Achilles Heel

I skid around the corner as the first gunshot goes off, missing me by a centimeter. Scrambling into the nearest alleyway, I press my body against the cold, brick wall. My chest heaving as I struggle to keep my breath quiet. I cover my mouth as the corners of my eyes well up.

“Muoviti! He went this way!” The harsh Italian accent of my best friend, Tank, shoots from around the corner. “Don’t let him get away! Boss wants him alive!”

I swallow, looking down at the bundle in my arms. My daughter, Penny, turns around in her blanket, still sleeping. I hold her closer and pray she won't wake up as I run in the opposite direction. The train whistle sounds through the dark side of Italy's streets, and I push myself to run faster. Pushing off the wall, I sprint toward the sound, feet pounding against the cobblestone. I turn a corner—then freeze. My heart slams into my ribs.

Tank.

He’s right there, just inches away. I jerk back behind the wall, breath locked in my throat. His footsteps stop.

“Achilles?” His voice is quieter now, almost amused. “Is that you?”

My stomach twists as my baby stirs, a soft whimper escaping her lips. I hold her tighter, gently bouncing her, praying she stays quiet. Tank scoffs. The click of his gun echoes through the alley.

“That’s you, all right… Listen, Archie, let’s not make this difficult.” Heavy boots crunch closer. I back up slowly. “Come back with me. We’ll get this all sorted out… I promise.” Penny lets out a soft cry, and I gently lift her to my shoulder.

“Or…” His voice turns slick, mocking as he approaches. “You can run. And I’ll give you three new holes. We wouldn’t want that, now would we? So don’t make me come get you.”

Silence stretches between us.

Then he chuckles, low and dark. “Oh, come on, you’re not still mad, are you? She was just your wife. Didn’t love you anyway.”

The words slice through me like a blade.

“This is for the best.”

I don’t hesitate. With a grunt, I shove a trash can at his legs. It clatters loudly as he stumbles. In that split second, I bolt.

“EHI! There he goes!!” Tank’s furious shout rings out behind me. The gun comes up. My wife’s lipstick is still smeared on his neck.

I refuse to let my last ticket to freedom, my last chance to give her a normal life, slip away. Screaming with effort, I jump as the Tank fires.

The bullet goes through my leg just as we collapse onto the floor. Gasping, I curl into a protective ball around my little girl, my chest shaking with effort. Gaining balance, I look at the opening.

Adrenaline numbs the searing pain I know I’ll feel later. Pushing myself up, I stumbled over to the opening, my daughter clutched to my chest. Sticking my head out of the cart, I see Tank and the gang standing in the distance. Pride and rage fill my chest as I stick my hand out where they can see it.

“Invia il messaggio!! This won’t be the last you hear of Archillies!” I scream out as the train takes me and my daughter to freedom.

Or so I thought.

I wake up to the sound of my apartment doorbell ringing. Great...My alarm didn't go off... Sitting up with a groan, I rub my eyes as the last bits of the dream fade away. This is the third night in a row that memory follows me to sleep, but I'm not surprised. Today is the day after all.

Taking a deep breath, I get out of bed, yawning as I brush the dark hair out of my eyes. Usually I'd comb it back, but it's not like i'll be going to work anyways. Throwing on a shirt and hoodie, I walk to the front door, but Penny runs over before I can, her hair fluffed up in the air. She takes my hands and stands on my feet as if she's a penguin, looking at me with wide-awake eyes.

“Is that Miss Natalie?” she smiles, the gap in her teeth whistling when she says 'miss'. I laugh, fixing her unicorn nightgown.

“Yes, it is! Are you gonna be a good girl for her?” I ruffle her hair, smiling at her unicorn pajamas. She nods, her energy already full even though she woke up moments before.

“Yep! She promised she would teach me to paint today! Maybe she will take me to the park too.” She giggles, pleased with the events of the day. I smile and kiss her head, walking slowly with her feet on mine.

“That sounds fun, Princess,” I reply, taking her off. She smiles and runs off to her room as I open the door. Natalie is Penny’s nanny, about 28, with pretty hair and the type of eyes that make you want to look at them longer.

She is also a part-time journalist covering crime. Recently, she has taken a particular project that piques my interest. The “Nontiscordardime Italian gang case” or translated to English, “The Forget-Me-Not Gang”, the very one I left.

The very one I’m hiding from.

She is the perfect protection for my daughter. Natalie has no idea of my involvement, is well-informed of the danger, and understands how to discover details others often miss. With all the time she spends at the apartment, I've gotten to know and trust her and she has grown close enough to talk to me about anything. She's a good girl, and I'm glad She stumbled into our little life. It's only a bonus that I- … I mean, Penny loves her.

Natalie looks up from straightening her cozy sweater as the door opens. She gives a warm smile that makes my heart flutter. It's just the nerves, I tell myself as I laugh.

“Running late again?” I gently tease, leaning back. She laughs, setting her bag down.

“Yeah, sorry!" she smiles, “work has got me busy with my new article. I just can’t seem to find the details I need or get much information. Honestly, I don’t know why we are even covering stuff like this. It seems dangerous to be discussing an active gang!” She fixes her bun, and I take a deep breath.

“I bet. You sound busy,” I softly answer, watching her take her shoes off. She shrugs.

“Nothing I can’t handle. Sorry to keep you waiting,g though.” She looks up, moving s fallen strand of hair from her eyes.

“It’s no problem. But I might be late myself tonight. So make yourself at home; I'll pay extra if it goes too long-” Penny runs back over, cutting me off.

“Natalie! "She beams, bouncing up and down to be held "You're here!”.

“I am! Are you ready for today?” Natalie smiles, picking her up. Penny nods and shows off her new outfit, a mismatched dress with sparkly tights

“I'm already dressed!” Penny exclaims, making Natalie laugh.

“That you are! And you look beautiful! Now, how about you say goodbye to your daddy before we have the best day ever, hmm?” Natalie suggests, shooting me a smile. Penny nods and slides out of her arms, hugging my legs.

“Bye, Daddy!” Penny shouts. Before she can run off, I scoop her up and give her a tight hug. She starts to squirm when I hug her for too long, so I pull back and sadly look at her beautiful little face. My eyes start to sting, threatening tears that would blow my cover. I manage a smile and kiss her cheek, heart aching as I set her down

“Be good for Miss Natalie…and know Daddy loves you so much…” I say softly. “Daddy will always love you…”

Natalie looks over, her eyes slightly glinting with concern, but if she has any, she doesn't say it.

“I know! You tell me all the time! Now I have to go!” Penny says in a rush, bouncing away. I watch her go, shoulders heavy as Natalie puts her hand on my back. I glance at her and sigh at her questioning eyes.

“Thanks for all this, Natalie…” I softly say, clearing my throat. She raises her eyebrows but softens her gaze.

“Of course, Arch… uh, see you later?” Her hand gently moves to my shoulder. I suddenly turn and pull her into a tight hug, overwhelmed with gratitude. Surprised, she slowly hugs back, easing into my embrace.

“Arch?” she starts, but I quickly let go of her.

“Uh… I'll see you later.” I look away, grabbing my bag.

“Be safe,” I say softly as I turn around. She doesn't say anything, her cheeks a little pink. I give a small smile and leave, but the second the door closes, my smile hardens. I stick my hand in the pocket of my hoodie, letting my fingers wrap around the cold metal of my gun. Glancing back at the house, my feet start down the street, heavy with purpose.

⤐

When I arrived at the compound around nightfall, I was perched on a nearby rooftop, adjusting the gun pressed against my thigh. Headlights drive into view as the car arrives right on time.

“Typical…” I mutter bitterly, my cold eyes searing down at the unsuspecting men below. It was Natalie who informed me that they would be here on one of her “journalism rants”, actually. It took some digging and investigating to figure out where they would meet. I was aware of the business meetings the gang had, but I never dreamed they would be this close.

It's too close

“è questo il posto?” a gruff, familiar voice reaches my ears, making me squeeze my fist in anger. Tank….

“SÌ, the boss is waiting inside. Says things went well.” A second man, who I don't recognize, answers. He places his hand on Tank's back as they walk in.

“I don’t know why the boss still insists on having our partnership meetings here…”

“Whatever makes him happy” Tank shrugs “Wouldn’t want to piss him off, especially today.”

“Why? Is it his birthday or something?” The second man laughs, but his smile fades when Tank doesn’t return it. “What?”

“Today is when Archillies went rogue? Took the heir and left us during a crucial mission?” Tank says blankly, almost bitterly. “Ruined the gang?”

The other man scoffs, a smirk on his tone

“Oh please, you're so serious! we all know you don’t care! You’re the one who got his place and money! The bost put you at number one and..." The man smirks and lowers his eyes at Tank in a teasing way "His loaded wifey...you benefited the most.” Tank glances at him and flashes a slight smile that makes the second man laugh out loud as he holds open the door.

“Yeah, that's what I thought,” he adds as they disappear inside. Glaring, I slide down from out of my hiding spot, and silently attach an airlock to the door, no unfortunate sucker is gonna open that.

Running back to the side of the building, I grip onto the smooth concrete wall, I pull myself onto the roof. Locating a loose vent, I pry it open and crawl in. It's dusty…but thin, perfect for eavesdropping. The vents aren't too big, but it takes time to move around without making too much noise.

After a moment of roaming around, I hear muffled voices drifting through the thin metal. Slowly adjusting myself, I scoot to an opening and listen, my whole body tensing as I hear a thick accent. Still cold and intimidating.

“Signori! Glad you could make it.” Daniel stands up as Tank and the other man walk in. “I’d like you to meet our new American partners, Peter and Anthony. They own a large drug dealing business and have operations all over…I think we’ll be glad to have their company.” he smiles as the men shake hands.

Straightening his tie, he gestures for them to sit down. I shift to get a better view of the new partners, my hand tightening around my gun. They talk for a while about shipments, money, new recruits, blah blah blah, nothing particularly worth my interest. I watch intently, waiting for the perfect moment, a flaw. After ages, the meeting becomes an interesting draw.

“One more thing of business before I let you boys go…” Daniel's face hardens as he straightens in his seat. “Tank, I’ve given you a mission. Do you have the details?”

Tank nods, the tension thick.

“Yes, sir. “ He glances at Peter and Anthony and begins speaking Italian.

“He lives in an apartment downtown with the heir. He works at a detective agency, but only as an on-site agent. He leaves the heir with a nanny 24/7, but she wouldn’t be a problem to take care of. He seems weak and emotionally attached to the both of them.”

“Good... Then I expect you know what I want you to do?” Daniel replied in Italian.

“Yes, sir”

Daniel gives a nod of approval and looks to the other men.

“I run this show. Everything goes through me, every detail and every problem.” He places his hands in front of him speaking English again. “Everyone who works for me and respects me, and if I ever discover someone is disloyal…I take care of it, are we understood?”

Everyone nods, glancing at one another. From the vent, my heart pounds, but not from fear.

hot rage fills my chest as my breaths grow ragged with the effort to stay calm

My daughter?...MY penny?... Natalie?...

The gun fires, bursting through the quiet room like my built-up anger.

Tank falls back with a cry of pain and surprise as the bullet rips through his shoulder. I fire twice more, hitting one of the new partners and a guard with a fatal headshot. Pushing the panic button, my father books it out the door, followed by the remaining partners.

I slide down from the vent, landing on my feet. Locking my eyes on the tank, I approach fast. His eyes widen

“Achilles?” He sputters, stumbling backwards, and in an attempt to protect himself, he throws a stapler off the table and throws it. I easily deflect it and shoot him again, the bullet piercing his chest. He cries out, his blood pooling through his clothes.

I kick Tank over, crouching above his dying body. He coughs, his breaths coming out in short sputters. Taking his face, I pull my mask down, eyes full of hatred.

“A-Arch…” he groans. Eyes dilating in fear, “Please, I didn’t …Achilles, listen-” I step on his chest, causing him to wheeze in pain. His vision starts speckling, but mine couldn’t be more clear

“I trusted you…” I spit, voice calm but laced with hatred. “I trusted you with everything…but you just couldn’t handle that, could you?”

“P-per favore…i-i’m sorry….” He whispers, a tear running down his face. “I didn’t know. I promise! I-Im your friend! I’m your brother!” he weakly grabs my foot with his uninjured arm, his eyes pleading. There is no mercy left.

“No…you’re not…”I say flatly, my voice full of an ice I’ve never heard. I press the barrel to his head and let it explode without any remorse. Reloading my gun without looking down, I wipe what's left of Tank off my face. The lights begin to blare red and flashy, matching the feelings inside. Turning to the open door, I start walking down the hallway

I'm not finished yet

↞

The men run down the metal hallway, tripping over themselves as they try to reach the exit. The red lights blare, creating a terrifying suspense. The blonde American, Peter, reaches the door first and panically pulls on it. When it doesn't budge, he looks back at the remaining members of his little group.

“No, no, no, no!! Come on!!” he kicks the door in anger, his heart pounding

“It's locked! The damn door is locked! He’s trapped us in here!” Peter yells at Anthony. Scared, Anthony tries himself but fails.

“Protection?? Daniel, I didn’t sign up for this!” He yanks on the door again as Daniel, who seems disheveled and panicked, a stark opposite of moments before.

“It's fine! Move!” Daniel hurries over; his dark hair falls as he tries the door himself. The thundering of a fast-approaching enemy echoes through the hallway. Peter curses, looking at Daniel. The sound of gunfire goes off, and Anthony crumples to the floor.

"Boss?! BOSS-” Peter starts to turn, but his bullet makes his mark before anyone can react. Peter stumbles and coughs a spurt of blood as he drops to the floor.

“lord have mercy…” Daniel whispers as he runs down the opposite side of the hallway, his heart pounding. His feet keep him moving, maneuvering every corner until he sees a possible hope. Skidding around the corner, he turns into what he thinks is an exit but is met with a wall

“No…no! Merda!” Daniel pants, looking at the dead end in front of him. His hands meet the wall as if it would move or break beneath his touch. The sound of approaching footsteps seemed to fade, leaving an eerie silence. He yanks his head back towards the danger, eyes scanning the empty hallways. Fumbling in his coat, his fingers wrap around his butterfly knife. A small spark of hope shoots through his veins, forcing him to calm down.

The click of the gun and the cold metal make him stop. He was too late

“Hello, Achilles…” Daniel says calmly.

“Hello, father...”

↞

I hold the gun against my father's head, his arms incredibly still with careful tension. His shocked eyes slowly freeze into cold ones as he looks back ahead.

“Didn’t expect to see you so soon…” He says calmly, his eyes frozen on the wall—his horrible eyes.

“Aw, Ti manco?” I reply in a harsh voice, an edge of a smirk. Pressing the barrel a little harder, I growl in his ear

“I’m sure you did…wouldn't forget your little ole archie, now would you?” Daniel gives a little chuckle, his hand slightly clenching in anticipation.

“No… who am I kidding? I'm sure you wished our next reunion would end with me in a body bag,” I add, my voice slightly building.

Calm down, Archillies, You need to focus

“I couldn’t stop you from forcing me to become the killer I am today, ruining my life, hurting my mother…but you will never do the same to my daughter.” I squeeze the trigger, just enough for him to get the message.

“Ultime parole, padre?” I say in a measured voice, heart pounding. Daniel tilts his head enough to see my eyes. When our eyes meet, he scoffs and gives a small smile.

“Please…we both know you won't. You have never been able to pull the trigger when it mattered. You already had your chance, and you didn’t take it… you're weak. Look at you now, getting all worked up. I tried to make you just like me, but you couldn’t be molded. You're stubborn, just like me. We’re family, after all, Piccolo.” He spits back. My eyes slightly widen as that word replays in my head.

Piccolo

Piccolo

Piccolo

My chest tightens, and my calm demeanor melts to one of panic as a memory I thought was long buried resurfaces.

↞

I sat on the couch, listening to my favorite story play on the old family record player, toys in hand. Mama said that she would be helping my father out on a job tonight but told me not to worry. I trusted her but not my father. It's been hours since she said they would be back. Just as I was about to head to bed, my father stumbled through the front door, his shirt covered in blood. I peek over from our small living room, still holding my stuffed lion, and my eyes widen.

“P-pa?...” I rush over as he slumps to the floor, looking at his shaky, blood-soaked hands. I put my hand on his leg, scared of the blood on his clothes.

“What's wrong? Are you hurt?... where's-” My voice trails off as my mother's necklace in his hands catches my eye. I whimper; mother hadn’t returned from father's delivery run. Grabbing his arm, I frantically checked his chest to see if the blood was his.

It's not.

“Pa?. ..Where's Mama….?” I whisper, my heart racing.

“Where's Mama?” I say again when he doesn't answer, bile rising in my throat.

I have always known that life wasn’t safe for our family,

“The gang is a dirty business,” Father would always tell me. “But it has to be done.”

But my family will always be safe…

he promised.

He slowly looks at me, his kind blue eyes gone.

“They got her. She's gone piccolo…” He says in a voice too harsh and broken to be his own.

“She was shot…”

I inhale sharply, the air becoming heavy. The tears ran down my little face before I could stop them. I shake my head and try to pull him off the floor.

“N-no! No! You're lying! STOP LYING!!” I cry, grabbing at him. “YOU told me she would be ok!! You promised”

My father looks at me, and his eyes twitch. Without warning, he grabs my arm and throws me off. I hit the floor hard, gasping as the wind was knocked out of me. I cough, clutching my chest and letting out a sob. I look back at my rapidly approaching father and try to scramble back before he grabs my face.

“P-pa! W-what...”I sobbed, clawing at his hands, my eyes dilated in fear. He squeezes my face harder, panting and glaring.

“W-wait! I'm sorry! I-” I try to reason when he pins me up against the wall.

“You wanna be weak?... “ He snarls, his eyes unhinged “You want to disrespect me again?...” He drags me out to the backyard, tossing me in the cold dirt. I cry as I hit the floor and scramble back, the cold air biting at me.

“I’ll teach you to never question or disrespect me again…you will learn loyalty and obedience… no boy of mine will be weak,” he says with a snarl as he slams the door, leaving me completely alone. I bring my knees up to my chest and cry harder than I ever had in my whole life. My mother is gone; my mother will always be gone.

My father is gone too, and I'm afraid he’ll take me down with him.

↞

My breaths begin to increase rapidly as my eyes blur, and I’m forced to take a step back. I clutch my chest, which seems to be tightening with every inhale. Seeing his opening, Daniel whips around, slicing a hidden knife across my chest, knocking me down.

I cry out as I hit the floor, my heart pounding with a new sense of intense fear and pain. He laughs as he pins me down, charging the knife and bringing it down on my chest multiple times, before letting it rest in my shoulder. I scream, eyes blurring in pain as his laughs echo in my head.

“Still weak after all these years?” He laughs harder as I attempt to struggle out of his grasp. “Think you’d turn out better, eh?”

Weak… I'm weak

I can’t do this…

We both can do nothing but stare, my hands shaking as heat runs down my body, dulling any sense of fight I had left.

“You're lucky your mother died when she did…she’d be ashamed of the man you became. Your daughter will be lucky to have you gone, to have someone like me to raise her right.” He smiles wildly, twisting the knife slowly. Tears stream down my face, but I'm no longer crying. I stare at him, time slowing.

No

I’m done

With a newfound rush of adrenaline, I grab his arm and yank the blade out, tossing him off.

“Hey, what-” He starts sputtering as I punch his face hard, twisting the knife from his fingers. I shoot back, regaining my balance. Slowly dragging myself to my feet, I slam him into the wall before he can advance. Pinning him, I lean my face close to his, body pale and slick with blood but strong. It drenches onto his clothes, leaving my dying essence to soak into his skin.

“Goodbye, Daniel….” I whisper. His eyes widen, and he opens his mouth to snake his way out. to carve what little is left of me. To keep his heart of rotting flesh alive...

“My son! Archillies listen, I-”

I won't hear him out. Not anymore. I cut his voice off with a knife to the throat, silencing him forever. Slowly pulling the blade out, I stumble back as he falls to the floor, gurgling on his own blood. I cough and watch him go limp, my past dying with him.

My chest swells with relief, but the world sways before I can leave, the adrenaline gone. Catching myself on the wall, I take a deep shaky breath.

It's okay, Archillies... It's done…

Holding my chest, I slowly stumble down the hallway.

We’re going home

↔

I yawn, sitting on the couch as “The Fault in Our Stars” plays, but I'm not paying attention to it. I check my watch… It's 1:30am. Arch should have been back by now… Penny was hard enough to put to bed without her father, and I can’t help but be worried myself. I glance at the front door; the thought of something being wrong makes my stomach tight.

He was acting so strange this morning…what was going on? He seemed scared, almost small. That was so unlike him. My face flushes slightly as I remember his hug

…oh gosh! It's so unprofessional to be falling for him! I cover my face and fall back onto his couch. I softly smile, but how can I help myself?...he’s such a good man, with such an amazing daughter. He has the most gorgeous eyes, and hair that falls perfectly over them. Don't even mention his accent…My face grows hot and i giggle to myself I love them both so much

I smile and look back at the TV, pulling up a blanket as the warm feeling spreads to my whole body. That's when I hear the thump, soft at first, but enough to notice. I perk up and glance around the room, pausing my movie.

I’m quiet, listening again. When I hear nothing, I turn the TV back on. Then I heard a faint cry. Jolting up, I head towards the sound, worried it could be Penny.

“Penny, darling?” I say softly, peeking in her room. She lays on her unicorn bed, sound asleep. Puzzled, I closed her door and headed back to the living room, slightly creeped out. Before I sit down, a small tug at my chest makes me stop. Looking at the front door, I pause, listening.

“N-Natalie…” It was small and painful, but I’d recognize that voice anywhere. Oh... not that voice..

I run to the front door and throw it open, my eyes adjusting to the night air. Archillies lays on the porch, his eyes tight with pain and shirt covered in blood. His eyes flicker up to mine, and he opens his mouth to say something, but starts coughing violently instead.

"Arch?!” I drop to the floor, placing my hand on his back as he stops coughing. My head reels as I gently lay him down to find the source of his blood. He whimpers as his back touches the hard porch and grips my hand so tightly ! can feel him shaking.

"shh shh shh, I'm sorry!" I gently scoot his body onto my lap, supporting his head on my chest. He breathes heavy as I quickly lift his shirt up

“What happened??” My stomach churns at the sight of the deep gash on his chest,and my hands press down tightly. He groans, pressing his face into my stomach as Itry to stop the bleeding, noticing various other wounds such as brusies and cuts. Tears of panic spring to my eyes as I try to come up with a solution in my head. My hands quicly become soaked in crimson, looking vibrant against his pale skin.

“Oh my- it's ok! I-im gonna get your help! Oh arch, what did you do! what happend” My voice slighly breaks as I rip my shrit, bunching up the fabric and holding it aganst him. I look up for a moment, catching the trail of blood from where he dragged himself her, and my heart pounds.

This can't be happening

"who did this to you?..." I whisper.

“N-natalie…There is so much…you n-need to know…i-i” he groans as I slightly shift, trying to reach my phone. He softly puts his hand over mine and gives a small smile, but my eyes are so full of tears I can hardly see it.

“Shh…it's okay…” He says gently, holding my hand. I shake my head, choking on my tears.

“No! Just…Arch. Let me help! I can help…” I manage to grab my phone, And try to dial 911, my slick fingers making it difficult. His body starts to grow heavy, but his voice loses some of its pain.

“Penny…Please, take care of Penny...” He starts, but I stop him.

“No! Don't you dare talk that way! You are not dying on me, Archillies, because- Because I love you! I love you, and it's not going to end this way! So just... S-shut up and let me help!” I yell, finally managing to dial 911. Pulling him closer, I place my other hand on his head, holding the phone to my ear. His tear-filled eyes slightly widened. I look at him and whimper

“You just can't,” I whisper, every dial feeling like an eternity. I feel his hand on my face, and I sob. "I-I love you...."

“Natalie,” he says gently, his eyes so soft and full of something that i cant place that it makes my heart ache. What have you gone through?...what havent you told me?... why didn't you tell me?...Please Arch..

I lean down and softly kiss him, tears falling onto his skin. He softly returns the kiss,a faint smile on his lips. He looks at me the pain in his eyes slightly easing.

“I love you too…” He coughs, causing all the peace in his body to go away. I bite my lip and gently lay my hand on his face, holding him tighter as the receiver finally picks up.

"Don't let me die...Natalie... please. "He whispers, tears in his voice "I don't wan't to die..."

“911, what's your emergency?” The voice on the other side of the phone says calmly as Arch goes still, his breaths faint, but there. I cradle him in my arms, heart pounding asi force my voice out of my tight throat.

"I need help"