1: THE MAN AT THE TOP.

The last sixty plus years of my life has been spent achieving greatness. As a young man I was a soldier and fought for my country, when the fighting was done I returned home, to take the place of my father as the head of the family business.

I had been raised to lead and trained to succeed. For forty years I was the head of my family and those were forty of the best years the family ever had. Alliances were forged and enemies were crushed underfoot, anyone who betrayed me lived to regret their mistake. When the time went to go to war I was merciless; those I wanted dead were never seen again and those I protected never knew suffering.

I married the daughter of another family to form an alliance between us and we had three children; two boys and a girl. Now in my late sixties, I am ready to pass on the family ring to my eldest son.

 My eldest son is about to be married, unlike my father, I didn’t force him into an arranged marriage, so little was known about the girl who he had taken for his wife.

I was sitting in the church with my wife and my daughter. My other son was chosen as his brother’s best man.

“I can’t believe he’s getting married,” my daughter commented, “I was always under the impression that he was gay,”

“Be nice,” my wife chastised her, “he was just looking for ‘the one’ and he found her,”

“But he has no experience with women, how does he know she’s the one? She could just be a fucking gold digger out for his money,”

“Watch your language young lady,” I warn my daughter, she sighs and whispers an apology. I chuckle at her, “you aren’t jealous because you won’t have your big brother all to yourself anymore, are you?”

“A-as if,” she huffed as her cheeks flushed, “I don’t even like him all that much,”

My wife and I laugh at her reddened face as the procession arrives.

The ceremony was beautiful, my boy looked every bit as handsome up there as his bride was beautiful. As they exchanged vows, I looked over at my wife, remembering our wedding, she sees me and offers a small smile.

During the reception, the lovely couple are cutting the cake when one of the guest approaches my table.

“It is an honor to be here,” the man says as he takes a knee and kisses the family ring on my finger. A sign of respect.

“Thank you, please enjoy the reception.”

The ring was the symbol of the family head, passed down from generation to generation, it had been in my family for hundreds of years. It was made of a black metal with a blood red gemstone on it.

As I think about the history that rests on my hand my phone rings. It’s the business line.

“I told you not to call me today,” I bark at the caller, my right hand man

“Apologies boss,” he quickly says, “but something’s come up, I just got word that some upstarts from the Macciano family are on the move. We’re on our way to move you and your family somewhere safe.”

“No, this is my boy’s big day, I will not let it be ruined by anything.” I state, “send some men to hunt down these fools, while you and your best come here to protect this venue.”

“Alright boss, I’m almost to you now, I’ll be there in—bzzt!” The call suddenly cuts off.

“What’s wrong, dad?” my daughter asks me noticing my hard face

“Dear?” my wife chimes in

I take a breath, “It’s nothing, just some trouble at the docks,”

“I wish you wouldn’t focus on work all the time,” my wife chided me, “you’d miss all the celebration,”

“You’re right,” I say, “After Junior and his new wife go on their honeymoon, we should go on a vacation, the four of us,”

“You mean it?” my daughter asks, excitedly

“why not? The business can run by itself for a while, family is important.” I state

“Can we go to Hawaii?” my daughter asks, “No, the Bahamas? No, the Cayman Islands?” she starts running through vacation destinations in rapid succession.

I laugh, “maybe we should go for a cruise?” I suggest.

My attention is then called by my youngest son, “father, would you like to say a few words to the happy couple?”

All eyes turn to me, I smile and stand up, raising my glass of champagne, “Family is the strongest thing there is. Built on loyalty, trust and love, a family can survive anything. When I look at the two of you, I must say; you certainly have the love part down pat.”

The reception laughs at my joke and I continue,

“To my son and his blushing new bride, I leave these words of wisdom, always—”

I am interrupted when a group of armed men burst into the reception hall, startling everyone.

“THE MACCIANOS SEND THEIR REGARDS!” one of them yell as they level their guns to the assembled guests.

“Get down!” is all I can yell to my wife and daughter as the armed men open fire on us.

Bullets start to pepper everyone as the gunmen indiscriminately shoot down all the men women and children present. The jeer and laugh as those who try to run are ripped apart.

 Some of my men manage to get some shots off, but they only brought pistols while our attackers came with assault rifles and body armor, we didn’t stand a chance.

When it is all over, I am lying on my side, bleeding from the many bullet wounds the ripped through me, before me my wife and daughter lie lifelessly in pools of their own blood, their dead eyes staring at me. My son, his wife and his brother are also dead, filling me with despair.

I am kicked aside so that I am now facing the ceiling. Above me is one of the gunmen, grinning wildly.

“So this is the great boss of the fucking Patrelli family? You’re nothing special,” he sneers before his eyes wonder then he offloads a round of bullets into my wife and daughter’s corpses.

“S-stop!” I groan

“Why? The bitches are dead; they’re just lumps of meat now.” He says.

I glare at the man with my evil eye and he visibly shrinks away,

“What the hell? You glaring at me, old man? Fuck you.” He kicks me across the face

“You just made a terrible mistake,” I told the man, “I will be the end of you!”

Another gunman walks over, “idiot, what are you doing?”

“the old bastard isn’t so tough,” the first gunman says

“that’s why you’re an idiot, he is the most dangerous person in this room,” the second says, he then looks at me, “This is the end of the Patrelli family, let me put you out of your misery as a last sign of respect.”

The last thing I see is the flash of his rifle as he shoots, I remember wishing I had a second chance to save my family. Then, everything went dark.

* * *

I find myself in complete darkness, I can’t feel my body or where I am. That’s when it occurs to me, I was dead.

I scream in outrage but there is nothing here to hear me. I wasn’t screaming for me, but for my family; my wife, my children, my men, they were all dead and so was I. Who was going to avenge them now?

[You are full of fire] I hear a voice say, it was odd, it sounds neither masculine or feminine.

Who is that? I demand, where am I? Where is my family?

[Don’t worry, your family isn’t a concern anymore.]

What does that mean? I demand. Where are they?

[They’re dead, they’ve moved on. You, on the other hand…]

Where am I? who are you?

[Who I am is not important.] the voice says, [what is important is that you have been chosen for a once in a lifetime opportunity.]

What opportunity?

[A second chance. To be reborn and—]

Not interested, I reply

[You don’t get a choice in the matter,] the voice said. [I have need of an ambition like yours on a grand stage worthy of your talents. I’ve found a vacant body to put you into. It’s more convenient than having you start from scratch… but there will be unforeseen side effects with this process, so be prepared.]

Didn’t you hear me? I roared, I said I’m not interested!

[And I said you don’t get a choice. Now, while I have you here, might as well upload a little something…]

A sensation washed over me.

What was that? What did you do to me?

[It’s a surprise.] the voice snickered, [You’re all set. This should give you an edge against the others.]

What others?

[You’ll find out when you get there. Alright, time to go,]

Wait, what is happening? I asked. Why won’t you let me die?

[I’m doing you a favor here,] the voice snapped, [Do you know how many dead people get the chance to be brought back? Almost none. You’re only lucky I was able to step in before you were too far gone. Now I’m going to start you up and you’re going to do what you were made for.]

What’s that?

[Rule. Good luck, my new Regis.]

Then, I open my eyes.