leonardo

Leonardo (Alessio)

Everywhere was soaked in green. Even the air. It oozed of the scent of herbs.

I got out of the car, which was something I'd looked forward to since the journey began. Not just because my bones ached, but also the car had been suffocating in the figurative sense of it, and till now, I couldn't explain how or why I was subject to guilt.

Leaves rustled and twigs snapped from the weight of my feet as I trudged ahead, stopping in front of a beastly truck. This was our new home for the meantime. Until we got to the endgame.

The hood bore dust and leaves laid strewn over its surface extending to the bottom rim of the windshield, bringing to my notice a poster of Mario Domenico—a well-known survivalist.

A wooden wall was mounted at the tail region of the car. The wall formed a convex hood above the windshield.

I went to the side of the truck for further inspection. There was a door, a pigeonhole notched close to the back tyre, a large window towards the back. And a chimney mildly dented with rust.

"Just a little cleaning and it'll be good as new," a voice said from behind.

"It'll need a hell lot of cleaning."

"Okay then. We could head back now and get our asses caught."

Getting to the back of the truck, I was met with a jungle. Bushes thick and threatening, very likely harboring snakes. I decided it wasn't so much of a problem. A slice of machete across, and it'd cease to exist.

Mia had left but the time I turned around. However, not long after, she reemerged carrying a backpack and a suitcase.

It was as if she'd expected our impromptu fleeing all along.

I left as she worked on the door, marching back to my vehicle that might have a flat before the day wound down.

I got as much luggage as my arms could carry from the trunk and went my way, totally unlike most villains who constantly worried their captives might break free. The assurance I had that Rina wouldn't escape was concerning. I had to be careful, lest I made a stupid mistake.

The inside of the truck needed as much cleaning as the outside. Dust carpeting the floor and air; cobwebs hanging left right and center. Mia was currently plucking them off with a broom. I waited for her to be done, but she was taking time. So, I sacrificed a bandana on the spot, placing it on a cupboard and mounting my bags on it.

"Where did you see the bathroom's at?"

"Some feet behind."

I started out.

"You aren't going there are you?"

Instead of finding the bathroom, I made a detour by heading to the left. There was a narrow trail here; it was closing up from ages of lying fallow. The bushes on either side scratched my arm as I progressed.

Then, I got the sound I'd been looking for. A gurgle. I found the stream soon after. Plants around; birds chirping. After some moments of gazing around, I sought for a spot to sit. There was a perfectly shaped boulder, but lichen covered it.

I guessed I'd stand then. This place wasn't a relaxation center after all. My eyes pulled shut and I softly took in the air. I reopened my eyes, having a phantom ache in my chest. I called it phantom because while it wasn't there, I wanted it to be. If that made any sense whatsoever.

I was a wanted man now. True, I had imagined being on the run, especially when I'd first gotten the idea of eliminating Father. However, as time went on, I'd forgotten that desire. I had become more interested in ousting the Morenos than becoming an outlaw.

It'd felt like the forces of good had been awoken this morning. Might be Rina' s tears. Might me my…betrayal. I'd awoken to the news that the whole city was looking for me. Whatever happened, I wouldn't retract from my goal to destroy Alpha Moreno and his senseless son. I was already close to achieving that. With Rina, I could do it.

I turned around and almost jerked. Mia was here. Eyes fixed on me, her arms folded, those haunting eyes attempting to break me apart.

I walked away, well aware her eyes didn't leave me. I didn't know what her fate would be after this. She wasn't to be trusted; I'd leave her to Zio. He knew how to handle people like her.

Patience had been one virtue I hadn't wanted anything to do with. But the past four days spent in Mia's mother's ramshackle changed my perception. There had been a lot of improvising: showering and using the lo, sleeping, feeding. I'd accepted what circumstance brought my way. Funny, because the months I'd lived large at the pack house had erased all the memories of poverty. Now, I'd remembered what being poor felt like: showering with a bucket, lying on a mat and forfeiting lunch. Amongst us, Rina was the one with the most needs and I hate to see to it she ate properly.

I glanced at Mia seated before me with a bowl of cereal, and a novel in her hand. I watched her with interest, not because she was a fan of epic fantasy; but rather her nonchalance with our reality. She looked nothing like someone that'd stolen a valuable item.

"Have I told you your confidence amazes me?"

She didn't look up from the book. Her expression not even showing she'd heard me.

"The moment you left, the moon statue got missing, and here you are savoring a plate of King Krunch."

She looked away from her book to take a scoop of the cereal; then went back to reading.

"I see why you hold a high position at the Morenos at such a young age."

She was giving me the cold shoulder. That, I wasn't going to take.

"Mia."

"Alpha." Her stabbing pair of green eyes rested on me. "How can I help you?"

I grinned, stretching for the glass of water before me. "So, it's pay-back time. Mia, I thought you're more mature than this."

"Then, you don't know me at all." She stood and nodded ahead of her. "There is your girlfriend. If you are looking for someone to chat with, she's available."

I got the push to stop her as she walked away. I suppressed it—my smile still present. I knew where her annoyance came from. I'd given her the cold treatment too, buried in my thoughts and catering for Rina, only for me to direct my attention to her this morning.

I'd give it a day or two, and Mia would be back to normal.

As a thought descended on me, I turned around. And while my eyes laid on the curtain that demarcated the kitchen/dining area from the rest of the truck, my mind went to a certain person. Rina seated on the floor with a look of resignation. I had the urge to assure her she would be fine; my assurance would have little or no effect.

I grabbed my phone, settling for something else. Out in the cool night, I walked some distance away from the truck where I was sure I was out of earshot. My heart blazed with anger and rapture as I bunched some numbers into my phone. But with every passing second, rapture surmounted anger—reaching a staggering height when the call clicked.

"Hello?"

That voice. The hardness of it got me giddy, almost like a teenage girl. But unlike some lovesick dummy, I squealed out of the prospect of executing an assassination.

"Che cazzo sto facendo… [What the fuck am I doing…]

"Vincenzo Moreno," I cut in lest he hung up. " It's been as long as never since we spoke on the phone."

A heap of silence fell, which could either mean he was paralyzed with shock, or addled. The former was more accurate because the Vincenzo I knew wouldn't let anyone subject him to a guessing game.

"Alessio… You shameless dung pile."

"Alessio's ten feet under. Haven't you heard it's wrong to speak ill of the dead?" That threw him off momentarily as silence gained ground. Then, he barked:

"I swear with every drop of blood in me, I'll have your head on a platter. I'll kick your dirty filthy body for the vultures to devour, I'll…"

"Be the sure-pass to my unending reign," I said, ambling further into the bush. "Empty threats, Moreno. Is this the kind of alpha you plan to become? Ruling by just word of the mouth rather than actions? Good riddance that innocent girl's away from you."

As expected, he growled. I couldn't help the smile taking shape.

"Oh yes, go ahead and morph," I said. "Are your parents there with you? It'll make the work much easier for me."

He breathed heavily, angrily, threatening to blow up. Poor thing.

"You won't get away with this," he snarled

"As per the cliche: I already have."

"Every damn thing I said I'm going to do will happen."

I opened my mouth to speak, but the asshole beat me.

"And more. That head of yours. Oh, no, I'll preserve it, make sure it stays fresh and intact and that will serve as a welcome sign to Florence. Generation upon generation will know what kind of a sissy you are."

Unsurprisingly, I smiled. And the expression brightened when a reminder visited. Unlike other villains, I wasn't easily pushed to anger. Vincenzo's threat showed a great level of creativeness. The Moreno bastard could be anything but a daftie.

"Yes. Brood on that," he said.

"Okay, I guessed I was wrong to have given him too much credit. He stank of immaturity.

"Here's something to brood on, Moreno." I glanced back at the direction of the truck house. "Your two healthy babies, that I'm really counting on to be boys, will glance at that skull each day and be further motivated to avenge the death of their ever caring foster dad."

I smirked and trembled with excitement when he spoke, "You wouldn't dare."

"Be prepared, Moreno. The clock is ticking to the final showdown." I ended the call, channeling my anger to the phone by pressing hard on the end button. Speaking with Vincenzo was a mood dampener.

"But that was necessary," I muttered, retracing to the house truck.