Reverse Metamorphosis book one of the Irrevocable Change trilogy (8 page)

Anna entered the office to tell him she had
taken the liberty of ordering new clothing for him since it
appeared he would be staying with them for several weeks. She had
checked his clothing for sizes while he slept the previous evening
and everything, including shoes, underwear, and jackets were in his
room.

That evening Clay escorted Anna to the
funeral home to attend the visitation for Tito Valenti. Anna’s
father and mother had insisted on attending also, since they knew
Tito and his family from the old days. Most of Tony’s crew attended
in defiance of the unknown attackers. Fearing a gang war on their
property the funeral home had asked for and received police
surveillance during the visitation. Arrangements were made for Anna
and her parents to be escorted to the graveyard to attend the
funeral service the following morning. He and Joey would be too
busy to accompany them.

O
n Friday morning
Clay and the people he had requested were on the street waiting for
the Russian collectors to appear. He had enlisted the help of two
Russian speaking hookers, who Joey said could be trusted, and four
of the youngest and better disciplined men in Tony’s group. They
were scattered along the street and had strict orders not to engage
the Russians; just observe them and listen for any information. A
camera with a long range lens was set up in an apartment across the
street from the store where Joey had extracted the information from
the owner. Three cars manned with drivers were waiting to follow
the collectors when they left Haverity Street.

At 1:30 p.m. a three year old dark blue
Lincoln Continental backed into a parking space down the street.
Three men got out and briskly walked to the hardware store. All
strode confidently while talking in a guttural foreign language.
They went into the store and the old woman paid them. They stood
and listened while she explained to them her husband was gone to
return some hardware items damaged in shipment because he needed
the replacements right away. The collectors reminded her they would
return the following Friday at the same time, and both of them had
better stay in line. The collectors stopped at several other stores
on the street to pick up money, then walked back to the Lincoln and
left.

When the Russian collectors headed for their
car, Clay cut through a walkway between two buildings and got in
one of the cars to follow them. Clay’s drivers had mobile radios
with a two mile range in the city, and began switching cars often
enough not to be noticed. The Russians made several more collection
stops in another neighborhood, and drove to an area dominated by
old factories and warehouses. The Lincoln entered through a double
gate in an old rusty fence and went back to a brick warehouse
building. Another late model sedan was parked outside the warehouse
and a large overhead door was open at the south end of the
building. One man was at the corner of the building where he could
see the entrance, apparently a guard on watch duty. Clay sent the
other two cars on to an empty store building Tony owned, where he
would meet later with Joey. He had his driver cruise the area while
he made notes and sketches of the features he saw.

Joey and the rest of people who had been on
the street were at the meeting place when Clay got there. The film
was being developed and would arrive shortly. Clay learned from the
other people who had been on the street the three men were all
armed with pistols stuck in their pants pockets, and one wore a
brass knuckle on his right hand, right out in the open. The whores
had followed them separately and overheard them say their boss was
not pleased since learning the Big Dago was still alive. He needed
to be out of the way for them to completely take over the whole
area. But since they hadn’t encountered any resistance, maybe there
was not anyone to back him up. Joey bristled at the statement and
muttered something under his breath, but managed to hold his
tongue.

Clay thanked the drivers and all the other
people, paid them each one hundred dollars, and dismissed everyone
except Joey.

To Joey he said “The man we want was not on
the street today, so I’m not concerned with seeing the film yet.”
He laid out a tablet of notebook paper and sketched the location of
the Russian hideout and pointed out an old abandoned building
across the street from it. “We need to get into this building from
the rear to set up the camera without their guards seeing any
evidence the crew is operating there. Joey, this is important. The
people in the warehouse can’t be tipped off we’re watching them.
Our success will depend on complete surprise. I want the camera and
one of our people there around the clock. There'll be no lights,
and no cigarettes in front of the windows. And when we’re finished
make sure there are no signs of anyone having used it as a look out
post. Find out who owns the building the Russians are using, and if
it’s being rented, who’s paying the rent. Have one of your guys
watch the back side of the warehouse around the clock too. Have
three cars with drivers ready around the clock and follow anybody
who comes out of there starting tonight. I want to know how many
people are in there, who they are, and where they go. Get
descriptions and license numbers of all their cars. Tell your
people to take note of every thing they see, even if it seems
trivial. And one more thing, impress on those two whores if any
word of this gets out on the street they’ll be cut into little
pieces for fish bait.”

The plan went into effect and continued
through the weekend. On Monday morning Clay met with Joey to review
progress.

“We got everybody set up late Friday night.
One of their cars left Saturday morning and came back with
breakfast. The same thing happened at about two in the afternoon.
Nothing much happened until Saturday evening,” Joey said. “At eight
o’clock five men came out of the warehouse, got in one of the cars
and pulled out to near the street. They waited for two or three
minutes and then a new black Caddy sedan pulled out of the
warehouse, with another late model Caddy behind it. All three cars
headed across town and our guys followed them. They got on the Tri
State Toll Way and went north to Interstate 55, and then downtown.
They got off the interstate and made their way to a small Russian
restaurant. A little after eleven they reversed their route and got
back to the warehouse right at midnight. Sunday, cars went out
three times during the day around meal times for food. The bastards
must be living in there."

“You and your men did good Joey. Stress to
everyone it is imperative the Russians don't learn we are watching
them. Let them think we are disorganized and they have us on the
run. Talk to the security guy and see if he has ideas of how to get
pictures of who gets out of the new Cadillac next Saturday evening,
if the Russians go back to the same restaurant. And get close ups
of everyone entering or leaving their warehouse.”

The Russians continued to take over Tony’s
business with no resistance. Joey’s people located three men on
guard duty watching the hospital where Tony was interned. One was
in a van watching the main entrance, one in the parking lot outside
the emergency room entrance and another hiding in a small patch of
woods behind the complex watching the service doors and unloading
docks. They continued to follow the Russians who came and went from
their headquarters in the warehouse; the number of cars and drivers
to follow the activity had to be increased to eight. Joey learned
the warehouse was owned by a bank. It had been received after a
company had gone into bankruptcy. The building was rented to a
company called RMT Trucking and Storage. The principal owner of the
company was recorded as a female Russian emigrant named Sophia
Toscovich. Ivanoff Toscovich was listed as the Vice President of
the company and a minority shareholder. He was presumed to be
Sophia’s husband. Through his police contacts, Joey learned Ivanoff
Toscovich had emigrated from Russia to New York City three years
ago and had a long arrest record for extortion, aggravated criminal
assault and murder. There was an open warrant for his arrest in New
York on a two count murder charge.

Everyday Clay would escort Anna to the
hospital in the morning and again in the early evening. Once there,
he would excuse himself to make another tour of the hospital and
make notes and sketches of notable features he saw. During his
visits to the basement garage he had started turning the switch for
the overhead entrance door to the off position. On one of his tours
he entered the ‘Employees Only Lounge’ and discovered an outside
patio area.

The employees patio was located forty feet to
the left of the basement service entrance, and above the second
floor level. It had been designed with seclusion of the people
using it in mind; a place where they could relax away from the
stress encountered in their work and not be observed by other
workers or patients. The patio was tucked back in an alcove formed
in the exterior of the building at the service areas where no
windows looked out from any of the four floors above it. The guard
watching from the woods was far enough back and on a hill high
enough to have a clear view of the patio through his
binoculars.

W
ednesday morning Dr.
Levitt stopped in for a visit while Clay and Anna were at Tony’s
bedside. Clay made an inquiry, “When do you feel it will be safe to
move Tony from here?”

The doctor seemed to be caught off guard and
hesitated a moment before answering, “Well, not for several more
weeks at least. Why?”

“Because the same people who put him in here
are waiting for a chance to finish what they started; I don’t think
you want an attack to occur in your hospital. As soon as he’s well
enough to travel he needs to be moved; both for his sake and for
the safety of the people who work here.”

“Do you really think there is a danger of an
attack being carried out, in spite of the men you have posted here
at his room? Surely you are exaggerating! I think we should turn
this over to the police.”

“No Doc, I’m not exaggerating at all” Clay
replied. “The longer Tony is here the more danger he is in. And
don’t you even think of contacting the police, we’ll take care of
him. I don’t want to rush things, but the day you are confident he
can stand to be moved we need to act. So, what do you think?”

Tony was awake and added “He’s right Doc, the
sooner I can be moved out of here the better it is for me and your
people. You have to make it happen, even if there’s a high risk to
me.”

“Well, you’ve caught me unprepared for this.
Offhand I think his recovery has been very good and under the
circumstances you have just described I may be able to release him
in a week; but I’ll need to review his records in detail before
commit…."

Clay cut the doctor off, “Doctor Levitt, we
don’t have a week. Look at releasing Tony on Friday, two days from
today, if it’s at all possible.”

“Mr. and Mrs. Giliano, you both understand
even if I agree to an early release I am not advocating it. The
risk to Mr. Giliano will be vastly increased this early in his
recovery. And his release will also depend on where you are
planning to transfer him.”

“You don’t need to know the location Doc.
When it’s a go, all of Tony’s medical records will be transported
with him; the hospital will not forward them as you usually do.
Tell your staff Mrs. Giliano is meeting with a specialist tomorrow
morning and she will need a copy of Tony’s complete file. Have them
ready for her tomorrow morning. Let Mrs. Giliano know your decision
and any recommendations you have before we leave this morning.
Additionally, when he is released, I want it to be at two o’clock
in the afternoon. Keep all information about his release
confidential or we will most likely be attacked either before or
shortly after we leave here. You are to hold any other paperwork
until after we are gone. Don’t notify admissions of what is
happening, don’t cancel his meals, and don’t make any arrangements
that will give people, even your employees, a hint he is leaving. I
suspect our enemies have spies here in the hospital watching for
any information worth forwarding to the people paying them. We'll
wait here this morning until we hear from you.”

After Dr. Levitt had left Tony said “The two
detectives finally caught me awake this morning and spent a half
hour asking questions. I cooperated with them, but said I don’t
have a clue as to what happened. I think they know even less about
what’s going on than we know.”

Dr. Levitt returned later and reluctantly
agreed to have Tony released in two days at two in the
afternoon.

After leaving the hospital Clay told Anna he
needed to stop by the saloon. He wanted to talk to Joey about
arrangements for the move. He turned to Anna “You were unusually
quiet this morning. Do you disagree with moving Tony this
soon?”

“No, I agree fully with what you are doing.
In fact, I’m impressed, but not surprised, at how you have taken
charge of the situation. I’m also impressed with the self assurance
you’ve exhibited. I made the right choice.” Anna leaned across the
seat to kiss him on the cheek and smiled. “Thank God you’re here”
she added soberly. At the saloon, Clay drove around the area to
assure himself it was safe to stop and then instructed the guards
in the car following them to take Anna home.

Inside the bar Clay talked with Mickey and
updated him on Tony’s progress and condition. He motioned to Joey
indicating he wanted to see him upstairs, and led the way.

“Joey, keep this between you and me for the
time being, no one else needs to be informed until Friday morning.
We’re going to move Tony out of the hospital Friday and there are
several things I want you to round up.” Clay took a sheet of
notebook paper from his shirt pocket, unfolded it and handed it to
Joey. Joey read the list attentively, let out a slow whistle, and
replied “O.K. I’ll have it all done by tomorrow evening.”