KIDNAPPED BY THE DON

My father is at gunpoint.

"You owe us a total of 102 million dollars. Do you have the means to pay, or are you ready to die?"

The bald, 6 foot tall henchman clicks the gun, tapping my father's forehead with he metal.

My heart is racing and I don't know what to do.

Earlier on, father had been rejoicing to me about the new scam he had pulled on a gullible project manager of a big firm.

He had good skills- commiting crimes that no one could trace.

To him, this was the easiest scam he'd ever pulled.

Father had even gone ahead to purchase an exotic home worth 70 million in Milan.

We were both rejoicing- well I was joining in because that's the only way he can be happy these days- before our door was broken down.

Father pushed me to the closet and made me hide while they rushed in.

Now, I'm sweating in the midst of coats and boots, watching these men with criss crossed knife tattoos on their necks point a gun at my father.

Black Silver.

The only gang I know with these tattoos belong to the infamous mafia cartel, Black Silver.

Did father really cross these people? Did he not know that company was owned by them?

Knowing these men are even more dangerous than I thought, my body goes cold.

I'm sweating profusely, but I am freezing from fear.

"I-I can pay...I can pay. I will just need s-some time. The M-"

Before father can get his words out, the man whoops him with the gun across the cheek, flinging his face to the side.

I hold in my gasp and clutch my lips with both hands.

My body is shaking; the closet feels too small.

"Can you pay now, or not?" The second guard asks. His voice is monotone, just like a robot's.

Father raises his head. I see tears in his eyes; he knows I'm seeing all this and he's trying desperately not to look afraid.

Ever since mom died from a minor kidney illness we couldn't treat because we were poor, father went money crazed.

He did everything for it- and he was scary good at it.

He robbed and scammed, swindled and gambled.

Anything at all to make sure we had more than we needed.

As though he was apologizing to mother for not having enough.

But now- father has gone absolutely insane.

How did he even end up stealing from Black Silver?

I watch him bow his head, dejected completely. "I don't have the money..." he says.

My heart drops.

"You spent it all didn't you? Mark, you know what to do." The first guard says, stepping aside for the second one with a loaded gun.

Click.

Time stops as he gets ready to pull the trigger.

I don't know when my body moves, but in the next second, I've flown out of the suffocating space.

"Stop! Stop it please!" I cry aloud. Father turns to me in alarm. The first guard immediately points a gun at me.