-"...Imagine my shock when my old friend died and I couldn't find the kid. It just disappeared. Vanished. As if by magic."

Karrin got a bit less annoyed and far more interested as the dinner continued. My mum sure led an interesting life if John Gentleman Marconi was her pick for my godfather.

John caressed Amanda's hair.
-"I couldn't believe my own eyes when a fabled healer from the East turned out to be my long lost godchild."

Karrin eyed me.
-"What does your mother think of your association with the criminal scum?"

I didn't get a chance to reply, John's laugh echoed in the room.

He swished a cup of wine and shook his head.
-"She is an exceptional dame. Some say that life on the streets can be a university on and itself. Mai predates the existence of this very country by two whole centuries. According to her expert opinion in the subject matter, I'm Soft."

Yup. Mom calls him Softie. And she gets away with it.

Ron took his pouch of tobacco, looked to Karrin then at me.

I sighed inwardly. Time to bite the bullet.
-"Do you perchance know of someone who may have been driving this afternoon with windows rolled down? Someone with the exceptional coincidence of transporting some lead and having the generosity to share?"

John kissed Amanda's hair.
-"Off you go."

She frowned and held his gaze.
-"I'm a Marcone now. Innocence doesn't make me bulletproof."

Damn. Talk about growing up.

My godfather stared deep into her eyes, measuring her. He noded.
-"Enzo, bring our guest."

One of the everpresent guards left at once. He returned accompanied by a large redhead pushing up a wheelchair. We recognized each other at once.

I smiled and the color drained from his face.

Another figure was pushing up a cart, covered by a blanket. Her imposing frame left no doubts as her identity.

The Æsir.

When the wheelchair came closer, we could discern that behind the lacerations and black eyes, laid the familiar face of our rookie.

Karrin got to her feet at once and round up on our host.
-"You sick bastard! You beat him worse than a horse!"

I was far more concerned about lil' Amanda. She was breathing hard but so far, managed to contain her food inside of her.

Amanda pulled John's cuff.
-"Dad, you always say that …" She pushed the bile down and took a deep breath. "- that violence should be proportional. That excessive violence was bad for business."

John put a hand over her shoulder.

I looked at the treatment that Rudolph received in the past hours. His nose was broken, left cheekbone sunken. Missing nails on his left hand. But the most telling part was the thick blanket over his lower torso.

Amanda bit her lips.
-"If this was his ...proportional punishment… Which….what ...What was his crime?"

At that moment, I'm not sure who took a knee in front of her.
If he was Jhon, my godfather, and her adoptive father. Or Marcone, the decorated soldier. Or the Gentleman, the most feared mob boss in Chicago. He said in a grave voice that made my hairs stood on end.
-"That sorry excuse of human refuse accepted payment to sell children."
There was one law on this city, nay, territory. And it was enforced with an iron fist.

Karrin's walking stick dropped to the floor and we had to tackle her with Ron.

-"LETMEIMMAKILLHIMLETMEEIMMAFUCKHIMLE-"
I will spare the crude choice of words a police Captain learns in her career.

When she stopped bucking like a wild bronco, we disentangled our limbs from her. Ron still was one foot in front, ready to stop her from committing her first murder in cold blood.

Amanda continued her questions on Mob 101.
-"Why is he still alive?"

The Wonder Woman double replied.
-"He refuses to give us a name. I'm not sure if he can."

That picked my curiosity and my feet carried me closer. The smell assaulted me but I was an old hand at bodily functions. I gave him a once over, noting his dislocated right shoulder, abrasions on his throat. Soaking wet in perspiration along with wet hair stuck to his face. Beyond all the damage, something wasn't adding up. I was wary of staring into this fool's soul, but he may have answers. Answer's that explained who wanted to kidnap Carpenter's kids. The kids that I delivered to this world with my own hands. I opened my Sight, my third eye, and saw it. The taint!
-"You! You dare consort with those vile creatures! YOU! YOU!"
My vision became red.
"YOU!"

This time Karrin and Ron tackled me to the ground. The beast inside me would have ripped that scum apart. And I'm not totally sure I would have minded.