Looking at Vincent—who bore a striking resemblance to President Hoffa—Luca's thoughts drifted, especially when he considered Vincent's skill set. He couldn't help but sigh. "Looks like what I said actually came true."
(TN: For those who didn't know, the actor who play Jimmy Hoffa in The Irishman and Vincent in Heat is the same person, Al Pacino)
The late Montgomery had once told him that emotional bonds were the hardest thing to control in the mob. Far less efficient than violence, far less reliable than profit. Playing the emotional card? That was high-stakes gambling—Russian roulette with your entire life on the table.
Deputy Director Rock had asked him a similar question back in the hospital: Would you sacrifice your own men to save yourself someday?
In the original storyline of Heat, both sides—the cops and the criminals—faced that exact dilemma. The setup was simple enough: cops chasing robbers, robbers trying to escape. In the end, justice wins, the criminals go down. Classic.
But what made it messy—what made it human—was the relationships. The bonds. That's what ultimately got the robbers caught.
They weren't so different from Toretto's crew. Small, tight-knit, fearless. They'd rob anything—warehouses, banks, armored trucks—anything worth the risk. That was the charm of Los Angeles: high stakes, high rewards.
Now the question was—had that same crew hit the truckers' union?
Luca didn't know yet. He'd only just met Officer Vincent. No evidence, no leads, nothing solid linking this to the same group. And Vincent… well, he'd seen too many criminals to jump to conclusions.
"Sir, this is Mr. Greco, Branch president of Teamster union."
An officer introduced Vincent to Luca.
As a detective in the LAPD Major Crimes Unit, Vincent had been buried in truck robbery cases lately. The union had reported incident after incident, and still—nothing. No arrests. No breakthroughs. Drivers were arming themselves just to stay alive.
Vincent knew the union's leadership well—but Luca? First time meeting him.
Too young. Didn't look the part.
"Hello."
They shook hands.
"You're the new Branch President of this Local?" Vincent asked.
"I'm from New York. President of the Local 560 New Jersey," Luca replied calmly. No point hiding something that public.
"New York?"
"Our unions have been working together recently. The stolen gasoline? That's part of our joint operation."
Vincent gave a slight nod. "Must be a profitable business if it's drawing attention all the way out here. These guys don't usually go after low-value targets."
Work came first for Vincent. Curiosity about Luca's age? Secondary at best.
"This isn't your first loss," he continued. "Any local competitors?"
Luca had already thought that through. The L.A. family checked. The Russians checked. Nothing.
"No direct competitors," Luca said. "But technically? Every fuel wholesaler and gas station is competition. Problem is, they've been getting hit too. These guys aren't picky—anything valuable in a truck is fair game."
He tapped the union badge on his chest.
"As president, it's my job to stand up for my people. Anyone targeting truckers—stealing from them, threatening them—doesn't get a pass."
Message delivered: I'm Mafia—but right now, I'm representing the union.
Vincent studied him. The speech was polished, sure. But he'd heard plenty of talkers before.
"Officer Vincent," Luca added with a smile, "if you need help catching these guys, call me. I'm happy to cooperate."
Cooperate?
Vincent felt… something odd. A strange familiarity, almost. But this was their first meeting.
"Thanks. I'll keep that in mind."
Just then, Vincent's phone rang.
His wife.
He stepped aside, lowering his voice—but not enough. Luca could still catch fragments. Excuses. Apologies. Frustration. The argument escalated fast.
Luca thought to himself, Why do all the rare cards in law enforcement have terrible marriages?
Like McClane before him. And this guy? Probably worse.
In the original story, Vincent went through three marriages. The third even came with a stepdaughter. At least McClane had biological kids. Vincent didn't.
Am I really about to play marriage counselor again? Luca sighed internally.
Oh right—McClane.
He'd spent time in L.A. before. He should know Vincent.
"Vincent?" McClane's voice came through the phone with a tired chuckle. "Yeah, I know him. One of the few friends I've got out here. When our wives get fed up with us, we grab a drink together. Guy's a workaholic. Won't bend, not even a little."
Back then, McClane had moved to Los Angeles just to be with his wife—that was already a compromise.
Would Vincent ever do the same?
Not a chance.
That's why all three marriages failed.
At that moment, McClane and David were drinking at the SSR Club, both men quietly sympathizing with Vincent's situation.
"Dove, don't worry," McClane said. "His home life's a disaster, but the guy's a machine when it comes to cases. There's not a criminal in L.A. he can't catch. Leave this to him—he'll find your truck thieves."
Luca ended the call after a few casual words.
Back at the bar, McClane sighed.
"New York just feels off without the Dove around."
David snorted. "Or maybe you're worried your promotion's gonna slow down without him."
"Don't forget Chinatown," David added. "Those drug dealers aren't going anywhere. We can't rely on him forever."
McClane rubbed his temples. Chinatown was a nightmare. Tight-knit, impenetrable. Like a country within a country. The Triads ruled it.
The only good news? Boston had gone quiet. The biggest gang alliance there had dropped the drug trade entirely, shifting to other rackets.
Less drugs, fewer bodies. Less police attention.
Still, Chinatown remained a problem.
Just as McClane was thinking it through, his phone rang again.
Vincent.
After a few greetings, Vincent got straight to it.
"McClane, you got intel on a guy named Luca Greco? New Jersey union boss. I need everything."
McClane raised an eyebrow. "I've got more than intel—I know him personally. Why?"
"Something's off," Vincent said. "Ever since his business expanded to L.A., truck robberies have spiked. Feels targeted. I'm starting with him."
Silence.
McClane thought for a moment—then decided not to hide it.
"He's the Capo of the Lucchese family."
Vincent went quiet.
Of course. That explained everything.
He recalled Luca's earlier speech about "protecting workers" and couldn't help but scoff.
"A mafia boss talking about worker rights? Yeah, right. Sounds like he's just bleeding money."
McClane shook his head. "If Luca said that to you, you should take it seriously. He means it."
"Mafia boss with a heart of gold?" Vincent replied flatly.
"Maybe," McClane said. "Just don't judge too fast. I don't want to see you two end up on opposite sides of something ugly."
"That depends on him," Vincent said coldly. "If he crosses the line, I won't hesitate."
"Yeah," McClane muttered, "three marriages says the same thing."
"..."
Vincent choked on that one.
"Your mouth's still as annoying as ever."
"Just saying," McClane replied. "Work and family don't have to be enemies. And maybe—just maybe—Luca ends up helping you."
Vincent exhaled. "Just send the file."
That night, Vincent read through Luca's dossier.
His expression slowly shifted—from curiosity… to disbelief.
Peace ambassador? Crime rates dropping? Defending stability?
Was this a joke?
The man is a mafia boss—running a criminal empire.
How could crime go down under someone like that?
But the data was real. Verified. McClane had confirmed it.
Vincent leaned back, staring at the file.
"A dove… or more like a black dove?"
[Bond: Attention]
Meanwhile, Luca had returned to Beverly Hills. He'd already bought a property—no more hotels. If he was going to be in L.A. often, might as well settle in.
Not long after, his phone rang again.
Brian.
"Dove," Brian said urgently, "we're near the Chinatown—and the Triads just trashed our car!"
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TN: We hit the milestones last week, so here are 2 bonus chapters for today! Also, the original story ends at Chapter 242, plus one final announcement from the author.
Thanks to Wilnet Duverne for becoming my P Knight, my cats eat a lovely fish tonight
If you guys like this story, Support me on P Site/OrbisTranslate, for three bucks you got 15 advance chapters