The Lazzaro
Erik
“Thomas, it's time to go. Tell my men to go ahead and check the perimeter. We cannot fail, this shipment is very valuable. A lot of money, and my credibility, are on the line. I need you all well-focused on this. The Feds may have got a whistle or our competition.”
“Boss, how many men do you want upfront?”
“Send two subs full of my men. Make sure everyone is heavily armed. Keep communications free, in case of any complications. This is crucial, Thomas. Anything that seems strange to you, any noise, whatever, report it immediately, understood?”
“Yes, Boss,”
While, Thomas, communicated with my men by radio. I went to the vault that is hidden behind a painting hanging on the wall of my office. After I entered the combination, the door opened. Everything I need is here.
Money for bribes, weapons, and important documents.
After pulling out two semi-automatic pistols and a combat knife, I took out a metal knuckle, and I was ready to go. After securing my vault again, I left my office.
Thomas was waiting for me outside the house. At the exit, he immediately offered me my bulletproof vest. As soon as he handed it to me, I grabbed it without a second thought. Getting in the car, we hit the road.
Some of my men communicated with us every ten minutes, giving us a status report on the situation. The place was secured.
We arrived at the location in forty minutes, it was eight o'clock at night, and everything was pitch black. If it were not for the lights on my car, this would appear as a black hole.
I have hidden my men somewhere, and they're watching. Thomas and I were waiting for the buyer’s arrival in the car.
Ten minutes later, one of my men notified us that two cars were approaching the main road towards us. That must be Pascal. But Thomas gave the order to be ready for anything.
I saw two cars pull up close to me after about fifteen minutes. I flashed my car's headlights to give them my location. Likewise, I was notified that they had already seen me by returning the signal.
Thomas was the first to get out of the car in order to ensure that I was not in danger, as the protocol dictated. He was approached by someone from the other car. They shared a few words, and Thomas made a gesture with his hand showing that I could go down. That's what I did, heading towards them.
Moreover, someone from the other car got out, and I knew it was Pascal. A long-term client of mine. Pascal approached me, and we shook hands.
“Erik, we haven't seen each other in a long time. How are you doing with your new acquisition?” The news surprised me, but I didn't show any emotion. If Pascal already knew about my new territory, the entire criminal world must have known about it as well.
“The news spreads fast, Hay! Pascal? Last week, I ended the deal details, and everything else has faded into the background since. I'm sure you're not the only one to know.”
Pascal began to laugh so loud, that he was clutching his belly. Thomas stared at me uncomfortably. It seems this man does not understand discretion. Then he wiped the tears from his eyes and said, “Nonsense, Erik, your news is outdated. The whole country knows the agreement you made with Gonzalo. All the way down to the Feds. You are in the eye of the hurricane this time, son. I would advise you to take care of yourself. Even from your shadow, it could stab the dagger in your back. I heard that The Lazzaro doesn’t play fair, and they are very upset. Even we have standards, but not them.”
“Thanks for the warning, old friend.”
Then I went to Thomas and said, “Send the truck with the merchandise.” He nodded and spoke to the carriers by radio. The wait was completely silent, it appears that Pascal said what he had to say, and that was it.
Sporadically, I heard the radio communication with Thomas, reporting. The truck showed up about fifteen minutes later. This request was huge, which is why I had to supervise it in person. Now a lot was at stake.
The truck with the merchandise was parked in front of us, and the driver and two other assistants got out to open the rear doors. The container was full of 22-calibre semi-automatic rifles, imported from Russia. Fifteen million dollars in merchandise. But not only that, but I also brought expansive ammunition, a very valuable plus.
Pascal poked his head in and whistled in appreciation. I pick up a rifle and look at it, examining it. I handed over to Pascal and signalled to Thomas to give him a round of ammunition to test.
He loaded the rifle and fired a test shot. The power of the bullet was magnificent. The construction and assertiveness of these weapons made them twice as lethal, much better than those circulating on the market.
Pascal smiled and turned to me, saying, “Erik, this rifle is powerful. Where did you get such good quality? I am in awe, the power, and precision are admirable.”
I smiled appreciatively at him, but will never reveal my sources.
“Sorry, Pascal, but that information is confidential. Only I have entitled to market this new model. Although this will not be the only one, I will contact you to let you know about the new toys that will be available. I assure you, if this rifle satisfies you, the following weapons will not let you sleep.”
I smirked when I saw his face showing his greed. Pascal points to one of his men, with a sports bag in his hands. The man opened it and showed it to me. Then, I nodded and handed it to Thomas. In response, he gave him the keys to the truck containing the merchandise.
After we exchanged handshakes, we each went to our cars, leaving immediately. Thomas took the road back and sped off.
About ten minutes into the march, we heard my men talking on the radio.
“Thomas, the boss is being followed. You are five minutes away from it. Our hawk also saw two vehicles emerge from the interstate, right where you are. Ambush, we are being ambushed.”
After my soldier finished saying this, our car collided with another that appeared out of nowhere. As soon as we heard shots, we realized just what was happening to us. Several vehicles emerged from the lane near the lake, blocking our way. I drew my gun, and I was ready to kill. Thomas looked at me in the rearview mirror, and I made a sign for him to stay calm. Then, I activated my rescue signal. All backups will be available within minutes.
The only thing we can do is keep them busy until help comes. I then heard a knock on my door. After looking back, I was surprised by what I saw. It was Vinci Lazzaro, in person. Knowing that they have already learned what I will be doing here in such a short period of time makes me uneasy. At that moment, I remembered Pascal's words, “I would advise you to take care of yourself. Even from your shadow, could stab the dagger in your back. I heard that The Lazzaro doesn’t play fair, and they are very upset.”
The fact that they have their eyes on me is not the problem. Everybody had their eyes on us as well. But how did they find out where I was? It was a closely guarded secret. There were only a few people who knew about this.
Vinci knocked again, with more insistence this time. I lowered my window and said, “Vinci, it's a very strange place for a meeting, don't you think? If I had known that you were so eager to see me, I would have given you an appointment at one of my clubs.”
Vinci took one look at me and turned his head to the car he came from. Having nodded, he turned his hateful eyes toward me. “Erik, the Venezuelan. What are you doing so far away from home? You came to my country because you weren't treated well there?”
I didn't answer him anything, he looked at me with loathing, I could see that his resentment ran deep. The other car door opened, and I saw Frank Lazzaro getting out of it. Then, he walked towards mine. He opened my car’s door and sat next to me. And without looking at me, he said, “Erik Costa, Gonzalo's current lapdog. Of all the good candidates, it has to be you. Who could have thought that? I'm curious whether your Venezuelan ass has magical powers or not. To give you my territory, Venezuelan, how deep did Gonzalo stick it in your ass? Did you hear that? It's “MINE”, my territory.”
When I heard this, I began laughing non-stop, and Frank and Vinci looked at me as if I had lost my mind. But after I regained my composure, I spoke, “Bastards, my ass is long and deep, but your mothers are deeper. Once, the whole city knew that.”
Frank made a move to draw his gun, but I was faster. I pointed the cannon of my semi-automatic at Frank's head, he was completely still. My other pistol was pointed at Vinci's stomach.
“Bastards, now, as you can see, this Venezuelan ass is faster than your Italian asses. TSK, TSK! Eating cannelloni makes you lazy and slow. I recommend cutting carbohydrates out of your diet.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Frank's face contorted with hatred. With me pointing in both directions, I doubted that Vinci would dare to do something. It was very risky. So, they stayed and didn't do anything. But their situation wasn't convincing enough to shut their mouths. Vinci was the first to break the silence,
“Put the gun down, Venezuelan, we just want to talk. If it were not like that, you would already be dead.”
“Two bastards like you dare to ambush me? I'm convinced, by now, you already know who the real boss is here. The territory is mine. The inhabitants are mine. Your business is mine. And you are mine.”
I listened as Frank's breathing quickened, I knew they wouldn't want to hear this, but it is better now that we are in the heat of the moment, and put the cards on the table. But I wasn’t counting a third man, pointing a gun at my head.
“Erik, put down your guns, If you shoot I shoot, and if I shoot you will die immediately. This was not the way I envisioned our meeting, but since all of you, gentlemen, are incapable of having a civil conversation, well, this is the result. Put the gun down, Erik, you might kill one of my cousins, and hurt the other. But we will survive, and our organization will continue. On the other hand, not you, so Erik, if you are somewhat intelligent, put down your weapons.”
I don't know how long it will take for reinforcements to arrive, but I can't keep targeting these two. If Tony decides to shoot me, I would be dead, surely. I have no choice but to lower my weapons and hope that my backup arrives as soon as possible.
“My guess is that you are Tony. Okay, I'm going to put down my weapons. It's for the best, for now.”
I put my two weapons on the floor of the car and showed them my hands, so they could see that I had nothing.
“What makes it so urgent that you had to come up with this in such a way? I believe you can tell me now.” Frank had sweat on his forehead, and out of the corner of my eye, I saw Vinci with his jaw set and teeth grinding.
Tony walked to the passenger door, opened it, and sat down. His gun was still pointed at my head.
“We just came to talk to you, Erik. But I see, tempers warmed up a bit. I apologize for that, but you have to understand. Our organization is somewhat upset by your intervention with Gonzalo. Negotiating between you two about an already occupied territory doesn't speak well of you.”
“I was really hoping, Tony, that we might come to an agreement. Innumerable opportunities exist with my contacts and infrastructure. All of this could be of great benefit to you. Even more than what you're doing now. Truthfully, I prefer an amicable settlement over a bloodbath. However, it's up to you. It would be better not to dismiss me so quickly before listening to me.”
“Shut up, Venezuelan, you, immigrants, only know how to take advantage. Neither do we need nor want you.”
Vinci grabbed my hair and forced my face into his. My eyes were brimming with rage, and I was about to attack when Tony intervened.
“Vinci, relax, we're just talking. Let go of Erik, we don't want any incidents for now.”
Tony's eyes fell heavily on Vinci, making him see his mistake. He released me slowly and lowered his hand. But he never took his eyes off me. In the distance, the engine of various vehicles could be heard. I think reinforcements have arrived. The Lazzaro cousins must have listened to them as well, as they raised their heads and nodded to each other that they had to get out of my car.
“Cousins, it's time to go, we have company,” Tony told them, while he looked me intensely in the eyes. Frank and Vinci got out of the car too, but before leaving, Vinci turned and spit on my suit. This man really has a death wish.
“See you soon, “huarachudo”, go home for now, and stay there until we contact you.”
Without lowering their guard, the three got into their vehicle and disappeared into the darkness.
I could feel the vein in my forehead pulsing, this will not go unpunished. I will have my chance, and when it comes, I will enjoy it very much. Furthermore, I'll have them swallow their Italian dicks after shoving them up to their Italian asses.
Tomas got out of the car with the gun in hand, and with my head, I assured him that everything was fine. Reinforcements arrived and my head of security approached me. He wanted to know what had happened.
“Redouble our vigilance in all of our businesses and bases of operations, especially my house. We are on the hunt for those Bastards. Let's go.”
My men and I boarded our vehicles and left as soon as possible. Already on the move, I started to think about the strategy to follow. I can't get to Gonzalo with this yet, I need to plan a better way to kill those rats, once and for all.
“ARR!” I hit my fist on the seat and screamed in frustration. “Thomas, from the information I gave you, find out what are their main points of operation. I also need the places where they usually trade or deliver, and who they do business with. They are not the only ones with intentions. This, Thomas, is a declaration of war. I will not let them trample my name.” We head back to my house, covered in darkness.
When we reached the highway, from then on, the road was uneventful and quiet. Thirty minutes later, we arrived. My head of security had already gathered my men outside the house. As I got out of the car, I told them, “Get to work, this is war. I need everyone to be on alert.”
Raúl and Daniel were organizing the patrols that will keep my home and businesses safe when I called them, “Raúl, Daniel Thomas, come with me.”
I entered my house and went directly to my office. Once everyone was inside, I closed the door and looked them in the eye. “I want to know how those bastards found out about today's delivery. If someone on my team leaks the information, I'm going to burn it alive. And all of you will watch him burn.”
I was so mad that I was about to explode.
“Thomas, contact Pascal and tell him what I need to know. I want him to inquire among his if there is a snitch. Don't let him relax, and show him the seriousness of this and that any betrayal will be paid for in blood.”
Thomas nodded and went to work on what I asked him to do.
“And you,” I headed, pointing my finger at Raúl and Daniel. Their gazes were focused on me, without even blinking, “Find the snitch, now.”
