The Familia. (ZeRoyalChaos TOS fanfiction)

The God Father is dead.

I hope you're enjoying this story and continue to read it even though it will be quite short. I will write more if requested.

We gathered in the town around the gallows, the executioner stood on the podium, looking down at us all.

"The God Father is dead." He called out over the crowd. "He apparently committed suicide."

There were some gasps and I tried to play along as if I was shocked, and mildly pleased. These people had hated my father for doing the role he was given. Soon there would be a deep rooted hate for myself.

"We found him dead on the street, the body had been moved out of his house by one of the 'familia'. We know that there was another Mafioso after John died, and so his successor will be jumping into action soon, we can only pray for a slip up." He was wearing a black sack over his head and it muffled his loud words.

I resented the comment of hoping for my failure. I was set with a target, just one I had to find first. Blood for blood, a life for a life, I needed  to kill both the mayor and investigator. Although my father didn't love me, he deserved the respect the familia expects me to get him.

I scanned  the crowd carefully, trying to seem inconspicuous in the sea of people. The mayor was not clear, and when the time for voting came I would have to be careful and listen to everything being said.

I was also now in the spotlight, two of my family were confirmed Mafia members, meaning I was at risk. But the executioner didn't mention my father's name, just that the God Father was dead. I had to wonder why, and who the executioner is.

We filled into the town hall where they held the anonymous voting. We all sat in separate booths that are sound proof. A town full of witches, murderers and the familia meant the townies got scared. They set up a system of code names and anonymous lynching. One of the many people hung was my brother John, the other Mafioso. Father always respected him more, and I understood why.

We were voting and my name got called out.

******** Flashback *********

"ChilledChaos hasn't given a role recently. He hasn't ever claimed a role, actually." - GassyMexican.

I panicked "I'm lookout." - ChilledChaos.

"Sure, lynch him." - Seananners.

"Yeah, everybody claims lookout." - GassyMexican.

"What role do you think he is?" - Smarty.

"He's Mafioso." - Seananners.

"Nice try, when you kill a jester and get it horribly wrong, come after the real Mafioso." - Smarty.

I remember my father typing, but his response never came, and I was too scared to speak up an  defend John and risk myself.

Seananners is whispering to GassyMexican.

Whispering was another system to protect  people who needed to speak privately under the code names.

"Okay, vote Smarty townies." - Seananners.

And they did. Quickly the votes piled up, even I and my father had to vote to not look suspicious.

"I love the familia, and I don't blame any of you for voting to hide." - Smarty.

I could feel myself tearing up in the booth, and trying to hide it when he got all the votes needed to be lead to the gallows. Slowly we all stepped out the booths and watched him be dragged out the hall by the executioner. We followed into the town centre and watched his death march, some of us secretly sad, some of us openly curious and suspicious.

The rope hung loosely around his neck and shoulders as he stood tall, head held high. He smiled sadly into the crowd, not directing it at me or father to prevent suspicion. He smiled as his last words rang out.

"For the familia, caphice?"

The lever cranked and clicked under the executioners grip, it seemed to last forever as John watched helplessly, with a final crank the stage door fell. The rope tightened as he plummeted in front of our eyes. My father was out of sight and I could feel the tears stinging the back of my eyes, but I resisted them. I could see it clearly even with my eyes shut, John hung limp, swaying from the sudden impact. His head sat at a twisted angle and his arms had no control, swaying with his body. I felt a hand on my shoulder.

Steven stood beside me, a childhood friend and he was closing his eyes as well. He knew John was my brother, but we could say he submitted without our knowledge to cover it up. The breeze blew over my face and without looking I could imagine John's body being pushed around by the chilling force. I closed my eyes again as the executioner stood at the edge of the stage.

"Smarty, better known as John, is confirmed Mafioso." He said over the crowd, he sounded somewhat saddened by what he did, as if he knew John. "Everybody should return home so that we can clean the gallows. Return to business as usual tomorrow."

******** Flashback end ********

John died to protect me, and since much familia blood has been spilt. Blood for blood, I intended to work down all the townies, and not just to submit. A life for a life, I know which ones have to die, and they will. Seananners, GassyMexican, the mayor and the investigator, targets for the familia, we never forget. They will pay.