Chapter
4 – Requiem of a Suffering Father
With the true mastermind's identity
revealed, both the cops and the family spread out across the city to arrest them
and their allies. Cesare and I join the assault on the Puramente estate, which
is across the river and heavily guarded and surrounded by his family members
and hired help, and further surrounded by cops and state troopers, with
neighbors watching from afar to see what happens.
Using a microphone, Umberto Destro,
a friend of the family, veteran, and chief of police in this city, says, “Come
out with your hands up and surrender. We know you’re all behind the recent
murders and attempted murders of police and city officials. There is no escape,
so you have the choice of either going to jail or going to the divine judgment
seat. Take your pick.”
A shot rings out and ricochets off Umberto’s
microphone, prompting the authorities to charge and fight the criminals.
Meanwhile, Cesare, members of the family, and I scout the area and make sure
that Amoroso doesn’t take any hidden passages to escape. Sure enough, we find
him coming out of a house of people he knows, who draw their weapons on us.
“It’s over, don Amoroso Puramente,”
Cesare says.
“Look at what the feds are doing to
us!” Amoroso says. “They’ve turned us against one another!”
“You were the one who got your
hired thugs and family members to shoot us, not the other way around,” I say.
“That’s because you allied
yourselves with them and got in the way of me getting justice for my children!
Those cocksuckers in the government got them all killed! That’s why we need to
bring back the real mob from ages past! Let me escape, and I’ll forget all your
crimes against my family. Those people you call thugs are merely members of the
new family I’ve created. I have five new powerful families that exemplify the
old mob and know how to be true men of honor.”
“There’s no honor in the kind of
crimes you want to commit. You’re a grieving father who has his sights set on
the wrong people. You’ve gotten good people hurt or killed.”
“Are you talking about those Ministro
brothers? Those motherfuckers are traitors to the family by associating the
family with the law. We’re slaves to them because of them and Russell, and I refuse
to watch everything I do because of people who got my children killed!”
“You should watch your mouth,”
Russell says as he and Angelo step out from the crowd with their pistols drawn.
“A man of honor doesn’t use such harsh and profane language so easily.”
“Right. You erased that so we wouldn’t
speak like the old mob. No taking the Lord’s name in vain, no motherfucker this,
no cocksucker that, and no liberal use of the word fuck, but this is a
situation where I should use that, and if the next words out of your mouth aren’t
words of understanding and joining me, then I have no choice but to shoot you,
you old senile fuck.”
Russell shoots Amoroso in the face.
The suddenness and shock of it all freeze everyone in place. Cesare and I quickly
fire at Amoroso’s allies and members of his family before they can recover, and
then we’re aided by our family members who follow what we do.
“The only words of understanding I’ll
give you are that I pray and hope that God has mercy on you and yours, old
friend,” Russell says as he crosses himself.
We cross ourselves as well and
follow Russell and Angelo away from the house. The cops are called to the house,
and we let them handle the rest of the cleanup. Back in the basement of the
parish church, Cesare and I are celebrated in our efforts and given more responsibilities
in the family, such as patrolling a wider area, being in charge of newer
members, and giving them orders. Later on the news, the authorities announce
their victory over the criminals who were going after them and that the city is
safe once again, thanks to the new administration and its supporters.
“At least they give us a little credit,”
Cesare jokes as he smokes while watching the TV.
“Remember, we shouldn’t get away.
We aren’t supposed to have the spotlight on us or exist in the public mindset,”
I say.
“You’re right. I am just glad that
justice was served by people like us, of all people.”
“Why wouldn’t it be us? We’re men
of the community, helpers of neighbors. We’re Quartiere Cavalieri, the Neighborhood
Knights.”
“Hell yeah, brother, and this is
just the start of the legacy we’ll leave on the world.”
The End
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