Chapter 89
Nico
During the nearly three-hour flight to New Mexico, Tony and I have poured over the logs that Carlos sent through. It turns out that the ones we are particularly interested in, the airstrips don’t have cameras. Typical, right? I mean who doesn’t have this option for security? Obviously, people who don’t want anything finding on their premises. None of this looks good to us.
I have instructed Carlos to get people on the ground and talking to the guys who see what comes and goes. Someone will have some information. Even the hardest detail will spill the beans if they get their sweaty palm greased with enough cash.
Like I said before, money talks and in this industry, it talks plenty.
“We need to know what came in on the planes, Tony. I want to know what cars picked up any passengers and where they were headed to. I want heads rolling,” I say through clenched teeth, my heart rate is through the roof and my chest pains haven’t ceased.
We have landed but Tony and I haven’t stepped off the jet yet. He is nodding at me as he then relays my message to Carlos, who has apparently a whole network of guys he can call upon. How I wonder did he even get so big out here in New Mexico in Cartel land.
Guessing drugs and prostitution has gotten him to where he is. I shake my head; those things they make me want to heave. Forcing women into that game is beyond my realms of thinking and understanding. And drugs. Well, that is obvious. I’m not into fucking up people’s lives.
Word has it that when Carlos arrived in New Mexico with his tail between his legs, one of the big guys, goes by the name of Don Rocco gave him a job as a runner then a collector. Carlos did good and got a promotion to run some of the rackets that Don Rocco has going on and well you know the rest they say is history.
I knew it wouldn’t take long for a headstrong, hungry guy like Carlos to want to step out from the shadows and get a name from himself.
“Ready?” Tony asks as he slides his mobile into his jacket pocket and unfastens his seatbelt and stands. Our stewardess is waiting for us to disembark patiently by the doors, with my pilot standing next to her.
Tony and I make our way over to the door, the driver is waiting at the bottom and some guy who will retrieve our couple of bags. “Thank you for flying with us today, Mr. Santangelo,” she says politely. “It was a pleasure to have you onboard.”
“Thank you. We need the plane on standby,” I tell the stewardess and then direct my gaze to my pilot. “You will need to get the standby crew in place because I want it available 24/7.”
My pilot doesn’t balk at my words. “We can organize that, Sir. Myla and I will be staying at the rooms in the nearby motel and can be ready at short notice,” he assures me. Ah, Myla that is her name. Okay, I must remember that.
“Good, thank you both. Have a good rest of your day and take some time for yourselves.” Even though I know my trustworthy staff won’t be going anywhere except to the motel close by. They can’t if I need them, they have to be ready at short notice.
Tony leads the way down the steps as he usually does. He has it in his head that if there is a bullet, he should be the first to take it since not only does he run our finances and takes care of business, he is also head of our security and that takes some managing. Many times, I have insisted I go first, but he won’t have it any other way.
It makes my heart full to know that I have a brother who loves me the way he does. Our bond has always been close, although to be honest as kids, it was always Dario who was the closest to me. Drugs ravaged him and turned him into a wild animal. A man possessed and drew him further away from me and our family.
Thank goodness he has been through treatment and stuck it out this time. We hope it will last. You can’t ever tell with Dario. Drugs were a big factor in his life from a young age. A total waste!
My driver holds open the door to the black Range Rover and closes it after I am seated in the back behind the passenger side. Tony gets himself in and pulls out his mobile that even I can hear vibrating in his pocket.
“Carlos,” he says. “Hello. What have you got?”
I’m impressed that Carlos can move so quickly. Tony was on the phone to him just minutes ago. “Good, that’s good. It’s a lead. We will meet you in the foyer of the Four Seasons. We’re on our way now. Don’t be late and leave your piece at home.”
I smirk; there’s no way Carlos is going anywhere without his piece. He is joined to it at the frigging hip.
“What’s he got?” I ask as the driver steps into the vehicle and starts up the engine. Inside is all cream leather with black piping and my initials stitched into the headrests.
“A woman arrived on one of those private planes two days ago. She had someone with her but the guy at the strip couldn’t say for sure if it was male or female. There was a black covering over the face. He supposes from the body that it was a woman. Said he wasn’t prepared to divulge anything further as his boss would hang him and slice him like a wild boar caught and ready for killing.”
I nod; it’s a start. “Four Seasons,” I instruct my driver.
“That is Lucky, I can feel it in my bones, Tony. We are close. We just need to know where the fuck she went after landing.”
“Hey, Nico,” Tony says as he pats my thigh with his large hand. I notice the tattoos on his fingers, our parent’s initials on his index, middle and the two last fingers. “We will get to her.”
I fucking hope so, if Yelena hurts my bride to be, I will go after her with everything I’ve got. She won’t stand a chance. I don’t care what resources she has to hand.
There will be a war and I am prepared.
Blood will stain the streets!