Hated

by Fournier, C

  I looked to Antonio questioningly. I wasn’t sure what he’d need a wallet for if we were going to break into a house.

  “Lock picks kit, in case we need to get into any locked rooms,” Antonio replied patting his pocket and smiling. I nodded in realization and approval. That wasn’t a bad idea. We might actually need them, but I was curious as to why he would have a lock picking kit. What would he need to break into?

  I thought about saying something but then reconsidered. Antonio probably had his reasons for carrying a lock picking kit and I didn’t really want to know right now. I might ask after this is all over, but for right now we need to focus on the task at hand.

  Once we had all of our supplies and went over the plans one more time we headed for the door of the warehouse. As we were about to shove off Betty, Andrew, Jean and Anthony all came up and gave us hugs, and wished us well on our mission. We left full of pride for the mission that lay ahead of us. But deep down I was really scared that I would never see my family again, or that I might lose one of the boys in the process of completing the mission.

  I have no idea why I keep calling it a mission, but it just sounds cool. I smiled to myself as we snuck down another alleyway. I felt kind of like a kid again, just a little bit. When my brothers and I were younger we used to play tag in the cornfield and in the alley right then it kind of felt like that. Ok it was a stretch I’ll admit that, but that’s the way I felt and it helped me to block out the fear and the doubt. If I thought of it like a game I think I could actually go through with this plan, even if it seemed really crazy.

  We came to the end of another alley and Kevin was about to step out when I saw something move on the roof of the Mafia house. I pulled Kevin back and pinned him against the wall of the alley. Antonio looked to where I had and ducked behind a garbage can when he had seen what I had. There was a sniper on the roof?!? What the hell were they doing here? Antonio cursed under his breath and looked up carefully from where he was crouching.

  “What’s wrong?” Kevin asked quietly when I let him up. I kept my eyes on the sniper but responded to my brother’s question. “There is a sniper on the roof.”

  Kevin’s eyes widened but he didn’t say a thing. I bit my lower lip thinking about how we were going to get past him. This was going to get tricky and most likely a little messy. I really didn’t want to kill anyone tonight but I would if I had to. I started to go for my pistol but out of the corner of my eye I saw Antonio shake his head. I looked at him confused. He pointed back up to the roof and I watched the guy leave his position. I looked back to Antonio and he smiled then led the way to the door. I chuckled under my breath and went out after him. I kept my gun out just in case someone came up to us while we were breaking in.

  Kevin came last with his gun out and ready to shoot in case we needed to. Kevin pointed his gun towards the door and waited for Antonio to pick the lock. I kept my back to the door but my gun up, watching the alleys and shadows for any sign of movement. But all I could hear was the clicking of Antonio as he tried to pick the lock. Suddenly there was a loud click and the door popped silently opened.

  Antonio sat there triumphantly and smiled up at us. He dusted himself off, threw his lock picking kit back into his pocket and motioned for us to go in. Kevin went in first followed by me than Antonio taking up the rear. We quickly and quietly made it up the first hallway, watching every doorway. So far so good, but we weren’t there yet. Just as we were nearing the end of the hallway I felt like we were being watched.

  I looked around but I couldn’t see anything. I looked closer and found a camera just slightly ahead of us, hidden in the corner of the hall by shadows. I cursed under my breath and pressed myself against the wall. I just hope it isn’t a thermal camera. The boys looked confused so I tried to motion to the camera in the corner but they just looked more confused.

  “There is a camera on the wall,” I said through clenched teeth. The boys looked back up to the corner of the room and then quickly went against the wall. They both looked surprised and a little sheepish. We slid down the wall keeping eyes out for other cameras or for anyone that happened to be walking the halls or doors that were cracked open.

  Antonio led the way to the living room. I didn’t understand why we were going there but I followed him, hoping he knew what he was doing. We avoided cameras and a couple of the security guys that were patrolling the hallways. It took us a little while but we finally made it to the living room.

  Antonio walked over to a bookcase and started to push on it, but it didn’t move. He grunted as he put all of his strength into his pushing but it still wouldn’t move. I motioned for Kevin to keep watch then went to help Antonio with the bookcase. I came up beside him and started to push too.

  Miraculously the bookcase started to move. Slowly but surely we pushed it until it revealed a small safe tucked securely behind the bookcase and imbedded in the wall. Antonio and I pushed and pushed until the safe was out in the open.

  Antonio and I looked at each other and I nodded to him. As Antonio went to work on the safe I kept a look out. Kevin was supposed to be on look out with me but I couldn’t find him. I was starting to worry when someone grabbed me roughly from behind. I screamed, I couldn’t help it, and fought with all of my might to get away from the person that had grabbed me.

  Antonio had stopped what he was doing but then I heard a thud. Great he was being attacked too. Suddenly the lights came on to reveal a room full of burly men in security uniforms. David, Darcy and the doctor, I think his name was Devin, were standing at the front of the group with a boy who looked to be maybe a year or two older than I was. Antonio seemed to know him and he didn’t look too happy about seeing him here. The doctor seemed kind of familiar now that I could see him. Devin winked to me and I thought I was going to faint. The doctor of the Mafia is my father?!?! It took me a couple seconds to swallow and then I winked back. This was something my father and I used to do all the time when I was younger.

  Antonio pushed off his attacker and stood up. He brushed himself off and turned to look at David. I looked around the room trying to find Kevin. At first I couldn’t find him but as I looked a second time, I found him being held in between two guys at the far end of the room. He didn’t look too good. Crap, this was going from bad to worse.

  “What’s in the safe?” David asked Antonio, who looked like he was about to rip somebody’s head off.

  “Antonio,” I called quietly and he turned to look at me. “Open the safe. It’s about time he found out what was going on.”

  The guy who was holding on to me held me tighter to get me to shut up. It hurt like you wouldn’t believe and I tried not to make a noise, but one slipped through my lips. Antonio glared at the guy behind me and he loosened up a little bit.

  “What would I possibly not know, young lady?” David tried to sound polite but it just all sounded false to me, and his smile just looked fake all together.

  “I don’t know ask Darcy, after all this whole thing revolves around her,” I replied smiling my sweetest smile. David’s smile disappeared and he glared at me. Apparently no one had decided to pay Antonio any attention since he had just finished cracking open the safe without any problems.

  Everyone turned to Antonio once they heard the loud creak as the safe door opened. Now everyone was watching Antonio to see what he would do. Some people had their guns out and ready to fire while others were reaching for their guns.

  Antonio slowly turned around and got up, holding some photos and a DVD in his hands. He held the photos out to David who took a step back and looked disgusted at Antonio. Antonio glared at David before he said in a very threatening voice, “You wanted to know the truth old man. You remember when Darcy came to one of the meetings late and you asked her where she had been, and she had said that she was working out in the gym.”

  David nodded carefully, thinking I suppose. Antonio smiled before he continued, “Well she wasn’t lying completely but she wasn’t working out in the gym the
way normal people should work out in the gym.”

  Antonio held the photos out to David again and this time David reached out and took them against many protests. David looked through the photos at first he was surprised and stunned, and then it turned into utter disbelief and then finally anger.

  “What is all this, Darcy?” David asked enraged. Darcy shrank away from David’s rage and stumbled over a reply. “T-these aren’t me. T-they are trying to frame me.”

  I rolled me eyes and blew out a sigh. I could see Antonio roll his eyes too. He had had just about enough of her and so have I. David looked to Antonio and before he could say anything Antonio held up the DVD.

  “You still don’t believe us?” Antonio questioned David, not moving his hand or his position as the better man. “Then you can watch what happened for yourself on this DVD recording.”

  David looked taken back and stricken at the thought of watching the video of his wife with someone else. I know I would if I found Antonio with another girl. I shook that thought from my head. He wouldn’t ever do that to me and I wouldn’t ever do that to him. Sometimes I don’t understand why people would cheat on their partner with someone who wasn’t even worth it in the long run. I can’t believe I’m thinking this but I kind of feel sorry for David. I mean I know what it’s like to be cheated on and Antonio does too. It’s really not fun at all.

  “Take Darcy to her room and lock her in there,” David told a couple of the guards that were standing beside him. “I will deal with her later.”

  Darcy’s mouth dropped open. A couple of men came up, grabbed Darcy and dragged her out of the room before she could say anything. She didn’t even have time to recover her composure or to be angry at anyone. But she did scream in anger as she went down the hallway. After a minute or two there was utter silence, then Antonio turned to David.

  “Can you let my friends go?” Antonio asked calmly but carefully, watching everyone in the room. I guess you really never know how someone is going to react to something like this. David nodded absently and snapped his fingers. The guy behind me let go of me reluctantly and I ran to go check on Kevin.

  Kevin had lifted himself up into a sitting position but his arms were shaking with the effort of holding himself up. I got underneath one of Kevin’s arms and helped him to get to his feet. Everyone was watching us. Hmm, watching is too nice a word to use, glaring sounds like a better way to put it. But I still that is too nice of a word for the looks we were getting from everyone, well pretty much everyone.

  Once Kevin was on his feet he seemed a little bit steadier. I let go of him once I was sure that he could stand on his own and looked around to find Antonio. He was off to the side talking with the older boy I had seen earlier and who looked to be his parents’, maybe? Antonio turned around and motioned for me to come over to where he was standing. I looked to Kevin and he stood up straighter. He motioned with a nod of his head for me to go over to Antonio.

  I gave Kevin a kiss on the cheek and then walked quickly over to Antonio. They were all in a very heated conversation. I thought about turning around and going back to sit with Kevin, when Antonio turned around. He smiled at me and reached his arm around to hold onto my waist. His eyes pleaded with me to go along with what he was doing. Or at least that’s what I hope he was trying to say, still working on reading people.

  “Stephanie, let me introduce you to my best friend Markus and his parents,” Antonio announced to me. The weird thing is that he didn’t even grace Markus’s parents with names, and he didn’t say any last names either. I let it slide but the parents on the other hand felt that they had to tell me their names.

  “I’m Margaret,” said the lady whose hair looked like it had just come out of a tornado. Her clothes looked like she had gone to the I-am-up-tight store and bought the most colourful things there. I kind of wanted to laugh but I swallowed it down. It would be rude to laugh, but I so wanted to do it anyway.

  “And I’m Burt,” said the man who was missing most of the hair on the top of his head. He was wearing a fairly nice suit, but he had a bow tie on and a thick pair of spectacles. I was ready to burst out laughing but I had to remember to try to remain serious. I really didn’t think it was going to be this difficult, but I’ve been wrong before.

  I cleared my throat before I replied, “It’s nice to meet you.” Margaret and Burt looked me over like a scientist looking at a disgusting specimen, with absent interest and detached emotions. I thought about shaking their hands but by the looks I was getting from them that was out of the question.

  “That makes you, Markus,” I commented jokingly. Antonio and Markus chuckled but Margaret and Burt were very serious. Especially when they said, “well of course who else would you think it was?”

  Okay they were already starting to get on my nerves. I’ve been around them for maybe less than five minutes. I thought about some things I could say, but none of them were very polite. Antonio gently gave my shoulder a little warning squeeze. I quickly put a smile on my face and reached out my hand toward Markus. Markus’s parents were stunned into silence when Markus reached out and gripped my hand.

  Markus seemed a little surprised when he let go of my hand, but he smiled when he said, “you have a very good grip, I’m impressed.”

  “Uh, thanks?” I wasn’t sure how to reply to that. I took my hand back and left it at my side, what else was I supposed to do? Markus must’ve noticed my confused expression because he chuckled then clarified his point. “Don’t worry, it was a compliment.”

  “Markus, didn’t you want to introduce someone else too?” Antonio asked smiling a little, but I could tell he was a little agitated. Markus looked a little wary but nodded. To the side his parents were acting all disappointed and snooty. I really wanted to smack them both up side the face.

  “Why don’t you bring her in to meet everyone than,” Antonio asked kind of pressuring Markus a bit, “I’m sure that she would like to meet another girl in a position similar to hers, wouldn’t you if you were her?”

  “I suppose,” Markus murmured thinking it over, then he sighed. “Alright I’ll go get her.”

  Antonio gave Markus a pat on the back before Markus left the room to get…some girl? I still didn’t know who it was or what Antonio meant by “same position”. What position am I in, besides a whole lot of trouble? I heard some murmuring and then a loud groan.

  Markus walked into the room with a young woman on his arm. The young woman was pretty in the natural way, with dirty blond hair and light blue eyes. Laughter shone from her eyes and when she smiled she looked younger then she did with a straight face. The young woman wore a nice pair of jeans and a plain t-shirt that fit her figure perfectly. But the strangest thing was that when I saw her I thought of my old friend Angelina who I haven’t seen in years.

  “Do I know you?” the young woman asked looking me over. She was thinking the same thing I was, or at least close to what I was thinking.

  “I don’t know but I’ll admit you do look rather familiar,” I commented as I looked the young woman over again. Something was nagging at me in the back of my head but I couldn’t put my finger on it. The boys didn’t know what to make of our little exchange and frankly neither did I.

  “Oh where are my manners, my name is Angelina,” replied the young woman with a smile and stuck out her hand. She seemed really sweet, which is why I don’t really understand why she is dating someone from the Mafia.

  “My name is Stephanie,” I replied smiling back as I shook her outstretched hand. Her grip seemed kind of familiar, I never forget a handshake. Oh gosh, could this be my old friend Angelina Ross? I looked closer and found what I had been searching for. It was a birthmark that Angie had at the base of her neck. When we were younger we always used to try to figure out what it looked like. I had thought that it looked like a bug that was missing a leg but Angie had thought that it had looked like a car with a spare tire. Either way it was still a pretty cool mark and we would always joke around about it.
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  “Angie?” I hadn’t really wanted to ask but it had just kind of come out without my knowledge.

  “Steph,” Angelina asked eyes full of hope and surprise, “is that really you?”

  “In the flesh,” I replied smiling as I held my hands out to the sides as if to prove I was really there. What I didn’t expect was when she came up and nearly tackled me to the ground in a huge hug.

  “I thought that you were dead,” Angie cried as she held me tighter. We were about the same height so she buried her face into the closest spot that she could which happened to be my neck. Angie continued talking but it was slightly muffled because of my neck. “I didn’t see you get out of the building, and when they set it on fire I wanted to go back for you but I was so scared. I was scared that I would be too late or that you would blame me for leaving you. I’m so, so sorry Steph.”

  I held Angie and let her cry as the boys stood there hopelessly confused about what we were talking about. I gently rubbed her back and tried to comfort her as best as I could. But I was thinking about the day that she was talking about I had pretty much forgotten about it, until now. It felt like it was so long ago, so much stuff has happened since then.

  Angie and I had been trying to take down the Mafia together and we had gone to an abandoned warehouse down by the docks where they were meeting. We had gone in from a door on the front side of the building but we were caught after we only got a couple pictures. The stupid flash was on the camera. Hey it was an accident they happen from time to time, and the reason why Angie felt so guilty was because it was her camera that had flashed.

  We were caught beaten and left to die in the building but they wanted to leave no evidence behind so they set the building on fire too. Angie had gotten out first through the front door but I had gone out the back door on the opposite side of the building, and scurried across the back ledge with a guy I rescued. I had known that Angie had gotten out and I thought that she had known that I had gotten out too, but I guess she didn’t. When I had tried to look for her I couldn’t find her anywhere.