“Oh, shit,” Henry swore as he glanced over at Carlos “The effin Blade? What the fuck did you get me into here?”
Carlos raised his hands. “It isn’t like that.”
“Oh?” He backed up to the door. “Then what is it like?”
“She is Alex’s sister.” Carlos stared at him.
Looking back and forth at us, Henry looked spooked. “Are you sure?”
“I am absolutely sure.” Carlos nodded. “She grabbed me from the hospital and I came out of my coma.”
Henry sighed. “I heard about that. The coma I mean. I was saddened, mate. Most hate your guts. But I knew you.”
Carlos smirked at him. “And?”
“So I sort of liked you. Not like gay or anything but you play a mean game of poker.”
Carlos laughed.
Henry stared at him. “Damn…I have never seen you um… happy before.”
“Let’s say that the whole thing caused a change in me. The coma I mean.”
“Yes, that’s what happens when you play‘tag, you're it’with trees, mate.”
Carlos kept grinning and motioned at him as he looked over at me. “He was with me part of the time I was recouping from the spleen shot.”
I nodded and tried to explain part of this mystery to Henry, “I took Carlos from the hospital he was at. I hoped he wouldwake up and it took a month or so but he did. I had to find out if he knew where the kids were.”
“Why now? After all this time?” Henry asked me.
“I found a recording on the net.”
“The one with the reward?” Henry asked.
“You’ve heard it?” Carlos asked him.
“It came out during your long nap.” He shrugged. “I knew who made it. Not that I would go near the Mancinis.”
“And why not?” I asked him.
“Some knew of my friendship with him.” Henry motioned at Carlos. “The Mancini family aren't big fans of yours, mate. Like you kept trying to take those cute Mancini sisters. Pretty stupid if you ask me.”
“You knew the truth of that.” Carlos shook his head.
“Yes, I did. But how far would that get me? Your daddy would have shot me just for visiting you there.”
“Yeah, I know.” Carlos nodded. “But I’m free of that now.”
“I mean I wanted to bring you flowers and sit by your hospital bed.” Henry grinned at him. “Just sit there then talk and talk. I figured you would hate that and wake up just to tell me to stifle it.”
Carlos grinned back at him. “That might have worked too.”
“I know. But I kept my ears open and I did hear that you had disappeared from that hospital. I felt relieved as I thought you finally got away from that hellspawn family of yours.”
“No, I didn’t escape by myself. I was still out of it but she took me away from them.” Carlos motioned to me. “And I can tell you one thing. I will never go back to that life.”
“Good on you, mate. Good on you. So, what's next?”
