Chapter 1 The Capture #2
Marco promised me Giusto and was ready to send Nero to fetch him, but he was smart enough to show me the file first. It’s like he knew that once I set eyes on Serafina, I would have second thoughts.
Her eyes are filled with sadness, and yet, there’s a hint of defiance in her soul.
I feel it. I keep asking myself, why marry the woman when Giusto was offered up without a fight?
The answer is both simple and complicated.
I want Serafina. Her beauty is beyond that of any other woman I’ve ever laid eyes on.
This doesn’t mean I won’t end her brother.
There has never been justice for Miranda’s death, and I intend to see this through.
The idea of having Giusto work under me and taking his title as underboss of the West Side is exceptionally satisfying, and it will also be the beginning of his end.
Slowly, I will make his life miserable, and then he’ll make his move.
I know that he will because he’s a pompous ass.
His title of underboss was handed down by his father.
He didn’t earn it, but he’ll have to earn his keep under my watch.
I’m close to getting what I want. Wan Kwok escaped underground and is making his way back to his home country.
To get out of the US, he needs safe passage, and that means a fake passport.
My connection has paid off, and I was called with the time and place Wan was coming to pick it up.
Time is running out. I must make my move tonight.
After following at a distance, I end up at a hotel by the airport.
I’m careful to stay out of his line of sight but remain cool as I approach the reception desk standing before me across the massive lobby.
As the young female attendant prepares my key card, I hear the man at the other end say as he hands a card to Wan, “As requested, eighth floor.” Before the front desk man can continue, Wan swipes the key card from his hand and, with a heavy accent, replies, “I’ll find it,” then quickly turns to see who is nearby.
I pretend to flirt with the woman serving me, paying no mind to Wan, who turns and heads toward the elevators.
Wan enters the elevator with two other men by his side.
Easy pickings for me to take out, but I want to keep this as quiet as possible.
This means finding a way into his suite while his men are outside guarding his door.
Time is running out. Now he has a passport in hand and with his choice of hotel by the airport, at best, I have the night to do what needs to be done. I could call Nero, and he’d send reinforcements immediately. Still, there’s no guarantee that they would get here in time.
I climb the stairs up to the eighth floor, then open the stairwell door slightly.
I see that one of Wan’s henchmen is pacing outside his door, giving evil stares to anyone coming off the elevator.
He’s a big man, but slow. I also see that Wan asked for a room without another room next to him.
Luckily for me, there’s a janitor’s closet.
My plan is coming together.
Several hours later…
A needle of Midazolam to the bodyguard in the hallway puts him out quickly.
I drag his body into the janitor’s closet.
I could have killed him, but I want to keep the mess to a minimum.
Next, I need to gain access to Wan’s suite.
I called in a favor and had the hotel blueprints sent to me.
As luck would have it, the air vent directly links into Wan’s room, and based on the layout of the suites, it’s right over his bed.
The vent also allows me to hear what’s being said in his room.
When Wan says he’s taking a nap and to wake him in a couple of hours, I know this is the time to strike.
I wait until I hear Wan snoring, then pump gas into the vent to incapacitate him.
It’s odorless and undetectable. Even if he wakes up, he’ll be too disoriented to do any damage.
If I wait long enough, the gas will waft through the suite and take care of his bodyguard too, but I’m not willing to wait that long.
This leaves me to deal with his other bodyguard.
I casually walk to Wan’s room and knock on the door. His second henchman cracks the door open, and before he can slam it shut, I push my way through and slam my hand into his face. It’s meant to stun him, and it does, long enough for me to pull out my stun gun and knock him out.
The rest is a piece of cake. I roll a large laundry hamper from the hotel and dump Wan into it, covering him with the sheets from his bed.
My car is parked right outside the side door.
I knocked out the video camera earlier, and this gives me time to pile Wan into the trunk.
He’ll be out for at least a couple of hours.
I climb into the driver’s seat, turn on the engine, and make my call.
“Hey, where are you?” Nero answers quickly.
I answer with a question of my own. “Where do you want him? I can deliver him dead or alive.”
“Fuck me, you got him!” Nero exclaims. “Jesus! You really are a secret weapon.” Then he lets out a laugh.
“Wan is a means to an end. Choice is yours. Do I deliver him dead or alive?” I ask again.
“Hold up,” he replies, and I can hear him walking across a tile floor. “Dad, Eros has Wan. He wants to know if you want him dead or alive.”
“Alive. I want to be there when the final blow is delivered,” I hear Marco say.
I want confirmation. “My reward doesn’t change. The prize is the same. Serafina and my new job as Giusto’s underboss.”
“We keep our word, Eros. La Famiglia always keeps their word,” Nero insists.
“The deal was I kill him,” I remind him.
“This is better. All the capos get to see his end.” I know that Nero put me on speaker, because Marco’s voice comes through loud and clear.
“La Famiglia is looking forward to welcoming its newest underboss, and a wedding celebration is always a festive event,” Marco says, and it sounds like he’s got a smile on his face.
“Where do you want him delivered?” I ask.
Nero rattles out an address. I recognize the place and tell him I’ll be there in forty minutes. I’ve done my part, and I’m going to reap the rewards. The capture is complete, and I didn’t even have to get my hands bloody. Not that I’d shy away from the killing. God knows I’ve killed plenty of men.