by Jamie Hill
"Of course I do!" She froze, the full realization of his visit hitting her. "You think my family has done something to him."
"Other people involved with your family have turned up injured, missing or dead. So, yeah, you're my first stop." He glanced around the room, his eyes lingering on Minnie, the busty blonde stripper, for a moment.
Gina scowled. "How did you know I worked here, anyway? Did Brady tell you?" She recalled him saying he hadn't mentioned that fact to Jack or Crystal.
"Brady never brought it up. Mel Curtis told me."
She remembered the brunette in the stuffy suit. "She's the one you should be talking to, then. If you're so sure something bad has happened, go to the police. They can help you more than I can."
"I will, if I have to. I'm trying to keep Brady out of trouble here. There's something I haven't told you. I, uh, let myself into his house today, concerned that he might be sick or passed out or something."
"You broke in to his house?" she exclaimed in disbelief.
"Shh!" Jack looked around again. "He was always going to give me a key. Just never got around to it. Anyway, I found his lockbox, open on his bed. Empty."
She shook her head, not following him.
"He lost his gun in the accident. He kept a back-up piece in a lockbox in his house."
Gina's heart sank. "He took a gun with him?"
"As if he expected trouble."
"Damn it," she muttered, her heart racing.
"So if you know anything—"
"Of course, I don't know anything!" A lump had formed in her chest. "But I might know a couple of people to ask. I need to tell my boss I'm leaving."
"I'll wait here." Jack nodded.
Gina spotted Warren behind the bar and went to speak with him. "Something's come up. I need to leave for a little while. We'll call it my dinner break. I'm not sure I'll be back in an hour, but I'll make it as soon as possible." She untied her apron and set it on a shelf.
"What the fuck do you mean you're leaving? The dinner crowd will be coming in soon."
"Julie can handle things. I'm sure Randy will help out, too." She gazed at the bartender.
"Uh, sure I will." He nodded agreeably.
Warren grasped Gina's bicep and squeezed. "This isn't a democracy where you can come and go as you please. If you want to work here, then you need to stay here and work. Leave now and you might as well not come back."
She instinctively recoiled from his touch, which seemed to make him even angrier. "Let go of me!"
His eyes flashed. "I'll do what I damned well please!" He grabbed her by the wrist and twisted her around to face the wall.
Gina spotted a horror-stricken Randy in her peripheral vision, and then spied Jack, moving toward them. I'll be damned if I'll let him come to my rescue. Raising one foot behind her, she kicked Warren in the knee with all her might.
He groaned, and while he was caught off-guard, she spun around and punched him, full-fist, in the face.
Warren doubled over, giving her enough time to slip out from behind the bar. She grabbed her purse from the office and headed out to the front. Warren eyed her with fury, but by this time, Jack stood between them.
"I'm out of here," Gina announced to everyone in the bar. "I won't be back. You put your hands on me three times today, Warren Clifton. You're lucky I don't file charges for assault."
The bar owner glared at her, but had apparently figured out lots of people were watching, and said nothing.
Jack leaned over the bar and scooped a handful of ice into a napkin. He balled it up and handed it to Warren. "You might want to put this on that eye. And when you can see your way clear, I'd suggest you write Gina a check for whatever pay she has coming, plus a couple of weeks' severance. Or I might just have to accompany her down to the police department and give witness testimony to the assault."
He leaned over the bar again and made another ice pack. He moved next to Gina and reached for the hand she'd used to punch Warren. "Here you go."
She stared at him, confused.
He placed the ice on her hand and she jumped. She took the makeshift pack from him and held it to her knuckles, which were starting to throb and swell.
Jack motioned to the door and held it open for her so they could walk out.
"Thank you," was all she could muster.
He chuckled. "What? You did all the work. I liked how you handled yourself with that scumbag. Brady never told me you were such a scrappy little fighter. I guess I should have known."
A fighter? Gina replayed the events of the past few minutes and touched her stomach. How could I have done that? If anything happened to the baby... She shook her head to clear it.
"Where to?" Jack asked.
She thought for a moment, and then looked up at him. "I need to do this by myself, Jack. Give me your number, and I'll call you when I've made some inquiries."
He removed a business card from his wallet and handed it over. "Just make sure you call, please. I'm going a little nuts, here."
"I will, no matter what." She tucked the card into her purse and removed the ice from her hand. "Thanks for this."
He nodded. "It's going to hurt like hell later. Just keep icing it when you can."
"I will. Talk to you soon." She climbed into her car and tossed the ice pack into a cup holder. Her first stop would be her father's house, and on the way there, she tried to figure out exactly what—and how much—to tell him.
She found him relaxing on a lounge chair in the front yard, sipping lemonade and reading the newspaper. "Hey, Papa." She parked and exited her car.
"Cara, como ci?" He folded the paper and placed it on his lap. "Would you like some lemonade? Here, have a seat." He motioned to another chair.
"No thanks." She waved a hand as she sat. "I've got a problem, Papa, and I need your help."
"Such a serious expression on your pretty face. What's your problem, bella figlia?"
"It's about Brady Marshall."
"Your detective friend."
She nodded. "He's supposed to be home on bed rest after the accident. You remember the accident, don't you? The one where Xavier Tesco drove him and his partner off the road into the river?"
Her father waved her off. "I told you, I know nothing about that. I still haven't talked to Xavier to find out what happened. I asked your brother to find him, but so far, nothing."
"My brother probably sent Xavier to do his dirty work, as usual. He was pretty angry that Brady and his partner were searching both your houses."
"He wouldn't do something like that without talking to me, cara."
"I'm beginning to question exactly how well you know Danny, Papa."
Her father frowned. "I know that he prefers to be called Tony. And I know that he has the best interests of the family and the business in his heart. He's done a good job with East Asian Imports."
She wasn't so sure her father's judgment was sound anymore. Regardless, she needed his help. Danny would listen to him, where he might not listen to her. "Brady is missing, Papa. His friend came to see me at work this afternoon. Jack's worried that something's happened to him."
He shrugged. "Why would he come to you? You told me, the relationship was over."
She leaned forward. "Listen, I told Brady something I heard Danny telling Teresa. He said everything would be over after Thursday. So something big is happening today. I suspect Brady went to check it out, and I think something bad has happened to him."
"It's unfortunate that you chose to share information with him when you wouldn't tell your own family anything. And it's too bad if something happened to him, but frankly, cara, one less policeman in the world doesn't break my heart."
Stunned, she stared at her father with amazement. "I can't believe you just said that. All this time, I've defended your honor, pledging your innocence when someone accused you of being crooked. Maybe age has gotten to you, or possibly it's one of your medical conditions, but you've changed, Papa. The man in front of me is one of the
least honorable people I know." A tear trickled down her cheek.
"Don't speak to me in that manner," he snapped.
She rose to her feet, anger bubbling inside. "No, you don't speak to me about the world being a better place without Brady Marshall. I love him, Papa, more than I've ever loved anybody. And you know what? I'm carrying his child." She rested a hand on her stomach.
"Incinta?" He blinked, obviously surprised.
"That's right, I'm pregnant. He doesn't know, and I'm not sure if it'll matter to him. He was very unhappy with me the last time we spoke. But I don't care. I'm keeping the baby. I'll raise it with or without his help, though I'd much rather it be with." Her decision came out in a rush of words, some of which even surprised her. Gina realized at that moment, after all the events of the day, how she truly felt. She wanted the baby more than anything.
Her father got unsteadily to his feet. "Of course, it will matter to him, bella figlia. If he's half the man you say he is."
"He is," she said firmly.
"Then come on. We'll go see your brother. I don't believe he's going to know anything about the detective's disappearance, but maybe I don't know as much as I thought I did. Perhaps I'm just a naïve old man."
"Thank you." Gina slipped her arms around his neck.
He hugged her, then pulled back and touched her stomach. "Incinta. My baby is going to have a bambino!"
"I am." She smiled as they walked arm in arm to her car.
"You'll have to quit that job of yours."
"I already did." She settled him in the passenger's seat and went around, climbing in her side.
"Splendido!" He clapped his hands. "You know, there's always a job for you at East Asian Imports."
Gina snorted and pulled from the driveway. I wonder if there'll even be an East Asian Imports when this is all over.
She drove to the business office; aware that it was nearly quitting time and they might miss Danny. She could call him, but really didn't want to. She breathed a sigh of relief when she spotted his car in the parking lot. "He's here," she told her father.
"He's right there!" Her father pointed and she noticed Danny, preparing to climb into his Escalade.
Gina pulled up behind the vehicle and blocked it in.
Her brother looked up, his eyes narrowing when he realized who it was. He strolled to the passenger side.
Victor rolled down his window.
"What are you doing here?" Danny asked, fingering his sunglasses nervously.
"We need to talk to you," Gina informed him.
Her father raised a hand to quiet her. "Let me tell him." He recanted the same story she'd given him, half in English and half in Italian. He spared no details, and when he mentioned the pregnancy, Danny leaned down and his gaze darted to her.
Gina stared back, refusing to cower to him.
He studied her thoughtfully before speaking. "I don't know anything about this. But I do know somewhere we can look. Follow me." With one last disparaging glance, he straightened and strolled to his vehicle.
Gina backed up to let him out, and followed his car down the back roads of the warehouses. "Where is he going? We don't own these buildings, do we?"
"No." Her father glanced around. "These are Allen Imports, I believe."
When Danny parked she stopped beside him, and they got out. "Why are we here?" She asked, irritated.
Pocketing his sunglasses, he replied, "You can either stop asking questions, or you can wait outside. Pop, I think you should wait out here anyway."
"Che diavolo?" The older man muttered. "What the hell are you thinking? I'm going with you."
Danny rolled his eyes. "Both of you stay behind me." He pulled a gun from the inside of his jacket.
"Danny!" Gina yelled.
"Stupidaggini!" He waved his arm at her.
She slapped his shoulder. "Don't call me a 'foolish thing'! If you're involved in this business you're the fool, brother!"
He glared at her. "Do you want check inside for your boyfriend, or not? Because frankly, I could give a shit. I could be home eating dinner by now."
Relenting, she sighed. "Let's go."
He entered the building quietly, pausing every so often to listen. The warehouse was dimly lit, with barely enough light to see where to walk.
Gina followed, their father behind her. They had only taken a few steps when Victor tripped and made a loud thud as he caught himself against a stack of boxes.
They all froze. Danny looked back and made a bulging eye face at them.
He's nervous! Gina didn't feel so great herself. She grabbed her father's arm and clutched him tight.
Danny listened for another minute and when all remained quiet, he slowly advanced.
Gina held on to her father and walked side by side with him.
"Through here," Danny whispered, and turned down another dimly lit corridor. He came to a door and stopped. He listened for several long moments before opening it. He stuck his head in, glanced around, and then motioned to the others to join him.
Gina and her father entered the small room. She looked around, trying to acclimate her vision to the even darker room.
"Over here," Danny said from the opposite wall.
She followed his voice and spotted a man, lying on his side, sprawled across a mattress on the floor.
"Brady!" She ran to him. His casted arm and good arm were shoved behind him in what looked like an incredibly uncomfortable position. Both were bound to his feet, lashed together so he could barely move, let alone escape. His eyes and mouth were covered with strips of silver tape. Dried blood pooled in his hair. "Oh my God!"
She dropped to the floor and carefully peeled the tape from his eyes, which remained closed. "Brady, are you all right?" She removed the tape from his mouth, but he didn't speak.
Danny untied the ropes connecting his hands and feet. "He's got two sets of handcuffs on. Check his pockets for keys. Most cops carry cuff keys on their key rings."
Gina felt Brady's jeans pockets but they were empty. "No keys." She shook her head.
Danny nudged Brady's shoulder. "Hey, man, wake up. We need to get you out of here, like now." He nudged him harder. "Marshall, wake up."
Gina patted his face.
Brady opened his eyes and blinked several times. He looked at her, but his gaze was unfocused and blurry. He didn't seem to know her.
"Brady, it's me, Gina. We're going to get you out of here."
He blinked again, still silent.
She looked at Danny. "You're going to have to carry him."
"Oh, yeah. No fucking problem. This guy's a giant compared to me."
"I'll help you," she muttered through gritted teeth. "Let's go."
Another door opened and the overhead light popped on. "Go? Who's going somewhere?"
Gina spun her head toward the two men who had just stepped in. The first, the speaker, wore a suit and appeared to be a businessman, like her brother. The man behind him, wearing jeans and a black turtleneck, carried a shotgun.
"This was a big mistake." Danny rose and faced the man. "Just let us take the cop and be on our way."
The front man chuckled. "Are you serious? With him out of the way, the heat will be off your company. I thought you'd appreciate that."
Danny scoffed. "Are you serious? If Marshall disappears, we'll catch more heat than ever. They're still after me to find Xavier Tesco because of that stupid incident the other day."
The businessman shook his head, still smiling. "That was unfortunate. But a nice touch, wouldn't you say? You must not have been paying Tesco very much. When I offered him cash to drive the cops off the road, he jumped on it. Too bad the scemo fucked up. He had to be eliminated."
"Eliminated?" Victor roared and took a step toward the men.
The man in back lunged forward, aiming his weapon.
Danny hopped in front of his father at the same time the businessman held back his henchman. "Easy Rocko," he murmured. "If we shoot one of these people, we'll
have to get rid of all four."
"I have time," Rocko replied, an evil grin on his face.
Gina's gaze dropped to Brady, who was trying to focus and take everything in. He rolled up and squinted at the businessman. "Morrow?" he whispered, his voice gravelly.
"Well, see now, there you go." D. Morrow looked at Rocko. "Marshall's ID'd me, so the four of them are doomed, anyway. Let's just get it over with, before the shipment is picked up. We don't want any more mistakes." He looked at Danny. "Sorry, Moreno. You were useful at first, but you're still a schmuck. Can't even make a move without consulting the old man, here."
Victor scowled. "Who are you calling an old man?" With one swift move, he grabbed the gun hanging loose in his son's hand and aimed it at Morrow.
"Papa, no!" Gina cried at the same time Danny shouted, "No Pop!"
The gun went off, hitting Morrow in the shoulder and knocking him back.
Rocko growled and aimed his shotgun at Victor.
Danny grabbed his gun from his father, shoving the older man to the floor as the shotgun blast rang in the air. He pointed his gun at Rocko and fired three times at the man's chest.
Rocko fell in a bloody heap to the floor.
Morrow struggled to get up, but Danny took a step closer and took careful aim at him. "Stay right where you are, Dominic. This is over, now."
Morrow slumped back to the floor.
Danny fished a phone from his pocket and tossed it to Gina. "Call the cops."
"Don't be stupid!" Morrow snarled. "You're in this as deep as I am."
"No, I am not," Danny replied firmly. "I didn't kill anybody. You've taken a lucrative drug running operation and turned it into something completely different. Something much more sinister."
Morrow smiled and shrugged. "Things happen. When problems pop up, you have to take care of them."
"Not that way." Danny shook his head. He looked at Gina. "Call the cops. This has to end." He glanced across the room. "Pop, are you okay?"
"Yeah. Just a little bruised. You didn't have to shove me so blasted hard, you scemo." Victor climbed to his feet.
"I thought some bruises might be preferable over a shotgun blast to the head." Danny retorted.
Brady mumbled, "Morrow!"
Danny spun around just as Morrow pulled a gun from his jacket. He aimed at Danny, who quickly took aim and fired into the man's chest. Morrow dropped the gun and slumped to the floor.