FRANK
Giacomo Pacini. I thought I had seen the last of him. Every time I turned around, that asshole was at it again. We had met in college before we got drafted into the army. Out of twenty-seven million people, Pacini and I got selected with the other two million two hundred thousand men. I didn't want to join the army. But I wasn't given another choice. We got drafted and had to serve our time.
The day we received our orders, I had introduced Giacomo to my girlfriend, Helen Mazur. I wanted my best friend to meet the woman I planned to marry before leaving on tour. Giacomo Pacini and Joe Juniak witnessed as Helen and I exchanged vows the following day. I caught my flight a few days before Giacomo. What I don't know doesn't hurt. Right? If only that were true.
A few months into my tour, I received a letter from Helen. She was pregnant with our child. I scoffed whenever I think about the note from home. We were having a baby. I was over the moon with excitement. My naivety served Helen well for over thirty years. Thirty-two years, if anyone wanted to know.
I was holding a letter from a lab in DC. Maybe Ranger was mistaken. He gave me the necessary background information on Helen, Joe and Valerie, but I thought someone messed up the records at the hospital. I know it was unusual for Ranger to give me details on my wife and daughter. Ranger proved with the letter "A" that everything I assumed about Valerie was false. I needed irrefutable proof before dealing with the viper I married.
"Frank?" Joe Juniak asked. "Is everything okay?" He sat across the table and placed a black coffee in front of me.
"I was about to open the results."
"Paternity test? Are you sure you want to open that can of worms?"
I rubbed my forehead, then ran my hand over my short hair. "Not particularly, but I have to know." Joe waved a hand for me to continue. Steeling myself, I took a drink of coffee to calm my nerves, then peeled back the envelope flap. I removed and unfolded the letter.
"Valerie isn't your daughter," Joe said.
"No. But Stephanie is," I replied. "I got her tested as a precaution. Her blood type matched mine and Helen's, but one could never be too sure. I had to prove she was my daughter."
"Why did you test Valerie?" I know Joe thought it was pointless, but I had to prove a point.
"Her blood type is A-positive," I replied. Joe knows Helen, and I have type O-positive blood. We couldn't have a baby with a blood type other than O-positive or O-negative. "You know Helen would lie, then blame the hospital for swapping the results."
"Oh. I'm sorry, Frank. Your only granddaughter is Isabelle." I knew Joe spoke the truth. But I still considered Angie and Mary Alice to be my granddaughters.
"Maybe Stephanie and Manoso would give me a grandson." It was wishful thinking. I don't know if Ranger wanted another child.
"What do you know?" Juniak asked.
"Stephanie and Carlos got married electronically. Their marriage certificate passed all government scrutiny. I know because I checked. Manoso said Stephanie got Hector to submit the document to the registry department's database. And Stephanie's in Trenton," I replied.
"I thought she was gone for good. She wanted to join the army, and you wanted her to work in military intelligence," Joe reminded me. "Her intuition is better than yours."
"Yes, but the teenage pregnancy ruined my plans. I thought Stephanie would still join the army at eighteen after Morelli got awarded custody of Isabelle. Stephanie must have thought I betrayed her when I removed Isabelle from her arms. I should have helped Stephanie fight Helen and Morelli." I sighed and shared something I had never dared to admit before. "I let Helen manipulate Stephanie after Isabelle's birth."
"Why do you think you helped Helen?"
"I thought I could keep Stephanie safe in the army and I knew nobody was after the child. The only way I could think of to get Stephanie to join was to let Helen coerce Stephanie into signing away her rights to Isabelle. I never realized it was part of the same plan." I didn't want to tell Joe the rest. He would know I was a coward.
"Frank," Joe demanded. He wanted to know what was on my mind and why I was beating myself up. I rubbed my hand down my face. Holding the coffee mug between my hands, I shared the story.
"When Stephanie was born, I knew she was different from other babies. Stephanie smiled at me when she was only a few hours old. It wasn't gas." I glared at Joe. He grinned and asked me to continue. "Like her grandmother Edna, I noticed things about Stephanie. She would cry when I left on the occasional mission. It was odd at first. Then I realized Stephanie only cried when my mission was about to go FUBAR. Stephanie smiled and cooed the other times. As Stephanie got older, she'd hug me goodbye and say a name. I always listened. She saved my life. I went into the mission with my eyes opened wide. Stephanie was around nine years old when she drew a picture for me. Helen was appalled. She couldn't believe our daughter could draw such a ghastly image. I recognized it as the lifeline she offered. When I returned from that mission, Stephanie lost the familiar spark. I heard through the grapevine that Helen got the Necromancer to put her into a hypnotic trance of sorts."
"Isn't the Necromancer, Alberto Mancuso, dead?"
"Yes. I had the pleasure of chaining him inside a remote cement bunker. After getting his confession, I shoved the grenade inside his mouth before pulling the pin," I growled. "I got about one hundred meters away before the grenade detonated. All they found were his legs from the knee down. It was enough to identify him. Unfortunately, Stephanie's abilities never returned. I assumed she kept them repressed to keep Helen from harming her."
"I always thought Alberto was an unmentionable."
"Nope. He only wished he was that cool. Mancuso's skill barely registered on the unmentionable scale. Have you heard from Diesel?" I quickly changed the subject.
"Not yet. He's supposed to visit soon. But I imagine he's watching Stephanie's back. Don't be surprised if he pops in sometime," Joe said. I squinted my eyes and stared at my longtime friend. "I mean it in the literal sense. Diesel learned a few tricks since he went for training. His aunt and I miss him."
"Keep the faith, Joe. Diesel will check in soon." I shook Joe's hand and thanked him for being available to review the lab results and keeping me grounded. Diesel. I don't understand why they don't call him Sven.
"Sven doesn't sound badass. That belongs to you." Joe slapped my back when he walked past me. I picked up the flash drive Joe left on the table. It contained our intel proving that Helen orchestrated Stephanie's pregnancy and everything up to the day she lost custody of Isabelle. Stephanie would need this proof to regain custody of her daughter.
I returned to my secured office to review the videos and photographs on the drive. It contained additional files. I opened them and what I had read in the documents set my blood on fire. It didn't take long for Juniak to crack the code. He had included his deciphered text.
An enemy of mine wanted to kidnap Stephanie to force her to work for him, but when her gypsy clairvoyance skills got tamped down, he laid in wait. The man disappeared for several years and promised to return. Helen corresponded with the man in encrypted messages. A few months ago, Helen notified him through a letter that she had found her daughter.
It was time to call General Pickering. We needed to put another dog or two down.
LESTER
"Dude, you have to tell us sometime. It may as well be now," I said. Vince rolled his head until he faced me. I patiently waited for Vince to give Bobby and me the details.
"It isn't my story to tell," Vince replied. I wasn't feeling overly patient now. Bobby pushed on my leg. I raised an eyebrow, silently asking him to remove his hand. Bobby snatched his hand off my leg.
I was up for a lot of things, but having another man's hand on my thigh that close to my manhood was uncomfortable. Bobby grinned. He knows it bothered me. The prick. Where did I put my itching powder? I foresee jock itch in Bobby's future.
"Why don't you ask Stephanie if you can share?" Bobby diplomatically suggested. Vince stared at him for a few minutes before grabbing his phone to message Stephanie.
"Fine. I sent Steph a text. We're in a public place. I doubt she wants us to discuss it in the open." He had a point, but we are in Shorty's. Nobody from the Burg steps foot in the establishment.
"What's the worst that can happen?" I asked.
Vince smiled as he read the message. He passed the phone to Bobby and me. "Don't read this out loud. Pass the phone to Bobby and Lester for them to read. I only want to share the story once. Sitting in the middle of Shorty's is not the time or place. I'll organize a meeting for you, Bobby, Lester, Tank, Hector, Cal and Ranger. I don't want anyone else who isn't already privy to the events in the hotel room to know. I'll talk to Ranger, and then we'll see you when you come back," Stephanie wrote.
"Dang. How did she know where we went?" I asked. My phone pinged. I read the message and laughed. "Hector taught her how to retrieve our tracker data. She knows our Rangeman SUV is parked in the lot out back."
Bobby and Vince shook their heads. I was too impatient to wait until after lunch. "Santos, we already ordered our pizzas. I'm sure you can wait a little longer," Bobby said. The waitress headed towards our table with our order.
"Can I get anything else for you?"
I was about to answer no when Vince said, "Meatball sub with extra cheese and marinara sauce. Can you have it ready with our check?"
"Sure thing, honey." I noticed Vince watching the waitress's ass as she walked away. Vince shook his head, then returned his attention to the food on our table. He grabbed a slice of pizza with bacon, sausage and pepperoni. After eating it in four bites, Vince grabbed two of the deluxe.
"Are you trying to maintain your girlish figure?" I joked. Vince pulled a piece of pepperoni from his pizza and chucked it at my head. I didn't duck quick enough, making it land on my forehead. When I removed it from my face, I looked at it, then shoved it into my mouth.
"Steph's right. You are weird." I laughed at Vince's comment.
We joked around as we polished off the two large pizzas. Vince caught the waitress watching us. She leaned over the counter to grab the meatball sub, but Jimmy, the owner, wouldn't release his grip on the bag. I couldn't hear their conversation. Jimmy wiped his hands on the apron. He carried the meatball sub to our table.
"Vince, is this for my little girl?" he asked.
"Yes. I thought she'd appreciate one of your meatball subs for lunch."
"Is she home to stay?" Jimmy asked.
"Maybe. We have a few things to manage before she can settle in Trenton."
The conversation between Vince and Jimmy was strange. Why does Jimmy call Stephanie his little girl? How does Vince know him? Jimmy looked at Bobby and me before asking, "Are you guys taking care of her?"
"We are." My question spewed from my lips before I could stop it. "How do you know her, and why is she your little girl?"
"Steph is my niece. Vince, remember to drop by soon. Your mother misses you," Jimmy replied. "I'll grab the tiramisu."
I pulled money from my wallet and dropped it on the table. "Jimmy said not to take your cash," the waitress said. "Food is on the house for family."
"Take it anyway. You deserve the tip," I replied. She glanced at Vince, who nodded.
"Okay. Thanks," she said. "My son needs new shoes."
Vince asked her about the child while Bobby and I left the building. We waited five minutes before Vince arrived, carrying a takeout bag for Stephanie. I raised an eyebrow when he climbed into the backseat.
"Lotte's husband died a few years ago. They didn't have life insurance," Vince explained. "You left her with enough cash to buy a decent pair of shoes for Ryan. He's three, and my mom is babysitting. Lotte doesn't have any family."
"Where is she living?" I quickly asked.
"St James and Dunworth apartment 215. It's a three-story building with eighteen apartments," Vince replied. "I know the area. It isn't safe for a single mother with a child. She's living in a one-bedroom apartment. Her son sleeps in the bedroom while she's in the living room on a pull-out sofa. They have a fire escape outside the bedroom window."
"You got all that information in five minutes?" I asked, impressed.
"No. I've known Lotte for a few months. We talked a few times when I came here for lunch. Ryan's a great kid."
Bobby parked the SUV in the underground lot for Rangeman. Stephanie exited the elevator as we climbed out of the car. "Vince, you are my favourite cousin," Stephanie said when Vince gave her the bags containing a sub and tiramisu.
"My dad thought you'd like a slice of cake."
"I love uncle Jimmy. Have you asked out Lotte yet?" she asked. I raised an eyebrow. How did Stephanie know about the waitress?
"Not yet."
"What the hell are you waiting for, a personal, engraved invitation?" Stephanie smacked his arm. She muttered that he should get on with it. Vince teased her about setting him up on dates.
"Wait a second. Steph, do you know Lotte?" I asked.
"Yes. She used to live across the hall from me in New York. Her husband used to work in day trading. Fred, her husband, got himself into a bind. He gambled away his inheritance and repaid the debt with his life. I gave Lotte money to move to Trenton. She refused to accept a loan and insisted on paying her own way. I understand her position," Stephanie explained.
The elevator opened on the fifth floor. Stephanie pulled the sub from the bag to take a huge bite. Sauce and cheese dripped onto her chin. She moaned as she took another bite.
Vince guided Stephanie to the conference room. Ranger, Tank, Cal and Hector sat at the table, waiting for us to arrive. "Babe," Ranger said as Stephanie continued to eat.
"What? I'm hungry."
"You had a sandwich for lunch."
"A turkey sandwich. Twigs and bark don't count as lunch." We waited for Stephanie to finish eating her sub before getting to business.
"Babe?" Ranger asked.
"Okay. It's time to share my thoughts. While packing in the hotel, I concentrated on the nightmares from the previous night." Stephanie paused to open the tiramisu. "Sorry, I need courage that only sugar can provide." She pinched a piece off, then shoved it into her mouth. Her tongue licked the icing from her fingers. Ranger groaned while the rest of us, except Vince, shifted uncomfortably in our chairs. Vince reached into the bag to grab the plastic fork. Stephanie glanced around the room, then apologized.
"Babe." I hear you, cousin. Stephanie eating lunch makes us all hard, except for Vince, because having your cousin turn you on is kind of creepy.
"Sorry," she apologized again. "Vince helped me realize that my dreams were snippets of my memories returning. During my nightmares, I remembered when Helen took me to the Necromancer, Alberto Mancuso. I recalled he scared me and I felt uncomfortable, like he wanted to hurt me. Before then, Helen took me to visit another man who didn't live in Trenton. I remembered Helen driving over a few bridges. She drove for a few hours. I think Helen left Valerie with Frank's parents because her parents were in Florida on vacation."
"Who was the man?" Tank asked.
"Giacomo Pacini. I didn't realize that was his name. Helen called him John. I didn't make the connection. Anyway, Giacomo gave me a drink of juice. It made me feel funny. He asked me questions, and I told him what I saw inside my head. After he extracted the information from my head, Helen and Giacomo would disappear. I heard Helen shout his name a few times. She would be fixing her shirt when she returned to me. Helen stopped taking me to visit Giacomo after we visited the Necromancer. I remembered hearing her tell Mancuso that I was drawing the things I saw, and she didn't want Valerie's innocence to get tainted by me."
I hoped Stephanie was not telling us what I thought she was telling us. Stephanie ate a few more pieces of her dessert before continuing. "I saw Giacomo a few times over the years. The last time I saw him was on the campus at Douglass. Giacomo didn't approach me on campus. He stayed far away from me and observed. It was like Giacomo was waiting for something to happen. I guess he didn't get the physical response he anticipated because he left. A few times after that day, I felt someone watching me. It wasn't every day, just occasionally. I looked around but didn't see anyone. However, I did know when they left. My spidey sense worked overtime. I knew it was protecting me from harm. It told me when to run and hide or when to stand and fight. When I graduated a few months later, I changed my name and moved in with Peter Lewis. Helen may not have been stalking me, but she was in contact with the man who did."
"Why did he stop following you?" Cal asked.
"According to his military file, he was deployed in South America," Ranger replied. "Giacomo retired a few years ago."
Stephanie wasn't surprised by the news, making me believe she stumbled across that intel with Ranger. "Do you remember when I mentioned that my grandparents' flight never made it to Italy?" Stephanie asked.
"Yes," we replied.
"Helen slipped a bomb into my grandma's luggage. Before you ask, I know this because she drove them to the airport, and the bomb used was consistent with the type Giacomo was famous for in the military," Stephanie said. "It was set to detonate a few hours after takeoff. The ministry of defence got the evidence from the explosion suppressed. They insisted a bird got stuck in the engine during takeoff. It caught fire, then made the plain explode."
"Are you saying that Helen Plum wants you dead?" I asked.
"Yes. Valerie is Giacomo's biological daughter. Frank got a paternity test to prove it. Carlos and I saw the results the second it got entered into the lab's system. Helen only married Frank for the Testa inheritance. My inheritance. My grandmother changed her will when I was five. It was after one of the times Helen left Valerie in grandma's care while Helen took me to see Giacomo. I think Helen killed my grandparents because they knew the truth about Valerie's paternity and she wanted grandma dead before she changed the will. Helen didn't know until later that it was already a done deal."
"Damn!"
Hector asked, "Are you the general's daughter?"
"I am his only biological child," Stephanie replied. Stephanie wiped her hands on the napkins Vince passed her from the bag.
"How are we going to catch Giacomo?" I asked.
"I've got a plan to catch Pacini, Helen and Morelli," Stephanie replied. "First, we need to find evidence against Joe Morelli to clear Rangeman's reputation."
She looked around the table before sharing her idea.