“No I’m good for the night, although a shot of espresso might be nice,” Enzo replied

Enzo of the Unknown 

It was midnight of June 14, 2008.

In a run-down warehouse, where the place has been turned into a laboratory, men were working in the factory fervently to purify coca leaves, in turn to produce cocaine to be distributed to the Brazilian cartels, headed by Santiago de Fonollosa, a close associate and friend of Vincenzo Giovanni, the Don of Las Vegas. Santiago was a bald man, with a full beard and known for his collection of business suits.

Vincenzo, better known as Padre Giovanni by his associates, is a gentleman who has a business of casinos run by his family. He was a man with greyish black hair, a small paunch, and his iconic stick, studded with diamonds around the handle. Due to his comradeship for his men, he considered them his extended family. He is a secretive man with nothing known about his background and family, except that he is a respected businessman. His only known vice is that he has a factory for producing drugs and selling it all over the world through his distributors.

Officers of law have raided his casinos and properties to bust him but have failed in many occasions. He was always a step ahead of them every time since he is a strategic person who rotates his operations around Las Vegas. Since he had other Dons and the police as enemies, his men were always hunted down and killed. He met with Santiago to talk business with him.

“I am worried about my men my friend,” the Padre addressed his companion.

“The raids done by the coppers have hurt my business as a whole. I do not know how to fend them off. Even though my casinos are running smoothly, I have this nagging fear of my factory being discovered. I have lost many a number of my sons, who, trying to defend themselves against those pests and my enemies, have fallen short of their lives, just because of information of our doings is leaked out to them. Soon enough I do think that our friendship would be at stake, if I am not able to supply you with the coke on time.”

Santiago replied, “You need not worry about that compadre. I will send you some of my men to help with your production. As for dealing with those jokes of cops why don’t we try to kill an official to send a message to them?”

“It would be obvious if we killed him with our own men. The whole force would be on our tail,” replied the Padre.

“No way can we risk to expose ourselves by committing such a crime. We have to think of an alternate solution that would not draw attention to us….. And I just thought of something…. I think it might work.”

Santiago was looking at him as if he knew what he was thinking.

“You are thinking of making him do it, didn’t you?” he said with a smirk on his face.

The Padre looked at him with a smile and said, “He is perfect for this mission. I know that he will do it for me, since I love him and he loves me too. He would do anything for me and our family, since he grew up with most of them. This will be his moment to show you that my blood runs in him, compadre.”

The two men toasted to each other’s good health and drank wine. Below, the men were now loading containers filled with cocaine onto trucks, which will be transported to other distributors, alerting them of the departure of the trucks soon. Unknown to them, there is a secret eye spying on their activities from afar.

12:24 A.M.

“You want some doughnuts Enzo?” asked Blair Williams, a beat cop on patrol with his partner, Enzo Sinclair, a quiet man who liked to be by his books on a slow day.

Blair was a tall, muscular man with blond hair and tattoos of a Sanskrit writing, a phoenix on his arms and a clean shaven face. He was a good-natured man with more arrests than his partner, who joined the force a bit recently, but made his mark by thwarting robberies, putting his life on the line in riots, getting his place beside the city’s top cop.

Enzo was a slightly olive complexioned man with slicked back black hair and a handsome face. He had a polite demeanor and a gentlemanliness known only to the Italians; a charm so deviously attractive to both men and women. “No I’m good for the night, although a shot of espresso might be nice,” Enzo replied. “Be right back with the espresso junior.”

Blair got into the café and got the espresso while Enzo stayed in the car reading reports of his past cases. He and Blair have the field chemistry of looking out for one another and having each other’s backs and most of their busts and rescue missions have been a success thanks to their field experience so much so that patrolling is like icing on a cake. Blair returned to the car with an espresso grinning.

“The counter girl is a cutie, you want her number?” he snickered.

“No thanks I already got my plate full,” said Enzo with a smile.

They got into their car and were patrolling the shopping complexes when the radio started crackling. “B-22 do you copy? I repeat do you copy?” “B-22, receiving loud and clear. What is the emergency?” asked Blair.

“One of our men have discovered a warehouse where shady men have been found loading containers onto trucks, a mile away from your location. Seems like it is the devil Giovanni’s men at work. I request you to check out the place and report back to us anything you find relevant and standby.”

The radio went silent. Both men were looking at each other grimly with their own convictions. They began riding to the location, Blair feeling excited to arrest the men and shut down their operations, while Enzo was uncertain of what was going to happen there. “Finally!! We’re gonna nail down that son of a gun Giovanni and restore order to our city!” exclaimed Blair.

“Blair, let’s reconsider going after a Don by ourselves and get caught in a crossfire,” said Enzo. “I have a bad feeling that this is going to be a trap for us. Let us discuss strategy before we go gallivanting after them.”

“Why are you so uncertain of yourself Enzo? Weren’t you the one who wanted to gut that slimeball into pieces? Why are you backing out now?” asked Blair with annoyance.

“It is because he is a Don, who has more manpower than the force has got itself so we have to strategize before going after his organization.” replied Enzo, with a grim face.

“Let us wait for backup and lock them up.” “Look at you, speaking like a coward as though you know the best way to counter is to stand by and let those bastards work away at what they do. What happened to all those ‘I will kill him and his men!’ you said countless many times while at work? Was that all a façade, just like you?!” roared Blair with fury.

“I am stating the obvious, Blair. You know it.” Enzo replied quietly. “JUST SHUT UP!!” screamed Blair, punching him in the face. Blood splattered from Enzo’s face as he moaned in pain.

They reached the warehouse and Blair reached for his gun when Enzo said, “Please reconsider this mission.” “I don’t need directions from a coward.” said Blair and stomped off into the clearings. He started scouring the warehouse trying to find a way inside it, when he found that the activities were happening faster, as if to keep up with a schedule.

All of the men were wearing masks and quickly loading the cocaine and filling the trucks with other things to disguise the drugs. He soon called on his radio and said “This is Officer Blair Williams and I request full back-up at a run-down warehouse on the outskirts of the city limits. Found Vincenzo’s men loading up and are almost on the move.” As he said this he barged into the warehouse, shouting “LVMPD!! Put your hands in the air where I can see them!”

He proceeded to round up the men and made them kneel down, with their hands behind their heads. He then started to check out the lab and cautiously made his move around keeping an eye on the men when suddenly he felt a cold muzzle against his skull.

“Don’t move.” was the only command. Blair was shocked as he recognized the voice with wide eyes. “Enzo? What do you think you’re doing? Isn’t it a little inappropriate to play like this?” he whispered. “I told you to wait for a bit. That was all I said, and you just had to bust my face open didn’t you?” said Enzo, as he faced Blair.

“But I will forgive you for that. You’ve got guts to hurt your own man, Blair. But these men would never forgive you for even touching me; you made enemies of them right from the moment you walked in here.” “What are you talking about? I don’t get it….” Blair was numb with bewilderment.

"What are your ties with these thugs Enzo? I know that you’re an honest cop. If it is revenge against me for hurting you I understand; but why would they hurt me for that Enzo?” he asked. Enzo gave him a wicked smile and said, “Let me introduce myself once again: You may know me as Enzo Sinclair, an honest police officer, but in actuality, I am Vincenzo Giovanni Jr., son of the Don of Las Vegas, Vincenzo Giovanni Sr., your adversary.

You have hurt my family for long enough and I cannot allow you to kill any more of them.

My father’s empire is important to me more than you know; hence you, sir, have earned your flight to hell.” said Enzo, as he shot his best friend and partner, loading three bullets into his skull.

Christopher Emmanuel

II BA English