Retrospective: Paris - How things got messy

4.4. Francesco De la Cruz - Trapped
Fall 1993, Street in Paris

The thudding noise of the body falling down next to Francesco was louder than the bang before. It could only be a second, but it felt like an eternity.
"Now we can talk in peace - Monsieur De la Cruz", the man with the gun said and made a gesture to follow him.
"... the fuck - " Francesco stuttered, trying to understand what just happened. He didn't dare to look down next to him.

"Will you move?!", the man yelled impatiently, and Francesco felt a sudden sharp pain in his cheek that let him lose his balance.
At least the hit gave him back his composure, and the adrenaline started to rush through his body.
Those assholes didn't just shoot -

They did.
Etienne lay next to him, a hole in his head, same as Diego had had.
Shit.
"I'm not gonna beg you", the gun man threatened, "get your ass up. Unless - you want to end up like your friend here. And..." he dropped a small white note towards him, "you don't give a fuck what happens to her."

No, it wasn't a note.
It was a polaroid photo.
It showed him with Mae last weekend.
It couldn't be.
In their apartment.
He had his arms wrapped around her, nudging on her neck from behind. She laughed.
He could even hear her giggles, looking at the photo.

"Our friend is picking her up right now", the gun man said.
No.
"What happens to her, depends on how cooperative you will be."
Francesco's stomach turned upside down. Someone of their friends had made this photo. Someone of their friends gave it to these people. Someone of their friends was about to abduct Mae, and she would go willingly with them, because they were one of their friends.

"What do you want?", he surrendered, praying she'd be safe as long as he did what the gun man said.
"Oh, not much", Francesco could hear the grinning in his voice. "Getting rid of that snobby Mexican was so easy - he was so arrogant thinking he could be our competition all alone by himself with his shiny new weapons and fairy dust", he snickered, his gang members chiming in until he lift his hand and they immediately stopped.
So they killed Diego, and now Etienne, and Mae -
"But we need someone to take the blame...", the gun man continued. "And to think that faggot brought our solution right with him - truly a heavenly gift. Now since that stupid inspecteur in charge is obsessed with you", he cackled again, "you will go right back into the station and willingly confess your crime. And while you're at it - you can take a few of our own rats right down with you! Since you're a crime boss, and all", and he laughed heartily again. "That mad inspecteur will gladly lock you up and leave us alone for a while!"

While the gun man talked, Francesco thought hard. How did they know so much? The investigations were hardly accessible for the public, shit, he himself hadn't known half of it until recently! Unless - they had someone in the police working for them...
"Now get your ass up!", the gun man was done talking. "We have to fill you in with the details, but not here on the street."
Reluctantly Francesco followed them.

15 comments:

  1. OMG OMG OMG.
    Ok.
    Breath.
    I did not see traitor friend coming (I am so pure!) I had hoped he was just being threatened...but ALAS.
    I'm extremely curious to see what Franny's reaction to this will be. And what are they going to do with Mae?!
    L'INSPECTEUR, please see past the ruse...

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    1. Yes, L'inspecteur must! He has the best cop genes! He must see past this.But who's the mole among the cops? Can't be Arturo, right? I mean his sister tried to help Franny. Can't be l'inspecteur himself as he's trying to 'clean the streets'.
      Can't wait to see how Franny gets out of this mess. Mae is likely to make things worse for them, when they bring her there.

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  2. @froot you did not? And that's after Dante acted soooo suspiciously... and also, you being queen of evilry... I'm shook!

    @maladi Arturo might have his own agendas unbeknownst to his sister - maybe he saw an opportunity to get rid of an unwanted suitor? (that is, if he was smart...)

    L'inspecteur is our only hope!

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  3. The Plot thickens and I didn't see any of this coming. My money was on the L'inspecteur being involved but now we he is our only hope. Mae did say that Dante was acting strange and we know he went to go get Mae which makes him the obvious answer. However things are not always like they seem to be. Just because Arthur did get Franco help doesn't mean he couldn't ask Dante to get go Mae for him. I have to say this again I really didn't see any of this coming and I can't wait for the next chapter.

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  4. If the inspecteur won't be too busy locking up Franny.. we know he'd just love to do that! :D
    Arthur could definitely play a double cross game, who knows! At this time, everything is possible.

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  5. WHERE is my fantasy about Franny being an actual murderer then? 0/10 (KIDDING I love this lots)

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  6. Franny might become one, given the right circumstances... just don't give up :P

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  7. If inspector donkey breath doesn't see past this...

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  8. Who in the world is involved in this? Who in the WORLD?! TELL ME! *breaks down crying and yelling*

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    1. you are actually lucky you don't have the weekly cliffhangers on these chapters 😂

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  9. Ah... 😭 The tension. And I'm almost up my 5 chapter quota!!! @#$@#% I wasn't surprised they had a mole. Corrupt cops are everywhere. But I'm wondering about the friend part. The friend could've been coerced, and not exactly with the gang. Everyone has self-interests and if they abduct Mae, they can do the same type of intimidation to these other friends of hers.

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    1. yes, they could have just intimidated the friend! Who knows?? (I do, ofc 😏)

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  10. I had a feeling it wasn't really Fran that was asking for her to come down. I hoped I was wrong somehow.

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