The map was moved to the hood of Greg’s SUV. Several SWAT members were looking at the specifications with him.
“So, we cut the power then sneak in.” The lead officer was confirming the extraordinarily simple plan. “What about a backup generator?”
Frankie laughed. “Carlo was too cheap to install one.”
The SWAT leader shook his head. “Better for us, I guess.”
“Yes. Once inside the fence line have your men spread out around the house.” Greg just kept talking. Why did he feel so foolish confirming his idea?
“What do we do when we meet resistance?”
“Resist back.” He would have loved to say that he thought Carlo would go willingly, but he knew that wasn’t true. The guy had too much to lose.
“Full force?”
“As much as necessary. We need to bring this guy home to his family.”
Someone snickered. “He’s a mafia boss. Who cares?”
Greg understood the feeling to a certain extent, but he wasn’t going to put up with the dissension.
“Mr. Demarco is a human being. He doesn’t deserve to be kidnapped and held against his will.” And he’d been helping them this whole time. Protection was something Greg was determined to give him.
“Like he did other people.” The same guy. This was getting old.
“If you have a problem doing this job then please leave. I would prefer minimal causalities involved in this rescue and having someone here who doesn’t care is a liability.”
Three of the ten SWAT members took a step back and lowered their weapons.
This was a problem. Ten were needed to completely cover the property. Now they were three short. And three of them would be getting notes in their record, but he’d worry about that later.
Ericka appeared. She wore a bullet proof vest and held her weapon. “I’ll help.”
Next Frankie appeared. “As will I.”
“I guess that means with me we have all we need.”
He wasn’t happy about the change of plans, but it would have to do. Tony might not be able to afford to wait any longer for rescue.
He explained the few details. The group dispersed and got into position.
They cut the power to the electric fence and the house.
Yells ensued from inside and carried to his position. Then four men came out the front door. SWAT moved in and used tasers on those they could reach. This kept down on noise as the others moved closer and began surrounding the house.
Another wave exited. One of the Rosa Cartel members shouted for help as he shot over his shoulder and raced back inside.
Snipers prearranged around the house took shots.
“Any causalities?” Greg asked over the comms.
“Three cartel members down.”
“How many do you see?”
“Five to ten more.”
Greg wasn’t happy. They would hole up in the house and they might kill Tony before they got him out. Since he worked for them secretly, they needed to save him. Otherwise, their whole operation would be ruined.
****
Frankie and Ericka had moved closer to the house and were under a window on the bottom floor.
“This is a bedroom. I think my father would likely be here.”
“Why?”
“It has the best access to the back of the house. Easier to hide him here and make an escape if necessary.”
Ericka nodded. It made sense. Frankie should have mentioned it before. SWAT would have been better suited to breach the area.
Frankie tiptoed and looked in the window but quickly fell back. “Carlo is hovering over my father with a gun.”
“We need to tell the others.”
“No. They could hit my father. We need to do this ourselves.”
She placed her hand on Frankie’s arm. “They won’t miss.”
“Very well. Tell them.” He let air whoosh between his parted lips.
Ericka communicated their location. Return transmissions were garbled. “I don’t think they heard me.”
Frankie looked inside again. “It looks like Carlo left. Papa is alone. I have to help him.”
He was removing the screen, pushing the window open, and pulling himself onto the ledge and inside before she could utter a protest.
Immediately, she tried to warn the team about Frankie’s presence, but it was no use.
Raised voices reached her.
“How did you get in here?”
“Wouldn’t you like to know, Carlo?”
Carlo was back! Frankie was in trouble.
“Yes, I would.”
“Doesn’t matter how I got in, I’m taking my father out of here right now.”
“That can’t happen. Your father is working for the Feds. Has been for years. Then he decides he wants out of the business. He got state money for turning on me, on the families!” He drew in a breath and pointed a shaky finger. “They are going to take you all away. You’re going to be flipping burgers while wearing a wiener hat and living in a mobile home.”
“What?”
Ericka could hear the incredulity in Frankie’s voice. She was surprised herself. She thought they were trying to bring Big Tony into the fold, not that he’d been there all along.
Apparently, Greg hadn’t trusted her enough to tell her the whole truth. Perhaps she wasn’t meshing as well with the group as she had thought.
The conversation inside continued and needed her attention.
“Tell him, Tony. Tell him how you’re going to ruin our lives.”
“Papa, is it true?”
“Frankie—”
“It is true! You’re giving up our power, for what?”
“For forgiveness, son. I can’t live with all my father did. All that my minions did. Your Mamma and I wanted a fresh start, for us, for you and Joey.”
“She knew?”
The betrayal was evident in Frankie’s voice.
“Of course. It was her idea.”
“I don’t believe you. She has everything, why would she give that up?”
“So, she can see you live to reach thirty!”
The situation inside was escalating, but she was stuck without a way in. Maybe a bit of a distraction was in order.
A half-gallon drum of dirt and dead flowers was at the corner of the house. At one time it might have been a beautiful arrangement, but now it was a means to an end.
It took all of Ericka’s strength to pull it under the window. Once there she placed thin sticks in a pyramid pattern and dragged out her lighter. She set the items on fire and wafted the smoke toward the open window.
Then she placed her back to the wall. Carlo leaned out, narrowing his eyes at the small fire. Ericka reached upward and grabbed his collar. She tugged with all her might, pulling him out of the window and onto the hard ground.
He screamed in pain. “You broke my arm!”
Ericka jerked his arm behind his back and placed on cuffs. “You’re under arrest for the kidnapping of Tony Demarco and the murder of Janice Ferman. And I’m sure the prison infirmary can help with your arm.”
Carlo grunted as she hauled him to his feet and walked him toward Carlo’s men who were guarding the perimeter.
“What are you doing? They’ll kill us!”
“Then I guess you better tell them to put down their weapons because I’m not stopping.” Her heart raced, but she’d been truthful; she wasn’t stopping. She was going to walk across the yard, out of the fence, and place Carlo Ricci inside of a cop car if it was the last thing she did.
They rounded the corner of the house, and Carlo started yelling. His men finally heard and lowered their weapons. Officers appeared from the woods and the side of the house and immediately arrested them.
Greg ran to her side as another officer appeared and took Carlo from her tight grasp. “Where is he?”
“Inside with Frankie.”
Greg’s eyes widened as he ran toward the door. Before he made it, Frankie exited the front door, shouldering his weakened father. “He needs an ambulance!”
Paramedics were summoned and Big Tony was secured in the back of a jeep and driven away.
Greg and Ericka were among the last to leave the area.
“It’s finally over.”
Ericka shielded her eyes from the sun. “I guess so. I guess that means I’ll be headed back to the FBI in Tennessee.” She didn’t know if she minded too much since she wasn’t trusted.
“Not exactly. I’ve asked to keep you on in a liaison role.”
“Oh.”
“That is, if you want to.”
Despite the lack of trust, she really did want to be a part of Greg’s team. Perhaps he just needed time to know that she was who she used to be. She’d give him that time.
She smiled. “Let me think about it.”
“Take as long as you need.”