Prologue #2
She took a deep breath then she studied the floor rather than looking at him. “You don’t know me, senor, but I bring you a warning.” She looked up and stared him right in the eyes. “I am Lucinda Martell, I am Paulo Gondo’s illegitimate daughter. I’m here to try and warn you of what they are up to.”
“And why should I believe you?” Leon asked.
Lucinda scoffed. “Believe me, if I were in your position, I probably wouldn’t believe me either but there is something you need to know. My father is not a good man. They have no idea I am here. If they did, I wouldn’t leave here alive and I have no desire to die, senor.”
Leon nodded, then asked, “Then why are you here, young lady?”
She took a deep breath and replied, “I am here to try and stop this insanity, senor. My father and my brothers need to be stopped cold and forever. What they have in mind here is against every law in the book and is definitely against the laws of God.”
Bane walked out of the shadows and asked, “And just what do they have in mind for this place?”
Lucinda snapped her head toward the sound of his voice and just stared at him for a minute then her eyes grew huge in her face. With a gasp, she stepped back. Her hands rose up as if to hold him off.
Bane didn’t say a word but his eyes grew cold as he stared at her.
Leon studied the woman as she looked terrified of Bane.
Bane stepped over to her and lifted her hair. That’s when he saw the scar on her neck and growled low while shaking his head.
“What is this?” Leon asked. “Do you know her?”
Bane nodded. “Yeah, I know her.”
“How and in what capacity?” Leon demanded.
Bane shifted his eyes back to the girl. “Years ago, I was tracking a contract in Mexico and I was close to taking him out when he grabbed a little girl off the street and held her up in front of him to escape a bullet. I paused the shot. He took a potshot at me then he suddenly had a knife and he cut her. He threw her to the ground and ran away. He escaped because I stopped to help the girl.”
Tears rolled down the girl’s face. “What he says is true. I will never forget that day. The man you were going to kill was Paulo Gondo. My own father. He suddenly noticed me for the first time in my life and then he turned me around so I would see the bullet coming. He turned his head away and shot at you, then he cut me, his own child. He then tossed me to the ground and ran away.” She shook her head.
“You should have followed him but instead you stayed with me.”
“And your father disappeared from the world for a very long time,” Bane went on. “And now he’s coming back to overthrow my friend here. But I am here to finish what I couldn’t back then.” He looked at Leon and curled his lip in disgust. “And this time, he has no child to hide behind.”
Finally, he came home...
Leon moved to John’s desk and stared at the screen to see the back gate. The gate hardly anyone knew about.
They all saw a car pulling up to it and a hand reaching out to punch in the code that only the family knew.
Leon gasped at the sight of the hand reaching out to work the code. He saw the ring the man wore...a signet ring that he, himself also wore. His heart nearly stopped as the person leaned out the window to stare at the camera.
It was Calderone, looking a little worse for wear, but it was him for sure.
Leon reached out and pressed the button for the gate to open. He then looked up at John.
His son-in-law was grinning in relief. “Thank God, he’s home,” John said softly.
Leon couldn’t smile as he had to keep himself in check. He turned and walked to the back entrance where he unlocked the door and threw it open. He strode out and several men followed him. They all waited while the car holding Calderone and several others pulled up to the back.
Calderone stepped out of the car.
Leon hurried toward him. When he finally reached his son, he grabbed him into a hard hug.
Calderone groaned as he laughed.
Leon stepped back while looking him over carefully.
Calderone looked a bit disheveled, which was not like him.
Usually, every hair was in place and his suits were never wrinkled, he always looked neat as a pin.
His hair was all over the place, he had a bruise on his jaw and another one on his cheek.
There were stains on his clothing and his shirt was partially untucked.
Not his normal well put together look at all.
Leon didn’t care about any of that though. He only cared that his son was home and safely behind their security. “What the hell happened over there?”
Storm and Lucinda...
Lucinda stared at Storm as she didn’t know what to think but she allowed Storm to take her hand and lead her away.
He walked her down the hall and they turned left at the end of the hall. Halfway down the row of doors, he stopped at one door. Opening it, he stepped inside.
She followed him in and looked around the room curiously. “Whoa. It’s so... lovely. I have never been in such luxury before.”
Storm smiled. “Same here. It’s mind-blowing. I’ve been in soldier’s quarters then tents in the field. Trailers and even motel rooms. But nothing like this place.”
The door suddenly swung open.
Storm had his gun out and pointed it at the intruder.
Frost looked spooked as he raised his hands. “Nah man, don’t fucking shoot me!”
Storm shook his head and shoved his weapon back into his waistband. “Didn’t your mama teach you to knock first?”
Frost shook his head as he looked upset.
Storm felt dread spread through his body as he knew Frost well and his expression told him that something was really wrong. He stepped closer and asked, “What happened?”
“I-it,” Frost stammered as his eyes looked huge in his face.
“Damn it, man!” Storm grabbed him. “What the fuck is it?”
“Mr. Leon just got a call from Calderone...”
“Yes? And?”
Frost shook his head and muttered, “The safehouse is gone.”
“What?” Storm felt confused. “How can it be gone?”
“It is nothing but rubble, man. Something exploded? Or someone dropped a bomb on it?”
Storm staggered back in total shock. “The fuck?”
Lucinda gasped and raised her hands to cover her mouth.
Frost slowly nodded his head and whispered, “Leon’s family...”