CHAPTER 194 Tradition

*Cristos*

With Sarah out of the way, we could finally go see Joy.

"Bo, why don't you guys get changed for the hospital," I told Xavier, "while I check on the audio we got from Liam. By the way, do you have a spare jacket? Mine smells like smoke." I quickly took my jacket off and handed it to him.

"I think I have a spare in my office that you can borrow," Xavier replied, before walking toward the door. "Meet us outside in ten?"

"Sure," I answered hastily, eager to get my hands on that audio file.

But just as Xavier was about to close the door behind him, he suddenly stopped. "I just remembered, Chip, don't forget to get an update from De Luca. I gave Max explicit instructions to update me once the *package* arrives at the safe house. I haven't gotten a call... not even a message. That means the *package* hasn't been delivered yet."

My brow instantly furrowed, noticing the time on Dina's monitor. De Luca was eleven minutes behind schedule.

I nudged Dina on her arm.

"Dina, you heard Bo, call De Luca," I ordered, annoyed De Luca would fuck up something as important as this. "After you get his location, tell him to get his ass to the safe house A.S.A.P. and remind him that Pete may have a tracking device inplanted somewhere in his body. The longer he's out in the open, the bigger the chance of an ambush." I turned to Xavier with a confused look on my face. "I don't understand. Didn't Dom brief him?"

"As a matter of fact, both Dom and I briefed him together. We made it utterly clear he was to drive straight to the safe house," Xavier answered before letting out a frustrated sigh. "I told Dom I'd have one of my men do it, but he insisted De Luca take charge even though he knows De Luca is one hell of a coward."

*Yup*. *That was a fact*. *De Luca was a coward*.

"There's a tracker on the van De Luca is driving. Let me work my magic and pinpoint his location," I said, my fingers typing rapidly on Dina's keyboard. It took me a few minutes, but I got a ping off of the van's tracker. "I got him. He's at that gas station near the exit leading into Bismarck." I glanced at Dina, who was pressing her headset against her ear, looking rather impatient. "Any luck with De Luca?"

"Nope," she scoffed, shaking her head.

"Well, at least we have a location," I stated while I quickly typed a message to one of my soldiers who was overseeing our team of hackers based in Bismarck. "Right now, I'm messaging one of my men to get a sattelite image of the area De Luca is currently located."

"What about CCTV feed?" Xavier asked.

"I'll ask my team to hack into the feed from all the private establishments in that area. As for the city's CCTV cameras, they've been down since yesterday. The work of either the Blue Rogues or the Black Hawks," I explained. "Don't worry, if he's in distress, my team will find him. So, go on and get dressed. We got this."

"Alrighty then. I'll leave you two at it," Bo replied, before closing the door quietly behind him.

"Dina, where's that audio from Liam?" I asked after sending my instructions to my soldier.

Dina clicked her mouse before pointing to an audio file on the top of the screen of her monitor. "I only got about five minutes of audio before it stopped transmitting." She clicked on her mouse again and a red dot quickly emerged on the screen, blinking a location. "As you can see, Liam is currently at the Sheriff's station and unfortunately, their jammer is on."

"Shit!"

"Shit indeed," Dina agreed, "but the audio I got is priceless."

"Yeah?"

"Oh yes," she answered, nodding her head enthusiastically while handing me a headset so I could listen to the file.

"While I listen to this, keep calling De Luca. And don't stop until that asshole answers his phone." Dina rolled her eyes and pouted.

"May I speak freely, Primo?" She asked before clicking the redial button on her screen.

"Sure," I answered. "What's on your mind?"

"I don't know why Domenico has so much faith in De Luca. I, for one, don't trust him," Dina replied to my surprise. I have known and worked with Dina for years and she has always gotten along with everyone. This was a first.

"Dina, when you were inducted, you swore to your Blood Disciple brethren that you would stand beside them until death. Are you telling me you will no longer honor your oath and turn your back on De Luca?" I asked, somewhat rhetorically, since I knew the answer to my question.

"Of course not, Primo," Dina answered, her resentment apparent in her tone of voice. "It will be my highest privilege to die for each and every Blood Disciple. If my death can save my brethren, I will gladly give up my life." I heard the conviction in her voice. Dina was a proud Blood Disciple through and through. "I can't say the same for De Luca though. Beaufort said so himself. De Luca is a coward, and based on experience, cowards are not to be trusted. They'll do anything to save their own skin."

I gazed at the monitor, staring at the pinned location of the van and wondered if Dina was right.

*But why would De Luca defy a direct order*?

*He probably had to take a dump*.

*Still*, *he wasn't answering his phone*.

"Do you have any proof to back up your claim aside from De Luca being called a coward?" I asked Dina.

"Call it female intuition," Dina answered, sighing. "You know what? Forget I mentioned anything, Primo."

"That settles it then," I said, putting an end to the conversation. "Now let's get back to work. I really need to get to the hospital before the pack of wolves start swarming in on Virtue."

I quickly placed the headset over my head and increased the volume before clicking the audio file. The first male voice I picked up on was faint and a bit muffled, but utterly distinct.

The voice was Dan's.

"Liam, all the Consigliere wants is for things to go back to what they once were, that is, with the Angels of Darkness controlling the business."

"What do you mean, son?" A raspy male voice drawled. It was the Sheriff.

"Sheriff, you must understand, there are certain traditions the organization continues to uphold. For decades, New Salem has always been under a ranking member of the Angels of Darkness while its mayor has been kept as a close and esteemed associate. Just take the case of Cynthia McDowell and Theodore Cohen. As we all know, they had a very good working relationship... so good, they were able to increase profits for the organization. And because of the profits they raked in, Doña Veronica, as well as the council, held them both in high regard. For the organization, money has always been the gauge of one's worth," Dan explained before heaving a wistful sigh. "Liam, I know this is a hard pill to swallow, but there has to be an Angels of Darkness high ranking member overseeing operations. As much as the Consigliere would prefer someone better suited for the business, he himself understands we can not disregard tradition. Pete McDowell must come back to New Salem... to serve as a puppet. The Consigliere assured me that you and I will have full control over the business while he sees to it that Pete will be kept on a short leash. However, we have to continue reeling in the profits and provide the organization their fair share or it will be our deaths."

"I need to speak with the Consig- ... Lorenzo Ortiz before I can make a decision," another male voice said. It was Liam. "I don't like being threatened in my own home, despite knowing what he can do for me in return, *if* I were agree to his proposal."

"Of course. But before we can negotiate, there's a small problem that we need to take care of first," Dan said, his voice low and serious. "We need to get the deed of the pharmacy back to where it belongs, in the hands of the Angels of Darkness."

"Well, Link said he'll hand over the deed at my wedding... as a wedding gift," Liam scoffed.

"And after he does, the Consigliere will step in and *punish* him for his... *interference*," Dan replied, his voice full of vindictiveness. There was a slight pause before he continued. "Oh, before I forget, the Consigliere has already sent a team of his men to kill Norma and Thomas Martín. They are no longer our problem. Soon, the same will happen to Link."

Despite the loud static in the background, I heard the muffled sounds of boisterous laughter before the audio went dead.

I took the headset off and threw it beside the keyboard.

We had to come up with a plan to thwart the Consigliere. Link was an indispensable member of the Blood Disciples. We had to protect him... whatever the costs.

Yet, we only had a few options. We could either use Pete to negotiate with Lorenzo Ortiz or Link could use Lisa as his shield.

I glanced at Dina, who was now drumming her fingers impatiently on the long black table of her work station, a clear indication that De Luca was still MIA.

I rubbed my forehead, hoping to ease the anxiety I was feeling.

*It was just one problem after another*.

"Put it on speaker," I told Dina. With a click of her mouse, we were suddenly surrounded by the sound of her phone ringing.

It rang and rang, but De Luca would not pick up.

*God damn it*, *De Luca*! I checked my watch for the time and frowned. My ten minutes were up.

"I need to go," I said, noticing Xavier walking out of his armory. "If there is still no answer for the next ten minutes, I'll send in a search party-"

"Hold that thought, Primo," Dina said, suddenly sitting up at attention. "The call is going through."