TWENTY YEARS AGO

“Holy shit… THIS ONE’S STILL BREATHING!”

She rose up from the table where she sat with TonyDicaprio – her former bodyguard turned crew member. He rose with her and pushed her seat back in as she left the table.

Lucy wore color for the first time since she lost her husband, Frank.  Her blue chiffon evening gown also revealed what she’d kept hidden all these months, but could no longer hide: the final gift Frank had given to her, tucked away safely inside her womb.

Her hands touched her baby bump lovingly as she made her way to the front of the room and kissed Uncle Joe’s cheeks before taking the microphone.  She drew a breath to steady her nerves.

“Mrs. DiCaprio?  Can you hear me?”  An intense but tiny beam of light flashed over Lucy’s eyes even as the hours before played through her mind.  Was she here?  Was this real?  She couldn’t feel anything.

“Thank all of you for coming today and participating in this special occasion.  If you missed it, there’s a table in the back for your gifts – I can see some of you coming in a little late looking for where it’s at… it’s near the dance floor.”  Lucy watched a latecomer find the table.  “There you go!”  She reassured the guest. 

Lucy smiles at the crowd and then looks to the newlywed couple, “Look at you, the two most beautiful things in all Chicago.”  First, she spoke to Charlie. “My dear friend, you are resplendent today – like the sun coming through parted clouds during this unending blizzard.” 

She then looked to Capazzo, “And you… what can be said about you that hasn’t already been said?  So brilliant, so stylish, and so defiant of the laws of gravity.”  For a moment there was confusion before Lucy added in a tone full of mirth, “Capazzo’s hair!”

As the crowd laughed at one of Chicago’s best-known jokes – Capazzo’s love of his hair - Lucy smiled at her older half-brother.  “I’m kidding… sorta.”  She laughed.  “Capazzo, on a day like today a man should get good advice from his family.  I know we haven’t known that we were family for very long, but as you’ve both entrusted me to organize this shindig… I suppose that I’m given license to dispense some wisdom as well.”

“Call the ER, let them know her waters broke.  She’s in active labor.”  Some part of her knew she should panic, should say something, but she couldn’t bring herself and instead she fell back into memory - trying to piece together what happened.

“I can only imagine how difficult the decision to ask me to be here was.”  She said with courage.  “Frank has only been gone a short while and there’s a certain taboo – a superstition if you will – that speaking of the loss of your husband or wife at a wedding could bring tragic misfortune upon the newlyweds.”

She looked at them both and knew her words were true.  It had been hard for them to make this decision and they felt guilty about that.  “There was a time in my life, not so long ago, that I swore I would never marry.  As a woman in this thing of ours, there were the obvious complications,” she looked down at her baby bump and a few people chuckled realizing it was a bit of a laugh at her present condition and it was okay to do so.  “But the thing I had nightmares about … the thing that kept me up long nights for years was a thing I know you think about too.  It’s the elephant in this room right now.”

“Relationships in this thing of ours, some would say, are stupid.  All it takes is a little war and its over.”  Her words hung in the room heavy.  “Why would anyone ever do something like that?  What’s the point?  All the pain… the frustration… the loneliness and God forbid that circumstances put you on the wrong end of a gun from the one you love; why would you do that to yourself?”

Lucy felt herself being lifted.  It felt like flying.  Around her she could see the wedding decor, blown to bits.  Beautiful flowers, red rose petals, strewn about the ground.  So much red… it was everywhere.  For a moment she saw her brother’s face and then it was swallowed up by a veil of white.

“Here’s where the wisdom comes in – and you got the first part right Big Brother.  You faced fear and said yes to joy.  Courage is not the lack of fear, it is doing what you know to be right despite it.  You found this wonderful treasure and instead of thinking about what you’d be like when you lose her… as we all lose people we love in life … you chose to focus upon what your life might be like if you didn’t spend every moment you could with her.”

Lucy smiled at Charlie warmly.  “You will hate each other sometimes.  You will distrust.  You will become flustered and you will … keep secrets.  You will fear for him … and you her.  Sometimes it will feel like there is no worse pain in the world than what you feel because of this other person you’ve allowed into your life.  And you will wonder why the hell you ever did it.”

“Dancing in Jazz Clubs.  The smell of him on my pillow.  The way he’d hold my hand on the couch while he read the Sunday paper.  Stupid nicknames that only we understood.  Watching his tea parties with our daughter.  I could write hundreds of thousands of words in story for you to read about my life with Frank.  Reams of paper worth of adventures together, all in the short time we found one another in this thing of ours.  Some of the stories are funny as hell, some tender, some are… not appropriate to speak about in public.”  Lucy laughed through glassy eyes.

“Love each other every day.  Love when you are hating your partner – love them when you’re sad.  No matter how tired you are, never go to bed angry.  Touch each other every chance you get.  Do things because you know the other person likes them – even if you don’t.  Fight fair – it sounds silly but have rules for what is and isn’t okay to say to each other because, we often stay angry only because we hurt.  And we hurt longer than we should, because we chose to stay angry instead of just talking.”  Lucy took another sip of water.

“Write each other letters.  I wish I had told Frank to do that.”  She looked down.  “I started writing him letters after I lost the Faceless Men.  It occurred to me that if my mother had lived, she would have told my father so many things he needed to hear… and I didn’t want Frank to sit at my graveside not hearing the things I was no longer able to say.”

“So… I wrote letters to him every chance I got, and locked them in a box.  I gave them to a friend and asked if I should die – as we tend to do in this life – that she give them to Frank in the hopes that it would grant him some peace.  Now, those letters serve to help me relive every moment of my story with Frank & to understand how I am better for it.”

She looked up and again smiled through tears.  “There are two ways to live in this thing of ours.  You can be an ‘I won’t’  – or – an ‘I do’ person.  It won’t seem easier because it asks less of us … but ‘I do’ is one hell of a ride.”  Lucy chuckled.

A flurry of voices.  She was moving fast now.  Lights flashed overhead.  Faces hovered over her from head to toe wearing protective gowns and masks.

“50cc’s of…”

“Start an IV…”

“Get the OB in here the moment he arrives.”  

This was a hospital.  

“Alright everyone nice and careful on three… 1, 2, 3… Lift!”  

A tear escaped the corner of her emerald eye.

“Your story has only just begun.  I can’t say how it will end – perhaps sweet or beautifully tragic as life tends to do to us; but I do know this… Brother and Sister of mine; you will never regret having said I do to each other.  Come what may, I pray that you always say ‘I do’ to each other, and to all the many things which life offers no matter how frightening they may seem.”  Lucy touched her belly again, caressing her unborn child, “The rewards are infinitely greater than you are prepared to understand.  But… God willing, you will.”

Lucy picked up her glass to toast.  “To my brother, the Groom Capazzo and his incredible Bride, my dearest friend Charlie!” 

As everyone toasted, Lucy took only the smallest sip of her wine to adhere to custom and then set it aside.  She turned to offer the microphone to someone else and then, all hell broke loose.  The shattering glass, the screams, people running - people never getting a chance to run.  

Instantly the table was turned over and made to be a shield for the people at the head table.  Lucy was thrown to the ground hard by Tony.  He shielded her from the hail of gunfire coming in the large bay windows of the venue with his own body.  Lucy curled into a fetal position trying to protect her unborn child.  At this moment she wasn’t one of the most powerful Dons in Chicago, but someone’s mother.

“Mrs. DiCaprio?”  This voice was clear.  The steady beeping of a machine nearby roused her from her sleep.  Her eyes fluttered open and she could see a man in his late thirties, wearing a lab coat, standing above her.  It was also this moment she realized she was handcuffed to the bed.

“My baby…”

“He’s doing just fine.  He’s in the nursery at the moment.  A little small, he’s made his appearance a touch sooner than we would have liked but I assure you at this stage we have few concerns for his long term health.”

Lucy sighed.  The baby was okay.  “Katy?”  She croaked out.

“She’s with your family now.”  The doctor paused before asking, “Do you remember how you got here?”

Lucy wet her lips, “Wedding.”  She asked sadly,  “Cappazzo?  Charlie?”

“I think she’s okay to talk.”  The doctor wasn’t addressing her… he was talking to someone else in the room who was standing by the door.  When the suit came into sight instantly Lucy knew he was a spook.

“Well, I’ll give you this,” the agent began, pushing a stand of his brown hair off his face.  “The name Lucky fits.  You’re literally the only dame we pulled out of that hellhole with a pulse.”

Lucy squeezed her eyes tightly shut.  It was a takedown.  Who would attack a wedding?  What honorless dog would slaughter people during such a holy ceremony?  Lucy began going down the list of names of possible enemies before it hit her that every ally she had in the whole damn world, outside of Frank’s family in Sicily, was in that room.  What the hell did she think she was going to do, even if she did manage to escape the Feds?

“So, we think we know who did this and as they’re old friends of yours I think you have enough knowledge to help us put them away for a very long time.  Being that you got a six year old girl at home and a son you just gave birth to - my boss is willing to offer you a sweetheart deal.  You testify against the leaders of the New York mafia and the men here in Detroit who turned on your people… and we’ll put you into protection.”

Lucy began to shake her head.  She couldn’t.  She wouldn’t.

“Get a new name.  Your kids will get new names.  You’ll disappear.  No one will ever find you.”

Oh they’d find her, she knew they wouldn’t stop until they did.  Rats only had one fate that awaited them in this life.  You lived and died by that.  Ratting out another member of the Cosa Nostra was worse than even the betrayal she’d suffered that cost her everyone and everything.

“Don’t be stupid.  Stop shaking your head and listen to reason.  You’re a mother.  You’re not a mob boss anymore.  They killed everyone, do you hear me?  Slick.  Dog… your loyal hands.  Don’t tell me they meant nothing to you!”

“I can’t…”

“The Coniglios, Jewel, Leather, Bennet, Veritas… come on.  They were loyal to you Lucy.  They died for you and you won’t even help us put away the bastards who did this to them?”

“Please… just… no.”  She whispered.

“You’ll go away for years.  Won’t see your son grow up.  Won’t see your little girl become a woman…”

“GET OUT!”  She roared, imagined moments with her children she would never have flashed through her mind.  She’d lost Frank and now she was going to lose Santino and Katy too.  Lucy thrashed against her cuffs violently trying to get to the agent, wanting to hurt him even if she had to do it with just her teeth.  
 

NINETEEN YEARS AGO

Lucy walked into the room, hands cuffed in front of her.  God she hated black and white stripes, horizontal stripes were literally the least flattering thing ever.  For a moment she thought back to Nikki.  Nikki would likely have found some way to convince the guards to let her wear something else.  Of course, she’d have something to offer.  At the moment, Lucy had very little going for her in that way.

Her lawyer pulled out the chair for her to sit and then he took the seat across from her.  “How are you holding up?”

“I’d be better if you were coming to tell me you found some way to get me out of here.”  Lucy lamented.

“Can we get the cuffs off her please?”  The lawyer insisted to the jailer.  The man came over and unlocked the handcuffs before leaving Lucy alone with her representative.  

Levi reached inside his coat and pulled out a pack of cigarettes.  He smiled offering one to Lucy and lighting it for her.  “Oh god, you have no idea how much I needed that today.”  She sighed.  “So…”  she blew out a large cloud of smoke.  “What’s the good word?”

“Tony recovered fully, took Katy and Santino back home.  Rita will have custody.”  

Lucy nodded.  “Frank’s sister always wanted kids but I’d be shocked if any man was good enough to keep up with that woman.”  

Levi opened his briefcase and pulled out a small sealed envelope.  Discreetly he passed it to her.  “Best that not stay with you.  I’ll take it back when you’re done.”

Carefully Lucy opened the letter, a slight tremble in her hands the way she might have been if she were a child again opening a Christmas present.  She unfolded the note and the instant she saw Frank’s handwriting she gave a half-laugh half-sob.  “Oh Levi!”

“I can’t make this a habit.  For the same reasons you both sent him away, but considering he’d gotten word you were dead we thought maybe it was best we let you guys have some communication - clear up things.”

Lucy nodded and instantly began to read:
 

My dearest Lucia,

I have missed you more than you could ever imagine, I’ve cried many nights for many years wanting and pleading with God to be at your side, to hold you once more, to look into your eyes to hear your voice and laughter.  I even miss you yelling at me, the way your eyes narrow when you were angry with me.  The memories I have of us together still brings me smiles.  I was very upset with the way you had me kidnapped and shipped here to the old country.   You could have talked with me and it took my grandmother, mother and uncle to see the why.   I had to realize we are more alike when it comes to protecting the people we love the most.   The flame of my love for you is like a raging fire and it has never diminished.  

My love, allow me to tell you about our two children.  Kathy when she arrived she was brave like you fist balled just like you.  She knew she was ready to beat anyone that touched her baby brother without her expressed approval.  When she saw me she ran and hugged me tightly.  She never cried in public but each night she prayed for you and your return as she cried herself to sleep.  She is growing like a weed and looks more like you than ever.  She’s fearless and the girl can ride and likes to shoot and hunt with me.  Kathy is smart too, my grandmother says all the time that Kathy is smarter than all the members of the family and the teachers at school combined.  My plan is to keep them away from this life just like you asked me too.  She will oneday run all of our legitimate operations.  She takes excellent care of Sonny.   

Sonny has learned to walk and walks with your picture yelling mama.  He looks at your picture then at Kathy and then the picture.  He falls asleep with it and each night I put it on his night stand facing him. I can see that he’s a tough kid because when he falls he stands up and dust off the dirt.  He fell once and cut his knee.  He wiped the blood away and limped for a minute.  He shedded one tear when we tried to clean the wound and gritted his teeth and said ‘damn.’  Forgive me for teaching him that word, but he picked it up and used it correctly.  
 
Now on to family business, my lawyer has given your lawyer information to several bank accounts.  You may use the money as needed, also I have been sending men of honor from here to the states to be used as you need.  You will meet three new guards that I arranged to work in your prison.  They will follow your instructions to the letter however they are not made members.  They are paid by us and they know should they fail you that they will have to face the consequences whatever we choose that to be.    No one knows when I will re-enter the states nor when the children will.  I need you to know that you are and have always been my heart.  Handle things accordingly.  I trust your skills and wisdom.

I miss you greatly and I will watch over our kids until we can watch over them together.  When we are rejoined I swear we will never be apart again. 

Lucy wiped away the tears, her lips were pulled into the biggest smile she’d had in ages.  She literally couldn’t recall when she’d felt so relieved and happy, even the wedding was a distant blur now.  What should have been such a happy day was just images, sounds, things she couldn’t recall so well thanks to the drugs they gave her in the hospital during and after the surgery that saved her life.

“He’s seen the kids.”  She said happily.  “I wish he had sent pictures.”

“And he informed you about how any future communication would be rare if not actually impossible?”  

She nodded.  “What’s with the guards?”

“An amount of money has made it to America, assurances that your enemies don’t finish what they started at the wedding.  At least until after the trial, we’re still concerned for your safety.”

“And after?”

“I’m confident we can convince the government that it’s in their best interest to put you somewhere safe.  Figure far from here.  You’ll have to keep your head down for the most part.  Blend in.”

“Trust me, I’m trying.”

“Right now it’s not easy, I get that.  You had a long shadow, but speaking bluntly general opinions now are in your favor.  Most folks are sympathetic toward your people and mourn their loss.  The Tower operation is considered victims, and more than that they’re remembered as having a certain old world standard.  The community has even been rallying.  Your work for the people has paid off in it’s own dividends.”

Lucy shook her head, “And what of our traitors?”

“The last shots were fired a month ago.  Stragglers ran here and there, but the new regime was pretty quick to handle business when they figured out the papers were forged and that they’d done your enemies dirty work.  No one is left from the Old Chicago families.”

Lucy knew she should be relieved but instead she felt hollow.  “It’s really over then.”  It wasn’t a question but a statement.  Never again would the world see something the likes of the Broadway Mafia, Dead Poets Society, Ivory Tower… the litany of greats rattled on in her head.

“Very few people realize that you’re alive and those in the current regime who do have expressed no desire to see you dead.  That’s good news.  Since we’re looking at real time, you’re not a threat to them.”

“Gee, thanks.  Speaking of real time…”

“They can’t pin the murders on you.  Unfortunately your meticulous records of Ivory Tower business operations have given them more than enough fodder to put you away for a while.”

“How long?”

Levi hesitated before saying, “Your son will be a man when you can see him next.”

It was like a slap to the face.  She stared at Levi for a long while, until she was certain there was nothing else to redeem his statement.  There was no ‘unless…’

“I see.”  Lucy whispered.  Taking another drag on her cigarette she looked back at Frank’s handwriting and ran her finger over the page lovingly.  “A year ago I was primed to be the next Godfather of Chicago.  I was eating in fancy restaurants, driving a great car, I had a huge home that was more like a castle than the hovel I grew up in.  I had my daughter back.  I had a son on the way… I had friends.  Now?  What do I have?  No family.  No friends.  No power.”

“You have your life.”  Levi said quietly.

“Really?”  Lucy scoffed.  “Which part of it?”  She stood up from the table.  She couldn’t do this any more today.  “Far as I can see, I might as well be as dead as they all think I am.”
 

TEN YEARS AGO

Lucy’s red hair was held up in rollers under a kerchief.  It wasn’t much for color but over the years small creature comforts were one of the few ways that she’d found to chase off the blues.  True to his word Frank’s people had gotten a guard or two on the inside over the years.  This meant a steady supply of trade goods to keep her place among the ladies of cell block D.  

Alice Malone couldn’t live without chocolate when that time of month rolled around, to say nothing about decent hygiene products.  What they gave out to women here was the real crime.  Maggie May’s walls were the best decorated in the joint.  Magazine pages were every bit as good as wallpaper if you liked looking at Errol Flynn and Clark Gable.  Magazines and chocolate bars were kids' play.  What really got tricky was what her people managed to pull in for the big girl - though Lucy would never have called her that to her face.

Her hair wasn’t platinum blonde and no one would ever know that thanks to Lucy.  Peroxide was worth its weight in gold.  Few people had the means to color their hair behind bars but that’s what happened when you were top bitch in the pen.  Cigarettes, toilet hooch, candy, and hair coloring products were just some of the perks.  The best ones however were never getting your ass kicked or having to whore yourself to the guards.  Trudy never did either.

Lucy had to respect Trudy, not only because she had the most protection on the inside of Cell Block D, but also because the woman was her senior by fifteen years and she’d been inside for almost as long as Lucy had been walking the earth.  She went in young and with a wrap of double murder under her belt including one pig - she would never breathe air free again.

In truth, this was as close as many of these ladies would ever get: the yard.  Cell block D was for serious criminals, very few ladies ended up here that weren’t guilty of something worthy of their stripes.  Sure some of them, like her, didn’t get put away on the really bad things they’d done - but no one was here without a good reason.  At least that was how Lucy had come to view it over her decade locked in with these animals.

Not all of them were without their likeable qualities though.  Lucy watched as Trudy settled in beside her and pulled out of her pocket a small bit of paper and passed it over.  Casually Lucy took it from her and smiled down at the photo.  A red-haired girl with her childhood fading fast from her cheeks and eyes and a wiry boy all knees and elbows scraped up and covered with dirt from head to toe.  Lucy didn’t dare look at the photo long for fear someone would see it and try to take it from her.  It was now her most precious possession.

“You’re tops, you know that right?”  Lucy said to the older woman.

“Don’t you fucking forget it.  You owe me.”  Trudy lit a cigarette and asked, “Now, you still in for tonight?”

“I wouldn’t miss it.”  Lucy watched as a bus pulled up out front and the younger ladies ran to the fenceline to haze the babies coming in.  “What did the doc say?”

“I’m old.  Should stop smoking and drinking.  Big shock there.”  The woman chuckled and Lucy gave her a smile then let her eyes roll across the way to where Helen stood working over some girl with the big teeth.  Bertha was it?  Betty?  Lucy didn’t bother trying to remember anyone’s name unless they had at least five years on their sentence.  And most here did, but some had to work up to it.  That was to say, very few came into this cell block who didn’t also find their stay extended.  

The governor had one hell of a racket going in this place.  Cops put people in, wardens find reasons to keep them, and the state gets free labor.  Slavery hadn’t gone away in America… nope, like all good things it was just rebranded, made more efficient, and given a shiny new name.  When gangsters did something like this it was called human trafficking.  When politicians did it, it was called rehabilitation.

“You remember your walk of shame?”  Lucy nodded towards the girls parading in, listening to the jeers of the established prisoners and even some open bets being placed as to who would break and cry first.  Most thought it would be the tiny blonde just coming off the bus and looking around like she expected a panther to jump out and eat her face.  Not Lucy though.  She knew little ones had spent their whole lives having to watch their back, even if they grew up with a silver spoon in their mouths.  No, it would be one of the bigger girls who would break before that one did.

“After a while you realize it’s best not to think too much about the past.  Sometimes I forget how new you really are here, Red.”  Trudy chuckled and exhaled a cloud of smoke.  “How much time have you got left?”

“Ten.”

“They’ll get you for another ten, if you let ‘em.”

Lucy smirked as the biggest girl in the line was knocked to the ground by an over zealous guard.  The woman was already crying. “Guess I’ll have to be sure not to get caught doin’ shit.”  Lucy arched an eyebrow at Trudy and asked, “Meet up at the same time and place as usual?”

Trudy chuckled as she stood up, “Yeah.  Come to my bunk just after lights out.  And good luck with that not getting caught.”

Lucy nodded as Trudy walked off.  Silently she stole another look at her kids while the crowd was distracted by the fresh meat being escorted into the grinder.
 

FIVE YEARS AGO

Kates’ brown eyes stared out the window of the bus as the prison rose into view. She was sitting alone, away from the half dozen other women. Unlike them, Kates had both her arms and her legs handcuffed. She was, by far, the youngest woman on the bus. When the bus stopped, the group of women shuffled off with their heads down; they were lined up at the entrance. Several guards with rifles surrounded them, while a group of inmates from the women’s ward watched as the newcomers arrived. 

The other women had their names read off by the warden. Kates wasn’t listening to his name or anything he said to the other women. She was too busy noting the predatory glances coming from the yard. Kates was willing to bet that she was in better shape and a better fighter than just about any woman at this prison- newcomer or veteran- but she was out of her element. And even though she was a little tall for her age, the prison uniform kept her looking seventeen. 

“Katherine Sparato.” The female warden, presumably responsible for the women’s ward, practically spit out the name as she walked down the line to stand in front of Kates. “We’ve never had a minor before. Federal prisons rarely do. But that’s what you’ve earned, escaping from three state prisons in seven months. It’s a prize you’ll regret winning.” The warden looked over Kates for a moment, but didn’t hear anything back and kept walking. “Do your time, Miss Sparato. You’ve got a shorter sentence than any woman here. Try to escape again, and your sentence gets doubled. Spent your five years here, and you’ll be out when you’re 22. Unless that inspires so much jealousy that you don’t survive this place. But that’s mostly your problem now.”

The warden didn’t seem threatening, but spoke matter-of-factly as she walked off. 

“Keep an extra eye on her,” she said to the guard.

“I’m liking blonde there.” Carmella nodded toward a young woman who clearly was bottle blonde.  That wouldn’t last a month, of course.  “Carton of cigarettes.”

“No way.  Short stuff there.  She looks like someone’s PTA mom got lost and on the wrong bus.”  Gianna laughed, Lucy chuckled along with her.

“That one is young.”  Helen nodded.  “Think she’s more than 20?”

“No way.”  Lucy shook her head.  “If she is I’ll eat my shoe.”

“She’s a baby.”  Carmella commented on the girl as she passed.  Lucy watched the lines of her body moving under her jumpsuit.  The girl was in here for a reason, combine that with her build, Lucy didn’t suppose she was killing folks with her bare hands but maybe a gun?  Accidental shooting?  That would make for good odds she’d break first.  Young kid, not really a hardened criminal yet, she could be crying by dinner.

“I’m going with the kid.” Helen threw out before Lucy could speak.  Silently the red-head cursed herself for not speaking faster.  She then turned her attention to the rest of the line, namely the girl two people behind Helen’s choice.  That girl hadn’t stopped throwing daggers with her eyes since she stepped off the bus.  Lucy wondered with the kid did to piss off someone so soon.  They hadn’t even gotten here and already the kid was in over her head with someone who looked like she knew how to use her hands.  

Problem was, people often didn’t know what they did to piss someone off in prison.  Maybe the kid looked at her wrong, or took a seat she wanted, chances were good the kid was gonna get her ass kicked in the showers and she’d never even know why it happened.  Pecking order and dominance had to be established fast, especially among the fresh meat.  Though… and it was highly unlikely, maybe the girls had been in another place together?  Jail, kiddie lock up… something.  It was worth watching.  For shits and grins Lucy nodded at the angry girl as she passed.

“The one sucking on the lemon.  She’ll cry first.”

“No way, look at her.  She has a tat.  She’s been in before.  You’re losing your touch Lucy.”

Lucy shrugged.  “Maybe.  Or maybe Helen here picked my girl before I could say it.  Either Babydoll puts on her big girl pants and knocks down lemonface, making her cry first, or I lose out on some cigs.  But one way or another, you know that fight is happening.”

Helen nodded.  “Girl won’t see it coming.  She’ll be lucky if she’s not in the infirmary after that beat down.  I’m going to enjoy your cigarettes ladies.”

“We’ll see.”  Lucy sighed.  “Who knows, maybe PTA cries first.  She sure as hell looks ready to piss herself.”

“Wish I could hear what the Warden was saying to them.”  Gianna commented.  “We’d probably be able to make better bets if we could hear that.”

“Would take all the fun out of it.”  Carmella offered.  “Besides, we ain’t got time.  Trudy is waiting.  Let’s go.”
 

*

Lucy carried her tray over and slid onto the bench next to the young girl.  Today’s meal was meatloaf, that wasn’t never anything to write home about but at least it didn’t make you sick like some things they slopped up here.

“Hey there… Kates, right?”  Lucy hadn’t yet talked to the girl, but there were lots of folks talking about the newcomer.  Allegedly she’d managed to get herself out of a few lock ups before.  Of course there was little hope of pulling such a stunt in Federal lockup, but it took brains to slip past the boys in blue even in little hometown jails.  And brains was definitely something Lucy could use more of when it came to keeping up Trudy’s operations.

Kates had her hair up in a short ponytail behind her. A pair of chocolate brown eyes stared at Lucy for a moment, weighing whether to talk or stay silent. 

“Hi,” said the girl, whose hands had dropped down in her lap near her belt. 

“Name’s Lucy.  I saw you coming in the other day.  Figured I’d give you some time to settle in before I paid you a visit.  You … um… needing anything?  We aren’t used to seeing girls your age in this place.  Just wanted to make sure you were doing alright.”

“I’m fine.”

“Smart.”  Lucy said nodding to herself as she cut into the meatloaf with the side of her fork.  “Short answers.  Be respectful.  Don’t meet eyes too long.  Don’t touch shit that isn’t yours.  Don’t drink the toilet hooch or sample any goods being sold here and you might be alright for a while.  You must know someone who has been in the big house before.”  

The girl made a face at the phrase “toilet hooch”, but quickly covered it up. “Yeah. But… I’m not sure he was right about everything.”

“It’s like this, say when you go to a bar.”

The girl blinked. 

“Most bars have all the same stuff.  Drinks.  Juke box.  Bartender.  Probably a pretty waitress and… oh… sorry you’re like what?  18?  Probably never been to a bar.  Sorry.  Bad analogy.”

“I’m 23,” lied the girl.

“Yeah.  And I’m not old enough to be someone’s grandma.  Kid if you’re gonna lie you need to do it in smaller steps.  Stay as close to truth as you can, hell, tell the truth if you’re able.  Always.  That way when you gotta lie, no one sees it coming cause they’re so damn used to you telling the truth.”

“I’m… 17. But only for another month.”

“My daughter is about your age.”  Lucy said with a gentle smile.  “Happy birthday early.  Sorry you’re in this shitshow when you see such an important milestone.  Sadly they don’t do much in the way of cake and ice cream up in here.”

The girl, keeping her hands in her lap, just watched Lucy. Lucy had been in enough fights and known enough bruisers to know when someone was holding a weapon to make them feel safe.

“Is that um… a hint of Italian I see in your coloration?  My father’s family comes from the old country, that’s why I ask.  I know, I don’t look like it.  My mother’s Irish blood kicked his ass when I was growing in the womb.”  She chuckled.  “But there’s more of my father in me than meets the eye.”

“My father was Italian. My mother was… mostly Italian.”

“Lucky you.”  Lucy didn’t go any further with that thought.  Old ghosts of hers weren’t welcome at the table today.  “Your pops the one who gave you the advice about the slammer?”

Kates nodded. “I’m trying to decide how right he was about everything. He told me I should shank the first person who came up to talk to me, and then everyone else would leave me alone. But you don’t seem like you’re trying to hurt me. Or whatever.”

Lucy nodded sagely and kept an eye on the girl, waiting for the possibility that she might pull her weapon and do something tragic.  “Non ha torto. Se metti un coltello in un ex Don, tutti in questo posto staranno lontano da te. Certo, probabilmente è perché sono il braccio destro della migliore stronza e um ... non vorranno il tuo sangue sulle loro scarpe.  Personally, I think you’re pretty wise to make your own mind up on the matter.  Especially since the infirmary is the least watched room in this place.  Now, if I end up there, I could just walk out and go where I want… if you go there, then that bitch from the bus might get to you without anyone noticing.  I wouldn’t want to roll those dice.”

“... I’m not that Italian. My dad was born in New York. Sorry.”

“We’ll have to teach you then.  You got enough time on your sentence to learn?”  Lucy arched an eyebrow.

“The warden said that if I don’t get killed I should be out in a few years. That’s why I’m not going to stab you as long as you don’t try to do anything to me.”

“Actually I came over here for two reasons.  The first was to ask you if it’s really true you figured out a way to get out of your previous lock-up.  If so… you’re pretty sharp.  Sharp girls are valuable in this place.  Most smart ones don’t end up in lock-up and it’s my lucky day if you had a run of bad luck.  The second reason… well, let’s start with that first one.  Did you break out of your last lockup?”

“My last two.”

“No shit?”  Lucy really had a hard time believing someone could do it once, but twice?  That seemed highly unlikely for a seventeen year old.

Kates shrugged. “You don’t have to believe me. One was a place with other girls. The other one was a state prison that was falling apart.” She took a deep breath. “It’s not like I made it far.”

“Don’t be too hard on yourself.  The getting out was the hard part.  The trick of not getting caught is only learned with experience.  Why do you think I’m cooling my heels in this pit?” 

“What did you do?” interrupted Kates.

Lucy paused.  It had been a long time since anyone had asked her what she was in for.  Most of these people knew, but of course a kid who had no ties to Cosa Nostra wouldn’t.  Her tone softened, “I um…”  She sighed.  “It’s not like everyone here doesn’t know it.  I was involved in what they like to call organized crime.  Of course, if you ask me, the real organized crime in this country is run out of Washington D.C.  I’m just… a wife and a mother trying to do the best I can.”
 

Hearing about organized crime, Kates seemed to relax a little.

“Anyway I’m impressed with what you’ve done," said Lucy. "So about that second thing.  I got a little proposition for you.  See, every time a bus load of new girls comes into this place we vets all put bets on which girl we think will… have the hardest time settling in.”

Any relaxation from Kates vanished again as she eyed Lucy. 

“I gotta admit I almost picked you for the loser.  I’m glad Helen beat me to it.  Problem is Helen, she thinks you’re gonna cry first.  She doesn’t like losing.  And the more I thought about how close in age you are to my Katy, the more that didn’t sit right with me.  So, I figured if I came and gave you a little help in your first few days I’d help hedge my bet a bit.”

“What happens to the person who cries first?” asked Kates.

“Nothing.  It’s more a matter of us guessing which person coming in is least cut out for the life in here.”

“Okay. That’s good I guess.”

“Of course, it’s probably not good to be seen as the weakest.  Let me ask you - that girl over there by the window.  Dark hair.  Do you know if you did something to piss her off before you got here?”

“I’m not sure. I don’t think I know her.”

“Hmm.  Well, that doesn’t explain why she was giving you hate eyes when you came in.  Watch your ass around her.  And if she jumps you… use her as the example your father told you to make of someone.  Ideally not with a weapon.  They’ll tack on more time for that.  Protip: bruises can happen from anything and in the bathroom broken bones are super common.  They say that the bathroom is the most dangerous room in any house.  Trust me, even if folks see something, they saw nothing.  Not when it comes to the new girls… especially if the one who gets hurt is seen as the weakest of the new kids.  Just something to keep in mind if it goes sideways for you.”

“Okay. I understand. Thank you.”

“No problem.”  Lucy stood up.  “Maybe I’ll see you around the yard sometime.”

Kates nodded, then shifted her gaze from Lucy to the new girl the redhead had mentioned. That night, the other new girl was crying with a broken arm, and the whispers about Kates picked up in their intensity. 

Kates, as it turned out, was harder than Lucy thought.  When it happened it wasn’t a shock, what was the shock was that it had happened so fast.  She’d given orders to made men that hadn’t been carried out with that kind of alacrity.  The girl was just that… and yet, somehow she was as brutal as … well as Lucy had been at that age.  Given the chance such a woman could go far in the Cosa Nostra.  Of course, that presumed she’d get out of this place and that she’d do so alive.

Helen wasn’t happy with her loss and the lunch visit with the girl hadn’t gone unnoticed.  Tampering with the kids was half the fun though.  And if Helen thought for one moment that Lucy didn’t expect her to have gone to the dark haired girl - well, that was just stupid. 

Things had been getting tense between them for some time now.  Helen and her fighting for the spot at Trudy’s right hand was par for the course.  It was almost expected really.  This, however, was different.  Lucy genuinely was growing to dislike Helen and the reverse seemed to be true.  It was lucky that Trudy wasn’t ever going to get out of this place, perhaps she would keep the peace between her and Helen until she got out.

Of course, now that Lucy had talked to the kid and used her, Helen would be sure to put a mark on her.  Nothing major… yet, but Lucy couldn’t allow it.  The kid hadn’t done anything wrong.  What’s more is that her action had gained Lucy more than her fair share of trade goods for the month.  That meant, in some way, the kid was hers to look after.  That’s how these things worked.  People did solids for you.  You took care of them.  This was how Lucy began watching out for Kates.  A simple feeling of obligation.  Honor.  Responsibility.  She told herself it had nothing to do with the girl being the same age as Kathleen, but some small voice in the back of her head knew that wasn’t totally the truth.

Lucy made the rounds a day after the infirmary got it’s newest resident and she left a Hershey’s bar under Kates’ pillow with a small note that read:  ‘Honor and blood make us family.’  It was written in Italian. She knew the girl wouldn’t know what it said but would likely understand that it came from her new acquaintance if only because of the Italian.
 

Despite the fact that the man was twice her size, the girl was holding her own. He had more strength, more reach, but her reflexes were better. She’d already dodged four swings that would have put her on her back. Cursing to herself, she ducked under the fifth and punched the man in the ribs, dancing back from his counterpunch. 

They were both dressed in black pants and shirts that provided ease of movement, and they had the same shade of chestnut brown hair. His was clipped short, hers was in a long ponytail. They exchanged punches for a few minutes, with a kick thrown in every now and then. As the fight wore on, the girl consistently landed blows, but she lacked the strength to truly slow the man down. Eventually, one of his punches connected and the girl dropped to a knee; a second blow knocked her on her back. 

Trying to recover her wind, the girl knew she couldn’t move quick enough. As the man stood over her, she grimaced and accepted the inevitable.

“God damn it, Dad! Stop tickling me! I’m sixteen now and that’s- hahahahahahaha… seriously, Dad, I’m hahahahahahaha.”

When the smirking man finally relented, the girl stood up with narrowed eyes. “You need to stop doing that, you know. I’m basically a woman now.”

Matteo Sparato shrugged, catching his breath. “That’s been your punishment for losing since you were six. If you want to stop getting tickled, stop losing. I’m slower than I used to be; you’ll win someday.”

Kates shook her head, angry. “No. I don’t think I will. I’ve been lifting weights for years, and I just can’t get strong enough. I wish I was a boy instead of-”

“Hey,” said Matteo. “Don’t say that. You mother loved having a daughter, and you shouldn’t want to be anything other than yourself.”

Kates nodded, but sulked as she crossed the room to leave.

“Hold on, kiddo. I’ve got something for you.”  

Kates turned around and saw her father stoop to remove something from his jacket. It was a black leather belt. She accepted it, confused for a moment until she saw the sheath. Grinning, she buckled the belt around her waist. When it was fastened, a knife rested horizontally across the small of her back. Kates excitedly withdrew the blade of the stiletto. 

“Your reflexes are better than just about any fighter I know, Kates, but you’re right about your strength. That’s just biology. But if you’re got a knife? Strength doesn’t mean shit. I’ve been an enforcer for… shit, twenty years now. I’ve seen people shrug off punches like it’s nothing, but it’s a lot more rare to see people ignore a knife wound. I’ve taught you everything I know… I want you to have this to protect yourself.” 

Kates’ smile was reflected in the blade, then she carefully returned it to the sheath.

“Hey dad?”

“Yea?”

“For my next birthday I can get a gun, right?”

“No.”

“But I’ll be seventeen.”

Matteo Sparato sighed- then tried to tickle his daughter. Dodging him, she laughed and ran out of the room. 

Waking in the middle of the night, Kates closed her eyes immediately to try to enter the dream, to try to see her father again. But sleep wouldn’t come. As she reached under her pillow to flip it, Kates found the chocolate bar and the note. Lying on her back, aching to see her father again, Kates slowly ate the entire bar of chocolate. 

Trudy put a couple dollars into Lucy’s hand with a smile.  “Your girl is doing well.”

Lucy nodded, “She’s not half-bad.”

“That stunt in the bathroom set the tone and then all the walking the line these last weeks.  Not a lot of ladies have the smarts to do that.  You sure she ain’t…”

“No.  Might have family involved but um… no.  She’s not.  Maybe one day though.  Kid’s a sharp one.  If she keeps her head low, does her time, she’ll make for a name for herself out there.”

“Good lookin’ kid,” said Trudy. “Better keep an eye on her. Glad she can take care of herself.”

“Um, bout that.”  Lucy handed two of the dollar bills back.  Trudy arched an eyebrow.  “See if you can land me some knuckles for the kid.  That new guard in front has wandering eyes.  I don’t like the look of him.”

“You’re becoming a real mother hen.  Better watch out, Lucky, you’re losing your edge.”

Lucy rolled her eyes, “Not a chance, I just know a good investment when I see one and it’ll take Frank’s people two months to get that guy out of here by the time my letter gets to him and his orders get back here.  I’m not taking chances.  Some things a woman has to handle herself.”

Trudy nodded and reached behind her bed and pulled up a small bag of treasures.  Odds and ends of all sorts came from that bag and went into it.  Lucy didn’t bat an eyelash when a pair of brass knuckles came out.  “Thanks Trudy.  I’ll tell her you’re real pleased with the work she’s doing.”  With that Lucy slipped out of the room where Trudy’s bunk was and out into the main corridor.  Past laundry and the room where they kept the sewing machines, and around past the cafeteria to the open floor.  Casting her gaze around she stood silent until she finally spotted Kates.

“Hey there Kitten, how’s tricks?”  Lucy came up beside Kates.  “I got you a gift.  I know I missed your birthday, but hopefully you’ll forgive me when you see it.”
 

Kates smiled at “kitten”, and Lucy realized it was the first time she’d seen the girl smile in the month she’d been there. Not too strange, considering the setting, but she still noted it. 

“Thanks,” said Kates. “Things are fine. I’m bored, so I train. I’m getting a little stronger, a little quicker. Not much else for me to do here except get ready for when I’m out.” 

Lucy turned her body so no one would see her pass the gift over.  “It’s not much but in here, they can come in handy.  Remember what I said about those bruises.  If we get out of here, I’ll come find you and upgrade those to a really nice set.  Engraved and everything.  Nice girls deserve pretty accessories.”

Kates hid the gift within her clothing and nodded. “Thanks.”

“Trudy is really pleased with how much effort you’ve put in for us.  She can’t stop talking about you.”

“That’s good.” Kates paused. “I think, right? Oh. Helen did come talk to me, like you said she might. Told me I should stay away from you if I know what’s good for me. Offered to take care of me. Just so you know. I told her no, obviously.”

Lucy chuckled, “She’s getting bolder.  Might have to eventually make a statement.  I hope not though.  She’s closer to release than me, you’d think she wouldn’t want to take the risk of fucking that up by tempting me to come in and deal with her.  Who knows though.  I hear some women are in here so long they get to the point they don’t even want to go back to their old lives.  Don’t know how.”  She shook her head. “I can’t imagine that, everything about this place… well, most everything,” she said giving Kates a little smile.  “Sucks.”

Kates nodded. “I can make it five years. If it was ten or fifteen I’d probably just kill myself.”

“Don’t talk that way.  You wouldn’t let these bastards win.  You’re too stubborn for that.  All good Italian women are.  Besides, what would your father say?  No daughter of his would go offing herself.  Silliness.  You stick with me, Kitten, I’ll get you through these five years so fast you won’t even realize how long it’s been.  Just promise to send me a letter or two once you’re out.  I need reminders of what's waiting for me out there.  Steak.  Nice dresses.  Fast cars… good looking fellas.”  She laughed.

“I don’t care about any of that,” said Kates. “I’m going to get out of here and… well, there are going to be a couple people who wish that I didn’t.”

Lucy nodded.  “I can respect that.  If the people who landed me in here were still alive, I’d probably want to do the same thing.  Unfortunately I got no one to ‘thank’ for all these years lost… for not getting to see my kids grow up.”  Her smile slipped and her green eyes glazed for a moment.  

“Shit… I’m sorry.  Here I am giving you a birthday gift and being all morose.  Forget what I said.  I got a guard who is going to put the cherry on top for me tonight… he’s bringing in a cupcake for your birthday.  I couldn’t get you a gift and no cake.  So… surprise!  Hope you like chocolate?  You didn’t complain about the Hershey bar so I assume you do.”

“Yea. Thanks.” Kates’ eyes narrowed slightly. “Lucy, can I ask you something and you just tell me honest? You’re not, uh, interested in me, right? Because I know a few of the women here…” Kates’ voice trailed off, but her eyes still showed her nerves. 

“No offense Kitten, you’re a dollface, but the only one I want between these thighs is sitting in Sicily these past fifteen years or so.  My only interest in you is… purely matronly.  Mentor.  Friend or something like that.”

Kates visibly relaxed. “Okay. Good. Just like, giving me candy and stuff. I wanted to make sure I wasn’t signing up for anything here.” 

Lucy laughed, “I’m sorry, it’s just… I know I’ve told you a few times about my daughter.  She… loves chocolate.  Frank used to buy her these Hershey bars and hide them so I wouldn’t know about it.  He’d leave them for her under her pillow so I wouldn’t know he’d given them to her.  Sometimes I guess,  I miss that.  I’m sorry if it made you feel strange.  I won’t do it anymore.  And if anyone gives you attention you don’t want, just say the word.  No one messes with my friends.  Got it?”

“No,” said Kates immediately. “No, you can keep giving me things. I just wanted to make sure that you didn’t, you know.”

Lucy nodded.  “I get you.  You know, if you ever want to talk about the people you’re gonna visit when you leave this place.  I mean, I might be approaching old age but I do still know a thing or person or two.”

“Sure. Maybe later?”

“Whenever you want.  I’m not going anywhere for a few years.”

Kates sighed. “Yea. Me neither.”
 

*

FOUR YEARS AGO

“Dad, can you honestly be any more of a stereotype?”

Matteo Sparato just grinned and he dumped some spaghetti on his daughter’s plate.

“What? You like spaghetti.”

“Well I know I like spaghetti. I’m just saying that an Italian man named Matteo Sparato who works as an enforcer for the mafia should have like… pancakes or something. More unexpected, you know?”

“Well, I like spaghetti,” said Matteo as he began eating. “And you know I’m not exactly the best cook. Your mother… she was a great cook.”  

Kates nodded. She didn’t remember her mother, but she’d heard the stories so many times that she felt like she did. In that sense, her dad had succeeded. When the plates had been cleared, Matteo stood up and shrugged on his worn, black jacket. 

“Big job tonight, kiddo. Don’t wait up.”

“A hit?”

Matteo just nodded. Kates didn’t pry. Her father didn’t get to be one of the best enforcers in the Boston mafia by gabbing about his work. Kates was about to change the subject when her father cocked his head slightly to the side and raised a finger. His hand went to his pocket and Kates’ hand moved to her knife. Matteo quickly slid to the side of the door, out of range, as he waved for his daughter to take cover in the next room. 

“Alright, goodbye kid,” he said, making it seem like he was just about to head out; he reached out and opened the door from his place in cover behind the wall. 

When the shots rang out, neither Sparato was surprised. It wasn’t the first time Kates had heard gunshots- she’d done plenty of practice in the last year- but it was her first time hearing them away from the range. 

Matteo shouted in pain, and Kates’ heart leapt into her mouth until she realized her father was trying to lure them in. The first man to step inside got a bullet through the temple, which resulted in another hail of gunfire- this time aimed at the wall and not the door. Kates heard her father grunt, but he threw himself down and crawled over to her. Together, they retreated back to Kates’ bedroom, where Matteo stood and forced open the window.

“Kates. Out, now.”

“Dad, I’m not-”

“There’s no time. Based on the number of guns, this is a full squad. At least four guys. Probably six. I might be able to take them, but I won’t have a chance if you’re with me. And if I don’t make it-”

“Dad, don’t-”

“Quiet. No time. If I don’t, I want to know that you’re okay. If we both run, we’re both at risk. If I stay here, then this is finished… either way, this is finished. Now… I love you, but you need to go. Now.”

Kates didn’t say a word; she just threw her arms around her father. She forced herself to let go first, not wanting him to make her let go. Then she turned and headed out the window, climbing the fire escape to the roof. By the time she was approaching the top, she heard gunshots and shouting. 

Kates backed up and ran for ten meters before launching herself to the next rooftop. They were close together, but she still rolled when she landed like she’d been taught. She raced down the fire escape, listening to the gunshots from the building next door. Then there was silence. Watching from an alley, Kates saw as three men walked out of her apartment. She recognized them; men her father worked with.

Kates’ mouth dropped open, and she saw red. The men were moving away from her toward their car, and they didn’t hear her coming. Two of the men were inside when the third had a stiletto pierce the back of his throat. As the car sped off, Kates roared pitifully and sprinted after it until it vanished into the distance. Screaming in the middle of the road, the police officer who approached her first got a knife in the shoulder. The second cop got his thigh sliced.

Blinking away the tears, Kates ran back to her apartment away from the sirens. Another cop saw her climb the fire escape, but she made it up in time to hide the knife her father had given her behind a vent. Looking over the edge of the roof, she saw half a dozen squad cars. For a moment, she thought about jumping. Instead, she sat down in the middle of the roof and cried. She was still crying when they arrested her.

“And that’s how it happened,” said Kates, who hadn’t raised her eyes to meet Lucy’s during the whole retelling of the story. Arms crossed, she leaned against the wall in the yard. “So when I’m out… I need to take care of those two. Then? Whatever. I’ll help you, I guess. As long as you pick me up when I get out. Now that you have a couple months less than me.”

Kates frowned, remembering the incident with the guard that had earned her an extra 6 months. 

“Of course I’ll get you.  That’s what family does.  I know you need to settle affairs for yourself, but um, you know that if you want help - you don’t even have to ask.  It’s a given.  Our stories aren’t so terribly different.  Suffice to say, the hardest day isn’t the day you do it - get revenge - it’s the day after.”  Lucy thought for a moment about how it felt to finally know Whitehill was dead and to know that the Don of Enna’s line had been wiped from the earth.  There had been relief and then a strange sense of emptiness.  Vengeance had defined her for so long, it was hard to know who she was without it.

Kates shrugged. “I’ll figure that out when I get there.” 

Lucy pushed herself away from the wall.  “I know you will.  Your father clearly prepared you well for the life you might live.  You’re like… raw steel though.  You’re gonna go through a lot of heat and pressure before you come out the otherside as what you’re meant to be.  Don’t let that get you down.  This … five years… it was to make sure you were clear headed when you went to settle the score.  Any hitman worth his salt can tell you, jobs done with fury in your heart are a quick way to die.  These assholes deserve to suffer for what they took from you and for betraying your dad.  That probably wouldn’t have happened if you had caught them that day.  Figure, this place and the time you spent here, it was just a long stretch of preparing for the fight.  Same as cleaning your gun and oiling body armor.  It was just something you had to do to be ready.”

“I’m quicker than I was before. Stronger. Four more years… I won’t be raw steel, then. I’ll be ready.”

“Maybe you will be.  Just keep working at it and don’t lose focus on what your goal is.  Don’t let them trap you in this place for any longer than you need to be here.  Do your time.  Keep your head down.  You’ll be fine.  Just like your Dad said.”

Kates nodded. “Thanks, Lucy.” 

Two Years Ago 

Lucy moved like a shadow out of her bed and down the rows of beds, past the guard room that stood empty.  It was Paula’s job to distract the guard, she’d pissed off Trudy by hoarding and not tributing up the proper amount.  In here, where resources were scarce, it was one of the worst crimes a girl could commit.  Luckily Fitzpatrick was a hands guy, no chance of getting knocked up like that.

Carmella, Gianna, and Helen were already there.  From what Lucy could see, Trudy hadn’t gotten up yet.  As she closed the space between them and opened her mouth to speak, she found herself speechless.  Trudy’s eyes were open, fixed on the ceiling, glassy, vacant.  Lucy had seen enough dead bodies in her life to know, the old girl had bought the farm.  

She had only a moment to mourn internally before she realized the situation.  If cell block D had been a crew, Trudy was it’s Don.  Helen and her hands, of course, they both would think themselves the right - that was how the top bitch had to keep things.  You didn’t dare show favorites, best to keep everyone guessing on where they stood with you.  

Lucy could see Carmella and Gianna doing the quick math.  Lucy wasn’t going to wait for Helen to put it all together and it was a very good thing she hadn’t.  The brunette had already done her thinking and seemed to pull out a shank at the exact same moment Lucy did.

“We should go back to bed.”  Lucy offered.

Helen hesitated, locking her brown eyes on Lucy’s.

“They’ll find her in the morning.  We do this here and now and everything goes to hell… maybe they even try to say one of us killed her.  None of us needs that.”

Helen was closer to getting out than Lucy.  A girl’s big day was sacred.  Helen wouldn’t want to risk putting another murder on her nearly completed sentence.  That was the only thing which stood between Lucy and having to kill a woman tonight.  It wasn’t the killing that gave her pause so much as the thought that she would have no alibi.  She needed time to plan, or Trudy’s prediction would come true and she’d be damned if she was going to stay in this place an hour longer than she had to.

“Fine.”  Helen said putting her weapon down.  Lucy mirrored her action.

“Truce until they settle Trudy… once that’s done though…”

“Every lady for herself.  I get you.”  Helen wasn’t Cosa Nostra.  Lucy didn’t think the woman would honor her word.  She had no reason to.  For that reason, Lucy decided she wouldn’t sleep tonight, or any night going forward if she could help it.  At least not until they either carried Helen out on a board or the woman yielded to her.  God help her but Lucy figured it wasn’t going to be the later.

Silently she walked down to where Kates slept and planted herself on the floor at the foot of the kid’s bed.  The more sure thought about it, the more Lucy realized, this wasn’t going to be about just her and Helen.  It was going to be whoever stood with Helen against whoever stood with Lucy and one of the few people who had told Helen to go fuck herself was Kates.  She wouldn’t wake the kid to tell her tonight.  Figured at least one of them should get at least one more good night’s sleep before the real work had to begin.
 

Lucy didn’t have Helen’s numbers when it came to inmates but Lucy had something Helen didn’t have: a smart lawyer.  That was to say, in the time it took for matters with Trudy to be settled (a proper investigation and autopsy) phone calls were made and risks were taken to ensure the Warden went on a little hiring spree.  

It was, after all, the smart thing to do.  He knew Trudy was the top dog in the yard and that there would likely be violence after her passing as the pecking order was reestablished.  Hiring more guards just made sense.  Of course, what the Warden and Helen wouldn’t know about the swarm of applicants, certainly didn’t hurt Lucy one bit.

Lucy kept herself where people could see her.  Out in the open.  If Helen’s folks were going to make a move, they’d have to ensure they’d get longer sentences just for trying.  And if something happened to Helen, well clearly Lucy had nothing to do with.  Of course, Helen wouldn’t be so bold as to jump her in the open, but there was always the chance she had a hothead on her books and so Lucy’s guard was never down.  

But Lucy knew she couldn’t stay in the bright lights forever.  Eventually there’d be a time and place where she was alone and Helen’s people would be watching and waiting for it.  It was inevitable and Lucy’s plan depended upon it.

It happened in the laundry hallway.  Lucy was coming back from the showers and realized the hall was suddenly devoid of anyone.  She turned to go back the way she came but Carmella appeared out of the bathroom behind her.  Turning to keep going the way she’d been heading, Gianna stepped out of the laundry with a, “I’m sorry Lucky.”

Lucy shook her head sadly, “Me too Gianna.”  

Two on one would be terrible odds, if Lucy hadn’t grown up on the streets and in the Cosa Nostra.  That wasn’t to say the ladies couldn’t hold their own.  They were Helen’s hands for a reason, and always close with Trudy.  They could put the pain on anyone, but they weren’t professionals.  They might have killed on the outside, but taking on a pro - that was a whole other bucket of worms.  Lucy knew she could go a couple rounds outnumbered by women who didn’t know what they were getting into.  It was why she’d told her guard to give her some breathing room.  

The instructions to the guard were clear: take five, but keep your ears open, come running if there is trouble.  For this reason, Lucy made sure that the attempt on her life wasn’t a silent one.  By the time the guards came rushing in, Lucy had disarmed Gianna and had more than her fair share of wounds.  Cuts, a bloodied nose, a fractured rib… but she’d live.  As Gianna and Carmella were being dragged off to the hole, they certainly took note of the way the guards were treating Lucy.  She wasn’t a ‘participant in a fight’ in need of punishment or even ‘the victim’ who should be rushed to the infirmary … she was the boss.  And just like that, Cell block D had a new top bitch.  Of course, that realization would come too late for Helen.

While Helen’s hands were busy kicking Lucy’s aass, they weren’t protecting their boss and the guards who she’d been sitting in front of to ensure her alibi while Lucy was supposed to be murdered?  Well, ‘unfortunately’ they wouldn’t be able to agree what woman had done in Helen right there in front of them.  ‘Damn prison chaos…’

It would be weeks of recovery in the infirmary, but with Kitten watching her back, Lucy knew she’d be back in the yard in no time.  This time, they’d be running the show.  Of course, Gianna and Carmella would have to be made an example of when they got out of isolation, but she wouldn’t have Kitten do that one.  Shit jobs were for low men on the totem pole… not hands.
 

---

Helen was standing in her cell, looking out the barred window into the night sky. What was she thinking about? Power? Opportunity? Maybe at the very end, she was wondering why the sounds of the guards conversation outside had faded away to silence. 

Stealth had never been Kates’ strongest attribute, but that didn’t matter as much when you had leverage.

Stealth had also never been her strength, but anyone can be a ghost when walking with bare feet on concrete. 

Helen saw the shadow too late as the bedsheet noose slipped around her neck; Kates wrenched it tight, pulling tightly even as she kicked the older woman’s legs out from under her. 

As Kates held tight against the writhing Helen, she was mostly surprised but what she was feeling- which was nothing at all. A small, confused smile played across her face as she looking up against the ceiling and felt Helen go limp in her arms. Later, she’d use more sheets to hoist the body up and make it look like she’d hanged herself. But for now, she simply enjoyed her first real hit. And she thought of her father. 

Two Months Ago 

Lucy half expected to see Frank standing at the door when they handed her the things she’d come in with.  Of course, that wasn’t going to happen.  Most likely he was still knee deep in grapes and cleaning up after the conflict she’d heard about some months back.  The family needed him.  For an instant, Lucy considered the thing she told herself she’d never do.  She looked back and thought about how the last two months had been.  It had been her first taste of power, control, and peace in her life for two decades.  She’d gone from a mafia boss to no one and rose up again.  But that was inside.  Outside, she still had no one.

Kates would be okay in the joint.  That’s what she told herself.  A few guards still on the payroll would make sure no matter what direction things went for the last bit of the girl’s stay, that she’d be unharmed at least physically.  And anyone who did manage to get past the eyes on Kates would probably live to regret it.  Lucy just hoped they wouldn’t regret it too much.  She wanted the kid out here with her, not stuck inside for another five years over losing her cool.

It had been a good run, those two years.  Creature comforts galore.  No one giving her shit.  Only the slightest push here and there but always it was shut down before long.  She didn’t sleep with one eye open, she actually slept at night.  It was a good feeling.  Peaceful.  In there she knew what to expect and from whom, but this was the real world and out here, anything could happen.  Your best friends could be the people who turned on you, sold bad information to get you killed.  She knew that because it had happened once.  Lucy was damn sure she wasn’t going to let it happen again.

Frank’s people kept her up to date on the happenings in the world.  Francesca’s arrival, a cousin of Frank’s.  Lucy’s paperwork had made it into her hands and she and Tony had made a go of things in Vegas and Seattle.  Lucy had no control over the events that happened, by the time word had reached her, Seattle’s Tower was in ashes and if anyone else had ever found her journals and business logs - well, she couldn’t be sure.

Katy, or Kathy as Frank tended to call her, was a woman now.  Out there, somewhere, but not here waiting for her mother.  That said a lot.  Maybe it was just the family keeping her safe?  No Sonny either.  He was a boy still, barely a man, and yet some part of her had hoped he had her rebel streak and he’d come across an ocean to meet her at long last.  Lucy wondered if he hated her.  It wouldn’t be uncommon.  Mafia kids who grew up without their parents were a bundle of issues.  Maybe Frank kept him out of the family business though.  Maybe he had somehow avoided it… but in Sicily?  Was that realistic to think about?  She wondered if Frank had somehow managed to see he had a fidanzati in casa.  

“Sign here.”  The guard pushed a paper at her.  The woman didn’t care that today was the biggest day in Lucy’s life since … well, since before she came here for certain.  The woman was just putting in her eight hours and then would go home to her pathetic excuse for a life.  No wedding ring.  Cats probably.

Lucy counted the cash on her.  Not much.  Levi would be waiting outside though.  He’d have the bank accounts.  She could send a message to Frank.  Everything could start coming back together.  They’d go back to Alderly Estate in Chicago.  Make a new life for themselves there.  Hell, maybe muscle their way into business again.  A quick call back to the boys in the green book and she’d have booze moving into the states like…

Lucy stepped outside and shielded her eyes from the sun.  She expected Levi and a car, but found only a lonely bus stop outside the gates.  There was no one.  No Frank, Katy, Sonny… Sully, Leather, Dog, Varys… the names went on and on.  She had no friends, no family and for a woman who was Cosa Nostra, that meant she had an egg timer on her life.  Fear seized in her chest.  It was hard to imagine it prior to this moment but she really did feel safer on the inside than she felt out here in the free air.  The world felt massive and she, again, felt small.

Lucy swallowed the lump in her throat.  “One foot in front of the other Lucky…”  She pushed herself on toward the bench and sat down next to the bus stop sign.  Her red hair blowing in the breeze.  She wondered where Levi was, she supposed he was most likely dead.  Funny.  As a child she never would assume a man not present meant death… but here she was, wondering which person might have done the deed or why.  Did one of her old enemies survive?  Had it been a friend of Helen’s?  Maybe it had nothing to do with her.  Levi was a lawyer, he probably had a fair number of criminals on his payroll.  Frank and the DiCaprio family probably had no idea he’d kicked the bucket.  They were probably celebrating her release in the old country right now.

Lucy looked up to the sky.  The sun would set soon.  Chicago was closest, she’d go there first.  Visit a few old ghosts.  Come back to pick up the kid, assuming she didn’t screw the pooch and get more time added on.  It would give her time to get shit in a line before the kid came out ready to go down fighting whoever took out her old man.  Maybe Lucy could dig up something on the people responsible… it was something to pass the time at least.

In the meantime she’d send a telegram to Sicily.  Let them know she was okay and eager to hear all the news.  She wondered then about a place she hadn’t thought of in years.  The Cellars and of a Irish woman and her fiddle.  Lucy smiled.  Maybe she’d visit Vegas too.  Who knew who had taken over the Cellars?  Maybe they’d be interested in selling it back to her.  It would be good to go back to where it all started, if only for a little while.
 

*

Lucy wore high waisted khaki colored slacks with a black braided belt, a black short sleeve knit top, reflective sunglasses and a beret that matched her slacks on the crown of her head.  Her long hair was pulled back from her face but hung down her back.  Leaning against the car she waited and hoped that Kitten would eventually come strolling out.  She’d been here an hour now, but she knew how things worked inside.  Those bitches really got off on having power over people, and they didn’t let go of that power easily.

Two months had changed a lot.  She’d found her footing again and while she wasn’t back in her old way of life just yet, she figured she had to be well on her way.  Letters sent, ghosts bid farewell to, new car, new clothes and a new job.  Life could be a lot worse.

Kates was escorted out by a guard, and she raised a hand in greeting when she saw Lucy leaning against a car. It had been a lonely couple of months, but Kates seemed as cool as always when she strolled up to Lucy.

“Hey boss. Do you have the stuff I asked for?”

“Do I ever fail to come through?”  She smirks and reaches into the back of the car to pull out a canvas bag and hands it to Kates.  “I hope the time inside without me wasn’t too dull?”

Kates walked behind the car and changed immediately, stripping away her past as quickly as she could. The clothes she’d gotten arrested in belonged to someone else now. In a moment, she was dressed in black: boots, pants, tanktop under a long sleeved shirt, and a trenchcoat. Looking in the bottom of the bag, Kates took the small snub-nosed revolver and slipped it into her pocket. 

“I also threw a flask of something good in there and a chocolate bar.  I mean, practical shit is good, but I figure after everything you’ve been through you deserve the sweets and your first real hit of something good.  Irish whiskey.  We’ll bring you up right.”  Lucy gave her a wink.

Kates smirked. She’d grown a lot in the last couple years. A girl had walked into Helen’s cell, but a woman had walked out. Kates was 22 years old, but she carried herself with the confidence and apathy of someone decades older. 

“So, ever been to Vegas?”  Lucy asked moving towards the driver’s side door.

“I’ve never been anywhere except New York,” said Kates as she climbed into the car. “I need to go back there… get the knife my father gave me. Once I have that… well, I don’t really care where I go. Is that okay?”

“Sure thing.  I got access to some funds.  We’ll fly.  Planes are nice and since you’ve never been on one, it’ll be an adventure.  We’ll spend a day or two in New York then head back out to Vegas.  It’s where I got my start when I went out on my own.  I managed to hook up with an operation out there, been giving me steady work.  Nothing major but it keeps a roof over my head and me stocked up with all the necessities.  Hopefully we can build some there and start looking for those guys you owe a visit to.”

“I’m not ready for them yet,” said Kates. “I want to be at my best when I go looking for them. Think you can find me some work in Vegas?”

“Yeah.  Absolutely.  Been talking you up to Ivy and Bella.  They’re excited to meet you.  Not a lot of gangsters as young as you have already pulled time in prison, nor come out with a rep like you’ve got.  We polish you up and you’re going to be a real gem in a couple years.  Who knows, maybe a leading a crew of your own one day.”

Kates frowned and bit into her chocolate bar. “I… think I’ll leave that to you, boss. I just want to kill the men who killed my father. And in the meantime, I don’t mind killing your enemies for practice.”

“Well, for the moment that list is really short, but don’t worry I have a habit of picking up enemies.  Just lucky I guess," said Lucy as she got into the car and turned over the ignition.