The Key of the Gunovi Family
By B. Joseph Huffman
Copyright 2012 B. Joseph Huffman
Prologue
It is the last day of high school as Roger Hill, a lanky young man with brown hair and blue eyes, leaves the institution in preparation for an enjoyable summer vacation. Little does he know that this will be the summer that his life will change tremendously.
“I have already been accepted into Florida State University's teaching program,” Roger thinks. “I have nothing left to do this summer but relax.”
Samuel Gunovi, the former quarterback of the school's football team comes around the corner and bumps into Roger. “Watch where you're going, Nerd!”
“I'm sorry,” Roger apologizes. “Most people pay attention when they round a corner.”
Samuel grabs Roger's shirt in his fist. “Are you calling me dumb?”
“This will probably be the last time we see each other,” Roger uses both of his hands to remove Samuel's hand from his shirt. “So I am going to tell you exactly what I think of you.” Roger speaks with an aura of calm authority. “I think you are an inconsiderate jerk. No more. No less.”
“You'll pay for those words, Loser Boy,” Samuel Gunovi claims, his voice showing how irritated he is by the truth. His brown eyes try to stare Roger down, but his blue-eyed former classmate doesn't give him the satisfaction.
Roger Hill holds his ground, standing calm and firm. This is the first time he, or anyone else, has stood up to the bully who is to inherit the Gunovi Family organization.
“You have no idea of the trouble you just caused yourself, Nerd Boy,” Gunovi snarls.
Roger narrows his eyes and glares directly into Gunovi's. “The name is Hill. Roger Hill. Learn it well, because one day I am going to put an end to your family's organization.”
“How dare you,” Gunovi growls, ready to start a brawl on the school grounds.
“Go find your girlfriend,” Roger states as he walks away.
Roger enters his home and plops on the sofa, picks up the remote and flips through the channels on the television. Not really feeling up to walking into the kitchen, he uses his telekinesis to make himself a sandwich and a glass of chocolate milk and have them float to him.
“There's nothing better than an after school snack,” Roger smiles as he takes a bite out of his sandwich. “Cookies would go really good with this.”
A handful of chocolate chip cookies float from the kitchen and land on Roger's sandwich plate.
“We interrupt your regularly scheduled program for this important announcement,” the television announcer sounds like he is trying to get everyone's attention before he continues. “Infamous mafia boss, Samuel Gunovi Senior, known to many as Sam Gun, was found dead in the back of his stretch limo. The police suspect foul play.”
“Imagine that,” Roger states sarcastically. “Of course the cops are going to think a person who hangs out with crooks and thugs is going to be the victim of foul play.” Roger shakes his head. “And they would probably be right.”
Samuel Gunovi sits at his father's ornate, solid oak, desk and looks through his address book. “Now that I have control of my father's organization, who would be the best assassin we have to take out Roger Hill?”
Carmine Call
Carmine Call, a man in his mid-twenties with a brown afro, is working hard at making an electric chair when a call comes in. “Hello,” he answers, his brown eyes obviously showing his wondering of who would be calling him.
“Eliminate Roger Hill,” Samuel Gunovi orders over the telephone just before slamming it down.
“He is just like his father,” Call snarls as he hangs up. “Do this! Do that! But no time to finish any of it.” Carmine Call walks out of his workshop, climbs in his jeep, and drives to the coordinates Gunovi texts to him.
Call grabs a white lab coat from his back seat after he pulls up outside Roger Hill's house. He knocks on the door, his white lab coat standing out against his caramel colored skin. “Electric Company!” he shouts. “There's a problem with your wiring!”
Roger cracks the door open. “Let me see your credentials,” Roger demands, fully intent on not letting Call in if he's now who he says he is.
“I must have left them back at the office,” Call lies.
“No credentials, no entrance.” Roger Hill uses his telepathic abilities to read Call's mind. “You had better go back to the office and get those credentials.” Roger shuts the door in Call's face and locks it.
Carmine Call looks around the house to see if he can find another way in. He walks back to his jeep and gets a pair of grounded work gloves and wire cutters, then walks around to the back of Hill's house. He clips a live electrical wire and allows it to continue sparking as he runs it into the house through one of the basement windows. He attaches one of of a garden hose to an outdoor spigot and places the other end through the same basement window he placed the live electrical wire. He turns the water on so that a steady stream of water flows from the hose.
Call sits down in one of the neighboring yards, waiting for the effects of his handiwork to happen.
The water continues to rise past the end of the live wire. Anyone finding themselves in the electrified water is sure to find themselves electrocuted.
Roger Hill comes walking casually around the house, noticing the cut wire and flowing water. He uses his telekinetic abilities to make the live wire float away from the water and back to its original location. “Come with me,” Roger glares at Call as he demands the older man's compliance.
Carmine Call follows Roger Hill inside, where Roger writes up an itemized list of everything Call destroyed and the cost of each. He hands a copy of the list to Call. “Take this to your boss. Tell him that I will only accept untainted money as payment for these items he destroyed.”
Carmine crumbles the bill and throws it across the room. “No wonder Gun wants you eliminated!”
“Well,” Roger shrugs. “You had your chance to escape. Now you can walk down to the police department with me and tell them what you did here.”
Carmine Call tries to run away, but Roger Hill has already used his telekinesis to reinforce the door so the member of the Gunovi organization can't escape.
“Alright. We'll do this the hard way,” Roger claims.
The two sit in silence, waiting for the police to show up. A little while later two officers enter and escort Carmine Call to the back seat of their patrol cruiser.
“This guy is a known mobster,” the lady officer states. “You have a reward coming for his capture.”
“Thank you, Officer,” Roger smiles as the officers drive away.
“I wonder if I should call Gunovi and tell him that his guy failed,” Roger ponders as he opens the basement door to see how quickly the water is draining into the sump pump.
Samuel Gunovi sits at his father's desk when the phone rings. “Gun,” he answers. “What do you mean you failed? You are supposed to be the best! No, I will not think about hiring a lawyer to get you out.” Samuel Gunovi slams down the telephone receiver and begins looking through his father's address book once again.
Donald Longson
Donald Longson, a young man in his early twenties, stands in Gunovi's office. His brown belt, gloves, and boots match his long brown hair and eyes. His black leather jumpsuit hides any traces of his previous unethical deeds. “You called for me?”
“Yes,” Gunovi begins. “I want Roger Hill eliminated. You are our best assassin. I want you to see that it gets done.”
“Perhaps you should put out a reward,” Longson offers.
“Why should I put out a reward when I have you working
for me!” Gunovi demands. “I want results. You are supposed to be the best. Get it done!”
Donald Longson walks out of Samuel Gunovi's office.
Roger Hill sits in his basement, going through boxes piece by piece, trying to salvage whatever he can and pitching the rest into a trash can. “Somehow I doubt Gunovi will stop after finding out his best electrician has been captured,” he thinks. “I wonder if there is a reward for the rest of the Gunovi family as well.”
Longson parks his fire-red sports car behind Call's jeep that is still outside Hill's house. He steps out of his car and makes sure he has all of the weapons he could possibly want strapped to his body and within easy reach. He peeks through the windows of the house to see where Roger is located.
Roger, still working in the basement, notices the shadows walking around outside. “Just as I thought,” he thinks. “Gunovi has decided to send another one of his goons