Blood sprays everywhere and Bernardo screams, reaching for his knees in a frantic panic only to soak his hands in blood so thick it looks like tar in the mingle of the dock lights and the moonlight.
In my experience men like him try to hold their silence because they know their loved ones are dead if they talk. But, the right amount of pain can compel a man to sell his own mother.
“Now that you see we’re serious,” I add. “I think it’s time to start talking. Unless you want another limb blown off.”
I cock the hammer on my Glock again and he holds up his bloodied hands.
“Please, no. No more. I wasn’t lying when I said I don’t know where Micah is. I don’t. We were just doing a job.”
“What is the job?”
“He’s collecting girls for his virgin market in Italy at the end of the month. That’s where we were heading tonight,” he stutters. “He needs three hundred girls because this market is more important than the others. He gets seven million upfront and another two million when the girls are sold.”
“Why is this one more important than the others?” Alejandro cuts in.
“It’s Camorra business. The leader of the Grand Syndicate is dying and Micah wants the position. To do that he has to outdo Tobias Rivera and get all the members to vote for him, including the high leader. That means everything he brings to the table has to outdo Tobias, right down to the last cent.”
Alejandro looks at me and he seethes. I know exactly who Tobias Rivera is and he’s no mere man. His name is usually synonymous with the word Camorra. The infamous syndicate Bernardo is talking about is led by Tobias’ father, Dante Rivera. It’s similar to ours, but the main differences are that theirs works on a larger scale with governments and the world’s elite. We work for ourselves, but those people practically own the world.
It all fucking makes sense now and explains why Micah is collecting. It’s to expand his worth on such a large scale his win will be irrefutable. It’s like trying to win an election. When they choose a leader in the Camorra Syndicate it’s a man who doesn’t just win the votes of every member, what defines him is his money and assets.
“When is this happening?” Alejandro demands.
“First weekend of August in Sicily,” Bernardo stutters.
Damn it.That’s still several weeks away. The first weekend of fucking August is days after Micah and Robert are supposed to exchange contracts with Barabbas for the device and it looks like the fucking virgin market is at the same time.
“Will you see him before then?” I cut in. There’s no way Micah is just going to leave everything to these guys to set up.
“Yes, but I never know when I’ll see him until the day before he arrives. Jake contacts me with a time and a place.”
Jake.As in fucking Robert.
“What does Jake do for Micah, Bernardo?” I ask.
“Everything. But he’s just a middle man. He has a connection in Brazil that no one knows about,” Bernardo answers then looks at Alejandro. “It was that connection that helped assist in the assignation of your brother.”
Alejandro gets up in his face. “Sounds like you were there amigo. Were you?”
When Bernardo goes quiet, Alejandro kicks him in his stomach and shoots him in his arm.
“Fucking answer me,” Alejandro shouts.
“I was there, but Jake hacked the security and opened the doors for the men to go in. That person, however, was watching the place and knew things. He still knows things.”
“You talk like you know who it is.”
“I don’t. I’ve heard phone calls and seen meetings, but I never see his face. All I know is he’s the main guy pulling the strings. El Diablo. That’s what we call him. Micah and Robert are the puppets he made promises to. Just like me. It’s him who wants your empire Alejandro, so even if you kill Micah, it won’t end with him. Micah was just the strongest man the devil knew who could take on the Ramírez cartel and eradicate you. You and your brother.”
That means there’s a bigger problem at hand. And someone else to worry about.
Alejandro looks stunned and completely stumped as expected.
“What’s happening next in L.A.?” I say.
“More girls. We organize the ship when we get the required amount he needs. Now he needs another hundred and it needs to happen before the end of the month.”
“How do you get in touch with them?”