Book 2: Chapter Seventy-Seven - A Breakthrough
Book 2: Chapter Seventy-Seven - A Breakthrough
Aldo returned with a worried look on his face and sat down beside Carlos. “What did he say?” asked Carlos.
“Giuseppe has been with Di Salvo in Catania for the last few years, ever since he joined the gang. They’re shuffling between Palermo, Catania, Ragusa, and Agrigento to escape the cops. He has never met Matteo during his association with Di Salvo.” Carlos frowned at the information, wondering if Matteo was alive.
“He offered to ask around in the gang. There are old members who had been with Don for the last five to six years or even more. They would surely know!”
“This is urgent, Aldo. I want the information immediately. I have only 24 hours to find out about Matteo. I’ve promised his wife!” Carlos got up to pace the floor, his mind in a state of turmoil. Giuseppe was a new member of the gang, and he wouldn’t be of much help. He needed someone who had been with Don for the last ten years. Who could he turn to for help?
“Let’s go to meet Don’s old chauffeur, Viktor. He just retired last month. I think he knows everything about Matteo,” suggested Aldo. Carlos’s eyes lit up with enthusiasm.
“You’re right. Do you know where he lives?”
“Yes, his house is within walking distance from here. Let’s go there and meet him.” The two friends walked down the narrow paved street to the first floor of a three-storied building. Aldo peered inside the open door to find old Viktor sitting with his grandson.
“Hello, Aldo! Who have you brought with you? Oh, isn’t that Carlos?” asked Viktor, adjusting his spectacles.
“Yes, Viktor. How are you?”
“I’m fine, as always. How did you remember me today?” asked the old man, smiling at them.
“Actually, Carlos needs a favor from you.”
“Please come in. Tell me, what can I help you with, Carlos?” They went inside and sat down with the old man and his teenage grandson.
“Viktor, my cousin, Matteo Antonio Ricci, has been missing for the last five years. He was in Philadelphia when Don picked him up from a warehouse. He was brutally wounded in a fight with Luigi Caffarelli. I have no news of him afterwards. Do you know where he is? Is he under Don’s custody? His wife and child are still waiting for him back home. I promised them I would seek Matteo and unite him with them. He is innocent, Viktor. Please, can you help me?”
The old man frowned and considered his request for a few minutes. “I can’t give away my benefactor, Carlos. Don has taken care of me for the last thirty years of my life. I can’t give him away.”
“I’m not asking you to give him away. I don’t need Don’s trade secrets. All I’m asking for is some information about my cousin whom he has held captive for the last five years for no reason. I want to know if he is alive, that’s all.”
“Yes, he is alive, but he lost his memory after the attack five years ago. He would have improved, but they don’t treat him well, especially Mariano, Don’s underboss. He has gone into severe clinical depression and is of no use to Don anymore. They don’t involve him in their business. Maybe he would have improved if they released him.” Carlos sat shocked by the information the old man gave him. It explained everything. He understood why Matteo couldn’t escape Don for the last five years. He was mentally ill! That was the reason his otherwise sharp brain couldn’t think of a way out.
“If he’s of no use to them, why don’t they release him?” asked Aldo, feeling bad, for Carlos’s cousin.
“They can’t. He was the underboss before and knows a lot of their secrets. Don had tried to extort money from his family, but it didn’t work. They complained to the DIA and ever since, Don has been having a hard time escaping the cops. He would rather kill Matteo than release him. I’m sorry I can’t give you any more information, Carlos.”
They thanked the old chauffeur and left his house. “At least we know now that Matteo is alive and under Don’s custody. Now I’ll use all my connections to seek him out. Don’t worry,” said Aldo.
“Why don’t you give me Dario’s number? You can’t call him, but I can. Maybe he’ll help me.” Aldo nodded and forwarded his brother’s number to Carlos.
“I’ll just call him.” Carlos called Dario, but he didn’t accept the call.
“I’ll get going then. If you get any information on Matteo, update me.” They walked back to Aldo’s house to his car.
“Do you have a photograph of your cousin? It will help in the search,” said Aldo.
“Wait. I’ll check up with his wife.” He messaged Nikolas, asking for a photograph of Matteo. He didn’t have Amelia’s number to ask her directly. After a few minutes, his phone buzzed with two incoming messages. Nikolas had sent him two pictures of Matteo. He forwarded them to his friend.
“This will help. I’ll forward them to Giuseppe right away.”
“Thanks for your help, bro. I’ll see you soon,” said Carlos, hugging his friend before climbing into his car. He was disappointed that despite his efforts, he couldn’t find Matteo. How would he face Amelia now?
He drove home thinking about whom to contact when his phone buzzed with an incoming call from Dario. Carlos steered the car off the road and accepted the call.
“Hello, Dario! Carlos here. Do you remember me?” he said, hesitating a little.
“Hey, Carlos! Of course, I remember you. So, how’s your restaurant doing? I heard you’ve left the circuit and settled down.”
Carlos smiled with relief. Dario was still the same as he was when he used to visit his younger sibling.
“Yes, bro. It’s doing fine. How do you know so much about me?”
“I keep track. Maybe I’ll join you someday if I can leave all this behind. Will you hire me?” said Dario with a laugh.
“You can always join me, bro.”
“I’m just joking, Carlos. So why did you call me? Is everything alright?” asked Dario with dread.
“Actually, I needed a favor from you, bro. My cousin Matteo Antonio Ricci disappeared suddenly five years ago. He is still under Don’s custody for no fault of his. Have you seen him? Can you give me any information about him?” There was silence on the other end and Carlos waited with bated breath for his reply.
“I usually work at the Catania site. That’s Don’s favorite hideout right now. Matteo isn’t there in any of Don’s hideouts in the country.”
“Then? Where is he?” prodded Carlos. He had a feeling that Dario knew everything about Matteo.
“I can tell you, Carlos, because you’re Aldo’s friend and I treat you like a brother. I hope you will not give me away. They won’t spare my life if you do.”
“I won’t ever take your name, bro. It’s not a trade secret I’m seeking. I just want to save an innocent man and unite him with his family. That’s all!” coaxed Carlos.
“Matteo is in Hammam Al Agzaz, Tunisia, Africa. Don had his headquarters there five years ago when he was hiding from Luigi and his gang. Now, it only houses the prisoners. Matteo’s duty is to give them food daily. He is also a prisoner, locked up in the basement with them. Don hardly visits the place, and his underboss, Mariano manages it. He doesn’t treat Matteo well.”
“Can you give me the address of this place? I want to rescue my brother.”
“I’m sorry, bro. I can’t give that away. You can ask the locals for Padrino and they will direct you to his house.”
“Thanks a lot. I’m indebted to you.”
“I might take you up on that job offer later.”
“Sure, bro. Anytime!”
Carlos drove home in a happy frame of mind, planning a way to rescue Matteo from Tunisia. He couldn’t do it alone. He would have to involve the Police.
His glance fell on the rearview mirror, and he smiled knowingly. He could see Luigi’s car following him all the way. Now, what did he want? Could he use Luigi to save Matteo? Once he got them in front of one another, there would be utter chaos. Then he could get both Luigi and Di Salvo arrested and behind bars. A plan started forming in his brilliant mind as he drove along lanes and by-lanes, just to give Luigi and his men a hard time chasing him.
He had just turned onto a deserted stretch when Luigi’s car overtook him and blocked his way. He screeched to a halt inches from Luigi’s car. Feeling his waistband for the revolver, he alighted from his car. Immediately Luigi’s men emerged to nab him, but he took out his revolver and aimed at them.
“I’ll talk to your boss, one-to-one. Stay away from me or I’ll kill all of you.” They all stopped dead in their tracks, eyeing one another. It wasn’t so easy to abduct Carlos Sorrento.
Luigi stepped out of his car with a sinister grin on his face as he approached him.