Toby sat on the balcony of his luxury condo, sipped his morning coffee from his “World’s Best Boss” mug, and watched the waves crash on the glistening sand of the beach. The warm air, kissed with salt, filled his nostrils with each breath and each exhale brought him closer to complete relaxation. Leaning back in his chair Toby closed his eyes and focused his attention on the rhythmic drumming of the waves. The soothing melodic sound was something Toby had never experience in his home town of Detroit, but was the first thing he found enjoyable when he came to Los Angeles for the first time.

The sounds of the ocean always came as a stark reminder of the fickle nature of life. No matter what you build in your life there is something always ready and willing to destroy it in an instant. When something is destroyed we must come together and rebuild from what remains. Toby sat in silent meditation rolling these ideas around in his mind trying to find the best course of action to complete his task at hand.

Toby’s concentration was broken when the sliding glass door opened behind him and SantoRubio stepped into the warm morning air. Clearing his throat SantoRubio spoke looking out across the water.

“BobbyZ just left the compound. He should be arriving within the hour sir. Should I prepare your office?” Toby waved his arm. “No, no. Not today. It is much too beautiful of a day to spend it inside. Bring him out here when he arrives, would you?” SantoRubio nodded quickly. “Of course, sir.” SantoRubio took another look out across the coastline before stepping back inside and closing the door behind him.

Toby smiled lightly to himself. Who would have thought that SantoRubio would be working as hired muscle for him. When he found him homeless on the streets after his old HQ was burned down nobody expected him to amount to much, but Toby found it difficult to have anyone else working his personal security these days. Toby hadn’t told SantoRubio about his plans for the future, but made no attempts to hide the inner workings of the organization from him.

Toby gripped his hands together tightly. BobbyZ on the other hand… that man was a wild one. BobbyZ used to be an enforcer but had since taken over as Toby’s consigliere when Dunder Mifflin was repurchased out East and went back into “legitimate” hands.  Even with all the bureaucracy, meetings, matching chinos and button downs, BobbyZ always retained the raging fire that made him a loyal soldier and a trusted confidant. It was time Toby sent him out on his own in order to expand the Paper Empire and solidify control over Los Angeles.

Toby heard the sounds of conversation, over his own thoughts, coming from inside. Turning his head to look Toby spots SantoRubio with arm outstretched towards the balcony and BobbyZ standing nearby. The two men quickly shook each others hand and parted ways. BobbyZ quickly strode to the door and slid the glass door open and stepped out into the sunlight.

“Ah, welcome BobbyZ. Thank you for taking some time out of your morning to sit and talk with me. Please sit, sit.” Toby motioned for him to sit in the chair opposite of him. After waiting a moment for him to take his seat Toby spoke once again. “My dear friend. You’ve been with me since we first made our way to this city. How things have changed since then! I never would have expected for us to be here. Like this.” Toby reached out and put his arm on BobbyZ’s shoulder. “The time has come for you to set up your own crew. I want you to be my man on the streets. Take control of LA as my captain and we will continue to rebuild this fine city to the greatness that it once knew.” Noticing the look of shock and awe on BobbyZ’s face Toby quickly lurched forward and rose to his feet prompting BobbyZ to get up as well. “Congratulations my friend. I picked up a real nice spot for you in the city, real cheap too. Hardly cost me a penny.” Toby smirked to himself. BobbyZ shook himself back into the moment. “Thank you boss! This is a real honor.. I-I don’t know what else to say.” Toby smiled and turned back towards the sliding glass door. “You don’t need to say anything to me. But you are expected to give a speech in front of your new office in an hour. Did Syn drive you over?” BobbyZ nodded. “Good. Why don’t you two head over ahead of me, so I can finish up some paperwork.” Toby lead BobbyZ through the interior of his house to the foyer where Syn and RubioSanto stood chatting quietly about men’s fashion. Toby bid farewell to both of them and shut the large redwood door behind them.

Letting out a deep sigh Toby turned to look at SantoRubio. “Well now that we’ve cleared all that up I need to take care of some things in my office.” Toby exited the foyer and entered a small hallway to the left of the front door. Small framed pictures of ancestors lined both sides of the wall leading to Toby’s office. He enjoyed being reminded of all those great people who came before him and paved the way for his success. At the end of the hall was a small redwood door with a polished gold handle.

As Toby pushed the door open the rich smell of paper filled his nostrils and the sounds of his grandfather clock quietly ticking . He quickly surveyed the room. It was smaller than most other rooms with a large mahogany desk situated in the center and a large bay window opposite the door. The desk was covered almost end to end with piles of charts, invoices and the occasional rolled up hundred dollar bill. Toby slowly made his way into the room gliding his hand across the edge of his desk and he rounded it to his chair. Toby paused to admire the craftsmanship of his chair before sitting down and sinking into the soft lambskin leather. Toby nearly had to beat a man to death to get this chair from the old Dunder Mifflin Annex before they condemned the building, again. Toby situated himself in the chair and began looking over his notes from the previous day.

“Ah okay. Let’s see what we’ve got here.” Toby picked up a larger packet of papers held together with a binder clip at the top. Toby slowly read the top of the first page, “National Savings and Loans.” Quickly skimming the information Toby picked out the important bits that required extra attention. “Account opened in the name of BobbyZ. Small business loan. Repayment over twenty years. Yadda, yadda. “Well that should cover the cost of renovating my condo at least.” Toby contemplated telling BobbyZ about the loan, but quickly pushed the idea out of his head. “I’m sure he’ll figure it out on his own eventually.” Toby dropped the papers back onto his desk next to the pile of invitations that came back undelivered and receipts from the Screen Actors Guild. “Well it wasn’t cheap, but I guess he deserves at least a few people there.” Toby glanced up at his clock and quickly dropped the receipts back onto his desk. He pushed himself away from the desk, stood up and quickly left down the hall to meet SantoRubio.

SantoRubio watched through the glass door from inside the condo. He watched Toby gesture to the chair beside him and BobbyZ took a seat. SantoRubio was unable hear what was being said behind the thick glass, but still admired the view. Toby had a bloody nice place. It is amazing what being the most powerful man in Los Angeles gets you.

SantoRubio had a fairly good idea what was going on today. It wasn't often that Toby invited people into his home, especially for something as small as a chat. When people were invited to his home it was usually as a group to discuss business. Even Toby’s lady friends seemed to attend in groups. Every Friday night SantoRubio would stand outside the large redwood front door and check women’s names off a list and hand them their complementary paper hat. Toby requested that all female visitors to his house wear one. The evenings in Los Angeles were usually nice and sunny, something he’d never experience before. On many occasions he would bring a chair and a bottle of whiskey, and would sip away the evening watching people moving about their lives while he listened to the loud cries of the birds above his head. He really preferred being able to wait outside. He never wanted to be part of Toby’s sex life... The man had some kinda weird paper thing going on. He was just glad that he didn't have to find the girls. That was someone else's problem. SantoRubio began to ponder how that conversation would even go. “I suppose people will do anything for money,” he thought to himself. Santo pulled himself back to reality. As he turned back and peered towards the balcony he saw Toby put his arm on BobbyZ’s shoulder.

SantoRubio could tell from the reports, that were left lying around carelessly in Toby’s private office, that things were going well for Dunder Mifflin. The accounts for the paper company were looking good. Demand was high and the price they were getting provided a nice profit. SantoRubio did not need to search out these documents. Toby was not the neatest and the task of keeping the office in order was left to him. The other side of the business was also going just as well. SantoRubio was present at many meetings behind closed doors that others weren't privy to. As Toby’s private protection he could usually be found standing nearby doing his best to pretend he isn’t listening, but his role had provided him with a unique opportunity to pick up quite a bit of information about his boss and his business dealings. He knew that Toby’s power in Los Angeles had grown to the point where he needed to expand his enterprise and distance himself from the streets to avoid any unnecessary trouble with the authorities, and someone to look after things for him. Santo had worked a few jobs with BobbyZ and knew that he was an excellent leader and sure was one tough fella. It must have been time for BobbyZ to takeover the role as captain within the city.

SantoRubio looked back outside and watched as BobbyZ and Toby continued their conversation. “Could be another while,” he thought to himself. “May as well get a drink.” Santo wandered down the down the hallway making sure to peek into the bedrooms as he passed to make sure none of Toby’s special guests from the night before were still around. It wasn't unheard of for him to find women wrapped in and blindfolded with sheets of paper and a small paper hat placed on their head after Toby’s antics. But what he did in his spare time was nobody’s business except for Toby and God. As his father always told him, “Sure, whatever you're into.” Thankfully the rooms were all empty, this time. As he reached the office at the end of the hall he pushed through the small redwood door with gold handle and slide inside.

In the corner of the small office sat beautiful wooden drinks cabinet. SantoRubio grabbed the decanter and poured himself a glass of whiskey. He took a sip. “Huh, Toby has the good stuff out for once.” As he drank his glass he noticed a pile of papers on Toby’s desk that had not been there when he last tidied. “Bloody pigsty this place is.” He strolled over and read the headings. “Invitations” SantoRubio smirked to himself as he noticed another pile of receipts from the Screen Actors Guild. Santo made his way out of the office and headed back towards the foyer. He sat down in one of the large leather seats situated around the house. He placed his drink on a small wooden table and slumped into the chair put his feet up on the wooden stool in front of him. At that point he heard a shout from another room. “Santo! Where are you?” Santo let out a defeated sighed. He never got a chance to relax. He stood and headed towards the the sound leaving his drink behind him. He heard his named called again as he made his way down the hall. As rounded the corner he spotted Syn. He was dressed in what looked like a brand new suit, and his shoes glistened in the light entering from the nearby windows as he walked. Before reaching SantoRubio he began speaking, “Is there any point in me coming in here?” Syn was well aware that SantoRubio was under strict orders never allowed Toby’s meetings to be watched. Santo just smirked and continued to walk past him prompting Syn to follow him. The two men made their way to the foyer and stood to the side of the entrance. “So tell me Syn where did you get the suit? I was thinking of getting a new one myself as I have some cash to burn.” Syn shot off into a tangent about suit styles,different materials and different tailors. Apparently Onikage was half decent. SantoRubio was only half listening when out of the corner of his eye he noticed Toby and BobbyZ approaching. As the pair reached SantoRubio he stepped back and allowed Toby to bid them farewell for now.

After closing the large redwood door Toby turned to him and mentioned that he had some work left to do in his office. He watched as Toby quickly made his way down the hall to his office. SantoRubio hastily made his way back to his whiskey glass from earlier then ran back to the foyer and began sipping. He thought he should have time to drink it now before Toby came back, but after only a few gentle sips the sound of approaching footsteps filled him with doubt. He downed what was left of his drink and placed the glass behind one of the many large plants that were present in the foyer. SantoRubio opened the door for toby as the two men made their way towards the car. SantoRubio grabbed a pair of large scissors that Toby had asked him to get earlier in the week. SantoRubio moved ahead of Toby and opened the door of the car for him. He then gently closed it behind him.

SantoRubio hopped into the driver's seat, turned the key in the ignition and threw the scissors on the seat beside him. “Good to go?” He turned around to wait for a reply but Toby just nodded. SantoRubio put the car in gear and pulled away quickly. A large thud was heard from the boot of the car. SantoRubio just looked in his rear view mirror and smirked at Toby. “Bloody spare tires. Eh boss?” Toby just shook his head and continued to stare out the window. SantoRubio turned his attention back to the road. He didn't have to ask where they were going. He had driven Toby there a number of times before. It wasn't too far away. SantoRubio’s thoughts were interrupted by his stomach grumbling. “Wonder if there will be any food at this thing, I hope so. We will all need some food and drink to get through the bloody speeches. Those things are bloody endless”.

Syn was standing next to his car getting ready for the part he was about play in the big mystery Toby has planned for the city. He was awaiting the end of the handshaking portion of a meeting called on very short notice at Toby’s personal condo. He had already exchanged friendly suit banter with SantoRubio and waited patiently by the front door. Syn had just gotten a new suit and was very excited to experience what it was like to be a sartorial conversation piece.

Syn removed a letter from his suit’s interior pocket and stared intently at the letter. The letter, printed on the highest quality paper known to man, contained only addresses and two separate times. The first address was where he currently stood, Toby’s personal condo, and the other was one he had not seen, prior to this letter that he received yesterday. Syn was a curious man and more importantly a prepared man. He had already been to the the mystery address twice since receiving the letter, because he needed to make sure he knew how to get there without a problem. Having visited the real estate Syn was able to connect the dots as to what Toby’s big mystery would be at the second address. His excitement was starting to build as he realized that BobbyZ was to get his own place to help build the City of Angels, a city that Syn’s very own father had flown to, helped build, and was brutally murdered in.

Syn glanced down at the letter once again to calculate the time it would take to make the drive. There was plenty of time to spare for a quick detour before arriving on time, and Syn knew exactly where to go with BobbyZ.  BobbyZ and Toby released their grip for the last time prompting Syn to open the door and precede BobbyZ to the car. Syn opened the door for BobbyZ, a blank expression on both of their faces as BobbyZ strode to the car and entered. When Syn began to close the door, he looked at BobbyZ and they both exchanged a smile from ear to ear. Syn closed the door and made his way around the car to the driver’s side door.

He stared out over the ocean view that Toby’s condo had.  He was almost instantly lost in the moment, but his excitement pulled him out of the trance. He opened his car door, and inhaled the warm sea salt air and thought about how this was going to be the first mile of a very long journey. He exhaled deeply and he got into the car. Syn rubbed his hands across the steering wheel,  started the car and dropped it into gear. He looked into the rearview mirror at BobbyZ who was staring through the window, obviously lost in his own head. Syn was sure he was still trying to make sense of the past two weeks, the current news, and the challenges ahead.

Syn broke the silence and spoke quietly, “We still have time to pay our respects.” BobbyZ turned his gaze from the window to the mirror and nodded to Syn. “Yes, that is exactly what we should do at a time like this.” BobbyZ turned his gaze back towards the window and spoke as he watched the waves crash upon the shoreline. Syn reached for a small silver button on his dashboard and pressed it, resetting his mileage counter to zero. Syn released the parking brake and headed for the graveyard. Syn spoke aloud for both of them to hear.  “And so it begins.”

Syn and BobbyZ drove through the Paper Company streets in a stylish Lincoln K-Series with the roof retracted since it was such a warm day. Syn had been lucky enough to have picked up the car in a shady deal. The car had been fitted to look exactly like a presidential-type vehicle; armor plated doors, bullet-proof tires, inch-thick windows and storage compartments for pistols and sub-machine guns. Syn called it the Sunshine Special.

The milage clicked to one. Syn and BobbyZ arrived at the resting place of Syn’s father and the fallen heroes that made the trip to the City of Angels to build something great. Upon engagement of the parking brake BobbyZ made his way for the graves before Syn could get out of his door. The two made their rounds to the fresh graves to pay their respects, Syn pulled a pack of cigarettes from his suit jacket and offered one to BobbyZ. Without averting his gaze from the graves he whispered, “Not today”. Syn hesitated and then returned the pack to his suit jacket. Syn and BobbyZ almost lost track of time reminiscing and reliving the past weeks in their heads. An alarm goes off on Syn’s watch, “AHHHH SHIT! We have to go BobbyZ!” Syn and BobbyZ make their way back to the car and get in. They both look at the graveyard and know that they have to let the past go, there is nothing that can change it and there is so much to do. Bobbyz signals and Syn puts the car into gear as the two drive off again. Syn and Bobbyz cruised around the streets of Los Angeles, making their way to and from the business district and straight into the ‘Red Zone’.

The milage clicked to two. Syn and BobbyZ pull up to an intersection and Syn puts the roof overhead. “We don’t want that down for the arrival?” BobbyZ inquired. “We are running late, I need to go down water street. You know those water guys don’t like paper guys…” Syn joked and chuckled as he turned down a shortcut on water street, the road most mobsters avoid seeing as how it is home to LA’s police HQ. Syn stopped at the first intersection and turned around to look at BobbyZ directly. “This car is sort of taken… From someone important… But just hang on. I promised I would get you there alive... and on time.” BobbyZ smile fell from his face as Syn turned to face front and pull into the intersection. Syn drove as nonchalantly as a man can when driving an armored stolen vehicle into cop territory. Both of them cringed with each passing cop car as they made their way towards the HQ. Syn waited to speak until the inch thick glass windows shut tightly in the car’s frame, “Five blocks down, three more to the HQ, and two more past that. After the donut shop we are home free”. The car came to a complete stop at every stop sign, like a perfect driver as they make their way onwards. The squad cars were everywhere including right behind them at this point. Syn’s car was so quiet with the windows up, that no sounds were heard from the outside, causing both men to continually check the light at the top of the cars to keep themselves sane.

Syn noticed the officer in the squad car behind him speaking on his radio. The red light began flashing furiously as BobbyZ began to freak out, “Fuck man! This is going down right in front of the police HQ!?”. Syn and BobbyZ both grab the nearest weapon to them, as Syn turns down the nearest side street. BobbyZ turned to light up the cop from the back window, but the cop car came into sight and left quickly as it whizzed past the side street. Syn lowered his window a crack to hear the siren fade as the cop made his way far from them, dispatched to something other than them. Syn let out a sigh of relief as he turned to BobbyZ, “two miles down” Syn laughed. BobbyZ let out his sigh of relief, “Get me out of this part of town!” Syn nodded. He continued safely and discreetly through the final blocks of police territory finally arriving at the intersection with the donut shop. Only two squad cars were in the lot. Syn turned the corner, keeping an eye on the donut shop and praying for a quick end to his simple task of taking a single passenger from point A to point B. Syn accelerated as he made his way past the entrance, making eye contact with a patron who was making his way out of the door. The patron locked eyes with the stolen car and began to run, his ugly grey trenchcoat bounded behind him as he made haste towards his car. His detective badge shined in the sunlight, attracting Syn’s attention and heading warning to the impending chase that was about to unfold. Syn punched the car to it’s limit as the unmarked car and two donut wielding, squad car driving, academy cadets made their way out of the donut shop and into the streets of LA hot on Syn and BobbyZ’s trail.

The milage clicked to three. BobbyZ’s instincts took control as he reached for the nearest, automatic gun compartment. Grabbing the gun, he turned off the safety, rolled his window down, and shot wildly into the lane behind the vehicle. BobbyZ made a few lucky strikes on the ill-prepared driver of a squad car which had been gaining decent ground on their vehicle. The car began spiraling out of control as it made its way into the path of the other cadet’s squad car. BobbyZ and Syn shared a glance as the made haste away from the scene of the incident. Checking the rearview mirror, Syn noticed the unmarked sedan driven by the police detective making his entrance to the chase through a cloud of billowing smoke. The detective lowered his window and began firing towards the vehicle. Syn and BobbyZ laughed as the bullets ricocheted  off of the car. Syn raised the car’s gear once more and began accelerating at a higher rate.  The detective punched his car to the limit, nipping at the heels of Syn’s Lincoln. He attempted a PIT maneuver to knock Syn’s car out of control, but before he could gain ground on Syn’s car, Syn had begun to press his own car to the limit. The RPM’s made their way to the red labeled numbers and the car roared like no engine BobbyZ had heard before. BobbyZ watched mesmerized as the car left the detective in the dust.

The milage clicked to four. Syn was unable to see the Detective in his mirrors and resumed the route. The chase had actually saved some time and had put them ahead of schedule. “We are one mile away my friend. Right on schedule” Syn said with a smile, looking at BobbyZ in the mirror. BobbyZ glanced up dazed and confused as he checked his watch. “You sure like to push the limits don’t you?” BobbyZ questioned, knowing the answer already. Syn smiled as they came to a stop, half a mile from their destination. “Welcome to the area Boss, You should get familiar with the area.” Syn retracted the roof and got the car ready for the ceremony. The car made it’s way towards the second address on Syn’s letter.

The milage clicked to five. Syn parked the car as the patrons cheered in the streets. He walked around the car to let BobbyZ out. BobbyZ made his exit towards the crowd. Syn made ready to move the car as Toby approached him. “Give me your keys”, Toby said with a smile as Syn laughed. “The first five miles were very interesting. I’m excited to see how the rest comes along” Syn said to Toby as he turned back to his car to keep the public from questioning its similarity to a familiar vehicle.

The numerous birds littering the trees overhead were chirping loudly in the morning sun and a single eagle was soaring above looking for its first meal. BobbyZ took a deep breath and inhaled the warm morning air and began speaking as he exhaled. “Ahhh. What a lovely day to be alive in LA. I’m glad everyone was able to be here with me this morning and share this monumental moment with us. Today marks a great day for The City of Angels. Today we bury all the evil entities within Los Angeles and embark on a new journey!” BobbyZ’s speech was cut off by a thunderous applause and cheers from the crowd gathered around him.

BobbyZ basked in the praise for a moment before a deep menacing voice pushed its way to the forefront of his attention. “But what about all the bodies you stuffed in SantoRubio’s trunk...” BobbyZ coughed and quickly cleared his throat before pushing the voice to the back of his mind.

“Uhh. Yes. As I was saying. While on this journey it’ll take hard work, dedication and commitment to rebuilding this fine city. During my time in this world, I have called many different places home and I have witnessed a lot of things. In my short life I’ve become a builder and a destroyer. But today I stand before you as a builder!” BobbyZ was interrupted once again and paused to allow the crowd a moment to settle down. Again the deep menacing voice forced its way back to the forefront. “You’re a poor leader... You’ll never amount up to your peers...” BobbyZ shook his head vigorously and again forced the voice to the back.

“I would like to take just a moment to thank Don Toby. You have been a great leader and a even better friend. We have faced many trials and tribulations and I don’t expect an easy journey ahead of us. I am honored to be the one chosen for this task. The task set before me is one that only strong individuals with the gift of leadership can accomplish, and also a task that many hope I am unable to complete.” As BobbyZ was speaking the deep menacing voice boomed over his thoughts. “You’re just a ticking time bomb, you’ll never last....” Clearing his throat BobbyZ quickly spoke over the voice.

“With that being said, The L.A. Savage Crew is now fully operational! Syn, Stefania, and myself are excited to be apart of the rebuilding process here in Los Angeles. And to those of you I have not met before I look forward to working with you all. And I look forward to restoring this wonderful city to its true glory!” As BobbyZ ended his speech the crowd roared with excitement he quickly turned to leave.

Before he moved the deep menacing voice commanded full control of BobbyZ’s mind. Each word hit him like a punch and felt like they were threatening to tear his skull apart. “I will always be here. You can’t shoot your way out of everything forever BobbyZ… ” Lowering his gaze he looked out over the crowd with pure menace and evil glazing over his eyes. As he stared wide eyed he mumbled under his breath,“And who is going to stop me? ‘I’m only a savage after all.”

Stefania was fast asleep when the message came; the night before she and some others from the crew had managed to pull off a heist, but it had taken hours to sort through all the stolen property and split the profits. By the time she had made it back to the small apartment she was renting in Downtown LA, the sun was starting to rise. The pounding on her door was loud enough to cause her to stir, groaning softly as she sat up. She nearly shouted at the door when she finally found her voice. “What is it?”

“Get up. BobbyZ needs you, he said it’s time.” The voice that responded was clearly annoyed that they’d been the one sent to wake her, but if the woman noticed she said nothing. In fact, the message was enough to quickly shake whatever cobwebs were lingering from the short sleep and she was up and moving in a matter of minutes.

When she had first been approached about this move, she’d been surprised at the offer. After all, her bloodline was not native to Los Angeles; in fact, she was the first one of her family to travel this far west. She was glad that she had made the decision; the family she had found here was different; full of new people and new experiences. Bobby had been the one to recruit her into the family and he had quickly become a friend. There was no judgement here, no matter the sometimes…forwardness of her statements. She didn’t hold back, that was just part of who she was.

So, over the past few weeks, Los Angeles had become her home and now she was being given an opportunity to further show her loyalty by helping build the city alongside Bobby and Syn. She was happy that Bobby was being given the opportunity to grow and knew that he would do a fantastic job leading. This is why, despite her lack of sleep, she hurried to dress, pinning her hair up and slipping into a black dress and pumps. She quickly left her apartment, her ride waiting rather impatiently outside. When they arrived, Stefania moved to join the crowd, making her way towards the front.

It was a perfect day to be outdoors, the sun shining but the air cool and refreshing.  She listened as Bobby gave his speech, announcing the formation of their new crew. Her smile was wide and she clapped and cheered at the end with the crowd. She was excited to be a part of the L.A. Savage Crew and couldn’t wait to see what the future held for them.

Having listened to BobbyZ's speech Jim made his way over to BobbyZ. Taking off his hat and nodding respectfully Jim smiled as he said

BobbyZ, I have only had the pleasure of working with you for a short time but I know that you command a large amount of respect and have earned the honor of running your own crew. Best of luck to The Savage Crew - I am sure that you will bring great honor to our fair city. 

Congratulation, BobbyZ!

I wish for your Family all the best!