Chapter Nine
Alfredo stared at his old friend. Then he raised his fist to his chest, tapping it over his heart in a signal that he valued his old friend’s alliance. He slumped back down in his chair and shook his head. “I do not know why you agreed to do this but I am thankful you did.”
“I did this because thirty years ago you became my friend,” Leon acknowledged. “We watched our families grow up and our friendships survived all these years. You hosted us whenever we came to Italy, remember?”
Alfredo nodded his head as he smiled.
Leon went on, “You insisted that your home was ours and refused to allow us to check into a hotel. But besides all of that, I cannot turn my back on anyone that I hold dear in a longtime, loyal friendship. We all have had our own trials and tribulations over the years but when it gets rough, we help each other,” he spoke quietly.
“Si, I do the same indeed.” Alfredo growled. “Fredo never learned the value of friendship or trust. It was always greed that he would listen to. He wants it all and he would step over his own family’s bones to get what he coveted.”
Lucinda nodded at Alfredo’s words. “Si Senor, my brothers never learned that lesson either. If they wanted something they simply took it and they didn’t care that someone else did the work for that item.
Many people saw them do the worst but they knew better than to say anything or do anything to stop them.
They knew deep down in their hearts that my brothers couldn’t be stopped.
I came here to finally see if one man could dismantle them.
What they have in mind is indeed a terrible fate for anyone, but if you do not stop them they will shoot everyone in this house and simply walk over their bodies.
Then continue to do their worst to the world.
They will build a bridge to Europe and continue to sell everything they can, and that includes women and children.
They had already established a network where their men steal children from the streets to sell them into slavery.
Women and children and si, even some half-grown men have fallen under their hands and have been sold in order to plump up their bank accounts.
I have proof.” She paused as she cried, then swallowed hard.
“I have kept tabs on them for a few years. That’s why I came here, senor.
I could not stay away when I heard what they had in mind.
” She hung her head and went on, “My father has lied and cheated people until he got into a seat of power then he turned his back on those very people that helped him get there. He has no honor or morals and I am proof of that fact as my mother is not and never has been his wife. Another woman was unfortunate enough to have married him. She still lives in his house. She is still there because she can’t leave.
He told her once in public that if she ever left him he would hunt her down and shoot her in the head for disobeying him.
He treats her like a servant years after she gave him what he wanted, three sons and no daughters.
” She looked up at Leon. “I heard from her the day before yesterday. And yes, we speak often as we have a lot in common. She told me that Paulo and Juan should arrive today.”
With her words, the whole room went silent.
Leon looked around and nodded. “Gentlemen, we are going to war. Clear the decks and get into place. The orders are shoot to kill. John, get the copter for Willow, Juno, Jordy and Calderone.”
Everyone moved at once.
John sent a text to the copter pilot. Then he sent out an SOS to every member of his security team and soon men came to the main house. Then some were sent as a border to secure every side of the property.
Sheba, Ari and James as well as Cane and Orrin joined the security men. The girls and brothers had been on four-hour naps. As they had swapped security runs with the Sinners and Sin’s MC.
A half hour later...
They all had their weapons ready to go and everyone took their places.
Sheba and Ari took off for parts unknown along the property.
Orrin and Cane were situated on the front verandah with some of John’s men.
James sat in the security room with his laptop. He checked for any updates from Bastian. He noted that Excaliber had given them an updated timeline after she looked for a manifest of the Gondo plane coming from Mexico.
James wasn’t surprised that they were closer than anyone knew. He informed John and Leon of the timeline as he knew it. He caught Bane’s eye and nodded at the weapon in his hands. “What are you going to do with that?” James nodded at his sniper rifle.
“Now James,” Bane retorted. “If I have to tell you how a rifle works then maybe you need to reenlist and go to bootcamp all over again.”
James scoffed.” Ha-ha...I am asking because that is your sniper rifle. You only use it when you...” His voice faded away. “So you are gonna finish that contract?”
Bane stared at him. “First off, we need to talk later and you WILL be telling me how you know about that contract. Secondly, yes. I want to be the one to take that motherfucker out. I need to finish something I started years ago.” Turning, he ducked out of the house.
James watched the screen he had of the property.
Bane swiftly moved across the lawn then climbed the tallest tree in Leon’s two-acre front yard. Literally melting into the leaves, he could no longer be viewed.
John turned to James and asked, “Can he still do what he did years ago?”
James looked over at John as he sat at the desk in front of the screens.
He nodded without hesitation. “Yeah, he can still do the job and then some. No retirement in that respect. Recently...” he paused.
“Bane took out eight men by surprise to save my ass from certain death.” He pointed at a scar above his eye and one he had on his neck.
“For the most part, he’s changed but every so often, the pull from the past grabs him.
Mostly, it is when we really need it too.
He can step right in and become what he once was.
I’ve seen him do it time after time.” He shrugged.
“I think if something ever happened to Sarah or Aurora, he could step back into his past self and never return. We all pray that never happens.”
“And Bastian? How does he feel about that?” John asked.
“I think he worries about it too. But Bastian doesn’t want to put those thoughts into words. It’s something we all do not want to think about.”
“I get it.” John nodded. Then his phone beeped. He read the text and told James, “Sam tells me they are coming up and exiting the freeway.” He then checked the screens again.
After about ten minutes, he saw a caravan of vehicles coming from three blocks away. He muted the audio then reached for his phone. He typed a message to Leon and Bane. Then he texted the security leaders outside.
Leon, along with Alfredo, joined them in the security room and everyone stared at the screens outside.
One vehicle broke away from the front and drove up slowly. The rest of the caravan stayed behind and the vehicle drove right up to the front gate. The front doors opened and two men got out.
Leon growled under his breath, “Paulo and Juan.”