the Made Men

CHAPTER 21

Robbins finally looked at Herbert after realizing that he was upset. "You gonna spit it out or what?"

Herbert glared back at him without a response. He learned the hard way just how unfair their line of work was. He did as the group advised. He contacted his lead back in Chicago, who then sent agents to warn Francis. But the plan backfired. Francis didn't want their help.

"You're upset about Francis Aldo." Robbins shrugged. "The leads took your advice but Aldo didn't care." He laughed. "There are plenty of other things you can be upset about like world hunger or climate change."

"You all heard what I heard. They're going to kill him." Herbert responded.

"We don't know that," Kirby replied.

Dixon added. "They didn't say those exact words."

"It was implied and we're just sitting here wasting time." Herbert felt as though he was being isolated. "We have a chance to do the right thing. To save his life."

"We?" Robbins put his hand behind his ear. "You wanna go save a scumbag off of a hunch and risk your career? Be my guest."

"A life is a life. Scumbag or not."

"It's not your call to make."

"Then whose is it?"

Robbins shrugged. "Maybe you don't have the stomach to do what we do. One phone call and you can be back at your tidy little cubicle desk."

Kirby looked at Dixon.

Dixon quietly said, "This is just the way it is, man."

"What if you're wrong?" Herbert tapped his foot. "Huh? Ever think of that?"

That's when Kirby watched as Herbert made an exaggerated exit. "Herbert, wait," She watched as he stormed out of the space and got onto the elevator.

"This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Let him go. He'll be back." Robbins rolled his eyes and then raised his voice. "Maybe go get laid then come back." He tried to yell at Herbert.

Three hours later, Herbert rejoined the group. Kirby, Dixon, and Robbins have huddled around as if a discovery happened in his absence.

"Well, now that the RICO case is closed--" Dixon whispered to Robbins. Then everyone stopped and stared.

"--he returns." Robbins grinned.

Herbert didn't understand the job as well as he thought. But he was slowly and surely learning. This was a no-feelings-attached kind of job. Nothing was personal. As he stared at the corkboard, he asked. "What's the story behind the De Luca family?"

"What do you mean?" Dixon asked.

Herbert continued. "The dynamic. You said the last ATF agent assigned to Boston fell in love with a De Luca. Which one?"

Robbins and Dixon looked at Kirby. They both heard rumors. Rumors they knew only Kirby could answer.

"Silas De Luca," Kirby replied. "Leo's younger brother."

"You know him?"

"No." Kirby paused before she responded. "the...Agent that fell in love with Silas was my mentor." She hated bringing it up. She knew what people thought about the situation. The permanent stain it left on the ATF's reputation. Above all, Kirby was found guilty by association. She was denied the opportunity to become an Agent thanks to the actions of someone else.

Herbert shrugged. "So what's his story? Anything like his brother?"

"Which one?" Robbins chuckled. "Leo is Boss, and Nicola, the youngest of the brothers, my personal favorite, is an ex-hitman for hire turned Private Investigator."

"Silas is an ex-forger turned Congressman," Dixon replied. "Allegedly."

"Right...allegedly." Robbin's air quoted. "Total badasses. Like father, like sons."

"So the De Luca brothers' father was a Boss?"

"Allegedly." Kirby nodded. "Fazi was and still is well respected."

"Still? Not Deceased?"

"No, why do you ask?"

"How is it that Leo became Boss?" Herbert pondered. "I thought in this line of work a Boss has to die for the next kin to take over."

"Like the Royal family?" Robbins laughed. "That's just how Hollywood portrays it. These guys," He looked at Kirby. "And gals are smooth criminals. They got smart over the years. That whole do-or-die, in-it-for-life bullshit is just make-believe. This new mafia gets in, gets out, and passes the baton." He wipes his hands. "Then Poof, white-collar career."

Kirby answered, "Fazi De Luca is now the mayor of Boston."

Herbert didn't know what to make of that. "Wait?"

"If we're lying we're dying." Dixon chuckled at his joke.

"So after being Boss, you move up in the food chain?"

"If you live long enough to tell the tale," Robbins added.

Kirby followed, "Or don't end up in prison."

"Mostly white-collar jobs. Have to know somebody who knows somebody type of thing." Dixon smiled. " Have you connected the dots yet?"

Herbert thought about it long and hard but nothing concrete came to mind.

After it was clear that Herbert hadn't caught on, Kirby answered for him. "White collars get invited to the CFC. Who better to make rules and laws than your people? Everyone wants a seat at the table."

"Wow." Herbert looked shocked. "It's all connected."

"All of it." Robbins leaned back in his chair.

Herbert thought for a few minutes then questioned. "When is the next CFC?"

"Sometime next year," Dixon answered.

Herbert continued to observe the board. He had so many questions and so many thoughts. "Have we figured out what the Crazy Eight Fund is?"

Kirby said, "Actually, there's no record of it."

Herbert lifted his brow. "If it's some sort of charity scholarship how is that possible?"

Dixon smiled. "It's not a scholarship. It's code for something else. That's what makes it so interesting. The great unknown."

"This is the first time we may have something concrete about the Morelli family." Robbins bit into an apple and then said, "Should be fun."

"Or it could be nothing," Kirby responded. "Another dead end."

Herbert took a step back. He reckoned with what he was told about Aurora Morelli. How secretive her whereabouts were. How she was the only female boss. How she may be the deadliest boss of them all. Or just a poodle pretending to be a pit bull.