There was a loud bang from the far end of the corridor. It wasn't the first time it had happened that morning but it made everyone jump just the same. Gunshots indoors have a very penetrant effect on the ears. Various family members were moving swiftly in every direction except that of the disturbance. Tyke and Archy walked past carrying large crates of imported scotch as if it were the most precious thing in the world, BlackBettey and Brendan could be seen stuffing huge bundles of cash into a burlap sack from a space underneath some floorboards in her office, TheNewGuy smiled as he sauntered past like a calm spot in the chaos, such was his nature, even the normally calm DeadlySin was clearing out cupboards into boxes with a notable sense of urgency. Everyone was feverishly working at one thing or another. None of them paying much attention to the gunfire and chaos emanating from the office at the end of the hall. 

Satanta had jumped at the sound of the shot and spilled half the cup of tea he'd been carrying up the corridor and was now looking at Curtis for answers. Curtis knew what was happening and had been walking in the other direction away from the danger. He looked at Satanta's unspoken plea for understanding.

"Hello youngun! Is... Was that tea for Tetley?"

Satanta nodded. Curtis smiled.

"I'd just put it on the mail shelf outside his door and walk away. Going in there right now is probably not the best idea."

'What's wrong with him?'

"He's been given some distressing news."

Satanta looked alarmed. Surely this type of reaction could only be caused by a death in the family or some other equivalent tragedy. He'd just joined the organisation and was keen to live up to his forefather's esteemed reputation. Very much wanting to make the correct impression, he had no idea what could have happened, so he pasted on his best 'sorry for your loss' face and asked.

'Oh dear, I'm sorry to hear that, what's happened?'

"He's been told he has to move offices."

'Oh I see, I'm sorry to hea... Wait, what?'

Santanta looked understandably bewildered. Curtis smirked and went on to explain.

"You see, our Right Hand Man is not a normal mobster. Far from it. He has extraordinary qualities that make him so important to the family and perfect for his role. However this level of ability, as with anything so specialized in life, comes at a price."

Two more gunshots rang out at the end of the corridor along with a long string of abusive language and the sight of mounds of paperwork fluttering around behind the frosted glass of Tetley's office. They both watched and then looked back at each other.

"What's going on in that office right now can best be likened to the events inside a collapsing star. All energy and matter is imploding into a singularity. As it violently folds in on itself there are increasingly explosive outbursts and flares until eventually all matter and even light itself is condensed into a singular point of infinite density. At that moment there will be an explosion the likes of which you could never imagine. All that existed before will be just a memory and all that comes after will be the fiery, violent birth of something new and vastly more powerful. All you can do my friend, is stay out of the way and wait."

Satanta looked at Curtis with understandable confusion and wondered if he might be better off in the office with the gunfire after all.

'Eh?'

"Tetley is a fine tuned machine. He is literally awesome at what he does but he insists on things being done exactly how he wants them. If you do everything he says to the letter then you'll see a level of efficiency and expertise that will make your young head spin. The things that guy can do with information and a few spread sheets is astonishing. His organisational skills and strategic mind is a prize asset of our family, but it takes a colossal amount of time and effort on his part to keep everything here running perfectly so that we can all do what we do.

Its relaxing here isn't it? I mean, you've not been here long but you can clearly see everyone is on friendly terms and there is a happy family atmosphere in the building? Everyone gets on with each other, we all enjoy a laugh and there is a very high level of togetherness and comradery right?"

Satanta smiled and responded enthusiastically.

'Yes! Indeed, I can hardly believe how much everyone gets on and everyone seems to happy here. Its wonderful but also unexpected.'

"Indeed it is! And the reason for that is simple. Tetley. Don Whatsername is our matriarch. She does what all good mothers do and she nurtures everyone. Individually and the group as a whole. You won't find a mobster in our family who doesn't feel individually cared for by her and in every single case it is genuine. That is her great strength as a leader. However she is as smart as she is loving and she knows what is needed to make things work. She spends her time being the mother to all our murderous mobsters and she has Tetley to run the machine. Every system and file, every name and number, every contact and criminal associated with our family, that guy knows them. Every hired gun, crooked cop, manipulated merchant, bent bureaucrat and shady shipping company, he works them all. Every single facet of our organisation runs in and out of that office down there. That guy experiences and endures a constant level of stress the likes of which you can not imagine. And he does it with incredible efficiency. Don Whatsername ordered him to take a few days off recently and I had to stand in for him while he was gone. Trying to do his job is no small undertaking I can tell you first hand!  

Anyway, with something so fine tuned, you have to expect the rails to come off when given the kind of news he has been given this morning."

An understandable look of bated expectancy took Satanta's face.

'What? What news? What has happened?'

"He's been told we're moving. He has to move the entire operation to a new city. Today."

Another storm of violence and foul language went off behind the glass at the end of the corridor. Curtis looked at Satanta and smiled.

"Like I said, just leave the coffee outside the door and run. Only a fool would go in there now."

Placing the cup on the shelf, Satanta glanced at Curtis' face. Was he serious? Were they really going to be moving? Had he gone to all the trouble of brewing the perfect cuppa and dosing it with copious amounts of laxatives for nothing? 

He pondered for a moment if Tetley might have tried to teabag Curtis, again, and gotten bitten. It would explain the profanities, the loud howls and the slightly goofy smile on Curtis' face.  However, that wouldn't explain all of the other activity around the building. He had already spotted Tyke polishing his door knob collection and Standard leaving a meal behind only half finished, a true sign that all was not settled in the kingdom. 

<font color="rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)">"Cheers for the heads up Curtis. Wouldn't want to walk in on Tetley with a gun in his hand at the best of times, </font>never mind<font color="rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)"> if he's trying to figure out how to adjust his pivot charts to adapt to Philly. Have to imagine the increase in cheese steaks will play havoc with his aim too, so I might want to give him a wide berth for a few weeks after the move too." </font>

Walking back down the hall, with a swagger only possible in someone to ignorant to know any better, Satanta was delighted to have guys like Curtis and TheNewGuy looking out for them all. They were like new fathers protecting young born children when it came to their family. A thought that left a big smile on the drunken fools face. 

Hearing Archy calling out to Tyke, Satanta decided it was time to pay up on some old poker bets. He'd owed Tyke $632 for a long time now and had finally collected enough 1c coins to pay it off. Edging down the hall, he was surprised not to get the normal odour he'd associate with Tyke. Had the guy finally taken a shower? Hardly, something else must be up.

Hey Archy, where did Tyke disappear off to?

Archy glanced down the hall, looking squarely at a poster of King Kong that had been hanging on the wall for years. Looking a little closer, Satanta realised Archy was barely concious. That wine was a potent one, especially when considering the nineteen empty bottles being left behind in his wake. 

Ehhhh, yeah. I think Tyke looks like he has his hands full. I'll leave you guys too it mate.

*The door to Tetley's office flew open and slamming against the wall smashing the glass. Tetley strides out of his office fuming, he see's the half empty cup of coffee on the shelf.*

"Coffee, fucking coffee. Is this some sort of fucking joke, where's my tea!"

*He pulls out his trusty Browning HP and pumps all 13 rounds into the cup and surrounding area. He ejects the magazine letting it fall to the floor and loads a fresh magazine. A dutiful bodyguard picks up the spent magazine and rushes back into the office to refill it. Tetley looks down the hallway to see Satanta and Curtis chatting away like a couple of school girls.*

"Oi you two! One of you and I don't care which, get me a brew and quick. I'll be in range so bring it to me there."

*Tetley storms off in the direction of range within the HQ for one last session before the move.*

Curtis chuckled and looked at Satanta.

"Don't worry pal, I'll get this. You just get some of those tea crates onto the truck and grab yourself a drink."

He walked into the kitchen and took his time making as near to the perfect cup of tea as possible. Everything done to perfection, he set the cup along with some biscuits and other sundries on a tray and walked it down toward the range. Stepping inside he managed to catch Tetley in between rounds and smiled at him as he put the tray down.

"There you go man. That should see you right. Why don't you take an hour out and chill in here for a bit. I can get the lads to empty the bulk of the office stuff out of your way and you can go back to less clutter and more space to hear yourself think. In the mean time you can let off a few rounds here and think happy thoughts."

Tetley knew he was right but was still too wound up to admit it or acknowledge anyone as having a reasonable idea. Curtis knew this and expected no form of recognition. He simply turned and headed for the door. Just as he was leaving he stopped for a second and turned back for a final word.

"You know, I think the kid Satanta might go on to do beautiful things. Might wanna go easy on him."

Again not expecting a response, he turned back, headed into the offices and carried on the work with the others.

Deadly was in a bit of a panic. They were packing up the headquarters to be moved to Philadelphia, and he couldn't for the life of him remember where he'd left his stash of porn. He really didn't need anyone else stumbling upon it and finding out how perverted he was, so with panic and fear filling him up he began emptying out every single place that he could think of into boxes. He hoped everyone else just thought he was excited for the move, but he alone knew the truth of his urgency.

Luckily for Deadly, nobody seemed to be paying him much attention. They were all quite engrossed in their own business, packing or chatting away between themselves. He heard a shotgun being fired in a different room and panicked, he was pretty sure that would be any normal person's reaction to seeing his porn stash so he rushed through to see what the commotion was. Thankfully, it was just Tetley being pissed off at being served coffee instead of his usual tea.

He wiped the sweat from his forehead and grinned at the people around him. Hopefully they all just assumed he looked panicked because of the gunfire. He didn't have time to wonder about that though, he returned to emptying out all the cupboards as quickly as he could.

Having been left on digging duty Brendan was slightly put out. Ramming money down under the floorboards. Getting bored he spotted some magazines in a cupboard. Dropping the bag stuffed with bundles of notes he snuck away from Blackbetty and had a quick dig about in the cupboard. Pulling out a few magazines he had a bit of a grin to himself. Obviously someone in this HQ was into 'small adults of the same sex' touching each other. Opening the top magazine he found it hard to turn the pages. Many stuck together and brittle. Finally getting to a fully open page he was appalled. It was quite graphic. What with the people, horse and large marrow. 'Each to their own I suppose' he thinks to himself..

*whack*

Picking up the $5000 bundle off the floor he rubs the back of his head. Turning he sees BlackBetty glaring at him. "For fucks sake man, ain't nobody got time for that!". Quickly throwing the magazine back into the cupboard Brendan looks sheepish but is relieved that he wasn't collared with the magazine by anyone else. Hopefully whoevers stash it is they find it before Whatsernames innocent mind is polluted forever.

Going back to throwing money into the gaping hole beneath the floorboards so it can be rmeoved at a later date when others are now watching he sees DeadlySin rush into the room frantically searching through the cupboards looking for something. When he reaches the filth he stops and takes a bag out of his pocket..