Chapter Four
An hour later...
John paced outside the den door.
Inside, Leon remained on the phone, making calls. The tone of his voice in Italian went high then low several times.
Then silence fell in Leon’s den for the longest time.
When the door finally opened and Leon stepped out, he looked older than his years.
John didn’t say a word, he simply a waited.
Leon hesitated then stepped back into the office and left the door open.
John stood in the doorway.
Leon poured two glasses of brandy. He held one out to John.
Knowing that this wasn’t a good sign at all, John came inside and took the glass.
Leon slammed the liquor down his throat and set the glass onto the desk.
“What did you find out?” John asked quietly as he sipped his drink. He wouldn’t remind Leon that he never drank while on duty. No, this situation called for a careful approach.
Leon paused as he stared out through the window, he could see the front lawn and for a moment he said nothing.
Then he turned his head and stared at him for a minute.
“I found the traitor and I exposed his plan to the Familia in Italy. This letter was written by him. I even had them check his handwriting. There is going to be a street war for the next few days over there while they hunt for him and the ones who thought they were above the family. People will die over this.”
“And Calderone?” John asked.
Leon shrugged. “I was told there are signs that a fight took place in an area that should not have had a fight. I believe it was caused by Calderone and Lucas. There were men there that further implicated the traitor as they worked for him. I know Willow will be safe as long as she stays in place. Jordy would die before he let anything happen to her. He just needs to stay where I told them to go and let Calderone come to them.”
“Why hasn’t he called?”
Leon stared down at his empty glass. “He wants them to think he is dead. That is my guess. And I know my son, he will not show his hand.”
John nodded as he agreed with this. “And you? What are you going to do?”
Leon looked over at John and said, “My life and every life in this house is in your hands. I trust you completely. We are on lockdown until you and your men can find the assassins who were sent here to kill me. Apparently, my death was supposed to start an ambush that would have taken out the entire Familia back home. They were going to hit some major people on the High Council there. Then when the dust settled Fredo Grimadli, Lucas’ uncle was going to step up and reassign positions left open by the war.
Fredo’s brother, Angelo, is in a state of shock.
That is who I spoke to for so long today.
He has been my longtime friend. It was a knife to his heart as he did not guess at this.
Yes, his nephew Giovano was unhappy at the hierarchy but he never believed. ..”
“So the plan is they will storm this estate when they do the hits they need?” John’s body went rigid as he waited for an answer.
Leon didn’t give him one as he again turned to stare out the window at the very gate and lawn that had been breached two years ago.
John followed his gaze and he suddenly remembered that war.
The last time they were under siege...
A boom sounded in the house and it knocked them all to the wall.
John’s cell pinged and he looked down. His eyes widened at what he read from Tony. “What the fuck?”
“What is it?” Leon asked him.
“There’s an army and it looks like it’s heading this way. Damn and we expected a nighttime attack. Fuck!” John looked down at his smart phone screen to see a line of vehicles coming up the mile long driveway toward the estate. He squinted then his eyes widened. “Military Humvees?”
“Yes!” Tony shouted from the front window. “Literally SWAT tanks.”
“Motherfuckers are gonna storm the gates,” John swore.
Meena came out with an armful of weapons.
He swiveled his gaze over to her. “What the fuck are you doing?”
“I got into the armory.”
John was stunned. “But that was locked!”
Meena beamed at him. “I can pick any lock, you silly man.”
He opened his mouth to argue.
“We needed more weapons!” She knelt and dumped them onto the floor carefully.
Evelyn came down the stairs. She stared at the weapons then swung her gaze to her daughter who had two pistols holstered to her hips and she held a machine gun. “W-what the...?”
Leon looked displeased at his daughter as he stormed over, but he opted not to comment. “John, report,” he ordered.
John handed him his phone and then went to the pile and took out a sniper rifle. He gazed up at Meena and said, “We’ll need ammunit—”
“Got it!” Meena turned to grab a box from beside the table with the flower vase on it and while grunting from the weight, she managed to drag it over. Then with a smirk, she stood upright and kicked at the box. “Done!”
Leon shouted from where he stood while peering at the smart phone, “The fuck, they are heading for the gates.”
John slipped up to one of the windows on either side of the double doors to see a huge metal vehicle with a ramming bar across the hood. It raced at high speed and exploded through the rod iron gates. “Fuck! Duck and cover.”
Leon huffed but set the phone on the flower table and pulled his two favorite guns from his vest.
John turned from the window. “They just ran through the gates and men are pouring out of—”
Bullets started to rain up against the house.
“It’s okay,” John called out. “The windows are bulletproof.”
Meena stepped over, grabbed the phone up, and stared at the screen. She ran over to John, grabbing his arm. “Everyone fall back!” She tugged at John’s arm as she yelled. Exasperated, she lifted the phone to his eyes.
John stared at it. “Fire in the hole!” he shouted as he now pulled Meena away. “Head to the living room!”
The men all rushed toward the main room, away from the front.
Leon and everyone else ran into the main room to duck behind the couches.
“It’s a rocket launcher!” Tony shouted from somewhere in the room.
The front of the house exploded as glass, metal, wood and debris flew everywhere. The sound was deafening. Dust and smoke drifted out as the explosion reached the main room, spitting debris everywhere.
Covering their heads, the entire group knelt on the floor while hiding behind furniture. The ceiling buckled and scraps of sheetrock rained down on them.
Screams could be heard as some of the security men were hit with glass and wood.
“I spoke to the Don in Sicily,” Leon finally broke the silence. “And told him what was set to happen.”
His voice snapped John out of the memory.
Leon turned to meet his eyes. “We survived that attack, John,” he stated as if he knew what John had been thinking.
“And we damn well will survive this one too.” John gave him a nod.
They stared at each other.
“We are only as strong as who leads us,” John added. “And thank fuck you are the biggest badass in Boston.”
Leon blinked at him then he chuckled. “That’s a huge title, John.”
“It is well earned.”
Leon turned back to the window. “We shall see if I can continue to hold that title. So when I spoke to the Don, he said he was already looking for Calderone and Lucas. He said their kidnapping was something the Familia wouldn’t tolerate and the ones behind it would be disciplined.”
They both heard a knock on the doorframe and turned to look.
Jelly Bean stood there then she stepped into the room.
She kept her gaze locked onto Leon’s as she came forward and when she paused in front of him she spoke quietly, “I just wanted you to know that you have an army outside these walls, if you need them. You might not pay them but they are willing to stand with you if you need them.”
“Whom are you talking about my dear?” Leon asked.
Jelly Bean sighed and explained what she seemed to believe he should have already known, “Leon, the street people know probably more about what’s going on here than you do.
They watch everything. They feel the vibes long before anyone else even has an inclination there’s something wrong.
A few of them have reached out to me over the last twenty-four hours.
They told me something bad is coming for the Vincintis and they are concerned.
They are aware of what you do for the city.
Oscar called me just now and reported that they know where these men are. The ones willing to kill you.”
Leon glanced over at John then back at Jelly Bean. “They know where these men are?”
Jelly Bean nodded. “They have been keeping an eye on them and they have been listening to what they are saying. They told me they are waiting for one more person to arrive so he can watch them shoot you.”
“Did they overhear a name or anything to identify who they are waiting on?” Leon growled.
Jelly Bean nodded. “They said they are waiting for a Mr. Double G. Do you know that name?”
Leon felt his heart begin to race. Yes, he knew that name.
“Giovano Grimaldi. Fredo’s oldest son. That’s even more confirmation.
The Don had spoken of a younger member of the Grimaldi family who left the country two weeks ago, they just hadn’t known which of the grandsons it was.
Giovano or Juno.” He stared outside once again, not saying a word for the longest time.
Then he turned and looked at John. “Fortify the estate with every man you can spare.” He looked at Jelly Bean and smiled.
“Tell your people to watch and wait. I need them to keep track of everyone they are watching but not to step in. I don’t want anyone hurt on my behalf. ”
Jelly Bean nodded. “There are a few of them who are willing to come forward, they would like to be part of what you have going on here. But they have no education or any real training. They are afraid you wouldn’t even consider them but they said they would be interested, if you need them.”
Leon stared at her then he nodded. “I might just take that offer, if they are willing to learn.”
She smiled softly. Then she turned and left the room.
Leon looked up at John and shook his head. “I have to call the Don back and confirm what we know now for sure. Giovano Grimaldi just signed his own death warrant. The Italia Council will not let this go.”
John frowned at him and asked, “Why does that name sound so familiar?”
Leon sighed. “Giovano’s father, Fredo has been causing trouble for many years now. He thought he should be here in my place years ago and he obviously has not given up on that idea ever since. Most had stopped listening and had forgotten it.”
John just stared at Leon for a long moment. “And what exactly did he want to do about that?”
“He wanted to start a war on two continents and reshape the Familia. Like an international coup. It had to be a complicated endeavor. That alone should have stopped him. Too many mishaps could occur. Like the fact someone dropped that letter. What dumbasses. He planned to cause enough damage to both Familia’s and then step in as the savior.
The Don in place was aware of this plot but he had no real confirmation of who was behind it.
” Leon shook his head. “But this information confirms the who and we already know the why.”
“So when do you think Calderone will contact you?” John asked.
Leon shook his head. “The Don has men searching for Lucas and Calderone. But I told him they will not locate my son until he deems that the danger has passed. And he must know that Willow is protected. Calderone has done the training he needed to do and all I can do is wait for results. Which is him being alive.”
John clapped him on the back. “He won’t leave you hanging. Like you said, he is going right along with the way you two decided to handle this type of event.”
Leon walked back over to the window and stared outside at the front lawn. He needed to absorb all of this. He did worry about Calderone, but he felt in his soul that he was alive.
John went out quietly to take care of what he needed to.
Leon raised his distracted gaze and thought he saw a flash in the distance. But when it didn’t happen again he just shook his head. Then from the corner of his eye, he saw another flash. Then the flash never came again.
He turned and stared at the open doorway where Jelly Bean had walked out a short time ago. Were her people keeping watch already?
He sat down at his desk and reached for his phone.