Chapter Twenty-Two
"Oh, I'm flattered, David," Adam oozed, "but I really wouldn't say that I was sent here to kill Nancy. It was that at first but I don't find killing pregnant women really appealing. I may be ruthless at times but I do have a soft spot for kids considering that I have four of my own."
"And they'll grow up to be assholes just like their father," Joe retorted, glaring at Adam. The man pushed Laura to another man then stepped up to Joe before ramming his fist into his gut, doubling him over. Laura squeaked out in protest only stopping when the person holding her painfully pulled her hair.
"None of my kids know what I do and they never will," Adam sneered, leaning over to look at Joe. "My wife doesn't even know what I do nor does she care. All they love are my paychecks."
"Sounds like…" Joe wheezed, looking up at him, "…someone needs a little counseling."
"Oh, shut up."
Adam looked back at David who was on the floor, beads of sweat pouring down his face. At the angle Joe was at, he saw a growing pool of blood on the floor, something he didn't see before when David came in. It was only a matter of time before the man passed out and even Joe didn't want that. He was the only one who knew where his family was.
"So, David," Adam continued, "I'm actually quite impressed that you took out most of the Board, including a few members of Jackson's family. I should thank you too. They were getting on my nerves a bit so you literally saved me the time and effort of making a space for myself on the Board."
"Hey!" yelled Jackson, butting in. "That's my family we're talking about here! This little weasel destroyed everything we worked for the last twenty some-odd years! You did your job but you don't need to mock my family in the process!"
"I know that, you dolt!" the other man screamed. "You're lucky I don't knock your ass back to New York for coming here! You didn't need to drop everything for this! I am handling it! You'll get what you want in the end anyway!"
"Who are you people?" Joe replied once he got his wind back. He stood up the best he could though he felt like he was going to throw up and not just from the punch in the stomach. He felt sick just listening to the two men argue. "This is insanity and believe me, I've heard it all! Nancy's not going to agree to any of this and who's to say that my brother would let you walk out of here alive with her anyway! You sure don't know either one of them and they've been through hell just to bring that kid into this world. David, you actually made a deal with these morons? What in God's name were you thinking?"
"Adam said to 'shut up!'" Jackson cried, knocking Joe on the back of the head. "My father, Anthony Vittorio is the one who made the offer to Wainwright. You're lucky that he's willing to spare your friend's life even after the moment that kid is born. And if she doesn't comply, well then, she'll up like Janice. Right, David? We'll put her right next to where they found Janice. The FBI is too stupid anyway to figure it out. They didn't even know that Bennett was one of ours! He's been there for fifteen years working his way to being on that idiot, Dearing's, team and no one ever knew! It was brilliant!"
Laura mumbled something trying to get away from her captor but the man just pulled her closer to him. Adam looked over at her and grinned.
"You don't like that idea, Mrs. Hardy?" he asked. "My wife has been bugging me for another kid for months thinking it would bring us together more. Fat chance though I'm sure she would love it if I brought her a newborn after its mother tragically dies in childbirth. We'll give the kid a good home, don't worry."
"You're sick," Laura sputtered. She spit in Adam's face then tried once again to wriggle out of her captor's hold.
Adam laughed once again before turning his attention back to David on the floor. He grabbed a hold of the man's hair and pulled him back to look at his face. "I'm going to ask this one more time," he seethed. "Where did you hide them?"
"Go to hell."
"You first." Adam pushed David back to the floor and stepped over the downed man to get to Laura. The man grabbed her painfully by the arm and shoved his gun to her temple. Joe tried to move but Jackson kicked his knee out to ground him then held Joe stable to make him watch.
"I'll give you to the count of three, David," Adam stated. "One…" He cocked the gun and Laura closed her eyes, tears escaping down her cheeks. "Two…" He aimed the gun at her temple once more.
"That's enough, Adam!" boomed a voice. The group turned as one to see a man walking toward them with a contingent of bodyguards surrounding him. His hair was white with speckles of long-gone youth, his eyes a crisp, icy blue. The man wore a pin-striped suit with an air of refinery and dignity as he strolled toward them. Joe could tell the man was pissed from the stern expression on his face. David looked somewhat scared while Jackson's face went white in surprise. Adam was the only one who didn't look fazed. The newcomer stopped, his eyes fixed on David. "Help him up."
Two of his men pulled David to a standing position though the man could barely remain on his feet, the blood from a wound in his side dripping on the floor. The old man saw the blood then glared at Jackson who cringed slightly.
"Jackson, I am very disturbed in hearing what has been going on these past few weeks," the man said softly, his voice old and strained. He looked over at Adam. "What are you doing to these people? I find it hard to believe that they did something so heinous to you that they would need to be eliminated like cattle."
"Pop," Jackson started but stopped the moment his father turned back to him. He gulped hard then stammered as he continued. "I…I was only doing this to protect our family, to protect what we've built the last twenty years. David killed our family this morning. This is retaliation."
"But this has been going on for several weeks, Jackson," he said calmly. "I did not raise you to be a tyrant. I raised you to respect those around you even if you do not like them."
"Cut the hypocrisy, old man!" cried Adam. "You left months ago to see what he would do knowing full well what would happen! You raised him to be the way he is and he is proving that you were just the same way he is now!"
"Adam," the man replied. "I would suggest that you shut up at the moment. You are no longer under our employ since it was you would has been torturing this family for the past week."
"Where did you hear that from?"
"A reliable source," he answered. "I was in Milwaukee visiting a friend when I received a phone call. I got on the first plane I found and was deeply regretful that I did not make it before the rest of the Board were killed."
"By David!" cried Jackson, pointing to the former CEO. "He attacked us! We called a meeting and when he came in, his men opened fire on us!"
"That's…that's a lie!" David stumbled with his words. "I came in to negotiate the terms to ensure he didn't kill their entire family! I…I kidnapped my own goddaughter to make sure she was safe! What was I supposed to do? Let it happen?"
"Is this true, Jackson?"
"No! He attacked us!" the man yelled. "We only wanted to take the woman to make sure David kept his mouth shut!"
The old man looked from his son then David before settling on Laura. He went over to her and gently took her from Adam who scoffed.
"I'm sorry for all of this, Mrs..."
"Hardy," she stated angrily. She looked down at Joe who was still being held by Jackson. "This is my son, Joe. We're looking for my husband, son, and daughter-in-law."
"I heard about this, Mrs. Hardy," the old man nodded. "And I am truly sorry. My name is Anthony Vittorio. If there is anything I can do to remedy this, let me know but first, I am wondering. Your husband wouldn't happen to be Fenton Hardy?"
Laura's eyes went wide in shock, her mouth dropping open slightly. "Umm, yes," she said cautiously. "We think that he may have been shot but we don't know if he is okay. How…how do you know of him?"
"I had a run-in with him years ago when he was still with the NYPD," Anthony replied. "One of the only cops I knew who didn't take a bribe. Have a lot of respect for him and it pains me to hear that he was hurt by one of my people. I am glad to hear though that the two who hurt him are no longer with us. They were not going by my orders as my son insists."
"You're not going to hurt us then?"
"Why would I? You have done nothing wrong," the old man shrugged. He glared at his son. "You were going to take out the Hardy family? This is not how I expected you to turn out. Your brother was the smart one and your mother, God rest her soul, would be wailing on you for this."
"Don't you bring in that traitor!" Jackson sneered. "He made his choice and disappeared! Ma was devastated when he left and you know she was cursing his name for years!"
"You speak of him being the traitor?" Anthony said gravely. "I'm looking at the traitor. I made a deal with David years ago before you were a part of the Board. You were only 20 at the time and did not hear my orders then. You betrayed me and David when you had Rebecca and Julia killed. You were worried about your life being ruined by him and wanted to make an example. What were you going to do with the young lady who you searched for? Take her child and have Adam raise it to be one of us? From what I gather, the kid hasn't even been born yet and won't be for several weeks. Right, David?"
David couldn't say anything and barely nodded before his eyes rolled back and he collapsed to the ground.
"No!" cried Laura, kneeling down to David.
"I've had enough of this!" yelled Adam. He pulled her back and put the gun to her temple once more. "Old man, I have been waiting for years to get rid of you! Jackson didn't have the guts and neither did the rest of the Board even they wanted you gone! Now, I'm going to be in charge and you can take all these revelations with you to the grave! And since David can no longer talk to us, I don't see why we need to keep these two alive either. The rest will just have to rot where they are."
Joe heard Jackson move behind him, knowing that the gun was being trained on him once again. He really didn't want to go out in the way of Jimmy Hoffa with his wife never knowing what became of him. Joe looked to his mother and saw not only fear but perseverance as well in her eyes. She had no intention of going out that way either.
Suddenly the sound of a helicopter broke the eerie silence and the next thing they heard was music to Joe's ears.
"This is the FBI," called out a familiar voice via megaphone. Joe smirked as he saw panic arise in the faces of Adam and Bennett who also knew who the voice belonged to. The agent looked to Jackson who said nothing. "Come out or we will be forced to enter."
"I thought you said you didn't call him!" yelled Adam, glaring at Bennett.
"I didn't!" he protested, holding his hands up.
Adam aimed the gun at the agent and fired, killing him with a bullet to the head. Laura took the moment of distraction by slamming her foot into Adam's and ramming her elbow into his stomach. The man doubled over though he didn't let go of the gun. Laura whirled around, glaring at him before kneeing him in the groin.
"I called them, you spineless piece of shit! I knew there was something going on and I had a feeling that one of the agents was involved from the way you were so eager to allow them to come!" she cried. Joe laughed as his mother turned toward Jackson, glaring at him. "Are you going to let my son go now?"
Joe heard a clatter as Jackson's gun fell to the ground as the man stepped back. "Good choice," Joe retorted, getting up from the ground. He turned to Jackson and punched him in the face.
Laura brought her son close and hugged him. Joe gasped as he held his mother and was about to move her out of the way when another gunshot ripped through the warehouse. Laura turned around to see Adam standing close to her, a knife poised over her head. The man swayed slightly then looked down at his chest where a blossom of blood appeared over his heart. Adam's eyes rolled up and he was dead before he hit the ground.
The two Hardys looked around for the shooter and Joe smiled broadly when he saw a familiar face standing behind Anthony. BD's gun was still smoking as he lowered it. He looked to the Hardys and nodded.
"Almost didn't make it," the detective smirked. "Thanks for letting Tom know. They gave me a ride."
"Wait, what?" Joe asked looking from BD to Anthony. Laura saw it too. Both men had similar features including the same nose.
"Joe, Mrs. Hardy, meet my father, Anthony Vittorio," BD announced. "My real name is Benedict D'Angelo Vittorio."
Author's Note:
I know this is shorter than my normal chapters but I felt that it was best to leave it where it is. Hope everyone's week is going well. Thanks to those who continue to read and leave reviews. I hope that you enjoyed the chapter and if you will, please leave your mark so that I know you were here! Until next time, have a great rest of the week and God bless!