Isabella breathed a sigh of relief as the plane took off into the air and cleared Detroit's airport.  She looked beside her.  Bates, her father's left-hand man was looking out the window.  Isabella rubbed her arm in the sling.  The bullet hurt like a bitch, even now.  She wished she'd taken the offer of some painkillers, but she needed her head clear.  Her baby sister was in danger.

Master Bates had been sent by her father, apparently, after he got word she'd been shot.  He was supposed to check on her... he had no idea that less than an hour later he'd be sneaking her onto her father's plane and the two of them would be flying to Chicago.  It was a short trip, but a desperately important one, as she'd explained to her travel companion.

Her baby Sister Aurora had a nanny.  That nanny, Zennia Rossi, was hired by corrupt Agent Garrett of the FBN... or rather, the morgue, cause that's where his corpse was now resting thanks to Isabella's gun.  

"Thanks for getting me past the Feds at the airport."  She told him.  "I'm sorry you couldn't call my dad but I KNOW the FBN knows Dad didn't give the order for me to kill those agents... they know they're looking for me and we just couldn't risk that they were tapping Dad's phone.  Trust me, once we save his daughter and his wife, he won't be pissed.  In fact, I'm sure he'll be ready to give you a reward."

She rubbed her arm more.  "I'm thinking, we get there, I'll do what I can to get my hands on Aurora and as soon as I have her safe... you take the old bitty down.  I know she looks like a sweet old lady but she's on that rat bastard's payroll.  I can't be sure it hasn't all been a lie.  The old woman could be a retired hitman for all I fucking know."

Master Bates and Isabella arrived at Godmother Marie's home in Chicago about 6:30pm.  Isabella greeted the guards warmly, particularly Rand, and allowed him to pat her down and remove her weapons.  She then told Bates to allow the same.  She knew it would have been easier to deal with the Nanny if Bates had his gun, but they would have to do without.  The Godmother was not going to change things for them tonight.

"A moment, I'll let the Godmother know you're here Don Luciano."  With that, the Godmother's head bodyguard Rand went to find her.

Isabella began looking around the room at the new decor that had been added since her last visit, listening carefully for the baby's cry - hoping the little girl would give her location away so she could rush to her side immediately.

Perhaps she was with the Godmother?  That would make all of this so much easier.

Marie sat in the wooden rocker and rocked the baby slowly as she nursed her.  It was always the highlight of her day when she got to feed the baby and she smiled down at her bundle of joy.  She was concerned about Isabella after her telephone conversation with Lucky, but her concern had been momentarily diverted by this miracle of life in her arms.

When there was a knock at the door, she looked up.  After a moment Rand came in with his eyes properly diverted as he knew the closed door meant that the Godmother was nursing.  Had she not been nursing the door would have been open.  "Godmother, Don Isabella-Luciano and Consigliere Bates are here to see you.  I have put extra men at the gate and notified your lawyer to be on standby in case her arrival was noted by the FBN."

Marie beckoned Zennia to come take the baby, "Thank you, Rand.  I will go greet them in the sitting room in just a moment."  Rand nodded and then backed out to close the door.  Marie thanked the nanny and then re-adjusted her clothing to be presentable before walking out of the baby's room.  As she walked towards the formal sitting room she began to formulate the plan in her head of getting Isabella into a safe location where she could lie low until all this blew over.  The woman had be smart to get herself out of Detroit with the heat she had on her there.

A smile grew on her face as she entered the sitting room and she quickly embraced Isabella, "I am so happy you are safe."  She broke the embrace to kissed her daughter's cheek.  Looking at Lucky's left hand man she spoke, "Thank you for delivering her safely here."

She looked back at Isabella, "What happened?"

Isabella hugged Marie tight but the woman backed away before she could turn the hug into a covert way to convey the story of her situation.

"I'll tell you everything.  I swear.  But right now, I need you to be calm... any reaction other than that could be life or death."  She glanced at Rand knowing full well the man might become a problem in this and she didn't want Bates to hurt him.

"You & father trusted me once to take a bullet for you and Aurora... I need you to trust me again."  She kept her voice barely above a conspiratorial whisper, looking around to make sure the Nanny wasn't following Marie into the room.  Bates, as they'd planned, was clearly watching for her as we.  "Where is Aurora?"

"I'll tell you everything.  I swear.  But right now, I need you to be calm... any reaction other than that could be life or death." 

Marie tensed up and her smiled faded.  Rand immediately tensed as well and his eyes turned to regarded the other man in the room suspiciously. 

"You & father trusted me once to take a bullet for you and Aurora... I need you to trust me again."  She kept her voice barely above a conspiratorial whisper, looking around to make sure the Nanny wasn't following Marie into the room.  Bates, as they'd planned, was clearly watching for her as we.  "Where is Aurora?"  

For a fast moment, Marie thought of evaded telling anyone where her baby was.  She glanced at Bates.  He was alert and observing his surroundings, but he did not seem to be intending to harm either woman.  She made her decision to trust Isabella and look back at her.  In a whisper she answered, "She is with the nanny in the baby's room."  As the words left her mouth the realization fell upon her.  There would be only one reason for Isabella to be speaking in such a manner as to not let anyone in the house hear.  There was a mole in her household and she had no idea who it was.  Instantly Marie's face shown a fear on it like Isabella had never seen on the Godmother's face.  She was so posed and confident normally, never showing any hint of weakness.

Isabella nodded.  She figured that if Marie was coming out to meet her, then Zennia had the baby.  "Does she know I'm here?"  She asked quietly.  "Has my father called or anyone from the FBN come by?"

Marie closed her eyes.  Her baby was in danger and she could not afford to let emotion cloud her thoughts.  Steeling herself and her face she looked back at Isabella and whispered, "She does know that you both are here and your father did called, but she does not know about his call nor its content."

"Good, very good.  If you wanted to have the baby brought down to visit with me... how would you do it?  We need that to happen.  We'll have her come down, I'll take Aurora since I have only one good arm at the moment.  I'll make sure she's safe.  You have my word.  Then Bates and Rand can make sure she's secure.  I'll explain everything after we're sure she's no longer a threat, but we need to act like there is NOTHING wrong.  I can not stress that enough, Marie."

She reached out and touched Marie's arm gently, "Take a breath... we've done harder things than this.  Bring the woman down here like you've done a thousand times before.  I'll get the baby out of danger.  Then everything else comes after.  It'll be done in moments.  Alright?  You can do this."

Marie nodded.  Calmly she walked to the entryway of the sitting room and called for the maid.  With a smile on her face she asked the woman to have Zennia bring the baby to see her sister.  Turning back to look at the group in the room she nodded to them.  Walking back to stand next to Isabella, Rand casual took up a position near the entry way to block the woman's exit.  They all waited.  They heard the baby crying first, but Marie recognized the cry of a colicky baby and not one seriously hurt.  Still it took every ounce of willpower that she possessed not to rush and snatch the baby from the old woman arms as she came into the room. 

Instead she smiled brightly, "Thank you Zennia.  Isabella is rarely able to come here that I wanted her to have the opportunity to see her sister before she left."

Rand was already pulling his gun when the woman approached.  Isabella nodded ever so slightly approving this action.

Isabella took Aurora, placing her against her chest and wrapping her good arm protectively around her,  "You're safe now."  She whispered, walking away from the nanny, kissing Aurora's soft little head gently.  

"Do it!"  She ordered as soon as her body was shielding the child from any surprise weapons the woman might have had on her person.  

Bates flew into action, instantly tackling the old woman.  She screamed in shock and pain.  Rand came forward, making his presence and his gun known.  If the old woman was going to try anything there were no less than three ways she would die before she'd complete them.  

The baby fussed and Isabella shushed her as Marie rushed to take her.

Marie grabbed Aurora from Isabella's arm as soon as it was apparent there was no further threat from the old woman.  Holding her daughter tightly against her she spin around to see Bates pummeling the old woman.  "Consigliere, stop!  I want answers."  When she was certain that her order was going to be heeded, she turned back to Isabella.  "What the hell is going on?"

The baby began to cry in earnest, picking up on Marie's tenseness.  Softly Marie coo'ed and kiss the baby bouncing her a bit, as she waited for an explanation. 

"This woman is on the payroll of the late Agent Garrett of the Detroit FBN... that bastard who took me in a year ago trying to make me flip on you and dad."  She snarled in the direction of the old woman, "The man who kidnapped and tortured Elias for six months letting me think he was dead."  

She looked to Marie, "One of his men, before he died, told me about her.  Said she's been gathering information on you and my father for months now from right here in your own homes."

The old woman began to weep and beg - trying to say that Isabella didn't understand.  But, Isabella spoke over her.  "Garrett's man told me that as soon as Agent Garrett knew what we were doing, he'd have this woman kill Aurora.  I came as fast as I could.  I'm sorry Marie but this woman you trusted is a liar.  She's a spy at best and a killer of babies at worst but I wasn't taking any chances."

Clutching her child even tighter and she whirled back to look at the old woman with fire blazing in her eyes.  The old woman face went even whiter if that was possible and she began to begged Marie.  "Godmother please believe me I would never hurt the baby!  They threatened they would send my son away if I didn't help them, but I was only to give them information.  Oh please please believe me I would never had hurt that precious child.  Oh please, please I beg you to believe me.  I was just trying to protect my child as you would do."

With a voice as cold as steel Marie shook her head slowly.  "If you would have told me I would have made sure your son would have been protected.  Godfather Luciano would have made sure your son was protected.  Instead you choose to place your trust and loyalty in another.  Knowing they would separate me from my daughter if they had their way.  There is no greater betrayal.  She walked over to Rand and took his gun from him.  While holding the baby in her left arm she took aim at the woman and fired a bullet into the old woman's head.  

The baby began to wail when the gun fired and Marie handed the firearm back to her head of security.  The godmother began to try and comfort the crying child.  She looked at Consigliere Bates, "Her son is a wise guy in Detroit.  He will need to be collected and dealt with in a way that does not bring further heat on my husband."  Turning back to Isabella,"Do you need some place to lay low for the time being?"

She shook her head.  "I'm headed out to New York from here, two hours after that I'll be in Connecticut."  She stifled a yawn. 

"After that, I'm on to Philly where Spaceman is authorizing William Bowden and then back to my hideout in Detroit where I'm very much needed still."  She sighed  "You should be aware that both William Bowden and Gavin Bryne bled for this information."

Isabella looked deeply troubled at that.  "Will is fine."  She said flatly.  "Gavin is ... when I left he was hanging onto life.  I pray he's improved by the time all my running about is done."