2. Mr Anonymous

“How are you preparing for the charity event?” Angelo Cherisi asked as he walked into his brother's office. His hands were tucked in his pockets as he walked over to the large oak table in the room.

“Why do I need to prepare?” His brother asked, raising a quizzical eyebrow at him. Angelo plopped down on the seat in front of his brother before taking out a stick of cigarettes from his breast pocket.

“Because you are Giovanni Cherisi, head of the Cherisi family and mob boss of Palermo,” Angelo stated with a boyish smile, making his brother smile widely. “Do I need to remind you that you would be delivering a speech and making a major donation?”

Giovanni faced turned sour at the sound of that. He hated making those public appearances, especially one that involved him meeting with the corrupt officials of the city. He hated the city politicians, he hated the city people, infact, there were only a few things he didn't hate. Family and wealth topped that list.

“Why can't you make the speech?” he questioned, even though he knew it was not possible. The leader always make the speech.

“Cos I'd be busy with some big booty ladies.” Angelo winked at his elder brother who shook his head disapprovingly.

“No smoking in my office.” Giovanni stated, collecting the stick of cigarette from his brother who groaned in annoyance.

“Boring as usual” Angelo muttered under his breath before walking out.

Giovanni sat in front of the VIP section of the banquet hall dressed in a well tailored grey pristine suit. He looked uninterested as His brother, the other crime families and top government officials were all seated in the VIP section too. He took another glance at his diamond watch that was on his left wrist before raising up his head and staring at the old corrupt politician that was speaking on stage. He knew all of them and all the corrupt activities they were involved with, and he hated them. The old politician soon ended his speech and got down from the stage.

Giovanni eyes left the stage as he turned his head slowly and caught sight of a beautiful woman seated on the other side of the hall. She sat cross legged on her seat, she was a black long gown and her hair was styled beautifully. He stared at her for a while, locking his gaze with her before returning his eyes in front.

“Our men have surrounded the entire building. We are waiting for orders.” Angelo's voice said from the earpiece he wore.

“Stand in position, and look out for him or his men,” he replied in a low tone

Cielo stared at Giovanni before he broke eye contact with her. There were a lot of thoughts going through her mind. There were a lot of things she needed to find out and Giovanni just seemed to be the right person to start from.

She got up and walked to the ladies' restroom. She opened one of the stalls and got in. Inside the stall, she opened her small purse and took out her hearing device before fixing it on her ear and hiding it with her clothes. She took one last look at herself in the mirror and when she was comfortable with her look, she stepped outside and walked back in.

When she got back into the hall, Giovanni was on stage, delivering a speech. Her eyes ran across everybody in the hall before returning to him. He looked handsome in his grey suit. His black hair was styled to the back and his facial features were as hard as ever. He had a dead look in his eyes as he stared down at the hall. The look could put any normal person on the edge, but everyone in the hall was beyond normal. Including her.

“Giovanni Cherisi is speaking now,” she said into the mouthpiece, still looking ahead at him. She came here for answers, or at least clues and she was going to find some.

Giovanni soon ended his speech and the host called for a champagne break before the donations started. She hated to be here, but she knew she had to be. She needed to be here instead of her boss.

Making her way over to the bar with her purse in hand, she stopped for a second to rearrange her clothes.

“I can't see the hall perfectly.” her partner's voice called from the earpiece and she sighed before readjusting.

She took a long stool at the bar and ordered a glass of clear scotch. When her order was brought, she downed it all at once, letting the hotness burn down her throat.

***

“What are we gonna do now.” Little Cielo asked her brother asked they stood by the roadside, many metres from their house.

“I don't know.” her brother replied, throwing stones at the birds that perched on the tree nearby.

It was the second day since they had left home and now they were lost in the road. Enzo still had his gun tucked in his cloth. He had stolen food for him and his sister that afternoon and now, they needed where to sleep for the night.

“Let's go down there, we might find where to sleep,” Enzo stated, pointing at a road that was past an ally.

They soon started walking down the road. It was late evening and the road was getting dark and deserted. He held his sister's hand tightly as he held her. He didn't know the road, but he trusted his instincts. They soon got deeper into the ally before they found a spot to lay their head. They had barely slept for a few minutes when Enzo detected movement around them. His sister had fallen asleep a few minutes earlier while he was unable to sleep. He couldn't sleep while they were out here, open to attack. He was barely ten, but he had the duty of protecting his sister, and he was going to do that.

He quickly stood up. His gun was perfectly tucked by the waist of his trouser. He took it out, tiptoeing to the point he had the sound had come from. He hid behind a tree as he saw a young man walk to where his sister was laying. He could barely see his face under the light cast by the moonlight, but he could see his silhouette perfectly. He had a manly figure and looked to be in his twenties. He silently put a gag over her mouth before picking her up. He watched in horror from where he hid as the man started moving before he stepped out, blocking his way.

“Put her down,” he commanded, his little voice resounding in the quietness of the night. His voice could barely sound threatening. He was just a nine year old in the cold street. The figure dropped her on the floor, advancing to him and he pulled out the gun, pointing it at him.

“Don't come any close,” he shouted again, already getting scared. The figure disobeyed, and when he almost got to him, he pulled the trigger, firing a bullet at the man who fell to the group. That was the first time he had ever shot a gun, and he did it to protect himself and his sister.

***

The donations soon started, different politicians and other businessmen took turns in donating fat sums that were still going to be embezzled later. Most of them donated, not for the true course, but for their pride. They wanted to flaunt their wealth. The two other crime families in Palermo made their donations too. Every year in the past five years, Giovanni always made the fattest donation. He was the richest of the crime dons in the city.

The Verrilli family was now headed by Alessio, an old greedy fellow who knew very little about how to be a crime don. The Verrilli family was the strongest and richest crime family when Giovanni was still a child until their then-boss was murdered. He remembered his father discussing it with his underboss once. The both families were the closest to being friends among all the crime families that existed in the city. They have met on very few occasions, but they both had each other's back. He knew they had two children, but he had only met them once, at a dinner organized by their family. The Verrilli family was very protective of their family. Though they were raised in the midst of crime, killings, and other atrocities the crime families were known for, Matteo had shielded his children away from it.

“An anonymous person has made a donation of 1.2 million dollars.” the host's announcement broke into Giovanni's thoughts and everybody turned their heads in surprise. Giovanni too was surprised, shocked rather. Someone somewhere had made a donation greater than his'. His ego was at stake. He had made a donation of one million dollars. He always made the most donations and he prided himself in that fact, but this time was different.

Different curious eyes were fixed on the host after he made the announcement. Someone walked up to him and whispered something to him, making him smile broadly before returning to the audience.

“He has added another three hundred thousand dollars and had said to remain anonymous.” The Host announced.

The head of the different crime families turned to each other, their eyes saying more than their mouths would ever. They knew they had to find that anonymous person and unmask him. He was going to be a threat.

“You have heard that. Find me the anonymous person.” Giovanni ordered Angelo, getting up from his seat.

The Charity event had ended for him. He had more important things to attend to. He had an anonymous person to find.