Ace looked perplexed by the question.“We’re still looking for the others but yeah, we still got one or two of them to find.Why are you asking about this now?”
“Tiarade,” Joker whispered.“It sounds a lot like Tirade.”
The room went silent at his words.
Mario looked around at each of their faces.“What does that mean?”
Ace turned his head very slowly and his eyes were fierce as the rage inside him grew.“Tirade is one of branches of a very dangerous group dealing in the weapon’s trade and the drug trade.A man who called himself Whittaker was the mastermind of his empire and we’ve managed to take down most of it.We’re still looking for two of his men.Tirade and Hammer.Tirade might be your Uncle Ray.”
~****~
Mario swore in hisnative language, “Accidenti a lui!He is a traitor to his own family then because this is not what we do.We make blades and swords, a craft we were taught from generations before us.Custom ordered and custom made.”He got to his feet and paced.Five steps forward and like five steps back while his facial expressions went through an array of emotions.Confusion, shock and fear. Then he stopped to stare at Charli.“I need to call my father.He needs to know about this.”Then he scoffed in disgust.“He’s not going to be happy on many factors.But he needs to know.”
He stepped outside to make the call and as he scrolled through his numbers, his hands trembled.Mario paused and took a deep breath then he tried again.He found the number at last.
The phone rang four times.Finally, his father picked up and when he spoke, his voice sounded groggy with sleep, “Ciao,” Julien Benettini answered.“Che cos'è?”What is it?
“It's me, Pappa,” Mario answered.“I’m here at Benjamin’s farm with Charli.”
Julien paused, then asked, “Does she know why you are there?”
“Si, she knows and she does not want the leadership.She says we abandoned her fourteen years ago and she doesn’t feel that we are family anymore.”
Julien paused and then said, “You know that’s not true.We left Ray behind to watch over her.She can accept our money but not our blood?”He sounded upset.
“No Pappa, that’s the point, she never got the support we sent.And she hasn’t seen Ray since before we left to go back to Italy,” Mario pointed out.“He took the money we sent to her and used it to set up his own arms dealing.Charli’s husband says he might have become part of an empire that sells weapons to anyone willing to pay for them.Friends and enemies alike.”
A long pause of silence came from on the other end of the line, then Julien spoke, “Charli has a husband?”He did not seem to care about Ray’s illegal endeavors.“How is that possible?She never said anything about getting married and the family never gave their permission.”
“She thinks she’s not one of us anymore,” Mario told him.“And she said she’s not leaving the farm or her husband behind.”
“Non c'è modo.We shall see about that.”Julien growled.
Mario hesitated then he informed his father, “You might have a problem convincing her.Her husband and his brothers are all living here in the house and she has a son now.”
Julien paused, then said, “You keep her there.I’ll bring the Council with me and we’ll be there within the next few days.We’ll straighten her out.She’s Michael’s only child and she has to fall into line with the family’s traditions.She’s old enough now to take her rightful place.”
Mario sighed heavily and said, “Forgive me for saying this, Pappa ...But I don’t think you will win in this.She considers Ben to be her only family and he died almost two years ago.Besides, her husband and his brothers are bikers and they don’t look like they would ever be willing to give her or the boy up.”
Just then, the door opened behind Mario.
“They have no say in our business, son,” Julien concluded loudly with aggravation in his voice.
Mario turned to see who had come outside.
Charli stood there, she’d heard Julien’s final statement and held her hand out for the phone.
Mario didn’t want to give his cell to her but he finally surrendered it.
Charli took the phone and brought it up to her ear to say, “Uncle Julien, this is Charli.”
“Ragazza, as the standing leader, I insist that you go with Mario and take your place here with your famiglia,” Julien snapped.
“Considering, I haven’t seen you guys in almost fifteen years, you don’t have any say in my life at all,” Chari snapped back.“I’m not the one who moved continents, you did that.You left me behind and I haven’t heard from you people for almost half my lifetime.Mario said you left Ray here to watch over me but you know what?I haven’t seen him either.Nor have I gotten any of the money Mario said you sent me.I supported myself and I am proud of that.But I do not owe that money to you.So to my mind, you people have done nothing to help me in a long time.And every time I spent time with you all, I was made to feel like you didn’t want me around.So, no Uncle, I do not have to just pack up and leave my home.Ben and Grandma raised me, they opened their home to me, they opened their hearts to a grieving child and they kept me safe and warm.When Ben died, he left me his farm which has been in the Braaken family for five generations.I have a home here with a man that I love and he loves me back just fine.I have a son that will always know his mother loves him the same as I know my mother loved me.He has a father that loves him and five uncles that would die for him.”She paused.
Silence came over the line as her uncle did not reply.
Charli went on just to be clear on this subject, “You stay in charge of your family, your tribe.I don’t have a claim on anyone nor will I accept one.Mario was the only one of you that ever showed me compassion and I’m fine with that.If you want the money back, then you have to find Ray.If he had given it to Grandpa Ben, he would have told me, but he never did.”
