Chapter 30: Fire On The Mountain
Miguel's father couldn't stop pacing. Even if his doctor had adviced that he needs to rest, he couldn't get himself to do that. Not when he is at the brink of going to war with Russo.
There is fire on the mountain and if he doesn't do something on about it, the fire is going to consume him and everything he has spent years in building.
It's morning already and all the men he had sent out to look for Miguel and Gemma still haven't found them. No one knows where Miguel took Gemma to.
"Where are you hiding Miguel?" Miguel's father growled.
"Where ever you are, best believe I will sniff you out," he said sniffing.
A knock came on his office door and he impatiently barked out, "come in!"
The door opened and Pablo walked in, limping on one leg, from the place Miguel had shot him.
"Any news? Have they been found?" Miguel's father stopped pacing as he faced Pablo.
The look on Pablo's face told him he didn't come bearing the news that he wanted to hear.
"Still haven't found them?"
"No boss," Pablo replied not able to look him in the eye.
Miguel's father smashed the glass of whiskey he had been drinking before Pablo walked in, against a wall.
"We are running out of time!" He shouted in anger. "If we don't find that girl before evening, Russo is going to be bringing war to us!"
Miguel's father was breathing hard, spittle flying out from both ends of his mouth as he spoke.
"All our men are already combing every nook and cranny of the City but still haven't found him and the girl. It's as if he went off the grid."
"I don't need to hear excuses Pablo! No excuses! Find them!" Miguel's father's whole body was vibrating with anger.
He winced as he felt a sharp pain in his injured arm.
"I'm sorry Boss, we will find them," Pablo promised even if he doesn't believe his own words. He has known Miguel long enough to know that if Miguel doesn't want to be found, there is no way you can find him.
He has a way of hiding that would make you question if he ever existed.
Miguel's father hissed as he looked at the wall clock on one of the walls. It was still morning, but with every tick of the clock they ran out of time.
"The men we sent out to spy on the Russos? Any news? Are they really preparing for war?"
Paolo nodded a yes. "They are already making plans to make an attack on us if we don't provide the girl by evening."
Miguel's father growled as he resumed pacing.
"If that's the case, then we need to attack first, we can't let them to bring the war to us, rather we take it to them."
"What do you suggest that we do boss?" Pablo asked leaning on his good leg. He looked like he could use a seat, but Miguel's father offered him none and he dared not sit when he had not been asked to.
"We are going to call Russo and tell him that we have his daughter and ask him to meet up for us to hand over his daughter to him and for him to hand over the half of the North trade line to us."
"But we don't have the girl," Pablo said stating the obvious.
Miguel's father shot him a deadly look. It was at times like this that he missed his son. Unlike Pablo who possessed few functioning brain cells, Miguel is sharp witted and was quick on his feet.
"I know that, damnit!" He snapped.
"Since you have been too incompetent to find the girl, we have to come up with another means to get the north trade line before Russo finds out that I no longer have his daughter! Now, go and make that call!"
"Yes boss," Pablo hurriedly limped out of the office.
Miguel's father pinched the bridge of his nose as he sat down on the edge of his desk, a smile playing on his lips.
This is going to start a full blown war between his cartel and the Russo cartel, but he doesn't mind. The war was bound to happen, sooner or later.
He wants the North trade line, and he will get it. He doesn't mind going to war for it, he doesn't mind losing his son for it.
Controlling a part of the North trade line will give him the expansion that he so much desires, it's not just about the money that comes with it, he has enough monthat can last for several decades, even he chooses to stop working.
It's about the power that comes with being in charge.
Greco loves to always be in charge, and right now he wants to be in of the North trade line.
He had promised his father that he was going to get the North trade line back, he is about to do just that.
***
Gemma opened her eyes to see that it was already morning and she was alone on the bed.
After Miguel had eaten her out last night, she fell asleep almost immediately.
Gemma yawned as she got of bed, she realized she now had her clothes back on. Miguel must have helped her into them while she was asleep. A smile tugged on her lips at his thoughtfulness.
Speaking of which, where was Miguel? Gemma padded across the room to the kitchen.
Miguel was standing over the stove, cooking. Shirtless again.
"Do you have a thing against wearing shirts?" Gemma asked pointing at his bare chest which she couldn't seem to tear her eyes away from.
"No I don't. I could be wearing a shirt right now, But I figured you love seeing me shirtless, so..." Miguel shrugged, a lopsided grin on his lips.
Gemma shook her head. "You give yourself way too much credit."
"You are welcome," Miguel said sarcastically.
"What are you cooking?" Gemma asked as she watched him flip something in the frying pan that was on the stove.
Miguel frowned as he removed what seemed to be a pancake from the frying pan and placed it in a plate.
"I don't know," he said.
"What do you mean you don't know?"
"I found some cooking flour in the kitchen cabinet and it happened to still be in good condition, so I decided to make us some pancakes, but I doubt if it still qualifies as a pancake when there isn't egg or milk in it. Just sugar."
"Hmm, it does smell nice though," Gemma said as she stepped closer to him.
She never knew eggs were needed in making pancakes. Gemma loves eating pancakes and used to have them for breakfast back home, but not for once did she ask what was used in making it.
"That's because I added cinnamon," Miguel replied.
Oh, so you could add cinnamon too? She had a lot to learn around the kitchen.
"I bet it might taste nice, regardless of the absence of egg," Gemma said.
"Let's hope so."
Gemma stood beside Miguel and she watched as he made the pancakes. When he was done, they both sat down on the small breakfast table in the kitchen and ate.
It didn't taste bad as Miguel had said it would. It was manageable, enough to fill their stomach for the morning.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone