The Uncharted Tales

Chapter 7

Part 1: From Small Beginnings

Victor Sullivan

They'll be back. They have to.

Sully stayed at his rental for a month, but the silence in the house was deafening, even with the TV playing in the background. There was no mistaking the absence of the Drake boys, and there was very little Sully could do. He knew next to nothing of what those journals contained, so tracking them down through any leads he did know about was not a viable trail to follow. The Television set was always turned on the local news station, because a part of him feared they might show up on a breaking news alert as the next casualty in whatever Sam got them mixed up in.

In a desperate attempt to learn something, he reached out to some of his contacts that might know members of cartels in the southern Americas. No sign whatsoever; no word of gringos joining their ranks. There weren't any phone calls, even after drilling into Nate's head that if he ever got into trouble, he should call Sully's number immediately. Still, he held out onto hope they would come to their senses and roll up to his doorstep, with Sam realizing how out of his goddamned mind he was.

The day never came, and he had to accept that until they decided they needed his help, he had to get back into a normal routine again, so to speak. Another month sluggishly dragged on and by that point Sully was forced to move forward from the small house in Tampa. It was one of his more permanent rentals, but the quiet was starting to get to him, and he needed something to occupy his thoughts that wasn't flat out constant, drilling dread. A man had to eat, after all.

He called up Paul Rumlowe, a client he had a falling out with some years back, but the guy was decent enough and money was a good incentive to put their differences aside. He was also mildly surprised that Charlie Cutter, in fact, was hired as well. Two smugglers, huh? Must be a big haul if they needed more than one professional.

When Sully entered the bar, he found them in a booth tucked back in the corner and he shook hands with both men.

"Victor goddamned Sullivan," Rumlowe greeted him. "Feels like it's been years."

"That's because it has been," Sully replied, taking a seat at the table. "It's good to see you, Charlie. How'd it go with the Adler's?

Cutter winced. "Let's just say you'd have to be stupid to ignore the rumors. After our talk, I quit two hours later, just like you said I should, and they tried to drag my arse to prison."

"Sounds about right," Sully muttered. "Well, boys, what've we got goin' for us?"

"You've probably figured out by now I'm working through another interested party," Rumlowe replied.

Sully raised an eyebrow. "I thought you were funding this yourself?"

Rumlowe shook his head and took a sip from his drink. "It looks better for them if they hire me as their man, but rest assured I'll be working behind the scenes. Let's just hope this doesn't turn out like last time?" He gave Sully's shoulder a firm slap.

"You know I don't make those kinds of promises," Sully quipped back.

"Can't expect much more than that." Rumlowe sent him a grin. "Anyway, does a two-way split sound fair to you, gentlemen?"

"As always," Cutter relied in his thick cockney accent. "I'll give some of my contacts a call and see what they can't do for us. Sounds to me like we need a getaway plan."

Or a window to jump out of, the thought occurred to Sully rather dully. "Sound good."

Cutter headed to the back to make his calls and Sully turned to Rumlowe. "Who exactly is this client of yours?"