2025-05-16 21:33:40
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Via del Silenzio
Dane walked into the bar and sat on a chair with a table in front of him. A waitress came over and asked if there was anything he’d like to order.He said, “Just give me a beer or a glass of water.”She smiled. “Well, I’m going to give you a beer,” she said, then walked away.She came back with a tray and the beer on top of it. Dane took it from her.“Sir, is there anything else you’d like to order? We also sell some snacks that go well with the beer. Or do you want cigarettes?”“No need for that,” Dane replied.She walked away.“Oh, it’s time for me to call David… or should I just blackmail him? Well, whatever,” Dane said, then opened his phone. He copied the number Butcher had sent him, pasted it into the dialer, and called.As the phone rang, David picked up.“Hello, who is this?” David said.“I’m your worst nightmare,” Dane said. “That’s who I am. Be ready, because you’re doomed. If you don’t come to this location, Richard will kill you. Don’t waste time. Come to Via del Silenzio.
Trigger Point
After a short while, Dane stepped out of his room and roamed the ship. As he walked, his phone rang. It was Butcher. Seeing the name on the caller ID, Dane picked up immediately. “Sir, is it time?” Dane asked. “Yes, it’s time,” Butcher replied. “Prepare yourself. I’ll send you everything you need. Take your bike and move out. Don’t forget, you’re going to need guns for this mission. Things might get messy.” “What’s the plan?” Dane asked. “You’re going to blackmail someone—one of Richard’s men,” Butcher said. “His name is David. I’ll send his number to you, along with a photo. Use that to pressure him into betraying Richard.” “What photo?” Dane asked. “You’ll see it when you get to the location I just sent. Go to that address, find a bar nearby, and wait there. Once you’re in place, call David. Make him meet you at that bar. The rest is up to you.” “Yes, sir. Send the location. I’m heading out now,” Dane said. Butcher ended the call. Dane returned to his room, took off his to
Almost Showtime
Dane decided to take a quick nap. But when he opened his eyes, it was already 5 PM.“Damn, that wasn’t a quick nap,” he muttered, sitting up.He rubbed his face, got up, washed his mouth, splashed water on his face, then threw on his jacket again. He sat back down and waited—Jane was supposed to arrive soon.About thirty minutes later, there was a knock on the door.He opened it.“It’s been a while, friend,” Jane said with a polite smile.“It has,” Dane replied, then added with a smirk, “But please… don’t ‘friendzone’ me. You could’ve just said ‘love.’”“Whatever,” Jane said, rolling her eyes.She was carrying a small luggage case. She stepped into the room, placed the luggage on the table, and opened it. Inside were suits, documents, and a sleek black box.She pulled out one of the suits and handed Dane a fake ID badge.“This is your pass to get into Richard’s mansion tomorrow,” she said.Dane looked over the suit.“This looks good. Was it you who picked it for me?”“Probably not. Th
The Setup
He’d overheard Gary and Leo’s earlier conversation. This was part of their plan. Dane walked over. “What’s going on?” he asked. Just then, Gary appeared behind him, acting concerned. “What’s going on?” Gary echoed. He bent down, looking at the man on the ground. “Who stabbed you? Talk to me! I saw someone running—someone just ran past me when I was coming this way. I don’t know who it was. First time I’ve ever seen him. Was that one of Butcher’s men?” Dane stayed calm, pretending not to know anything. “Someone ran past you?” Dane asked. “Yes,” Gary nodded. “They were fast. Gone in a second.” Then he turned to the wounded man. “What happened? Who did this to you?” The man groaned, clutching his side. “It was Leo. He stabbed me and ran. Leo’s escaped.” Dane played along, even though he knew it was all lies. “Leo? Escaped? Are you sure? Damn. Where could he have gone?” he said. He stood up and walked off to call the medics on the ship. As soon as Dane was gone, Gary bent do
Too Late
Butcher was right. He told me to make sure Leo doesn’t leave. I have to do that, Dane thought to himself.He zipped up his jacket, pulled an Uzi from under the bed, and loaded it with bullets.Then, slowly and quietly, he opened the door and stepped out.As he came out, he spotted someone nearby. It looked like the man had been watching his door. The moment their eyes met, the man quickly turned and walked away fast.“What’s going on? Was that guy really watching my door? Something’s not right… I hope Leo’s not still around,” Dane muttered.He hurried toward the room where Leo was being kept.At the same time…Gary was already moving Leo out.The man who had been watching Dane ran straight to Gary and said, “Gary, Dane just came out of his room.”Gary reacted immediately.“Leo, it’s time. Even if Dane suspects something, we stick to the plan. I’ll explain things later. Just go now. I’m going to stab someone as we agreed—to make it look real. Jason, take Leo and get off the ship.”Leo
Danger on the Line
“Well, thank you, Maria. I’m actually starving,” Butcher said with a grin. Maria walked over and sat beside him on the bed, placing the tray of food down between them. “I feel like feeding you,” she said playfully, taking a spoonful of rice and bringing it to his mouth. Butcher chuckled and opened his mouth, letting her feed him. As she lifted the spoon for a second bite, he gently took it from her hand. “This is actually a bit embarrassing,” he said with a shy smile. “We’re not as young as we used to be. It feels a little silly.” Maria smiled warmly. “Well, you’re right. We’re not as young as we used to be. But… it’s… those days still feel like yesterday to me,” she said softly. “I just wanted to have a little bit of fun. Because I’m really glad you’re back. Thank you.” Butcher looked at her for a moment, touched. Then, still smiling, he began feeding himself, the warmth between them growing deeper in the quiet moment they shared. Maria watched Butcher closely as he finished h
