Everyone gathered outside the mansion in the garden, every person present was armed with some type of firearm, whether it be a BAR, Tommy gun, or maybe a very modest pistol, even though everyone’s weapon was different their bloodlust was the same throughout.

Suddenly the large wooden double doors of the mansion swung open revealing the boss, Flavio, and his guards who were old higher-ups in the gang. They seemed to be trained killers as they displayed their scars on their faces and arms proudly.

The crowd of mobsters made a path where the boss and his personnel could pass through the middle. Once they were past the gate they entered in what looked to be an armored car, armored cars were only available to the army and would be rarely seen in public.

I nudge Luco in the arm.

“Where the hell did he get an armored car?”

“Must’ve bought it off someone, anything further than that I wouldn’t know.”

Luca was smoking a brown cigar.

“What’d ya smoking?”

“A little something, just to calm the nerves…..you want some?”

I was curious, I’ve never smoked in my life, and not to mention the fact that my nerves were acting up as well. I’ll be seeing things I’ve never seen before, I might not even be able to experience the future once this war ends, so I'll do the things I’ve never done before it’s too late.

“Sure I’ll try some….”

He took out a box of cigars out of his beige messenger bag where he held more ammo and various other pistols and pills. He nudged the container towards me and I slip one out, once he puts the box back he pulls out a lighter. I stuck the cigar in my mouth as I leaned forward towards the flame of the lighter.

“Take long sips okay.” Said Luca.

I did what he said and in milliseconds my mouth fills up with smoke and I take out the cigar as I started to cough.

“Haha! It’s your first time so don’t sweat it!” Said Luca patting me on the back.

“How could you smoke that thing!”

“You’ll get used to it…….so what did you think about the taste?”

“The taste……”

I took it out of my mouth and coughed almost instantly, I didn’t have the time to think about how it tasted or what I felt from it.

“Imma try one more time….”

I put the cigar once more in my mouth and took a slow sip, smoke-filled my mouth but this time I didn’t have an urge to cough immediately after smoke filling my mouth. This time I could fully assess the flavor.

It was sweet, and a bit earthy, I felt relaxed, I felt relaxation in a time where relaxation shouldn’t be possible.

“These things are pretty neat…”

“I told ya!”

“All members enter a vehicle it’s time for us to head out!” Yelled Flavio.

“It’s finally time huh….”

“Yep…..”

As Luco and I started walking towards the multiple parked vehicles outside the gate I heard Francesco yelling and his shoes hitting the paved ground.

“Wait up guys!”

We wait and look behind us, Francesco had brought a multitude of things on him, he had all sorts of things on him. Shoulder bags, backpacks, first aid kits, you name he probably had it on him.

“You're awfully prepared today.”

“W-well you always gotta be prepared in situations like these! Who knows what’ll happen once we get there!”

Luca took a sip of his cigar and said, “you're not wrong about that…”

“W-well let’s hurry up, we don’t want to be left behind!”

“Alright! Alright! Pfft, I’d rather be left behind to be honest, but oh well..”

“Let’s take my car, it should be around here somewhere.”

“You mean the car full of bullet holes? I'd rather be in a vehicle with no bullet holes alright?”

Ouch, not my fault we were being chased by trigger happy guys in suits.

“So then what car should we take? There’s plenty to choose from.”

“Hmm…...one without bullet holes thank you very much.”

“I get it Luca, so how about that one?”

“That looks fine.”

“Alright then it’s settled, let’s get a move on……..Francesco you might need to load that all in the trunk….”

“Sure I guess.” Said Francesco struggling to keep up with me and Luca as we walk towards our ride.

I start up the car and follow the long line of vehicles all similar to each other. The line moved ever so slightly in a long period of time. There were obviously multiple ways to get to the Bambino’s headquarters but since there were so many mobsters in cars traffic was rampant.

Luca slammed my headrest and yelled, “Can these cars go any faster!?!?!?” He started tapping the window with his finger and uncontrollably shaking his leg.

After almost an hour of waiting in traffic the lines started to move a lot quicker, it should take another hour to get to the Bambino headquarters, the cars that were the first in line might’ve already reached their headquarters and maybe waiting for everyone else, or maybe the first group already attacked, but for sure I ain’t gonna miss out on this!

When it got to the highway I skipped each and every other car in an attempt to get their faster, after an hour of driving on the highway I finally arrived near the Bambino’s headquarters, all the Angelo family mobsters all gathered here waiting for the rest to arrive.

The Bambino headquarters should be around the corner, maybe even a couple of blocks away. Another hour or two and everyone should be here.

After two hours of waiting everyone was here, some people separated from the group to go look at stores and hit on woman passing by but by the time people were done coming in through the highway they all returned.

We turned the corner in a line walking on the sidewalk. We kept our firearms in our hands as people passed by, people who would pass by would start to sprint probably once they knew who we were and what we were doing with these guns.

After a couple of blocks, there was this big mansion with a gate, there were tables with various vases and drinks. Some slow jazz was being played as the men inside were dancing and drinking, they were fully unaware of what was to come.

One of the guys from the line walked up to the gate, he hid his pistol within his large trench coat.

“Hey! Can someone open the gate! I’m here for the party!”

Someone started to open the gate from inside, the two men inside were drunk and they slurred their speech to the point where you couldn’t understand what they were saying, then the monster that hid his gun pulled it out and shot both of them in the stomach, they fell on their backs as they held the spot where they had been shot in an attempt to stop or slow the bleeding.

The line of Angelo mobsters ran inside past the gate, Francesco and Luca were beside me as we charged in. The people outside the mansion were all intoxicated and it took them a while to realize what was happening, they tried to pull out a pistol but I shot them. The hole made by the bullet went through and blood was being pumped out, in their blood, I could faintly see their heartbeat and they started to regurgitate blood. It was truly a horrific sight to behold.

Anyone on sight was shot before they could even react, the shots were loud and could be heard across the city. Bodies full of holes piled up and a sea of blood formed as well as rivers that diverged from the main body. It was a bloody massacre.

Those that tried to flee were quickly brought down without hesitation, not a single person of the Bambino family was permitted to escape.

The doors of the mansion opened and a man with multiple guards around him appeared but they all had their hands up. They walked down the steps and towards us.

It’s finally over……..

“You people, what family are you from? If you mind me asking this one last question.”

I point my BAR at him, his life will be over once I’ve answered his last questions.

“The Angelo family.”

“Why is the Angelo family doing this!?!?!? What have we done!?!!??”

I grit my teeth. I grip my BAR tight and felt like making him suffer for a lot longer.

“You know what you’ve done! You killed Michaelangelo!”

“W-who in hell I-is that!?!???”

“Don’t play dumb with me! Michaelangelo was my friend and you killed him!”

“W-we did nothing of the sort! What are these outlandish claims?!?!?”

“DON'T SCREW WITH ME!!!”

BANG

The man who was the boss of the Bambino family fell on his left knee, I shot him there and he was bleeding profusely.

“W-Wait, please! I-I’ll do anything you want! Just…...just please don’t kill me!!!!”

“Heh…….hah…...hahaha!!!”

BANG

And so I shot him in the other knee, know he was fully on his knees. He started crusting like a little baby and held his hands together as if he was praying.

“Pweesh Iy brweg ywoo!!!”

“This last one is for Michaelangelo……”

I aim directly at his head as he cried and pleaded for me not to do this to him. His tears were genuine, but those tears would have never been shed for anyone other than himself.

“Die a second time by the hands of Michaelangelo in the sky you bastard.”

BANG BANG BANG

Behind me I heard three gunshots, I turn around and see a man dead holding a pistol in his hand, he had multiple bullet holes in him he was only bleeding out of one of them.

What? How was he alive? Tch, I guess it takes more than one bullet to kill someone sometimes…….where and what did he even shoot?”

Francesco and Luca who were beside me were quite, usually thus be a bit more talkative but I guess a place where many people were massacred isn’t the best place to strike up a conversation. In truthfulness, I too felt sick to the stomach, at any moment I felt as if I was about to puke. Not only is there a battlefield in Europe but a battlefield here as well.

Suddenly in the corner of my eyes, I see Luca and Francesco collapse onto the ground lifeless.

Thud Thud

“W-What!?!?!? Francesco! Luca!”

A puddle of blood formed beneath their bodies.

No…..no…...no, no, no, no, no.

“...........umm…….”

BANG

I shoot the boss of the Bambino family and drop my BAR.

I kneel and I turn Francesco and Luca over. Their eyes were squinting and you could see the life being drained out of their eyes.

Some of the mobsters turned out to be medics and they did what they could with the limited resources they had to keep them both alive. They ripped off pieces from their suits and provided them with water.

“An…..tonio.”

Francesco held out his hand as he called my name. I held his hand and pleaded with him, I begged him, I begged for him to live through this. It was the same for Luca.

“An…...tonio…...I’m……..sorry……..I……...don't…….have…….much……..longer……...the white light is……..is becoming brighter.”

“No! Francesco don’t die here! Not now!”

“Would you pipe it down Antonio…….your making the wound hurt even more…...hah.”

Luca was pale and he too didn’t look like he’ll last another minute.

“Don’t you two die on me!”

“Haha…….don’t worry about, ya good pal Luca will give you a warm welcome once you kick the bucket too…….we'll be waiting there won’t we? Right, Francesco?”

“For sure….”

“Guys! Don’t give up so easily! Just hang in a little longer!”

“The sky is calling for us, Francesco and I have have done what we could here, it’s now time to see what we’ll do up there.”

“Well…...goodbye old friend, I’ll tell Michaelangelo hi for you, we are after, childhood buddies am I right?”

“Y-your right…..f-fine, leave! If that’s what you two want!”

“Haha I knew you’d understand kid…..well I guess it’s time to leave.”

Their breathing became slower as they closed their eyes, it wasn’t too long after that their chests stopped moving and they passed away.

I kept honking to myself why I couldn’t have died instead of those three, those three were great people and I was nothing. If I had the chance I would switch my place with theirs, they deserve to live not me…….if only I was the one who died instead. Oh…...not again…….Just how many people will I lose in this life…..