Capo di tutti capi

A remake of the classic Julius Caesar in a Italian Mafia organization.

A soft cheering could be heard along the streets of Sicily. People stood anticipating as a black car pulled up in front of a wide ally. They applauded and cheered as a man got out of the car. He walked authoritatively through the cheering crowd. Womens stood cheering from the balconies and screamed for his attention when he walked below them. The crowd yelled passionately,”Adamo! Adamo! Capo di tutti capi!” The man only smiled attractively at the crowd and shook his head in a joking manner at the title. He reached the platform and turned toward the crowd. The crowd once again cheered his name as he fixed his attention to the them. He smiled earnestly, but suddenly kneeled over, coughing. He reached for a handkerchief in his breast pocket. The crowd looked around confused, as men in black suits and bowler hat rushed in. Adamo waved them away, repetitively saying not to worry. He smiled reassuringly to the crowd and the crowd once again cheered.

“Today, we have once again fought back those bloody Spanish. And have successful raided them again,” he shouted.

The crowd  roared approvingly

“Those thieving spanish government have stolen from you for too long and now I give back what is rightfully yours,” Adamo shouted charismatically.

The crowd shouted with excitement and praised his name. Adamo gave one last wave to the crowd and headed for the car waiting for him. Once he step off the platform, he was surrounded by his man, all asking of his health and congratulating him. Adamo felt the sensation of being watched and he intuitively looked up and saw Circino and other Dons-boss-talking together in a suspicious manner on the farthest balcony. A loud commotion drew his attention back to his men. He saw an anxious man pushing out Adamo’s men to reach him.

“Adamo, I need to talk to you,” said the young man, nervously. “I had a dream...again. It was about you, you must beware the ides of-”

“Oh, shut up with your dreams and superstition, Arcari,” thundered a man beside Adamo.

“NO, you have to believe me, Adamo, you must be cautious,” Arcari nervously said.

“You, little-” the man began.

“It’s alright, Dino, he’s just worried of my health,” Adamo said calmly. “I’ll keep your warning in mind, along with thousands of others,” he said, smiling lightly. Adamo reached the car and dismissed his men and got in the car.    

Adamo sighted wearily as he sat on the lush seat. Absently, he touched his abdominal, where a stray bullet skimmed him. A man, sitting beside him, looked concernedly at Adamo.

“Are you okay?” the man asked worriedly.

“You are far to concern of my health, Artemio. You should be more concerned of yourself. Go home, once in a while. You shouldn’t leave your wife for too long,” Adamo said jokingly.

“She knew that when she married me, my first priority will always be this city. And that makes you my first priority, you are what’s keeping this city alive and fighting,” Artimeo said seriously.

“Bah, you worry too much. I heard you were hurt more than me,” Adamo said.

“I may have been injured more than you, but I’m replaceable, you are not, there are many more capable people than me you can chose from ,” Artemio casually slipped. But saw Adamo’s face darken with anger.       

“What did you say,” Adamo whispered. “Is it possible to replace my right hand? Are you saying you are replaceable? Is this what you think of yourself? We were both raised in these very town. We are brothers, forged by these street and hammered into brotherhood in battles. Do you think so little of our friendship?” Adamo angrily whispered.

An awkward silence settled over the car as Artemio sat stunned, still processing Adamo’s outburst. The car slowly stopped and the driver opened the car for Adamo to get out.

Artemio walked between the street lights, lost in thought of what Adamo said to him in the car. Abruptly, someone called out his name, causing him to jolt out of his thoughts and look behind him.

“Artemio, what are you thinking so hard that you would pass a friend,” Circino said sleekly.

“I just have a lot in my head, mainly about Adamo and Sicily,” Artemio said distracted.

“Mind telling me what’s on your thought?” Circine said cunningly. “I, too, also have thoughts in my head, that I think I should share with you, my dear friend.”

Circino caughted up to Artemio and they began to walked together.

“You have distanced yourself from me. Have I offended you in someway? I wouldn’t want to make the enemy of, Artemio the most honorable man in Sicily and the right hand man of Adamo, the great,” Circino sneered. “So, tell me, what has caused honorable Artemio to be so worried?” Circino asked.

Artemio and Circino walked silently as Artemio worded his worry carefully,“Today, the people cried out Capo di tutti capi to Adamo.”

“Ahh, that’s why, my dear old Artemio is so concerned about. Are you worried that your old friend, Adamo, will be the boss of boss? Why? Do you think Adamo won’t be able to handle the power? Or perhaps are you jealous?” Circino shrewdly asked.

“Never, I do not covet power nor do I  have any desire for it,” Artemio declared.

“Then, why are you so sad, my dear Artemio. You should be pining for Adamo’s success,” Circino said.

“I know Adamo as I know myself. We knew each other when we were young and we grew up together. I knows his fear and his desire. I know that Adamo is ambitious for power,” Artemio said quietly.

They walked in silence as Circino smiled with glee.

“I understand your concern, for I too also worry the same,” Curcino said. “I can not imagine our city ruled by a single man, when we can’t even stand that we are ruled by the Spanish.”

Artemio nod in agreement. He looked up to see his house was nearby. He bid Circino goodbye and said he would keeps his words in mind.

Artemio sighed heavily at the night sky and sat down on the bench on his balcony. He lit his cigar, but only watched it burn down, deep in thought. He pondered about Adamo and his ambition and what would be the best of Sicily. He knows with certainty that the majority of the Dons will stand by him, if he declare to be Capo di tutti capi. Artemio thought back of the past, Adamo’s willingness to be ruthless for his goal and the destructive path he will carve for his ambition. Artemio groaned resignedly, Adamo may be docile now, but he is a dormant shark that will go in a frenzy at the smell of power. The winds turned cold as the cigar buds dropped to the ground, Adamo has to die for the good of Sicily. All of a sudden, Artemio bent over, his body shaking from a violent cough. He heard his wife approached behind him with a glass of water. Artemio graciously accepts the glass.  
         “Artemio, what are you so worried about that you could not sleep?” she asked concernedly.

“It’s nothing, Renata,” he said stiffly. He looked down toward the cigar bud, weakly glowing in the wind. His wife quietly got up and walked away only to return again with as object in her hand.

“Artemio, if you can not trust your wife then let fate decide for us,” she said and pointed his gun to the side of her head. Artemio froze in shock, but leaped into action, to take the gun away from her. But she was ready and jumped away, leaning dangerously against the rails.

“Didn’t you used to do this with Adamo when you were younger?” she said a bit derailed. “Before you met me, you and Adamo was busy recruiting men for your family, you would insert one bullet in the gun then spin the barrel and let chance decide if you die. The opponent either have to concede or pull the trigger. I heard you never lost, even Adamo lost to you,” she said.

“Renata, calm down. Why are you doing this?” Artemio said desperately.

She only responded by spinning the barrel of the gun. Renata looked blankly at Artemio and raised the gun to the side of her head. Artemio stared at her with disbelief, but slowly lowered himself to the ground, all the while staring into her eyes. His knees finally touched the ground in submission. Renata looked at her husband kneeling in front of her and burst into tears, apologizing profoundly. Sobbing she hunched over on the floor, still apologizing to Artemio. He quickly grabbed the gun from her weak hands and laid it on the bench, out of reach from his wife. He hugged his sobbing wife, whispering reassuringly. After she stopped sobbing, he began to tell her of the conversation he had with Circino and his convection towards Adamo.

“One last job for Sicily, Renate, my parting gift to this city I was raised in and I will leave my family. Let’s leave together where no one will come between us again, maybe America,” he promised.

He escorted her into their bedroom and laid her on the bed. He took one last look at her and went into his study, writing a letter to Circino of where he stood, but also his plan of leaving. Artemio put the letter in his jacket and searched for his gun. He walked over to the bench, but noticed the heavily weight of his gun. He opened the chamber, to see six bullets. He put the loaded gun on his harness and stared sadly back towards where his wife laid sleeping.

Adamo sat on the chair bored while his wife walked restlessly across the carpet.

“Darling, it was only a dream, everyone have bad dreams. Let’s go back to sleep, if you have calmed down now,” he said, yawning.

She looked sharply at Adamo and hissed out,”If it was a bad dream then why did I wake  up, you know I never wake up for a regular nightmare. It’s my mother’s side again.”

“Camilla, you must share a common ancestor with Arcari, why just today he said I should beware something,” he said disinterested.

HIs wife looked at him with interest while he felt a sinking feeling of making a mistake.

“What did Arcari said you? Did he give any specific examples?” she asked

“He said... um...beware, Yes, he said beware...the...ides of...something,” Adamos finished weakly.      

His wife only looked sad, downcast, she sat next to him.

”I dreamed that you were being shot 23 times by shadowy men that celebrated on the streets with your blood on their hand,” she said softly.

Adamo comforts Camilla and said,”Don’t worry about me, I survived this long because I outsmarted my enemies and I don’t plan on dying.”

The doorbell ring and Adamo gets up to answer the door, but shortly returns with a letter.

“It looks like you were right in waking me up, a meeting has been called,” he said. “Well, I better get ready. Duty calls,” Adamo said while kissing Camilla’s cheek.

The room slowly filled with Dons of big gangs. They all sat on a oval table with name tags in front of them with their name and who they represented. The security were tight and every big or small boss alike were strictly examined for weapons. The room was almost full when Adamo entered the room, all the Dons got up and paid their respect to him. He greeted them friendly and took a sit at the front of the table. The meeting was about to start when Artemio and Circino entered with the other conspirators. Adamo welcomed Artemio loudly, beckoning him to greet him. Artemio shuffle toward Adamo, but wetly coughed into his handkerchief. His eyes were bloodshot and his hand shook as Adamo reached in and hugged him.

“Artemio, my good friend, I thought you were going to miss my corona-”

Artemio stabbed Adamo on the back, penetrating the lung. Artemio held Adamo as Adamo’s legs gave out, Artemio pushed Adamo down. The room burst into panic as Dons shouted for their weapon and others ran for the door. Circino smiled down at Adamo and while looking at Adamo’s face, he plunge the knife into Adamo’s stomach. The other conspirator inched in toward Adamo to stab him. Artemio called for the conspirator to stop, he crouched down to Adamo’s head.

“I’m sorry my friend, it look like you not for the good of Sicily, but the bane of it,” Artemio said, his whole body shaking.

Adamo looked at his friend in agony as Artemio arm rose in the air and stabbed down, piercing Adamo’s heart.

“Anche voi, Artemio?” Adamo whispered in his dying voice.

Circino and the other conspirators rejoiced, with Adamo’s blood on their hand, they cheered loudly and planned out loudly what they could do now with Adamo finally gone.

Circino kicked Adamo’s head laughing and the other conspirator joined in, they shriek with laughter, drunk with power and their success. Artemio only looked blankly at Adamo’s body as he laid in a pool of his own blood. The door abruptly smashed down to the ground and Dino ran in and saw Adamo’s body in a pool of blood. The conspirator quite down and shrewdly looked at Dino, waiting to see if he will attack. Dino knees hit the ground as he touched Adamo’s face.

He turned toward Artemio and said,”If you are going to kill me, kill me now. There is no better place to die, but beside my friend.”

“There are no longer any need to kill anyone anymore. Adamo died for the good of this town, your death will only hurt this town. You are needed here, serve your family well,” Artemio said.

“Wait! Artemio, what if Dino rebel against us?” Circino questioned.

Artemio looked at Dino’s bowed head,”He will not betray us nor speak out against us, will you, Dino?” Artemio twistedly said, patting Dino cheek.

“No, I will not betray you,” Dino said in a strand voice, but his body burned with vengeance.

The conspirators took one last look at Adamo’s body and Dino and strolled out to proclaim their success.

“I’m sorry, Adamo, for being meek and making peace with your enemies in front of you,” Dino said, still kneeling over Adamo’s body. “I have followed you faithfully throughout your life. And we have protected these town, together,”Dino said, sitting down beside Adamo’s body. “You saved me from myself, Adamo, I was young and hot blooded, I took risky chance, I flung my life around, I didn’t see myself valuable. Then I met her...Veronica,” Dino’s voice broke as he said the name, his body rocked with sadness. “I remember when I met her, she was so beautiful and passionate, she was vibrant with life. I approached her like any other girl, but she became more than any girl I have met. I was so foolish, I let her go, I let her die, Adamo, I let her die. She surround herself with my enemies, to hurt me. And she had every right to do so. I promised her riches and commitment, but I was like any other men and used her and threw her away. I realized my mistake too late. She was discovered a week later, to be dead and disfigured to hurt me once more from the dead. I wasn’t strong enough, I promised I wouldn’t lose another friend again because of my weakness,” Dino said with grief. “After she died, I gambled all my money, drank till I passed out, and soon grew penniless, living out on the street, waiting for death to take me, but instead you came. You invited me to your family. Dino grew silent as he reminisce the past. “Adamo, you were my...Caesar,” Dino choked out in the silence. Dino looked at the drying blood on his hand and felt anger flooding through his veins, pushing out the sadness. “I have killed for this town and saved it because you told me too, I would have followed you everywhere, but no more will I save this despicable, revolting, parasite that have drained you, my friend. The Dons conspire with the spanish government, accepting bribes. They no longer follow the creed of our family, we fight, not because we see a profit in fighting, but we, fight to be liberated. But those Dons have grown fat and lazy, no longer wishing to fight, but to be fed money. The townspeople cry out your name when you bring them gifts, but inside, they see you as a violent tyrant. And they, too, no longer see the need to fight anymore. You who know all this, still continue to fight for them.” Dino ranted. “But no more, I will wage war till the streets of Sicily becomes a river of blood. The nights of Sicily will be full of screams of guns and men. Violent shall be so common, that parents shall only smile at the familiarity of their child riddled with bullets. I will destroy this town, ripping and breaking every piece of brick,” Dino raged, mad with anger and grief, he vowed vengeance against the conspirator.            

Tavin walked in to the bar and spotted Dino, nursing a rum and coke. Tavin took a seat next to Dino and ordered a drink.

“You know your uncle was a good man. I wouldn’t have called you from America without a good reason, you know?” Dino slurred.

Tavin nodded in agreement.

“How’s your mother, by the way, she still in good health?” Dino asked.

Tavin only nodded and said,”I know you aren't drunk, Dino, so dropped the act and tell me, where is Artemio?”

Dino laughed lightly,”You’re getting good at reading people, you learned that from those fake American mafia?”

“Those fake mafia are standing outside right now and they brought very big guns with them,” Tavin said aloofly.

“Big guns?” Dino asked curiously.

“My gany managed to steal some gatling guns and we brought 4 over with us,” answered Tavin.       

Dino smiled sparsely and toasted for the successful of their revenge, Tavin raised his drink in agreement and smiled bitterly.

Artemio walked into the house where Circino was holding a meeting. Circino was already discussing their next plan of attack.

“We have suffered many lost, but they too, are in the same state we are in, but we have cornered Dino and he is alone,” Circino said triumphantly.

“Where is he?” one of the Dons asked.

“He is in the pavilion by the lake, we intercept a message that Dino have gone there for the anniversary of our, dear old, Adamo,” Circino mockingly said.

The conference drew close to an end, but Artemio remained seated with a letter in his hand. Circino sat next to him.

“My wife...she just passed away…” Artemio said quietly. “I promised that we would go to America where we would have been free,” he said. “She died in the crossfire, Dino raided every safe house of mine, searching for me. And finally he found me, Dino and Tavin had me cornered, they managed to catch me by surprise by not being accompanied by their gang. Dino fired shots after shots, but I hid under a cover. But Tavin sneaked up behind me and was about shoot, when Renata shouted a warning. The bullet missed me and they retreated when they saw my gang closing in. I went upstair to check on her…” Artemio trailed off, his tears trickling down his face and he crumpled the letter in his fist. “I found her dead. Dino or Tavin must have shot her while they were retreating,” Artemio concluded.

Circino hid a secretive smile as he patted Artemio’s arm, reassuring him.

“This war have gone too long, Circino, this ends tomorrow,” Artemio said determinedly.

“Of course, my dear Artemio, whatever suits you. The war will end tomorrow,” Circion assured.

Circion got up and left while Artemio set fire to the letter with a lighter.

Artemio opened the door to his temporary house and washed up. He looked at the mirror and saw his eyes were bloodshot and his hands were shaking wildly. He clasp his hands together to stop the shaking, but it was futile attempt.

Suddenly, he heard a door shut somewhere outside, he turned around and cried out,”Hello?”

Artemio headed to the kitchen  to calm his nerves and as he was about to drink his Marsala, he saw a reflection of Adoma staring back at him mournfully. He screamed with insanity and throw the glass at the wall. Crystals shards flew around him and he saw flashes of light and shadows at the corners of his eyes. He stood panting wildly, his eyes moving disorderly, trying to track the fleeting shadows and blinked rapidly at the bright flashes of light in his eyes. He finally lost conscious after taking pills and drinking a bottle of sherry. The last thing he remembered before passing out, was Adamo’s ghost looking at him huntingly.

Artemio and Circino walked into the pavilion and saw Dino standing on the edge looking out to the lake. Dino breathed in, taking in the sight of nature to calm his anger.  The moment have finally arrived to take his revenge, his fist shook with wrath as his anger rekindled at the voices of Artemio and Circino.

”Any last word, Dino?” Circino breezly asked.

“Remember the ides of March, Artemio, the day you have destroyed your very soul and have backstabbed your own brother,” Dino said savagely.

The once calm water, abruptly broke into million shards of droplets as gatling guns burst into action. Dino dove into the water as Circino crouched under a bench. Artemio only sat on the ground, stunned and overwhelmed with guilt by Dino’s words.

“Artemio, hurry up and find cover and help me,” Circino cried out.

Artemio's body convulses on the ground as he felt agony and anguish of the guilt crushed him. Tears flowed down as he recalled his best friend and how he killed him with his very hands. He looked down at his spasming hands to see fresh blood. His breath grew ragged and shortened as memories flashed before his eyes, momentarily blinding him with each memory. He saw memories after memories of Adamo saving him and both of them enjoying a victory. Artemio screamed and clawed his face, trying to stop the visions. He felt his body being burned from the inside, anguish ripping his heart, while memories tormented his head. He stumbled up, his fingers bleeding and his face covered with tears and blood. Artemio eyeless, began to walk toward a light in front of him and heard a familiar voice that he loved. He limped discoordinated toward the light, to embrace his dear friend.

Dino watched beside his car and saw Artemio walking toward the storm of bullets while Circino fought a losing battle. Circino knew he couldn’t win, but couldn't stand that he would lose, chose instead that he was only worthy to lose to himself. Dino looked at Artemio and Circino being carried away, but smiled bitterly as he recalled his own words. He got in the car and held the hand’s of a beautiful woman next to him.

“Are you done saying goodbye, dear?” the woman asked.           

“Yes, I have Cleo,” he said warmly, but felt his body twisting with shame and guilt.

“Mr. Blade, drive to the airport, we are going to America,” Dino said.

The car took off, leaving Sicily war-torn and amok with Dons fighting for power. Adamo dead and the last hope of Artemio gone, the mafia world spiraled down. They no longer stood with honor, but enslaved to their greed. They fought and extort for power and became a shadow of what they were in the past.  

Epilogue

The violence and war for power spread from Sicily to America, but hope was not lost. A lone, superstitious hitman, travelled to Japan to start a new family. There a young boss was born that had the same virtues of Artemio and fell madly in love with a girl. A calamity fell upon Sicily, but hope is still sustained in the hand of the young boss.  

Author's Note

I know there are some part that a bit awkward, but any other revision?