Page 107 of Rhet

“Banner, Rhet. Please help me, man. Kozlov wants to kill me,” Joe cries out.

I dip my hand in my jacket. That’s the problem with these new jackets, so many fucking pockets. I tap once more at my side. “Ha, there it is,”

I take it out with my cutter and snip the end of my cigar. Placing it between my teeth, I tap my sides for a lighter. I take the cap off the cigar and push it into a pocket.

Joe’s cries fill the background, drowning out my thoughts. I grab the lighter and cup my hands around the end of my cigar. I drag in a breath to get that first bitter taste.

“Rhet,” Joe screams. He’s covered in his own body’s fluid—sweat, snot, and tears. I step closer in his direction and add piss to the list.

“Please, Banner, help me.” Joe hiccups as he cries

I move yet closer to him, not acknowledging Kozlov or his boys. As I get into Joe’s space, I stoop down and looking into her swollen eye, I look back at Kozlov, then at Joe.

“You want me to get you out of this, Joe.” The sincerity in my voice is full of mockery.

“Yes, please.” Joe hiccups. I shake my head and cups the side of his face.

“Okay, buddy, I’ve got you,” tapping his face twice I straighten up and look at Kozlov.

“Mackey wants me to save him, Kozlov,” the cigar sits at the corner of my mouth.

Dimitri licks the blood off his knuckles, then spits on the wet floor.

“If you save him. You get no beef Pirog from my babushka when you visit,” Dimitri says.

“Not the Pirog.” I look back at Joe and take the cigar out of my mouth. “The Pirog is this pie. His grandma stuffs it with mushrooms and well-seasoned meat. Joey it’s perfection.”

“Sometimes fruit too,” Dimitri interjects, with a chuckle in his voice.

“Oh no, fruit too.” I stomp as I look back at Joe. “I rather pick a fruit pie over your ass.”

As Joe connects the dots, his realization dawns on face. “You played me.”

“Like a fucking piano at Carnegie Hall.” I walk across to Dimitri.

“I like the look on your face, Dimitri. It’s a sign of a man who possesses some demons he needs to deal with.” I tap his shoulder and I take a last look at Joey as he fights in the chair.

“They would be dealt with by the time this is over,” Dimitri replies.

“And the cop?” I ask since I wasn’t seeing his body.

Dimitri flicks his head towards the entrance.

I look back and I see Officer Dibbles, with his mouth gagged and tied to another chair.

I walk to the Officer “I didn’t see you Officer, I don’t know if you remember me? Nod if you do.”

He nods. The police officer is stripped down to his Hawaiian print boxers. His hairy pink belly rests on his knees. His hair balding and covered in sweat.

“You touched someone that was under my care.” He smells musty, his eyes widen as he shakes his head no.

“Yeah, you did. Look I’m a fair man, I will let these guys let you go ok buddy,” I smile cynically at him. His shoulders drop as if he was given relief.

“Her name is Zeeta by the way,” I place the cigar between my teeth and reach for my gun at the back of my waist.

Officer Dibbles stares at the gun and shakes his head.

“Zeeta, she is mine and you touched her. I just needed you to know her name before you die.”

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