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It had taken 2 days to drive to Baltimore, sleeping in Dragon's car wasn't very comfortable. They couldn't have flown due to the rifle Dragon had stashed in the storage of the car. Dragon hadn't really said much to Sal, his mind seemed elsewhere, preoccupied. Sal didn't mind very much, it gave him time to put thought into the situation.
These guys who had stolen from them were from a different organisation, but they were not Made guys. If anything happened to them one of two things could happen, The Grazzio Crime family could come to Chicago questioining why they were killed, and if the reason suited they would drop the matter. Or worse, they could see it as an attack upon their city and war Chicago.
Sal had never seen a mobster war, he had heard of alot of people dying before. Whenever he hinted the subject to Dragon, Dragon would just reply "Wars are bad for buisness."
"We are meeting a contact of mine in Baltimore, she has set up a place for us to stay for a few days while we get this sorted."
Dragon spoke for the first time in 2 hours, the radio was set at a light murmur in the background. Dragon didn't take his eyes off the road as he spoke.
"We will get this sorted, and get back to Chicago as soon as possible. I don't like the sound of this Grazzio Crime family."
They finally arrived in Baltimore, it look ran down. The economy wasn't thriving. They pulled up outside a set of flats in the slums, waiting outside in a tidy suit was a quite attractive woman, she was wearing glasses, she looked very buisnesslike.
Dragon parked and got out, Sal knew to follow suit. Dragon approached the woman with open arms and embraced her in a formal hug, letting out a sigh of relif from being off of the road at last.
"Sal, I would like you to meet Melis "Rattlesnake" Soza, a very close friend of mine. You can call her Mrs Rattlesnake."
Sal nodded his head alittle at Rattlesnake, he wondered how she got the name "Rattlesnake".
"Nice to meet you Mrs Rattlesnake."
She nodded in return and began to speak to Dragon quietly as she guided him into the flats with one arm.
"So we know who the guys are, and where they are. The first is a Goomba named Tony Slazek, the second is a Wise Guy named Frankie Alazzi. They are currently down at the docks doing a drug deal, but they will be in a local Bar later tonight, not far from here."
She had lead Dragon and Sal into the flats by now and was opening up one of the doors. As it swung open, the smell of refuse and dust flowed out, this place hadn't been stayed in for awhile. Dragon walked in, rolling up his sleeves as he went, and drawing a cigarrette from his pocket.
"Thanks Melis, much appreciated. How's buisness in Chicago? I trust the brothel is running well?"
Dragon began lighting his cigarette as he spoke, covering his match so it didn't go out made his words slightly muffled.
"Yeah, buisness is booming back in Chicago."
Rattlesnake replied polietly, she knew that Dragon's mind was elsewhere and whatever she replied he wouldn't take in anyway. Dragon walked over to the window and exhaled the first drag off his newly lit cigarette. Rattlesnake nodded at Sal as she passed and left, she muttered something under her breath as she passed him.
"So, you're his new little Protoge..."
A few minutes later Dragon told Sal to go get his Rifle from the trunk and bring it upstairs. He spent next few hours of the afternoon cleaning and preparing his old rifle in a seperate bedroom to Sal, he had asked to be left alone.
Dragon finally came out of the other room, holding the nearly brand new looking rifle. His sleeves were rolled up and he had dirt under his finger nails from cleaning the weapon. He stood in the doorway to the room and stared at Sal, obviously pondering what to say to him.
"You have never done anything like this before, and let me tell you this. It will not be easy, but I know what you are capable of kid. I'm going to take the Wise Guy, you are going to take the Goomba, we will hit them at the bar tonight. One thing I will say to you Sal, don't hesitate. If you hesitate even for a second, you could get both of us killed."
Dragon finished and the two sat in a silence for a few minutes. Sal was going to kill someone, not just anyone, another mafisoso. He couldn't fuck this up. Dragon leaned against the door frame and looked at Sal.
"You ok Kid? You have gone all pale."
Sal just nodded slighty and was quiet for the rest of the afternoon. |
