The Life: Sacrifice (The Life 3)
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GABRIEL
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As Gianna took her first bite of Crème Glacee, I was busy watching the screen of my phone where Nery, aka Frank, one of Tommy’s underlings who I’d hired to do the job, was live-streaming the destruction of Felix and Becky Fontane. The volume was down, of course, as I’d convinced the others that I was checking on some mundane school project while they laughed and shared their excitement over being here in Paris.
Even without sound, it was easy enough to read what was happening. Nery had started rolling as soon as Becky took the gas from the trunk, and though I lost sight of her after she disappeared behind the storage unit, it was easy enough to see the flames as they rose.
As we’d planned, Nery changed location and drove out of sight across the way to a place he’d scoped out on his trial run out here, so he wouldn’t miss the arrival of Felix, who I’d anonymously sent to the location at just the right time. Coordinating this part had been a bitch, and timing was everything.
I watched Felix’s arrival and the way he jumped out of his car and rushed towards the flames. His look of disbelief was followed by one of pure rage when Becky came skipping around the side of the building. The camera was still rolling when Felix wrapped his hands around Becky’s neck and squeezed.
The grotesque look of horror on her face was more than satisfying, and between her struggles and the flames, the staff had been alerted. I watched long enough to see her body go limp before sending a text to Nery to vacate the area.
“All done?” Gianna, who’d been talking to the other three, turned to me with a smile.
“All done; where are we off to next?”
GABRIEL
I excused myself to the restroom at the first available opportunity so I could make a call to the lawyer to who I’d asked Pop to give a heads-up. I gave him a rundown of the situation in as concise a manner as I could, to which he didn’t ask any questions and acted as though the call was just another of its kind in a long line of many. He’s been around since a little before the end of Gramps’ reign, so I’m sure that may be true.
“Try to get him off with manslaughter with extenuating circumstances.”
“Anything else?”
“Yes, I have some evidence that should help his case.” At least I have enough good in me to do this. Without Gianna’s involvement, I would’ve let him rot, but I can’t help but worry that she may look back someday and want this piece of trash in her life. Westerners are big on giving forgiveness, especially to those who never get around to asking for it.
The evidence I had consisted of all of Becky’s actions in the last couple of days. Unbeknownst to her, ‘Frank’s’ tent and car had been wired for visual and sound, so everything that was said and done there by her was recorded, on top of the fact that she supposedly burnt her husband’s dead wife’s belongings after gleefully bragging to ‘Frank’ about doing just that.
With her jaw wired shut and being high as a kite, her demeanor and behavior, from what little I’d seen, makes her out to be a drug-addicted junkie. Sad as it is, someone of Felix’s standing in the community won’t be put away for too long for ridding the world of someone like that. Harsh, I know, but it’s exactly what I was aiming for.
Especially in that last reel where she removed the gas can from the trunk, that grin, or what I’m sure she believed was a grin, came across more like a sinister sneer. I guess with the drugs in her system, she was feeling no pain, but she didn’t give any thought to how she must look. Unbathed, unkempt, her hair a matted mess still with detritus from her stay in the woods. Anyone watching that will no doubt see exactly what I want them to—a burnt-out junkie set on destruction.
Her words, slurred as they were from the little I’d heard from the first recording I’d been sent, were more than enough to seal the deal. Nery had done an excellent job. I have to remember to take care of him and Tommy for doing so well at their task. “Keep me posted. Pop will probably call you after I’m done. You’re free to answer all of his questions.”
The lawyer promised to take care of it and added that he’d get a counselor onboard for Felix to add some traction to his case. I’d done all I intended to for him at this point, so I turned my phone off and switched my attention to making sure Gianna had the best time of her life so far. There was no way for anyone to get in touch with her about her dad, no one knew the number to the phone I bought her, and no one knew where she was except him. He’s not going to call her even if he could.