Taken by Vincenzo

by Katrina S Karter

  When the car sped up, and once it passed the back of our car, Hank popped up and unloaded a clip into the other car. The passenger side window rolled down and I fired. The man shot and the bullet passed through my shoulder. My bullet lodged dead center of his forehead.

  Looking back at Hank, he was reclined on the seat. His shirt had two red spots and blood soaked his shirt. Jumping in the back I tossed him to the floor as his eyes glazed over. The back windows shattered as the car shook.

  Blain was shot in the head. The car veered off to the right and ran into a pole. My door was wrapped around the pole. I could not get out. Climbing into the driver’s seat on top of Blain, I reversed the car, but it would not move.

  The car passed us but skidded to a halt. I opened the driver side door, removed the pin from the grenade and tossed it at the car. Rushing to the back, I drug Hank out the car.

  “Leave me. Save yourself,” said Hank. He grimaced in pain and looked behind us. The car blew up. Hank started putting most of his weight on his legs and helped run.

  “I decide when you die. Suck it up.” Looking around we ran up to an oncoming car heading toward us. Pulling the gun, I fired a shot on the side of the car.

  The driver stopped short. He held his hands in the air.

  “Get the fuck out of the car.” I ran around and threw the man on the street. Hank slid in the car and reclined in the seat. Slamming the car door, I quickly headed down the street in the opposite direction. The police sirens were getting closer. Turning right, I drove down the alley on Fairchild Boulevard. Placing the car in park, I killed the engine.

  “Stay with me damn it.” I backhanded Hank in the face. His eyes rolled in the back of his head. Hank was built like a tank. Struggling to toss him over my shoulder, I carried him to the building. Stopping at the third door, I banged on it. Leon the crack head was never home unless he had his coke on him. Soon the door swung open, and I carried Hank inside.

  “What the hell happened to you guys?” asked Leon. He helped carry Hank over to the wood table and laid him down.

  Pulling out my phone I dialed Calvin. “We’ve been hit. Take the back way and come to Leon’s. Bring black stallion.”

  “I’m close to you. I’ll see you in five,” said Calvin.

  11

  Tatiana

  Sharp pain surged through my head. My vision blurred as tears blinded me, and I flinched as I felt him rip the buttons on my shirt. His aroma of sweat, ass and cigarettes made acid travel up my throat. When he lifted my hips off the ground to pull my pants down, I waited until he fumbled with his pants. He took out his dick and leaned toward me. I kicked him in the balls.

  Howling in pain, he rolled off me. I sprinted from the room. Racing down the hall, I sped up to get to the stairs. Before I reached the stairs, his fingers wrapped around my hair and yanked me face-first into the wall. Blood burst from my nose. Elbowing him in the face, loosened his grip and I ran down the stairs. Reaching the bottom stairs, I got to the front door and ran outside. The cold wind whipping my hair did not deter me from running down the street. A black sedan came toward me running up on the curb, almost hitting me.

  “Get in the car,” said Larry. Greg was sitting in the passenger seat.

  “Bitch, I’m going to kill you,” yelled Jimmy.

  Panting, I slid across the top of the car and kept running. Glancing over my shoulder I saw the fat pervert running after me. Jimmy was gaining traction. Larry was running after me as well, but he didn’t shoot at Jimmy.

  Turning the corner, I ran into a man who picked me up and tossed me in the car.

  “Tat it’s me,” said Sergi. He slammed the door closed and reversed.

  Larry came around the corner shooting into the car. Just then two cars came barreling around the corner ramming our car. Glancing around, I saw Jimmy jump inside the car with Larry and Greg.

  Oh my God, the FBI was working with Jimmy. Who was Jimmy working for? Jimmy isn’t Vincenzo’s boss, but he’s doing whatever he wants to do. I guess you cannot trust anybody these days.

  “The FBI is working with Jimmy.” I glanced at Sergi who was calmly firing shots out the window as he drove one-handed down the street.

  “Larry and Greg work for the highest bidder. It’s not like working for the government pays a lot of money,” said Sergi.

  “Money isn’t everything. You haven’t learned anything from this mess you’ve got me into.” I shook my head. A trucker was gaining speed trying to get close to us. Sergi was weaving in and out of traffic putting at least two cars in between them and us.

  “You should’ve learned how to fight. You look like a punching bag,” said Sergi. He tossed a napkin in my lap. “Wipe your face, get the gun in the glove compartment and shoot.”

  Snatching the compartment open, I grabbed the gun. Rolling down my window I aimed and shot at the car. One man leaned out the window with an assault rifle and fired. Sliding down in the seat, the side mirror shattered. Picking up a glass shard in my lap I held it so that I could see them. Lifting my gun out the window I opened fire on the car. The man leaning out the car was shot in the head. Sergi swerved into another lane trying to outrun them.

  We were rammed from behind. Sergi swerved. I sat up. The truck rammed us again. Turning around, I fired several shots into the truck’s windshield. They opened fire and the back windshield collapsed. A bullet pierced the driver seat and Sergi bent over.

  “Fuck,” said Sergi. He bent low as blood pooled under his shirt. His knuckles turned white as he made a hard right and exited the highway.

  More bullets riddle the car. I jumped on the floor covering my head with my arms. “I’m out of bullets. Why did you get off the highway?”

  “We need to get to the helicopter. If we can get in the air, we’ll be safe,” said Sergi.

  “How do you plan to get them to stop firing at us?” Brushing the glass off me, I tried to see out the window.

  How does he think we are going to get in the air with them hot on our trail? I do not want them shooting at us in the air. After you’re in the sky we are more likely to survive if things go sideways.

  “Stay down,” said Sergi. He wrestled with the steering wheel as he pumped the breaks as a car jumped in front of us.

  Ducking placing my head in my lap, I grabbed the seat belt.

  The passenger side window broke and glass flew everywhere. A car came out of the side street and rammed us. The car spun out and hit a tree pole. My head bumped against the subwoofer in the side panel.

  Getting up, I grabbed Sergi’s gun. His head was bleeding. The car stopped behind us. I turned around and opened fire. Pushing Sergi’s head down I unloaded the clip. Men yelled as they jumped from the car running toward me. Picking up the glass shard I waited for them to come.

  “Get out bitch,” said Larry. The barrel of his gun pressed into my left cheek until it throbbed. He yanked me from the car.

  “Sergi’s dead let’s roll,” said Larry.

  He dragged me to their car. I looked back at Sergi. His fingers moved. Did I imagine it? Blinking, I looked at his fingers again, which moved up to grip the steering wheel. Turning around I watched as the truck pulled up. More men hopped out. Greg shot the trucks gas tank, and the truck blew up.

  12

  Vincenzo

  “Thanks for being quick.” Calvin smiled as he patched up Hank. Hank was in and out of it. I felt better that his blood loss had decreased. Digging through the black bag, Calvin had brought an assortment of guns, grenades, and knives.

  I dialed Victor. Pacing and observing Calvin working on Hank made me antsy. There was too much going on, everything was happening so fast and yet my brain was not keeping up.

  “Can you talk?” I rubbed my head.

  “I was just about to call you. There has been an explosion at your house. The casino is gone,” said Victor.

  All my enemies were going to fucking die slow. “Fuck me! How many people were there?”

  “It was packed. The count so far
is three hundred people. It is being reported as a freak accident from an old pipe,” said Victor.

  “The cameras showed Jimmy shooting and firing at Larry and Greg. That weak bastard was looking to fuck you. His phone records show he was in contact with the Moretti’s,” said Victor.

  “I never trusted him. I intended to deal with him after all of this.”

  “You need to sit down. I’m not done,” said Victor.

  My heart stopped. I leaned up against the wall. A sense of nausea rushed over me. I know this had to do with Tatiana. If she was dead, then the streets of Miami will run red. She cannot be dead.

  “Larry and Greg took Tatiana. They are working with the Moretti’s and Esposito. I will see what else I can find out. This looks much deeper than you could’ve imagined,” said Victor.

  “Thanks.” I hung up.

  Calvin went to the kitchen sink to wash the blood off his hands. He came back and put new gloves over his hands and administered a Demerol shot.

  “What’s up? You look like you could bite a pit bull and win,” said Calvin.

  “Jimmy betrayed us. He was working with the Moretti’s, and they blew up my casino.” My fist clenched. The pain of my wound faded in my mind. I could not feel anything through my rage.

  “Was the hit to kill you or fuck up your money?” asked Calvin.

  “I’m not sure what their attention was, but it isn’t going to work.” Flopping down on the couch I called Lucas.

  “I’ll be touching down soon,” said Lucas.

  “Hurry. There’s a lot that’s happened since you left.”

  I hung up and glanced at Hank. Tonight had rocked me to my core. The pain from my bullet wound made me wince. Hank was pale but he was breathing. Looking at Calvin, he was nursing a beer on the couch.

  “I’m heading out. Look after Hank.” I walked to the door. I had a bag of weapons and that was all I needed.

  “You’re a crazy bastard. Going out there alone is suicide,” said Calvin.

  “I’ve got to ride.” Gripping the bag on my shoulder, I turned to the door.

  “I need your keys.” Calvin shook his head and tossed me the keys.

  “Thanks.” Closing the door behind me, I raced down the stairs. Slipping inside Calvin’s car I took off down the street. Beating my head against the steering wheel, I focused on my next steps. My stomach muscles jerked as my phone vibrated in my pocket. I am on edge.

  “Talk.”

  “Meet me at the Danville Hotel on Carlos Vasquez Boulevard. I got Sergi,” said Lucas.

  My fingers gripped the steering so tight they ached, and my knuckles turned white. I did not feel the pleasure I thought I would at hearing Sergi was caught. Tatianna was at the mercy of the men who hated me. She is my priority right now.

  “Don’t kill him because his ass is mine.”

  I U-turned in the street. The tires skidded as I flew down the street heading toward the hotel. Driving around the back of the hotel, I parked close to the exit. While placing two guns into my jacket, I saw a woman leaving. She looked freshly fucked. Rushing up the steps I caught the door just before it closed.

  Glancing at my phone, I headed through the doors. Stopping at room nine I knocked. Lucas stepped back and opened the door. “He’s still out cold. I found him slumped over in a car about three miles from your house. The other car was on fire.

  Lucas’s suit was covered in blood. He looked pissed. Something is off here but I can’t put my finger on it. He waved for me to follow him into the second bedroom, but I pulled my gun and walked in the first bedroom.

  I nodded. I didn’t trust myself to speak. These bastards had blown up my house. I am not a person who cares about materialistic things, but Tatianna was in there. People lost their lives because these cowards are pussies.

  Lucas was acting strange. He got this hotel room instead of going straight to Calvin’s, like I told him to. He stopped by and got Sergi. He is anticipating my anger. If he did not kill Christian, I’m going to kill him. Capturing Sergi does not replace the mission I gave him to kill Christian, ruining the Moretti and Esposito alliance.

  Ginerva was tied naked to the bed. She had a ball gag in her mouth, and she withered as she tried to free herself.

  “What the hell. Why isn’t she dead?” Placing my gun in my hand, I turn to Lucas. He is standing in the doorway looking off to the side. So, this is what he is hiding.

  “I gave her my word I wouldn’t kill her,” said Lucas.

  Sliding my gun into the holster, I turn to Lucas. I am debating planting a bullet dead between his eyes. He has never hesitated to kill anyone. I don’t need this shit.

  “Did you kill Christian, or did you spare him too?” I knew he was dealing with his wife’s death, but this is unacceptable. I should have sent Hank.

  “I killed him,” said Lucas. He handed me the photos of Christian Esposito. Glancing down at the photos, Christian had suffered hard before he died.

  “Go check on Sergi.” I pulled my gun from the holster and pointed it at her.

  “She reminds me of Sofia,” said Lucas.

  “Go check on Sergi.” I am two seconds from shooting him then her. I know he longs for death, but he will get it fucking with me. She is not a threat, but I wanted her dead just the same.

  Lucas walked out the room. He fucking had the nerve to look wounded.

  Her pussy must be gold-plated or something. She had managed to sink her claws into Lucas. I do not trust her as far as I can throw her, and if she slips up, I will place a bullet in her head myself. I raised the gun watching as her breath resumes. The apple usually does not fall far from the tree. Look at me. I hated my father and I’m cruel just like him.

  Walking in the other bedroom I watched as Lucas bashed his gun up the side of Sergi’s head. He had a thick piece of plastic down underneath the chair that Sergi was tied to.

  “You killed Antonio. Did you think it was me?” I grabbed him by the throat closing off his oxygen. He just smiled as the blood trailed down his cheek. I continued to strangle him.

  “Are you going to find out what he knows before killing him?” asked Lucas.

  “I don’t know.” Probably not, I lusted for Sergi’s blood. He did not deserve to speak before he died. He did not allow Antonio to speak before killing him. Thrusting him away from me I stepped back pulling my blade.

  Slicing through the fabric of his shirt I exposed his chest. The fabric fell to the floor. He looked like he lived in a gym and ate healthy. Too bad none of that bullshit would save him now.

  “Why did you kill Antonio?”

  “You have the FBI to thank for that,” said Sergi.

  Lucas punched him in the mouth. The chair toppled to the floor. Lucas pulled Sergi up by his hair.

  “Lying won’t save you,” said Lucas. He punched him again and two teeth went flying out his mouth.

  Sergi spat the blood out. “Believe what you want. It was your own ignorance that led to his death.”

  13

  Tatiana

  I cannot believe this. How can the FBI be working with the mafia? When I was little, I can remember Mom and Dad, always saying things are different in America. I expect these things in Russia, but not here in America. Greedy men are greedy men, no matter where they hail from. Sergi always said I did not live in the real world. Maybe he is right.

  Larry played his role well. I thought he was decent, but Gregory was an asshole, so I’m not surprised that he has no loyalty. I wish there was a way I could tempt them to let me go. I might have had a chance if I had not fainted outside Sergi’s car. We are in a private jet now, and I doubt they will risk their ass to save mine. What would they get out of it?

  This jet looked like something a movie star would own. I’ve learned that crime does pay. The mafia lived like royalty, going and spending whatever they wanted. Their lifestyle came at a cost but in the end, no one can’t say they didn’t live their lives. You can cross the street and get hit by a bus and die, so death comes to all of
us. What matters, in the end, is what you did with your life.

  “Where are we?” Turning away I look at Larry. I cannot worry about dying and deal with Greg’s nasty attitude.

  Flipping my hair out my face, I scooted back in the seat. I’m not going to give them the satisfaction of knowing that I’m terrified. These last few days I have been kidnapped, held at knifepoint, and had some of the most dangerous criminals in the world want to shed my blood. They may take my life, but they will not take my pride. I will die the same way I live, with the courage of my convictions.

  “We’ll be in Sicily in thirty minutes,” said Larry. He took a sip from his glass of red wine and leaned back against the tan leather seats.

  Sergi had access to a plane, but he will not know how to find me. Can he get to Italy? He was banged up badly when they drug me off. It is a possibility that he died in that car. Someone could’ve run up and shot him. It is a possibility that I may never see my brother again.

  “Why are you taking me? It’s nice to take me to Italy, but I had plans for the day.”

  “Your plans changed. Salvatore Moretti’s going to have you carved and disposed of before the sun sets again,” said Greg.

  I have until the sun sets to escape this nightmare. My best chance of survival is escaping as soon as we land. I would rather not meet Salvatore Moretti. If I cannot escape maybe these idiots will kill me. I would rather die quickly than be tortured by some mafia brute who tortures victims for a living.

  “You’re beautiful but not so bright. Sergi is dead, but we still need it,” said Greg. He put the Cuban cigar in his mouth and fired up the lighter.

  “I don’t understand. You said you needed Sergi.”

  “We needed him to give us the list. If he had given us the list, we would’ve put a bullet in his head months ago. The bastard got himself killed before he gave it to us,” said Greg.

  “What is the list?” I held my fingers to my temple. The throbbing in my head was horrible. It did not help that at times I have trouble paying attention.