Silvio awoke in his prison cell the bright morning sunlight burning through the bars and onto his face he turned over and put his flat pillow over his head he drifted back to sleep and dreamed of his trial and how his choice to defend himself had caused him to probably get more time he often got angry with himself but he knew you cant change the past only the future.

He re-lived the verdict in his dreams over and over. It really did not hit him until he was ushered into the cell, eyes still stinging from the lousing powder and naked as the day he was born the bars slammed home and he knew where he was. From surviving on the streets to now surviving in prison. Normally a high ranking member of the mafia were looked after but despite not being a rat he was despised by many of the families but there were a few who stood tall for him and protected him as best they could sometimes they did sometimes they didn't, he was in the infirmary many times but he lived even when he was stabbed three times in the chow queue he refused to rat and managed to repay the favour they were not as lucky as him.

He tried to keep his head down and ended up in the machine shop where he managed to command respect from all for his efficient running and fairness even the screws began to protect him as he was worth more alive than dead he was not stupid enough to think they liked him in prison its what you bring you are just a number and there are many ready to take your place.

Today was his last day in prison he has been planning for it and couldn't wait to get out, he had reached out to his old friend Lylithe it took some doing as she had moved up in the ranks and no one was prepared to take a cons word or even risk reaching that far up to a family hand but she got word to him and promised to pick him up from prison.

The prison morning buzzer shook him awake and he heard the groans and moans of other cons waking up a screw came up to the bars and ran his nightstick across the bars and shouted at Silvio

“Hey asshole I dont give a fuck if you are getting out today on your feet”

Silvio slowly got to his feet and fixed a stare at the screw

“You eye ballin me son? You wanna stay here a while longer? Get your shit squared away I need that cell for another worthless piece of shit”

Silvio nodded and began gathering his things, the screw grunted and stalked off and began shouting at other cons. Kawalski, what an asshole he was, Silvio would not forget him in a hurry. He made his way across the landing nodding to a few faces as he made his way down the stairs towards the exit from the wing where there were three screws standing one was spinning his nightstick around and all had smokes in their mouths as he approached one looked over at him.

“Hey Sil you leaving us today? Keep that nose clean or better still don't we could do with you staying in the machine shop”

Silvio smiled Glenn the screw was a good one he was harsh but fair he was ok for a screw 

“Il do my best boss i'll try and make it worth it this time not the petty shit I got fitted up with this time”

Glenn snorted 

“Pissing off a high ranking police officer by banging his wife and then getting caught and hitting him in his own house not smart convict”

Silvio held out his hand towards Glenn

“That's what they say I did hey let them think what they want I never told anyone the ins and out of my holiday here”

Glenn shook Silvio's hand and let him through the door, the other nodded at him as he made his way towards the front of the prison and the way to his freedom.

Silvio walked up to the cage to get his things and sign out of his incarceration the guards were teasing him saying they would see him soon he smiled and one of them walked him down the long fenced path to the large gate at the front of the prison.

Silvio turned to the guard shook his hand and stepped out as the gate slammed shut behind him he looked around with nothing more than his Hat and an envelope to his name He saw a car approaching the prison he looked in the window and was very happy to see his old friend Lylithe she pulled over with a cloud of dust and jumped out of the car to greet Silvio She took his hand and shook it vigorously and kissed both of his cheeks he in turn kissed her hand and knelt bowing his head 

“Thank you for being here you are the first and only to look out for me you have my respect and honour”

Lylithe smiled and looked at Silvio still kneeling 

“Get the fuck up stop it we go back way back you know i have your back now get in the car you need a drink and so do I”

Silvio got up dusted off his knees and climbed into the car She drove fast and like she didn't care they sped towards Downtown Philly Silvio Felt good so far but a drink would make him better it had been a long time he avoided toilet bowl hooch in prison  so he was dry the whole time in prison but the thought of whiskey made him lick his lips.

They pulled up at a bar which silvio did not recognize but Lylithe open his door and ushered him out

“Come on hurry up and get out I can't hang about I got something in the trunk for you a welcome back gift go back and open it up”

 Silvio goes to the back of the car and pops the trunk as he looks in he laughs out loud he sees a government agent tied up looking up at him clearly shitting himself Silvio slams the Trunk and looks at Lylithe 

“Aww you shouldn't have what have you got on him? How long are you gonna keep him alive?”

Lylithe lights a cigarette and blows the smoke out smiling 

“Don't worry about that he's got some contacts and he will sell you some coke so you have some pocket money i'll let you know when he becomes……………….well you know what I mean”

She winks at Silvio before climbing into the car tossing her cigarette at his feet 

“I'll set him up and i'll be in touch go inside that bar it's a HQ A right hand has requested your presence he says he knows you from back in the day”

She nods and starts the car driving off at speed. Silvio treads on the still lit cigarette, takes one more look at the car and makes his way to the HQ.

Ulysses comes strolling down the street, on his way to Isgro’s pastries for some cannoli’s at the request of his newest goomar. Ulysses walks into Isgro’s and is greeted by the shop’s owner. 
 

“Hey there Uly! Are you getting the usual?”

“Not today Vito, just gimmie some of your best cannoli’s”

”They’re all the best, you came to the best!”

Ulysses smirks and has a little chuckle

”how much do I owe ya”

”your moneys no good here pal”

Ulysses grabs the cannoli’s and thanks Vito. Ulysses begins to walk out of the shop and thinks about how he hasn’t had a cannoli in a long time. Ulysses reaches in the bag grabs a cannoli and takes a big bite. The taste of the cannoli brings back memories of the good ol days when life seemed simpler. He thinks of all the people that have come in and out of his life. Some of them being temporary people in his life, some that have left his due to “this thing of our” by means of death or gone to the pen. One person in particular comes to mind Silv……..

Ulysses suddenly drops the pastry and has a look on his face as if he had just seen a ghost… across the street is that in particular man he was just thinking about. Ulysses moves across the busy street at a fast pace, while yelling…

”HEY SIILLLL!” 

Silvio was making his way up the steps when out of the corner of his eye hes sees a man stop in the street the man drop his food on the floor and shouts something at him he freezes puts his hand in his jacket instinctively to check for his gun he curses himself as he already knew it was not there he had not picked one up yet he turns to get a better look half expecting to see a muzzle flash but as he focuses in he smiles and feels very relived he recognizes the man its his very old friend ulysses he makes his way over to him opens his arms and hugs his old friend

"Jesus Christ you scared the shit out of me I thought you were going to shoot me I have just got out the Big house how the fuck are you old friend?"  

“Shoot ya!? How many people do you know that will shout your name before shooting you!?”

Ulysses takes a step back to get a better look at Sil

”I guess you have to watch your back just as much on the inside as you do on the outs. Anyways. Did you get out early for good behavior or somethin?”

”Looks like you’ve been eating decent. Same old lookin Sil to me. It’s not like they have heaps of gabagool at the ready, amiright?”

Ulysses gives Sil a sly look and then burst into laughter

”Good to see you Sil”

Silvio laughed at his friend and looked at him with wry smile

"Well I didn't do anything good I served every single second you could say that they had something against me, im lucky I had some protection but I did what I needed to do to survive"

His stab wounds seemed to swell under his shirt as if reminding him of his lucky escape and the memory of the revenge he took on the people whom had tried to kill him flashes of him fighting and stabbing and shouting filled his mind for a few seconds until he snapped back to reality

"Well it sure is good to see a familiar face I have been summoned to this HQ to meet one of the hands of the crew lets hope its someone who has good intentions"

Silvio hugged his friend again and slipped his wallet out of his pocket almost simultaneously Ulysses lifted Silvios wallet too they broke off the hug and held up each others wallets in front of each other they both burst out laughing

"Good to see we both still have the skills, I will come and look you up later I have to get inside cant keep them waiting, its really good to see you man"

​​​​​​​Silvio swapped back his wallet and put it back in his pocket he waved farewell to his friend he walked back to the steps in front of the HQ and made his way up he saw a metal door with a slit he knocked on the door after about 30 seconds the slit opened and a voice came from the other side

"What the fuck do you want? It better be good we tune up people who think its funny to do knock and run"

Silvio stepped back and held his hands up 

"Hey I was told to come here I was not given a name they just said to come here my name is Silvio Dante"

The slit in the door slid back into place and the sound of many locks being unlocked the door finally swung open and a large angry looking man stepped out hand in his coat probably on the grip of his pistol he said nothing just looked Silvio up and down grunted and pointed inside the door.

Silvio put his hands down and looked left and right and stepped inside the door slammed behind him the sounds of the locks was the only sound the large man patted him down then said 

"down the hall door at the end"

Silvio nodded and made his way down the hall his heart began to beat faster he got to the door swallowed and knocked on the door