Ives and Kyo Favela were in a predicament.

Beyond their decadent territory, where every interaction led to a fight and every corner was piled with various belongings, the brothers were face-to-face with Inferno members. Had their past deeds caught up to them?

Several people of interest were lined up in the room, exuding a distinct aura yet sharing a sense of dominance. Their sharp and penetrating gazes sized up every corner of the room. Though not his primary objective, their presence suggested they would be obstacles.

The amount of force was necessary, since the Favelas were known for their destructive abilities and tendencies.

A towering man stood with his feet apart, arms folded across his chest, the expression on his face serious. “I won't ask this again. Where is Ludove?”

Kyo responded first. “And, we won't say this again. We don't know!” Ives held his hand up and Kyo huffed.

“You’re coming with us, and your gang is on lockdown.”

“We’re not going anywhere!”

“Stop it, Kyo. We’ll come with you peacefully,” he said, giving his brother a pointed look. “Search wherever you'd like because we have nothing to hide. If this does turn out to be wrong, which it will, are we getting recompense?”

“That’s the last thing you should worry about.”

Leave and keep moving. He commanded Alvoth.

Alexander rested his body against a wall in Ludove’s penthouse. Every surface was covered in jagged crystal. The people within the penthouse were unaware of the display hanging above them. A single command would cause it all to be brought down. How thrilling, indeed.

Hey, what are you planning to do with the Ludoves? Ramiro asked, slipping inside his head with ease.

I can’t allow them to roam around.

Then, what? And don’t give me a vague answer.

They’re not going to die if that’s what you’re worried about.

Death might be a better alternative.

Alexander casually slid his hands into his pocket and hastened out of the penthouse.

You’re too dramatic. I don’t have time to talk about a variable I’ve taken care of.

Before Ramiro could get a word in, Alexander had booted him out of his mind. He should have known how this operated. He was supposed to be this intelligent being, after all.

Amore Blaise, a philanthropist and representative of the Inferno, was the last piece. Her manor was situated outside the city in a lush environment. It functioned as a refuge for broken and needy individuals to recover.

Women walked around obliviously chattering, forgetting the reason they were there. The speckless floor crunched beneath him, leaving traces of his power that spread.

A familiar sensation enveloped him when he walked further inside. Nosy women leaned against a door, listening to the conversation. Several people were present inside, one of them being his second-favored cousin.

Amora's pleading voice emitted from the door. “Can I at least give everyone an explanation? They've already seen you.”

“Sure, let's go.” His cousin responded, earning a sigh from her.

“I meant alone.”

Alvoth, are you done? I need you.

I’ll help on one condition. You let me initiate the fun.

On my order.

Yeeess.

Alvoth laid beside him, looking up with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

I'll take Amora and you'll cover the room. After I'm done, take her to the rest.

What about the others inside?

Don't touch them.

Alvoth dashed into the room that became a canvas. Each move contributed to the large masterpiece they were crafting. The eye on his tail solidified into a projectile, which was launched at Amora. She was teleported upon contact.

Show off.

“What the-”

“Where did she go?”

The shattering sound brought him relief. Shards danced around the room in a bold display of force and destruction. Light streamed into the room as the sound of crumbling became louder, along with shouting. The others fought against the wave instead of embracing its unpredictability. A lazy smile played on his face as he got to his feet, taking in every detail of the chaos. The crystals scratched at his face with undiscriminated intensity.

The confusion died down, and his excitement along with it. A recognizable sense of emptiness dawned on him with ruthless vengeance. A look of deflation replaced his smile. The moment was gone, and he had nothing to grasp. He needed more.

People fought to free themselves from the wreckage incurred. Fear and confusion were evident in their energies, although he couldn’t bother himself with them. Dust fell into his eye as Alvoth moved the debris. The creature nudged him with his snout, causing Alexander to shove him.

We need to meet Isadore.

He rose upright, and Alvoth shoved his paw into his chest, growling in his face. His unflinching eyes met Alvoth’s. With a frustrated snort, he walked away. Alexander followed him in silence, gathering his composure for the journey. His arms hung loosely to his sides, and he walked at a deliberate pace.

Isadore and her crew were located outside the city, waiting for him. She stormed toward him. “What did you do? I heard explosions and saw several buildings collapse.”

“You need to go to Plaso.” She raised her brows and leaned back. “That’s where the Aitken Clan is. They’ve long resisted the Inferno’s rule and hardly operate within it. Encourage them to join or at least support the cause. I’ll clean up here.”

“Aren’t they nobles? How could I possibly convince them?”

“The clan loves receiving gifts, and you’ll give them some. Use these to get there.” He placed a bag in her hand filled with sul stones. "Don't, under any circumstance, go to the palace until I give you the sign.”

“Can you tell me what the sign is?”

“Believe me, you’ll know.”

I’ll remove traces of them. You release that recording and follow Isadore when she’s done. Everything is as we discussed.

Mmm.

Mayhem in Mointin.

A popular headline that had circled around in Valine. It was impossible to talk about it without mentioning the missing people and the destruction. Matisse wasn’t interested in theory or speculation.

“What happened in Mointin? Would anyone care to explain?” Matisse’s voice rang out to his cousins, beckoning one of them to answer. His measured voice contrasted with his sharp gaze that shot through each of them.

Moshe, the cousin who was in Mointin, rose from his seat with a tired expression on his face yet steady. “The group the Favelas are allegedly working with set themselves against us. We’re still working through the fine details.”

“Allegedly?” Declan asked with an intrigued expression.

“Cosmo’s a spectacular liar. We’ll need to continue interrogating him.”

“Is it impossible to believe the Favela brothers were looking for a more lucrative business partner?” Every eye turned in his direction. “Imagine owning a business and not being able to expand because your partner is stingy. They sought out people who could be able to help them and took a chance.”

“That theory would only make sense if they’re working against us. Why would they continue to deny their involvement, knowing the consequences? Besides, our spies would have reported anything suspicious.”

“The last time I checked, your spies were in Mointin, and they’re not exactly the most experienced.”

Moshe folded his arms and snorted, shaking his head.

“Maybe Cosmo helped and turned on them,” Declan added to the confusion.

“Enough speculation.” Matisse silenced the room. “We need facts, and we won’t get them sitting here. Intensify the interrogations; do whatever you need in order to get to the truth.”

“Right.”

Matisse made eye contact with Alexnder and another, shaking his head as everyone made an exit. He rested his elbow on the arm of his chair, causing his sleeve to descend down his arm. “A number of our businesses were destroyed, but the accuracy is concerning. Ludove didn’t have that kind of information, and that’s why I believe there is an insider, possibly a group.”

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

Got him.

Casper, sitting near Matisse, spoke up. “There aren’t many people with access to that information.”

“That should make your search easy. I want you both to create profiles on the people with access and monitor anyone who might cause suspicion.” Done.

“Why do you need both of us for this?”

“You are the family manager, and Alex has a knack for finding information.”

“Don’t you think it’s unfair to leave Moshe alone with the investigation? The man’s busy all the time, and Alexander scarcely has to be around his casino.” Casper reasoned.

“I can do both. We need to get to the bottom of the recent incident.” He needed to make sure Moshe found out the truth. “I’m much more talented in this field anyway. He’d only slow me down.”

“I’m right here.” Casper clenched his jaw, annoyance creeping into his voice.

Alexander casually flicked his sunglasses. “An assignment of this magnitude isn’t suited for someone who’s been idle as you have. Leave everything to me, Matisse.”

Casper jumped from his seat, sending the chair skidding back. “I don’t think you know who you’re talking to. I can do my job and yours without any effort!” The sycophant proved to pull through when he was most needed.

Alexander arose from his seat, leaning in with a sly grin. “Is that a bet?” His voice, barely above a whisper, taunted Casper.

“You bet it is.”

“In that case, here’s the deal. I’ll help Moshe with the investigation and you’ll handle the profiles. If you ask for anyone’s help during this time, you lose the bet, and you’ll owe me a favor.”

“That’s weak. The winner’s responsibilities will be transferred to the loser for a week, who will acknowledge the winner in public. We’ll throw in the favor for extra stakes.”

“You’re not messing around. Challenge accepted.”

“Prepare to brutally lose,” Casper declared in a strong voice.

“Suuuree.”

Matisse chuckled. “I’m glad we have this sorted out. I’m not against competition, but don’t let it get in the way.”

Win or lose, this would be interesting. Moshe was gone; however, he knew exactly where he would be. A quick deduction and scouting expedition led him to their facility in Zedek. The building was built into the mountainous landscape, blending in seamlessly. An extra measure was an OptiGuard system placed around the domain.

All of this security to safeguard Inferno's prisoners. It was funny that they had any at all. Sentinels lined the entrances and checkpoints, searching anyone who went in or out. The hallways were tight and constricted, adding to the unpleasantness.

Moshe was inside a secure room, along with an unkempt individual. Zok. The man’s golden hair lay in disarray, refusing to follow any order. His tie draped around his neck mocked the formality of the meeting, and his clothes were slightly wrinkled. A last minute clean up. It didn't matter, as he stood out like a wilted flower in a groomed garden.

His entrance sparked this mystery person to conduct his own examination. Moshe leaned back in his seat, previously hunched over paper.

“How nice of you to join us, Alexander.” A faint smile curled on Zok’s face, his voice possessing a gentle and drowsy tone. “I know you're wondering how I know your real name and how much more I know.”

“There’s nothing to wonder about.” Alexander’s eyes trailed over to Moshe. “I hope whatever you do know won't bite us in the ass.”

“Zok's been helping me for years. He's good.” A fact he was aware of. Any details further were hidden from him, indicating Zok was nameless.

“Yes, these sorts of things are fascinating to me." The man switched languages during the sentence. “Sorry bout that. It's a curse. Did you understand any of that?”

“Can't say I did. When are you beginning the interrogation?”

“We got it covered.” Moshe responded.

“That's not what I asked.”

“It's what you needed to know.”

“This entire act was orchestrated by people who have it out for the Inferno. The representatives,” he paused and sighed heavily. “Were caught in it to cause confusion. I don't understand how you didn’t see that.”

Alexander tilted his head.

“Think. The representatives are all gone, and the Inferno has suffered. This will help them with their objective—to take out the Inferno. Your theory could be correct, and Favela’s did work with them. We won't know unless we dig.” The man sighed once more and rested his head on the table.

“We'll begin with Cosmo. No use asking Ives or Kyo anything.” Moshe rose from his seat and walked toward the door.

“I wouldn’t say that. Once we get to the truth, they might be able to offer something pivotal.”

Moshe led the pack directly to the room Cosmo was held in. It resembled a woman attempting to win a pageant. The room was coated with luxury and decoration, with a goal of its own.

“I have an idea. Why don't we let Alexander handle this one? It'll be a task for him to understand me and..." Zok cast a glance of apology at Moshe. “You’re too assertive. And he’s like the cooler version of you.” There was an underlying implication with his suggestion, but whatever. This worked in his favor.

A look of understanding crossed his face as they stared at each other. “Fine. You wanted to help. Here’s your chance,” Moshe quipped.

“What makes you think I can do it?”

“Everything else has failed. Might as well.”

Cosmo reclined on a sofa, sipping a beverage beside him. His body was composed, and his expression was neutral. The man’s head swiveled when the door opened. “I’m not telling you anything unless I’m guaranteed to leave.”

“Isn’t that something? The common criminal makes demands of us.” Alexander sat across from him. “That’s what you were before you began to work for us, and look at you now. Biting the hand of your nurturer.”

“I don’t need the Inferno.”

“You might not need us, but you need someone. You always will. The funny part is that your friends got away, and here you are reaping the consequences.”

“I’m prepared to deal with them.”

“You’re prepared to slip past them and unfortunately, that isn't going to happen. We both know you’re clearly not the mastermind behind this, so tell me who is.”

“I’m not telling you anything unless I’m granted assurance.”

“What do you want?”

“I want you to guarantee the safety of me and my associates.” Yeah, right.

“Ah, let me guess. You’re thinking you can rebuild your business and recruit your crew, eh?”

Cosmo’s jaw clenched and he exhaled.

“What you’ve done is considered treason, and do you know the punishment for treason? The best I can do is promise the safety of your members, assuming they’re not directly involved. Didn’t I tell you it was impossible to slip past this?”

“If that’s the case, then why should I tell you anything? I lose in the end.”

“Oh, I see. And here I was thinking you’re the embodiment of selflessness.”

Cosmo reached for the glass and regained his composure. “I wasn’t working with anyone.”

“Of course you’d say that. They ditched you.”

“It’s the truth. I left out details when I was talking to an agent.”

“Explain the story to me from the beginning.”

“A member did see Favela’s men roaming around with those people. The thing is we only saw Ludove and this woman wanting to get information from him in exchange for his children. They were recording the audio, and we snatched the crystal.”

“What’s the name of that member?”

“Cruz Reed.”

“Is he the only one aware of this information within your group?”

“Yes. And there’s another thing you people keep accusing me of. Sending out copies of that recording. I hid that crystal somewhere, and it was gone when I went to get it. They must have been watching me.”

“You aren’t as sneaky as you think, huh? Cruz was at the site when all this happened, right?”

“As far as I know.”

“If we find out, you’re lying-”

“I’ve told you everything I know. Anyway, what about my assurance?”

“Still on about that. If we can verify everything you’re saying is true, what you’re looking at is a ban and disbandment of your crew and business.” Assuming Matisse was in a merciful mood.

“Have you traced my steps? You’ll see I didn’t leave Mointin, none of my boys did, and I don’t have the power to do that on a large scale. It’s as obvious as my good looks.” Eye roll. “A clean slate. That’s something..”

“Don’t count on it.”

Alexander left Cosmo to contemplate. Zok was sleeping on the table when he returned to the room. His presence riled the man out of his slumber.

“Hey,” he yawned. “Good job. Moshe went to verify that information.”

“Figures.”

“I get the feeling you’re an integral part of this.” He tilted his head. “Are you?”

“Obviously, I am. You’d be an idiot if you couldn’t tell.”

Alexander flashed a smile and strode out of the facility.