CHAPTER 59: THE THRILL OF IT.

The next steps now were easy and, at the same time, complicated. Pablo needed to gather the team to simultaneously attack the 6th district block and Trevor’s warehouses. Though there were many problems with it, as he started thinking about the deal, this whole plan spun back to what they talked about earlier.

"Actually... we could use the DSA to help us with this one." He said as he looked up from the tablet at Joseph. "We have highly trained personnel, but not enough, and even though that block is not well protected, they still have weapons. And Trevor’s warehouse, I think that is protected right now."

"What’s your plan then?" Joseph asked.

"Use the DSA to attack Trevor’s warehouse while our forces go to the 6th district block. The DSA can seize the drugs and give them to us, while we’re dealing with the 6th district... it’s a win-win situation for both of us." Pablo said, and it made a lot of sense to actually now use the DSA... well, more like have a win-win situation with them.

If the plan goes right, they can get so many drugs from Trevor that it will bring in hundreds of millions. Though, there was a catch in it... the DSA will 100% want a cut from it, maybe 50%, maybe more... but this was their first chance to actually do it.

"Then let’s push this option to another day. I’m sure that’s going to be a long talk with the DSA, and they’re not just going to fold for us." Joseph said. "And not just that, we made a lot of enemies so far, there’s Vicente, Ivanka, Gabbana, there’s Trevor’s family... we really fucked everyone up." He chuckled, because, well, he was the one who did it, and he did think about the consequences of it, but why would he?

He doesn’t give a fuck about life or death, and if he dies, then that’s it. let it be... the best feeling in the world is when you don’t give a fuck about death. You’ve already accepted it... that’s when you can live freely, without chains.

"Do you think they are going to try?" Pablo asked.

"To kill me?" he asked, with Pablo nodding. "Of course they’ll try. Maybe a team is already out to hunt me down... though the more important question is which one of them sent it out." He looked at Pablo. "Vicente’s family is in flames, while Jelena and Gabbana are in the hospital. Though I think they’re the ones... more like Jelena. She can’t control herself or her decisions, so I’m sure she sent out people to take my head." He finished, and for a minute there was silence, and then suddenly he started laughing.

It just confused Pablo. Why the fuck is he laughing when there’s a possibility that a death squad is after him?

"Should I be the bait?" He asked, looking at Pablo.

"Bait?"

"Yeah, just think about it." He leaned back in his chair. "What I did at the warehouse was self-defense. But now, if she sent a hit team after me, then that’s a personal attack on me, which means... I have all the right to attack back and defend myself, and just rip her head down from her neck."

Yeah, there is something truly messed up in Joseph’s head, and that’s what Pablo thought about... like he wanted to use himself as bait to seem like the victim in this situation, so he could attack back with a good reason... he was following the underworld rules... which actually exist.

Though the rules, mostly to big families in alliance, work like a self-defense rule. If you get attacked, you have all the right to defend yourself with all the power you have.

But there was a slight problem with it.

"We... beheaded their families..." Pablo whispered, though he knew very well that Joseph didn’t really give a fuck about that... and in reality, that was not an attack by Joseph but an independent action.

"It wasn’t me but you and the DAG." He replied to it, and yeah, Pablo nailed Joseph’s answer. "So I have the right to protect myself."

"Wouldn’t it just cause more chaos... like if we do this, we’re truly going to be everyone’s enemies." Pablo said, because he knew too that Joseph wasn’t going to stop at Jelena, no, he was going to erase the whole family to take everyone for them.

Silence again, as Joseph sighed and leaned back, just staring at the ceiling.

"You know... this whole mafia is about organized crime, isn’t it?" He looked at him, and Pablo nodded. "But right now, we’re more like a mercenary group that’s cleaning up the underworld rather than actually doing organized crime... we are just the butchers with all these plans. This is not organized crime."

"But we need to make names for ourselves somehow, to let people know the Cassian family is a mafia and alive, we need to make a name for ourselves."

"That’s the problem, Pablo." He looked at him. "A mafia should remain in the shadows, not spoken about by civilians, not getting recognized in the streets, but build a kingdom within the shadows. That’s what’s messed up in this era... mafias want to be politicians, in the governments, but back then it was the final achievement, to be as close as possible to the government. But now that’s like the first step, because of the advanced technologies and laundering laws. I kinda hate it."

Pablo understood what Joseph was talking about. The mafia world changed a lot. It no longer hid, it walked proud, sat at the same table with mayors and ministers, handshakes and signatures instead of blood. The mafia is now in the headlines, glamorized, like they want to be celebrities, influencers, or politicians with body counts.

"And it was my father, the revolutioner of it, to get into politics, to have tight relationships with the fucking president, the parliament, everyone... to even have photos together in the newspapers, be on the news... he changed the mafia into a fucking war with signatures." He looked at Pablo. "Like, make a move against somebody, and they’ll go to the government, and you’re fucked." He stopped for a moment as just again stated at the ceiling then continued. "Though we have the DSA on our side, at least it looks like that, I know very well what they want. They want me to kill those fuckers, it’s just too clear to me, and I hate it too... how good it would be if the DSA actually worked, if Olivia with that eye of hers would constantly chase me to get me... it would be a thrill, a truly exciting life." He shook his head. "Not even talking about the cameras everywhere, you can’t do shit... only if there’s someone to hide your tracks and evidence, like the DSA does for us... but again, they just want me to start the war and kill each other with the mafias."

Well, Pablo knew it too, that the DSA obviously wanted something from them, and that something is to start the war and kill each other, so they don’t need to do anything, just sit back and watch as the underworld burns... but it was strange... like Joseph was talking like he was always in this world, like he was a boss back then... like he remembered the old days... like he was part of the Cassian mafia, like he was a top leader of it and had felt, experienced the thrill of the constant wars, shootouts, drive-bys, and car bombs... the chaos and terror that era went through.

Though Pablo could understand it too, the frustration of it, that many years passed and everything just became more complicated. Though the most obvious thing was that Joseph just hated that his father was the one who started all of it with the alliance. Those who dipped their hands into politics while before that, they killed each other without a stop... but now the era changed again... the second he stepped out of that prison.

"But now we’re like a wildfire in the underworld, chaos and panic. They’re starting to realize that their connections to the government don’t mean shit when bullets are being fired at them. This is a new era, or more like we’re bringing back the old one, where bullets were the way people connected."

Exactly what Joseph wants, an era where bullets are the ones causing chaos, not politicians. Where there’s a constant adrenaline rush, constant fear in the underworld. What Joseph wants is almost like creating his own deathbed.

"Yeah... we don’t need no connection to the government, we just need bullets... a lot of it." He smiled as he slowly stood up. "Though, now let me be the bait to the bullets, let me be the victim, and when the bullet’s fired and missed, let me be the one that fires back."