A/N – Thanks for the comments. I'm glad you're still enjoying the fic!
This one is action filled.
Chapter 13 - Tortured
Sonny confidently entered the meeting room where the current heads of the families make the rules for all of the organizations in the area.
Vinny Scalero is the most physically intimidating of all the men. They call him Scarface because he had been in a car explosion when someone had tried to take him out and had skin grafts that marked his face. Dominic Taglianni is the most level headed. He is well respected for his shooting and tactical skills. Tommy Giarrella is a large man. At 6'5, he towers over everyone and has a reputation so lethal, that no one fucked with him. Paulie Corallo is only 5'7, but he is built like a pitbull and is especially ruthless. Tony Basciano rounded out the group—literally. He is heavy, but everyone knows better than to mention it. He once cut someone's tongue out who dared to tease him. All the men are well respected and feared.
As a sign of respect , Sonny met every gaze before sitting down. "Gentlemen, thank you for meeting me today."
"We're curious as to why you insisted that Frank not be present," Dominic said.
"I thought it would be better to present my findings to you and then, if you see fit, he can join us." Sonny knows there is no fucking way that is happening because Frank is probably not even in the state at the moment.
"Where is Jason?" Paulie asked, noting Max's rare appearance.
"Due to the nature of the subject, I thought he is too close."
Tony sighed. He doesn't have a good feeling about where this is going.
"As you know, one of our vacant warehouses blew up this morning. We immediately suspected Frank. We bugged him and I have audio proof that he was involved. The fire department also found some devices, so we'll see if they are linked as well."
Dominic thought this seemed a little convenient, but he allows Sonny to play it. They listen and when the audio file stops playing, Paulie spoke up first. "If Frank did this, are you looking for permission to retaliate?" They all know what is at stake and want violence to be a last resort. This isn't an easy conversation by any means.
"Yes. I've had enough. He's out of control and lives are at stake here."
Tony sighed. If Damian hadn't of been such an asshole, they wouldn't be put in this position. "If you take this step, it will be all out war."
"So be it. He's trying to kill Evangeline. What happened to woman and children are not to be touched?"
Vinny spoke up. "From Frank's standpoint, I get why he is upset with you. The new relationship between Jason and Evangeline came out of nowhere. However, I don't approve of what he is doing. Jason is going to be married to her very soon and Frank is overstepping. He is forgetting that Damian brought that shit on himself."
The men looked around the room. They don't want to disrespect Sonny. He has a right to go after Frank after what he had just pulled.
"We want to talk to him," Dominic said.
"He's on the run," Sonny said. Jason had texted him that they had lost Frank. He could only imagine the foul mood his enforcer is in right now.
"Give us a minute," Paulie said.
Sonny stepped out of the room. A couple of times he heard shouting and then he was invited back inside.
Tony spoke. "You have our permission to retaliate. Try to keep the bloodshed down." There are plusses and minuses to losing Frank. Someone far worse could take over his territory which could hurt their bottom line, but they want to do the right thing.
Sonny nodded. "Thank you. I'll do my best."
With the blessings of the families confirmed, Jason starts putting his plan in motion to eliminate the one person who could take everything away from him.
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Natalie had been told to expect a visitor soon and she figures it is John. To say she is nervous is an understatement. All this time alone had given her an opportunity to think about her choices up until now and it wasn't a pretty picture. Some things need to change and one is her fixation on John. She is done. Thinking this out logically is one thing, but actually saying it to his face is another. Pacing back and forth, she practices what she is going to say.
A guard interrupts her, bringing her a steak for dinner.
"I can't eat that without a knife," she said, looking at the juicy steak. Up until now, they had been feeding her crappy fast food. A thought pops in her head that makes her shudder. What if this is her last meal?
He disappeared and came back a few minutes later. "If you try anything with this, I'll shoot you first and ask questions later."
She nodded. It's not like she could go anywhere anyway. Sitting down, she slowly starts to eat as she thinks about her pending conversation with John.
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Carlos finished up the last preparations regarding Natalie's "rescue". They had killed all of John's men that were guarding the building and replaced them with their own. The entire structure was rigged to explode just in case they are met with any resistance. What they are about to do is seriously risky. They had planted a false lead, trying to lure Jason out of the warehouse. The plan is to take him and put him in the same building as Natalie. One that is done, not only will they make it look like Natalie and Jason were sleeping together behind Evangeline's back, but they'll also make sure he is implicated when Natalie "kills" Evangeline. Frank wants to cut Sonny off at the knees.
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Spinelli nervously looks at Johnny, "There's movement where the red-headed stalker is being held."
Johnny jumped up to study the scene. "Shit. What are they doing?"
"It looks like a shift change, but it's not the normal time," Cody said.
Johnny doesn't know what to make of it, but it seems like there are double the men surrounding the building. He called Jason, but he didn't pick up his phone. "I'm going to run to the warehouse."
Spinelli nodded and kept monitoring the screen.
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Jason strode down an alley as he left the warehouse. One of their newer guards, Joey, is following him pretty much everywhere to make sure someone has Jason's back and he can hear footsteps behind him. When he had gotten the call about the lead, he knew it was lie. He had decided to ignore it and go to the warehouse where John is being held with the guys. It is command central right now and he needs to be there in case something goes down and they have to move out quickly.
Right when he got to the end, a bullet flew by his head, just missing him as he ducked. Joey, the intended target, wasn't so lucky and he dropped to the ground—shot between the eyes. Someone swung a bat and connected across his mid-section, dropping him to his knees. It hurt like a bitch, but he quickly reached for his gun. At that moment, he was stabbed in the upper back with a needle. He reached behind him and ripped it out, but it was too late. The other men watched him as he stood and then wobbled. He charged one of the guards and snapped his neck before he was wrestled to the ground and pinned down by three men until the drugs could properly take effect. He finally succumbed to them and they dragged him a few feet to the car and put him in the trunk. As they pulled off, Johnny parked and made his way towards the warehouse.
He called Spinelli as he started to walk into the alley. "Holy shit."
"What is it?"
He took Joe's pulse, but already knew he is gone. "Joey and some other man are dead in the alley next to the warehouse. I need a cleanup crew now." There aren't any sirens, so that is a good thing.
Spinelli snapped into action and Johnny ran inside, but there is no sign of Jason.
"Is Jason's car in the parking lot?"
"Yes."
Johnny sighed. "They took him. Bring up the cameras. We need to find him now!" He ended the call and cursed. This is bad. Making the phone call he wished he would never have to make, he let Sonny know that Jason is basically a dead man.
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Sonny paced back and forth. Frank had finally made a major move and taken out the one person that made him completely vulnerable. He started to dial Evangeline three times, but fought against it because he just couldn't break her heart. Throwing his phone on the table, he rubbed the back of his neck and plopped onto a chair. He will wait until he has no other choice but to tell her. Jason is skilled and can withstand a lot of pain. Somehow, he'll get away.
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Jason is firmly tied to a chair with his head slumped forward. It will be a while before he wakes up and then the torture will begin. By the morning, he will be in really bad shape. Frank wants him to hurt and then a doctor will come in and fix him up, so they can basically torture him all over again. It is the nature of the game. Jason was so smug, defying Frank at every turn. It is time for the enforcer to learn a lesson, one that he won't walk away from any time soon.
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Evangeline laughed as Francis told her and Nora a story. They are trying to distract her because he hadn't heard from Jason. Even Francis is worried because all communication has stopped. For the last few hours, while the girls gossiped and then played a board game, he had been coming up with a contingency plan on how they are going to disappear, if necessary. In less than an hour, he had a route planned and places to stay mapped out. Sonny had already told him to keep the women safe at all costs. The silence isn't normal though, so he knows that something is very wrong.
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Two hours later, as Spinelli feverishly searched for the route the car had taken, Jason woke up. His eyes flickered open and he saw the ropes binding his feet. As he moved his head to look around the room, he realizes that he is in big trouble. There are tables with tools, some of which he had used himself to torture people with. When his eyes made contact with Frank, Jason's gaze turned deadly.
"Thank God he's tied up," Carlos muttered.
Frank nodded. "Mr. Morgan, welcome to your temporary home."
"Where I am?"
"You don't need to know that. This is Hank," he said pointing to a short man that looks like a mix between a nerd and a mad scientist. "He's about to get an intimate knowledge of your body."
Jason notices that he is shirtless which is never a good sign. "Fuck you," he growled.
A slight smile crept onto the man's face. "I'm looking forward to breaking you."
For some reason, Carlos doesn't think that will be easy.
"I can't wait until Evangeline finds out you cheated on her with Natalie Buchanon who in turn will kill her. Of course, evidence will show that you helped her. The PCPD will be foaming at the mouth, happy that they finally will have something on you. You'll rot in jail and then Sonny finally dies," Frank said with a smile.
Jason rolled his eyes.
"Make him hurt. I'm going to go take a nap. By the morning, I expect to see a lot of blood."
Hank continues to fixate on Jason, trying to play mind games. "As you wish."
Carlos and Frank are planning on leaving the next night, but not before turning Jason in and setting their plan in motion.
A guard stepped in front of Jason. His hands are wrapped and he starts to systematically lay punishing blows on Jason's body. The whole time, Jason stared in front of him like he was a machine. Now, they are really starting to piss him off.
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Johnny and Cody searched everywhere they could think of. Based on the few pictures that Spinelli was able to access, they thought the SUV had headed north. It was like looking for a needle in a haystack. There are no clues and it seems like Jason had just disappeared. Johnny can only imagine the world of pain his friend must be in and cursed as he realizes that he might lose him if they don't hurry up.
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True to his word, Hank tortured Jason all night and he still hadn't made the man cry out. There are so many small cuts on Jason's stomach, that it seems like it is stained red. Every time Hank poured alcohol into his cuts, he sucked it up and refused to cry out. He will not let them break him. All he can think about is getting to Evangeline before Frank does.
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Natalie woke up and got dressed. For some reason, they hadn't taken her tray back, so she grabbed a washcloth and carefully wrapped it around the steak knife and stuck it in her bra the best she could. If things went south, at least she'll have something to protect herself with. The door flew open and Carlos walked inside and smirked.
"Asshole," Natalie muttered. "Where's John?"
"Do I look like I care? Stand up."
She did as he moved closer.
"I have someone I want you to see. It will be a reminder that we own you now. If you get out of hand, then I don't think you'll like the consequences."
Natalie glared at him. He grabbed her arm and dragged her into the hallway and then into a bigger room. She was approaching Jason from behind and his head is slumped forward. There is blood everywhere which gives her pause as her stomach almost turned realizing that it could be someone she cares about.
Carlos left her alone and she tentatively moved around the man in the chair and stopped in front of him. They had rolled the table with the tools away, so she couldn't use them.
Jason's head wobbled as it rose. When their eyes connected, Natalie gasped.
"Oh my God, what did they do to you?"
She wanted to help him, but she didn't know where to start. "T—tell me what to do."
"Run."
The look on his face scared the shit out of her. Carlos entered from the other direction and grabbed Natalie and shoved her down into a seat as Hank approached them. She watches the creepy man take a cow prod and put it against Jason's side, making his body shake uncontrollably. Jason is clenching his teeth, but still refused to yell. Hank stepped back as Carlos admired his handiwork.
Jason spit out some blood. "I'm going to snap your fucking neck."
Hank grinned. "Still too much fight left in you, I'm going to have to step it up a notch.
Natalie whimpered when she saw some device that looks like it razor blades sticking out in all directions. Carlos grabbed her by the hair and pulled her up and she slammed her foot down hard onto his, making him strike her with the butt of his gun. She fell to the floor and Carlos smirked as Natalie struggled to stay conscious. "Stupid bitch."
Hank stood in front of Jason and placed the device on a small table. "I'm going to go eat my lunch. I just want you to stare at what you have to look forward to afterwards."
Jason had never seen anything like it. He closed his eyes, willing himself to hang in there. Luckily, he doesn't feel pain like everyone else, because he knows that this situation is just going to get worse.
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Carlos spoke to Frank in the hallway. "It's crazy. I don't think anyone could withstand what he has so far. You almost have to admire him for it."
"I look forward to breaking his resolve. I want it on tape so that Sonny can see Jason crying like a little bitch."
Carlos chuckled. "I'll use my camera phone."
Frank smiled. "Good. I'll be in the office."