Sneaking into his heart

Chapter 4

Lucia

Just as Ryan said, the guards provided me with an assortment of all things I might need. A device which will allow me to keep track of Jason's movements, some weapons and even some more comfortable and discreet clothing. I managed to find a nearby bathroom to rapidly switch clothes, then was back in the car waiting for Jason to start moving. Cory and Ben, the two guards assigned to me were both middle-aged and were friendly to me from the start.

"The hunt's begun!" I announced as soon as the red dot indicating the current position of Jason's car started moving.

I felt the two guards tensing up next to me, then glanced at them. "Scared?"

They both scowled at me. "More like anticipating the action." Ben declared gruffly.

"Let's get moving then." I smirked, putting the vehicle into gear.

"Why are we tailing him from so close behind?" Cory asked exasperatedly ten minutes later. I had been meandering through the traffic, concealing my car behind other ones, but never letting Jason's car out of my sight. "There's already a tracker in his vehicle. We could be on the other side of town and still track him down." He motioned towards Jason's car. "Like this we have a greater risk of exposing ourselves."

Ben also looked at me quizzically, seeming to share his friend's thoughts.

"Coz there's a high chance he might switch cars." I said, never taking my eyes off the road.

"Oh… you're right." Cory stuttered in a disconcerted voice. "Sorry for butting in."

"It's no wonder boss would choose you for such an important task." Ben remarked with admiration. "You're very skilled."

"It's all a game to him." I mumbled absentmindedly. "Even if I fail to retrieve the drugs, he wouldn't care. All he wants is efficient and loyal subordinates. Naturally, traitors can expect a horrible death."

The ability to read people and predict their actions has always been one of my special skills, which accounted for many of my successes far. From my first interaction with Adriano, this is what I could grasp about him. I wanted to read much deeper into his heart, find out his weaknesses, but he is too complex. Maybe with time…

Just as l predicted, a couple of kilometers later, Jason entered a crowded mall's parking space. From our vantage several meters away, we could spy him leaving his car, then entering the mall.

"Give me the blazer." I told Cory, then glanced at Ben. "You take the driver's seat."

I handed him the keys, then got out of the car, the cool evening air hitting my skin, causing tiny goosebumps to break out. Ignoring the onslaughts caused by the sudden change in temperature, I rushed to the inside of the mall, on the lookout for Jason. I spied his retreating back a few meters ahead of me, then concealed myself behind a group of people just as he turned around to scan his surroundings.

I discreetly followed him to the center of the mall where he entered a small café, then met up with another man. I memorized the other guy's face while trying to read their conversation through their lips' movements. From what I could glean, this seemed to be about an exchange of cars which they had previously formalized, but which still hadn't been implemented. Jason then retrieved a check and handed it to the guy. I even managed to grasp the location of Jason's new car. I grabbed my cell phone and dialed Ben's number.

"Take the car to the mall's east exit and park it in a spot hidden from view. I'll be there shortly."

Not waiting for his reply, I ended the call and got moving just as Jason got up from his spot, heading in the opposite direction he came from. It was impressive how he prepared for every eventuality before attending that meeting. It was no wonder he managed to trick Adriano all this time. However, his fun moments have ended now, and it was time to face the consequences of his actions.

After doing one last check-up, Jason got into his vehicle, then drove away. Once his car disappeared from sight, I stepped out of the exit door. Immediately after, my black Audi pulled up in front of me and I could see Ben sliding over to the passenger's seat. Not wasting a breath, I immediately rushed to the driver's seat, then pressed on the gas, setting off at maximum speed.

"Why did you turn off the headlights?" Ben asked with a frown.

"To avoid being noticed. I checked the map as I was heading here. This road will lead us away from the city, so I guess it will not be very busy at this time of the night. The trailing process will become even more difficult from here on."

"I see…" he murmured, closely scrutinizing the barely visible road I was currently rushing through. "Be careful… And if there's anything we can do, just let us know."

I gave him a small smile. "Sure, thanks."

We drove on in pitch blackness along a long stretch of road with only the faint backlight of Jason's car at least a kilometer away guiding us. The moonless night helped us remain concealed but made the journey that much more perilous for us. Each time we came across a slightly lit area, I had to wait for Jason's vehicle to disappear from sight before moving forward. Our difficult trek went on like this for hours until finally Jason's vehicle entered an area with lots of huge warehouses. Stopping a safe distance away, we watched as he parked his car in front of a seemingly abandoned building.

"You guys wait here… I'll go check the situation first." I told Ben and Cory.

"But it'll be dangerous if you go in alone." Ben protested.

"It'll be even more dangerous if we all go. Anyway, I don't know if I'll even be able to sneak in." I gave them a reassuring smile. "I'll report to you guys when to intervene, so just wait here."

I got out of the car, then instantly retreated to the most shadowy corners. Sneaking up to the building, I circled around it, closely inspecting every corner. Voices could be heard coming from within it, but I was unable to make out their words.

I noticed several of the windows were broken, but it was impossible to reach them from my vantage. I needed to find something which would help me climb up. As I rounded the back of the building, a smile pulled at my lips when I noticed the pipes lining the whole building's height. And just my luck, there happened to be an open window right next to it. The pipes were thin enough for me to firmly grasp on and a slight tug showed that they might be strong enough to sustain my weight.

"Here goes nothing." I mumbled as I hoisted myself upwards. My training with Mel included lots of rope climbing. There were even times when she would challenge me to climb up old buildings using only my bare hands. In the face of all this, the task in front of me almost felt like child's play to me. Once I was level with the window, I reached out and gripped its border, hanging on to it. Then, using all my strength, I pulled my body upwards getting to a kneeling position on the window-sill.

My eyes took in the room in front of me. Jason, together with several guards were gathered in the front of the room, which was brightly illuminated. Thankfully, the lighting didn't reach this far back, which allowed me to remain undiscovered as I smoothly jumped from the window, landing soundlessly in a crouching position. The back of the room was stacked with several shelves and other debris and I remained concealed in their shadows, listening to the guys' conversations. Jason seemed to be trying to make arrangements to ship the goods, apparently having met some trouble with the transport they arranged. As I listened to him make several phone calls, I slowly crept to the front of the room, scrutinizing their position. I counted a total of 10 guards, most of which were gathered at the front together with Jason, leaving only about four of them to contend with at the back. My eyes focused on the guard closest to me, then, sneaking up to him, I speedily knocked him unconscious. I caught his body before it fell down, then retreated back to the shadows. The other guards proved to be slightly more difficult to deal with, but with my swiftness, I managed to smoothly carry out the task.

I had just finished silencing the third guard, when I heard Jason making one particular significant phone call.

"Mr. Carlos Burroughs? It's Jason… I managed to sneak away your shipment just as you instructed, but there are some problems… no, don't worry, Don Adriano Cavarelli didn't find out anything. They suspected another person and are probably questioning her right now. I was able to get away unnoticed… about the shipping… hello? Mr Burroughs?"

So Carlos Burroughs was the mastermind behind all this... getting to hear Jason unwittingly divulge his collaborator's full name would make everything much easier for me from now on. His life wouldn't even need to be spared.

"What the hell's with that shitty signal!" Jason mumbled to himself as he shifted his position to other corners of the room.

My heart thrummed with excitement when I noticed him coming towards the back of the room. The fourth guard was still close by… if I wanted to do this, I needed to go about it quickly. I quickly messaged Ben and Cory, instructing them to count thirty seconds, then rush into the warehouse with their guns drawn. I then shot out of my hiding spot, rushing towards Jason. His eyes landed on me, but it was already too late.

"Playtime's over, Jason." I announced in an amused tone, pointing my gun at Jason's forehead. All the guards instantly pointed their weapons at me, but I concealed myself behind Jason's body.

I motioned towards his phone. "Disconnect the call, then put your arms above your head… and tell your guards to lower their weapons!"

He slowly followed my instructions, his body tensed and his eyes bewildered. Just like most people working for Adriano, Jason knew about me quite well and was aware that I shouldn't be taken lightly, even if I was a woman.

"Do not try anything!" I shouted, pushing the gun's barrel against his forehead when he made an attempt to reach for his vest. His body grew impossibly tense and his arms instantly shot upwards.

"Do as she says.” Jason murmured to the guards in a strained voice.

A clacking sound resonated through the warehouse as several guns were thrown to the ground. I then methodically went about searching Jason's body, disarming him. In the process, I heard Ben and Cory entering the room. A triumphant smile was on my face. Everything went smoothly and exactly according to my plan.

"Should we report to the boss about our mission being a success?" Cory asked.

We had just finished ensuring the smooth delivery of all the drugs to one of Adriano's warehouses. We sought help from some of the workers living in the vicinity, but the process still took us over an hour. Jason had been taken to an underground soundproof room specially designed for torture and I had him restrained in a position which will make him more willing to cooperate in the morning.

I scrunched my nose at Cory's suggestion. Somehow I didn't feel like facing that obnoxious guy again for the night. I bet he will have lots of scathing remarks about the way I proceeded. Not to mention I was beyond exhausted after this strenuous mission and wanted nothing more than to crash for the night.

"We'll inform him tomorrow." I told them.

"Are you sure it'll be okay?" Ben mumbled unsurely.

"Of course it'll be fine!" I reassured them. "Besides I'm sure the boss is sleeping right now and wouldn't like being disturbed." That's right... While his workers are out here working their ass off to fill his pockets, he's probably comfortably ensconced in his bed.

The guys appeared more convinced after my explanation and let go of the matter.

I entered my California villa for the first time ever since it had been gifted to me half a year ago, marveling at its opulence. It was fronted by a modest-sized swimming pool with nicely decorated gardens. Ryan must have arranged for someone to maintain the house as everywhere was immaculate and well kept. Even the inside was well designed and sparkling clean.

Feeling the weariness settling over me, I hopped into the bathroom for a quick shower. A brief check in the wardrobe revealed that there were no clothes stacked inside other than a bathrobe. All my stuff had remained in my car back in Adriano's villa. I didn't bother driving back there to fetch them as it would have taken too long. I yawned, resolving that I'll have someone drive my car over here in the morning. I crashed into my bed, sighing contentedly when my tense muscles relaxed as the plush softness pressed into my bare skin. Just before the sleep overtook me, I grabbed my phone, doing a quick check of the mails I received. My eyes landed on one particular mail which caused me to freeze.

"That was awesome. Everything went exactly as you predicted. Not only I'll get to snatch a fortune from Adriano, it is my worst enemy who'll be taking the blame for it. I want to meet with you and offer a bigger reward and maybe discuss some further possible collaborations." Signed L.

'L' for Lucas Donevatti, Adriano's worst enemy who's been trying to snatch away the title of Don for years now, constantly trying to interfere with our syndicate's businesses. Adriano had always held a scathing hatred for the guy who kept trying to corrupt his people. I might have taken advantage of their enmity to create some troubles which will allow me to step forward and make myself look good. I knew that as long as I resolved a major crisis, I was bound to be granted a position which would give me more access to Adriano. This was a decision I made in desperation when there were no changes in my status in over two years despite performing more than brilliantly. Not that I cared about the prestige, but being stationed in a state on the other side of the country, my access to Adriano was too limited. I wanted to speed things up so I could complete my revenge sooner and be away from this depraved mafia world.

Everything had been meticulously planned from the moment I realized Jason had been sneaking away some of Adriano's drugs and collaborating with Carlos to sell them away. He's been discreetly doing this on the side, without being noticed and had already made millions thanks to the treachery. Greed will always be insatiable, so I decided to throw him a line, tempting him with the opportunity to make more money than he could ever dream of getting. However, Jason was an extremely cautious fellow and wouldn't take unnecessary risks. That was where the task got tricky. I had to rely on my minor hacking skills to create a fake untraceable email and propose an elaborate plan to Lucas which would allow him to not only cause a substantial loss to Adriano, but also shift the blame onto someone who's been causing him lots of trouble lately, that is, Carlos Burroughs. Lucas was not strong enough to personally deal with Adriano without serious damage if the latter chose to seriously target him. When I laid down the plan in front of him, he readily agreed. I played the role of someone who held a grudge against Adriano but who preferred to remain anonymous. Lucas took care of secretly leaking the information about Adriano's shipment to Carlos, who then reached out to Jason to orchestrate the theft. Lucas had originally intended to steal the drugs while Adriano and Carlos were busy clashing, but it was all foiled now... Just like I planned all along. I could have easily sent the information to Carlos myself and avoid getting involved with Lucas, but I didn't want to take the risk and be discovered when I would expose all their schemes. The nagging conscience within me snapped at my heart, feelings of remorse surfacing. I had already decided that I would abandon all compassion and become exactly like those heartless monsters. Only then would I be able to best them. However, with each trickery I resorted to, a stabbing pain would be initiated in my heart. I had done so many horrible things to get where I am today, even killing and sacrificing people. Just as I was about to sacrifice Jason and Carlos for my personal gain. They weren't exactly innocent but this didn't help lessen the feelings of guilt in the least. As the emotions surged within me, I closed them off, just as I've been doing in the past few years. All of this was for the sake of my revenge so I shouldn't think too much. I erased the email, then forever wiped all traces of the fake email address from the web. The purpose had been accomplished and I didn't want to get in contact with Lucas ever again. Now I'll soon get to be closer to Adriano and should think up other plans to proceed in my task.

Adriano... As I remembered our first interaction, I felt my body heating up, which incited a pleasant tingling sensation all over me. He had that petrifying darkness clinging to him, but that made him all the more attractive. Especially the smoldering gaze he sent my way which seemed to burn through me, the heat heightening my senses. It was a wonder how a person could be so hot and cold at the same time. Before my thoughts could stray further, I reminded myself that I shouldn't be harboring any soft spots for Adriano. He was my sister's killer and my worst enemy who I'm going to kill someday. I tried to hold on to the feelings of hatred, to keep my mind from fantasizing about his hot body, as the day's exhaustion finally caught up to me.