The Lion Tamer (Completed)

Chapter Five - DropDead

The next few days passed slowly for Leo. He was anxious for a new job and he found himself drifting from The Six Shooter to Tag’s, looking for familiar faces that might be able to give him a lead on something John was working on. Maybe he could use a couple of hands. Nothing was really happening on the street right now, and Leo thought that maybe John was laying low for some reason that he wasn’t aware of.
 
But he was getting that fidgety feeling again, the one that always emerged when it was down time.
 
He found himself one night cruising under the El tracks right in the neighborhood that nine-fingered Tim lived and the thought occurred to him to find that wild-eyed whore from the week before…he did have credit with her, after all.
 
After driving around for twenty minutes he spied her and a couple of girls hanging by the corner of 12th and Maskill. She looked like she had just started her night, fresh and bright-eyed and she tossed a cigarette butt into the street when he pulled up.
 
She turned to the other girls and he heard one of them laugh. She then smoothed down her short skirt and walked slowly over to the car. He liked what she chose to wear tonight to catch attention: white lace stockings and heels that added three inches to her. Her hair was teased up in what he considered a total trash style and he liked that as well. Her ample chest was beautifully displayed under a black halter top and was ready to spill out. She came around to the driver’s side and as she caught sight of his face she let her smile drop. She didn’t skip a step, however, and leaned in toward the window. He rolled it down.
 
“Remember me?” he asked and turned down the radio.
 
She reached into her pocket and he was about to pull away in case she was packing but she only removed a pack of cigarettes and lit one with a slightly shaky hand. She blew smoke out and answered in a drone-like voice.
 
“Yeah.”
 
“Remember what I did for you?”
 
She nodded and looked to the other girls who had by now descended on another long car with tinted windows on the opposite corner. She looked back at him and he could see a ghost of that caged expression back on her face and it aroused him.
 
“Get in.”
 
She didn’t answer and walked around the back of the car and opened the passenger door. He told her to lose the cigarette before she got in the car and she tossed it away only half burned onto the street.
 
He could see that she was shivering when she sat down and closed the door. She pulled her arms around her.
 
“Cold?” he asked and pulled slowly away and turned the corner.
 
He found a spot a few blocks away, and tucked the car between two darkened houses that had all of their windows boarded up. A sputtering streetlamp threw shadows down onto the pavement where brown weeds searched for light through the cracks.
 
She never fought, she knew better. He told her to get in the backseat and he watched her in silence for a while in the rear view mirror, enjoying again the anxiety that seeped from her like sweat. Then he got out of the front seat and climbed in the back with her.
 
He didn’t wait for her to take her clothes off and simply pushed her down in the seat and pulled up her skirt, ripping her underwear off. He wasn’t as rough with her as he wanted to be at first. She made no noise and the only sound that he could hear was his own animal grunting. He sounded desperate to himself and he told her to make some sounds and she did, telling him how good he was, and he knew it was all bullshit but it didn’t matter. When he was done he drove her back to her corner and dropped her off, saying he’d be by again to find her. She lit another cigarette and watched his tail lights fade.
 
A couple of nights later, as he was flicking channels on his television the phone rang and when he picked it up he heard the familiar voice of Sam DropDead, the man who handed out the jobs on John’s orders. He had a soft voice, as if he had been trained in his youth the proper way to speak. It was more potent when it came across the phone lines to your ear, hearing that polite and pleasant tone telling you to crack a skull or, as in the case last week, bring him a finger. What did they call that? Was that Irony? Leo didn’t think so as the thought fled his mind.
 
The voice began as soon as Leo answered.
 
“What are you doing tomorrow?”
 
Leo hated that opening question but it was always the first thing DropDead asked you on the phone, as if you might have plans to go to the pictures or something. The question was mute because both voices on the line knew that if DropDead was asking what you were doing tomorrow night the answer was obvious: You were doing something for John. But Leo played his part as he always did.
 
“No plans yet, why?”
 
“We need to talk,” came back the voice, the sound sweet and innocent.
 
“Okay. When?”
 
“Tomorrow morning. Diner on Aramingo. I love their pancakes.” The voice almost sang back to Leo and it sent a shiver down him, way down into his pants.
 
It’s like the guy just wants to be fuckin’ scary. No wonder John signed him on to deliver the jobs.
 
Leo waited.
 
“10 o’clock,” the soft tone said and then Leo heard a click.
 
That night he called Tommy and Quiet Danny and said that they would be working again soon. They needed to be ready when he called. Tommy sounded excited and Danny said little other than, “Thanks, Leo” and hung up.
 
He slept soundly that night now that the next few hours and days had a plan to them. But the nagging thought in his head was always there after the call DropDead: what was he going to be asked to do?
 
He thought to call Eddie but decided to wait until he knew exactly where this new job would take them.
 
The next morning he pulled up to the Philly Grill and Diner and walked in the front door. He spied DropDead sitting alone behind a plate stacked with pancakes. His long coat was hanging from a hook near the booth he was sitting in. DropDead had a boys face to match his voice, it was pale and round and he was already losing his blonde hair, although he looked too young for it. His eyes were small and blue and the attempt at a moustache decorated his lip.
 
Leo sat down across from him, removing his scarf and throwing it on the bench next to him.
 
DropDead kept his focus on the pile of round cakes, drizzling blueberry syrup across the stack and then lifting each on individually to make sure it reached everywhere. A pat of butter slid off the side, leaving a golden streak across the top. A waitress came by and took his order for coffee, nothing else.
 
“John liked the job you did with Timmy,” DropDead said as he slid his knife in between each cake and slathered more butter.
 
Watching him eat pancakes was like watching a master craftsman, thought Leo. He remained silent, however, waiting for DropDead to take the lead. He still hadn’t looked up and Leo thought that was really fuckin’ rude, but, then again, this guy was in all likelihood a psychopath. Just watching him make love to his pancakes could convince anyone of that.
 
“He especially liked the Crown Royal bag. That he laughed at, said it made him feel like a king or some shit like that. Funny, huh?”
 
Leo nodded without realizing it. It wasn’t his intention but he was glad that he made John laugh.
 
DropDead plunged a fork into the stack and began eating in earnest. He looked up at Leo and smiled. His pale blue eyes seemed vacant over the smile and that made Leo squirm inside, as if there wasn’t a soul inside his body.
 
“So,” Leo started carefully, “does John have something for me?”
 
“Yeah,” DropDead answered, while looked down at his plate and nodding, “You and that half-assed crew of yours. He said he wants it to be delicate, though. Another kid that owes some shit to him and he wants you to drive the point home, if you know what I mean.” He stuffed more of the golden cake into his speaking mouth and paused to chew and swallow. Leo took a slow sip of his coffee and waited.
 
“No fingers this time, though. This kid isn’t a stupid fuck like that Timmy guy, but all the same he needs to have a wake up call. He’s hiding out in a place with some friends in West Chester and thinks nobody knows. We know. One of his own buddies called us as soon as he got there and told us, looking for some pay. We paid him, but where is the loyalty, you know?”
 
DropDead looked directly at Leo again with some same watery blue eyes of his and waited.
 
“There is no loyalty anymore, I guess,” he finally answered.
 
DropDead considered the words and nodded before finishing his pancakes. He wiped his hands and pulled a small piece of blue paper from his shirt pocket.
 
“Here is the address,” he said and slid the paper across to Leo. “Kid’s name is Evan and don’t worry about his friends, they’ll scatter as soon as you show up. College kids, and no doubt a bunch of pussies. Here’s what the kid looks like,” and he produced a tiny color photo. He handed it to Leo who looked it over and placed it in his wallet.
 
DropDead got up and lifted his coat off the hook nearby. He reached in his pocket and threw some bills on the table.
 
Leo held up his hand. “What am I supposed to do? Am I supposed to walk out of there with some money or something? Does he owe?”
 
DropDead rolled his eyes. “Too many fuckin’ questions, man. I told you…”
 
“No, you didn’t…” Leo started. He saw flash of dark anger cross DropDead’s face. It quickly disappeared and he thought for a moment. He smiled that killer smile again and leaned in close to Leo.
 
“I’m sorry, friend, you are probably right. In all the excitement I must have forgotten, so here is your assignment for your piece of shit crew. Ready, daddy?”
 
Leo nodded but didn’t move.
 
“Make sure this kid knows that we know where he is, but don’t break nothin’, okay? John just wants to send a message so do everything but. Have some fun with it, use your imagination, but don’t go too far. I would advise against bringing that ape brother of yours along.”
 
Leo could see all of DropDead’s pearly teeth in his wide smile and the thought came to him that he never wanted to be alone in a room with this guy, this fuckin’ lunatic.
 
“Coffee is on me,” he finished and put on his hat and left.
 
Leo finished his coffee and walked out to his car.