by Jon Mills
Frank did what was expected of him under the circumstances. He notified the rest of his team that he had just got a lead. Sicilian Mafia were out at a Staten Island residence, heavily armed and preparing to attack another crime family. It was partly true. He gave them just enough for them to take it seriously. SWAT had been notified and two helicopters had been dispatched. He was on one, SWAT was on another. Local Staten Island police had been notified and were en route as well. One car had been dispatched to pick up Jason.
Jack could hear the sound of the two helicopters as he walked slowly around the pool area. It was humid inside like stepping into a hot sauna. Sweat dripped down his back. He was coming around the side of the pool when one of Leo’s men appeared off to his right side. He went by the name Joey Dee. Both of them knew each other. They had worked together seven or eight years ago. He was one of Leo’s right-hand men. Lethal with his hands but shit at shooting. Both of them unloaded their guns at each other. The walls were peppered and glass shattered.
“Ah, come on, Jack. Let’s talk this out,” Joey said.
Jack crouched, hiding behind an overturned table. He lifted his gun over and used the window’s reflection to fire in the right direction. He had to hope that at least one bullet would hit him. None of them did.
“You know they think you are legend around these parts? But I know better than that. You’re just another kid with a chip on his shoulder.”
Another round was fired, followed by one more.
“One hell of a fighter, they say. So how about it? You, me? No weapons.”
Jack paused firing for a moment. They were all the same. It was a pride thing. Always trying to one up each other in crime families. Test each other to see what the other was made of. No one wanted to think they were less than another.
“Sure,” Jack replied.
He peeked out and saw Joey lay down his gun and slowly appear from behind a wall. Jack lifted his gun to show him that he was going to place it on the ground. Joey was on the other side of the pool. Slowly Jack made his way out behind the table and lowered the assault rifle. Both men were careful. They didn’t take their eyes off each other.
“I think I’ll make that woman of yours mine after this,” Joey said, smirking.
“Keep on talking shit,” Jack replied.
“You know this can only end one way for you, Jack. You are outnumbered and let’s face it. I always was a better fighter.”
They began making their way around the pool toward each other. He was within a few feet when Jack instantly reached around his back, pulled out his Glock in one smooth motion, and fired a round into his skull.
Joey dropped into the pool.
“Fighting is overrated,” Jack said.
25
Leo Carlone hated Vito Nicchi. After Long Island he wanted to call it off. He loved his son but what was done, was done. They had taken the life of Jack’s sister. That was revenge enough. Not that he would have done it. Vito had signed his own death sentence by pulling that trigger. Leo wanted Jack dead and would have gone to great lengths and risk in those first few months after hearing about his son’s death. But after a year, it became less personal and more about covering ass with the Sicilian Mafia.
Vito wouldn’t back down. He didn’t just want payment for the loss, he wanted a large chunk of the New York drug business, and to ensure that business continued as usual. But Leo wasn’t into the drug business. It wasn’t his thing. Gafino had handled that. He merely offered his support, as did the other older members of the Mafia. All he wanted in his old age was to run his restaurant and lounge, and retire in a year or two.
That wasn’t going to happen now. He heard the sound of helicopters outside. One came into view and he squeezed his eyes shut trying to calm his nerves.
If they had just let it go, but they wouldn’t. He wouldn’t, to be specific. They had cheated the police once and got away, but there was no chance that was going to happen again. The place was surrounded, helicopters would spot them coming out. Fuck! he thought.
He’d considered shooting Vito himself. At least that way when Jack showed up he could try to convince him that he was forced into it and had taken matters into his hands to right the wrong. But Vito scared him. It seemed odd to think that anyone could make him feel fear. He had spent his youth rising through the ranks of the Mafia. He had killed and made grown men cry. But Vito was a whole different kettle of fish.
“We need to get out of here,” Leo said.
“We aren’t going anywhere until he’s dead,” Vito replied.
Leo gave a wave of his hand. “Forget him.”
“He killed one of my men.”
“And you killed his sister. I think we’re even.”
He stepped closer, making Leo swallow hard. “I’ll decide that.”
“I think we have bigger matters to deal with,” Dominick said, gesturing outside to the SWAT officers who were now on the ground.
Vito paced up and down. Leo could see he was losing control of the situation. In a matter of minutes Jack would be here, and if not him, SWAT would burst in with flash grenades dropping and bullets flying. Then it wouldn’t matter.
Leo didn’t want to go back to prison. He had done his time fourteen years ago. It had been a long stretch for extortion. He vowed never to get involved in anything that would jeopardize his family. And here he was, breaking that promise.
Dana knew she had seen him before. The local news had run a piece on the Sicilian Mafia three years ago. Twenty of their men had been arrested in New York after the feds seized a large shipment of heroin that had been brought into the New York harbor. At that time Vito Nicchi had received a lot of press about his ties with leading crime families in New Jersey.
Back then, Matt was alive. He’d been reading the piece with great interest. She didn’t realize his interest was because he was involved with distribution of drugs to the New York Mafia.
Now, she sat on a marble floor watched by several thugs with Glocks. There was nothing for her to do but think about everything that had led up to this moment. Where was her son? What she would do if she ever got out of this? What would happen if she were killed? She had considered how much Jack meant to her and weighed it against a life without him. Maybe it was because she had been through so much with Matt, that she couldn’t cope with it well. She loved Jack, and there was a good chance they could have had a life together. But it would always be eating away at the back of her mind. The what-ifs. What if the Mafia showed up again? What if her son was murdered? What if Jack turned on her? He said he wouldn’t touch her but how could she know? They all seemed like savages. Men driven by power, greed, and a lust for blood.
“Dominick, take a few of the men and post them around the main entrances. I don’t want any surprises. Anyone comes in, kill them.”
Dominick nodded, gestured to six of the men and they followed him. Vito had been in these situations. He was stressed but he knew the police wouldn’t come in without a plan. They had no idea how many were in here, or if they had hostages. There were too many variables. They hadn’t even attempted to phone in. Unless they fired at the cops, they wouldn’t send in SWAT. The police had more sense than that. They had to assess the situation.
Vito walked over to a decanter of bourbon and poured himself a glass. He let it slip back. Its warmth took the edge off what he was feeling. He glanced at Dana. She was just a pawn in his game. Had the police not shown up, he had considered taking her with him. She had a good body on her. He could put her to good use.
26
Both helicopters landed beyond the mansion. Frank jumped out and met with several officers who had already arrived on scene. In that moment, there was no gunfire to be heard. However, the media would be all over this within the hour. The place would then be swarming with news channel helicopters and press trying to get through.
“I need you to set up a roadblock on the east and west side. No one gets in or out, especially the media. The last thing I want is them screwing this up,
” Frank said.
“Got it.”
An officer ran towards his cruiser. Frank was behind a cruiser when one of the SWAT officers came over.
“What have we got here?”
“Multiple assailants. Are you going in?” Frank asked.
“We need to assess the situation further before we move in.”
“If you don’t get in there fast, you are going to have a bloodbath on your hands.”
“You mentioned knowing one of them. Is he a threat?”
Frank hadn’t mentioned Jack’s name. Only that he knew two of the people inside. He was about to answer when his phone rang.
“Sir, we’ve arrived on scene but there is no kid here.”
“What?”
“The truck is empty.”
“Shit.”
Jason was damn sure he wasn’t going to wait around for police. After placing the call to Frank he’d hopped out of the truck and followed the same path that Jack had taken. He knew it was dangerous, foolish even. But the thought of waiting on the sidelines wasn’t going to happen. Jason pushed his way through the thick reeds that were covered in snow. He followed the footprints that led up to the huge mansion. He could hear the sound of a chopper overhead. He had no clue what he was going to do. Jack had taken the guns.
Jack had made his way into the heart of the house. He could hear Leo and Vito arguing. Then he saw them. He kept close to the wall. Leo was blaming Vito for the way he had handled this. Shouting and waving his hand in his face. Vito was threatening Leo. Telling him to mind his tongue or he would silence him.
“You think he’s going to show up here with all the police? You are out of your mind,” Leo said.
“He’ll show.” Vito was unconvinced by Leo’s words.
“You don’t know him like I do,” Leo replied.
“It doesn’t matter now. This is over. I’m out of here,” Leo added.
Vito pulled his gun. “You are not going anywhere. You still owe me money. Besides, police are everywhere.”
Jack had ducked his head out to see where Dana was when Dominick spotted him. Dominick unloaded round after round at the wall. Jack ran for cover. Pieces of concrete flew in the air, cutting Jack’s face. He was using a submachine gun. He didn’t let up. He was getting closer. Jack pulled his assault rifle around and returned fire. The place was covered in a fine dust as bullets peppered the walls.
“Jack,” he heard the sound of Vito’s voice. “Come on out or I swear I will end her life right now.”
Officers outside were now ducking behind their cars. Several of them had fired off rounds. The sound of gunfire was all they needed to hear; the SWAT team were ready to go. Fully kitted out in their gear, they were lined up checking their weapons. They just needed the go-ahead.
“Hold your fire,” an officer yelled.
“You are going to have to go in there,” Frank said.
The officer in charge nodded and indicated to his men to move in.
Meanwhile Jason had made his way into the house through the same door that led into the pool area. He saw the body in the pool. The water had turned a deep red. His pulse was racing hard. He spotted a handgun on the floor. He scooped it up and continued on.
Jack wasn’t going to risk Dana’s life. He knew Vito would kill her, yet he also knew the moment he put down his weapon and came out, Vito would kill them both. He pressed his back against a wall and banged his head several times trying to think.
“Come on. Don’t make me wait.”
Against his better judgment Jack came out. He didn’t immediately throw down his gun. He kept it focused on them as he walked closer.
“Put it down,” Dominick yelled.
As he was approaching them he saw Leo try to dart out of the room. Vito didn’t hesitate, he turned and fired off a round. Leo hit the ground. A pool of blood began to form around his head.
“Fucking guy just wouldn’t listen,” Vito said.
Jack’s eyes widened.
“Look. Let her go. She has nothing to do with this.”
“Oh but she does,” Vito said.
“Put the gun down, Jack,” Dominick told him.
“What, so you can kill me?”
He kept his eyes firmly fixed on Dominick.
“You’ve got me all wrong, Jack. You’ve cost me millions of dollars. Destroyed our association with New York. So you’re going to pay me back. You’re coming with us back to Italy. You’ll work with Dominick. We’ve heard of your reputation. You’ll be a great asset to the team.”
“What?” Dominick turned around, shocked by what he was hearing from his boss.
“He’s no use to us dead. But his skillset. We can use that. Simple as that. You come work for us. I’ll let her go right now.”
“You expect me to believe that?”
“I don’t expect you to believe anything. But weigh your options. I can kill you both now and walk away, or you can put in some time and work for me.”
Jack assessed the situation. There were four of Leo Carlone’s men pointing guns at him, as well as Dominick. Vito had the muzzle of his gun pressed against Dana’s head. She was crying uncontrollably. She didn’t stand a chance here.
“Fine.”
“Good?” Vito asked for confirmation.
Jack nodded.
“Put the gun down then,” Vito said again.
“Let her go first.”
“You really aren’t in a position to be negotiating here.”
He knew Vito was lying. There was no way in hell he was going to all this trouble to have Jack work for him. It was a ploy. He also didn’t want to just kill him. Otherwise Leo’s men would have fired by now. No, he wanted to inflict real pain.
Jack swallowed hard. He had no intention of giving up his weapon but he began lowering it. As he got closer to the floor, the sound of glass shattering was followed by Vito holding his chest. He turned his hand over. It was covered in blood. He glanced at Jack, then fell to the floor dead. SWAT had taken him out.
“Run,” Jack yelled at Dana. Dana was up and scrambling towards another room when Dominick turned the gun on her. Jack hadn’t fully lowered his gun when he squeezed the trigger. The bullet from Jack’s gun hit Dominick in the leg, knocking his legs out from beneath him. He fell to the floor and then bullets began to snap in every direction. SWAT were moving in. Leo Carlone’s men began engaging with them and holding them back with submachine guns.
It was pure chaos.
Dominick was already up and hobbling in the direction of Dana. He unleashed a flurry of rounds at Jack. Jack couldn’t get across the room without being hit by bullets. He watched as one of Leo’s men fell to the floor. In a matter of minutes this place would be swarming with cops. But that was the least of his concerns right now. He had to get to Dana before Dominick.
Jack took out one of Leo’s men as he dashed across the room under a hail of bullets. Furniture, glass, slices of concrete were going everywhere. A cloud of concrete dust made it hard to see.
Jack slid across the floor on both knees while shooting.
He had managed to get over to the other side partially unscathed with only one hit in the arm. Jack had felt the searing burn of a bullet before. He was in pain but could still move. As he stumbled into the room that both Dana and Dominick had disappeared into, he found himself staring at Jason. Jason had a gun raised at Dominick. Dana was on the floor with Dominick pointing his weapon at her.
“I will kill her right now.” He paused. “Put your gun down,” Dominick said.
“Dominick, it’s over.”
“No, she’s my way out of here.”
Jack had his gun leveled at Dominick’s head. There was a fifty-fifty chance that if he shot him, his reflexes wouldn’t cause his own gun to go off.
“Jason, put the gun down,” Jack said.
“No,” he replied.
“Jason, you don’t want to do this. There’s no going back once you’ve taken a life. Don’t do this.”
Jas
on’s hand was shaking. Their eyes darted between one another. Finally, he began lowering the gun. As he did, Dominick turned his gun towards Jason. Before he had it leveled, Jack blasted two rounds into Dominick’s skull. He collapsed in a heap.
Jason ran over to Dana.
“Jason.” Dana wrapped her arms around him. Tears were flowing. Jack turned and saw SWAT had taken out Leo’s men. He discarded his weapon, and everything that made it look as though he was anything more than a victim. He huddled together with Dana and Jason.
All he could say was, “I’m so sorry.”
SWAT burst into the room clearing each one.
“We’ve got three in here.”
They waited there for a few minutes until Frank appeared. He glanced at Jack and shook his head.
“You guys hurt?” Frank asked
“Just me,” Jack muttered.
Frank turned and shouted, “Get a medic in here.”
Everything played out slowly over the next half an hour. Jack watched as SWAT and medics roamed through the house searching for victims and other potential threats. As he was led out to an ambulance, the home looked like a war zone. Jason and Dana sat huddled together casting glances over to Jack.
He knew it was over.
That this would be the last time he would see them. He fully expected to find himself locked away in a maximum-security prison for the rest of his life. An ambulance rushed him away to hospital. The police escorted Dana and Jason away in a cruiser.
27
When Jack arrived at North Shore Staten Island Hospital, it didn’t take them long to attend to his wound and pull the bullet out of his arm. He had been there for several hours before Frank showed up. When he appeared, Jack thought he had a sense of what he was going to say. He was completely wrong.
Frank came in with two cups of coffee. He placed one on the bedside table and took a seat. Without saying a word, he sat there for a while sipping his.