Jeffrey Siger - Assassins of Athens

The Old Man gestured yes. 'The entire club is swept for listening devices every week, ever since that scandal involving the tapping of our government ministers' phones. One can't be too careful these days.'

'Good. So, what more do you want to hear, other than that if you don't give me three hundred thousand euros, Zanni Kostopoulos will find and kill you.'

'Kostopoulos doesn't know about us.' It was the Old Man.

'If you want to take that bet, fine. Not my problem.'

'Of course it's your problem. You're as much a target as any of us.'

'I had nothing to do with this!' said Linardos.

Demon spoke as if he'd not heard Linardos. 'I don't have as much to lose. Only my life.' He pointed to each of them. 'But the two of you-' he waved his hand in the air. 'When Kostopoulos is done with you, you'll not only be dead, your names will be synonymous with terrorists who murder children. The shame to your families will be eternal. Sandblasters will be working overtime erasing your names from every plaque, every monument, every building…' Demon stopped. He liked his argument but thought he might be overselling. Either they'd bite or they wouldn't.

Linardos slouched in the chair, put a hand up to his face, and stared at the floor.

The Old Man answered. 'What makes you think he'd ever find out about us?'

He'd bitten. 'What makes you think he wouldn't? This is Greece. Everything's for sale, and everyone wants to see the big ones fall. Are you telling me you can't think of at least one person who, if given the chance, wouldn't bring you down?'

'Like you for instance?'

Demon smiled at the Old Man. 'I'm probably one of the few who wouldn't, for a couple of reasons. As cavalier as I sounded before about dying, I'd prefer not to die, and bringing you down takes me with you. I need you too much. Almost as much as you need me.'

'You're rather arrogant today, Demosthenes,' said the Old Man.

'No, the word you're looking for is "realistic."'

Linardos drew in a deep breath, dropped his hand to his lap, and sat up in the chair. 'What is it you want, money?'

The Old Man put up his hand. 'Sarantis, that is not what drives Demosthenes. He has a far nobler calling.' There was no sarcasm in his voice, but Demon knew it was there.

Linardos stared at the Old Man. 'And what "nobler calling" justified murdering a boy?'

The Old Man pointed to Demon. 'Tell him.'

So, that's the deal, Demon thought. The Old Man set this up so I could pitch Athens' most influential publisher into joining the Old Man's crusade while he sat back seemingly above it all. That's the carrot. If I pull it off, I get the three hundred thousand.

But Demon saw things differently. This was the opportunity he'd been waiting for to do some recruiting of his own. 'Thanks for the vote of confidence.' There was no sarcasm in Demon's voice. 'The Kostopoulos problem stems from an effort to keep the wrong element from accumulating power in our country. I'm certain I don't have to tell you who they are.'

He looked for a nod from Linardos but received none. 'No matter, you know who I mean. They're the ones you continuously talk about at your dinner parties and study with veiled disdain and envy at all those events you simply must attend with them. You wish they weren't there, except you need them — if you want their money to hold the damn event. Now do you know whom I'm talking about?'

Demon didn't bother to check for a nod. 'Wouldn't life be easier if we could go back to the good old days where only the right families had the money?' Now, the sarcasm was clear. 'Don't act as if you're somehow free of guilt for what we did on your behalf. The boy was murdered. We're all responsible. We all must live with it.' He stared at the Old Man. 'But we cannot continue with these ways of yours.'

The Old Man looked angry. 'We need order and must do whatever is required to achieve it. The Kostopoulos boy's death was necessary. You know that.'

'Yes, but your vigilante method of returning us to the old days isn't working and never will. You can't keep up this potsherd banishment bullshit to achieve your dream. It's now more like terrorism than patriotism and you're running out of patsies who run when you say run. You're left to going after people with balls and the ability to fight back. Things only will get worse if you keep this up.' Demon shrugged. 'Sorry to tell you, but your plan's kaput.'

Linardos stared at the Old Man. 'What is he talking about?'

Demon answered. 'I am talking about this.' He pointed at both men. 'You and your families are not going to make it. No, not because of Kostopoulos. I can take care of him if you let me, but because you're dinosaurs, unwilling or unable to adapt.'

'I've heard enough.' It was the Old Man.

'Don't think so.' Demon didn't budge from his seat. He looked straight at Linardos. 'What this country needs is leadership, not more terrorists. How many Greeks love their country? Answer, all of them. How many love their form of government? Answer, most of them. How many love their politicians. Answer, none of them; not even their mistresses can stand them. Why is that? Do I really have to tell you? Because they're all alike. Name one who ever has gone to prison for corruption? The people have no faith in their politicians and have given up on finding better ones. What I want to give them is hope.'

'You're beyond arrogant.' It was Linardos.

'As I said before: no, I'm realistic. I know what the far left thinks, they know me, and they trust me. I also know how you think. I come from the same roots as you. I'm prepared to do whatever it takes that's best for Greece, for all of Greece. We cannot continue as we are. We must bring about change, but through the system, by making it work for us, not by tearing it apart and bringing it down.' He looked at the Old Man. 'That is how you will realize your dream.'

At that point, Demon's speech morphed into dialog among the three men. It was of the sort he'd engaged in for years, as if training for this singular opportunity. They spoke for hours, and by the time they were through two of Greece's most important men were converts to his cause-

'Greek children are rioting alongside their parents in the streets. Widespread vandalism, arson, and assaults on police are dismissed by our government as "democracy" in action, and law-abiding Greeks, who once watched such protests in horror and disgust, now call the demonstrators justified! Our countrymen are sick of their politicians and their parties. They want a new beginning and they want it now. They know it can happen, no matter how unrealistic it might have seemed at other times, for they have seen the impossible happen in the United States. A black man elected president. But it requires a fresh leader to emerge, one who can unite the left and the right, the rich and the poor, under one political banner and offer new hope for our beloved Greece' — and the promise of ultimate power for Demon.

The three hundred thousand became a meaningless sum for what they now sought to achieve. The money would be delivered within the hour to the address Demon gave them. A new world was about to begin. Once Demon took care of Kostopoulos.

'What do you mean you couldn't get inside?'

'Chief, it's the Kolonaki Club. Nobody gets inside without an invitation.'

Andreas nodded at the phone. 'I know. I'm just pissed.'

'He was inside for over three hours. Can't believe he's a member.'

'Me, either.'

'We photographed everyone going in and coming out. Felt like paparazzi. It was a parade of Who's Who in Athens.'

'What are your instincts?'

'Linardos left about twenty minutes after Demosthenes. And we didn't see him go in, so he was inside the whole time Demosthenes was in there.'

'No way that's enough to justify surveillance on Linardos. Shit. So, what's Demosthenes doing now?'