“It’s a pretty simple setup,” he said. “C4 wrapped in burlap along the floor with a remote detonator. I have it programmed to my phone, so all I have to do is send the trigger and boom, up it goes.”
“How big of an explosion?”
Aldrik hesitated, making a face. “Big enough to get their attention.”
I stared at him. “Aldrik. Be specific.”
He grinned. “Uh, well, it’ll blow a hole in the building for sure, but it won’t level the block. How’s that sound?”
I grimaced and sighed. Fortunately, the mansion took up the entire block, so there wouldn’t be any collateral damage unless something went really wrong.
Which was possible, of course. I was letting them drive a car bomb up to the front doors of the Leone family’s headquarters, and trusting that Aldrik could rig it right without wrecking something important. I wanted to double-check his work, but I didn’t know dick about bombs either, and so I had to trust him—even if I didn’t want to.
This was a really shitty plan. We’d come up with it on the fly and had a day to throw it together. The Beetle was an absurd choice of car but it was the first one we came across. Enrico stole it and drove it to a garage we own, where Aldrik got to work rigging it to blow. I spent the afternoon pacing around, cursing to myself, wondering if Aldrik was going to get us all killed, but by the time sunset came, it seemed as though it might actually happen.
Enrico dug inside a black bag he had at his feet and came up with a blue shirt. “Here, here. Put this on.”
I held it up and looked at the logo on the right chest pocket. “Sanford Bro’s Electrical? What the hell is this?”
“That’s the company that does the Leones’ house,” he said. “Heard about them from a friend and managed to snag you a shirt.”
“How’d you manage that?”
He grinned and shrugged. “That friend happens to work at a garment company that happens to make those shirts.”
I laughed, stripped off my shirt, threw it on the ground, and pulled the blue polo over my head. It fit, but barely. I tucked it into my jeans, feeling like a nerd, but I figured a real worker would do that much at least.
“How do I look?”
“Like a real working stiff.” Enrico crossed his arms. “You ready for this, boss?”
“I got the easy part.”
He snorted. “Hardly. You’re the one going inside.”
“And you’re the one driving in that death trap.”
“Not a death trap,” Aldrik grumbled.
“Don’t worry about us,” Enrico said. “We know what to do. You get into position and wait for us to do our thing and then make your move, all right? Get the girl, bring her out, and we’ll be waiting nearby.”
“Roger that.” I had the suddenly impulse to shake his hand, but pushed it away. I had to keep steady and controlled. “I’m heading out. You two follow soon.”
“See you on the other side, boss.” He grinned at me, and I saw a sparkle of excitement in his eyes. Enrico had a wild streak about him, a little reckless and stupid sometimes, and the man lived for this sort of shit—which was probably why he agreed in the first place.
“It’ll work,” Aldrik said as I looked at him. “Cross my heart and all that.”
“For your sakes, I hope that’s true.” I turned and left them standing next to the rigged Beetle. My car was parked a block over. I got behind the wheel and sat there for a second, getting myself together, taking deep breaths. The weight of my gun in my waistband was comforting against the small of my back, and I knew that I might not come home after this, that I might be driving to my own death—but fuck it, I couldn’t leave Cora behind.
They took my wife. They had to pay.
I started the engine and drove. Staff entered the Leone mansion through the back, but I couldn’t just pull up and park with all the other employees. I found a spot a few blocks away and got out, walking through the crisp evening. When I got close to the mansion, I slowed down and casually leaned up against a bodega catty-corner to the back entrance. I watched guys come and go carrying boxes, trash, packages, bags of shit I didn’t recognize. I checked my watch: twenty after midnight. Ten minutes until the explosion.
As I stood there, I thought about Cora. I wondered if they were treating her okay, if she was safe, if she was even still in there—it was very possible that they’d taken her and moved her somewhere else. I couldn’t go down that path though, I had to assume she was safe and waiting for me. I didn’t know what we’d do after this, since the second I went in there and extracted her, we’d both be targets. Hedeon would want to kill me, and Vincent would want to get her back—and also kill me. Hell, maybe she’d refuse to come with.