Chapter Eight
Frost nodded. “I’ve heard about them.”
Storm turned to look at his friend. “You have?”
Frost smiled. “Yeah, when I was living in Saratoga Springs. They helped a friend of mine. Her name was Sydney. She was trying to get lost from her family. Her family was just no damn good.”
James smiled now. “You got that right. So, you were friends with my Sydney?”
“Your Sydney?” Frost asked while looking confused.
James nodded. “Yeah, I married her as soon as she said yes.” He grinned at him. “And I agree with you, her damn family just weren’t any good at all.”
Frost just stared at James then he asked, “You guys the ones that put them away?”
James nodded. “Yeah, we put them away. But we also put Odin Connors and his boys in prison too. They were even worse than Sydney’s family.”
Sam nodded. “Damned right about that. We know Syndey too. And her family was no damned good. Her worthless dad put a bounty out on her and back then I was a bounty hunter. What her father and brothers did to her? Yeah... They all got what they deserved.”
James gave him a nod. “You helped bring them down. I will never forget that either.” He looked around and explained what had happened back then, “Her father was Flynn Dell and he had three sons. Flynn ran the underground in Glen’s Falls.
They called themselves the Raiders but all they were was a band of thugs and killers.
They robbed and stole whatever wasn’t nailed down and they also ran with the local MC up there.
He was going to make Sydney use her gift of an eidetic memory to get the information he needed to bring the rival MC under his thumb so to speak.
Sneak her into their club, break into their safe and record in her head their secrets so he could use it all against them.
They would never know this would be coming as no records would have been taken.
She refused to help him and he beat her so badly that she couldn’t move for days.
She barely made it out of there, away from him and the Raiders.
They had searched for her and that was where the bounty came from. ”
“Damn,” Frost swore. “I never knew the details but I’m glad she got out of there.” Frost stood and reached for James’s hand. When James shook it, Frost squeezed his hand hard. “You better take good and I mean really good care of Ms. Sydney. She deserves so much better than she got at home.”
James squeezed his hand back and assured him, “She lives the life she deserves finally and I treat her like the queen she is.
Frost grinned at him and his teeth shone white against his dark skin. He dropped James’ hand and replied, “That’s wonderful. She’s one special lady in my book. You tell her Jackie Frost says hello.”
James nodded at him. “I sure will. She’ll be happy to hear you guys are doing so well.”
Storm glanced at Leon and shrugged. “We got a ways to go before we’re doing well. We’re still on probation here.”
“Not in my books, you’re not.” Leon snorted. “You earned your pay this morning when you defended my back side.”
Storm looked at him and shook his head. “You’re taking a huge chance on us. Most employers would watch us for a bit to see if we were worth the trouble.”
Leon looked at him and shook out his napkin.
Laying it across his lap he said, “I know what kind of men you are. I am still alive because my instincts have led me along in this odd thing we call life. You aren’t going to run off at the first sign of trouble.
No, you will stand beside me every time and that alone means the world to me. Welcome aboard, gentlemen.”
“I do recognize you, Storm.”
Everyone looked over to see who had said this.
This came from Sam-Bones Tory.
Deke stared at his father. “Dad—”
Sam raised his hand at him. “Let me say this, son. Storm is or was his code name.”
Everyone stared at Sam then looked over at Storm.
“This man was awarded the Medal of Honor,” Sam explained. “One of the highest honors in the military. Given to rare individuals for valor. To service members who risk their lives above and beyond the call of duty in combat.”
Storm now resembled his name as he looked almost enraged. He didn’t look comfortable at this revelation.
“Does that leg give you sleepless nights, Storm?” Sam asked.
“How did you know about that?” Storm asked him with a low growl in his throat.
“Hell, there are about eighty of us in the world that know. You saved all our asses that day.
“I did my job,” Storm growled.
“No, you did the same job Captain America would have done if he was real.” Sam chuckled as he stared at him.
Storm scoffed. “I was just a regular soldier. A Private First Class in fact, not a captain of any-damn-thing.”
“Maybe so, but that day was not any-kind of-regular-day though, was it? I never fucking forgot it either. I was on a building above that street. As a gunner, it was my job to snipe at the enemy. So I saw the whole thing. Your jeep was overturned by a missile. But you got up from the road and ran through ammunition fire. Got all shot up and got instantly grazed by a fucking roadside bomb. But you rolled along the ground to put the fire out on your legs. Then like some fucking gymnast from the cosmos you jumped up on a tank that had no driver, ducked inside it and ran over maybe twenty of the enemy who were mowing down our men. They were out of shooting range for anyone else to stop them. You didn’t stop there though, did you?
You saw the grenade thrower and you ran him over too as he was about to kill more of us.
That tank took percussions from grenade explosions but you kept pushing it as you headed right for the ones who were leading this siege.
They were laying down fire on our men. The ones who were trapped in that half-torn down old building after they had run out of ammunition.
You saved thirty or forty more there. Then the tank ran up on a stolen Humvee that had nine of the enemy in it.
And they had machine guns too. I kept cheering you on, though no one knew it until the tank finally stopped.
Soldiers who told their eyewitness accounts later would say, no wonder he was called Storm. ” Sam snorted a laugh.
The room was utterly quiet now.
Storm leaned back in his chair and gazed upward. He didn’t look happy with this story being told.
“So, what happened after?” James asked a little breathlessly.
Bane, Cane, Orrin, Sheba and Ari, all sat very still as they stared at Storm. They knew about battle and had seen it up close. So they knew real heroes never spoke of their deeds. And it was rare for them to meet one of the world’s secret champions.
Sam turned to look at James as he replied, “The rest of the enemy ran away and left the battle. Storm was pulled from that scorched, gutted looking tank. Unconscious with 40 percent burns, a fractured arm, ribs and a broken leg along with a body full of bullets. He spent months in a VA hospital. Was given his medal in that hospital. Then he was discharged and disappeared, so I heard later on. The only reason I knew who you were today...” He looked back over at Storm. “...was because I was there.”
An almost reverent silence had settled in the dining room now.
Storm’s men were staring at him in shock, apparently they had no idea about this bit of history.
“Si, I saw that valor in your eyes, the minute I met you, Mr. Storm,” Leon spoke now. “That makes me... right as usual.” He chuckled. “Now, let’s eat while the food is hot because afterward, we’ll have a shot of some of the best Sons of Ireland whiskey and make plans for our own war.”
Italy....
Calderone made his way through the old alley. Darkness had fallen and he finally decided make his move. He had dropped Lucas off at the Don’s mansion. Lucas had been injured in that last altercation and despite wanting to fight this alongside Calderone, he just wasn’t up to it.
Calderone had cuts and bruises but he did okay. He had instructed Lucas not to say anything about him. To just say they had gotten separated during the kidnapping. He wanted no one to know he was still alive and still in the fight.
Calderone had his reasons for this. Yes, they already knew about the Grimaldis.
But someone else was in on it and he needed proof.
So, he would prefer that no one knew he was alive and well.
He hoped Lucas did as he promised and kept quiet.
Calderone had warned him that he could still be a target too.
He knew that Willow had been worried. But he couldn’t break silence. She was taken to safety and that was all that mattered. His father had taught him well. Especially about the game of betrayal. What to do to keep safe and how to fight a coup.
It all started three days ago. When he got a call. It wasn’t a number he knew and he had wondered how the woman had gotten it. It had a Milan code, but he didn’t know anyone in that area who would call him. But he answered it anyway, “Ciao?”
“Who am I speaking too please?” a female voice asked in Italian.
He paused and answered also in Italian, “This is Calderone Vincinti. Who am I speaking to?” he asked with a frown.
“Bene, I don’t want to give my name but I overheard something this morning and I need to tell you about it.”
“Why me?” he asked.
“Tomorrow morning, you will be going out in a limo. You have a meeting with the Don, si?”
Calderone paused to ask, “How do you know this?”
“I told you already, I overheard it. You will be picked up by Lucas Grimaldi. Then after two blocks, your vehicle will be rammed. Then these men will attempt to kidnap you and Lucas.”
Calderone froze before he asked quietly, “What did you just say?”
“You will be kidnapped. I overheard two men planning this.”
“And why would they do this kidnapping?”
“I will tell you what they said. You, the Don in Italy, along with your father Leon will be dead soon. Then they can take your places.”
“That would be impossible to do,” Calderone stated. “You have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“I don’t know a lot of things but this is going to happen or I wouldn’t chance calling you.
One of the men has plans to take over Boston in America and make it a true Italian mob run city, then he plans to bring in some cartel.
Give the streets to them and allow them to run drugs, slave trading and guns through there as the port is advantageous to them. ”
“And you overheard this conversation?”
“Si, I did. Listen, I have my own issues here. I’m not safe and I haven’t been. But I couldn’t just leave it. You needed to be warned. I know you have no reason to believe me but what I told you is true. I have nothing to gain and possibly everything, including my life, to lose.”
Then before Calderone could say a word, the call ended.
And it had happened just the way the caller had said.
He and Lucas were ready for it. Then they left the limo and set out on foot.
Lucas knew where they could hide out. They went there and then later that afternoon, they had another fight.
Someone had known of that safehouse and tried to kill them both this time.
They then had to go to the one Calderone and his father paid for. But Calderone just couldn’t stay in hiding like a coward. So, after Lucas got a tip from a trusted ally, they headed out to find Juno as he didn’t want to go along with his father’s plan.
Then there was an ambush when they met with Juno.
He was shot by his own father. Lucas then got into a fight with two of Fredo’s men.
Calderone jumped in and managed to escape once again.
They left and went back into hiding. Lucas hadn’t been doing well as his injuries were extensive, so today Calderone took him to safety.
Now he was heading to the safehouse, where Willow was taken. Jordy was with her and he was a good man. Well trained and trusted. But Calderone had to see her for himself, even if he had to step out of hiding to do it. He couldn’t shake the feeling that things were gonna get even worse.
After taking a cab, he got out a block away and slowly made his way down the street where the safehouse was. His gut roiled as he sensed it before he saw it.
The front door of the small villa stood wide open.
His breath hitched as he whispered, “Willow...”