Monkeys and the Mob
by Linda Seton
Chloe moans softly in her sleep as a delicate hand pulls her sheet and blanket off her shoulder. She shivers a little and opens her eyes to find she is alone in her bedroom. She rubs her eyes and checks the time – 2:30 AM – before rolling back over and pulling the covers back up to her chin.
She starts to doze and the covers begin to inch their way back down. With a soft inhalation of breath, Chloe is instantly awake. She slides over to the edge of her bed and stretches her hand down to the floor to grasp the baseball bat that rests on the floor. In one more or less fluid move she turns on her lamp, jumps to her feet in the center of her mattress and raises the bat.
The door to her room glides open about a foot but she can see no one.
Eyes wide and fighting to control her breathing, Chloe hops down off her bed and inches out into the hallway. No one is there.
"Invisible," she mutters softly to herself as she hugs the wall and reaches the living room of the apartment she shares with her father. She scans the dark room and then backs into the small kitchenette that opens out into the living space.
Shifting the bat to one hand she opens a kitchen cabinet and finds a bag of sugar. She shoves her hand into the paper sack and begins to scatter the substance liberally on the floor. Eyes wide, she watches the floor for any sign of footprints. There is a sudden stumbling flurry of activity as a dozen pygmy monkeys descend on the sugary treat.
"What the heck," Chloe asks as she switches on the kitchen light. The monkeys shield their eyes for a moment and then resume scooping the sugar from the floor.
Chloe does the only thing she can do. She shouts for her father, "Dad!"
There is a tumble of movement as the pajamed Gabe Sullivan staggers into the living room. "What's wrong?"
"Are these friends of yours?" Chloe asks as she gestures at the troop.
"I must have left the door open."
"You left the apartment door open and a bunch of monkeys got in?"
"No, the door to my bedroom." Gabe explains.
Chloe puts the baseball bat down on the kitchen counter and merely looks at her father.
"Honey, there's something I need to tell you. You know how I've had problems finding a job? I did the only thing I could to keep us going. I became a smuggler."
"You smuggle monkeys?"
"Sometimes birds."
"Should I just go back to bed and pretend none of this happened?" Chloe asks after a moment of consideration.
"That might be best."
Chloe retrieves her bat, steps over the monkeys and heads back to her bedroom. The door slams and Gabe looks at the sugared monkeys. "I guess none of us are going to be sleeping tonight."
The next morning Chloe emerges from her bedroom dressed for school. Her father snores peacefully on the sofa with monkeys sprawled around and across him. Chloe stands there a long moment, slides on a pair of mittens and then with a sigh picks up her purse and heads out to meet the day.
She does not notice the tiny monkey face peering out from under the flap of her messenger bag.
Scrunching through several inches of fresh snow she cuts across the parking lot of the apartment complex to her VW Bug. Opening the car door she tosses the bag inside and using a mittened hand does a fast job of cleaning the windshield.
Satisfied that she can almost clearly see out of the car she drops into the driver's seat and starts the engine. She tosses her mittens on the passenger seat. There is suddenly a soft squeak and she listens intently to the idling engine for a few moments before putting the car in drive.
The car shimmies slightly as it pulls out of the parking lot but Chloe manages to get it on the main road without any real problems. She cranks up the heater and the radio and is rewarded with an immediately fogged window. She tries to use her jacket sleeve to clean the window but fails to make any real progress. Swearing softly she bats around blindly for her mittens. Her hand falls heavy on her purse, there is a whimpering cackle and the bag erupts.
The monkey propels itself out of the bag and at its attacker. Chloe gasps as the monkey attaches itself to her head and begins to pull hair. Fighting for control of the car, Chloe turns the wheel too sharply and the VW begins to spin. Chloe screams as the car whooshes into a snow bank and the airbag explodes.
Time has passed when Chloe is woken by the ringing of her cell phone. She struggles to open her eyes and pushes the deployed airbag out of her way.
"Phone," she murmurs softly.
She glances over at the passenger seat and finds the monkey offering up her cell phone.
"Oh, a fractured skull is the only explanation for that."
She takes the phone and lifts it to her ear. "This is Chloe."
Still in his pajamas, Gabe sits on his sofa. He looks worried as he asks, "Do you have one of the monkeys with you?"
"He almost killed me!"
"I'm sure he didn't mean to. Do you think you can bring him back to me? Now?" His voice warbles a little as he speaks.
"Dad, what's wrong?"
Gabe covers the mouthpiece of the phone and whispers, "I promised those monkeys to someone who isn't so scrupulous. I promised him twelve and if I don't get him twelve I really don't know what might happen."
Gabe smiles at the three men in their expensive Italian suits standing directly in front of him. Aldo Scimmia, the head of one of Metropolis' old guard mafia families, sits across from Gabe with the monkeys on his lap and at his feet.
"Okay, Dad, I'm coming. Tell them I'm coming." Chloe clicks off the cell phone and tries to start the car. The engine will not turn over. She looks out the back windshield and sees daylight through the tunnel of snow that surrounds the car. She unbuckles her seatbelt and crawls into the backseat.
Putting her back against the door, she wedges it open about a foot.
She cranes into the front seat and guides the monkey into her bag. "C'mon, let's go. And no more hijinks."
Chloe hugs the bag tightly to her chest to keep the monkey warm as she wades out onto the main road. Fighting for traction, Chloe heads back toward the apartment building.
"I couldn't have gone more than a mile," Chloe explains to the monkey as she wobbles toward home.
It is slow going and she struggles to find footing on either the road or the graveled roadside. A whirring noise begins behind her and she glances back to see a blue Mercedes cruising toward her. The car rolls to a stop and the window goes down revealing a grinning Lionel Luthor.
"You need a lift Miss Sullivan?" Lionel asks with his voice dripping honey.
"I thought they took people's driver's license away when they are convicted of a felony in this state?" Chloe slides a little as she takes half a step back.
"I've never had a driver's license in my entire life. Why start now? Remember, you think I'm a criminal mastermind why would I bother with something so paltry as having a legal driver's license?"
Lionel stops the car and leans across to open the door. Warm air steams out of the open vehicle.
Sensing the warmth, the monkey wiggles free of Chloe and bounds over to the car. He deposits himself in the passenger seat and claps his hands.
Lionel considers the monkey for a long moment and then cautiously pats the animal's head. "Your little friend seems to have the right idea."
Chloe marches over to the car and reaches for the monkey. He throws himself into the backseat.
"Miss Sullivan, you must know that this monkey is on the threatened and endangered species list. You're risking his life to keep him out in the cold. Think of Mother Earth, Miss Sullivan, think of Mother Earth. Get in the car."
Chloe fights down the urge to scream and gets in the Mercedes. She slams the door and sits quietly for a moment.
"Where to, Miss Sullivan, I can't read your mind."
"Sableview Apartments. It's about a mile in this direction."
"Sableview? That's one of the few non-Luthor owned apartment complexes in Smallville."
"Oh, I know."
"Of course you do because you still think I tried to have you killed." Lionel puts the car in gear and drives cautiously through the snow.
Chloe sits stockstill and the monkey climbs over and into her arms. Lionel extends a hand and strokes the monkey's head and back. Chloe starts back when his straining hand connects with something other than the monkey.
"Did you just use petting the primate as an excuse to cop a feel?"
"Me? Don't be ridiculous. It was an accident." Lionel beams. "Much like I'm sure that house exploding and almost killing you was a terrible accident."
The car rolls to a stop in the apartment building parking complex. With monkey in her arms Chloe scrambles out of the car and muttering a stream of obscenities hurries toward her apartment.
Lionel rolls down the window and calls after her, "You're welcome, Miss Sullivan."
He turns the wheel of the car and then notices the vintage eggplant colored Town Car parked badly in one corner of the lot. He recognizes both the color and the silver dancing monkey ornament mounted on the wheel cover. "Scimmia?" Lionel wonders as he parks his car.
Chloe cautiously opens the door to her apartment and tries not to be surprised by the mobsters in her living room. "I brought the monkey." She finally manages to whisper.
The monkey perches on her shoulder and regards his fellow monkeys and Aldo Scimmia with a healthy skepticism.
"Come here little fellow," Aldo opens his arms for the monkey.
The monkey looks expectantly at Chloe and does not budge.
"What's wrong with the little monkey?" Aldo asks with a note of accusation in his voice.
One of his suited thugs offers up an explanation, "Maybe the monkey thinks the girl is his mother?"
Aldo rubs his upper lip. "I think you might be right. We have to sever the bound." He motions toward Chloe. "Lose her. But not in the usual spot. It's under surveillance."
Gabe sits up, "But that's my daughter Mr. Scimmia."
"She shouldn't have mothered my monkey, Mr. Sullivan. I'm sorry."
There is a rapid knocking at the door. Scimmia's helpers draw their guns and edge toward the door.
"Open it!" Aldo orders.
The door is flung open revealing Lionel Luthor lounging elegantly against the door frame.
"Aldo 'The Monkey Man' Scimmia. I saw your car in passing. What brings you to Smallville?"
"Lionel Luthor? I thought you were in prison?" Aldo gets to his feet scattering monkeys in process.
"Oh, it was only a double homicide conviction. Who can't get out of that?" Lionel smiles and offers his hand. "Oh, wait you're brother Vinnie. He's still in prison isn't he?"
"Vinnie was always messy as a kid. Never could clean up after himself."
Aldo and Lionel shake hands.
"I guess I really don't need to ask what brings you to Smallville?" Lionel motions toward the monkeys.
"Just adding a few more to my collection." Aldo smiles and picks up one of the pygmy monkeys. "These monkeys come from Indonesia and are pretty hard to come by. Sullivan over there has a real talent at acquiring specimens for me. I am sorry about the girl, Mr. Sullivan."
"The girl?" Lionel asks.
"They're going to kill me for bonding with the monkey." Chloe explains.
"Really? Just fair warning Aldo, Miss Sullivan is tenacious of life. She's the one who sent me to prison."
"That was nice work little lady." Aldo compliments Chloe. "But I'm sorry. I still have to kill you. Well, not me personally, but you know."
"Yes, I know" Chloe sighs as the monkey kisses her on the cheek and begins to play with her hair.
"You seem to already have a tribe of these little fellows. Is one less really going to matter?" Lionel counts the primates.
"They're all divided up. Boy-Girl. If I give up one there's going to be one monkey who has to do without…companionship."
"I didn't know monkeys were particularly monogamous. And that monkey doesn't strike me as being, well, look at him."
The monkey has managed to pull free a jeweled hair ornament from Chloe's hair which he wears on his tail and is now liberally applying lip gloss that he has lifted from the young woman's bag.
"Are you saying that monkey is a poofter?" Aldo demands.
The monkey grins at him through a sheen of pink gloss.
Aldo looks at Gabe. "You got me a gay monkey?"
Gabe clears his throat, "I'm strictly don't ask don't tell as far as my monkeys go."
Aldo throws up his hands. "This makes me question doing business with you in the future."
"Aldo, it's only one monkey." Lionel soothes. "You give up one monkey. We're in the middle of Lent after all and that's a huge sacrifice for you. It might get you one nudge closer to Purgatory."
"I like the way you think, Mr. Luthor. I like the way you think. I'll make nice and give up the monkey. Let's go boys." Aldo heads for the door with the monkeys and his men in tow. He pauses in the doorway and looks back at Gabe. "Let me know if you make any progress on those squirrel monkeys."
Gabe nods as Aldo closes the door behind him.
Chloe exhales loudly and manages, "I guess I should thank you Mr. Luthor. So, thank you for saving me from being rubbed out by the mob."
"It was nothing Miss Sullivan. Nothing at all." Lionel offers his Cheshire Cat smile. "Gabe you should give me a call. I had no idea you were so resourceful. I'm sure I can find a place for you in the organization."
"Really?" Gabe straightens the lapels of his pajamas.
"Dad, he fired you once and then tried to kill us!" Chloe turns to face her father.
"Honey, anything's better than smuggling wildlife. You have no idea." Gabe gets to his feet and ambles down the hallway. "I have to take a shower and make sure I don't have any mites."
Lionel looks at Chloe expectantly. "I expected a little more thankfulness on your part, Miss Sullivan."
"What do you want?" Chloe asks warily.
Lionel steps in close and Chloe forces herself to hold her ground. He reaches out and gently lifts the monkey from her shoulders. "I'd like to keep this monkey."
Chloe blinks, "Sure."
Lionel tucks the monkey in his jacket and heads toward the door. "He'll be like the son I never had."
The door closes after Lionel and a drained Chloe starts to laugh.
The End