"I praise the Lord, then break the law. I take what's mine, then take some more." - Skepta
Newark, New Jersey📍
6:00 am
August 31st '18
Early in the morning, a sleek black jeep wrangler pulls up and parks just outside the tall metal gate surrounding the back of a container port in New Jersey. The words "No Trespassing" was written in big bold letters on a sign across the gate.
Receiving a tap on the shoulder, the driver of the car silences the engine and sits silently, awaiting orders from his bosses in the backseat.
"Ayo, Blaze, make the call." One of them turns to the other.
Blaze pulls out his phone, sets up a conference call and places it on speaker.
"Yo, we just pulled up," He says, "Everyone set?"
"Yessir," Trigga and Easy's voice waft through the phone along with the clicking sounds of guns being loaded.
Money and 21's voices follow suit as they survey their surroundings with their guns locked and loaded. "All set over here, bossman."
Blaze nods, "Good. Keyz, Stacks, what's it looking like where y'all at?"
"We got surveillance set on all y'all. Y'all good to go." Keyz replies from his seat in the Cartel's surveillance room.
'The Brain' as Benny nicknamed it, was the room within their warehouse where the men could monitor everything that was going on through a number of screens and computers. Here, Benny was in his element, living up to his nickname "Keyz" as he put his genius IT and hacking skills to work, getting access to almost any CCTV camera he wanted in almost any facility, such as the container port the brothers were just outside of.
"Alright, cool," Blaze nods, satisfied. He turns to his brother, "Ace, you wanna say something?"
Ace leans closer to the phone, "Keyz, did you get the exact location of the container yet?"
"Yeah, the information just checked out," Keyz answers. "Carlos kept his stash in Container C in the south terminal and they about to ship it back to Italy in an hour so y'all better move fast."
Ace nods. "Say less."
Beside him, Blaze loads up his weapons, "You ready, bro?"
"I BEEN ready," Ace scoffs, snapping the magazine of his gun in place.
Blaze smiles deviously, "Aight, cool, y'all know what to do. Take everything they got, leave no survivors. Let them Italian sons of bitches know the Jamaican Cartel ain't none to fuck with."
o~O~o
Sicily, Italy📍
3:00 pm
August 31st '18
"With all due respect, sir, I have no intention of selling my casino."
In his office, Antonio rolls his eyes as the person on the other side of his phone call rambles on about the many reasons why he wasn't interested in the king's deal.
Beside him, his other phone vibrates but he ignores it. He was in the middle of a very important meeting and it needed to be finalised quickly. But the other party was not making things easy for either of them.
"Mr Amari, what I am offering is a good investment for both of us. To be frank, you and I both know you need the money and I am willing to give it to you in return for your casino, that's all."
Mr Amari sighs and Antonio knew he was shaking his head in defiance. "Mr Giovanni, your offer is generous but I still stand on my decision. I cannot give you my..."
Antonio's other phone grabs his attention once more, its incessant vibrating becoming too much to ignore. His eyes glance down at the device, noticing the three missed calls from Dino. Not a second passes before the phone rings again and Dino's caller ID flashes on the screen.
Antonio turns back to his business call. "Mr Amari, my final offer is 2 million euros. Unless you want to become an enemy of mine, I suggest you take it. That is all."
Before Mr Amari could reply, Antonio hangs up the call and answers the other one.
"Sto assumendo che sia importante (I'm assuming it's important.)"
"It is, Tonio," Uncle Dino responds through the phone, noticing the irritation in Antonio's voice.
He could tell his friend was in a bad mood and with the information he was about to deliver, he knew it was only going to make matters worse.
"Lo vorrai vedere, controlla la tua email (You're going to want to see this, check your email.)"
Antonio opens up his laptop and unlocks the recent encrypted email in his inbox. Silence grows intensely between both men as Antonio clicks on the file, watching the video play on the screen. His anger rises with every second that passed of the CCTV footage displaying what looked to be a heist taking place on a very familiar container port.
Antonio watches in fury as the thieves rampage through the port terminal, killing the soldatis that got in their way and those who were guarding a few of the containers. The king looks on as the robbers proceed to take all of the merchandise held in the now unguarded containers. Their prize was worth billions.
"Dino," Antonio seethes, "Cosa sto guardando qui? (What am I looking at here?)"
"It's the Anderson Brothers," Uncle Dino replies, "Hanno trovato il container di Carlos che doveva essere rispedito in Italia più tardi oggi. (They found Carlos' containers that were scheduled to be shipped back to Italy later today.)"
Antonio heard him sigh through the phone.
"Antonio, they took everything."
"Everything?"
"Sì... e sfortunatamente..questo non era l'unico posto dove colpivano. Ti ho inviato altri filmati. (Yes... And unfornately...This wasn't the only place they hit. I've sent you some more footage.)"
Aggravated, Antonio checks the other files.
His eyes twitch as he feels the heat of his boiling blood coursing through his veins.
The new files contained more CCTV footage of two other heists taking place in two of the Mafia's outer-city warehouses.
21 and Money, along with their men had infiltrated the warehouse in Harlem, shedding mafia blood and taking whatever belonged to the Mafia King. Over in the warehouse in Brooklyn, Trigga, Easy and their men did the same, dropping bodies left right and centre before taking Antonio's products for themselves.
"They hit us hard, Tonio," Dino states, "This is-"
Uncle Dino's sentence was cut short by the abrupt sound of glass shattering through the phone. His eyes widen as he waits silently for other noises. On the other side of the line, Antonio had hurled a bottle of whiskey at his office wall in rage.
He stood, staring at the pile of broken glass and spilt alcohol as he seethes in his fury. His nostrils flared, his eyes were wide and his mouth snarled.
He was pissed.
The audacity of those foolish Anderson brothers and their six peasants! First, they scheme with that rat Carlos, then they ignore the warning he had sent them and now they're stealing from him?! How dare they?!
Where he once saw the Cartel drug lords as minor threats to his business, it became crystal clear to him, these little boys posed a real danger to his precious kingdom. They needed to be dealt with. Immediately.
"Vuoi che lo gestisca, signore? (Do you want me to handle it, sir?)"
At Uncle Dino's question, Antonio fixes his suit and regains composure. He knew exactly what he had to do.
"No, lo gestirò. So cosa bisogna fare. (No, I will handle it. I know what needs to be done." Antonio responds, "Ma ci sono alcune cose che voglio che tu faccia per me e voglio che vengano fatte immediatamente. (But, there are a few things I want you to do for me and I want them done immediately.)"
"Qualsiasi cosa tu voglia, Antonio, vedrò che è fatta. (Anything you want, Antonio, I will see that it gets done.)"
"Bene," Antonio nods, fixing his tie. "I must admit, I underestimated these boys. But I will make sure they regret the day they ever tested La Cosa Nostra. They may have started this war but they will never win it.
o~O~o
"Mommy, where is Daddy?"
Rheah froze at Cienna's random question.
She was in so much shock, she almost drops the towel she was using to dry off her daughter as they sat on the poolside lounge chairs.
"Uh well..." She racks her brains, trying to find the right words.
It wasn't that she didn't expect such a question not to be asked, Cienna was a very bright and inquisitive child who could speak well for her age. But the question itself had definitely caught the young mother off guard.
"Uh...Daddy went away for a while but he will be back when you're a little older."
She herself hoped that would be true...
Cienna tilts her head, "Like Moana?"
Rheah couldn't help but chuckle at her daughter's reference to her favourite movie. "Yes, baby, just like Moana. Daddy is a very important man who had to go away to solve some problems for his people and family."
Cienna's little face lights up. "Wow! Daddy sounds cool!"
"Yeah, he is." Rheah smiles warmly.
Although her daughter's father was a complete stranger, Rheah did not want Cienna to grow up developing any hostility towards him nor feel neglected by him in any way. It would be unfair considering his absence in her life wasn't his fault.
"Can he come back for my birthday, Mommy? I'm going to be 4 that's a bigger number." Cienna showcases four of her little fingers.
Rheah frowns. "Maybe not, sweetie, he has to... uh... go to a faraway island as well and solve the problem before he can come home."
But what some would interpret as disappointing news did not faze Cienna at all. Instead, her big doe eyes only widen with admiration for the man she's never met.
"Wow! Daddy is a hero!"
Rheah grins at her daughter's innocent enthusiasm. "Exactly, Cici and do you know what that makes you?"
"What?"
"A little hero!" Rheah exclaims, earning her a cheerful scream from her infant.
The little girl suddenly gasps, "Do I have superpowers, Mommy?"
"Yes, baby, you have the power to make everyone smile and be filled with love."
Cienna crinkles her nose. "Is that it?"
Rheah burst into laughter at Cienna's sudden underwhelmed expression. "No, but you need to discover the rest for yourself to unlock them."
"Oh okay," The twinkle in her eyes returns, "Wow! I'm so cool Mommy!"
"Yes you are, my little sunshine!" Rheah pulls Cienna closer to her, raining kisses all over her small body. Her daughter squeals in delight, placing her small hands on her mother's cheeks and returning her attack of affection.
They were so indulged within their little moment they didn't notice Gabriel's approach until he swoops Cienna off the chair, turning her upside down. Cienna went wild.
"Uncle Gabe put me down!" She demands in the midst of her giggles.
"Say Uncle Gabriel is the best."
"No!"
"Say I'm the best!"
"Don't say it Cici!" Rheah eggs her daughter on.
But that only made Gabriel's head perk up, his eyes twinkling with humour as they focus on his new target. "Oh? So you're encouraging her!"
He gently places Cienna down on the poolside chair before chasing her mother who had made a desperate attempt to flee. But poor Rheah wasn't fast enough and soon, Gabriel had her dangling over his shoulder within his strong grip. Cienna, thoroughly entertained by their playful shenanigans violently claps her hands with a scream of sheer delight.
"Say I'm the best!" Gabriel demands his new victim.
"I'm the best." Rheah laughs.
Gabriel turns to his niece, "Cici, your mom thinks she's funny!"
"Put me down, Gabriel!"
Her brother pauses for a moment before his mouth pulls into a playful smirk. "If you say so..."
From her upturned angle of the world, Rheah watches in horror as Gabriel takes a few steps closer to the pool.
"No Gabriel! That's not what I meant-"
SPLASH!
Cienna cheers in excitement as her mother resurfaces from the water Gabriel had thrown her into.
"Ho intenzione di ucciderti Gabriel! (I'm going to kill you, Gabriel!)" Rheah shrieks, scrambling out of the pool.
Chuckling, Gabriel turns to make a run for it back into the house with Cienna hitching a ride on his back. Rheah sprints after them, hot on their tail when she suddenly loses her footing, slides across the floor and crashes into her father.
"RHEAH!" Antonio shouts.
"Oh, scusa, papà! (Oh, sorry, Papa!)" She apologises, getting off the floor and helping him up.
"Rheah, I thought at this point in my life, I would be telling Cienna to stop running in the house, not her mother."
Rheah's eyes lower to the ground at Antonio's scolding.
"Well, you always say I'll forever be your little girl, I figured I'd play into the role more often," Rheah flashes him a playful smile.
Antonio eyes her. "Just go and get dressed," He huffs, "And tell your siblings to meet me in the office. We have business to discuss."
.......................................................................
Santanna as Cienna Giovanni