Chapter Two
Hondo looked over at his sons and ordered, “Better get the cameras on your screens and start watching them. If those Hounds are coming, we need to know when they get here and where they are. We can’t be caught unaware.
Los pillamos desprevenidos. Let’s surprise them instead. And get armed too. Muévelo...muévelo!”
His sons all disappeared and when they came back, they were all armed. Walter went to the security office to take the first watch of the cameras they had set up all around the property.
Andriea along with Sinclair, Roni and Adlyn were busy in the kitchen making enough food to feed everyone.
Hondo had taken Sergi, Misha and Felix into his den to discuss the plans for the defense of the compound. He even took the time to pour them all the wine the farm and Inn had a label for. This had been something he always wished to do. Make wine. Now he had a label just for the inn they ran.
Sergi took a glass to sniff the red liquid then he sipped. He nodded at Hondo. “Izyskannyy. Exquisite.”
Hondo smiled. “Adios! You have no idea how much it takes to produce just one bottle of that.”
Sergi and him chuckled.
“It is really good,” Misha said.
Felix nodded. “I don’t usually drink alcohol, but this is really special.”
Hondo now sat down behind his huge oak desk and stared at Sergi before he said, “I think we should let Hawkins and his crew know what’s going on here.”
Sergi agreed, “As do I but there is something else we have to consider here.”
“Qué es eso? What’s that?” Hondo asked.
“That Sean Evert might be the person behind all of this,” Sergi voiced the thought in everyone's mind.
Hondo nodded as he shifted in his chair.
“I think there is no doubt about his involvement in this shit show.” Shaking his head he added, “From the little Sinclair has told us the only thing that connects everyone here is Sean Evert. But we also need to know if someone else might be pulling the strings here. I get the feeling that perhaps there is a hidden player here.”
Misha looked confused. “Someone else? What are you talking about?”
Hondo sat back in his chair and explained his theory.
“I lived in that City long enough to know that there is someone bigger with much more to lose than the main man in many ways. Sean may be in charge of the Grimm Brothers and this street gang, the Diablo Hounds but who is the man behind Evert? That’s the one we have to find.
We also have to find out how Jessica Dannison really died.
Did she really drink herself to death or was there more to her story as well? ”
“Da,” Sergi growled. “We also have to find out what kind of household they ran. Why did they not care about their daughter? What kind of parents ignore their children in that way?”
Hondo nodded. “When I think about what she’s told us so far I want to bring her mother back to life only to tear her limb from limb for the coldness in her soul for the daughter she gave little more than birth too.
I do not care about her but that girl should have had someone in her corner all those years. ”
“She did have someone in her corner,” Misha pointed out. “Evert’s own housekeeper did show her as much love as she had in her life. Most would not consider that parenting, but she made it sound like she was loved.” He shrugged. “Maybe that’s all she could show her in order to keep her safe.”
Sergi nodded. “At least she had that much.”
“Sinclair said this woman Bethany was her real salvation,” Hondo explained. “The two of them had each other and that’s why after her beating, Sinclair came here with murder on her mind.”
“Da.” Misha nodded his head. “And those two men took her for Sinclair, they beat and finally murdered the wrong woman. At least she was spared that pain.”
“Si but Bethany wasn’t,” Hondo added. “Bethany had to suffer and die all because Sean Evert thought nothing about Jessica’s child. That she was nothing more than a means to an end, even if she wasn’t his daughter she was still a human being. That man needs to burn in hell for that alone.”
“Da he does,” Misha agreed. “I didn’t know I had a daughter until later in her life so I missed out on her firsts. I will regret that as long as I live. But to turn your own back on any child under your care is the worst thing a man can ever do.”
Hondo sat back in his chair and shook his head. “Si, that is bad but I think we are going to find out more things about this Evert than we ever thought possible. And it will tell us the manner of the man.”
“What do you mean by that?” Misha asked him.
“I think Senor Evert has much to hide, don’t you?” Hondo glared at the thought. “I think that man has much to hide indeed and none of it is good.” He shrugged. “I just hope we can find this information before he comes after us himself. We do not need anyone else to die in his name.”
Sergi was about to say something when his phone pinged and he received a text.
He read the message then looked up at Hondo.
“Cat was completely right about the plane. My mechanics found the engine on the left side had been loosened to fall off while in flight. The only thing that saved us on our way here was the fact the engine hadn’t been loosened enough to actually do much damage. They were able to fix that problem.”
Hondo stared at him. “Then you don’t have to stay?”
Sergi sat back in his chair and smiled. “Oh, I think I want to stay and see this situation all the way through until the end.
I have my teams looking into both the Hounds and Evert.
And if the Hounds are truly on their way here, I will want to meet them away from New York City.
I think this meeting could be enlightening, don't you?”
Hondo nodded. “Si senor, I do.”
“Perhaps even by morning, my security team will be able to tell us more about Mr. Evert and who holds his strings.” Sergi nodded.
Misha nodded his head as well.
Hondo just bit his lip at Sergi’s words. He had a spot of icy cold in his gut and he had a feeling this would not be bueno, not at all.
His wife opened the door to his den and she smiled, “Supper is ready, come eat while it's hot.”
Hondo smiled back as he stood and motioned to the men opposite him, “Come gentlemen, let’s eat.”
Everyone gathered around the table.
Zed took his brother a plate loaded with food before he sat down next to Sinclair.
Supper was quiet but the moment Sergi took his first bite, he groaned. “Madame Meran, this is delicious. This is a Russian dish is it not?”
“Yes, it is actually. I thought in deference to our Russian guests, I should serve you something you might like.”
Sergi smiled and took another bite. “The chicken in this dish is one of my favorites.”
She nodded. “I understand that you do not like steak, so I used chicken instead.”
Sergi paused then nodded. “That’s true I cannot handle the red meats well but I am surprised you would know about that.”
Andreia chuckled. “Sir, as long as we lived in New York City I heard quite a bit about the Bratva. All good, mind you, but that was one thing I heard. I remembered this because it was well... an interesting detail.”
Felix stiffened and glanced over at Sergi, then he stared at Andreia. “What do you mean you heard things about the Bratva, if I may ask?”
The room went quiet.