05.4 Netting

Eleven-thirty when Roco entered Asado to dine after a hectic day. He saw Jamal seated by a table alone. Roco reached and enquired, “Why did you come here?”

“I want to talk to her.”

“It is very late, Mr Fish.”

“You’re closed!” grunted Jamal, “Police don’t close. I can go to the police.”

“You are at risk,” Roco sat down beside the table, “coming here makes you a threat.”

“You think I’ll go without my net! You want to keep all that money for yourself! How much are you asking for?”

“What is it that you want?”

“You know where she is,” Jamal began in a low voice, “I want to talk to her. Then I go. I don’t want anything in this. I must see her. I do not understand why you are doing this!”

“Ask Carlos.”

“You told him,” snapped Jamal, “He is a son of a bitch!”

“I did not mention you.”

“Where is she?”

“In Ezpeleta,” replied Roco.

“Take me there, please!” he demanded, “I want to see her just one time and I go home. I won’t tell anybody.”

Roco got up, “Come with me!”

They drove to Ezpeleta at fast speed in his Mustang coupe. “Where are the photos you promised of this banker?” asked Jamal.

“You could have taken them. Now I can give you nothing,” replied Roco, “It’s out of my hand. I know why you came to me. You were looking for something else, Mr Fish.”

“You might get the money but how are you going to get out of this! They will find you very soon.”

“It is you who should worry.”

They arrived at a huge warehouse with a wall around the compound. He drove up to the garage doors and climbed down. He called, “Pedro! Are you there?”

“I’m here!” called back a young bloke in a cabin that was lit. This garage front was lit. Roco unlocked the door and rolled back a few inches.

Jamal put his hand on his shoulder, “I want to talk to her alone.”

Roco brushed off, “Dip…dip…dip! That is all you got in mind! Zip up and shut up!”

“Only fifteen minutes.”

“I can’t let you go alone!”

“I won’t touch her. Give me ten minutes to talk. I want to see how she’s doing.”

“She is fine,” said Roco.

“I must see,” he insisted.

“Five minutes. Don’t have ideas!”

“Privately.”

“Go in,” Roco gave up.

After the men left, she screamed out of wits. Nobody heard and none responded. She gradually dozed off in the cold. She could not tell the time but she heard doors rolling. It was again dead for a moment.

He appeared at the end of the passage. Dirty sneakers and threadbare polo shirt. His footsteps made no noise on the white tiles. Lit in half-light and cold inside. A tall figure of a man advanced gradually towards the helpless woman lying on the floor.

Marina murmured, “Why are you doing this to me? Please, let me go! Please!”

He caught his eye on her soiled state on the filthy floor. There was blood on her white little dress, no tennis shoes and nothing, her haunches bare. She was extremely scared. And what’s more; fear in her eyes. Fear that became the motive of an outbreak. Isolated and stranded, cornered within reach. The wolf stares down…

“Screw to the bone!” he came down on her grabbing her tail of hair and gored a thick long finger deep into the belly.

She screamed, “Stop it! Stop it!” and her voice trailed off, “Au secours…au secours…”

Roco didn’t leave the door. He knew Mr Fish got other intention. He rushed in, reached and grabbed him by the polo shirt. He tossed him like a fishnet. Jamal landed on the smooth tiles and slid yards away to hit a wall of crate boxes bringing the stack down.

Roco pulled him up and dragged out of the warehouse doors, “You will not come here again!” Then he asked Pedro to take him in the delivery van and drop him in Bernal.