Greg smirked. “He will. I’ll call some people in the city. They’ll make it happen.” Razor nodded. “Got it.” Greg went back into the barn. Zip was on the floor, breathing heavily. Slim was sitting by the wall, clutching his knee.
Vinnie was hanging from the chain, unconscious. Greg nodded to Vince. “Get Zip up.” Vince grabbed Zip by the collar and stood him up. He could barely stand, swaying. His arm was hanging at an odd angle, definitely broken. His face was swollen, a dark bruise under his eye.
Greg stepped closer. “Listen carefully. I’m only saying this once.” Zip nodded, not looking up. “You’re leaving now. Go to a hospital, get your arm fixed. Tell them you fell, it was an accident. Not a word about me, the barn, or what happened here. Got it?”
“Got it,” Zip rasped. “After the hospital, you leave the state. For good. If I see you here again, there won’t be a second chance. If I find out you talked, I’ll find you. And the next talk will be very short.” Zip nodded frantically.
“I won’t say a word. To anyone. I’m gone.” “Get out.” Vince opened the door and shoved Zip out. He stumbled out, swaying, holding his arm. Greg watched him go. Zip reached the gate and walked onto the road. The car was still there. He got in the driver’s seat and started it.
He drove off, leaving a cloud of dust. Greg turned to Slim. “Stand up.” Slim rose, leaning against the wall. He was limping. His face was a mess of dirt and tears. Greg walked over. “Ian, do you understand why this happened?” Slim nodded.
“Yes. We crossed the line. I shouldn’t have been with Vinnie.” “Right. You’re weak. You followed the guy who seemed strong. Но strength without honor is nothing. Vinnie seemed strong, but he’s a snitch. And a snitch always loses.” Slim was silent.
Greg continued. “You have a chance. One. Leave the state today. Find a job, a real one. Live quietly. If you ever meet someone who offers you easy money through crime, remember this day. Remember sitting here in the barn, wondering if you’d ever walk out.”
“I will. I will.” Slim wiped his face with his sleeve. “I’m done with that life, I swear.” “Go.” Slim walked out, limping. Greg watched him go. He reached the gate and looked back once. Greg was standing in the barn doorway, watching.
Slim lowered his head and kept walking. He disappeared around the bend. Razor closed the barn door. It was just the three of them now. Greg, Razor, Vince. Vinnie was hanging from the chain, breathing. He’d be out for another half hour. “I’m calling Monty,” Greg said.
“We need him to flag Vinnie for an old warrant. An old case that never closed. Or a new one, doesn’t matter. Just so the cops take him.” Razor nodded. “What if they don’t buy it?” “They will. Monty knows who to talk to. He’s got connections.”
Greg walked out of the barn and pulled out his phone. He dialed. Monty picked up on the second ring. “Ghost, what’s the word?” “The word is good. I caught the snitch. Now I need a favor.” “I’m listening.” “Vincent Kovacs, Vinnie. I need him flagged.”
“Old case or new, doesn’t matter. I need the cops to pick him up tonight.” Monty was silent. “I can do that. He actually has an old warrant out of Pittsburgh. Armed robbery from 2006. The witnesses didn’t show, so the case went cold. I’ll wake it up, tell the right people. He’ll be in the system by tonight.”
“Perfect.” “What’d you do to him?” “Taught him a lesson. He’s in the barn. Waiting for the cops. I’ll call them after eight. By then, the warrant should be active.” “Got it. He knows who you are?” “He knows.”
“Then he’s done for inside. Once the word gets out that he tried to shake down a Chairman, the elders will handle it. They’ll decide his fate.” “That’s the plan.” Greg put out his cigarette. “A snitch has to pay.”
“Ghost, you sure about this? We could just make him disappear. Quietly. No one would know.” Greg paused. “No, killing is a last resort. I don’t kill out here unless I have to. Let the system judge him. They’ll do it right.”
“Copy that. Everything will be ready by tonight. Call 911 after eight. The warrant will be live by then.” They hung up. Greg went back into the barn. Vinnie was awake now. He was blinking, groaning. He saw Greg and shrank back.
“You! You’re still here!” “I’m here.” Greg sat on a crate opposite him. “Zip and Slim are gone. You’re the only one left.” Vinnie trembled. “What? What are you going to do to me?” “Nothing. You’re just going to sit here until tonight. Then the cops are coming. They’re taking you.”
“The cops?” Vinnie didn’t understand. “Why?”…
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