Texas Tango: A Flint Rock Novel by Glenn Smith Read Free Book Online Page B

the next course.   Then she continued.   "I asked Frederico to come see me because he is targeted.   Neither of the martyred Paolos had heard of the angel trumpets, but the assassins in their paranoico think they have many enemies.   They intend to kill Freddy because they fear his older brother might have mentioned their group to him.   And Ava is in danger because they think Freddy might have told her something about them."
     
    "This is the first I have heard of them," Freddy protested.  
     
    "I know, my boy," Gina responded.   "I am sure that your brother and my son had never heard of them either.   But the angel trumpeters are satanica.   They like to kill and inflict pain.   They should have called themselves trombà del diavolo, the devil's trumpets."
     
    Flint and Ava glanced at each other.   "And they want to kill me," Flint said, "in case Ava mentioned something to me that Fred told her?"
     
    Gina looked at Flint.   "It is their modus operandi to leave no one alive who might cause them trouble."   Then she added, " it is possible that they have confused you with Freddy."
     
    Ava asked, " why did they wait years to become concerned about Freddy and me?"
     
    "The angel trumpet society has very recently had a change of leadership.   The newly enthroned capo—captain— has used the excuse that his predecessor was careless in ignoring you and Frederico.   This allows him to designate a hit squad for the two of you.   The new capo has reportedly assigned three men who opposed his selection.   After you are dead, he will likely allow the hit squad members to be captured by police.   They will go to prison or even more likely they will die while being arrested.   He will in that way eliminate three of his detractors while not seeming to do so."
     
    Gina turned to Murphy who was wide awake.   "I hope, Mr. Murphy," she said, "that you can keep a secret."
     
    "You mean the one you have just told us," he asked, "or is there another one you are about to share?"
     
    "There is another," Gina conceded.   "In fact there are two more secrets you need to know.   One is that the American FBI has a file on me that you don't know about.   After the assassinations of my lover and my son, I started a rumor that I had engineered their deaths so I could take control of their criminal businesses.   In time that got me an invitation to join the Società Angeli Trombà.   That is how I know what I know.   I joined them so I could avenge the deaths of two people whom I valued.   I have not yet done that, but I will."   She paused.   "Unless fate does it for me.   And I can tell you that I do not intend to let two more, or three more including Flint, or four more including Mr. Murphy, become casualties.   But that means I need your help Mr. Murphy, and I need your silence.   May I trust you to see that what I have revealed will not show up in your CIA's filing system?"
     
    Bill Murphy didn't think it over.   He had already decided.   "Yes.   If you are telling the truth, and if I am still alive to create a new file, what goes in it won't be something you object to."
     
    Gina resumed eating and so did the others.   Even Murphy got a few bites swallowed.   With dinner finished, Gina suggested that Ava, Freddy, and Murphy stay the night at her house.   She thought Flint and Mary should go back to the Bristol.   Everyone agreed.
     
    Gina called Flint aside and took him into the library.   She unlocked a large wooden cabinet, pulled out a dark gray Sig Sauer pistol with a Crimson Trace Laser sight on the top right grip of the handle.   She gave it to Flint along with two spare magazines with seven .38 caliber rounds in each.   "A little insurance," she said.   "It was my son's.   He should have taken it to New Jersey and he would still be alive."   She added, " it isn't registered so if you need to toss it aside it won't be traced back here."
     
    Flint said thanks and slipped it into his jacket