Just A Dream

"Inferno"

Arms crossed over her chest, Elizabeth watches as the men load all valuable merchandise and files onto unmarked vans to be transported to a safe place while they execute phase one of their fight against Sonny. Slowly but surely, she will tear down the very fabric of who Sonny is, starting with the most important thing in that man's life. His business.

Money and power are the two things that Sonny derives from running his organization, making it the first step in her plans to tear Sonny apart piece by piece. He thinks he's the most diabolical person alive, but that is only because of the people he employs. Without the very skilled men beneath him, Sonny would be nothing but a wannabe thug on the streets.

"We're all set." Johnny voices, slipping the remote in her hand before turning to face the building. "When you're ready, press the button."

"Got it." Elizabeth says simply as the vans pull away from the warehouse. "You should go oversee the unloading."

"Right." Johnny says after a long moment. "Don't linger for too long. The explosion will get everyone's attention."

"I know." she replies plainly. "Go."

Without another word, Johnny slides into his unmarked SUV before driving as fast as it can take him away from the scene. He knows that he probably should have remained by her side to ensure that she gets away clean, but he also knows better than to argue the point when she gets that look in her eyes. As much as Francis wants to deny it, this is mostly her fight, and he'll oblige that for as long as possible.

"Enjoy whatever peaceful slumber you are currently in, Sonny, because it'll be the last one you'll ever have." she mutters to herself before she presses the detonator. "One down...twelve more to go."

She lingers long enough to see the flames escape through the open windows before she makes a silent exit. Her presence wouldn't be questioned much, not with her studio being so close to the warehouse, and that suited her just fine. As tempting as it would be to be the one to call the authorities, she knows not to push her luck. Making her way into her studio, she slides her headphones into place before getting started on her latest art piece. One she'll undoubtedly label, the death of a tyrant.

..

Sonny sits stoic in his office chair, going over the initial results from Jason's latest medical tests. According to the doctor's, the drug that he has been giving Jason has finally started to take hold and soon they'll be able to administer the next dosage. The sooner the drug takes hold, the faster he'll be able to return Jason back to the man he had been before the slut poisoned his mind.

"Soon." Sonny smirks as he looks over the results. "Soon life will go back to normal."

Just as he slides the file into his desk, a guard comes bursting into his office unannounced, spewing something or another about turning on the news and something he had to see. Before the anger could cross his lips about being intruded on so disrespectfully, the news report comes on over the television stopping any form of outburst from Sonny.

There on the television screen, completely engulfed in flames, is one of his main warehouses. With everything going on with Jason, he hadn't been able to move the merchandise that had just come in that morning. Watching as millions of dollars of his merchandise burn in a heap of flames, Sonny grabs the closest thing to him and smashes it against the wall.

"SON OF A BITCH!" Sonny shouts at the top of his lungs. "What are you doing just standing there?! Find the bastard that did this NOW!"

"Yes, boss."

It seemed as if the guard couldn't get out of the office fast enough, slamming into everything on his way out. Sonny's eyes remained glued on the television screen, watching as the building continued to burn, regardless of how hard the firefighters were trying to put the fire out.

It seemed as if the more water sprayed onto the flames, the higher they grew, swallowing the warehouse entirely in his flaming abyss. He doesn't know who's responsible, but he knows that they just signed their death warrant. No one gets away with doing this to him and lives to brag about it. NO ONE.

..

"And, so, the circus begins." Elizabeth comments when Johnny and Francis walk into her studio, gesturing to the crowd down below. "Whatever men still remain loyal to Sonny have begun to gather down below. Probably milking information out of the law enforcement and bystanders."

"Took them a lot longer than I thought it would." Johnny admits, moving to stand by the window. "Can't help but wonder why that is. Francis?"

"Your guess is as good as mine." Francis agrees, having expected the men to show up a hell of a lot sooner. "The only reason for a late response is a busy Sonny, but what could have him too busy for his own warehouse?"

"Now that we have his attention, its time to do more damage." she states as she stares down at the crowd. "Tomorrow we have Sonny's top warehouse raided. Since he believes all his merchandise has gone up in flames, it will be a true surprise when he finds out that his men were arrested because of it."

"Pushing his hand in calling us back into the thick of it all." Johnny predicts, moving over to plop down on the couch. "And that will be his fatal mistake."

"Exactly." Elizabeth says seriously. "Once he pulls you both in, his downfall truly begins."

"For now, we should get some rest." Francis suggests. "It'll take until morning, at the very least, for the men to finish their canvas and call it a day."

"You two go ahead." Elizabeth replies, moving towards her easel. "I'm gonna stay up for a little while longer."

Francis could see that she was up to something, something he was certain would give him a heart attack if he were to know about it, but he didn't have the heart to call her out on it. It has become abundantly clear that Elizabeth has been planning this type of attack for a long time now. Long before Sonny had put a hit out on Jason. He could only wonder if she had seen this betrayal coming or if it had been for another reason entirely. Watching her walk out of the studio once she believes them both to be asleep, Francis begins to believe that there's more to Jason's death than even Elizabeth is willing to share with them.

"You're late." Alcazar voices as she takes her seat by him at the end of the bar. "I would think, given the circumstances, you'd be a little more punctual."

"Forgive me, but who is the employer in this scenario?" Elizabeth counters, turning a stern glare in his direction. "Unless you are trying to make me regret going into business with you..."

"Of course not." Alcazar assures before ordering her up a shot of tequila, hoping that would put her in a more friendly mood. "Just a simple observation. That's all."

"Just tell me what I need to know." Elizabeth states as she downs the shot of tequila before ordering up another. "You're not the only aspect of this plan that I need to keep tabs on."

"And here I thought I was special." he counters before turning serious. "Okay, so, no jokes today. Got it."

"Have you done it yet or not?"

"I have a meeting set for tomorrow." he assures. "I'll present them with the evidence and inform you once they've made a decision."

"Fine." she voices as she rises to her feet. "Call me when its done."

"Before you go, I've been dying to ask you something..."

"Make it fast."

"Why always this place?" Alcazar questions with intrigue. "There has to be better places to conduct business."

"Here, I have home court advantage." Elizabeth says simply. "If you were to even think about trying something...lets just say that it wouldn't be in your best interest."

Without another word, she makes her way over to the bartender to pay her tab before leaving the bar. Just because Alcazar was the most trusted of her husband's associates, it doesn't mean he was entirely trustworthy. Trust is hard to come by in his line of work and its always better to be safe than sorry. One mistake can cost you your life. A mistake she won't be making again in regard to anyone.

Though she may feel bad on some level for keeping Johnny and Francis out of the loop on most of her plan, her husband's words keep her from divulging anything she hasn't already. Sometimes, as hard as it may have been to learn before, some truths are better left on the need to know basis. The less people that know, the more likely a plan is to succeed and the less people get hurt.

Author's Note:
Thank you for your continued interest in this fanfic. Efforts are being made to complete it and your kind reviews have gone a long way in the completion of this fic. Many thanks and gratitude to you all.