Blood and Roses

The Big One

*

Don Carlo Moretti sat at the head of a long oak table in his dimly lit study, surrounded by the top members of his mafia family. The room was dimly lit, with a single chandelier hanging from the high ceiling casting a dull yellow glow across the walls. The shadows danced across the room, making it difficult to distinguish the exact size or shape of the room. The heavy curtains draped over the tall windows were drawn shut, casting the room into an even deeper gloom. The air was thick with the smell of smoke and musty old books, which hung heavily in the stagnant air. In the far corner of the room stood an antique wooden cabinet, with ornate carvings that seemed to almost come alive in the flickering light. The only sound was the soft rustle of fabric as the seven men shifted in their seats, each deep in thought as they contemplated the future of their family.

Seated to Don Carlo's left was his trusted consigliere, Vito Santini, a gray-haired man with a perpetual scowl on his face. To his right was his underboss, Marco Giovanni, a tall, broad-shouldered man with a thick beard and piercing blue eyes.

Also present were Salvatore's two bodyguards, Vittorio and Dante, both men with extensive experience in the field of personal protection. Salvatore himself was conspicuously absent, but it was clear from the look in Don Carlo's eyes that he had something important to share with his men.

"Where the hell is he?" Don Carlo asked Sal's men, who stared down at their feet as a sign of respect.

"He said he'll be joining us shortly," Vittorio said. "He should be here soon."

"So the lion must now wait for the cub?" Vito Santini asked. "Sal oversteps his limits."

"He will be here," Vittorio replied, glaring at the older man intensely. Don Carlo berating his son was entirely different to the old bastard trying to insult his master. Salvatore and his men had endured their fair share of frustration from Vito's side of the organisation, and it was clear that there was some bad blood between the two. But for now, everyone was acceptant of the calm before the storm.

"We cannot wait for him," Don Carlo said. "We will start with or without him. Either of you can fill him on the details of the meeting. It makes no difference to me."

He leaned forward and cleared his throat, and the entire room went deathly silent as they listened to their boss.

"Good evening, gentlemen," Don Carlo began, his voice low and commanding. "I have some news that I think you'll all find interesting. A large business contract has been handed to me, perhaps the biggest one we've ever seen. In three months, we are expected to move as much of the product as we can, and this is a job which requires all hands on deck. It's the big one, and I believe that it's time for Salvatore to take the lead on this one."

There were murmurs of apprehension around the table, and Vito Santini was the first to speak. "Boss, are we sure he can handle something like this?" he asked. "Only a few days ago, the boy almost brought the entire police force down on our heads. We cannot trust him with something this big."

"That boy you speak of is your future Capo di tutti capi," Don Carlo said in a cold voice. "He is my blood, and you will show him the respect he deserves, because he has earned it. Or would you like me to bring out some of your own shortcomings?"

Everyone fell silent, until Marco Giovanni leaned forward, and said in a quiet voice, "Salvatore has proven himself time and time again, Don Carlo. I have no doubt that he'll handle this with the utmost skill and precision."

Don Carlo smiled, his eyes glinting in the low light. "I couldn't agree more, Marco. And that's why I've brought you all here tonight. I want everyone to know that this operation will be a top priority for our family. We'll need the best of the best to make sure that it goes off without a hitch."

The members around the table nodded in agreement, each one eager to prove their worth to the boss. Don Carlo took a long drag from his cigar and leaned back in his chair, the smoke curling around his head like a halo.

"Now, let's go over the details," he said, his voice low and measured. "We have a lot of work to do if we're going to make this happen. But I have no doubt that..."

At that exact moment, the doors burst open and Salvatore swaggered into the room with a cigarette dangling from his lips and a bored expression on his face. He said nothing to anyone, and simply took his seat at the other end of the table, directly opposite his father.

"You're late," Don Carlo said coldly.

Salvatore was silent for a while, but then he gave a curt nod in his father's direction. "My sincerest apologies. I was caught up in traffic."

Few people could lie to Don Carlo's face and get away with it, but Salvatore knew his father's love for him was so great that he would never chastise him in front of the men. And when the details of the meeting were narrated to him, it only served to confirm his suspicion.

"I humbly accept this gesture of support and respect, father," he said. "I shall handle this operation with the utmost care, in a way that will make you proud."

Don Carlo leaned forward with his hands clasped in front of him as he smiled at his son's words, his ego perfectly stroked for the time being.

"Now, let's discuss the details of the operation," he said. The drugs are coming in from South America, and we need to move them quickly and discreetly. We can't afford any slip-ups. There will be a layover period in Albuquerque, where the quantity will be checked and the suppliers will hand everything over to our men. After that, everything is in our hands and it is our responsibility to get it here safely, avoiding any trouble with the other cartels down south."

Salvatore leaned forward, his eyes glittering with excitement. He knew this was his chance to prove himself to his father and the rest of the family, perhaps even erasing his recent screw up. "I have some ideas, Don Carlo," he said eagerly. "We can use our connections with the port authorities to get the drugs through customs quickly. We can also set up a smaller and more diverse network of trusted distributors to move the drugs around the city. More distros means less scrutiny from the authorities, and we can micro-manage every little problem that may arise."

Don Carlo nodded. "Good, good. And what about security? We can't have anyone stealing from us or getting in our way."

Salvatore looked thoughtful for a moment. "We can hire some of the best security firms in the city. We can also set up our own checkpoints to ensure that no one unauthorized gets near the drugs."

One of the men at the table cleared his throat. "What about the police? Won't they be watching us?"

Don Carlo scoffed. "The police? They won't know what hit them. We'll make sure they're looking the other way while we do our business."

There were murmurs of agreement around the table. Salvatore felt a thrill of excitement run through him. This was it, the big time. He was going to make his mark on the Moretti family, and nothing was going to stop him.

"Very well," Don Carlo said. "You shall all be brief soon on your roles. This is a class A operation, and everyone will be involved in some way. We start in three weeks. You may all leave, except Sal."

He sat back and watched as the other men filed out of the room, leaving him alone with his son and heir, Salvatore. The older man leaned back in his chair and regarded his son with a stern expression.

"Sal, we need to talk about that job you pulled last week," Don Carlo said, his voice low and serious.

Salvatore shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He had a feeling this wasn't going to be a pleasant conversation. "What job are you talking about, Dad?"

Don Carlo gave his son a sharp look. "You know exactly what I'm talking about. The one where you and your crew hit that armored truck on the highway and then chased that federal agent home. The one that's been all over the news."

Salvatore swallowed hard. He knew that job had been risky, but he hadn't expected it to blow up like this. "I didn't think it would cause this much attention, Dad. We were careful."

Don Carlo leaned forward, his eyes locked on Salvatore's. "You were too damn careless, Sal. That job could have exposed our entire operation. You're lucky it didn't end up being a disaster."

Salvatore felt a surge of anger rise within him. He hated being talked down to like a child, especially by his father. "I had everything under control, Dad. I know what I'm doing."

Don Carlo's expression hardened. "Don't let your ego get in the way, Sal. You need to start thinking about the bigger picture. You're the heir to this family, and you need to start acting like it. You can't keep making reckless decisions like this."

Salvatore clenched his fists, trying to keep his temper in check. He knew his father was right, but he didn't want to admit it. "What do you want me to do, Dad? Apologize? Make it right somehow?"

Don Carlo shook his head. "It's too late for that. The damage has been done. We need to focus on damage control now. I've already got a team working on it, but I need you to stay out of the spotlight for a while, before the heat dies down and this new operation begins. Keep a low profile, understand?"

Salvatore nodded, feeling a sense of defeat wash over him. He knew he had messed up, and now he was paying the price. "Yeah, I understand, Dad."

Don Carlo stood up from his chair, signaling the end of the conversation. "Good. Now go home and lay low for a while. We'll talk more about this later."

Salvatore got up from his chair and headed for the door. As he walked out of the room, he couldn't help but feel a sense of shame and disappointment in himself. He had let his father down, and he had put the entire family at risk. But this would be a new beginning for him, and the sins of the past will surely be forgiven soon.

"Sal?" Don Carlo called, causing him to turn.

"Get a haircut. You look like shit."

*