Another cold New York night, 25 degrees at best. I had wrapped up another day at the office, on the way home to wash it all away with a few drinks. My car continued down the long dark road, only two things visible was the road, and trees that was on both sides. I was almost at the end of this dark road, which led to much brighter sites that made New York incredible. My peaceful drive came to an end as lights shined from behind me, followed by a blaring siren. I pulled off to the side, as the officer pulled behind me.

I quickly realized there were two officers as the approached my car from both sides. A few taps on the window with a nightstick, it was time for me to get all this over with. I rolled the window down as the officer bend down and became eye level with me.

"Jimmy Sullivan!, how are we tonight?."

I knew I was in for some harassment when I seen that this officer use to work the prison I was in. "Officer Gaines, always nice to see you!, they let you out early tonight?."

He glared at me for a moment before responding. "No more prison duty for me!, I got promoted...might become chief soon!." I looked straight and chuckled. "Easy Gaines!, one promotion at a time huh?. And I'm sure you will make a great addition to New York!." I was sure to be as sarcastic as possible. I notice he started to grip the nightstick a bit harder as he stares at me.

"Heard you got a garage Jimmy!. And bodies are piling around these parts since you been out!, including the Reilly brothers!."

I push both lips together, making a dumfounded look. "That has nothing to do with me Gaines!. And if that would be all I have places to be!." He places the nightstick on the bottom of the window opening.

"No that's not all jimmy!, and its officer Gaines!. I want you to know ill be watching you very closely. One slip up and its back to prison, you got that?."

I place my hand on my chin before speaking up sarcastically, "I don't know...officer Gaines!, as much as I hear you wife gets around, maybe you outa be keeping an eye on her instead of me."

No hesitation as he cracks me in the side of the face, below my left eye with the end of the nightstick. Instantly split me open, as Gaines and his partner, who was laughing backed away from my car.

They very calmly got back in their car and drove past me, slipping me the finger while doing so.

After seeing the gash in the mirror I decided to go see Freddie_Lou. after the work she did on John's friend, I knew she could fix me up. Besides a real hospital was out of the question.

After a 10 minute drive I arrived at Freddie's home. I stumbled up the stairs, dazed from the shot I took. I knocked twice, placing my left hand against the door pane. I could only hope she was home.

A slew of spanish curses could be heard behind the door as Freddie once again drug herself out of bed. The swearing grew louder as the soft patting of her barefeet approached the balcony door. "One night's sleep," she ranted behind the door, "Is that too much to fucking ask one god damned night's slee....." yanking the door open, Freddie trailed off as she stared at James. A range of emotions played over Freddies features like a still-frame picture show: panic first as the memory of their last encounter flooded her system. Panic, then outright anger, annoyance, detached concern, and finally resigned acceptance. "Oh," she said flatly, sounding none too enthused, "It's you." 

Sighing heavily Freddie opened the door wide and allowed him to pass into her room, eyeing the steps and the porch to make sure he'd brought no other company along. Satisfied that they were alone, she jammed the door closed and James would hear the lock slide into place with a heavy click. "Sit," she told him bluntly, his face nearly level with hers as he sank onto the bed. She tilted his chin, turning his face to the light so she could examine the gash below his eye. "Who'd you piss off this time?" She asked, sounding much like a mother who's child makes a habit of trouble. 

Fetching a handkerchief from her nightstand she dabbed away the blood as best she could before  gripping his face firmly. Her small calloused fingers felt their way around the wound, easily seeking out all the most painful places. "Look up," she demanded, still pressing into his sore flesh. "Good. Down. Uh-huh. Left. All the way. Good. Right." James' responses seemed satisfactory enough, as she released  his face... probably much to his relief. "Okay," she pressed the handkerchief over the cut and guided him to hold it in place, "Just hold that there. I'll be right back." 

Leaving the bedroom door open, the echo of her bare feet against the hardwood echoed down the hall; first to the kitchen (which he was familiar with) and then to the storeroom two doors down. The clinking of glass bottles could be heard as she called back down the hallway, "You know, you keep showing up like this and I'm gonna start charging you!" Soft laughter filtered down the hall as she made her way back into the small room, carrying several bottles and boxes. 

Placing everything down on the small bedside table, she handed him a glass of water and three aspirin... very mainstream. "Take those first. Then we get to work," she instructed, waiting for him to down the small pills before reaching for the alcohol. She was less than gentle as she doused the handkerchief with alcohol and cleaned the still-seeping gash. It stung like hell. But she didn't seem to care. Either it was just part of the deal or she was pissed... it was hard to tell. "Okay. I need you to look straight up and hold your breath," she told him softly. "This," she lifted her palm which held a small mound of pale yellow powder, "Is yarrow powder. It will stop the bleeding. But I need to not get it in your eyes... or mine." Tilting his head back, she sprinkled and dabbed the fine powder into his wound... which did nothing for the stinging... before slathering it in ointment  and pinching it closed. Dusting off her hands, she reached for his, "Okay. Hold that..." she guided his hand where she needed it, "right there." 

Turning away, she rummaged through one of the boxes, until it seemed she found what she was looking for. Holding two different sized bandages, she compared them to the little gash... back and forth, back, and forth... until she finally settled on the smaller of the two. Reaching for another one, she peeled the backing away placed it just below his fingers. "No, no. Don't move," she chastised as he wiggled, "I need you too keep the pressure. The cut is too small, and the skin too soft for stitches. So I have to use mariposas... butterfly sutures instead." 

Pinching the skin tightly together, she laid the bandage carefully over the cut, pressing down to ensure it stuck tightly. "Yep, yep, yep. Keep holding," she reassured him softly as she placed another bandage just above... and then moved his fingers to place a third. "There," she booped his nose playfully, "All done. Your booboo is all better, chicito." Sticking her tongue out at him, she moved toward the door, "And I think you owe me a cigarette for my trouble, no?" Slinking out onto the porch, she draped herself over one of the armchairs in her usual way, waving for him to join her. 

I walked out onto the porch with Freddie, slightly woozy. The shot landed better then I had thought. I took out two cigarettes, placing the first in Freddie's mouth and lighting it for her. She gave me a stare, almost confused as to why I put the smoke in her mouth. I could tell she was very independent, and needed no one to take care of her.

"It's the least I can do. I appreciate the help Freddie."

I lit my smoke and took a seat, feeling a lot better since the bleeding stopped. I couldn't help but wonder if she had got my note I placed on her door.

"Freddie!, I apologize for the way my last visit went, and for what Henry did. If I had known I would have ended it from the start. John warned me, I should have listened to him."

I took another puff, not wanting to ramble to much. It looked as if Freddie was a bit cold so I took of my jacket and draped it over her. I sat back down and leaned back a little, curious to hear what Freddie would say next.   

Freddie was full of 'what the fuck' stares as James babied her. She was sure he meant well, but she wasn't that kind of girl. In this neighborhood you couldn't afford to be that kind of girl... as their last encounter had proven. "Don't sweat it," she said curtly, waving off the conversation. "Cochambroso will always be cochambroso. That's all there is to it. My only regret is that I didn't get to drop his limp dick in my wood mulcher." 

She took along inhale, letting her dark curls fall back as she exhaled the smoke skyward, silently watching it play hide and seek with the twinkling stars. Glancing over at James she chuckled, lightheartedly, as he swayed on the spot a little. "You don't take a hit very well, you know. How'd you handle prison?" Her dark eyes cut across the balcony as she gave him one of those suggestive smirks. 

I leaned forward and began to think about life in the big house. I looked at Freddie and replied, "To be fair, I got hit in the side of the head with a nightstick, then drove here...how about a little credit." I laughed immediately after, trying to bring some humor to the conversation.

But I soon got serious as I wanted to answer Freddie's question.

"I did ok in prison. I wasn't the biggest guy there, but I never backed down from anyone. I uh...expected to spend a lot more time then I did, so I tried to make amends with the things I did. But 6 years, a lot happened. Met both vicious and innocent people, all in for different reasons. seen a lot of things. You think its corrupt what we do...totally different world on the inside. I came out a lot calmer then I went in!. One guy tried his luck with me in the cafeteria, few weeks into my sentence. They found him the next day in the laundry room!. they never found out who it was!."

I paused at gave Freddie a look, as if to give her a hint.

"As the years went on I calmed down a bit...became different from how I was working with the Reilly brothers. After 6 years here I am. Thing is now I got that old feeling back, the mindset of how I used to think, and react. I'm sure you know what I mean...you didn't exactly grow up in a easy neighborhood did you?."

I took a deep inhale of my smoke before exhaling slowly, waiting to see Freddie's response.

Freddie looked overtly unimpressed, "Calm is good. Means the actions you take are purposeful. Loose cannons only get so far in this game."  Freddie took a long drag from her stogie, pondering just exactly how far into this conversation she wanted to get. Shrugging lightly she continued, "And no. I didn't. But I never hurt nobody that didn't hurt me or mine." It was her turn to shoot him one of those hinting looks, "If a Flores woman slips you the house special, it's cuz you had it coming a long ways off. Comprende?" 

Swiveling in her chair, she threw her legs up over the arm, reclining like the queen of sheeba... well, more like queen of the barrio. "So, mijito, what'd you do to get yourself clocked with a nightstick?" 

I chuckled before answering.

"Well the officer who clocked me used to patrol the prison. He got a promotion apparently and is most likely on a big power trip!. I was heading home from my garage, got stopped and threatened. maybe got a little sarcastic with the officer". I smirk at Freddie with that remark.

"Next thing I knew I was driving here with a gash under my eye, quite the entertaining night."

I watched as Freddie perched her feet up, looking like a queen. not a care in the world, and there was nothing wrong with that, to be honest it was attractive in a lot of ways.

"So what's your story?."

I wanted to hear how a women in a tough part of NY handled herself so well.  

"Story, mijo?" she perked a brow and fought the urge to roll her eyes, "Don't have one. No more than anyone else, anyway."  She kicked her feet down and swiveled in her chair to face him, elbows resting on her knees. "I was born here. I learned how to live here. That's really it. Nothing special. I keep things nice between us," she gestured between the two of them, "and them," she waved her hand out over the neighborhood that was visible from her backyard. "And in return I get to do what I do on both ends." 

She shrugged softly, "It's not pretty... or at least, it's only as pretty as I make it." She smiled out over her winter garden... lush even for this time of year. "But it's a good life. An honest life, so much as one can have around here and still have a good life. You know?"

She looked at him through a cloud of misty smoke, "But then, I guess you're one of those types that aren't satisfied with easy answers. So why don't you just come on out and ask me what you wanna know? It's too late to play the beat around the bush shit. Yeah?"

I looked at Freddie a bit confused. "Short answers never bother me Ms. Lou, I like those who get to the point. Just interests me how you handle yourself so well, didn't mean to irritate you."

I stood up and put my smoke out. I kept it on me, remembering the last visit. she yelled at john not to throw cigarettes anywhere on the property. I keep the cig in my hand, playfully smirking, awaiting for Freddie to tell me where she wanted me to place it.

"Getting a bit late Ms. Lou, I should drive home. Unless you don't mind me sleeping on your couch?."

I watched as Freddie still had her feet perched up, she really loved the porch.   

"That anyway to ask a lady if ya can stay tuh night, James?" John called from the bottom floor as he started his way up the stairs outside, taking them two by two with a hustle. "Lemme see ya, lad. Me new boyo, Chad, told me about a run in ya 'ad wit' ole Gaines. Said 'e been braggin' 'bout'ye at tuh station."

John didn't leave much time for James to really argue or protest as he grabbed his chin and turned his head to the light.

"Ah, Freddie Fixxit strikes again, I sees." He grinned and winked at the beautiful woman before turning back to James and smacking his cheek lightly a few times in a loving way. "Don' worry 'bout it, Rev. Ya barely go' tapped." He chuckled, releasing James' chin and moving across the balcony to sit by Freddie, his arm slipping around her.

"So... Tell me wot 'appened. All of it, lad. Maybe we can work this out wit'out any blood..."

John crossed his legs as he leaned back. If Freddie draped herself like a slumdog Queen, John carried himself as the King beside her.

"why he hit me?."

I sat back down on the porch, across from Freddie and John. I placed my old smoke at my feet and lit a new one.

"Gaines use to patrol the prison I was in. I was driving home from the shop when he stopped me. He apparently got a promotion and wanted to abuse his authority, same as he always did!. I don't know much about the officer he was with. but Gaines!, he's in his 50s...wife sleeps around. And he has a gambling and hooker addiction."

john looked surprised that I knew so much about him.

"When you spend years in the can, word travels fast Johnny!." I took a puff of my smoke, looked up and blew the smoke high in the air. looking back down and staring at John, I ask curiously, "Handle the situation?...what do you have in mind?."  

Freddie perked up as John came up the stairs, her sour pout being replaced by a saucy smirk. She snickered jocosely at John's playful banter, but hiccuped short with the smacks, light though they were. "Don't you dare bust those sutures, Juanito," she chastised. She scowled at him playfully, jabbing in his direction with her cigarette holding fingers as he swaggered across the porch to sit beside her. "I worked hard on those. It was a real booboo," she joked, slapping his thigh lightly as he took a seat. 

She smiled coyly at James as John draped his arm around her. Twisting in her seat, Freddie nestled into his loose embrace, head resting on his chest as she resumed her typically insouciant air; one ankle draping over John's knee as she crossed her legs, the other tucked beneath her. 

Looking at John rather than James, Freddie leaned over and half-whispered, "If he's got a twist, we can easily use that to our advantage. Either through a bookie or a hookie," Freddie chuckled lightly. "I can maybe talk to the boys about setting up a game here in town... or we could rig up one of the girls at the Sand n Sea. If his promotion is so important to him, I doubt he'd risk losing it." 

Looking over her shoulder, she smirked at James, "Bet we could fix him up just as good as I fixed you." 

John chuckled, the astonishment clear on his face.

"Aye, I get that word travels fast lad... Tuh surprise be that ya been payin' attention!" His laugh filled the balcony, but he saw James' sour expression. "Oh lighten up, lad. I'm lakin' wit' ya, faffin' about, kiddin, ya know?"

The two eyed each other as Freddie leaned over. John's brow lifted at her idea and he eyed James. "Well... I could certainly get one of tuh girls to get some money from Mister Gaines for certain...favors." He smiled. "An' we could get pictures of it an' spin it to blackmail tuh boyo. Make 'em work for ya, James."

John smirked, patting Freddie's leg. "Gambling waint be anything to get 'im for, aside from 'im needin' a loan that 'e could work off... But tuh 'ooker idea could work. I'll talk to Bianchi an' see if 'e can get one of tuh burlesque girls 'ere..."

John's hand slid up to Freddie's thigh with a pat and a squeeze. "An' we can get some eyes on Mister Gaines while we wait for one of tuh girl. Keep a close watch on 'im. An' James... Maybe ya get close to 'is wife? Really get 'im, let 'im know we can take everythin' from 'im if 'e doesn' do wot we say..."

He chuckled, tugging out his cigarettes and lighting one.

I stare daggers at John, holding the look. Both him and Freddie thought the joking got to me. I took a long drag of my smoke, followed by a long pause. Exhaled slowly, then broke the silence with a laugh.

"Ah john, the look on your face was priceless. No worries my good friend, humor was always your strong suit. the idea is great, I'm in...should work for sure. And it will be a lot cleaner then my idea."

I give another smirk, then take another puff. still chuckling a bit. John had been a good friend to me since the war. We both new each other well...he was always known for humor and his smarts with planning. If he had an idea, I was willing to try it. Having Freddie by his side only made him more dangerous.