472 Ba
ch 61

“I just need one name. Just one,” Zack said in his next call with Attorney Gazca. Every man is afraid of someone, Counselor, and Mr. Rizzuto is no exception. And Gazca had gotten him that name: John Hopkins. Four hours later, there he was, sitting in a completely white, brightly lit office at Langley headquarters in Virginia. He only had to say that name and Rizzuto’s in the same sentence to be taken immediately to that man. “Are you sure you want to do this?” the agent asked suspiciously, and Zack understood: it wasn’t every day that someone knocked on the CIA’s door telling him they wanted to help him capture the biggest mob boss in Montreal. “Why don’t you be honest with me and tell me what you have against Vito Rizzuto?” Zack took a small notepad and wrote down just two words: “Andrea Brand.” “Look into her and I’ll tell you why I’m here.” John Hopkins stood up and started talking on the phone immediately. He was a man of about thirty-eight, serious and stern like no one Zack had ever seen before. His eyes were so dark that the pupil could not be distinguished from the iris and he carried all the confidence of someone at the bottom of the food chain. In a way he was, after all, there could not be anyone tougher than the Director of Organized Crime at the Central Intelligence Agency. He was a superpredator, and as the minutes passed Zack became convinced of what he was about to do. “In custody in Vancouver, charged with trafficking for two kilos of cocaine seized in her car,” John said when he hung up the call. “Excuse me, Mr. Keller, but that seems like a very minor crime considering my pay level.” Zack smiled because he liked that he was honest. “I don’t care about your pay level, Mr. Hopkins, but that’s my wife in custody, and the drug was the work of one of Rizzuto’s men in Vancouver.” You are the specialist, how high in the chain of command do you have to be to take two kilograms of pure coke out of circulation and use it for your personal revenge? Thanks for reading LeeNovelas.com. Jhon frowned, because he knew that if there was one thing that was not at stake within the Canadian organization, it was money. —For access to that amount of drugs, you would have to be a middle lieutenant… not too important, but definitely with access to the head of the organization, Jhon replied thoughtfully. —However, there is one thing I can assure you, and that is that Vito Rizzuto does not allow his product to be used for personal purposes, so whatever the guy who put your wife in jail did, he did not do it with the boss’s approval. Zack smiled sideways. —I thought so —he sentenced—. And that is why I am here. I am going to put myself in the lion’s den and I would prefer to have backup. I am willing to collaborate with you, in exchange for you getting my wife out of jail. The Vancouver police are no longer reliable,So I’ll give you what you want, if you give me what I want. The CIA agent frowned, calculating the weight of his words. “You do know what’s at stake, right?” the man asked. “Are you sure you’re ready to take on the Rizzutos? Remember. Read this novel only at LeeNovelas.com, not on other sites.” “Yes,” Zack answered without hesitation. “I’m not going to let anyone hurt my wife, and if I have to go shake hands with the Montreal mob boss personally… then I will.” The CIA agent nodded impassively. “Okay, he said. I guess we can work together. Do you have a plan?” “That depends on what you need from me.” “Eyes and ears,” John answered. “But not yours. I need to get very special eyes and ears into Rizzuto’s house, ones that will give me the evidence to put him in jail for good.” “And a crime.” Zack knew it. Jhon needed them to commit a crime in front of those eyes and ears so he could arrest him. “You’re going to put that crime on a silver platter for me, I’m sure of it.” Zack took a deep breath. Vito had to do something big in front of him and Jhon had to let it happen. “You’re strange. You’re not the kind that minds sacrificing people,” he muttered. “I don’t mind sacrificing the right people, or why do you think Rizzuto is afraid of me?” Jhon replied in a hard voice. “If there’s one thing I’ve discovered in all my years of working on this, it’s that angels don’t have any ability to kill demons, Mr. Keller. Demons can only kill each other… and I learned to be the worst of them all.” Zack nodded. That really was a super predator, and if he wanted to get Andrea out of all that, then he had to get on the same wavelength as John Hopkins. After that, the analysts, the research team, the assault team, the transfer team, the technology team, began to arrive. The room grew until twenty people reached an agreement, a common conclusion, and a plan was drawn up. “You have twenty-four hours,” Jhon told him when the decision was finalized. “Do what you have to do, tomorrow at this time we’ll meet in Montreal at this address,” he said, handing him a piece of paper. Zack shook his hand in farewell and Jhon stayed there finalizing the details. It had been a long time since he had had an opportunity like that and he was willing to do anything to not waste it. Shortly after, Zack flew back to Vancouver. He was calmer, but even so, when he arrived at that prison, his heart raced. “I’m sorry, we couldn’t keep her at the police station,” Gazca apologized. For now, she’s in a minimum security prison awaiting trial. I got us an appointment as her lawyer, come on.” Zack didn’t say a word as they registered to enter, he was just trying to contain the anger that all this caused him. When they arrived at the private visiting room, Zack was surprised by what he found.She was sitting in the chair with her head in her hands and her face totally exhausted, but when she saw him her eyes lit up. She stood up and ran to him, hugging him tightly and crying. “Shhh…” she said, caressing his hair as he held her against his chest. “It’s over, everything is okay now. Adriana is safe, I promise.” Andrea nodded as she continued to sob. Zack’s presence was all she needed to finally vent and take the weight off her shoulders. He gently wiped her tears and closed his eyes for a moment trying to control himself. He knew it was a delicate moment, but seeing her there in a prison uniform was driving him crazy. “Where is my girl? Who is she with?” Andrea asked desperately and he made her sit down. “Do you want to see her?” Zack asked and she nodded immediately. She saw him take out his cell phone and make a video call. Zack prayed that everything was calm on the other side, but the first voices took away that hope. —Those aren’t your mother’s boobs… they’re mine… they’re mine…! Noémi stood in front of the screen while Adriana’s laughter could be heard in the background. —She’s laughing at us… how can she laugh at us…? — Noémi stammered while blinking in slow motion and Andrea’s heart skipped a beat when she saw her daughter hitting Chiara in the face with a diaper… she hoped it was clean. —Is everything okay over there? —Zack asked, trying to contain his laughter. —Very well! Your daughter is a manipulator, they’re going to give her an Oscar when she turns three… —Chiara murmured, putting her in front of the camera. And we will definitely not have children! —Never ever! —Never ever! —We’ll just be the “cool” aunts! —Noémi exclaimed and when they clapped their hands, Adriana also raised her hands. —Well, if we survive this we’ll be the cool aunts — Chiara sighed. How’s everything over there? Any progress? Is Andrea okay? Andrea gulped as she listened to them. It was obvious that they were doing everything in their power to take care of Adriana and she thanked them wholeheartedly. —Yes, I’m fine, Chiara, thank you — she replied softly — And thank you for taking care of my daughter, really. — We’ll charge you for it. — And handsomely. — You’ll take care of those we adopt. — Full time! — And you’ll get us boyfriends! The twins were weird. It was like talking to one person with two voices, but you could tell they were doing their best to help. —Well…He knew it was a delicate moment, but seeing her there in a prison uniform was driving him crazy. “Where is my girl? Who is she with?” Andrea asked desperately and he made her sit down. “Do you want to see her?” Zack asked and she nodded immediately. She saw him take out his cell phone and make a video call. Zack prayed that everything was calm on the other end, but the first voices took away that hope. “Those aren’t your mother’s boobs… they’re mine… they’re mine…!” Noémi stood in front of the screen while in the background they heard Adriana’s laughter. “She’s laughing at us… how can she laugh at us…?” Noémi stammered while blinking in slow motion and Andrea’s heart raced when she saw her daughter hitting Chiara in the face with a diaper… he hoped it was clean. “Is everything okay over there?” Zack asked trying to contain his laughter. “Very good!” Your daughter is a manipulator, she’ll get an Oscar when she turns three… —Chiara murmured, putting her in front of the camera. And we will definitely not have children! —Never ever! —Never ever! —We’ll just be the cool aunts! —Noémi exclaimed, and when they clapped their hands, Adriana raised her hands too. —Well, if we survive this, we’ll be the cool aunts —Chiara sighed. How’s everything over there? Any progress? Is Andrea okay? Andrea gulped as she listened to them. It was obvious that they were doing everything in their power to take care of Adriana, and she thanked them from the bottom of her heart. —Yes, I’m fine, Chiara, thank you —she replied softly—. And thank you for taking care of my daughter, really. —We’ll charge you for it. —And more than enough. —You’ll take care of those we adopt. —Full time! —And you’ll get us boyfriends! The twins were weird. It was like talking to one person with two voices, but you could tell they were doing their best to help. “Well…”He knew it was a delicate moment, but seeing her there in a prison uniform was driving him crazy. “Where is my girl? Who is she with?” Andrea asked desperately and he made her sit down. “Do you want to see her?” Zack asked and she nodded immediately. She saw him take out his cell phone and make a video call. Zack prayed that everything was calm on the other end, but the first voices took away that hope. “Those aren’t your mother’s boobs… they’re mine… they’re mine…!” Noémi stood in front of the screen while in the background they heard Adriana’s laughter. “She’s laughing at us… how can she laugh at us…?” Noémi stammered while blinking in slow motion and Andrea’s heart raced when she saw her daughter hitting Chiara in the face with a diaper… he hoped it was clean. “Is everything okay over there?” Zack asked trying to contain his laughter. “Very good!” Your daughter is a manipulator, she’ll get an Oscar when she turns three… —Chiara murmured, putting her in front of the camera. And we will definitely not have children! —Never ever! —Never ever! —We’ll just be the cool aunts! —Noémi exclaimed, and when they clapped their hands, Adriana raised her hands too. —Well, if we survive this, we’ll be the cool aunts —Chiara sighed. How’s everything over there? Any progress? Is Andrea okay? Andrea gulped as she listened to them. It was obvious that they were doing everything in their power to take care of Adriana, and she thanked them from the bottom of her heart. —Yes, I’m fine, Chiara, thank you —she replied softly—. And thank you for taking care of my daughter, really. —We’ll charge you for it. —And more than enough. —You’ll take care of those we adopt. —Full time! —And you’ll get us boyfriends! The twins were weird. It was like talking to one person with two voices, but you could tell they were doing their best to help. “Well…”—Noémi exclaimed and when they clapped their hands Adriana raised her hands too. —Well, if we survive this we will be the cool aunts —Chiara sighed. How is everything over there? Any progress? Is Andrea okay? Andrea gulped as she listened to them. It was obvious that they were doing everything in their power to take care of Adriana and she thanked them wholeheartedly. —Yes, I’m fine, Chiara, thank you —she answered softly—. And thank you for taking care of my daughter, really. —We will charge you for it. —Many times. —You will take care of those we adopt. —Full time! —And you will get us boyfriends! The twins were strange. It was like talking to one person with two voices, but it was clear that they were doing their best to help. —Well…—Noémi exclaimed and when they clapped their hands Adriana raised her hands too. —Well, if we survive this we will be the cool aunts —Chiara sighed. How is everything over there? Any progress? Is Andrea okay? Andrea gulped as she listened to them. It was obvious that they were doing everything in their power to take care of Adriana and she thanked them wholeheartedly. —Yes, I’m fine, Chiara, thank you —she answered softly—. And thank you for taking care of my daughter, really. —We will charge you for it. —Many times. —You will take care of those we adopt. —Full time! —And you will get us boyfriends! The twins were strange. It was like talking to one person with two voices, but it was clear that they were doing their best to help. —Well…I represent a toy boy who needs adoption —Andrea smiled, playing along with the joke. —Oh! Collagen! Yes please! —Noémi exclaimed and for a while longer they were watching Adriana and talking to the twins. By the time they hung up, at least Andrea was calm about her daughter. —I know it was a risky bet, but with all their flaws, they are my sisters. I’m sure they will take good care of her, Zack told her. —They are already doing it. If they didn’t care, they would have hired a nanny, but there they are trying to do it themselves —Andrea murmured—. Adriana will be fine with them —she tried to convince herself. Zack wrapped her in a powerful hug and took a deep breath while Gazca left and gave them some privacy. —Listen, I have to go again, he said. Milo and Loan will come to see you every day, but I have to leave in order to resolve this. Andrea nodded with a sad grimace, but Zack held her tightly against him and took her breath away with a kiss. “Don’t worry. I’ll be back before you know it. And I will never abandon you, is that clear?” He looked into her eyes and smiled sweetly as he caressed her face. “I love you, Andrea. I love you with all my soul, and I promise that I will get you out of here no matter what it takes.” Andrea melted into his embrace and returned the kiss as tenderly as she received it. At that moment they felt completely united, no matter the circumstances around them. “I love you, Thorcito,” she murmured sadly. “Please don’t do anything crazy. I need to know that you are safe, because if I am locked up here, it means that Adriana only has you.” He nodded slowly, but decided not to tell her anything about what he was planning. They said goodbye between kisses and tears, but when Zack left that prison he was very clear about what he was going to do. “And now?” Gazca asked, not knowing what he was up to. “I’d say we’re going to go replace Mason Lee now, but that won’t be necessary.” He pointed to the rearview mirror and Gazca saw the two vans following them. Looks like he found us first.”