Trying to ignore her exhaustion, Bella could hear Gavin's boots crunching through the new fallen snow.  He moved in the dimming light of sunset towards her.  It had been twenty-four hours since she delivered the message to Tambini - the Don responsible for killing Jack Mezzo and William Bowden.  Twenty hours since she was fortunate enough to find Gavin before he accidentally walked right into a building holding Tyler Durden and a small army of his men.  It was one of many across the city... places the Godfather was going to launch his strike at Philly from. 

'And only twelve hours since ...'  

Beneath her leather gloves, Bella's hands were still stained dark cherry.  She could have scrubbed them for hours and, maybe, got the last of Rayne Martini out of her flesh, but she didn't want that.  Not really.  She had an urge to look at her hands, to remember picking the girl up off the street and pulling her bloody corpse into her embrace - too late. 

'Ti porterò con me, dolce ragazza. Ti vendicherò.'

Before them, a building that held no special significance.  It was one of many empty buildings in a district she was sworn to protect.  It might have made a great place for a new gym if she still had the heart for such innocent pursuits; but after the events of twelve hours ago, Bella didn't think she could tell herself fairytales anymore.  

This, of course, was what her opponent did best... like a splinter he burrowed into his enemy's flesh so that one was forced to harm themselves.  The cure was often as painful as the infestation.  Chaos was their enemy's only real goal. 

'So much death & destruction... and not just of buildings and lives, but of hopes and dreams too.' 

Lucky Lucy once wrote, 'You can't fight an idea.'  And she was right.  In this way, Tyler Durden was brilliant.  They would have to burn their own buildings, spend their resources, and sacrifice some of the lives under their protection to be free of Durden - so even if they did 'win' ... Tyler Durden's goals would be achieved.  The Godfather of Delaware City always seemed to walk away as the victor from any fight he engaged in, even if he never held a single city for more than a few days, and Bella loathed him for it.

She did not look back towards her husband's nearly silent approach, instead, she kept her eyes out for the signal. 

"Everyone is in place."  His voice was barely above the biting wind that howled in such a way that it almost seemed to be mocking the wails Bella had let out in the street as she cradled the rapidly cooling corpse in her arms, kissing it, begging it not to be dead.  Of course, by that point, Rayne was long gone and so was any hope she had left of a life that didn't include being who and what she was born to be.

'Entra con il sangue. Esci con il sangue.'

Bella simply nodded her thanks, unable to find words.  She knew Gavin neither expected them nor required them.  They'd been at each other's side for too many of these particular missions.  The unfortunate fact was, they'd been through this sort of thing so often that the Byrnes were quite good at it.  A fact which had driven Gavin to retirement. 

It wasn't just about the kids, though they'd both said so.  While they were both very good at killing, Gavin had lost his taste for it.  He was tired of all the blood.  Tired of burying kids half his age and with each passing year there was more and more kids to bury, and yet the gray lady never seemed to stop for them.  It wasn't that she or he wished for death, they simply wished they didn't have to say goodbye so god damned often and to so fucking many people they loved. 

Bella tried to dismiss the image of the girl from her mind but it was a nearly impossible task to ask of herself.  It called up the memories of the last fight against Tambini and his men, of losing Jack ... and, more honestly, she knew for her it was always about William.

'Alza gli occhi. Non guardare come il tuo angelo immerge di nuovo le sue ali nel sangue.'

Utilizing Tambini's blind rage against Louis Mezzo was a stroke of genius.  Using Race Street's thirst for vendetta, a once in a lifetime masterful play that might have gone down in history had she not realized her mistake before things had gone too far.  

'Not Race Street's thirst for vendetta... mine.'

In the last fight, Race Street had stood alone.  Bella disliked making the same mistakes twice.  So, she took the remaining hours after the death of Rayne Martini to make phone calls to the children of her dead friends and allies, to call in favors, to reach out to the few friends she had left who had not been dragged off to hell already, and yes even to the asshole himself - her father. 

There was no card Bella was going to leave unplayed as they went to war against not just Durden, but Tambini.  Louis would have that fucker's head for killing Jack & William and she would take a pound of flesh out of Durden and his crew taking out the young woman she thought of so much like her own daughter Aurora... Rayne Martini.

Bella saw the flicker of a flashlight distantly, the signal she'd been waiting for.

"We're a-go."  She said to Gavin.  "Let our friends know that they have a green light to move on Tyler Durden and Tambini wherever they are hiding in Philly ... but remind them, Tambini is Louis' kill.  The man or woman who takes that one from Louis, even accidentally, will keep him company on his journey to hell."

With that, Gavin walked back to the phone booth on the corner to make the call.  Coordinated strikes all across Philadelphia were about to begin.  This time, Race Street was striking first and unlike last time they had brought friends.

The man shivered with fear tied up to his chair in a warehouse surrounded boxes and a motorcycle, he remembered doing a routine scouting operation for Tyler when he was knocked out and when he came to he was here. From the shadows, flanked by two of his bodyguards appeared Giovannni who was carrying just a hammer with no trace of that signature smirk. The man opened his mouth to spit some venom, the moment he did so however the hammer came smashing down on his knee cutting off the words into a scream echoing around the whole building, before he would gather his breath the hammer smashed into the other knee. 

Now seeing this man in terrible agony Joey's famous smile came to light, as he tossed the hammer to one of his guards and squatted before the man to relish in the pain in his eyes. "Hey there buddy, you wanna know why this is happening to you? I mean other than the fact that you're some piece of shit from Delaware that calls themselves a crew that is. See you guys stole something from me, more specifically you did. Now it took me a while to track you down and find out it was you, I will give you credit Antonino you hide your tracks well. But here's the problem no one steals from me." 

Antonino now panicking started to gasp in between sobs. "I don't know what the fuck you're talking about I never stole-" 

He was caught off as Joey punched him in face before yelling. "RAYNE MARTINI!" Joey took a breath composing himself. "Rayne was my partner and more importantly my friend, she was with MY aunt when YOU gunned her down, you stole my partner from me and could've killed my aunt. Now I know what you're gonna say you had orders, you have a family, blah blah and you know what maybe that would work with some people but now you're gonna die and we're gonna send a little message to Tyler that if you fuck with me or mine, including my fucking friends in Race Street there are consequences. Permanent Consequences.

With that Joey snapped his fingers and walked over to his bike and starting it up, as his two guards grabbed the man and brought him to the back of it. Joey turned around once more to grin at the man before showing him what was about to happen, put the front break and held the clutch while turning the throttle, he slowly let of the clutch and the back tire began to spin fast. Antonino screamed as Joey's guards brought his head closer and close to the tire...................

A SHORT WHILE LATER.

Joey looked to his guards after wiping the blood off his bike. "Go reach out to Bella tell her thank you for tracking down this piece of shit for me and that it's done. Then find out where she needs me next."

What part of 'I need to get to Detroit' didn't the stewardess understand?  Ellie had to board that flight and all the darn woman could do was not get past the fact that she had to check with her supervisor to see if animals such as she were allowed to board the plane!  Didn't she understand that the lives of her loved ones were at stake?  Of course she didn't!  She didn't understand that this little one before her had a war to get to, had friends to defend, and had other ones so close to her little heart to avenge!  But no.  All that was standing between her and her goal had been one plucky little stewardess who decided it was her job to make sure that animals such as her could board the stupid plane!  But finally...  Finally between she and her bodyguard's brilliant sob story about how the ferret had to fly with her and her own persuasive skills, Ellie was on the plane and on the way to war.

Trembling all over, she found herself hopping in her seat.  The metal bird could not fly fast enough!  The ferret could not help it.  She began to just jump in her seat keeping herself limber and ready for the task at hand.  She had agreed to join her dear friend in the heat of battle.  What could a ferret do?  She couldn't exactly shoot very well, even if she was getting better with the tiny gun that was fashioned just for her.  But no one caused a diversion quite like she...  And that was just what she intended on doing.  She intended on creating a diversion.  She was due to take part in a strike against a warehouse at which a good amount of arms were stored.  Arms that would aid them in their future efforts, as well as help serve to cripple their enemies.  Disarm your enemies, win your war.  And she was quite eager to do her part in doing just that.  Her war partner was to be someone very dear to her.  A Leader of Detroit and a beloved ally of her own.  She was to fight alongside one Giovanni_Ferrari.  The last time she had seen the man, she was standing atop his prone form after he had been shot by the very enemy they were to be fighting.  But now they were to fight side by side.  Just as it was meant to be. 

Toward the end of the plane ride, the small ferret sat almost completely still except for the quivering of her small body.  One could only wonder what went through her small mind.  But before one could even begin to formulate their own ideas on this, the plane touched down.  Ellie was at the door ready to get out just as soon as that door lowered to allow her to do so!  And almost even before the stairs could touch ground, Ellie was off like a shot.  She tore off like she had been shot from a gun.  Her bodyguards were left to run after her panting almost immediately.  Ellie just knew that if she kept him waiting long enough, her beloved Giovanni might try and take them all himself.  She didn't have any doubt he could take the low lives, but without loss?  That she wasn't sure.  Besides, the warehouse was not far from the airport.  It had been uncertain as to whether they were shipping the arms or keeping them here for use.  Either way it didn't bode well for her side.

Reaching the warehouse in question, Ellie paused with her nose to the air as she tried to scope out the situation.  She wasn't one hundred percent sure, but she thought she could smell his scent.  Could also be an old scent as well...  Who knew?  In any case she moved into the warehouse with all the swiftness and stealth that she could manage.  She managed to slip inside without being noticed as she took to the shadows.  She would sneak along the wall, crouching in whatever hidey hole she could manage to remain undetected.  

She remained as such until she got high above them.  Ready to create a disturbance, she nudged a coil of rope out of the rafters where she perched.  Attached to said rope was a large hook.  She watched as it slithered down, the hook noisily banging off items on it’s way down.  Ellie quickly moved and hid far above.  It was soon clear that she had spooked those within the warehouse.  They looked around nervously and looked at each other, clutching their guns a little tighter.

Oh yes.  Ellie was going to have fun with these guys.  She continued to push things that she found up here down from their high precarious perches, causing them to crash down around the men below.  One even hit one on the head, knocking him out cold.  Running out of things to drop on them, Ellie boldly threw herself at one!  She dropped from the sky, a small furred creature of death!  Thankfully her aim was true and she landed hard on one of the heads of a Tambini man.  Hissing, she scratched her way down his form leaving gouges from her long slender claws.  The men really weren’t happy now.  They figured they were being attacked!  But they couldn’t find their attacker!  One man waved his gun wildly, shooting up into the ceiling.  Another shouted at him to stop his insanity or the boss would have all their heads. 

Ellie didn’t so much as pause.  Once she hit the ground, she ran to a dark secluded corner to wait a moment and catch her breath.  But then right back out into the fray she went hissing as she ran right up the nearest man’s pant leg, scratching and biting as she went.  Oh yes.  Ellie was angry.  This was for her Jack… For Race Street…  For her William…  Even a little of the fury of other deaths close to her fueled this rage.  Ellie bit and scratched, running from one victim to another, more or less causing all the chaos she could.  It wasn’t long before the tiny ferret commanded the attention of the entire room.  Squirreling all the way up the form of one man, she popped her head up out of his collar, looking around as he scrabbled at his throat trying to grab hold of the little creature.  It was not long before he found a gun pointed straight at the ferret…  And his chest.  “Woah woah woah man point that somewhere else!”  The man that Ellie currently vexed shouted at his cohort.  But as soon as she had appeared, Ellie ducked out of sight, jumping to the ground and hiding once more as the men moved about looking for the little creature that was causing such an uproar.  It wasn’t likely that the men in the room would ever expect what was coming next.

Joey spent most of the day at his office in the clubhouse preparing for a big raid at a warehouse, he couldn't tell the rest of the group about it I mean how would you tell a group of bikers "Hey guys going to fight a bunch of mobsters with a ferret" right? So instead of dealing with the headache of explaining to them all about Ellie he decided fuck it back ups for losers anyway, not to mention he owed a few of these fuckers a bullet from himself personally anyway.

He hadn't seen Ellie since the hospital when he woke up after he was shot near Isabella-Luciano's house, talk about fun explaining to the nurse the ferret that wouldn't get off him. She wouldn't even let the emergency people touch him at first until Bella calmed the tiny creature down, she truly cared about the kid and he was well aware that's the only reason he agreed on this mission with her. 

At around early evening one of his contacts told them about the tiny creature running out of the airport even though they wondered why Joey would wanna know something like that. Hanging up the phone and taking his bike he drove till he was about 100 yards from the warehouse in question so they didn't hear him coming. He surveyed the area a bit before find a nice point of entry where he could hear well.

He stood there for about 30 minutes when he heard what sounded like things falling around the place, he smirked as he wondered what kind of mayhem that little critter was up to and how the men in there were in for a real surprise. A few minutes passed before he heard some shouting and then when he heard gunfire he panicked in case they actually got his tiny friend. 

Joey ran into the room seeing six armed men, he used Ellie's diversion and sprayed up the place for sure killing two and at least wounding two more, the other two however got to cover quick enough. Joey Trusted Ellie to deal with the wounded two on the ground or at least keep em busy while he hunted the other two, they may not have directly killed Rayne but they played a part in it and he was gonna have their fucking hides for it. He rounded a corner and heard one of the guys screaming, he smiled as it sounded like his furry friend was having some fun now for him to have some fun. These guys were either scared as all hell or very untrained because they were loud and clumsy, Joey saw one of them in the reflection of a window and snuck around the corner before tapping him on the shoulder and shooting him clean in the head as he turned around with his revolver. The last one he toyed with he found him soon enough and kept shooting wrong areas on purpose and knocking stuff over, listening to the "man" snivel and pray before finally putting him out of his misery.

He wondered how Ellie was doing.......