Chapter Four
Bane reached for hisglass and swirled the amber liquid inside it.He took a swallow and looked over at Leon.“I agree with him.Calderone knows what to do.I’ve looked that man in the eyes.I never brag, ya know?But I can see into a man’s soul through his eyes.I was relieved to know that Boston has him as well as you.And thank fuck, these other cads aren’t in charge.”He snorted.“I would hate to have to take them down.But I can accommodate them if need be.”
Leon smiled at him.“Si and we all know you don’t like making trouble or drawing blood, Mr.Jessin.”
Bane snickered a little.“Yes, I detest violence.”
They both chuckled at this joke.
Leon picked up his glass now.
“My money is on Calderone,” Bane added.“I believe he is probably on his way home right now.”
Leon leaned back against the headrest on his chair and closed his eyes.“Si, I will pray that he comes home safe and sound.We still have to deal with the Gondo Cartel before this is over and Manuel Gondo is no one’s fool.If he can boot his own father out of the seat of power what else is he capable of?”
Bane sat there staring at him “Do you trust those reports?I mean really trust them?I know Excaliber gave them to us but she said they were secondhand.What do you know of the real people involved here?”
“I can see Manuel doing just that.”Leon nodded his head.“Kicking his father to the curb and Trego was probably right there with him.They are greedy brothers, never satisfied with small bites when they always coveted the whole meal.”Leon frowned.“But what I don’t see is Paulo just standing there, letting them get away with it.”
Bane gave him a thoughtful look.“I know of this Paulo and he is a sneaking asshole to say the least about him.Do you think this might be a setup?Maybe letting us believe that Paulo was forced out but really he’s using this as a step into the city, you denied him access to?”
Leon paused as he hadn’t thought about this angle before.“With almost half of the cartel still loyal to Paulo and the rest following Manuel and Trego?That is a possibility.Especially if they think Fredo will take out the Don and Giovano will step into my shoes.That’s the crazy part of this whole plan.I mean really?Take a man like the Don down with no repercussions?”He shook his head.“That thought is insane all on its own, but to actually try it?It is beyond insanity.”
“But desperate men make desperate decisions, don’t they?”Bane asked quietly.“They believe what they want to believe and convince themselves that they can get it.They don’t consider losing because they’ve never lost before.”
Leon nodded slowly.“Fredo has always thought he should have been living here.But when he was younger, he had to cheat to get by and when that came out in unexpected ways, the Don turned his back on his expectations.Fredo earned his place outside the Familia and he knew it.He got caught and he still thought he could force his way into the inner circle.But no one trusted him, the only deals he could get were not the ones the Familia would recognize.He made money but no one with any power would deal with him.I’ve been keeping an eye on his connections for a very long time.It didn’t surprise me that he went into business with the Gondo Cartel.They were small time until they hooked up with Fredo.The backdoor deals they got into were not legitimate by any means.”
“Have you had any confrontations with Paulo Gondo?”Bane asked.
Leon nodded his head.“Paulo came to me twelve years ago and wanted permission to move someone here to continue dealing in my city, I told him no.Boston wasn’t for him and his cartel.He could go anywhere else he wanted but not here.I knew what he was doing and I would never sanction them.Some drugs are fairly harmless but heroin is not one of those.I told him no and believe me when I say, that he was not happy.And neither was Fredo from what I understand.I have contacts in Italy that told me Fredo went on a rampage twelve years ago and he kept it up until the Don put his foot down.Fredo then went underground and began to build his empire in earnest.”
“And the Don let this go uncontested?”Bane asked.“That doesn’t sound right.”
Leon shook his head.“And it isn’t right.Fredo went so far underground that no one knew what he was doing all these years.I’m unsure if he was even in Italy or the Don would have found him.I think even then, he had been setting this plot up.He got an army of criminals together and Paulo on this side of the ocean to start building his own army up.Fredo and Manuel probably came up with this double assassination between the two of them.They convinced themselves that they could just shoot me and the Don then take over by force.”
Bane snorted and shook his head.“And look how well that worked out for them.”
Leon shrugged his shoulders.“But it’s not over yet.Manuel is on his way here right now.Fredo is in hiding across the ocean and my son is still missing.”
Bane crossed his legs and stared at Leon.“Like this Storm said...Have a little faith.You’ve already done the heavy work defending your place here.Now you have more friends waiting for round two.Stay strong, my friend.Don’t waver now or they will win.”
