The Mafia Lies

37-Battle

Marco's first and second throws went well. His daggers hit the same spot that Rodel marked with his own blades. The third one was in an area too dark and too far from him that he missed just by a two centimeters. Rodel approached and slashed his right arm due to his first miss. It was just a surface wound but it was long and leaked with blood. It made his fingers slick and will make throwing the dagger ten times more difficult.

Denaris felt confident that Marco can ace the dagger test even when he missed the third throw. He trusts Marco with his life. He knew he would never fail him nor Alessandra.

As Alessandra watched, her ribcage almost break with the way her heart strongly hammered inside. As much as she wanted to help Marco overcome the challenges, she knew she just have to trust him and his skills. The stakes are getting higher and higher. She's not only endangering the love of her life but the people surrounding him as well.

Once Rodel hit the apple on top of Red's head, Marco prepared himself for the final throw. Marco inhaled and held his breath before exhaling slowly, calming himself in the process. He parted his legs and prepared his stance. Raising his wounded right arm to test the weight of the dagger made his arm hurt and bleed more. Even if he wiped the blood with his shirt, he knew it would affect his aim. He decided to take a risk and use his left arm.

Denaris and Alessandra held their breaths as Marco wiped the bloodied dagger with his shirt and transferred it to his left hand. Rodel stepped back to give his opponent some space. When Marco raised his arm for the throw, Alessandra closed her eyes. A silent thud and the apple soared skivered by the dagger and sailed towards the container behind Denaris.

Rodel tapped Marco's shoulders. He completed the challenge. They went down to join their groups. Alex wanted to approach Marco and tend to his wound but Marco looked at her and shook his head in protest. He still has to beat seven more of her members.

Red stepped up and handed Marco a pistol, similar to the one he was holding.

"Now it's my turn. We will dismantle this gun and then put it back together. Once it is ready for use, fire away. The first one to shoot will win this duel. Let's use real bullets to make the game exciting. Aim wherever you want except for my face."

Alex wanted to shoot Red with her own gun. She was about to approach when Rodel held her arm. He and his brother seemed too eager to get her boyfriend killed.

"Just wait and see." He warned Alex.

The two men went to the two tables set up by the Japanese group. Their distance were at least 45 feet. On Rodel's mark, Red and Marco, with his still bleeding arm, dismantled the pistol. They were both quick. They knew what they were doing. Marco struggled at first with his slippery hands but he managed to put back all the bullets he removed and prepared to shoot. He raised his gun and fired at Red's chest as the latter was just about to raise his own gun.

The gun fire echoed and Red staggered backwards. Alex watched in both exasperation and awe as he removed the massaged his chest and removed his shirt, displaying his kevlar vest. She wondered if Marco was wearing his own vest.

"I don't think he's wearing a vest Boss." Alex would have punched Rodel for his remark if not for the next thing that happened.

Kiyoshi, Takame and Tokutaro, elite members of her group conceded on their bouts and bowed at Marco as a sign of respect.

"Well, this looks interesting. Those three either were impressed with Marco's skills or they just wanted to avoid the fit that you are going to throw when this is all over." Red whispered at Alex when he reached her side.

Lerano, stepped forward and gave Marco two shuriken blades. They talked in Japanese and Red translated for Alex.

"Lerano will throw the blades and Marco need to intercept them with his own shuriken. You do realize that if Marco missed. . ."

"Shut up Red! I will beat you all up after this, mark my words!" Alex wanted to shoot at all of them in frustration. She knew Marco was good with daggers but not shuriken blades.

Rodel signaled the start of the challenge. It was all too fast. Lerano who was as good as Alex with the star blades, threw his shuriken. Marco did the same almost instantaneously. They all ducked out of the way when the force of the four blades' collision sent the blades spinning towards different directions.

Another members of her group, Tadamasa and Hisayami stepped forward and handed Marco a Katana sword. How they managed to bring a sword on their operation was a puzzle for Alex but she knew that the situation was getting out of hand. It was two against one and Alex wondered whether Marco has ever held a Katana in his life.

"Two against one? Isn't this against our rules?"

"No boss. Just wait and see." Rodel was quick to pacify Alex.

Hisayami charged at Marco with the blade upheld. Marco dodged the first foreswing and met the second backswing with his sword. The Japanese strike quickly and sliced the fabric of Marco's shirt at the midsection, missing his flesh by a centimeter. Marco stepped backwards then sideways and blocked Hisayami's advances. All of Marco's attacks were always met with his opponent's sword. He tried another tactic, which seemed to work. With three long swings, two were meant to confuse, the last one, a backswing that sent his opponent's sword flying out of his grasp. Marco pointed his sword at Hisayami who held up his hands as a sign of defeat.

Tadamasa approached, bowed and offered his sword to Marco who nodded in response.

Nine members were done which means she is up next. As much as she would like to yield, as the leader of their group, she had to fight him and win.

Marco knew that as a Mafia boss trying to infiltrate another Mafia group, he had to downthrow their leader to emerge not only as a part of their group but to be part of the top ranks.

Alessandra stepped forward and so did Marco. Their gaze fixed at each other. Red approached and gave them both the chosen weapon for the final test. The test to determine their future.