Arapaho had just got out of jail...he was a officially now a bum...a nobody...after the ups and downs of life, love & loss, he had nothing to show for the years that he'd walked the earth. A 10 year stint at the New York penitentiary had hardened him some ways. Surviving was one of the toughest things, daily fights, and daily brushes with death; however a five leaf clover had nothing on Arapaho as he was out, and was free...

10 years was a pretty big stint, the crime you ask...? Being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Arapaho was witness to a violent murder in Brooklyn by some local thugs, they got away and when the feds arrived Arapaho was arrested and jailed, the key was thrown away as the judge passed his sentence.

Through his years in jail; Arapaho became pretty hardened..he studied...and he read...he read a damn lot and felt educated enough that if he ever saw who was responsible for his 'fit up' ever again..they would pay...and would pay hard. With a new life to start; with not a dime to his name and no prospects of an honest life, some life changing decisions needed to be made. First things first; he needed to get out of Brooklyn and fast.. 

He needed to get as far away as possible from the City that still haunted him with nightmares, and called in a favour with an old friend that arranged transportation to Los Angeles; Downtown area...it was rough, it was ready..but it was also full of opportunity, with his shrewd mind Arapaho knew that there was potential to start a new life, one that would be rewarding but risky at the same time. He had no option but to start a new criminal life, it was a long path to self healed redemption; but one that he was definitely ready for and set out to make contact with a local that went by the name Bugsy 'Baby Face' Tolsa. 

Baby face was a representative of the Rosenthal family, run by fearless Godmother Velvet...

Arapaho went to the local phone booth and put a call in at the local bar; The Diamond Dagger Social Club. Baby face came to the phone and was pretty surprised to hear Arapaho's voice after all this time. 

'My friend, I'm out...finally...and I need your help to start a new life...you got any work for your old pal?'

'Meet me here in 30 minutes, I owe you a whisky and a conversation.'

& with that Arapaho set on his way to meet with an old friend.. 

Arapaho made his way to the front door of The Diamond Dagger Social Club, took of his rough, rugged coat and top hat before walking through the double doors. The club was vibrant, yet eerie at the same time. The room was full of cigar smoke and the smell of illegal liquor permiated the air..

Arapaho made his way over to 'Baby Face' embraced him like a brother and shook his hand warmly, he gestured over to the waitress and ordered two tumblers of Whiskey...special charred barrel.

'Ah of course! You must have remembered my favourite blend!' chuckled 'Baby Face..'

"Brother, you'll be amazed at the amount I remember. This is why I'm here, I know we have a past, we got history in this world. You're probably aware of what I've already been through. Thrown 10 years of my fucking' life down the drain with that murder fit up. First thing I did after I got out was book a flight to LA...and well....here I am..."

Arapaho took a swig of whiskey before stubbing out his cigar and continued...

"I know before you tried to get me in your life and your family, but I now don't have a choice but to seriously consider the other side of the law, I'm permanently black marked from ever doing anything legit. I can't live without money....without family...I need somewhere to lay low & wondered if you had room in your family for me?"

'Baby Face' looked up at Arapaho in a startled way, and his eyes started watering before his fists began to shake and finally he smashed his tumbler on the floor in sheer anger..

"Don't you fucking know what happened last night to Velvet?"

"I'm sorry Bugs...I haven't" ...Arapaho very rarely utter this nickname Bugs, it was a personnel attachment that the pair shared together due to many years of history together, he didn't want to cause any offence to his friend, but said the name without warning or hesitation...because he cared....and he cared deeply for 'Baby Face' and what he was clearly going through at the moment.

"Velvet was taken out, we had absolutely no warning what so ever, this wasn't honorable, this wasn't planned by any other family...this was a fucking rogue with a real big problem with how we all live our lives"

'Baby Face' eyes were full with water, it was shared anger, depression and sadness all being expressed at the same time.

"This is how fucking dangerous our life is Arapaho; Velvet ran the entire underworld city and BANG..just like that it all ended. Fortunately...or unfortunately for me I was able to survive the anarchy and managed to round up some survivors and make a home with NicholasGrimwood... I can introduce you to the family if you wish, but I promise you that it will end in your dead, we all sign a blood oath and be under no illusion what you're about to get into here..."

Arapaho could see 'Baby Faces' pupils dilate as he said with such conviction about how dangerous his life was.. it could of been the alcohol talking right? Arapaho thought to himself before raising the whiskey glass and making a small, but suble chink on the tumblers.

Just as Arapaho began to let the bourbon whiskey slide down his throat, he saw a reflection in his glass..there was a real sense in the air that something very serious was about to go down...

The door of The Diamond Dagger Social Club flew open, in the doorway stood 4 mobsters; suited, booted and armed with tommy guns. They began to spray the club with lead, Arapaho dived under the table... 

"FUCK YOU" screamed 'Baby Face' as he drew his Smith and Wesson revolver and began firing blind above the table..

"Arapaho you need to get out of here, mobsters are trying to muscle in on Velvet's turf. Her fucking' bodies still warm in the morgue and these MOTHERFUCKERS are trying to push their authority already? Well FUCK THOSE GOD DAMN MOTHERFUCKERS!"

'Baby Face' got up from under the table in amongst the flying bullets started shooting, he knew this was the end...and he knew he was not going down without a fight. He loved Velvet like a sister, he was god damn sure to be vengeful...

He ran towards the 4 mobsters, pulled back the trigger and fired a bullet straight into the heart of the coordinator of the whole attack, the little punk bitch dropped to the floor like a sack of potatoe's; but not before 'Baby Face' himself had been pumped full of lead, the force of the bullets through him back until he slammed into a wall and slid down, leaving a vertical trail of blood where he once stood so strong & brave.

Those words 'Baby Face' uttered to Arapaho only moments before about this life guaranteeing death came knocking immediately; it certainly resinated in his mind clear. Yet he was somehow still safe under the booth, among what was plenty of other civilians. For Arapaho at this moment was still an ex criminal in the eyes of the law, yet hadn't yet committed a single crime in his life. 

The strong family value's that Arapaho saw his brother in arms 'Baby Face' possess for Velvet and her family...he knew that's what he wanted..but he couldn't do it here.. he certainly couldn't do it in New York either...where could he settle? 

Downtown L.A was a dangerous place since the fall of Velvet. After the attack on The Diamond Dagger Social Club and the Tommy Guns were out of ammo, the 3 remaining mobsters went behind the bar and started pouring the illegal liquor all over the floor before screaming at the remaining; yet somehow still living civvies to get out, and fast. Before they flicked a match on the liquor soaked carpet and the bar went up in flames...

"This'll teach anyone who thinks they can continue to run a Velvet business in Downtown again. We're taking this town over!"

Arapaho was lost once again, his black top hat & coat were lost in the fire, all he had left were the clothes on his back and no opportunity to see 'Baby Face' again...yet another violent victim of this mob world that he was getting into deeper and deeper...yet Arapaho was beginning to get numb to the feeling that one day he would be standing at the door of a business about to torch it to the ground....or be the guy fighting his last breath to save his family...he now just needed to find this family. 

One thing's for sure; it wasn't going to be Downtown.

Arapaho crawled out the smoke ridden building before collapsing on the floor outside due to his smoke inhaled lungs..

"Down and out"