Sunday Morning- Zero Dark Thirty am

Dan’s ringing phone woke him in his safe apartment. He rubbed his eyes and answered.

“Hello?”

“Boss Dan, it’s Pauly. It’s five-thirty am. I’ll be there in twenty.”

“Good, thanks, Pauly.” Click!

He hung up and pulled himself out of bed with a stretch. Outside his window, the sun barely cracked the morning skyline. Dan lifted his phone and called a private number. He closed his eyes while the phone rang, until.

“Good morning, Mr. Capra,” Rica greeted on the other line. He could tell she’d been up for a while.

“Good morning, Rica. Were you waiting for my call?”

“Of course. You said you’d call me, hee!” she replied.

“Yeah, I did,” Dan checked the time and took a breath. “Rica, you do understand what I want to accomplish, right? What I’m doing, right?”

“Eh?” Rica muttered, pausing before she continued, “Oh, I see now. You're worried about my mother and what she thinks of you, aren’t you Mr. Capra?”

“Hmm” He shook his head, “You’re a perceptive young lady.”

“Yes, I am,” she giggled, “And I perceive you called me this early for the affirmation that all men need to proceed with whenever a woman strikes them down? Hmm? So I’m safe in saying you need a woman like me to affirm your logic and tell you that you’re doing a good job and pat you on the head? Nya, Mr. Capra?”

Dan nodded, Jeez, this little girl. She already gets how truly simple every man on earth is. Did Reyna train her this well? The answer to all your questions is, “Yes.”

“Heh, I figured as much,” she snickered. “Mr. Capra, everything you’ve done until now demonstrates that you are a soldier and a mathematician. You have compassion for life yet view it as collateral, percentages, and probabilities. You see the enemy as a snake with a head and believe that if you circle this snake, bribe his allies, buy off his people, cut off his business...in a short time you’ll eventually have a bloodless coup and Lazlo and his guys will disappear with the little money you allot to them. And in the vacuum of power, Tara will take over all the territory with as little violence as possible. Sort of like a nation-building exercise. Something you learned in the army. Am I right?”

Dan listened to her dead accurate analysis and defended himself. “Rica, how many people did we turn away from Lazlo just this weekend? How many shooters? How many killers defected after Friday? How many Rica?”

“A lot, Mr. Capra. You paid a lot of killers to simply go away.”

“And what would’ve happened if I didn’t offer those men that option?”

“My mother and Tara would've murdered them all, Mr. Capra! Every one of them. Cold-blooded direct contracts. So yes, if you want me to affirm that you saved a lot of lives, and seriously crippled Lazlo and his crew, then I will because you did.” She stated matter of fact.

Dan gulped. “But Rica, you sound as if this isn’t a good thing?”

A long silence.

“Mr. Capra, deep down you’re just a sweetheart, aren’t you?”

He lowered his head, “Who knows.”

“Hey, that’s my line!” she chuckled, “But anyway if we're just going by your value system, your number system, your humanity. Then yes, I would say you accomplished your goal, at least to this point. However, you need to remember who you’re dealing with when you talk to me, my mom, Tara, or Lazlo.”

Dan blinked and Rica continued.

“You see, Mr. Capra, we don’t perceive numbers the way you do. Where you see real numbers as people with motives and all of that humanist bullshit you learned in college, we don’t see any of that! We only see zeros and ones. Yes and no, black and white. To us, in our world, a person is either a target or they are not. It’s that simple!”

He didn’t answer right away, but he understood. He understood he was fighting an insurgent war the way the army trained him. He understood that his concepts, principles, and values of humanity, rules of engagement, and viable face-saving options for enemies were the delusions of a chess player at a poker table. But he always knew that.

“Rica?”

“Yes?”

“Do you think I should have taken the money and ran? Maybe just hired your mom to wipe out everyone while I hid in Thailand?”

“Haha! Mr. Capra. Well, if you went that route things would’ve taken longer and been a lot more bloody and I doubt we'd have rescued all those girls. But that route would have been the cheaper and safer alternative for you, and only you.”

“Yes, I know,” he muttered.

“However!” she snapped, “I think your plan was and is a good one. A dangerous one, but good. And the fact that you’re quarterbacking this head-on. From the front, like a real man, oi~” She paused, “It’s what turns me on about you, Mr. Capra. You don’t waiver or back down, you just walk straight through like a Boss! And I love you for it, hee hee!”

He blushed, “Err, Rica, I meant-”

“Dan, has it ever occurred to you my mom doesn’t like your plan for the simple fact that you could be killed, and she doesn’t want that?”

“What?” His eyes widened, “I don’t think your mom views me as much more than a boy toy.”

“Hahaha! Mr. Capra, you make me laugh. But it’s ok, I don’t blame you for thinking that way. My mother is quite the condescending vixen who pretends she has no feelings for anyone.”

“Well, you say she’s pretending.”

“Dan, you’re making me jealous right now, you talking about my mom. But believe me, when I tell you, she’s just worried about you, that’s all.”

Dan smirked, “Yeah? Seems she wants me to go away so she can fight my battle.”

“I think you’re right. But that would be a coward's way out, wouldn’t it? Besides, she’ll be ok because she doesn’t need to worry about you,” said Rica.

“Eh? Why not?” he asked.

“Because God takes care of fools and babies, Dan.”

He backed up insulted, “I don’t think I’m a-”

“Baby? No, you’re not, haha~”

“Eh?” He grit his teeth, “What’s your point?”

“My point is that you forgot what I told you the day we left the deli together.”

He shut his eyes and recalled the day, “No, I didn’t forget.”

“No? So what did I say to you, Mr. Capra?”

“You told me that you’d protect me.”

“That’s right, I did, and I've been doing that. And yes, you are a fool, Mr. Capra. But a sweet fool walking a dangerous path. And I’m not religious at all. But I know I’m your divine intervention. Your deus ex machina and I know you believe me because at this point-” She paused “At this point, you know who I am, and you know what I do. Don’t you?”

“Yes, that’s why I called you,” he answered.

“Hm hm hm, sweet Daniel, of course, it’s why you called me. And now that I’ve satisfied your question, please get off the phone, because I need to get dressed, hm hm hm!” Click! She hung up.

Dan put his phone down, and smiled, beaming with confidence.

Thanks, Rica.

Two Hours Later

Emil Chedomir, the third boss allied with Lazlo Kenny, and Leo Varbic arrived at the Cafe Bleu diner in the north Bronx. He sat alone at an outside table in the warm morning sun. Four of his well-armed goons hovered around the eatery, keeping vigilant watch over their boss.

Once Emil settled himself, he pulled out his phone and made a call to one of his partners, Lazlo Kenny.

“Hello, Lazlo?” said Emil.

“Emil! Good morning my friend, how are you?” Lazlo asked.

Emil nodded, “Not so good after Friday night. I lost all of my prostitution businesses, all of my money is gone, and now the cops are going after my gambling spots. So how do you think I’m feeling Lazlo?”

“Emil! What do you want me to tell you? We are having the same problem, but fortunately, I know who the solution to our problem is and where he will be today.”

“Ahh the accountant mathematician? Dan Capra? The single man causing this uproar, ehh Lazlo?” Emil asked.

“That is correct, Emil. But don’t worry, soon things will go back to the way they were.”

Emil shook his head. “Sure they will. But Lazlo, let me ask you a question. Where is our other partner, Leo Varbic? I have not heard from him since Friday?"

Lazlo hesitated, “I don’t know where he is. I haven't heard from him either.”

Emil squinted, “That surprises me, being how close you two are. But Lazlo, you don’t think he turned against us, do you?”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Emil. Leo is loyal, he wouldn’t betray us!”

Emil paused, “Right, you mean he wouldn’t betray you, eh Lazlo?”

“Emil, what are you saying?”

“Nothing, old friend. I’m just asking if you’ve seen Leo. That’s all. Goodbye.” Click!

Emil hung up the phone with a scowl. And as he glanced at the sidewalk, a handsome young man walked toward his table with a big bodyguard at his side. Emil smiled and stood up as the man approached.

“Mr. Emil Chedomir?”

“Yes, I’m him.”

“Thank you for accepting my invite this morning, Mr. Chedomir. I’ll make it worth your while. Oh, forgive me, I didn’t introduce myself. ” The young man extended his hand to Emil. “My name is Daniel, Daniel Capra. And it's a pleasure to finally meet you, Mr. Chedomir.”

….