by Ali Vali
Before long, Remi and her date and Mano and Sylvia joined them, making Shelby and Claire relax a little more. From their vantage point Cain knew they were there and didn’t care, and apparently all Cain had planned was a great party.
Forty minutes later, Cain and Emma made their way through the crowd to the back of the room and disappeared behind a door that Merrick opened for them.
“Joe?” Shelby whispered into her mike.
Claire ran to keep up as Shelby rushed toward the exit.
“What’s wrong?” Joe responded.
“Does Cain’s new real estate have a helipad?”
Lionel hacked into the city’s building permits department and started scanning. “Yep. Nothing to accommodate anything big, but it does have one.”
“Scramble something. Anthony was right. She’s got something planned. Probably something remote.” When Shelby got to the front door she could see the bird coming from the direction of the heliport next to the New Orleans Superdome. “Move it, Joe.”
Instead of heading to the car, Shelby and Claire ran toward the building next door, which was one floor higher than the one they’d just left. Their badges got them in and worked again when they knocked on the door of a young physician just getting home from a double shift. When they reached the large windows facing Cain’s building, they saw Cain leading Emma to the helicopter. Again Cain had her arm around Emma’s waist, and Emma was pressed up to her side.
Relief flooded Shelby when she saw another helicopter coming from the west. Unlike the night Cain had lost the agents in Wisconsin with the same trick, tonight they would know exactly where she was going and what she’d be doing once she got there.
“Make sure they stay five hundred yards away. We wouldn’t want to break a court order,” Shelby said.
“Stop making jokes and get your ass on the roof,” Joe ordered. He was driving as Lionel was busy looking at the fueling records for all the private planes in the vicinity, along with any flight plans they might have filed. “We need you airborne before we lose them again.”
“Not going to happen again.”
“Got something,” Lionel said as he tried to keep his seat and ignore the fact that Joe was driving and watching the helicopter more than the road. “Carlotti fueled his plane this afternoon, but the pilot said they wouldn’t have the flight plans until they were ready for takeoff.”
“Hear that?” Joe asked Shelby as he directed them to the nearest interstate entrance ramp. “I’ll call ahead and arrange something, and we’ll meet you there in less than ten.”
Shelby listened, and from their direction, Joe was right. Wherever Cain was headed, she would have to take a plane. Shelby couldn’t understand why she’d pulled such a stunt, but at the moment all the speculation in the world wasn’t as important as keeping up with Cain and, no matter how much she liked her, finally catching her at something so they could shut her down.
The blackness of Lake Pontchartrain came into view, as did the runways of the airport located on the south shore. “What’s your ETA, Joe?”
“If we’re lucky, in about five.” He never let off the accelerator as they arrived at their exit. “Even if they’re twenty minutes ahead of us, we won’t have a problem. A Coast Guard plane’s waiting for us, and she’s fully fueled. Wherever they go, we’ll be five hundred yards behind them.”
Lionel was calling Hicks and giving her an update. They’d need help from the State Department if Cain was traveling someplace they didn’t have jurisdiction. They pulled up as Cain and Emma were landing close to their ride. Again the couple stayed close together as they boarded and never looked back, even though they had to know they were being followed.
“What are you up to, Cain?” Shelby whispered into the noise of the rotor blades as she and Claire landed.
Chapter Forty-Eight
The blinds in Muriel’s private office were down, assuring Cain she was the only one enjoying the vision in the strapless black bra and thong. The extremely revealing undergarments had been necessary for the dress Emma had just taken off.
“What’s all that leering for?”
Cain’s deep chuckle hardened Emma’s nipples noticeably.
“You stand there looking like that, and you wonder why I’m leering? I’m only human, darlin’.”
“Think you’ll still be leering when I’m as big as a house?”
Cain laughed again, but this time she stood up so she could inspect more closely. “I remember a bit of my leering and what happened after it sent you into labor with Hayden.”
She traced a path from the presently flat stomach up to cup Emma’s breast. “You’re in my blood, lass, so I’ll always desire you, no matter what.”
“Are you planning to finish what you’re starting now?” The starch of Cain’s shirt felt good against Emma’s back as she leaned farther into the strong body.
“We have a flight to catch,” Cain said, but didn’t let go.
“Then stop making me crazy or we’ll be late.” She pressed her hand into Cain’s crotch. “Very late.”
“Cruel, sweetling.” Cain didn’t want to, but she stepped back and unbuttoned her shirt. They did have a plane to catch, and she wanted to get business out of the way so she could leisurely finish what they’d started. “Now, please put something on before I forget what my name is.”
“Did the men sweep tonight?” Emma stepped into an old pair of jeans and zipped them up before changing the bra and putting on a sweater.
“Thoroughly, why?” Cain settled for a pair of chinos, a fresh white shirt, and a dark sweater. The couple looked more like models for a Gap ad than a part of an organized crime family.
“Just curious as to what’s going to happen next.”
In the interest of time Cain gave her the quick version before escorting her to the elevator. When they reached the first floor of the club, their bodyguards were waiting, dressed very much like Emma.
“How did our fishing expedition go?” Cain asked.
“I believe the term is ‘they fell for it hook, line, and sinker,’ so I hope they dressed appropriately,” Lou joked. He blushed when Emma walked up and pressed her hand to the side of his face that wasn’t burned. “I’m all right, Mrs. Casey, really.”
“Then take a stroll outside and see if we still have company,” Cain said with a wink.
The back alley appeared empty except for the vehicle parked close to the door.
Though Vincent’s plane was in the air heading south, Remi Jatibon’s was sitting in the family hangar waiting for a trip north. Ten minutes after the Coast Guard jet had hit twenty thousand feet, the fuel truck pulled up at Jatibon’s hangar.
The Caseys drove straight in and took their time boarding, since the hangar doors were closed and the building was windowless. Ramon had never cared for prying eyes, even when what he was doing was innocent.
“Welcome aboard, folks,” the pilot said. “Ms. Casey, according to Mr. Jatibon and Remi, the extra cargo is in the small private office waiting for you.” He pointed in the appropriate direction. “And the other cargo you sent ahead is in the bedroom.”
Cain nodded and took a seat on the sofa.
“Cargo?” Emma asked, sitting next to her. They had to kill about thirty minutes before takeoff.
“Tonight is about repaying favors and settling debts. To accomplish that, you always need a little baggage, so to speak.”
“Then I look forward to the morning.”
Everything Emma had prayed for in the past four years was just beyond her reach, and that was what worried her the most—wanting too much always resulted in huge disappointment when it didn’t pan out.
Chapter Forty-Nine
The deserted airstrip was lit only by the headlights of the vehicles below, but the pilot still made a smooth landing. Once on the ground, as Emma kissed Cain one last time before following Merrick to one of the waiting vehicles, Lou carried a large bag from the plane and threw it into the back of another vehicle.
> As they rode over the rough Wisconsin terrain, Cain closed her eyes and rested her head on the neck support. The bundle she held against her chest was still, oblivious to the rocking. Aside from Mook, who was driving, she’d brought along only Lou and Katlin. Emma and Merrick were already well on their way to Maddie’s.
For once, she wished Hayden were a little older so she could’ve included him. Someday she’d tell him the whole story as part of his lessons for his future responsibilities, which included keeping the Casey secrets as well as their legacy.
They stopped next to a pitch-dark wooded area. After they entered the old stand of trees and walked about half a mile in, Cain noticed that the stars were barely visible, even though the trees were still bare. She had to give Mook credit for accomplishing what she’d asked. From the thickness of the roots, it couldn’t have been easy.
“I owe you a bonus, man,” Cain said. She now sat in the portable chair Katlin had carried for her, a lantern at her feet, and clutched her still-achy side. She could forget about it for long stretches now, but in the cold night air after a long walk she knew she still wasn’t a hundred percent.
“It took me two weeks because I only worked at night, so I’m thinking fifty-yard-line tickets for a couple of games next year for Hayden and me.” The hole they were staring at was deep and more than worth what Mook was requesting.
Carelessly, Lou dropped his load onto the mud near the hole, and in the stillness of the night Cain heard a moan. Giovanni Bracato’s eyes didn’t open after Lou slit the bag apart, and they stayed closed until Katlin slapped him hard across the face, which woke him up from the sedative Vincent’s men had given him.
Blinking rapidly, he tried to focus on where he was. He was sure he would wake from this nightmare and find himself in bed next to the young woman he’d hired for the night. The process by which he’d gone from her bed to a cold night on his knees had to be a dream.
“Personally,” Cain’s voice was low as she adjusted the lamp by her feet, “I like the city, but this place is starting to grow on me.” She waved to the surrounding area. “It really is more suited for nights like tonight than the sprawl of New Orleans.”
“You let me go now, and I might consider letting your family live.”
“You shut your mouth now, and I’ll let you live that many more minutes longer.”
Cain’s matter-of-fact tone made Giovanni stop talking.
“If you want a quick death, though, I’ll be happy to accommodate you.”
“Cut the shit, Casey. You aren’t going to kill me.”
Her chuckle came close to making Giovanni lose his temper, but he pressed his lips together and stopped talking again.
“Why do you think that?”
“You need me.”
She raised her eyebrow at that statement, so Giovanni rushed ahead. “For balance, you need me. Besides, my sons will never rest until they avenge me, and you don’t want that kind of shit.” The urge to take a shot was more important to him than his immediate safety, so Giovanni took it. “It’s less time for you to fuck that little piece—”
Lou hit him in the back of the head, pitching him forward and giving him a mouth full of mud for his words.
“Careful, Big Gino. I wouldn’t want you to die on me before we’re through.”
“Sorry, boss,” Lou said, even though he sounded less than sincere.
“No need. You just saved me the trouble.” Cain pulled her coat tighter around her. “Are you done, or do we leave you with Lou a little while till we kill all that spunk?”
“What do you want?”
“What do I want?” She put her hand on her chin as if to think of a good answer. “Not too much, really. I just wanted to have a talk.”
“That would’ve taken a phone call, so why all this?” Even though his hands were tied behind him, Giovanni could feel goose bumps rising on his arms. “Your father would’ve never tried anything like this. He understood the ways things were done.”
“Like having a coward kill him from a moving car? You’re right. I guess he underestimated how dishonorable you are.”
Had there been more light, Giovanni was sure Cain would’ve seen the vein in his neck pulsate. “Dalton was careless, but that had nothing to do with me.”
Cain’s head fell back a little as she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “I should start by saying that I told my wife this wouldn’t take long.”
Giovanni shrank back from her glare when she opened her eyes again.
“You wouldn’t want to make a liar out of me, would you?” Leaning in his direction, she balled her fist, and the blow knocked him back so far, Lou had to jump to catch him before he tumbled into the hole.
“Why the fuck did you do that?” Giovanni shook his head, trying to clear the blood out of his nose.
“Call it incentive to pay attention.” From her coat pocket Cain pulled a small pouch.
Giovanni spat, trying to get the copper taste out of his mouth, and almost hit Cain’s boot. “What do you hope to gain here? Aside from me making it my mission in life to kill you.”
“I gain knowing the truth of what happened. That’s all, really, and in a way, so will you.” Cain untied the drawstring on the pouch. “Actually, your new mission should be to ask for forgiveness.”
The clink of whatever landed in her palm made Giovanni crane his neck to see.
“I have all the truth I need, so there’s no reason to lie.”
“You do, huh?” Giovanni laughed and shifted in an attempt to get the circulation going in his legs again. “You’re a lot like Dalton.” He needed to tip the scales back in his favor. “Do you realize that? A taste for cheap whiskey and cheaper women, but weak for everything else.”
When he saw the first ring in Cain’s hand, any other words died in his throat.
“If I’m lucky”—the next ring came out of the bag—“at the end of my life, people will compare me to my father.” The third ring rolled out into Cain’s palm, but she didn’t look up until the last one came out and she returned the bag to her jacket.
“What have you done?”
“I observed your offspring, Giovanni. I watched them and how they lived.” She stretched out her hand so he could see the four signet rings clearly. “Your sons were very much like you. Do you realize that?”
“Were?” The possibilities of what Cain had said were almost too much for Giovanni to handle, but he fought back the bile in his throat.
“Did you think I’m so weak that I’d ignore your attacks on my family?” The laugh that followed had nothing to do with mirth. “No, Giovanni, you now have to atone for every action you ordered.”
Giovanni had always avoided tears, but they now flowed freely down his cheeks. “Please, not my sons. Anything but that.”
Cain raised the first ring and held it to the light to read the inscription inside. “For my brother Billy, you paid with Stephano’s life.” With a quiet thud it landed in the mud in front of Giovanni. “For my mother’s life, Michael’s sacrifice seemed to fall short, but it’ll have to do.” The next ring fell next to the first. “Marie, my sister, was an innocent soul, but your boys couldn’t respect that, and they gave her the most miserable of deaths.”
At the word “innocent,” Giovanni knew what name would come next, and the totality of his sins landed on his shoulders. His youngest, Francis, was too kindhearted to ever get far in his world, and Giovanni had kept him close so the vultures wouldn’t get near him. He was doing better after Giovanni had started to spend a lot of time showing him the business, but he still had a lot to learn. Through his tears he recognized Francis’s ring in Cain’s hand. A car accident had caused the ding on the side that his youngest son had never had repaired.
“Francis was your sacrifice for Marie’s death.”
Cain’s words confirmed his fears.
“That leaves us with one.”
“Even if you kill me tonight, Gino will be my salvation. He won’t rest until he avenges a
ll of us.” He spit again after the outburst, and again he landed on his face after Lou hit him.
As Lou lifted him, he sobbed when he saw the last ring in Cain’s hand.
“Tonight I wanted you to know the pain of losing your entire family.” The last ring landed in the dirt. “That was your price for my father’s death. Every one of them is dead, and the Bracato name will die with them.”
“No, I still have my grandson, and even you aren’t coldhearted enough to kill an infant.” He tilted his head to the side, trying to wipe his face on his shirt. “If you are, then you’ll have a special place in hell.”
With a nod Cain signaled Mook to come forward and hand over his bundle. Seemingly happy, Gino’s infant son gurgled and smiled up at her.
“Your eldest son died thinking I’d done just that. He spent his last moments believing his stupidity had cost him the one good thing in his life.”
Giovanni wanted nothing more than to break the bindings and rip Cain apart with his bare hands. “What, you’re leaving that pleasure for me?”
“There’s more than one way to kill something dear.”
A deep breath did nothing to calm Giovanni’s frustration. “What the fuck does that mean?”
“That after tonight, Giovanni Bracato III will cease to exist. Your family name will be forgotten within the week.” She handed the baby back and Mook walked away, the outline of his body rapidly becoming nothing more than a shadow. “It ends tonight, Giovanni, and there’s nothing left to say.”
“Funny, I still have plenty to say.”
Cain pushed, and Giovanni fell back into the hole Mook had worked so diligently on, breaking his arm as he landed. The silence and miles of solitude swallowed his scream.
“Get me out of here.” He imagined that every bug in the state of Wisconsin was crawling on him, and the sides of the space were closing in on him. “Casey, I fucking mean it.”
Cain waved Lou off, then picked up a shovel and started filling.
Giovanni screamed louder when he felt the first load hit his chest, crystalizing what Cain had in mind.
