The Heist (18 page)

Once there,
he ensured no one was around to see them, and flashed back to the
base. “Hame’ll dae us, eh? Although ye huv tae understan’ that this
is jist temporary, its oor workplace.” Shuggie didn’t know why he
had to make that distinction to Alicia, he just didn’t want her to
think that he and Xavier lived like homeless tramps.

Shite,
Shuggie thought to himself.  Alicia doesn’t
know that he works and is best friends with the
Commander.

As difficult
as the conversation he had earlier with Xavier was, broaching the
subject of ‘Xavier’ with Alicia had the potential to make that
earlier one look like a breeze.  Deciding to keep Xavier’s
name out of the conversation for as long as he could, he offered
Alicia a seat.

“
A wee dram?”
holding up a bottle of Scotch, and indicating the glasses on the
side table.

Alicia took the seat that
was offered to her by Shuggie and sat down with ease, with a slight
nod of her head

“
That what be
lovely, thank you Hugh. You mentioned ‘us’? Is your wife going to
be accompanying us this eve?” Alicia smiled as Shuggie handed the
glass to her, trying to act discreetly as she checked it over for
cleanliness, even if it was just a temporary dwelling. It wasn’t
exactly the Ritz!  Satisfied it looked clean enough, she took
a small sip, her eyes taking in the surroundings.

“
Wife?”
Shuggie laughed and shook his head. “Nae lass, ah huvnae got a
wife.” Holding his glass up “Tae friendship” and took a drink
before sitting down beside her.

He had taken them into
his own quarters, since Xavier was less than pleased at hearing he
had invited her over to spend the evening with them.

“
How are ye
likin’ Mexico, youngling?” Shuggie found Alicia’s company relaxing,
easy. There was something quaint and old fashioned about her. She
had impeccable manners which indicated a good upbringing, and she
had no vanity or airs and graces about her. He liked the simplicity
of her viewpoint, and admired that she was very much her own
person, even though he suspected that her life had not been an easy
one by any means.

Placing the
glass down on that table that sat to the side of where Alicia was
seated, she looked over at Shuggie, a relaxed look on her face.
Shuggie had made her feel welcome and she truly enjoyed his
company.

“
It’s hot,
that’s for sure! I love the architecture. The houses are beautiful
and the art galleries are simply stunning.  Although I did
have to reprimand an art dealer. Can you believe he got the year
and origin of a painting wrong? I left with that painting as an
apology!”

“
You left wi’
the painting? An they jist let ye walk oot o’there with a work of
art?” Shuggie’s tone wasn’t in disapproval, more like amusement.
“Wait, ye mesmerised them tae hand it o’er tae ye, didn’t ye?” His
eyes were sparkling as he smiled, recognising the mischievousness
in his young companion.

“
Why of
course I did, the fools deserved it.” Alicia let out a mischievous
laugh as she relaxed further into the chair. “I feel I should be
asking you questions here, but my Madre always told me it was
rude.”

“
By all
means, ask away, Alicia.” Shuggie took another drink.  He
hadn’t lost sight of the fact that he had to press her for
information, but he didn’t want to interrogate her.  He was
genuinely fond and curious about her.  Regardless of what his
Commander said, he would move heaven and earth to keep her from
being handed over to Belcastro. He just needed to earn her trust to
find out why she was so hell bent on bringing them down.

With a sheepish look on
her face, Alicia’s shifted in the seat so that her legs were
brought up and curled under her, her fingers absently seeking the
label to the back of her Doc Marten.

“
How did you
know? I mean know what you, what we, are.”

Nodding once,
he refilled their glasses, before answering.

“
Ah, that’s
quite an easy question to answer, Alicia. Ye see, ah had a Master
who asked me if ah wanted to be changed or no.” Seeing the slight
confusion on her face, he explained. “Ah wis a Warrior - an after a
particularly bloodthirsty battle, ah returned tae ma village tae
find that aw the wummin an weans hud been murdered.  As ah
started to bury ma dead, ah wis ambushed an stretched oot until mah
limbs broke, then ah wis disembowelled. As ah wis aboot tae take ma
last breath, a man came tae me an asked if ah wanted tae live. Ah
must’ve said aye, cos the next thing I mind ah wis wakin up,
healed, and healthy — an stronger and faster than ah hud e’er been
afore! The man, ma Maker, taught me what we were an how tae
survive.  Ah’m thoosands o years auld, lass, which is why ah
cud sense wit ye were, afore we even spoke.” Shuggie took another
drink, then looked over at Alicia, giving silent approval for her
to ask anything else.  He was pretty much an open book for
her, his paternal instincts at her being abandoned and uninitiated
into her eternal life kicking in.

Alicia sat
mesmerized as she listen to Shuggie’s story, it was so different
from her tale. “But why couldn’t I sense you Hugh? Is it because
your eons old?”

Laughing,
Shuggie nodded. “Aye, bit ah look good fur it! Ye’ll discover that
yer skills will enhance as the centuries pass by, youngling.”
Changing the subject, Shuggie enquired, “So, dae ye work alone or
dae ye have companions?”

Alicia smiled
and held out her glass has Shuggie offered a refill. “I work alone
Hugh, always have done. I like to be my own boss, that way no one
can let me down. What’s the point anyway? I don’t age, mortals do
and then they die.”

There was a
melancholy to Alicia now, Shuggie noticed, and it saddened
him.

“
Ach, lass,
ye cannae live wi’oot company. Ye huv tae experience life or it’s
no really living. Aye, mortals die, ah’n am no gonna lie tae ye, it
hurts. But if ye think that removing yerself from experiencing aw
that life hus tae offer cos ye’r scared ye’ll be hurt? It’s a
falsehood. Ye get hurt wither ye dae or no.”

Shuggie sat
thoughtfully for a few moments before deciding now was the right
time to ask what he really wanted to know. “Alicia, ye dae seem
keen tae cause chaos fur Belcastro. Ah kin tell ye aren’t needin
money or riches from him, so why target him and his men so
vehemently?  Is it tae dae with yer past?”

Alicia sat
gobsmacked at Shuggie’s words. “H-how do you know that?” Normally
she would deny and lie but she just couldn’t do it, so her response
was a simple one,
how did he
know?

“
Yer name fur
one thing — Carberletti? Ah hud a notion as ah’d heard that name
afore but something aboot it and Belcastro fur some reason sticks
in ma heid.” Shuggie wasn’t lying, he had heard the name before,
but he was damned if he could remember. “An then ye huv tae factor
in that the robberies huv been quite high profile in the
underworld. An the fact that ootside contractors hud tae be brought
in by the most notorious Mafia family in order tae catch the thief
didnae go unnoticed. An tae be honest, I’ve no met anyone that
cud pull something as skilful as that aff wi’oot being caught.
Unless they were ‘different’.” Shuggie gave Alicia a pointed look
to emphasise his last comment.

Alicia threw
the contents of the glass back in her throat as she tried to buy
herself a moment. She had never told Shuggie of her surname yet he
knew it. She put this down to the fact he knew the name and left it
at that.

“
You seem to know a lot about Belcastro, Hugh. I cannot lie to
you for I already have done so. I am not as you guessed, a book
keeper. If it wasn’t for that ‘stalker man’ then Belcastro would
have been mine! I’m out to avenge my father and
brother.”
Alicia's eyes glazed over
as she went into a trance and she started to tell her story to
Shuggie.

“
I was born in Sicily in 1870, a fraternal twin to Alessandro.
Raised in an Aristocratic family, my parents hid a dark secret from
us, or should I say me, one which would not be revealed to me until
many years later in circumstances no one should have to
endure.
My twin and I were inseparable
growing up. But it was always I that got us into trouble.
Papa used to call me his free spirited mischief
maker!
It was a beautiful summer's day,
the year was 1895, our twenty fifth birthday.
Alessandro and I were walking by the river where the
waterfall was rushing in its glory.

My brother as
usual was giving me a lecture on the sire's that were trying to
court me. He was telling me that no-one would ever be good enough
for his ‘baby sister’.  I rolled my eyes at this statement as
I am thirty minutes older than him!
As I
went to the water's edge to run my fingers over the rippling water
there was a sudden gust of wind that forced me into the water head
first, as I tried to swim upwards by kicking my feet, I realised I
couldn't.  My feet were being pulled downwards, the current I
presumed dragging me under but I managed to kick my feet free and
with all my strength swam to the top where I screamed for my
brother to help me, to save me.

My pleas were
unanswered as the current again managed to get a grip of my legs
and my last human memory was being pulled into the abyss of
darkness.

The blinding
lights of heaven made me close my eyes quickly, I had made it to
the other side at least but my throat was on fire. If I was dead, I
should have felt no pain but the burning in my throat and the most
awful taste I had encountered was filling my mouth, I sat up
straight in a very quick fashion but when I looked around I was by
a shoreline.

My senses
were highly alert. I could smell, taste and hear everything crystal
clear, I looked down over my form, I was dressed immaculately in a
heavy skirted blood red dress, my fingers reached for my hair and I
felt the curls that flowed down my back, this wasn't right I
thought to myself, I drowned, or did I ? I shouted for Alessandro,
my eyes scanning the area my vision was crystal clear, and
something caught my eye, my skin was perfect, I gasped and closed
my eyes shut quickly, things were not right at…all. I stood up to
walk and moved quicker than I have ever done in my twenty five
years.

I was
different… alone in the world, however for almost
eighty years I had no idea what I was so I
adapted to the human way of life.  I robbed banks at gunpoint,
killed for kicks. It wasn’t until years later that she found me, my
Creator - Mabel.  She told me with a sadistic glee what she
had done to me.  I couldn’t comprehend what she was telling me
at first. But when she started to paw at me and tell me that I was
“the first of my Kind” - and called me her Little Carberletti
Treasure - the full horror of what happened hit me.

In a rage, I
attacked Mabel, and buried her alive in the same graveyard as my
parents. I wanted to ensure that she couldn’t do what she did to me
to anyone else.”

Decades ago,
I found my Madre’s journal and that’s when I found out that the
Belcastro’s ancestors had killed my family. My father was a
powerful Italian Don, his name was Alessandro Carberletti.  It
is my mission to destroy the Belcastros for what they did to my
family.”

Alicia
lowered her eyes, she was sure Shuggie wouldn’t approve and send
her packing.

As he walked
through the deserted hotel, Xavier could hear voices coming from
the direction of Shuggie’s bedroom.  Slowing as he approached
the outside of the door, his blood started to boil when he realised
that one of the voices was that of Alicia.  It wasn’t the fact
that Shuggie had gone ahead and invited her here to their base,
which was his first knee-jerk reaction when he had been told about
it earlier that day.
It was the fact that
Shuggie was in there, alone, with her, in his goddamn motherfucking
bedroom.

Xavier’s hands clenched
into fists as he listened into the conversation.  He swore to
all damnation that if Shuggie made any move on her, he would rip
him apart and turn him inside out.  His anger had come from
out of nowhere, but he wasn’t analysing it.

He was embracing
it.

As he concentrated on
what the fuck was going on, he could hear Alicia talking.  She
was pouring her heart out to Shuggie, telling him her life story.
 Why would she confide in that Highland fucker? Why didn’t she
want to confide in him, instead of either trying to kill him by
conventional means or just argue him to death?  Jealousy was
mixing with anger and it was not a good combination.

Xavier had never felt
like this before, not even close.

His
heightened emotions only started to lessen when he actually
processed what Alicia had been saying. Hers was a heart breaking
story, and yet she told it with no hint of self-pity. She was so
matter of fact about it, which was what struck Xavier the hardest.
What the fuck was he thinking hunting her down?  The
Belcastros deserved exactly what she wanted to dish out to them and
more besides.  Instead of fighting against her, he should be
fighting with her!

Xavier’s left hand
reached over to the door handle, but he stayed motionless when he
heard Shuggie start to speak.