The Vigilante

by Ramona Forrest

  Ryan hesitated then continued. “The other night, she and a friend of hers were in that sleazy dump, just looking the place over, and this mobster comes in looking for that other woman, like he’s done several other nights. He went over to Martha and asked her who she was, and had she ever been in there before?”

  CHAPTER 35

  My God, that crazy woman!” Bob figured he had known much more than Mapus and now he knew it all. Indeed, he knew the woman who kneed the gangster must have been Martha, but as Serena, out on a prowl. In effect, she’d been both of them. He couldn’t tell this story to the police. Martha would have to do that.

  He shook his head in wonder at how he’d ever gotten mixed up in this crazy, unbelievable fantasy. That’s what it had to be. An insanity. What the hell else could it be? Yet, he felt a bond with her, one he couldn’t break, nor did he want to. Martha did it all for him. She was the woman for him, without question.

  Mapus looked sick. “I was told she denied ever seeing him before, and eventually the two ladies slipped out without being caught. But, I guess he wasn’t satisfied with that. He’s been tailing her. Now he’s got her, Bob. I’m damned sure of it! That poor woman can’t stay out of trouble. I hope to hell we can save her life. Imperato’s a devil with the women.”

  Bob sat there, numb. His hands shook and clenched in helpless frustration. Damn that crazy woman! Couldn’t trust him enough to believe in him all the way, and tell him the whole truth. No way would he abandon her now. But if I ever get the chance again, I’ll find some kind of lovely torture for that lady! His mind and heart racing with fear, he asked. “What do we do now? What can we do?”

  “Our surveillance officer, Carla, was right on her tail. We haven’t heard from her, not yet. If she’s been made, we’re in deep shit!” Mapus looked distraught. “I want to sit that Martha down and have a good heart to heart with her. She’s a damned good woman in spite of the things we believe she’s done. We want to protect her and we’ve been trying.” He shook his head in frustration. “Now this bastard’s gotten in our way. Otherwise, it’s a helluva dilemma for our department. The public will be on her side. Do you know what I am referring to, Bob?”

  “Like what? What the hell are you running on about?” Bob played dumb on the vigilante subject. No way would he give the police a clue about Martha’s mental aberrations. “We’ve got to find her, that’s what I’m worried about.” He huffed in desperation. “Her life is in danger, you tell me, yet you’re blathering about protecting her! What the hell are you talking about? Let’s see some action, for Christ’s sakes. I love that woman to death. I’ve lost one woman and I can’t lose another. Certainly not this one, I love her more than my life.”

  “Okay, I see your point.” The radio blared for Mapus. He listened, and then said, “Wish we’d get a blip from Carla. She’s our best hope right now.” His lips pulled tight. The grimace across his face told of the futility they faced. “Haven’t heard a word from her since noon. She knew Imperato had his people tracking Martha. Slick as a cat, Carla is, but these are devils we’re dealing with. I’ll admit this deal has me worried all to hell, to say the least.”

  His words did nothing to soothe Bob’s sick fear for Martha. Angry at her, yet worried to a standstill, he had to appreciate Mapus asking him along. “Man, I’m glad you asked me to come. Sorry I haven’t much to tell you about Martha, except she’s damned good people.” Peering anxiously out the car windows, he saw that it had grown dark, and his fears only increased. God, let me find her. Help her through this. I need her. A tear escaped, but it mattered no longer. She was all he wanted. Martha, where are you, out in the dark?

  ***

  Instinctively, Martha knew, even if she managed to escape him, this evil-minded devil would dog her steps until one of them died. Though desperate, that realization gave her strength. Her mind whirled with wild, panicky thoughts of survival. At the moment, she saw no way out.

  Imperato was hurt—and enraged far beyond his control. He now regretted asking his men to stay clear while he dealt with this particular woman. What a damned wildcat he’d tangled with. This crazy bitch had the strength of ten and he didn’t want to confirm to anyone, especially her, that he couldn’t handle the situation.

  “Well, well, aren’t you something,” he said. Looking at the woman spitting fire as she sat before him, he rapidly conceived ideas that filled his mind with sexual heat and, against his will, he felt a grudging respect for her.

  In spite of his rage, he admired her gutsy spirit. Cloying, mewling females he’d had a plenty. But one like this was a rare specimen, and she incited his sexual appetite like none other had ever done. His pride demanded that he punish her for the acts she’d taken against him, but he hated having to kill a woman this exciting.

  Imagining her spread out in his big, wide bed, he felt himself responding to those thoughts, planning a real nice treat for her. The blood surged into his loins. Now he had a new agenda—an urgent sexual one!

  He changed his tone. “Listen, lady, let’s not get ourselves in an uproar, here. Why don’t we have a friendly chat? You aren’t going to make it to work anyway. Sit down and let me fix you a nice cool drink.” He smiled at her. “I’m not such a bad guy. A lot of women think real well of me.” He turned to a fancy gold emblazoned cart filled with bottles of every kind. “What’s your pleasure?”

  “I don’t care for a drink. I only want to leave this place. Will you please let me go?” she entreated, her voice strong and even. She held the gun steady, still aimed at his midsection.

  Then as a whim of curiosity overcame her, she couldn’t help asking. “What is the cologne you wear? It’s quite good, rather exotic, I’ve wondered about it.”

  “Like my Eroticano, do you? Comes from Columbia, very rare, very expensive. Got other stuff from there, too, strong stuff, makes women go crazy, hot—wild! How about you come upstairs with me, we’ll use it. I’ve got plenty of time.” He moved closer. “Christ! You’re the most exciting and entertaining female I’ve ever met, lady. Our night has just begun, if you catch my drift.”

  His heavily suggestive overtones sickened Martha and she couldn’t miss the massive bulging tumescence expanding in his lower regions.

  Sickened to the point of nausea, she glared at him in disgust. “I catch it alright, and I’m not interested,” she snarled. “Sir, you scare me to death and you sicken my soul. Those are the only feelings you arouse in me. I’ll admit that much.” Spitting like an ally cat, she added. “I want to leave your home, castle or whatever to hell you call it. My place is not here.”

  A sick desperation settled over her. If she killed him, she’d never make it past his clutch of henchmen. They were stationed all around his grounds, and she didn’t know where she was in any case. But, she decided, being out of Imperato’s sick presence would be a start.

  Martha longed to see the stars and breathe the clean, fresh air flowing sweetly from the mountains. Would she ever draw a free breath again? How could this have happened? Trapped in this luxurious, opulent, overblown monument to crime with a lecherous beast planning to take erotic delight in her body with all the evil, sexual intentions his criminal mind could envision. When he’d finished with her, he’d have her body casually thrown off the edge of his property, or to the bottom of some deep lake wearing cement overshoes.

  Her fearful thoughts filled her with a deadly resolve. When he moved toward her, she brought the gun up and aimed at his gut. “Not so fast. I don’t know what to do, but I do not plan on further dealings with you!” Staring into his pale, eerie, eyes, she was certain that her own held a deadly glare. “I want out of here!”

  In truth, she faced an impasse. The man before her believed she didn’t have the guts to kill, and she didn’t. But inside herself, she did have what it took. And Imperato had no earthly way of knowing about Martha’s inner helper, or the way extreme stress brought that wild creature into action.

  CHAPTER 36

  Ryan heard a static-filled c
rackle on his radio. “Yeah?” He got no return voice, nothing. “Yeah, come in. Carla?” He waited. In time, he heard a thin, whispery, voice crackling over his receiver.

  “Ryan, sorry to call so late—my radio is acting up. I’m inside their compound. Get a lot of back up; we’re going to need it. They have Mrs. Lavery. She’s alive for now, but hurry it up. I don’t know how long I can escape detection here.”

  “Carla, you all right for now?” He listened intently, but heard nothing further. Ryan punched his mike. “Get the SWAT team out to the Imperato compound. You know the place, fortress on the hill, and all that,” he added. “We’ve got an agent inside so use extreme caution. They keep several vicious dogs on the loose. You’ll need to take care of those, too.” He went on to apprise them of Martha’s situation, and Carla’s as well then he turned to Bob. “This could get damned ugly. Sure you want to be here for it?”

  Bob nodded. “Hell yes, and if I get the chance, I’ll work that Imperato bastard over with these.” He balled his fists and held them out. “I’d count myself lucky to paste that sick son-of-a-bitch.” His voice was quiet but full of meaning. “I hope she’s okay, Ryan. Your agent said she was?”

  “Yeah, me, too. And yes, she’s okay for now.” Ryan, impressed with Martha’s ability to inspire love and loyalty in her friends, said nothing more. Talk would add nothing for either of them as they advanced into position. In their fight to save Martha, he drove closer to the compound and pulled over. He’d ordered no flashing lights, no blaring sirens.

  “The SWAT team is deploying as we speak. They’ll knock the dogs out quick enough with tranquillizer bullets, using silencers, so no problem there.” He got out of the cruiser to consult with several men dressed in dark clothing. He waved his hand toward the mansion and came back to the car. “All set, we’re going in.”

  They left their vehicles and slowly moved out, working closer to the great stone edifice soaring above them, so beautifully covered with interlacing vines, and shining with soft lighting. It gave off a rather ethereal glow. “Nice place, eh?” Ryan whispered. “Crime sure as hell pays for some of these big mobsters. We’ve never pinned as much as a parking ticket on that slippery devil up there. Not a damned thing!”

  “That drug bastard has over stepped himself, tonight. Kidnapping my woman is the last straw! If you guys don’t get him, I may have to,” Bob replied, keeping his voice quiet and barely believing the crazy bravado in it. “After all that’s happened in our world, I understand the need for these vigilante types. After tonight, I think more people need to take care of these fiends on their own. I feel that way, Ryan, and I never thought I would.” He paused then added. “I see how your hands are tied with all the lawyers and political correctness, and such, but it really hurts and angers the ones who lose protection because of it. And lately too many of those people are us.”

  “Jeez, Bob, down boy! We aren’t that bad, are we?” Ryan grimaced. “Looks like this case has got you tied up in a thousand ways. Settle down man, or I’ll have to send you back to the patrol car. We can’t have a mad man running loose,” he added softly. “But, you’re damned right about a lot of it.”

  “Okay, I get it.” Bob winced at his own outburst, knowing he’d been greatly influenced by Martha’s frequent tirades against the injustices to her family regarding the crime against her grandson, Will.

  Ryan called a halt to their advance and listened to his small radio a moment. “Carla called again. She’s close to the action and will give a whistle if all hell breaks loose.” He turned to Bob. “Really man, you need to head back down. I should never have allowed you to get this far. We can’t endanger civilians like this. They’ll have my hide as it is.”

  “I’ll have your hide if you try to send me anywhere,” Bob hissed and kept moving upward. “I’ll be responsible for myself. Just get her the hell out of that bastard’s place!” Nearing the fence, they saw two black Dobermans, stretched motionless on the grass. Bob whistled softly, but the dogs didn’t stir. “They’ve been immobilized, thank God for that little favor,” he muttered, thoughts of Doberman teeth tearing into his leg filling his mind.

  “The fencing’s been cut. Let’s go, but easy does it.” Ryan worked his way through the jagged edges of the severed chain-link fencing and edged slowly toward the house. Bob followed closely behind.

  They heard nothing, and that made him uneasy. The place had an eerie atmosphere to it and the feeling sank into his mind. He hated knowing Martha was held a captive somewhere in the frightening recesses of a place so threatening and sinister, and with a man known for his cruel ways with women. He feared for her, and prayed for God to look after her because he couldn’t. Fretting about it tore him apart.

  Suddenly, they heard popping sounds within the huge mansion. The sound, dulled behind thick, ornate masonry and stone walls, meant some kind of action had occurred, and they feared the worst. They saw men running headlong into the front entrance, guns drawn, to disappear through the massive door that stood hanging agape. After that, Bob saw some of the SWAT team running into the building. They heard more muffled shots and saw men surrounding the outside. Ryan, his gun drawn, entered the gaping maw of the mansion, with Bob right behind him.

  ***

  In the ornate library, Martha’s heart pounded as Imperato moved toward her. His purposeful mien meant he’d reached the end of his patience and was closing in. He grabbed her arm. “Come, my dear, we have the night ahead, and I’m sure as hell not letting something like you get away from me again.”

  Roughly, he grabbed onto her and pulled her into his embrace, crushing her against his handsomely-dressed, finely scented body. His head went down to hers and he sought her lips as if they were a feast laid out before him. He laughed as he nuzzled her hair, across her cheeks, searching for her mouth. He pressed her close against him, rubbing his swollen member suggestively against her.

  Revulsion overwhelmed her. She twisted her face away from his kiss, jerked back and found within herself the strength to resist his heated onslaught of her body. She pulled away from him and struggled desperately to bring the gun up against his side. The over sexed fool had forgotten about the gun. She pressed it against him and aimed slightly upward. Squeezing her eyes shut tight and gritting her teeth, she pulled the trigger.

  She heard his gasping breath, and felt a shock go through his big body. In horror she watched him jerk, lose his evil grasp on her, and slump down onto the thick, carpet, clutching his belly. “You bitch, you dirty, fucking bitch!” he hissed. “You’ve done for me, and with my own gun!” He gasped in pain as Martha stood watching him in shock.

  The door burst open and two men rushed in. “Get her,” the sallow faced man cried. They grabbed her arms from behind, twisted them up against her back, and shoved her to the floor.

  Forcing her face down, one of them yelled. “Hey, Morrie, quick, call a doc. Chaz’s been shot for Christ’s sake!” He sent a withering look toward Martha. “You filthy, fuckin’ bitch, you shot him! I’ll fix you! I’ll fix you good!”

  Martha saw his pock-marked face filled with a deadly rage just before she felt a sharp blow to the side of her head and was lost in darkness.

  She slowly drifted upward, regaining her senses. Her head pounded with a dull, thudding pain. Opening her eyes, she lay close to Imperato, face to face. He appeared unconscious. She heard his rasping and labored breathing. The henchmen seemed to have gone. She didn’t see or hear them and guessed they’d run for help.

  She looked at Imperato’s face—sallow, waxy, and sweating.

  His eyes opened and saw nothing at first, until finally, they fastened on her. Focusing, he saw her and she heard him struggle to speak. “You’ve done for me—I have to know—please—are you that woman?” he asked, his voice soft and rasping.

  His look of appeal touched her, making her wonder why something like that would matter now to a dying man. Amazed, that this vile man, who lay dying before her eyes, had only that small thing on his mind. Blood
oozed from his mouth. His pallor increased to a yellowish sheen and his respirations were shallow and moist. The blood bubbles coming from his mouth meant she’d hit his lungs, likely a fatal injury. She said. “I’m sorry I had to shoot you, but you wouldn’t let me go. I had to do it.”

  “You are that woman, aren’t you?” To Martha, he seemed to hold no other interest as his voice weakened and faded.

  She wondered again why it had seemed so important to him. Shots rang out somewhere beyond the room and in the outer areas of the huge, mansion as well. “What now? What’s happening?” She tried to raise her head. “Something is going on. Are they trying to rescue me?” She fell back, the dark, the blackness overtaking her momentarily. When she came to again, Imperato had gripped tightly onto her arm, his nails biting deep. Fear clutched her and in her weakness, she couldn’t dislodge his grasp on her.

  “Tell me, bitch! You’re the one. You are her. I knew it!” His pale eyes blazed wildly for a bit, then his grip loosened and he laid still, his eyes closed. She no longer heard his labored breathing.

  Martha whispered. “Yes, you sick, evil, bastard, it was me that decked you on the dance floor. And I’d do it again, too.” She thought him dead then, but his eyes fluttered once more, and she believed he’d heard her last words.

  A few moments later, more shots exploded outside. She wondered helplessly who it was and what was happening. Slowly raising her head, and seeing no one about, she managed to crawl enough to reach a chair and slowly pull her trembling body into it.

  A small female form slipped into the room and squatted in front of her. “Are you all right?” “You’re not shot?” She looked Martha steadily in the eyes. “I’m Officer Carla Martino. I’ve been keeping an eye on you for the past several days.” She glanced around. “Say, nice looking shack here, huh? Don’t worry about those other two thugs. I took them out a while back. I’ve checked around pretty good. I think we’ve gotten most of them” She assisted Martha to move enough to ascertain she had no wounds or other debilitating injuries.