When Dead in Greece by L.T. Ryan

said nothing.”
    “And these men who’ve been bothering you?”
    “His guys.”
    “I thought so.” I looked at Alik for a moment, then back at Esau. “What was the arrangement again?”
    Esau was fidgeting with his fingers and hesitated a moment before answering. In a meek voice, he said, “Ten thousand the first year, then twenty each year after.”
    “So not quite the ‘pay it back when you can,’ that you mentioned.”
    “He changed the terms on me.”
    “When?”
    “After Eleni died.”

Chapter 16
    ALIK AND I RETREATED TO our apartment. We only had four or so hours until seven. Until the instructions arrived. We spent an hour scouring the place for anything I could use as a weapon. It had to be something easy to conceal. I was about to walk into a hornet’s nest, dealing with men who worked for one of Greece’s biggest criminals. Damned if I was doing it naked.
    We went over the things Esau had said. It added up, to a point. He spoke of their friendship in a way that nothing could break the bond. I knew what it was like to bleed with a friend. To risk everything to save their life, and have them do the same in return. My old partner Bear could call me any time of day or night, and from anywhere in the world, and I’d show up in a heartbeat even if it meant taking a bullet for him.
    And while a hundred thousand was a lot of money, it sounded like peanuts to Kostas. I could see him shaking down his old friend to instill a bit of fear as payback, but then writing it off as a bad debt and moving on. Why go after Esau like this? Hell, why go after Isadora? If Esau had the money, he’d have paid. There was nothing to gain here.
    “Maybe he’s got the cash somewhere,” I said.
    Alik stopped what he was doing and turned to me. “Why do you say that?”
    “Why else would this guy kidnap Isadora? If Esau can’t pay up, they gotta kill her. What good does that do anyone? Just take him out and be done with it.”
    “They want him to suffer,” Alik said.
    “He’s already lost his wife,” I said.
    “Guess it’s possible he didn’t care about her.”
    “He moved here for her.”
    “I don’t know, Jack. I don’t care. I hate how far this has gone. I think we need to scrap this plan and call the police.”
    “No. We do that, Isadora dies.”
    “We don’t do that and you die. Then her. Then Esau. And maybe me after that. If they don’t get me, Frank Skinner will.”
    “So leave if that’s what you’re afraid of.”
    “I’m not afraid, Jack. I just don’t want to see you killed over something that isn’t your battle.”
    “I’ve made it my battle.”
    “Why?” He held his hands up and had a dumbfounded look on his face.
    “Haven’t you ever found yourself so close to a situation that you took on the problem as your own?”
    “Sure, but with people I knew and cared for.”
    “So maybe I care for Esau.”
    “You and I both know that’s bullshit, Jack.”
    I shrugged. “Maybe you’re right. I do care for Isadora, though.”
    “Why? You hardly know her.”
    “I know her well enough. She reminds me of someone back home. A woman I was entrusted to take care of. A woman I’ve been in and out of love with for years.”
    “And are you in or out right now?”
    “Not sure. Haven’t had time to think about it.”
    Alik laughed. “You’ve had all the time in the world while stuck up here nursing your wounds.”
    I shrugged, said nothing.
    “We should call the cops,” he said.
    “We can’t.”
    “So we do nothing?”
    “No, I go wherever Kostas wants me to go.”
    “Esau hasn’t even agreed. And it sounds like he doesn’t have the money, so what’s the point?”
    “He doesn’t need it.”
    “You think you can take on all these men by yourself?”
    “Probably not.”
    Alik took a seat on the couch. “Then we have to come up with a way for me to follow you.”
    “That could get us all killed.”
    “We’re all dead anyway. Might as well be proactive about it.”
    I crossed