"Alannah!" Suddenly everyone in the room jumped to attention. Dominic picked her up and carried her back to the couch she slept on last night, and lay her down. Maria brought him a cool cloth to place on her forehead and five minutes later, Alannah eyes opened, with Dominic and Jakob at her side.
"Señorita, are you alright?"
"Yes, I…I think so. What happened?"
"You fainted Alannah, you were telling the Captain something and then just fainted."
"I am so sorry," she said, clinging to Dominic
"Señorita," the Captain said, and his voice was not kind, "I am sorry that this has upset you, your brother," he tapped the portrait for emphasis, "is wanted for many charges not including smuggling guns, selling illegal weapons in many different countries. We believe that his major connection is through organized crime, in which he is nothing but a pawn, but as he is connected to the crime lords all throughout the United States we have to play it safe with him. This man is no saint Senorita, he is a ruthless killer . . .
"From what you told me I can only surmise that your brother is being supplied by your father the weapons he is selling. If that is indeed the case then your father would be well aware of your bothers business - am I correct?"
Alannah frowned at this. "No, my father would not knowingly take the sort of risks that you have mentioned. If what you are saying is true, then it is my brother who is acting on his own without my father's knowledge."
"Can you be certain Señorita?" the Captain said,
"No, I can't be, but I … "
"If you can't be ceratin then we need to act as if your father is knowledgeable about your brothers afairs. If your brother is acting on his own, then it would appear he believes that you have made it possible for him to be caught. Even if his being caught would be by your father alone, which would explain why he wants you dead. No?"
"Captain if I may" Erik chimed in, "I know for a fact that he is being finaced by our father. Remember I also have been living in New York watching Eraldo, I wasn't on his radar until the hospital found me eight months ago. It was when Alannah was in the ICU with a rare strain of the Plague. She had somehow been bitten by a rat that was supposedly on the SS Eurpoa, but they found no trace of one in first class." He said, then looking more at Alannah "I went to the hospital every night when Nicolo was sleeping and held your hand. Eraldo must have followed me, he must have notified father that he had found you."