Dressed in a heat-retardant jumpsuit, CJ donned a mask. “Gonna get hot. Better step against the back wall.”
He and Barbi did as instructed.
CJ lined the stretcher up to the opening, then pressed a button. The body moved toward the inferno.
“This is bad,” Barbi murmured as the Bratva disappeared into hell’s fire.
CJ shut and locked the door. He pulled off his mask, walked over to the computer and set a timer. “This one’s gonna take a while. He’s a big boy.”
“How long?” Gabriel asked.
“It’s been years since I’ve had someone that large,” CJ said, “but I’ll estimate six hours.”
Gabriel pulled out a wad of cash, counted it fast, and handed all but twenty to CJ. “Three-hundred.”
“Much obliged. You can wait in the outer room.” He glanced at Barbi who was fixated on the inferno. “Can’t stay in here, ‘cause it gets too hot. I’ll be in my office.” He pointed to a closed door.
It was quarter to six in the morning.
“We should wait for a while,” she said.
“You from Poland, maybe Bulgaria?” CJ asked.
“Yes,” Barbi replied.
CJ smirked “Alrighty. Make yourselves at home. Knock if you need anything. I got cold waters. You two look like you could use ‘em.”
“Please,” Barbi said.
CJ vanished into his office, returning with two unopened bottles. “Bathroom’s right through there.” Then he pointed to the corners of the ceiling. “I got cameras, so leave whenever.”
As Barbi lowered her head, she shook it slowly.
She’s not okay. Help her out.
Gabriel took the water, thanked CJ. After CJ moseyed into his office and shut the door, Gabriel handed her a bottle. She opened it, guzzled half.
“I’ve got to get home to change—” she said.
“You sure? You’d make quite an impression if you showed up for work in that.”
Her lips twitched as if she wanted to smile, but none came. “My boss is expected today. I don’t want to leave yet, but I can’t be late.”
“Can you let someone know you won’t be in ‘til later?”
She shook her head.
After downing the bottle, she said, “I’ll figure something out.”
They retreated into the outer waiting room. She said very little, mostly paced back and forth. Kept checking her watch. She’d become more jittery than during the ambush or its aftermath.
After they’d been there an hour, she said, “I can’t stay, but I don’t trust CJ. He has our faces on video. He could stop the cremation?—”
“And do what with the badly burned body?” Gabriel asked.
“Blackmail us,” she blurted.
“How ‘bout this? I’ll run you home, return here and wait. Give me your number?—”
