Tasting Despair

To leave wasn't the problem, but unnoticed was. With all the prying eyes of hungry vultures waiting to pounce, jealous suitors hovering around and Bianca's siblings demanding an explanation of the display they just witnessed, 'I must find a way to slip Matteo and Bianca out unnoticed.'

"Matteo, you must take Bianca and leave the compound, no one should see you leave. I'll be right behind you. There's no time to explain. Oh, and grab the bread, it's lovely."

"But, I can't leave without my father's permission." Bianca announced, her hands trembling, shoulders tense, voice pitching lower as she whispers with tremors in them. A mere thought of him did that to her.

"It's okay, father said he'll take care of him. And that you are free of your duty as his daughter. I don't what that means, but I guess it sounds good."

"Matteo, I'll draw attention to myself, use that opportunity to slip out the back. Be careful, father said there's something cooking."

"I'll see you in a bit then." Matteo said as he shook hands with his brother and moved away as though to pick something.

Pasquale picked up a glass of wine and hit on it with a cutlery, the clinking sound alerted the floor to a toast. All mouths were shut and eyes turned to him.

'I can't believe I'm about to do this.' He whispered to himself.

"Good evening! Earlier I missed my chance to speak at my mother's grave. I'd like to say a few words if it's okay."

The don looked up in shock and a little bit of confusion as he watched Pasquale make a stage and become the center of attention, but that was before he caught sight of Matteo leading Bianca through the back doors of the hall into the kitchen. Through the cellar they ran, weary of leaving any trails or drawing attention to themselves.

"My mother and I had our differences, but underneath all of that, I believe we loved each other. Somehow we rooted for one another to grow and excel in all that we do. It's a shame she'll never get to see me become the person I'll grow to be. But I'm sure she'll be smiling down at me from the heavens. To Liana de Luca, my mother. She'll be missed." 'but not by me.' Pasquale raised his toast in honor of his late mother, though he meant nothing he said, his father was proud to hear his words.

As he walked down the stage and through the crowds paying his respects and receiving them, a strange man walked up to him, a wild scar across his face, broad shoulders , dark brown eyes with a vicious stare in them, he reached for a handshake. Pasquale responded and as he felt his grip, he looked straight in his eyes and saw nothing but pain and chaos, he knew better than to entertain this man, all the hair on his arms and the nape of his neck were lifted. All he could think of was to flee, there was a looming sense of impending doom around him. He reeked of evil and death.

"I knew your mother, are you the one she never liked?" He asked, a cold stare in his eyes, "Pasquale de Luca. I've heard stories."

"What?" Pasquale replies attempting to keep his voice light, 'get away from this man!' all his nerves screamed, as he looked to end the conversation, How does he know that much?' Pasquale wondered as he began to wander, when he replied, "I'm sorry, my condolences, I hope she rests." It was then Pasquale remembered what was important in that moment.

"I hope she does too." He replied the brute as he excused himself to the Don's chamber.

I have never been at the mercy of a man's sight before and I have watched a man crack another's skull open for money and favor, but this? In a gathering full of murderers, thieves, rapists, and racists, the worst of society. The scum of the earth – the Mafia. A lot of terrifying people and in their midst this man still stood out. It was petrifying.

As I snuck on out of the compound and moved towards Matteo, trucks rolled into the compound, curiosity got the better of me and I decided to hang back by the big oak tree a few meters away from the compound – out of sight. With the mist and the darkness by my side no one should notice me, so I hid out and noticed the movement on the entire compound.

The trucks loaded off cooking trays and new staffs. The tribute was almost over, but more food was brought in. That was when I noticed the men with chains walking up to the doors and locking them shut from outside. To risk going any closer would be unnecessary, I must trust father and give him an hour. But, I couldn't help the feeling of unease that grew within me.

After hearing a gunshot, and another, fitting the pieces together I realized what was going down. All I could do was race down the hill without a care in the world for stealth or concern for being noticed, the two men who guarded the door approached me, stopping me dead in my track, with a viscous right hook.

"What do we have here? Pasquale de Luca." One of the men mocked, as they pushed me to my knees. I recognized him, he was one of father's men, a traitor now.

"It was a lovely speech you gave earlier, you're quite the poet aren't you. It's sad you'll have to write another one for you precious Papa." The other mocked as he pulled me by the hair, they were clearly enjoying themselves as they dragged me on my knees.

"Or maybe you'll join him and that way, you'll not have to write one." Distracted by their control of the situation they let their guard down and got picked off by Silvio who was hanging behind the hall, waiting for a distraction to pounce on. With his suppressor on, it was easy to kill them without making much noise.

"You need to leave the compound, young don. Your father told me he'd already asked you to leave. I was to come after you and Matteo." I always hated when he called me that, but I was glad it's him I'm with in a situation like that, he has always been reliable when it comes to fighting, he was our coach after all.

"Matteo is safe. I can't leave, Silvio. My father's in there. Give me one of your guns."

"What? You don't have a gun in that bag of yours?" Silvio questioned before he handed me one of his guns, with a suppressor of it's own. "You still remember how to shoot right?" he asked Pasquale with no need for an answer.

"How to shoot? Yes! But to kill, no."

"Well I'm sorry kid, but it's kill or be killed tonight. Don't hesitate."

As he spoke we drew near the doors and opened them with the keys he picked off the dead merchants. Silvio opened the doors exposing a small space so we could peep. Everyone in the hall were held hostage their heads to the ground, the two dons standing at the center of the hall, two bodies laying on the floor, it looked like the personal guards of the dons. Standing guard over the hostages were the new staffs who were dropped off in the trucks, dressed in white and black, with guns in place of trays. Silence rode the hall, but terror and fear ruled it.

Pasquale looked closer and harder, desperate to find a way he could help, but he couldn't, they were out gunned and out numbered, storming the hall would be suicide. As he scanned through, he locked eyes with don Luca and in that moment everything else slowed down when he saw his father shake his head slowly, with his eyes closed, and when they opened, he whispered, "I love you!" as he looked on, watching as Pasquale's eyes reddened and a slacking expression appear on his face.

Forced to watch helplessly from behind closed doors, as his father stood in front of the muzzle of a gun, time lost all sense and meaning in the moment the trigger was pulled, he fought to storm in but he couldn't overpower Silvio, he could only watch the life drain out of his father's eyes as he hit the floor. Pasquale let off a helpless scream with angry tears in his eyes, "No!"

Immediately, all eyes turned towards the scream, and the killer turned to look in his direction, that was when he saw him, he had seen him before, that scar was hard to miss. There was roaring in his ears as he saw him.

Silvio, immediately taking control of the situation sends Pasquale on his way out of the compound and bust in guns blazing into the hall, before he was shot down, but not before taking down seven of those bastards.

"Go! I'll hold them off. You must survive and protect your brother. Make these bastards pay." Silvio's last words to Pasquale before blazing in hot and screaming like a hurt dog at the sight of his master's death.

As Pasquale ran into the woods, he turned back to the sound of gunshots, and screams, "search the woods for survivors, clear the compound for live mates and set the hall on fire!", the man let on, hearing his voice made his temperature rise, pain in his jaw from clenching and grinding his teeth, the fire ate away at everything and everyone locked in the hall. A gruesome end to a sad life.

The woods hummed of the cries of animals long dead, and as Pasquale ran through them, he noticed two men who were slowly gaining on him, but he hurried to where he could hide and lay in wait for them, a safe distance from the compound, where the struggles and gunshots won't be heard.

As they approached where he hid, Pasquale walks out from behind the bushes and shoots one of them from behind, the other was swift to react, closing in the gap between him and Pasquale, hitting his gun away, but even with that he was no match for the anger and the viciousness that had swelled and taken over within Pasquale. It was gruesome – his death, it was the first time he'd killed someone with his bare hands and the first time he had to crush a skull with a rock.

Frightened by what he has done, he sat in disbelieve under the closest tree he could find, only to look up and find Bianca and Matteo looking at him in shock.

It was the first time I'd seen that look in her eyes, it wasn't the normal stare she gave. I could tell she was afraid, but this time it wasn't of the don or the cane, it was of me. In that moment, a part of me died.

"The don is dead, everyone is dead. We're what's left of the Rugge and Luca families. This men were sent to kill us too."

"What do you mean the don us dead? We just left father an hour ago." Matteo exclaimed as he burst into tears.

"I watched him put a bullet through father's brains, father is dead. They're all dead. Everyone in the hall. He killed them. I don't know who he is, but he's bad news. We can't let him find us."