Anarchy (22 page)

To outrun the police, he needed to change position and said, “Hurry babe, move over!”

She did and he was in position when the
Port Authority Police cars
,
sirens blaring intercepted the Audi
and he
put the car in park
not willing to put his wife’s life in danger
.

“Put your hands
in the air
where I can see them
.
Now!”

He did as instructed and nodded to his wife to do the same.

“Slowly
put your hands on your heads
and step out the car.”

Alfonzo complied.
He exited the car, hands
atop
his head
.
Selange
scampered out the driver’s door when the passenger side failed to open. He felt her presence at his back and he used his frame as her shield.

There were multiple guns pointed at them and a police helicopter hovering above their heads. He grimaced. The scene was straight out of a movie. Over a dozen cops for one couple seemed like overkill.
Oh he forgot, everybody was a terrorist.

“Down
on
the
goddamn
ground
.
Y
ou too
lady
!”

They
knelt
and
stretched
out on their stomachs
. Selange’s breasts prevented her from going flat
,
leaving
her upper torso partially elevated.
It began to rain, gently at first then
increased to a torrential downpour, soaking through his wife’s little summer dress. He seethed with anger.

Selange turned her cheek in his direction, raindrops clinging to her long lashes. Water dripped from her nose, and she grinned.
“
We’ve never had sex in the rain.
This position would be
very satisfying
if
I had
you beneath
me instead of concrete.”

The fact she sought to bring levity to the situation meant either she possessed a twisted sense of humor or was thoroughly corrupted. She lifted her bottom off the ground
in a provocative simulation
and d
espite himself,
he
chuckled, “You can hump me later
and
without the
witnesses.
I promise.
”

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Giuseppe called a sit-down
. The
three
most
powerful
families
in
Naples arrived on schedule. The door to the back room of the meeting place was heavily
guarded;
each exit covered by
Giuseppe’s soldiers.
Alberti watched the men carefully for any signs of duplicity. After yesterday’s foiled assassination attempt, he thought it best he remain at Giuseppe’s side.

Giuseppe spoke in Italian,
“Someone has decided to have me join my father,
however
, I remain above ground.”

“I heard of this, but I assure you it was not the
‘
Nhandrangheta
.” Don
Meroni
spoke instantly in his family’s defense.

“Your loyalty to my father
is
noted
,
Don
Meroni
. It is your loyalty…and the loyalty of all here to
me
that I question.”

Ignacio
Peglesi
spoke up, “So, you think we have something to do with this?”

“Do you?”

Ignacio’s face contorted angrily. He was offended by Giuseppe’s accusation. The
Peglesi
clan was
old friends of his father and Alberti. His grandson,
Michello
was engaged to Giuseppe’s sister. The insult could not go unanswered, “You go too far Giuseppe. The men who did this were from America, it is there your troubles lie.”

Alberti noted one man’s silence throughout it all. Fabio
Benaducci
. He wondered if his nephew noticed, certainly Alfonzo would have. To break the tension he opened the humidor on the table and offered
each man a cigar.
Peglesi
and
Meroni
accepted, Fabio
Benaducci
declined.

Alberti cut off the end of the fine tobacco leaves and lit it. He smiled, “Ah, good, eh?”

“Yes,”
Peglesi
agreed.

“Don
Benaducci
, it appears there is something weighing heavily on your mind. You are among friends, please speak candidly,” Alberti said between a cloud of smoke.

All eyes turned upon
Benaducci
. Giuseppe alert now.

“What do you mean?”

Alberti shrugged, “
What do you know of this?”

“
It could be nothing or very important, I do not know
.”

Giuseppe jumped in, “Fabio,
end your silence!
”

“No need for hostility,” Alberti interjected.

Fabio frowned, “I have remained silent
to
think.
I sent a representative of my family to the funeral
of Don
Fiorello’s
wife weeks ago
to pay respects
.
I knew the girl’s
father;
he was from the old country and unlike his brother, a good man.” He waved his hand, “That is
past;
however, w
hile in America he overheard talk of a lucrative business venture one of the family’s inves
ted in.
A new designer street drug bringing
with huge
profits.”

Giuseppe frowned but held his tongue as he listened.

“
I have watched the international news recently and in America several university students have overdosed on what the police describe as a lethal drug cocktail.
It’s
street name is Anarchy but the youth have different names, Sugar Candy, Blue Rain, and others.
” He looked around at the men, holding them in suspense then finally said, “They have insinuated the Mafiosi
is
involved in its distribution.”

“There is more, isn’t there
,
il
mio
amico
?
” Alberti surmised.

“
One of the men killed came from America.”

“This we know.” Giuseppe said impatiently.

“Eh, what you do not know is when the
polizi
a
searched this dead man they found a pill in his pocket, one with the name Anarchy.”

The
y were quiet.

His eyes took in their surprised expressions, “Yes, exactly. If what the
polizia
in America say is true then we may all have a major interest in what occurred yesterday. A threat to you is a threat to us all.”

Giuseppe cocked his head to
his
consulente
, “
Alberti, c
ould this be true?”

“
Sí
.”

“A pill is not enough proof someone in the United States has turned against Don
Dichenzo
.”
Peglesi
reasoned. “It could be another rival, in Europe. We must consider all possibilities.”

“
This is true, but this
link t
o America
cannot go ignored.”

“
We will find out
what we can here as well
.”

Alberti suggested, “We send representatives to America.”

“Do we send our best soldiers
or do we send diplomats
?”

“The American
polizia
will be
suspicious;
we must not risk tipping our hand.”
Benaducci
stated.

Alberti suggested, “We wake a sleeper.”

“Who?”

“The
Serano’s
.”

“They have retired.”

“I will go.” Giuseppe volunteered.

Alberti stubbed out the cigar in the ashtray. “You must return to Palermo. In Europe you are protected.”

“I
will go, besides
who
else will they trust. I will take only one with me, my chauffeur.
”

They all agreed
, none were to talk of this until they knew for certain who was behind the threat –then they would move to eliminate it, quietly
!

CHAPTER
FIFTEEN

“Stop walking so fast, I have on high heels,” Jessica
complained,
clutching Emilio’s arm tighter.

Emilio slowed his pace, “
Lo siento
,
I’m
trying to get out of this heat.”

“It’s not that hot.”

Emilio disagreed. He could feel the perspiration
slipping down his barbered hairline. She insisted on having lunch at a
swanky
new restaurant in South Beach and he pulled a few strings to get them in.
Mainly, name-dropping.