Page 50 of Tommy Gabrini: All Fall Down
“What they go to do with it?” asked Sal.
“That’s what I wanna know,” said Reno.
“Anybody with implantation capability is a national security threat. When they finish with him, he’s all yours.”
“What’s left of him you mean,” said Mick, and everybody looked at him. Trina called Mick the E.F. Hutton of the family. Not just because when he spoke, people listened. But because he spoke so rarely that whatever he had to say was usually impactful. Was usually right on point.
“Uncle Mick’s right,” said Tommy. “What if they go too far?”
“What the fuck is that supposed to mean? You think this is my first rodeo, Tommy? Your ass need to be thinking about what connection Barry Sedaka could have to you rather than what my men are doing. Because they know what they’re doing.”
“And we don’t?” asked Sal. “That’s what you’re trying to say, Hammer?”
“I’m not trying to say shit,” Hammer said.
“Okay that’s enough,” said Amelia. “Tommy has enough on his plate than to worry about egos.” Then she looked at him. “How’s TJ and Destiny? I saw them go upstairs at different times. I assumed they were going to you and Grace.”
Tommy exhaled. “They were. They’re asleep.”
Amelia shook her head. “It’s a shame what happened to them. If I ever get my hands on those pricks,” she began saying.
But Hammer looked at her with eyes that didn’t brook debate. “You stay out of this.”
But Amelia brooked it. “You don’t tell me what to stay out of when it’s my own family.”
“You know what I mean,” said Hammer. “And I still mean it.”
But Tommy began pacing the floor and running his hands through his hair. “I still can’t figure out why they released Destiny with no demands. I still can’t get past that shit.”
“There’s only one answer for it,” said Mick.
Tommy, and everybody else, looked at Mick. “What answer is that?”
“They plan to do it again,” he said.
When he said those words, Tommy’s heart dropped.
“You heard something, Uncle Mick?” asked Sal anxiously. But Mick wasn’t saying. Not with Hammer Reese in that room.
Then Hammer’s second phone, his secure-line phone, began ringing. He answered it. “What did we get?” he asked.
Then he spent nearly five minutes listening. Then he exhaled. “Okay,” he said. “Turn it back over to Sal Gabrini’s guys and get out of there.” Then he ended the call.
Sal, Reno, and Robby stood up. They were ready to have at the guy.
“What did they find out from him?” Amelia asked Hammer.
Hammer looked at her as if she’d taken leave of her senses. “On what planet do you expect me to share with you intel we received from a national security interrogation?”
“Let’s just go,” said Tommy.
“Everybody can’t go,” said Big Daddy. “Now that’s a fact. We’ve got to have family here to protect the family. Those days of relying on paid guys, or even made guys, are over until we get to the bottom of this. I’m staying. Reno, you stay too. If they stage a sneak attack, they may get through that barrier outside. But they won’t get through the two of us.”
“You got that right,” Reno said proudly.
“Then let’s go,” said Tommy, as he began heading for the exit.
“I’m going too,” said Amelia, attempting to head that way as well.
