Chapter 257 - Pier 22 Meeting (1/2)
Somewhere in the shadier boroughs of New York, a group of powerful and dangerous individuals gathered in a remodelled warehouse by the docks. During the day, it was a regular warehouse that held the precious cargos of big companies. It was usually a bustling location full of shouts, yells and even singing while employees shifted boxes and containers after boxes and containers of goods onto sh.i.p.s or trucks. However, after nightfall, the area was desolated with only some security on patrol or drunken thugs who chose this as a place for their petty fights.
For Lucian Anastasia, this was his kingdom. After nightfall, the entire pier 22 turned into a mafia turf where million-dollar transactions took place. From drug peddlers to illegal fight rings and casino managers, pier 22 was the place that everyone within the network knew about. The poor who were desperate would come flocking to pier 22 after hearing it from hoodlums about money-laundering services. The hookers who wanted to make fast bucks offered themselves to pimps. The addicts who could no longer afford regular rates came to pier 22 for handouts and acted as mules. Here, Lucian Anastasia ruled and there was absolutely nothing the regular police could do. After all, the highest authority in the city was a man who belonged to Anastasia.
”Good evening gentleman,” the aged first don of the Anastasia family smiled. He was an elderly gentleman who looked like a kind grandpa who would often feed pigeons at Times Square and read a daily paper to pass his retirement days. The mafia boss had a chubby stature with a receding hairline full of grey strands. He had the same hooked nose that his son had and would have been handsome in his younger days with a square chiselled jawline. Yet, nobody dared to offend this kind-looking gentleman.
Across the table were three other men. They were his long-time business partners who had only seen Lucian Anastasia a handful of times.
”Why have you gathered us here today?” a bald man in his late fifties asked. The man was severely thin and only had a grey well-trimmed moustache that gave his face a personality. He was a sun-weathered elderly man with wrinkles everywhere, a proof that he spent most of his days working underneath the sun. Still, he looked perfectly fit for a man in his late fifties, a huge contrast to the other men in the room.
Lucian smiled and poured them tea. ”Relax, Adrian. It's been a while since everyone gathered, let's start with some good news, shall we?”
Adrian humphed and crossed his arms. As the warehousing manager and sole distributor for EZ Express, he preferred talking to Julian instead of Lucian. The younger man showed more respect to him and he hated Lucian's unfazed calmness to everything as if he was looking at the world with a condescending attitude. To Lucian, all his allies were nothing more than ants in an ant farm jar within his hands. Those who agreed and did as told by Anastasia lived a life of luxury paved by Anastasia and those who disagreed or showed doubts would be killed and dumped at the bottom for pier 22. Still, after being long-time business partners, Adrian decided to give Lucian some respect despite the last-minute invitations.
”Would you like some sugar with your tea?” Lucian asked the man to his right. The man looked every inch like a law-abiding citizen and was the face of New York City's justice posters that children worshipped, a complete opposite of what he actually did.
Judas had humble beginnings and was a small lieutenant two decades ago. He was a young boy with an ambition that Lucian picked up and groomed under his tutelage. Now, Judas was the Commissioner of New York City and the Anastasia Family's go-to guy for any hiccups.
”No thank you,” Judas said and Lucian smiled, pouring him a cup that the man offered. He was the youngest man in tonight's secret meeting, only in his forties.
The man to the left of Anastasia was also another prominent figure in New York City. He was the main reason why Lucian's plans never fell apart for the last two decades.
”Mayor Underhill, it's been a while since I last saw you. How's your wife?” Lucian asked and offered the man a cup.
Underhill looked slightly tired and Lucian couldn't blame him. It wasn't easy to become the mayor of America's most important city. Even with Lucian's support and rigging the political elections, it was still a difficult job.
”She's feeling a lot better now thanks to you,” the mayor admitted. After his wife was diagnosed with cancer, the medical expenses had been burdening him. However, thanks to the many years of being friends with Lucian, the mafia boss decided to give the mayor a hand and took care of his wife's needs, including treatment and upgraded her to a VIP ward in the best hospital within the city.
Now that the small talk was over, Lucian decided to bring up the subject about why he called these three men to his personal warehouse tonight.
”As you've all probably heard from here and there, the Wilde family are at it again and the Interpol are stepping up their game.”
Lucian sighed with an Oscar-winning act of looking like the most maligned old man who had been bullied by the world. None of his associates blinked, too used to the man's dramatic sense of humour.
Getting serious, Lucian's eyes hardened. ”Do you know what I heard lately? Leah told me that my son wasn't cooperating with our plans because of a certain someone.”
With a harsh toss, the magazine was tossed onto the table. It was the magazine that had been a trending hot topic ever since it was released. On the front, the tagline of 'exclusive interview with the Wildes' screamed at them and taunted them with the beautiful picture of two daughters. Nobody spoke and Lucian growled. The friendly old man was nowhere to be seen and this was the mafia boss' true personality that these men knew.