Edwin shrugged. “Maybe I tried to stop the choking. You know, like I tried to get hold of whatever was around my neck.”
“That would make sense,” said Danilo, “Except you were already unconscious because he slugged you, right?”
“Yeah but, fuck, I don’t know, Dani,” Edwin replied, almost a whine. “They attacked me and it happened fast. Then they doped me up or something.”
“So, they both attacked you?” asked Danilo.
“Shit, man,” said Edwin, a definite whine. “My head’s still foggy. I’m not sure what happened, okay?”
“We can find out,” said Danilo.
“Find out?” said Edwin. “What do you mean?”
“You went there to get this information on Fernando,” Danilo replied, “When Julio went to get you, he checked out the desk but the file drawer was empty. That means either Donna lied to me, which I doubt, or her son cleaned it out before leaving last night.”
“Okay, so what are you getting at?” asked Edwin.
“I’m gonna call the boy,” Danilo replied, pulling out a phone. “I’ll ask him for this file and, at the same time, I’ll ask him what the fuck happened last night.”
* * * *
Sheraton Centre, Toronto, Ontario, 9:22 a.m.
“It’s from my mother’s phone,” Carlos announced, staring at his own phone.
“Answer on speaker,” Leslie ordered as she started typing on her laptop.
“Who is this?” Carlos demanded after connecting.
“Yo, Carlos. It’s Danilo. Been a long time.”
“Where’s my mother, you bastard?” Carlos snapped. “Anything happens to her, you’re dead. I don’t care who you are.”
“Chill, boy,” said Danilo. “Your mother is safe and sound. We just want to hook up with your dad and once we do, we’ll let her go.”
“She has nothing to do with that son of a bitch,” Carlos argued. “And she hasn’t for years. Kidnapping her isn’t going to help you find him.”
“Right there, you’re wrong,” Danilo countered. “I sent someone to your mother’s place to get some stuff about Fernando then you showed up and the stuff disappeared. By the way, it seems you know how to fight, kid. Took my guy out and he’s still fucked up. What did you dope him up with?”
“Carlos didn’t touch him,” Leslie stepped in. “Is that what the asshole told you? Can’t admit some chick beat the crap out of him?”
“Fuck you, bitch,” Edwin snarled in the background.
“Shut up,” Danilo ordered before continuing on the call. “I guess you’re the one who was with Carlos last night,” said Danilo. “Who are you?”
“I’m his bodyguard,” Leslie replied.
“Are you a cop?” asked Danilo. “Carlos was told not to involve the police.”
“If I was a cop, your little schmuck would be in jail,” said Leslie, “And the only reason he isn’t dead is because I would have had to deal with the body. Keep him the hell away because that was his one chance.”
Danilo chuckled. “Sounds like we’ve got a tough lady. I like it.”
“Don’t count on us becoming buddies,” said Leslie. “Now, what the hell do you want?”
“I want the information Donna has on Fernando,” Danilo replied. “Give that to me and we’ll forget about what happened last night.”
It was Leslie’s turn to chuckle. “You’re willing to forgive us? Give me a break. You sent a moron who can’t tie his shoes to do a simple job, he pulled a knife on us so I beat his scrawny ass.”
“You’re dead, bitch,” Edwin said in the background.
“Shut the fuck up,” Danilo snapped before returning to the call. “Listen, lady. Do you know who you’re dealing with?”
“Turns out I do,” Leslie replied. “The problem is, you don’t know who you’re dealing with.”
“I’m trying to be nice here,” said Danilo. “I’m trying to save Donna’s ass but, if you want to fuck around, she just might have to pay for it.”
“Tough guy, preying on an innocent woman,” Leslie taunted. “Does that make you feel like a big, strong man?”
“Jesus,” muttered Danilo, growing exasperated. “Carlos, I don’t know who your friend is but she’s starting to piss me off. It’s on her head if anything happens to your mother.”
“How do we know nothing has happened to her already?” Leslie persisted.
“She’s safe, for now,” said Danilo, “But I want that shit on Fernando.”
“And I want proof Donna is okay,” Leslie countered. “Put her on the phone.”
“She’s not here,” said Danilo.
“Where is she?” Leslie demanded.
Danilo laughed despite his frustration. “Lady, you are unreal.”
“You’re pretty special yourself,” Leslie retorted, picking up the phone. “Here’s the deal, butt nugget. First, you’ll get Donna on the phone so we can talk to her to make sure she’s okay, and she damned well better be. Next, we’ll—”
“Listen, bitch,” Danilo interrupted. “You’re not running this—”
“No, you listen, fucktard,” Leslie cut in. “If you want to get this moving, you’ll do what I say. Get Donna on the phone then line it up to get her back to us unharmed. Once that’s done, we can chat about Fernando. We’ll be expecting your call.”
Fuming, she cut the connection and said, “Asshole,” then looked at Carlos and, noting his troubled expression, asked, “Is something wrong?”
“You went pretty heavy with him,” Carlos replied. “Danilo is one of the top Mara guys in Toronto. You don’t get there by being a nice guy. I hope you didn’t push it too far.”
Leslie took a deep breath then sighed. “I hope so too.”
* * * *
Jane & Finch, Toronto, Ontario, 9:27 a.m.
Danilo stared at the phone in his hand in stunned silence for a moment before placing it on the table.
“Crazy bitch,” Edwin muttered. “We need to find her and show her who she’s dealing with.”
“What you need to do is shut the hell up,” Danilo snapped. “Are you good to go for a ride or did the beating she gave you fuck you up too much?”
“She didn’t beat me,” Edwin argued. “She doped me up.”
“She beat you and almost killed you,” Danilo retorted. “Now, answer my damned question.”
“I’m good to go,” Edwin replied. “I just gotta eat something.”
“You can grab something along the way,” said Danilo, rising from the table.
“Where we going?” asked Edwin.
“Back to Maynooth,” said Danilo. “Lady wants to talk to Donna? I’ll give her what she wants.”
* * * *
Sheraton Centre, Toronto, Ontario, 12:57 p.m.
“I’m sorry, guys,” said Leslie as the recording of the conversation with Danilo ended. “I should have been a hell of a lot more tactful. I was pissed off and I kind of lost it.”
“Shit happens,” said Chris. “We’ve all done the same along the way.”
“Sometimes worse,” added Jonathan.
“It wasn’t that bad, Les,” said DA colleague, Dave McCall.
“But he might take it out on Donna,” Leslie persisted. “She might get hurt because of me.”
“Don’t do this to yourself, kiddo,” Chris advised. “For all we know, my sister could be dead as we speak.” He gazed at Carlos and said, “Sorry to be blunt but it is a possibility.”
Carlos nodded. “I know it is. It’s been on my mind since I last spoke to her.” Turning to Leslie, he added, “If anything happens to my mother, the only people responsible are those who kidnapped her, nobody else. I don’t know where I’d be without all of you helping me and, Leslie, I might be dead if it wasn’t for you. Thank you.”
Leslie managed a weak smile and said, “I just want to get her back to safety.”
“And we will,” said Chris, “So let’s get working on that. You tracked the call location?”
“It came f
rom the Jane and Finch neighbourhood,” Leslie replied. “Somewhere near Finch West, Sentinel and Tobermory. There are several high rises –”
A ringtone from Carlos’ phone interrupted her and all eyes turned to the young man.
“It’s from my mother’s phone again,” he announced, looking at the others. “A video call.”
“You’re with Leslie,” said Chris. “We’re not here.”
Carlos shook his head. “Neither is she. I want him to think I’m alone.”
“I don’t know,” Chris disagreed. “Why?”
“To give him a sense of control,” said Carlos hurriedly as the phone continued to warble. “Go to the other room.”
“I’m linked to his phone,” said Leslie, grabbing her iPad and heading to the adjoining room.
The others followed and once the door closed Carlos connected the call. Danilo appeared on the screen wearing a baseball cap and sunglasses, a bandana covering his lower face.
“Took your sweet time,” Danilo snapped.
“I was in the bathroom,” said Carlos. “Why are you hiding your face?”
“Where’s your lady?” asked Danilo, ignoring the question.
“She’s not here,” Carlos replied.
“Where is she?” asked Danilo.
“I don’t know,” said Carlos. “I’m safe where I am so she left.”
“That’s too bad,” said Danilo. “I wanted to see what a tough bitch looks like. Where did you find her?”
“A friend of a friend,” Carlos replied.
“What’s her name?” asked Danilo.
“Kelly,” said Carlos.
“Kelly who?” Danilo persisted.
“Kelly Gamble,” Carlos replied.
“Gamble?” said Danilo. “Is that her real name?”
Carlos shrugged. “I don’t know. When I asked her, she just said she likes to take risks.”
“She’s proving that by messing with me,” said Danilo. “Are you going to see her again?”
“She told me to call her if I need more help,” said Carlos.
“You might be better off without her,” said Danilo. “She’s made things difficult so far and screwed up my schedule but, you wanted to talk to your mother so I’m gonna make it happen. I hope you appreciate what I’m doing for you.”
“I do,” said Carlos. “I just want to make sure she’s okay. You get it, right?”
“Yeah, I get it,” said Danilo, “And now you’ll get to see for yourself. Let’s go see your mother.”
Carlos, and the others, watched their screens, the phone still trained on Danilo’s masked face as he moved along a hallway.
He stopped and turned the phone toward a closed door then said, “Here she is,” before pushing the door open.
Donna sat inside the room, facing the doorway. Though firmly bound to a wooden chair and gagged, she was conscious and appeared uninjured.
“Hey, Donna, you’ve got a visitor,” Danilo announced before addressing someone off-camera. “Get rid of the gag so she can talk to her son.”
Another man, similarly masked, came into view behind Donna, unknotting and removing the gag.
“Fucking cowards,” Donna growled, “Not man enough to show your faces. You’re going to rot in hell.”
“Watch your language,” Danilo playfully admonished as he moved the phone closer to her face. “You don’t want to shock your son.”
“Mom, are you okay?” Carlos asked, his eyes brimming with tears.
“Never mind me, Carlos,” Donna replied. “Just stay safe. Disappear before these fuckers come for you because they will.”
“Did they hurt you?” Carlos insisted.
“Not yet, but they will,” Donna replied. “Please do as I ask, son. I’ve lived my life and I don’t care what they do to me but, let me die knowing they didn’t get you. Call the police, report my kidnapping, tell them everything you know and disappear.”
“Okay, enough of this shit,” said Danilo from behind the phone.
On-screen, the second man moved out of view for a couple of seconds then reappeared as he wrapped the ends of a length of yellow nylon rope around his hands. He faced the camera and said, “Tell the bitch this is how you strangle someone.”
He flipped the rope over Donna’s head, slipped it around her neck and pulled it tight.
“What are you doing?” Carlos screamed as they watched his mother try to gasp for air, her eyes bulging.
“Stop it!” Carlos shouted.
Danilo kept the camera trained on Donna’s face several more seconds then the pressure on the rope was released, leaving her rasping and coughing.
“Visiting hours are over,” he said before turning the phone back to himself as he left the room.
“That’s what can happen if you and your friend fuck with me,” he growled, “And your mother is right, Carlos. If we have to, we’ll kill her and come for you. Your only chance is to give us Fernando. If you don’t, momma’s dead, you’re dead and, in the end, we’ll find him anyway. Make it easier for everybody and give me that file on Fernando. His number’s in there and I want to chat with him.”
Carlos wiped his eyes on his sleeve and said, “I don’t have it.”
“Don’t mess with me, you little shit,” Danilo warned.
“I’m serious,” Carlos insisted. “Kelly left with it and said she’d put it somewhere safe.”
Danilo took a deep breath then said, “Call the bitch and get the file. I’ll call you back later.”
The screens went blank as Danilo cut the connection and the door to the adjoining room opened as the others returned.
“You okay, buddy?” asked Chris as they approached his nephew.
“I’m pissed off and frustrated,” Carlos replied.
“But you handled that fine,” said Jonathan.
“Right,” Carlos retorted. “They nearly killed my mother.”
“That had nothing to do with you or anything you said,” Leslie argued. “He was trying to intimidate you.”
“Well, it worked,” said Carlos, his hand shaking as he put down the phone.
“You held it together,” Leslie insisted. “You didn’t even flinch when he asked for my name.”
“I wasn’t going to give him your real name,” said Carlos. “I threw out the name of an author I’m reading.” He looked at Chris and added, “I’m scared for my mother. Maybe we should contact the police.”
Chris exchanged glances with his colleagues before gazing back at his nephew. “No, these animals have to pay. We’re going to handle this ourselves.”
* * * *
Maynooth, Ontario, 1:08 p.m.
“How’s our guest?” asked Danilo as Edwin joined him and Jose in the living room.
“She’s fine,” Edwin scoffed. “I only choked her for a few seconds.”
“Are you good to keep an eye on things here?” asked Danilo. “I’m heading back to Toronto and Joe’s coming to look after some stuff.”
“No problem,” said Edwin. “That scared the crap out of her. She won’t give me any trouble.”
Jose smirked. “You sure she won’t beat you with a chair again?”
“Fuck off, Joe,” Edwin retorted. “The bitch took me by surprise. Anyhow, she’s cuffed to the bed so she can’t do nothing stupid.”
“If you say so,” said Jose with a wink.
“Joe’s leaving his car here in case you need it,” said Danilo. “Give him your keys so he can go get yours.”
“It’s still parked on the street by her apartment,” said Edwin, tossing his keys to Jose.
“Yeah, where you left it before you got beat up,” Jose taunted.
“Listen, motherfucker,” Edwin snapped.
“Shut the hell up,” Danilo ordered, “Both of you,”
“He’s pissing me off,” Edwin argued.
“And you’re pissing me off,” Danilo replied with a glare. “Got it?”
Edwin nodded without a word.
“I’m going to leave he
r phone here,” said Danilo, pointing to it on a table, “Just in case I need her to talk to her boy again.”
“Sure, whatever,” Edwin muttered. “I got this covered.”
* * * *
Sheraton Centre, Toronto, Ontario, 1:10 p.m.
Carlos looked from one person to the other in silence for a moment, trying to understand his uncle’s decision to take on his mother’s killers and his colleagues’ apparent agreement.
Trying to keep his shaky voice from cracking, he said, “We just watched one of them choking my mother, your sister. These guys are dangerous. Wouldn’t the cops be able to deal with this more effectively and, uh, legally?”
Chris glanced at Jonathan, who nodded, then stepped around the coffee table and sat on it, facing his nephew. “Considering the circumstances, I’m going to tell you a little about this group but this isn’t information for you to share with anyone, now or later, understand?”
Curious, Carlos nodded and said, “It’ll stay with me.”
“We work for a small, secret government agency,” said Chris, choosing his words carefully. “We deal with national security and public safety.”
“You deal with that how?” asked Carlos. “Are you investigators?”
“We certainly do investigate the cases we work on,” Chris confirmed.
“And then what?” Carlos persisted. “You arrest the people if they’re guilty?”
Jonathan stepped up behind Chris and gazed at Carlos. “We eliminate them. End of discussion. As Chris mentioned, this stays with you, got it?”
Carlos nodded again, wordless.
“Good,” said Jonathan. “Now we have to find these bastards, and your mother. Chris, how do you want to run this?”
“This Danilo wasn’t kidding when he said they would come after Carlos,” Chris replied. “Obviously, they don’t know where he is but their starting points will logically be both his and Donna’s apartments. We need some surveillance, cameras and mikes at the very least.”
Jonathan shook his head. “If anyone shows up at either place, we don’t just want their photos. I’ll get some people to sit on both places. What else?”
The Nephew Page 5