Chapter 63: The War Erupts

Location: Marco's Gang Hideout - Basement of the Venosa Café

After destroying the Zeros Project factory, Marco and his comrades returned to the hideout under the Venosa Café. Their faces were tired, their clothes torn from the effects of the battle, but their eyes were shining with excitement… and anger.

Franco (lying on the couch): "I think I lost a part of my life there… When do we get health insurance in the gang?"

Salvo (laughing as he puts an ice pack on his head): "When you become the president of Italy!"

Colombo (fiddling with his laptop): "The good news? The Zeros factory was completely destroyed, nothing remains of it. The bad news? Zacrota is still alive… And he knows we did it."

Rocco (looking at them seriously): "That means the war has officially begun."

Marco (calmly as he lights his cigarette): "This has always been a war… But now, there's no turning back."

Lucino (enters with a tray of coffee for everyone): "Oh, so we're in deep thinking now? I wish I'd waited until I made the pizza!"

Luca Ferri (looking at Marco seriously): "Marco, we have to get ready. Zacrota won't stay idly by after what we've done. If we don't attack him soon, he will."

Marco (puts the coffee cup aside): "That's why we're here... It's time to make a plan to take Zacrota down once and for all."

The Grand Plan

Marco stands in front of the large blackboard Colombo has placed in the middle of the room, with pictures and names of Zacrota's men, and his positions of influence in the city.

Marco: "Zaccrota has three main bases: his palace in Milan, the armory in Naples, and the communications network in Rome. We have to hit him where it hurts the most."

Colombo (smiles as he raises his hand): "I can infiltrate his system and disable his communications... He'll be blind and mute."

Salvo (laughing): "And I can take care of the warehouse… Explosions? Yes, please!"

Rocco: "Luca's men and I can storm the palace… But we need to know Zacrota's exact location before we move."

Marco: "That's why we need someone on the inside…"

Suddenly, a loud knocking sounded on the door of the hideout. Everyone put their hands on their weapons.

Lucino (nervous): "We didn't order pizza, did we?"

Luca Ferri (whispering): "Stay where you are, I'll open the door."

Luca opened the door carefully, and suddenly, a seriously injured man fell to the ground. His body was covered in bruises and blood, but he raised his head with difficulty and said in a weak voice:

"I… I want to join you… Zacrota… betrayed me."

Franco (loudly): "Oh my God! Are we in a drama movie now?!"

Marco (approaching the man): "Who are you? And why should we trust you?"

The man raised his head with difficulty, and looked at Marco with eyes full of hatred… but also despair.

"I… I was one of Zacrota's closest men… but I discovered something that would change everything."

Colombo (curiously): "And what is it?"

The man hesitated for a moment, then whispered in a barely audible voice:

"Zaccrota… isn't the one running the real game… there's someone else… someone stronger than him."

A heavy silence fell in the room, as everyone exchanged worried glances.

Marco (mumbles): "So… there's a bigger player in the shadows?"

The man (in a weak voice): "Yes… and his name is… Val…"**

But before he could say the name, he collapsed unconscious.

Franco (shocked): "Nooooo! Not now! You can't leave us hanging like this!"

Salvo (trying to wake him up): "Come on man! Don't do this to us!"

Marco (taking a deep breath): "Well... it looks like things are more complicated than we thought."

End of Chapter