Fatal Attraction

Chapter 9 - The Phantom

* Sicily*

*Phantom's place*

*Phantom aka the Druglord's POV*

"Why did you do this?" I questioned Andrea Gallo, my right hand man, with my back against him.

"I didn't understand a need to wait further when we obviously have a chance to bring down Serpente if the evidence were handed over to that prosecutor," Andrea replied firmly. There was no sense of remorse for his reckless action.

I turned around and said to him, "I know you and I both want to take him down so badly after what he brought us through, but now is just not the time yet."

I will never forget the day my parents were brutally murdered in front of me and my whole life came tearing apart when Serpente raided many innocent homes, forcefully kidnapping children for the sake of his child trafficking business 27 years ago. I was only five years old when he decided to keep me by his side along with Andrea. We were both part of his plan to be groomed and used as a pawn for his empire. Little did he know, we have chosen to silence our vengeance all these years, just so we could take him down by surprise when the right time is here.

"If not now, then when?! Just when is the right time?! Phantom... are you still that same person I know or have you succumbed to the greed in that darkness you have always hide in?!" Andrea yelled back at me.

I turned around banged on the table and that got him startled.

"Don't you dare accuse me of all that I have gone through just to bring him down!" I snapped firmly at him.

"Your reckless act could have possibly killed her, and it would have complicated our plan to bring down Serpente," I explained.

If it wasn't because I found out Andre has contacted a prosecutor behind my back, I wouldn't have gone down to the cafe to intervene and she would have been dead. Another blood of innocent life in our hands is the last thing I want.

He took a step back, seemingly shaken by my words, "I just... I just didn't expect him to find out about her this soon."

"She would work as an advantage to our plan, but not now. We will need to keep her safe and out of our narrative for now," I explained.

"Can we really trust her?" He asked.

If we can't trust her, then who else can we trust? If my entire life was trapped in this darkness of sins, then she is by far the only brightest light of mankind I have ever known. One that burns so bright and selflessly brave even in the face of danger.

"Just trust me on this one..." I replied to Andrea as I brushed past him to meet Serpente who have called for me.

"Phantom... I'm sorry... to have land you in this predicament," Andrea finally said with remorse in his tone.

I gave a pat on his shoulder before walking off.

*Serpente's place*

I could already hear the opera song that was blasting out loud through the thick doors of his flamboyant office decorated in the opulence of heavy renaissance style.

That is just Serpente's way of intimidating people with his status as the Mafia king of the Gambit Empire.

His bodyguards opened the doors upon my arrival and there was Serpente busy mixing his liquor of drinks.

"Ahh...! There you are, my son, my prodigy!" He welcomed me with his loud praise even though he had his back against me. He was just like a snake as though nobody could hide anything from him even with his back against them.

This is why I had worn a half-mask all my life and lied to him about my trauma from being disfigured in one of the incidents when I was still a teen. Surprisingly, he seemed to have reproached himself about this and so I used this chance as an opportunity to conceal my true identity to him for life. This is also how I got named Phantom, the drug lord of the Gambit Empire.

"Bring down the volume, would you?" He hissed at his servant and that servant immediately scrambled to turn down the volume.

"Yes, Serpente, of what assistance may I be?" I asked in my composed front whenever I was in front of him.

"Fearless as usual, that's what I like about you, son," He laughed off as he sat down shaking that glass of liquor in his hand.

"Come on, have a drink," He gestured me over to the glass of liquor on his table.

I took the glass of liquor and wash it down in one gulp.

"I heard that there was a woman who appeared in Sicily a few days ago. It appears that she is a prosecutor who is from the Office of International Affairs, and she seems to have a very high interest in poking her nose into our business. So I sent men to get her finished, but it seems like she got lucky and got away with it." He explained casually at first and then within a split second he turned temperamental.

The chill persona he wore just a few seconds ago turned into a raging frown as he gritted, "What I do not like is how my men got wiped out by the Interpol and a man who has come to my attention that he had single-handedly brought down at least two waves of my men?! Tell me, does the Gambit Empire that has the whole of underworld paying homage to us sounds like a joke to you?!"

"I'm sorry, I was not aware of this," I replied impassively.

"All the men I sent down that could have identified both of them to me were all wiped out, but this will be the last time I will ever hear of this. You know what to do right?" Serpente looked at me with an intensely threatening look.

Beneath those weary and cold eyes of his, he was just a sick psycho with mental issues. For a sinful man like him who has bloodied his hands with many innocent lives, it is no surprise how tormented his soul would be, let alone his conscience, if he has any. I have long got used to his countless threats.

"Yes, I do," I replied firmly.

"Of course, you do. You always do." He started laughing away.

I stood up and bowed to him out of customary before I walked out from his maniac laughter.

It's time to find her and get her to help put an end to this menace to mankind.