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Feb-11-2009 11:40

November 5, 1934 - New York - The Tricky Mister - close to midnight

“You want me to rob a bank?!?” said Joey in surprise, suddenly realizing his voice was a little louder than he would’ve wanted to. He quickly scouted the room and was relieved to see no one seemed to have heard him. The Tricky Mister wasn’t really crowded on that late week night.

His interlocutor though didn’t seem to bother much about this situation. He was a middle age slim man in a dark pin striped suit, sitting relaxed across the table with both hands crossed in front of him. His tie was straight, his jacket fully buttoned up, his hair posed a clean arrangement on a side. A short and perfectly cut mustache was framing a slightly prankish smile, as his eyes were thoroughly scouting Bane’s reactions. Although his attitude was loose, he seemed to be the kind of man who always likes to keep himself sharp.

After a short moment of silence he slowly lowered his look, shaking his head in an almost imperceptible move, miming a disappointment gesture. “Mr. Bane” he continued in a low voice “that is…’come si dice’…” snaps his fingers “ILLEGAL!” He rose back up his eyes. “We are not asking you to do anything against the law, but only to acquire the possession of some documents that actually regard US. It just happens that these papers are currently stored in a safe deposit box inside the National Bank and since we have already attained this piece of information, we believed it would be helpful to pass it on to you, in order to make your work easier. However you will decide to retrieve these documents, it is entirely up to you.” He stopped, straightened up his back and took a sip out of the wine glass he had ordered. “Exquisite flavor, Mr. Bane, you should give it a try.”

“Ya, well…I’m more the whiskey type of man. Now…Mr…”

Feb-16-2009 17:35

J.C. stepped in, still shaking pieces of glass off his sleeve. “Ok, now…are we just going to stand here, or do you plan to offer an old friend a seat?” He smiled again. Bane pointed towards the couch, then headed slowly to an armchair somewhere in front of it. He dropped down hard, showing he wasn’t handling his wound very well. He picked up the bottle and took another strong gulp out of it.

“You’re gonna let me die of thirst here, Bull? Come on, hand me that bottle.” He stretched his arm towards Bane but was stopped by the cold sound of his revolver being armed.

“Sit down there and listen, J.C.” Bane’s voice was getting slightly softer as his face got paler every second. “I ain’t in mood for any of your stories and this here ain’t no social call. Answer my questions straight and you might end up walking out that door on two feet.” His eyes were getting visibly blurry, as his hand was slowly dropping down from the weight of the gun. “Now you said you…were hired…to…” With that Bane has passed out, dropping the whiskey bottle on the floor.

“Damn…” J.C. mumbled…“either I’m losing my soft touch or he is getting old. I didn’t think I messed him up so bad.” He got up aiming again for the bottle. “I guess I’d better help myself under these circumstances.”

Feb-16-2009 17:36

As he was slowly leaning for the bottle the door had suddenly burst open with a powerful noise. The silhouette of a large man was filling up its frame. He took a look at Joey’s senseless body and then he turned his face towards J.C. His eyes suddenly filled with rage…the kind that a rabid animal exhibits in a moment of madness. With a totally unexpected agility for his size, he jumped towards J.C. and grabbed him by the throat, slamming him hard into a mirror on a nearby wall. He started strangling him as he was slowly lifting his body off the floor. J.C. tried to reach for his gun, then for the blade he used to carry, cursing himself while realizing he had just given both away. He tried to fight the stranger off, but his grip was too strong.

As the man felt that J.C.’s strength was wearing off, he reached his pocket and took out a straight razor. He opened it up placing it on J.C.’s cheek as his face slowly turned into a sadistic grin. “Now Whispers gonna cut you a big nice smile, mate. Say good night.” His voice sounded more like the cold murmur of a snake rather than like a human being’s. As J.C.’s sight was starting to fade, he heard Bane’s voice like coming from a dream.

“Yo, Whispers, set him loose! I need him ‘live and kicking.”

The man turned his eyes in surprise. “You are alive, Joey!?! I thought…” He looked back at J.C. “You sure about this? I was just getting to the good part.”

“I’m positive, yeah. Let him go.”

“Next time…” the man said looking in J.C.’s eyes, then let him drop hard on the floor. He headed then towards Joey and helped him straighten his position.

It took J.C. a good couple of minutes to recover. He got up stumbling towards the couch, picked up the bottle on his way and took a long gulp. He wiped his mouth with his sleeve and started talking in a gutted voice: “Now what the hell was that, Joey? What’s with this guy?”

Feb-16-2009 17:38

Joey seemed to be feeling a little better now, as his voice sounded more clear. “This is…a real friend of mine. Also…as you’ve already noticed, he is a very devoted one too.” A small grin of satisfaction lighted Bane’s face while looking at J.C. rubbing his neck and trying to recover after the shock he had been put through. “Now open up your ears, as I assume neither of us has a lot of time. Considering a note you dropped and also what you said a few minutes ago, I am assuming you were hired by Barresi for the same job as I was: to rob a certain safe deposit box and deliver its content. The fact that you stabbed me this morning leads me to the conclusion that you really didn’t know about me. Now, one thing I don’t understand about this is…why would he bring me in on this if he already had you? I don’t have any field experience in this direction and also your connections are better. This practically may only mean one thing: I must be here to ensure that you deliver as soon as you get to the merchandise. Hmmm…that makes sense.” Joey was basically speaking out loud, both to J.C. and to himself. “Well…after all, it wouldn’t be the first time you would try selling your loot to the highest bidder.”

“Well now…why wouldn’t I? We’re both in this so…we could split the cash.”

“Actually no, J.C., we’re not. You see, my bid is slightly higher than cash in this business. In order to convince me they’ve grabbed Mona.”

“Mona? Thought she was gone from here long ago!”

“Apparently she’s back. So now, you see…I can’t afford the luxury of having those papers end up in the wrong hands.” Joey stopped for a moment, thinking. “How long have you been planning this, J.C.?”

Feb-16-2009 17:38

“About a week and a half now. Everything’s set. We’re planning to get in tomorrow.”

“A clean job? Like the old days? Who’s in your crew? “Mad” Jimmy? Frankie “Lock”? Charlie “The Gun”?”

J.C. suddenly burst in laughter. “As usual, your information is badly outdated, Bull. “Mad” Jimmy ended up in the mental hospital downtown, Frankie “Lock” is locked down in Folsom and “The Gun” blew his brains into the shower sometime around the middle of last year. Nah…I got a new crew now. And the best thing about it is…they’re expendable…if you get my drift.”

“New crew, you say…I guess it’s good. Well…anyway, since I don’t trust you and you’ve made the unfortunate decision of incapacitating me this morning, I’m gonna send my friend here with you.”

J.C. looked up at Whispers who was standing beside him, looking just as an eagle eyeing his next victim. “Come on, Bull. Let’s be serious. This guy is big and scary…he can attract attention. He will just slow me down. I know we had our differences, but I don’t need babysitter.”

“We’re not negotiating, ‘friend’. You’re walking out of here with him or legs ahead…your choice. He’s gonna be my eyes from now on and also…let me tell you a little thing about him. You see…back in his youth he was the leader of one of the most powerful gangs in New York. Unfortunately he got captured in the middle of a war. They tortured him in ways you can’t imagine. They cut him up from head to toe and in the end…they cut his throat. Now…by some miracle he managed to survive, but was left with the funny voice you have already had the pleasure of hearing. Starting that day he also had developed a strange obsession for blades. Needless to say not even by this day had the police managed to find all the pieces of those guys who brought him in this state. So I have only one advice for you: don’t make any wrong moves with him around. Now…what’s it gonna be?”

Feb-16-2009 17:39

“You’re not giving me much of a choice here, Bull. I guess we’ll have to do this your way. Now…it’s getting kind of late and I still have some preparations to get done, so if you wouldn’t mind…”

“By all means, go ahead, J.C. I also need to rest a bit.” Bane looked up to Whispers who responded with a short nod. He knew what he had to do.

“My…weapons?” said J.C. while getting up.

“Whispers will hold them for the time being.”

J.C. sighed as he put on his hat and walked out, followed closely by his brand new watch dog. Joey took one more sip of booze and laid his aching body on the couch, falling in a deep sleep.

Feb-16-2009 22:37

*earlier that day*
Rose darted out of Joeys apartement, pulling her scruffy jacket on as she ran. Excited to be a part of something she ran, laughing down the street in the weak Autumn sunlight. A rose-seller on the corner saw her coming and handed her a flower as she passed.
"Merci, it matches my name you see"
"A rose for a Rose" the seller laughed, watching her thread it through her hair.
She waved goodbye and Rose skipped off downtown, humming to herself. The world could do her no wrong today. Finally she arrived at a dodgy looking poolhouse, taking a deep breath she walked in and surveyed the grubby room.

As the door closed behind her it blocked out the only natural light flowing into the room. Otherwise it was lit by two lightbulbs hanging from the ceeling. She felt strangly out of place.
"Whispers" she murmered
"What is it doll, you looking for someone? I can help you there." An obese man leered over at her from one of the nearest tables.
Rose shuddered and wrapped her jacket around her more tightly. Standing up taller she said more confidently. "I'm looking for Whispers"
A man standing behind a makeshift bar looked up
"What do you want from me?" A voice sounding more snake than human said.
"I came from Joey. Joey Bane" Rose replied, while crossing over to the bar.

Handing him the note and the medallion she looked at him closely. She though he was the biggest man she had ever seen.
"He told me to tell you to get over there quick!" Before she had even finished speaking he had straightened up and was heading towards the door. Following him, she walked out into the sunshine again. He starting sprinting, moving amazingly fast for a man of his side. Knowing she had other things to do, she decided not to follow, instead walking in the other direction. As she passed the door to the bar, the obese man came out and spoke to her
"If you get lost, I can always help you find your way" he said, licking his lips.
Shuddering, Rose sprinted off.

Feb-17-2009 09:32

Even without a higher bidder, what La Cosa Nostra was offering would be more than sufficient to cover the cost of the operation. ‘Too bad, that now I couldn’t get a bit extra on the side.’ JC thought greedily, as his new ‘watch dog’ breathed down his neck. Not many people could stand eye to eye with JC given his tall figure. Whisper didn’t only stood above him, he was more than double his size.

This was annoying. JC liked to plan alone. He knew he always need a team in the end, but he preferred to be the mastermind, with everyone else knowing only a piece of the jigsaw. With Mr. Hunk hovering over every step of the way, JC felt leashed, as if he himself was the dog.

JC walked into a back alley and pull opened a restaurant backdoor. Whisper followed closely. JC wondered when this chunk of a man would finally blow their cover. A dark and skinny Asian man saw JC and pointed upwards. Passing the sour onion and yesterday’s fish, JC climbed up a narrow staircase onto the mezzanine floor. Whisper tread carefully on the thin wooden steps. JC hoped he might break a few boards and fall. His wish was not fulfilled.

A tiny Thai girl was doing a perfect split on the floor, while arching backwards. Her head was touching her hind leg, and she was reading. Both men had to duck while walking on the mezzanine floor. The girl placed her book on the floor and put her palms together as a sign of greeting.

Feb-17-2009 09:32

“I see that you never let yourself rest, Miss Anastasia.” JC said causally.

“I resting now. You should see me while I was touring.” Anastasia eyed Whisper suspiciously.

JC waved Whisper off like a fly. “Don’t mind him�"“ Whisper coughed. It sounded more like a sneeze. “Urh, this is Whisper. He’s part of the team.”

Anastasia grimaced, “What he do?”

“Look out. More or less.” JC glanced sideways. “So, Ani, have you got the cases?”

The girl slid up without using her hands, walked over to a corner and came back with a small leather suitcase. She opened it, and there was another suitcase inside it. She opened that one as well. It was empty and can only be unlocked from the inside.

“And you made sure you poked holes in all the right places?” JC asked.

The girl nodded. “I can hold breath underwater for 15 minutes.” she said proudly.

“But you will be inside for hours!” JC faked a tone of concern. The girl would be of no use suffocated. “Okay, test run.”
Anastasia slipped into the smaller suitcase and folded herself. Whisper’s eyes widen as JC closed the suitcase and put it in the bigger case. “Bang on the case if you think you cannot breath, alright?” No response. “Bang on it once right now if you can hear me.” One faint thud was heard. JC would need to listen carefully during the test run. He wouldn’t have time to look for a replacement. He took up the suitcase and headed for the stairs.

“I can hold that for you.” Whisper thought to make himself useful while he was at it.

“No, I have to practice too.” JC had to look normal; she was heavier than he thought.

The two men strolled out of the filthy kitchen. There was several chicken heads on the floor. As they got back on the alley, JC turned to Whisper and winked, “Trade secret, okay?”

“I keep nothing from Joey.” Whisper whispered. JC sighed and continued down the street.

Feb-18-2009 15:42

Half hour after midnight, in Joey Bane’s apartment…


Joey was woken up by a strong bashing on the door. He instinctively reached for his revolver. A sharp pain made him fall back on the couch as he was trying to get up. He looked around. The whole room was dark. “Who’s there?” shouted him through the shut door.

The answer came back in a gutted voice: “It’s Whispers. Let me in!”

“Damn!” mumbled Bane. “It’s open, come!” He covered his eyes with his hand as Whispers hit the light switch. “Didn’t I tell you to stick with J.C.? What the hell are you doing here?”

Whispers took off his hat, holding it in his hands in front of him, rubbing its brim. “I’m sorry, Bane…I lost him.” He was acting as if he was a child being lectured. It was a funny posture for this man. “You see…we went inside…”

“Enough!” cut him off Joey. “I don’t wanna know. It ain’t good, but I was expecting this to happen, knowing J.C.” He threw a searching look around the room. He had a funny feeling that something was missing. “Rose!” he exclaimed lifting his eyes towards the wall clock. “It’s past midnight. She should’ve been already back by now. Help me up, Whispers! And go start the car. Since you’re obviously no good on following someone, you might as well act as my driver for tonight. Hurry up now!”

Bane took a quick shower and renewed his bandage, threw on a clean suit and went down. “Let’s hit the pool hall, for starters. Step on it!” In the meantime he filled in Whispers on the details.

…

Unfortunately they were not in luck. It turned out Rose had not come back that way. “Let’s think a bit now…” mumbled Joey “…I told her to start at the docks. I had a hunch they might be holding Mona there…a lot of places to hide and also a lot of crates.”

“Let’s roll then” answered Whispers, forging the engine hard as he went off.

Feb-18-2009 15:44

…

“Ok now…kill the lights” said Bane as they were passing through a side gate of the docks. “Pull over near those crates. And keep your distance from the lamps.” Joey pointed his attention towards a building in the back. “All windows dark…no movement” mumbled him. “Maybe it’s a dead end, let’s…WAIT! What’s that?” He noticed somewhere on the side there was car parked in the shadows. Taking a better look he recognized Franco Barresi’s Lincoln. “I think we hit the jackpot, mate. It’s good this guy likes flashy cars.” He smiled. “Let’s stick around here for a bit…maybe something will happen.”

They didn’t have to wait long. After a few minutes the door creaked open and a man in a fancy suit stepped out. He was accompanied by a woman. They remained in front of the building talking, as if they were waiting for something. The woman murmured a few words, then put her arms around his neck and kissed him on the lips. It was no doubt a lover’s kiss.

“Ain’t that Barresi? Who’s the broad?”

“Sure looks like him…and…no idea” answered Whispers.

A moon ray glanced onto the woman’s face. “MONA!”…Joey exclaimed in a complete surprise. “Now what the hell…?”

“The only danger she seems to be in is getting knocked up, if you ask me” grinned Whispers with an evil look.

“I ain’t amused, mate” eyed him Bane.

“I’m sorry Joey. I remember you have a history together.”

“It seems she had a change of taste though” answered him in a bitter voice. “Let’s…HOLD! We have company!”