The black van sped through the rain-lashed streets of Queens, tires throwing up curtains of water as it weaved between traffic. Inside, Luca sat in silence, the briefcase resting on his lap like a coffin. Across from him, Enzo wiped blood from his knuckles with a wet cloth, while the silver-masked woman, now without her mask, watched Luca carefully.
"You going to open it or just stare at it all night?" she asked, voice smooth but edged with impatience.
Luca didn't answer right away. His fingers hovered over the latch. He could feel the weight of whatever was inside, not just paper and ink, but history, truth, maybe even vengeance.
Enzo exhaled sharply. "Kid, if that envelope's really from Anton, you better read it before Rocco decides to send another army after your head."
Luca nodded once.
He popped the latch.
Inside were more files than he expected, detailed accounts of deals gone bad, betrayals sealed in blood, names circled in red ink. But beneath them all, wrapped in plastic, was the letter.
He pulled it out slowly.
The handwriting was unmistakable.
"If you're reading this, then it means I'm gone. And you've chosen the path I prayed you never would."
Luca's jaw tightened.
"Rocco is not just a man. He is a cancer. And like any disease, he must be cut out completely. Do not trust anyone who claims to help you unless they are willing to bleed for you."
He glanced at the woman beside him.
She met his gaze without flinching.
"There is one who still remembers me. One who still carries my love in her heart. She will guide you where I cannot. Trust her… as I once did."
Luca looked back at her.
"You knew my grandfather," he said quietly.
She gave a small, sad smile. "I loved him."
Enzo shifted uncomfortably. "We don't have time for this."
The woman ignored him. "You need to disappear."
Luca frowned. "What do you mean disappear?"
"The moment you took that briefcase, you became the most wanted man in the city," she said. "Rocco won't stop until you're dead."
Luca closed the case and set it aside. "Then I'll make sure he doesn't get the chance."
She shook her head. "You're not ready yet."
Enzo leaned forward. "Where do we go?"
She hesitated only briefly before answering. "North. There's a train leaving Grand Central in twenty minutes. It doesn't stop for hours."
Luca studied her. "Why there?"
She turned to look out the window as the skyline blurred past. "Because some ghosts only come out when the world forgets them."
By the time they reached Grand Central Terminal, the storm had worsened. Thunder cracked across the sky like distant gunfire. The station was nearly empty, just a few late-night travelers and security cameras blinking sleepily under the vaulted ceiling.
They moved quickly, blending into the shadows.
At Track 23, an old midnight express stood waiting, a sleeper train bound for places no one remembered. The conductor barely looked up as they boarded.
Luca, Enzo, and the woman slipped into a private cabin toward the rear of the train. As the doors hissed shut behind them, the engine rumbled to life.
They were moving.
Luca finally spoke. "Tell me everything."
The woman sat across from him, folding her hands in her lap. "Your grandfather and I… we were together long before Rocco took everything. Before the Varga Empire fell."
Luca watched her closely. "Lady i don't have time for your lovey dovey story, get straight to the point. "
"Alright damn it" she said softly. "Your grandfather Anton left something behind."
Enzo raised an eyebrow. "And what exactly is that?"
She looked at Luca. "A weapon. One Rocco never found."
Luca leaned forward. "Where is it?"
She smiled faintly. "You already have it."
Luca frowned. "What? What do you nean I have it?"
She tapped the briefcase. "Everything Anton knew, everything he built, it's all in there. But hidden beneath the lies and records is something else. A final move."
Luca opened the case again, flipping through the files with new urgency.
Enzo exhaled. "You better find it fast. Because if Rocco's men are anywhere near us, we're not getting off this train alive."
Outside, lightning split the sky.
Inside, secrets began to unravel.
And somewhere down the line, a forgotten station waited.
One that held the key to everything.