Everybody on that road had run as faraway from that disaster as they could get, and Mick could still hear theirscreams for him to save himself, but he got off of that ground and ran back tothat limousine.
With his always perfect hair all overhis forehead and nearly obstructing his view, he ran around to the driver sidedoor that had blown open. He grabbedDeuce, who was knocked out behind the wheel and flung him out of the limo, tosafety, but also out of his way. Deuce rolled down the incline. Mick loved Deuce. He’d known him for decades. But Mick had to get to Roz. He cared for Deuce’s life in that moment thesame way he cared for his own life: it didn’t matter as long as Roz lived. His wife, the mother of his two youngestchildren, had to live!
As the limo was quickly engulfing inflames, and as his entire body felt the heat from those flames, Mick reachedover the backseat, grabbed Roz who was trying to climb over that seat, and,with clenched teeth and all the strength he had within him, lifted her all theway over and into his arms.
Then he jumped out of that limo androlled down that incline still clutching Roz in his arms as if they were meldedtogether in life as well as death, as the whole thing blew.
CHAPTER THREE
“What on earth was that?”
Charles hurriedly turned around inhis SUV and saw the black smoke billowing up toward the clouds. “Good Lord,” he said.
“What is it, Pop?” Bobby Sinatraasked, as he turned too. When they allturned and saw the smoke, they were shocked.
“Turn around,” Charles was alreadytelling his driver. “It’s nearCharlemagne. Go back. Go back now!”
As Jenay attempted to call Roz’scellphone, to make sure she was alright, and as Brent Sinatra attempted to callMick, the driver turned the big SUV around with a swerve and sped back towardHammer’s mountain. All the other familymembers, who all came to the ceremony on their various planes, were long gone,but Charles and his brood were the stragglers. And now he was grateful that they were. They had been too far away to hear the gunfire, but they weren’t so faraway that they couldn’t hear that massive explosion. They raced back to the scene.
When they got to the scene, they sawa limo engulfed in flames, Mick’s SUV abandoned and his driver dead beside it,and all of the earmarks of a horrific ambush. Charles’ heart dropped. Not hiskid brother! And was that the limo Rozhad been in??? He could hardly containhis grief as he fumbled to get out of his seat belt.
“Stay here,” he ordered the women inthe car, as Charles, his oldest son Brent, and his middle son Bobby Sinatrahurried out of the SUV. Charles wasgrateful that the younger children in the family were back in Maine with hissons Tony and Donald, and were not there to witness such carnage.
All three men had their revolversdrawn as they moved around the scene, searching for any sign of life, saddenedthat they had to witness it too. Theflames were billowing, as sirens could be heard in the distance, but they hadno way of knowing if anybody was inside of that limousine. They couldn’t see inside for the flames! Charles and Bobby ran to the SUV and lookedinside, but they saw nothing.
Bobby ran his hand through his thickhair and frowned. “Where’s Uncle Mick?”he asked hysterically. “Where’s UncleMick?”
“Call his cell phone,” Charlesordered, hoping against hope that Mick had stayed back at Charlemagnesomehow. “Call his cell.”
Brent had already tried, but Bobbypulled out his own cell phone. Althoughhe knew it was a fool’s errand, his father seemed so desperate. If truth be told, he knew Big Daddy lovedMick more than life itself, and although they were close in age, he treatedMick more like his son rather than his baby brother. Bobby, the mayor of Jericho, Maine and aforce to be reckoned with himself, did what he was told.
Brent Sinatra saw three men runningout of the woods near the scene. Heaimed his weapon and braced himself for trouble. Until he saw the terror in their eyes.
“Down there,” one of them waspointing anxiously. “I saw the driverroll down that incline! I saw thedriver!”
Brent hurried over to where they werepointing, and when he looked down and saw his uncle Mick’s longtime employeeDeuce McCurry, he began racing down to aid him. “Pop!” he yelled to Charles ashe began hurrying down that incline. “Pop, down here!”
Charles and Bobby ran where Brent wasyelling, and when they saw Deuce, too, they began to head down thatincline. But Charles stopped Bobby. “Stay here,” he said to him. “Watch those men. Make sure it’s not a setup.”
“Yes, sir,” Bobby said, his revolverstill at the ready, as Charles hurried down the incline to where Deuce andBrent were.
“You okay?” Charles asked Deuce, whoappeared to be just waking up from unconsciousness.
“I’m okay,” said Deuce, although hestill looked groggy.
Charles was about to ask about hisbrother and sister-in-law when he looked beyond Deuce. And that was when he saw both of them. “Thank you Jesus!” he yelled as his heartleaped with joy, and he ran to where Mick was sitting, with Roz in his lap.
Brent, seeing them, left Deuce’s sidetoo.
“We’re okay,” said Mick, barely ableto catch a breath. “Thank God, we’reokay.”
CHAPTER FOUR
At the Montreal Medical Center, Mickand Roz checked out just fine, although the doctors wanted to keep Deuceovernight for observation. He had aparticularly nasty-looking hickey on his head that they wanted to monitor.
After saying their goodbyes to Deuce,with Mick promising to send a driver to pick him up tomorrow, they all made itoutside of the sprawling hospital. Theystood on the top step ready to say their goodbyes to each other.
But as the women made their way downthe steps and began a conversation near Charles’ SUV, Charles, along with Bobbyand Brent, pulled Mick aside. It wasobvious on Charles’ handsome face that he was still worried. “Do you have any idea who could have orderedthat kind of ambush?” he asked his brother.
“Yes,” said Mick. “I have an idea.”
“Does that mean we’re in danger
