CRYPTO: Infidelity (Book 1)

CHAPTER 95: PUPPET

In the middle of the night, Gavin teleported into the hospital room and kidnapped me. We appeared inside a dark room.

"Nice of you to join us," Spiney said. His bodyguards stood beside him. "It seems you have betrayed us, Crypto. Maybe Judas would be a more suitable name for you."

"I would never betray you, Boss," I told him.

"You killed my best assassin."

"I didn't kill him," I said.

"You failed your mission."

"The cops got in the way."

"Don't lie to me! If you were on my side, that building would be destroyed right now."

"I'm not lying. If I had destroyed the police station, the cops would have shot me on the spot. Diesel was the one who gave away my position. He was a wanted serial killer by the whole department."

"That's a nasty cut on your neck. Do you mean to tell me that wasn't Diesel's doing?"

"Diesel hated me. It has nothing to do with me betraying you if that's what you think. I assure you I'm still on your side."

"Whether you're on my side or not, you are going to complete this mission. Duke will make sure of it."

"Duke?" I asked.

Duke stepped out of the shadows with a twisted smile.

"Since you have failed your mission," Spiney told me, "I decided to make Duke the new Honored member. His mission is to make sure you complete your mission. Go ahead, Duke."

Duke jumped at me but then disappeared. I didn't feel a thing.

I looked around. "What just happened? Where'd he go?"

"In your brain," I heard Duke say. "It's pretty roomy here."

"You must not know the Doberman power," the Boss said. "He now has complete control over your body."

"What?"

My paw slapped me on my muzzle and Duke laughed. "This is fun!" He made me slap myself again.

"That's enough, Duke," the Boss said. "Gavin, take them away."

The owl teleported me just outside the police station.

"Now, to figure out how to work your power..." Duke said from inside my head.

"Duke," I said once Gavin had left, "you've had this power this whole time and haven't used it?"

"I needed permission to use it," he told me.

"Have you thought of using it on the Boss?"

"He would kill me if I did that."

"Not if you killed him first."

"Why would I do that?"

"You could have him write a will saying that you would be the new Boss when he died."

"As good as that sounds, it wouldn't work. The Boss has a lot of power even outside of the mafia that I don't. He's trusted by everyone, even those outside the Family. That's why no one ever tries to take his place. Now stop talking. You're distracting me from my mission."

"What about Rockie?" I asked. "Couldn't you take his place?"

"I'm not gonna kill Rockie. We're friends."

"Are you sure about that?" I asked.

"I've been friends with him longer than you have."

"How many times have you been invited to his house?"

"I'm not going to get into this with you. I need to focus," he said. "Ah ha! Found it!"

I closed my eyes. I knew he couldn't make me use my power with my eyes shut.

"Did you just close your eyes?" he asked me.

He forced me to open my eyes, but I just closed them again.

"Stop that!" he said.

He made me open my eyes again but I shut them immediately.

"If you keep closing your eyes, I'm gonna tell the Boss you interfered with the mission!" Duke warned.

"I'm not interfering. I have something caught in my eyes."

"Both of them?"

"Yes. Probably dust."

"Stop messing with me. You're just mad that I took your place as the Honored member and you don't want me to succeed."

"I think you're getting me confused with yourself."

"Do it again. I dare you," he said. "I can make you hurt yourself and it won't affect me."

"Federici, what are you doing here?"

I opened my eyes to see the chief of police standing a few feet from me. My eyes were immediately pulled to the building behind him and my power was activated.