Two to the Back

by Cam Johns

  I take in the ambiance of this strange family dinner … plus the intruder Mykel. I don’t fret any further about him being around, because I know my father won’t let him do anything to either of his sons or the rest of my family, for that matter. I try my best to remain pleasant with him for the rest of the night because I don’t want him to even think about what could possibly be coming. Or rather, what is definitely coming.

  Tonight will be the last dinner I have with my mother, father, and Mattie. So, I’m sure to take in the moment, savoring this last bit of sanity before the chaos that will inevitably ensue tomorrow morning. After today, I want to move on with my family, with nothing hindering our happiness. Knowing my father isn’t the devil I’ve made him out to be over the years, will only push me to strive for the best for my entire family. Which now includes my father and mother, whether they’re in my life or not.

  “You ready for this?” Mattie asks as we pull up at the entrance to Isabella’s secret thruway Wednesday morning.

  I cock my Beretta and place it in my ankle holster, then my Glock, keeping that one in hand. I peek in the mirror of the visor to make sure the FBI hat is good and fix my shades. If all goes well, when I return home, I’ll eventually earn the FBI badge for real. “If I’m not back in fifteen minutes, get in there prepared.” My eyes are fixed on him momentarily, remembering my promise to Lynn. “If anything happens to me…”

  “Don’t. Nothing’s going to happen.”

  With that, I get out of the car, and the smell of something burnt fills my nostrils. It’s four in the morning, so it’s still dark outside, shading us from any cameras. Everything’s quiet … maybe too quiet. I immediately have an eerie feeling and want to retreat. Then I think of the money— that will take care of the debt from Lynn’s cancer treatments, as well as enough to take care of her should it return.

  So, I shrug off the doubt that’s clouding my thoughts and clear my mind. I quietly run up to the entrance of the thruway, which is disguised with long shrubbery, and slightly open the stone-walled door, which leads from the iron gate to the tunnel. I know there is plenty of surveillance, but the early morning darkness will shield me. I grab my flashlight in one hand and hold up my gun as I peer inside the long, dark tunnel. There’s no one there. I slide in, closing the iron metal gate softly behind me.

  I’m in…and alone. My heart pulsates through my chest as I take slow steps toward the stairs that I can’t see in the darkness. Adrenaline runs through my veins with each step. I take slow breaths to maintain my composure, with my gun up, and the flashlight leading my movements. I try to think of the things that have pissed me off in life because it helps me focus. It enrages me just enough, so I can concentrate on a target. It has helped as a teenager, as well as a police officer.

  I finally reach the stairs that lead up to the top floor where her bedroom’s closet door is. I hear nothing. It may be very early, but it’s just too quiet. My instinct tells me that I’m walking into an ambush. Once I reach the top, I check my pockets to make sure the full clips are there, even though I know they are. Then I check the other pocket for the injections my father gave me, before placing my ear to the door, hoping to hear a television or something, but I don’t. I don’t even see a light on in her closet. I know she knows I’m coming today.

  The fact that the security would be less focused on the home, because of the robbery of Santini’s shipment, doesn’t excuse the radio silence. So, just to clear my anxiety, I text Mattie to make sure nothing’s going on outside. But I text him something that hopefully he’ll remember.

  Me: She’s got a great ass.

  Mattie: You got yo’ head all the way up in it!

  I laugh quietly to myself, happy he remembered our favorite movie line in Heat. We always used it to let the other know we were good. We’ve been through some rough shit together.

  I creep the door open, peek my head in quickly for a glance to make sure it’s still her walk-in closet. Even though it’s dark, I can tell it’s her closet and I’m alone. I walk in quietly and shut the door behind me. On the other side of the door, is her very large shoe rack. She must have known I was coming in this way because her closet floor is completely clear.

  When she was twelve, the floor was loitered with shoes, toys, books. She did it to hide the passageway.

  Once I reach the door to her room, I notice there is a light on. I also see, what could be, a shadow toward the left of the door. I slightly open the door and see legs on the bed in a seated position. I peer in through the crack and realize it’s an older Isabella, sitting quietly. But, she has to see the door move. Why wouldn’t she get up or tell me it’s okay to come in? And…if she’s on the bed, whose shadow am I seeing.

  It’s then that I know the gig is up.

  “Whoever is there, you better announce yourself before I shoot through the door.” Which I wouldn’t do. It’s too loud. I need to keep this intrusion quiet.

  “Relax. Put the gun down, and come in,” the voice says.

  I hear what sounds like a muffled cry. It must be Isabella trying to keep me from coming in. Which means he must have a weapon. I contemplate just barging in, but I can’t see exactly what’s going on with her. I look at my phone to check the time and see Matteo should be coming in here soon. I set the alarm on my phone for five minutes from now, to try and cause a distraction, just as Mattie should be coming in the room.

  I remove the clip from the gun and remove the one in the chamber before I open the secret door slightly and toss my Glock inside. I step inside the room with my hands up. On the bed, Isabella sits with her hands behind her back and tape over her mouth.

  I smile at her, trying to reassure her that everything will be fine. A liquid sheen covers her eyes before she forces the tears back. She doesn’t cry, but she shoots a hardened glare at the guy holding her in the room. And now there’s another gun being pointed at me. I look around the room, making sure it’s just the three of us, and seeing if there is anything around I could use as a weapon, just in case. I want to be able to take care of this guy without any gunshots.

  Spotting something on her dresser I can use, I finally look over at the guy I don’t know. He’s tall with dark hair, almost seems to be my age. I’m immediately curious about how he even knew I would be here. Its obvious someone told because no one knew about this way … unless Luca or Isabella told someone else. Which I doubt. So, that leaves the four other people in the house. But really, there’s only one. The question is, how much has he told this guy.

  “So, how well do you know Mykel?” I ask with my hands remaining in the air, as my eyes roam her now grown-up room.

  He cocks his head, no doubt surprised I put it together so quickly. “Well, enough to know whatever you did to piss him off, must’ve been huge for him to turn on you.”

  Okay, so he may not know who I am. “What can I say? Sometimes I rub people the wrong way?”

  Just then, Isabella grunts loudly. I’m sure, upset I’m choosing now to be a smart ass. The man moves forward, and I walk the other way, as if we’re switching places. Now I’m standing with my back to Isabella; he’s standing with his back against her closet door.

  Just where I want him.

  He furrows his brow and glares at Isabella, as if he expected her to do something like this. “Who the hell are you?” he asks me before turning to Isabella. “You think he’ll believe this was a kidnapping?”

  That statement infuriates Isabella. Even through the tape, she’s cursing him out in abrupt mumbles and sharp body gestures.

  But that statement pleases me. He has no idea who I am, or who sent me or why I’m really here. So, Mykel didn’t want this to fall back on my father, but he did assume this guy would kill me.

  Too bad Mykel will be dead instead.

  Just then, the alarm I set for myself goes off. The sound of a door creeping open makes the unknown man turn abruptly to face the closet door. I take the chance to charge at him, take the gun, and wrestle him to the ground quick
ly, as one of the syringes falls from my pocket. I try to reach for it, but he kicks it away. We scuffle on the floor as he tries to go for, what I assume, is another weapon at his ankle.

  “Don’t you fucking move!” Like clockwork, Mattie is there, standing over us, with his gun pointed at the guy’s forehead.

  “Emiliano?” he whispers, recognizing him through the shades and FBI hat.

  Shit! I punch him square in the jaw to knock him out. “Fuck, he knew you?”

  “Of course he did. We were in the same unit when we were in the army. This is Vinnie, Santini’s head of security.”

  He puts his gun away as I grab the other Rufilin injection from my pocket. We had to do this before during one of my father’s heists. I stab him under his tongue with the injection to hide the mark. He won’t remember a thing.

  I stand and turn to face Isabella, who is patiently waiting for me to untie her, and remove the tape from her mouth. As soon as I do, she jumps into my arms and holds me tight. “I thought you were dead, Gabby.” Her voice cracks, but she’s not the same soft-hearted girl I remember. Despite the watery sheen in her eyes, she’s holding back.

  “I know…but I’m here…and okay.”

  “I knew you’d come for me.” She releases her grip and steps back from me to get a good look. “I knew you would know what to do.”

  I smile. “So, what happened to our pact?”

  She eyes me curiously. “Pact?”

  “We agreed to not fall in love with douchebags…Luca’s a fucking douchebag.”

  She shoves me in the belly as she used to do when she was little. “He is not. He’s just ready to get away from this life, like me.”

  I grab her hand to get the hell out of there before it begins to get light out.

  It took us a little over an hour to get to this abandoned warehouse in Illinois, just after dawn Wednesday morning. I don’t like how it looks at all. It’s completely abandoned with graffiti everywhere. It’s about four stories high, and clearly, this must be some sort of stash house. I’ve seen a few like it before when I was a trusted friend of Santini himself. Nothing good ever happened at those stash houses. The question is, why does she know about it?

  I hope Santini didn’t involve her in any bull.

  “You expect me to leave you here?” I ask as I open the back passenger door of the Taurus for her.

  “I’m not that twelve-year-old girl anymore, Gabby.” She smiles and walks toward the front door of the warehouse.

  “Keep a lookout. Let me get her settled … I guess,” I say to Matteo, who nods.

  I follow her into the creepy building, as an eerie feeling passes over me once again. I’m sure it’s because we’re walking through a cemetery of sorts. People were killed here, and whatever other dirty business the Santini crime family was involved in. This whole situation just seems fugazy to me.

  All of it.

  I pull my gun out and catch up to Isabella, who is just carelessly walking into this dimly lit place like there isn’t a care in the world. Even though she’s pretty sure we got away with it, I’m not sure! Especially once I hear the footsteps. I grab her hand, yanking her behind me as we reach the top of the rickety, winding staircase on the fourth floor.

  “It’s okay, Gabby… I’ve taken precautions.”

  “Luca.” I see him, standing there getting her sleeping area together. “So you’re okay with her staying here in this piece of shit place.” I turn to face Bells. “You sure you want to be with this stunod?”

  Oh God, I sound like my father. Now all I need is those stupid expensive Italian suits and fedoras he used to wear, and I’m a typical wise guy.

  She smiles, hitting me in the stomach, before walking over to her lover boy. She hugs him close and kisses him slowly, totally forgetting I’m in the room. I turn my head; I don’t need to see this. I’ve watched her eat dirt once for goodness sake.

  I miss my wife. It’s time for me to get out of here. “I guess my part is done?” I ask, interrupting their connection.

  She releases him, and walks back over to me, smiling profusely. “Wherever you’ve been, I’m happy you’re good. Hopefully, you found someone, too.”

  “I did.” I grin.

  “I’ll miss you.” She hugs me close.

  “You too, Bells.”

  “Money’s down in the barrels on the bottom level marked P&B,” she whispers and kisses me on the cheek. After letting me go, we stare at each other, remembering how life was and maybe how it should have been. She turns and walks away from me, and hopefully, her life as a Mafia princess will follow.

  Once downstairs, I wave Matteo inside to search through the barrels for the money.

  “Look for the one marked—,” I start but am interrupted.

  “Oh shit!” Matteo jumps back so far after opening a barrel, he falls to the floor.

  My instinct causes me to grab my gun as I peek inside the barrel. The eyes of a bodiless head look directly at me. The cop in me wants to report it, but I’m not a cop today and haven’t been for days now. This only makes me want to get back to my life in Seattle as soon as possible.

  “Get yo’ scary-ass up.” I laugh, helping to pull Mattie up as he laughs with me. I search through the rest of the barrels, unable to see the initials clearly. Instead, uncovering more body parts of the same person … or not. There are a lot more fingers than normal floating around in the oil bins.

  Finally, I get the bag of money, and we go back to the car.

  “C’mon, we have to go to Calgrone’s first.”

  He eyes me curiously, but he knows better than to ask questions. As we drive, I text my father to meet me there, but not to mention anything to Mykel about whether the mission was a success or not. I decide it’s best not to say anything about what happened. I want to see the expression on this dickhead’s face. This mother fucker tried to have me killed. Tried to take me from my wife and kids. My family. He’s no friend of ours. He’s no friend of my father’s. He’s a fucking dead man.

  We arrive at my father’s restaurant about two hours later. “I don’t want you to say a word,” I say as he pulls around the back and park. We go through the back entrance, where no one can see us. We’re supposed to be dead after all. We’re supposed to be like ghosts.

  I head straight for the large, empty banquet hall my father used to use for other things than parties. I pull out the plastic he keeps in the closet and place it on the floor before putting a chair in the middle of it.

  “Gabriel, what are you doing?” Matteo asks, concerned as he grabs my arm. He clearly doesn’t want me to do anything I may regret.

  I pull away from him. “Just stand there.” I hear my father and Mykel talking as they come down the hall. I stand at the entrance of the banquet hall, to the side. As soon as they walk in, I punch Mykel dead in the jaw, and he falls to the floor. “Mattie, tie his ass up!” I command, and Mattie doesn’t hesitate.

  “Son, what the hell are you doing?” My father turns red.

  Is he worried or angry? I’m a cop after all, and I should be upholding the law. And I am … when I get home. Right now, I have to uphold the law of family. My damn family. And this motherfucker isn’t a part of that. Not today. Not ever again.

  “Dad, back the fuck up!” I say angrily.

  My father stares at me. I’m not sure if he’s upset or shocked at my outburst.

  Honestly, I don’t give a shit.

  I just want to handle this guy. I push him aside and go over to Mykel, who is sitting in the chair tied up. His head is slumped down, but moaning a bit as if he’s about to wake up. Without hesitation, I slap the shit out of him to wake his ass up completely.

  He shakes his head wildly, as he begins to blink in the sight. He finally realizes I’m standing over him, and he’s just been hit. He attempts to get up, but can’t, which angers him to the point where I think he’ll break the chair in order to get untied.

  Mattie tied him in; he’s not getting out.

  “You fuck
ing asshole!” I punch him in the face on both cheeks.

  My father doesn’t move, but Mattie inches closer to be at my defense should Mykel be strong enough to get loose.

  “You should be dead right now!” Mykel grunts.

  “What the fuck did you say?” My father realizes why I’m so upset, and he walks beside me. “You tried to have my son killed?”

  “Tried and failed!” I punch Mykel continuously until my hands begin to bleed, and his eyes become so swollen, that he’s unable to see. The blood sprays from his face as he spews everyone, but I could care less at this point.

  “Son!” My father shouts, trying to stop me, but I keep going. “Son, stop! You’re hurting yourself and leaving too much evidence.”

  I finally stop and step back to look at my masterpiece. I have to say, his face being pushed in by my fists is a pleasing sight. I back away from him, and Mattie hands me a cloth to wipe my hands and face, as Mykel begins to moan in pain. How he’s still breathing is crazy to me.

  “We’ll have to incinerate the body,” my father says as he pulls out his gun. “Nobody fucks with the Calgrone family.” He shoots Mykel in the head without a second thought. Mykel’s head pops back with the progression of the bullet, then slowly comes forward. His eyes remain open as the blood slowly rolls from the bullet hole in the middle of his smashed-in head.

  My father turns to look at Mattie and me. “I’m going to miss you guys. I know you have to go,” he says, as if he didn’t just shoot someone.

  “Oh, I’m sure you’ll keep an eye on us,” I say, thinking of the album.

  He smiles and pulls us in for a hug. “Watch your back, son.” He kisses each of us on the forehead.

  What can I say? Murder is a typical Wednesday for the Calgrone family. Sometimes it even ends with a group hug.

  13

  No Bounds

  Within a few hours, Mattie pulls in front of my home in Seattle. I’m home. Still breathing as promised. I stare at my home with the blue door my sons and I painted a few months ago. Something Jonathan wanted us to do together. Now, we’ll be able to do a lot of things together. Me and my boys.