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Thirty-Six
They’d finished eatingthe grilled tuna, mango salsa, and rice Aria had prepared for dinner when Damian’s phone rang. He looked at the display as he carried their plates into thekitchen.
“It’s Cole,” he said toAria.
She took the plates and he stepped out into the courtyard, the pool glimmering in a darkness lit only by the lights subtly planted in the fragrantbushes.
“Tell me you have something,” he said into thephone.
“I have something,” Colesaid.
He’d called Cole from the plane to tell him about Aria. Cole had still been patrolling outside the hospital and Damian had the feeling Aria had not won any points with his underboss by sneaking out the emergency room entrance before the two extra guards hadarrived.
Damian didn’t blame Cole for Aria’s escape— he knew more than anyone how crafty Aria could be — but it was still a wound to Cole’spride.
The last time they’d talked, Cole had still been running down leads. Damian had hung up the phone hoping they got a break soon. Hanging out indefinitely in Chiang Mai wasn’t the plan — nor was blindly searching the streets, a move that would in all likelihood get him killed before he ever laid eyes onGatti.
“Talk to me,” Damiansaid.
“He’s in the city,” Cole said. “Landed right on time. I had one of our guys with ties to the area reach out to the organization there. Rumor has it, Gatti’s been makingovertures.”
“Overtures?”
“Making calls, offering up information on New York and the Greeks in exchange for a buy-in to the organization,” Colesaid.
Damian almost laughed. “He’s trying to buy his way into the ThaiMob?”
“Yeah, and word is Kirt Juntasa isn’t exactly thrilled,” Colesaid.
Kirt Juntasa was head of the Thai organization. Damian had never met him, but his reputation preceded him — according to everyone who was in a position to know, Juntasa was more than dangerous, he wassadistic.
Creativelysadistic.
“I wouldn’t think so,” Damian said. “Is Gatti really dumb enough not to realize that kind of move will be seen asdisrespectful?”
Malcolm Gatti was a lot of things — a lot of grotesque things — but Damian had never taken him forstupid.
“He’s not dumb — he’s desperate,” Cole said. “This is the only play hehas.”
“I’m surprised he didn’t make a move for Anastos’ territory,” Damiansaid.
“I think he knows the Syndicate will be coming for that too,” Cole said. “Besides, Anastos probably had at least five guys vying for the turfalready.”
He had a point. Damian would never say never with the Syndicate — they might come for Thailand eventually, but only after they’d achieved domination in the more obvious markets. Thailand was as safe a place as any for Gatti to seek refuge — if he didn’t get himself killedfirst.
“Where is he now?” Damianasked.
“Place called Lucky Bar controlled byJuntasa.”
“Lucky Bar?” Damian chuckled into the phone in spite of the situation. The Thai, like many Asian countries, had a fascination with American culture. It wasn’t unusual to find strange or remedial combinations of English words on nightclubs, bars, restaurants, and clothingshops.
“Yeah,” Cole said. “If you hold off a couple days, I’ll have your back. I can be on a plane in anhour.”
“Can’t do it,” Damiansaid.
“You can,” Cole said. “And youshould.”
The words sat between them on the phone. They were dangerously close to insubordination — no one told Damian what he should or shouldn’tdo.
