Chapter One
Storm, Frost and Lucinda hurried back down the stairs.
Leon, John , Tornado, Lightning and Alfredo were in the security room watching the city’s cameras as they scanned the building Leon called his safe house.
On the screens, the whole house lay in ruins while still smoldering from the blast. They could see the police and the fire marshal walking through the debris and the blown-up gas tank in the back yard.
Lucinda gasped and tears ran down her face as she looked at wisps of smoke still coming from the destroyed little house. “Ay dios mio senor, I am so sorry,” she whispered.
Leon turned his head and stared at her. “Why are you sorry?” he demanded.
Lucinda's knees buckled a bit as she trembled.
Storm wrapped his big arm around her shoulders and pulled her to him.
She motioned at the monitors. “This is Pinto’s work. His sons in particular. They have done this before but I never thought they could do it again. Not here and not to your family. I am so sorry for your family.” Tears rolled down along her cheeks.
Leon turned to where Storm and Lucinda stood. “My family is safe and still alive.”
Lucinda’s eyes widened. “They are? How?”
“Because I am not the fool Paulo, Pinto and Carlos Gondo seem to think I am.” Leon growled softly.
“Paulo knew I would never allow him in this city. Boston belongs to me and I’m not giving it up to anyone.
They think I have lost my ability to protect myself, but they are wrong, dead wrong.
I will never allow some upstarts and dissidents to claim any part of my empire.
John has been monitoring the safe house.
He found two men messing around the backyard there a few hours ago.
That building is connected to another house three houses down via a tunnel.
As soon as Calderone, Willow and Jordy joined them they were moved to the second house.
They are all safe. When Calderone called me to tell me about the building blowing up, he also told me they were safe at the second safe house but that they weren’t moving until the threat was detained. ”
Lucina almost slumped again. “I am so glad.”
Leon gave her a nod and added, “They are safe. But Pinto, Carlos and their offspring are not. They have been located and Trego is with them. We have them all under surveillance and as soon as they make their move, we will pounce.”
Lucinda reached out and grabbed Leon’s arm. “Ay, gracias a Dios. I am very happy no one died tonight. But the world will not miss my familia once they are gone.”
Leon stared at her. “Are you sure? You carry their blood.”
Lucinda shook her head. “Si, butI never asked to be born into that family, senor. Paulo didn’t want anything to do with me.
He made that very clean from the day I was born.
And as I got older I was glad about that fact.
I watched them from a very young age, almost from the age I realized that I was alone and that I had to watch my own back.
That family is a very bad set of people.
I learned to take care of myself. I didn’t have a choice.
” She turned to look at the monitor. “And now I am even more glad of that choice.” She shook her head sadly.
Looking back at Leon she said, “I will be how you say relieved... when this nightmare is over and they are all gone. At least they won’t hurt anyone else.
Only God knows all that they have done. Murders, robberies and cruelties to innocent people. They are ta progenie del diablo.”
Storm nodded as he said it in English, “The Devil’s Spawn. Sounds about right.”
Looking over at him, Lucinda nodded and she looked impressed at his knowledge of Spanish.
The whole room was silent for a moment then Leon asked her softly, “Is your mother still alive?”
Lucinda shook her head. “No senor, she died when I was ten.” Her words held no emotion.
Leon frowned. “What happened to her?” he asked softly.
Lucinda’s eyes went blank. “I came home after work one day and I found her in bed with her throat cut.”
Storm paused and looked confused. “You were working at ten?”
Lucinda nodded. “And I was lucky to do so, or I never would have gotten any meals. I washed dishes at an eatery for my dinner and I also worked on the farms for the fruit and vegetables. I learned to fish at an early age. And I cooked it over a fire.”
“At ten?” Storm repeated.
Nodding, she sighed. “I refused to sit and cry while I was hungry. I went out to see how I could get food when I was about eight.”
They all stared at her in disbelief.
Looking away, Lucinda went on, “So, after I came home from the dishwashing job, I found her dead. She and her bed were both cold and covered in blood. I just sat down in a chair and buried my head. She was never a good madre, but she was mine. After a long time crying, I packed up what little I had and just walked out of that house. A neighbor told me that Paulo had visited her that morning and she heard shouting, but she stayed away because it wasn’t her business and she knew to be very afraid of that man.
Paulo left shortly after the shouting and she told me there was blood on his clothes.
This never surprised me. Just that it took him so long to do it.
..I do not know why he finally killed her though.
I had to hide from him in case it had been about me. ”
“And you have been alone since then?” Storm asked.
Lucinda nodded. Then she shrugged. “I learned to live alone. She never cared if I was okay or not. She had so many issues and fantasies that...” She shook her head. “Always some scheme to get rich. All while I starved. But I survived. I could work and pay my own way.”
Leon pressed his lips together in disapproval.
Lucinda looked at him and spat out, “I am not looking for sympathy, senor, or pity. I hate both. I grew up hard but I am not ashamed of what I endured.”
“And I am not pitying you, Ms. Lucinda,” Leon told her.
“I understand that life is hard. At times it is harder for some people than others. You came here to warn me about the Gondo family’s plot against me and mine.
When you didn’t have to do so. You kept my family out of harm’s way and I thank you for coming forward.
Rest assured the Gondo family will pay for what they’ve done and I will not rest until it is so.
” Leon turned and looked at the screen in front of John.
Lucinda stepped forward and she studied the screen as well.
Then she reached out a shaky hand as she pointed to one of the bystanders.
“That Pinto’s son, Ortega. He’s there to probably watch and make sure they killed someone last night.
” Then she studied the screen again and pointed to a second man, “That’s Silva, another of Pinto’s boys. I would know them anywhere.”
John looked over at Leon.
Leon gave him a silent nod of his head.
John reached for his phone and sent a text.
One of the people on the screen who’d been watching the scene of the smoldering rubble, raised his phone. He then looked up to study the two men standing there with the small crowd. The man then answered his incoming texts.
The people in the security room all watched the monitors.
A few minutes later when Silva and Ortega moved away, the other man followed them at a distance.
John looked up at Leon and gave him a nod.
Storm walked over and took Lucinda’s hand to gently lead her out to the hallway.
They left the security room and he walked her back to her bedroom. Lucinda stumbled to her bed and sat down on the mattress. She covered her face with her hands and cried.