Tonight’s assignment had come on short notice. As the van rolled by, he and his team scanned the line of people waiting to get inside the Nightfall club. Those gathered far exceeded the number Vinnie expected could be let in because of fire codes. Energy and excitement radiated from the crowd. Security was in force around those in line. No one seemed willing to risk getting tossed out.
“Popular place,” one guy commented from the other side of the van.
Vinnie snorted. “Yeah, they should have coughed up the tax, so they could stay in business.” He motioned down theroad to the driver, “Pull over a couple of blocks away. We’ll walk in from there. You’ll hang here in the van. Be ready to take off immediately if we come in hot.” The driver nodded and eased the van to a halt.
As Vinnie reached for the door handle, he gave them one last reminder of the mission, “Let’s do this! Remember, no one dies. Wound only this trip. We’re here to send a message. Go in hard but hold back. Today our goal is to convince them to pay for protection. If they don’t wise up, this won’t be our last shot at these people. We can turn our vengeance loose then.”
With that, the team piled out onto the street. They walked briskly toward the club and took places at the end of the line. The queue of those waiting moved steadily forward at a good pace. Vinnie chatted up a group of women ahead of him to pass the time. “I’ve been told this is the party spot to enjoy in this town. Do you all come here often?”
One of the bolder women checked him out and smiled. “It’s only open on Friday and Saturday nights, but Nightfall is unique. No place is like this nightclub anywhere in the city! You must be new in town.”
Vinnie smiled back. “Yeah, me and the guys are in the city for a project and heard about it from one of the local ladies at the office.” Scrolling through his phone for a picture of Alessia, he held the device up so everyone could look. “Maybe you’ve seen her?”
The women leaned in to see the image better. “Yeah, I think I have,” one said. “She resembles a girl who hangs out with the bar manager inside. He’s a total hunk.”
The other women nodded in agreement, and another spoke up, “They seem pretty tight.”
Vinnie shrugged with indifference but filed that bit of information away for his report to Frankie later. Interesting. Nobody had seen her since she disappeared. This club keptraising more questions. “I don’t know anything about her personal life. She’s someone I met in the break room a while back who was nice enough to give me the tip about this place. Small world, I guess.”
The would-be attendees inside the velvet-roped line had finally advanced to the employee screening for entry stamps. There, the woman Vinnie had chatted with first gave him a quick, coy smile as she showed security the glowing moon on her wrist. The Nightfall employee sent her on to the line on the right.
Vinnie’s flirty new friend glanced back at him and said, “Maybe we’ll see you inside?”
When he returned her smile and answered, “Maybe,” she disappeared through the door.
“First time?” the security guard guessed.
Vinnie pushed up his sleeve, revealing the carefully crafted fake Nightfall logo. He scanned the woman’s face, watching for any telltale reaction to the mark that would signal to him she recognized the stamp wasn’t real. Her eyes, mouth, and expression didn’t twitch at all. She waved Vinnie and his crew toward the door behind her before turning to face to the next people in line.
Guessing that they alternated between the three roped-off lanes, Vinnie led the way to the door. The barrier opened automatically when he reached it. Inside, he found two large, athletic men standing on either side of the doorway and a slender woman seated behind a hostess desk past the door. The woman looked over Vinnie and his men as they approached with a smile, “Welcome to Nightfall! Is this your first visit with us?”
Vinnie smiled, even though a thread of concern zinged through him. This was supposed to be the way returning guests entered. Frankie had told them about the club stampand how they had snatched one of the bar’s patrons off the street as they headed to their car so they could duplicate it. Had they seen through the fake stamps?
Vinnie bluffed. “No. We returned to town and decided we had to check if we’d imagined how phenomenal Nightfall had been.”
“Wonderful! We’re glad to see you again. If you would present your marks under the light here by the desk as you pass, you can go right in. Enjoy your evening at Nightfall!”
“Thank you.” Vinnie pushed up the sleeve of his jacket, presented his wrist under the blacklight, and strode through the open door. His men each did the same as they all filed through the door and the metal detectors beyond. When they’d passed through the screening, Vinnie breathed a sigh of relief.Step one complete. We’re in.
Once through the detectors, the staff indicated they should continue down a short hallway to the entrance. That doorway led into a large room. Vinnie could hear the thrum of music through the walls. This was the anteroom that the first scout told Mr. Costa about. He waved the men past him, saying softly, “Almost showtime, boys. Be ready,” as he gathered himself to burst into the main club and attack.
“Showtime?”
Vinnie tensed as a growling voice sounded behind him. He turned to see a massive hulk of an employee closing the door to the room behind him, shutting them inside together. From the description Frankie had given him, Vinnie had an idea who the guy was. Already on edge from the man’s actions, Vinnie studied the hulking figure for weaknesses. This guy was the one Frankie had spotted—the head of security.
We’re busted, Vinnie thought as he steeled himself to meet the big man’s gaze. “What’s the deal? We’re here to party, man! I don’t remember getting stopped by you people last time.”
Marcus chuckled. The laughter wasn’t a pleasant, cheerful sound. “Last time? Come now. Let’s not play games. None of you have ever been here before. Those stamps you showed were good, but they’re not ours.”
Vinnie tried once more, moving toward the big man and baring his arm to show the faded stamp. “I don’t know what to tell you, man. I got this when I was here before.” The move put him almost within striking range of the man blocking his escape.I’ll only have one shot at this, but taking him out won’t be easy.
Bram’s voiceechoed through Marcus’s mind like warm silk.I’ve hacked their phones. They’re the Costa’s men. That guy is Vinnie, one of the enforcers. I checked the scans when they entered as well. They only have hand weapons, no guns. The cameras outside show they have a driver close by in a van ready for their getaway.
“Now that brings back memories.” Marcus gave him a cold smile that chilled Vinnie to the bone.
“Oh, so you remember us being here before.” Vinnie scoffed.
Marcus leaned against the door and appeared like he couldn’t care less about the situation they were in. That eased him out of arm’s reach from Vinnie. Marcus wasn’t worried about the foe in front of him but didn’t want to encourage the enforcer. “Evidently, Enzo has not taken my last warning to heart. I will have to send him another.”
