Chapter 11: A Modern Crime Family

Shortly after Roger's escape, Jerry escorted the boss to Hazel Hospital just within that same district. The nurses plugged the scanners to his skull on his way to the room, examining his brain damage. The doctor's lab suit draped as she ran with her hand on the moving bed. They placed him gently atop the bed, tossed the serum's needle before adjusting his head on the pillow. He had never woken up. Jerry was the first to see the great Theodor Brinkins' heartbeats coming to a half. A lion struck by a worm, a man of old fame struck by a youth of nothingness, or so the mobsters had said. Theodor did not only build a reputation in Florida and Garlem, but across the whole of the west coast and some central states. Politicians sought his council; criminals sought his mercy. Being legit or not, Theodor had always been the one to offer help for reasons people craved to know. After almost sixty years of full dominance alongside the two of Jerry and Louisa, the big boss was being carried in a wooden coffin by Jerry, two of his sons and another henchman, each palm stuck under a corner. Behind them walked a whole parade of civilians and scum alike. There were two police officers at the entrance of the graveyard. Garlem's most notable business men and women were present too. Some had tears in their eyes while others rejoiced yet dared not show, thus they remained silent and neutral.

While the mobsters had already arranged in groups while looking for Roger, spreading a bit here and there across the districts, even had someone watch the house and others watch his school. Be it using a pipe or a machine gun, Roger was to be eliminated at all costs for the family to reclaim its honor. Only those of a lower degree in the family cared about avenging the boss' death, those with higher positions in the hierarchy only cared about one thing, and one thing only; the one who would take the throne of the family. Surely the eyes of the ignorant were laid upon his remaining sons, Gary and Harold, yet those who knew the family understood that the two could never sit on the chair. One could tell that Theodor did not want for his real family to be involved with the Pacific.

With Theodor's blood excluded from the candidature, the only two figures left were Jerry Jackson and Louisa Rain. The first was known for being an old school figure, one who did not entirely refuse technology but would not let the old ways go. The second was pretty different as she was greatly affected by the success of the VR World compared to her former brothel, and thus decided to adopt an entirely new way of dealing with the family's usual problems. Drugs were out of her list as living in a simulation that had full control of the senses seemed to be a better alternative than cocaine or the "the white dust" as they used to call it. They had to make a choice fast because the decisive council was near. It would contain two higher bosses and three sub bosses along with the presence of Theodor's sons, to dictate who the next leader of the Pacific should be. Once the leader had been determined, the decision was unquestionable and irreversible with a few exceptions that were unlikely to happen. For this main reason, Louisa had sneaked to her car and opened her laptop, writing an encrypted message.

Far from the place of the funeral, Roger held his head in between his palms as he shook and sprayed drops of hot sweat on the floor. Veins crawled up his head and his teeth chattered while mucus traveled across his lips. Bob sat facing him.

"I took a life, I killed him," Roger kept stammering, barely able to hold still while everything seemed to be scratching. Bob had no words for it, he had no words of comfort. He only told facts, facts that were irreversible.

"I gripped him by the neck and threw him on the wall, no hesitation, it was my doing," Roger said, sighing.

"You have to understand that you were not the one in control of your body, it happened so quickly. Did you know what they were planning to do with your head? You should have seen Louisa talk about how they would use your chip to reach their goals, it was the only way either you or them," Bob said. The whole of it inspired a sense of revulsion, a sense of deep disgust, he thought.

"Don't worry, alright? We'll deliver the file, the mob will stay away from you and then we can see what Owinson wants with you," Bob said, walking to his computer as he spotted a red dot just at the left side. As he moved the cursor and opened it, an encrypted message had displayed itself before Bob dissolved the crypt with his own chip.

"The council to decide the next boss will be held at four in the afternoon under that same warehouse from before. You will have deliver me the file before then, and then I will send you Owinson' file through the same line, L," Bob muttered, his eyes scanning the screen as he read Louisa's message. Roger stood next to him, barely able to keep himself intact while reading the message.

"Why can't you just send her the evidence right now? Come on, Bob, do it and we'll be done with it," Roger said, turning to the other side with his face in his palm. Images of a screaming figure would strike his vision, but they were no more than quick glimpses that would yet leave him bewildered.

"I'm afraid it is not this easy, Roger. We can't send her the files using a local network, we have to get closer to establish contact. You see, she mentioned us the time and the place which meant we have to get closer to the spot and bypass the overall security," Bob said, explaining for the young man.

"You still haven't told me why? We can use a encrypted line same as she did," Roger said, pointing at the computer.

"How is she going to decrypt it then? Did you think about that, Roger? Besides, this is going to be an easy gig. I'll bypass the security and send her the file. When she sends me Owinson's file back, I will delete it. That's it, we don't have long, we should be heading towards the warehouse," Bob said, picking up his bag on his way outside before Roger nodded, closing the door behind them. Both of them grabbed their coats and went on their way.

"Wait! Just listen to me, I thought this is a good opportunity to practice my bypass skills," Roger said, keeping to Bob's right.

Bob let out a short giggle. "You're kidding, aren't you? The last thing you cracked open is a computer. You are not ready for this, Roger, end of discussion," Bob said, swiping with his hand to indicate the end of their conversation. Bob thumbed for a hovering taxi before he and the young one walked inside and the car took its flight across the buildings of the city.

"I think I should ask you to take a good care, sir," the driver said, swerving to the left line of the flight as the car lessened in its speed.

"Why?" Bob asked, only one eye visible under the hood.

"The streets are swarming with scumbags with laser pistols; the police is having a hard time stopping 'em," the man said, rubbing the upper part of his belly.

"Thanks for the advice, we'll keep that in mind," Bob said, noticing something strange in Roger. The latter was looking straight at the mirror, examining the driver's face bit by bit, jumping from one point to the other. The fellow's face was all bruised as if he was wearing a paint, his left eye was shut and there were a couple of stitched wounds atop each other. When the man beamed, a frontal teeth seemed to be missing.

"What's wrong, kid?" the man whispered.

"It's him," Roger whispered to Bob .

"You didn't ask what they're looking for though," the man said, smiling even further as he stretched his hand under the passenger seat while releasing the air breaks.

An image of constant beating to the face kept reigniting Roger's memory of the day he threw the boss to the wall.

"They are looking for the vermin who assaulted the most feared mobster since Al Capone, the vermin who did this to my face," the man said, pulling a laser gun. The driver turned to them with a sinister look in his face, one so strident that hesitation seemed out of question.

"And now, I am going to take revenge for the boss' death and for ruining my freaking face," the man said while shaking, almost hysterically before pointing the gun at the stiff Roger. Bob rushed and held the man's arm. A few laser rounds escaped the muzzle and crossed the windows. Bob struggled to keep his hand away; Roger hid under the chair as he tried to avoid the hammering shots. Bob sent a striking blow on the man's left face, followed it with another more vicious and deliberate. The steering wheel went rolling to the left as the car bumped into another one on its way downwards, hitting sides of the buildings. More cracks emerged across the windshield before the car fell on the rooftop of supermarket, rolling twice before hitting a wall. Roger crawled his way out of the vehicle, glaring at the driver whose cheek kissed the steering wheel with blood sprayed on the pad. With a look on the broken windshield, Roger rushed out of the vehicle to look for Bob. The latter was laid on the floor with blood streaming from his forehead, yet he was still breathing. Roger was left all alone, and the council was about to begin.

What the hell am I supposed to do?

Roger fetched Bob's clothes for anything useful; he found the coordinates of Louisa's phone, to which they would be sending the evidence and receive the dirty file. Roger took a step towards the ridge of the rooftop, spotting the blind one standing just next to him with the wind playing with his hair and the sun shining in his eyes.

I bet you were the one to direct that taxi to us, you wanted this to happen.

Even though Roger spoke no words, the blind one turned to him before dusting into the wind.

"I did, I can't let Bob smother your abilities. He'll be fine, just do your thing," Owinson said.

Roger turned towards the warehouse with the coordinates in his hand, placing the tip of his forefinger at the temple of his face, starting to establish connection while encountering the firewall's sensitivity. Bob started to open his right eye. It was yet still blurry, and his mind was clogged. He could not make sense of what was happening.

While everyone were already inside the room, Louisa was checking her phone, nothing seemed to be arriving. She raised an eyebrow in distortion. Everyone else heard the sound of her heels before a service bot pulled the chair for her. She pulled her dress and then sat with her hands intertwined with each other. On the other side of the table sat an old friend turned nemesis, Jerry Jackson. At the back of the table sat Theodor's sons, and on the other side sat two henchmen. An old man with a bandage around his arm on the right, and a short lady at the left with an empty chair in between.

All were present, and the council was not to be delayed any further. Eyes on the clock, Louisa stood off her chair same as everyone else in the room while the old man spoke the introduction to their first meeting after the passing of the mob's first boss.

"Before this meeting shall begin, we declare our greatest grievances for Theodor Brinkins, the first godfather of the Pacific Family. We tell the present members of his family that we are sorry for their loss and wish him peace wherever he is. As for now, it is time for us to elect our next leader. This meeting will be divided into two sessions with a break in between for the members to fully decide who our next leader should be. You may be seated," the man said, closing his eyes and bowing to the members while they bowed before they clapped, except the younger of the boss' sons Gary. All members sunk in their chairs while exchanging quick glances, especially Jerry and Louisa. The latter took a quick look at her phone, nothing yet. She craved the red sign of a notification at such a hectic moment, but she had to play the game first.

"To begin, we have decided that the leader of the family should either be Mr. Jerry Jackson or Miss Louisa Rain. The two have ruled with Mr. Brinkins as a triad for over decades and they have proved their capacity to lead this family. The auction house and the fight pits' success has proved that Mr. Jackson can lead. On the other hand, Lady Rain has taken the entertainment business up to another level as she transformed a form of technology into a million dollar business. It is an undeniable truth that the VR World under Louisa's leadership is vital to us. With that being said, a ship with multiple captains will eventually sink; we have to choose one leader only. After the election is complete, we can then see how to elect higher members to fill the empty chairs in the triad. The first phase of this meeting is about clarifying what their visions of the family is," the old man said, turning to the lady on the left before he nodded.

The lady nodded in accordance before she pulled the chair to the back and then spread papers to the present members around the table, excluding Jerry and Louisa. "As each of them begins explaining his vision of family, you will be able to write notes or highlight important things that you would want to ask them about later, you may proceed once either of the candidates begin their speech," the lady said, placing a pen beside each paper as she walked around the table before she retreated to her chair, beaming at the old man.

"I don't understand why my brother and I shouldn't be considered among the candidates," Gary said despite his older brother's warning not to intervene.

The whole of the council had their eyes on the raging man

"Sir, please excuse my brother's behavior, he will not intervene anymore," Harold said, standing as he placed a hand on his brother's chest, pulling him to stick to his chair. Gary had always been the one to go against the rules. He had spent his post-college years outside the country all the way until his heard of his father's death. Harold had opened a small shop in Florida, keeping away from the Pacific.

"No!" Gary pushed his hand away. "It is our right by blood to lead this family!"

"I don't want to rule the family!" Harold yelled.

"Well, I do!" Gary said, raging. Still, with all the screams, none of the other henchmen moved at all as they eyed the two brothers, more specifically the young Gary before he sat back in his chair. The old man put a device atop the table near its center. With a single push, the hologram had shown the boss himself during his earlier days speaking his wish considering the leadership of the Pacific.

"…and please do consider electing a leader amongst the triad, not anyone else. I beg of you not to include my sons, I'm sure the reasons are obvious enough," the hollow spoke before it was absorbed into the machine. The old man raised an eyebrow in a slow manner, almost mocking the apparent bewilderment in Gary's face. Harold was almost satisfied that it was the father's will that his blood would not be involved in his shady business.

"Now, Mr. Jackson…" the old man spoke.

Jerry craned his head.

"… Miss Rain…"

Louisa's lips extended into a darkish smile.

"Who wants to begin?" the old henchman asked.

"I do," Jerry said, slightly raising his hand. The coordinating members nodded for Jackson to speak what he desired to say. He nodded back to them in a respective manner.

"To be honest with you, my vision of how the family should go is aligned with the boss'. Ever since he created this organization, we have been nothing but constant success at all levels. Sure, there has been some downsides to his strategies, and he was humble enough to admit it himself. My strategy is built upon fixing the boss' mistakes while keeping all of the old ways," Jerry said.

"Would you please give us an example of… ah… let's say a mistake that you intend to fix?" the lady beside the old man asked.

"Sure, I intend to stop funding the VR World," Jerry said with a motionless look in his face, not even a blink. The old man was distorted while the others remained neutral, including Louisa as she kept a smile and waited until she was given permission to speak. Jerry wondered why Louisa had not reacted aggressively as she would often do.

"Why, sir? The records say the VR World was the source of incredible income," the old man said, leaning closely as he adjusted his glasses. Jerry had always thought of such a look as intimidating, but he had already prepared his argument. Improvisation was difficult under the rooftop of the mob, everyone planned for what to be said.

"Each year the family spends third of its reserve to fund the technologies required to provide a delicate service in the VR World. Now, I do not mean that the center did not generate success or that its presence is useless to our success. However, that money should be guided to other… trustworthy sources."

"Trustworthy," Louisa reacted. "What do you mean, 'trustworthy'?"

"I mean that the VR World is highly dependent on systems and technology, electricity stream is the least of them. If ever a crisis occurred, the business would collapse and leave us vulnerable."

"You seem hateful towards technology, aren't you the one who uses robots in the fight pits?" Louisa said with a challenging look.

"I do, and I do it to lessen human loss. If you can watch robots tear junk off each other and still get the same satisfaction when seeing human fighters wrestle each other, then robots are a better alternative to human fighters. Meaning that I use robots when necessary only, unlike the VR technology which seems like an excessive form of squandering," Jerry continued. Louisa put her hand on her cheek, keeping patient and quiet. She looked down at her phone which kept displaying the sign of a newer notification, but the actual slot was empty.

The members looked back at Jerry, as if asking him to speak his word further. The members expected to know where the remaining money would be headed. Jerry understood well enough.

"Once I cut the funding off the VR World, it will be guided to build two more casinos in Garlem, we'd have to bring experts from Vegas along with behavioral experts to design the slot machines. It will be a full project, and the results would be promising. This is what I had thought about for now," Jerry said, knocking on the back of the table with the tip of his middle and forefinger.

"Does anyone else have a question?" the old man said, adjusting his glasses again with a bit of scrutiny, noticing minor satisfaction in their faces. The lady at the left raised a hand, receiving an accepting nod from the old man as he smiled while adding two lines in his paper.

"Mr. Jackson, what about our relationship with Mr. Owinson? As you all know here, the boss had a dispute with Mr. Owinson that led him to be an enemy of the family. The Pacific uses the evidence we have on his shady activity in order to prevent him from causing any trouble or threaten our position in Garlem. A clearer question would be, do you think the family should proceed on blackmailing Mr. Owinson?" the lady finished her question, placing the pen in alignment with the paper. The old man hid a smile behind his hand. Louisa almost had a burst of laughter before she caught herself, keeping her mouth hidden behind her hand. These idiots think they can challenge Owinson, she thought.

"Good of you to ask, I think that a fair answer to your question should be 'yes'. A man of Owinson's might is unpredictable, and thus truly dangerous. Having this file is our winning card against him. If he dares to threaten our safety, the file would be sent to the FBI from an encrypted source. I honestly do not believe that rekindling our friendship with him would make things any better as we would only do so if he agreed to pay us a fee as it was initially agreed before this city was built," Jerry explained, eying Louisa whenever the Owinson's name rolled across his tongue. She in turn would smile back at him, constantly checking her phone whenever there was an opening.

"Apart from this, I fear I have nothing else to say, I think it is time for Miss Rain to speak her word before the council decides," Jerry said, stretching his hand towards Louisa's direction. The council members nodded, agreeing to Jerry's decision. The old man turned the page, allowing for more space to write his notes considering what Louisa had to say for herself. The others did the same, starting from the lady on the left to the others. Jerry kept his arms folded, his face strident and concerned. Louisa hid her phone away, raising her head and starting to separate her trenched lips to speak her word while her phone kept on vibrating at an empty notification.

The main reason behind the phone's useless vibration was Roger's useless attempt at sending the files to the phone. As he focused, he shifted his consciousness to the blue realm with the white lines. It was easy to figure which were the communications line, but there seemed to be walls between him and the coordinates he had kept in mind. Waves passed by his hand as he felt like he was pushing a wall to the ground; lines passed through the openings between his fingers. His eyes twitched as he snarled and veins crawled up his head.

You are not ready

"Come on!" he yelled as he yanked the file to the other side of the simulation but it would yet be sent back at him because of the security system surrounding the environment of the phone. Feeling weary, he slumped on his back not just from the simulation but back to the real world as the car was still emitting smoke while Bob was half-conscious on the ground. Roger smashed the floor with a desperate blow as droplets of his hot sweat drizzled a couple of inches away from his knuckles.

"Goddamn it!" He yelled. Glimpses of the boss, the mobster whose face he had smashed, Sylvester and eventually his own father would travel by his eyes whenever he blinked. Everything was darkening in his eyes as wild energy would climb to the building and surround him, leaving him in a degrading circle of dim light. Escaping straps of darkness would stretch an inch forward towards him. Was it in his mind or was the world ending?

"I can't do anything, it was all a joke since the start. If only I had died during the surgery, things would have been a lot easier if I just…" he said. A figure emerged from the darkness. A fellow of his same height, weight, skin and being. Roger stood perplexed at the sight of a mirrored self of his walking towards him from the dark; they only differed when it came to the eyes. The figure's eyes were glassy, same as Roger's when the chip took over his mind.

"Are you… me?" Roger wondered, barely able to believe his own self. The figure went on one knee, leaning towards Roger with a penetrating look in his eyes.

"You are unable to crack the code because you fear for Jeremy. You deny the fact that you care about him, but you actually do because he was the only friend you ever met. You feel for him from scenario where his father would fall into the handsof the cops. You know how much giving the evidence to his nemesis will affect him. You are affected by emotions, but this shall last no more. I was put in your mind for reasons statistically greater than your emotions. Your will is not aligned with the action. Align the will with the action and you will see the numbers, once you do, crack them," the figure said, halting Roger whenever he wanted to speak. The figure raised both of its hands to bring back the simulation, pulling the lines from a realm beyond his vision and installing walls with passing numbers like moving graffiti. The figure raised both of Roger's hands towards the wall, placed the intended file behind him before it turned into small pixels.

Align the will with the action.

With every passing second, the numbers on the wall were more visible to Roger. The twitching and the shaking lessened; he was more calm and deliberate while the numbers danced in front of him. His eyes were no longer black but glassy. There was no expression of pain or struggle in his face. Nothing but consistency and intense two-dimensionality.

"For starters, the first thing that I want to address is the family's relationship to Owinson," Louisa saidn.

"Do you not think that there are more important matters to be discussed before diving into our issue with Owinson?" Jerry asked.

Louisa took her time before answering. "No, dear sir, in fact I believe that this is the first thing we should be talking about. If it wasn't for the lady's question, no one would have brought it up. Owinson is the most important man in the city and he has influence over everything. Of course, you are familiar with the success of Red Tech and how it has branches throughout the world. In the past he was condemned for running unauthorized tests on animals yet he slipped away from it like it never happened. If you think that a file will contain his influence, you are, with all due respect to all present members, clearly mistaken. I humbly say, with or without the boss, Owinson is capable of wiping the mob off Garlem anytime he wished, and there is no exaggeration in saying that we are living under his mercy. So If I was honored to be given the throne of this family, I would absolutely fix our relationship with Owinson by putting an end to the fee he is supposed to pay," Louisa said, looking at Jerry while the others were bewildered.

"Miss Rain, I would like to remind you that the family has been profiting from the fee for almost twenty years. It represents a grand amount of our revenue," the lady said, almost standing off her chair before she retreated. Louisa smiled as if she was affirming them she was aware of it.

"That is not the only reason. We helped Owinson build both his company and this city from scratch. This is a debt," The old man confirmed, agreeing with the lady. There seemed to be great concern in his voice. Jerry remained unmoved.

"And his debt has been paid, sir. We were given more money than what we had given him. You can still say he is still paying by not ratting on us to the feds. Do you not think that he doesn't hold records over us? Do you truly believe that the Pacific was the only careful side in this relationship?"

"Maybe this is not the main reason behind this suggestion," Jerry interrupted, still keeping his eyes close before eying the second member of the triad. As silence spread across the room, they turned to each other before directing their gaze at the one who spoke. "Maybe this suggestion is the result of nostalgia to an old… let's say acquaintance. Sir," turning to the old man, "Miss Rain and Mr. Owinson were pretty close in the past, and I highly recommend seeing her decision of fixing our relationship with Owinson as biased and influenced," Jerry said; the members noticed the tone of his voice slightly rising. The others turned at Louisa, expecting an answer before she delivered one.

"I do not lie, and the boss knew that, Owinson and I were in love, which gives me an advantage over any of you. I know him more and I know exactly what he is capable of. So, this silly argument of yours, Mr. Jackson, does not deny the fact that I care for the Pacific," Louisa said, standing off her chair while leaning towards Jerry. Her tone was rising, and her face was turning more aggressive with each passing second.

"Miss Rain, please be seated, there is no need for dispute. Please proceed, what else do you intend to do if you take control of the family?"

Louisa took a deep breath before she nodded and withdrew back to her chair with her hands on the table. "I also intend to close the fight pits."

Jerry gingered, placing his palm on his face. Is she challenging me or what, he thought.

"The reason why I intend to do so is that it is a waste of good material. I know that some of it gets recycled, but recycled for the sake of creating more fighting robots. Such points of interest can grab more money if rightly invested in. Look around you, people, this is the fourth decade of the 21st century and people still enjoy watching fighters tear each other apart. It is high time we elevate ourselves."

"And what do you suggest with the dedicated budget?" the old man asked, leaning on the chair and rubbing his eyes.

"I would like to use its budget to buy more protection bots. I share Mr. Jackson's goal of lessening human loss by actually replacing our guards with robots, and that would surely raise our profits because robots do not require payment and constant sheltering. This would bring us more money after a while," Louisa explained.

"You suggest we get rid of our loyal men?" the old man said, this time awakening from his lethargy as he took the glasses off his eyes. Veins were visible in his eyes.

"Well, I only said we stop paying them and create robots that replace them instead. If they decide to work for us for free, then there is no need kick them out of the family," Louisa continued.

"Miss Rain, I would like to say that the family is not some monopoly of profit or loss, this is a whole community. We look after each other, protect each other and feel burdened with the loss of the lowest of us. You cannot just get rid of our men because you want to maximize profits, this is just unacceptable!" the old man said, raising the voice of his voice as well yet keeping a respectable tone. Still, it sent shivers down Harold's spine. Gary seemed to be enjoying the play

"Funny, I wonder if this explains while a low level mobster is shot in the head if the family suspects he'd turn on the made-guys during an interrogation. Do not make a mistake, sir! A family is just like an MLM business, it only benefits those above because they didn't work their way to the top like the bosses did--"

"Can we please just skip this and get his over with?" the old man said, mopping the sweat off his face. "This phase is almost over."

"I assume this is the part when I talk about all where I shall direct the money stream. Well, I admit building a casino is not a bad idea, and I shall keep it in mind. Still, it would not be our main concern. What I seek is the creation of an alternative for drugs. The common cause of arrest is because a drug deal has gone wrong and I intend to stop that by creating a special substance that only we could supply and that is not yet illegal so the police will have nothing to charge us with. You see, something that has the same effect as the VR World, giving life to the senses and to the mind. Besides, being drugged can lead to violent behavior. However, if my sources are true, this evolutionary substance, which is currently being developed in Red Tech's labs, will force the body to a stiff state and only allow it to move in a dangerous situation. This is safer, physically and legally speaking," Louisa said.

"Miss Rain, please do understand that we cannot go on with such decisions based on mere speculation. Correct me if I'm wrong, this only seems like a rumored information," the old man said, seeking approval from the other members as they would nod once they spotted his eyes.

"But, sir, I have just said that I have my sources, trustworthy sources," Louisa said.

"And this means that you will be willing to give up cocaine, saying that this… eh… 'substance' will do its work," Jerry asked, leaning towards the bold lady.

"Yes, Mr. Jackson, cocaine has been nothing but an unnecessary means to an unpredictable end. We can help our business prosper without it, with a better substance than the white dust. Whatever it is that you intend to tell me, I do understand how the cocaine business helped families prosper for decades but it is high time we let it go. The world is changing, dear people, and it is time everyone adapts to this change, even us."

As if she had been waiting for her to stop, the lady on the left checked her watch before she signed with a wink to the old man. The latter craned his head as he put his glasses back on, noticing a sticking drop of sweat still clinging to the right rail of the glasses.

"Okay, we shall take a quick break. Please everyone, think on your decision as we shall decide who will be the next leader of the Pacific family, dismissed!" he said, pulling himself off the chair and then walking to the other room with the young lady behind him. The sons remained in their seat. Jerry walked to the other room, seeking a refreshing drop of water as Louisa followed him with her phone in her palm.

"Hey partner," Louisa said, sitting beside Jerry as he sipped water off a plastic cup.

"Hey," Jerry replied. "I've been meaning to talk to you ever since… ever since that day."

"Really? And what did you want to talk about?"

"The kid. Why did you do it? I know we're rivals and you never really liked me. I begged you not to expose him to the boss, yet you trapped him in that simulation and brought him exactly where he shouldn't be. I thought… I thought there's more in you, Louisa," Jerry said.

"Oh partner, you should stop acting concerned. You only cared about the kid because he's your son's best friend. I empathize with that, it makes total sense. But he was trespassing, and he happened to be interesting and important to my argument."

"What an idiot! I told him not to go, yet he went. He's looking for Owinson's file, isn't he? Either Owinson asked him to or he wants to know the truth about his father," Jerry said, leaning on the upper rail of the chair with his gaze on the ceiling. Louisa kept silent with a smile, a smile that extended once the notification finally arrived. The whole evidence on Jerry's activity was in her hand. She started giggling hysterically.

"What's so funny?" Jerry asked, spotting the records atop each other as Louisa scrolled through her screen.

"You… you made him do it, didn't you? All of this so you can blackmail me," Jerry said, fists clenched. "In exchange of Owinson's file, right?"

"I've always known you're a clever one who'd figure it out quick and easy. You know what you have to do now, do you? You know that… you will have step out of my way. Do not look at me as if I'm playing a dirty trick with you, you're the one who started it. Bringing up my past with Owinson in front of those people was nothing but a dirty trick to influence their judgment."

Jerry sighed. "I finally understand why you brought him that day. You wanted him to do something really bad, like assaulting the boss get accused of killing him, so you could force him to do your dirty work. So, in a way, you were behind the boss' murder, weren't you, Louisa?"

"I would not put it that way," she said while shuddering as if unmoved by such a claim. "And the others wouldn't put it that way either, because… let's face it, it seemed like a list of unfortunate events led to the boss' downfall. He was sick, he was on the edge. He needed a little push, and the pusher didn't happen to be me."

"Mark my words, Louisa, you will regret this," Jerry said, hardening the tone of his voice as his breaths went faster. He had an insane urge to choke her and end her right there. If only he could, if only he could think of a justification for killing a member of the triad.

"Maybe, I will," Louisa said, tilting her head like she was mocking his anger, "but this won't be anytime soon. And you certainly wouldn't, Oh sorry, couldn't do anything about it. You have children, Jerry. I know the charges for organizing the fight pits are minor, also considering your many friends in the justice department, but that would leave your family vulnerable. Who do you trust to protect them? The family? The family would be in my hand by then and you of all the people know that I cannot be trusted. You can have your time thinking what I would do with them while you're away."

"I…"

His lips went apart as he was about to lay a threat, yet his lips touched again before he crushed the plastic cup under his feet and strode to the meeting room again. Louisa looked back at her phone and deleted Owinson's file. Yet before doing so, just as Owinson had requested, she sent the file through that same line.

Roger stood at the middle of a virtual highway, his feet shaking both in the virtual and the real world while spotting something glowing from afar. Then the light spread, carrying pictures that spread across the virtual tunnel between Roger's mind and Louisa's phone. There were quick glimpses at surgeries, dripping blood, sharp tools, blooded chips, skulls, lots of skulls. Roger fell to the floor holding his head, eyes closed. His ears were full of increasing screams, both in number and intensity. There were people begging for mercy, yet there was no response. Death was the only thing the pictures portrayed before the pain stopped.

Roger opened his eyes, he was back in the real world and Bob was awake. He kneelined next to him, panting as blood was mixed with the dripping salt sweat. Roger wondered why the file disappeared from his mind; he was supposed to read it all inside the simulation. Roger tried to open the simulation again, but his mind was fried enough. Besides, he seemed to have no file in his chip storage.

"Is it over? Bob asked.

"Yes, it is. I managed to bypass the security. Louisa deleted Owinson's file…"

"Good, good," Bob rehearsed, stepping away from the ridge of the building as he faced Roger with his back and went walking towards the stairs. Roger remained at the edge of the building, shoulders pulled and head fully raised. His fists were clenched, and his face was nowhere near satisfied. Bob stopped

"But Louisa sent it to me before she deleted it, and somehow it disappeared right before it hit my chip's storage," Roger declared.

"I don't know, son. It must have been a glitch or something. Come on, we need to go before the patrol comes."

"No, Bob, it isn't a glitch. It's time for the truth, stop walking away from it."

Silence reigned for a few seconds. One would hear nothing but the whistling wind.

"Alright, I interfered with the transmission. It was me, Roger, I deleted the file. I did it to spare you great pain, virtual files can even alter your personality. It wasn't anything good, don't ask me because I don't want to talk about it all," Bob said, his hand on the door's handle. Roger turned around and galloped to the door as he shoved the old man's hand off it.

"You don't want to talk! So Patrick Lorenzo—"

"How did you—?"

"—was right. The older agent was right as well. It wasn't a freaking mistake, you and my father operated on human beings to experiment on their response with the neural interface. You forced surgeries upon them and let them endure impeccable pain just so you could perfect your little 'science project'. No wonder how my chip's so good, because you learned from trial and error. Is this true, Bob? I swear if you lie to me you will never see my face again," Roger asked with intensity; his nose was two inches away from Bob's.

Bob sighed before he nodded. He spotted Roger's eyes watering as he started sniffing before he struck the door with a raging fist. Roger squatted next to the ridge with his head in his hands. Bob tried to comfort him, yet it was no less than difficult. "You see, we studied a group of people from afar. Most of them had mental disabilities; most of them were from the asylum. There was… an ethical question at first, we had arguments with Owinson. But when he started speaking how this could change whole lives, we fell for it. I mean at first we thought we were going to cure the disabilities by fusing the subjects' minds with the chip's AI, but," Bob held his face, barely able to halt an emerging tear. "We kept on experimenting, learning from every error and with each surgery we had less empathy towards our subjects. The investigation bureau almost had us before we slipped out of it and traveled to Garlem."

"You are no better than monsters. You killed people, father was busy killing people!" Roger yelled.

"No!" Bob yelled back before he had a burst of cough. "Your father was trying to fix their lives while operating within the goals of the organization. We worked based on principles. But they did die and if there was a way we could… redeem ourselves, if we could just make it up to them I would have done it long ago. I have to leave that behind, Roger, just try to--" Bob fell into silence, unable to generate words anymore. Roger watched as the last of his tears fell down. He took a step back away from the ridge before he walked past Bob towards the door.

"I'll get you to a hospital, then you and I are finished," he affirmed.

Each member of the council regained their places, with Louisa being the last. The old man rearranged his papers, adjusting his glasses. Everyone, apart from the sons, smiled back before they initiated the second phase.

"Now, this is going to be a shorter phase. We would just be asking each member here of their opinion considering the leadership of this family, now we begin--"

"Excuse me, sir!" Jerry interrupted.

"Yes?" the old man asked.

"First and foremost, I would like to thank everyone here and outside who thought of supporting me and saw a future in the family with myself in that seat. That is something I cannot ignore. The second thing, and I do beg you to take this decision with full acceptance, I am going to step away from my candidature."

Nothing was heard but the fast and angry breaths of whoever was left shocked of the man's decision, namely the old man.

"The break between the phases gave me some time to think about my decision. I have children, sir, the oldest of whom is about nineteen years old. They need my guidance . I'd have much more responsibility if I take control of the family, thus it is better to step away and keep my role as a member of the triad. Despite the unusual requests of Miss Rain, I'd be giving her counsel, that is if she accepts," Jerry explained.

Louisa nodded in full agreement. The boss looked at her with a quaking rage like a ticking clock. Now you like what he says all of a sudden, he thought.

"Yes, thank you, and… I think I have nothing else."

"Jerry," the old said with intent, as if he was pleading for a yes, "the Pacific will take important measures to ensure that your family will be taken care of, this is my word to you. You do understand you have an important role in our community. Please, sir, do not step away like this."

"Sir, I don't mean to disappoint you; I know you had such expectations for me. Do not worry, I would still be here but not as a leader. Please, I beg of you to accept my decision," Jerry said, bowing to the old man. The latter turned with a distorted look in his face, watching how Louisa had that half of a smile.

"Well, if this is what you think, then by elimination, and according to the instruction of our beloved Theodor Brinkins, the seat of godfather goes to Miss Louisa Rain," the old man said, heaving himself off the chair. The others inside the room, even the guards, tightened themselves as they stood off the chairs and kept their heads down, except for Louisa who didn't bow. Harold noticed his brother still sitting, gently bumping him before he barely submitted. He kept his head half down with his eyes on his late father's chair.

"Miss Rain," the old man declared. "Please take your seat as our new god… mother."

Louisa walked behind around the corner of the table, slipping past the old man as she pulled the chair. She contemplated as she watched bits of dust accumulating in the air. Her feet were in front of the chair, and all what she had to do was to let herself go.

"As the second leader of the Pacific Family, Louisa Rain, I allow you to be seated," she said, watching each and every member sitting in a sequential order without question. Like a dream finally coming true, she could rule over a bunch of hardened men who would not dare to open their mouths if she did not allow them to. She was the last to sink into the leather chair, placing her arms upon the wooden rails. A quick look of disgust climbed across the old man's face before he would shun it off.

"I would like to thank all of those who wanted me to be here. I would also like to thank Mr. Jackson and all of the present members for your support. And finally, I pray that Theodor knows that I will carry his legacy as it should be carried. The newer projects shall begin, tomorrow I will present you a full outline of what we are willing to accomplish during the upcoming months."

"There's something else," a voice came from the back of the rounded table. They turned around, looking at the young Gary with the look of a solider thirsty for war. "None of you discussed the obligation of eliminating my father's killer. We found that filthy racoon's home, we can hunt him anytime we want. The problem is that the working men told me that they need the boss' consent. I need your consent to take revenge," Gary said, as if in a manner of order and not for request. Jerry turned to him, fear was plainly visible in his eyes. Before he could speak, Louisa spoke her word.

"I'm afraid that is not going to happen."

"What? What kind of a joke is this?"

"This is not a joke, Mr. Brinkins. We have more important things to do and this may bring some heat upon our heads. I will not waste time and resources to hunt a bug. Miss Fuzz, spread the word that Roger Garaldson is no longer wanted. He shall be left alone, and those who interfere with him are to be punished, least kicked out of the family."

"Woah Woah, what are you saying, lady? He killed the founder of this family, I don't even need your consent I'm going to kill him myself."

"You don't need it, but you are your father's son. You will honor his legacy by listening to his successor. Everyone in the family is protected for a specific reason. The only reason why you have our blessing is because your father was Theodor Brinkins, nothing else. If you get anywhere near the young man, you will lose that blessing and be vulnerable to us. Trust me, boy, you shouldn't test my patience," Louisa speak, so sharp and strident that Gary fell silent. Unable to endure the insult and the silent mocking of the present members, he strode out of the room, followed by his older brother.

"Wonderful," Louisa said, resuming her smile. "Now, where were we?"