by K. L. Myers
“Don’t leave that room. I’m going to have Angelo see if we have anyone on our payroll working at the airport tonight. Just hold on, baby. Someone will come after you.”
I waited patiently as two of the passengers stepped up to the counter. It wouldn’t be long before the gentleman in front of me would be called, and then I would be next. When the agent acknowledged my presence, I looked over my shoulder again, and sure enough, my followers still tried to be inconspicuous as they waited for me. Just as I reached the counter, an older man in a dark blue uniform came up beside me.
“Are you Victoria Devecchio?” he asked matter-of-factly.
“Yes,” I replied hesitantly.
“I’m officer Watson. Angelo Rizzuto asked that I take you into custody until he or Gabriel could get here.”
I breathed a sigh of relief until he pressed me against the counter and reached for my arms. Tugging them behind my back, he handcuffed my wrists together. He pushed me out the door and down the walkway with his hand tightly around my arm. All eyes were on me. I tried so hard to be inconspicuous, yet here I was drawing the attention of everyone, including the three I had been avoiding.
Watson pushed through a set of metal double doors that read PAPD Personnel Only. When the doors closed behind me, he removed the cuffs and led me to an empty office. “Take a seat. Someone will claim you shortly.”
It wasn’t long before the door sprung open, and Gabriel walked in. I jumped from my seat and ran into his waiting arms.
“You good, princess?” he questioned.
“Now that you are here, I am.” I held on to him tightly.
“John, is there a back way out of here?” Gabriel and I followed the man in blue down a hallway that led us to the departure drive. There, a sleek black limousine awaited our arrival. A driver stood next to the passenger door, and upon seeing us exit the building, he opened it. I glanced inside and found Lincoln sitting in the back with Angelo.
“You take her to your home, Ang. I’ll meet you there shortly. I’ve got unfinished business here.” Gabriel placed a quick kiss on my lips. “Listen to whatever they tell you to do, and you’ll be safe. I’ll come for you later.”
“Be safe. Please,” I begged of him.
The driver's side rear door opened, and Jefferson, Remi, and Nicco stepped out to join Gabriel. “Don’t worry about me.”
Once I was seated, the driver closed the door, and I watched the four men enter the building.
20
Gabriel
When we entered the terminal, I gave instructions to split up. Jefferson was with me, Nicco with Remi. Even though the kid didn’t hesitate on his first kill, being in a building full of people would change everything. I wasn’t confident that his skills were strong enough to see what could be coming after him from all angles. Remi and Nicco were seasoned pros, and they worked well as a team.
“Who are we looking for?” Jefferson inquired when we entered the terminal.
“Two men, both in their late thirties. One heavyset, brown hair, and glasses. The other short, around five five, bearded ginger with a scar on his face's right side just below his eye. The woman is Amber. She’s tall, in her late fifties, probably around five ten—blonde hair with purple and pink highlights. Based on Victoria’s description, she hasn’t aged well. Keep your phones handy. Don’t intercept them if you see them. Just follow and call for further instructions.”
Nicco and Remi headed towards the baggage pick-up area to see if our perpetrators, by chance, held back in anticipation of Victoria being released and returning for her luggage. After all, they had no idea she didn’t check any. But I had a hunch they would make their way towards the Port Authority office. If it were me, that is what I would do—wait for Victoria to be released and then capture her when she walked out the door. Discretion would be essential when in a building filled with so many people. Victoria knew of three. Could there be others? Hell yes.
My phone vibrated with an incoming call from Remi. “Talk to me.”
“Nicco and I have eyes on the broad and the fat guy.”
“Where at?”
“Walking through the ticketing area and asking passengers if they’ve seen your girl. Got a picture of her and all.”
“Fucking amateurs. Stay back and don’t lose track of them. The kid and I are almost to the Port hallway. If we don’t find anyone there, we’ll head your way.”
“Whatever you say, boss.”
As Jefferson and I rounded the corner, he spotted the ginger leaning against the wall across from the Port Authority entrance, trying to be nonchalant by messing with his phone. “Stay back and keep an eye on him. I’ve got a plan. I’ll be right back.” The kid turned his head slightly and gave me a nod before we parted ways.
It took me several minutes before I found the perfect customer care representative in a red jacket. One that I was sure would offer up his assistance for the right price. Two hundred dollars later, I pushed a wheelchair through the airport on my way back to Jefferson.
“What the heck are you doing with a wheelchair?” he asked when I reached him.
“Hell. You can say hell, kid.” I shook my head. “You’re a Soldier now; you need to act like one. Heck is for church boys.”
With pursed lips, Jefferson raised both his hands and flipped me the bird. “Now, that’s more like it. Here’s the plan: take the chair and be ready.” I reached into my jacket and pulled out the cloth pouch Angelo gave to Remi. Inside was a syringe filled with diazepam.
Two minutes was all it took. The ginger swayed on his feet several times, his eyes glassy as they looked at me. I smiled back before giving him a slight push. He could not keep his balance, and he fell backward, landing in the wheelchair Jefferson had ready. “Here are the keys.” Reaching in my jeans pocket, I pulled out a keyring with two keys on it. “There is a white nondescript Dodge van on level 4. Get him in the back and tape his mouth and hands. Remi, Nicco, and I will meet you there in ten.”
I dialed Remi and waited for him to answer. “The ginger is on his way to the van. Where are you?”
“Exit 6 by baggage,” Remi replied.
“I’m on my way to you. We need to make this quick.” It didn’t take me long to find the perfect drunk chump exiting the airport bar. Three Benjamins was all it took to get him on board. The three of us waited and watched my plan roll into motion.
“Excuse me, have you seen this girl?” the fat fucker asked my guy when he reached them. He reached out, took the picture, glared at it a few moments, and shook his head.
“Yep, saw her outside the bar and heard her talking on the phone. She was whining about some bullshit with the Port guys, and then she said she’d be waiting outside passenger pickup for whomever she was on the phone with.” He glanced down at his watch. “That was about five minutes ago. She might still be out there.” He handed the picture back and then went on his way.
Fatty whistled for Amber, and they both exited the building. Nicco, Remi, and I emerged from the terminal and followed our unwitting victims. I reached behind my back to retrieve my pistol. Seconds later, I had it pressed into his back as I spoke in his ear. “Do as I say, and maybe you’ll live another day.” The sidewalk was relatively empty for this time of night. He looked to his right to find Amber, but Remi and Nicco sandwiched her between them as they headed toward the parking garage.
Mouths gagged and wrists bound, all three sat in the back of the van as we made our way to an abandoned home in Brooklyn. The basement smelt of must, mold, and blood. One was easily expendable, and I hadn’t determined which one until we arrived. I twisted the suppressor onto the end of my gun and placed two bullets in the ginger.
“Now, we’re going to have a little fun. I’m going to ask a question, and you’re going to answer it. If you don’t or if I think you are lying, I’m going to let my friend here”—I pointed at Remi—“remove a fingernail from your hand. If I don’t have the answers I want after ten questions, I’ll—well, let's just say you d
on’t want to know what I’m going to do.”
Amber watched as Remi removed five fingernails off her male counterpart. I believed the answers he gave were honest, but frankly, Remi enjoyed inflicting pain, and Amber needed to see what was in store for her. It was time to get to the serious questions that only Amber could answer. Remi reached for one of her fingers, and she started to scream. “Stop! Please don’t, and I’ll tell you anything.”
“Is Mancini behind this?” I asked.
She shook her head. “No, well, sort of. He and Francis were moving drugs, but he had nothing to do with the kidnapping of your daughter.”
Remi let go of Amber’s finger and waited for my next question.
“Whose idea was it to hurt the children and come after Victoria?”
“Franchesca’s. She knew Angelo was behind Carmine’s execution of her husband, and she wanted retribution. She knew the only way to make him pay would be to hurt his son and then his wife.”
Before I could reel in my anger, my fist flew through the air, connecting with her jaw. “Why my daughter and Victoria?”
Blood and saliva ran from her mouth. “’Cause you killed my husband,” Amber spat, blood covering part of my face. “I don’t know how you figured out I was involved.”
I raised my gun and pulled the trigger, placing a bullet between her eyes. “Because you’re a dumb bitch.” I laughed. “I think we have all the information we need, except one last thing. Is Curfari involved in this?”
The whimpering fat fuck spoke up. “No, no, Rosario knows nothing.”
“We’re done here,” I yelled over my shoulder to my team as I headed up the stairs. “Nicco, finish it and meet us upstairs.”
I had all the answers I needed, and now it was time to bring Angelo up to speed and take care of Franchesca once and for all.
21
Angelo
When the car pulled through the gates and approached the mansion, Victoria’s eyes grew wide, yet she didn’t say a word. She had been quiet during the ride from JFK to my home, just looking out the window and wringing her hands, her concern evident. Hell, I was feeling it too.
“Make yourself at home,” I told her, hoping she’d feel comfortable just to do her own thing. But she didn’t. She followed me to the living room and then took a seat on the sofa. Yet, still, no words came from her mouth. I turned on the television and handed her the remote.
“Feel free to watch whatever you like. I have some business to attend to,” I informed her as I walked away, leaving her all alone. I wasn’t trying to be rude; I just had things that required my immediate attention.
I quickly got lost in my work and before I knew it, I glanced at my watch to see it was already after midnight. Gabriel still hadn’t returned. It wasn’t like him to go radio silent for such a long period. I was sure that the situation was in our favor when he entered that terminal. Now, I wondered if we’d misjudged the problem, and I’d agreed to send my men into a hornet’s nest. I guess it was time to check on our house guest. Lincoln had popped in an hour ago, and when I asked him how our house guest was doing, he let me know that she was still sitting in front of the television in a catatonic state. From his standpoint, Victoria was waiting for the news he believed she had convinced herself would be dreadful.
Sure enough, Lincoln was right. “Hey, you doing okay?”
Victoria glanced in my direction. “Any word?” she asked hopefully.
“Unfortunately, not yet. But don’t assume the worst. Gabriel can take care of himself. You would be best suited to remember that in the future.”
Her lips trembled, and she nodded her head. “I’ll try.”
I poured two glasses of wine and handed one to her. “I’m assuming you’d like one?”
“Yes, please,” Victoria spoke as she retrieved the glass from my hand. “I’m not sure I’ll ever get used to this feeling.”
With a raise of my head, I acknowledged her words but did not address her. My glass brushed over my lips, and I took a sip of the liquid. Just then, Lincoln walked into the room, wondering if there had been any word yet. I was about to answer when the front door flew open, and Gabriel, Nicco, Remi, and Jefferson all walked in. Victoria rose from the sofa and brushed past me in a sprint to Gabriel.
Upon seeing his girl, now in tears, he opened his arms wide, giving her room to jump into them. I gave them a few moments of peace before demanding everyone gather in my office. Everyone but Victoria.
The door closed behind Gabriel, as he was the last to enter the room. “Franchesca is the final loose end. By now, I’m confident she knows we are onto her. We need to strike now; just say the word, and I’ll take care of it.”
I wasn’t ready to give that order just yet. This was going to be one that I would carry out if the situation demanded it. “You all did well tonight. I will take it from here. Jefferson, Lincoln will take you back to Virginia. Spend some time with your mother and Giovanna. Gabriel, feel free to join him. I don’t need you here right now.”
Gabriel's smile was larger than I’d ever seen before. “No, I’ll call Giovanna and explain my absence. Right now, Victoria needs me, and we have some catching up to do.”
22
Gabriel
Two months later
It was a cold, windy, and rainy day. Smoke billowed from the tailpipe of my car. I honked a second time, yet the front door never opened. Reaching for my phone, I dialed Victoria.
“I’m coming, I swear. I just can't find my keys.”
“Right. How about I help you find your keys? It will help you come faster.” I couldn’t help but chuckle as I said the words.
“How about you let me start taking the bus or the subway? Then you wouldn’t be honking your horn and making me run around like a chicken with its head cut off trying to keep you from waiting too long.”
Every morning and every night, I made sure I picked up Victoria, shuttled her to work, and returned in the evening to make sure she got home alright. I’d never admitted it to her, but just the thought of her using mass transit gave me anxiety.
When I walked out of Angelo’s two months ago, Victoria tucked under my arm, I vowed to myself to protect her with every last breath I had in me. For the first two weeks after everything went down at the airport, we spent every non-working, waking hour, together. All of that came to a screeching halt when she told me I was smothering her. She needed me to give her some space. I agreed, but with a few little conditions of my own. Never leave the house without me and keep your cell phone on you at all times. Thankfully, so far, she had honored my requests.
The passenger side door opened. “Sorry.” Victoria leaned over, placing a kiss on my lips. “My keys were in my pocket the whole time. I’m such a scatterbrain these days.”
Reaching for her hand, I raised it to my lips and kissed the backside. “I’ll forgive you,” I told her as I sped down the street, making up time so she wouldn’t be late for work. “Maybe we should rethink me not staying with you. If you conceded, I could help you keep track of your keys.”
Victoria rolled her eyes. “If you stayed, I’d be late to work every day because you’d never let me out of bed. Nice try, but I like things the way they are.”
“You say things like that now, but I remember you were willing to stay in bed with me two days ago. You weren’t worried about work then.”
“That was a Saturday,” Victoria said, exasperated.
“So, you weren’t thinking about work then,” I touted.
“Again, because it was a weekend,” she replied snippily.
I hadn’t anticipated my comments would agitate my princess; it wasn’t like her to get easily frustrated with me, but today she wasn’t quite herself. She remained quiet the rest of the ride until I pulled to the curb in front of her office building twenty minutes later.
Victoria leaned over the center console and placed a quick peck on my lips. “I’m sorry for snapping at you. It’s just been a bad morning. I promise to be in a better mood to
night.”
“You better. We have dinner with the kids tonight,” I said before pulling her back to me and claiming her mouth. “Now, that’s a proper see-you-later kiss. I’ll be back at six.”
My princess smiled back at me before exiting the car. With one hand on the door, she bowed in to look at me one last time. “I’ll remember that when my boss tells me he’ll see me after lunch.” Before I could respond, she slammed the door shut and walked towards the entrance without looking back. I’d have to teach her a lesson when I climbed into bed with her later tonight.
23
Victoria
Central Park South traffic was typically bumper to bumper during the day. But tonight, at eight in the evening, it had lightened up. “Do you mind slowing down just a tad?” I yelled at the taxi driver. From the moment I got in the back, he’d decided he was Mario Andretti, and once we crossed over from Columbus to Central Park West, he started weaving from lane to lane in his attempt to beat the speed of sound. Okay, maybe I was exaggerating some, but not by much. When Gabriel called earlier to say he wouldn’t be able to pick me up from work and that I’d have to take a taxi home and to the restaurant, I about fell out of my chair. Just this morning, he complained when I suggested using the bus. If he were here right now, he’d see the bus was a much safer means of transportation than the yellow bullet I was in right now.
The sound of metal on metal caused me to reach out in front of me and brace myself. My taxi just collided with the side of the car next to us as the driver attempted to avoid hitting the car in front that just put on its brakes. The odd thing was we did not stop. “Hey, you just hit that car beside us,” I yelled once again at the man behind the wheel.
