Chapter 5 - The Gathering at the Foundry
Midnight.
The Old Foundry on the outskirts of Brooklyn was an abandoned industrial titan of rusted steel, cracked concrete, and towering shadows. Rain poured heavily from the dark sky, hammering against the corrugated metal roof with a deafening roar.
Twelve high-ranking captains of the Moretti family stood inside the vast hangar, surrounded by heavily armed guards.
At the center stood Valerio Vance—a tall, sleek man in his late fifties with silver hair, a custom tailored Italian suit, and a condescending smile.
"Where is Dante?" Valerio asked, checking his gold Rolex. "He summoned us here, yet he keeps his council waiting."
The heavy steel doors of the foundry creaked open.
Dante walked into the warehouse alone, his long dark trench coat wet with rain, his steps heavy and deliberate echoing across the concrete floor.
He wore no body armor. He carried no weapon in his hands.
"Valerio," Dante said, stopping twenty feet away from the assembled syndicate leaders.
"Dante," Valerio smiled smoothly. "We're ready. Give the word, and we sweep the Falcone warehouses in Queens tonight."
Dante reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a small object. He tossed it through the air.
It landed on the wooden table between them with a sharp metallic clink.
Valerio looked down.
It was the silver bird necklace.
The smile froze on Valerio's face. The color drained from his skin as if he had been struck by lightning.
"Recognize it, Valerio?" Dante asked, stepping closer.
"Dante... I... I don't know what that is," Valerio stammered, his hand instinctively moving toward the holster beneath his jacket.
"It belonged to Elena," Dante said, his voice ringing out over the sound of the falling rain. "The woman you told me burned to ashes four years ago. The woman you sold to the Falcones for two million dollars in a Nassau bank account."
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The captains exchanged shocked glances, their hands moving nervously toward their weapons.
"Dante, listen to me!" Valerio shouted, backing away. "It was business! You were getting soft! You were going to leave the family for a civilian woman! I saved the family!"
