9. New Year’s Eve
NEW YEAR’S EVE
GAbrIEL
Friday evening, eight o’clock on New Year’s Eve, Gabriel took Hotel Dillinger’s service elevator to the loading dock out back. Dressed in black, and wearing a hoodie and sunglasses, he shouldered his long gun in its bag. After exiting the building, he made his way to the parked SUV nearby.
Sin exited the vehicle, shook his hand. “This’ll be fun.”
“Is that what revenge is?” Gabriel asked as Sin opened the back hatch.
Gabriel secured the long gun bag before Sin handed him a Kevlar vest. Gabriel removed the hoodie, strapped the body armor into place. “Not sure I love pulling you into my violent world.”
“In ALPHA, we never do jobs alone,” Sin said as he tapped the button and the hatch closed. “Babin’s long list of crimes were vicious, even by my standards.”
Gabriel got into the front seat.
Once behind the wheel, Sin said, “Getting involved with Cosa Nostra is new for me.”
“Benvenuto in famiglia, fratello. Welcome to the family, brother.”
Sin drove out, heading toward Virginia.
“What did you tell Babin?” Gabriel removed his sunglasses.
“I need his help with a job, couldn’t talk about it at the center.”
After a pause, Gabriel asked, “What’s Barbi’s story?”
In the darkened vehicle, Sin glanced over. “It’s complicated.”
“Explain.”
Sin stayed silent for longer than Gabriel liked.
“How do you know her?” Sin asked as he drove over the bridge and into Virginia.
“It’s complicated.”
Sin chuckled. “You’ll see her later.”
“How’s that?”
“We’re going to a New Year’s Eve party. She’ll be there.”
“I wasn’t invited,” Gabriel said.
“Teddy and Sydney are hosting. Teddy invited Evangeline and me. Greystone and Caroline will be there, Carrera and Slash too. Luciano and Simone are stopping by. Sydney said she wants you there.”
“That’s gonna cause a war,” Gabriel said. “My brothers think I’m gone.”
“It’s New Year’s Eve.” Sin flashed a smile. “They have one thing on their minds.”
Gabriel chuckled. “Bringing in the New Year with a bang.”
“What’s the point of staying up ‘til midnight if there’s no payoff, right?”
“Does Barbi have a date?”
“If she did, would that stop you?” Sin asked.
In the dark vehicle, the men exchanged glances.
“No,” Gabriel replied.
“I didn’t think so,” Sin said as he turned off the main road, heading toward the industrial section of Springfield.
A few more turns, the abandoned warehouse loomed ahead on the right. No street lights, no other vehicles. The perfect location. The parking lot stood empty. Sin parked around back. No other cars.
“Might be an ambush,” Sin said. “Tell me the history of this group.”
“It’s over turf and businesses I own beyond the legit ones in Italy. When I came here to help Luciano, the Bratva followed me. I ambushed a group at their Russian restaurant—took ‘em out along with everyone else.”
“Ouch.” Sin cut the engine.
“A few weeks back, I went dark—”
“To do a job for Z,” Sin said.
“Right,” Gabriel replied. “The night I got back, I was ambushed in the Santini Ristorante parking lot. I took one out, three got away. One was waiting for me the other night at the house where I’d been staying.”
“How’d the cremation go with CJ?”
“I couldn’t stay.”
“CJ said you weren’t alone.”
Dammit.
Gabriel stayed quiet.
“Who killed the Bratva, G?” Sin asked.
More silence from Gabriel. He was a lot of things, but a snitch wasn’t one of them.
“Evangeline will protect Barbi.”
So will I.
“You know too much,” Gabriel said.
Sin smiled. “That’s my job.”
The men got out, Sin opened the back. On went their helmets, down went the goggles. Gabriel pulled on black gloves, ditto for Sin. After Gabriel unzipped his bag, he extracted a long gun.
“I think our pistols will get the job done,” Sin said.
“I’m good with this.”
Sin shut the back, the men made their way to the door. To Gabriel’s surprise, there was a keypad next to the door handle.
Sin punched in a long code, the light turned green. “The building’s owned by ALPHA.”
The surprises keep on coming.
Into the dark warehouse they went. After ensuring they were alone in the cavernous space, Sin cracked open the front door.
“When he gets here, I’ll use the weapon-mounted light on my long gun,” Gabriel said. “I need to see him before I take him out.”
“It’s your hit.”
Time to focus up.
Gabriel wasn’t there to send a message, he was there to take out the enemy. This was an elimination job, but not before he pushed for answers.
Fifteen minutes later, a vehicle drove in, the engine went silent. One door opened, then shut.
Gabriel and Sin exchanged glances.
“Here we go,” Gabriel murmured.
The warehouse door opened. “Mr. Develin?” Babin called out.
Using his night goggles, Gabriel eyed the man. It was one of the four from the ambush, a Bratva from Italy. Two years earlier, Babin had tried to assassinate Gabriel during a turf war standoff.
He failed then too.
Sin flicked his attention to Gabriel. One nod from Gabriel. Like synchronized swimmers, he and Sin flipped up their night goggles, then Gabriel lit up the blackness with his weapon light.
“I’m here,” Sin said.
“Why military?” Babin asked.
Sin pointed his weapon at him. “Someone wants to say hello.”
Babin backed toward the door.
Gabriel stepped out of the darkness. “Ciao, Babin.”
“Fuck,” Babin bit out.
While Gabriel pointed his long gun, Sin removed a MP-443 Grach pistol from Babin’s waist and a dagger from the sheath attached to his belt.
Gabriel felt no emotion. No fear, no excitement. This was a job. Nothing more. Nothing less.
“Where’s Donskoy?” Gabriel bit out.
This Russian syndicate answered to one man and didn’t make a move without his permission. A ruthless mobster named Pavel Donskoy.
Donskoy was scum of the earth. Nothing and no one stood in his way.
He’d murdered anyone who crossed his path, gunned down innocent children in cold blood.
He’d been Gabriel’s number one enemy and target from the moment Gabriel had taken back the territory his grandfather had claimed decades earlier.
“I say nothing, motherfucker,” Babin grunted.
Gabriel pulled his CANiK from its holster, pistol whipped him across his cheek. “Se me lo dici, muori in fretta. Se non lo fai, i tuoi ultimi minuti saranno un inferno. You tell me, you die fast. You don’t, your last few minutes will be excruciating.”
Babin growled. “Tu sei il nemico. Non ti dico nulla.” You are the enemy. I tell you nothing.
“You like children, no?” Gabriel asked.
A sardonic smile filled Babin’s ugly face. “Little girls.”
Gabriel slid his gaze to Sin. “True evil.”
“I love children,” Babin said. “When no girls, boys good.”
Fury filled Gabriel’s dark heart. Someone had to protect the little ones. And that someone was him.
Here we go…
“It’s about to get ugly,” Gabriel said to Sin. “You might want to step out.”
“I can handle it,” Sin replied.
First, Gabriel cut off Babin’s fingers. “Now, you can’t touch the little ones.”
“I have dick.”
A level of hatred Gabriel had never known came flying out in a violent rage so intense, Sin had to pull him off.
Babin’s face looked like it had been through a meat grinder. He was screaming so loudly, Sin taped his mouth shut.
Gabriel shot him in the gut. Sin stabbed him in the chest. Babin dropped to the warehouse floor.
“Smile,” Gabriel said before he snapped a picture of Babin on the cement floor. “For Pavel Donskoy.”
“He will slaughter you,” Babin wheezed as he lay there fighting for air.
Gabriel shone the long gun light on Babin’s battered and bloodied face. “You believe in God?”
“No.”
“Then, you don’t believe in the devil,” Gabriel said.
“No.” Babin’s breathing had become labored.
“The devil is waiting for you.” Gabriel glared at the dying man. “May you suffer for all eternity.”
BANG-BANG-BANG!
Two bullets to his head, one to his heart.
“Per i bambini.” For the children.
Gabriel stared into the lifeless eyes of the pedophile. He felt no joy, felt no remorse. A life for a life was his grandfather’s way. It had become his way too.
He did not walk the moral high ground. He knew that. He also knew the consequences of his actions. In that moment, he made peace with what he’d done. Babin couldn’t hurt the children, couldn’t come after him either.
“It’s done,” Sin said, breaking the silence.
“Another trip to the crematorium?” Gabriel asked.
“All arranged.” Sin pulled his phone from his pocket, made a call. “It’s finished.” He listened. “We’re at the place and CJ’s expecting you.”
After they left the building, Sin confirmed the door was shut.
“You got a crew?” Gabriel asked as Sin opened the back hatch.
They removed their helmets and vests. Gabriel returned his long gun to the carry bag, secured it in the vehicle.
“ALPHA Ops will dispose of the body,” Sin said.
The two men rode in silence as the miles ticked by toward Teddy and Sydney’s house in Alexandria.
“Do you ever question why we take out evil?” Sin asked.
“It’s the only life I know,” Gabriel replied. “Why do you think we do it?”
“Life is complicated, nothing is fair,” Sin said. “What I don’t know—and I’m not sure I ever will—is everything chaotic randomness or predestined by our Maker?”
“Here’s what I know,” Gabriel said. “You and me, we’re not happy with status quo. If we fall behind, others win.”
“You’re different from your brothers,” Sin said.
“I am,” Gabriel replied. “They call me the Agitator… and they’re not wrong.”
“That’s why you’re so successful.” Sin paused. “Tonight was brutal.”
“Death always is.”
“You’re covered in blood spatter,” Sin said. “You want to swing by the hotel?”
“I’ll shower at Teddy’s,” Gabriel said.
“They’ll freak when they see you bloodied up again.”
“Someone’s gotta keep things lively.”
Sin chuffed out a laugh. “You are one fucked-up Santini.”
“That, I am, brother” he replied. “That, I am.”
HALSTON
Just past nine that evening, Halston drove into the upscale Alexandria neighborhood and stopped at the curb. After confirming she wasn’t being tailed, she called Caroline.
“Are you here?” her friend answered.
“I’m two blocks out.” Halston drove forward. “I had to be sure I wasn’t being followed.”