Chapter 120: The Final Hunt
Grave Digger reached out and tousled the kid’s hair affectionately. “We do need to protect them for sure.”
“Ok, I will be here protectin’ my mom.” The kid nodded his small head firmly as he wore a fierce but adorable expression on his face.
Grave Digger fought himself to keep from smiling or bursting into laughter. The kid was something else. Instead of showing his amusement, he asked, “Do you want to move to another room?” He looked over at Emily.
Emily paused to glance over toward the windows. “As much as I appreciate being able to see the outside, could we go to an interior room?” she asked.
Grave Digger knew exactly what she was asking and he agreed with her. “Sure, come on let's go. You can share my room until this is settled, alright?”
Emily nodded and got to her feet with his help. She looked over at Anthony still in her arms. “You ready, little man?” She was careful to not say boy again.
“Yes, Mom.” Anthony looked fine now, as he had no fear in his eyes.
They left the Infirmary and Grave Digger led them to his room.
When he opened the door, Emily looked relieved to see there were no outside windows here.
His room was huge with a big bed on one wall. A sofa and a couple of overstuffed chairs ran along the opposite wall. It had an ensuite bathroom as well as a closet. In one corner, there was even a mini fridge and table set with a few chairs. This room would do very well.
She looked back at him and smiled. “This is perfect.”
Grave Digger gave her that warm smile of his. “Good, just make yourselves at home here.” He paused as he realized when this was over he hoped this would be where they both stayed. “Just make sure the door is locked ok?”
Emily nodded then walked further into the room and put Anthony down on the floor.
Grave Digger walked over to her. “You and Anthony will be safe here,” he whispered in her ear.
Emily smiled at him. “I know and I do feel safer here.” She paused and asked, “You have to go back, don’t you?”
“Yeah, I have to be there for the MC. There’s food and drinks in the fridge if you want anything. There’s a cabinet above the fridge.” He motioned over to it. “Has chips and even some chocolate chip cookies.” He smirked. “I might be a man and all like I said, but I will tell you a secret.”
“What?” she whispered back.
“In every man, the boy is always there. So my boy likes chocolate chip cookies.”
Emily started a bit as laughter bubbled up and out through her lips.
He gave her a wink and stepped back. This was what he wanted to see in her. Normalcy, smiles and laughter. He was determined to bring this woman some happiness into her life. She’d more than earned it and he intended to give that to her and little Anthony as often as he could. “I’ll bring you both a hot meal later.”
Emily was still chuckling as she kissed his cheek and pushed him toward the door. “Go while you still can, boy. While I have the strength to let you leave.”
Grave Digger chuckled as he left the room and paused in the hall to listen to her turning the lock. Finally satisfied with their safety and the fact that they were now moved to his room, he headed back to see what was happening now. This whole damn thing had gone on long enough. Ever since they met Marty’s sister almost 2 years ago, it had been one horrible event after another.
Everyone seemed to still be gathered around Click’s screens as they waited for another round of the fight to get the supposed glory. He felt like the glory Alfonzo placed into the minds of his grandson and great grands would only lead to defeat. Leon had perused the reasons why. If old man Raggetti thought it was all shits and giggles, he had been mistaken. Severely mistaken.
Suddenly, and as expected, another volley of bullets ensued.
They all watched as one after another of Barrett, Alijala and Romano’s men were put down by the soldati della famiglia. Leon’s security team. The fallen men weren’t dead but they were out of action. One by one, they were tied up and left on the ground. Only three of the eighteen men who’d fought. had escaped. Barrett and Alijala were two of the three. They ran off into the distance and disappeared in the underbrush.
The security men stopped chasing them and went back for the others. They were now busy loading the wounded men into several trucks.
When all but three of the security men drove the trucks away, Zeus looked over at Leon. “Where are they going?”
“They will take them to medical help I have on standby here,’ Leon explained. “Then to my plane where they will be held in a cell area.We cannot allow them to go free, they are part of this treason, whether they wanted to be or not. They chose to follow Barrett and his sons, so now they will be treated just as Barrett and his sons will be.”
“What about Barrett and Alijala?” Delaney asked. “They’re still out there and free. What will happen to them?”
“Oh, my dear.” Leon shook his head. “Not to worry. My men are still out there as well. The battle may have several rounds, but the Vincintis always win the war. And your father is about to discover that they won’t back down and they won’t walk away until this job is finished.”
“I know you are a man of your word sir, so I believe you,” Delaney said to Leon. “You also have honor and that is something that my father and my brothers don’t have. And it wasn’t because my grandfather didn’t try to teach them.” Shaking her head she admitted, “He did try, he tried so hard, but my dad and my brothers just didn’t give a damn about that. Grandpa tried to tell them that a man only has his word sometimes and if he broke it then he had nothing. My dad and my brothers laughed at his warning but he was right. Anyone only has their words between them and the rest of the world. If you are true to your word then you have honor, but if you don’t live that way and begin stabbing your fellow man in the back then you have nothing… no, you have less than nothing and that’s a hard place to find yourself in. Without the trust, you have nothing.”
Leon nodded. “Si, my dear. Like you said, that’s a hard place to find yourself in. Some men however, don’t have these values. In my world, I have met quite a few like that, unfortunately.” He looked around the room and stated, “Now we wait for the end results of this little hunt.”
“And we pray,” Delaney whispered as she took her grandpa’s hand into hers.