Scroll 2.0

“Can I buy you a drink?”

Rosie looked the guy over and nodded. Not wanting to spend more time than necessary with the sleazy mark, she tapped a heel of her stiletto boots against her stool to get Thor ready for action.

“As long as you aren’t married or a frat boy looking for an easy lay, you can buy me a drink. If you’re one or the other, you can fuck off.”

“I assure you, I’m neither married nor a frat boy.”

“Then I’d love another rum and coke.” The man called over the bartender and gave his order for two Cuba Libres. Thor was listening to every word of their conversation through his earpiece.

The drinks arrived and the man pulled a hundred dollar bill out of his wallet, making sure Rosie saw that there were more where that bill came from. As the man started to hand the bill to the bartender, Rosie grabbed his arm. Pulling the hundred from his fingers, Rosie looked him in the eye and said, “Let’s go back to the hotel.”

The mark blinked and a smile spread over his face. Rosie pulled her knife and laid it on the bar. “Honey, it ain’t that kind of trip.”

The mark’s eyes widened in surprise and he turned to run, but fell over a bar stool and went down. He scrambled up from the ground and sprinted for the back door of the hotel.

Thor was around the bar in seconds, all pretense of drunkenness gone. He saw Eros and Smooth coming at the mark from both sides. Right behind them were four security guards, drawn by the sudden movements.

“Smooth, Eros, I need you to do something about those guards. Cause a little commotion. I’ve got the mark,” Thor said.

He saw them both turn and run at the two pairs of guards. The guards had no idea what was coming for them. Thor kind of felt sorry for them.

Twenty yards from the hotel doors, Thor caught up with the mark. He threw himself at the guy and tackled him to the ground. They rolled around on the ground, each trying to get a grip on the other. Thor was stronger, but the mark was fueled by pure desperation. The mark threw Thor off of him and Thor found himself looking down the barrel of a pistol.

“Who the fuck sent you?” demanded the mark. Thor raised his hands.

“We sent ourselves.”

“Do not lie to me. I will blow your goddamn head off if you don’t tell me who sent you.” Thor’s eyes flicked over the mark’s left shoulder for a split second before again staring the mark down. An arm holding a knife wrapped around the mark’s neck from behind, the point digging into his neck enough to draw a bead of blood.

“Drop the gun or I’ll cut your throat and pull your tongue through the hole. Give you a nice little necktie.” The mark sagged and let the gun dangle from his index finger. Rosie reached around and grabbed the pistol.

“Thanks, Rosie. Let’s get this guy inside.” Rosie stood by the door for sentry duty. Thor grabbed the mark and pushed him through the door, making sure the mark knew he had a gun in his hand. “Guys, bring it in. Meet me around front. We’re going home.”

Thor marched the mark through the hotel, into the entrance hall, and out the front doors. No one blinked at Thor holding a pistol to the guy’s back. The valet was waiting outside by the black Suburban.

“The desk clerk told me to bring your car around and leave it running.” He looked at the pistol pointed at the mark. “Will you be requiring any more assistance?” Thor shook his head and took the mark’s wallet out of his pocket. He threw the valet a hundred dollar bill and opened the back door to the truck. God was already in the seat, waiting patiently. Thor threw the mark onto the seat and handed God the pistol.

Eros and Smooth burst out of the hotel doors. Smooth jumped into the truck on the other side of the mark, pulling his own pistol. Eros got behind the wheel and cranked up the Diana Ross song on the radio. Thor got into the passenger seat and looked around behind him.

“Guys, where’s Rosie?

“What’re you talking about?” said Eros. “She ran into the hotel right behind you.”

“Something’s wrong,” said Thor.

Smooth reached over Thor’s left shoulder and pointed out the windscreen. “You’re damn right something’s wrong.”

Rosie stood in front of the truck, next to a leggy blonde aiming a Stinger missile at Thor. The feral look on her face terrified (and excited) each of the men. Rosie slowly sauntered over to Thor’s side of the truck and rapped on the window with a knuckle. Thor lowered the window and stuck his head out. “Sorry, I’m fresh out of Grey Poupon,” he said.

Before he could react, Rosie smacked him behind the ear with a blackjack. Thor slumped, his head still hanging out of the truck. Eros slowly moved his hand to the edge of the seat. His fingers wrapped around the handle of the .45 concealed there. Rosie stuck a submachine gun through the window, resting it on Thor’s head.

“Now, Eros, that wouldn’t be very nice. This little thing here is an MP-9 with a top-loading magazine of depleted-uranium hollow-points. If you didn’t insist on that silly little Colt, you’d know that my gun could cut you in half in under a second. So why don’t you just sit back and enjoy the show.”

Rosie kept the MP-9 pointed at Eros while she reached for the handle on Smooth’s door. She opened it and, using it as cover, moved the gun to target Smooth. “I’ll be taking our new friend here.” Smooth didn’t budge. “Now. Or I’ll have our associate blow us all to hell.” Smooth grabbed the mark’s arm and nearly threw him out the door. Rosie caught him as he stumbled.

“Sit here like nice boys until I’m back inside. Try anything and I’ll kill you all.” Rosie frog-marched the mark back inside the hotel.

“What are you going to do to me?” whimpered the mark.

“We, my good man, are going to make lots of money together.”