by J. L. Drake
She talked softly, calling his name. No response. She tried a little louder, but there was still no movement—no sign of life. She used the only thing she could—her head. She leaned her body forward and placed her head at the nape of his neck. She nudged him gently at first. With each passing moment, without so much as a twitch of his muscles, she grew wearier. She pushed harder until his head swung to the opposite side only to return to center.
She hit her forehead against his jaw as hard as she could without knocking herself out. His jaw moved in a way it shouldn’t have. It seemed loose against the force of her head. When Tony let out a soft moan, she sighed in relief.
“Good, Tony. Stay with me. I need you to wake up.”
Katherine waited, looking for some sign of him arousing. Nothing. No movement, no sound, no nothing.
“Come on, baby. Fight! I need you to fight!” She headbutted him once more.
Slowly, he pulled his head back into a neutral position.
She gasped and closed her eyes in an attempt to block out the sight in front of her. Once she was able to get her bearings, she focused on his face. He didn’t look like the same man she remembered. His face was swollen, nose crooked, and was black and blue everywhere. Dried blood caked both nostrils and the corners of his mouth. The beatings she had endured weren’t half of what he had gone through. She took a deep breath and braced herself for the both of them. “That’s right. Now open your eyes for me.”
He turned his head to the side and grimaced in pain before slowly opening his swollen and blackened eyes.
“Good. Now, look at me.”
Tony’s eyes fluttered closed but slowly reopened. The light had burned out of the emeralds; now they were a cloudy jade with very little life left in them. His eyes closed again.
“No, no, no! Don’t close your eyes. Stay awake for me.”
He moaned and attempted to clear his throat before a cough forced its way to the surface. He doubled over as the force from the cough took over his body. Blood sputtered from his mouth landing on his shirt and pants.
She willed herself not to gag. She’d never seen anyone beaten this badly. The frank red blood exuding from his mouth indicated possible internal bleeding. He would die if he didn’t get help soon. Every instinct in her wanted to clean the wounds and nurse him back to health. Who could do this to another human being?
“Well, well, well. If it isn’t the two lovebirds reconnecting. You made pretty quick work at coming to Romeo’s rescue. Too bad it’s not going to do any good.”
She glared at the green-eyed monster. “What have you done? He’s going to die! You need to help him!”
“This man does need help, but I can assure you it’s not going to be from me or anyone else.”
“But he’ll die,” she pleaded.
“I suppose that’s the point. Isn’t it?” The green-eyed monster smiled as he looked down on Tony.
“Why would you do this? He gave you what you wanted.”
“All the more reason. I have no need for him anymore. He’s just a minor bump in the road. Unfortunately, he’s adding extra work for me. I’m going to have to find some place to dispose of his body until I can get out of the country.”
“Have you no remorse?” Katherine was horrified by the green-eyed monster’s callousness.
“No. None at all. He was dead to me long before he ever met you. Now he’s just a thorn in my side. Something I need to rid myself of.”
“You…you’re heartless. How can you be so cruel?”
“You don’t know the half of it. You don’t know what they’ve done to me. He deserves this destiny. His family took my life, and now I’m going to take his.”
Katherine shook her head in disbelief. “They have a place for people like you!”
The green-eyed monster raised his foot and kicked her chair backward, slamming her head against the cement. Specks of white appeared behind her eyelids, and darkness threatened to take over. She had to fight it; had to find the resolve to stay awake and figure a way out of this mess. She had to save Tony before it was too late.
“I don’t believe in places like you’re describing. Even if they did exist, I’d be the godfather in there too.” The green-eyed monster grabbed her hair and pulled her across the floor. Her hands scraped the entire way, taking the skin off as she went. She screamed out in pain, but there was no stopping the evil man. He was determined to torture her, but she willed her mind to a different time and place to ease the pain.
“How about we leave you lying on your back like this? I’m sure your hands will feel mighty comfortable withstanding the weight of you and the chair. Oh, and good luck getting back to loverboy.”
The green-eyed monster gave a sadistic laugh before crossing the room and heading back up the stairs.
The pain was unfathomable, and tears fell from her eyes. Her legs were supported in the air by the legs of the chair. The wooden spindles lodged against her already raw and bloody hands were excruciating. The only relief was the pressure relieved from her bottom and placed on her back and legs. Just when she thought things couldn’t get worse. This gave a whole new meaning to hell.
Chapter Thirty
“Bertalucci never made it to Rome; he wasn’t in the car.” Mancetti slammed his cell phone onto the dashboard of the car.
“What do you mean? We saw him get into the car and his tracker traced him to Rome. How could he just disappear?”
“I don’t know! He just did!” Mancetti pulled his hands through his hair. “You would think he’d call. You’d think he’d just turn himself in. He seemed like he was onboard and ready to cooperate.”
“Unless…unless he flew the coop. Do you think he found a way to leave the country? What if he has Katherine? What if he’s the one holding her for ransom? Maybe we’ve been on the wrong trail the entire time. Fuck! How could we screw this up again?” Thompson got out of the car and slammed the door. “What do we do now? Time is running out. We have to find Anderson now!”
“I’ve got an idea. I’ll have my people check all the properties under his family name. We’ll cross-check all of Matteo Bertalucci’s properties as well. Perhaps something will come up. Maybe a lead or clue of some sort.”
Thompson grabbed the cell phone from his pocket. He took a deep breath and exhaled before punching in the number for his superior. He needed to brace for the shellacking he was going to receive. “I guess it’s as good of an idea as any. We don’t have any other options. Call your men. I’m going to see if there’s any more news with the ransom.”
Both men got on their cell phones and called their respective agencies. Thompson paced around the car as he received the information he wasn’t quite ready to hear. Not only had the kidnappers refused to extend the deadline, but Mr. Charles Anderson himself was on the way to Italy and he would be arriving in a few short hours. Mr. Anderson didn’t seem like the type to take bad news easily. Was he the man who could cost him his job? God, he hoped not. He’d worked too damned hard and long to get where he was only to lose everything because of his limitations with the Italian government. Thompson had to find Katherine before her father arrived. His presence would make the investigation much more difficult.
Mancetti threw his phone into the car.
“Well?” He needed something—anything. His world was spiraling out of control. Waves were crashing over him and he tried to swim to the surface, gasping for air.
“There’s a house registered to a Luisa Bertalucci.” Mancetti paused and jumped into the back seat of the car. He began typing away on his laptop.
“Please tell me she’s related to Massimo and Matteo.”
“Hold on, let me find out.” Manchetti continued typing away. “It appears that she was their grandmother. She’s been dead for about twenty years, but the house has never changed ownership and the taxes have been paid on it yearly. Someone is keeping it up.”
“I bet we know who. I’d also bet Katherine is in that house.” Thompson was finally able t
o surface. The storm was dissipating and fresh air filled his lungs. This was it. He knew it. Katherine had to be in that house. Hopefully, they could get there before it was too late.
“I have a hunch you’re right. Let’s go check out the house; I want to see who’s going in and out of it.” Manchetti closed his laptop and moved to the driver’s seat.
“Do we need to get a search warrant to go inside? How does this work in your country?”
“We don’t need a search warrant. But we do need to make sure we have plenty of evidence to put this guy away for good. Unlike in America, we need an enormous amount of evidence to convict someone. Even if they have stolen something and are in possession of it, they can be released. You’re more likely to get the conviction if you have witnesses or a video of the thief. That’s why most of our mafioso are set free. We don’t have enough evidence to show they’re guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Many times, the evidence is lost or tampered with. The burden of proof is extremely high here.”
Thompson was frustrated. Why were things so complicated here? “So, we can just go in and arrest him right now?”
“Yes, and we can hold him for an indefinite amount of time while performing our investigation. However, if he’s behind bars, we won’t be able to collect the evidence we need to convict him.”
“What about what we got earlier? He confessed to everything on tape. We’ve got him.”
“That will certainly help. Unfortunately, we’re going to need a lot more. Massimo Bertalucci as a witness would be great, but we’re going to have to find a way to keep him safe. The mafioso is also known for having witnesses against them disappear.”
“We have the video from the Tomas Bertalucci, Massimo Bertalucci as a witness, and a recording of Matteo Bertalucci admitting he’s head of the mafioso. You’re telling me that’s not enough?”
“Probably not. We could use a few more witnesses and more information about his black market olive oil production. If we can get Anderson to identify him as the man who kidnapped her, that would probably seal the deal. Even then, it might not be enough.”
“That’s crazy. The amount of evidence we have on this man would put him away for life in America.”
“Italian law evolved from the Romans. It continues to stay true to many of its practices. We don’t have jury trials like you do in the States. Having a jury is rare, but if there is one, it’s usually comprised of lawyers and those knowledgeable of the law. They aren’t everyday citizens like you have.”
“I wasn’t aware of that. It’s amazing how two countries can have so many similarities with the people, culture, and beliefs yet differ so much. How do you suggest we approach this?”
“I want to go stake out the house for a bit and see who’s coming and going. I’d like to identify as many players as we can. It’ll be much easier down the road when I arrest them and try to get someone to crack and be a witness. We can’t be sure just yet that Anderson is in there. Perhaps by watching them, we could get a better idea. I’d also like to know if Bertalucci is in there as well. He’s a key player and could either be a victim or he could be a part of this entire conspiracy. We need to know.”
Thompson nodded in agreement. “In the meantime, what should we do about the guy who showed up in Rome?”
“He’s already been taken into custody. They found him at the Waldorf Astoria. We were able to apprehend him before he connected with Matteo. My guys are questioning him as we speak.”
“How far away is Luisa Bertalucci’s house?”
“It’s about two hours from here. I’ll have the surveillance team meet us there. Let’s go.”
“Sounds like a plan.” Thompson climbed into the car. He was eager to end this investigation and head back home. There were too many uncertainties when performing intel and investigations in foreign countries. He would much rather be on his own turf; at least he was in control there.
Chapter
Thirty-One
The heat singed the hairs on his face and arms. The sensation of skin melting caused his heart rate to surge in sudden panic. The fiery inferno was too much to take. He had no other choice. She was screaming for him to help her and he had to get there before it was too late. What kind of coward would he be if he allowed her to perish in the fire? No, there was no other way. He was going to have to find a way into the blaze to rescue her. “Please stop! Heelllppp!”
Tony ran to the window to get a glimpse of her whereabouts. The heat from the fire caused the window to burst, sending splinters of glass everywhere. He was unable to cover his face in time. Tiny little daggers lodged themselves under his skin. He scratched and clawed at his face, trying to get the stinging to stop. She cried out his name and he refocused. The window…flames were reaching out in search of the oxygen that would only ignite it further.
He ran to the door and grabbed the handle. He screamed out as blisters instantly formed on his palm. There was no time to spare. He took off his shirt and wrapped it around his hand as he attempted the doorknob again. The force from the flames and the heat threw him back, landing about ten feet away. “Tony, help!” The intensity of the explosion forced him to search for cover. She was gone.
“Tony!”
“You think he’s going to save you? That poor excuse for a man is nothing but a corpse in that chair. You better come up with a Plan B.”
He opened his eyes and saw Matteo standing over Kate with his fist in the air, ready to use her face as his personal punching bag. She was almost unrecognizable. Her face, her eyes, and lips were so swollen. Purple-and-blue bruising covered most of her face, and her hair was matted with dried blood. It was one thing for Matteo to do this to him, but to strike an innocent woman was incomprehensible. Anger bubbled throughout his body like lava building in a volcano waiting for its release.
Tony assessed his surroundings; he was tied to a chair and tugged on the ropes, but with each tug, a dagger of pain stabbed him in the chest. His ribs—they hurt like a bitch. How many were broken? He pulled on the ropes once more to no avail. They were too tight, and the pain with every tug begged for him to scream out in agony.
“It doesn’t look like dear old Daddy is going to live up to his side of the bargain. I should’ve had the money by now. It looks like he doesn’t give a shit about his precious little daughter after all. But that’s okay. Word has it he’s on a plane to Rome as we speak. Maybe a little interception is called for. That way, Daddy can be next to his dead daughter. I wonder how much your mother would cough up? Certainly more than the five million I asked of your father. This might just work out after all.”
“You’ll never get to him! You’ll never get away with this!” She turned her head just as the fist came down on her face. The force of the impact threw her back in the chair and then toppling to the ground.
The thud of her head hitting the cold hard cement made Tony wince. How many times had he done this to her? How much more could she endure before he really did kill her?
“Stupid bitch!”
He closed his eyes just as Matteo turned and walked in his direction. The heels of his fine Italian loafers clicked against the cement. The sound grew louder until he could feel the heat from Matteo’s presence standing over him.
“I’m glad you made it out of the fire. You’ve given me great pleasure. It’s more rewarding to beat you to a bloody fucking pulp. And the girl? Well, she’s just an added bonus. God, I wish this could last longer; I haven’t had this much fun since I watched your family burn in that blaze. That ended much too quickly for my liking. This…this memory will last me a lifetime. I’ll definitely think fondly of this moment when I’m sitting on my private beach. I’ll always remember the exact minute I took everything from Massimo Bertalucci.” Matteo chuckled as he walked up the stairs.
Fucking hell! What the fuck happened to him? When did he become so sinister? I’ve got to get her out of here. Please, God. If I don’t make it through this, at least let me get Kate out of this mess.
He gl
anced over at her and saw she still wasn’t moving. He sat still and held his breath hoping to see the rise and fall of her chest. He let out a huge sigh of relief when she finally took a breath; it was shallow but she was breathing.
How much time did she have? Even if he could free himself from the ropes, would he be able to wake her up? Would she be able to stand or run for freedom? He whittled at the ropes; his only hope was he could untie them and get to her before it was too late.
Chapter
Thirty-Two
“Holy shit! This is a frickin’ compound. They have the place completely surrounded and guarded.” Thompson stared through the binoculars at the home that was formerly owned by Luisa Bertalucci. There must’ve been at least fifteen armed men outside with guards stationed by every window and door. Each was armed with what looked like AK-47s. Who knew how many were inside? How on Earth would they get Katherine out of there alive?
He wasn’t trained in combat. Sure he carried a weapon, and he knew how to shoot it, but he certainly wasn’t trained in hostage situations. This investigation—this case—had just put him out of his league.
“Um…I’m afraid I don’t know what to do in this situation. This is way out of my scope of practice.”
“Yeah, we are definitely going to need reinforcements. Let me call for a team. I think we hit the jackpot here. I’m certain your Anderson and my mafioso are in that house. You stay here and keep an eye out while I go make some calls. Let me know if you see anyone leave.” Mancetti pulled himself from the brush and hustled back to the car.
Thompson continued to assess the situation. He studied each man closely. None of them looked familiar—not that he expected them to. And none of them looked as though they were enjoying their work. They all looked bored. In fact, one man, who stood next to a window that sat low to the ground, appeared ready to doze off. He watched as the man took a seat on the ground. His head was eye level to the window. What an odd place for a window. It must be a basement or cellar of some sort. Could that be where they’re holding Katherine? Shit, we did just hit the jackpot!