[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
surrounded by death, and yet, somehow I ve
remained relatively untouched by it, until my
father wanted me to become him. He looked
away. I had no idea of the misery my father fed,
where my clothes came from, my education, my
mother s fancy house in Beverly Hills. He
stopped, lit another cigarette. I want it to stop.
Then help us, she urged, leaning forward.
I don t trust you, he replied. I was coming
here the morning I was arrested. I was prepared to
betray everything I ve ever known, even my own
name, for love.
Love?
He puffed on the cigarette. Yeah, something
I ve not known much of. Of course my mother
loves me, when she s not too busy loving herself.
She doesn t have a lot of substance. She fears my
father, but yet accepts his gifts. My brother and
sister have nothing to respect. Although they did
respect me for awhile when I refused to do
anything but run the construction business, which
was always legitimate, by the way, when I ran it.
We know that, Mr. Vega. But the last two
years
He put up a hand. Yes, well. You want what I
want. You want to bring down Carlos Vega and
all those he s corrupted. I can help you do that, at
great personal cost. I ll do it, but there are a few
things I want in return. Get someone in here to
160
Trapped
take this down. I ll tell you my conditions. If I get
guarantees, I ll give you enough evidence to put
my father away and at least five others like him.
I can t promise you that your demands will be
accepted.
I can t promise you testimony unless they
are.
She stood up. I ll get someone.
* * * *
Giovanni went back to the hotel to sleep, acutely
aware that he was being followed. It was the
police. When he got back to the place where
Amador was being held, he demanded to know
what in hell was going on.
We can t let you just wander off, Roy told
him.
So I m a prisoner?
No, but we need to protect you, just like we
may have to protect your boyfriend.
What? What do you mean?
He s asked for a deal.
Giovanni closed his eyes. Thank God.
He wants immunity from prison. He wants
into witness protection after, along with you and
his family. He wants new identities and a life
outside the United States.
And?
161
DJ Manly
It s in the hands of the DA. He has offered a lot
in return. It depends on if the DA sees it as worth
it or not.
Can I see him?
No. He s been moved. He s up at the prison in
solitary confinement, away from the general
population. Gio, I m sorry.
Giovanni looked at him.
I let my personal feelings interfere with my
job. I shouldn t have done that. I watched the
tapes of him talking with Elise. He s not a bad
man.
Thank you, Roy, Giovanni said, hugging his
neck. Thank you so much.
He nodded and walked away.
It was difficult not seeing Amador during the
trial, a trial that spanned the course of almost a
year before it had even begun, and lasted three
more years after that, a trial, which brought down
over sixty percent of organized criminals on the
East Coast, reaching as far as Columbia and
Mexico.
Amador remained in prison all that time, in
solitary, the authorities figuring it was the safest
place for him, given the nature of his testimony.
Giovanni lived in a variety of safe houses, being
moved whenever the police suspected a threat,
and basically living in fear.
162
Trapped
The District Attorney agreed to all of Amador s
demands, but Giovanni knew that the day when it
would happen was still a long time off.
They were not allowed to correspond in any
way. Giovanni was told that Amador seemed at
peace and that he was reading a lot and
completing a law degree.
Giovanni learned to paint and spent his time
doing landscapes and recalling beautiful places
he d visited with Amador in Columbia.
When it was his time to testify, he faced his
father in the courtroom. He d dreaded that day,
but somehow when it came to looking him in the
eye, he didn t seem to have any trouble.
He was surprised to see Sophia in the
courtroom with her mother. She smiled at him,
and although he had no time to talk with her, one
of his guards told him she d come to give moral
support to her cousin, and that she said hello.
Giovanni watched Amador on television as he
entered the courtroom surrounded by a heavy
arsenal of police. He cried when he saw him. He
looked thin and drawn, but determined.
He saw Amador s father, too, entering the
courtroom in handcuffs, looking like he was
entering a party, laughing, waving his hands, as if
nothing could possibly touch him.
Two days after Carlos Vega began to stand trail,
Giovanni was told he was being moved out of the
163
DJ Manly
US. What about Amador?
No answer was given. They had no idea how
long the trail would last. It wasn t expected to be
over any time soon. He was given a new identity
and flown to London. He was now Antonio
Demechi. At least it was Italian. When he was met
by some plains clothes cops and led to a small
house in London suburbia, he was surprised to see
that he wasn t alone.
Hi, Antonio. A lovely blonde lady moved
forward to greet him. I m Viola Hunting. These
are my children, Alice and Carter. Nice to meet
you. I understand you are the new boarder.
Tears filled his eyes and he nodded. The plains
clothes officer slapped Giovanni on the back and
left. You know where to reach me, he said.
Amador s mother hugged him tightly. His
brother, who looked so much like him it was
painful, shook his hand and his sister just looked
scared. It will be okay, he told her, moving over
and smiling down at her. Your brother will be
here soon.
She hugged him then, surprising him as he
looked back at her mother. He rubbed her back.
It will be okay, I promise.
He had a job already, working as a clerk in a
men s shop. He wanted to go back to school. The
contact person said they d set it up. He liked art,
figured maybe he d teach it and, before long, he
164
Trapped
was showing Alice/Jessie how to paint.
He followed the trial as much as he could on
the tele, but they didn t get a lot of American
news. He started his art classes and bonded with [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl wyciskamy.pev.pl
surrounded by death, and yet, somehow I ve
remained relatively untouched by it, until my
father wanted me to become him. He looked
away. I had no idea of the misery my father fed,
where my clothes came from, my education, my
mother s fancy house in Beverly Hills. He
stopped, lit another cigarette. I want it to stop.
Then help us, she urged, leaning forward.
I don t trust you, he replied. I was coming
here the morning I was arrested. I was prepared to
betray everything I ve ever known, even my own
name, for love.
Love?
He puffed on the cigarette. Yeah, something
I ve not known much of. Of course my mother
loves me, when she s not too busy loving herself.
She doesn t have a lot of substance. She fears my
father, but yet accepts his gifts. My brother and
sister have nothing to respect. Although they did
respect me for awhile when I refused to do
anything but run the construction business, which
was always legitimate, by the way, when I ran it.
We know that, Mr. Vega. But the last two
years
He put up a hand. Yes, well. You want what I
want. You want to bring down Carlos Vega and
all those he s corrupted. I can help you do that, at
great personal cost. I ll do it, but there are a few
things I want in return. Get someone in here to
160
Trapped
take this down. I ll tell you my conditions. If I get
guarantees, I ll give you enough evidence to put
my father away and at least five others like him.
I can t promise you that your demands will be
accepted.
I can t promise you testimony unless they
are.
She stood up. I ll get someone.
* * * *
Giovanni went back to the hotel to sleep, acutely
aware that he was being followed. It was the
police. When he got back to the place where
Amador was being held, he demanded to know
what in hell was going on.
We can t let you just wander off, Roy told
him.
So I m a prisoner?
No, but we need to protect you, just like we
may have to protect your boyfriend.
What? What do you mean?
He s asked for a deal.
Giovanni closed his eyes. Thank God.
He wants immunity from prison. He wants
into witness protection after, along with you and
his family. He wants new identities and a life
outside the United States.
And?
161
DJ Manly
It s in the hands of the DA. He has offered a lot
in return. It depends on if the DA sees it as worth
it or not.
Can I see him?
No. He s been moved. He s up at the prison in
solitary confinement, away from the general
population. Gio, I m sorry.
Giovanni looked at him.
I let my personal feelings interfere with my
job. I shouldn t have done that. I watched the
tapes of him talking with Elise. He s not a bad
man.
Thank you, Roy, Giovanni said, hugging his
neck. Thank you so much.
He nodded and walked away.
It was difficult not seeing Amador during the
trial, a trial that spanned the course of almost a
year before it had even begun, and lasted three
more years after that, a trial, which brought down
over sixty percent of organized criminals on the
East Coast, reaching as far as Columbia and
Mexico.
Amador remained in prison all that time, in
solitary, the authorities figuring it was the safest
place for him, given the nature of his testimony.
Giovanni lived in a variety of safe houses, being
moved whenever the police suspected a threat,
and basically living in fear.
162
Trapped
The District Attorney agreed to all of Amador s
demands, but Giovanni knew that the day when it
would happen was still a long time off.
They were not allowed to correspond in any
way. Giovanni was told that Amador seemed at
peace and that he was reading a lot and
completing a law degree.
Giovanni learned to paint and spent his time
doing landscapes and recalling beautiful places
he d visited with Amador in Columbia.
When it was his time to testify, he faced his
father in the courtroom. He d dreaded that day,
but somehow when it came to looking him in the
eye, he didn t seem to have any trouble.
He was surprised to see Sophia in the
courtroom with her mother. She smiled at him,
and although he had no time to talk with her, one
of his guards told him she d come to give moral
support to her cousin, and that she said hello.
Giovanni watched Amador on television as he
entered the courtroom surrounded by a heavy
arsenal of police. He cried when he saw him. He
looked thin and drawn, but determined.
He saw Amador s father, too, entering the
courtroom in handcuffs, looking like he was
entering a party, laughing, waving his hands, as if
nothing could possibly touch him.
Two days after Carlos Vega began to stand trail,
Giovanni was told he was being moved out of the
163
DJ Manly
US. What about Amador?
No answer was given. They had no idea how
long the trail would last. It wasn t expected to be
over any time soon. He was given a new identity
and flown to London. He was now Antonio
Demechi. At least it was Italian. When he was met
by some plains clothes cops and led to a small
house in London suburbia, he was surprised to see
that he wasn t alone.
Hi, Antonio. A lovely blonde lady moved
forward to greet him. I m Viola Hunting. These
are my children, Alice and Carter. Nice to meet
you. I understand you are the new boarder.
Tears filled his eyes and he nodded. The plains
clothes officer slapped Giovanni on the back and
left. You know where to reach me, he said.
Amador s mother hugged him tightly. His
brother, who looked so much like him it was
painful, shook his hand and his sister just looked
scared. It will be okay, he told her, moving over
and smiling down at her. Your brother will be
here soon.
She hugged him then, surprising him as he
looked back at her mother. He rubbed her back.
It will be okay, I promise.
He had a job already, working as a clerk in a
men s shop. He wanted to go back to school. The
contact person said they d set it up. He liked art,
figured maybe he d teach it and, before long, he
164
Trapped
was showing Alice/Jessie how to paint.
He followed the trial as much as he could on
the tele, but they didn t get a lot of American
news. He started his art classes and bonded with [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]