Bishop is taken.

Rook, the con man, has to save his old time friend Bishop before he’s shipped off to prison. And he stumbles into the perfect con. The cops who are supposed to drive Bishop from the county jail across town to the feds to be taken to prison are on the take, pimping women as it were. Rook gets into town and accidentally meets one of these girls, and gets the cop to pimp her to him. Now he sets up the sting, calling in a favor from an old friend they set up a hotel room, get the girl to come to the other guy, call the cop, tell him they’re IA and that the FBI wants him to lose Bishop on the way to the courthouse because he’s an undercover mole and they don’t want to expose him…

Jimmy Tones walked from his desk to the office door and asked the man outside to step in for a minute. He unbuttoned the coat of his awfully expensive suit and poured himself a glass of tonic water as the man walked in and sat down on the couch across the room from the desk. Jimmy sat down at the desk and took a long drink.

“Rook was here today?” Jimmy asked.

“Yeah, he was here.”

They sat in silence for a few seconds and then finally Jimmy said, “Well?”

“He says he can’t do it no more. He’s getting a rep.”

“Guys live on their rep in this business. It’s what we do.”

“He understands that boss. He’s just…”

“Don’t call me boss.”

“Sorry.”

Jimmy sighed and took another drink. “Did he say exactly why?”

“Why he couldn’t do it anymore?”

“Tony, stop beating around the bush. Why?”

“Ok, remember the first few times he went out to collect? Remember he didn’t even carry a piece?”

“I remember.” Jimmy said. He smiled as he thought about it.

“He said he couldn’t shoot nobody if he had to. And Mallory about had a fucking fit, remember?” Tony started laughing now, reminiscing, and Jimmy laughed along with him.

“Mallory said he’d never get a dime.” Jimmy said.

“That’s right. But he did. He was a hundred percenter.”
“They always paid up. Though I do remember he usually took a couple of guys with him. And they did have guns.”

“That’s right. But Rook hardly ever needed them. You know when I first realized how good he was? It was when Tom Marks got killed, you know? Rook went to talk to him, and he decided he wasn’t going to pay, and The two guys who were with him—“

“Tedesco and Frank Lyons.”

“Yeah, they shot the guy in his office. Tedesco tells he later Rook just sits there, calm as a fucking donut, remember how Tedesco always used to say that? Calm as a donut? Damn, I miss that guy.”

“Tony.”

“Right, sorry boss. Anyway, Tedesco says Rook just sits there, and when they’re done shooting him Rook reaches over the desk, pulls out the guys wallet, takes all the cash except a twenty dollar bill and slides the guys wallet back in his jacket. Then they leave. Tedesco said he asked him later why he was so dumb. Rook says, what do you mean? Tedesco says, your prints are all over the wallet.”

“And Rook said, they open his wallet and see the twenty, they don’t think he was robbed, why would they waste time dusting the thing.”

“Exactly. And that’s when I knew. And that’s the problem. Now everyone knows.”

“I don’t get it.”

“He had a nice run there. Guys knew if he showed up you meant business. Now, everyone knows if he shows up you mean business. So now, he’s gonna show up somewhere and get shot because some fucking monkey thinks it’s over and his times up, and he’s gotta go out in a blaze of glory.”

“Is he scared?”

“He’s just smart. He always fucking has been.”

Jimmy sighed again and took another drink. He looked at Tony on the couch, and Tony looked back. There was nothing more to say. He’d have to find something else for Rook to do for him.

“What about Rook’s friend? Bishop?”

“Ain’t they a fucking pair.” Tony said. “I don’t know, Bishop’s out of town doing something for Bobby.”

“Well, let Rook take a few days off. When Bishop gets back send them both over. I think I can find something for them to do.”

“I’ll handle it.”

“Thank you Tony.”

Rook sat on a park bench watching little kids slide down the Boogie Slide at the Lil’ Tykes Fun Center (Bring the whole family!) and sipping a coke. It was the only place in the whole damn city where he could sit quietly and think about what he was going to do. Time was running out, only three more days until Bishop was handed to the feds, and then there was nothing he could do.

He could ignore the little kids screaming as they went down Boogie Slide, and he could ignore the parents screaming kids names, using their first and middle names, which was a sure indication that they were doing something that they knew they shouldn’t be doing. He could even ignore the hot dog vendor who came by every ten minutes or so and tried to sell him a thirty-cent hot dog for a buck fifty. What he couldn’t ignore was the police.

He’d watched the squad car pull up and stop, and he’d seen the two cops look his way and say something to each other. They wouldn’t know who he was, even though he’d been in and out of trouble for the past fifteen years. He wasn’t from around here, and most of his trouble had been local, in his own hometown. To them he was just a tourist, and they were probably trying to figure out what he was doing at the Lil’ Tykes Fun Center (Bring the whole family!) without having brought a whole family.

They left him alone for about twenty minutes before he could feel them standing behind him on the other side of the bench. He didn’t want to look at them, because he was afraid he’d laugh, these guys in their blue suits, hands across their chests, trying to look imposing. It was sort of funny, and he smiled. Then one of them spoke up.

“Evening sir. You alone?” His voice deep, full of authority.

He nodded without turning around.

“What are you doing?” The other one, less sure of himself, positive he was making trouble for someone, or about to commit a crime. Maybe he was going to go steal all the little kids allowances when their parents weren’t looking.

“Just checking out the chicks.” He said, knowing how wrong they could take that and hoping he’d get to have a nice argument with them. That would clear his head. It wasn’t like they could arrest him. He wasn’t doing anything illegal. And if he were pressed he’d just point out that they misunderstood what he was saying.

“Single moms, eh?” The first one, Mr. authority, taking over the conversation again. Well, they hadn’t stepped on the land mine he’d sat down for them, but at least they weren’t as dumb as he’d thought. “I like the blonde one over here, with the little girls.” The cop now pointing out the girl he was talking about. Young lady, probably late twenties with long blonde hair and tight jeans. She looked down home, too country for Rook, but he nodded appreciatively.

“I like the redhead.” He pointed towards the hotdog vendor at a young lady in here early twenties with wavy red hair. She had a pink t-shirt on and black sweatpants that were too small for her and showed off her legs and her behind.

There was a pause as one of the cops whispered something Rook couldn’t hear (and he realized he still hadn’t looked at them) and then authority said, “Her name’s Rayna.” And they walked off.

That was odd. He glanced over his shoulder and watched them walk away towards the batting cages on the other end of the Fun Center. One of them was tall, almost six five Rook guessed, and had short brown hair. The other was probably five nine and looked like he had a buzz cut, though with his policeman’s hat on Rook couldn’t really tell, he could have been bald.

He glanced back over at the redhead buying a hotdog and realized for the first time since he’d seen her about five minutes before the cops drove up, that she didn’t have any children with her. Or a boyfriend for that matter. In fact, she looked to be alone.

Another glance towards the cops who were now laughing with someone hitting balls in one of the cages and he got up, tossed his drink in a trashcan, and walked over to the redhead. She saw him coming but didn’t walk off or turn her head. Just stared at him as he walked over smiling, and looking at her as if he knew her.

“You’re Rayna, right?”

She looked at him and smiled.

“You a friend of Burton’s?” She asked.

Hmm…this was interesting. Maybe he was a friend of Burton’s. Or maybe she was fooling with him, he’d say “Yeah.” And she’d go, “Who’s Burton?” Or something like that. He was thinking about the kinds of things he would do or say to someone strange who walked up on him in the street and knew who he was. He wasn’t sure.

“No. I don’t know who Burton is.” He said slyly.

“Whatever.” She said, and her look suddenly went bored. She dropped her eyes and tossed half the hot dog in the trash. “You want to go somewhere?” She asked, and now her tone had lost its spirit. She seemed strange all the sudden. Like she was doing something she didn’t really want to do, but couldn’t stop.

“Sure, you want to get a drink?” Rook asked.

“If you need one.”

“I don’t really.”

“Then let’s just find a motel or something, okay?” And she smiled again.

Never one to let an opportunity pass by asking too many stupid questions Rook grinned sheepishly and led the girl over to his car. She sat in the passenger seat and smiled at him when he got in and started it. They’d driven for about a block before she spoke again.

“It’s a hundred bucks, okay? And you have to pay for the room.”

Rook suddenly felt both stupid and relieved. Of course, she’s a hooker. It made sense. That’s how the cop knew her name. And it explained the weird vibe. And damn, now that he looked at her, who the hell would dress like that to go to the Lil’ Tykes Fun Center (Bring the whole family!). In fact that brought up an interesting point.

“You work the kiddie land?” He asked her.

“Not usually. But sometimes you get dads who are in from out of town, taking their kids to have some fun. They have to drop the kids off later with their ex-wives and then they come back and find me. It’s nice and safe, you don’t get a lot of weirdos that way.”

“What about me?” He asked.

“What about you?”

“I didn’t have kids. I just approached you.”

“You talked to Burton. So you’re cool.”

“Who’s Burton?” He asked, and then realized at once. “The cop?”

“Yeah. He’s my, I don’t know, pimp I guess.” She looked out the window when she said it, like she was embarrassed. She probably was.

“Your pimp is a cop? That’s new.”

“Honey, you have no idea. Do you think the cops don’t take a cut of what we get even if they’re just cops? They get cash either way. At least this way if I have trouble with a customer I get real help, and not some asshole in a fake Armani suit trying to be Nino Brown.”

“Nino Brown?”

“From New Jack City? Not my favorite movie, but you get the picture.”

“Was he Wesley Snipes or Ice T?”

“Who?”

“Nino Brown.”

“Oh. Snipes. Ice T was the cop.”

“Oh.”

The drove down Lakewood Boulevard until he saw a Motel called C&E. Rayna said it was a dive, and that everyone around here called it the Cheap and Easy. Would you believe they have hourly rates? She didn’t want to go there and somehow Rook didn’t either. On the corner a couple of blocks up was a Moonlit Inn and Rook pulled into the parking lot.

“You better go get the room by yourself, I’m sure they recognize me here.”

“Listen,” Rook said, “I’m not going to take you into a room. I didn’t really know what was going on until we started driving around. I didn’t ask the cop about hookers, and all he really told me was your name.”

“But you got in the car with me when I said let’s go find a motel. Did you think I was just easy?” She was grinning ear to ear now, and looked genuinely amused.

“Well,” Rook said, and now he was really embarrassed. “Yeah, I thought you were just easy.” His face flushed.

“And that was okay, but going to bed with a pro isn’t?”

“Well. I don’t know. Maybe.” He was flustered and starting to feel a little ball in his stomach.

“Do you not have the money?” She said, earnestly, as if that would be a good enough excuse and she’d let him off the hook.

“No. I have plenty of money. In fact I was going to give you the hundred bucks anyway. It’s just…”

“So you have plenty of money. You were going to give me the hundred bucks anyway? Wait, was that before or after you found out I was a hooker?”

“Huh?”
“I mean, were you going to sleep with me when I was easy and then give me a hundred bucks?”

“No. I meant, after I found out you were a hooker, but before when I decided I wasn’t going to sleep with you. You know? I mean, I don’t know. But not what you thought. Okay?”

“I’m not sure what you just said.”

“Me either.”

Rook rolled down his window to get some air and then glanced at Rayna’s legs. In the dark car against he darkness of the floor board he couldn’t really see the black sweats, but when he looked up at the pink shirt and saw her breasts…He hadn’t really looked at them before. Realized how beautiful a girl she really was.

“Do you have a cigarette?” He asked.

“Just these.” She pulled out a Virginia Slim box and handed it to him. He took one out and lit it, inhaled deeply and then let out a small stream of smoke. Then he coughed and she laughed at him.

“Can’t handle a girly cigarette?”

“These are terrible.” He said between gasps.

She smiled at him and he felt like they were making some kind of connection. Her smile looked real. More real than the one he’d seen when he walked up to her at the hotdog stand. That one was for show. This one, he thought, she uses when she’s not putting on a show. It was much better.

He thought about it and made a decision.

“Do you have any condoms?” He asked.

“Decided you’re going to fuck me after all?”

“I just decided that if I’m going to give you a hundred bucks I might as well enjoy it.”

“Good for you. No I don’t have any condoms. You’re supposed to supply those. Sometimes I do, but today…”

“No sweat, I need to get some real cigarettes anyway.”

“Good.” She settled back into the passengers seat and they drove down the street to a gas station.

Rook couldn’t remember the last time he’d bought condoms, but it occurred to him that it was always a weird feeling to do it with the girl waiting in the car. How come he never thought to have condoms ahead of time? Well, he hadn’t really planned on getting laid, so it made sense. He bought a box with three condoms and a carton of Camels.

In the parking lot of the Moonlit Inn he forgot that he hadn’t gotten a room yet. He got out and walked about five feet before turning to look at her standing by the car with a goofy grin on his face. She laughed again and he knew she understood what he’d done.

“I’ll be right back.”

“I’ll be here.” She smiled again, a real smile, and he almost floated into the office.

Forty-five bucks, a fake signature, and five minutes later he was relaxing in a motel room with a redheaded girl who could have stopped traffic by bending over at the right time. He sat on the bed smoking a camel and enjoying himself for the first time since he got to town. Rayna was in the bathroom with the sink running and it occurred to him that he’d seen this scene in thousands of movies and he smiled. Then it occurred to him that it was the kind of scene that always turned out badly for one of the room’s occupants and his smile disappeared. Rayna chose that moment to arrive in the doorway, sans pants.

Her panties were dark blue and went well with the pink t-shirt, and her legs were as amazing as he’d thought when he first saw them at the hot dog stand. She stood there for a moment letting backlighting from the bathroom make her look good then she slinked over to the bed and crawled up next to him on her hands and knees.

“You know, I don’t usually do this.” Rook said.

She laughed and fell back to the other side of the bed. She smiled at him and took a cigarette from his pack.

“From now on I’m charging you an extra ten bucks for every line you say that I’ve heard more than a hundred times.”

“Oh that’s not fair.” He said smiling, lighting her cigarette. She inhaled deeply and coughed. “Can’t handle the manly cigarette?”

“These really are awful. Where are mine?”

“Your purse?” He said, pointing at the table next to the door. He was hoping she’d get up and walk over and he’d get to watch her ass outlined in those dark blue panties, but she just looked at him.

“Would you be a dear and…”

“Get them for you?” He finished. “From now on I’m deducting ten bucks for everything you say that sounds like something my wife would say.”

“I didn’t think you were married.” She said, looking at his hands.

“No ring. Nope, not married. I was just saying, if I had a wife I’m sure she’d say things like ‘Would you be a dear and get that?’ or ‘Honey can you paint the house?’ or other endearing things like that.”

“Are you going to get the cigarettes or not?” She laughed and he laughed too, and then he got up.

“Yeah, I’ll get them.”

“So you work for the mob?”

Rook laughed. “I guess you could say that.”

“What’s it like?”

“What do you mean?”

“Is it scary? I mean mob guys are killers aren’t they?”

“Actually they’re just masters of supply and demand.” Rook lit a cigarette and took a deep drag.

“What does that mean exactly?” Rayna took the cigarette from his fingers and inhaled herself. She didn’t cough this time.

“Well, you demand something, a product or a service, and they supply it. Then they demand money, and you supply that. If you don’t they demand blood, and you always supply that.”

“So they’re—“

“Basically economists who don’t fuck around.”

“I see.”

Sarcasm aside Rook was starting to like her.