Page 96 of Honorable Sins

Kenneth cannot tell the difference.

"They even frightened my wife into turning against me."

A captain rises from the middle rows and questions whether confessions obtained under chemicals and interrogation should be enough to justify death.

Before Brogan responds, another man stands.

"Those boys he sent away are our sons. The future of this mob." He points toward Wraith. "He can claim that girl as his own, but we all know her real dad was a traitor."

Wraith tells him they will discuss it later.

The man blanches and sits.

Near the back, another soldier stands and says Shaughnessy blood should lead the Shaughnessy mob.

I know him. Noah plays basketball with him. Noah also told Wraith he ran his mouth about my becoming boss.

I move him from nuisance to threat, right next to O'Grady.

Brogan rises and the men still talking shut their traps.

He tells the room he did not want to believe his own flesh and blood had become a flesh peddler and a rat. Then he tells them they either trust him and the leaders he chose or they do not.

"If you don’t, speak now."

No one does.

The men who objected understand the offer.

Brogan has given them an opportunity to declare themselves disloyal in front of every ranking member of the organization. The penalty for disloyalty is death.

Brogan sits.

Kara rises and steps around the table. The first time Kara stood against Brogan, I stood beside her because he was wrong and she was mine.

Six years later, she walks to the center of the Bunker under her own authority.

She reminds them that the confession exists in Kenneth’s voice and the financial records came from his companies. She offers every man in the room the opportunity to inspect every page if he believes the numbers lie.

Then she turns to the captain who defended the exiled boys.

"You said those boys are someone’s sons."

He nods.

"They are. And every one of those boys has a father in this organization."

Another nod.

"What punishment does our organization impose for rape?"

The captain does not answer.

Kara does. "Death."

The word carries through the gym.

She explains what those fathers were spared. The organization could have imposed their sons’ punishment on them. The evidence could have been handed to the civil authorities, leaving the boys in youth detention rather than fostered with another mob family.