The Twelve Vitali Ch. 34

As if a flash of lightning hit her, clarity dawned. This was never about Maria, she was just the catalyst. It had always been about her... Her and Theresa. Vanessa and Giovanni had helped the other men for the promise of Maria's return. Well, this was not Cat's first rodeo, and once David and Mick had turned away, shepherding Maria between them, Cat held up her hands in surrender and hurried toward the stairs.

The sight that greeted her eyes when she got to the doorway surprised her. The man she could only assume was Fredrick held Theresa by one arm, a gun held out toward her as she walked through the door. His men had obviously subdued Giovanni, who lay on the floor groaning with a man's booted foot on his neck. Mario and Vanessa stood together in a corner with two guns trained on them.

"Why did you send my mother away?" Vanessa screeched at her, fear and frustration colouring the tone of her voice.

"They didn't need her, they only needed me. Isn't that right, Fredrick?" Cat asked, turning her head to look at the man holding Theresa.

"Very clever, little girl, I could almost be proud of you if you hadn't interfered with my plans. I'm assuming they all know now," he gave a cruel smile.

"Do Giovanni and Mario know you have killed the heart of their table, as well as all the others? Poor Theo, having to raise that baby without his wife or mother, but I guess you and your fathers survived that fate, didn't you, Vanessa," Cat said coldly, and watched the emotions dance across her face.

"You didn't really think the Suebi wouldn't have their own agenda here? What good is reuniting Maria, a dead woman, with her daughter and lover to them?" She asked cruelly, twisting the knife of her words. "The fact that you were willing to sacrifice me isn't surprising, but that you could condemn the woman who raised you to death at the hands of the Suebi is..." Cat spread her hands wordlessly and shook her head.

"You lie!" Mario spat.

"Call your family, if you dare, Carmella and Audrey are dead," Cat said without emotion, only guessing at the fact, not knowing for sure. "As are all of the mothers of the tables except Theresa and myself, but I expect that's about to change."

"Lydia Papillo still lives and hides in that hangar with her husband," Fredrick shrugged, not denying what Cat was saying. "David should be giving them my ultimatum as we speak. Once she is taken care of, the tables will be done. At least for a generation or two."

"Did you not learn anything from the Donati?" Theresa asked, horrified by what she was hearing. "Our lives don't matter in the grand scheme of things. There is always someone better, stronger and more capable of stepping up where others fail. You will hurt the families, but the strong ones will not fail to rise again, nor will they allow the others to fall apart. My daughters, Mia, or Aria, could step into the mother role just as easily and lead the family out of darkness. I would have said the same about you, Vanessa, until today."

Frederick pressed his gun against Theresa's side and dragged her toward the doorway again as Vanessa spoke.

"I'm not your daughter!" Vanessa screeched angrily, but doubt showed on her face.

"I didn't give birth to you, but I was your mother in every other way," Theresa said indignantly. "Should I have tried to kill or hurt your brothers and fathers the way you and your mother did? Would that have made me more of a mother to you? Would you honestly be happier if I were dead?" She reefed her arm away from Fredrick, surprising him. Once free, she turned back toward Vanessa, prepared to argue further until the bullet entering her lower back above her hip made her stagger back toward the doorway in shock and collapse onto the top platform in full view of the men and women watching. "I love you, Vanessa!" she cried out against the barking voice of Frederick.

"Bring me Lydia Papillo or Catriona is next!" Frederick demanded, then kicked Theresa to tumble unceremoniously down the stairs.

"No!" Cat said, and launched herself at the man who turned back toward the interior. Caught off balance as she kneed him in the groin and pushed hard at his shoulders, he tumbled backwards, following Theresa down the stairs. Another shot went off, and Cat stumbled as it grazed her shoulder. She turned in time to see Mario wrestling with one of the thugs and Vanessa sitting and staring wide-eyed as the second gunman held his gun on the wrestling men until Giovanni got to his feet behind them and entered the fray by disarming the second man.

Cat stood transfixed by the whole scene for several long minutes, then suddenly she was being picked up and carried from the plane as the people continued to fight. Coming to her senses, she yelled. "Run, Vanessa, Run!" then she was being carted down the stairs and toward the hangar. Looking back toward the plane, she could see men milling around the stairs and others climbing into the jet. It was Bradbury who carried her, and she couldn't see where Matteo and Ricco were. Once inside the hanger she was placed on her feet with a group of strangers, and Bradbury turned and jogged off back toward the plane.

"Cat!" Lydia said. "My God, you're alive!" The petite woman embraced her, tears shining in her eyes.

"I'm fine! Where's Theresa?" she asked looking around.

"Roberto left with a driver to get her to the medical centre," Lydia said. "She's alive, but It looks bad, Cat, I'm sorry."

Cat looked around, lost. She didn't know what to do. The men were all busy issuing orders and trying to sort out what was happening. She knew it was probably shock, but she felt cold and tired and unable to move as she tried to think about what she needed to do first. She was numb, and it seemed her brain was too.

"Cat, you're bleeding!" Lydia cried out, noticing for the first time her shoulder and looking around for help. She went to find Leyton or Rick, leaving Cat with her brother, who had approached them.

"Cat," David said softly. "This is fucking crazy town stuff. Are you okay?"

"Me?" Cat blinked at her brother. "You were the one kidnapped." She said equally softly and without emotion, and staring at her brother, not quite being able to work out why he was here or where here was.

"Cat?" he said more loudly. "Cat? What's wrong?' he asked again when she didn't respond, drawing the attention of Lydia and the small group of people close by.

Cat felt herself fading; she had barely eaten today and had been running off pure adrenaline until she finally hit a wall. She could see David and hear him talking, but she couldn't understand or formulate any words to respond to whatever he was saying. She looked at him in wonder as he suddenly grew taller, making her crane her neck to continue looking at him. David disappeared, and Bradbury was there, looking angry, and she wanted to tell him to leave her alone, but she couldn't think how to do that. Then she was floating, and she leaned back, looking up at the sky which suddenly materialised above her head only to be whisked away again. Matteo, it was Matteo, not Bradbury. She smiled and leaned against him, listening to his heartbeat, and finally closed her eyes. She was always safe with Matteo.

*****

"Stay angry, there will be time to look after those you love, but now you must lead the family the way you were always meant to," Fawn said. "Hold tight to your rage and deal with what needs to be done. The women you love will live. This I know."

Ricco said nothing as he looked at the small woman beside him as the car carrying Matteo and Cat raced away from the tarmac. Sava and Fawn had stopped him from leaving with them. He knew he couldn't just leave the Papillo leaders to deal with the fallout from this. He turned back toward the plane. Hugh and Knox had arrived with Matteo and Cat, along with Bradbury, who was on his way to the medical clinic while the others were working with the Papillo men to clear the plane.

"I'm about to call Bruno and tell him what happened here. Most of the Chairs are still in the fortress," Leyton said quietly, coming to stand beside Ricco. "You should tell your family before they find out through rumour or well-meaning friends trying to find out more information."

"Yeah," Ricco said, watching the body of his sister being carried from the plane. The two surviving Suebi had killed the three members of the tables in the struggle that ensued after Cat had pushed Frederick down the stairs after Theresa, where he had been subdued quickly by the men who had raced to Theresa's aid.

"They're both alive, you saved the mothers of the Vitali," Leyton said softly, trying to comfort the man who looked like he could either explode or break down at any moment.

"I did nothing!" Ricco spat angrily. "Cat saved them, though she will blame herself for Vanessa's death and Theresa's injuries!"

"Call your brothers and tell them the truth of it as you know it so far. Tell them my brothers and I will do everything possible to ensure Theresa and Cat get all the medical attention they need. I am sorry about your sister," Leyton gripped his shoulder and shook his head. "Unfortunately, we aren't the only ones with sisters who betrayed us."

"I'll make the call," Ricco said, and turned away from Leyton, who threatened to unravel the anger he needed to hang to or fall apart at the thought of Theresa and Cat in the hospital and Vanessa dead. This was his family, and he had failed to protect them. He had let Vanessa down by not seeing what was going on or following up after the scene at the wedding that Cobi had told him about. He would need to get to the bottom of that as well. He needed to know now if there was anything he could have done to avoid this moment in time.

Holding his phone to his ear, he walked around the side of the hanger in search of shade and slid down to the ground, leaning his back against the wall. He heard his brother's anxious voice and lost the thread of anger he had been clinging to. Feeling the absolute devastation from the afternoon's events, he took long silent moments before speaking.

"Walk away from the table, Cobi, the news isn't good," Ricco said in a strained voice and listened as his brother moved on the other end of the call. "Cat and Theresa have been shot and taken to the hospital, Cat should be okay, with medical attention, Matt is with her. It is touch and go for Theresa, but she has the best the Papillo can provide for her, and Papa is with her. Vanessa didn't make it," he said quietly. "We will fly her body home tomorrow. Can you make the arrangements with the Papillo?"

"Fuck! Fuck! Fucking Fuckers!" Cobi exploded loudly, making his brothers look from the table to where he stood. "The men who took them?"

"The Suebi were using Giovanni's madness. They tried to take out the mothers of every table, we believe. See if you can find out if everyone made it, I tried to warn them, but who knows if my message got to them in time. Giovanni and Mario are dead; we have the three Suebi who travelled with them." Ricco said in a deadpan voice. "The Suebi were pulling strings the whole time, I think Vanessa found out, or at least suspected something at the wedding. Can we look into that again when I get back?" Ricco's mind worked over all he needed to say. "It's not good, Cobi, make sure they know Matt and I will get everyone home as soon as possible."

"I'll get Lucca to call the Papillo contacts and get the full story later tonight," Cobi said, sounding calmer but still furious. Ricco smiled, he had thought his rage had been spent, but hearing it in his brother's voice fuelled his own rage about what a stupid fucking plan this had been. "Do what you need to do and call if you need anything at all. I'll make the arrangements for Vanessa," Cobi said.

"Thanks, Cobi. Get Paolo to call Papa, I think he may be needed, Theresa was shot at close range," Ricco said, the strength and anger returning to his voice. "Maybe get Isaiah to call and see if Matt wants him to come for Cat."

"Isaiah, not Zach?" Cobi asked.

"Yeah!" Ricco snapped. "Let's skip the congratulations until we know they are still needed!" His anger was fully back now, and he was ready to face the fallout of what had happened.

"Fuckers!" Cobi spat again. "Get home soon," he ordered, and hung up to face the men of the Vitali table and deliver the news.

*****

Theresa had been stabilised as best as possible and airlifted to Darwin, the closest major city. The Sartori family were grateful for the ten minutes warning they had to protect their family and met the plane, ensuring every specialist available was on call for whatever the Vitali family needed.

The close-range shooting should have killed Theresa immediately, but she had clung to life as surely as Roberto clung to her hand as she lay unmoving during her journey to the medical clinic and again to the helipad. As if waiting for Stefano to arrive, Theresa woke briefly before being transferred to Darwin, and spoke to the men she loved about their family and the children she loved so desperately and begged them to take her home where she could see them, then she closed her eyes and lapsed back into deep sleep.

Theresa was rushed to surgery the moment the helicopter arrived at the hospital in Darwin, and Roberto and Stefano went to work calling their family and friends to find out what the fallout had been, for not only their own family but for all of the tables and their attacks on the mothers.

They heard the stories of close calls and the death or Carmella Martino with little emotion. It wasn't until they realised that Ricco was being hailed as a hero for giving them all the last-minute warning that had saved the hearts of the tables that they reacted. Pride filling them for the son they had believed would one day lead the family as Chair but had made him Oracle instead in the face of Matteo's ultimatum.

"Fate has a way of putting the right man in the right position," Stefano said quietly after one such call to Fabiano Amarti.

"So, it seems," Roberto nodded. "They were always meant to lead together, no matter the roles we gave them in the end."

*****

Isaiah sat on the small jet reading through the digital file Zachary had sent him. He held Cat's medical records from a violent and neglectful early life, as well as during her relationship with Ned Kelso. Attached to the documents were the records from this year, including a detailed account of her life since coming to work for Vanessa and entering into the sphere of the family's influence. With hours to kill, he poured over the information, going through a wide range of emotions, not the least of which was anger. Anger at the unfairness of her early life and the neglect she suffered. Anger at the man she had put her faith in and had treated her so badly, Ned Kelso. Anger at his cousins and uncles for pushing her into such a harsh trial when it wasn't necessary. Anger at all the events since then that would have driven a mere mortal past the point of physical and mental exhaustion long before now.

The fact that she wasn't a mere mortal struck a chord with him. She shouldn't possibly be able to survive all of this and still be so warm and caring to the family she had embraced. Not just the men she loved and her intimate circle, but all of them. To him, even. He remembered her coming to him and confiding that she was pregnant and how scared she had been about the fact. He understood now why she had thought she wouldn't be good a good mother and why the pregnancy worried her so much. He hadn't delved deeply into her past then, and regretted that decision now.

He knew from Zion how run down she was, not sleeping or eating well. He had no doubt that her collapse was at least partially due to physical exhaustion, more than likely mental exhaustion as well. He considered the small facts he knew about what had happened this afternoon. He'd been on his phone right up until takeoff, and while he could use his phone in the air, reception was spotty, at best, as they flew over the desert heart of the country.

It was two in the morning when he walked into the hospital with the man who was his, or at least Zachary's counterpart in the Papillo family, and discovered Cat had a wound to her shoulder where a bullet had grazed her that had been able to be treated here sufficiently. She was in shock and exhausted, and they had given her a mild sedative to help her sleep comfortably, despite claiming she didn't need it. They had an ultrasound booked for the following morning to ensure all was well for her baby.

The news on Theresa was more distressing, but he knew his father would be in Darwin by now and ensuring everything that could be done was being done. He stepped into the room and looked at his cousins as they sat slumped in chairs at Cat's bedside, looking defeated in their exhaustion. He said nothing, just nodding to them as he picked up her chart and read through it. Isaiah had no qualms about the fact that Cat was getting the best treatment possible.

"Papa's gone to Darwin, he should be there now, and we should get some real answers about Theresa," Isaiah said softly as he gently took his observations on Cat so as not to disturb her. "You two look like shit. Go find some coffee and a shaving kit so you don't scare her when she wakes up, I'll stay with her now. There are a few people in the waiting room as well that you should probably send home. They gave her a mild sedative, so she won't be waking up anytime soon."

"Coffee wouldn't go astray," Matteo whispered and stretched, "but I'm not going anywhere. I'll be right here in the hospital, they'll have a kit somewhere, I'm sure."

"I'll see to the people in the waiting room, but I am only going down the hall," Ricco grumbled and stood.

"Call Zion, he's running the table with brutal efficiency, and he won't be sleeping, he can tell you what they know so far. Get him to let Zach know that I'll get Cat home by tomorrow night and to make the arrangements." He said it, not for Zachary's sake, his brother would already be making arrangements, if he knew him at all, but more for Zion and Lucca's sake. Their mother lay on the brink of death, and the woman they had sworn to look after was lying in hospital with a superficial bullet wound. Isaiah had never seen Lucca quite so distraught and understood now why Zion had been put in the Chair in Mateo's absence.

"Brutal efficiency?" Matteo blinked at Isaiah.

"He's the leader, even all the Uncles do what he says. Cobi was his biggest supporter, especially after your call when he lost it for a while," Isaiah admitted. "Everyone took Vanessa's death hard, especially Cobi. He said he knew something was up at the wedding, but had let her gloss it over."

"Yeah, I know," Ricco admitted, letting his anger rise again to help him deal with all that had happened in one day. It felt to him like he had lived a week in this one day, and he had to admit he was exhausted and needed coffee too.

"Zion, my little brother?" Matteo asked again, as if he had never considered Zion stepping up in the way he had. He had thought he would lead with and through the advice of others rather than leading in his own right. "The quiet one?"

"He's not so quiet now, and I would bet anything there's nothing he'd appreciate more than a call from his big brother right now," Isaiah said. "Go do what you Chairs and Oracles do in moments of crisis. Let me tend my patient, she's in safe hands." Isaiah waited until they had gone and turned back to Cat. "They are gone now, do you want to tell me why you are only pretending to sleep?" he asked gently.

"Pete Donati," Cat whispered in a coarse dry voice as she fluttered her eyes open. She took a sip of the water he held for her and looked at him. She barely knew Isaiah, but she knew he was her best chance of getting away from this family and having time to think, really think, about everything that happened, not only to her but the men she loved. "Can you do what he did for Peri?"