Chapter 22 - Ashan

With Jamie on her way up and safe, I peeked out of the booth. Dialing Luder, I asked for backup quickly, letting him know what was happening even though I wasn’t too sure myself. Luder would let the rest know and assured me his men were already on their way.

Most of the tables were lying on their sides. The bar area and counter displayed broken bottles, and puddles of liquid and glass everywhere. As I moved out of the booth and went closer, I noticed two guards lying by the entrance.

Staying hunched over, I moved to their side. “Are you okay?” I whispered to Frank as he was the one sitting against the table. He was holding his side and grunted as he nodded before pointing to the other guard lying face down. Moving closer, I saw he was lying in a pool of blood.

Slowly peeking around the doorway out at the entrance hall, I felt for a pulse. Sighing, I shook my head, glancing back at Frank. “He didn’t make it,” I whispered. Staying low, I moved back to Frank. “Where’s everyone else, and what the hell happened here?” I asked, checking his wound.

“I’m not sure,” he replied. “I was doing my normal rounds when I heard the shots echoing through the entrance hall. I pulled my gun and came this way hoping to stop whoever was bragging in.” His face was white from blood loss. Moving his hands away only a tad, I saw the blood was seeping through his fingers. Picking up one of the tablecloths that lay close by, I gave it a good shake before making it into a ball. I placed it over the hole in his side.

“Hold it tight, help is on the way,” I said as I started to move towards the entranceway. Glancing around the room, I tried to see if the bodies scattered towards the door or those by the stairs were any of mine. Some were my men, but only a couple. Most of them were seemingly from other groups I didn’t recognize. It looked like they were all dead, as no one moved a muscle. Stepping carefully over them, I headed to the stairs.

As I moved up the stairs, I heard a couple of gunshots. They had not left, I thought, aiming my guns out in front of me. I was sure that these men were from different mafia groups as they wore different suits. It was an unspoken policy between the Bratva groups, a way for us to know the company we keep.

I thought these had to be from some of the groups that were looking for Jamie. Most looked as if they were part of smaller groups. Many of their outfits or tattoos I had never seen before. I was about to step out on the first-floor landing when I felt a hand closing around my ankle. Glancing down, I looked into a smashed face. The guy was half-dead and stared at me with one bloodied eye barely still in its socket.

Shooting him wasn’t an option, as I would alert the remaining intruders of my presence. Pulling my foot free, I pushed him down the stairs. He rolled a couple of times making barely audible gurgling sounds as he went. Coming to rest a few steps down he tried turning his head my way but couldn’t.

With no time to waste, I stepped onto the landing and surveyed the area. In the distance, I heard some more shots and someone screaming. Heading to my office, I found some more of my injured men in the hall. After checking and assisting them as best I could, I continued on my path.

The office door was open, so I moved slowly so as to not make any noise. Peeking in I saw no one inside, but it was trashed. Books and papers lay scattered over the desk and floor. All the drawers and cupboards were open and most of their contents had been emptied to the floor with the papers.

Turning in a slow circle, I breathed in and out to control my raging anger. The building appeared quiet now. Listening, I heard nothing, not even voices or footsteps.

What were they seeking I wondered. There was nothing of value or importance here. Everything gets stored at a warehouse. It made no sense to go through everything if they were looking for Jamie. But, what were they seeking if they weren’t looking for her?

Hearing whispers in the hall, I moved to stand behind the door. I was ready with my guns raised. Once the voices were right outside, I stepped out into the hall, pushing my guns out before me, ready to shoot.

“Whoa, brother,” Luder shouted. “It’s us, we’re here to help.” He had his hands raised into the air.

Relief washed over me, seeing the family filling the hall. “What happened?” Leo and Evelina asked simultaneously.

“I think they were looking for Jamie,” I replied shaking my head as I looked back at the mess in my office.

“This is war,” Luder added angrily, placing his hands on his hips. “My men have started to clear the bottom floor, and Leo sent his men up to the top.”

“Whoever they are. They won’t get away with it, we will find them and deal with them appropriately,” Evelina spat, pulling her radio up to her mouth. Pressing the button, she gave the remaining men waiting outside their orders. “Round them up, boys, the second floor is yours.”

“You said they were looking for Jamie?” Leo asked, raising his eyebrows as she scanned the hall. “Where is she?”

“Jamie,” I breathed out as I remembered I sent her up to hide. Turning on my heels, I dashed down the passage and through the suite door. I yanked open the hidden one to the side. My heart sank as I stared blankly into the emptiness before me.

“No, no, no,” I yelled as Luder entered the room behind me.

Turning to him, I noticed a piece of paper on the floor where he was standing. Picking it up from the floor, I unfolded it. The life drained out of me as I read it out loud.

“We have her, if you want her back, wait for our call, we’ll be in touch.”

I sank to my knees, my body weak, tapped of all life. Holding the dirty piece of paper, my hand shook as the room appeared to swirl and close in on me. I struggled to breathe, my eyes stung, and my head felt like it was swelling.

“They have taken Jamie. How could this have happened?” I whispered, glancing up at Luder. An immense pain filled my chest.

“Breathe, calm down, we will find her,” Luder said holding out his hand.

Allowing my rage to take over, I slapped my cheeks. Jamie needed me, and I had no time to wallow. Standing up I nodded at him before turning and storming out of the room. Luder followed close on my heels. We found Leo, Evelina, and the others downstairs.

They have rounded up all the enemy Bratva in the lounge area. Storming in I headed to the first guy I saw. Picking him up by the throat, I slammed him into the wall as I screamed at him. “Where is she? If you don’t tell me, I’ll kill you! Where is Jamie?”

The young man’s eyes widened; he gasped for air as I forcefully kept slamming him into the wall.

Feeling a hand on my shoulder, I glanced around but didn’t let go of the man.

“Ashan,” Leo said pulling on my arm. “Let him go before you do kill him. We have to handle this smartly. Tell us what happened from the start and maybe we can help.”

I handed him the note to as I slowly dropped the young man back down. Turning, I noticed everyone was looking at me.

“I,” I started saying but didn’t know what to say. My heart was racing and my mind pounding just thinking of what they might do to Jamie.

Evelina stepped up to me taking hold of my shoulders as she spoke. “Leave finding her to Leo and me, okay? We will get her back.”

All I could do was nod. Staring at the blood on my hands, I went back to our suite and got cleaned up. Rinsing my face, I stared at my reflection in the mirror. “It will be fine; you will get her; no harm will come to her. You got this.” I told the enraged bull staring back at me.

Once I felt calmer, I headed back down to aid Luder. We questioned everyone and searched for a connection between them.

While we were doing that, Leo and Evelina put their skills together to work on one last hacking project. Evelina had given it up years ago, but to get Jamie back, she would aid Leo. They traced Jamie’s hack and compiled a list of groups that were exposed after she infiltrated the networks.

Comparing their list to the one Luder and I made, we checked to see which ones had colluded together and who wasn’t part of the original attack. Everyone had ideas of how to proceed. Listening to the family, it struck me. I knew how we would handle this.

After a round of interrogation of certain suspects downstairs, I found the link, and we knew who had taken her.