Writer's POV
Blood spattered the white paint as Marco's fist struck the wall with such force. The pain felt good, even though his knuckles were already raw from hitting things all morning. All that felt real now was that.
"We have to leave, boss." In the doorway, his lieutenant Rico was keeping a wary eye on Marco. "The men are prepared."
Marco remained silent. He had his eyes fixed on the picture on his desk. At her eighth birthday celebration, Sofia was wearing chocolate cake and laughing as if everything were magical. Marco expected her to rush in the door and ask for ice cream even though she had been dead for three years.
His phone rang. The caller ID displayed "Unknown."
"What?" Marco gave a rambling response.
A voice said, "The bride will be walking down the aisle in five minutes. Now is the time if you're going to do this."
The voice was familiar to Marco. Inside the Romano family, it was his spy. Someone who wanted Vincent Romano destroyed as much as Marco did, and someone who had been giving him information for months.
"Are you certain she's the appropriate target?" Marco inquired.
"Believe me. Vincent will be brought to his knees more quickly by taking Isabella Romano than by killing a hundred of his men."
After hanging up, Marco grabbed Sofia's picture. From the shattered glass, his younger sister grinned up at him. Marco couldn't bring himself to fix the frame, which had been cracked since the day she passed away. There was nothing left to fix.
He whispered to the picture, "Sofia, I'm going to end this today. I'm going to hold them accountable for their treatment of you."
However, Marco felt a knot in his stomach as he spoke. It felt wrong to take a naive girl to her own wedding. Sofia would have resented it.
Marco reminded himself, "But Sofia is dead. Vincent Romano is the cause of this."
"Boss?" Rico entered the space. "The vehicles are in motion. The men have weapons. We must act immediately to avoid losing this opportunity."
Marco got up and placed Sofia's picture over his heart in the pocket of his jacket. Then he checked the bullets in his gun. Six shots. That ought to be sufficient.
"How many men do we have?" Marco inquired.
"Inside the church, thirty. Twenty more are in cars outside. In addition to those keeping watch over the Romano residence in case Vincent tries to flee."
"And the police?"
"According to our contact, they will be occupied for at least an hour with a fictitious emergency on the opposite side of town."
Marco gave a nod. This was something he had been planning for months. They had worked out every detail. All potential issues had been resolved. Why, then, did he feel that he was going to commit the greatest error of his life?
Rico muttered, "Boss, there's something else. We received another message from our spy. The groom is becoming suspicious, he claims. Anthony Ricci may attempt to alert others."
"Then we stop him," Marco stated. "Don't let anyone ruin this for Sofia."
Marco's phone rang once more as they made their way to the cars. It was his mother this time.
Elena's voice was heavy with tears as she said, "Marco, please don't do this. Sofia will not return because of this."
Marco declared, "I'm not doing this to bring her back. I'm taking this action to ensure that nobody else is harmed."
"By causing harm to another person?"
"By putting an end to a war that ought to have ended three years ago."
"Listen to me, Marco. Isabella Romano is not guilty. She is merely a young woman seeking marriage. This is not fair to her."
Marco halted his stride. "Sofia was also innocent. When she was younger, she wanted to play with her dolls. Did she deserve to die?"
"No, but—"
"Then don't discuss what people deserve with me."
After hanging up, Marco tossed his phone into the car. Rico was keeping a close eye on him.
"Are you okay, boss?"
"I'm all right. Let's leave."
However, Marco kept thinking about his mother's words as they drove in the direction of the church. Isabella Romano was not guilty. It's likely that she was unaware of the conflict between their families. It is likely that she believed she was simply marrying someone she loved.
Similar to how Sofia most likely believed she was only attending school on the day the car bomb went off.
Marco's spy texted him, "Wedding march starting," and his phone buzzed. "She is making her way down the aisle. Hurry up."
"Stop the car," said Marco abruptly.
"What?" Rico appeared perplexed.
"Stop the car," I said.
Rico stopped and looked at Marco. "What's wrong, boss?"
Marco gazed at the pedestrians on the sidewalk outside the window. Ordinary people going about their everyday lives. They had no idea how drastically their world would change in just ten minutes.
"What if my mother is correct?" Silently, Marco inquired.
"About what?"
"Concerning Isabella Romano. What if she is truly innocent?"
Rico's expression hardened. "Boss, war kills innocent people. That's how wars operate."
"However, what if the war could be ended without causing harm to innocent people?"
"Sofia was murdered by Vincent Romano. He is not deserving of mercy."
When Marco closed his eyes, he saw Sofia's face once more. The way she appeared in the hospital following the bombing, not the happy birthday picture. So tiny, broken, and motionless.
"You're right," Marco stated. "He is not deserving of mercy." Marco took his gun out and gave it another look. He then turned to face Rico. "However, the girl does."
"What does that mean?"
"It implies that we take her alive. We don't harm her unless absolutely necessary. After using her to reach Vincent, we release her."
Rico appeared relieved. "I hoped you would say that. The men were growing anxious about causing harm to a bride at her own wedding."
"Tell them it's an easy plan. We enter quickly, grab the girl, and leave. Unless they attempt to stop us, nobody is harmed."
"How about Anthony Ricci?"
"What about him?"
"He will make an effort to keep her safe. He adores her."
Marco considered that. He would have loved to keep Sofia safe three years ago. However, no one had offered him that opportunity.
"Then he'll fail," Marco stated. "Just as I was unable to keep Sofia safe."
Marco could see the throng of elegantly dressed people ascending the steps as they approached the church. They appeared content and enthusiastic. They were unaware of what was about to happen.
Marco's phone rang again. He had a spy.
The voice said, "They're at the altar. The ceremony is about to begin."
"We're two minutes away," Marco stated.
"One more thing. Anthony Ricci is aware of a problem. He has been phoning. He might attempt to alert others."
Marco's jaw tensed. "Then we move more quickly."
After hanging up, he turned to face Rico. "Instruct the men to prepare. As soon as we stop, we enter."
Marco could hear the wedding march playing inside the church as their car arrived. Isabella Romano was somewhere in there, thinking about her future with Anthony Ricci as she walked down the aisle in her white dress.
For unknown reasons, she was unaware that a man she had never met would soon decide her future.
Marco took Sofia's picture out of his pocket and gave it a kiss. "Little sister, this is for you."
He then exited the vehicle and made his way to the church's doors. Thirty armed men trailed behind him. The wedding march was growing louder inside the church. People were turning and getting up to watch the bride walk down the aisle.
After pushing the doors of the church open, Marco entered. It was lovely music. The flowers were lovely. They were lovely people. It would be unfortunate to ruin everything.
With his gun concealed beneath his jacket, Marco proceeded down the middle aisle. People began to take notice of him. Some grinned, assuming he was a late visitor. Others appeared perplexed. However, Marco was only interested in one person.
Wearing a white dress, Isabella Romano stood at the altar, her face beaming with joy. She was even more stunning than the pictures he had seen.
Marco hesitated for a second. She appeared so youthful. So naive. So hopeful.
However, all of his anger returned when he noticed Vincent Romano standing beside her.
Marco drew his firearm and aimed it at the ceiling. In the silent church, the gunshot was a deafening sound. People let out a scream. Individuals fled. People fell to the ground.
Marco, however, approached the altar with composure while fixing his gaze on Isabella's frightened expression.
He said, "Isabella Romano," in a voice that cut through the commotion. "You're accompanying me."
Marco, however, saw something that chilled him as he approached. Vincent Romano had a smile on his face. Not afraid. Not upset. Grinning. As if he had been waiting for this very moment.
Marco came to the realization that he might have just stepped into a trap.