Chapter Two
Nika! The Rise Of Modern Greece: Part II
“What?!”
“I’m sorry, father, but we had no choice” said Vasilios.
“Why did you have to kill them?!”
“They would have informed the entire police force had we not”
“Alright then, this war is now in full swing!” said Dimitrios. “I want the Lekkas Family dead!”
-----
Many weeks had passed. Shootings across the city of Ioannina occurred everyday. The mob war raged as mob middlemen were taken down by gunfire. The police cracked down only on the Alexiou crime family. Yet, the police could still not catch Stefanos and Vasilios as the killers of the two policemen. Eventually, they gave up the chase and the uncorrupted leaders gave up, besides, the dead men were “dirty cops” anyway. Alexiou drug and prostitution operations were raided and shut down. Anyone involved in the Alexiou empire was arrested, and often tortured and arrested. Finally, Dimitrios Alexiou conjured up the ultimate plan. He would ask for a peace treaty from Leonidas Lekkas. But peace was not on his mind.
-----
“Alright boys, get in the car” said Dimitrios as his two sons got in the car with him.
Behind them were about 25 other Alexiou family members. The entire parade of cars started to drive and make the trek to Ioannina. Finally, they reached the place. It was a dirty park in the industrial city. Long forgotten, and never used, it was the perfect place for a mob battle. Deep in the slums of Ioannina, no one would dare say anything about the mob anyway.
When the Alexiou’s arrived, the Lekkas had not. This gave them vital time to get in there positions. Some men hid in the trees, others in alleyways. Only Dimitrios, Stefanos, and Vasilios remained in sight. Suddenly, out of the murky factory-caused mist, the Lekkas cars began approaching. But there were much to many for just Leonidas and his 3 sons.
“Sh**! They brought men to!” shouted Dimitrios. “Everyone fire!”
And out of the trees and alleyways came running the Alexiou men, firing their guns and shouting. Molotov cocktails smashed Lekkas car windows and set cars ablaze. “Tommy-guns” fired their bullets and pierced car doors, wounding and killing the over forty Lekkas men.
“Damn you Dimitrios!” screamed Leonidas just after a bullet caught him in the leg.
“You did this yourself Leonidas; you should have never sent anyone to kill my eldest son!” Dimitrios shouted back.
The chaos only got worse. A Molotov got in a tree and set it on fire, giving light to the murky park. Bullets pierced the supports of a swing set and it collapsed on two Lekkas men, crushing them beneath it as bullets pierced their skulls, wetting the ground with blood. Both sides of mobsters took cover behind car doors, but the poorly made old car doors were no match for modern bullets, and they were torn apart.
Then an explosion rocked the area when three cars exploded. They had been previously set aflame with Molotov cocktails, and must have hit the gas tank, exploding the car and sending a shake throughout the park.
Once the fighting had settled down, and only Leonidas Lekkas remained. Dimitrios walked over and did the honor of killing him with a bullet in the heart. And just as the police cars came through the mist, Dimitrios got the chance to yell and the top of his lungs…
“Nika!”