Grislan calls Armani
1324 Words
Charles Hudson
The plane was flying low, too low. I woke with a start feeling gravity pulling at my gut.
Lavender opened her eyes and looked over at me.
" Get up, I think we are about to land." She said.
The pilot made the announcement, we were landing now in Miami.
After our jet came to a quick and full stop, we disembarked and got into a long black stretch limo.
My father had sent a man to pick us up and drove us straight to the hospital, Lavender Blue insisted. She had to see Ian.
I put on my sunglasses and took her arm as we entered the big hospital.
Ian was in a special wing of the hospital, perhaps one reserved for VIPs. He looked bad, real bad. His face was cut up and his arm in a sling.
But the warm smiling on his rugged face at seeing his wife told me he was actually OK.
Lavender rushed to his side and kissed him tenderly.
I held back, respectfully.
" Excuse us Mr. Hudson. My wife and I need a moment to reunite." He only looked at her face.
She rubbed his chin as she kissed him again.
" I will find her and destroy her with my bare hands." Blue said in a deeper voice.
" Now, now Lavender, stay with me. I don't need to be worrying about you now too. Sit down, both of you."
We both pulled up a metal chair.
Ian stared at me. "I recognize you from the cruise ship. She was so in love with you, did you even know it?"
I nodded. "I love her too."
" I see and what of her husband, can you help to extract him from Grislan's grubby hands?"
I nodded. I wanted him dead, but I was civilized after all.
We were then debriefed on the entire situation. I was horrified by what I had just heard.
Men being sold as slaves, taken overseas. I shook my head as Ian explained the mess that he and Manuel had found themselves in.
Manuel was held by the main drug supplier, a women named Grislan.
At first, Ian had doubted that he was still alive, but recent Intel on the street was that the slick bastard, Ortega had somehow escaped her.
He was now being hunted by every scumbag in Florida wanting to cash in on Grislan's measly reward if 5 grand.
" Charles, he's not alone. Apparently he abducted Grislan's daughter. We must hurry to find them."
I saw that my phone was in airplane mode, I switched it back.
No sooner had I done this, when my phone beeped.
A delayed message arrived from Josephine.
" Heading to Florida, Manuel called. Charles I must go."
My heart fell, seeing those words.
I stepped outside the room and dialed her number.
" Charles! Thank God. We are at a hotel in Georgia, we are all driving back now to Texas. I made arrangements with Arturo to stay at Manuel's ranch there."
" Who is we all?" I asked grumpily, knowing Manuel Ortega was who she meant.
" Oh, David, Brea, Manuel, of course and a little girl name Angelina. Charles, we think it's safer to drive than try to catch a flight out. Where are you my love?"
Well at least she still loved me.
" Miami, Lavender and I are with Ian in the hospital. We were sent here to save your uh, your husband."
" Charles, you are so very brave. Ok, want to meet us in Alabama somewhere?" She asked me.
" Right now I am a CIA operative remember? I'm going to Mexico to dismember Chico Sanchez." I said menacingly.
" You mean you are still going after him, why Charles. He's very dangerous. Please don't go. Manuel is safe now. Just meet us in Alabama."
" Joey, I have to see this through, after what that man put you through. I need to finish him."
" Please Charles, I can't lose you. I just got you back. Think about us, our wedding my love."
" I have thought about it, I want you to know that I can protect you, I'm doing this for you.
I'm not stopping until they are all eliminated. Goodbye Josephine, and one more thing...you better be divorced when I f*****g return to claim you! Understood?"
She was quiet, then said.
" Yes I understand Charles. Yes. I love you, be careful my love."
We ended the call, I informed Ian and Lavender of the news.
We made plans to take them all down. Ian was on fire with plans for revenge.
Especially for Grislan. She would fall first.
We went to our hotel and my father's men arrived. All ex Navy. They were all sanctioned by Ian to work under his authority now.
I had a new found love for my father. He was definitely not the person who he had appeared to be. I smiled thinking that maybe I wasn't either.
************
Grislan
I called the girls father directly. It was a bold move, I know. But, I had to try to save my own ass here. He would kill me if he found her first.
" Uh, excuse me Mr. Armani. I..uh..I recently discovered I had been duped. A man...you see, my ex...he left his daughter with me, you see...I had no idea until recently that she was...well. she is your little girl. I mean...I believe she is your child Angelina." I spoke in a demure tone.
Things happened very quickly after this.
A black SUV pulled up to the house, where 5 men kicked in my door and searched my entire home.
The lead man, a pit bull of a man held me by my neck.
I tried to scream. He punched me in the face then.
I crumpled to the ground as he loomed over me.
" Where is the girl?" He yelled.
" As I said on the phone to Mr. Armani, uh she was...uh kidnapped a few days ago.
I know who has her though. If you want her back that is. I can try to remember his name, well...for a price of course."
The pit bull placed his combat boot on my head.
" Talk witch." He put pressure on my skull.
" 100 thousand and I talk." I squeaked out.
He pressed harder.
" Last chance." He began to put his full weight upon my head.
I knew men like him, I would call his bluff. He needed me.
The man stood full force now as a scream escaped Grislan's nasty lips, the last scream she ever emmited before her head was thoroughly crushed.
The men turned the house completely over, finding a flyer for a reward.
" Manuel Ortega?" the pit bull frowned.
" No f*****g way. He's a dead man that pervert!"
They turned to leave. The big guy saw a picture of the missing girl on the flyer.
He doubted it was his bosses daughter, it had been many years. But he would see this through. That man had suffered enough.
They hurried on their way now, the hunt for Manuel Ortega was on.
**********
Charles
Lavender and I were parked down the road from Grislan's estate.
The place looked empty now. No movement inside.
The radio crackled as Ian directed my father's men to breach the compound.
They quickly and silently swarmed the outer perimeter, then one by one slipped inside.
We waited for word. I was nervous, I never even played mortal combat video games like all my friends did. I wasn't into killing people, only animals.
Things got very real, very fast.
My mind pictured my father on a mission such as this one. I had his blood in me, running hot in my veins. I shuddered.
I look down to see Lavender's hand on mine.
"Settle down boy." She calmed me down.
- Writer
