Basement Level 5: Never Scared

by L. R. Wright

  “Daddy called in a favor to one of the doctors at the hospital. They pronounced her dead then we waited until Senator Owens identified her,” Alexa said, taking up the story. “Kendrick and I broke into the morgue, removed her, and took her to a different safe house.”

  “And he never told you why he was doing this, Alexa?” Lei questioned.

  “Daddy must have paid off the funeral home because we were able to sneak her back in so she could play dead for the funeral. Then Daddy took her away himself. We never heard anything else about her again.” Alexa eyed her brother. “Lei, I couldn’t think of another explanation. Why would Daddy save someone who meant nothing to him?”

  “That still doesn’t mean he had an affair with her,” Lei said. “I mean, I know why you would think that. But this whole thing is unlike him. There has to be more to this.”

  “It doesn’t sit right with me either,” Dro added. “There has to be another explanation. Don’t go thinking he carried on an affair with this woman. He wouldn’t do that to Ma.”

  Pop and Ma had the respect and admiration of all of them. They were happily married, which was a rarity in this business. Pop loved Veronica more than life it seemed. They married before he shipped off to war. Since they were both teenagers, everyone predicted it wouldn’t last. They beat all the odds, though. Veronica had waited for him while he served his country. And when he returned, they began their life together. She stuck by him through everything—his business and the danger it brought to their family. It was hard to believe Pop would violate that trust by having an affair, but why would he risk so much to help that woman?

  Kendrick plugged away on his keyboard. “Pop asked me to make her disappear, and set her up with a new identity. I saved it in an encrypted file. If we find her, we may find him.”

  Alexa ran her fingers through her curls. “That would mean he’s been keeping tabs on her this whole time. That’s not like him, right Lei?”

  “No, but Kendrick is right. We can’t find him anywhere else. We need to try her.”

  “I found it,” Kendrick announced, after a few moments of tense silence. “She’s now known as Aaliyah Hernandez. And she’s in—” He tapped another button on the keyboard. “Puerto Rico?”

  “He hid her in Puerto Rico?” Dro asked. “That’s too obvious. Why would he hide her there?”

  “So he could get to her if he needs to without suspicion,” Lei surmised.

  “He’s hiding her in plain sight so he can ensure her protection,” Alexa added.

  Dro rubbed the stubble on his face. “But he wouldn’t take the kids there. It’s too obvious. Everyone knows we have a connection to Puerto Rico.” Although Martinez conducted most business in the States, there were still active Martinez businesses in Puerto Rico.

  “Hold on,” Kendrick said, focusing on the computer screen. “It looks like there’s recent credit card activity.”

  “Where at?” Chase asked.

  Kendrick sighed. “Pop must have been in contact with her. She’s on the island.”

  Everyone was silent. Enrique had purchased a private island off the coast of Puerto Rico. It was a protected haven for the family. As children, they were shipped off to it when things were too hot in the States. The only people allowed on the island were family members.

  “We need to go there,” Dro said. “Pop has been in touch with her. Why else would she be on the island? Lei, call and get the plane ready. We need to be out of here within the hour.”

  Lei’s phone blared. He hit the talk button and turned the speaker on. “This is Lei.”

  “Lei?” Pop’s voice carried through the receiver.

  “Pop?” Lei asked. “Where are you?”

  “Tell Kendrick to stop looking for her. I’m in B5. You need to come here now. I’ll explain everything.”

  ***

  Alexa and the others followed Dro into B5. They hurried through the kitchen into the living room where Pop was sitting on the couch.

  She flung herself into his arms when he stood. “Daddy! Thank God you’re okay.”

  He rubbed her hair. “I’m fine, ladybug.”

  Alexa reluctantly let her father go and moved aside so the others could greet him. “Where are my children?” she asked. “Where is everybody?”

  Pop picked up a glass of amber colored liquid off one of the coffee tables and took a small sip. “I know you all have questions, and I want to answer them.”

  “Pop—” Dro started.

  Pop held up his hand. “Dro—son, let me talk before you ask any questions.”

  Dro nodded, taking a seat at the dining room table and pulling Alexa into his lap.

  “When Chase informed me that someone was following us to the safe house,” Pop explained. “I decided to change plans. I had to assume the enemy knew all of the safe house locations, so I made a few calls, and arranged for the family to be hidden where no one would think to find them.”

  “On the island?” Lei asked. “Why would you take them there?”

  “They’re not on the island, Lei.” Pop took another sip from his glass. He joined Dro and Alexa at the table. “That was too dangerous for them. I knew someone in Martinez was leaking information about the safe houses, so I figured the same person could’ve leaked information about the island.”

  “So where are they?” Alexa asked.

  “They’re safe,” Pop answered. “Well protected.”

  “Pop, you know I respect your opinion, but I need to know where my family is,” Dro insisted. “We got a report there was blood in the truck you were driving. Was someone hurt?”

  Pop shook his head. “CJ had a bloody nose. Some of his blood must have ended up on the seat. Everyone is fine.”

  Dro frowned. “Where are they? I need to know.”

  “I understand that,” Pop said, tracing the rim of his glass. “And believe me, I would feel the same way in your shoes. Do you trust me?”

  Dro nodded without hesitation. “Of course, I trust you.”

  “Then trust me on this. The children are safe and protected. So is everyone else.”

  Dro’s jaw ticked. “Fine.” He sighed. “I’ll accept that for now. But you need to tell us what’s going on.”

  Alexa turned to Dro, her eyes wide. No one ever talked to her father like that. Everyone knew Dro was Jefe, but he’d always respected Pop’s position in the family and his history with Martinez. Dro never asserted his power over Pop.

  “And I’ll tell you everything you want to know, son,” Pop said, crossing his legs.

  “Daddy, how did you know we were looking for Mrs. Owens?” Alexa asked.

  “I did some checking around,” Pop admitted. “I called in a few favors. I figured out Senator Clive Owens was behind this attack. I knew you and Kendrick would remember that job I assigned all those years ago. Once you remembered, it was only a matter of time before Kendrick started looking for her.”

  “She’s been in Puerto Rico this entire time?” Kendrick asked.

  “I needed to keep her safe,” Pop said with a shrug.

  “Why?” Alexa demanded. “Why did you need to keep her safe? Why have you gone to so much trouble for her, Daddy? Are you having an affair?”

  “I can’t even believe you would ask me that, ladybug. I would never cheat on your mother.”

  Alexa jumped to her feet. “I’m sorry, Daddy, but you have to tell me more. This isn’t some secret operation, and I’m not a child,” she yelled. “You can’t just tell me to do something because you say so anymore. Why did you fake her death? Who is she?”

  Pop met her gaze, and she swallowed. She had never disrespected him before. “Alexa...” His tone left no doubt as to whom the parent was in this conversation.

  She couldn’t believe he called her by her given name. Even at her wedding, he called her ladybug and it was a formal event. She averted her gaze from him. “Daddy, I don’t mean to yell. But I need more.”

  “She’s right, Pop,” Lei added. “We need more.”

/>   Alexa smiled at Lei, thankful he stepped in to diffuse the situation.

  “When we were young, Enrique and I grew up in the same neighborhood with Senator Owens,” Pop began. “Once he was old enough, he decided to distance himself from us because of our illegal activities. He knew he was going into politics. He married, moved away, and never spoke to us again.”

  “So why would he hire you to eliminate his wife?” Kendrick asked, finally taking a seat at the table.

  “He didn’t, and I wouldn’t.” Pop tapped his forefinger on the table.

  “So, how did you get involved?” Dro asked.

  Pop chuckled. “If I didn’t feel like I was on the spot, I could embrace the pride I have for you all. You all grew into very strong, capable people. We always taught you to protect each other. I’m glad that lesson stuck, even if you’re protecting each other against me. That’s all Enrique and I could have asked for.”

  When they glared at him, he sighed and continued. “The idea to start a business came from a conversation I had with Enrique. A friend of mine, a CIA operative, sought me out to complete an assassination job. Enrique thought it would be good for me to branch off and concentrate on my own thing. Although Enrique hated to lose my presence on a daily basis, he told me he wanted his ‘brother’ to be happy.

  “I used my connections to start a security business that was a front for contract work with the CIA. Officials with the CIA contacted me when they wanted certain jobs done, more specifically eliminating threats to national security.” Pop was the point of contact and he assigned tasks to the group. They were instructed to use whatever means necessary to carry out these “hard tasks.”

  “I spent many years working for Enrique,” Pop continued. “Although, I wanted you all to work on the legitimate side of the business, sometimes the lines were blurred. This was one of those times.”

  Pop rubbed his graying beard. “I heard from a close business associate that Senator Owens had put the word to the ground that he needed his wife taken care of so I arranged for one of my employees to accept the job.”

  “Why, Daddy?” Alexa asked. “Why would you intercept this job?”

  “I would never let Owens eliminate his wife and he knew that. That’s why he tried to keep his plans from me.”

  “I still don’t get it,” Dro said. “Owens obviously didn’t want to get you involved. But you got involved anyway. Was this some sort of revenge for something that happened when you were younger?”

  “No, but I wasn’t going to sit back and let Owens have my sister killed.”

  Alexa gasped. “What?”

  “You heard me. Owens was married to my sister. I couldn’t let him kill her.”

  CHAPTER 28

  The room was silent. Alexa could hardly believe the huge bombshell Pop had just dropped on all of them. Owens’ wife was his sister? They’d grown up believing he didn’t have any family, except for them.

  Pop finished his drink and set the glass on the table. “When we were younger, Clive and my sister were in love. When Clive opted to leave the neighborhood for greener pastures, he took my sister with him. I fought to keep her from leaving. I knew once he got her away, I would never see her again. She was determined, though. We lost touch, but I still kept tabs on her.”

  “Why didn’t you tell us you had a sister, Daddy?” Alexa asked, feeling betrayed.

  “When she left, I told her she was dead to me. It hurt me that she fell for Clive’s lies and turned her back on me. So, I—I turned my back on her. I didn’t speak about her again.”

  “So, this friend, the one who told you about Clive hiring a hit man...who was it?” Lei asked.

  Pop sighed. “Over the years, I let my emotions rule me when it came to my sister. Ultimately, I just couldn’t let her go completely. I hired someone to work for Clive and watch out for her. He would report back to me monthly. Apparently, he was the one that Clive ordered to find a hit man. I always knew Clive was unfaithful to her, but she would never believe me. He was also verbally and physically abusive. Yet, I never thought he would try to kill her. I couldn’t let that happen.”

  Alexa rubbed her temple, feeling a headache coming on. “So, you did all of this to save your sister. Why lie to us?”

  “I didn’t lie, ladybug,” Pop argued. “I just didn’t tell you everything. It didn’t matter anyway.”

  “Why wouldn’t it matter?” she asked incredulously.

  “I knew I had to make her disappear. No one was to know she was still alive, or she would have been in danger.”

  She let out of humorless snicker. “But we’re the ones you asked to do this job. You couldn’t tell us? You couldn’t even tell me that I was saving my aunt?”

  “Ladybug, you know there are things that have to remain a secret.”

  “This is not one of them,” she shouted. “You know what? I’m tired of this life. I’m tired of this ‘need to know’ shit. At some point, you thought it wise to train us to work with you. You asked us to help you. I have killed people for you, Daddy. I’ve slaughtered people because you gave me the word. And for some strange reason, you felt you couldn’t even trust me enough to tell me I was saving my own aunt. I’m tired of this life and all these unwritten rules of conduct. You owed me the truth, Daddy. And whether you want to believe that or not, it doesn’t change how I feel about this.”

  Pop’s eyes flashed to her. “Alexa, I’m still your father.” His voice was low and controlled. “You will respect me.”

  “The question is do you respect me, Daddy?” she cried. “Do you respect me as a woman and a part of this team?”

  Dro gripped her hand and tried to pull her back on his lap. “Alexa, calm down.”

  She ripped her hand from his and backed away from the table. “I’m fine.” She crossed her arms. “So, Daddy, tell me what we’re going to do now? The sooner we do it, the sooner this is over.”

  Dro cleared his throat. “Pop, why did you send her to the island? It’s not safe.”

  “It is for her,” Pop insisted. “No one knows who she is. She doesn’t even look the same anymore. She’s a different person. And she’s protected.”

  Alexa turned her back on Pop when he tried to meet her gaze. It was the first time she had ever done that to him and her heart ached.

  “We need to figure out the next move,” Lei said, standing by Alexa. “I want this over too.”

  Alexa was happy that Lei had chosen her side. She couldn’t help but resent her father.

  It felt like some sort of betrayal to be finding out about this now, after so many years. Everything happening now stemmed from that one event. Now all of their lives were in upheaval.

  “I agree,” Pop stated firmly.

  “We left Melissa at the old safe house,” Kendrick said to Pop. He glanced at Dro. “Do you want me to make the call?”

  “There’s no need to keep her around,” Dro ordered.

  “Don’t get rid of her body,” Pop interjected, drawing all of their attention. “I want it found out in the open.”

  “That’s not how we do things,” Alexa argued. “We don’t want anything traced back to us.”

  “Would I tell you to do something that traces back to you?” Pop asked. “I do have a plan, ladybug. Melissa’s body will send the right message to Owens.”

  “You want her found in the park?” Kendrick asked. “Just like Owens’ wife. I mean, your sister?”

  “Exactly. This time Melissa will be dead, and Owens will know that I’m on to him.”

  Alexa rolled her eyes. She still couldn’t believe her father had kept so much hidden from them. She scowled at the man she had admired above all else. “I spoke to her. I helped her. Did she know who I was?”

  “We talked about you and Lei,” Pop said softly. “She knows you’re married to Dro and that you have two children. That’s really all that she knows. We’re not close. I saved her, yes, but some things are never forgotten.”

  She snorted. That was just like her father.
He was old school. He never forgot betrayal. His sister would probably feel the effects of betraying him for the rest of her life.

  “I want to meet her formally,” she said to Pop.

  “You can meet her once we take care of Owens.”

  “Why didn’t you take care of this back then?” Alexa asked, feeling her anger rising. “It’s not like you to leave stuff open.”

  Pop rose from his seat and approached her.

  At this point, Alexa didn’t want to have anything to do with him. She was angry and she wanted him to know that he hurt her.

  “Ladybug, I’m not a perfect man.” He placed his hands on her shoulders. “You know this. I had my reasons for leaving Clive alive. I’m not going to explain them now.

  “The only thing you need to know is that now I want him dead. He’s caused me and my family too much trouble. He came after my children and my grandchildren. Now, he’ll pay with his life.”

  ***

  October 10, 1999

  Pop was waiting in the kitchen, when Alexa and Dro walked through the side door. The lights were dimmed, and he was sipping on a cup of coffee.

  Alexa gave him a slight smile. “Daddy, you didn’t have to wait up.”

  Pop noted her red, glassy red eyes. She’d been crying. “I wanted to see how things went.”

  “She did a good job,” Dro said. “It was a clean kill. The cleanup crew went in right after we left.”

  Pop reached out to rub her face. “You’ve been crying.”

  She sniffed and bobbed her head.

  “Why?” Pop asked.

  She sucked in a deep breath and met his gaze, lifting her chin. “It was hard. I cried for his life—his family. But the job is done.”

  He kissed her forehead. “Sometimes we have to put aside our emotions to get the job done. And you have done a great job of that. That’s why I trust you to be a part of this, ladybug.”