Vito was concerned. He told himself it was only because Ducks was concerned, which was a rarity. If Bobby 'Ducks' Navarro had something to worry about then they all did. The aging mob boss assured himself that it was no more than the usual concern he would have for anyone who had been missing this long. Except it hadn't been long, it had only been a few hours. Vito reasoned that maybe it was just because she was his friend's sister and she did have a tendency to get herself into trouble.
He only became aware of the others staring at him when Cassandra rudely slapped at his hat causing it to slant down over his eyes.
"You in there Scaletta?" she snapped.
"Yeah I fucking am," he retorted as he fixed his hat and glowered at her. "Why, you finally got something important to say?"
"Just wish you'd stop drumming your fingers on the table," she retorted as she shook her head and stuck her chin in the air in a haughty pose.
Vito glanced down at his right hand and watched mystified as his fingers rapped on the wood before he withdrew his hand and purposely folded his arms.
"Is something wrong Vito?" Lincoln pried as he studied him from across the table.
Vito glanced back at the younger man and decided it was best not burdening him with this new worry. Lincoln was heading to the Southdowns to enter a boxing ring that would hopefully get him to Tommy Marcano tonight, he had more than enough on his mind. It was the whole reason for this meeting, one final discussion of Lincoln's plan to get Tommy Marcano, another go through of the quick action they would all have to take in the aftermath, and a very brief murmur over what would happen if it all went to shit.
"I'm bored too lad," Burke sympathised as he glanced over at Vito.
"I'm not bored," Vito snarled back.
"No, what then?" Burke demanded. "You're kind of restless. Oh I know," he slammed his now empty bottle down on the table excitedly, "are you missing out on something lad? Getting too busy with business for pleasure, that sort of thing? Makes me restless too."
As Burke laughed Cassandra pulled a face of revulsion and made an 'ugh' noise.
Lincoln smiled and shook his head before giving Vito a pointed stare. "I don't think that's Vito's problem," he dared to joke.
If looks could kill, Vito's answering glare to Lincoln would have turned him to ash.
"Oh and how do you know?" Bure demanded as he leaned forward, suddenly interested in the conversation. "Did he buy you a girl too?"
"What?!" Vito snapped angrily before he could help himself. "Hey," he pointed at Burke, "just because you have to pay for it doesn't mean I do."
"Pigs," Cassandra scorned them.
"Hey now Cassandra all's fair in love and war," Burke scoffed at her, "let's be equal here, you must have the need the same as the rest of us."
"It's not something I'm going to discuss with you three," Cassandra retorted hotly. "Surely we have more important matters at hand than Scaletta's failed love life."
"Hey, hey," Vito protested moodily, "firstly, honey, there's nothing failed about it and secondly, fuck you Burke, I don't have to pay to get tail and thirdly, Lincoln," he pointed across the table sternly at the snickering young man, "not a fucking word out of you."
Cassandra bristled at the term 'honey' exactly as Vito hoped she would and fumed in her seat whilst Burke laughed and looked over at Lincoln with interest.
"Lincoln you know something more about Scaletta's mess then, what is it then? Is she ugly? Is she fat?"
"Jesus," Vito grumbled. "You'd be lucky to afford a girl like that," he scorned the Irishman.
Lincoln shook his head. "Sorry Burke, I don't think it's worth it. Anyway, Cassandra's right, business first."
"Tell you what lad, if all goes well tonight I'll buy you a beer and you can tell me all about Scaletta's fat whore," Burke offered.
Vito bristled at this and glared over at Burke. "Fuck you," he repeated again. "Lincoln, you do good tonight and I'll take you out for a real drink, not that potato piss Burke's passing for alcohol."
"Just a minute here," Cassandra snapped as she slammed a hand down on the table, "I see what's going on here. You think you're going to play this gender crap on me? You boys take Lincoln out for some sort of lad's night and butter him up for Tommy's district? Well fuck you both," she snarled as she folded her arms, "I won't be screwed over so easily."
Vito and Burke exchanged a look of surprise before Burke gave a loud, rude, scoffing laugh.
"You're always so paranoid Cassandra," Burke scorned her, "I didn't even have our political goals in mind."
"Sure you didn't," she sneered.
Vito sighed. "You know if you'd take that voodoo stick out of your ass once in a while we'd invite you out too," he taunted.
"On that note," Lincoln interrupted up firmly as he stood up from the table, "I'm going to go. I've got to get to the Southdowns for these fights."
"Good luck kid and knock 'em all dead," Burke remarked cheerfully as he too stood.
"Burn Tommy's joint to the ground," Cassandra said sternly as she too rose.
Vito turned his head up to Lincoln. He remained sitting, in everyone's shadows and yet appearing every inch the king in his throne. "Kill them all kid and watch your back," he said.
Vito stood too and the group headed out of the rundown plantation manor to a warm dusk. The sound of grasshoppers and the squawking of waterfowl carried on the breeze hinting at the wilds of the swampland beyond. The iron fencing was all that kept the swamp from this small spot of humanity but given how the vines were climbing up the rotting woodwork and birds had made nests in the ruins of upstairs, it wouldn't be long before the swamp dragged the plantation back into its domain.
Cassandra hopped into her purple car hastily, turned on the engine and sped off without a goodbye or a backwards glance.
Burke let out another chuckle as she left before turning to Vito and Lincoln with a smirk. "I wonder if it's only a matter of time before we kill each other," he remarked merrily. "I think she's hot for your head Scaletta," he teased the Italian, "which means I might inherit the city yet."
Burke limped off to his own green vehicle without waiting for Vito's moody retort.
The truth was Vito did admire Cassandra, he didn't like her, she was too hotheaded and hateful to him and the Italians for that but he didn't have to like her to admire her. She was gutsy and she had balls. She had both her race and gender against her and yet she continued to triumph against all the odds.
"So what's really going on with you?" Lincoln queried Vito bluntly as he watched Burke start up his car.
The car let out a few squeals and heavy clunks followed by a blast of black smoke before it screeched off.
"You'd think given that he works for a fucking salvage yard he could drive a better car than that," Vito remarked dryly as he watched the car go.
"That's not his main ride," Lincoln pointed out, "just one for coming out here, lessens the chances of being followed."
Vito grinned at this. "Yeah because the smoke and noise makes him so fucking discreet." He took off his trilby and fanned himself with it. Even though dusk had come the heat of the day still lingered. He could sense Lincoln's dark eyes upon him and knew that the former Vet was going to press for an answer. Part of him wondered why, he and Lincoln weren't close and he didn't owe him explanation to his personal life but then again, who the hell did either of them have to turn to? Neither one of them really had any friends and certainly none outside this murky Marcano business.
"Is it Tess?" Lincoln pried quietly. "She...well..." He dipped his head slightly as his cheeks burned pink. "Was the silk just a one time thing?"
"Oh Jesus kid, you're embarrassing you and me," Vito scoffed. He put his hat back on and glanced over at Lincoln. "She's been gone for a few hours alright," he admitted. "It's nothing unusual for her but she's got Bobby worried. He says he ain't seen Tommy for a while either so we have to figure they're together. I don't know if she's just looking time away from the mess, I mean running off is what she does..." He let out a sigh.
"You think she's having second thoughts about you?" Lincoln queried bluntly.
Vito's dark blue eyes went wide at this. "Well I wasn't until now!" he snapped. "Fuck kid, we're not dating, Jesus youth of today, when you get to my age well...you're just grateful to get a good fuck," he grumbled. "Alright, so I was considering she might have told Tommy or maybe," he rubbed the back of his neck with his right hand, "Tommy asked her given we weren't too quiet and the walls are thin. Hell, why am I telling you this? You don't need to know."
Lincoln smiled over at the older man. "Hey, I'm jealous, all this going on and you still found time for that," Lincoln retorted mockingly. "Although, those brothers of hers are psychotic, personally, she's nice and all but I wouldn't touch her with a bargepole. I've seen Tommy stab someone in the eye and he's the nice one." Lincoln let out a brief laugh. "They find out about you and Bobby will probably haul Theresa's ass into a convent or a tower."
"Yeah, thanks kid," Vito grumbled with a grimace. "Anyway, you head on, she'll turn up, probably high as a kite or drunk as a skunk, maybe should tell Bobby to check out Pointe Verdun."
Lincoln nodded before stepping up to Vito. "I'm sure that's it," he said sincerely in a low voice. "We've got enough people looking out for the Ensanglante and we hurt them taking out that club, I don't think she's in any immediate danger from them," he added, guessing at Vito's real fears. "Knowing what little I do of Tess, she's probably committing a felony and Tommy is probably trying to bail her out before Bobby gets wind of it."
Vito smiled at this and nodded. "Right kid, that's probably it. Now get on to Southdowns already, you've got some fights to win, just remember it's the last one that counts."
Lincoln nodded agreeably before stepping up to his black sedan. He glanced over at Vito again. "I'll call you after and you can let me know if she's turned up, if not I'll help look for her." He opened the door of the car and got in.
Vito waited until Lincoln had departed before finally getting into his navy blue De'Leo Angeleno, a car that was subtle enough to blend in but not well designed for swamp terrain.
He drove out onto the dirt track road and prepared for a bumpy ride through the rough paths that passed as roads out here as he headed back to River Row. He knew Bobby would call him one way or another and there wasn't much he could do until then.
Tommy Marcano glanced at the expensive, glittering gold watch on his wrist. He didn't have long before he would have to leave to prepare for this evening's "Jungle Fights" and the stench of the swamp mingled with blood was starting to irritate his senses anyway.
He had gathered in the past couple of hours that it didn't matter what he did or threatened to do, the Navarro siblings were tough as nails and neither one was going to betray Vito Scaletta or Lincoln Clay to him. He wasn't even certain they knew anything about Clay, that was speculation, but it had been worth asking.
They were in an unused wooden shack deep in the Bayou, part of an abandoned Dixie Mafia distillery settlement. Half the building had already sunken into swamp, driven there by hurricanes and heavy rain most probably. It was pooled up with dark water that promised all manner of terrors in it and one had to wonder if the wooden boards of the back wall went all the way down anymore. There wasn't even a floor, never had been, the half-bred hicks who'd been out here had been too lazy to construct it. They'd just wanted a quick, uninteresting looking shelter for their barrels of moonshine to sit in before the truck could come to carry them off.
"You know Theresa I'm going to change tactics here because we're almost out of time," Tommy addressed the woman with a smile.
She was tied up in ropes, bruised and bloody but still mocking him with a smile. Tommy admired how she had taken her beating, biting back every whimper and offering up colourful insults instead. Her brother looked worse for wear too but he was still managing a mad grin, all the crazier looking thanks to the missing teeth and the crimson blood that decorated the remaining ones.
Tommy took out his gun and pointed its cold nozzle in Tommaso's direction. "I've a game for you," he said with a cold grin. "Your brother keeps breathing until you scream. You scream, he dies."
Theresa glared back at him challengingly and he wondered if she knew he really was pressed for time and if she was planning on waiting him out.
Tommy nodded calmly to the guard lingering behind her. He was Tony Moreau, was a cousin of Chester Moreau one of Olivia Marcano's racket bosses and he was eager to prove himself to the Marcano family ever since his cousin Chester had gotten him a chance with Tommy. Tony moved quickly, he tugged out a knife and surprised Theresa by cutting free the ropes that bound her hands.
At first he spun her round with one hand to face him and delivered two sudden punches to her gut.
She almost screamed with surprise and only just swallowed down her sound of pain as she doubled over with a gasp.
Tony offered another punch, higher and harder, his fist struck her ribcage this time.
Tommy smiled when Tony punched her twice again and she vomited. It still wasn't a scream but they all knew it was only a matter of time.
The beating continued for another twenty minutes, longer than Tommy would have liked. Theresa's lip was split, her eyes were bruised, her nostrils soiled with blood and she was doubled over, soaked in sweat and panting hard as she quivered.
Theresa's brother Tommaso watched on with a cool expression, his dark stare promising death for Tommy and Tony.
Tommy waved Tony back with his gun nozzle and stepped up to Theresa as she slumped to her knees. He tugged out a handkerchief with his free hand and knelt down before her. "You think you can stay silent forever?" he quipped mockingly as he reached out to dab the handkerchief along her split lip.
The woman recoiled from him with a glower of hate.
"Tell you what, tell me where Lincoln Clay and Vito Scaletta are and I'll stop the game," Tommy offered, "and you and your brother can live."
Theresa gave him an insult in Italian for an answer.
Tommy tutted and shook his head before he glanced back to Tony and nodded.
Tony moved quickly without warning, reaching for the woman before she had time to brace herself for the next assault.
Tommy smiled when Tony viciously yanked Theresa's arm up, twisted it and pulled it back with a loud, satisfying crack that caused a scream of agony from the woman as the bone broke.
BANG!
"And there it is," Tommy said calmly as he lowered his smoking pistol, "game over."
Theresa turned cold as she tried to process what had happened. Her vision blurred at the edges and a loud ringing filled her ears as they were momentarily deafened by the close gunshot. Tommy was saying something but she couldn't hear him. Her wide eyes lingered on the black nozzle as he lowered it.
Her pain was gone as quickly as it had come, banished with shock. Everything in her mind told her not to look to the right where her brother was sitting but she felt there was a question that couldn't be answered until she did.
She blinked and her head bobbed forward slightly before Tony's hand yanked her upright again with a sharp tug on her dark hair.
Tommy Marcano blinked in and out of existence. Tommy. Darkness. Tommy. Darkness. The ringing was starting to fade. Look right. Don't do it. Do it. Don't. Theresa fought against herself as her heart started to pound loudly, the sound of its beating replacing the ringing in her ears.
Theresa chanced a glance out of the corner of her eye and immediately regretted it.
Tommaso Navarro was still sitting upright on his knees with his hands bound behind his back only something was wrong.
Theresa forced herself to turn and take in the wrongness.
Tommaso's eyes were open but frozen, full of disbelief and horror. His mouth was parted open slightly and a thick trickle of blood had streaked from it, down his chin and was starting to drip onto the ground.
Theresa couldn't understand it. "Tommy?" she croaked in confusion.
"Mi dispiace passero," he said softly as blood bloomed at his chest.
Theresa turned numb as Tommaso slumped forward with a low groan.
Tommy Marcano, satisfied with Theresa's reaction, stood upright and pocketed his gun. "Tie her up again," he ordered Tony.
"Don't you want her dead too?" Tony queried bluntly.
Tommy gave him a thin smile. "Certainly but why rush it? Who in the hell is going to come looking for her out here? If she's lucky she's gator food, if not, she'll starve."
Tony nodded as he reached for the rope lying in a heap behind him.
Theresa was unresisting as Tony grabbed her hands again and tied them together behind her back. She wasn't even aware of him or the pain of her broken limb. She couldn't fathom what was going on. All Theresa could do was repeat her brother's name and hope for an answer.
"Tommy."
The whimper of the name drew a pause from Tommy Marcano. He halted in the doorway and looked back to the young woman. Another lifetime and he might have called her niece, hell another mother and he would have accepted her, bastard or no, but she was related to the Navarros for Christ's sakes. Given her age, Tommy figured his brother Sal had sired her when the Navarros were still feigning loyal to him but even at that Tommy couldn't understand it. Why run the risk of a bastard when you had all that power and wealth to protect? Well it wasn't a risk for Tommy at least, he took precautions in that regard and half his chosen partners couldn't conceive anyway.
Tommy stepped out to the early onset of dusk in the bayou. The sky was dark violet smudged with blue and brightened with the haze of a setting sun. It was beautiful even with the flies detracting from it but Tommy had no time for it. He ignored it, cursing as his designer shoes squelched in the damp terrain below him. He took wide strides back to his car and wondered if Theresa might just get sucked under. He figured she would probably last a day or two before opting for suicide by drowning herself in the stagnant water as the smell of her brother's corpse finally overcame her.
Even for Tommy that was a dark image. He halted again and contemplated blasting the girl's brains in as a mercy but he couldn't do it. Sal would look for her eventually, questions would be asked and Tommy wanted his deniability to be as sincere as possible should all the odds go against him and Sal came his way despite thinking Tommy knew nothing about her. He didn't want Tony to have too much to squeal about either, at least if he let something slip the true story would be that they had left Theresa alive.
