TWO HOURS BEFORE THE VISIT TO THE POLICE STATION
“Do you think going to see the commissioner is going to change anything? He has probably been bought over by Mehdi or one of the big politicians involved in Mehdi’s dirty business. You might be putting yourself at risk by going there.” Raphael said over the phone to Tony who was now sitting in his car, about leaving for the police station.
After their first call, Raphael called again a few minutes later.
“But I have to do something, man. I can’t let that prick keep getting away every damn time.” Tony sighed, hitting his steering wheel angrily.
“I suggest we come up with a plan then. We lost one of our best chances to catch him for good which was when you found Lily in his basement. It would have been game over if you had a spy camera to film the whole thing or, even better, cover its life. That way, he won’t be able to lie his way out and it would be game over for everyone in it with him cause I am a hundred percent sure he wouldn’t want to go down alone.” Raphael explained over the phone and it was like Tony’s eyes opened.
“You’re right. How didn’t I think of this before?” Tony chuckled and shook his head slowly.
“I’ll meet with the commissioner first and then, I’ll head to Mehdi’s company,” Tony said and ended the call.
Before heading to the commissioner’s office, he called Rico and asked to get a spy camera which was delivered to him in thirty minutes. Since it was in the form of a button, he quickly replaced it with the original one on his shirt and drove to the commissioner’s office in the hopes of getting a word out of him.
You can imagine his surprise and excitement when he saw Mehdi at the office. It was like killing two birds with one stone for Tony since it meant he wouldn’t have to go to Mehdi’s house but still get the desired result.
*
*
THE PRESENT
Tony dialed Raphael’s number and impatiently waited for him to pick up, tapping his fingers on his thigh. As soon as the line clicked, a smile appeared on his face.
“I got it, Raphael. We can finally bring that asshole down.” He added.
A sigh of relief was heard on the other side. “He finally admitted to being Draco then? That’s great news!”
“Well…” Tony trailed off. “He didn’t exactly say those words but, he said other things and he was caught in a compromising position with the commissioner a few hours after his arrest. Rico managed to secure the CCTV footage from the general office before he was discharged. Presenting those two should be enough to have him back in his cell while I look for other ways to keep him locked up forever.” Tony said with confidence and determination.
“The first thing I have in mind is getting some of his gang members to testify against him…. starting with Louis.” He added with hate in his eyes.
“Louis? Lily’s ex? Do you think he’d testify against Mehdi? Come on, Tony! Gang members are pretty loyal, you know.” Raphael countered but, Tony was still set on his idea.
“They are.” He nodded. “But, they are humans, humans will do anything when desperate and I am ready to use that against Louis. I’ll explore that and see just how far he can go for what he wants.” He answered with a suggestive smirk, the type that made one tremble.
It took a few seconds, maybe even a minute for Raphael to finally understand what Tony meant and she he did, his eyes widened.
“You’ll use Lily to get to Louis?!” Rapheal almost screamed, the shock evident in his tone.
“She’ll be safe…I’ll make sure of it. But, if I want to put an end to this once and for all, I have to do this.” Tony explained, still thinking of other options that won’t involve Lily.
After his call with Raphael, he headed home as he had left the house early and didn’t get the chance to speak to Lily. He knew that she would be worried, especially after everything that had happened.
When he entered the house, Lily was in the living room with Rachael but, there was a weird silence as soon as he entered, making him know that he was the subject of their conversation.
The excitement in Lily’s eyes when he entered also wasn’t missed. She smiled like a child and walked briskly to meet him.
“Hey. I didn’t see you this morning.” She said with an innocent pout, the type that gave Tony weak knees.
Tony looked over her shoulder and saw that Rachael was already on the stairs, giving them some privacy.
“I know.” He hummed and slowly pulled her by her waist before placing a kiss on her lips. The kiss was short but passionate, an indication of how much they loved each other.
“I had some things to attend to.” He explained as he pulled out of the kiss and she nodded.
“Rachael said so. Is something wrong?” She asked with curious eyes and Tony felt his heartbeat increase. He knew that she would find out sooner or later that Mehdi had been released but, she had just come out of a traumatic experience so he wanted to keep every bad news away for now.
“Yeah…” He answered, clearing his throat as the guilt ate him up. “I just had a few VIP patients to attend to.” He replied.
“Oh.” Lily’s mouth parted slightly as she nodded, believing him completely.
Tony sat on the nearest sofa and grabbed her waist tenderly, making her sit on his thighs. He brought his hand to her chin and stroked it briefly before speaking.
“You do know that with everything that has just happened, returning to the hospital would be dangerous.” He said calmly and, Lily’s breath hitched.
She knew where the conversation was going.
“I think it would be safer if you take a break from the hospital…for now.” He added and Lily’s countenance fell, her eyes brimming with tears.
“Hey, hey.” He called out softly, making her look at him. “I am only saying this because I care about you and won’t forgive myself if something bad happens to you again. Please, understand, Lily.” He begged.
Lily lowered her eyes. “I understand, Tony. I’m just sad it had to come to this. I really liked working at the hospital.” She sighed and leaned in for a comforting hug.
“Don’t worry, Lily. Soon, it would all be sorted out and you’d return to the hospital.”
A few hours later, Tony left the company of Lily and his sister to his room. He quietly took out his phone and dialed the number of the one he dreaded the most.
After the third ring, the line clicked and there was an eerie silence on both sides. But, it was soon broken by Tony.
“We should meet. I believe it’s high time we end it all for good.”