Romance novel

Fedelta 2: Aftermath

~ Rachel Rueben ~ Leave a comment
Image by Amaynut via Pixabay

Within seconds a thunderous crash was heard as the SWAT team knocked down the front door.  Like rats, their guests began to run for their lives causing the platform they were standing on to come crashing down to the ground.  Screaming, Destiny fell down along with Danny on to the shiny, mahogany floor.  As a multitude of curse words flowed from Danny’s mouth after feeling his ribs break, he writhed on the ground gasping for air.  Looking for help, Danny turned his head over to his left and found Destiny, dead, from a gunshot wound.  Seeing what was happening to their boss, two loyal goons picked him up and ran to a secret passageway which took them to an underground garage.  Danny and Destiny had planned to leave the party quickly after the deed was done so the cars were already packed.  As the police began filing into the house from north to south, they went about securing the scene.  With precision they went from room to room, announcing the words, “clear” as they secured the domicile.  A few of the older and out of shape mobsters were captured with little affair, however several did manage to escape.

Looking around the room, Amato stood there with his gun drawn but no Danny or Destiny.  All he saw around him was the mess of broken furniture and glass scattered across the room from one end to the other.

There was a large heap of wood in the middle of the room as tall as he was and so Amato went over to investigate.  To his surprise, after he kicked over the plywood from the platform  he could now see over it and next to it emerged a sparkly, red fabric.  Pushing the planks of wood away, he saw Destiny, dead.  “How the hell did they miss this?” Amato asked, and as on cue, two officers led a small group of chained gangsters out the door.  If this was overlooked, maybe Cassie was here too.  A piece of him dreaded the work ahead of them, but it had to be done, he had to know.  Calling over an officer who was standing guard at the door, “Hey you, give me a hand.”  Together they hoisted the rest of the platform and under it was another body.  “Geez,” Amato said like he had been punched in the gut.  She didn’t look good at all, in fact, she looked worse than Destiny.  He had no doubt she was dead.  Nonetheless, he bent down and checked for a pulse.  He waited and waited and then, success.  Cracking a smile, he nearly cried.  “Why am I not surprised Cassie?”  In that instant he felt like he was being watched, so Amato composed himself and barked out, “Get a bus!”

Just when he made the order, Special Agent Cohen appeared on the scene.  “Who the hell authorized this?” he asked.

Stunned as well as insulted, Amato answered, “Me.”

“This isn’t your case, you don’t do this shit anymore, remember?”

“Fine, it’s all your shit now.”

“I don’t think you understand, there are gonna be consequences for this.”

“For what?”

“Number one: you don’t have a warrant, which means any evidence you find here is inadmissible in court.  That means none of these bums are gonna be doing any time.”  Pacing around, he tried to figure a way out of this mess Amato put him in.  Pointing to Destiny, Amato said, “You mean even the dead body we found won’t convince a judge that something criminal went down here?”

Cohen’s eyes lit up, “You mean Fenetti’s dead?”

“No, Destiny.”

“Oh.” Cohen responded disappointed.

Amato was so close to punching him, but he couldn’t, there were too many witnesses and besides, Cassie needed him there.  It was times like these that he hated his job.  So like most disgruntled employees, he shoved his feelings deep down and kept his mouth shut.  This was the only way he was going to survive this Cohen ordeal.  Amato had to remind himself that after this, he could go back to his cubicle and chock on his dignity there.  It was better than doing time for shoving his foot up Special Agent Cohen’s ass.  After all, some bosses just weren’t worth the cavity search.

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Fedelta 2: Party Crashers

~ Rachel Rueben ~ Leave a comment
NGDPhotoworks via Pixabay

Meanwhile Danny and Destiny were hosting a small party of Mafiosos from all over New York as well as online.  They knew why they were there, and though they didn’t appreciate how Danny and Destiny were handling things, they couldn’t pass up the opportunity to watch Cassandra get capped.  Though there were only 20 people at the party, there were over 500 people online waiting with bated breath for the execution to take place.  You could hear a pin drop as everyone waited for the hosts to begin the show.

Upstairs the hosts of that night’s entertainment were dressing in their finest, in order to impress their peers.  Destiny put on her tightest red strappy Dolce & Gabana evening gown while Danny put on an Armani suit.  He felt ridiculous, but Destiny couldn’t have cared less as she carefully put on her makeup and did her hair.  “Come on!”  Danny yelled, “It’s been an hour, there are drag queens who don’t need this much time.”   Annoyed, Destiny continued to coif her hair as Danny’s whining echoed throughout the bedroom.  Quietly she said to herself, “Just a little more time and I’ll be done.” And she wasn’t referring to her hair.  She had some much planned for tonight that if Danny caught wind of it, he would probably punk out and run home to his mother.  Smiling in the mirror, Destiny admired her work and yelled in a sweet voice, “I’m already done.” And she meant that in more ways than one.

Grabbing a black lacquer box, she walked up to Danny and said, “Come on, everyone’s waiting.”  Taking her hand, they both walked out to the party and made their grand entre.  Danny was surprised that everyone he had invited showed up, he was almost certain most of them would be laying low because of the police presence in their neighborhoods.  It was like a well rehearsed ritual, a mob hit is carried out and the bosses and made men go underground until the coast is clear.  Seeing them coming down the stairs one of the gusts pointed up and yelled, “There they go, the pride and joy of the family!”  The rest of the guests laughed while others clapped and cheered their approval.  It was the warm welcome they had hoped for.  Smiling as they made it to the bottom of the stairs, they shook hands and greeted guests while champagne was served in expensive crystal glasses.  The mood in the room was surprisingly jolly considering what was about to take place.

Looking over at Danny, Destiny asked, “Are you ready?” Smiling back at her he said, “I’ve been ready for years.”  Going over to a makeshift stage they had created just for the occasion, they stood next to a box with a scarlet red cover.  Addressing both the party goers in attendance as well as those on the internet, Destiny said, “Thank you all for your loyalty and support during this very difficult time.  You’ve done so much for us, we decided to give back and sort of pay it forward and present you with a small gift.  It’s only a tiny way for us to show you our appreciation and we hope you enjoy it.”  As she said that Danny pulled off the cover revealing a large wooden crate.  Signaling his goons, two men appeared on the stage and lifted up the crate revealing a battered and beaten Cassandra Fenetti. Silence washed over the room then suddenly applause erupted as the party goers made their approval known.

Cassie barely noticed that she didn’t have any friends in the room, instead all she saw were bright lights and dark shapes moving back and forth before her.  Not able to process what was happening, all she could do is float back and forth between reality and darkness.  Thrilled by their response, Destiny presented the black lacquer box and popped the top open with her finger. Inside was a Desert Eagle AE 50 in titanium gold.  Glittering in the light as Danny took the gun, the audience looked on in awe at the specimen.  It was the most beautiful and terrifying gun any of them had ever seen.  This thing was going to make a mess which meant the spectators were going to get the show they’ve always wanted.

Making sure the thing was loaded, Danny announced, “Once and for all, we get rid of the Fenetti scourge.”  Cheering on, one member of the crowd impatiently yelled out, “Blast the bitch already!”  Raising his gun, a rumbling sound could be heard through the house, looking around Danny figured it was just a helicopter.  Just a helicopter he thought?  There shouldn’t be helicopters in this area.  As that thought went through his brain, the electricity went out.  Destiny gasped in horror.  It was then Danny knew the worst case scenario was indeed happening, the feds had caught up with them.  “NO!” Destiny yelled, “We have to do this!”  Hysterical, she began to hyperventilate at the idea of being caught. Raising the gun again, Danny decided he would do his damnedest to finish what they started.  They both came too far to stop now, even if he couldn’t see Cassie, someone was getting shot that night.  As he pulled the trigger a bright flash went off temporarily illuminating the room.

Fedelta 2: Friends And Other Aholes

~ Rachel Rueben ~ Leave a comment
Pic by Bergadder via Pixabay

*Warning: Language*

Surprised by the statement, Amato had no idea Jimmy was undercover but then again, he wasn’t the lead on this case.  It sucked being out of the loop.  “Get a warrant for Destiny or whatever her names is and Marchesi.” Following orders, Amato went to his desk and started the paperwork when five minutes later he heard Cohen call his name.  What could be so important he thought to himself?  As he entered Cohen’s office, he saw a clearly stressed out man who seemed ready to chew someone’s head off.  Ready for battle, Amato squared his shoulders and hardened his expression.  “I just got off the phone with corrections and Agent Schivone was taken to the hospital, he was attacked.”  Amato felt every muscle in his body tense as he contemplated going down to that jail and tearing every inmate and guard a new asshole.  “I’ll go to the hospital,” Cohen said.  Amato interrupted him and said, “No, I’ll go to the hospital, you have to get the warrants.”

On a mission, Amato grabbed his jacket and stormed out of the building to find out what happened to Jimmy.  At Mount Sinai Hospital, he was greeted with indifference by the desk nurse until he showed his badge.  Calling over the doctor, Amato was led to an office by the older man who said, “Well, your colleague is going to be fine but he’s suffering from a concussion, I don’t recommend he return to work, it’s just too dangerous.”  Nodding his head in agreement, Amato asked, “Can I see him?”

“Of course,” the doctor said showing him the way to Jimmy’s room.  When Amato entered the room, he saw Jimmy getting dressed. “What the hell ya doing?” Amato asked, ready to take Jimmy’s jacket away.  “Whattaya mean what am I doing, what does it look like?”

“You’re outta of that cracked skull of yours if you think you’re going back on duty.”

“Get off my back, I’ve had a bad day.”

“And that’s why you’re going home,”  Pointing his finger, Amato continued, “In fact, you’re going home for a few days.”

“I’m fine,” Jimmy declared as he slid off the bed.

Slipping on his jacket, the room began to spin and recognizing that dazed look, Amato stepped over to catch Jimmy before he fell.  Swatting his hands away, Jimmy snapped, “I said I’m okay.” Rolling his eyes, Amato remarked, “You know what your epitaph is gonna say, “Here Lies James Schivone, his last words were: Duh!” When Amato said that it jarred Jimmy’s memory and he remembered what he was supposed to warn Amato about, “Yeah, I’m the dumbass, when in fact, I did my job and found out that the Cosmios are throwing Destiny and Danny under the bus on purpose.”

“What do you mean, on purpose?” Amato asked.

“They sent Stromboli face to trick you into thinking the killings are about Alluni dysfunction.  Think about it, they just happen to be at the scene while Danny and Destiny were long gone.”

“I thought that arrest was weird,” Amato searched his memory, “Nobody ran or pretended not to know what was going on.  It was too easy.” The more he thought about it, the more confusing it got, was Destiny playing both sides?  If so, that means a stripper from Indiana outsmarted two mob families.  She was capable of running game on people after all she was caught in a theft ring, so she understood the mechanics of a con.  Something told Amato that this wasn’t about Destiny getting revenge on Cassie for stealing away Stephano, this was about more.  It irritated Amato to know that there was a huge con going on but not being able to figure it out.

“I see the hamster wheel moving, what’s going on?” Jimmy asked.

“We’re so close to knowing what she’s up to.”

“Who Fenetti?”

“No, Destiny.”

“I have to get back to headquarters. I’m taking you home and you’re gonna take it easy.  If you don’t, I’m kicking your ass.”

“Right,”

“I mean it, I don’t want no trouble from you.”

“Sure.” Jimmy answered.

“I swear to God Jimmy…”

“Will you just take my ass home already?  Yeesh!”

Amato didn’t like that tone and knew Jimmy was going to give him trouble, but he knew that no matter what he said, Jimmy was going to do whatever the hell pleased him.  This was the thing that sucked about having a headstrong partner.  Jimmy was just as much of an asshole as he was.  That’s why Jimmy was the only one Amato wanted to work with but on days like this, he was a total pain in the ass, not to mention, a liability.

Keeping a watchful eye on him, they both went to the car and Amato dropped Jimmy off at this apartment, making extra sure he went inside the building.  Though he wanted to circle the neighborhood a few times, he didn’t have the time, Amato had to get back to headquarters.  He needed to look at those files again.  He knew he missed something, and it was bothering him. He knew Cohen would most likely have the warrant but if they didn’t know where Destiny was holed up, it was just a piece of paper.  However knowing Cohen, they were planning to go from property to property hoping for a stroke of luck.  Amato knew that they weren’t going to find anything, Destiny wasn’t stupid.  He had to look at the financial records of Dominic Fenetti, something told him, that his relationship with Destiny was more than just employee, employer type of relationship.  Only pimps and boyfriends bailed out hookers.  It was possible that she was both, but something told Amato that it went further than that.  Though Dominic already had a girlfriend, in the mob, one was never enough.  Most guys had wives and girlfriends.  Wives manned the home and children, while girlfriends did everything else.  It was an arrangement as old as time itself, once a guy got enough money, he branched out.  Why not?  The odds of a Mafioso dying a natural death or dying a freeman were small.  In this lifestyle, you had to live it up before the grim reaper called your number.

Fedelta 2: Uneasy Alliance

~ Rachel Rueben ~ Leave a comment
Image via Marcelbr via Pixabay

Meanwhile in the old townhouse that Stephano shared with Destiny, she and Danny were putting the final touches on their soirée.  With only their most loyal soldiers, their crew was cut down to size after the Fed raid.  Danny promised them if anyone got caught up in the Fed’s net, he would spring them from jail.  It was a promise he had no intention of keeping, because after this live execution, he and Destiny were leaving the country.  They would have no choice, he knew they wouldn’t be popular after this stunt.  Though he was dead, Stephano still commanded respect and his loyalists would make sure to take out his killers.  It had to be known by now that he was one of the gunmen.  The Alunni had their own people placed in the all of the major police precincts and were probably already shining up their guns for retribution.  His mistake was not getting full support when he did the deed.  That was his own fault for letting Destiny pressure him into making a move that he wasn’t ready for.

He was going to have to lay down the law when the coast cleared, he couldn’t have some chick bossing him around.  When this was all said and done, he would have one less enemy at his back.  Whatever happened, this had to work or they would both be dead.  Fenetti was too dangerous to let live.  She took down the Cosimos and they are still reeling from her betrayal.  It was unlikely they would ever recover.  “Hey! Snap outta of it!” Destiny yelled from across the room.  Embarrassed that he had been caught daydreaming, he yelled right back, “What?”

“I set up the cameras, and the chairs.”

Looking at his right hand man Tommy, he nodded his head and ol’ Tommy was off to the bedroom where they had Casssie tied up.  She was carried, right to the chair in front of the camera.

Clapping her hands, Destiny was as giddy as a school girl with a new vibrator.  “This is perfect, I sent out the invites, I hope enough people show.”

“Look babe,” Danny began, “I don’t think this is such a good idea.”

“Don’t you dare, we agreed!” she snapped while sticking her acrylic nail in his face, “I helped you, now it’s your turn to return the favor.”

“Alright, but you’d better hurry this up, if they catch up with us, we’re as good as dead.”

“We’ll be fine,” she said glaring at him, “Grow a set.” And with that she left the room while Danny burned with embarrassment.  This was the second time she had disrespected him in front of his crew and she was going to have to pay for that.  Maybe he would leave her at the border when he fled?  He smiled at the idea but kept his mouth shut.  He couldn’t trust anyone with his real plans.  Heck, he didn’t even really know what those plans were yet.  He had a private plane all gassed up and ready to go anywhere in the world but first he had to finish Fenetti.  Later on, he’d deal with Destiny.

Fedelta 2: A Bad Day At The Office

~ Rachel Rueben ~ Leave a comment
Image via Pixabay

“Hey Cassie, ya alright?” Jimmy asked softly.  When he got no response, it concerned him.  That’s when he really started to fight in order to free himself.  Using the prong in his belt, he started to slowly began to feel for the pins in the lock.  One by agonizing one, they clicked until the shackle popped at the top of the lock.  It was a miracle, he slid out from under his chains and made his way to Cassie.  She was bleeding from the head and was starting to make gurgling sounds as if she was aspirating on her own blood.  It didn’t seem to him that she was going to make it to Destiny’s public execution party.  He had to get help but in order to do that, he was going to have to leave.  Jimmy didn’t have any doubt in his mind that he could pull it off but he didn’t know if she would be alive when he came back?  Fate didn’t hand him a good hand in this situation but he knew he had to get out, so he began to prepare himself for escape.

Taking his belt he wrapped it around his hand, placing his middle finger through the metal buckle.  It was now a crude set of brass knuckles.  He saw inmates do this kind of stuff in prisons.  To even the odds, he took Cassie’s belt too and connected the lock to the buckle.  He could now use it like a pair of nunchucks.  He was no Bruce Lee but he knew how to inflict damage with his new makeshift weapons.  He pitied whoever he hit, because he was gonna do damage.  He already began coming up with various scenarios in his head as to how this was going to go down.  As he mustered up the courage to head off to war, he wondered if he lost, would they ever find his body?

Slowly, he crept up the basement and made it to the door, which was unlocked.  Destiny and Danny must of forgot to lock it and that was mistake number one.  Quietly, he peeked his head out of the door, and looked up and down the hallway.  There was nobody around, was this a setup?  He never knew the mob to be so messy, when they kidnapped someone, they usually killed them immediately.  There was little mercy and little tolerance for showboating.  He knew that once the other families heard about Danny’s plan there would be consequences, the old school didn’t like attention.  And they didn’t tolerate soldiers crossing the line and killing their bosses and installing themselves as king.  Was this why Danny was riding with such a small crew?  It didn’t matter Jimmy told himself, he had to get through this alive and well enough to make it back home.  Stealthy, he emerged from the door and closed it quietly behind him.  He saw a bright light in the north part of the building, avoiding it, he went south.  He didn’t want any confrontation if possible.  When he got to the end of the hall, he stood still with his knucks ready but again there was no one to be found.  What the hell was going on he thought to himself?

Proceeding into the kitchen he found himself alone and figured the staff of the bistro were sent home while Boris and Natasha executed their evil plan.  Seeing a door, Jimmy bolted towards it and spent a good thirty seconds unlocking the latches and chains.  Within in moments he was outside and he took off southbound towards a tiny alleyway.  Picking up the pace, he got further and further until he almost got to the corner, when a fat guy emerged from nowhere.  Jimmy knew he had to get the drop first before the guy knew what was going on so he didn’t break his stride and went straight at the guy.  When he was at arm’s length, Jimmy saw the guy reach into his waistband, so lunged himself at the guy, hitting him with his belt.  With all the might he could muster he directed the belt, lock and all at the guy’s face.  The surprise attack had the guy flat on his behind and Jimmy jumped on top of him trying to wrestled the gun out of his hand.  It was fast and brutal, Jimmy had no mercy on the poor bastard.  He had him beaten within seconds and his reward was a shiny new gun.  Looking around, he saw no one in sight except a homeless lady digging through the dumpster at the corner.  Casually as he could, Jimmy crossed the street all the while keeping his eyes peeled for anymore Alunni surprises.

With his heart racing, and the adrenaline still flowing Jimmy found the nearest public space which was a furniture store.  There, he startled the cashier who thought the store was being robbed.  He had to explain that he was a cop and needed to use the phone, handing over her cell, she threw it on the counter, still not trusting his story.  When she saw he called 911, her opinion changed.  He asked to be transferred to the department’s dispatch and gave the code words: Tom & Jerry.  Immediately, he was patched through to one of the local dispatchers and when she answered, Jimmy requested to be put through to his supervisor and gave another code word: Argos.  Within seconds he was on the phone with Agent Cohen who was at the office seeing over the manhunt.

“This better be good, I’m in the middle of an impor..”

“Yeah, yeah, I know, you’re busy!”

“Agent Schiavone?”

“Glad you noticed,”

“Where the hell are you?  We’ve been…”  Before Cohen could get the rest of the sentence out, Jimmy began talking over him, “Never mind, I was captured by the Alunnis with Fenetti.”
“What?!?” exclaimed Cohen.

“Bring backup to Matteo’s Bar & Bistro and bring a bus.”

“Are you hurt?”

“No, but Fenetti is.”

“Alright, I’ll be there in a..”
At that point Jimmy just hung up, he had neither the time, nor the patience, to deal with Cohen.  He had been through enough without having to play nice with someone he couldn’t respect.  For Jimmy this was just another bad day at the office and the future held no promise that it would get any better.

Fedelta 2: The Devil Wears Prada

~ Rachel Rueben ~ Leave a comment

Stopping in his tracks, he recognized the voice, “Fenetti, is that you?”

Looking over her shoulder, Cassandra glared at Jimmy and moaned again, “Shiiit!”

“Nice to see ya too, bitch!”

“Fuck off!” she yelled as the room swirled around her.

“Not fucking with you period,”  Jimmy said as he continued trying to pick his lock.

“What the hell is going on?” she demanded to know.

“We’re about to be butchered because of you,” he answered her.

“I didn’t have anything to do with this!” she exclaimed.

“If you weren’t such a shady bitch, me and Amato wouldn’t have been running all over this town looking for your dank ass.”

“Keep talking troll and I’ll shove my foot straight up your ass.”

“Bring it Princess!”

“Oh the language!” A loud nasaly voice said.  Shocked, they both looked up and heard footsteps coming down the basement steps.

Though her instincts told her to run and hide, Cassie didn’t.  Instead she awkwardly stood up to meet her fate as Jimmy could only look on.  Slowly from the staircase emerged none other than Destiny Van Holsten, Stephano’s ex wife.  The sight of her made Cassie sick to her stomach and she began to feel just as bad she did before.  Nonetheless she fought the urge to not tremble, Cassie would not allow this woman the satisfaction of intimidating her.  If this was the end, then she was determined to die with a little dignity.

Walking towards Cassie, Destiny’s black and white sheath dress made her look terribly out of place in a situation like this.  Behind her, was her new benefactor/boyfriend, Danny Marchesi. Immediately Cassie demanded to know, “What the hell is this?”

“A celebration silly, tonight we celebrate the life of Stephano Rimaldi while his fiance tragically disappears.”  Destiny answered.

“Tisk, tisk, you were always irresponsible Cassandra,” Danny snickered, “But not showing up to your own fiance’s wake, that’s disappointing.”

Being mocked by dumb and dumber made Cassie seethe and she lunged at Destiny but luckily for her, Danny grabbed her by her hair and pulled her back just a few feet out of range from Destiny.  That didn’t stop Cassie from spitting on her, which is right when she felt a carefully manicured hand slapping her across the face.  Like a sick threesome, the two got off on torturing Cassie knowing that her beloved could do nothing.  As Cassie was restrained by zip ties and held by her hair, Danny looked over at Jimmy and said, “It’s gotta hurt to see the one you risked everything for getting gutted.”  It was then Jimmy realized they thought he was Agent Amato, knowing there was a way to save Cassie, he said, “I think you got this all twisted.  I ain’t her boyfriend.”

Putting her pimp hand down, Destiny walked over to Jimmy and looked really hard at him.  “Holy shit, Danny, you got the wrong guy!”

“Don’t listen to him, he’ll say anything to trick us.”

“No, he’s not the guy I saw in the newspapers.  He wasn’t this small.”

“Hey, who the hell you callin’ small, Barbie?”

“Oh shut up, Frodo!” Destiny said with disdain.

“Damn it!  I knew I should’ve checked before we pounced,” Danny lamented, “At least we got her,” he said yanking again on Cassie’s hair.

“Yeah, two outta three ain’t bad, but still it would’ve been nice to kill her while he watched.  The fact that he’s a fed just makes it yummy.”  She said laughing like a psychopath.

Taking his gun out of his waistband, Danny put the barrel to Cassie’s head and looked at Destiny, “You want the honor?”

Taking the gun from him, Destiny surprised everyone when she pistol whipped Cassie instead.  “Wish I could do it now, but she’s the entertainment.”  Lifting up Casssie’s head with her index finger, she explained, “We’re inviting everyone here tonight to watch the great Cassandra Fenetti get capped in the face.  We’re even live streaming it on social media.”  As Cassie’s face began to bruise, Destiny added insult to injury, “I would tell you to clean up and get yourself together but what would be the point?”  As soon as those words left her mouth, Cassie headbutted her, knocking Destiny right on her ass.  Though he didn’t mean to, Jimmy snickered and had to conceal his amusement at the events unfolding.

It was no laughing matter however when Danny unleashed several punches to Cassie’s face.  Unlike Destiny though, Cassie continued to stand upright and took the punishment. Outraged, Destiny kicked Cassie in the knee all the while shrieking, “You think we’re playing?”  As Cassie grunted in pain, she was down to one knee that’s when Danny went in for the final blow punching her in the temple.  Cassie collapsed in a heap on the floor still restrained and remarkably quiet for someone getting the stuffing beat out of her.  Disturbed by what he was seeing Jimmy yelled, “Hey!  You made your point, back the fuck off!”  This enraged Danny who wasn’t done dolling out punishment.  He took the gun off the floor and was stopped by Destiny who said, “No!  He could be a bargaining chip.” Stroking Danny’s face, she explained, “He’ll be useless dead.”

Looking back at Cassie, who was unconscious Destiny growled, “Fenetti, on the other hand is dead.”

Signaling him, while she fixed her messy hair, Destiny said, “Come on, we got a party to plan.”  Relieved that it was over, Jimmy watched as they slithered up the stairs and back to whatever pit they crawled out of.

Fedelta 2: Captured

~ Rachel Rueben ~ Leave a comment
Image via Pixabay

Meanwhile at the Matteo’s Bar & Bistro, Jimmy was bound and trapped in the basement of the neighborhood hot spot.  When he first gained consciousness and he didn’t like what he saw.  Every instinct in his body told him this was a mob hit in the making and he had to get out of there.  As Jimmy scanned the room for a door or window, he heard footsteps coming down the stairs.  Quickly, he put his head down and pretended to still be unconscious.  The footsteps were slow and purposeful, they were also heavy, either the guy was huge or he was carrying something.  “Careful, the boss said he wanted everything done exactly his way,” a raspy voice said.

“I know what I’m doin,’” answered a very annoyed and out of breath accomplice.  Jimmy listened hard for any other voices or footsteps but heard none.  He still couldn’t be certain there were only two of them, for all he knew there could be ten more thugs upstairs.  Escape wasn’t looking good.  As Jimmy listened on, he heard dragging sounds then a thud, quickly, he peeked and saw a body being dragged across the floor.  His heart raced as he tried to discern whether this person was dead or alive.  Did it really matter?  There was nothing he could do, he was chained up like a dog which meant, this poor SOB was on his own.  Closing his eyes again, he kept his head down and made sure not to move.  As the men took off for God knows where, Jimmy was left alone with a body in the middle of the basement floor.

It was only after the door closed did Jimmy dare to open his eyes again.  Taking a deep breath, he calmed himself down and looked around for a way to get out of his chains.  To his disappointment, the room was completely bare, these guys were smart and weren’t taking any chances.  They seemed to have thought of everything; the windows were covered, the door was steel, and there were shackles on the floor as well as chains hanging from the ceiling.  However the most disturbing part of the décor were the drain traps on the floor.  It was becoming crystal clear to Jimmy; this place was a slaughterhouse.  Like cattle, he and his new roommate were going to be butchered.  This was not how he imagined his life ending.

Fedelta Book 2: An Unofficial Investigation

~ Rachel Rueben ~ Leave a comment

Fedelta Unofficial Investigation

Parking at the Kia right in front of the building, Jimmy and Amato got out of the car trying their best to not look awkward.  Being an undercover agent for over a decade, they knew that any odd or misplaced gesture could raise suspicion.  Confidently, they walked into the building and going straight up to the apartment, they cut the tape that sealed the door and without a word, breached the crime scene.  What they were doing was dangerous, not to mention, illegal.  If they got caught they could be charged with obstructing an investigation so they had to be quick.  Looking around the living room, Amato saw things overturned and ransacked.  Then he and Jimmy smelled the smoke, “Jesus, what happened here?”  Shrugging his shoulders Jimmy couldn’t answer, since he too was completely stumped.

Seeing the window was open, he thought it was odd but figured the investigators did it to clear the smoke out of the room.  Then he saw what appeared to be a high heel shoe which piqued his interest and since he didn’t have gloves, he searched for a bathroom.  Grabbing a roll of toilet paper he tore a piece off, with his hand covered he picked up the shoe.  It was scuffed up pretty badly and the bottom was worn out.  “Well this got a lot of mileage,” he observed.

“I can’t see the mate anywhere around here,” Jimmy said as he carefully looked around the room.

“Yeah that is weird,” Amato remarked, as he slowly stood up from the crouching position.  Dropping the shoe back onto the floor, he also began looking about for the missing shoe.  Their search turned up nothing, so they moved on to the dinning room where in the center of the room stood a table that was completely charred.  “Looks like we got a point of origin,” Jimmy said as he leaned over the table and inhaled, “Smells like kerosene.”

“None of this makes any sense, why were they burning this place down?  With all people and security cameras in this building, it’s not very smart,” Amato said.

“Maybe it was personal?” Jimmy answered.

“Might be.”

Since there nothing more to see in the dinning room they moved on to the bedroom, and once inside they saw yet another failed attempt at a fire.  “Who the hell is this?” Jimmy exclaimed at the botched arson.

“This can’t be a job,” Amato deduced, “This is broad with mental issues.”

“You think this was Fenetti?” Jimmy asked rather shocked.

“Not sure, but look,” Amato said while pulling out a belt from the charred pile of clothing, “What Mafioso wastes time burning his enemy’s clothes?”

“Maybe there was trouble in paradise and Fenetti, had Stephano iced?”

“Could be,” Amato said examining the rest of the room which was ransacked as well.  He had to keep an open mind in this investigation but so far, it wasn’t looking good for Cassandra.  As they moved on to the home office, they noticed things missing, like a computer which was hastily disconnected from the modem under the desk.  Seeing the safe on the ground, Jimmy peeked inside but saw it had been cleaned out.  “Okay, so the money’s gone and whatever else he had in here,” he announced.  This showed that their arsonist was very well acquainted with the victim.  “It’s starting to look like it was definitely Fenetti,” Jimmy said rather of fact.

As Jimmy was already wrapping up their investigation, Amato noticed something out of place.  Staring at a cabinet that was obviously pushed away from the wall, he walked up to it and noticed, drag marks on the carpet which indicated it had been moved, but why and by who?  “Come over here,” Amato said, “Help me move this thing.”  Not sure why he was fixated on this cabinet, Jimmy went over to assist Amato move the thing and discovered a door.  “Bingo,” Amato said feeling like he just won the lottery.

Searching inside, they found a small footprint in the carpet, pointing at it, Amato said, “Definitely female.”  Standing there staring at the evidence he felt a sense of disappointment in Cassandra.  He never thought she would stoop this low.  Conceding to Jimmy’s theory, Amato sighed then said, “Guess you were right, it was Fenetti.”

Not feeling euphoric over the matter, Jimmy asked, “So now what?”

“We find her and throw her ass to the lions.” Amato said without any hesitation.

“Glad to see that you’re back on the team,” Jimmy said.

However Amato did not feel like celebrating, because they still had no clue where Cassandra could be.  And if they found her, then what, it was unlikely that she would surrender even if confronted with a show of force.  In fact, it would make things that more dangerous because he knew from the surveillance video, she was well armed and not backing down from anyone.  In that instance, the thought that maybe he should turn these findings over to Cohen crossed Amato’s mind.  He didn’t mind if Cassandra shot Cohen, in fact, it would relieve him of all his problems professionally speaking.  His two least favorite people in the world taking each other out, now that was a thought that brought a smile to his face.  Giving in to the idea, Amato looked up at Jimmy and said, “We’re done here, I’ll call this in and call it a day.”

Fedelta Book 2: Making The Next Move

~ Rachel Rueben ~ Leave a comment

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As Amato and Jimmy made their plans, Cassandra was making hers.  Desperate for cash, she knew she had to start liquidating her assets if she wanted to escape.  Doing her best to stay one step ahead of the cops, she grabbed her spare phone, and started looking up the number to her local bank branch manager.  With her fingers crossed, she called and explained that she needed to withdraw all of her money.  “In cash?” the manager asked rather surprised.

“No, in puka shells,” she retorted, “Of course in cash!”

“Well Ms. Fenetti, we’ll need at least 24 hours.”

“Why?”

“We’re low in cash,” the manager explained.

“You’re a bank, how is that even possible?”

“Just bear with us Ms. Fenetti. We’ll have all of the funds tomorrow.”

“Urgh!  Okay, I’ll be there at opening.”

“Alright, see you then.” He said in a sickening sweet tone.

Hanging up the phone the manager place a call to his supervisor, the Vice president of the branch, “Steve, it’s Marty, sorry to bother you but Fenetti called.  She’s coming by tomorrow morning at opening.”

“Thanks Marty, I handle this one myself.” He said.

He wasn’t quite sure why the President of the bank would want to personally handle the closing of an account, but Marty, simply agreed to have his admin send the files to his boss’s computer.  That was one less account he had to deal with, and since it was the end of the day, he grabbed his jacket along with his brief case and left for home.

In the meantime, Cassandra had to figure out where she was going once she had the cash.  Placing a call to her favorite airline, she chartered a plane to the Cayman Islands.  Once she got off the phone with them, she booked a hotel room at the Hilton.  Nonetheless she still wasn’t done, Cassandra had to make sure no one would be able to track her, not the cops, and certainly not the killers.  She already knew that the cops were checking phone records and looking at security footage.  As if that weren’t enough, Cassandra would have to change her appearance as well as get a new identity.  Placing a few calls to some of the best forgers in New York, she put in an order for a new driver’s license as well as a passport.  The ones she had were old, and looked outdated.  Sending him a recent photo of herself, she got the okay from the forger and they worked out a deal.  She regretted not staying on top of these things, she knew better, being the daughter of a mobster and the fiancé of another.  This life was unpredictable and deadly, Inpatient she mumbled to herself, “When will you ever learn?”.

This was only phase one of her plan, she still had to keep herself alive and evade police for the next 16 hours.  Cassandra had to lay low, if she was going to survive the night.  Starting the engine, she made a journey to her old hideout, a safe house of sorts.  Making her way through Little Italy, she made it to an old pizzeria.  Parking down the street, she took out a key and went to the back and climbed a set of rickety stairs to a tiny apartment.  Cassandra figured she would be safe here since she and Stephano rented it under the table.  There was no paper trail and they were careful to not tell anyone about it.  Despite all that, she was still paranoid and took out her glock.  Quietly she went from room to room to be absolutely sure she was alone.  When she was able to let her guard down, Cassandra put the gun away and went straight to the closet to find the clothes she had purchased for a time like this.  There was an array of outfits, some of them were shabby chic, while the others were high end luxury brands.  There was no way she could dress as she always had.  Too many people knew her style, and if her instincts were right, the cops were already creating a profile of her, if they hadn’t already.  It was a hot day and she still wasn’t feeling well, so Cassandra decided to take a shower and call it a day.

Collapsing on the bed, she made herself comfortable and clutched a pillow.  Fighting the urge to cry, she refused to think about what happened and focused instead on what needed to be done.  Going over the plan in her head, she went over  every possible scenario again and again like a mantra of sorts.  After all, Cassandra needed something to believe in and her plan was that thing.  She would succeed, she would pull herself out of this mess.  Confident, she slowly drifted to sleep, safe for now.

Fedelta Book 2: Cooking Up Plans

~ Rachel Rueben ~ Leave a comment

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Warning: Language

While Nicholson was trying to warn Amato, he was sitting in front of his television watching the Mets take on the Toronto Blue Jays.  In his black leather recliner, Amato ate his dinner and began to decompress from his encounter with Special Agent Cohen.  In the middle of the stretch he heard a knock at his door.  Cautiously, he opened the door just a crack and to his surprise, it was his old buddy Jimmy Schiavone. Opening the door all the way, he saw the look on Jimmy’s face, “Uh, oh!” Amato exclaimed, knowing something was up.  “Lemme guess, Cohen sent you?”

“What, no hello or how ya doin’?” Jimmy exclaimed.

Rolling his eyes Amato played along, “Okay, hello, how ya dooin’?” he said poking fun at Jimmy’s Long Island accent.

“Prick!  You mockin’ the one guy that single handedly saved your ass?”

“Single handed, eh?” Amato caught him exaggerating.

“Okay, I had a little help,” Jimmy confessed as he walked into Amato’s apartment.

Closing the door behind him, Amato muttered, “This is gonna be a long day.”

Seeing he was watching the game, Jimmy sat down on the couch and asked, “What’s the score, yo?”

“Mets, 6-2”

“Just in time,” Jimmy said making himself at home.

Returning to his chair, Amato sat back and waited for it.  Looking over at his plate, Jimmy asked, “Hey what you eatin’ over there?”

“Vegan eggplant parmesan.”

“What the fuck is that?”

“What, eggplant parmesan?”

“No that other shit you said.”

“What, vegan parmesan?”

“Yeah, what’s this vegan shit I keep hearing about?” Jimmy asked curiously.

“It’s means no animal or animal by-products.” Amato answered.

“So what the fuck is on the eggplant if it ain’t cheese?”

“You know, soy or cashew.”

“Brotha, ever since you and Irene broke up, things haven’t been the same for you.  I ain’t neva seen an Italian put fake cheese on his food,” he said snickering.

Throwing his towel at Jimmy, he asked the big question, “Okay, Jimbo what’s up?”

Looking visibly uncomfortable, Jimmy clasped his hands as if he was trying to come up with the right words.  As he looked about the room, he finally returned his gaze to Amato, then confessed, “It’s Cohen, he’s requesting your personnel file.”

“So what?” Amato responded, unimpressed.

“You don’t know this guy Amato, he’s a total dick.  He’s sacked more than one guy in his day and it looks like he’s got his sights set on you.”

“Thanks for the warning Jimmy, but I’m a big boy and can handle myself.”

Putting his hands up Jimmy said, “I’m just the messenger, Nicholson wanted me to warn you.”

Just as he said that, the crowd on television erupted in cheers as the Mets shut down the Blue Jays.  The ending was anticlimactic but Jimmy seemed to be thrilled that the game ended in a win.  Getting up he announced, “I’ll see myself out, just remember to watch your back from now on.”

“It’s the only way I know how to roll.” Amato reassured him.

When Jimmy left, Amato was alone to contemplate whether or not he would bother participating in this case.  After all, Cassandra Fenetti wasn’t necessarily in need of his help.  She was probably on the other side of the planet, if she were smart.  However something told him, that this wasn’t the case.  Feeling it in his gut, he knew she was nearby and if Cohen approached her, she might blow his head off.  So all in all, if he kept his hands off the wheel, Cassandra would take care of his Cohen problem.  Smiling, the idea did appeal to him.  Nonetheless, there was piece of him that needed to see her again.  Amato wasn’t sure if it schadenfreude, or if he actually had feelings for her.  No matter the case, it was stupid of him to come running when she was in trouble, not after she two-timed him.  So what was he going to do when he saw her again, say I told you so?  Having dragged his feet for nearly half the day, he rose to his feet and declared, “Okay Amato, it’s time to get that damsel.”  Slipping his feet into a pair of rubber soled Oxfords, he grabbed his badge and gun then went out the front door.  Standing outside in the hall was none other than Jimmy, “Jesus Christ, Amato, you take foreva to do right,” he complained.

“Sorry, I forgot we were in this together.”

“Damn straight,” Jimmy said popping his collar.

Seeing him getting psyched up, Amato chuckled and asked, “Whose car are we taking General?” referring to his old street name.

Without batting an eyelash, Jimmy answered, “Whatcha working with?”

“I got a 2017 Chevy Camaro,”

“When they bring that back?”

“Oh about 2010, you probably didn’t notice since you were busy gerneraling and all.” Amato said in jest.

“Yeesh!  It’s like the 80’s all over again.”

Pushing the button on the elevator, Amato said, “Before my time, brotha,” as the door opened, as they both stepped inside.  Jimmy pushed the button to the ground floor and like that, they were on to their next adventure, just like old times.