Alonzo Ferrazzano

Chapter 41

Alonzo Ferrazzano

He could feel the waves through the deck of the ship as they rolled pass. Keyon stared into the distance, watching the slow saturation of oranges and purples over the horizon. The topside of the cargo ship was vacant, Autumn and Keyon the lone exception to this emptiness. He heard her slowly approaching from behind him, right on time for their training session. He pivoted his body, watching her approach with his usual flat expression.

“How did you sleep?”

Autumn walked past him, leaning against the railing of the ship and looking out toward the rising sun. She admired its beauty for a moment before answering, it gave her time to think about her response.

“Good, had to put up with Atif’s snoring but at least the beds are comfortable, you?”

She looked over her shoulder, her blue eyes shimmering in the morning light.

“I can’t complain had to put up with Locke painting the walls, but not too bad.”

“Sea sickness provides its own battles I see, should of seen him on the lifeboat.”

She chuckled, standing up straight and faced Keyon.

“So, what is the first lesson in essence corruption mastery?”

“You make it sound like some kind of martial arts or something.”

Keyon shook his head and grinned, it was easy for him with her around. It was if, to him, like she had never left. Though he knew better than that and kept his demeanor subtle and believable.

“To answer your question, the first lesson will be channeling your essence. I understand you’re having trouble using your essence. Our first step is to remove these blocks and restore your center.”

Keyon sat on the deck, crossing his legs and getting into a meditative position. He looked at Autumn and slapped his hand against the deck, on the spot next to him. Autumn Mirrored Keyon, sitting on the deck and getting into settled in.

“This is a simple yet effective exercise that reestablishes your essence. Now, close your eyes and settle your breathing.”

“I know how to meditate Keyon.”

“This is better than meditating Autumn, this is called essence recalibration. I learned it from the monks in the Azura mountains. With your understanding of the basics this should come easy to you.”

“Begin by breathing in external essence, than exhaling your inner essence.”

Lorenzo curiously watched Autumn and Keyon, barely able to make out what they were saying. He found it odd, the sharp change in Keyon’s character, but then again maybe it was warranted. Still, there was a plenty Lorenzo had to learn about this crazy cast of characters. Nothing was as it seemed and he couldn’t make decisions on face value alone. He lit his cigarette, inhaling a cloud of smoke as flashes of euphoria pulsed through his body. He too was enjoying the magnificent sunrise on the horizon. Feeling nostalgic Lorenzo began thinking, daydreaming, enjoying the simple peace he stumbled upon.

***

Coastal Garden

20 years ago

“Come on, Noah talk to me.”

The man grabbed a handful of hair lifting Noah’s head. He leaned forward looking into Noah’s swollen and beaten facial features. The interrogator cocked his fist back and drove full force into Noah’s face. Noah’s nose busted opened and the chair he was strapped to fell backwards to the ground of the store’s backroom. The executioner removed a handkerchief from his pocket, wiping away the blood from his hands.

“The cat is out the bag, we know you allowed the Dragon organization through the back of the restaurant. The question I have for you is who approached you and why did you turn your back on the snake organization?”

“Fuck the Snake organization!”

Noah stared at the ceiling of the backroom, his eye full of tears. He was at his breaking point; he had enough of them and their extortion tactics. Bleeding him and his family dry, destroying everything he held sacred. Alonzo stuffed his hands into his pant pockets, fumbling around for his lighter. He needed a smoke; this man was pressing his last nerve. In his eyes he was a traitor, unredeemable, but nevertheless he wanted to understand his reasoning. Weren’t we good to him, treated him fair, and yet this is how he treated his benefactors.

Alonzo pulled the cigarette from his ear, placing it on his lip and igniting the flame to his lighter. The back of the storeroom was silent outside the sounds coming from Savant as he hung back and watched Alonzo do his work. Alonzo exhaled a cloud of smoke the fogged up the room, absorbing the moment and letting Noah get it all out.

“My son, rest his soul is nothing more than ashes and sea salt because of the Snake organization, my daughter isn’t nothing more than a night walker now because of the Snake Organization. My wife never smiles anymore, and I’ve lost my will to live. So, with all due respect I did what I did, now it’s your turn Alonzo. You piece of shit, fuck you and your promises may your lineage be cursed.”

Alonzo didn’t utter a single word while Noah vented, instead he casually strolled over toward the shopkeeper’s workstation. He looked over the station, looking for the perfect instrument of destruction. Alonzo handed his cigarette to Savant, rolling up his sleeves he reached for his weapon of choice. Once the choice was made there was nothing more to do than take care of the traitor. This part of the job Alonzo hated the most, but in his line of work it was commanded.

After some time, Savant and Alonzo walked out the backdoor of the establishment. In the alley waiting for the two men were two low-level members of the organization. They stood up straight at the sight of their supervisors. Alonzo took his cigarette back from Savant and took a couple of drags giving out his orders to his underlings.

“Get this place cleaned up and report back to the hangout when it is done.”

The two grunts nodded their heads and leap into action to clean up the mess Alonzo and Savant left behind. The two supervisors casually walked out into the streets of the Coastal Garden as if nothing had happened. Like they didn’t just take a life. For a while the two men didn’t exchange words. A common occurrence between them. As close friends, Alonzo and Savant didn’t have to fill empty space with unnecessary chatter. They were comfortable with each other in silence, but there was something eating away at Alonzo and Savant knew this.

“Old man Noah sob story getting to you?”

Curious about the expression that was plastered on Alonzo’s face. He wasn’t normally the one wearing his heart on his sleeve. But it had become common place more these days. Alonzo ignored the question, not as a sign of disrespect but of fear of sounding like a broken record.

“Nothing we haven’t heard before Savant.”

He finally answered, shimming his way through a clustered gathering of bodies as the two made their way over the bridge toward the south side. Savant knew Alonzo as cold, but he also knew he had a heart just as warm. A balance few men could achieve, normally being overwhelmed by one side of the other. Unlike most, Alonzo had a passion for the people of coastal garden. A lot of the citizens of the colony look up to him like an older brother, a guardian angel of sort. Always giving back just as much as the organizations took.

“Things are reaching a boiling point with the other Organizations. With the Dragons sending a hit all the way from Stonewall. It doesn’t help with the sudden decline of pop’s health.”

Savant mentioned “Pops”, Alonzo’s father and the ailing chairman of the Snake organization. He was like a father to all the members of the organization, not just Savant.

“And the longer he sits on his hands deciding a successor, the longer the others will keep pressing to take control of what is ours.”

“When is the next time you’re setting out to Isla de Helena?”

Savant and Alonzo wandered deeper into Coastal garden’s Southern district. Their next destination, a small section of housing that Alonzo had under his control. It served two purposes, a front for his pleasure house and the home of his mistress Leena and his two-year old son Lorenzo.

“How is the little guy doing by the way.”

Savant asked about Lorenzo, the two man causally walking into the apartment building. Alonzo couldn’t help but smile, puffing his chest out proudly. He exhaled a cloud of smoke as the two friends walked up the stairs of the main lobby.

“He is looking more and more like his mother every day.”

‘That’s a relief, I fear what his life would be like if he looked like you.”

Savant chuckled, putting his guard up as Alonzo punched him in a playful manner.

“But to answer question, I’ll be leaving for Helena in two days. Me and Vincent are going to deliver the last bit of payroll for the Islanders and craftsmen.”

They stopped in front of an apartment door, mirroring each other.

“Got room for one more? Could really use a vacation, a change of scenery. Plus, I’m curious what you got cooking up there.”

“I don’t see why not. But lets talk about this a little later.”

“Yeah, don’t want to keep her waiting. I’m going to pay Rennie a visit. Come get me when you’re ready to go.”

Alonzo laughed, turning the knob to the apartment and walking in. On the inside it was peaceful and silent. The dinner cooking on the stove filling the home with a heavenly aroma. There she was slowly bouncing around the living room with Lorenzo sleeping in her arms. Head resting on her shoulder. The door opening caught her attention; she stopped and smiled. She resumed whispering her sweet lullaby, edging ever so slightly toward Alonzo. He closed the door softly, slowly locking it behind him. Leena gently passed Lorenzo to his father, who easily held the toddler with one arm. Alonzo gave his mistress a soft kiss and watched her walk off into the kitchen to tend to dinner. He was fortunate Lorenzo was sleeping, otherwise the tiger in Leena might have presented itself.

He was more than two hours late; she didn’t like to be kept waiting. But maybe something was different, she didn’t seem to mind today. They way she was still humming Lorenzo’s lullaby, the way she smiled when he walked in the apartment. He didn’t dwell on it long, kicking off his shoes and taking his seat in his armchair by the window. He took a deep breath, gently rubbing Lorenzo back gazing out the window at the vast ocean.

***

Lorenzo chucked the remains of his cigarette out into the ocean. Stuffing his hands into his pockets, he casually walked down to the dock of the boat and started to make his way down to the holds. There was still a lot to go over, people see, people to talk to. It was going to be a long journey to Isla de Helena and Leena’s fortune. Lorenzo, being ever diligent and wanting to stay a couple of steps ahead wanted to plant a couple of seeds that would blossom later.

“I can feel it again.”

“I said silence, you’re going to mess it up.”

Keyon didn’t open his eyes or alter his breathing in the slightest at Autumn’s interruption. He stayed focused on the task at hand. Breathing in and breathing out, nothing more. Autumn loosened up taking Keyon’s lead, breathing in and out. Focusing on the small spark of essence igniting within her. The spark was growing, intensifying, she could once again feel her essence.

“Recycle the old and replenish the with new.”

He said in a delicate tone that flowed evenly with his breathing.

“Auttie! Where are you?”

Keyon opened one eye, catching sight of Atif on the upper deck, calling out for her sister. Autumn did the same. The training session interrupted by Atif.