Vince, Gino and Sal were sitting at the table, they were counting their haul from the last big score.  In front of them was a table scattered with bills and more than a few pricey pieces of jewlery.    Their driver, Carlo had gone to get rid of the getaway car. 

Vince and the others had been passing around a flask, and counting the loot, making small talk and discussing how everyone had done on the score and who needed to be watched, and who had earned more than their fair share.  Vince didn't think about the fact that one of their number was missing.  One of the boys had disappeared during the crime.  When they found him, if they found him, they would settle up with Geo.  At best he would end up in the hospital.  At worst he would take a swim.  And at the moment Vince wasn't ready to give his opinion one way or the other.  He knew Mr Steele would ask, he always did.  And he always considered what his men said, whether he did what they thought he should was often another story, but he took what they had to say into consideration.

Geo had been responsible for clearing the getaway route, and they had been forced to rely on a secondary route, and a scatterpoint but they had managed to get away clean despite Geo's absence.  Vince sort of hoped he'd been pinched, that, at least would save him some more grief. 

Vince looked up from the stack he was counting.  He wasn't quite sure what had caught his attention.  He held up a hand for silence and listened again.  After a moment, when he was satisfied that what he had heard was his imagination, he went back to counting.

After a few minutes Vince looked up again, he knew he had heard something.  But it was far too late.  He was reaching for his gun when the first shots rang out.  Tommy gun fire stitched across the far wall, but he was on the floor.  His gun out he looked around.  The door flew off its hinges and Geo and four other men came in.  Geo looked right at him, weilding a Tommy with both hands.  "Stay down Vinnie, I don't want to kill you." 

Vince raised his gun to shoot but a sharp pain stole his breath.  Two more firey pains followed soon after.  Vince heard shots exchanged from both sides, the heavy rat-tat-tat of the tommy and the sharp bang of the handguns.  Just when he thought it was all over, he'd already seen Gino and Sal fall in a spray of gunfire, he heard two loud shots, they had to be a rife or a shotgun.  The heavy Racking noise proved it was the latter.  Geo and the others fled, Two men going down with buckshot in thier chests, and at least one more bleeding.  Vince squinted up at the form that stood over him holding a shotgun.  It was Carlo, he'd gone to get rid of the car, and must have come back to get his cut. 

Carlo helped vince to his feet.  He Put an arm over his shoulder and helped Vince out of the building.  Carlo had one hand clamped firmly against the hole in Vince's side, trying to staunch the blood.  He helped Vince into the car.  "I'm sorry it took so long."  He nodded to the cars pulling up. "But I had to get help." 

He saw the large men in dark coats carrying guns pour out of the cars, they were swarming the building.  Carlo hurried him into the car.  On the back seat a coat was waiting.  He slid it over his bloody clothes.  "I was told to take you to an old friend of yours."  He's been told to expect you."

****

A phone rang in The Captain's back room.  A phone that rarely ever rang.  It was a line that only particular privileged people had the number to. 

The Captain picked it up cautiously. Whatever it was couldn't be good.  The voice that spoke was familiar.  "Captain, Vince is in some trouble.  Have a doctor you trust on hand.  He will tell you who to go after.  Use only men that you trust."

The line went dead without any more explanation.  Ten minutes later a packard pulled up outside his shop and two men got out, Vince, and a man who helped him out of the car.  The other man was clutching a shotgun with the air of a man who knew how to use it, and by the blood and grime on his clothes, he had.  He pointed the Gun at the TheCaptain.  "You had better be a friend of his."  The glare that Carlo gave was steady. "Vince needs a doctor."

A womans voice called from the other side of the open door.

Get him in here, now-

Seraphina pushed Antonio aside and rolled her eyes.

Guns down, for Christs sake, there have been enough bullets for one afternoon!

One look at Vince and she knew time was short. She flew down the front step and supported Vince opposite Carlo.

There's a table ready for him just inside. Hurry.

Within minutes, they had Vince laid out on a steel table and Seraphina had cut his shirt away. The wound to his side was the worst, but the other two near his chest weren't great either. She immediately packed those with gauze and instructed Carlo to keep gentle pressure there. As she reached for a thin pair of forceps, she spoke to Antonio in a rapid Italian tongue. Antonio turned and took a leather strap from a drawer and stepped toward Vince's head. Seraphina glanced up at Vince with kind, concerned eyes.

This is going to hurt, and you've lost far too much blood to risk giving you whiskey. I'll work as fast as I can, ok?

"Carlo, la fido di"  Vince spoke in a whisper, nodding his head to affirm his assent.  "I trust her.  TheCaptain doesn't keep people around he doesn't trust, and he knows."  Vince clenched his teeth against the pain.  "It's his head in the noose."

Vince bit down on the strap provided and did his best not to scream.  Carlo, meanwhile set his gun aside and helped out as needed, whether it was holding vince down when he bucked away from the pain, or holding a light so that she could see the wound better, Carlo did everything he was asked to.

Vince lay on his back with his eyes closed, leather strap clenched in his mouth, saying his rosary as she dug for the slugs and stitched him up.  Only once did he have to ask her to stop, just for a minute so he could catch his breath.  Outside, TheCaptain paced as he waited for Vince. 

When she was done there was silence for a moment, as vince laid back and just tried to breathe.  "Sono per sempre nel vostro debito"  was the last thing he said before he passed out.

She shakes her head with a gentle smile as she uses a clean rag to clean the blood away.

Non e necessario, vi sono famiglia. Voi adesso.

Finally, she turns and washes the blood from her own hands. Stepping out into the hallway, she approaches TheCaptain.

I know you want answers, but he needs rest. I can stay to make sure he doesn't get worse.

Vince woke up sometime later, not quite sure where he was.  Carlo sat, back to the door, gun resting against his shoulder, sound asleep.  And vince, Vince felt like he had been swallowing glass.  It hurt to breathe too deeply, but he found that if he was careful he could sit up.   He rearranged himself until he was in a relatively comfortable sitting position.  The noise must have awakend Carlo because he rested the gun against the wall and came to help him brace his back against the wall.  He handed him a glass of water and helped him drink before speaking farther. 

"We've been here most of the day." Carlo answered before Vince had a chance to ask.  "One of TheCaptain's friends patched you up."

Vince nodded but it wasn't until Seraphina came back in that he spoke again.  "Geo looked right at me and told me to stay down.  mr. Steele won't be happy."  Vince adjusted his position. "He isn't one to take a betrayal lightly.  The last time something like this happened, the cops found nearly a dozen bodies over two days." 

Vince sighed.  "It would be a good idea to send some people over to the ninth-street warehouse to see if any of his guys made it out alive. " He searched for the Saint Christopher he wore, nearly panicked when he didn't find it until Carlo held it up. 

"It was in the way  So i kept it for you."  HE smiled as he handed it back.  "I would never take it to keep.  You know that.  I know how important it is to you."

"Geo, if he made it, he knows the rest of the plan too."  Vince said.  "I'm not worried about my Godfather, He'll come out ok, he always does, but...

Stepping closer, Seraphina puts a gentle hand on Vince's shoulder.

If you keep shuffling around like that, you are going to tear out those pretty little stitches of mine.

She lifts the blanket just enough to inspect the stitches, then replaces it, satisfied that they are still in tact.

Its good to see you awake. Now, tell me what I can do to help.

Vince smiled.  "You can help me kill these bastards."  He smiled grimly.  "My Godfather, Mr Steele, won't settle for just teaching them a lesson.  They hurt some of his family. He'll want blood.  But right now, we need to check and see how many of us made it out alive.  There is a rally point on seventh. .  The little Diner. They will be sitting under the picture of Kittie, if they ask what happened, thell them Geo fell from grace, and that they should either join up or lay low.  Some of them have family to protect." 

Vince dug into his pocket a moment and came out with a golden double eagle coin.  "If they need proof you are with us, show them that." 

She takes the coin in her hand and nods slowly. Standing, she reaches for her coat. Carlo also stands and reaches for his holster, but Seraphina stops him.

No, I need you to stay here and make sure he rests. Besides, if anyone is looking for him, they may see us together and get the idea. I have to go to the drug store anyway, no one will suspect me alone.

She gives Vince a stern, but still caring look.

Hold still. Capice?

Before he can reply, she disappears out into the late afternoon.

"Si lo capice."  he smiled.  "They are likely to be scared, so be careful.  Sometimes they shoot first and ask questions later." 

Vince leaned himself back and let sleep overtake him.  He wasn't sure how long he had slept but he awoke to the sound of voices, some of them in italian, some in English.  And at least one was almost hysterical.  Vince blinked open his eyes, trying to make the world focus around him.  Carlo came to his side and helped him up.  "I gotta take a piss."

"First door."  Carlo said.  "I draw the line at doctoring, Sir."  He smiled. 

Vince tottered to the door.  Held himself up on the frame a moment and then went inside.  To be honest everything hurt, but standing for the first time actually felt better than lying down did.  The pain had dulled to more of a dull throb, with sharp stabs if he reached too hard. 

È pazzo. È andato assolutamente pazzo."  The voice was familar.  Vince wondered if the crazy man was his Godfather.  Something like this would send him through the roof.  "La polizia sta pulendo tutto il giorno i corpi."  The voice stopped for what sounded like a puff on a cigarette before continuing slightly calmer.  "He killed all of them.  All of the ones that survived and didn't get away before his boys came.  And they didn't die well.  They are calling him 'Il macellaio"

Vince finally managed to make his way out of the back room.  The rest of the guys on the heist were there.  He noticed that they were a few short.  "How many?"

"Five."  Carlo said bringing Vince a chair.  "You shouldn't be standing, it puts too much pressure on that wound."  He helps Vince sit, and waits until he has settled himself.  "Your Godfather went mental, or so the police say.  Your Godfather, He's a good man, but this, this is torture.  He torched the warehouse with the other shooters, living and dead, inside.  Geo hasn't been found though." 

Vince cursed roundly.  "And then he started in on Geo's friends and contacts.?"

Carlo nodded. "Yeah, he's pretty worked up.  Better now that he knows you are ok."  Carlo nodded at one of the others, "Little Luigi here told him that he saw me take you away.  So he knew you weren't in the place wen it went up, but he lost two of his own guys for that."

Vince nodded.  It was rare for Steele to be in this mood.  "We have to find your Brother, We have to do it before Steele does.  There isn't a safehouse deep enough to hide him if my Godfather wants to go after him."

"You'd do it if he told you to."  There was no accusation, just a calm knowledge.  "If I had to, yes.  If I thought you posed a threat to me, or our family, yes.  Just because his sense of honor tells him so, no."

Car wheels screeched outside and four doors slamned shut. A moment later someone knocked on the door. A guard opened it to reveal four guys. Three in black suits and longcoats and another in a grey suit. They walked in and the one in charge, grey suit, shooke hands with a couple of people and nodded to others. He then walked over to Vince and Carlo.

"Geez, they really banged you up kid." Johnny helped Carlo take Vince to the bathroom. They waited outside the door until he was done.

When Vince came out they helped him to a chair and slowly lowered him into it. Johnny then sat in another chair and lit a cig offering one to both Vince and Carlo.

"So what happened exactly, the Godfather told me to get my guys and come here. And where's The Captain?"

Vince settled himself back in the chair and relaxed with the cigarette.  His own pack had gotten wet in the shootout. 

"Geo went rogue.  Killed most of the crew, My Godfather, Mr Steele, He's-- he's a little insane."  Vince shrugged carefully.  "He knows they hurt me, and killed a couple of his guys.  You know he is with his people, they are all family to him.  He's a little unhinged.  As to Geo.  I don't know.  I was ready to give the little shit a second chance until he looked down at me and told me to stay down while he killed my friends."  Vince swallowed hard and tried not to choke on the lump in his throat. 

"The Captain, He's here somewhere.  He would never turn away a friend, and doubly so someone who is family to Steele.  But he does have a business to run, so it does not surprise me I haven't seen him.  He will show up.  He's never let my family down."

"Geo got away alive.  And he knows a lot about our job.  But the first person we need to get is Johnny, Johnny vouched for Geo.  But the kid couldn't have known and I'm not just going to let my Godfather kill him without so much as a 'beg pardon'."

"What is this kid to you, He's not blood or marriage to you."

"Almost.  Carlo here was supposed to marry my cousin Lilly who died in the war.  Johnny is his brother.  And I know how matters of honor go. Carlo promised Cousin Lilly that he would protect me.  But its his brother..."

Carlo put his hand on Vince's shoulder to still him.  "You men don't have to worry about me.  I won't hurt Vince no matter what."

"Well, Johnny may be a lost cause."  The man whom vince didn't know spoke quickly when he saw the twin glares leveled at him by both Carlo and Vince.   "What I mean is We know that Geo survived.  And he survived because while we were all on the heist, he was reporting to the feds."

The Captain, having gotten impatient waiting for Vince to get patched up, decided to do a little intel. On foot, he headed into the dark alleys of the city he knew. The places that nobody wanted to know about, and that everybody pretended didn't exist. He greased a lot of palms and called in a lot of favors trying to find something about this "Geo", and nobody seemed to be able to vouch for him. If he was involved in the criminal underworld, he must have kept very low.

Heading back to Vince, he finds that he's been patched up and is alive, and is very relieved to see it. He pats him on the shoulder and shakes his head.

"Sorry about the wait, brother. The Captain had some...'errands' to run. He's been looking around for any info on Geo. Couldn't find anything, this guy's totally of the radar. You find out anything while The Captain was gone?"