[UNKNOWN]: Thank you.
[SPEAKER_00]: The American, chapter 49, a short-hand missile tail by Matthew C. McLean.
[SPEAKER_00]: The trouble with idiots, part four.
[SPEAKER_00]: It wasn't visible from outside with the bright action in sun, but inside the hutch there was a light, a single bearable that hung in the center of the room.
[SPEAKER_00]: Pushed against the edges of the room's other three walls were a motley assortment of sleeping bags and blankets.
[SPEAKER_00]: various food containers, styrofoam coffee cups, and other trash littered much of the rest.
[SPEAKER_00]: It smelled a body odor and marijuana.
[SPEAKER_00]: The red stripe of his balaclava was the only thing that made Max stand out from the rest of the trash as he stood up from one of the piles.
[SPEAKER_00]: He flicked a cigarette away, so he collided with the wall just above the Algerian, showering him sparks that his mid-afternoon nap allowed him to ignore.
[SPEAKER_00]: Max smiled at Lanzo, glancing at me as he came forward, opening his arms towards the other man for a hug.
[SPEAKER_00]: There was a hesitation on both of their parts, a mutual muttering and a language that wasn't quite French and eventually an embrace.
[SPEAKER_00]: As they did this dance, the Algerian and Fatih came to, the latter having been dozing in the front of a locked door that faced the embankment, and must have led deeper into the facilities.
[SPEAKER_00]: Both of them stood, not saying much, but eyeing me as I still blocked the only exit.
[SPEAKER_00]: Each of them embraced lonesome and turned, no one's intention wandering too far from me.
[SPEAKER_00]: Knowing from our encounter in Simons, that if things went sideways, Fatty would be the most dangerous in the tight space of the Hutch, I pointed to him, there's an epiciary, not far from here.
[SPEAKER_00]: I pointed up the slope as if we could all see through the walls.
[SPEAKER_00]: We passed down the corner.
[SPEAKER_00]: Go see if there's a first aid kit or something.
[SPEAKER_00]: From the pocket of the trench coat, I pulled out some of the euro's mittenick had given me.
[SPEAKER_00]: Making sure it was obvious to everyone.
[SPEAKER_00]: I peeled bills off the roll, more than would ever be needed for a five-and-dime purchase.
[SPEAKER_00]: A indicated Lanz's feet with the cash.
[SPEAKER_00]: He's been hurt, on the distitching up.
[SPEAKER_00]: Fatty glanced between me and the money, greed and a version of being ordered around, warring on his face.
[SPEAKER_00]: Pretending not to understand what was happening, I added what, I didn't hurt him and held out the money.
[SPEAKER_00]: Fatty snatched the bills from my hand and huffed out.
[SPEAKER_00]: In the same manner, Max nodded to the tall Algerian who followed Fatty out the door.
[SPEAKER_00]: I moved closer to Max and Lanzo, making sure to catch other eyes before glancing to the other and then back again.
[SPEAKER_00]: I indicated Max and me with a finger back and forth saying, we fought, we talked, now we know each other.
[SPEAKER_00]: When Max nodded, I did the same between me and Lanzo, repeating the words.
[SPEAKER_00]: I noted that Lanzo wasn't completely committed to the plan we had made in the alley.
[SPEAKER_00]: Or was a terrible poker player?
[SPEAKER_00]: His indecision crawled across his face.
[SPEAKER_00]: I ignored it indicating all of us in turn with the same finger.
[SPEAKER_00]: So we're all friends now, yeah.
[SPEAKER_00]: Both of the young men glanced at each other, shuffled hesitantly, then nodded with increasing earnestness.
[SPEAKER_00]: I felt like the principal settling a playground brawl.
[SPEAKER_00]: Good.
[SPEAKER_00]: So no more bullshet.
[SPEAKER_00]: That last statement almost always being a preemble, the more bullshet.
[SPEAKER_00]: I found it all bucket one of the trash piles and flipped it over, setting it down next to Lanzo and gesturing from him to it.
[SPEAKER_00]: Sit down.
[SPEAKER_00]: Take the weight off your foot.
[SPEAKER_00]: Lanzo shuffled in his doubt, then wins to the placed weight onto the wounded foot.
[SPEAKER_00]: This persuaded him more than I ever could.
[SPEAKER_00]: He sat down.
[SPEAKER_00]: I found a milk crate and sat on it facing him, his back to max.
[SPEAKER_00]: I gesture to his feet and told Lanzo, take off your boot.
[SPEAKER_00]: Let me take a look.
[SPEAKER_00]: As he struggled to pull it off, I spoke to Max.
[SPEAKER_00]: Lanzo and I have been talking.
[SPEAKER_00]: It was Max's turn to shuffle,
[SPEAKER_00]: He blinked and nodded, but I kept an eye on Lanzo.
[SPEAKER_00]: We talked about Mittenik and Satre, Satre is tired of Mittenik's bullshit, it's Kanye.
[SPEAKER_00]: I took Lanzo's boot away from him once it was off, indicating the sock with it.
[SPEAKER_00]: So we'd like sure idea of getting Niko away from him.
[SPEAKER_00]: Even gingerly pulling the sock off, clothed Lanzo to wince, but dimension of her name got his attention.
[SPEAKER_00]: I grabbed the sock from him before he could throw it on the floor.
[SPEAKER_00]: I made a show of examining the soul of Lanzo's foot, continued talking.
[SPEAKER_00]: She's obviously important in Metnik, important enough that he'll pay money to get her back.
[SPEAKER_00]: I wipe some of the blood away from the wound, enough to get a better examination.
[SPEAKER_00]: It was less than an inch long, slightly diagonal, but generally going from his toes do his heel and one gash.
[SPEAKER_00]: Even with the light bulb, the room was still dim, so I leaned closer to the wound as I spoke.
[SPEAKER_00]: Satray has given the okay for us to grab the girl.
[SPEAKER_00]: We'll hold her for a while, let her think we rescued her while midnight goes crazy searching for her.
[SPEAKER_00]: Then, eventually, such as steps in, negotiate the price, we send her back, and we all get rich.
[SPEAKER_00]: I stopped examining the foot to stare directly at Max.
[SPEAKER_00]: That's the plan, right?
[SPEAKER_00]: Max nodded unwilling to say anything out loud.
[SPEAKER_00]: I couldn't blame him.
[SPEAKER_00]: It would be an admission of having lied to Lanzo.
[SPEAKER_00]: Rubbishing whatever lies he had told a friend about rescuing the girl.
[SPEAKER_00]: But I wasn't willing to let him slither away from this, urging him to speak with widening eyes.
[SPEAKER_00]: Max squirmed for a moment, then acquiesced with a wee.
[SPEAKER_00]: At that single pronunciation, Lanzo's eyes blazed, his foot forgotten.
[SPEAKER_00]: In that moment, he could no longer deny that I had told him the truth.
[SPEAKER_00]: At his friends were willing to betray him and his girlfriend nothing more than a short-term gain.
[SPEAKER_00]: Possibly a lot of short-term gain, but nothing else.
[SPEAKER_00]: I had warned him to be ready to consider what he would do when he learned the truth.
[SPEAKER_00]: But I also know that there isn't anything you can do to prepare yourself for that kind of emotional punch.
[SPEAKER_00]: I saw this cheeks begin to redden in his mouth and form very angry words.
[SPEAKER_00]: So that's when I stuck my thumb into the hole with his foot.
[SPEAKER_00]: I needed to determine how deep it was anyway, but I could have done that a lot more gently.
[SPEAKER_00]: I did the opposite of that, angling my thumb, and its nail for maximum penetration.
[SPEAKER_00]: Instead of spitting angry accusations that his friend, Lanzo howled, gripping the side of the bucket as he nearly toppled over, I kept digging around for a few seconds anyway.
[SPEAKER_00]: Max jumped at the animal sound, frightened as it bounced around the enclosed space.
[SPEAKER_00]: I took my thumb out, but kept a hold of one, though.
[SPEAKER_00]: When his cry became cursing between hard panting breaths, I said, don't be a baby, I'm just cleaning the wound.
[SPEAKER_00]: While Lanzo stared at his foot like it was made of hot iron, I kept max in place with a hard stare.
[SPEAKER_00]: His surprise was quickly transforming into protective anger, and I could see it being fed by the guilt of betraying his friend.
[SPEAKER_00]: I didn't want that to get out of hand, so I said, it doesn't look too bad.
[SPEAKER_00]: You probably don't need stitches, just some sutures.
[SPEAKER_00]: I held the sock to the wound to staunch the bleeding while we waited for fatty.
[SPEAKER_00]: I gave it a few minutes to let everyone settle them one on.
[SPEAKER_00]: There's no way we're getting here out of midnight.
[SPEAKER_00]: His house might as well be a military compound with all the money has around the villa.
[SPEAKER_00]: She has to come out to us.
[SPEAKER_00]: I stared hard at Wanzo.
[SPEAKER_00]: That's where you come in.
[SPEAKER_00]: For a very long moment, I waited to see if the young course again was going to stick to our hastily agreed upon plan or if he was going to go for the pistol.
[SPEAKER_00]: I breathe slowly and held his foot while he made up his mind, hoping I could jerk him off the bucket fast enough if he decided to start shooting.
[SPEAKER_00]: Through good at teeth though, he nodded.
[SPEAKER_00]: I found the pack of marble rolls and offered him one.
[SPEAKER_00]: He took it and began to search through his pockets and no max flipped a disposable lighter to life.
[SPEAKER_00]: Lanzo stuck the tip of the cigarette into the flame and inhaled deeply, nodding more and fatally as he did.
[SPEAKER_00]: I let him get whatever enjoyment he could out of that and then asked, so what are you going to say to her?
[SPEAKER_00]: Lanzo watched me when I closed against the smoke of his cigarette, and I watched Max for any reaction out of the corner of my eye.
[SPEAKER_00]: Now that Lanzo was saying he was on board, maxing to have lost the enthusiasm he displayed for the kidnapping when we had discussed it in the alley.
[SPEAKER_00]: He soaked behind his friend, and I couldn't tell who he was more disappointed in.
[SPEAKER_00]: Exhaling smoke, Lanzo said, we have talked of leaving for Karthaka, or maybe Italy.
[SPEAKER_00]: I seriously doubt it that would be far enough to get away from Midnick, but I kept my mouth shut.
[SPEAKER_00]: He's like dash, perhaps considering his own self-worth.
[SPEAKER_00]: If I write to her and tell her we should go, she may come.
[SPEAKER_00]: As if his reflection didn't leave a lot of room for the idea that Nika might love him, he added, he is unhappy, where she is.
[SPEAKER_00]: As Lanzo gazed at the floor, I flanced up at Max, raising my eyebrows to indicate progress being made, then I spoke to everyone.
[SPEAKER_00]: Okay, so you tell her you've picked up some money, enough to make a run for it, that you have family and corsica that's willing to hide you.
[SPEAKER_00]: We get rid of the note, and with the time to place the metas close by, and we grab her.
[SPEAKER_00]: Lons are shot up a glance at the last words, but I squeezed his foot and he kept quiet.
[SPEAKER_00]: I wasn't done with Lanzo's wound yet, so I resisted the urge to wipe the blood off my hands.
[SPEAKER_00]: You write the note.
[SPEAKER_00]: I watched both men not specifying which, waiting for either to nod to confirm they were literate.
[SPEAKER_00]: When Lanzo did, I continued, I've been in Mittenick's house before, so I'll figure out a way to get it to her.
[SPEAKER_00]: Even as I said that, I realized I had no idea how I was going to do that.
[SPEAKER_00]: Whatever consternation that thought might have brought to my face was covered by the exit, opening behind me and sending light pouring into the room.
[SPEAKER_00]: Lanzo and Max blinked it away as fatty and out of the gerion stepped in.
[SPEAKER_00]: No one said much while everyone adjusted to the swift changes in light.
[SPEAKER_00]: When we all had, Max remembered this was his idea, and green wickedly as two standing compatriots.
[SPEAKER_00]: Lanzo has agreed.
[SPEAKER_00]: The other two beamed back, smiles bright enough to dispel the dim, but only causing clouds that gather over Lanzo.
[SPEAKER_00]: To him, this was only confirmation, his friends had been in their conspiracy together all along.
[SPEAKER_00]: Before that broiled over, I snatched the white plastic box that was dangling from Fatty's fingertips.
[SPEAKER_00]: He glared at me, but I ignored it.
[SPEAKER_00]: Please did the right to cross on the cover.
[SPEAKER_00]: I didn't ask for my change, which probably helped keep the peace.
[SPEAKER_00]: I was impressed at the robust contents of the small first aid kit.
[SPEAKER_00]: There were the adhesive sutures I needed, plus some sterilizing agent, band aids, and a wrap.
[SPEAKER_00]: I went to work on Lanzo's wounded foot as Max caught the idiots up to speed, speaking in quite indescipherable French.
[SPEAKER_00]: I spent the time being grateful for the course basic combat medicine draining.
[SPEAKER_00]: I let them talk as I disinfected Lanzo's foot, listening to the changes in his breathing for indicators that I was being too rough.
[SPEAKER_00]: When I was satisfied, he wouldn't die of an infection before this whole capar got us killed.
[SPEAKER_00]: I closed the wound with plastic sutures.
[SPEAKER_00]: Oh, Max and the Aates generally muttered them, so I was interjected with.
[SPEAKER_00]: We don't know how valuable she is to midnight, so there's going to be some negotiations.
[SPEAKER_00]: I stopped my examination to see all of them staring at me dumbly.
[SPEAKER_00]: When no one drew a useful conclusion, I added, it might take a while.
[SPEAKER_00]: Max smiled wide, some pride coming through it as if he had already thought of that.
[SPEAKER_00]: We are thinking ahead, yes?
[SPEAKER_00]: We are like the Godfather going to the mattresses.
[SPEAKER_00]: hiding out.
[SPEAKER_00]: That wasn't a bad idea, but not what I had in mind.
[SPEAKER_00]: It's good you've been staying out of sight, but I added a long pause, deliberately scanning the room and the trash of its contents.
[SPEAKER_00]: You're not going to hide or hear, are you?
[SPEAKER_00]: This question brought even Lanzo out of the pain hypnosis of his foot.
[SPEAKER_00]: The idiots followed my gaze around at the
[SPEAKER_00]: and patients caused me to sigh and state the conclusion they were reluctantly heading towards.
[SPEAKER_00]: She lives in a mansion, boys, if you try to hide her here, she'll run right back to midnight.
[SPEAKER_00]: While fatty and his tall friend began to come to this understanding, Max attempted to dismiss it with a princess can hide in the swamp for a time.
[SPEAKER_00]: Lanzai finally spoke beyond the grunting and monoservables that he employed thus far.
[SPEAKER_00]: Perhaps finding out that for his anger he's fooled on the bucket to clear up Max.
[SPEAKER_00]: Do you want this to work or not eat it?
[SPEAKER_00]: If we bring her hair, she'll murder us in our sleep.
[SPEAKER_00]: His tone in the last statement sounded as if she'd be justified in that.
[SPEAKER_00]: Perhaps he'd help.
[SPEAKER_00]: Whether it's from Gilter, simple recognition of the truth, Max held up his hands and act reass to the anger in his friend, we will find some place to take her.
[SPEAKER_00]: Lanzo returned to facing me and I handed him his boot back.
[SPEAKER_00]: Get up, test your way on it.
[SPEAKER_00]: Lanzo rose from the bucket, moved his weight from one foot to the next.
[SPEAKER_00]: He seemed pleased at the results, even giving a tiny hop back and forth, demonstrating the quality of my work.
[SPEAKER_00]: I stood my head nearly brushing the ceiling of the tiny hatch.
[SPEAKER_00]: Okay, that's great.
[SPEAKER_00]: But now the business is settled.
[SPEAKER_00]: You need to go see a real doctor.
[SPEAKER_00]: I took out a note that I had prepared before scribble with the mobile phone number.
[SPEAKER_00]: The one that midnight could give me.
[SPEAKER_00]: I handed it to Max.
[SPEAKER_00]: If you need to get a hold of me, call that number.
[SPEAKER_00]: Max took it.
[SPEAKER_00]: The other two idiots crowding behind him trying to peek at its contents as if
[SPEAKER_00]: I waited for them to finish staring, and when they didn't, in a weird echo of rotella, I asked, and how do I get a hold of you?
[SPEAKER_00]: Max leapt at the question, produced his own mobile, a burner that was about as smart as its owner.
[SPEAKER_00]: I stared at the phone, unsure if he was expecting me to somehow psychically link with it.
[SPEAKER_00]: Again, I let a few moments pass than asked, what's the number?
[SPEAKER_00]: If it weren't for the dim of the room, I would have thought Max blushed with embarrassment.
[SPEAKER_00]: He slapped Fatty shoulder and the other two idiots jumped to begin rummaging around.
[SPEAKER_00]: As if to protect himself from the stupidity, lungs of floated behind me moving closer to the door.
[SPEAKER_00]: I could feel him watching his compatriots scramble around the room, poisoning his corner with a contempt I could sense growing there.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, Algerian was the one who came up with a scrap of paper and a capless ballpoint pen.
[SPEAKER_00]: I took both and scribbled on the number max gave me.
[SPEAKER_00]: Finished still in between the idiots and lawns though.
[SPEAKER_00]: I glanced at the Algerian as it's seen him for the first time.
[SPEAKER_00]: What's your name?
[SPEAKER_00]: There was a hesitation on his part, which showed maybe he was smarter than I suppose, but when the silence in the room stretched on, he answered, Jamal, Jamal, I repeated, then added, it means handsome.
[SPEAKER_00]: I took a moment to study his awkwardly nose and then features,
[SPEAKER_00]: It's a good name for you.
[SPEAKER_00]: You blinked the translation, working its way through his brain, changing his features as it did, his face moving from confusion to doubt, then resolving to an uncertain chuckle as he decided I wasn't ridiculing him.
[SPEAKER_00]: I turned to the rest, I'll equally confused by the exchange.
[SPEAKER_00]: I used that silence to make sure everyone understood their roles going forward.
[SPEAKER_00]: To Max, I said, you figure out where we're going to hide the princess.
[SPEAKER_00]: To Lanzo, get that letter written, make it short.
[SPEAKER_00]: I smiled feeling more like a shark than a Romeo, but sweet.
[SPEAKER_00]: I move to leave, I'll be in touch.
[SPEAKER_00]: I was surprised here, Lonesa moved to follow.
[SPEAKER_00]: I stopped at the door, though, when I heard Max hold Lonesa up.
[SPEAKER_00]: You were going to head out to the factory, you could get cleaned up, find some fun, celebrate.
[SPEAKER_00]: Lonesa pulled his arm away from Max.
[SPEAKER_00]: I must see a doctor.
[SPEAKER_00]: We, Zender's walk to be done.
[SPEAKER_00]: Max nodded in the dimmer the room nearly hiding his disappointment.
[SPEAKER_00]: I exited before the awkwardness of that situation developed into its own inertia.
[SPEAKER_00]: Still mildly surprised when Wanzo pulled up behind me.
[SPEAKER_00]: I churned up the hill wishing I had one of Simon's espresso's or some better idea of where I was going.
[SPEAKER_00]: After we had gotten away from the hutch by a few switchbacks I heard Wanzo ask, what do we do now?
[SPEAKER_00]: I didn't look back to answer him.
[SPEAKER_00]: We do what we said we do.
[SPEAKER_00]: We get naked out and we get the U2 to hell out of town.
[SPEAKER_00]: There was a long silence that I found an inexplicable desire to fill.
[SPEAKER_00]: Perhaps wanting to supplant the disappointment, fear, and betrayal that Lanzo was practically sweating out as we climbed.
[SPEAKER_00]: The only thing he said, though, was, do I truly need to go to hospital?
[SPEAKER_00]: I shrugged.
[SPEAKER_00]: That's up to you.
[SPEAKER_00]: The sutures will dissolve at a week or so, if you keep a clean, you should be fined by then.
[SPEAKER_00]: seeing a doctor wouldn't be a bad idea, though.
[SPEAKER_00]: I stopped to stare up to slope, unable to see the town from here.
[SPEAKER_00]: Not sure what was waiting on the other side of the ballads.
[SPEAKER_00]: But I could be wrong.
[SPEAKER_00]: It was beginning to get dark the last light of the day, cascading down the slope.
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't know what soft spot caused me to, but I asked, you got a place to stay.
[SPEAKER_00]: He nodded and I took a guess.
[SPEAKER_00]: Your uncles, he nodded again.
[SPEAKER_00]: Okay, let's get you there.