Humans Make Mistakes

In the mafia world, days off didn't exist. Even on days when nothing happened. There would always be something that needed to be taken care of. For Zane, this meant cutting his evening of drinking short and dragging Clive back into service. If not for the amount of alcohol his younger brother encouraged him to consume, he would've driven himself.

"I take it that this is more than just a tasteful plan to depart while your father is asleep?" The words came out half-jumbled as Clive stifled a yawn.

"If nothing happened, I would still be up drinking with my brother." The young mafioso pulled his phone once inside the car.

"It would seem though that an answer on our missing drug is coming quicker than anticipated." If the information given to him turned out to be accurate.

"Is there a certain location I should be heading towards?" The car made a groan as Clive turned the ignition. Even the giant mechanical beast wasn't prepared to be heading out.

"The same warehouse as before. I would like to keep this as simple and sweet as possible." The young mafioso listened to the voicemail another time. It sounded authentic enough but one could never be too sure. Especially in the case of late-night excursions. There would always be someone lurking in the shadows waiting for their opportunity. They better hope it was otherwise they'd not be having such a great day come tomorrow.

"I see. Is there anyone else I should be calling to accompany us through this?" The young mafioso shook his head.

"A few men are already there. Shouldn't be a situation requiring much back up this time around."

"Very well then. You do know where your gun is should it come to you needing it." Zane would almost always take his gun with him. Both comfort and a necessity for a man such as himself. The feeling of the sleek metal and the weight of the gun in hand eased the stress over being caught off-guard.

"I will take it with me but I don't think that there will be much of a need for a cleaning crew. I can't say that it won't be necessary later on though." Bruce would likely be able to keep his head for another night. Following this comment, the rest of the drive commenced in silence. Neither man had recharged enough energy to hold a decent conversation.

"Are you certain that you will be safe to go in there yourself?" Clive parked the car and shut the engine off.

"I would be more than happy to accompany you in dealing with this." Zane smirked in response to the other's offer.

"The way you say that makes it sound almost as though you'd appreciate being allowed to come. Is there something that you're dealing with that letting off a little steam would help?" Zane pulled his phone in his pocket while opening the car door.

"There is always something or other that I am having to deal with in this family." The driver might've primarily served Zane, he didn't exclusive belong to or work with the young mafioso however.

"Then I will make you a deal. You can stay here for now but if things get heated, I will call you in." Zane closed the door. Pausing, he turned back around to open it but the driver rolled down his window instead.

"Since I don't know how long it might take to get back, try to get some sleep as well." He doubted the driver would listen, Zane couldn't leave though without saying something.

Now that he was on his own though, he shifted his persona to go into working mode. He couldn't afford to come across as too soft when dealing with such an important matter. The young mafioso would need to let out his colder side to make everyone understand not to mess with him.

He didn't bother announcing his presence upon entering the warehouse. Everyone should already know to expect him. They'd just better be prepared to justify themselves if they expected him to wait.

"I honestly didn't think that I would have to be coming here again so soon. It would seem though that was a mistake." Zane scanned the room to determine the mood of everyone inside.

"So which one of you here wants to go ahead and explain what's going on to me first? Considering how late it is, I would like to get this wrapped up sooner rather than later. Rather than replying to the mafia boss, the men began discussing among themselves. The shuffling of feet and quick eye movements between their group and the young mafioso gave away their anxiety. Zane sighed at this. What were they worried about if they weren't at fault? They were the same men who worked for Bruce. By now, they should know how Zane operated even if they didn't see him often.

The energy in the room shifted the moment the young mafioso took another step forward.

"Do I need to repeat myself or did you hear me the first time? Which one of you kids is going to speak first?" He didn't have time to be wasting on a bunch of scared kids not wanting to be the first to speak. They might not have been his men or deeply entrenched in his world but that didn't mean they'd get a pass.

"I hope you're not lumping me in with those whom you refer to as 'kids'. It would be a rather great offense considering you're not much older." A dark-haired young man standing away from the rest broke the silence.

"Perhaps in age. When it comes to experience, I doubt anyone here could compare." Zane didn't recognize the young man. It was easy to tell though that the energy around him was different from the rest.

"Never judge a book by a cover. In regards to your question, the one you're looking for isn't here yet. Some of the others left to go collect him. I believe they were your men."

"For an unfamiliar face, you certainly seem to know a lot."

"Unfamiliar to you, perhaps. I have been around for quite a while. Most people just don't pay attention." The young man put his hands in his pocket.

"I know so much because though it has nothing to do with me, here I am."

"Really? My men don't often make mistakes. If you're here, it's likely for a very good reason." A good reason that would be uncovered once those who knew got back.

"Please, everyone makes mistakes. Humans wouldn't be humans if they didn't. Rarely ever is there an exception to that rule. You can hear it for yourself though when your men get back."

Zane didn't respond to this as he turned his attention to his phone. He hoped that the waiting wouldn't take him much longer. Being moderately intoxicated left him with little patience to deal with such arrogant brats. He quietly hoped though that his men didn't make a mistake. Zane quite enjoyed being able to knock people like the young man before him down a few pegs. People often used arrogance to hide some type of weakness or insecurity. The rule likely applied to the nameless young man. Zane would just have to wait to figure out what exactly hid behind his guise.