Sweetie.” I heard the voice of my mom close to me. The bed creaked slightly and my side dipped as she sat down and undid my blanket gently. I held its edge with my tiny fingers, reluctant to let it go and groaned.
Mom caressed my hair tucking them aside and cooed teasingly. “Don’t you want to see Dad, sweetie?”
That caught my attention. Instantly, I opened my eyes and swallowed the croakiness that may had build up with the sleep but I didn’t utter a word yet and looked at her intently with my partly sleepy eyes.
She smiled widely showing her perfect set of teeth and nodded excitedly. She was not lying. Dad was home, after four long months.
Abandoning the comfort of the otherwise warm bed, I quickly rushed and hastily looked around the hall. My search stopped when I immediately recognised the tall figure standing in the kitchen and ran to his direction. I sprung to him with an excited squeal.
Dad was home after four long months. I was happy. I knew mom was happy. I had seen her crying silently when he wouldn’t pick up her calls. She wouldn’t let me know but I knew when her beautiful face was blemished with the red puffy eyes. Dad used to be always busy with his work, travelling around the world. But he always managed to visit us every month. But this time he took really long to be home.
He swiftly picked me up by his strong arms and planted a kiss on my cheek. “My princess.” I emitted a laugh when his beard grazed my skin.
His hair was grown and unkempt. The bags under his eyes made him look pale and weary. He looked thin and tired.
Shifting my weight on his left, he picked up the plate of pancakes with his right hand.
I slouched my head on his shoulder partly consumed with the sleep and hugged his big shoulders with my small arms which lazily drooped on his muscular back.
Mom appeared beaming in the hall seconds later and looked beautiful as usual. The shade of yellow accentuated her light skin tone. Her eyes shone with happiness as she looked at us.
“She is still sleepy.” Dad said.
I let out a muffled noise in denial and made them aware of my awake self.
“Shall we go to the zoo?” Dad proposed and I cheerfully exclaimed, my eyes lighting up.
He laughed knowing too well how excited I used to get watching the animals. Mom shook her head smiling.
“You need to rest, Rob. Have you looked at yourself?” She said to dad running her hands through his greasy hair trying to relax them.
I suddenly felt a warm trail of fluid flowing down my cheeks. I didn’t try to wipe it. I wanted to say something. I was aware of the croakiness when an unclear syllable erupted from my throat. I sniffled and felt a warm hand on both my arms. I was crying.
A female voice spoke something catching my attention but I couldn’t put a finger to whom it came from. Was it mom? But it was not her voice. My hands lifted up to hug Dad but I couldn’t feel his strong arms wrapping around me anymore. Suddenly everything appeared blurry.
I was searching for them under the closed lids. I snapped open my eyes when someone nudged on my arms. I was frantic and disconcerted. I looked around and soon realised how it was just a transient dream. A dream of the last time I was happy. With my family. The stream of tears had turned dry and filled with anew.
“Are you okay?” An unfamiliar lady dressed in a navy blue from top to bottom asked with concern, her small hands holding my arms still.
I looked at her attentively, confusion marring my face. She let her grip loose and quickly poured water in a glass moving away from my sight. That gave me a view of the room I was in. I took a deep breath and scrutinized the place which looked like a hospital ward. Few machines I didn’t recognise were set on the right side of the bed and a shelved table with a steel stool on the left. A closed glass window. A small television on the wall. I lifted off the thin cover from me and saw my left leg wrapped in white bandage. The bed creaked slightly as I tried to move but regretted instantly. I let out a wince at the minimal effort. I turned to the left and saw my hand which had a needle like thing injected on its veins connecting it with a pouch of transparent fluid dangling from what looked like saline stand.
The lady who I realised was a nurse handed me the glass of water and tore off a capsule. “Painkiller.”
I took it and swallowed the pill. She clipped the pulse meter on my forefinger, checked my temperature and left the room to inform the doctor.
Realisation dawned and hit me like a brick. The recovery will take weeks which means I have to wait to further enact the plan. The accident had caused me a lot of trouble. Walsh will pay for it. I rubbed my forehead involuntarily remembering distinctly how he spat on my face. Anger pulsated through my veins. I needed to deal with that a*sh*le first. If he wouldn’t have shown up at the Dragon, he’d be very well away from my radar.
I needed to inform Michael. The man behind this mission, my boss.
Not weeks ago was I looking upto this mission with all my being.
Someone knocked on the door and latched it open seconds later. George appeared at the doorway. “Boss is asking for you, Myra.”
I signalled him to head start and followed him suit. Two men were guarding the wooden door to his office. I saw George entering inside and paced faster.
I stepped inside the office and closed the door slowly behind me. Michael was sitting in his leatherette high back chair. The room was pin drop silent, his powerful dominance being the only thing booming. I turned to the sofa where two men were seated. George Lacashev and Sergei Petrov. I nodded at them and took a seat beside in the vacant place.
The three pair of eyes looked at Boss waiting for him to command us orders.
He slowly lifted himself off the plush seat and picked three file from his table and dropped each of it flatly on the mahogany table in front of us with a noise.
“Open it.” He said with authority in his voice.
We looked at the file curiously and Sergei was the one who first picked it up. He flipped through them taking his time to read. George and I followed him picking up the files in front of us.
I slid off the band and opened the confidential file with interest. The first page was a layout of some building. In bold letters was written “Dragon, Italy.”
Under the picture, it read “The general hangout location of the Italian Mafia. Open all the time. Total staff(current)- 75. Run under the name of Sofia Palmas.”
I opened the next page which revealed a portrait picture of the fifty year old woman, Sofia Palmas. The information under her name included divorced; no children; Runs the Dragon under Stefano Romano.
Michael spreaded several pictures on the wide table which instantly grabbed our attention. We looked at him as he pushed forward a picture and tapped on it.
“Our Target. Stefano Romano.”
I craned my neck and looked at the picture. Reaching it I picked up the photograph.
“The head of the Italian Mafia. Age 29; Single; Family includes his father, Antonio Romano; brother, Marciano Romano; killed more than two hundred people.”
I lowered my gaze to look carefully at the picture. The man looked brutal and vicious yet his face was the bitter definition of handsome, His hair was a tousled mess, a glock34 on his hands was pointed at the camera. His eyes looked murderous. It seemed as if he was pointing the gun at me. I knew immediately the picture had cost a life.
“Marvin Brown; 198th kill.” Michael said referring to the man behind the beautiful picture.
He slowly walked back to his chair and settled down looking like the boss he was. He lighted a cigarette and cocked his head to my direction.
“Two weeks. Two weeks to look at it, memorize and plan your moves.” He emitted a cloud of smoke and flicked the butt.
I was assigned to be the espionage. I had been trained for six months for this particular reason. Though I may have been a trained spy I was not an assassin. When dealing with world’s best Mafia, I needed to be one.
Six months of training included sharpening of my skills in combat, increased focus on aiming, learning about the firearms in more details and minute improvements on my defence. I even memorised the lanes and highways of the city. The only thing I was yet to know was the Mafia’s mansion; their big hiding place.
This mission was my chance to finally avenge my father’s murder; to destroy the Italian mob.
I looked at the file once again and a whisper left my lips.
“Venice.”
The door latched open breaking my trance and the familiar figure appeared with a bag dangling from her hand.
“Eva.” I acknowledged weakly.
Her eyes widened and a smile crawled her lips. “You are awake.” She exclaimed striding forward occupying the stool.
Carefully, she took my hands in her small ones. “How are you feeling?”
I nodded giving her a small smile.
Looking at her I felt guilt rushing over me. She had trusted me with her car and I happened to be the person who made it take the hit.
“I was so worried.” She started, her eyes filled with concern. “I was so afraid when I heard that a*sh*le on the call.” She added breathlessly. My heart warmed up when her eyes filled up.
“How did you find me?” I asked, my voice coming out low and slow.
“I didn’t.” She answered.
“Stefano did.”
***
I promise I’ll update the next chapter soon.
Please please comment your thoughts. I swear, it’s the only thing that motivates me to keep writing.
Also, tell me which song are you currently grooving on?