Chapter 15
Constance
I can’t sleep at all that night.
I try taking a hot shower, then getting a glass of milk, but nothing helps my frayed nerves. I’d love to try Maximo’s way of getting to sleep with a few stiff drinks, but my pregnancy has put the brakes on any drinking or pharmaceutical solutions.
I end up sitting up in bed watching television and calling the intensive care unit every few hours to check in on Maximo.
I’m not the only one calling. The nurses joke with me that between Adeline and I, the phone rarely stops ringing.
I think about calling Maximo’s mother myself to commiserate and worry with her, but I decide that’s a bad idea.
We’re not that close yet, and after the reaction I got from Leonard’s daughter at his son’s funeral, I’m not sure if Adeline or the rest of the family wants to hear from me.
My mind keeps turning back to my plan to deal with Irina.
I keep thinking up new wrinkles or problems that might occur and worrying over them.
Around midnight I realize that Irina might be able to pull a fast one on me by giving me someone besides Gregory Bianchi.
She might even be able to get an assassin close to me since I have no idea what the boy looks like.
Fortunately, I have Maximo’s phone, and I send a text message to Salvatore Bianchi.
I need a picture of Gregory so I know who I’m looking for, I text him.
He replies with a photo of his son, a lean androgynous blonde boy, almost instantly. A message soon follows. I had heard you were injured today. I’m glad to hear from you.
I don’t bother replying and clarifying who is texting him. I study the picture until I’m sure I will be able to recognize the boy when I see him tomorrow, then I put the phone to the side and try to think of any other possible angles that might blindside me.
I finally manage to doze off for a while in the early hours of the morning, but I’m up with the sun getting ready.
I pull on the lightweight ballistic vest Maximo has insisted I wear all the time recently, then put on one of his T-shirts and a baggy hooded sweatshirt over it all.
I also borrow a pair of black slacks from him.
They’re tight on my ass but baggy in the legs, which makes it even harder to tell my shape and size.
Once I add an oversized baseball cap with my hair tucked under, a pair of sunglasses, and a surgical mask, I’m unrecognizable.
I stick the mask and glasses into the hat and go down to the kitchen to make some breakfast. It’s still early after I scramble some eggs and make toast, so I wash the few dishes I’ve amassed and then sit at the dining room table, sipping orange juice.
When Leonard appears in the kitchen, he waves to me in greeting.
“Constance, you’re up early. Have you already eaten? I can make you something if you like,” he offers.
“I’m fine, I already ate. Thank you, though. Have you seen Trenton yet this morning?”
“No. He stayed in the estate last night. He took a room beside the one we set up for that young lady, Vanessa. I think he wanted to make sure no one bothered her,” Leonard replies.
“I’m sure that’s what it was,” I agree with as straight a face as I can muster.
I have no doubt Trenton wanted to stay as close to her as possible, all right.
It doesn’t matter, as long as they’re ready to go soon.
“Will you check to make sure they’re up and ready in a few minutes?
I want them to go ahead and leave for the hospital well before I head out to White Plains.
There’s been an officer watching the house since those guys tried to kidnap me.
I’m going to have Trenton try to get him to escort them to the hospital today. ”
“Of course,” Leonard agrees. “Let me start the coffee and I’ll go check on them.”
I finish my juice and wash out my glass, then wait in the kitchen until Trenton comes downstairs. “Good morning.” He yawns at me as he walks past to get a mug from the cabinet, then pours some coffee.
“Good morning,” I reply. “As soon as you and Van are ready, head on out to the hospital. On the way out, talk to the officer who’s been keeping an eye on the estate and ask him to escort you and stay with you during the visit.”
“I’ll make sure he knows you are with me, so he’ll follow along.
That black Explorer parked out front is for you.
The windows are tinted and I’ve got a tag on it that can’t be traced back to us.
I talked to Jamie and Chris last night. They’ll stay back but be close enough to help you if anything goes sideways. ”
“Do I need to do anything else to get our present for Irina ready?” I ask him, pointing to the detonator that’s lying on the kitchen counter.
“Yeah, when we get Jacob ready to move, I’ll turn on the receiver. On the detonator, you have to turn the key on the side, then just hold down the button. When you release it, the bomb will go off.”
“I’m going to go get a hoodie out of Maximo’s closet to wrap around Jacob and keep the vest hidden. As long as he thinks it’s just a weight vest we put on him to torture him, he won’t tip off Irina.”
I go back upstairs to look for a suitable piece of attire while Trenton starts making toast. On the way up I pass Van who’s dressed in dark clothing just like me. “Good morning,” I greet her. “I hope you slept well. I appreciate you helping us with everything today.”
“I had a great night,” she says with a smile. “And I’m happy to help. You guys pay a lot better than my normal job. If you ever need me for an alibi, I’m your girl!”
“Good. I think Trenton is making some toast, but I’m sure he or Leonard would be happy to cook you something if you like. The coffee is ready, too.”
“Thanks, Constance,” she says as she hurries down the stairs.
Once I pick out an oversized gray hoodie that looks suitable for my purposes, I go downstairs to see how our guest did overnight.
Tony is sitting at the table again this morning.
This time he has a McDonalds bag in front of him and is eating a biscuit.
“Constance!” he greets me spitting crumbs.
“I just got in this morning and took over. You doing all right?”
“I’m fine, Tony. How did Jacob do overnight?”
“Oh, he had a bad night.” Tony wipes his mouth on his sleeve. “Jamie’s boys did what you said and kept him up all night. That arm of his is looking awful. I’ve never seen a broken bone go untreated and get abused like that. The whole thing is purple and red now and looks infected.”
“Good. I want him exhausted and defeated. It’ll make him easy to transport today.”
Trenton appears on the stairway and stomps down to join us. “You sure you’re going to be okay by yourself with him on the ride over to meet Irina?” he asks me.
“Once we let him down and get this hoodie on him, cuff his hands behind his back, then you and Tony throw him into the trunk of the Explorer. He won’t cause me any trouble,” I tell them as I walk over to the wall of the armory where Maximo displays his guns.
I take down a pistol and check to make sure it’s loaded, then tuck it into the back of my pants until I can stow it in my purse.
Trenton motions to Tony who grabs the keys to the interrogation room off the table and unlocks the door.
Whoever had been in here last had left all the spotlights on Jacob who’s hanging limply from his chained wrists and making pained hissing sounds with every breath.
Trenton walks around behind him and activates the receiver on the bomb, then gives me a thumbs up before slapping Jacob on the back of his head.
Jacob’s head jerks up and he spasms once with a curse before shifting his weight and trying to relieve the pressure on his shattered arm. “What…what now…you sick fucks?” he gasps.
“Time to go,” Trenton tells him as he and Tony unhook the chain from the wall and lower Jacob to the ground.
He collapses immediately, too exhausted or injured to even stand.
I throw the hoodie I’m carrying over to Trenton, who unlatches the handcuffs holding Jacob’s wrists and then forces his arms into the sleeves before zipping him in and covering up the vest. Once that’s complete, he and Tony redo the handcuffs behind his back while Jacob moans feebly through the ordeal.
“Get him up,” Trenton tells Tony as they both grab him by his upper arms and drag him to his feet. “Come on, shithead, walk,” Trenton orders him. “The sooner you get those feet moving the sooner this will all be over.”
“Where are you taking me now?” Jacob mumbles as he struggles to put one foot in front of the other.
“I’m trading you to your mother in exchange for the Bianchi boy,” I explain. “You act right and this will all be over soon, understand?”
He doesn’t reply, but some strength seems to return to his legs, and he shuffles forward towards the stairs. I nod to myself in satisfaction. His spirit is broken and I’ve given him a flicker of hope that there’s an end to his ordeal. He’ll be as compliant as I need to get to the end of this.
Tony and Trenton guide him out of the house and down the front stairs to the waiting Explorer.
Once they’ve loaded him up into the rear of the vehicle, Tony stays outside with me while Trenton goes back into the house to get Van ready to leave.
I’m thankful for the long driveway and well-manicured gardens surrounding the estate, as they keep our activities well out of the line of sight of the officer parked out in the street.
When Trenton and Van rejoin us, he brings me my hat, mask, and glasses that I had left in the kitchen. I’ve already retrieved my purse and tucked away the pistol I took from the armory, but I give my cell phone to Van to keep with her.
Trenton turns his back to the Explorer and waves me over, then produces the detonator from inside his coat. “Remember, turn the key and then press the button. When you let it go, it goes off,” he reminds me.