The Underbosses Photographer (M/M)

00 - Prologue - Lukas Black's Point Of View

This was supposed to be the best moment of my life but here I was, trapped in traffic. I was finally going to take photos in the mountains and the forests by the lake, that Lake-Haven was named after. There were several kinds of wildlife that I wanted to take photos of. I had had little time off recently thanks to the local mafia for their good murder skills. Around here that we had a Mafia, It was more like don't ask don't tell. Everyone knew it was there they just did nothing to deal with it. It was pretty peaceful despite the mafia. I was also pretty aware that most of the people; I was working with got paid by the mafia for turning a blind eye or they didn't care to be any trouble. I was in the category of not caring to be a problem, I had a job because of them.

I photographed the murder victims and the mugshots of criminals, along with anything else that the LHPD did that needed a photographer. We had been getting a lot of older floating corpses lately and It was one of the nastier parts of the job. The bodies had a smell you couldn't get out of clothing if you got close enough.

I was super thankful I had bought a truck when I got a look at the hills leading up to the spot to park before the trails. I had brought my personal camera and all the parts I could carry in my camera bag. I also brought a backpack with snacks and drinks, because I wanted to spend as much time as possible here. It was rare that this place was open a big part of the reason I was even allowed here was that I was an LHPD employee. The parking area was empty when I parked, there wasn't even one other person.

I couldn't shake the feelings of excitement that went through me as I jumped out of my truck. My short ass barely came up to the top of the truck and I had to hop out and in it. At five feet and six inches, I lost out on the height lottery. I had got used to being this height at a young age I had stopped growing taller at sixteen. Brushing the few hair strands out of my face I closed the truck door after grabbing both my bags and locked the truck.

I had little worry about anyone stealing it, but locking it was a good habit to keep. Tucking the fob into the pocket of my running pants, I headed into the forest. The top of the one cliff had the best few of the lake and I wanted a photo from up here. I saw it from below a few times, but never for my pleasure. Only work.

I stopped here and there to take photos of all the small birds and the cool bugs that I saw. There was a normal clearing that had to be hiked through clearly many times. I stopped for a quick snack. Dropping my pack I dug through it for the breakfast cereal that I had packed and a water bottle. A few birds landed close by and I tossed a few pieces of cereal at them. They took it and ate it.

Pulling out my camera I scared them, so I waited for them to return and they did. There was an abundance of them now. I was getting really damn wonderful photos. I was excited to get so many photos to show my mom and make prints off for the local art shop. After eating all the cereal I had on the bag, I tucked it back into my bag and continued on my way. The birds had enjoyed their snack as well.

I was close enough to the cliff now that could feel the cool breeze off the lake and smell the fresh scent of clean air. I still had a few feet to go before I was at the optimal spot for taking photos. It was a cut-out piece on the cliff that had no trees and scrub brush that did little to block the view. There were wooden stairs to help get there. I climbed the stairs two at a time until I reached the cleaned spot. It was as nice as it looked from the ground. You could see anyone and everything from the ground that was on the clearing. That's how I had seen it the first time and then asked around about it before hiking here.

I crouched down and set my bag off to the side. Pulling up my camera I took a few shots before I noticed them. The black Suv pulled up to the edge of the lake. This wasn't normal, no one should have access to the lake, that way at least.

I pointed my lens at the Suv and waited for people to get out. It wasn't a long wait. Two tall men rounded the Suv and popped the trunk. I got a terrible feeling in my stomach at that point. The logical side of me was screaming to go, this was the Mafia, but the dumb part of my brain had me crouched there watching these mafia men haling out bodies, at least five. They all had the typical wrapping and cement-covered feet.

I don't know why I did it, but I took several shots of what I was witnessing. As if I was cursed because of the photos, the one man; the slimmer of the two men looked right at me. I knew he could see me; I had stood in the same spot as he did. My heart pounded in my chest, was this fear that made me freeze up and watch him alert the other man he was with? They both looked at me now.

I must have really understood how much trouble I was in then. I took off running.

It was an easy twenty minutes of running down the trail to get back to my truck and that was an ample time for them to get there too. I was probably fucked now. I had to be.

I doubted telling them I worked for the LHPD would do anything either.

The Suv was nowhere to be seen when I got back to the parking lot. My heart was still thunderous in my chest, and my lungs were burning angrily at the fear running we had done. I got to my truck and didn't even have time to set my bag down when someone cleared their throat.

Both men stood there.

I swallowed dryly. I was so dead.

"Hand it over." The slightly older and slimmer man said it was the same one who had looked at me first.

He was clearly of Italian decent and so was his much larger wall of a friend. I just starred at him in fear.

"Hand it over." He said again, and I understood he wanted my camera. I took it off from around my neck and handed it over. I expected him to just delete the photos but no.

He threw my camera on the ground with the strength of half a dozen men and I watched him break it to literal slivers. I say I just watched him destroy it with frozen shock was the truth until he stopped after it was almost dust.

I was sure at this point I was now vibrating with anger that had come from him decimating my camera.

They were well away when I finally blew my lid. Looking right at them I brought my hands to my mouth and hollered.

"What the fuck is your problem! Fucking asshole mafia men."

The slimmer one turned around to look at me now. Pulling my keys from my pocket I unlocked my truck but not before yelling a few more nasty things at him and flipping him off several times. I had half a mind to go back and punch the guy, but that wasn't all-wise. They were the Mafia after all.