I'm Coming for You

"Damn you Vinnie! I swear to God that I will find you wherever you go! And when I do, you will pay for this! You will pay! I promise you!"

That was the last thing that Jack remembered saying while he held Angel's dead body in his arms as he sat on the floor of that operating room. Feeling her blood on his hands as the sorrow and rage engulfed his mind. He couldn't believe that she was gone and there was nothing he could have done to save her life. The one regret, which he would have to live with for the rest of his life. When Jack went to her funeral, only two other people showed were there. A man, who Jack didn't know, but found out that he had been a long time customer of Angel's. Always wanting to know what was waiting for him in the future. That was until Angel had got involved with Jack. In a way she probably figured that helping him with his cases were more exciting than her tarot card business. And bow she found herself cashing in on that risk which she had been lucky so many times in the past. But her luck had run out and she had to pay the price. The only thing was Jack was paying for it too. The other person was her roommate; a local hooker named Rosa who seemed wanting to comfort Jack in any way through this hard time. He had told her that if he ever needed her help, he would look her up. With Jack it wasn't a way to avoid her, he always kept his promises. Within the months that followed, he found himself falling apart. Even though he had cases which kept him busy and on his toes, there were still those times when he was alone, when he thought about her. Not being able to sleep, his appetite going down hill, and not even wanting to even think about getting involved with any other woman. (Even if it was just a one night stand.) Jack's insomnia continued to get worse, for every time he closed his eyes he would see her face. The way strands of her amber hair fell in front of his face and her eyes so glazed and lifeless, staring up at him. Almost as if she were trying to say something to him, but all there was, was silence. So he figures that if he didn't sleep, he wouldn't have to see that. Of course, he would end up failing at that, having to relive that moment he lost her over and over again in his dreams. In a way, that was the one thing, which kept Jack, determined to find Vinnie. To keep the promise he made, while he had held Angel's dead body in his arms.

Months went by and he seemed to be no closer in finding Vinnie than when he started. He couldn't understand how anyone could be in Chicago and no one can remember seeing him. Jack figured that it was time to be a little more demanding. Probably start with the people who knew him and the regular hang outs, which he would go to. That was if Vinnie knew that Jack was hunting him down, he would make the wrong move, and Jack would be there waiting for him. He started on the streets, going to the prostitutes; pushers and anyone else that he thought would have any information that he would need. Jack knew he would get what he wanted, because no one would turn him away. Because some of them he had helped in one way or another, and the others were afraid of him. At first it seemed he was heading for another dead end, but that was until he had received a message from Mrs. Woo, who owned the Frying Dragon over on 134th and Dearborn. Jack had used her as his answering service whenever he had people who wanted to hire him for a job. It was his way of being safe and also to make sure that no one knew where his office was. Mrs. Woo could only say that it was a woman that she talked to and had a place where he was suppose to meet her. But the only comment, which she could tell him, was that she looked like one of the hookers that you would find standing around near Lake Shore Drive. Trashy but yet not willing to put out unless it was for a large price. Jack knew that he had no choice but to agree that he would meet with her. He hadn't had any luck himself in finding any information on his own. So what could it hurt just to hear this woman out.

He met her at a strip club a few blocks East of Ontario Street. The type of place where only the rich could afford to go there for a few drinks and spend horrid amounts of cash at the women that were performing. But these women were no fools, they knew exactly how to play the game. How to turn a man on to the point where they had them in control. Able to make them do just about anything that they wanted. But with Jack, he wouldn’t be playing there game. As he sat at a table near the stage, he kept his eyes on a young brunette girl on stage who was dancing around wear nothing but a thong that looked more like a rubber band with a small patch on it. She knew that within the darkness of the room, the men were watching her and thinking about what they would like to do to her. Most women would become scared just from the thought of it, but this one seemed to hide it very well. Jack took a drag from his cigarette as he waited for this mystery woman to appear. He didn't like it when someone else set up a meeting with him, especially when he didn't know who they were or what they looked like. Still, this was the chance, which he would have to take. He remembered what Mrs. Woo said when he had called her back to see if she had replied.

"She say be there at seven tonight. You will know her for she will tell you her name is Monique." Mrs. Woo's oriental voice echoed in his head.

When he looked at his watch he could see that it was close to seven now, so she would be making her appearance soon. Till then, all he could do was to wait for that moment to happen. His attention kept looking at the young woman on stage as she danced so provocatively for the men who watched her, waiting for them to give her money. Jack knew that it was a sick world, where a woman sometimes can't get by unless she lowered herself into doing something, which she believed, was not her belief. Of course it didn't mean that he wasn't interested in what she was doing, because after all he is a normal man with needs of his own. As she crawled on the stage floor like a cat, with her ass lifted high in the air, he noticed her eyes looking over at him. As if she had expected him to be there, or maybe she had planned to come over after her performance and see if he wanted a lap dance. In a way Jack didn't think that she was the one that had contacted Mrs. Woo. For some reason she was to cautious by the way she was looking at him. As if she was trying to figure out if he was safe or not. To Jack though, that all depended on what she would try to do to him.

The way the woman moved on stage, the stoplights illuminating the bare flesh of her body while her hands moved in unconscious circular motions over her breasts, was almost too much for him to handle. Even though he wasn't there for the entertainment, he figured he would enjoy it while he was waiting. Jack reached into the inside pocket of his jacket and pulled out his cigarettes. As he lit one, he could see the woman crawling on all fours, with her ass in the air. By now, the thong, which she wore, was gone, leaving nothing but her tanned, perfect naked flesh. Moving across the side of the stage like a cat, each man she passed, glancing as her ass, hoping to get a glimpse of the lips of her sex. Jack couldn't believe how easily someone could change from respectable man in a high paying job, to a perverted sex crazed beast. That was the way the world was coming to and even Jack couldn't do anything about it. Even though most of the men were dressed in suits and drinking martinis, they still were just perverts looking to get off.

It was then he heard the sound of a woman's voice coming from in back of him. A voice, which he knew to well, that he wouldn't have to look to be sure.

"Hello Jack. Are you enjoying yourself?" the woman said.

"Of course Rosa. But what are you doing here?" Jack said as he slowly turned around.

When he did, he saw Rosa standing near him, wearing a black, skintight, strapless dress. She gave him a pleasant smile as she walked around and sat down next to him. HE wasn't sure what she was up to, but knew that Rosa would reveal the truth soon.

"So… how have you been?" she asked.

"I'm doing alright. You're looking good." he replied.

"Well, you know how it is… You have to look good if you want to attract the right type of customers." she replied.

Jack started to wonder if Rosa was the one who Mrs. Woo had been talking about. But the only thing was, Mrs. Woo had said that the woman's name was Monique. Could it be that Rosa had just used that name so no one would know that it was her? Or maybe he just made a mistake about her. There was something about her though which made Jack feel uneasy. Rosa wasn't the type of woman who believed in beating around the bush with someone. Especially when it came to something serious.

"So, what are you doing here?" Rosa asked.

"I'm suppose to meet a woman named Monique. She has some information that I could possibly need." Jack replied as he watched her closely.

He wanted to see what her response would be, so he would know the truth. Yet, she just sat there looking at him with the same cool façade. Maybe he was wrong about her? After everything, which he had been through so far, he wouldn’t be surprised if he was wrong. Still there was something about her that he couldn't put his finger on. Yet, he knew to well that it would be something that he would have to ignore for the moment.

"Do you know her last name? Maybe I heard of her." she said.

"No. But you probably do know her. According to Mrs. Woo she was dressed like she was in the same profession that you are in." Jack said, then looked around the room.

He was making sure that no one was going to pull a fast one on him. Even though he was a stranger to this place, he wasn't going to take any chances. Then he looked back at Rosie, who seemed to be confused about what he was doing. Probably because the only person who was used to him had been Angel, who knew every action which he would do. They sat there for a while in silence, as Jack took another drag from his cigarette. He knew that this woman would show up at any time, the only thing, which he didn't know, was what she would tell him. No matter what it could be, if it got him closer to finding Vinnie, he would know the wait would be worth it.

As a half-hour passed, Jack sat there listening to Rosa talk about the clients, which she had so far and the strange things which they wanted her to do. He really didn't want to hear about it, for he really didn't care. But there would be no way that he could shut her up, even if he tried. It was then that he noticed a redhead making her way over to him. The skimpy dress, which she wore, complimented every luscious curve of her body, as her eyes stayed focused on him. He knew that this woman had to be Monique. Now, if he could only find a way to get rid of Rosa in a way, which wouldn't make him, look like a jerk. Even though he really didn't care what she thought, it was what Monique would think about him that troubled him. For it would probably scare her away from him, then he wouldn't find out what she knows.

"Listen Rosa, why don't you take a walk. The woman that I am suppose to meet might be hear and I want to make sure that she comes up to me. I don't want her to think that you are a client that I'm helping out." Jack said, leaning over to her.

"Sure Jack, I understand. I have to try and drum up some business for myself. I'll talk to you later." she said, then stood up and walked away.

Jack's attention went back to the redhead as she walked closer to his table. His eyes stayed focused on her, waiting to see what she would do. For all he knew, she could just be one of the strippers wanting to see if he wanted a private lap dance from her. No matter what though he wasn't going to show any type of eagerness toward her.

"Mr. Parker, I presume." she said as she stood in front of his table.

"You must be Monique. Please sit down." Jack said, giving her a faint smile.

"I'm glad you got my message from that Oriental woman, I heard that you were looking for something and I thought that I could be of some help." she said as she sat down.

"That depends on what you know and if you are willing to tell me it." he replied.

"I know that you are looking for Vinnie. I don't know where you can find him, but I know where you can find someone that is close to him. Someone that he sees all the time when he needs to be hooked up. But, we can't talk about it here, we need to go somewhere private." she said, then looked around her.

"Well, if you know of a place we can go, then lead on." Jack said, as he watched her to see what she would do.

She looked around her, as if she was lost and not sure which direction she should go. Either that or she was trying to make sure that no one was listening in on their conversation. Monique carefully glanced around the room, and then her attention went back to Jack. He had no idea what she was up to, but he was ready for anything. After he took the last drag from his cigarette and crushed it into the plastic ashtray on the table, she reached over and gently touched the top of his hand. She looked at him with a devilish grin on her lips. He knew that she had an idea of what to do, just from the expression on her face.

"Come with me, I know a place where we can be alone. Trust me." she said as she stood up, still holding his hand.

Jack knew there was no way he could say no to her, for he knew that he needed to know what information she had for him. But if this were some sort of trap, he would be ready for it. He was grateful that he had his .38 under his jacket, in case of emergencies. She led him across the room as he felt the eyes of some of the people on him. It was as if they knew where she was taking him, even though he didn't. The next thing, which Jack knew, they were going down a narrow hallway, then into a small room where a large leather couch sat against the right wall. They made their way over to it, and then Jack sat down. His eyes looked up at Monique who stood in front of him. For a few seconds, neither of them said a word. Jack could tell that Monique was nervous about something, yet she was trying not to show it. He sat back as he took a deep breath.

"Well, are you going to tell me what you know? Or are we just going to stay in this room looking at each other." he said.

"I will, Mr. Parker." she said as her hands slowly moved up her firm stomach and then touched her breasts.

Right at than moment the sound of soft music could be heard filling the room as she began to sway so seductively. Her hands moving slowly over her body as she slowly undressed in front of him. She looked at him with an expression of such hunger in her eyes. Lustful hunger that she hoped Jack would be able to satisfy. He had no idea what she was up to, but wasn't going to walk out until she gave him the information, which he needed. Her hands slowly began to unfasten her dress as she moved seductively to the rhythm of the music. Jack had no idea why she was doing this, but figured it would all be revealed soon enough. The skimpy dress she wore was soon flung to the floor, leaving her standing there in nothing but a small black G-string. She sure was something special, something any man would love to hold next to them. Or even have a night of fiery sex that she would make sure they would never forget. And it seemed obvious that she was giving it her all to make sure that he would become attracted to her. Her hands moved over her firms breasts and their pink areolas and hard nipples. Her fingers pinching her nipples as she let out a slight sigh. Then moved closer to him, dancing in such a provocative way. She tried to straddle her body over his lap, her hands resting on the back of his neck. Once she did, her hips grinned on his crotch in slow easy movements as she looked directly at him. She then arched her back and closed her eyes, shoving her bare breasts into his face. If this was her way of seducing him, she was doing a good job at it. Jack found himself wanting her so badly, and yet he knew that he couldn't let that happen. She leaned closer to him, her eyes burning with such fiery lust. He was almost overtaken by her actions, that he would have forgotten the reason he had this meeting. If that was what she was trying to do to him, it wasn't going to work.

"So, tell me what you know about Vinnie Canton?" Jack said in a demanding voice.

"Not so loud, the owner is watching through that two way mirror on the far wall behind me. I'll tell you, but you have to keep it down." she said, then got up, turned around so her back was facing him, and then moved her body in between his legs. She leaned back; resting her body against his as her ass grinned against his crotch. Her head rested on his shoulder, turned her head to him, then began to whisper in her ear.

"The man you are looking for has someone who does special favors for him. Girls, drugs, money laundering, you name it. The guys name is Joey Warren." she said.

"Where can I find this guy Joey?" Jack asked as his hands rested on her hips.

Right when he had done that, he could feel her body shiver from his touch. In a way he could tell that she didn't want to tell her and that him touching her was bothering her. The more she remained silent, the more aggravated he became about it. He knew ways of making her talk, but really didn't want to do it. But it seemed that he wouldn't have any choice. His hands moved over her firm stomach, then up to her breasts. She could feel his fingers pinching her nipples and pulling at them hard. Monique's eyes closed tightly for a brief moment as she clenched her teeth, feeling both the pain and the pleasure of what he was doing, which overwhelmed her. She knew that there was no way he would stop unless she told him what he wanted. Normally, she wouldn't let a man touch her when she was doing a lap dance, mainly because it was not allowed. But this time she thought she would forget about that rule. (Now she was starting to regret it.) In a way she knew that she could endure what he was doing to her. The only thing was, how far was he willing to take it? That was the one thing, which she feared the most. For Monique didn't know how much more she could take of his attack, before she would crack.

"Please stop. I don't know how much more I can take." she whispered.

"Then tell me what I want to know. Where can I find Joey?" Jack said.

"I… Well … I can't. If he finds out that I told you, he will kill me." she said as she felt his fingers pulling even harder on her left nipple.

She tried not to show the pain, which he was making her feel, but it was no use. Her body pressed against him, as her breath became rapid as a tear fell down her cheek. Jack could feel her body shuttering as he continued to do it. He knew that soon enough she would tell him about Joey and when to find him.

"Alright… I'll tell you, just stop. Please stop, it hurts so much." she begged in a soft voice.

His fingers let go of her, as her body relaxed against his, he could smell her perfume and sweat, which normally would have turned him on. But not this time.

"I shouldn't tell you, if he found out that I was the one who told you where he was, he would kill Me." she whispered.

"Don't worry, when I fin d out what he knows, he won't be bothering anyone. I don't let anyone shoot off their mouth to anyone after I get done with them." Jack said in a calm voice.

"What do you mean by that? You don't know this guy. He is crazier that Vinnie. You can never turn you back on him. If you do, you'll find a knife in your back." she said in a scared tone.

"I'm not worried, I've dealt with tough guys like him. You don't have to worry about anything." Jack replied.

"Fine then. He hangs out at this blues club over on Damien Avenue. Always trying to find some new girl to work for him. Or should I say kidnap some new girl, then brainwash them into being his property." she said then hesitated for a moment. "Why are you looking for Vinnie?"

"Because he murdered a woman that I cared about. Now, he's going to pay for what he did." Jack said as his eyes glared in rage.

Monique didn't say anything to him for a moment, as she continued on with her performance. Making it look like there was nothing going on but business as usual. Yet, Jack wasn't into what she was doing anymore. He knew that there was something wrong, by the way she was acting now. The only thing was, she wouldn't tell him at the moment. But it didn't seem to bother him that much. He got what he came for and that was all that mattered. Now he knew where he had to go. Her silence though seemed to be admitting to something, which she could not say…at least yet.

"You aren't going to do something like that to me, are you Jack?" she asked.

"If I wanted to kill you, we wouldn't be having this conversation. Now would we?" Jack said in such a calm voice.

Monique knew that what he said was right. If he would have wanted her dead, he would have already done it. Even though his words were reassuring, there was still something about him that scared her. It was his eyes, which she was able to see in the reflection in the mirror across the room from them. That cold glare of death in them, which was so unsettling to her. She grinned, trying to hide her fear, so that he wouldn't know it. She stopped what she was doing them stood up. When she turned to him, Jack stood up and looked at her for a moment. Then he started to make his way to the door.

"You can't leave yet. You didn't pay me for the lap dance." she said in a loud voice.

"Put it on my tab." Jack said in a sarcastic tone.

"I don't think that will do, Mr. Parker!" she said.

Jack stopped dead in his tracks, knowing what she was probably doing. Without looking, he knew that she was holding a gun in her hands and had it pointing at him. He really didn't have time to deal with the likes of her. The only thing that stayed on his mind was to find Vinnie as soon as he could.

"Turn around slowly." she ordered.

When Jack did, he saw her standing there holding a gun in her hands. Anger burned on that angelic face, which probably played a lot of men as fools before. Jack though wasn't like everyone else. He wasn't going to let anything stop him from what he had set out to do.

"Are you sure that you want to do this?" Jack said in a calm voice.

'Of course I do. I have to survive just like anyone else. Now give me your wallet, or else I'll kill you." she said.

"No one takes my wallet, sweetheart." Jack replied.

"I mean it, hand it over. I won't ask again."

"So do I." Jack said, as his hand quickly reached into his jacket and pulled out his .38. Before Monique could do anything, Jack fired, sending her falling to the floor. Then he turned and walked away. She should have known that he was the type of man who would always have a way to escape from situations. She was a hot looking woman that could have done well finding some rich guy to take care of her. The only thing was she was stupid and because of that, it would cost her, her life.

He walked out into the night, hearing the sound of traffic, which came from a few blocks down. A cool summer breeze slapped his face, that lake front breeze which got him every time, as he made his way down the street. This was the type of night, which made him grateful that he was alive, even though he didn't know why. I guess that was the real mystery of Chicago. The way it was able to make someone feel. But experiencing this feeling right now, made him even more confident that he would find Vinnie soon enough, and end the torment which festered within him.

Later that night, Jack sat at the bar of the blues club, feeling the rage and despair surging through his veins like liquid fire. Remembering the death of Angel once again, not being able to escape the pain which he was putting himself through. The only thing, which he could do, was to wait for Joey Warren to make his appearance. He had found out from the bartender that Joey had always came in on nights like tonight, when there was ladies night. That way he would have his choice of the women he wanted to take home. Just the way he talked about it made it seem that Joey thought of this place as a meat market. Of course tonight he would be getting something, which was more than he could handle. From the corner of his eye he noticed Rosa walk into the club, right on time. A lot of the men in the place looked her way, and why not, for the tight black leather mini skirt and white blouse with revealing cleavage would turn any man's eye. That was what Jack was hoping for, for Joey to find her interesting enough to make his move on her. That way he wouldn't suspect anything. Even though Joey had never ran into him, Jack was sure that Vinnie had told him everything about Jack. After tipping the bartender a fifty, he told him everything he knew about Joey. What he looked like, what he did when he was here, what he drank, and how long he usually stayed in the club. It seemed that the bartender disliked Joey for some reason, but wasn't going to get into it with him. Mainly because it was none of Jack's business and he already had too much that he had to think about. The sound of the mellow music the band played helped Jack relax enough so he could concentrate on what he had to do. He had to make sure that nothing went wrong because Rosa's life was going to be in danger if it did. He couldn't let anything happen to her, no matter what. He lost Angel because he wasn't watching her back (or so he thought), and he was going too make sure that he didn't lose Rosa the same way. When he had looked around the room before, he had noticed a few of his normal contacts, which were sitting at a few of the table in the club. He hadn't planned it that way, for Jack was the type of person who always worked alone. It just seemed that fate was on his side at that moment, at least that was what he was hoping.

It had been an hour since they had arrived at the club and so far Joey had not come in. Jack was starting to wonder if he was on some sort of wild goose chase. Had Monique lied to him, just to protect Joey… or even Vinnie? But there was no way for him to find out, since he had shot her. All he could do was to wait and hope that Joey would show up. He took the last drag from his cigarette, then crushed it out in the plastic ashtray that sat in front of him. It was then, from the corner of his eye, that he had seen a man come in that fit the description the bartender had given him. Jack watched him closely, as he made his way over to Rosa, seeing that look of intrigue on his face. Joey was going to make his move and Jack was ready and waiting for it. No matter what would happen, Rosa would be protected, that was the one thing he knew for sure. For a woman like her (who worked the streets), she always made sure that no one took advantage of her. Joey stood by the table where Rosa sat, talking to her with a devilish smile on his lips. When Jack had seen that, his anger grew even stronger, for it was the same look that Vinnie had right before Angel had died. Jack figured he would wait a few minutes before going up to them, to let the guy feel that there was no danger that would come to him. That way his guard would be down and wouldn't suspect that anything was going to happen.

"Come on you jerk, take the bait. All I need is that one sign to give me the chance to move on you." Jack thought.

A little while later, he saw Rosa run her fingers through her hair, which was the signal Jack had been waiting for. But rights before he got up to approach them; he had a strange feeling hit him. The feeling that there was some sort of danger that was nearby. It was the same feeling that he had many times before in the past, which helped him stay alive. For some reason he wanted to look down to the end of the bar, as if there was something he needed to see. At first, he really didn't want to do it, but his curiosity had gotten the best of him. He took a drag from his cigarette, as if that was the one thing, which he needed to bring his courage up. When in reality all he needed was to just do it. As the smoke floated out from his lips, he turned to his side. When he did, he noticed a woman with long fiery red hair that who was wearing a tight black mini skirt and a yellow tank top. Her eyes stayed on Joey, as if to make sure that he was going to do something, which she had told him to do. Jack knew who the woman was right away. Her name was Deanna, and according to the word on the street, she was Tony's best girl. Jack figured that he now had a better chance on finding Vinnie now than ever. For if Joey wouldn't talk, then maybe Deanna definitely would. That was after Jack would give her a little convincing from his .38.

Jack turned back around to where Rosa was sitting with Joey. Then he made his way toward them, as his hands clutched tightly into fists. His breath started to become heavy as he moved closer to them. Ready for whatever Joey would try and do.

"So, why don't we just go over to my place and I can show you a really good time." Joey said with such confidence as he started to stand up.

"Not so fast Romeo! There are a few questions which I know that you can answer for me." Jack said as he pushed Joey down, back on the chair.

"What the…" Joey said as he looked up at Jack. "Hey man, I didn't know she was with you. She never said anything about it."

"Just tell me what I want to knew and you'll be able to get out of here." Jack said planting his hands on the table and leaning towards him.

Joey just sat there for a brief moment in silence, as he stared at him. Jack knew that he was scared, which would work to his advantage. The whole time he kept his eye on Joey, he was able to see Deanna still sitting at the bar with her back facing them.

"Alright, what do you want to know?" Joey asked.

"Where can I find Vinnie?" Jack asked.

Joey just looked at him with a confused expression on his face. It was almost as if he was trying to act like he didn't even know the name. Yet, Jack was to smart to fall for that old trick.

"Why should I tell you?" Joey said in a stern voice.

"I have one good reason why." Jack replied as he reached his hand inside his jacket.

It was then he pulled his .38 out from its holster and pointed it at him. The expression on Jack's face had turned to stone as his hand gripped the handle of the gun even tighter. Joey's eyes widened in fear as his body stiffened in the chair. Rosa just sat back watching Jack, as a cocky grin appeared on her lips. It was obvious that she was enjoying what Jack was doing and wasn't going to stop him. Even if she tried, there would be no way that she could.

"You're bluffing. You wouldn't shoot me with all these people around." Joey said as a nervous tone came into his voice.

"That's one thing about me… I don't bluff." Jack said coldly.

"Honey, if you were smart, you'll tell him what he wants to know." Rosa said. "Or else he'll kill you. Isn't that right Jack?"

"Jack? Jack Parker? Vinnie told me about you. He said that you were the one who killed his sister." Joey replied.

"Really? He seemed to forget to mention that both of them were trying to kill me at the time. And in the process he killed a friend of mine. And you will be next if you don't tell me what I want to know." Jack said as he pulled the hammer to his revolver back.

"Alright! Alright, I'll tell you, but you got to promise me that you'll let me live." Joey said.

"Fine."

Jack had never made a promise to such low lives like Joey before. For in his mind they were never worth it. But if doing that would give him what he wanted, then he would. Or at least he would make him believe that he would.

"Vinnie is shacked up at the Carton Hotel near the lake. He's blackmailing the manager there, so he could stay until you give up looking for him. That way he could go back to the drug business that he had started a few months ago." Joey said.

"How is he planning on keeping his clients if he isn't dealing?" Rosa asked.

"He still deals through the suite that he has. The cops don't ask any questions, because of the volume of people that go in and out of the place every day. And also because they all think…"

"… that he's dead." Jack said.

"Tell him that you have a customer that needs a fix. Set it up for tonight at his suite." Jack said throwing a cell phone on the table in front of him. "If he asks for a name, tell him that it's for a hooker named Rosa."

Joey got on the phone and did exactly what Jack instructed. When he hung up. Joey just looked at them as the sweat rolled down his face.

"It's all set. He's in suite 515. He'll be only expecting her, not you." Joey said.

Let's just say that he is going to get the surprise of his life." Jack said, then stood erect. "Now, to take care of you."

"Wait… Wait, you promised that you were going to let me go." Joey said panicked.

"I never make promises with assholes like you. Anyway, I never really said it. For all I know you will probably call Vinnie back and warn him that I am coming there." Jack said, then pulled the trigger.

A spark of fire licked the tip of the barrel as Joey's body flew backwards, off the chair. The crowd suddenly became quiet for a moment as they looked over at them. Then turned back to the discussions, which they had been having, as if nothing had happened. That was except for Deanna. Her eyes stayed focused on Jack \, as if she knew him from somewhere but just couldn't remember. Then her eyes widened in fear as she raced out of the club.

"We have to go after her, before she informs Vinnie about us." Jack said as he moved quickly to the doors.

They got outside and then made their way to the parking lot, where they found Deanna searching madly through her purse for something. Jack already had his gun pointed at her as they got closer to her.

"Alright Deanna, don't make any sudden moves. Take your hand slowly out of your purse and place them on the back of your head." Jack instructed.

"You know that you can't win. Vinnie will kill you on sight." Deanna said.

"I don't think so. In fact he will do exactly what we want. Because we got an edge." Rosa said.

"Of really, and what is that?" she replied in an angered tone.

"You." Jack said as he took another step toward her.

"To hell you do!" Deanna said, then turned around, holding a small revolver in her hands.

Before Jack could say anything, a shot rang out around them. He hadn't been hit, but wondered how she could have missed at such a close range. Her eyes suddenly showed a look of such agony, blood flowing out of her mouth as her body fell to the ground. He turned to Rosa who was standing there holding a revolver, its barrel smoking as she had a cynical expression on her face.

"I guess I owe you one." Jack said as he made his way toward her.

"You can pay me back after we get Vinnie. And I promise that you will love what I have in store for you." she said in such a seductive tone.

Jack knew exactly what she meant, but didn't know if he would let it happen. The thoughts of Angel still lurked in his mind. Making it hard for him to even think about being with any other woman. But that was something that would have to wait. Now, all that he had to concentrate on was getting to the Carlton Hotel, so he could get his revenge. Slowly they made their way to Jack's car, as he thought of Vinnie and how Jack wanted to avenge Angel's death. The whole time they walked and even drove through the streets of Chicago, his face remained like stone. Rosa knew this attitude of Jack's, mainly from what Angel had always told her about him when they had their girl talk in their apartment. So in a way, she knew what to expect. She didn't try to talk to him, for it would probably be no use. The only thing she could do was to wait and see what he was going to do. For when it came to Jack, no one could ever know what he could be thinking.

Jack's hands clutched the steering wheel tightly, eyes stayed focused in front of him, while he prepared himself for what was to come. Still, he couldn't get Angel out of his mind. The way he held her so close to him, her body so weak as he could feel her blood on his hands. Her eyes looking up at him, her breath so shallow as she tried to speak.

"Jack… Jack, promise me… promise me that you will… get him for… for… me…" she said as her voice trailed off, then drifted into the sleep of death.

That was the one thing, which he knew he could never forget. That one promise that he had to keep. And soon he would have done just that. For he knew that a creep like Vinnie was too dangerous to keep alive. Jack had to make sure that he didn't escape from his grip.

An hour later, Rosa made her way down the silent hotel hallway, her body shivering in fear. Unsure of what to expect, even though she had dealt with so many of her customers and their bizarre hang-ups. But none of her customers were crazy, drugged up killers, like Vinnie.

"Alright Rosa, just do it. There is no reason to be afraid of anything." she said to herself.

The only thing she hoped was that Jack would be where he promised. Rosa didn't want to be alone with this man, for who knew what he would do to her. But that was something which she could only hope she would not have to face. When she turned the corner of the hallway, she could see room 515 and a large, muscular black man standing in front of the door. His arms crossed over his bulking chest, as his eyes stared in front of him in somewhat of a daze. Rosa had seen bouncers that were like this guy, always looking so threatening, carrying some sort of automatic or even a large knife under their coat, and never was the type to be fooled by anything. If there was trouble, this was probably the man who would end it. She only hoped that Jack knew what he was getting into. When she reached the large threatening man, he looked at her with such an angered expression on his face. Just from seeing him, sent a twinge through her as the hair of her neck suddenly stood up.

"Can I help you?" he said in a stern voice.

"Yeah, I came here to see Vinnie. He's supposed to hook me up with some good stuff. He's expecting me." she said in a tough attitude.

"He probably is. You got a name?" he asked with a slight grin.

"Rose… but for you big boy, I can be whoever you want me to be." she replied in a flirtatious tone.

"That won't be necessary." he said, then picked up the receiver to a wall phone to the side of him.

The whole time he talked on the phone, Rose had a sinking feeling that she wasn't going to be let in. Either that, or they were going to set something up to hurt her.

"They know about you, Rosa. They know that you are with Jack and probably know that you are helping him." he mind ragged. "get out of there now. While you still have your life and wits."

But that was something which she didn't do, for she knew that Jack would be expecting her to do what he had told her. And if she were to turn back now, she would have worse things to worry about than Vinnie. She tried to keep her calm while her eyes stayed focused on him. Rosa knew that this would work… it had to work… that was what Jack had told her. Or did he just say that so she would be more relaxed and willing to go along with his plan? She had no idea, but she had already gone too far to turn back now. The man hung up the phone, then turned back to Rosa.

"Your story pans out. Follow me." he said, then opened the door.

Rosa followed the bulky man into the suite, while she tried to calm herself down. She had to keep saying to herself that nothing was going to happen, that Jack knew what he was doing. But did he really? Because the way he had looked, made it seem that he was letting his anger control his actions, rather than thinking this through. Of course it was to late for her to say or do anything about it now. The man led her into a large living room where he told her to sit down and that Vinnie would be with her shortly. She sat down on the couch as he walked back out into the hallway, leaving her alone within the silence of the room. Her eyes looked around her at the elegant furniture and artwork that hung on the walls. It was then that she could hear the sound of a voice in the next room. She couldn't make out was being said, for it sounded murmured and soft. Obviously her host was conducting some other business in the other room. It didn't seem to matter to her, for she really didn't want to see him right away. The time that she had alone (short as it might be), gave her time to try and get her mind together. To remember why she was there and what Jack had told her to do and say. She opened her purse and reached in it for a cigarette. Just as she was ready to light it, the sound of a voice came from the right side of the room, so clear and exact.

"You know they don't allow anyone to smoke in this room. That's why I got it." the voice said.

Rosa turned to her side to see a man with greased back black hair standing across the room from her. He was wearing a black robe and jeans, probably thinking that he was Hugh Heffner. But from what Rosa was seeing, there was no way that he could even start to look like it. But she wasn't going to say anything, so that way she wouldn't insult him.

"You must be Vinnie. It's about time, I really could use that fix." she said, trying to sound desperate.

Vinnie made his way over to her, his eyes wide with madness as a devilish grin appeared on his lips. Just the sight of that made her feel uneasy, even though she didn't show it. She tried to keep herself calm, so that way he wouldn't suspect that something was wrong.

"The one and only. So what is it that you need. You know just saying that you want drugs is very vague. You have to be exact on what it is that I can get for you. It was then that she remembered a client of hers who dealt in drug and the order he had with someone.

"You should know, Ralf Tambour had made a deal with you about some blow. Don't you remember?" she said coyly.

"Of course I do. I just didn't think that he would send you here to pick it up. Usually I deal with him directly, especially when it comes to deliveries." Vinnie said as he sat down next to her.

The strong odor of his cologne almost made her choke, as she tried to keep a straight face. He moved closer to her, making it obvious that he was expecting something more than just the normal business that she was suppose to do with him. Even though she had been forced to have sex with men that she really didn't like, she didn't want to have to go there with Vinnie. Mainly because he scared her.

"You must be one of his new girls, I've never seen you around." he said as he placed his hand on her thigh.

"Yeah, I'm special to him. He doesn’t make me hit the street like the rest of the girls. He keeps me for the special clients." she replied.

"You mean like me." he said as his hand move up under her skirt.

She could feel his fingers making their way in between her legs, making her squirm even more. She wanted to slap him and yell at him that she wasn't in the mood for this. But then he would just rape her, thinking that she was part of the payment. She had to wait for Jack to make his move that was if the big guy in the hallway hadn't stopped him first. Still, she had to find a way to get his hands off of her and try to buy some time.

"Why don't you get a drink for both of us. That way we can loosen up and have a really good time." she said in a seductive voice.

"But I'm already loose enough for you. So why don't we just get to it." he replied.

"We could, but when I get a drink in me than anything goes. And I do mean anything." she said as her hand touched the side of his face.

"Well, why didn't you say so." he said as he sprang to his feet.

Vinnie made his way over to the bar, and started to pour two glasses of champagne. The way he acted was like some teenager who was trying to impress a woman so that he could have sex with her. But in reality, nothing about him impressed Rosa at all. Right before he picked up the glasses to bring them over to her, he heard the sound of a man grunting, then his body hitting the floor. Vinnie instantly made his way over to the door, as he picked up a revolver that sat on the bar. His eyes instantly burned with anger as his hand reached for the doorknob. But before he could open it, the door came crashing in, knocking his body backwards. When he looked up, he found himself staring into the barrel of a .38 and at the face of Jack.

"Well, I wondered when you would catch up to me. I should have killed you when I had the chance back at the hospital. But now will do just fine." Vinnie said.

"And how are you going to do that? You don't have a weapon on you." Jack replied in a cocky tone.

When Vinnie looked around the revolver he was holding was not on the floor near him. Instead, it was in Rosa's hands pointed at him as her thumb cocked the hammer back. The look on her face was that of pure disgust, as she breathed heavily.

"You bastard, I should kill you just for the way you touched me. No one touched me unless I want them too." she yelled.

Then she quickly looked over at Jack, then back at Vinnie so that she could keep him covered.

"How did you get passed the mountain in the hallway?" she asked.

"You know what they say… the bigger they are, the harder they hall. This one just happened to fall with a hunting knife stuck in his chest."

Rosa laughed slightly, then her expression turned serious once again.

"So, this is it? The moment you have been waiting for, for what, a couple months? Once I'm dead what are you going to do next? You know that you have been tying to catch me for the longest time. But once you pull that trigger, you won't have anyone else to go after. " Vinnie said, then hesitated as he slowly got to his feet and made his way to the window. "Think about it. Who will you be going after once you kill me?"

"There is always some creep who is willing to do something wrong. And I'll be there to get them. Keeping you alive is not the most important thing in the world. The only thing that matters to me is the promise I made to Angel right before she died, and also the one that I made to myself." Jack said as he followed Vinnie closely.

"I'm surprised that one of my men didn't find you and try to kill you somewhere else." Vinnie said.

"They did. First it was Monique, the stripper that worked for you, then Joey Warren, your supplier, and finally your number one girl, Deanna. They're all dead and waiting for you in hell." Jack said.

"You bastard Parker. I'll kill you for killing Deanna and the rest of them." Vinnie said enraged.

"Now you know how it feels to lose someone from the bullet of your enemy. But the pain you feel won't last that long, I promise you." Jack said.

Jack could see Vinnie's eyes glancing over at a knife that sat on a table near him. He couldn't believe that he would be that stupid to even attempt something like that.

"I know what you are thinking. Don't even try it. You know that you're going to lose." Jack said in a calm voice.

"Fuck you Parker! If I am going to die, then I'm going to take you with me." Vinnie said as he lunged for the knife.

But before he could even take a step Jack fired, the bullet hitting him in the chest, making him stagger backwards. Then Rosa fired, as Vinnie's body responded the same way. The gunshot came in such a rapid movement, till finally Vinnie's body broke through the glass of the window, sending him hurtling to the ground. There was no scream that could be heard, because he was dead before his body splattered on the pavement. Jack was sure that the people outside weren't ready to see something like that, as the faint sound of screams was heard coming from the street. Jack made his way over to the window and gazed down at Vinnie's body that lay upon the smashed in roof of a stretch limousine that was parked outside. Rosa came up to him and put her hand on his shoulder.

"Are you alright Jack?" she asked.

"Yeah… I kept my promise to Angel and to myself. That bastard will never hard anyone again." Jack said in a lifeless tone.

"What was the promise you made to yourself?" she asked.

"That no matter what… I would come for him. And now I did and everything can go back to normal. Whatever that is in this city." Jack said.

They turned around and made their way out of the hotel room. He figured that no one in the crowd would even bother to look their way with the spectacle that they were looking at. The only thing which he knew was that Angel's death was avenged. Even though it didn't bring her back to him, it still made it easier for him to let her go.