Chapter 7: Guardian
Lovino's tired feet slowed him to a stop just outside the city's largest park. The hunt for his brother had lasted many long hours, and now the night was nearly over. He leaned against the stone wall by the entrance wearily and tried to decide where he should go next. So far he'd searched the main casino area, the riverfront, and a number of different restaurants he knew his brother was fond of even though nothing was open at this hour. There hadn't been a single clue left behind anywhere- no notes or discarded belongings to mark a trail. After that incident when they were young, Lovino and Feliciano had talked about what they would do if they were ever kidnapped again, but neither of them had actually expected it to happen while they were separated from each other. Now the older brother was gritting his teeth and picking his brain for any memory of the signs they had agreed on to help someone discover where they had been taken.
The longer his search dragged on, the more discouraged Lovino became. What if they had killed Feliciano already? No, it wasn't possible...His brother was too valuable, too vital, and if anything had happened to him, Lovino would just know. He was confident of this. The two had always shared a special connection, much like twins, but both brothers knew that it had less to do with their feelings or mentality and more with what was in their blood. This was who they were- a duo with a special power that no one else could control, and that was what made them so special and invaluable to the Mafia. It was the older brother's secret to guard, however. If Feliciano transformed...Lovino's curl whipped in the wind, and he frowned up at it nervously. Hopefully it wouldn't come to using that.
Lovino gave an aggravated sigh and trudged into the park where he plopped himself down unceremoniously onto a park bench. If he didn't find Feliciano soon, he would have no choice but to return home. He knew who was waiting for him there and what might happen to him. But what other choice did he have at this point? The worst Sadiq would do was beat him up before demanding that he find Feliciano. More likely, he would just interrogate him and then put him to work. Either way, Lovino doubted he would be able to keep his freedom.
"Dammit, old man," he muttered under his breath. "If you would just bring your ass back home, this would all be over."
As resentful as he felt against the Don, Lovino knew that finding him would be the easiest solution to his problems. He had never realized how important his father was to him until now. The man was careless and immoral, and Lovino knew he likely wouldn't forgive him for being involved with something so dangerous and putting their family at risk, but he was still his father, and at the moment, Lovino really needed him.
He was about to drag himself off the bench and continue his search, when all of a sudden, he heard a chillingly familiar voice behind him.
"Well, Lovino...I didn't realize you were accustomed to taking strolls in the park at this late hour."
The Don's son froze and slowly turned his head to look over his shoulder. Standing there in his white jacket and matching eye mask stood Sadiq. Lovino's eyes widened, and he felt his breath hitch. He hadn't even heard him coming! The underboss had managed to sneak up behind him undetected, and all because Lovino had been too tired to remember to keep his guard up. The younger man bit back a curse and rose hastily to his feet.
"S-sadiq! I...I was looking for my brother, dammit."
"I figured as much" the other answered. "It's so rare to see you two apart. So tell me, Lovino- when was it that you lost him?"
"That's-! I mean, he was kidnapped! I'm sure of it. When we went on the last mission together, someone must have taken him when I wasn't looking. That's the only fucking explanation."
"So you left him alone? That was rather...irresponsible."
He closed in on Lovino, and the Don's son took a timid step back. Sadiq grabbed him by the collar quickly and pulled him close, until Lovino could smell the rank stench of his breath.
"Do you know how much time I've spent looking for the two of you? Do you know how many men I've had searching? Your leash has been too long, little Lovi. From now on, you follow my orders and go nowhere unless I tell you to. No more of this running around on your own."
"D-dammit! Let me go, bastard!" Lovino snapped.
He received a quick slap to the face for his trouble. Lovino flinched and gritted his teeth, reminded a little too much of the stricter side of his father that he had loathed.
"You will show some respect, or I'll punish you the same way I punish all my men. Your papa would be embarrassed to see you acting like such a spoiled child."
Lovino opened his mouth to shout at him again, but thought better of it. He didn't need any more trouble. He just hated the idea of Sadiq treating him like a kid or worse, a pet. Being trapped at home and guarded like some prisoner didn't sound at all appealing, either. He only wanted to be able to search for his brother freely. As it was, however, he had to at least pretend to be cooperative.
"That's right. Keep your trap shut like a good boy," Sadiq chuckled, ruffling Lovino's hair and getting dangerously close to his curl.
Lovino's face turned red in fury and frustration, but still, he didn't say anything. What choice did he have? He was obviously at the disadvantage here. Even if he attacked Sadiq, the underboss was a more skilled fighter than he was, and it was too big of a risk to take. He needed to go back to somewhere he could eat and rest, hopefully before having the chance to look for his brother again, even if it wasn't by his own rules. Still, he couldn't stand being so degraded.
"Keep your hands to yourself," Lovino growled as the underboss started patting him down to check for weapons.
"I can do whatever I like with you," Sadiq reminded him, taking a gun Lovino had hidden inside his jacket. "You're just a pawn- not even a 'made' man, and this Family belongs to me now. You'll do as you're told or die. Understand?"
The younger man glared at him but soon averted his eyes, looking down at the ground in angry submission.
"Yeah. Yeah, I get it…"
"Good. Now start walking," the underboss ordered and shoved Lovino away from him back towards the gate.
As they approached the park's exit, Lovino dragged his feet a bit, reluctant to go with the other man. If the Don could see how Sadiq was treating him now, the underboss would be punished severely. Now that Lovino's father wasn't around, the other man seemed very confident in exercising his power and authority. It made Lovino even more suspicious that he had somehow been responsible for the Don's disappearance. That bastard...If he murdered the old man, I'll never forgive him! Dammit...he can't be dead. Tears welled in Lovino's eyes, and he was glad Sadiq was behind him and couldn't see them. As his steps slowed, he could feel the metal barrel of his own gun pressed to his back.
"Keep moving, brat," Sadiq ordered impatiently.
Lovino grunted, trying not to shake with fear at having the fatal weapon pointed at him. He wished he had never ventured into this park. His every instinct was telling him to run, but the gun barrel against his back reminded him that escape was not an option right now. His thoughts turned back to his father, wishing again that he was there, hoping for the love of all that was holy that the Don was still alive somewhere and could somehow come and save him. The underboss kicked the back of his leg to force him to walk faster. As soon as Lovino staggered through the opening in the stone wall at the end of the path, however, movement caught his eye. Startled, he spun away from Sadiq and gasped as a mysterious figure suddenly knocked the gun from his captor's hand. The underboss shouted in rage and scrambled for the weapon, but he was stopped by a warning shot the stranger fired into the air.
"Stay where you are and put your hands up!"
Lovino's eyes widened at the familiar voice, and he watched in shock as a man stepped out into the moonlight, keeping his gun trained on Sadiq. The stranger had a fierce look that Lovino would have never expected on him, and the casual clothes of a cafe worker that he had worn before had now been replaced by the authoritative presence of a police uniform. The Don's son stared at him, dumbfounded until his lips were finally able to form words.
"A-antonio?! You're a cop?!"
Sadiq's eyes flashed towards Lovino, making the younger man feel like the traitor even though he was the one who had been tricked. How could he have been so stupid? Had the other man's hospitality at the cafe all been a set-up? Lovino gritted his teeth, and took a step back in confusion, wondering if he should bolt.
"It's all right, Romano," Antonio assured him. "Or should I say...Lovino? Don't worry, I'm here to help you."
There was a heavy silence that hung in the air as Lovino looked back and forth between the underboss and the undercover police officer.
"So you betrayed the Family," Sadiq finally grunted as he held his hands above his head in surrender. "You're nothing but a stain to your father's name now."
"I-I had nothing to do with this, dammit! He came here on his own." He must have followed me, Lovino thought. But why? Does he know who I really am?!
"Sadık Adnan!" Antonio shouted. "You are under arrest for extortion and murder! We have evidence that-"
The police officer was cut off by the criminal's laughter.
"Oh, I see now! It was that curly-haired bastard that sold me out, wasn't it? Probably to save his own brats. Well, he isn't about to get what he wants…"
Suddenly, Sadiq leapt at Lovino and pulled out a hidden knife, pressing it to his throat. Lovino opened his mouth in a frightened gasp before he grunted angrily. Antonio trained his gun on the young man's captor and growled between his teeth, glaring at the underboss.
"Step away from Lovino! Taking a hostage isn't going to save you and will only lead to harsher consequences!"
"I tend to disagree with you," Sadiq replied. "This boy is the only thing that will secure my freedom for now. Without him, you lose a major lead and your most valuable ally. Do you really want to see him die?"
The blade was so close to Lovino's neck that it left a shallow cut when he gulped, drawing a little blood. The Don's son was shaking now. Was his father really alive? And working with the POLICE? This made the situation all the more dangerous for him. He knew he was too important to Sadiq's plan to be killed, but that knife was threatening to be the tool of a tragic slip-up. Would Antonio be wise enough to back down? Lovino was still having trouble imagining him as anything other than a silly cafe worker. It made him question the man's true capabilities as a cop. Dammit, I can't let it end like this!
"Drop the knife, Sadiq. Our goal was to capture you, and that's going to happen either way."
"Wrong answer."
Suddenly, Lovino let out an ear-piercing scream that caused both Antonio and Sadiq to flinch. The Don's son had had enough of playing the victim. He was ready to get out of there. The knife would have cut deeper into the his skin if Lovino had not grabbed the underbosses' arm and tried to force it away. Adrenaline pumped through his veins, and the captive began to thrash, desperate to escape from Sadiq and this terrifyingly dangerous situation. The underboss growled, attempting to hold onto him, but Lovino threw his head back and heard a crack as he broke his captor's nose. Sadiq bellowed in rage and slashed the younger man's arm with his knife, covering the blade in blood and causing Lovino to choke on his own loud cry.
The whole time, Antonio was trying to get a clear shot at Sadiq- an impossible task with Lovino's unpredictable movements. Now that blood had been drawn, however, he could no longer stand still and wait. Putting his gun back in its holster, the policeman leapt at the struggling men and hit Sadiq on the back of the head with his baton. The underboss was forced to loosen his grip on his captive in order to fight Antonio. Lovino took advantage of this without hesitation, stomping on Sadiq's foot and finally breaking free. Unfortunately, he didn't get far. Two more men had approached the park entrance, and Lovino recognized them as the underbosses' capos. They stood far apart and blocked his escape route.
"Ha..hm- Didn't think I came alone...did you?" Sadiq gasped as Antonio pinned his arms to his sides.
"L-lovino!" the cop panted. "GET DOWN!"
The Don's son didn't have time to decide whether or not he wanted to follow the Spaniard's instructions. Before he knew it, there were shots being fired through the dark, and he had no idea whose side they were coming from. A bullet caught his shoulder, and Lovino screamed as he hit the ground, blood gushing from the new wound. Fuck...FUCK! He was in so much pain and shock that he barely understood the voices shouting at each other. One thing was clear, however- it seemed as if Antonio hadn't come alone either. The ear-piercing sirens from the police cars were the last thing Lovino heard before the young would-be mafioso finally blacked out.
tbc
A/N: Hopefully you're enjoying the story so far? I was excited to write this chapter. Things are falling into place! A little summary and note on the timeline of these events so far:
Day 1- Feliciano is captured in the evening. Lovino stays up all night looking for him
Day 2- Feliciano wakes up in Ludwig's basement. Lovino meets Antonio and ends up falling asleep at the cafe until the evening. Then he goes out to search for Feliciano.
Day 3- Elizabeta attempts to feed Feliciano, but he rejects her food. Meanwhile, Lovino is trying to pick up Feli's trail. He is confronted by Sadiq and saved by Antonio, who reveals himself to be a cop.
Day 4- Feliciano is brought upstairs by Liz and Roderich, who want to find a food he'll eat. They are caught by Ludwig, however, and Ludwig pulls Feli's curl, resulting in a transformation.
I'll be taking a break from the fic during November to work on a story for NaNoWriMo. I hope I don't keep you guys waiting too long for the next chapter. Thanks so much for reading!
-K.I.