The Underboss Suspects

The Underboss Suspects
Marco's POV
The gun was pointed right at Marco's head.
He didn't move. Didn't blink. Just stared at the trembling hand holding the weapon.
"You killed my partner," Detective Williams said. His voice shook with anger. "Vance was a good cop."
"Vance was a traitor," Marco replied calmly. "And so are you."
They were standing in Detective Vance's house. Marco had come to search for evidence. Williams had come for revenge.
"Put the gun down, Detective. We both know you won't shoot."
"Try me."
Marco smiled. "You won't shoot because you need me alive. Because I'm the only one who knows where your real boss is."
"What are you talking about?"
"Agent Chen. Your sister wasn't the only FBI agent in this city, was she?"
Detective Williams' eyes widened. Just for a second. But Marco saw it.
"That's right. I know all about Operation Ghost Town. The FBI's plan to take down the Rossi family from the inside."
"You're crazy."
"Am I? Then why did Vance have this hidden in his basement?"
Marco pulled out a small recording device. "Your conversations with Agent Chen. All of them. For the past three years."
Detective Williams lowered his gun slightly. "How did you find that?"
"I've been watching Vance for months. Ever since I realized someone was feeding information to the feds."
"And you think it was him?"
"I know it was him. Just like I know you're his replacement."
Marco pressed play on the recorder.
Detective Williams' voice came through the speaker: "The Rossi girl is getting too close to the truth. We need to move faster."
Agent Chen's voice replied: "Not yet. We need more evidence before we can arrest Enzo."
"What if she figures out what really happened to her mother?"
"She won't. Marco is making sure of that."
The recording stopped.
Detective Williams stared at the device. "Where did you get this?"
"From your dead partner's secret room. Along with these."
Marco showed him a stack of photographs. Pictures of Selena entering buildings. Getting into cars. Meeting with Rook.
"You've been watching her for years," Marco said. "All of you. The FBI. The police. Even some of Enzo's own men."
"We were protecting her."
"From what?"
"From you."
Marco laughed. "From me? I've been protecting that girl since she was born."
"By lying to her about everything?"
"By keeping her alive."
Marco put the gun away. Detective Williams was no threat now. He was too confused. Too scared.
"Let me tell you a story, Detective. About a little girl who almost died when she was seven years old."
"I don't want to hear your stories."
"Too bad. You're going to listen anyway."
Marco sat down in Vance's old chair. The same chair where the detective used to sit and plan ways to destroy the Rossi family.
"Selena was kidnapped by the Russians when she was seven. Did you know that?"
Detective Williams shook his head.
"Of course you didn't. Because Enzo never reported it. Never told anyone. He handled it himself."
"How?"
"He made a deal. His life for hers. He would work for them. Kill for them. Pay them. Whatever they wanted."
"And you helped him?"
"I tried to stop him."
Detective Williams looked surprised. "What?"
"I told Enzo to let the girl die. That one child wasn't worth destroying our entire family."
"You monster."
"Maybe. But I was also practical. The Russians were never going to stop with just Selena. They were going to use her to control Enzo forever."
Marco stood up and walked to the window. Outside, the city looked peaceful. But he knew better. Peace was just the quiet moment before war.
"Do you know what Enzo said to me?" Marco asked.
"I don't care."
"He said I didn't understand because I never had children. That a father's love makes men do impossible things."
"So you let him make the deal?"
"I had no choice. He was my boss. My friend. My brother."
Marco turned back to face the detective. "But I knew the deal would eventually kill us all. So I started making my own plans."
"What kind of plans?"
"Plans to save the family. Even if it meant destroying Enzo."
Detective Williams raised his gun again. "You betrayed him."
"I protected him. From himself. From the Russians. From people like you."
"By killing his wife?"
Marco was quiet for a long moment. Then he said, "Maria's death wasn't part of my plan."
"Then whose plan was it?"
"Think about it, Detective. Who benefited the most from Maria Rossi's death?"
"The Russians got to keep their hold on Enzo."
"Wrong. The Russians lost their best leverage. With Maria dead, Enzo had nothing left to lose except Selena."
"So who wanted Maria dead?"
Marco smiled. "The same people who wanted to use her testimony to destroy the Rossi family. The same people who promised to protect her if she turned against her husband."
"The FBI."
"Very good, Detective."
Williams stared at him. "You're lying."
"Am I? Then explain this."
Marco pulled out another recording device. A different one.
"This is from the night Maria died. A phone call between Agent Chen and her supervisor."
He pressed play.
Agent Chen's voice: "Mrs. Rossi is having second thoughts about testifying."
Unknown voice: "Then convince her."
"I tried. She says she loves her husband too much to destroy him."
"Love is a weakness, Agent Chen. Use it."
"What do you mean?"
"If Mrs. Rossi won't testify to save herself, maybe she'll testify to save her daughter."
"You want me to threaten a child?"
"I want you to do your job."
The recording ended.
Detective Williams dropped his gun. "They threatened Selena?"
"Worse. They kidnapped her. For three hours. Just long enough to scare Maria into cooperating."
"But the testimony never happened. Maria died first."
"Because someone warned her. Someone told her the FBI couldn't be trusted."
"Who?"
Marco picked up Williams' gun from the floor. "Someone who loved her more than duty. More than justice. More than anything."
"Enzo?"
"Enzo didn't know about the FBI plan until after Maria was dead."
"Then who?"
Marco pointed the gun at Detective Williams. "Your partner. Detective Vance."
"That's impossible."
"Vance found out about the kidnapping threat from his sister. He went to warn Maria. But he was too late."
"Too late for what?"
"Maria was already dead. Killed by the same FBI agents who had promised to protect her."
Detective Williams sat down heavily. "Why would the FBI kill her?"
"Because she had changed her mind about testifying. Because she was going to expose their illegal methods. Because dead martyrs are more useful than living witnesses."
"And Rook?"
"Rook was supposed to protect Maria that night. But he was sent away on a fake mission. By me."
"So you did help kill her."
"I helped save Selena. If Maria had lived, she would have testified. Enzo would have gone to prison. And Selena would have been killed by the Russians within a week."
Marco moved closer to the detective. "Sometimes, Detective, saving one life means sacrificing another."
"You're insane."
"I'm practical. Maria was going to get everyone killed. So I made sure she couldn't."
"By sending her into a trap."
"By giving her a choice. Testify and watch your family die. Or stay quiet and live."
"She chose to stay quiet and died anyway."
Marco nodded. "Because someone else made a different choice."
"Who?"
"Agent Chen. She decided Maria knew too much about FBI corruption. So she ordered the hit."
Detective Williams looked sick. "My sister ordered a murder?"
"Your sister ordered dozens of murders. All in the name of justice."
Marco showed him more files. More recordings. More evidence.
"The FBI has been killing witnesses for years. Anyone who could expose their illegal methods. Your partner Vance figured it out. That's why he really died."
"But you killed him."
"I executed a traitor. There's a difference."
"Is there?"
Marco knelt down so he was eye level with the detective. "Tell me, Detective Williams. What would you do to protect your family?"
"I don't have a family."
"Everyone has someone they care about. Someone they would kill for. Someone they would die for."
Williams was quiet.
"Selena is my family," Marco continued. "She's been like a daughter to me since she was born. Everything I've done has been to keep her safe."
"Even lying to her?"
"Especially lying to her. The truth would have gotten her killed years ago."
Marco stood up. "But now the truth is coming out anyway. And people are going to die."
"Starting with you?"
"Starting with whoever gets in my way."
Marco walked toward the door. Then he stopped.
"Detective, let me ask you something. If you had to choose between justice and family, which would you pick?"
"Justice."
"That's what your sister said. Right before she ordered Maria Rossi's death."
Marco opened the door. "Think about that while you decide whose side you're really on."
He was halfway through the doorway when Detective Williams called out:
"Marco!"
He turned around.
"Selena knows. About all of it. She found Agent Chen's files."
Marco smiled. "I know. I've been watching her too."
"Then you know she's coming for you."
"I'm counting on it."
"Why?"
Marco's smile faded. "Because she's the only one who can stop what's coming next."
"What's coming next?"
"War, Detective. Between the FBI and the Russians. With the Rossi family caught in the middle."
"And Selena?"
"Selena is going to have to choose a side. Just like her mother did."
"What if she chooses wrong?"
Marco stepped back into the room. His face was serious now. Scared, even.
"Then everyone dies, Detective. Everyone."
He pulled out his phone and showed Williams a message:
"Agent Morrison wants to meet tonight. Says he has new orders about the Rossi girl."
"Who's Agent Morrison?"
"Agent Chen's replacement. And unlike Chen, he doesn't believe in keeping witnesses alive."
Detective Williams stood up. "We have to warn Selena."
"We?"
"If what you're saying is true, then we're on the same side."
Marco thought about it. Then he nodded.
"Okay, Detective. But first, you need to know something else."
"What?"
"The ghost bullet Rook mentioned? It's not a real bullet."
"Then what is it?"
Marco showed him a small computer chip.
"It's this. A recording device. Hidden inside a fake bullet casing. Your sister gave it to Maria the night she died."
"What's on it?"
"Everything. Every illegal FBI operation. Every murder. Every cover-up."
"Where has it been all these years?"
Marco's phone started ringing. Unknown number.
He answered it.
"Uncle Marco?" Selena's voice was shaking. "I found something. In Mom's music box."
"What did you find, sweetheart?"
"A bullet. But it's not real. It opens up. And there's something inside."
Marco looked at Detective Williams. "What's inside, Selena?"
"A chip. And a note. The note says 'For Selena. When you're old enough to choose.'"
The phone went quiet.
Then Selena said: "Uncle Marco, I know what you did. And I forgive you."
"Selena—"
"But I need to know something. Did you love my mother?"
Marco closed his eyes. "More than my own life."
"Then help me finish what she started."
The line went dead.
Marco stared at his phone.
Detective Williams asked: "What happens now?"
"Now," Marco said quietly, "we find out if love really is stronger than revenge."
His phone buzzed with a text message.
From Agent Morrison:
"Change of plans. The girl dies tonight. No witnesses. No exceptions."