Worth Dying For Part 4

Billy ran his hand through a ma.s.s of greasy hair. "Sorry about that," he said with a nervous laugh.

Big Tony brushed past him and walked into the filthy living room. "She better be worth it," he said, glancing around. He looked at the kitchen and the sink full of dishes, crawling with c.o.c.kroaches. He shook his head in disgust. "Where is she?" he asked.

"Uh, uh, this way," Billy answered, leading the men to the little girl's bedroom.

Big Tony pushed the door open and walked over to the bed. He reached down and lifted the girl's chin. He turned her head from side to side. "How old is she?" he asked.

"She'll be seven her next birthday."

Big Tony looked at Sonny and grinned. "I've seen enough," he said. He turned and walked out of the room with the two men following close behind.

Billy crammed his hands in the front pockets of his jeans, s.h.i.+fting nervously from one foot to the other.

Sonny pulled out a yellow envelope from inside his breast pocket and handed it to Billy.

"Have her ready by noon. I'll send someone for her. Make sure she's wearing what she has on now," Big Tony said as he and Sonny watched Billy open the envelope.

Billy's eyes s.h.i.+fted nervously back and forth between the two men. "Uh ... um, there's only fifteen here."

Big Tony shrugged his shoulders. "Yeah, so what?"

"Uh ... the deal was for ... for twenty thou," Billy stammered.

Big Tony crossed the room in two steps. He shoved Billy, knocking him backward into a raggedy chair. He whipped out a gun from his waistband and crammed the muzzle against the side of Billy's head. "You piece of s.h.i.+t. You're lucky I gave you that much," he snarled through clenched teeth.

"Uh ... yeah. Uh ... this is plenty. Please, please don't hurt me," Billy begged.

Big Tony pulled the gun away. He spit on the floor next to Billy's chair and then laughed as he tucked the gun back inside his waistband. He jerked the door open and looked back at Billy. "You're pathetic, but if she's as good as you promised, I'll give you a little bonus next time. If she's not, you'll be the one paying me and make sure she's ready at noon."

Billy waited for the door to close and then slumped back in the chair. He let out a huge sigh of relief, smiling broadly, as his dirty fingers skimmed over the stack of one-hundred-dollar bills.

The voice of a woman with a slight Italian accent came through the answering machine, waking Rheyna from a deep sleep. She had an idea of who the caller was and her suspicion was confirmed as the message played.

It was Terasa Castrucci asking if it would be possible for Rheyna to come out today to take their photos. She apologized for asking on such short notice, since the appointment was set for next week. She wouldn't be asking, except her husband's business would be taking him out of town on the scheduled date. She left her contact number and said goodbye.

Rheyna took a quick shower and poured a cup of coffee before returning Mrs. Castrucci's call. Esther, the Castrucci's housekeeper, answered the phone, told her that Mrs. Castrucci was at the hairdresser, and requested she come between one and two today, if possible. Rheyna told her she would be there, and Esther then proceeded to give her directions to the Castrucci estate.

She loaded up her camera equipment and tossed it in the back of the Jeep. She knew her way to the house from one of her driving ventures earlier in the week, making a point to drive over to the Castrucci estate to familiarize herself with the surroundings. She figured she had time to grab a quick lunch before her appointment with Mrs. Castrucci and stopped and picked up a turkey club sandwich from a little sub shop on Magellan.

After finis.h.i.+ng the sandwich, she headed for the Kelly Avenue exit. A half mile later, she turned into the Castrucci driveway.

The estate itself sat far back on the property, making it invisible from the street below. There was no doubt in her mind that it had been a calculated move by Castrucci when he built the house. She continued up and around the blacktopped drive and stopped in front of a large gate. She rolled down the window and pressed the intercom b.u.t.ton. She glanced at the large row of trees in front of her. She recalled from the estate photos that the house sat just on the other side of the tree line.

"Yeah, what business do you have?" A deep male voice barked through the speaker.

"My name is Rheyna Moretti. I have an appointment with Mrs. Castrucci."

"Just a minute," the voice barked again.

After several seconds, the gate opened. She drove through the tree line and felt her breath catch in her throat when the house came into view. It was more beautiful than she imagined. Just as in the pictures she had seen, the only diminis.h.i.+ng factor was the two heavily armed men walking toward her. She pulled the Jeep next to a blue Jaguar and turned off the engine. She had just unhooked her seatbelt when the driver's door was flung open.

The taller of the two men yanked the camera bag from her hands and rummaged through it while the other one proceeded to push her against the car and pat her down. Satisfied that she was okay, he nodded to the taller man to give her camera bag back. The shorter one motioned for her to follow him. Rheyna turned to see the other man inside her Jeep, searching through the glove box.

Without looking at her, the shorter one said, "Mrs. Castrucci is expecting you."

As if on cue, the front door opened and Rheyna instantly recognized Terasa Castrucci from the photos. She held out her hand to Rheyna and smiled warmly.

"h.e.l.lo, Ms. Moretti. I'm Terasa Castrucci and I would like to start by saying thank you for changing our appointment on such short notice and," she nodded at the retreating figure walking down the driveway, "please accept my apology for their behavior. Personally, I think they're uncalled for."

Rheyna took Terasa's hand in hers and was pleasantly surprised by the firm grip. "You're welcome, Mrs. Castrucci; please call me Rheyna, and there is no need to apologize." Again, Terasa smiled warmly at her and Rheyna thought she was every bit as lovely as her photo.

She was dressed exquisitely in a lavender floral print skirt suit. A few stray tendrils of hair had escaped from the perfectly coifed hair and hung loosely down around her ears and shoulders. The pearl necklace and earrings she wore added to her beauty. Rheyna had no doubt they were the real thing and very expensive. Terasa Castrucci was regal, yet personable.

Rheyna followed her into the sunken entryway and let out a gasp. She then proceeded to trip up the stairs leading into the foyer, nearly falling on her face. Terasa reached out to steady her and chuckled. Rheyna looked up, feeling like a complete idiot. All this time, she had been so impressed by the outside of the house that she hadn't given the inside a second thought. She hated to admit it, but she was awestruck.

Windows surrounded the entryway, covering the entire area from floor to ceiling. At the base of the entryway steps, a spiraling black wrought-iron staircase wound its way down from the second floor out into the foyer. The foyer had to be at least forty-feet wide in all directions and opened up into the upper level of the house. Italian marble covered the floor and its pattern reminded Rheyna of the color swirl one gets when mixing chocolate syrup with vanilla ice cream.

The room was naturally bright and warm, aided by numerous skylights located along the ceiling. Structural columns-made from hand-carved marble and accented with gold leaf-shaped inlays-framed oversized doorways.

Looking toward the back and upward, she could see where the room protruded outward, as in the photos. What was missing from the photos was the beautiful ornamental railing encircling a walkway, covering the entire second floor. She a.s.sumed that a series of hallways branching out from the walkway led to the upstairs bedrooms. From her position, she could see through the doors that opened to three separate balconies overlooking the pool and the ocean. She felt as if she were standing in a museum.

Terasa looped her arm through Rheyna's, snapping her from her thoughts. She led Rheyna into what she described as the sitting room. She poured two gla.s.ses of wine, handed one to Rheyna, and then sat down on a couch in front of a large picture window overlooking the bay.

"I want you to know how much I appreciate you altering your schedule for me on such short notice," Terasa said with sincerity.

"It was no trouble at all, Mrs. Castrucci. I was happy to do it." Rheyna glanced around the room with admiration. "This has to be the most beautiful house I've ever been in."

Terasa beamed at the compliment and smiled. "I'm glad you think so and thank you. I did all the decorating myself."

Rheyna held her gla.s.s up in a mock toast. "You did a fantastic job."

Just when she thought she couldn't be surprised anymore, Caroline Castrucci walked into the room, causing Rheyna to choke on her wine. Standing before her was the most gorgeous two-legged creature she had ever seen. Caroline wasn't just beautiful-she was narcotically stunning.

Rheyna tried not to stare, but failed miserably. Starting at the bottom of her white slacks, Rheyna's eyes traveled the entire length of Caroline's darkly tanned body before coming back to the area at the base of her throat where a bright silver chain hung just above her b.r.e.a.s.t.s. The clothing did little to hide her curvaceous body, and Rheyna wondered if all of her skin was that tan.

Rheyna felt a burning sensation in her cheeks and knew Caroline was watching her. She fought off an uncontrollable urge to s.h.i.+ver. She stared at Caroline's lips and wondered what it must feel like to kiss them.

Caroline's mouth curved into a smile, and Rheyna forced herself to meet her gaze. She found herself looking into the brightest and deepest pair of blue eyes ever created. She was overwhelmed with a physical desire so strong, that it rocked her to the core.

Caroline's right eyebrow shot up, and Rheyna blushed. Caroline's smile grew wider. She looked at Rheyna as if to say, "Do-I-meet-your-approval?" and by the look on Caroline's face, it was obvious that she was enjoying their little exchange. Caroline was the first to break eye contact. She walked over to her mother, bending slightly, and kissed Terasa on the cheek.

Terasa wrapped her arm around Caroline's waist and smiled. "Rheyna, I'd like you to meet my daughter, Caroline."

Caroline met Rheyna's gaze and held it as she walked over. She stopped directly in front of Rheyna. She was so close, Rheyna could smell the sweet fragrance of her cologne. She held her hand out and smiled. "h.e.l.lo, Rheyna, I'm pleased to meet you."

Rheyna took Caroline's hand in hers and returned the smile. "I'm pleased to meet you, too." What surprised Rheyna was how much she meant those words.

"Where's your father?" Terasa asked, oblivious to the little exchange going on between the two women.

"He's on his way," Caroline answered, still looking Rheyna in the eyes.

"I was thinking that I would like the pictures taken in here. What do you think, Rheyna?" Terasa asked.

"I think it's a great idea," Rheyna answered as she began setting up her equipment, grateful for the distraction, and a few much-needed minutes to get it together. She was fully aware by the rapid beating of her heart that Caroline was still watching her. Something told her that if she looked up, she would see two bright blue eyes laughing at her.

"What in the h.e.l.l is wrong with me?" she mumbled under her breath as she attached the camera to the tripod. "I'm acting like a schoolgirl with a crush."

She looked up just as Anthony Castrucci appeared in the doorway. His mammoth body swallowed the doorframe. He, on the other hand, looked exactly as Rheyna had pictured. He walked into the room with his right hand man, Sonny Valachi, following closely on his heels.

Sonny nodded his head at Rheyna and took a seat just inside the door.

"Anthony, this is Rheyna Moretti. She's the photographer I hired," Terasa said, looking at her husband.

He smiled and nodded at her. "Ms. Moretti, I'm all yours. Where do you want me?" he asked.

In a nice jail cell, she wanted to say, but bit her tongue. Instead, she said, "Here, in front of the picture window, please." She indicated the seat next to Terasa and then moved behind the couch. She pulled the cord to move the Venetian blind out of the way.

"Caroline, can you stand right here, behind your parents?" she asked before walking back over to her camera. As she bent down to peer through the lens, she had to admit that the three of them made a striking family. Caroline had obviously received the best of each parents' genes.

"Caroline, can you place your right hand on your father's shoulder? That's good, now hold it right there. Okay, smiles, everyone."

Rheyna snapped several photos in succession. "Okay, now, what I'd like to do is get a couple individual shots. I'll start with you first, Mrs. Castrucci, if that's okay with everyone."

"Of course, dear," Terasa answered.

As soon as Caroline and her father moved, Rheyna snapped the photos. "Okay, all done," she said.

Terasa stood and motioned for her husband to take her spot.

"Would you like me to sit in the same spot, Ms. Moretti?" he asked.

"That would be fine, thank you," she answered.

She bent to look through the lens and felt an uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach. She quickly took the photos and stood upright.

Big Tony got up and turned to Rheyna. "If you don't need anything more from me, Ms. Moretti, I have a business trip to prepare for."

"Nope, that should do it. Thank you, Mr. Castrucci."

Caroline walked over and took a seat on the couch. "I guess it's my turn," she said, smiling at Rheyna.

"Yes, it is," Rheyna, answered. Once Caroline was settled, she snapped off more pictures than she needed. She looked up from the camera. "All done," she said as she began taking her equipment apart.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Caroline leave the room and felt a pang of disappointment. She was grateful when Terasa walked over and looped her arm through hers; otherwise, she would have stood there psychoa.n.a.lyzing herself.

She smiled at the older woman. "When I get back, I'll get the proofs made. It shouldn't take me too long."

"Thank you, Rheyna, I appreciate that," she said as she walked with Rheyna to the front door.

"I'll call you in the morning," Rheyna said. Her thoughts turned to Caroline. "Or I can bring them over to you, if you prefer."

Terasa laid her hand on Rheyna's shoulder. "Are you sure it wouldn't be a bother? I've already put you out as it is."

Rheyna smiled at her. "Nonsense, I have an appointment in the morning not too far from here. I can just drop them off after I'm done."

"All right, you win, but only if you're positive that it's not too much trouble."

"I promise you, it's not."

"I guess I will see you sometime tomorrow then," Terasa said, smiling at Rheyna. She stood in the doorway and watched Rheyna walk to her car.

Rheyna climbed into her Jeep and tossed the camera bag on the seat beside her. She waved goodbye to Terasa and headed down the driveway.

Later that night, after checking in with Laura, Rheyna sat down at the computer to download the Castrucci photos from the memory card. She loved technology, especially when it worked to her benefit. She loved the touch-up portion of the software, where she could literally erase tattoos or instantly airbrush on a ready-made tan. She opened the software and brought up the Castrucci photos. It took less than an hour to arrange the photos and print out the proofs.

She went back into the kitchen and grabbed a beer from the fridge. She twisted off the cap and took a swig. Her thoughts turned to the bureau and the technology in the field of criminal investigation. She vividly remembered the day Sigh-ock opened for business.

Dedicated by President George Bush in 1998, the twenty-million-dollar, high-tech operations center, located on the fifth floor of the J. Edgar Hoover Building was roughly the size of a football field and measured more than 40,000 square feet. It was specifically designed to accommodate up to 450 additional staff members or agents in the event of an emergency.

The center's main purpose was to provide crisis updates to the FBI using sophisticated computers and communication equipment. When and if a crisis began, the center sent out updates to the top people throughout the FBI, as well as other U.S. government agencies.

The glaring need for an updated center became evident in the summer of 1996 when bureau officials tried to manage simultaneous investigations regarding the explosions at the Summer Olympics in Atlanta, TWA flight 800 over Lockerbie Scotland, and the Saudi Arabia truck bombing at Khobar Towers. It was total chaos trying to handle it all. The crises left the FBI shorthanded on personnel and severely handicapped for s.p.a.ce. There weren't enough rooms or telephones, and some of the bureau's best agents were a.s.signed to makes.h.i.+ft desks throughout the hallways, reading confidential doc.u.ments.

On the day of the dedication, FBI Director Louis J. Freeh introduced reporters to the new facility with a one-time-only tour. At the time of the dedication, the bureau's fastest growing sector was counter-terrorism. Between 1993 and 1998, the number of offices stationed in the U.S. and around the world had more than doubled.

As of January 2008, the FBI Headquarters in Was.h.i.+ngton provided direction and support to fifty-six field offices, roughly four-hundred satellite offices-commonly referred to as resident agencies-four specialty field installations, and over fifty liaison offices-or Legal Attaches-throughout the world.

The security at Sigh-ock was super tight. When exiting the elevator, the first thing one sees is a huge vault door, similar to the kind found in a bank. To the right, and affixed to the wall, is a keypad that requires a security key fob code for entry.

On each side of the doors are two large, red signs informing visitors that they have now entered a high-security area. Outside the doors, all activity is monitored and recorded by several strategically placed cameras twenty-four hours a day, 365 days a year.

Located directly inside the door and off to the right was a small galley kitchen with a microwave and coffee maker. She smiled as she thought about the first time she pa.s.sed the room and saw the sign over the microwave that read, "Food and Drinks Prohibited."

She thought back about her ill.u.s.trious career with the FBI and how it all began around fifteen years ago. She never dreamed about being a cop, let alone an agent with the FBI, and for as long as she could remember, she had wanted to be a photographer.

That all changed the day she met Special Agent Laura Forrest. They had met some sixteen years ago while Rheyna was attending George Was.h.i.+ngton University. She had seen Laura from a distance off and on the entire time she was in school. Laura was the one who conducted the FBI recruiting drive every semester outside the main entrance to the college.

Secretly, she had thought Laura was too small and too attractive to be a FBI agent. She was sorry to admit that she had a stereotypical view of what an agent should look like, and Laura definitely was not it. Laura stood maybe five-feet-four inches tall with heels on. With blonde shoulder-length hair and green eyes, she was what Rheyna would cla.s.sify as a sweet piece of eye candy.

Her so-called agaydar' had gone into overdrive from the first moment she had seen her. Laura had grinned at her like a Ches.h.i.+re cat, a grin that said, "I know your secret, too." Although they never spoke until the day she graduated, Rheyna had liked her immediately. After the ceremony, she was busy packing her things to leave campus for the last time, when Laura unexpectedly appeared at her dorm room with a recruiting pamphlet in her hand.

She introduced herself and asked Rheyna if she had ever given a thought to joining the FBI. Not one to mix words, Rheyna told her, "Thanks, but no thanks."

What Laura said next surprised her: "What's the matter, afraid you can't hack it, don't have what it takes? I guess my instincts were wrong about you." Laura tossed the pamphlet on the bed and walked out of the room without another word, and that was all it took.