Honor Thy Mother & Thy Father Ch. 03

Susan realized what he was saying was for her own benefit. It was to have her remember what she was to say if anyone asked if she knew where he was going, when he left her. She loved him even more than she did moments ago.

Alan got onto 89A and headed towards Prescott constantly looking behind him for anyone who might be tailing him. Since there were no cars going in either direction, he reversed course and headed towards Sedona. He obeyed the speed limits not wanting to draw any attention to the truck. 12 miles Southwest of Sedona he turned the GPS on, and waited. The instructions blurted out within a few minutes. "Hard right-turn 1000 feet." He knew the drill. He slowed the truck to a crawl and waited. "Right turn, now." He made the turn went down the embankment, and listened to the instructions, as they rolled by. In his mind he chided himself for not having the brakes checked, as he went down the steep embankment, again in first gear. As he received the instructions to follow the trail, he stopped the truck, and attached the tarp to the back bumper to obscure the tire tracks. He also made a mental note to get new, high-intensity headlights for the truck. It was pitch black out here, and he needed all the help he could get. When he received the final instruction to back into the cave, he removed the tarp, not wanting to back over it. He backed in carefully and when he reached the final curve, and the truck could not be seen from the entrance, he turned it off, exited the truck, walked to the rear, and stopped.

"Stephano, it is me, Alpha. I am going to walk into the open with my hands in the air, so you can see me. Do not shoot me, or we are both going to die here."

Stephano yelled, "Come ahead, Alpha, I have my AK 16 pointed right at you."

"Stephano, you do not have an AK. You have an M16, with 10 extra clips of ammunition. Did you enjoy the MRE's or would you prefer more fresh fruit for dinner."

"Come ahead, Alpha, I just wanted to be sure it was you."

"I do not blame you at all for wanting to be sure. How is your first night alone?"

"It is not something I would like to do on a long-term basis. I would like something to hide behind, just in case somebody came around the corner. I am like a sitting duck here. This trunk is of no value at all."

"The trunk is made of Kevlar. It will stop anything up to a rifle shot. I know it does not look like much, but stay behind it, angled close to a wall, and you will be fine."

"Now you decide to tell me that, Alpha? I would have felt a lot safer knowing that yesterday when you left."

"I had a lot on my mind yesterday. It was my first time, leaving you. My instructions on guarding you are very specific. I am expendable, you are not. How do you think that makes me feel?"

"Quite honestly, I am not sure. If you die, and they leave, eventually I die."

"No, Beta, Charlie, and Delta, expect to hear from me every week. If they do not, they will be here, in force. You will be safe, and I will be dead. There is little satisfaction in that for me. We will take some photographs of you this week. We will also do a motion picture. I hope you will agree to cooperate. I do not want to beat the shit out of you to make it look real. Afterwards, I would have to patch you up so you do not bleed to death. I hate doing double duty. If I do my job too well and I have to call Delta in to fix you up, they are going to ream my ass big time. I have to unload the food. Keep an eye on the front, just in case anyone followed me here. I do not think it is likely, because I would have seen their lights. Night vision goggles are very good, and you can always be surprised by visitors.

11. Let's Make A Deal

Don Bruno said to Patricia, "I know he will not call me, so I am going to attempt to contact William Zabo using the Internet. I need you to try and find where he is using all your computer expertise. If what we have in this building is not enough to handle what you require to perform such a task, tell my people what you need and they will get it for you."

"Don Bruno, I am at your service at any time to get your son back. My expertise is always yours. The problem is I would have to use satellites to do this. It is not possible to do it over landlines. Do you have access to satellite communications? If you do, it would be best if I could operate from that site to take advantage of the quickest response times."

"I will make the arrangements for you, Patricia. Your trip there may be uncomfortable, because it is a secret location, and you will have to be blindfolded on your way there, and back."

"For you Don Bruno, I would not mind if you put me to sleep, during the entire transfer. I want you to get your son back alive, and in one piece."

Don Bruno smiled, "Patricia, do you have an ulterior motive?"

"Why, Don Bruno, what could you possibly mean? I only kissed him once."

"I thought he kissed you, Patricia. I think you will be trying very hard to get him to kiss you the second time."

"As long as you do not tell him, there is a possibility it may occur."

"Patricia, I am an old man. I want grandsons from my son, while I am still able to play with them."

"If there is one thing, this unfortunate happening may be having a positive benefit to your sons' quest of my favors', I know he is not fooling around on me."

"Only a woman could think of something like that, at a time like this."

"It is what makes us different than men, Don Bruno."

The print shop had another problem with their computer, and Patricia had to go to see what was going on. If anyone was tailing her, it was something she did on an ongoing basis for a regular customer.

When she arrived, her handler was there, and she told him of the satellite access area. It was so secret; she was going to be blindfolded on the way there and on the way back. They trusted her, but she felt that they would still search her and her bag before they started the trip. She suggested something that was a little over the top, but made a lot of sense to a lot of people at the Bureau.

If they found a bug on her or on any of her equipment, they would kill her. She suggested they give her a long-lasting radioactive isotope that could be tracked by satellite, or by ground unit. It had to be long lasting, because she did not know when they would take her to this site.

When the director said, "No" to this plan, Patricia called him on his cell and said, "I do not work for the FBI. I am an independent contractor. You have pissed me off for the last time. Your computers are going off-line in two minutes, and you will not be able to find me for three days." She hung up before Director Free could say a word.

The director knew when someone had him by the balls, and was yanking on them hard. He called her back, "Patricia, I am only thinking of your welfare."

"Michael, I told you what my plans are. I am going to take this family down. They killed my mother. My father is in this country, and if they find him, they are going to try to kill him. I have Stephano safely tucked away in Arizona, thanks to you. Let me know if you need any help, and I will be there for you. If I need any help, I will be in touch with you. Michael, please stay out of my way."

"Did your mother ever spank you, when you were growing up?"

"Why would she; I was the perfect child, and she was the perfect mother."

"So the beast that you have turned into, was let loose when they killed your mother?"

"They killed my mother, my best friend, and 40 of my classmates; you are damned right they turned the beast loose, when they perpetrated those crimes."

"Patricia, do not do anything illegal. I do not want to put you in jail."

"I cannot promise that Michael. I have already used your name and your assets to get Stephano away from his father. I am using another asset of yours to protect him. I will not tell you where, to keep you, and the Bureau safe. If anything goes wrong, it will be on my head, not yours."

"Patricia, I do not want you to talk to me about that again. The less I know, the less I can testify about what you are doing. Please be careful, I do not want you to get hurt."

Don Bruno placed ads on all the Internet carriers for William to contact him, using his old signing codes for the banks, as his user ID and Password's. The advertisement used the terms magnanimous gestures and hundreds of millions in rewards. The advertisement ran for days, and there was no response.

Sunday night at 6 PM, William Zabo signed in to his daughter's Internet address to read his current instructions. This time there was a picture of Laura staring back at him with instructions to play the slide show. There were 41 pictures of mother and daughter playing and growing up at the ranch. He watched and saved all the pictures on his computer, and when he was finished, he was crying. He had missed so much, but he had given them such a wonderful life. Then, his message came from Patricia.

"Dear papa, I cried putting this together for you; I can only imagine the feelings coursing through your body now. Mom was the greatest mother any daughter could have wished for, and regardless of how many men approached her, and there were hundreds, she turned them all away, because she loved you so much. She was so beautiful, kind, and giving that no one had a bad word to say about her. Even my teachers, who were furious with me, because I could not stand being held back in my studies, could not bring themselves to yell at her. I have news for you now. Bruno Valentino is going to attempt to contact you on the Internet. Do not answer him for a week or so. He wants me to trace your whereabouts. I am the FBI's mole. Do not panic, I am safe. The Don loves me, and believes that I am in love with Stephano. He thinks I will do anything possible to get him back. We will be tracking your whereabouts via satellite. Do not stay online for more than three minutes. Use an Internet café, or drive at least 100 miles away from your current location. I love you dad, be prepared to move at a moments' notice. This site will remain on the air, starting next Sunday. Patricia."

10 days after she was injected with the radioactive isotope, at the Montefiore Medical Center, in the Bronx, Patricia was called by Don Bruno. He told her to expect two women, within a half an hour. She was to bring only her computer and flash drives necessary for the operation. She would be searched, and told what to wear, and what to bring with her.

Patricia responded, "I will do anything you ask, Don Bruno."

The men on the roof of the apartment building across the street watched her as she put the phone down to see what her reaction would be. They watched as she sat on the couch in the living room. They called Don Bruno and advised him of her reaction.

When there was a knock at her door, she answered it, and let the women in. She escorted them to her bedroom, where they asked her strip. They picked out everything she was to wear. They packed a suitcase for her, containing enough clothes for four days. They watched as she packed her toiletries herself. They went over her computer and software with a fine toothcomb, looking for anything that was out of place. When the women were satisfied their task was complete, they took Patricia out to the waiting car, and they began driving towards New Jersey.

Patricia said, "Ladies, Don Bruno said I was to be blindfolded, did you forget?"

"No, we did not forget. You will be blindfolded after you land."

"I did not know I was going on a long trip. Would it be possible for me to get a sandwich and a drink? I did not eat breakfast this morning?"

"There will be plenty of food on the jet."

"Thank you very much, I appreciate it."

They arrived at Teterboro Airport 40 minutes later, and drove up to a gleaming large white jet. As she approached the stairs, a man checked her with a wand looking for any listening device. The two women laughed at him. One woman said, "We started with bare flesh, and searched every piece of clothing before she put it on. She has no bugs on her; I would stake my life on it."

Don Bruno walked up behind Patricia and said, "I would have bet on that, also, without having searched her."

Patricia turned, "Good morning, Don Bruno, are you joining me this morning?"

"It is not often I get a chance to get away. However, I have good news. Zabo contacted me early this morning and left a message that we could do a live conversation Thursday morning at 10 AM Eastern Time. I want to be there, and watch you track him down."

Patricia acted very excited. "Sir, I will catch him, like a mouse in the trap."

Don Bruno smiled, "I know you will, Patricia, I have the greatest faith in you."

Patricia asked the Don if she could have something to eat because she was feeling a little queasy and had not eaten breakfast. She was actually feeling the effects of the radioactive isotope coursing through her body.

The Don ordered the attendant to get her anything she wanted and Patricia ate it ravenously.

"Patricia, are you feeling well?"

"I should be fine now that I have eaten. If it is all right with you, I would like to sleep now."

The Don felt her head, which was a little moist, and ordered her a blanket and a pillow. He lowered her window shade, and told her to sleep. He would wake her at their destination.

Nine hours later, she awoke in a hotel room, with one of the women she had met in New York sitting at a table, watching over her.

"You gave us quite a scare, Patricia. How are you feeling?"

"Hungry, disoriented, and comfortable; was I running a temperature?"

"How does 103° sound to you?"

"It sounds like I have a bug."

"That is what the doctor thinks, also. He has you on an antibiotic and wants you on vitamins, because you are too thin."

"I am not too thin. Everyone wants me to put more meat on my bones. I like being skinny."

Don Bruno said, as he walked into the room, "If I have to force-feed you, you will put some weight on young woman."

"As you wish, my Lord."

Don Bruno laughed at her answer. "If you have your sense of humor back, I guess you are feeling better."

"I did not come to wherever we are to lie on my fat ass. I came down here to help find Stephano's tormentor. I do not care if I have a temperature of 106°, I will be at my computer, when that sonofabitch is online."

"Patricia, you are on complete bed rest, until tomorrow night. Anything that you need, Cynthia, or Janet will get it for you. If you get out of bed for any reason other than to go to the bathroom, they have my permission to throw you back in it, and tie you up."

"Thank you, Don Bruno, at least now I know where Stephano gets his ideas from."

"You know the saying, Patricia; like father like son. I do not know if we use the same knots, however."

"You are very funny, Don Bruno, hysterical as a matter of fact."

"I try my best, Patricia, now go to sleep. Your dinner will be here in a few hours."

"Am I allowed to order for myself?"

"No, you are not. I would imagine you would order Greek yogurt and a salad. You will be getting a steak, baked potato with sour cream and butter. Broccoli with hollandaise sauce and 'Bananas Foster' for dessert."

"How many days, am I given to eat all that food?"

"Young woman, I know you have been living from hand to mouth for a very long time. Now it is time for you to learn to eat properly. Your body is telling you, it needs more energy."

"Don Bruno, after I get Stephano back, I am going to stay away from you; otherwise I am going to weigh 300 pounds."

"I would be satisfied with 130 pounds, Patricia. 110 pounds is too thin."

"Okay, I will work on it. No promises, but I will work on it."

As he left the room, she thought to herself that getting sick was a wonderful happening. He is becoming more involved with my health and well-being than he was before. I am becoming a daughter to him, and he is protecting me like one. I could use this status very effectively.

She turned to the woman who was watching her and said, "I have been very impolite, I have never asked your name. I guess you are either Cynthia or Janet from what the Don said."

"Yes, I am Janet. Patricia, do not take this the wrong way, but I am not here to be your friend. I am here to make sure you follow all the rules. If you break any of them. I have to come down on you very hard and very fast."

"Janet, how am I supposed to know if I am breaking the rule, if I have not been told what the rules are?"

"You were supposed to get a copy of the rules, while you were on the airplane. Unfortunately you became ill and everyone forgot. I will call and get you a copy of the rules brought up to the room."

"Thank you, Janet, my only purpose in being here is to get Stephano back with Don Bruno, as soon as possible. As soon as I have accomplished that task, you can put me back on the airplane, send me home, and never tell me where I am, or have been. It is not my place to know or to care about."

"You have a very good attitude, Patricia. If you keep it that way, everything will work out just fine."

"I am going to sleep, am I supposed to take any medicine, before I do?"

"No, you will take it after you finish eating."

"I will see you in a few hours, Janet."

Patricia was unaware that every word and every movement, she made, in that room was being recorded and videotaped. Nothing was being left to chance.

Don Bruno said to the other men who were listening in to the conversation, "I told you that she is only interested in getting my son back. You have checked her equipment yourself. You have checked her clothing. She has no listening, or transmitting devices on her. You are going to watch everything she does, while she works with our satellite equipment. If I could convince her to work for us, she would wind up being the highest paid computer expert we have."

"She does seem to be what you say she is. We will see how good she is, when Zabo contacts us tomorrow."

She woke up the following morning, still running a high fever, and the Don was still worried about her. Patricia said, "Don Bruno, get me some ice. Get me a lot of ice, and put it in the bathtub. I will not miss being at the computer tonight. I will get Stephano back for you, regardless of the cost to my body."

The Don argued with her, because they still had many hours for the medication to work. She would take no argument from him. He was not used to dealing with a woman, who was so opinionated and someone who would not yield to his demands. He threw his hands in the air, and ordered six large bags of ice.

Patricia got into the tub and filled it halfway with lukewarm water. She asked that only Janet, Cynthia, and the Doctor be present to keep her company, while she was in the ice bath, so she might preserve some of her modesty. She began to shiver under the freezing temperatures the ice brought the water temperature down to, as the Doctor traced her core body temperature. The men watching from the other room shivered as she did, not believing what this woman was willing to do for Don Bruno and his son's safety. Even they were now convinced that she was the real thing. When her core temperature reached 90°, the Doctor looked into the camera, shook his head, "No more." He had Janet and Cynthia pull her out of the bathtub. They removed her wet clothing and wrapped her in warm towels. They took her to her bed, covered her as she shivered trying to regain her normal temperature. The Doctor ordered both women to strip and get in bed with her.

Both women remove their clothing, without blinking an eye. They climbed into bed on both sides of Patricia bathing her with their warmth. It took more than 15 minutes for Patricia's color to start returning to her body, as the Doctor kept taking her temperature, pulse, and cardiac readings. As her body started to return to normal, he turned to the cameras, nodded his head, and returned to his patient. He believed the crisis was over.