Authored by Koslov

Serena Laurentis stood in her bedroom and surveyed the mess. She pressed the ‘end call’ button on her phone and let it fall to the floor. Her other hand loosely held a note. And, while her eyes read it for the hundredth time, her heart couldn’t get past the mess that her husband had made of their room. What was left of his clothes were strewn across the floor; the bed was unkempt – and there was evidence that someone had recently had sex there. The safe was open and all the money within was gone. Not that she really cared about money; she cared about Norman. She wanted him back.

Soon she heard the voice of her brother, Angelo diSantiago. “Serena!” He called when he entered the house. He followed the sounds of her crying up to her bedroom on the second floor. “Has there been a robbery?” He said, kneeling beside her on the floor.

“No.” She sobbed, “Norman left me – and for another woman. Oh ...” She began to sob again.

Angelo took a second look around the room as he held his younger sister. “He did ... this ... before he left?”

She nodded yes.

His eyes were drawn to the empty safe, the gold-digger husband had taken anything small enough to carry that was of any value. He picked up his phone and punched in their brother’s Javier’s number.

“Norman has left Serena and robbed her in the process.” Angelo said, “I want a trace on him, call security and make sure his larceny was limited to their house.”

“Understood.” Javier said, feeling his blood-pressure begin to rise. Serena was very special to him, and he had never really like her feckless husband. “Should I call Raphael?”

“Not yet.” Angelo said, “We need to find out everything before we turn your dog loose.”

“Understood.” Javier relied, “I’ll call you when I know something.” With that the younger twin hung up and began making calls.

Four hours later, Angelo had Serena calmed down and had given her a sleeping pill. She was resting in their guest room. Angelo diSantiao was the CEO of diSantiago Holdings Limited – the company that ran all the diSantiago companies. He was a powerful man. Normally, he would never handle something like this himself. But this was his sister and her husband ... Norman Laurentis ... had been someone he had brought into the company and had promoted him over some more qualified applicants into their pharma R&D department. Promoted because he was the husband of his sister.

He took another drink from his glass of scotch. He sat at his laptop and read over what Javier had sent him. The bastard had walked out today with copies of one of their new drugs; the same day he had seen to the firing of three key researchers. Running the rough numbers in his head, Norman’s theft would cost the company $20 million.

Soon, Javier and Raphael would be here and he would turn the family monster loose on his philandering brother-in-law. Credit card activity put him headed toward Savannah, which was where his yacht was berthed.

When the two men entered, Raphael stood several steps away from the twin brothers. He had always been able to tell them apart; but mostly because Angelo never really respected him; while Javier treated him like a son.

After several minutes of conversation, the three men heard a voice calling. “Javier! Is that you?” She asked, walking unsteadily down the stairs. When she saw the face of her nephew, she blanched.

“Angelo! What are you doing?” She screamed. “You can’t send him! You have to bring Norman back alive!! You have too; I love him!!” Her voice was panicked and she nearly fell down the stairs. “You can’t send HIM!” She screamed again, pointing at Raphael.

“Don’t worry, Serena.” Javier said, “Raphael will not harm Norman.” He looked over to Raphael, “Right?”

Raphael nodded.

“When Norman left, he also stole research from the company. Raphael’s job will be to bring Norman back to you and bring the research back to us.” Angelo said, his voice a little colder than he wanted it to be. Just moments ago, he had asked if Raphael could dispose of Norman and his girlfriend.

Raphael had said he could do it; but had warned about the possible blow-back from Serena. He didn’t smile, but Angelo glared at him as if he had. His orders had changed.

“High tide in Savannah is at 7:13. If I’m going to get to the boat before it launches, I’m going to need to leave now.” Raphael said.

Javier clapped him on the shoulder, “Call me when you get Norman back on the plane. When you get to the airport, DP-2 will be fueled and ready for you. Take my car.” He said, tossing the younger man his keys.

“I’ll call.” Raphael said, leaving the house. He heard the siblings arguing about the wisdom of sending him out like this. Truthfully, Angelo would have sent him even if he hadn’t stolen from the company. No one did this to Angelo and Javier’s sister: a lesson would be taught. Only, now it was way more like a spanking than anything else.

Hours later, Raphael got off the private jet in the early, muggy morning hours in Savannah. There was a mini-van waiting for him; not really the kind of vehicle he liked driving – but as he was going to have to be carrying at least one person against their will – it seemed better than a sports car.

He checked his watch when he got out at the Blue Lady Marina. He still had an hour before the tide. He walked slowly, casually toward the yacht that was Norman’s. Raphael grimaced at the name: “Serena’s Sloop”. He wondered how long it would take him to repaint that.

“Norman.” Raphael said when he was within voice range of the yacht.

Norman Laurentis turned, not expecting that anyone would have caught up with him – at least not yet. He did not expect to see Raphael.

“May I come aboard.” Raphael said.

Norman nodded yes as the blood drained from his face.

“Thank you.” Raphael said, stepping onto the boat. “I’m not here to hurt you. I’m here because your wife very much wants you to come home.” His voice was even and steady. He realized that – based on his reputation – Norman had every belief that Raphael indeed was here to hurt him.

“I heard voices...” a woman’s voice said as her black-haired head exited from below deck, “You.”

Raphael mouth dropped open. Now this was not what he was ready for. “Jennifer.” He said, recovering, “This certainly is a surprise.” Jennifer diSantiago was the daughter of Angelo and she lorded her father’s position over those cousins who bought into that kind of thing. “Get your things, we are going back to Hudson City.”

Jennifer laughed. “You don’t scare me; Javier has you on a tight leash, and you won’t dare touch me, or my Norman. Cast off darling, he has no authority here.”

Norman stood, trapped between the two cousins. Jennifer, wild and wanton. He never knew what she saw in him; but he loved her attention. And Raphael, the diSantiago everyone avoided, the one they laughed at when neither he or Javier were around. The one who no one wanted; the one that everyone needed. He had only seen Raphael once or twice and had never had more than introduction to. He seemed taller now, bigger.

Raphael took a step toward Norman, “Don’t take another step ...” Jennifer started only to be cut short when Raphael reached out across the space between them and slapped her hard. She fell back down the stairs.

“You are mistaken, Jennifer.” He turned to Norman. “You really shouldn’t have taken the research; If you hand it to me right now, and convince me that you didn’t already sell it, you come home. Without injury. Your wife really does want you home.”

“You bastard!” Jennifer yelled, running up from the galley with a large knife, “You can’t do that to me!”

Raphael caught her with an invisible hand as if she were a child and held her 3 feet off the ground, her shoeless feet kicking against the air. “You left your father’s protection when your man stole that sensitive and very expensive research.” He reached into his pocket and got his phone.

“Angelo.” He said without introduction. “We have a situation. The Norman’s girl is Jennifer.”

“Yes.” Raphael said, hearing his instructions. “I can do that.”

“You fuckin’ wimp! You really are a dog on a chain.” Jennifer yelled again.

Raphael ignored the insult, never taking his attention off of Angel. “That will be a few more hours; but I’ll call in then with a report.” Raphael said closing his phone.

“Jennifer, your father wants you back home and in one piece. He wants Norman back in one piece. And he wants the data back. Where is it Norman?”

Norman pointed to below deck, “In my briefcase, we haven’t met our buyer yet. He’s to meet us on Grand Cayman.” Norman’s voice was shaking, his eyes were still on Jennifer. The idea that Raphael was some kind of metahuman-freak had never even been a rumor. “Do you want me to get it?”

“Yes.” Raphael answered, Jennifer was trying to yell; but whatever invisible force held her was clamped hard over her mouth. “Norman, nothing silly or heroic or I’ll kill her, and then I’ll really be forced to do something horrible to you.”

Norman nodded, then disappeared below the deck. He came back moments later with the briefcase. He got ready to open it.

“Don’t open it.” Raphael said, “If it’s not in there when we get back, well – I’m sure it’s in there.” Shortly thereafter, Jennifer passed out.

“Let’s go – we’re going to the white minivan.” Raphael pointed it out to Norman. “Walk.”

At the minivan, Raphael duct-taped Jennifer’s hands and feet and mouth. Then he and Norman drove back to the airport, where the jet was refueled and waiting.

They were wheels-up less than 120 minutes from the time they landed. Before Raphael stretched out for some sleep, he checked on his cousin. She was still securely taped, and lying in the floor like a sack of potatoes. She glared up at him; but it didn’t seem to bother him.

The Hippo Club was filled with music and energy. Colored lights from the dance floor pulsed in time with the music, the shadows they cast made everyone’s face a little more sinister than usual. Raphael was lost in the music and the women of his favorite club. His phone had been vibrating; but he ignored it. Tonight was his night off, and no one needed him so much that that should be disturbed.

He didn’t give his phone a second thought until the bartender, James, called him over. “Hey man, someone named Angelo says: ‘answer your damn phone’.”

Angelo was calling him? Unusual. He walked out of the club and waited for it to ring again. “This is Raphael.”

“Yes. I can be there in 15 minutes.” He replied. “Bring what?” ... “Oh shit. OK.” ... “Give me another 5 minutes, I’ll need some supplies.”

Twenty minutes later, he pulled up in front of Serena’s mansion. He walked in without knocking. “We’re up here.” He heard Angelo’s voice.

The scene was like something out of a horror movie, blood was everywhere; and Norman was lying dead in the middle of the floor, a bloody knife was on the floor near him. “Where’s Serena?” He asked.

“Javier has her in the bathroom, cleaning her up.” Angelo said. It was clear that the leader of the family was not at all comfortable in the room with the dead body. But, he couldn’t bring himself to look his sister in the eye – not after what his daughter had done to her.

“OK. I’m going to need a new rug. I brought a saw and garbage bags.” Raphael said, checking his watch. “I’ve got about 5 hours and I’m going to need you guys out of here so I can work.”

The younger man looked around the bedroom, “To be safe you should replace everything in this room, before first light.”

“Just do what you do.” Angelo said, snapping at his nephew. “You’re not the only person who’s going to be cleaning up this mess!”

“Look, Uncle Angelo.” Raphael said with disdain dripping from his voice. “I take a lot of shit from you people and I do a lot of shit for you people. But tonight, I’m the only one up here in this bitch-ass house who’s going to be cuttin’ this fucks body into small pieces; putting it into trash bags, and dropping it somewhere no one will ever find it. So, unless you plan on getting a smock and a power saw, please don’t give me any attitude tonight. I’m sorry that I hit your little girl; but had you ever disciplined her ... none of this would have happened.”

“You son-of-a-bitch!” Angelo shouted. “Don’t tell me how to ...” He stopped before saying anything else. Serena still didn’t know who the other woman was, and everyone agreed that that was best. “When this is over, we’ll have words.”

“When this is over, you can thank me.” Raphael said, “Now, I really am on a clock here. Have your people here with the furniture and carpet by 5:30.”

Angelo left the room, out of respect for his aunt, Raphael waited until they had left to start cutting. He was finished and packed up, carpet, furniture, body parts and blood before the movers showed up. It was a long and ugly night’s work. As he took one last look at Norman’s head, he wondered ... did you tell your wife who the other woman was before she killed you? Will I have to do this again before the week’s over?