Chapter 5 - The Long Road Home
The aftermath was a whirlwind of legal fire and institutional collapse. Because of the evidence found in Harlan’s possession, the corruption reaching up to the highest levels of the city government was exposed. The "business" in Queens was dismantled, replaced by a system of legitimate oversight.
I spent the next month in the shadows, ensuring that the transition of power didn't result in another power vacuum. But my focus wasn't on the streets.
It was on the ICU.
Elena Vasquez had woken up two weeks after the funeral. The first thing she asked for was her bunny. The second thing she asked for was the "big dog" who had scratched at her coffin.
When I took Bruno to see her, I didn't know what to expect. Bruno was a weapon, a creature of violence. But when he approached the bed, he didn't growl. He didn't even sniff. He simply laid his massive head on her blanket and stayed there, motionless, as if he were guarding the most precious treasure in the world.
Tomas stood in the corner, his eyes leaking tears he no longer bothered to hide.
"She remembers," Tomas whispered. "She says she heard us. She says she heard the dog scratching."
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I looked at the child, then at the man who had been my enemy only a few weeks prior. We were both changed. The Stone Boss was gone, and Tomas was no longer just a father. We were two men who had stared into the abyss and walked away with a miracle.
"She’s safe now, Tomas," I said, my voice thick. "For as long as I breathe, she’s safe."
