Page 53 of Primo DeLuca

Chapter Twenty-one

Primo

Umberto’s blacked out Audi was parked in the small lot outside the small mortuary office, which meant he and Lenni had already unloaded their package and were waiting for me.

I scanned the area, taking in hundreds of gravesites, some dating back more than a hundred-twenty years. The prickly feeling riding my bones signified an ominous energy stirring in the air. The dead weren’t resting in peace like they’d been promised all their living lives.

My cousin Romigi made sure he had coordinated to keep all traffic away from the graveyard today, a task much harder than one would assume as some people worshiped the dead. There were also three burials we were holding up. However, for the amount of money they were likely paid the dead themselves didn’t mind the extra wait time.

Thankfully, Romigi had transplanted maple trees years ago that were strategically located throughout the graveyard and outside the building. The tree at the rear of the large grave site provided cover from distant eyes at the church. It also provided a measure of cover from whatever was trapped and itching to crawl out of that hole.

A quick glance around showed me I was in the clear to carry out my mission. The vast view over the graves showed the massive church in the distance as the backdrop.

As much as I hated to mess up my suit, I dropped into a prone position and took up a good defensive posture. The thick grass under the tree was plush enough to act as a natural blanket. The ground over the top of the gravesite was also grass covered, allowing it to blend into the landscape.

I extracted the little remote from my inner jacket pocket. Aiming it at the area where the back of the Jeep should be would give me the location of the remote’s receiver. I pressed the tiny silver button and the door’s motor hummed with life. I steadied my aim while the door slid to a slow grinding opening.

Half way open, I glimpsed the back of the Jeep. The automatic lights illuminated the hole. The vehicle was still running like the driver was aiming to stroll his way through the ground like a mole. Didn’t he know about carbon monoxide poisoning? Or was that his goal, to die before we go to him?

A few more agonizingly slow seconds and…

Tap! Tap!

The silenced shots from the assassin’s pistol struck the tree high above. He peeked his head out just long enough to fire off a few more rounds. If I didn’t want him alive, he’d be dead.

“You can voluntarily climb out of that hole, or I can come down there and get you. But, I will give you fair warning. If I have to drag your ass out of there, you are not going to like what I do to you afterwards.”

“Fuck you and your plans!” The man yelled before releasing two more shots. His feet scraped against the metal flooring, the sounds bouncing around the tight space like a rat scurrying around inside a wall.

I picked up the remote and pressed the button that would seal this asshole back inside that hole. When it was a third of the way closed, the man peeked his head out again, only to stare into the barrel of my gun before he dropped back down.

Water, fire, and gas were my choices on the remote. I pushed the gas button and waited. I loved playing with Romigi’s toys. They were just as deadly and savagely appropriate as mine were.

Romigi and I enjoyed a friendly contest, sometimes waging bets on who could come up with the most interesting contraptions to aid in our quest to stop our enemy and maintain order by DeLuca standards.

After no more than a minute’s wait, I pressed the button to re-open the gravesite. I stood and dusted myself off before strolling over to peek inside.

The man was slumped beside the Jeep’s driver's side rear tire, sleeping like a well-fed baby.

Once my gun was secured in its holster under my jacket, I jumped into the hole to retrieve my catch.

I suggested to Romigi a better way of retrieving from this hole and he loved my ideas, but our leisure time in the past few years was nonexistent. Like me, Romigi preferred setting up his own traps. He was also very particular about who he let see his toys.

It took me five minutes to heft the heavy ass sleeping man out of the hole, using the dented hood of his jeep to give me a boost.

Thankfully, the coast remained clear of any of the churchgoers who treated the graveyard like it was a temporary retreat from life. After closing the hole and giving the area a once over, I slung the man over my shoulder, and took off for the front of the building.

I snatched the front door open and stepped inside. The office space inside the building was large enough for a sitting area, desk and computer equipment, and a small kitchenette.

Umberto and Lenni stood against the front of the desk and appeared to have been engaged in a game of rock paper scissors before I walked in. They shot up at the sight of me with the man hanging limp across my shoulder. Before they could offer me a hand, I tipped forward and let him hit the floor.

The hard impact with the floor knocked the man out of his stupor. He grunted, his face squinted in pain and confusion. His eyes darted around the room as quickly as his neck could turn his swiveling head.

“What the fuck…”

I cut him off.

“Get up and let that couch grab your ass or I’ll be happy to give you a one way ticket to your maker.”

---