Chapter 19: The Pier Road Warehouse

Nardo checked himself out of the hospital at six.

He came down the front steps in his grey cardigan with a cane in his left hand and the cast held against his chest.

Eight old soldiers stood around the car waiting for him, men who had carried his bags for thirty years.

"Put me in the front seat," he said. "I'm going with her."

"You can't hold a gun," Stefano said.

"I don't need to hold one."

We reached the pier road at ten to seven.

The cannery was a dead brick building at the water's edge.

Behind it stood a long, low warehouse with its lights on, and two Lucarelli cars parked by the loading door.

A pair of guards smoked at the gate.

They saw Nardo get out of the car and dropped their cigarettes.

"Mr. Gallo?"

"Boys," Nardo said. "I taught you both to shoot behind your fathers' barns."

"We were told you were in the hospital."

"I was. Now I'm here." He put his good hand on the older one's sleeve. "Tell me, son. Do you know whose child is in that building?"

"The Don's."

"The Don's wife's."

The younger guard swallowed.

"We heard something at the club," he said. "My uncle took his pin off."

"Then you know what you'll be holding if you hold that gate."

The older guard looked at his friend, and at Stefano's men fanning out behind the cars.

He opened the gate.

Inside, a door banged, and a voice shouted that the Ravellos had come.

A shot cracked against the brick over my head.

Stefano pulled me down behind the car.

"Stay here."

"No."

"Cosima."

"She's my daughter, Stefano."

He looked at me for one second.

Then he put a pistol in my hand.

"Keep behind me," he said.

The next two minutes were noise.

Stefano's men took the loading dock with six shots and a smoke canister.

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