Johnny had never seen Talia in such a panic, not even that time he beat a man to death with a stool in a bar full of people. It was like she had some sort of motherly connection with this girl who she had only just met a few hours earlier. 

"Hmm..." 

Johnny mumbled to himself as Talia shared a bag of chips with Samantha. You could see the relief on her face as soon as she saw that the girl was okay. 

"Let's get rid of your friends and get back to land." Talia said as she spun back to face him.

"Alright, but just so we are clear. They were not my friends. I didn't even know those guys! Really!"

Talia just shook her head and started walking back down towards the back of the boat, causing Johnny to shrug and turn to Samantha.

"This way I guess!" 

He motioned for Samantha to follow Talia and when she did he headed down after the two of them. 

One by one the three of them made it to the part of the boat that the bodies were on. Johnny made sure to place them out of sight but close enough to the gate that opened up. Was gonna be super easy for them... him to roll them off into the water. 

Talia handed the bag of chips back to Samantha, walked over to the gate and unlatched it. She then stepped a bit to the side. 

"Go ahead, roll them off."

Johnny looked in her direction. "Oh no, not this time. This time you help." It caused Talia to chuckle. She instead made her way back over to Samantha, grabbed the chips back out of her hand and nodded her head towards Johnny. 

"Go, help him."

Samantha looked over at Johnny then back at Talia. 

"Go!" She could hear the sigh of displease come out of the girl but she didn't fight it. Talia watched as she made her way over to him and watched as they both rolled the bodies off the boat. One by one until the last one dropped in the water. 

"Well done, now can we get out of here? I'd like to get home some time before the sun comes back up."

Talia could see a change in Samantha's body language to that comment. 

"Don't worry kid, you can stay with me until we figure something out."

"Yeah we can go, come on." 

Johnny turned and headed back up to the bridge, followed by Talia. He plunked his ass down in the chair in front of the wheel and spun it around to face Talia behind him.

"Oh, so... its pretty late. Think we should just go back to the club for now? Or dock it at Hudson's in the middle of the night?"

Talia made her thinking face, the one where her head tilted to the side like a confused dog. 

"Alright then Hudson's it is! Lets go!" Johnny yelled as the boat took off, not actually waiting for Talia to decide. 

There had been quite a ruckus upstairs. It was a long time before Mercury emerged from the kitchen trap door. The place looked like a disaster area! Whatever thugs had been here made a mess. Mercury went through the rest of the yacht club. There were destroyed priceless artwork, broken tables, chairs, just a virtual disaster. Mercury went to the office. Bullet holes were everywhere!

Something had to be done. She needed to get a crew in here immediately. She picked up the phone to call a crew in. As was par for this day, the cord had been cut. Disgusted by the condition, Mercury opened the trap door in the office and went beneath the club. She picked up the emergency phone handset and made a couple calls.

My relatives' Yacht Club has been destroyed. I need a large crew here. she said. I'm afraid to check the boathouse! Bring your guns. We will need to check it, she went on. She listened for a second. No, I haven't cleared the entire club yet, only the main floor. Come in through the servants door in the kitchen. I'll be there, she instructed. Bring as many as you can! Use the tunnel. It's safe. Mercury went on to explain where the entrance was. It was only one of two tunnels that ran underground and came up into the Yacht Club.

Mercury hung up the phone and went back upstairs. The tunnels were intentionally not connected. In fact, each tunnel went to a different location. The map showed 10. Mercury went to the kitchen, opened the trap door and waited for help to arrive. 

The Greek went to the Detroit Yacht Club to meet with a few guys that had issues with making payments to their bookie.  He was surprised to see the same woman that he passed by on several occasions.   He sat down at a table  as Stefano and Whispers sat at the bar.  They had a clear view of the entrance door and the back exit door and of course their boss.  Willie Martin, Thomas Carrell and Louie Johnson all walked in.  These guys own a chain of hamburger and hot dog joints and a run down hotel that hosted a casino night every Friday to Sunday.   They ran into a problem when the house lost on five big spenders and the cops raided the place.  They had to bail all the customers out and the police precinct captain Avery McMann was being a prick and charging the maximum he could.   They borrowed from a local shark but the juice was to high per week and then the health department hit them with a serious fine and the repairs caused them to seek more help.  

This was the perfect storm and The Greek was there to rake in the benefits of their misfortune.  They told him there story and what they needed to keep the casino running and to pay off the bookie.  Then the they got a call from not on but three of their restaurant managers telling them that the health department was shutting them down until they are up to code.  They then changed the amount and The Greek face turned form friendly to pisst.  They begged and pleaded until he agreed to front them the cash.  He was going to get half the profits for the weekend casino and the hotel would house a few of his girls for daily entertainment.  The money from the restaurants he would take a ten points from after all they needed to eat and the Juice for him was $150 a week.  They agreed and he promised that the police was no longer a matter.   

Mercury had managed to put together a meager staff while the repairs were being made. Some gentlemen came in and began discussing business. Since this had nothing to do with Mercury, she ordered her staff to tend to their needs only but to otherwise stay away. Privacy was assured here. As long as you weren't targeting the Yacht Club all was fine.

Mercury noticed that the gentleman in charge was someone she had seen in passing several times. She had never approached him however she was on her own turf at her Yacht Club. She went up to him.

Sorry for intruding but we have special services here. Should you ever need a yacht, extras, or a "secluded vacation" just let me know and I will take care you you. In the meantime, enjoy your visit she said to him. Mercury slipped him a card with the Yach Club's information and disappeared into her office.

He leaned back in his chair and could not believe that she didn't remember him.  He wondered just how many men does she go around punching in the nose when she wakes up.  Ms. Mercury was a woman that he was going to either avoid or become good friends with if she doesn't kill him first.  He looked at the card she gave him and smiled as he realized that he had not been on a boat in a few years.   He loved the water and renting a yacht would be great if she would join him for dinner and conversation.  He loved her yacht club and would love to be a member if she was still taking memberships. 

He looked at the three men that were there as they stood to leave and follow Stefano so they could get the cash and sign the paperwork.  Unlike most mobsters The Greek was different he wanted documentation and to show his earnings.

Mercury had stormed out of Athans and promptly hailed a cab. She was furious. She knew The-Greek had drugged her! She hoped she broke his nose! Helping her! Yeah, right!

Take me to the docks she told the driver.She was going to her office to make some calls. She needed protection!. As she arrived at the docks she noticed a car come to a stop just before the entrance. She went inside the rental office and looked out the window. There were two goons whom she had seen at Athans sitting there watching the office. Dammit!!

I need a speedboat. The fastest one you have! she instructed the man. She paid for four days. Do you have a back door? she asked? The guy at the counter looked at her like she was crazy. Well, she may as well act it then.

I SAID DO YOU HAVE A BACK DOOR? she said thoroughly annoyed.

That got his attention! He pointed towards the back. As Mercury went around the corner she took out her gun and pointed it at  the desk jockey's head. If you tell anyone what I have rented or where I went I will return and kill you. I better not be followed! He put his hands up and nodded. Mercury thought about killing him right then and there. Against her better judgment, she went out the back. She crept along in the shadows and found the boat. She fired it up and took off. She headed up the coast several miles before heading out into the lake. She went another several miles and turned to run parallel along the shore. Using Belle Island as a cover, she pulled up to the boathouse on the far side of her island. She had arrived at her Yacht Club. It was a wreck! Whoever had destroyed the inside had also destroyed the boathouse.

Mercury took the tunnel from the boathouse to the Yacht Club. She popped up into the bar and looked around. It was clear. She heard noises in the diningroom and went to investigate. It was several members of her family. I'm afraid we need more guys, she said to them. There is a menacing character in Detroit that has drugged me and had me followed. Someone call Philly. Lets protect this island! she said to them.

I'm still light headed. I'll be resting upstairs for a bit. she said to them. Them men got going. One went to the phone and several others went to do a perimeter check.She was safe, for now.

After getting her Tribal Orchid tattoo touched up and getting a new Tribal Butterfly tattoo by the talented artist Taiga who owns the Sinsana Tattoo Parlor, Mercury hailed a cab and had the driver drop her off at the docks. She would take one of the tunnels to the Yacht Club. She emerged from the tunnel into her office. 

Michael was waiting for her. There has been more bloodshed tonight, he told her. In town. We weren't involved. It seems someone has gotten bigger than their shoes and is requesting executions. So far, we have stayed clear however word is his sights are on you.

Mercury let that sink in. She was pretty sure she knew who Michael was referring to. This is not the first time, Michael. Whatever rumors they are spreading about me are lies. It's their motus operandi.  They throw about their lies hoping one will stick. Thanks for letting me know. Lets stay vigilant, she said.

I need some rest, she told him. That was a long session today! I'll be in my apartment if you need anything. If anything comes up, wake me, she said. 

Mercury went to her apartment for a much needed rest. The tattoos were sensitive. She tossed and turned all night.

After experiencing an extremely mediocre bar, Mercury made the rounds and collected the vig from the various shops. After the economy collapse a few years ago she did not trust banks.  Not even your friendly local neighborhood laundering bank could be trusted. She took her take back to the Detroit Yacht club and placed it in the cash safe. Mercury had a series of safes for various items.

Mercury went to the docs and inspected the new drug running boats she ordered. They were brand new and beautiful. Mercury was shocked to see that her Catamaran had been delivered too. Mercury loved to sail. Especially Catamarans when there were white caps on the lake. Mercury knew what she would be doing the rest of the day. She ran inside and changed then ran back to the boat. She hadn't been this excited in years.

Mercury hopped on the Catamaran, raised the sail, trimmed it and sailed off. The fresh air was exhilarating. She glided across the water and a fairly good clip. She was watching the waves thoroughly enjoying the freedom.

What Mercury didn't notice was Michael and a couple security guards running towards the boathouse waving their arms as she left. They didn't want her out on the water by herself especially since she left without a lifejacket. 

Mercury spent a good three hours out on the water. When the sun began to set she reluctantly returned to the docks. Michael gave her grief for leaving by herself. She shrugged him off and went inside. She was hungry!

Hamilton sat at a table looking out at the lake, he was thinking about some of the people he knew and some of the people he was conducting business with.  He liked the money he was making and he liked having the problem of cleaning it so the government wouldn't come after him for tax evasion.  His order of pork chops and rice and steamed asparagus with beer.   He finished his meal and continued to look out the window at the water again.  The sun was out with a cool breeze.  

Among Sana's more extravagant and unreasonable impulse buys was the small yacht she was currently perched upon, the tiny boat swaying back and forth as the waves underneath her continued its steady ebb and flow. She drunkenly bought it off someone she played poker with in Vegas, and she'd been finding herself spending more and more time enjoying her time in solitude as she listened to the birds above her and the waves below her. The woman had a beer in one hand and a cigarette on the other as she leaned against the railing and watched the Detroit sun slowly disappear. The sunset today had a fiery quality to it -- painting the skies in brilliant colors of orange and yellow with almost delibate strokes and undercurrents of pink and purple running through it. Watching it felt like a dream... in fact this whole life felt like a dream, actually.

A twenty-something year old woman who was running around being a mafia boss -- buying all the yachts, jewels, and shiny things that one can dream of? Practically unheard of. She never planned on getting this far... Sana wanted to get in and get out with the information she needed about her missing sister and that should have been the end of story. She didn't know at what point things got so... complicated... but now her priorities have shifted and the family she has chosen in Chicago has come to weigh as much as the family she had by blood -- perhaps even more.

It wasn't that she was blinded by the riches and the luxury; no, those were just glittery little cherries on top. What made her want to stay was the fact that she was finally able to find something she was unquestionably good at and something that came to her naturally. She didn't have to try hard to fit in -- in this world, no one really did. In this business, everyone was just a misfit... a bunch of moral abominations who managed to find each other and fuck shit up. And Sana had tried long and hard to deny to herself that she was one of them, however the glaring fact that she was doing so well makes it difficult for her to remain on her high horse. At the end of the day, she had to come to terms with who she was now... or perhaps who she's always been.

And as the sun fully set and darkness took hold of the Motor City, it was now that -- it was the end of the day. Sana took a long swig of her drink and silently toasted to the person she used to be. May she rest in peace.

Hamilton was now making money and wanted something that showed that he was wealthy but also he wanted something that he dreamed of and loved doing.  As he sat at the Detroit Yacht Club he thought why not buy a yacht and become a member.   He loved the water and being a ships captain was always a dream.  To own a yacht big enough to have private parties and to enjoy during the summer and fall this would be the right purchase for him.  He wanted it to have six private bedrooms and a large galley and dinning area to include service quarters and a bar room.   

The metal of his brand new yacht was hot to the touch on this rather warm afternoon but due to a deadly combination of excitement and superiority complex Schedar held on to the heated up vehicle much to his hands dismay. It took only two seconds to realize his mistake but at this point it was far too late and the first degree burns had already set in-- which meant that the extreme pain was only moments from taking place, but a man who had to keep up appearances could not allow anyone to notice.

While his eyes welled up with tears, the once proud man smiled and laughed loudly even though no one was in the vicinity. You never knew when mobsters were lurking about, or worse, the feds. One sign of weakness and you could be out on your ass and the fancy things like yachts and pheasants would be a thing of the past. Speaking of which, his horde of pheasants he had in the caboose of this place were making quite the stir with all of their squawking.

"QUIET! YOU FUCKING BIRDS! STOP NOW!", while that was probably a bit of an overreaction to what was happening this was his only available outlet to let the pain subside. Yelling was the only thing that made it feel better, especially to creatures as stupid as these little birds that couldn't even understand that he was angry.

"My yacht party is only hours away and you're all RUINING IT!"

Getting out his signature pheasant basher which was essentially just a shovel with the words "DEAD BIRDS" affixed on its handle, he silenced all of them in only a few moments. It was quick and painless, but the feathers everywhere would have you believing that it was a terrible battle. It wasn't, as Schedar was a bit of a master when it came to such things.

Two Hours Later

"Everything is finished. The food is slowly simmering in the oven, and the streamers and banners have been placed all over my rather expensive yacht. I've invited everybody that I know, and I am sure they'll all arrive promptly. This will be wonderful!", he spoke to absolutely no one although that did not deter his large smile.

This would be an exciting evening for everyone in Detroit that would come and he was certain that it would bring hundreds of guests, but just in case it didn't he also made sure to call Cassi to make sure that at least one person arrived. Only giving everyone a three hour window of notice could be a mistake... or the greatest idea he has ever had.

Four Hours Later

No, no... it was a mistake. This was going terribly.

Sal always liked the sea, when he was a young boy from Italy, he and his father always went on the sea for fishing. Ever since he was amazed of the ocean and creatures living in it. Now when he was raised in the dreamland he made some had opportunity to get some decent money and he always liked a thought of how he would have his boat. Now he heard about this Yacht Club and he got curious. He drove to the yacht club and walked in. It looked very nicely decorated inside. He approached the counter and saw a young beautiful woman sitting behind the desk. He apologized and asked about the club. It turned out that you have to have a membership card in order to get a licence and so on. Sal nodded to the woman and asked about the membership card. She smiled to him and gave him few documents to fill up. Sal got his pen out and started to write things down. When he finished he gave them to the woman. She eoverlooked everything and said that it will cost him some money to get that membership card. Sal took out his fat wallet and counted the money on the counter. Woman checked the payment and then wrote him a check. Sal now asked about yachts, do they sell those aswell or only a renting. Woman said that if you got the money, then sure you can always buy one. Sal said he would like to see those yachts if they had any nearby. Beautiful young woman smiled and stood up. She asked Sal to come with her. They walked to this big hangar and Sal saw huge amount of different kinds of yachts. He looked around a bit and got to like one special yacht. He asked the price and woman told him. It wasnt much and Sal liked it. Sal said he will think about it and will get in touch with them. Woman said ok and they walked back outside. Sal thanker her politely for kind tour and the membership card.