Praetorian Guard

The Praetorian Guard is a modern militaristic unit of men, recruited from the world's mercenary elite. Like their ancient Roman namesakes who protected Caesar, the Praetorians protect and serve the nefarious leaders of the American mafia families. These modern warriors of the La Cosa Nostra Commission are armed with the latest in weapon wizardry and wear the black cloak of mortal secrecy. Using cunning and expert military genius, the Guard maintains order and security among the leaders of the mafia families. The Guard serves as their private army so that these supreme commanders of the notorious underworld can conduct mafia business, while maintain order amongst the rank and file. Lead by the man known only as Savior, these deadly guardsmen mediate disputes between capos, act as security forces when capos require meetings on neutral ground to discuss their respective complaints, carry out executions of those unfortunate enough to violate the Laws of the Commission or the Family and terminate any threats to the way of life to which they have all sworn allegiance. From the opening pages, the New York crime boss enlists the Praetorians to retrieve three hundred kilograms of pure heroin that Drug Enforcement Administration agents intercepted in Miami, with the aid of a confidential informant. The Guardsmen take back the mafia heroin with precision and cunning, along with a lesson taught to the mafia informant, his family and any other who dares to cooperate with any law enforcement and the bloody shark feast he becomes is videotaped for all of the Commission to view, as a clear message of the consequences awaiting informants. Savior orchestrates the next assignment from the Commission, taking out a would-be witness against the mafia, who is in federal protection by the Marshals. The ingenious plan concludes with fiery precision, after the chilling poisonous infiltration of the Dirksen federal building in Chicago. In each assignment, the Praetorians carry out objectives in strict military fashion, while following a personal moral regimen of ancient warriors. Savior is required under orders from the commission to eliminate a capo who is a personal friend and must choose to complete the dreadful task himself, allowing his friend a dignified termination, or to permit another assassin to perhaps botch the job. When the son of a capo is arrested by the feds, his life is used as a bargaining chip with his mafia father, who is then purged by a federal prosecutor of every ounce of knowledge of the Commission that he knows. Once he has done so, he waits to die at the hands of the Praetorians, whom he knows beyond doubt, will come for him. And come they do, to a protected FBI farm armed with FBI agents, who die in vain to protect this capo-turned-informant. Again, there is no witness left to subpoena, and the means invoked by the Praetorians to take out the capo informant leaves a cold message to all who would consider interfering with Commission business. Unfortunately, the federal prosecutor ignores that warning.