I take the handle in my fist – that cold, rough chrome feeling; metal on the verge of rust – and lift the brief case from the grate. Beyond all this steel surrounding me are towers of glowing, hazy lights. The roar of the city is immense, but it is all together far away. It is the collection of sirens, horns, whistles, and screams all tossed into the rushing wind. There is about three hundred million dollars worth of diamonds in this case; giant unpolished stones. The thing is heavy – heavier than I ever dreamed it would be. It's not too heavy. It's just fucking right.
I turn to the elevator. Locks of my long red hair beat around in my face in a rage with the gusts. At this high altitude, one's nose might bleed. Mine might bleed because of how rich I'd be once I brought these stones back to Crown Jewel. I can't even hear my own foot steps. Huge crates full of supplies are all over the place, sitting between the I-beams on grates. The elevator seems to get farther away the more I walk. I have such a wide smile on my face. Victory. Unbridled victory.
Finally, I get close enough to see that the big red cables are moving through the mesh of the screen. I stop dead in my tracks. Someone just had to come and check up on me. I know Dakota wouldn't miss out on this; so he had someone tapping our connections. I reach for the 9 mil' from its holster. I extend the silver firearm at the gate, waiting for the shrouded faces of who knows how many hit men to appear. The creaking metal of the elevator shaft gets louder. I'm shaking from the cold of the wind, and like an idiot, I forget to stash the case somewhere. Maybe I could drop it off. No, the edge is too far away.
There it is, the open box of the elevator. The men are all lined up in their suits, automatics drawn. I let loose, cracking shots through the mesh like a mad man. Sparks spray everywhere as each bullet pierces the screen. I hear a faint wail over the roar of the wind and the ring in my ears. Small shells bounce off the floor at my feet.
Suddenly, it's all still and silent. The red, grated walls of the elevator hide the blood well – it looks like someone splashed water all over it. Another sound emanates from inside. I fumble around in my coat for another clip, but still won't drop the God damn diamonds. A shotgun cocks nearby. I don't even look up; I just duck and cover my head, no time to bolt. Fuck, I am dead. I am fucking dead.
This little, feeble female hum mingles with the wind and I look up, eyes red and throat sore from all the gunpowder that just puffed into my face. There stands a tan-skinned woman wearing a slim business suit of some kind. There's bright red blood spattered against her chest around the swell of her breasts. The blood clashes with her Irish red hair. The mane is cropped, hanging about her shoulders and short about her face. Her navy skirt runs to a place just above her knees. In her hands is a 20-gauge shot gun, pointed right at me. I panic, staring at this beautiful assassin. She has a sleek face. Her smooth cheeks, chin and brow all go great with her full crimson lips. She's smiling at me, one of her thin eyebrows at an arch.
"You had me scared for a moment." She mocks in that pitiful, high pitched voice. The resonance of her voice is that of a sixteen-year-old, yet from the look of her, she's easily twenty-five. Huh. For her attire and her gun, I would right away guess a deeper, more demanding one. She wobbles the gun, gesturing for me to stand up. I do.
"You got blood on my suit." She mentions casually.
"That's your second problem." I reply.
"The first being?"
"You forgot to share."
Her smile grows a little and she glances at the briefcase through her sexy, oval glasses. They're almost invisible. I just now notice them sitting lightly on the bridge of her nose. She talks again. "Is that what I think it is?"
"Three hundred or more, honey" I remark.
"Mmm. That's a lot. But I suppose you beat me to it."
My upper lip arches. "Don't fuck around. Tell me Dakota didn't buy you over when I was away."
She steps toward me, her high-heels somehow not impairing her movement over the steel grate any. That's skill. Her gun is aimed right at my chest. Her features get a little more discernable. This vixen is astounding. My kind of girl. Her lips part sensually.
"I wasn't instructed to take these diamonds, dad", she whispers, though I can hear her above the wind now, "I was instructed to kill you."
"You're going to take them either way, dear. I know how much you like pretty things."
She bites her lower lip. "There are men at the bottom waiting. Dakota's men. Your body falls off. When they find it, they will know I'm done, and when I come down unarmed, and without the case, they let me go."
I smirk. I knew this would be the day I would die. I knew she would kill me eventually too. Not like this though, but I always told myself 'Crow, your daughter is going to kill you'.
"Throw me off, huh?" I say, "Inventive. Why won't they let you get the case?"
"If I go down with it, they'll shoot me to death. Dakota doesn't like me very much."
She touched the end of the barrel of her gun against my sternum, a coy smile on her face.
I run my tongue behind my lower lip. "Couldn't quite get him to bed, could you?"
Her smile seemed to grow a little. "Dad, that's mean. Dakota doesn't like me because I work for Crown Jewel, just like you."
Did I hear her right? She's working for Crown Jewel? THE Crown Jewel? What the hell? I've know that old bastard for over twenty years. I knew my little girl would pick the right figures; but what the fuck did he want her to do again? My family friendly smile just wanes away.
"Oh, Grace baby", I murmur, "He wants you to succeed me or what?"
She reaches into a little pocket against that wide hip of hers, still smiling. From it, a little metal case emerges. I wouldn't dare try to sweep the gun from her. My hands are still a little tied up, and she has always been quick. I take a moment to look at the case. Holy shit – the second most valuable thing in the world. I gave that thing to Crown as a gift; it was originally from my dad. He gave it to her as proof. You have got to be fucking kidding me. My face twists with rage and disbelief.