The Shrike had just left his HQ in Detroit, On the steps he adjusted his shades
while he looked up at the blue sky,
He sighed as he knew it was going to be another stinking hot day.

"Where is the rain?" he muttered heading towards his apartment,

As he walked down the alleyway he took to get back and forth between HQ and his apartment,
He noticed a large, solid looking man looking suspicious with his arms folded, he stood beside a dumpster,

He stood a foot taller than The Shrike and was about twice the size, he had arms like tree trunks,

He wore a gold necklace and a gray shirt and had a holstered pistol on his belt,
he made no effort to conceal his weapon, he was either a cop or thug full of himself.

I'd hate to get on the wrong side of him, he thought as the man dabbed the sweat off his head with a cloth.

The Shrike continued down the alleyway getting halfway before two men stepped out in front of him and
blocked his path. The one closest to him was a chubby middle aged balding man, who wore a golfing cap,
and the other looked as though the chubby one had been eating all his meals, he was thin,
and his face formed a "skull grin" as if he was sucking on his cheeks. The two looked inexperienced
but were carrying some pretty heavy weaponry. The chubby one had a Tommy gun and the smaller one
was carrying a shotgun.

The Shrike didn't hesitate to ask "I guess the brute's with you then?".

The chubby one chuckled, and the second one was delayed but soon followed in the laughing.

That just proved his first thoughts of their inexperienced. "Laughing in sync?..that's just sad."

The smaller one lifted up the shotgun, "Don't blow yourself away there buddy, it's a bit big for a man of your...caliber"

The Shrike smiled slowly, "So what is it the two of you want?"

The chubby one began to look serious, "Well we could start with your gun and wallet,

but the main reason we are here is because you keep shaking down Uncle Paulie for protection money,

Well we are his protection now, and we get our first payment when we rid him of you."

The smaller one flinched as he was about to pull the trigger giving me time to dive to the floor,the shots went over head.
As The Shrike got up from the floor and ran towards the brute,

The Shrike looked back to see the chubby one make the  skinny one lower his gun while saying, "You just chose the hardway out, Enjoy."

The brute crackled his knuckles and walked towards me, As The Shrike threw a punch towards his face he caught

his fist and began to squeeze tightly, "Ah shit!" The Shrike yelled.

The Shrike used his free hand to grab his necklace and pulled his head lower down to me, The Shrike head butted him square in the jaw, He released The Shrike's hand so The Shrike grabbed his head and slammed it into the dumpster.

The Shrike ran around the corner heard mumbles, The other two were close, He thought: "would they have the guts to take

shots at me on the main road in broad dayli-"*bang* "yep, now its started."

Several bullets flew passed, and as The Shrike looked around for a place to duck into, The Shrike found one another alley,

As The Shrike ran for an alley more bullets flew passed me one clipped me in the knee sending me skidding along the concrete road,

As The Shrike slowly raised his head The Shrike un-holstered his revolver and began firing shots, first shot miss, second hit the skinny one but didn't slow him down, third nothing...fourth hit, fifth hit, Skinny man down,

firing again the bullet it hit the chubby man's left arm. *Click* *Click* *Click*

Out of ammo and no time to reload The Shrike decided not to try crawl away like a coward if death, was coming let it come,

He was close and he had his gun but he wasn't firing, holding his gun in one arm he yelled out,

"For Cousin Jerry" Lifting his gun in the air.

He pulled out a baton and dropped his gun while he began trying to beat The Shrike,

blocking all he could with his arms still wasn't enough, one eye swollen and the lens and frame of his shades were broken, The Shrike grabbed hold of the baton and threw the middle-aged man over him with the help of his good leg, as the man stood back to pick up his gun as he smiled waiting for The Shrike to say something,

He just lay in the puddle of his own blood looking up at the blue sky of Detroit,
He thought he wouldn't mind one more day walking around in this blazing heat.

He lifted his head slowly, in a daze he smiled and lifted his empty gun and pointed it at the middle aged man's head while pulling the trigger hearing the *click* he said "BANG!" while smiling. He heard the screech of tires.

*BANG* He felt his body shudder, But as he saw blood splash out from between the chubby man's eyes as he fell to the ground
He was unsure to what exactly had happened. The Shrike rested his head on the solid concrete ground
and closed his eyes, Someone saved him..But who? and more importantly why?

Valdemar closed the car door softly before turning to the scene that lay before him. Walking over to Shrike, keeping care to step over the body of his most recent kill, he grabbed Shrike's collar and hauled him up. Allowing Shrike time to catch his breath, Valdemar walked over the other man that Shrike had taken down.

"Ach...Naar. So...you now have chance to choose way of death, ja?"." He rumbled and pressed the business end of his gun at the dying man's stomach. Pressing harder and receiving an answering whimper in reply, he continued "Long pain or short pain."

The young man managed only a gurgle so Vlademar grabbed his head and pulled it upward none to gently.

"Beantworten Sie mich!! Tell me who ordered hit!" Coughing, the man managed to spit out some blood at Valdemar which was quickly answered with a shot to the stomach.

"Die than, narr!" Snarling, Valdemar threw the near dead man to the ground and walked back over to Shrike who was rummaging through the other man's pockets.

"So...what happen Shrike?"

"Just some local scum trying to take some ground for their own."

Looks down towards the alleyway, "there should be one more knocked out or dazed by that alleyway" points in the direction

"I would have a look myself, but i'm in no conditon, Thank you Valdemar." he smiles

Looking down the alley Valdemar shakes his head. "Done. His blood wets...earth."

"Local...scum? Cowards!" Giving the dead gangster a hard kick to prove his point."Let me know if they...get Hochnäsig."

Giving out a great booming laugh, Valdemar holsters his gun and walks toward the car. Stopping, he looks back-

"Hey, you owe me drink now." Holding up his hand to forestall any argument Valdemar pointed to his gun. "My bullets cost money....only fair Freund."

smiles "My life is only worth ONE drink? I think I owe you more than that."

sits in the car and wraps his knee up in his jacket, "I'm definitely NOT bleeding in your car"

"Alright, First round is all on me, You name the time and the place"

"Hell we might as well go now!" smiles