Why did he not say his name?
I crouched at my brothers grave, the soil old and dry, and my flowers made no difference to the disappointing site. Not far off my fathers grave lay, but it only stated "God Father" and not his real name. Someone was covering it up for me, and I had no idea who.
I needed to find out who the executioner was, and to do that I would have to search every house.
As I strolled back in the dark, waiting for the sun to rise I pondered what I should do. It would be too much effort to find the executioner through my Consigliere, and so there was one option left. To ask.
I could be upfront with him, he seemed to want to protect me, and so why would he refuse to reveal himself to me? The truth is he hasn't submitted yet, or he would've given us his role, code name and signature. However, the fact he was hiding me meant that he had a serious chance of submitting, and I can always do with more people on my side.
The sun appeared over the roofs of the town, and I made my way into the square. As the sky faded from orange and pink to blue, the doors opened. One by one the people moved into the crowd like every morning. The town would never change no matter what happens, unless the familia make them change.
The masked man stood before us, and I leaned at his feet on the edge of the gallows. He looked down at me, but there was no way of reading him. He continued as usual and another medium had died, and I didn't care in the slightest.
We voted and nothing happened, no one was lynched, eventually time was up and we were ushered out as usual.
I stood outside waiting for everyone to leave, and I saw the masked man walking past me when I stopped him.
"Who are you?" I whispered.
He was silent a moment and then pulled me into a hug, I didn't resist, trying to seem as normal as possible.
He patted me on the back and mumbled into my ear "House 23"
He walked away as anyone else would, and I had a house to visit that evening.
When night struck and I had given the rest of the familia orders, I pulled on my trench coat and readied to enter the darkness. There was every risk to moving in the night, and I would risk my own life to find the man protecting me. I looked at my gun in the open desk draw and hesitated. Do I take it or not?
The question seemed stupid, everyone was a danger and it was average protocol, but I felt I could trust this man.
The cold air was not my main concern, and unprotected I walked through the shadows, sticking to unlit houses and back alleys. I reached house 23 on the second row of homes, and it was very dimly lit, as if someone left a candle burning in their sleep. I knocked quietly on the door and it opened widely, no worries on the man insides face. He smiled at me and held out his hand to shake, and so I did.
I was startled to see Anthony standing there, we'd been friends when I was younger. Me, him and Steven had all been great friends, and we all looked up to John. We were a sort of gang, a crew, like the familia. We'd pretend to be in the Mafia, it was dangerous and cool, and something we all aspired to be a part of. Growing up I knew my fate, and now I've reached the top of the familia and lost my loved ones I realise it isn't a dream, it's a nightmare.
Anthony looked at me, as I stood frozen outside his door.
"Come in, Anthony!" He said, almost shouting.
It was a great cover, and made this the furthest thing from suspicious. It was like a friend greeting a drunk friend. It seemed normal, and I was thankful for his ability to play it all off.
"Sure, man." I said, stepping in as he shut the door.
As the latch clicked shut his face became more serious. He looked at me, curious and judging.
"So you're the executioner." I stated.
"Obviously, and you're the new God Father."
Panic rose in my chest, and I couldn't help but start to dread what he would say next. He had been hiding my role, but what for? Did he want to take advantage of my power?
"I am."
"Yes, and I will keep that our secret." He gestured toward the basement and I took the hint.
I could have nothing but trust at this point, it was my only choice.
The room was brightly lit and four other men sat around the table laughing and smoking. One of them shouted something and threw his cards down on the table in a fit of mock rage, and one of the others turned to face me. He drew the attention of the other three.
I gave an awkward wave that sent an uproar of laughter through all the men at the table, and Anthony beside me.
"This is a God Father? Are you joking? He's a kid, Jesus." The man with dark hair and dark eyes shouted.
I looked to Anthony anxiously, but he just nodded in response.
"Pardon my French, but what the fuck is going on here?" I asked, confused.
They laughed in response, but it wasn't what I wanted from them, so I continued to look at them expectantly.
"We're ready to submit!" Shouted the one at the far side of the table, and this time all the others just nodded.