Over the past few days, Selina and I had been talking and got to know ourselves a little more. I've been paying occasional visits to the bar and I was no longer a strange face there.

The glow of my laptop screen illuminated the dimly lit room as I sat on the edge of my seat. My mind raced with excitement as I prepared to dive into the murky depths of Gotham's criminal underworld. I couldn't resist the urge to peek behind the curtain and uncover the secrets of the city's notorious gangs and crime families.

With a few keystrokes, I accessed the GCPD database, eager to uncover some juicy information. My heart pounded with anticipation as I scrolled through the files, searching for anything that could shed light on the dangerous world that lurked just beneath the surface of Gotham.

My heart skipped a beat as I scrolled through the GCPD database. Just when I thought I had seen it all, I stumbled upon a piece of information that sent a chill down my spine. There was a Gotham City Organized Crime Family, a shadowy collective of criminal syndicates that had managed to fly under the radar of the authorities for years.

My curiosity piqued, I delved deeper into the files, desperate to learn more about this elusive criminal organization. The more I read, the more intrigued I became. These crime families operated with impunity, spreading corruption and fear throughout the city with no consequences.

As part of the Gotham Underground, the syndicates are a loose association of criminal groups. The larger of which share a common organizational structure and code of conduct. Each group claims sovereignty over a territory in which they operate their rackets. While generally divided between the Italian, Sicilian and Russian mafias, the Gotham Families generally keep to their own territories and businesses within the city.

The Families also share business with groups such as the Triads, Yakuza and the Irish mob, who also operate within Gotham. At some points in the Gotham Underground's history, the entirety of the Families, mobs, groups and gangs were controlled by a single boss, known as Carmine "The Roman" Falcone. He was called "The Roman" because of his ruthless strategy in his criminal operations.

According to the police database, he was now dead and Vicent Falcone was now in power. Drugs, weapon trades and human trafficking, were the main trades that fetched money for the top mob bosses.

The more I learned about this shadowy underworld, the more my heart raced with excitement. It was a dangerous game, but I was determined to see it through.

Stealing from banks and auction homes has become a bore, an old hobby that no longer intrigued me. I would love to steal things with more value than the price placed on it, and work on other jobs apart from heists… I'd like to get in contact with one of the mob families here in Gotham, earn some smooth cash and help get my name out there.

As I watched the villains operate from the shadows and while observing them at the bar, a new realization dawned on me. Wanting to be the mastermind behind other people's heists was me thinking too little when there was a much larger picture right in front of me, I could be the one planning my own schemes with my own team and taking full glory for it. But first, I would need enough cash and a solid reputation before I'll be able to do that.

My current task was to make contact with one of the major crime families in Gotham and offer them Ghost's services. But getting through their walls of caution and distrust wouldn't be easy. However, I knew that gaining even a little trust could go a long way and have a huge impact on my future prospects.

If I could just get my foot in the door and prove my worth, the family would eventually come to me for more jobs and even refer me to others. This would help me establish my reputation in Gotham's criminal underworld and give me the boost I needed to climb to the top.

But making that initial connection was easier said than done. The crime families were notorious for their secrecy and reluctance to trust outsiders. My first family of interest is the Marconi family.

As I delved deeper into their world, I began to understand the true extent of their power and influence. They controlled vast networks of criminal activity, from drug trafficking to extortion to contract killings.

*Sigh*

I came upon an email which was one of the few ways the dirty cops used in contacting the Falcone family. I reached out to them as Ghost and I was sure I was talking with one of the subordinates, maybe one in charge of deciding who he deemed worthy to talk with the man at the top.

My sudden email was skeptical but I was able to bypass that as I made references to my previous jobs and asked him to use his connections to do a little digging of his own.

The next day I received an email from him which said he would like to put me to a test and see if I was really who I said I'm. After a while of talking and negotiating, a deal was made.

After making the deal with the Marconi family, I needed to get to work on creating the perfect plan.

The current issue they were having was how to move a truck full of drugs to one of the docks under their control, without getting caught or noticed by the police.

They initially intended to move the drugs batch by batch until they had fully transported it, but that system was extremely slow and would probably take them at least half a month to completely transport them.

Then a question lingered in my mind: why don't they just pay off some officers and move forward? I thought about it and it seemed like a tempting solution, but the risks were too high. Dirty cops could allow a certain amount of smuggled drugs to slip through the cracks, but anything more than that would jeopardize their careers if they were ever caught. Despite the potential payoff, the danger and uncertainty made it a gamble not worth taking.

The first step was to find the safest route to the harbor, one with the fewest police checkpoints. I scoured every possible path, searching for a way that wouldn't arouse suspicion, but unfortunately, the best option I found required us to make a half-circle arc, taking us far from our starting point and towards the docks.

With the route mapped out, I hacked into the city's security system then surveyed the area for every surveillance camera that could potentially capture footage of the truck we planned to use. Each camera was a ticking time bomb, a potential threat that could blow our entire operation. As you might have guessed, I already had that one covered.

I thought hard on how to move the drugs in the truck in a way that even if it was stopped and searched by an unprecedented officer the job wouldn't be compromised, after all one can never be too cautious.

I went over every detail in my mind, weighing the risks and potential consequences of every possible scenario. I considered hiding the drugs in a secret compartment, but that could be risky if the officer had a K9 unit with them. I thought about disguising the drugs as something else, but that could be too conspicuous and draw unwanted attention.

But before that, the outside needs to be inconspicuous. Unlike some certain people who would just get a black truck or van, then put a flower logo by the side hoping it wouldn't be thought of as a suspicious vehicle.

No no, that's an old trick from an extremely old book and it doesn't work any more. Especially not on the cops of Gotham. It had to be designed to look like a standard cargo truck to avoid arousing suspicion. So, I instructed the team to create a convincing facade that would fool even the most astute observer.

They got to work immediately and came up with a plan to design the truck with a neutral color and no flashy graphics. They also came up with a company name that sounded believable and added it to the truck's side panels.

When the team had finished, they sent me a photo of the truck, and I was impressed. It looked just like any other cargo vehicle you would see on the road, with no indication that it was carrying anything other than ordinary cargo. It was perfect for our needs.

Now, it was time to load the truck and get moving. I knew that every minute counted, and the stakes were high. If we were caught, there would be no coming back from it. But I trusted in my ability to navigate this treacherous world.

The sun was beginning to set on the horizon, and the time was just past eight in the evening. It was the ideal moment for our operation, as it was early enough to avoid suspicion and late enough to limit the visibility of any unwanted observers while we unloaded the goods at the docks.

The truck had finally set out on its journey, and with my hacking skills, I had gained access to the city's surveillance system without leaving any trace. From the safety of my computer, I watched intently as the operation unfolded before my eyes.

As the truck approached any cameras on the streets that could potentially capture a clear image, I expertly replaced the live feed with a false image from over twenty seconds earlier. This routine continued until we were almost near the docks.

But then, something unexpected happened, even though it fell within the range of my expectations.

Two officers stopped the truck at a checkpoint and demanded to inspect its contents. Despite the truck clearly being a cargo vehicle, they insisted on conducting a thorough search, even bringing out a K9 unit to sniff out any drugs that might be hidden inside. It was as if they had gotten wind of the information regarding the drug move scheduled for that night.

Their hearts were racing, and some of them had their fingers on the trigger, ready to open fire in case things went south. But they knew they had to trust in my plan. I had anticipated such a scenario and thought of countermeasures in case we ever encountered a police checkpoint on the road.

Before the men left the warehouse, I gave specific instructions to the man in charge. I told him to wrap the drugs in bags and create a false bottom in the crates, so the drugs would have their own compartment and the top would be filled with the legitimate cargo being transported. To further protect the drugs, I instructed them to spray the surfaces and corners of the crates with pesticides.

The K9 units had a hard time sniffing out the drugs as their sense of smell was being dulled by the scent of the pesticides.

They did a thorough search and even opened the goods as they scavenged through the contents but they could not find anything, so they allowed the vehicle to proceed. The team of goons got to the docks and quietly offloaded the drugs into the boat and the mission was complete.

*Sigh*

As my phone rang, I stared at the lit up screen for a while as I glanced at the unknown number calling. I picked the call and the caller was none other than the man who was in charge of the operation.

"Hello, Mr. Ghost," he greeted me, and I couldn't help but cringe at the sound of the title. That fucker found a way to make the name Ghost sound less cool.

"No need for the 'Mr.' Just Ghost is fine," I replied, trying to shrug off the awkwardness.

"Okay, Ghost, the payment has been sent to the offshore account you provided," he said, his tone surprisingly professional for someone in his line of work. But then again, that's the Maroni family for you. They're always serious when it comes to business.

I quickly checked my computer and confirmed that the payment had indeed been transferred. "Received," I confirmed before continuing with the call.

"Good, the boss would like to speak with you. In person." He said in a non-joking tone.

"That wouldn't be possible?" I gave an immediate response.

I could almost feel the man's expression twist into a scowl on the other end of the call, and he let out an exasperated sigh. "And why the hell not?"

I held a short pause,"Why do you think they call me Ghost?" I asked, a hint of amusement creeping into my tone.

The man's eyes narrowed, and he reached for his cigar, taking a long drag as he mulled over my words. "I'm guessing it's because no one knows your true identity," he finally replied.

I smirked, impressed by his deduction. "That's correct," I confirmed. "And it's also because I never leave a trace behind after every job. It won't be possible to meet up with the boss, but he can contact me directly. My identity remains a secret." I firmly said as I refused to bulge on ending my anonymity.

"I think you enjoy pulling the strings from behind the scenes, like a puppeteer." He huffed.

"Of course I do," I replied with a half-smirk, which some might say looked devious. "That's the fun of it."

Hahaha*

He gave a loud laugh before he continued with our conversation. "You are one sick bastard, you know that?"

"A normal person wouldn't dive into the world of the criminal underbelly of Gotham City, but here I am doing business with one of the top mob families over here in Gotham."

"That's true, I'll give your reply to the boss but you should know he doesn't take no for an answer and might not be happy with you declining his request."

"Sure, we'll cross that road when we get there. Just make sure to put in a good word along with my name when you talk with people in the same line of work as you."

"If you keep this record up, the name Ghost would eventually echo through the walls of the criminal underground." With that he ended the call and I was left to do whatever I wanted with my evening.

[Mr. Maroni POV]

A few days ago, a message from my subordinate piqued my interest. Apparently, a self-proclaimed criminal mastermind had approached our organization, seeking a deal with us. At first, I scoffed at the audacity of this stranger, thinking he could just waltz in and join the Maroni family without proper introduction.

But then, he listed a few jobs he had masterminded himself, and my curiosity was piqued. We conducted thorough research on these operations, and to our amazement, they were executed flawlessly - not a trace of evidence left behind, nor any indication of failure. My subordinate was convinced we should give him a chance, to put his skills to the test and see if he truly was who he claimed to be.

And so, we decided to take a calculated risk, to see if this criminal genius could prove his worth to us. The stakes were high, but the rewards were even greater. It was time to test the limits of our cunning, and see if this newcomer had what it takes to become trusted by the organization.

For almost a month, we had put a job on hold. We couldn't afford to get caught by the police, not when we had so much at stake. We prefer to operate from the shadows, orchestrating our moves behind the scenes, where nobody can see us. That way, we remain unpredictable and always one step ahead of our enemies.

But then, this guy Ghost came along. He might just be the answer to all our problems - the key to unlocking a new era of crime in Gotham. We can't afford to let him go, but we also can't get too close to him. Clever individuals like him are best kept at arm's length; you never know when they might try to take over your business and leave you with nothing.

I'll admit, he's unpredictable, but that's what makes him so valuable to us. With Ghost on our team, business will boom like never before. We just have to make sure we play our cards right, and not let our guard down.

I was eager to meet Ghost in person, to see if he lived up to his reputation as a mastermind of crime. But it seems he's content playing his shadowy games, pulling the strings from behind the scenes.

It's frustrating, but I can't help but admire his talent for staying hidden. In a world where every move you make can be traced, and every action can be recorded, Ghost is a rare breed - a true master of the game. But as much as I respect his skills, I can't let him have too much power over us. We need to maintain our position of authority, and keep him in check.

Ghost is an enigma, a true master of his craft. I had my boys try to trace his calls and emails, but they were untraceable - a testament to his meticulousness and attention to detail. He's thought of every way to cover his tracks, and it's impressive. Even if things were to go south, he'd never be caught.

I've considered conditioning him to meet with me in person, threatening to cut ties if he didn't comply. But I know that's a futile effort. Ghost is too smart to be bullied or intimidated. He's got other people who are willing to do business with him, people who don't have the same reservations as I do. I can't afford to lose his services, not when the stakes are so high.

I can't help but wonder what the future holds for our business with Ghost. It's not a partnership - I'm the boss, and he works for me. But the money he brings in is crucial for my plans. With the funds he provides, I can expand my reach and gain even more control and influence in this city.

I couldn't shake the feeling that Ghost was playing his own game, trying to use me to further his own agenda. He seems like a master of deception, but I won't be anyone's pawn, least of all Ghost's. I am Falcone, and I don't take kindly to anyone who tries to double-cross me or undermine my authority.

Despite my reservations, I know that I need Ghost on my side if I want to achieve my goals. He's too valuable to let go, too talented to ignore. So I'll keep playing the game, keeping him at arm's length while he does what he does best - making money and staying hidden. I won't force the fucker to reveal himself but use him to achieve goals that seemed like mere fantasy a while back.

In the end, I stay on top and reach higher heights, for now I'll pardon him and overlook his insolence as I keep my eyes on the prize - power, control, and wealth. And if Ghost can help me facilitate the process, then he's worth the risk.

[Tom's Hendricks POV]

This job with the Maroni family is just the beginning of my path to greatness. Some might think that I'm only in it for the money, but that couldn't be further from the truth. My end goal is power - and I won't stop until I have it.

I've always been one step ahead of the game, connecting the dots and crossing the T's to get what I want. And what I want is influence, reputation, and control over the city's underworld.

With every new connection I make, I gain more power. And with every deal I close, I edge closer to my ultimate goal - becoming the most powerful person in Gotham.

It won't be easy, of course. There are others out there who would try to bring me down, to take what's rightfully mine. But I won't let them. I'll sweep the rug out from under their feet. They'll grovel at my feet, begging for an ideal partnership with me so they could keep their place at the top. And I'll have them right where I want them - within the palm of my hand, underneath my thumb.

Once I've accomplished this feat, then I can start my own crime family. One which would compromise top tier individuals of this verse, both the cunning and dangerous ones, the outlaws. Yeah, that'll be our name… 'The Outlaws,' it'll be made up by individuals who know their way around and are willing to join me in ruling the criminal world of this verse. They might try to overthrow me but I'm always one step ahead, they'll be carefully selected people and a person in their right minds won't want to keep them too close.

Recruiting these individuals might seem impossible but everyone has a price, I just have to find out what it is for each of them. But in the meantime, I'll keep going on about my business as I keep an eye out for the best picks.

Please kindly visit my to read 10 chapters ahead./Maverick_DaSupreme