Chapter 105: Showtime! (Part 1)
The day of the annual party of the currently four-mafia families arrived and to celebrate this extraordinary occasion they organized the party at the old mansion of Bege, the former fifth member of the group.
This should have been a day of celebration and it was for a large majority of young people who hadn't been able to leave the house or interact with people their age for many days; some of them without even knowing why. However, this wasn't the same for those who knew of the possible danger involved in celebrating this party although they tried to pretend that everything was ok… despite not parting with his weapons and looking from side to side in search of redheads almost all the time.
However, among all the gangsters, four of them accumulated the highest peak of worries and pressure.
"Damn it… that motherfucker… that fuckin motherfucker…" Colombo Andrew grumbled, circling the room with the speed of a gazelle and the power of an elephant. "I'll kill him, I swear I'll kill him, even if…"
His anger and concern were more than evident and even shared by his partners.
"I understand how you feel, but try to stay calm!" Gambino Donovan shouted, biting his fingernails with greater intensity than ever since Andrew made him even more nervous. "Stay calm… just like me…"
"Let Laffitte work, can you?" Genovese Liborio said, closer to a panic attack than a nervous breakdown, but being nervous made him panic even more. "We should have left when he came, but no... no… of course not…
We must take care of our image before our own safety…"
This morning they realized that some of their children and grandchildren, including some heirs, hadn'¡t slept at home despite the prohibition on leaving it. After speaking with some of the bribed employees and with people from Ballywood who saw them walking through the streets accompanied by an escort the respective families understood that they had gone out to have fun.
They searched every place they could be or could have been, however they couldn't find them or their bodyguards anywhere. The most they could deduce thanks to Laffitte's invaluable help is that the last place they entered was the Gambino Donovan pub. However, there were no traces or witnesses of how they disappeared from there or who or what made them disappear, including the employees.
However, even though they had no evidence, they had no doubts about who the culprit was...
"Yes sir…" Sheriff Laffitte said, communicating with one of his chief officers through his den den mushi. "It's true that we've no evidence that Fred is responsible but…"
But that boss wasn't just any boss, he was the person with the most political power in the country just below King Ham Burger!
And his mood didn't differ too much from the rest of the participants in this meeting.
"But what!?" President Jamba Yala yelled unkindly at his employee through the den den mushi "It hasn't even been 24 hours since some of the local hooligans ran away from home to get drunk. Now they could be anywhere recovering from their hangover and about to arrive at your party... and it's not even the first time this has happened.
Furthermore, you have no evidence that Fred was there or that he kidnapped them...
NOT EVEN A SINGLE ONE!
Furthermore, you have no evidence that Fred was there or that he kidnapped them...
NOT EVEN ONE!
And yet you're asking me to skip all legal procedures to issue an arrest warrant for a person as notable as THE FUCKING HERO OF BALLYWOOD who also left the country last night?
ARE YOU CRAZY!?"
Yes, it was certainly crazy and Laffitte knew it perfectly.
He also knew perfectly well that no such order would be issued, perhaps to a nobody, but not to Fred. Furthermore, even if the order were issued it would be of no use to do so, much less if Fred had the hypnotic ability with which he theorized.
If they committed some irregularity and went to trial Fred could put them in a very bad situation if he played his cards right, just as Laffitte expect him to do.
But what other option did he have when those who paid him his bonuses insisted so strongly on mobilizing the entire country to find their offsprings?
"Hello President
First of all, thank you for mobilizing the Sheriff in this case so quickly." Said Bonanno Michael, who took the den den mushi away from Laffitte when he heard the conversation was straying from his interests. "I understand all the technicalities you mention, but the lack of evidence can be considered evidence in itself
Everyone who entered that place has disappeared without leaving any trace, no one heard anything, there was no sign of a fight nor did anyone around see a single soul leave that place. The only person capable of carrying out such a kidnapping is Frederick Freed and he also has reasons to do so.
Taking all this into account is it really impossible for you to contact the World Government to put his face on a wanted poster?
Countless international arrest warrants have been issued with far less evidence!"
Is it hypocritical, mean and low that they, four of the biggest criminals in West Blue, who had ordered the kidnapping and/or killing of the innocent family of a [virtuous and innocent] teenager were now crying before the police and the government because that same teenager had done exactly the same thing with the humanoid cancers of their offspring?
YEAH! OF COURSE!
Did they care?
NO! AT ALL!
They had failed in all their attempts to kill Fred and would do anything to have just one victory, even if it meant turning him into a fugitive like the pirates he used to hunt!
They were even ready to blackmail the president of Ballywood if necessary now that a minimally clear situation had arisen to pursue him legally!
However, they weren't as desperate as President Jamba Yala
"I can't do it for many reasons, but in short, he got me by the balls as much as he has you
If he's as ruthless and intelligent as you think and also has the hypnotic abilities that you believe, complying with your demands is the same as committing suicide… and not just politically.
Besides, anything I do wouldn't help you get your children back today if you really believe that Fred has kidnapped them and intends to kill you all today." President Jamba Yala said, forgetting to mention that antagonizing Fred without a really valid excuse would cause him to lose many votes in the presidential elections in a month. "The only thing I can say is that fortunately we were able to contact Fred recently and he told us that tonight he will return to Ballywood to collaborate with the police in this case and...
He also sends a message of support to the families of the missing boys.
I'm sorry to say, but we can't do anything else at the moment except wait for hi arrival and his collaboration in this case
From there I will turn a blind eye"
The four mafia bosses weren't satisfied with this solution, but...
What else could they do except accept?
If they put the president in that perverse dichotomy by putting pressure on him with all their blackmail material in this situation they ran the risk of turning him into their immediate enemy. It wasn't ruled out that he would turn all of Ballywood against them and help Fred in his attack and thus get rid of them and their blackmail now that they were at their worst moment.
President Jamba Yala could use this opportunity to take credit for the mafia absolute defeat without even having to do anything and also have the opportunity to pose with Fred, the country's idol, some weeks before the presidential elections.
They couldn't risk putting pressure on him even if the help he could give to Fred was minimal! The chances of him siding with Fred were extreme high!
It's not wise to make so many enemies at once, much less with someone who was still willing to help them and whom they would probably need directly or indirectly today or tomorrow if they were lucky.
"We've to recognize it.
Fred made a good move" Said Laffitte, the most composed person in that room, in part because none of his family members were kidnapped. "Those who were planning to flee from Ballywood must now stay until they know the whereabouts of their family and they also have some good hostages.
Sadly the only thing we can do is prepare for his arrival."
After this refusal and hopeless conclusion, the four angry and stressed mafia bosses were about to start another argument full of complaints and insults towards Fred.
An argument that didn't happen due to the interruption of Colombo Andrew's lackey, who forced his way into the room.
"Sir! Sir!
The young master has returned and…" The lackey said highly alarmed. "You've to see him… in the infirmary."
During the intense journey to the infirmary the lackey explained the situation.
At one point some lackeys noticed that there was a strongbox with a key embedded in the lock at the entrance to the mansion. At first no one wanted to get close for fear that it was one of Fred's famous traps, but fortunately a "volunteer" agreed to open it and when they did so they found something worse than a bomb.
He was Colombo Rocco, but he was practically unrecognizable!
He was completely naked and several parts of his body were missing, but not so many as to make difficult to the identification of godfather Andrew's son. What was totally unrecognizable was his attitude, usually arrogant, bully and forcefully masculine even with his own people.
There was no longer even a shadow of his former self!
"STAY AWAY FROM ME!"
When they tried to get him out of that strongbox Rocco tried to resist, as if he were afraid to leave that narrow and uncomfortable place. He seemed to be afraid of the outside and of every living being that approached him, especially those that looked like a doctor...
"DON'T TOUCH ME!"
If taking him against his will to the infirmary was a complicated and unpleasant task trying to heal his horrible amputations and signs of torture was even more challenging.
Rocco, with the very few means he had, kept making his cure impossible.
He didn't stop shaking, he jumped out of bed at the slightest opportunity, attacked anyone who tried to hold him down and even self-harmed when someone tried to perform some healing on him.
"DON'T COME CLOSE TO ME!!!"
And since they opened the strongbox Rocco didn't stop screaming in agony, like a beaten, abused and scared pitiful dog afraid of human contact. He screamed non-stop even though he was missing teeth, many of the ones that still remained were damaged and he had serious wounds on his gums, from which he was bleeding nonstop, especially when he screamed
"AWAY! GET AWAY! PLEASE LEAVE ME! NO MORE! NO MORE!!!"
Agonizing screams that could be heard several hallways away from the infirmary that over increased Andrew's concern's, who broke down the door with his punch to enter faster
POOOMMM!!!
The sound of the flying door pushed all the doctors and assistants away from Rocco's side and the next superhuman scream forced them to use their hands to cover their ears.
"SON!!!!"
Colombo Andrew entered overloaded with adrenaline, but upon seeing his son that rush passed instantly, leaving an immeasurable void...
"...
...
"Fuck…"
This was several orders of magnitude worse than what his subordinate had told him!
He was missing an eye, a foot, a hand and a third of all the skin on his body, which had been torn off or severely damaged by burns, peeling, cutting, laceration and many other types of wounds and last but not least important...
His genitals had completely disappeared.
On the hand and foot that was still attached to his body, only three fingers remained, the thumb, the middle and the little finger… and his entire body seemed to have suffered great deterioration even though he had only been missing for a few hours.
But despite his horrible appearance, what had deteriorated the most was his mental state. The dignified attitude of his son that he had taken so much care to forge was gone. Before him there was only a helpless, scared and deeply traumatized child.
"Dady!" Sobbed Rocco with some happiness when he saw his father... but instantly started crying like a baby, doing his best to cover his face in shame. "No...
Sniff...
NO!
Sniff...
Don't look at me!
PLEASE!"
The stern, die-hard and bully Colombo Andrew in other circumstances would have beaten him, not only for disobeying house arrest or let Fred capture him, but for the pitiful and pathetic image of a scared little bitch that he hated so much to see.
But instead he felt empathy for the first time in years.
"Son…" Columbo Andrew said in dismay and walking cautiously towards his son to prevent him from being startled. "Where have you been!? Who did this to you!?
Was Fred?"
But no matter how calmly he spoke and walked, even if it was his father, Rocco still reacted adversely to any kind of human contact or comunication.
"No… no… I don't know…
No... noo... NO!!!!" Rocco screamed hysterically, showing more fear than before after hearing a certain name "I DON'T KNOW!
Don't ask me that! I cannot say it!
I CAN'T!"
Rocco refused to answer, but his refusal was more than enough of an answer, especially for an expert.
'Mental breakdown... or has Fred hypnotized him?' Laffitte thought, trying to reach the most obvious conclusion. 'I'm leaning towards both options.
It'll be difficult to get anything clear from him, at least today...'
Many had understood that same subtext, but that didn't stop them when it came to questioning that tormented soul.
"Rocco, where're the others?" Gambino Donovan asked, distressed by the fate of his only son "Are they alive?
Is my Giovanni... okay?"
Everyone expected Rocco to respond erratically and hysterically again, but this time his reaction was very different.
"Alive?
...
Yeah..."
Rocco answered much more calmly, but not because he was able to overcome his fear, quite the opposite. That question seemed to unlock a part of his memory that paralyzed him with fear and left him practically catatonic, staring at a fixed point almost without blinking with his only eye.
"Yes... yesss...
They're alive...
....
But..."
His face paled until it was as white as a sheet of paper. His sweating became abnormally high, so much so that he soaked the sheets of the stretcher in a matter of seconds and his stomach churned with the virulence of a cement mixer, in addition…
"That... that's not life...
That cannot be con...
Mmgm…mmmgm!"
He retched badly and...
"PUAAJJJJJJGGGGGGGGG!!!! PUAHHHJJJJJGGGGGGGGJJJJJJJJJJJJJJGGGGGGGGGGJJJJJJJJJJ!!!!"
Rocco finally vomited, but not just anything...
"Holy cow…" Everyone stammered, trying hard not to vomit as well. "This is…"
Rocco vomited up some of his missing limbs!
On the floor, almost intact fingers and toes could be clearly seen among the stubs of undigested food, curiously the same number that Rocco was missing... and it didn't take much imagination or intuition to guess that the pieces of meat belonged his missing arm and leg
No one could remain indifferent to this event, not even Laffitte. Everyone was momentarily breathless, completely paralyzed for a few seconds. A few seconds in which Rocco's mental state worsened drastically, becoming totally psychotic.
"DEATH! DEATH! DEEEEAAAAATTTTHHHHH!!!!
HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!"
And just at that moment, when no one was watching him closely, with the few fingers he had left he grabbed a nearby scalpel… with which he tried to slit his own throat.
DEATH IS THE ONLY ESCA…!"
No one could react in time and the few who could were too far away to physically stop him, but fortunately someone among them was able to stop him without touching him at the speed of sound, putting him to sleep.
"Ugh, it was close." Laffitte sighed with relief before performing his tap dance. "You can't leave sharp objects near a mentally unstable person."
Laffitte also reacted late to stop Rocco's suicide attempt with his superior speed, but fortunately his leg speed wasn't his fastest ability.
"Thank you for reacting in time Laffitte" Bonanno Michael said on behalf of everyone "I'm sorry that we made you spend your hypnosis in this way
It would have been better to use it to obtain information"
"It's nothing" Laffitte replied. "I doubt that I could have obtained anything useful, he's of no use to us dead and it's preferable for him to be asleep to avoid incidents.
Not only in case he endangers his life again, there's also the possibility that Fred has turned him into a hypnotized sleeping agent."
What had just happened with Rocco was tragic, especially for Andrew.
In a few hours Fred had been able to turn a boy whom he had trained since childhood to become a tough and unbreakable man capable of enduring all kinds of adversities, beatings and torture... into a being so scared that he preferred commit suicide rather than face reality
So tragic that his father went into denial...
"He's not my boy...
Look… how they massacred my boy…
He can't be my son...
He's so… so…
He ... he can't be... "
However, this wasn't something easy to deny...
"He's your son, sir" One of the doctors said, trembling at having to give that bad news to Andrew. "He only has three fingers left on his hand and three on his foot, but his fingerprints are identical.
We can say the same about his teeth, the freckles around his body, his physical complexion, his blue hair color, his blue eye color…
Despite the difficulties we've been able to examine him from top to bottom, and although he's not complete there's no doubt that he's our Rocco...
Sadly..."
And instantly, just as the Kübler-Ross theory says, Andrew went from denial to anger.
Crack!
"I'LL KILL HIM! I'LL KILL HIM NO MATTER THE COST!!!!" Colombo Andrew shouted angrily after hitting the chief doctor for giving him this bad news and let a knife near his son "I'LL TORTURE HIS ENTIRE FAMILY IN FRONT OF HIM!! THEN I'LL TORTURE HIM! AND I'LL FINALLY KILL HIM!!"
However, Andrew didn't have time to reach his negotiation phase, since...
"HORO-HORO-HORO-HORO!
I see you liked our little sample gift, it's the minimum courtesy expected from someone when they come to a party without an invitation."
Before them appeared a floating girl who didn't seem to be afraid of anything despite being surrounded in a single room by the elite of the West Blue mafia.
Perona, one of Fred's henchmen!
"DIE!!!"
Colombo Andrew, without thinking for a second, lunged at the flying girl and with all his strength threw a punch at Perona's head with the firm intention of breaking her like a melon.
FLAP!
However, that attempt and all the others were totally useless, as if he were only hitting the air.
"Horo-horo-horo!
"Save your energy for later, big guy." Perona said mockingly before playing her role as she had rehearsed. "My boss sends me to announce that in a few seconds the real party will begin in the garden of OUR mansion
If you want us to deliver the rest of the gifts in equal or better conditions, no one should leave the mansion.
Or there could be accidents
See you at the front door!
Horo-horo-horo!"
And as quickly as Perona came she disappeared across the floor of the room, leaving Colombo Andrew even more enraged and the rest more shocked.
"SADISTIC MOTHERFUCKTER BASTARD!!!" Colombo Andrew shouted, staring at everyone in the room, looking for some convenient incompetent to direct his fury at. "LAFFITTE! CALL THE PRESIDENT! NOW THERE'S MORE THAN ENOUGH EVIDENCE TO ISSUE THE FUCKING SEARCH AND CAPTURE ORDER!"
"Sir, we've tried but…" A police officer accompanying Laffitte said quickly "There's no signal…
It's likely that Fred... has isolated all communications near the mansion."
"...
Incredible, but... we're talking about him... " Laffitte said, totally perplexed by the great preparation and means that his antithesis had at his disposal. "It's probably... so.
No, it's certainly not a coincidence…"
It was no coincidence that right now they couldn't contact the outside or that the four bosses synchronized perfectly for the first time in the face of such an imminent crisis.
"We've to get used to the idea that we're alone against him," Genovese Liborio said decisively, without thinking about better alternative scenarios. "Evacuate the non-fighters through the tunnels, help them evacuate on the ships and try to contact the outside to warn of what's happening"
"But what about the kidnapped brats?" Laffite said, worried for not being able complete this case successfully "You already heard the ghost girl, if someone comes out…"
"If they're not dead, it's like they already are.
Just like Rocco" Bonanno Michael said rationally, assuming his grandson was dead at that moment. "We cannot allow ourselves to falter or play by his rules... or else he'll take more hostages."
"Start the evacuation…" Gambino Donovan stammered, making perhaps the most painful decision of his life by give up his son for dead, even if Fred was going to use him as a human shield next "We're going against the clock."
"And let's go to the main entrance" Columbo Andrew, eager to direct his fury towards his true enemy "Let's end this...
ONCE AND FOR ALL!"
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You'll be able to see 8 chapters in advance in my Pa-treon
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Meralman Second part in few days. It's going to be a pretty long second part.
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