AWAKENING (11 page)

CHAPTER FIVE

The poker game ended.
Roberto owed the house ten thousand
euros
. He put on his jacket and shrugged. “Nobody’s
lucky all the time Giuseppe, if I didn’t know any better, I’d say you’re cheating.”

Giuseppe dismissed the comment, “Where are you going, have a
nother drink?
”

“Ah, it’s late. I’ve drank enough.”

Giuseppe rolled his shoulders. The stinging to his upper torso grew irritating. How Alfonzo suffered through the annoyance, he’
d never know. The tattoo on Giuseppe went from shoulder to shoulder. They were words, a
phrase
he found poignant
. His father had it inked in the same area. He decided to pay homage to the man. Forever, this m
ark
will follow him, s
traight to
the
grave. He wanted to feel pain tonight, because it would pain him immensely to say good-bye to his friend.
“Good-night.
Next week I
will
take
more of your
money
.
”

“I will
have
my own cards next time.”

“Eh, but
it
will suggest you do not trust me.
W
e
’re
friends
and
trust is all we have
, no?”

A strange expression crossed Roberto’s face
. It
faded as he waved and exited. Giuseppe stood, removed his jacket from the back of his chair and walked leisurely out the back door to the club.
People will witness Roberto l
eaving
alone
as planned. Giuseppe on the other-hand if anyone questioned remained in the club.

At the back stairs he met-up with three of his henchmen and they entered the car waiting behind the building. The night darkened to a thick blackness thanks to the absence of the moon.
The men did not speak, Giuseppe preferred
silence tonight
. He watched the
black alley and soon a set of headlights
passed
. Their
vehicle moved forward and onto the desolate street. They remained far behind Roberto’s vehicle, pursuit was not part of the plan,
besides
the route the car traveled was a familiar one
. Roberto had to take one
street. This street ran between an industrial building and a market, which was closed at this hour.

They were not far from it and in five minutes would reach the assigned spot for the ambush. The quiet made it easier to discern the sounds ahead
.

W
hat he listened for echoed aloud. Squealing tires alert the driver to speed forward. They reached the
area
and Giuseppe pushed open the back door and rushed to
Roberto’s sports car
box
ed
between a pair of waste removal
trucks. His father’s waste management business
made
getting rid of garbage a
pleasant
breeze.
There were guns pointed from every angle at the man sitting
inside. Roberto was yanked out the vehicle and his mouth clamped shut by the hand of one of the men.
Another quickly
searched
him for chest to foot
for weapons and wires.
The watch was snatched off
Roberto’s
wrist and held up for Giuseppe to see. Giuseppe made his presence known and walked around one of the trucks
into view of Roberto
. He stopped inches from his friend and in Roberto’s eyes he saw regret.

The
unusually bulky and cheap quality
watch was not the kind Roberto would eve
r wear. No, he was a man who only wore the best. This timepiece was subpar and only cost a few hundred
euros
. Giuseppe nodded and the inexpensive watch dropped to the ground and
cracked i
n
t
o
pieces
by the
heel of
Giuseppe’s
boot.
Only then did
Giuseppe sp
eak
, “Friends, eh Roberto. What friend sets-up another
and
for what purpose do you stab me in the back?”

The hand was removed and Roberto’s words came out with a
heavy
breath,
“Giuseppe, what
do
you mean?”

“
Your meeting in
Venice
with the
DSS and
do not lie.
What did you discuss?
”

“
I was asked a question, a promise was made and that’s all.”

“What question?”

Roberto’s eyes were downcast, “I am truly sorry friend. The DSS were threatening to haul me off to jail. You know the passports I’ve supplied for others to gain access into the United States. They found my contact number on a man and it led straight to my door.”

“Why didn’t you tell me this?”

“It was not your problem. What could you have done?”

“Such lack of
trust,
saddens me. What did they ask?”

“For me to wear the watch and get you to speak about Alfonzo and illegal activity.
The
y were
interest
ed in his political contacts here
.
”

“But you didn’t
ask me about Alfonzo
.”

“I c
ould not betray you.
”

Giuseppe’s solemn face told his thoughts. He could not turn back from the deed. The pain seared his skin as the salty sweat seeped
in. “What promise was given?”

“My father and I will avoid jail. My father is older, his heart is weaker. He would not survive the harshness of a cell. He spent fifteen years in his youth
in one and h
e would rather die than return.”

“Ah, Roberto. If only you
had
faith in
our
friend
ship
we would not be here.
”
He gripped the man’s shoulders. “I believe what you say.”

Roberto nodded, “Do it. I rather it
’s
at your hands.”

He released the man and removed a jeweled blade from a velvet cloth in his pocket.
In the blanketed dark it
s sparkly jewels
glistened
.
Roberto’s eyes were on it. The craftsmanship was designed for a king. To die with it brought a smile to his lips, “
Rumors are truths with lies. Is that what I believe it is?”

“Yes, in death there’s peace
f
orever
, my friend
.”
Giuseppe leaned in and hugged
Roberto sadly.
He
gripped the man tight simultaneously
plunging the blade deep into his
friend’s
heart. Roberto’s body jerked, there was a gasp
and Giuseppe twist his wrist. Roberto went limp, the head
slumped forward onto Giuseppe
’s shoulder and he
held
it u
pright. The blade was pulled free and blood poured from his friend’s chest, but he held him, mourned him and let the sticky warm fluid stain him. He wanted to remember, his friend in death as he did in life. Had Roberto trusted him with this matter with the DSS, he would have removed his problem. Eradicated it, he had the means, but instead he’d chosen to compromise himself and
that was his mistake.

He kissed the
side
of his friend’s head
. He
loved
Roberto like a brother
once
. He lowered
the lifeless body to the ground. The men immediately took possession of the corpse and tossed it in the rear of
the sanitation truck. The
side
lever was pulled and
Roberto’s
body
rolled back to mix with the trash then disappeared when the huge metal t
eeth
clamped shut
.

“Get rid of the car, dismantle it, clean th
is blood a
nd leave no
t one drip
for
anyone to follow!
” He
instructed
the men
as he
strolled to
his car.
Giuseppe looked at the blade.
Its
diamond encrusted hilt
was
adorned with
a variety of priceless
gems.
H
is
ancestors
were credited for forming
what is
now
known as La Costra Nostra,
w
hen the w
orking
classes were
ruled by Kings
, but the modern organization is nothing more than a copy of its predecessor
. The blade used to kill his friend was an antique. It belonged to his great
great
grandmother,
a gift from
Italy’s
King
to his mistress from
Eritrea, Africa
. He cleaned it on the hem of his jacket then climbed inside the car, his white shirt, tie-died red
!

CHAPTER SIX

Nico
drove up to the gate of the
manicured
estate
and put the
rental
in park
. He looked over the seat at the assortment of stuffed animals peeking over the large shopping bag. He’d taken
his sons
to FAO Schwartz and they helped him pick out age appropriate items for their younger siblings. They even pushed a card down in there somewhere. 
He t
wisted
around when the guard behind the bulletproof security station
spoke. “Yeah, how can I help you?”

Nico
angled his
face
toward the security
camera, “I’m here to
see
Selange, tell her it’s Nico.”

There was a pause. “Sorry Nico can’t.”

Well wasn’t this a surprise?

“Why the fuck not
, Mike is that you
?”

“
Yeah,
hey
Nico
.
”

“
Whose
goddamn
orders
,
Selange o
r her ex-husband
?”

“
I’m only doing my job Nico. I’m sorry but y
ou’re prohibited from the property.”

Nico exited the car. The protective encasement was part of the high brick wall. Attached to it were the thick metal gates about eight feet high. Alfonzo ensured the design prevented anyone from scaling or fitting through the spaces and when he examined it, he realized even if he made it over the gate, he’d have to contend with armed men. He flashed his teeth, “Open the goddamn gate, now!”

He saw a group of men heading his way led by
Crazy Nicky. The man
covered the distance quickly and halted on the opposite of the bars. “Get the fuck off the property Nico!”

“I’m visiting, now open up.”

“Don’t you think you’ve done enough damage to
Alfonzo
, do
n’t
you
have
any
remorse?”

Nico’s face tugged at his old comrade’s disappointment. “
Sure I do. It’s
my blood…my goddamn blood…not yours or anybody else’s
who
got killed.
I
live
with it every day
–but
I’ll be damned if I
abandon
my kids
. Not
you or
Alfonzo
can force me to do that
!”

Crazy Nicky reached at his waist, his eyes fanatical, “I should do you right here you cold
-blooded
bastard
. That kid trusted you and you had a responsibility to look after him, not go humping his wife
!”