The stars slowly faded away, as Ferucci's vision blurred, but that one last look gave him more than anything else ever could. Those words, those final words he finally said… unchained him from his past, unchained him from the mistake he made back then, a mistake that meant so much to him.
But he kept his promise.
He found someone he smiled for, someone he fought for, someone he swore he would die for if necessary… and now, his story was ending in a way that everybody knew his name, everybody knew his actions.
The world would remember his name… his smile.
Ferucci Bellini drifted into the darkness, into his last breath, under the starry night… under the sky where someone waited for him.
"There isn't any, boss." Mike said to James as he was standing out, looking up at the sky. "But it would be best if you just go inside."
James didn't say anything, and his eyes were up at the sky, looking at the beautiful scenery, something that he never even thought to watch.
"Isn't that sad?" He asked. "Those beautiful dots up there… even those die."
"The stars?" Mike asked, as now he looked up too.
"Yeah, the stars." James said as he looked now at Mike. "I tried to call my mother, but she didn't pick up, nor Bella. I feel like a star, maybe a shooting one… those are beautiful going through the sky, then disappearing into nothing."
Mike now felt more confused than ever.
The boss, James, gives life lessons which he couldn't really think why now, especially when they are at the biggest operation in their life.
"But stars are very old, if you think about it, boss." Mike started. "I mean, if it's true what I've read about it, some of those could be as old as the universe."
James looked up once more. "Yeah, but how long is that? Up there in the nothing, alone, just shining and one day, after that many years, it just disappears into the nothing. Beautiful things always have the most tragic endings."
Mike was still confused why they're talking about stars but started to understand it. James was referring to himself as a star… a lonely being in the universe, shining, and then disappearing alone.
"But stars are also powerful, boss. Like really powerful. And even if you're alone up there, the only thing you can do is be powerful."
James suddenly looked at Mike again, staring into his eyes. "Yeah, I guess so. Powerful star in the nothing, where nobody is competing against it, that is the definition of loneliness, Mike."
"Boss!" Another voice came, a man running toward them. "The first phase went well. The restaurant and the coffee shops are burning, and now they are fighting at the estate."
"Almost half an hour passed, why are they still fighting?" James asked, looking down at his watch.
"I don't know, but maybe Marco was more prepared than we thought." The man said, but he dared not to look into James's eyes.
Prepared… Marco was never prepared in his life. I could've killed him in a second if I wanted to while he was in the circle, and now he's fucking a problem to even get to…
"Well, I believe in Hector and Ferucci, as well as the others." James said as he looked at the man. "And I believe in y'all too, so just keep your eyes up, and if anything happens, tell me." He said, then turned around, glancing once more up and went back to the house.
"Fuck, that was my first time even talking to him…" The man said to Mike.
"It went well, eh? He said he believes in us too. When do you hear a boss saying that?"
"In movies they say it usually when you're about to die or get sent on a suicide mission." The man said, smiling. "But in our boss's case, he said it because it's true. So let's prepare in case someone comes to fuck us up… or he changes his mind." The man said, turning, but it caught Mike's attention.
The man turned around. "Yeah, like if he wants to go there. Because I see that his blood boils…. I can even feel his bloodlust." He whispered.
"Bloodlust? What are you,a magician?" Mike laughed, tapping the man's shoulder.
"No, but he always has this feeling." He showed his arm. "Goosebumps. I always have it, even if I just look at him. Always." He looked back at Mike. "In the military, I never had it. Never, even when I was hit. This is telling something."
Mike looked at him and shook his head. "Maybe you just fear him because of the stories you heard."
"I only hear the truth, Mike. Only the truth." He said, turning and going back to the gate while Mike thought about it.
All these men in the family, all these men who went through the deepest shit, older or younge… all of them fear James. Even him. But he couldn't get the answer why.
He saw blood, he saw terrifying things just like they did, and he knew for a fact this once-soldier was in positions where they were tortured or they tortured someone. They killed someone and saw many brutal things and still, they fear James more than anything. Like he was the devil himself.
Or it wasn't the case.
They just respect him so much that they started fearing him for nothing. He gave them money, gave them purpose for their fucked-up lives.
This purpose gave them fear.
Or maybe Mike was just overthinking things.
To be honest, he was afraid of James too… because, fuck, he had connections. He could make everybody's life a misery with just one phone call and well what the men said was something too. There are no stories or gossips about James, only the truth, even if it sounds like the most obvious lie and exaggeration, it's all true.
Yeah he is James Bellini afterall.
He took a deep breath as he thought about it and looked up at the sky. "Those stars really are beautiful." He whispered then, a shooting star passed across the sky. "Oh... should I wish, huh?" He closed his eyes.
I wish we all live through this.