After hearing that Will's parents were no more, Harrison closed his shop. He and Steve listened to the rest of the story from Will.
"That stupid kid! He truly has gone too far!" Steve cursed.
"Wade, is it…? I've always known that kid was trouble. Didn't I tell you that?" Harrison told Steve. "That was one of the reasons I retired. I don't want to serve someone like him. You should report this to the Don."
Steve sighed. "Unfortunately, the Don has mostly stayed in the background nowadays. Wade is the one who is running most of the shows now. I believe the Don does this because he thinks this will help his son learn how to be the future Don. Wade certainly didn't waste the chance. Once he was given power, he not only recruited many young gangsters but also replaced many old capos he deemed did not respect him enough with his trusted people. You can say he holds most of the power in the family now."
"Then wouldn't you be in danger of getting replaced, too?" Harrison asked.
"You underestimate me, old friend. I might not be as capable as you, but I pride myself on my ability to adapt. I pretend to show him the respect he craves for."
"As long as you are safe, old friend," Harrison said. "But Wade is indeed ambitious. I guess now that he has most control in the family, he is going after the only other family left from making the Savino family the sole underworld ruler of Fortune City."
"Yes. I guess that's why he went after Will's father," Steve said.
Hearing the mention of his father, Will became sad again. He asked, "What should I do, Uncle Harrison. Should I go to the cops?"
"No, there are many cops under bribe by the Savino. You will be in trouble if they hand you over to Wade. Stay here for now. I will keep you safe."
"I will call the cops using an anonymous tip," Steve said. "Someone might have found out what happens at Will's house, but we better make sure. It is uncivilized to leave the departed unattended like that."
Harrison nodded. Steve went to make his call.
"Come, Will," Harrison signaled for Will to follow him. "I will make you breakfast. I believe you have not eaten?"
Will shook his head. It was unclear if his gesture was to indicate that he hadn't eaten breakfast or that he didn't want to eat breakfast, but he still followed Harrison to the back room.
Will sat on a chair at a dining table while Harrison cooked up an omelet for him. When Harrison gave him the dish, he offered the flash drive to Harrison.
"My mother told me to give this to you," Will said.
Harrison accepted the flash drive and told Will to have his meal. He left Will and went to check what was on the flash drive using his computer. Steve joined him. He had sent the anonymous tip.
While Harrison was booting his computer, Steve asked, "Are you sure you want to keep the kid here?"
"I might be at odds with the Tuton Family in the past, but not against Will's father. His father was an honorable person. I even became friends with his parents after my retirement. They sent their surviving son to me. How can I turn my back when they need me the most?"
Steve sighed. "Syndicate member like you who still believe in duty and honor are rare nowadays, my friend. I still remember that shit you always chant, 'No mercy to your syndicate enemies, but never harm the civilians.' No one in the Savino Family has that kind of honor anymore nowadays."
"You still have it, don't you?" Harrison asked.
Steve chuckled. "I won't be so sure about that, my friend."
Harrison's computer was on, and he could now access the files inside the flash drive.
"Ho… and here I thought the files are encrypted," Harrison remarked.
"You watched too many of those modern movies after your retirement, my friend," Steve said.
The two studied the files.
"I see… These files contained all the records of illegal transactions of the Tuton Family," Steve remarked. "If Wade had this, the cops he bribed could easily bring down the whole Tuton Family. This is the quickest way to eliminate his competitor. Without the Tuton Family, the Savino Family would dominate this city's underworld."
Harrison just nodded at the remark.
"What do you plan to do with that flash drive?" Steve asked.
"This flash drive might be the only bargaining chip to keep Will safe," Harrison answered.
"Why don't you just send the kid back to the Tuton Family?" Steve asked again.
Harrison shook his head. "Wade dared to attack a prominent member of the Tuton Family. He can do it again. The Tuton Family is not Savino's equal anymore. Plus, his parents sent them to me instead of the Tuton Family. They knew the Tuton Family couldn't keep him safe."
Harrison glanced at Will, who was slowly eating his meal. "Anyway, you are right that I shouldn't keep the kid here. I have some hideouts that no one knows about. I will hide him there until things settle down."
"How do you figure things will settle down?" Steve asked. "The way I see it. The best chance the kid has is to leave town and disappear. Even if you give that flash drive to Wade, he won't stop hunting the kid. That person doesn't do loose ends. He will not allow Will to grow up and come back to hunt him one day. Plus, that kid saw him kill his parents. He is an eyewitness."
"I will go and talk some sense to Wade," Harrison stated.
"Are you nuts?!" Steve stood. "That guy is beyond negotiable. You might as well just kill him if you wish this to be over, but that will mean taking on the entire Savino Family."
"… If that is what it comes down to, so be it," Harrison said.
Steve shook his head. "I sometimes forgot how stubborn you are. You are not the old you anymore. You are no longer young. You think you still have the strength and stamina to pull off the impossible?"
"Geez. Thanks for the vote of confidence."
"I'm just stating the obvious," Steve shrugged. He then asked, "Do you need my help?"
"Not yet. I'm serious about wanting to talk first. If possible, I want to avoid any further bloodshed."
"Let's hope that is so," Steve said.