a new day.

It was impossible. Maddie had known it was impossible the second she saw that poor kid stumble into the courtroom, shaggy hair in his eyes and handcuffs encircling thin wrists. The evidence the prosecution had brought up was laughable. Accusations using enough logical loopholes to make her eyes cross, spewing lies dripped in vitriol and bitterness.

But the jury wouldn't change their mind. Arguments and stone-cold facts did nothing against the wrath of the mafia.

It wasn't the kid's fault, and Maddie was pretty sure the Commission knew it. He had managed to stumble across the Columbo underboss on his way back from school, and a few poorly-timed questions later, it was clear that he had too much information. His uncle was a top police officer. They couldn't take the risk, not now, when Giuliani was hot on their trails with lawsuits.

It was an impossible case, an impossible trial, and it would be impossible to convince the jury to vote innocent. But Maddie had never been an easily deterred woman.

"I'm telling you! If we just-" Rose cut her off with a sigh, clapping a dark hand against her right shoulder. She was sympathetic to the boy, Maddie could tell, but her family's livelihood depended on doing what the mafia said. Her husband and two kids couldn't survive without her.

"We gotta stay safe, honey." Her voice was kind but firm. "You know what they do to folks like us? Anyone who goes against them? They'll shoot us up."

Antonio raised an eyebrow at the two of them, clearly unimpressed. "Stay quiet." His salt-and-pepper hair was messy from how much he had been running his hands through it, but no one dared mention it. His quiet disappointment was far more intimidating than any anger Maddie could stir up. "Some wiseguys might be listening."

The whole group seemed to freeze at that, the slang term bringing attention to the weight of the situation. Maddie groaned, exasperated already. Maybe her sister was right. All this jury work was doing was making her more pissed off than she usually was.

“Listen, they’re not as powerful as they used to be. Why can’t we just…” She trailed off, searching for something to say. She hated how inarticulate she got in stressful situations. “I don’t know. Get a protective order or something?”

Noah shook his head, the most movement he’d shown in the past few hours. Maddie always worried he’d somehow died without any of them noticing. “S’ impossible,” He responded, his Southern drawl heavier in his exhaustion. “They got guys in the high courts too.” She frowned, hating how right he was. She’d heard about the juror who’d gotten run over ‘by accident’ after he voted in favor of an anti-Genovese politician.

The cold, bitter sting of defeat was starting to edge at her heels. She’d had this debate time and time again with them, and it never seemed to work. It was always too risky, too impossible.

Rose, seeming to pick up on her despondency, gave her a slightly melancholy smile. “Someday, you know. It’ll all be over.” Maddie nodded, blinking frantically at the sudden wash of upset that was threatening to overtake her, and sat back down in her seat. Another day, another innocent person convicted. She supposed she shouldn’t be surprised.

There was a quiet knock at the door. Ollie stood up first, the best-fit man to deal with the ever-changing temper of who came to fetch them after their deliberation, but with a confused frown on his pale face. It had barely been ten minutes.

A woman stepped into the room, fluffed-up blonde hair and bright red heels. She looked nervous.

“My apologies for the interruption, but, uh… Judge Wilson has told me to inform you that the trial is off.” Varying levels of shock and confusion spread around the room. Maddie felt a small seed of hope begin to bloom in her chest. “There’s something going on with, well— you’ll probably hear it best from the news.” She turned back down the hallway, the twelve jurors at her feet, and stopped where a TV was mounted on a low-hanging bookshelf.

BREAKING NEWS, the caption read. MAFIA COMMISSION TRIAL INDICTS 11 ORGANIZED CRIME LEADERS.

“Holy shit,” Antonio mumbled, and Maddie couldn’t help but agree with the sentiment. Excitement lit a fire in her chest and she pulled Rose into a tight hug, grinning wider than she’d been able to in a long time.

Maybe some things weren’t as impossible as they seemed.