Bits of Vincinti 12
Finally, he came home...
Leon moved to John’s desk and stared at the screen to see the back gate. The gate hardly anyone knew about.
They all saw a car pulling up to it and a hand reaching out to punch in the code that only family knew.
Leon gasped at the sight of the hand reaching out to work the code. He saw the ring the man wore...a signet ring that he, himself also wore. His heart nearly stopped as the person leaned out the window to stare at the camera.
It was Calderone, looking a little worse for wear, but it was him for sure.
Leon reached out and pressed the button for the gate to open. He then looked up at John.
His son-in-law was grinning in relief. “Thank God, he’s home,” John said softly.
Leon couldn’t smile as he had to keep himself in check. He turned and walked to the back entrance where he unlocked the door and threw it open. He strode out and several men followed him. They all waited while the car holding Calderone and several others pulled up to the back.
Calderone stepped out of the car.
Leon hurried toward him. When he finally reached his son, he grabbed him into a hard hug.
Calderone groaned as he laughed.
Leon stepped back while looking him over carefully.
Calderone looked a bit disheveled, which was not like him.
Usually, every hair was in place and his suits were never wrinkled, he always looked neat as a pin.
His hair was all over the place, he had a bruise on his jaw and another one on his cheek.
There were stains on his clothing and his shirt was partially untucked.
Not his normal well put together look at all.
Leon didn’t care about any of that though. He only cared that his son was home and safely behind their security.
The next day....
The door suddenly swung open.
Storm had his gun out and pointed it at the intruder.
Frost looked spooked as he raised his hands. “Nah man, don’t fucking shoot me!”
Storm shook his head and shoved his weapon back into his waistband. “Didn’t your mama teach you to knock first?”
Frost shook his head as he looked upset.
Storm felt dread spread through his body as he knew Frost well and his expression told him that something was really wrong. He stepped closer and asked, “What happened?”
“I-it,” Frost stammered as his eyes looked huge in his face.
“Damn it, man!” Storm grabbed him. “What the fuck is it?”
“Mr. Leon just got a call from Calderone...”
“Yes? And?”
Frost shook his head and muttered, “The safehouse is gone.”
“What?” Storm felt confused. “How can it be gone?”
“It is nothing but rubble, man. Something exploded? Or someone dropped a bomb on it?”
Storm staggered back in total shock. “The fuck?”
Lucinda gasped and raised her hands to cover her mouth.
Frost slowly nodded his head and whispered, “Leon’s family...”
In the Security Room....
On the screens, they could see that the whole house lay in ruins while still smoldering from the blast. The police and the fire marshal were walking through the debris and the blown-up gas tank in the back yard.
Lucinda gasped and tears ran down her face as she looked at wisps of smoke still coming from the destroyed little house. “Ay dios mio senor, I am so sorry,” she whispered.
Leon turned his head and stared at her. “Why are you sorry?” he demanded.
Lucinda's knees buckled a bit as she trembled.
Storm wrapped his big arm around her shoulders and pulled her to him.
She motioned at the monitors. “This is Pinto’s work. His sons in particular. They have done this before but I never thought they could do it again. I am so sorry for your family.” Tears rolled down along her cheeks.
Leon turned to where Storm and Lucinda stood. “My family is safe and still alive.”
Lucinda’s eyes widened. “They are? How?”
“Because I am not the fool Paulo, Pinto and Carlos seem to think I am.” Leon growled softly.
“Paulo knew I would never allow him in this city. Boston belongs to me and I’m not giving it up to anyone.
They think I have lost my ability to protect myself, but they are wrong, dead wrong.
I will never allow some upstarts and dissidents to claim any part of my empire.
John has been monitoring the safe house.
He found two men messing around the backyard there a few hours ago.
That building is connected to another house three houses down via a tunnel.
As soon as Willow and Jordy joined them they were moved to the second house.
They are all safe. When Calderone called me to tell me about the building blowing up, he also told me they were safe at the second safe house but that they weren’t moving until the threat was detained. ”
Lucina almost slumped again. “I am so glad.”
Leon gave her a nod and added, “They are safe. But Pinto, Carlos and their offspring are not. They have been located and Trego is with them. We have them all under surveillance and as soon as they make their move, we will pounce.”
Leon cocked his head and looked over at Henri Lucinda’s grandfather. “Do you know which three escaped the blast?”
“Si, I know their names, they were Ortega, Silva and Jose. And once they hear the others are dead they will come after my Lucinda. They know she is here in the city. When Trego came back and told his uncles what happened here, they knew it was her that warned you first. They figure she is still here and Ortega vowed to finally end her.”
Leon smiled but the glee never met his eyes. “We will see senor. If they come here they won’t find it easy to get through my walls.”
Henri shook his head. “They think you will be so grief stricken by the loss of your family that you will not put up much of a fight.” He hesitated then nodded.
“Si, senor, they bragged about ending your family and they even toasted to the end of the Vincinti line. It was disgusting to sit there and listen to them brag about such a horrible crime.”
Leon straightened his shoulders and tugged down his sleeve. “Too bad for them that they might have bragged a little too soon about the demise of my family, senor.”
Leon’s gaze found Lucinda and he grinned at her. “And you were right, mi cara.”
Lucinda stared at him and asked, “About what?”
“Your cousins are beginning to make serious mistakes. They split up and are on the run.” Leon clapped his hands together and looked pleased at the way things were going.
Lucinda looked up at Storm.
Storm nodded and told her, “You need to tell him.”
Lucinda nodded. “When he’s rattled and has no choice, Silva will run for the church.
He may not believe in God but he knows he can get sanctuary inside those walls.
He thinks no one can get to him and drag him out if he begs the priests to give him their protection.
” She cleared her throat and went on, “Jose will take up space with the homeless and try to act like them but his act won’t last, he’s too arrogant to play homeless.
He’s going to cause problems right off the bat. So look for that.”
“And Ortega?” Leon snarled. “What will that stronzo do?”
Lucinda sighed and shook her head. “Ay dios. If you corner him, he’ll start chaos by killing people who get in his way and try to slip away in the mayhem that he started.”
Leon closed his eyes and shook his head.
Before he said anything Storm spoke up, “I’ve already got someone checking the churches and I’ve warned the bigger camps of the homeless. Plus, Bane and his group are following them.”
Leon opened his eyes and nodded. “Bane is following them and he won’t allow that damn man to hurt anyone.
The others are watching them as well. But thank you for letting me know what you think they will do.
We are going to close off every escape avenue that they might have reason to think they have.
If we can stay ahead of them, we have a chance to steer them right where we want them. ”
A short time later...
Bane drove through Leon’s front gate.
When the front door opened Leon and John stood there.
Again, Bane tossed Silva over his shoulder and walked up the steps with Silva cursing him out. Bane dumped Silva in front of Leon and grabbed Silva’s hands behind his back so he couldn’t move.
Silva glared at Leon then he saw another figure standing behind the older man. His eyes narrowed and he sneered at the slight figure. “I should have known it was you.” Silva growled. “You’ve been a curse to this family from the day you were born.”
Lucinda stared at her cousin with nothing but contempt in her eyes. “I didn’t curse this family. The man who fathered me and his brothers did that all on their own. The day Joaquin died was the day this family was cursed.”
“We should have ended you a long time ago!” Silva screamed at her.
Lucinda shook her head. “But you couldn’t do it then, could you?
You were all cowards back then and you’re even bigger cowards now.
The only one of you that crossed that line is Ortega and right now he’s running scared.
You all played the hunting game well enough as children but now someone bigger and badder than you are playing your own game against you.
Now you, Ortega and Jose will feel the fear as you try and outrun people who know your every move.
” She smiled. “Hell, maybe even Orlando will play this game as well, but they caught you, they will catch the others too.”
Silva snarled. “Not fucking likely, puta. We have more people here than just three.”
Lucinda stared at him for a long minute then she said, “Oh didn’t you hear? The rest of the family got caught up in an explosion this morning. Let’s just say they didn’t make it and leave it at that.”
Silva looked stunned. He tried to speak but no words came out of his mouth. Then he shouted, “You liar! You are fucking lying to save yourself. They aren’t dead at all and they will search this entire city to find us.”
John reached for his phone and brought up a photo, he turned it toward Silva and
Silva stared at it with round eyes and an ashen colored face. He began shaking his head as he couldn’t deny it. He saw the lineup of bodies on the ground and the sheets covering them.
Finally, he looked up and his gaze met Lucinda’s. “You are dead puta. I will kill you with my bare hands.”