Chapter 91- Figuring it out

Dimitri.

“How is he doing?" I ask Clayton, the other guy on the mission with Hayden as we burst through the doors.

“We are not sure yet. He just came out of surgery and is still under observation. The doctors say it's a miracle that he was still alive. He was beaten and stabbed when we found him. And almost burnt down with Midnight." Midnight is the club that Hayden said he got the lead on.

“If you ask me, boss, I think he found something which is why he was attacked. Something important that someone important didn't want getting to you."

“And where the hell were you when it was happening?" I nearly shout.

“I was on the lookout for someone when he called me. He sent me to follow Wesley because we found out he was here. I'm sorry boss."

They wanted to cover their tracks so they attacked him. It makes me more than furious to know that it is my fault that he is fighting for his life. He wanted to come back home. Made suggestions on how to go about finding what we needed but I was too stubborn to see what he wanted to do. I hope nothing happens to him.

“What else did you find out?" Carter enquires.

“Most of those funds, after they get here, go into an untraceable account. We tried to decipher it. Tried to reach out to the people here but a lot of them seem to be loyal to the owner of that symbol. They were either scared to say something or paidbti keep shut bit he received a call from someone who wanted to tell him what he knows about the symbol. And that's where he was jumped."

“And the club? Who owns it?"

“We have no idea."

The only person who might know is fighting for his life. Only God knows of he will make it.

“I want him back in the States. I don't trust anyone here." There is a feeling I'm my chest and I think he is still in danger as long as he is here.

“Where is he?"

“This way, boss." He points in a direction and I follow. Immediately, there is an explosion on that side of the floor. The explosion shakes the entire building and it's fire sends us to the ground. Soon, the place is covered in smoke and all the alarms go off. There is chaos everywhere.

I get up to my feet immediately and pull Carter up. Hayden! “Clayton! Get up!"

“This way!" We run in the direction the smoke is coming from. People are running out and there is fire in some parts of the wing. People are coughing. Doctors are trying to get the patients out. Some people are bleeding.

Clayton stops in front of a room which I assume belongs to Hayden. The door is off it's hinges “. I move the door to the side and go in. The smoke is still heavy but I make out Hayden's sleeping figure on a bed. He looks almost lifeless and has tubes connected to his body.

“What he needs the most is the oxygen. I think." Carter suggests.

“Lets not think! We need to get him out of here!" We get him out of bed and onto my shoulders. He is a bit heavy but I near it. They both grab onto other things and we run out of the room. Patients are being moved around, some in stretchers, some on wheelchairs and others are being carried just like what we're doing with Hayden. We take the elevator and go down the building. Everyone is occupied with rescuing the patients on the floor that the pay us no mind as we run out if the hospital.

To confirm my suspicions, we hear gunshots and bullets begin to fly around us. We pause at the back of an ambulance. “Shit! This was deliberate." Carter shouts.

“And a trap. They attacked him to get us here." I reach to the gun at my back and Carter does the same. Clayton already has his gun in his hand and is shooting back. Shots are fired and people scream and run.

““I'll cover you. Run in the direction of the parking lot." He moves in front of me and does not stop shooting making them pause for a moment and giving me the opening to run. And they both follow. The gunshots continue and we make it to the back of a xr but before Carter can come through, a bullet lodges in his chest and he falls to the ground.

“Fuck!" I drop the sedated Hayden and strat shooting at them and I get two on the head before my bullet before my bullet runs out. Carter is still bleeding but has moved to hide behind the car.

I look at the bullet wound and he shrugs “Nothing I haven't had before. But damn, we cornered."

“No, we're not. I will take them out." I go around the car to try get a view of the shooters. There are about three of them here but I don't know if there are others. We came in blind. I recognize one of the shooters. He works with my godfather. Why the hell is this happening here.

“I thought we were protected by your godfather. Why are we being attacked?" That's a question I don't have an answer to.

I take out the other gun and I aim for the one I'm familiar with when I hear footsteps “Look what we have here! Master is going to pay me a lot of money and give me a promotion when I'm done with you." He has his gun pointed at me and one other person has two guns with them.

If he thinks his smile scares me then he should think again. I stand up to my full height and I have about five inches on him.

“Who do you work for?"

“You demand answers when you are about to die. The rumors of your arrogance is true after all." His words come out with a heavy Italian accent.

Just then, a whistle sounds from behind me and blood splatters on my face as they both hit the floor. Their eyes and mouths are open and bullet wounds on their forehead. The gunshots continues and the others fall to the ground. The new guy sprints closer to us as I bend to carry Hayden again.

Clayton points his gun at the newcomer. The mask comes off and if Hayden was not unconscious. I would have flung him to the ground. “What the hell are you doing here?" My voice comes out venomous.

“Seriously? I just saved your life."

“Do not let me repeat myself."

“Hayden called me. And you need to get out of here before the others come." I contemplate arguing but decide that we don't have the time for it.

“Help him," I point at Hayden who is loosing blood “And let's get out of here."

We leave as the firefighters arrive and we are soon at the tarmac. There is someone waiting as we're about to board the plane. “Who are you?"

“A doctor" the jerk says from behind me. “I saw the explosion and I was about to go get Hayden. I knew I would have to take him out of the hospital so I got a trusted doctor. I texted him to go straight here when I saw you come out."

“You saw us come out and waited till I was shot?! You monster!" Carter accuses.

“I thought you had it under control and I had to wait for them all to come out."

“My name is Jasper Underwood and there is no time to waste." We rush inside the plane and the other two follow. We take off soon after, with Hayden secure on the bed. We give the doctor space to work. I'm not sure I trust him because of the person he came with but I'll do anything right now to ensure my friends are safe. Including taking a risk.

“What the hell are you doing here, Warren, or Noah?"

“Noah. To help. Hayden called for my help with some records that only I could get. I was already in Italy carrying out some investigations for my mom. Our mom. I met with him a couple of times and turns out, we were looking for the same thing. The symbol."

I catch my breath as he mentions the symbol. “Why were you investigating it?"

“Because it is connected to the person who liked your father. Herman. But you know that already. We were attacked about a year back and it was the same people. Mom reached out to your father. The second time, your father was attacked. Remember the shootout in Japan?" I remember the trip. I wasn't with him but I heard what happened. “It was the same people and whatever doubts he had wiped away. He had her moved out of the country, much to my displeasure, but it was for her own good. Then we started investigating." Why would he help her? I thought they hated each other.

“Why you and not me?" He would trust someone else and not his son. I hope the devil has thrown you to the deepest part of hell and you have your balls eaten out by demons.

“Because you were too hot headed to listen to him. I was in the office on that day with your father but you were to angry to notice my presence. You were blinded by you hate and anger but your father was not as bad as you think he was. At least he wasn't when I met him."

“The symbol" I don't want to talk about my father anymore. He does not need anyone clearing his name.

“It was traced back to another Italian family. A rival. Almost a Mafia but not strong enough. They were wiped out by both your grandfathers and your mother and father were made to marry each other for alliances. For the Marchettis to move business in America and for the Ian's to do same in Italy. They sort of made their business into one and made your father head of the family when the time came. He didn't want it though." Why would he not want it?

“Because he wanted more?" I remember that he was a greedy bastard.

“No. He wanted nothing to do with the violence. According to my...our mother, he started his automobile business and wanted a quiet life with his girlfriend but when his older brother was killed, he was forced to step in. The family that was wiped out were the Lombardis and that symbol is their family's Crest. There were two survivors and he came back for revenge. Took his time too and was very smart."

“Were you able to figure it out?"

“Hayden did. The head of their family at the time was Fransisco Lombardi. One took his mother's name and became Morris Bernardi. He must have mentioned that to you. And the other, brace yourself." He passes me an envelope and I take out it's contents.

The knife of betrayal cuts deep into my chest until I can't breathe. I feel every drop of blood bite into my skin and I want to peel it off. It cannot be. There is no way this is true.

“He had to ask around to be sure but he sent these to me as soon as he got them. He changed his identity and started to work with your grandfather. And he worked harder than the devil to gain his trust."

That was the same mistake my grandfather, father and I have made.

“His name used to be Angelo Lombardi then he changed it to Alexander Luigi. After his maternal grandfather."

His name is like a thick smoke restricting the air from moving. I treated him like my father. I respected him more than I did my father. I let him into my home. Let him near Vanessa and my child. And I left her with him still roaming around America.

If there is anything I'm sure of, it's that I'm going to end the Lombardi line forever.