by Meagan Fink
“Well at least then something you said would be true,” she snaps.
She glances at him again, and holds his gaze. She had seen how Luca’s father had looked and could tell what kind of a man he was: mean, uncaring, the very definition of evil. But she couldn’t find any of that in Luca. He didn’t want people to get hurt, and he didn’t want Tita to get hurt any more than she already was. That was why he had told her. Part of her actually wishes she saw some of his father’s qualities in Luca. At least then it would be easier to be mad at him.
She looks once again at the frame. It said to forgive. Her grandfather had to forgive Ace for killing his daughter and son-in-law, she had to forgive Luca for betraying her, but at least he was helping her get Dyton back. She takes a deep breath as she ponders her next decision, but really it wasn’t that hard to make. Yes, Luca had made a mistake, but he was willing to admit it and try and make it right; she had to give him credit for that.
“This doesn’t change anything Luca; we still call Isaac and make the exchange. I get Dyton back and you can go back to your family and be forgiven,” she says, standing up straight.
He frowns, but then nods. He would be forgiven by his family but not by her, at least not yet. “Alright---” he pauses, wanting to say something but then changes his mind. He then nods again. “Isaac will bring at least ten men with him to secure the house. Once he sees Blackson he’ll bring in Dyton, then you two can leave and should be left alone entirely by Blackheart.”
“Should be left alone?” she asks skeptically.
“Will. You will be left alone, that I can promise,” he says.
She gives him a cold look; does he really think that she would still put faith in his promises? He seems to understand her expression.
“Tita, I’m sorry I lied to you; but when I make a promise, I never break that promise and I do everything I can to keep it,” he says.
By the conviction in his voice she can see that he’s telling the truth. She nods and walks to the door and opens it, “Do you know where the phone is?” she asks him.
“I think I saw one in the hallway,” he says, and they walk out of the powder room. There’s a rotary dial phone on a small table at the end of the hall and they both walk to it. As Luca dials Isaac, Tita looks around the hall to make sure that her grandfather hadn’t heard the argument and had come to check on them. He was nowhere to be seen, either he hadn’t heard or he didn’t care. Her eyes land on the duck head down the hall and a shiver goes up her back and she turns back to Luca. He puts the phone in between them so they both can hear and they wait for Isaac to pick up.
“Well, if it isn’t my favorite brother in the whole wide world,” says Isaac in a chirpy voice.
“I’m your only brother, unfortunately, and we have the location,” says Luca.
“Oh good, cutting it a little close time wise wouldn’t you say?” asks Isaac.
“We made it didn’t we. Is Dyton there?” asks Tita.
“Oh yes, the little brat, he’s here,” says Isaac.
There’s silence on the other end for a moment. Then Dyton speaks. “Tita! They’re saying they’re letting me go, is that true?” he asks, his voice hopeful.
“Yes, it’s true Dyton, we’ll see each other soon, OK?” she asks.
“OK, but---” then Dyton’s voice is replaced by Isaac’s. “There, you got to talk to the kid, now give me a location.”
Luca glances at Tita for permission and she nods. “West Pollis Drive, it’s the only house on the street, you can’t miss it,” says Luca.
“West…Pollis…Drive,” Isaac repeats, probably as he writes it down. “Alright; we’re already in Tallahassee so we’ll see each other soon. I look forward to meeting you, Tatiana, and it will be nice---” they don’t get to hear the rest of Isaac’s sentence because something swings forward and pulls out the phone cord.
Tita and Luca look behind them in surprise. Greg Blackson stands behind them with his cane held tightly in his hands like a baseball bat, a look of anger splayed across his face. He points his cane at Luca’s chest.
“Boy, you’re going to tell me exactly who you are and to whom you just gave my address, or so help me I will end your life where you stand.”
20
“Easy, just put the cane down,” says Luca, trying to move the wooden end away from his face. Blackson just moves closer to him while pushing the cane up against his throat. If Blackson didn’t put the cane down, Luca could easily disarm him. At least the old geezer hadn’t pull the gun this time, but, then again, Tita had moved in to help. He didn’t think she will this time and he didn’t blame her. He was surprised she hasn’t tried to kill him herself.
“Who are you?” Blackson asks again.
“I’m Luca,” he says; his answer just seems to make him madder. Blackson tenses his arm about to swing but then Tita speaks up.
“Sir, uh, I mean Grandfather, Luca was just trying to help get Dyton back,” she says cautiously.
“Yeah? And is that by contacting the enemy?” he asks.
“I couldn’t get any help from you, so yes,” she says, as some of her anger at Luca shifts toward her grandfather.
Blackson stares at her and then shifts his gaze to Luca. “You, you actually---” he looks at the telephone putting the two together. “You called them? You told them to come here?” he asks, horrified.
“Well you weren’t offering up any suggestions,” says Luca, and Blackson turns his attention back to him.
“This was your idea?” he asks, and Luca nods.
Blackson looks between the two of them and then pushes his cane harder into his throat. Luca contemplates how he’s going to take it from the old man’s grip without hurting him, well, at least not severely.
“Tatiana, do you have any idea what you have done?” asks Blackson.
“Yes, I just made a deal to get my brother back, that’s what I’ve done,” she says sternly.
“He could be one of the Morans for all we know! How well do you even know this boy?” he asks, looking at Tita.
She hesitates before answering, but looks at Luca when she does. “Not as well as I thought; but at least he’s helping me get Dyton back, which is more than I can say for you.”
“Is that what this is about? That I didn’t do more to help the boy?” he asks surprised.
“What else would it be about?” asks Tita.
The two of them glare at each other for a moment and while Blackson is distracted Luca reaches out and grabs the end of the old man’s cane. He holds on to it and turns around and sends his elbow into Blackson’s gut. He stumbles backward and starts to fall, but Luca grabs his shoulder and keeps him upright. Blackson pushes away Luca’s hand and reaches out for the cane, but Luca holds on to it.
“You still haven’t answered my question about who you are,” he sneers.
“And I’m not going to. Now I’m going to give you your cane back; but, if you get feisty with it, I’m going to have to take it again,” says Luca, like he’s talking to a child. Blackson snatches it from Luca’s grip and leans on it; apparently the old man does need it.
“Do you know what they’re going to do to me once they get here?” asks Blackson, fear creeping into his voice. “They’ll kill me, but not before they torture me. Those people are evil, do you understand me? They are evil! Tatiana, do you really want that to happen to me?” he asks, begging his granddaughter for help.
“Why would they kill you? What wrong did you do to them?” asks Tita. She glances at Luca; she was asking for his benefit, to see if Blackson would admit to killing his father.
“I didn’t do anything to those apes! Nothing, other than leaving that wretched organization,” he says. Blackson’s breathing seems to be labored; he clutches his middle where Luca had elbowed him and leans heavily on his cane.
“Why don’t we continue this conversat
ion in the sitting room?” asks Luca.
Tita glances at her grandfather and nods.
“So if you didn’t do anything to the Morans, then they just want to kill you for the sole purpose of revenge?” asks Luca, sitting in the same spot he had before not 20 minutes ago. If Greg is telling the truth and he didn’t kill Luca’s father, then who did?
Blackson nods solemnly. “That family is motivated by revenge. I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re looking for other families who have ‘wronged’ them.”
Luca glances down; there were other people who his family had dealt with, and Greg Blackson was going to be their next victim.
“We need to leave, before they get here. Did they say when they would get here or where they are now?” asks Blackson.
“They’re in New York, we have plenty of time,” Tita lies. If they were already in Tallahassee like Isaac had said, they only had a matter of minutes before this house was surrounded. Luca glances anxiously at the windows contemplating the idea.
They had to figure out a way to stall Blackson from leaving before Isaac got there; who knew what Isaac would do if he came and Blackson was gone. He’d probably kill Luca and Tita both.
“OK, then if they’re in New York, I still have time to pack some things,” says Blackson, rubbing his chin, thinking. “You two came from New York, right? How long was the train ride?”
“Don’t worry, you have at least a few hours,” says Tita, not looking at either of them.
“Good. I’m going to go pack; Tatiana, you can leave with me. I understand why you felt that you had to call those people to get Dyton back, so it’s up to you if you would like to come with me or not,” says Blackson. He glances at Luca but doesn’t say anything, apparently he’s not welcome. Blackson gets up from his overly stuffed chair and slowly walks out of the room, leaving the two of them alone.
Once he is gone Luca turns to Tita, she still won’t meet his eyes. Even so, he doesn’t regret that he told her. At least now she knew what had been eating at him and he didn’t have to lie to her anymore; even if it did end their friendship, at least she knew.
“They should be here soon,” he says, and she nods. At least she was still acknowledging he existed. That was something.
“Thank you, Tita, for stepping in before he took my head off,” he says, trying to lighten the mood a little; the tension was still palpable.
“Couldn’t have him killing you now could I, Isaac might not go along with our deal if you were dead,” she says lightly.
He couldn’t believe how quickly things had changed between them, but he couldn’t say he was surprised; this was what he had expected. He nods, and leans back on the couch. Just let her be, if she wants to talk, she’ll speak up. That was what he was worried about though, what if she never spoke up?
“So what should I expect to happen when Isaac comes?” she asks, after a moment of silence.
She spoke up, he thinks happily. “Um, well he’ll probably surround the perimeter to make sure no one leaves, and by no one I mean Blackson. He’ll send some men in to make sure we’re not planning an ambush or anything---”
“He’d be worried that his own brother would set up an ambush?” she asks, finally facing him.
“Can never be too careful with this family,” he says, “then he’ll come in and make sure everyone is where they should be. He might bring Dyton in or have him wait in the car. After that, I have no clue.”
She nods and looks past him and out the windows. Her hand hasn’t stopped rubbing her locket since they left the powder room.
They sit there for a few minutes, which begin to feel like hours, until they see four black Cadillacs driving down the dirt road. Both Luca and Tita suck in their breath as all four cars speed up to the house, two of them continue past the house and round to the back.
“They’re forming the perimeter,” says Luca, and he stands up to get a better look out the window. The cars fill the air with dust bringing a veil between him and his family.
“Can you see Dyton?” asks Tita, as she also gets up to look.
He shakes his head, but his mind is somewhere else. What if Isaac doesn’t honor the agreement? It wouldn’t surprise him. No, he will, he has to.
“Tatiana, which---” says Blackson as he steps into the sitting room only to stop in his tracks. Luca turns around and sees him holding two suitcases that then fall from his hands. His eyes widen as he sees the two black Cadillac cars sitting in the front yard. Two men step out of each car and walk up to the house. They each carry an assault rifle held at the ready and wear manganese steel vests.
The next moment the house is filled with yelling and gunfire.
21
They fire chaotically at the ceiling, the crystal chandelier at the entrance shatters, crystal fragments raining to the floor.
“Show us your hands!” they scream. Four men come from the front door and two from the back entrance and, in a matter of seconds, they’re surrounded and being held at gunpoint.
Luca calmly raises his hands and touches his fingertips to the back of his head and Tita follows suit, but Blackson panics. He runs over to his chair, but the other men are too fast. Two of them intercept him, and Blackson tries to reach for his gun, but one of them smashes the butt of his gun into his head; and the old man crumples to the ground. Tita lets out a startled gasp and tenses. Luca recognizes all six of the men but only knows three of them personally.
“Hey Luca, how’s it going?” asks Brandon. Luca nods to him as Brandon walks over.
“You two stand over here,” says Brandon, as he shoves them against the far wall away from the window. He then grabs Blackson and drags him over to where Luca and Tita stand. A moment later Isaac walks in through the front door; and Dyton follows closely behind him, being escorted by John and Michael.
Isaac takes a moment to survey the house, admiring the woodwork by sliding his fingers along a wall and looking curiously at the birds. He then looks over at where Luca and Tita are being kept. He gasps and claps his hands together.
“My, do you look so much like your mother,” he says, as he walks up to Tita. The hardness in her eyes could have turned him to stone, but Isaac seems unfazed by the “I want to kill you” look on her face. She glances at Dyton and tries to pull away from the wall, but Brandon holds her back.
“Well let me say it is so good to finally meet the famous Tatiana Lasko. I’ve heard so much about you,” he says. He then moves in to hug her but he never gets the chance. As he leans in, she punches him. It takes both Brandon and Jack to hold her back from clawing his face off.
He stumbles back, clutching the side of his face with a startled expression. He stares at her for a moment.
“That was for taking my brother,” she growls.
Luca holds his breath waiting to see how his lunatic brother would react. He could laugh or he could cry, he could try and hug her again or he could kill her right then and there. The most possible outcome was the latter and that was what made Luca nervous. But instead Isaac grins. He shakes his finger at her disapprovingly.
“I should have realized you might not be so happy to see me; you are a feisty one, aren’t you?” he says. He rubs the side of his face tenderly; she knew how to punch that was for sure. Tita doesn’t bother looking at Isaac, she’s focused on Dyton. He looks virtually unharmed other than the beginnings of a black eye.
“Oh, of course. Let the boy go,” says Isaac gesturing to Dyton. John and Michael release him and he goes running over to Tita. She wraps him in a hug so tight it looks painful but Dyton hugs her just as hard.
“Are you OK?” she asks, still not letting go.
“I’m all right,” he says, his voice full of emotion. Tita lets go but only to hold him at arm’s length to look him over for any injuries. Her jaw clenches when she sees the black eye, but she just rubs a hand over his hair and then pulls him in
to another hug.
One promise kept, they’re back together, and they’re both OK, Luca thinks. Dyton glances at him and gives a lopsided grin.
“Well isn’t that touching, it just tugs at your heart doesn’t it,” says Isaac, with mock sympathy.
Isaac has a heart?
Isaac then turns his attention to Luca.
“Brother! It is good to see you again,” says Isaac, who walks over to him and claps him on the back. Luca clenches his fists to keep them from punching his brother just as Tita had done.
“This has been one wild adventure, wouldn’t you all agree?” asks Isaac, as he looks everyone over. “And to think that none of this would have been possible without my baby brother’s help!”
And here it comes, thinks Luca; Isaac will try and expose me for the liar I am; too bad, it’s already been done.
“You know, Tita, I’m sure he hasn’t told you yet; actually, I’m sure he never would have told you, but I’m not as cold as Luca. Luca here was in on this whole thing from the very beginning! We planned it so he would show up at the warehouse to save you and Dyton from his ‘terrible family.’ I will say though that his getting hurt was a nice touch. That was one of the things we were worried about, that you and Dyton wouldn’t let Luca come along. But when he got hurt, how could you just leave him there to die!?” he asks Tita.
She glances over at Luca, none of the anger he had expected was there. Instead he sees pity, which was much worse. “I know,” she says simply.
Isaac wasn’t expecting that response. He glances at Tita and then to Luca with a look of disbelief.
“You know what?” asks Isaac.
“I know everything; Luca told me that he was still working for you, that you blackmailed him into doing this. So you don’t need to go on the long rant that I’m sure you had planned; you can just let me and Dyton go, and then do whatever it is you had planned next,” she says. Dyton doesn’t look surprised by any of this, maybe he knew as well? Tita grips Dyton’s shoulders as she waits for Isaac’s response. He looks shocked.