Page 43 of Baratta's Darkness

“Blood, your sister isn’t a little girl anymore. Besides, she handled herself pretty good back then.”

“It should have been me that took those two fuckers to their grave. If only she had told me. I’d have made them suffer.” I growl at the memory.

“You were there to put them in the hole though. Several of us were. She has the same fire inside that we all see within you. That’s why she didn’t tell any of us. It’s why she just rode away on her own. And I’m willing to bet she knows something we don’t.”

“Anyone got a quiet ride? Someone that can have eyes on her but stay out of sight?”

“We got this.” He grabs one of the prospects, sending him out to watch over my sister. “Stay in contact.”

Baratta

I wake up with a groan. I thought the pain meds would help my headache but if anything it is worse than before. My whole body aches. It feels like I went a couple rounds in the gym. It isn’t until I reach up to grab my head that I realize I can’t.

I’m duct taped to a chair, in the middle of what appears to be a one room cabin. This can’t be a club cabin; they are much nicer than this. Plus Blood checked out all the tenants. I don’t even have to see his face to know who has me.

“Amico, what are you doing?”

“No, tu no non sono mio amico”

“English, Amico mio.”

“You speak Italian then tell me to use

English. Always the double standard with you. Nothing changes.”

“What are you talking about? You were my best friend.”

“I was never your friend! You take from people, always taking! You take my job, you take my family, and now you try to take my girl. Tony Marcus, he is always choosing you over me. I was better bag man than you but did he ever tell me, I do good job? No, always praise for the little Ghost.

My Papa steals a little bit of coke, does Tony Marcus have compassion? No, he sends the Little Ghost. Only Little Ghost he doesn’t kill me like Tony says, he says to me. Go to Italy, train for army, be good for you. I think Little Ghost good friend. Then Little Ghost follows him to army. Mad Dog doing good, getting awards, bosses like Mad Dog. Little Ghost can’t stand it, has to be better than Mad Dog at everything.”

I don’t interrupt his rant or correct him. I can tell he isn’t in his right mind anymore. We were trained to blend in but his speech is reverting back to the way it was before I saved his life. His broken English is a throwback to the immigrant boy, with a deadbeat dad.

“Mad Dog tired of being second best. Ghost can hide but Mad Dog rip apart his enemies. Do you know what happened to Mad Dog when he tries to leave army? They hunt me! Me! They say, no! Army or dead. I pick army.”

I think I see a shadow outside the only window in the cabin. I have to keep Mad Dog talking and distracted. I’m not sure who it is but I hope someone is here to help me.

---