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shears sliced through the gristle as if it were cheese. They snapped together as the blades folded and Jessie tried to cry out, but a gloved hand stifled the scream.
    “The code, Jessie, or it’s your nose next.”
    “Tell him the code, Jessie!” Leon shouted from a few yards away. He had seen enough. “It’s not your gear anyway, and we’ll square it with the Turks. Just tell the bastards the code!”
    “Leon’s right, Jessie,” Jinx nodded. “Tell them the code, and we’ll handle the Turks. We’ll tell them the gear was stolen.”
    “They’ll kill me, Jinx.” A tear ran down Jessie’s face. He was in pain, but he wasn’t going to let them see him as a jabbering wreck. He tried hard not to cry but he was in agony.
    “Jessie, listen to me. Tell them the code and we will deal with the Turks. I promise you.” Jinx spoke slowly and calmly. He looked Jessie in the eyes to convince him it was the only thing to do. The sooner the gunmen got what they had come for, the better. He wanted them gone.
    “It’s the same code as the safe,” Jessie hissed through clenched teeth. Under different circumstances, it would have been embarrassing to admit that he used the same code, but right now he didn’t care. His memory wasn’t great so he used the same four digits for everything; the safes, his credit card and pin-number, even the lock on his bike.
    “Got it,” the second gunman shouted from behind the ice machine. He stuffed the packages of white powder into a sports bag and moved to cover the kneeling gangsters as they backed away toward the cellar door.
    “Goodnight, gents. You men peddle filth in my city, and so you can look at this as compensation for the shit you cause. We will remove your stocks and money, and take the wealth you make from selling this shit. It’s been emotional but also a pleasure doing business with you. The cellar door is booby trapped, by the way, so I wouldn’t try to follow us if I were you. Oh, and for your information, I will be seeing you again.”
    The door slammed shut after the gunmen and the gangsters moved as one unit. They ran to the door and began banging at it. They unbolted the locks,yanking on the chains as they shouted for their minders to come and help. The doors began to vibrate violently as heavy blows rained down on them from the other side. There was a three-inch gap between the doors now, only the chains held fast. The wood splintered, but the guards couldn’t gain entry.
    “Move away from the doors!” a voice bellowed. The gangsters stood to the side. Three shots rang out and the handles holding the chain blew off. Huge ragged holes appeared where the twelve-gauge shotgun shells ripped through the doors and a small army of heavies stormed into the room.
    “What’s happened?”
    “There are two men leaving through the back of the club with our fucking money!” Leon shouted. “Get out there and stop them!”
    “Which way did they go?” Another minder pulled a Glock-17 and waved it around, looking for a target.
    “Through the cellar,” Leon shouted over the chaos. There were men running back and forth asking questions and waiting for hurried instructions. Voices were raised and bedlam broke out as several accusations were made about who was responsible for the robbery.
    Jinx watched as two minders ran towards the cellar door. Leon was waddling behind them as fast as he could, trying to keep up. Real time turned to slow motion as he watched them. He remembered what the gunmen had said as they had left. The cellar door was booby-trapped. Was it? The operation had been slick and well planned, so he had no reason to think they were lying. In his mind he believed them, but his brain wasn’t reacting to the information. Three men walked by dragging Jessie, pressing bar towels to his severed ears to stem the blood. Jinx wanted to shout a warning to Leon and his minders, but they could not have heard him over the bedlam. He covered his ears and ran for the