Freddie hated jazz.

To him, jazz was just noise, and an irritating noise at that. What's more, it had the tendancy to make people happy, and Freddie had come to despise happiness too. What was there to be happy about? No one had anything, and the only way to get something in this day was to risk your nut in doing so. That's what Freddie did. He was a crook. A crook that made money on the side, which ever way he could. Over the last few months he gone from knocking over the eldery and convenience stores to moving large quantities of alcohol from one city to another. As far as he was concerned, there was no one better at it. Certainly, not quicker anyway.

When Freddie wasn't sat in the corner of a jazz hall, keeping his eyes open for an opportunity, he was watching some low-life modify his motor, scrutinising every last movement the poor guy made. His car had to be quick. Liquor was heavy and didn't do much for performance, but Freddie didn't know the first thing about engines or mechanics. He could drive quickly, wasn't scared of taking risks and knew how to apply just enough pressure to those working on his car, to ensure it was well maintained at a reasonable price.

Tonight wasn't a night for driving though. Tonight was all business and Freddie continued scouting the room, searching for anyone of interest. Jazz halls were full of crooks and other degenerates that always needed alcohol somewhere it wasn't. All he had to do was spot one.

Something caught Freddie's attention to his left. Something didn't feel right. He didn't want to draw attention to himself, so feigned looking over his shoulder, and as he turned he caught a glimpse of what caused him the concern. It was a kid. What was a kid doing in a jazz hall and who was that oath stood behind him? He'd clearly had too much to drink, whilst the kid was clearly looking in Freddie's direction. His hand was lingering suspiciously around his belt line and Freddie didn't want to hang around to find out what might happen next.

As a waitress walked past, Freddie held her around the waist. She was walking in the direction of The_Kid. Freddie smiled charmingly at the young woman, and asked what whiskies the bar stocked. She dutifully started to respond but Freddie wasn't interested in what she had to say. She just had to walk with him to the bar, without knowing why. If Freddie was about to be shot, it wouldn't happen with someone in such close proximity. In a busy setting like the jazz hall, with his arm around the woman, Freddie knew the shot was too risky.

As they got to the bar, Freddie brushed the woman off, and slipped a few dollars into her top pocket. She hadn't seemed to realise Freddie had been paying her zero attention. Stood next to The_Kid now, he addressed him. The_Kid had seemingly lost track of him in the crowd. 

"You ought to be careful handling a gun like that in here. Don't want to give anyone the wrong impression kid." 

Freddie could sense fear in The_Kid and decided he wasn't a threat. His hands were now on the table in front of him and Freddie felt confident that he could handle the situation from here. He was relieved that things weren't about to turn nasty. He had neither the interest nor the energy for gun slinging, but he knew he couldn't let on. One sign of weakness and things could change. 

"Don't try and fool me. Your hand was on your gun. Keep those hands where I can see them and there's no need for us to fall out. What brings you here?"

Shadow was sitting at the bar, drinking her vodka. Jazz was something she had never really thought of. But tonight, she was enjoying the music. She needed to blow some steam, ever since she was locked up, shot at, and chased out of a Tea house, back in LA. She figured Vegas would be a good place to lie low for a while. Tomorrow, she was gonna take the first flight to Detroit.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw The_Kid, a shy little man who was present at the Tea-house. She was watching him for quite some time. She liked to know as much as she could about those around her. After all, Knowledge is power. Sensei taught her that well. He had his hand on his Luger for quite some time, and he looked nervous, as if he was about to rob a bank or something. She was about to hop out the window in case something did happen, like a shootout. Nasty things. Last time she was at one, not a single innocent was spared. Then she saw Freddie next to the tea house kid. Freddie was a bit of a legend in the crooks circles. Word on the street was, he could make money off of anything. Seeing him next to kid, made Shadow nervous. Something might definitely happen. Kid was trying to pull something off. She couldn't quite point at it, but something about the way they stood next to each other was weird. In a second, she spotted it. Kid was trying to pick Fred's pocket. It was pretty subtle. No one would have noticed it, but Shadow wasn't anyone. She was the best assassin in Japan, before the military coup of 2009. Her eyes were sharp. Kid might have had this under control, but not anymore. She saw Fred. Horror covered her face. Kid must've made a mistake because Fred knew he was being pick pocketed. By Fred's posture, it looked as if he held a gun under his coat. Shadow did not know Kid well, but shit was about to go down. Innocent people might get slaughtered. These two could start off a war. Don't need another war.

Shadow debated over whether she should intervene. But tonight was a full moon. She had rituals to perform, animals to hunt. But people might die. "Fine!".

She walked over to Freddie, and said "Hello, dear gentleman. Do you mind if I borrow Kid over here for a sec?" Without waiting for an answer, she pulled Kid out of the bar, down a hallway. She pushed him onto the wall, when he started to protest. He clearly did not understand what was happening.

"Look, i just saved your life, and maybe prevented a war. Freddie over there knew what you were doing. He was going to blow your brains out. What were you thinking, fool? You don't roll on someone like that. He had a gun under his coat."

Knowing that she did the right thing, Shadow turned down an alley, and disappeared into the dark.

Maybe she shouldn't have looked back. But she did. She never did that. It was part of the "disappearing into shadows" act. You do not look back. Ever. But she did. and what she saw, surprised her. The_kid just turned back around and went back in. God, Doesn't he understand?

She ran back in, behind him, but saw that it was too late. He was already by Freddie. She thought "If I pull him again, hes just gonna go back in. Let's see how this plays out. If there's anything wrong, I'll step in."

She went the opposite direction, climbed up the stairs and hid by the railings. She had a clear view of what was going down below, and at this angle, nobody below could see her above. She trained Knight at Freddie, as The_Kid walked over to him.

The_Kid appeared back in front of Freddie and he smiled. This seemed to catch The_Kid off guard somewhat, as he looked up at Freddie with a confused expression across his face. He held the silence and The_Kid's glare for as long as he could before a grin spread across his face and he broke off into a laugh. When The_Kid had been whisked away by his accomplice, shortly after Freddie had realised his wallet was missing, memories had come flooding back to him. He and The_Kid had previous, and until now, neither of that had remembered. 

"You don't remember me do you? Heck! If it weren't you pinching my wallet and running off with your friend just then, I don't think I'd have remembered you kid. A few weeks back, your old Family HQ - it got shot up. I was new to the Family, but we ran into one another, quite literally, as those bastards tore up the place with gun fire. Our conversation was brief, near enough just head down and run for the fucking hills, but I'm certain it's you kid. I remember my first day at HQ. Watch out for the short bastard they said. He'll have your wallet and your gun if you let him. That's you right?"

Freddie held out his hand and placed his other where it could be seen. The details of that night were still fuzzy, everything happened so quickly, but the smell of gunpowder had remained with him for days afterwards and he was almost certain the person in front of him, was the same person he met that night.

Bugsy heard The_Kid was at the jazz bar just over the road and so he decides to go over to join him. Once Bugsy enters through the doors, he stands there at the entrance, taking in the environment, studying his surroundings before making himself comfortable. He loved a good old drink with some good music and so he walks over to Kid who he sees at the bar with Chu, and a fellow mobster part of Bugsy's crew.

"Hey Kid how you doing? and Freddie? I didn't realise you two were acquaintances. Anyhow what drinks do they do around here?"

Bugsy sits at the bar and lights a cigarette.

Walking upto the bar, Sun Wukong sits down on a stool and relaxes. Listening to jazz was fun. After all, they had come up with the idea of the music after listening to him sing and drum many eras ago. Looking over at the three men huddled around each other, he decides to stick in a ear. Gossip gets people places.

"You're too kind Kid! When you've been shot at, people ain't too keen to stick around, but I do alright. If you know what I mean." Freddie winked at The_Kid and went to shake hands with Bugsy. He'd heard his name before, but never met the man. They ran in similar circles, and Bugsy was known around these parts for making suits, like the dark blue one he had on. 

"I'm buying guys. Whatever you're having." Freddie signalled to a pretty barmaid and she walked over. "I bet you wouldn't mind sitting on her lap, eh kid?" Freddie elbowed The_Kid in the ribs as he tried to look over the bar. Freddie ordered the guys drinks, past them to each of the men and turned to face them. 

"Look guys, I'm going to be open, because The_Kid here almost blew my brains out this evening. I'm not usually this open, but heck, you only live once right? I'm after some dollar, and serious dollar too. I do booze runs - the car's out back. Business has been a bit slow though. Know anyone that needs anything moving? Anything at all. The car's rigged for liquid with a huge hidden tank, but I'm sure it will take powder if need be. Fuck it, if the price is right I'll have my man strip it and we'll fill it with guns. Any ideas?"

Freddie looked up at the two men. Bugsy was sipping his drink, paying more attention to his cigarette than anything else in the room and The_Kid was still trying to peer over the bar. No one was listening to him.

"Fuck it." Freddie picks up The_Kid and places him on the bar, so he can see. "Happy now little fella?"

"The fuck you say?"

Freddie pulled The_Kid back off the bar. He didn't think he'd been listening, but it appears some of it had gone in at least. Did he say jazz musicians? Something about that sounded shady to Freddie. Jazz musicuans weren't the kind to shoot up before a show. Or at least they didn't seem it... Still, Freddie was after some dollar and this was the closest he was going to get by the look of things.

He grabbed The_Kid by the ear and pulled him through the crowd. He got a few funny glances, but with a charming smile and few dollar bills in the right pockets, he managed to bundle The_Kid through the room, out of a back exit and into the passenger seat of his car. With the door closed behind him, he walked quickly around the front of the vehicle and got in himself. The_Kid had gone red in the face, but was beginning to compose himself, when Freddie leaned across him to open the passenger side glove compartment. He removed a silver cigar box and presented it to The_Kid.

"Take one of these. You'll find a lighter in there too." Freddie gestured towards the open compartment. "I'm going to drive us somewhere a little less public. You get talking about these musicians of yours..."

"Kid, are you smoking that?"

Freddie looks sideways at The_Kid as he continues to navigate the car through almost empty streets. He knew these roads like the back of his hand, and besides, he always felt most comfortable behind the wheel of his car.

"You could have said no and saved me a bloody cigar."

Freddie laughed to himself. The_Kid was keen to impress and he liked that. However, he was ensure why he wanted to impress so much and where this apparent lack of confidence came from. From what Freddie had heard, he wasn't to be messed with and that concerned him a little. Should he be worried? Was he being complacement? He'd only bumped into the guy. They had barely spoken before tonight and here they were about to source some heroin for some junkie jazz musicians.

Freddie pulled the car up outside what looked like an out-of-use garage, before turning to The_Kid again.

"I'm going to try and find us this heroin Kid. You coming?"

Freddie jumped out of the car and banged his fist strongly against the steel garage door. The sound of his fist echoed throughout the empty street before everything fell silent again. Freddie had no idea where he'd score enough heroin at such short notice, but he hoped he knew someone that would. The only thing was, was she about?

"Come on FishTheKitty, open the fucking door." Freddie murmured until his breath.