Pride. That is what Luukas felt as he looked out the window at the city below, a soft rain cascading in shimmering sheets against the glowing lights below. His hands were clasped gently behind his back, his posture straight and neat, his black hair combed back neatly besides a stray lock that had fallen into his vision. He admired the sleeping city of Seattle, his home city, the city of opportunity for many who come here. As the left hand of his family, he took great pride in watching over the city as well as actively engaging in it. 

He looked over his shoulder to the right, towards the shelves stocked with books; Where WilliamWalker sat behind a slightly cluttered desk, organizing the stacks and occasionally mumbling as he flipped through a file, scribbling something on a notepad before repeating the process. Don Walker, a sharp man with an even sharper mind, had been backed by the families in Seattle to create The Walker Brand. The alcohol he made was delightful, especially during the time of the harsh prohibition that was rocking the country.

Luukas turned his gaze over to Luckies, his colleague and the right hand. He was an odd man, but a good and solid one nonetheless. He had the street smarts as well as the charm to communicate between other families, and was overall a great asset to the family. He had even gotten the members of the crew books at one point, which Luukas appreciated. He was given The Captain’s Daughter, which Luukas had read within a few days, and had enjoyed it greatly.

Luukas turned back to the window, the rain refusing to subside as the night stretched on. His mind began to drift as he looked to the harbor, the silhouettes of the boats moving up and down as the waves crashed against the shore. It brought back some memories of when him and Will began their bootlegging business.

“Not giving up on me, now are ya?” William’s voice echoed out from the small cabin of the boat they were on, the rain pouring down on Luukas as the boat rocked back and forth. “Never!” He shouted back, securing the last of the crates to the floor of the boat. After that, he went into the cabin, fighting against the wind to shut the door. Afterwards, he sighed and leaned against the door, hair plastered to his forehead.

He looked at Will with a slight smile and laughed. “Maybe we should do this on a nicer night” he spoke, pulling his hair back with his hand. “If you can’t manage this, then maybe you need a new profession” the other man said in return. “I never said I couldn’t!” Luukas exclaimed, standing back on his feet. “Either way, we should be there soon” “The team will be waiting?” “If they aren’t they’ll answer to me.”

Once they got to the harbor, a few men were standing under a small roof with no walls, shaking in their boots. They reluctantly helped the two men move the crates into a nearby warehouse bought out by one of the cooperating crews in Seattle. After everything was moved, the small group of muscle was paid and they left hurriedly to escape the storm.

Jumping farther ahead, in a delivery truck into Seattle. Luukas had insisted on driving, so William was riding shotgun. They had both changed into dry clothes, although their hair was still wet. “Well, we got this far” Luukas said, glancing at Will, who was writing on some paper. “The journey isn’t done yet” he said in return, looking at Luukas.

Luukas was drawn out of his thoughts as there was a sound of a chair moving, followed by soft footfalls before William appeared at his side. “It’s beautiful, is it not?” William asked, looking down at the city. “It really is” Luukas replied, looking to the other man. “Y’know, when I first met you, I thought you were too soft for this life” William said, meeting Luukas’ gaze. “I nearly thought the same, yet here I am, no?” Luukas replied, a hint of a grin pulling at his lips. He worked hard and talked to the right people, from starting with The Outlaws, and ending up as left hand of The Walker Brand, following William through to this point from the beginning, and planning to stay by his side until the bitter end.

William raised his eyes from the paperwork and stretched back on his chair for a while. He looked back at his friends, Luckies reading a book while sipping on some brandy and Luukas who seemed lost in contemplation of the city. If you spend too long a time dealing with business inside an office, you run the risk of falling prey to myopia, but he felt lucky that he could simply look up to catch a glimpse of the bigger picture.

It's impressive, how fast you can build a friendship with someone when both the pastimes, and work-times you spend together, are mostly about robbing banks, smuggling liquor and beating the shit out of some loud mouthed gangsters. When William first met Luukas, they were both working for JohnMarston, and while it's true he did think he was soft at first, the guy proved to be the an invaluable partner for a lifestyle known not to pay.

Taking part on John's mission of enforcing the much needed 'order' within the underground ecosystem of Seattle, the group acted as mediators so above the food-chain that their presence alone was enough to get the toughest blokes in the block acting like the most law-abiding citizens on this side of the country. A drug dealer wouldn't pay on time? He went missing? John would send two or three guys to hunt him down. A drunkard woodworker causing trouble in one of the Family's speakeasies? Sure time to teach the big guy some manners. So long as there was no unnecessary 'heat' in town, things would be running well in the family's books. And in time, things became orderly enough that most of the work left for the gang was moving liquor and drug money around.

Williams grabbed a cigarette from his metal case and lit it up with intent, pushing a long worn drag of smoke into his lungs and letting his body be filled with the aura one gets from that first swig, after many hours of work and absence. He got up and walked up to Luukas so he could appreciate the sightseeing as well.

"I nearly thought the same, yet here I am, no?"

He nodded. "Yes, yes you are." He looked out the window and then back to his friend, and noticed he still had this bump on top of his nose, delivered by the fist of an angry Irish fellow a few months before. He patted his shoulder and smiled with a tired expression.

Luukas was the son of some Finnish immigrants, grew up near Los Angeles in a place called Hemet, the father a carpenter and the mother a nurse. He didn't know what crime was until he met John and as he struggled at first to do what was necessary, he showed an early talent with aiming a gun properly, and delivering strong blows from above his tall shoulders down towards his target's face. When the time came that William wanted to start bootlegging and exploring Canadian distilleries, he was the first in line to offer his help.

They had both much to be grateful about the other's loyalty and dedication to their plans moving forward, but they were also extremely young for a life filled with shifty turns and ill-intended business-associations, and that's where Luckies' experience and expertise in the mafia way of doing work would come in handy.

"Well, I'm going down to Pioneer." He went over to the entrance and grabbed his long-coat. "I need to be surrounded by strangers and see some new faces before I go insane." He dressed up, fixing the collar and the sleeves. "Maybe find a flame to keep me going through this night. What do you say lads? One run down to the pub? First round's on me." He smirked back at his friends almost waiting for a reply.

Now that's a storm, roaring outside with the thirst of a factory worker on a friday night. It's going to be a nice night, diving head first into my bed with a good book to keep me company. I love working and living in the same building, sometimes.

Luckies grazed peeked over his book to see WilliamWalker getting up and joining Luukas at the window. He prefered to keep his eyes set on a book or on the bottom of a glass - they already had to be watchful outside the headquarters. His brandy swirled in the sniffer just before meeting his lips and he enjoyed the sweet embrace it had on his tongue just before he closed his book and reached for the small silver box inside his sports jacket.

As the tip of the snipe sparkled under a strong flame, Luckies couldn't help to overhear Luukas reminiscing with William over their early days. This was a strange feeling to him, because he never got to meet the man Luukas was before being hardened.

To Luckies, it was unreal that this man was once unsure about this life. He had seen him shoot a swindler in the back of his head over a couple hundred dollars, claiming it wasn't about the money, but about the lack of loyalty. Luckies only complained that doing it in private would not set an example, to which Luukas replied something along the lines of:

"But it won't bring us heat either."

That's when I knew William made the right choice of associate. It's a peculiar moment, the second you decide you trust someone with your own life. It's a mixture of both fear and joy that reminds you of your own mortality. Usually reminds you of someone else's, as well.

I still remember the moment I realized William would be a friend to relly on, as well. That shady pub in the Canadian coast, somewhere in the east coast, lost among the fucking dark clouds and the dirt soaring in the wind. There was no rain yet, but the storm as already brewing.

Some old country crumb was crusting up the muscle, and those meathead goons took it personally. Next thing I know the deadbeat punk breaks his bottle on the counter and digs it onto one of our boys, right in the neck. I rush straight for him reaching for the holster, but I didn't remember I wasn't carrying my trusty sidekick. He skewerd me right in the shoulder and off we were into the floor. I was losing blood fast enough that I was starting to get lightheaded, keeping this fucker from stabbing me was becoming a uphill battle.

The next second, my ears are ringing and I'm covered in blood and brains. Before I could gather my thoughts, William slipped me five and helped me up. I was still shaking from the adrenaline, my coat and shirt were ruined and we needed to scram real fast - Canada didn't take kindly to foreigners with firearms. I was patched up in the back of a transport van, right beside a dead man. William was yelling at me from the driver's seat. I woke up already in the water, and that was my last ride along. For a while, at least.

I remember moving to Detroit so I'd be away from the sea. But nothing can keep me away from Seattle, it'd seem. Home is where the heart...

Luckies was snapped out of thought by William's voice. He paid attention, only to have his plans of staying in perfectly shattered by an old friend.

"Hey, you won't find me complaining about you paying that first round. I also need a bite, Betty forgot to order me dinner today."

Quickly getting up and grabbing his jacket and hat, Luckies put out the cigarette in the crystal in William's desk as he gave Luukas a shout. "C'mon big fella! I'll buy dinner tonight, I'm feeling generous. But you're the one taking point and finding us broads tonight!"

He chuckled in amusement as a broad grin carved itself on his face.