by Wayne Block
“Steven, wait….” Steven had already hung up. As Steven joined the line to board his flight, Nick’s life began to unravel again, and this time by the very people he thought he had under his control.
Steven smiled to himself. He had just put his old friend on a wild, out of control roller coaster ride. He took pleasure in knowing somebody else would be joining him in the sick game he was playing with the Scorpion. He was thrilled it was Nick.
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Alberto checked his watch for the fifth time. He had instituted a failsafe to the contract hit he had ordered. If he did not call a particular number within two hours, that number would be discarded and Alberto would no longer be able to revoke the deal he had made with the Devil. After his last discussion with the Don, he was ninety-nine percent sure his decision was not premature. However, it was that one percent that bothered him; he wanted the moral security of a conviction beyond all shadow of a doubt, for he was acting as judge and jury. His hand unconsciously reached for the phone even before it rang.
“Don, do you bring me good news or must I give the kiss of death to my own flesh and blood.”
“I am sorry to say I bring your worst fears to light. Treachery amongst blood,” Don Gregorio answered. His voice was mixed with sadness for Alberto and malice toward the viper in the Manzione family.
“Please tell me the details, my friend.”
“Your soldier Tony was running a brilliant money laundering operation for the Colombian Cartels. Make no mistake; I emphasize the plural in ‘cartels’. He had perfected a way to deliver the cash hordes from both North America and Europe to Colombia. It was revolutionary. The brilliance was his simplistic method that earned a five percent fee for himself and an unheard of one hundred percent success rate! Obviously, that record drew all the cartels to embrace him. We are talking about moving hundreds of millions of dollars each month through his computer export business.
Alberto interjected. “That’s impossible! He would have to be shipping ten thousand computers at a time to hide such amounts.”
The Don responded, a tinge of pride in his voice. “With cash, yes, but not with Blood Diamonds. You see, Alberto, no cash would cross the border. The cash was given to Tony who then converted it in to Blood Diamonds. The beauty is that he bought the diamonds from a direct source, which couldn’t sell them on the open market. The cash was no longer the cartel’s problem since it was passed onto the diamond profiteers. Tony would hide the diamonds in the computer keyboards, a place customs would not look for cash. He then sent them to Brazil, a country not on any international watch lists. Each keyboard in actuality was worth a half-million dollars.”
Alberto digested the incredible information as he ran the numbers in his head. “So how did a problem arise?”
“It was the greed of the low level scum, whose only involvement was trucking the computers to the wharf.”
“Sal and Joey?”
“Yes, and Roberto here in Italy. But the scum were unaware of the hidden diamonds. They thought they were just stealing a few computers that would remain unnoticed among the volume they were transporting. They had no way of knowing that each time they took ten, it was a five million dollar loss for the cartels. They fenced their stolen computers at a great discount. Whoever bought them saw that everything worked, except the keyboards, which are probably now gathering dust in attics and garages. The scum did not know they could have been multi-millionaires!”
“So what was Nick’s involvement?”
“Nick was aware of the money and collected the right tribute, but withheld millions from you. When Tony realized he had missing inventory and sought Nick’s help, Nick contacted the Columbians, posing as the head of the Manzione family. He pretended to be shocked and concerned about the losses and promised a swift and decisive end to the pilfering. Instead, Nick orchestrated the theft of an entire shipment! When the diamonds did not arrive, the Columbians ordered a hit by way of the Brazilians, to insure there would be no war with the Famiglia. I understand the full shipment was stolen just days before Tony’s death. Tony was feverishly trying to locate the shipment up until the day he was murdered. In essence, Nick is a viper within your midst.”
Alberto sadly knew what he had to do now. “Thank you, my friend. I will take care of the family’s honor.” He hung up the phone. He would not avail himself of his failsafe.
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
Steven exited the airplane in Quito and immediately felt lightheaded. He walked outside and hailed a cab, which took him to his hotel. The “Casa Habana” was less of a hotel and more of a quaint, three-story bed and breakfast, with tiled floors and surrounding gardens. There was no need for air-conditioning since the opened windows offered cooling ventilation. Nauseated with no strength to unpack, Steven feebly undressed to his shorts, lay down on his bed, and fell fast asleep.
When Steven opened his eyes, it was eight o’clock and the sun was shining brightly. He was famished but reluctant to lift his head off the pillow, dreading a return of his nausea. To his surprise, when he summoned the courage to sit up, he discovered that he felt fine. He walked to the window, opened it, and stuck his head outside, breathing in the fresh air. The city was already alive and Steven felt certain the worst of the altitude sickness was behind him. He was ready for his first Ecuadorian breakfast, followed by his search for Father Mateuse.
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Charlie spent the week locked in his apartment, drinking himself into a stupor. He could not stop dwelling on the Scorpion’s warning to never again intervene in the Scorpion’s business. He also could not stop thinking about Steven. To save his own skin, he had sacrificed Steven, rationalizing that the Scorpion would have found Steven regardless. But here he was, with a dramatic change of heart. Charlie had the chance to atone for his past and repay his old friend, Steven’s father. He felt compelled to act. For all Charlie knew, Steven might already be dead. If Steven was still alive, Charlie decided he would help him, the Scorpion’s threat be damned. Charlie dialed the only number that offered him hope. He held his breath and waited.
“Hello,” came the soft voice of a woman.
“Francesca? Is that you?”
There was a pause. “Yes. This is Francesca. Who is this?”
Charlie swallowed hard. “It’s me, Charlie. Charlie P.”
There was a long pause. Charlie knew there was an excellent chance she would hang up.
“What do you want?” she said in a monotone voice.
“It’s about your son, Steven.”
Again there was a pause. “What about Steven?”
“He’s in grave danger. He is pursuing the man who killed his family. He came to Chicago and met me for dinner for any lead to the bastard.”
Francesca cried silently, the tears streaming down her face. She wiped her eyes with her handkerchief. “What do you need me to do?”
Charlie breathed a sigh of relief. For now, they could leave the past behind them. They had once been very close, but after Tomasso’s death, Francesca cut all ties with his friends. “I want to help your son. I must find him, even if it costs me my life.”
“Did you tell Steven about his father?” she asked, hoping for the best but dreading the worst.
“No, Francesca. All I told Steven was that he was a casual acquaintance from the neighborhood. Some day he may learn the truth about Tomasso, but it will not be from me. I need help finding him, Francesca. I don’t know where he is.”
“The police are also looking for him,” she said. “There is a detective that has been asking a lot of questions. Do you want to work with the police, Charlie?”
“I’m a little uncomfortable with law enforcement. Is this detective a good man? Can I trust him?”
“I don’t know, Charlie. He seems nice. I’ve spoken with him a few times. But he’s also a cop. I don’t know what to think. Amanda’s older brother, Marco, has been dealing with this detective. You should discuss this with Marco.”
; “I don’t know Marco.”
“I do. He’s honorable. I’ll call Marco to let him know you’ll be calling.”
“All right. Give me his number.” He paused for a second. “Please tell him something good about me so that I can gain his confidence. There isn’t much time and we have to act fast.” Charlie scribbled down Marco’s numbers. “Thank you, Francesca. It was wonderful hearing your voice again. I miss you.”
Francesca spoke softly, comforted that Charlie could not see the pain on her face. “It was good to hear your voice, too. Please do whatever you can for my son. Thank you and goodbye, Charlie.”
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The limousine pulled down a private lane leading to a park. Giorgio’s eyes darted around, taking everything in. Nick’s stare was cold and penetrating, but, as if on cue, it changed to a pleasant smile on his face.
“Relax, Giorgio, we’re almost there. Do you know where we are?”
Giorgio shook his head. “I’ve never been here. What are we doing here?”
“So many questions and so little time,” Nick replied.
Nick turned to Pete. “It’s time to pass out the candy.”
Pete nodded as he withdrew the Glocks and handed one to Nick and Braulio. Nick noticed Giorgio staring at the guns, clearly wanting to grab a weapon. “Don’t go there, Giorgio,” Nick warned. “Believe me, I don’t want to kill you.”
Giorgio relaxed slightly as Pete handed two machine guns to Braulio and Louie. It was a warm, sunny day, but Nick and his men wore long coats to conceal their weapons.
“What’s going on?” Giorgio asked apprehensively.
Nick grinned. “Look out your window, Giorgio. We’ve arrived.”
Giorgio peered out and saw a large picnic table where several men were gathered. All of them stared intently at the limousine. No guns were in sight.
“Who are they?”
Nick looked puzzled. “You don’t know? Those are your Brazilian friends.”
Giorgio went white, his voice cracking. “I thought we weren’t meeting with the Brazilians? I thought you had to return to New York?”
Nick could sense fear like a wolf and knew Giorgio was terrified. “I am returning to New York, but I changed the time of the meeting so we could finish our business. After all, I have waited four days for this damn thing.”
Giorgio shook his head uneasily. “I’m not getting out Nick. I’m not meeting with those guys now.”
Nick rolled his eyes and motioned to Braulio and Louie, who opened the door and got out. Louie grabbed Giorgio and threw him out of the car. Nick and Pete slid out and joined them outside.
Louie and Braulio lifted Giorgio, pushing him toward the picnic table. Nick and Pete led the group, followed by a highly reluctant Giorgio. A tall, muscular man seated at the table slowly stood up and walked toward Nick. His tight fitting tee shirt accentuated his bulging muscles. He had a shaved face and head and wore dark, mirrored sunglasses. The other men seated at the table stood and accompanied him. He smiled at Nick revealing perfectly straight, white teeth. He was exceedingly handsome and could have been a model. He extended both arms to Nick.
“Nick Manzione, I am Renaldo. Welcome to my country. These are my men,” he said, pointing to the various shapes and sizes of tattooed thugs standing around him.
Nick firmly shook Renaldo’s hand. “It’s nice to finally meet my partner.”
“Yes, it is,” Renaldo replied. “I’m sorry that it had to be under such circumstances.”
“No matter,” Nick said. “We’ve enjoyed Rio, but it’s time to go home.”
“You have something for me?” Renaldo asked.
Nick motioned for Louie and Braulio to bring Giorgio. “I give you the elusive Giorgio,” Nick said.
“It’s been awhile, Giorgio.” Renaldo smiled menacingly.
Giorgio looked frantically back and forth between Nick and Renaldo. “What’s going on?”
Nick shrugged. “Renaldo and I are just trying to straighten out a little misunderstanding, that’s all.”
“What misunderstanding?” Giorgio was sweating profusely.
“The one where you killed Nick’s man so we would go to war,” Renaldo said.
Nick noted that he never mentioned Eddie’s death to Renaldo and thought what a stupid Baiano his soon-to-be ex-partner was.
“I didn’t double-cross anyone!” Giorgio squealed. “Nick was the one who wanted to set up this meeting, not me. He wanted to kill all of your men; otherwise, he was going to kill me. I swear Renaldo. I didn’t have anything to do with….”
Before Giorgio could finish his sentence, Renaldo stepped forward and dealt Giorgio a crushing blow to the jaw with his massive forearm, quieting any possible mention of Eddie. Renaldo and Nick stood over Giorgio grinning at each other.
“Very impressive, Renaldo.”
“Now, can we get back to business?” Renaldo asked.
“You’ve got new people ready to go in San Remo?”
“Definitely,” Renaldo answered with great enthusiasm. My men are going there tomorrow.”
“Good. I’ll call you from New York.” Nick looked down at the unconscious Giorgio. “Take care of yourself, Giorgio. I know you’ll be in good hands. Send me a souvenir, Renaldo.”
Renaldo responded all too quickly. “His ring will be attached.”
“Ciao,” Nick said, as he and his men slowly backed up to the limousine, never once taking their eyes off of Renaldo and his gang. If necessary they would have their guns at the ready in an instant. They reached their car without incident and drove away, leaving Giorgio to the Brazilians. Nick knew he had gained control again. He was in a hurry to get back to Giovanna.
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Tired from the altitude and lack of oxygen, Steven found a bench under a tree in a park. He watched as a father played with his two daughters. The older girl was perched on her father’s shoulders and the younger one was cradled in his arms. Their mother sat nearby reading a book. Steven watched the girls giggling as their father spun them around. Steven chuckled as all three gently fell to the ground in fits of laughter. It was the first time since his family had been slaughtered that he could appreciate the sight of children playing. He was surprised that he was not mired in self-pity and consumed with hatred as he watched people enjoying the life that should have been his. He thought about his family; this time it made him smile.
Steven thought about Charlie, Billy, Pablo, and Joaquin. There was certainly enough pain in the world. These strangers had bared their souls and confessed their darkest secrets to him. For a moment, Steven remembered the nameless girl on the gondola in Cervinia and how she had shared her deepest secrets with him. She did so because she knew she never would see him again. Thinking about her suddenly brought a moment of happiness into his life. Billy, Joaquin and Pablo probably believed that Steven wouldn’t live long enough to tell anyone else their personal confessions. Or perhaps they merely felt connected to another pathetic soul who had lost everything. Either way, Steven wasn’t alone in his pain.
He looked around at the impoverished merchants and their families. There was poverty and despair everywhere, but the people were making the best of their situations. Some of the poorest people he met along his journey were also the friendliest and most optimistic.
A church steeple on the perimeter of the park caught Steven’s attention, making him think about his loss of faith. He had attended church his whole life, but the tragedies which had befallen Steven made him question the value of believing in anything. Despite his mixed emotions, Steven found himself being drawn inside.
The church was unimpressive; an old wooden building with a simple statue of Christ located at the single entrance. The altar was plain, lit by a single lamp suspended from a low ceiling. Several candles burned throughout the room, flickering flames to a God he doubted existed. Steven knelt. He could tell this was a poor congregation, yet Steven began feeling a profound sense of peace as he began praying for Amanda, his
daughters, and the rest of his family. He then prayed for Billy, Charlie, Pablo, and Joaquin. They were remorseful and broken men and Steven felt sorry for all of them.
Steven thought about the man he was pursuing. It troubled him that he began thinking about the Scorpion as a man rather than a monster. He didn’t feel compassion for him, but he couldn’t stop thinking about the lonely childhood the Scorpion had experienced. Steven’s own pain of losing his father had never disappeared and his father’s death had haunted him his whole life. Steven also knew what it felt like to be an outcast. If it hadn’t been for Nick, Steven couldn’t imagine what the rest of his teenage years would have been like. Steven could relate to this man’s pain, but Steven’s pain was only compelling him to seek one life for retribution, not to murder for money. Steven closed his eyes and tears began to stream down his face. There was nowhere on earth Steven wanted to be more than here, in this little church. He clasped his hands together, closed his eyes and whispered:
“God, show me the way.”
His tears continued as he thought of his beautiful wife, her funeral, and the cemetery. His thoughts drifted to Nick Manzione. Something had been bothering him about Nick. It wasn’t so much that Nick was a pathological liar who couldn’t be trusted, because deep down Steven had always known that about Nick. It was something else, something more complicated. Whenever he thought about Nick, he also thought about Amanda. He sensed a connection between them that he had really never acknowledged. Today, it was eating at him. He opened his backpack and withdrew the letter Nick had written to Amanda on his wedding day. He had sworn that he would never read it, but Amanda was dead. Steven unfolded the letter and began reading. It took him only a few minutes to finish the two-page letter. He re-read it several times and then neatly folded it back into the envelope and replaced it in his backpack.