Giving his attention back to the scope on his rifle view. He saw that Nestore had stopped his shouting and was now calmly addressing his audience. A very interesting collection if what he has read about them on the secret files he recovered can be relied on as true. It was getting to the time for him to take his shot, just a few minutes more. He couldn’t hear what the Don might have been saying but his appearance through the scope was good enough. The glass over the building would have hampered his clear seeing of Nestore, only that the angle he has chosen was perfect and the glare of sunlight was at the other angle and the building was giving him some shade from the sunlight too. Besides his enhanced sight was magnifying the image been seen on the scope.


This was what he wanted. This is where he wanted to push the Don to. He has hit him in certain ways to elicit certain responses from the mafia boss and Nestore has acted predictably. He knew the Don will be forced to have this meeting here. Well time to push him a bit closer to the precipice. No enough to push him over yet, just enough to get him sweaty. Penance could have smiled if he was still his old self but his face remained cold and impassive as he brought out his specially modified and encrypted smartphone and dialed Nestore’s personal cell number. The call had gone as he had wanted it and the mob boss has responded as be expected.


Dropping the call unexpectedly was part of the effect to drive the Don mad. He had seen the Don gesturing when he dropped the call. His hands was on the trigger of the rifle with the cross hair fixed on the Don. He shifted the aim to the man by his right who was about to take back the phone from his boss when Penance stroke the trigger and the man’s head exploded. He saw the hit as a tiny red splat. Despite the reinforced glass, the . 50 Cal had gone through it and stayed on target, that was impressive. The shock of the sudden attack will take them a second or two to figure out what just happened and how they should respond. Penance took that time to take out another target, the next one closest to Nestore, the man on his left.


As he dropped him, the huge man standing behind the Don had dragged him down under the table his mouth moving as if he was shouting. The others followed suit and dropped down not before a slight touch to the trigger took out another target. Penance wasn’t worried about it anyway because he never intended to take out the Don for now, he just wanted to strike close to his person and get him personally afraid. Well he still have seven more bullets in his ten round box magazine. He shot them all at the walls, floor and glasses just to create the feeling of a random shoot out. As the magazine ran dry, he broke the gun apart, stored them back in the bag he made for them and quickly heads for the door out of the floor.


When he got to the two men he had tired, he dropped a clean knife close to where they can get it if they struggled hard enough. He made sure they saw their means of freedom before heading out. Entering the express elevator to the ground floor, he wasn’t worried he will be caught downstairs. Besides the building he used been far away enough that before the mafia can respond and get here he would have been gone, there are three buildings from which the gun fire could have come from any of them.


So Penance was out of the door leading out of the building, joining the pedestrians on the sidewalk. He looked at the tall buildings on the streets, with cars, busses and people just passing without any idea what just took place above them. He get to his parked pickup van and drove out of that place thinking of the next appointment he has to attend to before the day was over.

He checked for the organization involved in the wiring and got a name with its logo, GEN CABLES AND WIRES LIMITED. He got a screen shot of the logo, the company’s painting colors on their vehicles and the kind of uniform their field technicians wear. Jaylen had been helpful with the pickup van’s painting using the company’s colors and logo. Penance has been able to get a passable coverall uniform that mimics the ones their workers will wear. With all that completed, he got a tool box, with a bag holding electrical parts and conduits. The back of the sealed pickup van has an unnoticeable false floor where Penance hid the Barrett M82.


He had to work on his appearance. With little cosmetics applied, he changed the light tone of his skin to a darker shade color. Got a black colored beard and mustache which he slapped on his chin. He had to dye his white hair to complete black. He needed to change his appearance, since he wouldn’t be putting on mask or wearing his customary all body black spandex, that will be the only way to hide his identity. With the preparation completed, he drove the truck out of the auto shop heading for the downtown part of Brooklyn.


There was a slight tumbling noise behind him which made him to turn and look. Two men were tied up with hands held behind their backs and legs bounded together. Their mouth were covered with duct tape and eyes opened wide in fear. The sound had come from one of them that was squirming which with careful look, Penance notice the stain of liquid on the dark coverall he was putting on, his enhanced spell quickly picked up the whiff of urine. The tied men were putting on identical coverall like the one Penance was having, they are the two technicians that were carrying out the wiring job for the six remaining floors.


When Penance had come in, he saw them working, held them at gun point, tied them and covered their mouth. He took away their communication units and their smart phones. The place they are in now is a wide open space with just the concrete ceiling and tiled floor. There were some concrete pillars too. Nothing much has been put on this floor except for the glass windows. After securing the technicians, Penance had chosen the perfect sport for his attack. When he had brought out the disassembled parts of the Barrett M82 and assembled it before the tied men, their faces had turned sour in fear.

1.09pm EST

Penance looked through the scope on the Barrett M82 taking his time to study the readout on its tiny tactical display. Jaylen was right, he had the setting and calibration correct and accurate. But he didn’t have the on-site data to work on but on general functionality, the accuracy is near perfect. He worked carefully but quickly knowing the small window of time he has to take out his targets. Working the control on the scope’s display, he adjusted the range finder to the correct meter distance , then made room for the lead/deflection scale. He was extra careful as he readjusted both the main targeting drop and bullet drop.


One thing every sniper knows for sure is that bullets tend to veer off target after hitting a solid object. And between him and his target is a solid wall of glass he knows could be heavily armored. Though his weapon is chambered with . 50 Cal rounds, it can still go some few meters off target after punching through the glass.
He had asked Jaylen to arranged a pick-up van for him which can help him get as close to his target as possible without drawing attention to himself. Jaylen has been able to rigged discarded vehicle parts to arranged a decent looking pick-up van. While he was busy doing that, Penance has been searching the web and studying available information on the site of his target.


The FEEDNEWS TOWER has other five sky rise buildings all far apart from it but close enough for him to get his target with the long range rifle. His study of the building plans of the target tower shows that the penthouse floor the mafia boss will be has a wide range ceiling to floor glass window running three parts of the walls. And there are three buildings that can give him an angle shot into that the penthouse. Penance had taken his time to study the building and noticed that one of them, a twenty five floors building has its six top floors under construction. Though the building proper is finished on the outside, just some fixtures and fittings with the electric wiring for the six floors were remaining. This looks like the perfect spot for him.

Evold:
The bigger shots in the family are all gone with only Roccia left with the family head. Hope penance didn't leave them on purpose

No all. Just two. Penance didn’t want to kill all of them yet. He has his plan

Claudio’s hand was just about to hold the phone when his head exploded in a shower of bloody spray of bones and brain matter. It happened so fast that the accompanying glass break followed almost immediately. Those sitting were still too surprised to understand what was going on when the next head to erupt was that of Pazzo who was also sitting close to the Don. He was about standing from the chair when his head blew out staining the Don’s suit with thick blood. Just then the sudden shock evaporated and Roccia who was standing behind the Don quickly pulled his boss backwards out of the chair and down below the table covering him with his massive body and a hand gun on his hand.


Just then another person who was running for the door got smacked right behind him with a bullet which threw him forward to crash on the door. The bullet that hit him created a tiny hole on his back which blew out into a fist sized crater on his chest. He flailed his hands and feet as he crashed to the tiled floor a pool of blood surrounding him. Another runner got his feet slipped from the blood on the smooth floor. With much force his two feet left the floor and he crashed down heavily and passed out as his head cracked loudly with the hits. The bullet that was made for him passed over his falling body to smack heavily on the wall which blew a big hole in it.


The fallen man passed out into the darkness. The others had all dropped down and rolled below the thick wooden table as the examples they had seen had taught them to stay put till the sniper finish shooting. Several other shots followed which peppered the walls, chewed huge gouges out of the table. While pieces of glasses has started to rain down in a shower as the hardened glass of the building’s window collapsed after repeated hits and punctures. Just as it seem the shooting will never stopped, it all ended so suddenly followed by a dead silence.


Which was broken when the Don was hustled out of the door only to crash into the group of armed men that were running towards the conference room after an alarm has been raised that there were shootings. There was a tangle as the Don fell into the oncoming triggermen. Roccia rushed in pushing everyone with his massive size and strength. He got his boss up from the tangle. Standing besides his boss, Roccia looked on angry at every one around with his gun with one fist. He towered over his boss brooding over him like a hen over chicks. Every one stayed clear from the behemoth knowing his strength and temper.


“I want that son of a bitch killed, no matter what it cost. I want him dead. “ Nestore screamed as he recovered from his wounded pride. Everyone watched in fear because none has seen the Don this angry. And all these are like prelude to declaration of war.

In a flash Nestore lost his temper and violent vituperation spew from his lips into the phone. After about two minutes without a response from the other end, he stopped thinking the caller had dropped the call. But he could tell the call was active. “What do you want? “
“You. “ the caller said simply. “Though you’re not my ultimate target but I want to get to him through you. Still you have to be punished for your participation. “
“My participation in what? “


There was a few seconds of silence before the reply came from the phone. “You killed some people you should not have. That was a mistake? “
While he was speaking, the Don strained his ears to see if he can pick up background noise besides the speaker’s voice. But all he could hear is the voice and nothing else. As if he was speaking in a vacuum.
“Who are the people I killed? “ the Don tried to prolong the conversation. He really wished this was a call he could trace and get the location of the caller.
“You don’t need to know. “ the voice said calmly almost like teasing. “All that should matter to you is you will get paid for their deaths. “


“What the hell is that supposed to mean? “
“Are you ready to die, Nestore? “
Before he could get his reply up, he heard the call drop. “The son of a bitch hanged up on me. “ the mob boss said as he handed over the phone to Claudio who was standing by to receive it.

“It’s all in the works sir, “ the mobster responded. “I already have an interested party. Mostly boys from the southern part, all local boys with military background and combat experience. “
The Don kept quiet for a long time thinking through some things before suddenly opening his mouth. “Anonymity, that’s the key. “
When the others at the table all looked at him questioning, he continued. “Anonymity has been the advantage he has but we will have to take away that advantage. We will have to draw him out of hiding. All we need to do is set him up well and proper. “


Just then the silence in the room was broken by a polite but insistent knocking. “Who’s the fool that forgot I gave specific orders that I shouldn’t be disturbed no matter what? “ As the knocking continued, the Don ordered. “Claudio go see who it is and kick his ass. “
Claudio got up, opened the door but instead of the harsh sounds of blows been delivered, it was whispered discussion that came from beyond the open door. Soon Claudio closed the door and was holding the Don’s personal smart phone when he walked back to the conference table.
“Sir it’s a call for you. “ Claudio passed the phone to his boss.


“Who’s it? “
“Sir it’s him. “ Claudio replied almost like in awed whisper.
“Him who? “ Nestore raised his voice.
“You know, him “ Claudio said with a side nod of his head.
When recognition came on his face, Nestore's features hardened with his lips grinding hard. “The son of a LovePeddler is really bold. “
He took the phone and placed it on the side of his face. “Yes who’s this? “
“Hope I have your undivided attention now? “ said the annoyingly familiar voice from the phone’s tiny speaker.

“But has anyone seen the kind of car or vehicle he uses? “ Coltello threw his question to Macellaio who has seem to be the one answering questions. “From the swiftness of his attacks, he certainly isn’t moving around in just his feet, he must have a vehicle he moves around town in. “
“Yes but so far no one has been able to determine how he gets out of the scene after he has completed his sordid job. “ Macellaio answered with a certain stiffness.


“I have a thought about this, “ everyone immediately went quiet because of the speaker behind the words. Pazzo hardly speaks but when he does, everyone listens. “What about if it is someone that wants to bring you down but doesn’t want to use any of his own men because he will be easily discovered. Instead employs someone outside the state or country. Equip him outside, provide mobility and accommodation for him outside, so he doesn’t get anything in this town. That will give him some level of anonymity. “
“Pazzo, are you trying to say, though the thought has crossed my mind thousands of times, that another Don could be behind this? “ Nestore asked after taking careful time to think about what was said.


“It doesn’t have to be another Don. Could just be anyone who has something against you. “ Pazzo added almost too low for others to hear. “Although another Don will be the likely candidate for this considering the amount of resources being pulled into this. “
“Well I’m looking into that angle personally. “ Macellaio threw a careful look at the Don, when he got his approval to continue in the form of a slight nod, he added. “ I’ve been in constant communication with all our contacts in the families heading the other Boroughs. No indication that any of the Dons could be involved. Though serious excitement is being generated by these events amongst them. “
“What about the professional Mercs I ordered you to employ for this? “ the mafia boss faced Macellaio.

“All the trash I have been talking about is this, I want this motherfuc.ker dead. “ the Don’s voice was much more calm now. “I want this smart ass guy who thinks he can screw with me and get away with it, found and simply killed. This is not a hard job, is it? You all have killed someone before, right? It’s as simple as walking up a street, seeing a guy, pointing a gun at him and puff, he is dead. All I want is for you to do same thing, only this time to this guy. That is quite simple enough, right? “
Complete silence was the response he got. Everyone’s eyes were fixed at specific points all away from the angry boss.


“Okay let me bring it from this angle. In just two days this fu.cker has caused me a damage way above ten million dollars. What it means is as long as he is alive, my businesses suffer. If my businesses suffer then money doesn’t come in. If money doesn’t come in then you don’t get paid. Well if you don’t understand any other thing, you should understand the meaning of not getting paid. “
Nestore knows he is wasting time attacking them like this. These are his lieutenants they have high stakes in his family business. He has just been wasting the better part of three hours throwing around useless tantrums.


“Macellaio I gave you an assignment to snoop around the street for this guy. What do you have? “
“Boss, there’s nothing on the street. This guy seem like a ghost. Comes out of nowhere and starts blowing things up. “
“There should be traces. Someone new coming into town. A stranger buying or renting a car, or a sport shop owner selling guns to a new face. Or one of the hotel giving out a room to a newcomer in town. One of these should yield a positive response. “
“I have tried that angle but nothing fruitful has come up too. That is why I said he appears to go and cone like a ghost. “


“What if he comes out of town , strikes and goes out of town again? “ Claudio asked gingerly rubbing his painful jaw.
“That won’t be possible. “ Macellaio response was quick. “If that was the case, he wouldn’t have been able to strike twice like he did last night and get out of town. He would have met the police at the roads leading out of the city. Considering the way he was dressed, he would be seen as a threat from a long way off. “

Nestore had taken the top floor as his office space. The whole floor was divided into his personal office, the space for the lifts, two conference halls, one of which the present meeting is taking place. The two walls of the place is made up of hardened reinforced glasses with a transparent see through floor to ceiling. The view from there is of the Brooklyn Bridge over the East River. Further in the distance is the skyline view of the spires of Manhattan skyscrapers. None of these view cheered Nestore at the moment.


The conference room has a long walnut table with about a dozen soft leathers chairs all around it but nine of their occupants weren't in any state of rest. Nestore, who was seated at the head of the table has the attention of everyone there. During his hours long tirade he had called them “weaklings “ ”pussies” “ballsless” “lazy” “incompetent “ “cowards” and “fools”. With time he had calmed down realizing that his outburst of anger is getting nothing done. In fact he was facing the wrong object of the wrath. He took about five minutes to take deep breath, inhaling and exhaling. No one among the people he is looking at now deserved to be called any of the names he has called them but damn it, he is mad.


Someone is going around screwing up his businesses and he seem powerless to stop it. Sitting at his immediate right is Claudio, the head of his bodyguards who was nursing bruised jaw from the strike Nestore had landed on his jaw. He was a competent man and as loyal as anyone can be. After him is one of his most dangerous triggeeman, he is the head of the Don’s streets enforcers. Coltello is a ruthless and dangerous man. None comes close to him in ferocity except Macellaio. Coltello is thin like wires but doesn’t look sickly but a slimness that reminds his watchers of a coiled snake. He is fondly called “The Knife “ because of his love for the use of knife.


His hair is cut very short close to his scalp. His eyes are like unlit black coals. The right side of his face has a wide burnt scar. He was wearing an expensive tailored suit that looks several sizes too big for him.
Macellaio was sitting next to him. He has a black hair slick and oily, parted at the center of his head running down both sides with curly ends. The advantage Macellaio has over the head triggerman is that he knows the streets and has his connections. But he is as dangerous as Coltello. The fourth person is Bruto, a bushy haired man with black bushy mustache and beard. He was all on black. Black suit and shirt.


Pazzo was the first person sitting at the left hand side of the Don, An unusually quite man with his gray suit, who doesn’t talk much but most times when he opens his mouth, uncharacteristic wise words do spill out. Standing behind the Don’s chair like a mountain is Roccia. He is a true mountain of a man. He is seven feet two, with huge bulging muscles, a bald head with well trimmed heavy beard and mustache , his huge hands are calloused. He was an unsuccessful body builder and wrestler. Nestore had picked him up from the street after frustration from his unsuccessful career. A failure to his career that Nestore has caused in other to push him to utter dependence so he can become a tool of the mob and it had worked.


Roccia was his major bodyguard before but Nestore had sent him as a backup for his loansharks in the streets. But now considering all that is happening he had withdrew him back to his side. The others in the meeting doesn’t rate as important as these five. Don Nestore is feared in the streets of Brooklyn and one of the reason is these five triggermen and the mafia enforcers. They are the hands of the Nazzareno family, they have created an aura of fear for the mob.

What did they do to you Chris? Jaylen wailed inwardly as he continued to look at him. His hair is now totally white. Not in a graying way but in a silvery silky sheen. His eyes are now colder just like his face, almost always with that creepy icy stare. The changes he had seen and the wreckage he has been able to cause single handedly on the mafia are proves of the changes Chris had undergone. But who had done this to him and why? Looking at Chris speak, at times he talks like his old self with always the touch of sarcasm and witticism at other times he speaks like someone just reading from an already typed script.


Damn he had lost his friend once when he thought he had died. Now that he is back, Jaylen wasn’t sure he has really gotten his friend back. No matter what, he owes Chris to help him through all this. He had saved his life once and besides what are friends for.
“Hey Penance, “ Jaylen said with mild sarcasm. “I’m hungry. I’ve got to eat. You coming? “

1.03pm EST

Don Nestore Nazzareno was tired and has shouted his voice hoarse over the three hours of crucial meeting with his underlings taking place at the penthouse office building in downtown Brooklyn.


The building is one of the very few skyrise buildings, a Seventeen story building of concrete, steel and glass. The building wasn’t a new one, it was at least ten years old. The first owner built it for a News station house he called FEEDNEWS TOWER. The business went bankrupt after three years. So it was sold to a man who wanted to convert it to a sort of high brow apartment buildings. The local law on housing could not let him, so he handed it over to an estate agent who sold it to a wealthy woman. She bought it for just keeping it till soneone else took an interest.


He was a business man who wanted a block of offices for his various business interests and the FEEDNEWS TOWER, whose name has not changed over the years, seems the perfect place. He bought it over at a slightly higher price than its real worth but he was satisfied with the deal. His business was running smoothly until the crime cartels supremacy wars. This adversely affected his businesses, as downtown was a focal point of the mob’s turf wars. Soon the war ended and he was glad his dwindling business will bounce back. How mistaken he was. The Nazzareno family who won the cartel wars had the same idea he had.


Nestore wanted the building to house offices for his numerous business. Besides a sky rise building is relatively secured and very hard to break into. Nestore has pressurized, harass, intimidated and threatened the former owner to sell the building to him. The owner had stubbornly refused until his wife and three children were kidnapped. His priced horse and beloved dogs were brutally murdered when the message finally sank in: the mafia will always get what they want. He knew his continued obstinacy will get him nothing but his death eventually. Not even the authorities could help. He had agreed to sell it out at a third of the purchased price. The mafia representative said that was a punishment for his refusal.

“Well I was a soldier and I know wars are fought with the intentions to win. And lots of times what helps you win wars are the advantages you have over your enemies. I’m no electronic whiz but I’m sure there will be time you will need the digital security and advantage electronic devices will bring for you. “
“I’m aware of that. I used to have resources I can go to for such supports but all of them are now part of the enemy I have to fight. “
“Well I can sniff something out on my own. I have recently had contacts with some ex war buddies who are into mercenary and private security outfits. I can anonymously get all you need. Just make a list. “


For the next few minutes, Penance had gotten a paper with pen and was writhing down some things. When he was through he hand over the sheet to Jaylen. His friend took a long look at the list and whistled at one of the item.
“Drones. That’s easy to get but the ones with the capacity and features you want will be hard to come by. “ He folded the piece of paper carefully and put it in a front pocket on his clothes. “In the long run we are going to need someone with vast electronic knowledge. “


“That’s not anything to worry about, I already know how to conduct untraceable surveillance and I have all the security codes and passwords to hack into my enemies’ system. I have sufficient information to work with at this stage of things. When it’s time to up the ante, then I will set up most of the things in that list. “
Jaylen sat quietly for a long while just looking at Penance who had just finished his third cup of coffee. Mixed emotions struggled in his mind. After the funeral of his family and that of his friend’s, he had lost all hope of ever saying him again.


Then on a gray looking morning, Chris had appeared all of a sudden in an all black all body covered skin tight clothing but calling himself Penance instead. The story he had spilt out was both sad and fascinating. Letting Jaylen know that the deaths of both their families were not accidents. He had talked about an elaborate scheme behind it all which is why he came back to punish all those involved starting with the mafia family that controlled the underworld in Brooklyn. Jaylen had thought him crazy when Chris had said he is going after the mafia. No one single man can fight the mafia. It’s a big organization, powerful, influential, rich and dangerously ruthless. But the improvements he had seen in his once marine friend had left him awed.

“Do you know what? It hurts me to say this, but I think you are a coward. You are too scared to face reality. You got worried about what your new life will be with everything taken away from you. Instead you picked up a war just to justify your miserable existence . You aren’t the only one who lost everything, I did too. Though I have had my psychological episodes and attempted suicides, still I’m not living in denial or pretending not to be a human again or cast aside my friend. You wear a mask to hide not from others but yourself. You use your cold attitude to hide your fear of urck… “


As if a shadow just popped out, Jaylen found his neck held under strong pressure and he could no longer speak as his air were cut off. Penance hand had gripped his neck and with an ease that defy all natural logic, lifted him from the floor, his feet stretched out was still some inches away from the ground.
“Stop talking and making assumptions concerning me. You know nothing of what happened to me. You know nothing of the changes that was wrought in me. What ever emotional attachments we had in the past is dead. Stop trying to bring it up. It was over a while back. “


Jaylen massaged his neck slowly, coughing after Penance released him.
“I’m sorry for that, you are not my enemy, I shouldn’t have attacked you. I had to let you know the truth. “
“I still don’t believe all you are saying Chris. “
“Believe what you want. “
After some minutes of tense silence, Penance said. “My sedan car is good and helps me get by in the public without raising suspicion but it will not be suitable for the next phase of my actions. I will need vehicles with more power and storage space for the bigger hardware I will be carrying along with me. “


“Alright with the cash here, I got you covered for wheels. I suggest an armored SUV and a van. “ Jaylen picked up on the conversation as if nothing had happened. “ I will have to do lots of body work on the van or SUV, or why not get both, the cash is there. The modifications will be tailored to your specific needs. “
Penance nods in agreement but Jaylen wasn’t through yet. “I’m forced to say you have almost been going into this blindly. You have no electronic surveillance or communication systems. “
“This is just a war I want to fight alone. “

“And here is my favorite scope for that beast. I calibrated it myself for total accuracy, having locked in the points of aim and impact to the same point with a three to five inches margin of error allowed. “ Jaylen paused a bit as Penance seem to start disassembling the rifle. “As you might have noticed,, I have rigged this one so it can be separated into three parts for ease of transport and concealment in its specially designed box . When reassembled, it is easier to get back the accuracy of the scope with minimal settings. “
“It is a good choice for what I have in mind. “ Penance said as he kept the disassembled parts and started arranging them in the specialized compartments of the rifle’s box.


“What do you intend to do with these? “ Jaylen asked nodding his head towards the bags of money.
“The money is mostly yours. It will help you pickup again. “
“Quite considerate of you Chris but I don’t really think I need that much money any more. With a rough look I reckon there might be up of five hundred grands in all the bags combined. “
“I personally wouldn’t need the money but I’m going into a war and fighting one is expensive. “ Penance finished arranging the gun parts into the box and jammed it shut. “Besides I wasn’t expecting to get hardware from you for free. Charge everything I take from you off those bags. “


“You continue to act like we are no longer friends. “
“We were friends. Right now I’m better off alone. What I’m getting into will consume me and anyone close to me. In the interest of your safety, stay far away. “
“Hey Chris I wasn’t the one who came to you. You were the one who sought me out. “
“I wanted you to know I’m alive, at least I know I owe you that much. “

Penance was quiet for a while, his face seem in deep thought. “It’s alright. “ he said finally.
“When are you going to see her? “
“Soon, “ Penance looked up again the cold visage taking over once more. “Though I wouldn’t want to introduce myself. I don’t want her to get mixed up in the things I’m going to do. She deserves a better life far away from me. “
“Have you ever considered things from her point of view that she might live better if she knows you are alive? “
“That will be too dangerous for her. She is a weakness I can’t afford now. “


“You just might be right considering the heat you’ve just thrown around. “ Jaylen pointed the mug at him after draining the coffee. “I guessed that’s one reason you wear a mask. “
“Yes but also to show I’m no longer human. “
Jaylen took a while to look him over as he was about to go into the first compartment of the room. “You look human to me. “
Penance walked to the coffee maker, filled the mug cup Jaylen just drank from. The coffee was steaming as he lifted it to his lips and drained it in one full swoop.


“Here I’m introducing to you the Barrett M82A1 rifle, “ Jaylen said as he came back in carrying a huge looking rifle. “This is not just a rifle, it’s a whole sniper system. Though its .50 BMG cartridge might look like an overkill for what I suspect you might be going for, it’s never bad to be too cautious. “
He carefully laid the gun on the table close by to where Penance was standing, stocking the metal body with slow smooth caressing. “Looking at the kind of wealth the mafia possesses, they just might have armored covering to protect the boss from a sniper. Most people never expect to get snipped by a .50 Cal rifle. “
Penance carried the gun easily, looked it all over expertly. While Jaylen watched and continued his narration. “With a muzzle velocity of above 800 meters per second and an effective firing range of above 1500 meters, it’s guaranteed to take out anything. With this monstrous eggs within it, you are covered. “ Jaylen brought out a box magazine for the Barrett rifle containing ten .50 Cal bullets.

Getting up Jaylen came to stand before him. “Do you know what your coming back did for me? I had concluded that everything that meant something to me in this life was gone. I had attempted suicide three times. Was locked up in a mental institution, had several visits to psychologists. None of this ever helped. I was determined to end my life no matter what, when you appeared out of nowhere like a ghost. You were like brought back from the dead. I was at your funeral. At both of our families’ funeral. Your coming pulled me back from the brink. You’re still Chris, my best friend, no matter what those monsters have done to you. “


“I am the monster. “ Penance pulled Jaylen’s face to him as he spoke in a low cold voice. “Look at me Jaylen, take a hard look. My hair has gone all white and silver. Look at my eyes and tell me they look like anyone else you have ever seen. I no longer feel empathy for anything. What ever feelings of friendship I had with you in the past had grown cold. All of my humanity and warmth were stripped off me. “
“Hey and you used to call me Jay and not Jaylen. So correct that. “ Jaylen said waving his hands as if trying to shoo Penance away. “I know you and I’m convinced you are still my friend. Something drew you to me when you came back. You looked for me and came to me. It tells me you still know somewhere in your heart what we meant to each other before. “


“I only came to you because I wanted only to use your help. “
“That hurts Chris and it’s really cold. “ The black man went to the coffee maker and poured himself a steaming coffee into a mug. He offered the other cup to Penance which he declined. “So tell me mister iced cold fish, do you tell me you no longer felt anything for her? “
Penance face took a dramatic change. An appearance of sudden pain crossed his features.
“Hey I’m sorry man, that was nasty of me, I shouldn’t have lashed out like that to you. Using her to get at you was a cheap shot. My bad. “

The one called Jaylen shrugged as he inspected the bags Penance had dropped on the table. “Wow, “ he whistled as he opened one of the bag seeing the bundles of dollar notes. “Is this a war booty? “
“No, more like a war chest. The mafia were grateful enough to contribute to the war effort that will bring them all down. “ Penance spoke without a trace of humor in his voice as he slowly got out of the full body covered black spandex.
“I guess they will definitely be feeling the heat right about now and counting their heavy loses. “


Getting into a faded jean pants, Penance went further back in the room to where a washing machine was and dumped the spandex into it. He silently agreed with the speaker but added. “Like I told you the mafia are not really my target, they are just a side thing. Though they played a role in what happened to me. I’m not a crime fighter neither am I getting rid of the scum to keep this city safe. My gripe with the mafia is totally personal. “
“Be that as it may, when the pattern of you attacks will be traced, you will end up being called a vigilante by the public , I think the press were already suggesting that anyway. “ Jaylen stood, went to plug a coffee maker to a wall socket.


“I’m not responsible for people’s misconception of me. “
“Yes you are not but it’s definitely going to bite you in the ass sooner or later if you ignore it. “
“I’d need a different weapon for my next strike. “ Penance changed the direction of the conversation abruptly. “Something with a longer range. “
“I thought you insisted that most of your fighting will be close quarters, hence your requests were mostly of hand guns and submachine guns. “
“Yes Jaylen but I want to hit Nestore a little too close this time before taking him out. “


Jaylen laughed, the sound coming out bitter and hollow from his lips. “ He won’t see you when you are coming for him. “
“No, he will see me. My face will be the last thing he sees. “
“So what do you need, an assault rifle or a sniper rifle? “
“A sniper rifle with an effective range of 800 meters. “
“ Back then in the Marine you were never a good Marksman when it comes to long range shots. At best you were just above average. You never could stay still for a long time to achieve that perfect shot. “


“A lot has changed about me, Jaylen. I’m not the same person you used to know. “
“Dammit Chris, you are the same person. “ Jaylen said hitting his fist on the table.
“I no longer go by that name. Everything attached to that name is gone. “
“Ooo so you’re just Penance now? “ Jaylen sneered. When Penance nodded in agreement, Jaylen continued. “That’s bullshlt. You’re still my best friend, forget all these cold attitude you put up. “

Evold:
Sorry about the lay off. I'm having the same issue I came here to de-stress and fortunately I found your updates. Hard luck

Lol... It's not funny. That's the present realities we face now. People are loosing jobs everywhere. Just don't give up.

Slow steps sounded beside him but Penance didn’t bother looking. An open door was at the other side of the room which has a staircase leading up to the top floor of the house, that was where the sound was coming from. As Penance took off his brown leather jacket, the shoulder rig and thigh holster holding his weapon, a man stepped in from the door holding a SPAS-12 shut gun. He was a dark skinned, bald head man on a rumpled work clothes that looked like he slept on them. His eyes look weary but alert. An untrimmed mustache occupied his upper lip and days worth of stubble his jaw.


“You loomed larger than life last night on the news, I mean your works were. “ the man said as he came in watched Penance silently before dropping his gun beside the bags and took a stool. When Penance said nothing, he added. “You practically set the city on fire leaving in your wake a pile of dead bodies. Neither the mafia nor the authorities seem happy with that. And the press are swooping on all of it. The public as always have divided opinions. I watched that all on the TV, most of the night. “


Still without replying, Penance went to one of the rack on the wall and took down a chrome colored stainless steel box. It has a security lock on one side with numeric keypad. Dialing the security code, the box open silently. Inside were thick glass vials arranged in neat rows. Most of them were filled with cerulean colored liquid. The lid part of the box has some strange looking kind of syringe with just the hypodermic needle and the piston, the chamber part was absent. He took the syringe and a glass vial. Placing the vial on the empty chamber space of the syringe caused it to lock in place with a silent click.


He set it aside to remove the glove on his left hand, pulling the spandex covering on his arm to expose the flesh. He took the syringe, gently inserting the needle into his arm and applying slight pressure to push the liquid vial into himself.
“Do you really have to do that? “ the black man asked after watching him for a few seconds closed his eyes as the effects of the drug seem to take over.
“Not really Jaylen , “ Penance replied opening his eyes. “I have been awake for about two days now, sleep and fatigue should have held me down. Within that tine I have been highly active pushing my body to the limits. I have received bullet wounds and other injuries. The accelerated tissue repair ability in me has been taxed excessively working over time to keep me alive and active. Though, it can take the punishment to my body, yet I have been warned by the doctor never to take things for granted. He may have cured me somewhat and stabilized my condition. Still it is important that anytime I have taxed myself this long, I should apply the drug just in case. “

Penance stepped through into a wide auto repair shop that took most of the space of the building’s entire floor. There were cars, trucks and a semi truck, all with open hoods in different stages of repair. Partially disassembled engine parts were littered about. A long iron work table was at one side of the shop with power tools and regular ones on it. Beyond that at the back is a workstation space, having a curved desk, a leather chair, a desktop system hooked into three large full HD screens all showing rotating images of engine parts. Just behind these are some doors with stickers on them identifying the kitchen, restroom and a bathroom.


A storage room door was the one that Penance focused on. The repair shop was brightly lit by huge bulbs above, giving the place no room for large shadowed area. He opened the door to the storage room. It was brightly lit too, having iron racks on which are arranged packaged auto parts, batteries, fan belts and other spare parts an auto repair shop will need for running their business. Passing through the cramped spaces between the racks, Penance got to another heavy looking metal door that a long plaque was placed over it reading ACCESS RESTRICTED. A spy camera was located atop of it and though the door had a heavy looking key hole, another security keypad was by it.


After punching the correct required numbers, Penance brought out a key, inserting it to hole, the door opened after three twists.
The room the door led to was a total difference from everything Penance has passed through in the repair shop. The walls of the room were all white with background lights. On the three sides of the walls are gun racks holding all kinds of guns from full assault rifles, to carbines, shotguns, submachine guns and auto pistols. The other wall has maps fixed on them. Along those is a huge 80 plus inch flat-screen 2K display television that was off.


Another work station table was in the room, with a semi circle desk with a desktop system and 32 inch screen HD plus display monitor. There are two open laptops on the workstation table too. Two touch screen smartphones were among the items on it. A half finished meal on a silver foil plate lay discarded besides a can of soda and half empty cup of tepid coffee. The room is divided into two sections. Beyond the office type look with gun racks is another part. Which when Penance got to has two long iron tables, that looks like workspace. This time, the walls on this one has different types of tools on the racks. On one of the table are disassemble parts of an assault rifle. Penance dragged the bags he had brought with him out of the car and dumped them on the empty second table.

6.47am EST

The black Jaguar sedan drives slowing through the pre-dawn darkness along a lonely road. Penance had held on his attacks, just roaming around, doing more investigation to pick out areas that will be the focus of his next attacks. Noticing that all the targets he saw were more protected with security more alert and prepared to be attacked. They are all expecting an attack from him. That wouldn’t have made any difference to Penance if he had wanted to take down another target but he felt he has done enough for to night.


He has the attention he wants but his next line of action, he plans to hit home very close to the Don, literally. He felt his whole body tingling. By right he should be dead tired and feeling very sleepy. But the enhance tissue repair was working on his system, keeping his body in peak physical condition. Syphoning away the weakness and drowsiness. The tingling in his body is a show that his body enhancements are at work. The mask was off his face at this time and his all black skin tight spandex costume was covered by his brown leather coat. His hair was silky white, not like the grayness of age. Eyes as dark as ever, under a thin silver colored eye brows. The thin face has gotten the rounded jaw squared off after years of top line training.


Slowing the car, he eased off the main highway into a side road which leads to a quiet neighborhood with more open spaces than there are houses. There were few trees with the houses and fewer cars packed at entrances to the modest abodes of the residents. Going a bit further away from the neighborhood, he saw another turn off from the side road but a shorter one this time. The tarmac on the road has the black tar surface bleached to a gray color due to age. The short road ended at a gate made of vertically lined iron bars attached to a diamond shaped chain linked cyclone fence with a barb wire top. He stopped the car at the gate, looked up at the CCTV hung on one of the top pillars of the gate.


As soon as his face was captured by the camera, the gate started to slide aside with a loud grating noise. When the gate was opened wide enough, Penance eased the Jaguar into the compound. He killed the engine and stepped out of the car into a wide open space with the metal hunks of dead cars and trucks scattered around the rough concrete floor. There were some of the vehicles with open hoods and their engines taken out of them. Beyond them is a single story red brick house with a billboard having the words JAYLEN AUTO SHOP. Penance got out of the car, went to the trunk and pulled out all the bags he had kept in their and carried them easily heading for the house.
A thick metal door bars the way into the building. Two roving cameras were fixed just below the lentils. A keypad lock was on the side of the door with a red LED light blinking. Penance punched in the correct numeric code and the red light turned green followed by a soft click as the door opened.

Hi guys, I'm sorry for my long absence, it's due to some challenges I was having. All work related though. The organization I work for have been down sizing since 2016. I think about 80% of the workers have been laid off. Well the cause, they say is the bad economy. At least they lost around 90% of their clients because they can no longer pay. Well it seem to have gotten to my turn to get laid off too. So I have been trying to deal with all that.
Anyway I have some parts already typed, so I can upload that tonight and tomorrow.

Fritz brought out the last cigarette in his daily pack. It was rumpled and it caused him to grimaced as he lit it an forcefully drew in smoke into his throat. The smoking calmed his trembling briefly. “ Here is what you will do. Get two boys from your Organized crime section to trail her everywhere she goes. She must not get out of their line of sight till all these mess are sorted out and she can safely return back to her heavenly Washington DC. Secondly, pass out the word, that all our informers on the streets are to avoid her. None should give her any kind of information that will lead her deeper into this case. I want her kept on the periphery. I know if she gets too deep, she definitely won’t cone out alive. So Deon I’m tasking you with her safety. “


“Aw C’mon boss, this is not a fair assignment. “
“Yes I know and that’s why I’m giving it to you. “
“Gee Lieutenant, it’s still not fair to me. “
“Get with the program boy, the world ain’t fair. “ Fritz said angrily. “You don’t get the vote here son, this isn’t a democracy. And see me as a harsh taskmaster that must be obeyed in other to live. “
“Boss you know babysitting isn’t my style. But telling me to be responsible for her safety is like telling me to stop a bear just out of hibernation from eating a bloody carcass. “
“I know it’s worse than your analogy, that’s why I’m giving it to you. “


“Why me sir? “
“Because I’m suffering from a psychological mood at the moment called transfer of aggression and unfortunately you are the closest person that I can pour the utter contempt I feeling right now on. “ Stopping for a second he faced Deon. “What the hell are you still standing here for? I gave you an order, didn’t I? “

“I’m surprised to hear you say that, Lieutenant Wilton. What has been happening here is so obvious “ the cold attractive face smiled at him with an unconcealed triumph. Despite the lateness of the hour, she was still on her well tailored suit. “Drugs have been transported from South America, through Florida to this place using a legitimate company and stored in the middle of real chemical drums. Here the drums are opened, the raw drugs are brought out, processed fully and stored again under chemical drums, some are taken to distribution areas in the states while others are taken to the docks for exportation. A really slick operation that should have been easy to clamp down but has not all these while. I wonder that though. Seems the mob must have been smoothing things down and necessary people are reaping from that, covering their tracks. No wonder I have been hitting brick walls at every point of this investigation. “


“Are you accusing the NYPD of accessory and complacency in this? “
“I don’t know. Are they? “ she asked him not in anyway hiding her intentions to indict the department when she concludes her investigation and prepares her reports.
“These are dangerous grounds you are threading miss, I’d suggest you be more careful. Nothing is as certain as it seem. Take it from someone who knows. I have been going against the mafia for years. Things with them are never this simple. “


“Is that a threat Lieutenant Wilton? “
Damn, Fritz cursed angrily in himself. Why do fed agents have to be this stubborn. “No agent Thillier, but take that as an advice. “
“Thanks Mr. Wilton didn’t know you cared. “ she mocked heading away to her car and driving away.
“Damn her, what a stubborn bitch she is turning out to be. She is going to get her self killed for nothing if my premonition of what her next actions will be is correct. “


“I’m sorry sir, we did our best to keep her away from getting to available Intel from us. She came up with almost nothing. Out of venting her frustration, she had pick up a quarrel with almost every one in Organized Crime. And has reported us to the captain several times. “ Deon came in closer to speak with the Lieutenant. “So with the exposition here as a former drug processing place before it was destroyed, she is holding on to it tenaciously and won’t want to listen to any other thing anyone tells her. “
“We know the kind of heat the death of a fed agent can bring and the mafia knows this too. “ Fritz threw away the unlit cigarette in his mouth as it has long tasted stale. “But with the loss they have been suffering lately, they may not care the heat her death will bring if they see her as a threat snooping around their turf. “


“That might be correct sir but there’s little we can do to stop her. “ the Organized Crime Sergeant said. “I had received reprimand from the captain for not cooperation fully with her investigations. “
“She is naïve, I don’t won’t her to get killed stepping on the wrong toes. It will reflect negatively on us. Just one fed is giving us this heat, imagine when a troop of them will swoop down here on the news of her being killed. “
“ Gee boss I totally agree with you on that. But what can we do? “

This seems to be getting out of hand. Someone has definitely developed a hard-on for the Nazzareno family and is going all out to show it. The BYTCHEM compound is a mess, the fire and explosions had leveled every thing to the ground. Not that much was going on here anyway, or so everyone thought until this night’s event showed them how wrong they have been. Right under the noses of the authorities, raw and processed drugs were been brought in, manufactured then distributed within and outside the state from this site with none the wiser. If not for this attack, it would have gone on for a long time without detection. Kudos to the new enemy of the mafia.


Fritz would have liked him though except he is acting against the law, hence a criminal. There is no justification or accommodation for vigilante activities. Still looking at the open gate into the compound, smoking ruins and rubbles were spread out over the concrete floors of the factory mingled among them are the blackened hunks of vehicles. Squad cars with their blinking blue and red lights still covered the place. Officers in both plain clothes and uniform patrolled the perimeter created around the place by the crime scene tape. He saw someone coming and immediately scowled.


“Seems the drug angle just got a big push now. “ DEA agent Elaine Thillier said as soon as she got to where Fritz was standing. Deon was following behind her a contrite look on his face. “This has shown us why our investigations on following the drug pipeline supply from beyond Mexico to this place has yielded no results. “
“I’d suggest you don’t jump to a quick conclusion until more facts emerge after a thorough investigation of this crime site. “ The police lieutenant grunted his eyes looking accusingly at Deon.


He had reached out to Deon earlier, when this stubborn DEA agent had decided to muscle her way into the department, doing things her way with out regard to how the people on ground here have been going about it before she came Disdaining the hard work and hours put in to carry the Organized crime investigations in Brooklyn to where it is now. She had secured the order from their boss to force them do things her way. He told Deon that they should lag back on giving her full support and give her next to no assistance. She had gone on her own, with the help of Sergeant Jim, who had no other choice, but had got next to nothing from her drug angle.


She might have noticed the cold reception been given to her by the department, especially from the Organized Crime people, who have the best field Intel and decided to ignore everyone and go on her own with the narcotics Sergeant. Fritz have seen her return to the precinct every time with a disappointing look on her face. The Lieutenant was surprised to see her here tonight, staying up this late to get this scoop. She must have really been desperate and this is a bit better than handling straws which is what she has been doing before now.