Chapter Twenty-One
Frank settled into the seat and waited. He wasn't sure what to say or do at the moment so he stared at the floor, avoiding the man's gaze.
"You look like your old man," the man finally said, breaking the silence. Frank gave him an annoyed side look and the man laughed. "Same look too."
"What is it that you want, Mr. Biancci?" the young man blurted out.
Angelo Biancci chuckled and looked away with a smile. "You're just as quick as your pop. How'd you know who I was?"
"Well, you're not Vincenzo Martinelli," Frank pointed out. "Plus I've seen your face in the papers. How do you know my father anyway?"
"He and I go way back," the mobster replied. "Lived in the same neighborhood, same friends. Good pals too. Your father never told you about his childhood?"
"No," Frank shook his head. "At least nothing about you, that is."
"I get it. We had a falling out years ago," Biancci explained. "It's why I'm in Chicago instead of New York. No thanks to your father and Vinny but that's a different story. I'm actually happier in Chicago since I met the love of my life. When we was kids though, we was inseparable. Your father was the best of us too. Turned into a heck of a good cop. Too bad for me and Vinny, eh?"
"If you're going to say my father was on the take, I know it's bull," the young man growled, glaring at him. "What is it that you want?"
"So, polite, Frank," Biancci chuckled again, "and to the point. I like that." He paused, examining his well-manicured nails as if the conversation was boring him. "I think you know what I want, Frank. Where's my jewels?"
"I don't have them," he answered calmly though his heart pounded.
"Don't lie to me."
"I'm not lying! I already told the police and Tannen that I didn't have them!"
"The police around here are bumbling idiots and Tannen was a fool!" the man shrieked. "He should never have gone after your family! He should have known to go after someone outside the family to avoid Vinny coming after him. A little bit of leverage goes a long way." Biancci sighed and rubbed his temples. "I don't want to have to use a different tactic to get what I want, Frank."
"Go ahead then," Frank said defiantly. "You hurt me, you won't find out where the jewels are."
"Who says I'd hurt you? A little slow there, huh? I just said...nevermind." He rapped on the window and the door quickly opened. "I guess you've made your choice, Frank. Now we'll see how long you can hold out."
"Wait," the young man started, his voice urgent, "where are you going?"
"To pay someone a visit," Biancci smiled though it put Frank on edge. The mobster looked at his man and spoke. "Make sure he doesn't get out of the car. I'll be back in a few minutes then we'll be on our way."
"No!" Frank cried. He moved to get out of the car on his side only to stop. Another man stood at the door, blocking his way out. Frank looked out the back window, frantically watching Biancci make his way toward the hospital. He banged on the window though he knew it was a moot point at that moment.
As he turned back around, Frank searched the car for some way to get out but with both back doors blocked, he was limited. Then he noticed that he could get to the front seat without a problem and quickly scrambled over the bench seat before either of the men outside knew it. Frank's smile broadened when he saw the keys still in the ignition. Just as he was about to start the car, the door opened and two hands pulled him out of the car.
"Who says you can start the car, eh?" the goon sneered, slamming Frank into the car. "Mr. Biancci wants you to stay put but he didn't say anything about how you looked. What do you think, Hank?"
"Oh, I think we're going to have a little bit of fun, Lenny," Hank replied with a smile as he walked around the car. "And here I thought we'd be bored."
"That's what I thought too," Lenny snickered, hungrily eyeing Frank. "Any last words?"
"I can't believe you never told us, Dad!" Joe cried. He was angry about not knowing his father's past and wondered what else he was keeping from him. "Why? Why keep it from Frank and me? Did Mom know?"
"Of course she did!" Fenton snapped, his voice booming in the hallway. A passing orderly stopped and gave the group a curious look while a nurse gave them a warning stare. None of them seemed to notice the reactions from those around them as Fenton continued. "We didn't tell you or Frank about my relationship with Vinny because you didn't need to know, Joe! What I don't understand is how Vinny knows anything about these jewels!"
"There's no reason to get upset with your son, Fen," Vinny said calmly.
"I'm not mad at my son, Vinny!" he said through gritted teeth. Fenton got close to Vinny, pointing a finger at him. "I'm upset with everything that's happened! I'm upset with the fact that a friend of ours was brought into this for no reason! I'm upset that Angelo is involved though I still don't know why! And I'm upset with you! The only thing I'm not upset about is that Frank is home! Why are you here, Vinny?"
"I want to help, Fen," the mobster replied. "What happened here should never have happened. Tannen made the biggest mistake he could have made."
"Did you know that he was the reason Laura died?"
"No, not right away," he shook his head. "But had I known, he wouldn't be walking around right now, believe me. Laura was a good woman and good for you. What happened to her was tragic. Angelo knows better too. I should have given him the cement shoes I wanted to give him but you were the one who stopped me on that, remember?"
"Fenton," Con said warily, "what's he talking about?"
"I'll explain later," Fenton growled, never taking his eyes off of Vinny. "I didn't want to see Angelo dead. You know me. It wasn't worth it. What he did was no excuse either but killing him wasn't the answer. What do you know about the jewels, Vinny?"
"Not much, Fen," Vinny sadly answered. "I only know what I heard. The person who really knows the whole story is Tannen and his former squad member. They're both former military with Tannen being a lieutenant. The jewels themselves are a part of a much larger set, one that is worth millions of dollars if the right person wanted it."
"And you know this how?" Con interjected.
The mobster turned to him, cocking an eyebrow. "I like you. You're very to the point. I understand why you all want to know but I have one question for you: Where's Frank? I'm not saying anything more until he's right here so I don't have to repeat myself."
"Then you know nothing more than what you've already said," Fenton said accusingly.
"I know more than you think, Fen," Vinny replied, turning toward him. "I just think it would be a good idea if your oldest son was here to know the importance of those jewels. Don't you?"
"You still haven't answered Con's question, Mr. Martinelli," Joe stated. "I think we all would like to know how you got this information."
The man chuckled. "He definitely is your kid, Fen. I'll tell you that once we're all together. Then I think you'll be satisfied."
Fenton glanced at Con, his face full of worry. "Where is Frank anyway?"
Frank didn't move, his heart pounding as the two men sneered at him. He knew he could defend himself but he wasn't sure if they had weapons of any kind. The only thing he could do was pray that something intervened. Seconds later, his prayer was answered with the sound of a siren and a man's loud voice.
"Freeze right there!" boomed Chief Collig's voice. The two men were startled and looked behind them just as Collig stepped out of his vehicle.
"You can let go of me now," Frank smiled. Lenny slowly let go of Frank's shirt and stepped away with Hank. The young man watched in delight as the two goons were handcuffed and roughly dragged away.
"I can't leave you alone for ten minutes, can I?" Collig replied, walking up to Frank.
Frank laughed in relief. "You know me, Chief. Life of the party."
"Yeah, sure, kid," the chief shook his head. "Where's Con?"
"Inside," he said, pointing towards the hospital. "I was about to go in there when I was stopped by these two and their boss, Angelo Biancci."
"He's here?" Collig asked, looking alarmed. "Why?"
"Same reason his men wanted…" Frank paused in mid-sentence then glanced at the hospital.
"What? What's wrong?"
"I…I have to go, Chief," he answered before taking off. "There's something I have to do!"
"Frank, wait!" Collig cried out but Frank didn't turn back as he ran off towards the hospital. The chief barked a few orders to some of his men before hurrying after Frank. He just didn't know why the young man rushed off but he was going to find out why.
Angelo Biancci approached the desk where a nurse was stationed at. Though she was on the phone, she noticed him as he came toward her. He nervously drummed his hands on the counter, seemingly waiting impatiently for her to get off the phone. When she finally did, the nurse jotted a few things down on a file opened at her desk before turning her attention to him.
"Can I help you, sir?"
"Yes, yes," Biancci quickly said, his eyes full of concern. "I…I'm looking for someone. I was told she was here."
"And her name?" the nurse said politely.
"Nancy, Nancy Drew. Is she okay? I need to see her."
"Are you family?"
"Yes, I'm her father. Carson Drew."
"I left him out in the car, Fenton," Con replied. "I told you that. He said he was going to come in when he was ready. I thought he would be in here by now."
Vinny quirked an eyebrow then turned to one of his bodyguards. The mobster said something into the man's ear who nodded before walking off. Fenton watched the transaction then started towards Vinny.
"What are you going to do, Vinny?" he asked, his eyes wide. Fenton watched as the bodyguard walked down the hall away from them. "He's not going to touch my son!"
"I would never hurt Frank!" Vinny cried, appalled. "I just sent Tony out there to make sure he was okay. Gees, who do you think I am?"
"A mobster, Vinny!" Fenton yelled, getting into his face. "And someone I don't trust whatsoever! How do I know you're not going to walk out there and take my son away! He just came home!"
"I'm not going anywhere, Fen," the mobster said sadly, an expression of hurt etched on his face. "You think so little of me. That's hurts."
Fenton stepped back, casting his head away from his former friend. It was the truth that he didn't trust the man but by the way Vincenzo Martinelli was acting, it seemed as if the mobster really did care. The group waited silently and within a few minutes, Tony returned alone. He whispered something in Vinny's ear and the mobster immediately became alarmed.
"Are you certain?" he asked Tony. The bodyguard grimly nodded.
"What?" Fenton asked, exasperated. He looked expectantly from Vinny to Tony and back, waiting for them to say something. "What is it? Did something happen? Where's Frank?"
"Tell him, Tony."
The bodyguard nodded then looked at Fenton directly. "I saw cops outside. They were arresting two men and I recognized them."
"Who were they?" Joe asked before Fenton could say anything.
"I believe they were associates of Angelo Biancci," Tony announced. "And I could have sworn I saw Biancci himself in the hospital."
"What?!" cried Fenton, Joe, and Con together.
"I saw him as I went out the door but I didn't think it was him. That is until I saw the two men outside."
"Was Frank out there?" Fenton demanded.
Tony shrugged. "I'm not sure if I did or not."
"Then where did he go?" Con asked thoughtfully then looked at something behind Vinny. "Chief!"
The group turned to see Chief Collig and a group of officers rushing toward them. Fenton quickly went to them, his eyes searching.
"Is Frank with you?" he asked.
"He was," Collig answered though he looked confused. "I'm surprised he didn't come to you first. He was with some men outside. Said they were Angelo Biancci's men then ran off toward here. I thought he was coming in here to find you."
"You didn't see Angelo thought?" Vincenzo inquired.
"I don't even know what he looks like," the chief stated, startled by the man's question. He looked at Con. "Who's this?"
"Vin…" the officer began.
"No one of importance," Fenton cut him off, giving Con a look. He turned back to Collig. "Do we know why these men were here?"
Joe stared at the ground, listening to the others talk. There was something off about everything he just heard. Angelo Biancci being seen in the hospital and Frank rushing in without another word to the chief was disturbing enough. But he was on the same thought track as his father: Why would Angelo Biancci be in New York? Then realization hit him like a freight train, his eyes growing wide.
"Oh, no," he mumbled looking up at his father. Fenton stopped talking and gave him a curious look before he too realized the same thing.
"Nancy."
Nancy sighed, her eyes closed as she rested on the bed. Although her dress was stained with blood and torn in several places, no one had brought her something to change into. So, she crossed her ankles and settled back onto the bed, waiting for a doctor to come by with news of when she could leave…or at least to see someone she knew. All the doctor told her was to get rest and not to talk for a little while. Her voice would return in due time.
She let the sounds around her calm her down and soon Nancy was sleeping, her head lolled to one side. A vision of Ned came into her mind and a small smile stretched across her face. His lips moved as if saying something though she could not understand what he said. Ned kissed her hand and smiled sadly as he turned away from her. Ned faded away leaving Nancy to wonder what he said.
A warm hand took hers and gently squeezed. Nancy shifted slightly and her lips moved though no sound escaped. Her eyes then shot open in surprise when the hand roughly squeezed hers, causing pain. Blinking, she focused on a man next to her bed, her face scrunched in confusion.
"Hello, Nancy," he said softly. The man pulled out a revolver and softly chuckled as her eyes went wide in fear. "Do you know who I am?"
Nancy shook her head then glanced at the door hoping to see someone come in. The man laughed again. "No one's coming in here, dearie. I'm Angelo Biancci but the hospital…they think I'm your father. Good thing they have no clue as to who he is and what he looks like, right? Now, I suggest you be very quiet right. We're going to go for a little walk and meet up with Frank. He has something that I want and you're the ticket to get it from him. You make a sound though and I'll send you back to your father in pieces. Do we have an agreement?"
She quickly nodded, her heart pounding in her chest. Biancci motioned for her to get off the bed and he helped steady her as she planted her feet on the ground. He kept his hand firmly on her bicep and guided her out of the room and down the hall. Nancy didn't dare try to escape, feeling the barrel of his gun, hidden beneath his coat, pressing into her side.
Her heart dropped as they moved down the hall. None of the nurses paid them any heed and the orderlies strolled right by as if nothing were wrong. Nancy wanted to scream at the top of lungs but knew she couldn't even if she tried.
As they passed an adjoining hallway, she caught a glimpse of a familiar face then immediately glanced at Biancci on the other side of her. The mobster kept his eyes trained in front of him, ignoring the other hallways. Nancy didn't want Biancci to see what she saw and straightened her posture. The exit was only feet away now and her heart beat faster knowing that if they were able to leave, she'd never see her loved ones again. She hade to get away, but how?
Joe could see a nurse's desk ahead of him and rushed up to it but he came to a sudden halt so fast his father ran into him. On the other side of the desk stood Nancy along with a man holding her close. Fenton took a step forward but stopped when the man cried out.
"Hold it right there, Fen!" he cried, brandishing a revolver from beneath his coat. He pulled Nancy closer, pressing the barrel at her temple. The entire hospital staff seemed to stop with some nurses screaming in fear at the sight of the gun. "Nobody make another move or this lovely lady is dead!"
"Angelo!" Fenton yelled, holding his hands up. His eyes blazed with anger. "You're not going to get away with this! Let her go!"
"Nah," the mobster laughed, "I think I'll keep her. Someone's waiting for me outside and I think you know who. This isn't going to end well for her if you don't let us go though."
"What are you doing, Angelo?" cried Vinny as he came up behind Fenton. Collig and a few officers spread out in the small area, aiming their guns at Biancci though no one said anything.
"Well, if it isn't my old partner, Vincenzo Martinelli," Biancci smirked. He took a step back with Nancy and she noticed that they were almost to the adjoining hallway again. "Fancy meeting you here, with Goody-boy Fen no less."
"This ain't gonna get you back to New York so you might as well let the girl go!"
"I could care less about coming back to this hell hole!" he shrieked. Biancci noticed Joe inching his way around the desk and cocked the gun, the sound echoing above the collective gasp. "Back off, kid. We wouldn't want your friend hurt, now would we?"
"Just let Nancy go," Joe said, taking a step back. He raised his hands, his eyes making contact with Nancy. He could tell she was trying to keep it together but she was having a hard time with it. Her blue eyes suddenly shifted to her right and Joe briefly followed them. He saw movement behind her but quickly shifted his gaze back to Biancci. "Take me instead."
"Now why would I do that?" the man laughed loudly. "See, I can't touch you or your old man. And if I did…well, Vinny would make sure I wouldn't live long afterward. No, I like this one. She's prettier than you and less likely to put up a fight."
It was Joe's turn to laugh, startling the others. "You don't know Nancy very well, do you? I see her doing more damage to your…pride than you could imagine."
"Enough talk!" yelled Biancci, pressing the gun harder into Nancy's temple causing her to cock her head. "Get out of my way or I'll splatter her all over the hall!"
"We're not going to let you leave with her!" cried Collig.
"Angelo!" Fenton yelled. "Let her go! It's not worth it!"
"I want my cut, Fen!" Biancci snapped. "Your other son owes me! The only way I'm letting this dame go is if I have those jewels in my hands!"
"That's going to be tough, Biancci," the chief announced, "since we just arrested your men ten minutes ago!"
The mobster flinched slightly, his gun shifting away from Nancy's head. She realized this and took advantage by quickly stomping on his foot, digging her heel deep. Biancci cried out in pain and anger but he still held her close. The gun went off, booming loudly in the small area and several women screamed. Rushing from the adjoining hallway, Frank rammed into Biancci and Nancy, the three falling to the ground in a heap. Fenton and Joe moved to go over to the fight only to stop when the gun went off again and a stillness settled over the area.
Author's Note:
Happy New Year! I hope that everyone had an amazing Christmas and New Year's celebration. Christmas was nice with the usual week or so off with my kids. Annual trip to Hershey Chocolate World and a first time visit to the Sweet Lights (not gonna lie, it wasn't great but a friend of ours gave us a ticket to it). My new year started out great with win for my team! The game had its flaws but the Rose Bowl sure turned into an instant classic between two of the best teams in college football. So looking forward to Monday and the National Championship game! It'll be a good one too, I'd wager! Only bad thing is that it marks the end of the season and the dry season begins. Oh well. Only nine more months to the start of the season again. Plus there's always the Super Bowl, which is the only NFL game I tend to watch. Anyway, we are dwindling down to the final chapters. I know I extended it a little and left it at yet another cliffhanger but, you know me. I love to end on a bang (pun intended). The story will end soon though. Trust me. And more insight on to what the jewels are and where they came from. Thank you to everyone who read the previous chapter and a special thanks to those who left a review as well. You know how much I love reading your thoughts and ideas. Now we know who was in the car with Frank though I juggled it between Angelo and Vincenzo. It all came down to the timing though and I think it worked pretty well. So, I hope that you all enjoyed the latest addition to the story and, if you will, please leave a review to let me know what you think! Have a great day and God Bless! Go BLUE!