"What did you tell the DEA about us?" Vito asked again.
"Not much, I swear. I've been undercover here for almost a year, but haven't been able to find anything. Your records are clean, and every dollar is accounted for," the man said.
Vito nodded. "My lover has done an excellent job, then."
"What does the DEA know?" Demir asked.
"We know you're in a turf war that's spanning several states. We know that you're working with the Lords of Chaos MC and that more men from their LA and Vegas chapters are arriving in New York and Chicago as backup. We know that strings were pulled to get Diego Murphy and Tim Davis released from prison early," the rat said.
Nathan remained quiet as he listened to the confession and watched the Castiellos break down their enemy. The DEA will know who pulled the strings, but it won't matter. They couldn't touch the Bridger family, and if by some miraculous chance they got caught up, that's where his line of the family would take action. If money couldn't buy collaboration or silence, then a bullet, poison, or a convenient "accident" would solve the problem just as well, if not better.
"Any other rat bastards we need to know about?" Vito asked the man.
"We had an agent who was working undercover in the prison where Diego and Tim were. Milan Patel, but he turned on us and joined the Lords after he fell in love with one of their members," the man said.
"Did he report any activity?" Vito asked.
"Not a damn thing. Kept lying, giving us information that was already known. The DEA wanted to implant another agent, but with the war going on, we knew adding any new members would put the Lords on alert. It's just me now," the man lied.
Vito laughed. "I believe that is the first time since I've threatened your family that you weren't completely honest with me, agent."
"No, I swear!" the man protested.
"Oh?" Vito asked, one eyebrow arched. "So, you don't have another UC hidden within the ranks of the Lords of Chaos Chicago Chapter?"
The man's eyes gave him away as they widened ever so slightly. "I—I don't know. They don't tell us who's doing what. I just know about my own mission."
Vito sighed and waved his hand. "Doesn't matter. He won't live to see tomorrow anyway. And neither will you." He turned to walk away.
"Wait!" the man blurted out.
"Wait?" Vito asked, then turned around. "Wait for what?"
The man nervously licked his lips. "If I tell you this, will you let me live?"
"There's nothing you can tell me that will allow me to let you live," Vito said.
The man continued to pant and sweat in his desperation, but he knew it was already too late for him. The Castiellos wouldn't let a man they found was a cop live. What would be in it for them if they did?
"I... I get it. And you would know how to make a DEA agent disappear easily."
"So easily," Vito said as if the words he spoke were seduction incarnate.
"Please, may I ask this one thing, then?" the man begged.
"Out of curiosity, what is it?" Vito asked.
"Please see that my son gets accepted into Yale University."
Vito stared at the man for a few seconds before bursting into laughter. "The fucking gall of this one." He pointed at the man. "Iwill kill your son if you don't tell me whatever it is you're trying to bargain with. That's my counteroffer. Take it or leave it."
The man cursed, then took a deep breath. "I'll take it. Just please don't hurt my family."
"Talk!" Vito snapped, his voice full of authority.
"Your uncle, Nico, is in New York," the man said.
Vito snarled at the mention of his uncle. "How long has he been there?"
