Dressed in her "all blacks," there was no entourage of security with her as Amira left the doors of Azra Securities. They knew the drill, and frankly none of them particularly wanted to get involved in the things that came with that outfit. They liked her business attire activities much more. 

Watching the Buick slow to a stop, Amira was forcing her mind not to look for Spencer in the driver's seat. In fact, she was working to dissociate Spencer from the car all together. But as she opened the door and slid onto the front seat, it all felt too familiar. The car had been cleaned meticulously, and his things had been removed- at least there was that mercy. Reaching into her jacket, she removed the Colts and laid them on the seat between them.

"They are loaded and ready. Safety engaged. I didn't bring any backup ammunition- I don't expect we will be needing it."

Willie nodded.

"I hope we don't need any ammunition at all. The best case scenario is that this is all just a rumor that's gone too far, and everyone leaves with all their limbs and their honor intact."

He shrugged as he put the car in drive and pulled out. "Of course, judging by your choice in wardrobe change I'm guessing you think there's quite a bit more to it than that, so we do what we need to do. Tell me, is there anything I need to know? Any protocol to follow? SHould I always be three feet behind you? Should I wait in the car? Anything you need on the way, tell me so we're good, cause it'll only take about fifteen minutes to get to where we're going, and that's if I drive normal."

He put his foot down then, clearly indicating that he would be doing anything but driving normal. This was someone else's nice car, not his, and he'd be damned if he wasn't going to use it like it was meant to be.

Sitting back, Amira stretched her legs and laced her fingers together casually across the blade-laden leather she wore.

"I do not know this man well enough. He is not a made man in the organization, and I have no reason to trust that he is on the up-and-up. The information we got came from one who is a made man, and close to Joe. Because of that, I have to take assume one word is stronger than the other. As far as all this," she gestured toward her attire, "standard for field work. I much prefer this over suits and heels. I'd rather be doing things like this anyway; but I suppose I've been semi-retired. Against my will."

Considering his question for a moment, she shrugged.

"Should we find that he is indeed skimming, we go with your plan. We get information. You take the lead. Let's see how you do."

"Fuck" The thought jumped to the front of WIllie's head before he could even form a response. He nodded though, just once. He had no idea the first thing about waht to do next. All he thought was that this guy might be selling to a higher bidder if he thought it was worth his life. Now Willie was supposed to ask him about it?

He took a long breath.

It was not going to be an easy end to this car ride.

They sat in silence for the rest of the ride, and Willie put the car in park just across the street and a bit away of the address he had been given. Never good to park directly outside, or next to your spot. He didn't bother to check any of the mirrors for his own appearance. He simply picked up the two pistols on the seat next to him, slid one into his waistband, and the other into his inner jacket pocket.

As Willie reached for the door handle to get out, Amira silently shook her head. He took his hand back quickly as if the door handle was a poisonous snake curled and ready to strike. All he needed was one fuck up and he'd be out of a job right quick. If she wanted to wait here, wait they would.

He sat still in the car then, just scanning the area around for shady looking individuals. He didn't notice any at first, but then spotted a group of three or four folks. On shrot, but lanky looking fellow was leaning against the wall, and a man of average height, made to look taller for his short companion, stood comfortably next to him. Both were dressed in slacks and heavy jacket's. They were talking with two other men, both of whom were wearing hats, jackets and slacks, and they had their backs turned toward the car.

After a brief moment, the two men in hats took a small package from the man leaning against the wall, and walked away.

Willie turned to Amira. "So do we just sit here a while?"

Watching the whole thing unfold, a smile curved the corners of Amira's lips. It was almost too easy.

"All of Ligambi's product is packaged in brown butcher paper with a black stripe running through the middle. That's how you know it's his. This idiot doesn't even think to repackage it before he sells it to someone else. The man's name is Henry Egler, he's a small time seller. Apparently he's trying to make a bigger name for himself."

Reaching for the door handle, Amira gave William a glance with an unsettling smile.

"Why don't you go and engage Mr. Egler in a friendly chat, keep him busy while I go recover Joe's product. See what you can find out, then I'll join you?"

Willie nodded and got out of the car, making his way toward Egler and his friend while Amira headed off down the street in the direction of the other two.

It wasn't very often that Willie found himself needing some other way to seem intimidating. Some people looked intimidating when they smoked, other people were born with the frame built in, still others just had that air about them. Willie was none of those people, he would have to work for it.

He approached, and was quickly given a sidelong look by the bigger gentleman, no dobut sizing him up. Henry on the other hand looked right at him.

"Can I help you fella?" Henry's voice was a higher register than Willie had expected, which put him a bit at ease, but it was still two against one right now, and it's not like this was familiar territory.

"I hope so Henry." He said as calmly as he could. "I understand you're in business. The business of selling certin goods to folks who have the paper to pay for 'em." He looked at the larger man, noticing now from being so close, where the two stashed the packages. They were neatly placed in a milk-crate against the wall directly behind the big guy's feet. The straw helped to cover them up from afar.

"What of it? You got some paper of your own?" Henry asked quickly. Clearly he was ready to sell to anyone, but wasn't forthcoming with much in the way of detail.

Willie nodded for his part. "I think I do, but the matter of price might be something we should talk about. I mean, you're selling to just anyone, or do you have a price break at higher quantities? Should I be going over your head to a supplier if I need a big load?"

Henry chuckled at that. "Buddy, whater size you want, I got it for you, you won't find anybody above my head."

Willie almost winced at that. He knew that was the wrong answer and he'd on;y been around for about a day at this point. Still he did his best to hide it and shrugged. "Alright, then let's talk price, and payload. I'm going to need a truckful I've got a supplier who takes care of me, but their prices have gone up, I'm in the low six figures now per truck, I'd like to keep it in the five figure range. You think that can be done, or am I wasting my time with some need to shop around?"

Henry shook his head. "Listen pal I don't know you, I'm not giving you a discount based on your word here. How's about you start by buying at the going rate, and then you can come on back and we can talk discount?"

Willie nodded in response, thiough this was going nowhere fast. "Alright, I can honor that, establish a relationship before you doing something nice for someone. Only thing is, from what I hear, you are the kind of guy who stabs your friends in the back." He reached slowly into his jacket and produced an envelope of some cash. "So let me make it clear, I don't want to be your friend Henry." He handed the envlope to the man, who scoffed.

"I told you I don't know you, and now you insult me to my face?" He pushed the envelope away from him. "The fuck outa here with that shit I don't need your business, I got plenty of people lining up to buy my shit."

Willie nodded, and piut the envelope back in his jacket pocket, quietly placing his hand on the gun inside instead, releasing the safety. "Fair enough." He said as he took a couple steps toward the car again, and turned on his heel raising the weapon to take a shot at the big guy.

"But Ligambi won't be happy you've been fucking him over." He said as the big man dropped to the floo, clutching at his arm.

Fortitude was at least one of Henry's assets as he stood there, and didn't try to run, or wet himself. His friend thoguh, made his way out of the alley and started running down the street quick as his large frame would take him.

"Don't worry Henry, we've got a friend meeting us here, you've got time to tell me who you're selling shit to, and what you've been taking off the top if you want me to convince her not to cut your skin off your bones."

It felt good to run again. Amira trekked up the sidewalk in the same direction the two had left with the package. It wasn't a windy day, but she created a breeze that blew against her face and gave her that feeling of flying. Within a minute she had caught up to the two. They only heard her when she was within arms reach, and by then she had leapt from the ground, using all the speed and momentum she'd built up to hurl herself into their backs. The three of them tumbled to the ground, and Amira rolled over them and quickly got to her feet. As she'd hoped, the package had skittered out of one of their hands, so before they had a chance to recover it, Amira put the hard heel of her boot into the nose of one as he started to get up, and slid her finger into the loop of of one of her karambits, withdrawing it from it's place and spinning it into her palm as she bent down to pick up the package. As she stood, the point of the curved blade was touching right under the chin of the second man.

"You're going to pick up your friend there, and you're going to walk away, yes?"

The man started to nod, but got a sharp poke in the neck instead, and stammered.

"Ow! Fuck! Yes! Ok!"

Amira gave him a nod and drew the blade away, then watched as the guy dragged his compadre off the ground and started scurrying away. She looked down, examining the tightly packaged heroin- when there was a single gunshot from not too far off. Her head flew up, then she sheathed the blade and tore off back in the direction she'd come from. Her speed increased as she drew closer, and as she rounded the corner near the alley, she nearly mowed over the big goon that had been with Henry. Was that good or bad? Sprinting into the alley, she found William with one of the 45's in hand and Henry at the business end, with a splatter of blood on the brick wall. Amira's eyebrows went up, and she grinned, slowing down to a walk. When she got to the two gentlemen, she dropped the package on the ground at Henry's feet, then drew both of her favored, claw-like blades and spun them twice over her first fingers before letting them settle into her grip. 

"You must be Henry. I have a bone to pick with you."

Wille quickly withdrew the pistol, and placed it back into his jacket. The weeight of it somehow seemed heavier than it was earlier, but that was a matter for another time.

"Ahhh, Henry, this is miss Dayan, Miss Dayan, Henry Egler. He was just about to tell me that he made a terrible mistake." He looked toward Henry. "Of course, he could just lose his tongue and then he wouldn't be able to tell us anything at all."

Henry's eyes flicked from Willie, to Amir's knives, and then almost made it up to her eyes before he stammered out a "P... please. I... I'll do it."

Willie furrowed his brow as he bent to pick up the package Amira had dropped and put it back in the milk crate where it belonged.

"I don't think either of us here know what you mean by it Henry. Do you want to elaborate while you can?"

Henry almost nodded, but watching the blades Amira held as closely as she did, thought better of it. "I'll give you what I've been taking."

"And?" Willie asked.

"And? And what? I don't have..." he looked down at the milk crate. "And you can take the supply."

Willie shook his head. "Nevermind, I thought he might be smarter than that. Oh well." He shrugged as he took a few steps back. "Maybe he doesn't know who he's been selling to, just that he's been upcharging people and skimming off the top. Not worth an interrogation in the open I think. What do you think Miss Dayan?"

"I agree," Amira replied, reaching into her jacket pocket and pulling out a small roll of electrical tape. Her dark eyes bored holes into Henry's as she finished her thought. "not in public."

She tossed the tape to William and took a few steps toward Henry. 

"Do you know who I am, Henry?"

Before he could reply, she was behind him with an arm tightly around his neck. The pressure she applied was cutting off the blood supply at his neck rather than crushing his windpipe so he could speak, but if he didn't start talking, he'd pass out in not too long.

"I am a Hand of Joseph Ligambi, and I strongly suggest that you tell me who you've been selling his product to, before you find out what I do with these blades."

For emphasis, she lightly drew one of the blades across his chest, letting the tip pop a button off his shirt.

Henry stammered.

"Nobody..." He grimaced as the knife grazed his clothes. "I mean, everybody. Listen I'm telling the truth. Anybody who wanted, I've been selling to. It's just that the prices were so low that I up charged people. And these addicts. They pay good money when they need their fix. You can ring them dry, and who cares afterward? They're gonners anyway."

He winced again as Willie stretched out a piece of tape.

"Buddy, if you don't have names, you're gonna find yourself in a lot of pain pretty soon." He stepped just an inch closer to the man that Amira had in a chokehold and watched as his face began to flush.

"Deleware..." He finally said in an almost whispered tone as his eyes rolled in his head and his body went limp.

Willie looked him up and down and then nodded to Amira. "Miss Dayan, I think he's asleep for now. You know a guy named Deleware?"

Releasing the limp sack of shit, Amira stepped back and replaced her blades as her mind went back over the last few weeks. Something was awfully familiar about that. Delaware...why did she recognize that? As she thought about it, her eyes fell on the crate- that's when it hit her. 

"Shit. Yes, I know the name; but it's a nickname. And this is worse than I thought. He's not selling to simple street people. This piece of shit is selling Joe's product to his rival. I'll bet you my car he's repackaging it and turning a massive profit."

Looking down at him, she snarled slightly. 

"We need to find out where it is. I don't think this fool has enough gravitas to have a big operation going, but he's trying to cross Joe and that's enough to get him in the deep end of the shit. We need to take this trash back to Azra."

Willie nodded at the boss, peeled off some tape and wrapped it around the guy's mouth to keep him from squawking.

"We gonna put him in the back, or the trunk?" He asked almost sardonically as he heaved the man from the ground. "Fuck he's heavier than he looks." He wasn't really, it was a thing you said when something didn't carry well. Especially a person. Having not caried anyone other than a child before, Willie wasn't accustomed to the imbalance that a body had. Dead weight some people called it, but that's truly what it was. Just pockets of heavy weight hanging from the torso in awkward places making it impossible to balance easily.

Willie managed to get across the street and dropped the man gently into the trunk of the skylark. If for nothing else, it would be safer for he and Amira that way.

"So who is Azra?" He asked as he made his way around to the driver seat.

Dropping into the passenger seat, Amira peeled off her gray jacket and settled back as the car took off.

"Azra is a shortened name for Azrael- the archangel of death whose job it is to separate souls from their bodies. You see, when I formed my security company, the original purpose was to create what amounted to a paramilitary force that would protect drug-running operations from Los Angeles to Philadelphia. We were developing a force that would rival the US Army- mostly because it was organized and trained by one of the best soldiers the Army ever had. Anyway, the security company wasn't actually created to protect people, it was created to keep people away from product- and that force would absolutely separate body from soul if needed."

Amira smiled a bit, shaking her head.

"And it was working. We had 150 men in operation when everything fell in L.A. Most of them are probably still there- waiting for word on what's next."
 

Willie shook his head. "So you mean we're gonna kill this guy, ok fine, but where do I drive to?" He asked as he pulled away and started back toward the building where they had come from.

"Also, no offense meant here miss Dayan, but it sounds to me like things didn't work out all that well in Los Angeles. Maybe you try to do things a little different. Doing the same thing and expecting a different result is not always a good move."

He turned down one of the side streets instead of heading toward the larger main roads. Smaller police presence on these streets.

"So you really think your security company of 150 people could have taken on the U.S. Army then?" He asked, half curious as to how large the woman's ego really was.

There were a few moments that a cold wave of rage started to slowly creep through her- but that was quickly quelled by her conscience that sounded very much like Garrett's voice these days reminding her that "he doesn't know. He doesn't know any of it." So, she took a slow breath in and flexed the fingers of both hands. Azra was still a good ten minute ride away using the back streets, so there was time.

"There are things you should know. I had not planned on dumping all this on you on your first day out, but you have ambition. Ambition is good, but not without an understand of what is around you."

She set her jaw. There were no tears now, only concrete facts and hard truth. Azra still stood in L.A., and she knew the time was coming that she had to go back and take the helm again.

"Before I moved to New York, I worked for the most powerful mob leader on the West coast- a man named Tyki Mikk. He would tell you that I helped him build an empire that was untouchable, and it was. But the truth is that he made me into the person I am today; and it's because of him that i was able to build Azra Securities Incorporated in L.A. His organization, The Firm, was poised to go on strong for decades- even though Tyki had to step down due to health reasons; but there was a problem within that no one saw coming, and a war broke out that caused the entire organization to fall. I was away- here in New York- when everything happened. I was finalizing the purchase of the very building we are heading back to now, to expand Azra to the East coast. Spencer told me to stay here until it was safe. But that was the last time I heard from him, or anyone. Garrett was the one who came to New York when it was all over to tell me. Very nearly the entire family was gone."

Amira's eyes were on fire, thinking again of how everything went down; how it didn't have to, and how she should have been there.

"Spencer was the one that trained the Azra black force. He was a retired Lieutenant Colonel in the US Army, 160th Special Operations. He had a mind for tactics and operations like I've never seen. That's why he was perfect for the job. And now I have no idea how to replace him."

She stopped there. Knowing this man less than 24 hours, he had no reason to know of the personal relationship between she and Spencer. Everything professional for now. 

"So, it wasn't Azra that fell, it was the underpinnings of L.A.'s underworld. Broken trust. Everything up in smoke."

Glancing toward the trunk, she felt her blood boil.

"And that is why I cannot suffer this man the pleasure of living. Joseph Ligambi has been more than gracious in taking me into this organization since L.A. went down- I will not let what happened in L.A. happen here. Not on my watch. Not again."

Willie nodded as he listened. Making sure to keep his gaze forward. There was steel in the woman's voice. That meant one of two things. She was either angry, or sad. Maybe both.

Either way, the last thing she, or Willie, needed right now was someone to push her over the edge.

"Right, so no honor amongst thieves bit LA in the ass. But you survived and can learn from the mistakes that were made. Like you said, nobody saw it coming, so the only thing you can do going forward is see better."

He shrugged and turned down the street toward the building.

"We're almost here, I'll drop you off in front, then pull the car around and get this guy upstairs through the freight elevator. No reason for any fuss."

What he truly wanted to do was buy himself a minute or two to collect himself, and to see if he could flag down the doctor at some point. Amira was suffering from survivor's guilt, it was the same thing as people coming bcak from war when buddies didn't. The doc might not know that yet, but it would help.

"Oh, not upstairs. Take the car into the lower parking deck and tell Wendell that trunk is jammed. Use those words exactly. He'll show you where to take it. I'll meet you there."

She got out at the front of the building and grabbed her jacket, then headed inside. In the lobby, she reached over the reception desk and grabbed the phone. 

"Garrett, I have an unexpected session downstairs to deal wi- no, it's fine. Yes, he's with me- but only if he wants to be. He held himself well on the job. But I need to see Mr. Ligambi after. Would you have Jeanette or someone call over and let them know I'll be there in two hours? Ok. Thank you."

Hanging up, she glanced at the guards at the desk.

"I'm not in the building."

With that, she slipped onto the elevator and pressed the button for the garage level.

-----

"Oh, the trunk again?" 

Wendell smirked a bit and pointed toward the far end of the garage. 

"Take it all the way down there and hang a right where you see the sign that says 'Maintenance." Only, when you see the garage door that says maintenance, don't go in there. Keep to the right and it'll take you down one more level. Just drive through the plastic flaps and park anywhere. Oh, and you can go ahead and unload the cargo. She'll be ready to start as soon as she gets down there."

The look on the man's face implied that he'd seen this a few times, and that he was more than pleased he didn't have to do it this time. He gave William a half-assed salute as the car pulled past.

Willie's eyebrows furrowed, but he nodded and did as he was told. Leave it to New York to have building with parking garages three, four, sometimes even five levels below the building itself. Places like this had a tendency to echo, but they also scared the living shit out of people if they heard anything coming from inside.

He parked the car in the dim incandescnet lights, and stepped out to open the trunk. THe young man in there was still mostly a sleep. He seemed to jitter at the sound and the sudden rustle of his body being moved, but Willie just sat him on the ground against the wall and made sure to secure his hands behind his back. Willie shifted the man a bit so he was bathed in light, but anyone who wasn't almost directly next to him could be shadowy and unseen.

He then stepped back over to the trunk of the car, and reached in to grab the tire iron. Better to be safe then sorry, even if Amira came down with her blades, if that guy got up and managed to get away from her he'd get a good smack of iron that would knock him into next week. As he straightened up he felt the heavy weight of the pistol in his jacket, and stowed that away in the car before standing against the wall watching and waiting.

The heavy, metal door leading into the mostly empty room made a loud sound as it opened that bounced off the cinderblock walls. There was nothing much in the room but a drain in the middle, a rickety wooden table, a wooden ladder-back chair, and an old white cabinet. Amira came through the door and let it shut behind her. The jacket was gone, leaving her only in the black top and fitted pants, and the loaded leather corset and boots. As she walked toward Henry, propped against the wall, she smiled politely to William.

"You are welcome to stay if you like, but if you'd rather not, I certainly understand."

Bending down, Amira ran the back of her hand along the barely-conscious man's jawline. Her voice was warm and soft.

"Wake up, sweetheart. Naptime is over."

The man groaned and blinked. When his eyes focused enough that he recognized Amira, she hauled back and slapped him so hard that the sound cracked and echoed. 

"Now that we're back at my house, we can continue this conversation about Delaware. Are you really that stupid? How long have you been reselling Joe's product to Brooklyn?"

From somewhere, Henry got the bright idea to mouth off.

"Fuck you, bitch. I got nothin' to say to you."

With a smirk, Amira straddled the man's bound legs and sat down on them, then grabbed his hands and looked down.

"You've got the hands of a working man, Henry. You must be a hard worker- I can tell because your nails are terribly dirty."

There was a flash of bright silver steel, and a slender stiletto blade appeared in her right hand.

"With all that money you've been stealing from Mr. Ligambi, you really could go to a salon. But I'm going to do you a favor. I'll do your nails right now. We can have our own salon right here. I'll take care of these messy nails and we can chat."

Amira yanked his hands forward and gave him an overly-pleasant smile, then jammed the razor-sharp, thin blade into the fore-finger of his right hand. 

"Now, what were you saying about Brooklyn?"

The blood-curdling scream that echoed from the man was enough to make Willie decide he wasn't going to stay in this room. He nodded quickly, and stepped outside, shutting the door behind him. He strolled back over to the car, opened the trunk and put the tire iron back.

He took a long breath and went to the front to retrieve the gun as well, and put that back in his jacket. THen he stood there for a couple of minutes, just outside of the reach of the door. He didn't want to go back in, he was certain of that, but he also wasn't going to just leave her there.

"They should really put a phone down here." He mumbled out loud. It did make sense, at least to him. THat way if something went wrong, someone could get to the phone and call for help, or if they needed something, instead of sending someone all the way to the lobby to find it, they could just ring up. He nodded to himself and made a mental note to ask Wendell about that later.

For now, he made up his mind and moved the car back up one floor into the area he had found it originally. He re-traced his steps all the way back down to the bunker as he decided to call it, and stood outside the door, waiting patiently for his next orders. After all, he was meant to shadow Amira today, so he couldn't be too far out of reach. He took a shuddering breath as the thought of how many fingers that guy had left crossed his mind.

Unconsciously he flexed his hands.