The Final Piece.

Later that day you are in the kitchen waiting for Mama Raeni as she makes you a sandwich.

"Ben is real 'appy Vinsant." You knew he hated housekeeping but you let her talk. "'e will do a good job, you'll see."

You nod. "He's a good boy Mama."

"You want some snacks made up? Got lot's of da boys 'ere I notice." She says.

"I don't think so..." You reply. "Why do you say that?"

"I seen dem cars outside, I just figured..."

Just then your phone rings, it was Louis. You answer. "We got 'em boss. We've got the piece of shit that took the hit out on you."

The final piece to your plan! "Good!" You say. "Thank Christ!"

"You're telling me? We're in the basement. Let's end this crap."

"You brought them here!? Are you crazy?"

"Sorry boss. Don't worry we'll clean things up nice when we're done." Louis reassures you, he hangs up.

"Oh Fuck!" You mutter, Mama Raeni looking at you confused.

You bolt toward the basement. There's got to be a way to end this without bloodshed. Money...probably money, that seemed to make most problems go away. Rushing down the stairs you see the light on in the storage room Soo-yin had claimed. As you get closer you can see the door had been smashed open. What the fuck?

As you enter you see Louis standing over a hooded nude figure crumpled on the floor. Blood was spattered here and there. You walk in, looking around you see Louis and six of your men, including Joey.

Joey has a pained expression on his face. "I'm sorry boss...I didn't know."

You then notice the figure on the floor is a woman, her lean body covered in bruises and blood.

"Where's Soo-yin?" You ask, trying to remain calm.

"We found her Boss." Louis says, there was something different about him. He didn't hold himself with his usual deference to your authority. "We found the one that took out the hit. Wasn't easy...she's clever..."

You slowly walk forward

Joey stammers, "I...I can't do this Louis."

"Then get the fuck out of the way kid!" Louis snaps.

You barely notice Joey leave the room as you slowly continue to walk forward. Realization dawning on you as you get closer to the broken form. You kneel down and remove the hood.

The battered face of Melanie looks up at you through swollen eyes. Blood streaming from her mouth.

"Hey hey! What a shock, eh boss?"

You are shaking with rage. In a low quiet voice you say. "What the fuck is this Louis?"

"This...oh great former boss of mine...is your would be killer." He laughs. "I really wanted you to see this before I end you and your whole fucking family."

You stand up and face him, your fists clenched at your sides. You notice he now has a gun in his hands. "You fucking piece of shit..."

"Shut the fuck up Vincent. You're done. You know it, we know it. You've gone soft. Acting all nicey nicey, suddenly all lovey-dovey with that bitch Natali again. We almost lost two good men that day with the sniper. Was that for business? To make some money? Nope, just to save your whore wife. And finally...Vincent...fucking yoga? Yoga? Really? What the fuck happened to you when you were gone them few days?" He laughs again. "No matter, it all works out better for me this way anyhow. I'm taking over you limp dick fuck!"

You barely hear a little voice at your feet. "...daddy..." You feel a tug on your pant leg.

Kneeling down once more you carefully embrace her, staining your white shirt red. "It's okay Laney. I'm here...you're Daddy's here baby."

You kiss her head. "...sorry Dad..." She coughs. "...sorry I tried to kill..." Your eyes widen in shock, it really was her who made the contract!

You continue holding her. "It's okay, it's okay. We'll talk when you're all better baby."

Louis lets out another sinister laugh. "Oh, she ain't getting any better Vincent."

You ignore him as she continues. "...I love you papa...but...you killed...you killed mama...I couldn't let you...get away...with it..."

"Shhhh. Shhhh." You shield her from Louis despite knowing how futile it was. In this moment you were truly her father and she was your little girl.

"...but...I made a mistake...I see that now...since you've been back I've been..." She coughs again, her body wracked in pain. "...so happy...so happy...I couldn't stop it once it started..."

Louis is pacing back and forth. "She's right about that. I told you it was a weird double blind set up." He lets out an honest to goodness belly laugh. "Once the money was out there, she couldn't pull it back. Once the hit was ordered, it was permanent. Everyone in the process didn't know who the other players were. It was some shit you woulda pulled in the old days. It was fucking brilliant...she is definitely a Calabrese!"

Melanie feebly grips on to you. "...thank you Daddy...thank you for today..." And she goes out. You kiss her one last time.

You stand again to face Vincent. His five goons standing to all sides. There was no way to break for the door or go for cover. This was it. You mind focused on Natali...at least you had found true love before the end.

You see Joey slip back into the room out of the corner of your eye. Not much he could do even if he wanted to.

You take a big step toward Louis, closing the distance. He stops you as he holds up his pistol. "Woah there big fella!" He laughs. "We've gotta get some info out of you before the end."

"You may as well shoot now!" You growl.

"Eh...you say that now. Brave right now. Maybe we bring down Natali huh?" True terror pierces your heart. "Or maybe the dumb maid you been bangin. Or that Jap bitch." He laughs once more. "You probably thought she could protect you huh? She can't protect you!"

"Yes I can!" Just then the lights go out and you just catch the lithe shadow of the Korean assassin spring into the room.

You don't waste a moment, stepping forward and grabbing Louis' arm in one hand. Thanks to the Jiu-Jitsu yesterday you had a good sense of where his head would be in relation to where you were gripping. You feel a satisfying crunch as your fist makes contact with his jaw. He goes down.

Deafening gunshots light the dark room like a weird strobe light. With each snap of light Soo-yin is in a different position. Crouching, jumping, kicking, punching, throwing, stabbing.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

You feel the last one graze your shoulder, white hot pain shoots through it.

And then...quiet.

In the darkness you hear Joey gasp. "...Rosa..." Before letting out a gurgly **** rattle.

"Oh shit...Joey!" You cry.

The light comes on, Soo-yin stands there with not a mark on her. Blood dripping from her knife. The other goons lay dead on the floor.

Rushing to Joey you discover, as you worried, that it was too late. "He came and got me." Soo-yin informs you in a cool tone. How could she be so calm?

You go to Melanie. You look her over. They had beaten the shit out of her. She still breathed raspy breaths.

Trembling you stand and slowly turn. Louis groans and rolls on the floor. You tap into something you had never felt before. Something dark and sinister, something evil. Natali's words echo in your mind. 'This life sticks to you, stains you.' You let it happen, you let the rage direct your next words.

"Soo-yin..." You hiss through clenched teeth. "...I want him to suffer!"

She only nods in response. Stepping forward she kicks the gun from his reach.

Picking up Melanie you say to Soo-yin. "We're leaving. Burn the place to the ground. We'll meet at Mama Raeni's." You assume an assassin of her level would find you easy enough.

You carry your little girl out of the room.