Cesare waited silently in the brick-walled alley backed by the shadows of his two goons. The night was young and in Las Vegas "real life" didn't start until the sun went down. He quietly lit a cigarette from his vantage point just off the Strip. It had only been a few days since he had arrived following in his brother Dub's footsteps west. He had always looked up to his brother since they were kids. He had visions of him in fancy suits leading the ladies of Vegas into the swankiest clubs and casinos of the city. The lure of "the life" as his brother had referred to it was too much to resist.

"Late again..." one of the voices behind him gruffly spat.

"Not like you got anywhere to go." Cesare said matter-of-factually. 

Cesare had set up this little operation after being taken on as an associate by his brother. The premise was simple; a few bills slipped to local cab drivers meant that Cesare always knew when out-of-town men of means were coming in to The Strip and where they would be dropped off. From there it was a simple rough up job which usually bagged a fat wallet ready for the casinos. Cesare would kick some of the winnings up to his brother, grease some more taxi-driver palms, rinse, repeat. It was becoming an easy and steady source of income.

Softly at first the chugging of a taxi engine crept down the alley. Cesare flicked his cigarette into a nearby puddle.

"Up and at 'em boys, he's here."

Finally the brakes screeched and the three were immediately on the cab. Cesare ripped open the driver-side door.

"Get out pal, don't make me ask twice!" The driver, panicked, fell out of the cab and scurried down the alley toward the street. Sure, he was in on the job, but the fella in the back didn't need to know that. Cesare pulled himself into the front seat while the two goons squeezed themselves into the back on either side of the passenger. Staring into the rear-view mirror Cesare saw the face of a well-kept man with a confident face; unusual for men normally in this position, but Cesare had dealt with "brave men" before.

"Listen..." Cesare began looking at the man from the mirror, "I've got a few nice broads waiting for me in the Vegas Club, so how about you make this easy for me and the boys here and go ahead and hand over your bill fold eh?"

The man didn't move... at least no part of him but his lips, which parted into an inexplicable smile. "I'm not giving you dirty alley-rat wops anything. He paused for a moment, and then looked at the man to his right, "Actually," he continued, "I'll give you a nickel to shove your head up this one's--"

WACK

The goon landed a fist on the man's cheek sending him reeling into the other goon's chest. Cesare popped open the door and stepped out of the cab. "Alright come on," he instructed the goons, "bring him out."

The two dragged the man out of the back seat spitting curses mixed with blood onto the pavement. Cesare knelt beside him. "Now why'd you have to go and behave this way huh?" He questioned as the man coughed on all fours, "we're all reasonable men here, and all we want is our tax understand?"

Catching his breath the man met Cesare's eyes. "YOU CAN BLOW YOUR TAX INT--" Cesare interrupted the man with a swift fist to the bridge of his nose sending him sprawled on the alley floor. As the two other men watched, Cesare's eyes seemed to flare into a rage. Over and over he slammed his foot into the man's side and head. Then dragging the man through the refuse of the street, he propped him up against the brick side of the building and, with the man's face pressed into the wall, forced him wailing to the ground leaving pieces of skin hanging from the brick edifice. Kneeling over the man, his fists began their work. The soft sickening thuds came in ever increasing intervals until eventually Cesare stopped and slid his hand back through his walnut hair. Slowly he retrieved another cigarette and his lighter from his pocket. Lighting it over the now limp body of the cab's passenger, he turned toward the other men.

"Well? Get me his damn wallet!" He called out, then adding under his breath, "What do you think this is? A Vegas show?"