“Daniel!” Jason exclaimed. “You kidnapped Daniel too? Where is he? I want to see that he is all right before I even say another word to you!”
“Patience, Jason, patience. Daniel is fine. He is unharmed and resting. I will have him brought in shortly. Your friend is very loyal to you and has a lot of heart. He is very headstrong, and I must admit his actions remind me of myself when I was your age, many years ago. I tried to have Daniel brought here in a more genteel way, but he fought and resisted against my men. Your friend protested so loudly and vociferously that in the end it was easier to handcuff him and tape his mouth shut than fight with him.”
Jason just crossed his arms and glared back at Feraducci.
“I see you have the same stubbornness and fight in you that your friend has. And that is a good thing. It shows you have resolve and principles. That is one of the reasons why I wanted to have this meeting with you.
“First, let me reassure you that you are in no danger and neither is Daniel. If I wished any harm to come to you or your friend, it would have been done already, not by me personally, and in your neighborhood, not mine. We come from very different worlds, you and I, and I don’t believe that our meeting could have happened any other way, at least with the short timeline that was critical to our discussion today.
“Could you imagine what the reaction would have been at your house if I had sent a formal invitation for lunch? I’m not sure that you know who I am, but probably the best description is that I am the head of a family business that has been around for a long time. People in your acquaintance would most likely call our organization the Mafia, or organized crime. We prefer to call ourselves a family and we conduct business according to our family code and traditions, which have been around for many generations, here and in the old country.
“You and your friend Daniel are from a different culture, a different way of doing things. I am an old man, and don’t have much patience or understanding for the new ways of doing things in this world. You two have proven yourselves to be young men of honor, a trait that I do not see in many others of your generation. Jason, you have personally put your life on the line to help other teenagers who were being abused by predatory adults. You and your friend Daniel have fought against and defeated kidnappers who did you and other teenagers harm. Additionally, you have given away millions of dollars toward the goal of helping other young people who have been victimized. In my culture that makes you a person of great honor — a person deserving of respect!
“Because what you have been doing merits respect in my world, my family would normally leave you to doing your good deeds for others and our paths would never intersect. But unfortunately a situation has come up which requires the intervention of a person such as yourself. I find myself in the unusual position of not being able to help a family member of mine, and yet you can. That is why I have brought you here, to ask for your assistance in a very delicate and personal matter.”
“Stop right now, Mr. Feraducci!” Jason replied in a stern voice. “Before you say another thing or ask me another thing, I want to see my friend, Daniel! I want to personally know that he is well and okay. I want him sitting here with me in this room!”
“All right, Jason. I’ll get Daniel for you.” Feraducci pushed a button and immediately Benito, one of the two men who brought Jason by force, came in the door.
“Yes, Mr. Feraducci?” Benito asked.
“Go get Jason’s friend Daniel and bring him here. Also tell Carlo to serve the luncheon.”
Jason continued to glare at Mr. Feraducci. “I understand that you are angry with me right now, Jason, but I hope to change your mind about a few things after you hear me out. I know that you stated your principles about not wanting any food, but in my culture, no guest could ever enter my house and not be offered food and drink. You and Daniel are both teenagers and I know you haven’t eaten for some time. My chef Carlo makes wonderful food and he is not responsible for anything except wanting to provide you with a quality luncheon!”
The door opened and Daniel was brought in by Benito. As soon as he saw Daniel, Jason jumped up, went over to him, put his hands on Daniel’s shoulders and looked him in the eyes. “Daniel! I’m so relieved to see you! Are you okay?”
Daniel grabbed Jason’s right hand in a “bro” handshake, then added his left hand to the handshake, and looked back at his best friend. “Jason, you are a sight for sore eyes! I’m so happy to see that you are not hurt in any way.”
“I’m sorry you were kidnapped so that these people could use you to get to me!” Jason said with emotion in his voice. “You deserve better treatment that that!”
“And I’m sorry you were kidnapped because you thought you were going to have a fun day with me trying out new video games!” Daniel answered.
“Jason, Daniel, please sit down.” Enrico Feraducci said. “Again I apologize for the way that you both were brought here, but Daniel, you fought us all the way. In the end it was easier to just restrain you and bring you here than fight you!”
“Just because you are capable of using tricks and force against us doesn’t make your actions right or justified!” Daniel said with anger in his voice. “We are supposed to somehow accept it as a normal way of doing business when two thugs kidnap us, tie us up, and bring us blindfolded and gagged to have a meeting with you?”
“I already have explained this to Jason, and I will try again to explain it to you, Daniel. It is truly a life and death matter for me to have this meeting and there was no normal way to facilitate it! Due to the great chasm between the cultures that we exist in, the only way I could arrange this meeting was through a ruse. As I explained to Jason, drugging you was out of the question because I needed you both to have clear heads for our discussions, and to be able to realize the consequences of what I am about to tell you. Our time together is very short and the subject matter is very serious and delicate! Please understand that your treatment was just a matter of expediency due to Feraducci family security requirements. Once again, I apologize for the manner in which you were brought here during the last stages of your journey. In a perfect world my men would not have had to treat you so roughly. I know that you are feeling upset and offended. It is my personal desire to make amends to both of you. Again I want to assure you that neither I nor anyone else in my family organization has any intention of harming either of you. Now let’s move on!
Jason and Daniel continued to stand and glare at Mr. Feraducci, but his reassurances did make them feel a little better.
Mr. Feraducci continued, “We are having this meeting not because of me or my needs, but because of a very talented and troubled boy about your age and living in your area who desperately needs your help! I have brought you here because it is critical that you become aware of his situation. All I am asking is that you listen carefully to what I have to say. This boy’s life is in imminent and grave danger! I appeal to you as young men of honor! Please hear me out! Then you can decide what you are going to do about it.”
The door opened again and in came Carlo, Mr. Feraducci’s chef, pushing a cart on wheels containing food and beverages. There were panini sandwiches, a pizza, marinated antipasto vegetables, olives, cheese and salami, and pitchers of fresh lemonade and iced tea. Quickly he went around the table, putting down place settings, silverware, and glasses for beverages.
“Boys, please sit down and relax,” Feraducci continued. “Even if your principles won’t allow you to eat anything, at least have something to drink.” Carlo poured drinks for everyone, and served plates of food for Jason, Daniel, and Mr. Feraducci. Then he left the room.
Eventually Jason and Daniel relented, and took seats back at the table.
“That is much better,” Mr. Feraducci said. “Please help yourself to anything that appeals to you. Carlo makes excellent panini sandwiches and great pizzas!”
Mr. Feraducci took a large sip of iced tea, and then began his story.
“Forty-five years ago my son Gilberto
was born. Unlike myself, who was raised in the old country, Gilberto was strictly an American in his upbringing and behavior. He was a very outgoing and fun-loving boy, very impetuous and not at all beholden to the family way of doing things. By anyone’s standards, you could say that Gilberto lived life on the edge. For him every night was a time to party and enjoy himself, and he often would get into trouble because he was so forward and outgoing with other people. In his early twenties he had many girl friends and many affairs. He was very aggressive and blunt in our family business dealings. He would get very angry and vengeful if he thought that he was being slighted or ignored in any way by our business partners. His impetuous behavior often led to violent incidents that had to be smoothed out by our family consigliore.
“His conduct was getting more and more outlandish, until finally I had to do something to rein in his risky behavior. Gilberto was now nearly 30 years old. We had a long talk in which I told him that he needed to change his ways, stop playing around so much, and find someone who he could settle down with. At that time, I had another business associate, Sophos Poulos, from a well-established Greek family who had a similar situation. In his case, he had a daughter, Caterina, who was headstrong and determined to do things her way. Mr. Poulos was despairing that Caterina would ever find a man that she could get along with. I arranged for Gilberto to meet Caterina at a family social occasion, and surprisingly the two were immediately attracted to each other. Whether it was their fierce independence, desire for the good life, or just one of those inexplicable things, their relationship quickly became serious, and after about six months, Gilberto proposed marriage.
“Both our families were ecstatic about this surprising turn of events. There was a big wedding with hundreds of guests, one of the social events of the year. Gilberto and Caterina made a very dashing couple, and to compound our happiness, within a year Caterina became pregnant, and my grandson Nicolo was born nine months later. Nicolo was the pride and joy of both our families, and from an early age it was clear that he possessed special talents. By the age of three, Nicolo was able to sing complete songs that he would learn by just hearing them on television programs or from recordings. He was given a toy piano for Christmas and he took to it like it was a Steinway. By the age of five he was learning to play simple tunes on a real piano. As soon as he could read, he was given piano lessons with a very fine teacher. If he wasn’t a child prodigy, he was very close. Over the years his skills continued to develop. Today Nicolo stands out as a very gifted and talented pianist, impressing all who hear him perform at recitals with his skill and musicality.
“Those first five years of Nicolo’s young life were a wonderful time for our family. Gilberto and Caterina seemed to be very happy in their marriage and everyone was so proud of how Nicolo was blossoming into a talented performer. However, eventually dark clouds began to come into their lives.
“I guess in the long run, Gilberto was not suited for the married life. About this time he began reverting to his pre-marital ways, staying out late and partying, and most likely having affairs with other women on the outside. The relationship between Caterina and Gilberto became very strained. When we had family gatherings, the tension between the two of them was noticeable by everyone. The stability and common sense in Gilberto’s life also went away, and my son began making questionable business decisions and taking unnecessary chances.
“Things finally came to a head when Gilberto had arranged a meeting with several of our business rivals to supposedly broker a new and more profitable arrangement that would benefit everyone. Instead, it turned out to be a trap, and Gilberto was killed in a hail of gunfire as he entered the meeting place. My son died as turbulently as he lived his life!
“Our whole family was devastated by Gilberto’s death. Despite his faults, he was full of life and personality and it took us quite a while to recover from his sudden death and departure from our lives. Caterina took it especially hard, but her response to his death was even more hurtful to our family. She no longer wanted to have any contact with the Feraducci side of the family, blaming us for what happened. She moved from their large family house on the peninsula to the small town of San Matthias. My wife and I were furious about that, but Caterina has money and influence of her own, and is a successful real estate broker. We were told that if we tried to maintain any direct contact with her or Nicolo, she would move back to Greece, and we would lose all contact with them. Under the present set up, we are allowed to communicate at Christmas and on Nicolo’s birthday, but only through presents and cards. Once every couple of years we are permitted brief contact with our grandson, usually at a public event, like a recital or school activity.
“Because our side of the family has been denied regular contact with Nicolo, we are unable to directly help him with the horrible situation he is now facing! Someone is trying to abuse Nicolo. There have already been two attempts. The attacker has actually gained access to Nicolo’s bedroom in the middle of the night, touched him inappropriately, and harassed him. He was threatened by the attacker to tell no one or even more serious things would happen to him or his mother. There have been a series of similar attacks on other kids in San Matthias over the past several years, and a few kids have gone missing, never to be heard from again! I am very concerned that this evil predator has his eye on Nicolo, and wants to do him serious harm!”
“How do you know that Nicolo has been abused if you have no regular contact with him or his mother?” Jason asked.
“I don’t have direct contact with them, but I do have sources in the community. There was a police report and he was taken to see a doctor after the second instance of abuse.”
“If you are able to find out that kind of information on your own, why do you need us?” Daniel responded.
“You will be able to make contact with Nicolo and actually talk to him. You are of his generation and already have a reputation for helping young teens who have been victimized. You could easily become friends with him. There is more to Nicolo’s state of mind than just the actual attacks. The abuse has had a very negative effect on his musical talent. In many ways, a child prodigy is the most naïve and susceptible of victims. He lives in the world of music. Because his focus on his art is so intense, Nicolo is not as aware of what goes on in the rest of the world making him vulnerable and unable to cope with someone like the predator who abused him. More incidents of abuse could have a seriously negative impact on his self-confidence and his development into a concert musician.”
“Have the police done any investigating on the abuse that you are describing?” Jason continued.
“My daughter-in-law filed a police report, but I think you know from your own experiences that the police don’t always have the capability or resources to deal with these types of crimes. I do not want to take that risk with Nicolo. I would like for the two of you to keep an eye on Nicolo, and help him to cope with the danger that he is facing. Please, Jason and Daniel,” Feraducci said in a very emotional voice. “I am begging the two of you to intervene and help Nicolo! He needs to be in contact with people his own age that he can trust and rely on. By himself he is no match for an evil and determined predator!”
Chapter 8
Mr. Feraducci’s Youth
(Monday)
There was a pause in the conversation. The whole atmosphere in the room had subtly changed. Both Jason and Daniel, despite their misgivings and anger at the way they had been brought to see Mr. Feraducci, were getting involved in the story of his family and what had happened to Gilberto and Nicolo. The boys were feeling more relaxed, and had begun to take bites of the excellent spread of food and drink that Carlo had brought them.
Enrico Feraducci looked around the room and smiled ever so slightly. He also sensed a change in the boys’ attitude. He didn’t want to say anything about how pleased he was that Jason and Daniel were listening to him, but inside he felt that he was starting to win over the boys. He knew it would be a tough sell to convince Jason an
d Daniel to help him with Nicolo, but he had to somehow succeed. For Enrico, this was a matter of family honor. No Feraducci child, no matter what the circumstances they were living in, could ever be denied protection from persons trying to do them harm. He had already lost his son. He was determined not to lose his grandson, even if he could only help him from afar.
Enrico Feraducci took some bites of the antipasto on his plate, had another large sip of iced tea, then continued his story.
“Jason and Daniel, I know that before today we were total strangers to each other, but I had to try and make an outreach to you. The safety of my family members is the most important thing in my life! I have been telling you many personal things about our family history to help you understand this. What I have to tell you next is even more personal and difficult to discuss. I am bringing up things that I haven’t talked about for over fifty years! Even though there seems to be a huge chasm between us, due to our different generations and life styles, we do share something in common — the horror of being kidnapped for ransom!”
With this last surprising comment, Jason and Daniel looked at each other with the thought “What have we gotten ourselves into this time!” Yet the story Enrico was telling them was so fascinating that they both wanted to hear more.
“You were kidnapped?” Jason asked in an animated voice.
“Yes, my young friend,” Feraducci replied. “Just like you I went through the terror of being kidnapped for ransom! And just like you, the experience changed my entire outlook on life!”
“When did this happen?” Jason continued.
“It all happened when I was a young and innocent boy, living a carefree and happy life. I was even younger than you were, Jason, only ten years old. I was living with my family in Palermo, Sicily at the time. It was the post World War II era, and things were tough for most people. The economy was taking a long time to recover, a lot of people were desperate for work, and there were great rivalries between the various families who made their home in Sicily.
Family Matters Page 5