Arny clutched his head and groaned. Staying overnight? What the hell was going on in there? He took out the pen and stared at it. He needed to put this somewhere safe, carrying it around was like a live bomb. Gretta sounded confident enough even if she was in trouble. He could get an envelope and have the building manager put it in his safe; nobody would think to look there. He made his way to the elevator and down to the lobby and the manager's apartment. He had to explain that it was for Jeffery Glimb but it was a company surprise and he didn't know about it.

Arny went on about not wanting the responsibility but in the building safe, well... The manager acquiesced. Once the pen was safely stored Arny left and took the car home. He would try to grab some sleep; Gretta would have said something different if anything was happening imminently. Having decided he tried to clear his head and think about what measures he could take in the morning. Another phone call wouldn't be amiss, only natural. That's what he'd do. He parked the car, let himself into the apartment and locked the door behind him.

The phone played its programmed tune and Arny, groggy headed, rolled over and groped about for the instrument.

"Yeah, hello."

"Arny, it's Gretta. Were you actually sleeping?"

"Yes I was, is that so strange?"

"I thought you might be unable to, worrying about me and all."

He sat up and dry washed his face, sighing. "The only time I worry about you is when you aren't out saving the world. How are Helen and Jeffery?"

"That's why I called. An old friend of ours from Niue is going to accompany us to the bank this morning to get Jeffery's pen from his safety deposit box."

"An old frien- you mean that dame that tried to kill me?"

"Bingo. So I was thinking you could meet us there and give me a ride home afterwards."

"It isn't in the─"

"No need to fuss, Arny. Just come to the company's bank around ten. Okay?"

"Fine." He hung up and shook his head. Luane Treeline, his old friend from Niue. Old friend all right. And what the hell is this business with the bank? He climbed out of bed and shuffled to the bathroom, washed his hands and face and ran a razor over his beard with little enthusiasm. The clock on his dresser read eight-forty-five and he calculated it would take him about thirty five minutes to get to the bank, which left him roughly three quarters of an hour for breakfast and coffee.

He dressed and tossed some bread in the toaster while nuking some instant coffee at the same time. Breakfast finished, such as it was, he grabbed the car keys and left the apartment.

Arny reached the lobby and was about to exit to the street when the manager appeared from his apartment.

"Mister Wainright, there's someone here to see you."

"Who? Why in your apartment?" Arny walked slowly toward the door.

"Please, Mister Wainright, he's waiting inside."

Arny followed the manager into his apartment and stopped as he saw the manager's wife seated on the only single chair, her hands clasped in her lap and her face red and streaked with tears.

"What the hell...?"

"Inside and over there, now." The man's voice was commanding and the manager instantly obeyed. Arny stared, confounded.

"What's going on? Who are you?"

"No one you wanted to meet, sir. Come over here please." The gun appeared and the long, silenced barrel signaled the direction.

"I'm sorry, Mister Wainright, he just- he─"

"Your silence would be prudent, sir. Please join your wife in the chair." The man turned to the manager's wife and smiled. "Make room for him would you."

"Just what the hell do you want?" Arny was beginning to feel nervous; was this another of Gravestone's hoods?

"My interest in you, Mister Wainright is purely in the third person. I am more interested in your partner, the lovely Miss Lawrence." The smile looked a little too favourite uncle for Arny.

"What do you want with Gretta?"

"Closure." The word fell like a lead pig on the silent room.

***

Gretta watched the taxi pull to the curb several spaces ahead of them. When two men got out she groaned and Luane leaned forward from the back seat, pressing her gun into Gretta's neck.

"Who's that with your friend?"

"I warned you last time, Luane, about doing business with Bishop. He must think you're taking too long or else he doesn't trust you because that man is here to finish the job... on all of us."

"Who is he?" The gun pressed harder.

"Arthur Benlamond. His real name is Azziz Bemal, ex Mossad black ops and assassin for hire to anyone with enough money."

"How do you know he's from Bishop?"

"Trust me, Luane, I know Bishop very well." She turned to Jeffery and then looked over her shoulder at Helen. "Please do exactly as he says and follow my lead without fail."

"What do you think you're gonna do." Luane sat on the edge of the seat, still holding the gun to Gretta's neck.

"Hopefully, save all our backsides but it's going to take your cooperation too. He is here to kill both of us Luane and the others if they do anything he doesn't like."

Arny walked toward the car with the man close behind him and stopped by the driver's window.

"Hi lover," Gretta smiled. "Who's your friend?"

"I am here on behalf of Mr. Gravestone, Miss Lawrence and I am not his friend as I believe you well know."

"Yeah, I know. How are you Azziz?"

"It's Arthur, Gretta and if your friend in the back doesn't put her gun down she'll never get to formally make my acquaintance." The silenced gun appeared and pointed directly at Luane's face.

"Better do it Luane, Arthur is not a patient man in situations like his."

"Judicious Gretta, very judicious... and accurate. Now, all of you, out of the car on this side."

The group of six entered the bank and paused just inside the doors.

"Don't you think that six people going to one safety deposit box is a little suspicious?" Gretta looked at Azziz.

"Don't be concerned Miss Lawrence, I will be going with the Glimbs and the rest of you will wait here like nice obedient children."

"What makes you think that, Arthur," Luane sneered.

"Because if you don't Jeffery and Helen won't leave the vault alive and then I will come right after you."

"Back off, Luane, I already warned you."

"You should listen, Miss Treeline, it may well be your last opportunity." Arthur pushed Jeffery and Helen ahead and walked across the bank floor to the service representative. A suited man with black slick hair bounced out of chair and hurried, hand outstretched, to greet Jeffery. He grinned hugely and transferred it to Helen and then lowered the wattage as he appraised Arthur.

"I thought you were on vacation, Mr. Glimb." He steered them to a row of comfortable chairs outside his office.

"Those people are with us if you could perhaps make them comfortable while we see our safety deposit box." Jeffery saw Arthur's jaw muscles tighten and he warned Jeffery silently.

"Certainly and I'll get Elizabeth to take you to the vault."

Arny took Gretta's arm and whispered hoarsely. "What are we going to do? When he sees the pen isn't there he'll−"

"What do mean it isn't there? Luane pushed between them, glaring at Gretta.

"Arny's just upset, of course it's there." She gave Arny a wintry smile.

The service rep approached, hands clasped and with a directional wave accompanied them back to the chairs and asked about coffee for anyone. Gretta made a face and a short exclamation, looking to where the others had gone to the vault as Elizabeth returned to her desk.

"Is something wrong, Miss...?"

"I need to give something to Jeffery for his box and I forgot. Could I take it down to him? It won't be a minute."

"Uhm... certainly, I suppose..."

"Wonderful. The vault is that way?" Gretta pointed and started off before Luane could make a move or the rep could react.

"That's Gretta," Arny laughed. "Always a short step behind." He steered Luane to a seat and felt the resistance as he almost pushed her down. "We can wait here and a coffee would be great. Thanks."

Gretta hurried quietly down the stairs and into the entrance to the vault room. She could hear the voices of Jeffery and Arthur arguing and she crept closer to the entrance. Helen stood to one side, hands pressed to her face and in the middle of the room, next to the table, Arthur was aiming his silenced gun at Jeffery's head.

"Where is it? If you don't want your lovely wife to watch me blow your head off, tell me now."

Gretta stepped into the room and leaped toward Arthur. "He doesn't have it," she yelled as she hit him with her shoulder and knocked him up against the wall of safety deposit boxes.

There was a brief struggle and it ended with Gretta sitting on Arthur and handing his gun to Jeffery.

"This can end one of two ways, Arthur. You pick up your marbles and go home, tell Bishop you don't want the job or we call the police and five people testify against you. Your call."

"You can't let him go, Gretta!" Jeffery blurted.

"What do you say, Arthur?" She moved off of him, retrieved the gun from Jeffery, and stood away as he hauled himself to his feet.

"Gretta!"

"Jeffery, Arthur is wanted in just about every jurisdiction in the world, if we call the police we will all be in for months of legal wrangling, interviews and depositions. As it is right now we can all go our separate ways and Arthur will promise to abandon his contract with Bishop. If not we can go the tough way."

"Promise! How can you believe−"

"There is a code among the world of paid assassins, Jeffery and they are very rigid about its adherence. It's like your own world, your word has to be golden or you pay at some point."

Arthur massaged his shoulder where it hit the wall and issued a small cough. "Miss Lawrence is quite right, Mr. Glimb. A police solution would open a door to endless interruptions in your life. While you think you should do the right thing, your life would be miserable for a long time. As to the code, she is correct again. I will walk away and you will never see me again."

"Do it Jeffery, let's just get away from this nightmare." Helen took her husband by the arm and pleaded. "Gretta knows what she's doing." He sagged a bit and shrugged his acquiescence, taking Helen's arm and calming her.

"Okay. Let's put this stuff back, lock up and move on." Gretta stared hard at Arthur, extracting a silent nod to her obvious warning. "I'll keep the weapon, Arthur."

"As you wish. You made the right decision; if there comes a time it won't be forgotten." He looked at the Glimbs and left the room with a purposeful stride.