Delta raised up and met his gaze. If Dice recognized her, he gave no immediate indication. Instead, he reached out and shook Delta’s hand.

  “Have we met before?” Dice asked, releasing Delta’s hand.

  Play it cool, Delta thought. Hold his gaze. Don’t be afraid. “I go to special screenings in the city and in Hollywood. Perhaps we’ve met there.”

  Dice frowned. “Yeah. Maybe.” Handing the video to the thin man, Dice moved over to the other worn chair next to Rubin.

  “We’ve missed the beginning,” Rubin said to the thin man. “Rewind it so Ms. Anderson can see it from the start.” To Delta. “High resolution, outstanding sound bites, enthralling plots, and of course, its authenticity, make it easily the best on the market today. It won’t be long before we’ll be expanding our market internationally.”

  Delta nodded, but kept her gaze on the TV. She could feel Dice’s penetrating gaze at the side of her face as he tried to figure out where he had seen her. She knew he was trying to retrieve her face from his scratchy memory banks.

  “The American consumers are no longer willing to sit through those cheesy, cheap celluloid films made famous in the sixties and early seventies. There’s a huge demand for quality projects and we believe we have the means to supply that demand. Take a look and see for yourself.”

  Delta didn’t want to look. She wanted to get the hell out of that room before someone figured out who she was. With no weapon, no back-up, and an ex-con trying very hard to place her face, Delta knew she only had minutes before she was completely at risk.

  As the video started, Dice leaned over to Rubin and whispered something in his ear.

  This is it, Delta thought, her heart racing and her palms sweating. She’d been made. Should she bolt for the door? No, she’d never make it. Could she just deny she was a cop? No, they’d believe Dice. The bathroom. Maybe she could excuse herself to the bathroom. God, she felt trapped.

  Before she had a chance to act, Rubin put the VCR on pause. “Dice just informed me, Ms. Anderson, that Poppy has requested a meeting with you. Apparently, he is very interested in your investment and would like to handle it personally.”

  Delta studied Rubin’s face and knew he was lying. Dice had remembered.

  “Don’t even think about it, Officer,” Dice said, pointing an Uzi he seemed to produce from nowhere. How had she missed it?

  Delta cut her eyes to the door, but the thin man had already slipped in front of it. He, too, had his gun trained on her.

  Rubin slowly rose from his chair, his expression bitter. “A pity you weren’t on the up-and-up. It could have been fun working with you.”

  Delta shrugged. She had to think fast or she was as good as dead. “Kill me and you’ll be signing your own death warrants.”

  Rubin smiled. “A bold try, Officer—”

  “Stevens. Delta Stevens.”

  “Officer Stevens. But don’t insult my considerable intelligence by bluffing. There is no back-up waiting for you. We’ve seen to it that you aren’t wired, and there’s little chance of anyone in this motel hearing you if you scream. So I suggest you cooperate and make it easier on yourself.”

  Delta looked over at Dice, who glared at her. Pure hatred flowed from his eyes like laser beams. “I been dreamin’ about meeting you again for a long time, bitch. Now, my dream is gonna be your worst nightmare.”

  “I am truly sorry that it has to end this way for you, Delta Stevens. I admire your courage and your guts to confront us by yourself, but this little party is over.” Rubin turned to the man called Dice and said, “Take her to where we dropped that kid off and finish her there. Meet us at—” Rubin hesitated before writing something down on a notepad. “We‘ll be here,” he said as he handed the paper to Dice.

  Dice took the piece of paper before grinning menacingly at Delta. “You’re a dream come true, little lady. You don’t have any idea how many nights I laid on that lousy bunk dreamin’ of getting even with the cops who let that fuckin’ mutt tear my fingers off. I musta done something real good for you to end up right in my lap.”

  Delta sneered at him. His breath was foul, his body odor rank; the epitome of a disgusting slob. But worse than his appearance, was his demeanor. Dice had a score to settle, and it meant taking Delta down.

  Delta nodded at his two-fingered hand. “It’s a shame it didn’t rip your throat out as well. Poor dog probably gagged on your rancid flesh.”

  “You fucking bitch,” Dice growled, raising his hand to hit her. Before he could swing, Delta grabbed his wrist and yanked him to her. “You may be able to kill me you sick piece of shit, but I’ll see you in hell before I become your punching bag.”

  Enraged, Dice rammed the butt of the Uzi into Delta’s left cheek-bone. “I oughta kill you right now.”

  “That’s enough, Dice,” Rubin ordered. “She’s just trying to get to you.”

  Dice looked over at Rubin and slowly lowered the gun.

  “Now, get rid of her and erase any evidence of her presence here. When you’re through, meet us like we planned.”

  Dabbing the blood
off her cheek with her sleeve, Delta shook her head slowly. “I thought you were smarter than this, Rubin. If I disappear, every cop in the country will be after you.”

  Rubin shrugged. “From what I’ve seen so far, I’m not impressed.”Dice leered into Delta’s face. “Can we have some fun with her? She did cost me three fingers and a hell of a time in the joint.”

  “I don’t care what you do as long as she can’t be found.”

  On her way out the door, Delta turned her face to Rubin. “You’re going to burn, Rubin. I swear to God, you’re going down.”

  Rubin shook his head. “I’m afraid you’re the only one ‘going down,’ Stevens. It’s a shame, really. I hate wasting a good looking woman.”

  Sticking the Uzi into the small of her back, Dice pushed it into her and guided Delta to the car and pushed her into the back seat. A large man in the passenger seat turned to Delta and stared at her as if sizing her up. Then he pulled out a Glock and pointed at her.

  Dice shoved the man’s leg over as he reached into the glove compartment and pulled out a pair of handcuffs.

  “Revenge is grand, ain’t it? Keep that gun on her. If she fights, put a bullet in her head.” Dice said to the man in the passenger seat Reaching over the back seat, Dice slammed the cuffs on Delta’s wrists.

  “Some of your personal sex toys, Dice?” Delta scoffed. “I doubt you could get a woman to sleep with you voluntarily.”

  His answer was a stinging slap across the face. “Bitch.” Then he got out and ordered Jake to drive. “I’m sitting back here to keep an eye out on her. She’s likely to act up.”

  Delta grinned and ignored her throbbing cheek. “Is that the best you can do, you little dickweed?”

  “Why you stupid bi—” Dice yelled, backhanding her again. “You don’t even know who you’re messin’ with.”

  “Hey,” Jake’s voice boomed in a low baritone. “Chill out, Dice. You’re making a fool of yourself. Wait until we get her out of the city before you start that crap.”

  Dice held his raised hand in the air for a second before lowering it to Delta’s right breast. “Yeah. Okay. I get it. You think you’re a tough bitch, don’t you? You’d rather I beat the shit out of you than have my own fun. Yeah. I get it.”

  Delta visibly cringed under his touch. “You’re a sick piece of filth, you fingerless bastard. You get your dick anywhere near me and I swear, I’ll tear it off.”

  Dice lifted his hand and slapped Delta again. “Shut up!”

  “Cool it, Dice,” Jake bellowed again. “I mean it, man. It’s too hard to drive with you acting like a maniac. Wait until we get there, ’cause you’re starting to piss me off.”

  Delta grinned into Dice’s face and whispered, “And I wouldn’t piss him off, Dice, because he’s way more of a man than you’ll ever hope to be and if he wants me, I’d rather have him.” Delta was desperate. If she could divide their attention, if she could get them arguing between themselves, she might have a chance to snatch Dice’s weapon from him. It was the only chance she’d have, and it was a slim one at best.

  Grabbing her right breast again, Dice moved his face right up to Delta’s, “Oh, we’re both gonna have some fun with you, little lady.”

  In a flash, Delta reared her head back and bashed her forehead into his. A sickening crack resounded through the car as their heads collided. Delta had seen her best friend, Connie, do that once, and it worked.

  “Goddamn whore!” Dice cried, grabbing his bleeding eyebrow. Delta had smacked him hard enough to cut his forehead open. “Pull over!”

  Jake did not.

  “I said pull over!”

  “You ain’t giving the orders here, Dice.” Jake looked into the rearview mirror and grinned. “I told you to let her alone until we get there. Now look what you’ve done.”

  “Damn you, Jake—”

  “Chill out little man, ’cause if I pull this car over, it’ll be to kick your ass. Now just sit there and shut up.”

  Dice opened his mouth to respond, but said nothing. Instead, he pressed his two-fingered hand against his forehead while poking the muzzle of the Uzi into Delta’s ribs.

  The rest of the ride was uneventful, as Jake wound and twisted his way through the darkness to the very outskirts of the city. Delta’s mind raced with options. Even if she did get her hands on the Uzi, killing them both before they could get to her would take a miracle.

  Maybe, Delta thought despondently as the car snaked its way through the night, maybe she had finally run out of miracles.

  “This is far enough,” Dice said. “We can take her fifty yards or so out, have some fun, and then have her suck on my gun before going nighty-night. How does that sound, Amazon Queen?”

  “He really does have short man’s complex, doesn’t he, Jake?” Jake looked into the mirror and smiled.

  “Shut up!” Dice yelled.

  Jake pulled the car off the road and turned to them both. “Look, Dice, take her out and do what you gotta do, but your mouth is beginning to get on my nerves. Call me when you’re done.”

  Dice returned a smile. “Don’t you want to play, Jake?”

  Jake shrugged. “No way, man. I seen what women look like when you get through with ’em. No thanks.” He pulled out a cigarette and lit it.

  “Put that thing out, you idiot. You want someone to see?”

  Jake pulled a long drag. “I know my job, Dice. We haven’t seen a car in over fifteen minutes. Relax. There’s no one out here but us chickens.” Jake laughed as though he had just thought that one up.

  Dice nodded and jammed the gun into Delta’s back as he yanked her from the car. “When you hear my gun, Jake, come running and we’ll finish the job.”

  Jake nodded and leaned against the car.

  Delta took one step and felt her knees go weak. She would use her legs to get to Dice, or it was over for her. He was too big and outweighed her by too much for her to try to best him with upper body strength. Right here, right now, her life would end, and no one would ever know what became of her. Not Connie. Not Megan. No one.

  The thought sent shivers down her spine.

  Ten yards. Twenty yards.

  Forty yards more and Dice pushed her in the back and told her to turn around.

  Delta turned, very slowly. She could barely see Dice standing eight feet in front of her. The darkness was so thick, it was nearly palatable. Only light from the half-moon illuminated the ridge standing in the distance and the vast flatlands on the opposite side. Delta finally recognized where they had brought her to die; the perfect place to bury a body—the Anza Borrega Desert.

  Delta weighed her only option. She knew she’d have a chance if she allowed him to get on top of her, but even then, her chances of over-powering him with her hands restrained were wafer-thin.

  “You let that fuckin’ mutt tear my fingers off,” Dice said, unbuckling his belt with one hand while aiming the gun at her with the other. “You just stood by and watched him have me for lunch.”

  “It couldn’t be helped. You went for the gun, Dice. The dog did her job.”

  Dice inched closer. “Oh yeah? And did you do your job by just standing there watching her sink her teeth into my skin over and over again?”

  Delta didn’t respond. Maybe she could try a leg sweep once his pants fell to his ankles. She’d seen Connie do it once in a demonstration. Maybe...

  Connie. She was probably out of her head with worry by now, combing the city for Delta this very minute; cursing herself for letting Delta take such a risk, cursing everybody else because she couldn’t find her. Couldn’t and wouldn’t. Not unless...

  “On your knees, bitch.”

  Delta shook her head. “Not a chance. You want to get off, do it yourself. I imagine that’s the only way you get any these days. You and your dirty dick beaters.

  Dice stepped closer. “You tryin’ to make me mad or something?”

  Delta remained standing. “If you’re going to kill me, you’re going to have to do it whil
e I’m on my feet. I will not get on my knees for any man.

  Dice aimed the Uzi at Delta’s knees. “If I blow your kneecaps out, then you’ll be on your knees, won’t you?”

  “Dice, if you shoot me anywhere with that, I’ll bleed to death before you have a chance to have any fun at all.”

  “Then get on your knees.”

  “Eat shit.”

  Dice stepped even closer. Two feet closer, and Delta would have a chance at the gun.

  “Then take your clothes off.”

  “You first. Or is your dick like your brain? Tiny and laughable.” Even in the murky night, Delta could see Dice glaring at her.

  “As a matter-of-fact,” he said, dropping his pants to his ankles, “I got one of the biggest peters women have ever seen.”

  Delta’s eyes remained glued to his gun.

  “And you’re gonna suck on it if it’s the last thing you do.” He chuckled. “Hell, it probably will be the last thing you do.” Raising the gun to her face, Dice motioned for her to step forward. “Come to papa and make his dream come true.”

  Nightmare? This was that moment when Delta would discover whether she had used up all her miracles. Standing in the desert, with a madman threatening to violate her body before destroying her, Delta realized that her worst nightmare was about to burst through the plane of reality, and she had to face it alone. What began as an attempt to right the scales after Helen’s death had turned into a bad dream, only Megan wasn’t there to wake her up.

  No one was there. Delta had made the ultimate gamble and it looked as though that gamble would transform into the supreme sacrifice. If she was going to buy it here in the desert, she refused to go alone. Raising her foot to attempt a leg sweep, Delta stopped in midair when, in the click of a second hand, Dice’s chest exploded, spewing blood and flesh fragments onto Delta. The look on his face was one of incredulity. Someone had blown his guts out and he took one step backward before dropping to his knees and falling face first in the sand. Dead.