Chapter 13
“I suggest you keep quiet,” Leo said. “I’d hate to have to shoot one of your kids.”
My jaw snapped shut, and my breath heaved. “Are you guys all right?” I asked my kids, taking in their frightened faces.
“Yeah,” Josh said. He was thinking that Leo had only just arrived before me, but he couldn’t figure out why he was here.
“What do you want?” I asked Leo.
“I’m surprised your uncle didn’t provide better security for you,” he said. “It surprised me how easy it was to get your kids to let me in.”
“Leave them out of this.”
His eyes narrowed. “Cooperate with me and they’ll be fine.” He kept his gun trained on Josh and waited for my response.
“Okay.”
“Good. I want you to call Manetto. Use your phone.”
With his gun pointing at my children, I took my phone out of my purse and put the call through. “Hi Uncle Joey,” I began. “There’s…someone…” Leo took the phone from my hand and held it to his ear.
“Manetto. It’s been awhile. I have Shelby. If you want to keep her alive, then I suggest you meet with me. Alone.” He paused for a moment to let it sink in and then continued. “I’ll meet you at the place where we used to do business. It’s a simple trade. You for her. If you don’t show, or if you decide to bring someone with you, she’s dead. Be there in half an hour.”
He disconnected and set the phone on the table. “Let’s go.” He motioned me back to the door. “You’re driving.” He turned to look at my kids. “If you want to see your mother again, I suggest you don’t call anyone.”
With his gun at my back, I opened the door. He made me wait while he slid into the passenger seat, then I sat behind the wheel and closed the door. I hadn’t closed the garage door yet, so I could still see Dimples sitting in his car.
I backed out of the driveway, and Leo ducked down in the seat, so it looked like I was alone. “Where am I going?” I asked Leo, hoping Leo wouldn’t notice Dimples.
“Get on the freeway,” he answered, not missing Dimples or his car. He was thinking if the car started to follow us, he’d have to change plans, and he really didn’t want to do that.
Since changing his plans included killing me first, I prayed that Dimples waited until we were out of sight before following behind. It must have worked because, once I turned the corner, I lost sight of him.
Leo sat up in the car and put on his seatbelt, all while keeping the gun pointed in my direction. He was thinking that it would take Uncle Joey a good half hour to get to the building, which didn’t give him time to get there ahead of us.
“Where are we going?” I asked.
“Ever heard of the Old Mill Road? It’s south of here, next to Fisher’s Creek. Manetto and I used to meet there to conduct business.”
I knew exactly where that was. The Old Mill was a large, stone and wood building built in the eighteen hundreds and used as a paper mill. A fire destroyed most of it, and it was rebuilt in the nineteen twenties, but for the last thirty years it was empty and had fallen into disrepair. There were even rumors floating around that it was haunted. That was the last place I wanted to go.
“Are you sure it’s safe?” I asked.
Leo chuckled. “No. But it’s safe enough for what I have planned. Besides, it’s one of the few properties I still own, and I’d like to see it again.” He thought of all the clandestine meetings he’d held there back in the day. People would see lights from the street and report that it was haunted. He thought it a fitting place for Manetto to die.
Too bad he didn’t have a rope. He could tie it around my neck and hang me from the big beam that ran down the center of the main hall. That would get to Manetto. Instead, he’d have to hold me hostage on the upper floor balcony that overlooked the hall. When Manetto approached, he could push me off the edge, and I’d fall to my death at Manetto’s feet. Then, while Manetto stood there in shock, he’d shoot him until he ran out of bullets.
He liked that idea and was so wrapped up in his daydream that he hardly noticed how slow I was driving. I hoped if I drove slow enough it would buy Uncle Joey more time to get there ahead of me. Or at least give Ramos a sporting chance on his motorcycle.
Leo snapped out of his daydream long enough to level the gun my way. “Hey. You’re going too slow. Speed up.”
I pushed on the gas until I hit fifty-five and kept it steady. He kept quiet after that, especially when a spasm of pain caught his breath. He thought damn cancer, and wished he had some pain meds. Too bad he forgot to grab some when he was in the hospital.
“When we come to the next exit,” he said, “get off and then turn left.”
I already knew that, so I ignored him and tried to figure out a way I could survive. I could always crash the car, but that was a last resort. If he was in pain, that might mean he was also weak. If I stumbled and he reached out to help me up, I might be able to take him down with an Aikido move.
But that didn’t take the gun into account. Maybe I could twist the wrist of his hand holding the gun, just like I’d practiced a knife takedown in Aikido? It should work the same way, right? Unless he pulled the trigger and a bullet hit me in the stomach.
Before I could come up with something better, my freeway exit came into view. Now that the destination was getting closer, the old panic I’d grown so familiar with these last few days kicked in. Then righteous anger stirred in my heart. Had I just escaped death from a terrorist only to be bested by a sick old man out for revenge? No. I wasn’t going to let it happen. Whatever I had to do, he wasn’t going to win.
I drove slowly up the street, then turned right onto the boulevard. The next left took us onto Old Mill Road. The road curved several times before coming to a bridge. As I drove over it, I glanced down, knowing I’d just passed the point of no return.
The Old Mill came up on my left, more dilapidated than I’d remembered. The ceiling might have caved in, and there were “no trespassing” signs hanging around the old fence. Leo stared in shock at the run-down building with graffiti painted all over one side. Then he shook his head. He supposed it only fitting that it was in such bad shape, just like he was.
He pointed the gun my way and told me to turn into the gravel parking lot. I followed his directions and parked the car in the empty lot. With no sign that Uncle Joey had arrived, I knew it was up to me to get out of this.
Leo grabbed my car keys and stuffed them into his pocket, then motioned for me to get out of the car. He kept the gun trained on me, and told me to get walking. He stayed just far enough away from me that he was out of reach, so I couldn’t try anything. At the entrance, the doors were shut tight with a heavy chain and padlock.
Taking a key from his pocket, he undid the lock with practiced ease, and the chain fell to the ground with a clang. As he pulled the door open, I gathered my strength to shove him to the ground. Before I could make my move, he stepped back, motioning me to walk through the doors in front of him.
He wasn’t close enough to use hand-to-hand combat, and my frustration level rose. I decided that I’d rather try that and face a bullet than let him throw me off the balcony. Maybe my chance would come as we climbed the stairs.
Inside, the big hall reminded me of a church, only with a hole in the roof that allowed debris to litter the floor, along with bird poop and feathers. It smelled musty and rotten, and I decided there was no way I was going to die there.
Leo prodded me to step around the mounds of dirt and wood toward the back of the hall. We came to a doorway that led to the staircase. The door was long gone. Glancing inside, the dim light made it hard to see if the staircase had rotted or not. Leo stood just out of reach, not ready to give up his plan of throwing me off the balcony.
“Go on,” he said, pointing the gun in my face.
“I’m not sure the staircase will hold us,” I answered. “It looks like the wood has rotted out in places.”
His brows drew toge
ther and his lips thinned. “Step over there.” He motioned me out of the way so he could take a look. As soon as he glanced up the stairs, I rushed at him, knocking his arm with the gun as hard as I could.
My attack surprised him, but he didn’t lose his grip on the gun. I stepped inside his reach so he couldn’t shoot me, and twisted his arm, hoping to break his hold. He wrapped his other arm around my waist and held tight. He slammed me into the wall, hoping to dislodge my hold on his arm.
The side of my head hit the wall, and I lost my hold on his arm. In a last-ditch effort, I jerked my elbow hard against his neck, hitting him in the throat. With a strangled gasp, he let go of me to grab his throat. I quickly turned and brought my knee up as hard as I could and smashed into his groin.
I barely registered the noise of the gun hitting the ground, and channeled all that adrenalin and pent-up anger into a solid punch that connected with his jaw. As his head snapped back, I hit him again and again, anywhere I could reach that he hadn’t covered with his hands.
Under the onslaught, his arm snaked out and grabbed the front of my shirt. His fist held on tight, surprising me with his strength. With a scream, I twisted out of his hold and spotted the gun. Falling to my knees, I grabbed the gun and rolled to my back, then brought it up to shoot him. I pulled the trigger, and a piece of wood splintered behind his head.
He jerked out of the way, and I pulled the trigger again, hoping to hit him this time. He dodged away from my shot and took off up the stairs. Panting, I got to my feet and followed after him, catching sight of his dark shape near the top of the staircase.
A loud crack sounded, and the wood broke under his foot, causing one of his legs to fall through the gap. As he struggled to get his leg out of the hole, the wood gave way under his other foot, and he fell between the slats. He tugged and pulled at the step above him, then pushed against the step below, but he couldn’t get out.
With my chest heaving, I watched while he grappled against the stairs to get out, but nothing he did freed him from his precarious position. His struggling loosened the wood holding him, and I knew if he wasn’t careful, he’d fall right through.
Knowing he was stuck, I slowly climbed the stairs, stepping around the rotten places until I stood just a few feet below him. Gritting my teeth, I raised the gun and pointed it at his head. All it would take was a quick flick of my finger, and this piece of scum would be dead.
He turned to look at me. His eyes filled with hate and defiance, and he dared me to shoot him. “Go ahead. Do it.” This was not how he’d planned to die, but at least it was quicker than suffering from the cancer eating at him. He grinned, knowing that killing him would haunt me for the rest of my life. He’d still win.
Hearing his thoughts calmed me. Letting out a heavy breath, I released the trigger, and let my hand with the gun drop.
“Wait…what are you doing? Shoot me, you stupid bitch.”
Shouting came from outside the building. Then Dimples ran inside, yelling my name. It echoed eerily inside the hall and sent a shiver down my spine. I’d almost killed a man. I swallowed before slowly stepping back down the stairs. “I’m here,” I yelled. “I’m okay.”
Dimples hurried my way and stepped onto the staircase. As I continued down, he took my elbow and guided me the rest of the way. He glanced up and caught sight of Leo, half in and half out of the staircase. Was he still alive?
“He fell through and he’s stuck,” I explained. “But he’s alive and not hurt too much. You should be able to arrest him.” He took in my pale face, noticing that I was a little shaky. He caught sight of the gun in my hand and wondered if I’d shot Leo. “No. I didn’t. But I really wanted to.”
“It’s okay, Shelby.” He took the gun from me and glanced back up the stairs. “How sure are you that he’s stuck and can’t get out?”
I shrugged. “Pretty sure. But not positive. You might not want to go up there though, because the stairs aren’t real stable. I’d hate to see you fall through, too.”
“Okay. Backup will be arriving any minute. I’ll wait until they get here.”
I nodded. “Good. I’m glad you’re here. Did you follow me?”
He shook his head. “I saw you leaving the house and called your cell. Josh answered and told me Leo had you. By then you were out of sight.” Dimples let out a breath, thinking that he’d uttered a few bad curse words that Josh had unfortunately heard.
“That’s when Josh told me to call Manetto and find out where Leo planned to meet. Once I got the information from him, I hurried here as fast as I could.”
I nodded and relief ran through me. It was over.
Now that I wasn’t in any danger of getting killed, the strength left my legs, and I started to shake.
“Why don’t you head over there and take a breather?” He pointed back toward the main hall.
“Sure,” I agreed. I took several steps away from the staircase into the hall and leaned over to calm down and catch my breath.
“Shelby!”
I glanced up to find Uncle Joey rushing toward me. The concern in his gaze sent warmth through my heart. “You’re alive.” He caught me in a quick hug before pulling away. “Where is he?” Uncle Joey had a gun, and he was ready to use it.
“He’s over there in the staircase.” Uncle Joey started that way, but I caught his arm. “Wait. You can’t. Dimples is here. Leo got stuck in the staircase, and Dimples is going to take him into custody.”
Uncle Joey let out a growl. After all this Leo was going to live? He wanted to shoot him more than anything, and he considered heading inside after all. Maybe he could pay Dimples off and kill Leo anyway.
“No. You can’t do that.” I held his arm tightly and caught his gaze. “I almost killed him. I really wanted to, but he was thinking that it was better to die by getting shot than die from the cancer. He’s in a lot of pain. That’s what stopped me from pulling the trigger.” I could hardly believe I’d gotten out of this alive. But I’d almost killed Leo, and that frightened me just a little.
Uncle Joey let out a pent-up breath and relaxed. He nodded, giving in to his relief that it was over and I was okay, even if Leo was still alive. “You did the right thing.”
“I did?”
“Yes.” He grinned. “Well, for you it was right. I’d hate for you to have his death on your conscience, no matter how much he deserved it. This way you can sleep at night.” He didn’t add that it wouldn’t have bothered him in the least, but…I wasn’t him.
Before I could respond, I heard the unmistakable sound of a Harley pulling into the parking lot. Uncle Joey glanced at me, and worry clouded his eyes. “He’s not going to be happy he missed all the excitement.”
“What do you mean?”
“I wasn’t exactly sure which place Leo was referring to, so I sent Ramos to a different location.” At my widened eyes, he continued. “Hey…it’s been thirty years. A lot’s happened since then.”
Ramos rushed inside, looking totally bad-ass in his black leather jacket and gloves. Spotting us, he exhaled with relief, then quickly picked his way through the debris, his shoulders tight with unleashed rage. “Where is he?” He was thinking that if Leo wasn’t dead, he’d take care of it.
“He’s not dead,” I said. “But he’s stuck in the staircase.” I motioned toward the doorway. Ramos nodded, and stepped in that direction, ready to head in there and finish him off.
“Wait,” I grabbed his arm, experiencing a flash of déjà vu. “You can’t kill him. Dimples is in there with him. And I’m sure Gerard is coming.”
Ramos clenched his jaw in anger. That was not what he wanted to hear. His gaze found mine, and he caught the red scrape on my cheek and the trickle of blood at my temple. “What the hell happened?”
“I fought him and got away. I picked up his gun and took a couple of shots at him, but I missed. He ran up the staircase and fell through, so he was stuck. I would have shot him, but that’s what he wanted, so I didn’t.”
Ramos kn
ew there was more to the story, but it would have to wait, because the sounds of several cars swerving into the gravel parking lot interrupted us. As Gerard and his men rushed in, Ramos stepped protectively to my other side.
Dimples stepped from the stairway and motioned them toward him. “He’s in here, but we’re going to need some help to get him out.”
Gerard glanced my way, grateful to finally catch Leo. It totally blew his mind that I was there in the thick of it all. How did that happen? With a shake of his head, he turned his attention to Dimples and the problem of how to get Leo out of there and into custody.
I knew he’d want to talk with me, but I wasn’t sure I could stay there any longer. Then it hit me that my kids were probably worried sick. “Can I borrow your phone to call my kids?” I asked Uncle Joey.
“Of course,” he said, handing me the phone.
Josh answered right away. “Josh, it’s me. We got him. Everything’s okay. The police are here, and they’re arresting him right now.”
“Did Uncle Joey come?”
“Yes, but I disarmed Leo before anything happened. Dimples showed up too, so we’re all good.”
“What do you mean, you disarmed him?” he asked. “You took his gun away?”
“Uh…yeah, I did. I even shot at him a couple of times, so he ran up some stairs to get away from me and fell through a hole. They’re trying to get him out right now.”
“Huh. That’s nuts. But…good nuts.”
“Hey, I’m sorry this happened.” It bothered me that my kids had been brought into my crazy world. I hoped I hadn’t scarred them for life.
“Hey,” he said. “It’s okay. We weren’t scared. You have premonitions. We knew you’d be okay.”
My eyes filled with tears, and I had to clear my throat before I could speak. “Is Dad still asleep?”
Josh chuckled. “Yeah. He’s going to be mad that he missed all the excitement.”
“Yeah, that’s for sure,” I agreed. “I’ll be home as soon as I can. Maybe you’d better wake him up and fill him in before I get there.” I hoped that if Josh told Chris, he’d take it better than if it came from me.