Captain – Brothers At Arms #6

“What is it about men like Barrett that he can talk someone even more stupid into doing his bidding?” Gina shook her head slowly.

 ”He’s the type of man that says what he thinks you want to hear,” Captain said. “The type who can read another’s soul and says what he thinks you want to hear. Yet, he knows in his heart and mind that he’ll never follow through with what he’s promised you.”

Alfredo nodded. “My father was such a man. Barrett comes by that trait naturally. He got it from his grandfather.”

 ”But how does he live with himself?” Gina asked. “If I did something like that, I wouldn’t be able to look at myself in the mirror the next morning.”

Delaney snorted. “Oh, believe me my father has no consciousness. He can lie and mean every word of what he’s saying at the time. Then when he’s called on it, he can just shrug his shoulders and say, the other guy should have known better than to believe him.”

“But how many lives has he ruined with his silver tongue?” Desi asked.

“Too damn many.” Alfredo sighed. “But no more. When we show the world he is nothing but a liar and thief his power will end.”

“I will speak to the Council on your behalf. They already know you are making reparations,” Leon told him. “Word will spread among the families all across the nation. No one associated with us will even give him the time of day if he ever gets out of prison again.”

Alfredo nodded. “That would be helpful, senor. I thank you. But that doesn’t help us now.” He sat there a moment then made up his mind and looked back over at Leon. “I have to tell him face to face that I will disown him and his sons for everything they have done, not only to me and my family but to the rest of the world as well.”

Leon paused, then gave him a nod. “I know this is something you need to do and I wish you well.”

“No time like the present to do what must be done.” Alfredo struggled to get to his feet and he used his cane to walk toward the door leading down to the cell area.

Delaney, Memphis, Desi, Gina, and Captain went with him.

When they reached the cell where Barrett and his sons were, Alfredo stopped and looked at the trio within.

Aliyala and Romano looked up and stared at the old man.

Barrett was lying on the rack with his arm up, covering his eyes. When Romano slapped his leg, Barrett brought his arm down and stared at his son then turned his head to glare at his father. “What the hell do you want?”

Alfredo looked at his son and shook his head. “So this is how you end up, boy? Tell me something… was the life you led worth it? I mean all the lying and cheating and downright stealing, was it worth it?”

“Yeah dad, it was worth it or will be when I get out of here,” Barrett told him.

“Well, let me tell you something son, “Alfredo glared at him. “You won’t find any money left by the time you get out of here. The gold has been returned to Leon along with all the money your grandfather stole from his safes. We also found two separate cashes of gemstones and your grandfather’s journal. We were able to block the tunnels and escape hatches, so those won’t get you out even if you do find one we missed. We also found your hiding place, the old well? Yeah, we found that. And when you blew up the still room, we found Vincent’s hiding place and one of the other hiding places. That money has been taken into custody by the Marshals as well. The money and the gemstones you stole will go back to the bank and the jewelry store you robbed. I’m pressing charges for Carlos’s murder, maybe thirty years too late but at least it will be on the books under your name.”

Barrett slowly sat up and got to his feet he stepped over then grabbed the bars with white knuckles. “That money and jewels are mine. You had no right to take them.”

Alfredo shook his head. “No son, you had no right to take them. Tomorrow, I will place an ad in the papers disavowing you as my son and Aliyala, Romano and Vincent as my grandsons. You will no longer have the right to use the Raggetti name as your own. Leon Vincinti will proclaim you person no gratis with the Family and its council as well. That will close a lot of doors to you and your sons. Word will spread while you are behind bars for murder and robbery. There is nothing left for you or your sons here. This property doesn’t belong to you anymore. I sold it to the MC seven years ago, so this vendetta you had going is and was moot. They have every right to protect their own and when your men realize they have no standing here, they will leave you behind. You have no money left and at your age, no chance to get a legitimate job to earn a retirement.”

“You would deny me to the world?” Barrett growled.

“Si I will and tomorrow the world will know it.” Alfredo stared at him

“And Delaney?” Barrett growled. “Do you deny her as well? She’s part of my family.”

Delaney raised her head. “Tomorrow, I will go and fill out the paperwork to change my last name. I will no longer be a Raggetti. And if grandpa is going to denounce you, I will too. Not that you care.”

Barrett sneered, “You didn’t deserve the Raggetti name to begin with. You are not my child anyway. Your damn mother was sleeping with another man and she fell pregnant with you from him not me. I got out of prison after nine months and came home to find her pregnant with you. You were born a week later.”

“I really wish that was true.” Delaney sneered right back at him. “A huge part of me wanted that. Except you were only in prison eight months and two weeks, Barrett. I heard all about that story and I checked things out, DNA proved it. I am your child, but you never wanted me because I was a girl and for no other reason than that.”

Alfredo nodded. “That is true son. I took a blood test to verify the results. She is my granddaughter.”

“Bah, she could say anything and you would agree to it.” Barrett snarled. “Her mother was sleeping with another man when I came home from prison.”

“Do you blame her?” Gina sneered. “A woman has needs the same as a man. And from what I understand, you were gone a lot back then. You were catting around on her, so I guess what’s good for the goose is good for the gander.”

Barrett turned his head slowly and glared at her. “Just who the hell are you to tell me what’s good for my marriage?”

Gina crossed her arms over her chest and glared right back at him. “I’m just a stranger looking at things from an angle you never considered before. From my viewpoint, you were a lousy husband and an even lousier father. Where were you when your children were young? In Jail. Where were you when they needed you to advise them. In prison. Is it any wonder they turned out the way they did?”

She shrugged. “Well, I guess now, your sons can always take lessons from you as to how to survive in the prison system.”

“When I get out of this cell the first thing I’m gonna do is rap you one right in the mouth.” Barrett growled.

“Then you’ll never see a jail cell buddy, cuz I’ll put a bullet right between your eyes.” Captain growled. “A real man should never raise his fist in anger at a woman.”

“Thank you Captain for the assist but I can take care of myself.” Gina snarled. “He comes after me and he’s gonna be less one hand. How will a man like him handle prison with only one hand I wonder?”

“Big words for a big mouth bitch.” Barrett scoffed.

“You are all mouth and no show buster.” Gina shrugged. “You may talk the talk but you are basically a coward.”

Alfredo snorted. “I tried to teach the little ingrate many times when he was a child. He never did learn that lesson.”

“Something he never taught his sons either.” Delaney sneered. “Rapists, women beaters and cold blooded murders. That is what you raised them to be. I never had brothers, I had bullies.”

Barrett ignored her and looked back at his father. “I am still your son dad, no matter what you say. It’s not going to change the fact that I carry your blood in my veins. Not even you can change that fact.”

“I will tell the truth and disown you and your sons. I will regret the day you were born and I will claim no relationship to you and yours. I will tell the truth about what you’ve done over the years and everyone will know the truth. I will uncover all your lies and deceptions. And then I will ask people you have cheated to step forward to add more of your crimes to the list of those you will be accused of. How long will that list be?”

Barrett just stared at his father and he could read the truth in his eyes. It looked like this might be the first moment in his entire life that he felt shame. Then Barrett closed his mind down and he curled his lip at his dad. “Well old man, do what you have to do. You can’t hurt me. I won’t allow that.”

Alfredo nodded. “I know you won’t. You act like this doesn’t matter one whit to you but someday boy, when you least expect it, then it will mean something. One day the souls of the people you cheated or worse will visit your dreams and they will haunt you until you do the right thing.”

“And just what would that be?” Barrett snarled.

“Admit to what you did and try to make it better,” Alfredo told him. Then he glared at his son and shook his head. “But that day will never come for you will it? You will never own up to your own mistakes. You are too much like my father for that. He never accepted his faults either and in the end, he died a lonely crazy old man. He died when the insanity he fell into finally took his soul and you will die the same way. Screaming as the voices of those you did wrong haunt you.” He shook his head and said, “It was something I hope I never have to witness again. La Morte Nera.” He then turned away.

 Delaney was there to steady him then she hooked his arm in hers and together, they walked out the door.

Desi paused and stared at Barrett. “My mom and grandpa will be there when you go.”

Everyone followed them out.

 When the room was quiet, Chico finally said something, “Well Raggetti, I feel sorry for you in one way, but in another way I think you’re going to get everything you deserve. Family is all a man has and yours just dumped your ass in the mud. At least, I got to see that before I die.”

“Fuck you Chico!” Barrett growled then he turned his head and stared at the closed door.

His sons had remained silent during the whole exchange, and neither of them would look at him.

Barrett shivered as a cold breeze blew over his soul. He stumbled back to the rack and laid down. Throwing his arm up over his head, he shut out the rest of the world.

“Is that true, Dad?” Romano asked.

“Yeah,” Aliyala spoke up. “Did great grandpa do that?”

Barrett scoffed. “Do what?”

“Call out the names of the people he killed or ruined.” Chico sneered. “You know what they’re asking, venejo.”

“Kiss my ass, Chico.” Barret scoffed.

“Nah man, I will have you doing that. I got more friends inside than you can ever dream about. You will be in hell, before you checkout, then when you go…it will be La Muerte Negra. I bet you can feel that already, just like your dad just said. La Morte Nera….the cold breath of The Black Death.”

Barrett made no reply. He did in fact remember Alfonzo, his grandfather screaming different names out for a full three days before he passed. He shivered again.