In the back of the Race Street Bank & Trust of, one of the rooms was set aside for only a select few people to use.  Not even the regular employees were allowed to even see what went on in this room.  That is where Rat_Smiley went straight to after drying himself off in the bathroom from the deluge outdoors.  As he went down the narrow hallway, he was greeted by two very intimidating mountains of muscle.  A couple of the many bodyguards employed by his boss, Isabella Luciano. 

"She's a real tough chunk of meat." he thought to himself.

"Hey guys." said Rat as he reached his hand into one of his jacket pockets.  He noted that only one of them tensed up at the potential danger sign.  He made a mental note to mention the lax of duty.  He pulled his hand out of his pocket with a large chunk of cheese.

He quickly unwrapped it and held it forward, "Want some cheese?"

The bodyguard who didn't stay alert immediately reached for a piece.  "Thanks, I haven't had breakfast yet.  Someone said they were going to have donuts, but no one brought us any yet."  he said as he stuffed the hunk in his mouth.

Rat gave a small nod of his head, "Hey no problem, what's your name?"

"Iz' Paul" he mumbled around the cheese.

Rat then took a small piece of the cheese and put it in his mouth.  Then the other bodyguard, Emmett, if his memory was working right, took a piece.

Rat wrapped the cheese and put it back in his pocket. 

"You boys keep up the good work!" 

He then walked into the room they were guarding.

Inside the well protected room, a room only for those of The Race Street Company Trust members, Rat walked up to a small simple cork-board.  Displayed on it was a series of little notes, each bearing a name and short description of an officer in dire straits who could use a friend with a little sway.

Rat smiled to himself as he started reading through the notes.  "So many of them, it's a wonder anything Lawful ever gets done." he thought to himself.

He stopped suddenly after reading one of the notes.  He took a step closer to the board to read the note again, to make sure he understood what it said.

Name: Giancarlo Fiorino

Age: 45

Traditional Italian family man. Settled in his ways, starting to get out of shape, and normally one of the last sorts who'd jump the legal fence. Nearly a twenty year veteran of the force and staunchly loyal to his work, second only to his family. Unfortunately for him, his eleven year old daughter has taken ill and the doctors he can afford on his salary haven't been able to diagnose or treat her. Lucky for us, she's being seen at a hospital with ties to our side of the legal line. A helping hand with his first priority might offer a bit of leeway in his dealings with our holdings and make a liability into an asset.

"Damn!" Rat said aloud to himself. "I can't let anyone else take this one.  It's too easy to screw up.  Most of these guys I deal with have no subtlety.  They don't understand how another man thinks.  The first thing these idiots would do us approach Giancarlo himself and insinuate that 'bad things could happen to his daughter if he doesn't fall in line'.

Rat shook his head at his imagined scenario.  He was still looking at the note and reading again, trying to get an understanding of this man through the words alone. 

"A traditional family man.  So familia is the most important thing in this mans life.  Followed immediately by his loyalty to his work.  You can't put those two loyalties against one another.  No one can predict which way he would choose.  He could decide that if his daughter is going to die then his loyalty to his work means nothing and fall in line.  On the other hand, and far more likely, he will decide that his daughter is going to die and he must stay loyal to his work to honor her memory, even in the face of his own death."

Rat folded up the piece of paper and placed it in his pocket.

"Yeah, a 'helping hand with his first priority' was exactly the way this needed to go."

Rat grabbed a donut off a nearby table and headed back out the door.  He made sure to be taking a bite of the donut as he was passing in front of Paul on his way out.

After making a couple of phone calls to some of the boys down at the hospital where little Carina Fiorino was admitted, Rat walked into the hospital and straight up to the front desk.

A smiling young girl, couldn't be more than nineteen, looked up at Rat as he approached.

"Hello, what can I help you with?" she asked with a voice that was still vibrant with her innocence.

Rat smiled, not a normal smile, but one tinged with a little sadness, "Hi, I'm looking for Carina Fiorino.  What room is she in?"

The girl opened up her logbook and located her name.  "Shes in room number 231."

Rat had already taken two steps away before the girl spoke up, "Excuse me sir, I'm sorry to ask but are you family?"

Rat only blinked to express his momentary frustration.  "Almost got that one perfectly." he thought.

"Oh no, I'm sorry.  I'm her god-uncle.  I just only found out about little 'Rina's condition." he let his voice quiver slightly at the girls nickname.  One of the little bits of information he had gotten over the phone.

The girl nodded, "Okay thank you.  I was supposed to ask before I gave you her room."  The girl visibly relaxed.

"No problem.  Have a good day."  Rat walked away quite a bit quicker.  Checking the directions to find room 231.

Rat stopped just across the hall from Carina Fiorino's room.  He looked around for anyone keeping an eye on this room.  There was no one.

"Not a surprise.  This guys not a big deal from most peoples point of view.  He's just a long-time hard-working loyal cop.  He probably isn't even talking to many people about how his girl is doing.  Doesn't want it to affect his performance or his performance review."

Rat smiled to himself.  "This might be easy."

Rat looked around and found the girls chart hanging on the wall outside of the room.  He grabbed it and started reading what was written about her.  Most of the information meant very little to him.  But he did understand the important things.  There were about a dozen different tests that had been performed and nothing has come back with a diagnosis for her problems.  One after another was listed as negative and the doctors notations showed at least three other tests that were waiting for results.  Rat took a few quick notes from the clipboard and went to find someone in charge of billing.

"I don't know much about doctoring, but I do know that all those tests are going to cost a lot of money.  Probably more that any cop could make.  Better find out exactly how much we are talking."

It didn't take long to find someone interested in talking about money.  Also, thanks to a few old debts and now a couple of new ones, Rat managed to wrangle a pretty good deal for the girls continued stay.  It was going to require a few high stakes accomplishments to come up with all the cheese needed to pay for it.  But a little name dropping did get him the promise that Giancarlo would never see a bill for his daughters medical expenses.  "Of course, if I don't make sure it gets paid, I'll be swimming with the fishes.  But that worry can wait for later."

"Now to wait for Mr. Fiorino to get off work and come to visit his daughter.  In the mean time, I need to make friends with his wife and daughter.  But first, to the gift shop.  Girls always like  to get gifts."

It was evening by the time Giancarlo Fiorino's shift ended and he could get back to be with his wife and daughter.  The stress of the workday sitting heavy on his shoulders.  The recent wave of crime in his precinct had the whole place in shambles, with everyone yelling at everyone else.  Not the kind of mindset one wants to have when they must face the reality of their child's health.  The echoes of his captains voice ringing in his head, matching pace with the worry of how he was going to pay for his daughter's hospital bill.  All those tests they were performing and most of them not common, which means expensive.

He walked straight into Carina's room and straight to her bed to give her a kiss on the forehead, just like he did everyday.  He was not prepared to see a strange looking man sitting near his daughter.  His first instinct was to reach for his gun, but he stopped as the man took no threatening move.  He kept his hands on the armrests of the chair and was smiling calmly.

"Ummm.  Hello.  Who are you?"  he said to the stranger.

His wife was quick to intercede.

"Honey, this is Mr. Fiscella.  He's an advocate with Children's Medical Services."

Giancarlo narrowed his eyes briefly.

"Really.  I never heard of them before.  Tell me Mr. Fiscella, what is it that you are here for?"

Smiling towards the ladies before turning away to face Giancarlo, Rat replied, "Perhaps we should take business matters outside of the room.  I think I saw a coffee pot down by the nurses station.  Buy you a cup?"

Giancarlo's eyes narrowed at 'Mr. Fiscella's' suggestion to leave the room.  He had seen enough on the streets to know something wasn't right with the situation.  He quickly caught his wife's eyes and searched them for any indication of fear on her face.  He was both surprised and relieved to find none, only hope burning in them.

"Alright, Mr. Fiscella.  Lets get some coffee."  He held the door open for Rat, so he could keep himself between him and his family.  He tried looking closely at the his waistline for signs of a weapon.  Finding none as they walked down the hall to the nurses station and the promised coffee, he started to slightly doubt his suspicions of the man.

After they got their first sips of coffee, Rat began the conversation. 

"Children's Medical Services is a very new organization.  Our funding comes completely from donations of local people who wish to help the lives of our cities next generation.  Specifically to get them the medical help that they need.  Your daughters situation brought you to our attention."

Rat takes another drink of coffee to let that sink in for a moment.

"Now that leads us to your financial situation.  I have already spoken to the staff here and have paid your bills up to date for your daughter and her stay."

Giancarlo began to interrupt, "What?  I didn't.."

Rat held up a silencing hand, "There is no obligation for this.  Her bills are paid.  Private donations from the public."

Rat took another slow drink of his coffee and waited for the dumbfounded man to speak.

"Uhhh...I don't know what to say.  Thank you, I guess would be a good start."  He took a drink of his coffee, a little to quickly and started to cough.

As he did Rat dropped his fear on him.  "I looked into the testing they are going to do for her.  It's far more expensive than everything I have paid for so far.  For that, we will need to come to an arrangement."

Anger started to fill the face of the man, even as he struggled to catch his breath from the coughing.  "What?!"  *cough*  "Do you know who I am?"

"Yes Officer, I know exactly who you are and your situation.  I know how much money you make a year, what bills you pay and that your career prospects are not looking to great.  You are not going to get any better offers than mine.  The most important part in all of this, for you, is that your family is off limits.  We don't touch them for any reason, now or in the future.  If you agree to work with me."

Rat smiles almost wickedly.

"Plus the Children's Medical Services will continue to pay for all of your daughter's medical expenses.  But if you don't agree to work with me, I can give you no guarantees and no protection.  The decision is yours.  If you need time to think about it.."

Giancarlo cut off Rat, "No!  I don't need to think about it.  My daughter is my world.  The only reason we haven't done some of these tests already is because of the cost.  If you can really promise me that my family won't be touched...then I'm in."

Rat set his coffee cup down and held out his hand for him to shake.  After a moments hesitation Giancarlo took ahold of it and shook it firmly.

"God help me." Giancarlo said.

Rat laughed slightly.  "Nice one, but God doesn't pay the bills.  I will be in touch."