Disclaimer: The following is a work of fanfiction based on the characters from the CBS television series, The Magnificent Seven.

It's set in the ATF universe.

The story makes a couple of references to events in By These Fists Alone. I always use bad language, so if that offends, proceed with caution.

Reading it back, I can see how dated it is by referring to a role of film needing developing! Yikes, I'm getting old! :( I considered updating it and referring to pics on a memory stick or something, but I thought i'd leave it alone.

BREAK THE FAST

Friday, 9.00am

Armando Giorgi sat in his comfortable leather chair, listening patiently to the high-pitched voice that was speaking fast through the speaker of the phone that sat on top of his expensive mahogany desk. His nephew Roberto always panicked before a deal and Armando was well used to his nephew's last minute calls.

Roberto's father was dead, killed many years before in a firebombing that had made headlines around the nation and Armando had always told his brother that he would look after his son should something happen to him. That was how he had become saddled with the well meaning, but stress-prone Roberto, who still needed his constant guidance. He was okay with that though, after all, that's what family was for and he was nothing if not a family man.

"The buyers are coming in any minute and that fucking crazy idiot Johnny has not picked up the film. I do not want him to come here for it while the exchange is going down!"

"Roberto, calm down, calm down. Johnny is coming here to see me first, I asked him to come here. Do you have it there now?"

Roberto looked at the used roll of film in his fingers. "Yes, yes I have it here."

Armando continued in his soothing tone, his accent thick despite having lived many years away from his country of birth. "Good, now find something to put it in, I will tell Johnny what to look for, he can come down to the shop and collect it, but it is very important that he collects it now. I need it right away, this cannot wait."

Roberto looked around the counter and the shelves behind him, eyeing the boxes of chocolates and rows of confectionary items. "Ok, let me see…" He spotted the boxes of jellybeans that he had just set up that day, sitting right on the counter and big enough to house the film easily. "Ok, ok, got it. Tell him to grab the box of jellybeans on his left at the counter. The tropical ones."

Armando rolled his eyes and put a hand to his forehead, willing himself to stay calm now. "This is obvious, this box?" he bit out, wanting to make sure.

"He cannot miss it, it is the one on the left as he walks up. I'll be here anyway to make sure he gets the right one."

Roberto sounded relieved now that he knew Johnny was not going to come walking in wanting the film when his two buyers were there. Fact was, Johnny was unpredictable, crazy, violent, everything that scared the hell out of Roberto. He had not been able to work the man out since the day he had met him two months before. Johhny spoke little English and Roberto thought that was probably for the best, for he didn't make any sense in Italian either, let alone a second language.

"Good, let me know how the meeting goes."

Armando hung up the phone as the man himself, Johnny Catelino, entered his office his tall, lanky frame stretching to the high ceiling. His long, black leather jacket shone in the warm lighting, the twin scars on his cheeks smooth in the light and almost symmetrical down each side of his face. Armando had never asked about those scars and nobody seemed to know where he had gotten them. Some thought he had given them to himself when he had lived in the mountains on his own for an entire year away from his home village when nobody could talk him into going home. Yes, he was a crazy son of a bitch, but an excellent man to have on his side.

"I must get this film to the Senator today," he told the younger man who remained standing, arms hanging down and crossed at the wrists. "I cannot afford to piss off this man. I do not need him falling out of my pocket, you understand?"

"Yes, I will get this thing done."

Armando looked at his cousin for a moment. He often suspected he was not as crazy as he made out to be. Every now and then a keen intelligence shone through. He knew that whatever was on the roll of film would probably discredit the Senator in some way, but he would make enough money from the exchange in giving it back and still have a politician on his payroll. The beauty of it was, the blackmailers had been killed when his boys had gone in to steal the film back from them, but the Senator did not know that. Armando had decided it best he not know until he had the money he was promised safely in his hands.

10.00am

Ezra Standish rolled his eyes as he listened to the growling stomach in the passenger seat beside him rumble for all it was worth.

"Honestly, how could you 'forget to eat'? This is ridiculous," he said, looking again at his watch.

"I didn't forget, I thought I had that chocolate bar in the fridge at the office, but it was gone when I got there… Shoulda known you'd be late…"

"Do not start blaming me for your inability to look after your own care. Even children know to eat when they are hungry."

Vin Tanner winced as another loud growl came from his stomach, fiddling with the silk tie that was seemingly strangling his throat.

"Ok boys, ready?"

Vin sighed in relief at the sound of Chris's voice in his tiny earpiece, one hand already on the passenger door handle of Ezra's Jaguar, where they were both seated outside the small lunch bar run by Roberto Giorgi.

"Born ready."

"Ezra?"

"Most definitely, please let this be over with."

Chris smiled at the agitation in the southerner's voice. He looked at Buck who was grinning widely, scoffing the last of what he assumed was Vin's chocolate bar in the passenger seat next to him.

"That was a bad thing to do, Buck," he chided with a curved upper lip, seeing Vin exit Ezra's car first from up the street where he sat with Buck in his own car, ready to back up his two agents if they needed it. There were police units on standby, waiting in case the deal went through.

Buck screwed up the wrapper and tossed it into the back seat of Chris's car, ignoring the dark look his boss gave him. "I know, but it was there and so was I… I'll get Vin another one on the way back."

"Ezra might kill Vin before they reach the way back." He spoke into his headset again. "Ok, this is it. In and out just like we planned. If he tries to up the price, you're out of there."

Ezra joined Vin on the sidewalk and they entered the small store with a silent shared nod.

Vin's vision was instantly filled with the vast array of food items that all leapt out at him as he entered. The smell of hot, greasy food cooking assailed his senses and made his mouth water. He patted his stomach in longing as they walked directly to the counter where they saw their contact, Roberto, writing in a docket book. They had been working on this deal with Roberto for months, trying to get to the man above him, Armando Giorgi. So far, they had not gotten past this nervous little man, Armando's enthusiastic but edgy nephew.

"Right on time, boys, excellent, excellent. Let's get on with this," Roberto said, closing the book he had been writing in.

"Yes, let's," Ezra said, placing his briefcase of money onto the counter.

Roberto instantly put a hand on top of the case. "Ahh, I didn't get to tell you before you were on your way here… There's been a slight change in the price. The new models were slightly more expensive than the one's I quoted you on…"

Ezra growled inwardly in frustration. The greedy little man was renowned for upping his price at the last minute.

"I don't care if they are more expensive, these are the one's you quoted us on, the price will not change," he told him firmly.

"Sorry, fella's. Best I can do is let the boss know, see if he's willing to go with that."

Vin exchanged a look with Ezra as the small man turned to the phone on the wall behind the counter and picked it up. They had known he would try this move, he did not have the weapons yet, he was stalling them for time until he got them.

"Perhaps I could persuade him to go with the agreed price?" Ezra asked, needing to try although he knew there was no way Roberto would let him talk to his boss, if in fact he even called his boss. Most likely it was just for show.

"The boss does not like to deal with the public."

The public… Ezra bit back his sarcastic retort and looked sideways at Vin, who was openly ogling the rows of candy on the counter.

"They put them on counters like that so children can annoy parents as they go to pay." Ezra said with derision.

Vin tugged on Ezra's sleeve, grinning at his unimpressed partner. "Buy me somethin' Ez? Huh, Willya?"

"Focusing there boys?"

Vin and Ezra exchanged quick grins of mock guilt as they heard their leaders voice in their ears.

Damn, he was hungry. He eyed the packets of chips and chocolate bars, all causing his mouth to water and his stomach to growl harder. He grinned again as Ezra, giving in to his frustration, snatched up the first thing he saw that was edible and shoved it at him forcefully.

He took the packet of jellybeans with a grin. "Why thanks Ez, didn't know ya cared."

"I care for my own sanity, there ends the extent of it."

Undeterred, Vin popped the lid and held the small box of gourmet jelly beans to his mouth, drinking them all in at once and putting the now empty box neatly back on the counter next to the others.

"Damn," he said around exploding cheeks stuffed with the fruity lollies, "these are the best jellybeans I ever ate."

Ezra couldn't help but grin at the sight of his friend's face, puffed out like a squirrel with his cheeks full of nuts. "Throw a starving man a cracker…"

Vin chewed several times, trying to mould the individual candies into a singular ball to swallow. "No, really, they're amazing.. Can't even taste any black ones… Try one."

"No, thank you."

Vin picked up another box and read the back. "Hey, you can mix the flavours together and make little meals out of 'em. Lemon pie… cherry chocolate," he looked up at Ezra with wide eyes, "there's chocolate jellybeans?" He held the packet out to Ezra again. "Seriously, try one -" Swiftly he stuffed the box in his jacket pocket and swallowed the ball in his mouth as Roberto hung up the phone and turned to face them without warning.

"I am sorry, he -" Roberto eyed Vin's slightly guilty look, "are you alright?"

"Fine," Vin said, resisting the urge to swallow the last few beans in his mouth and pry the ones that were stuck from the inside of his teeth.

Roberto gave him one last glance and then continued. "He did not go for it. I am afraid I will need another twenty for this case."

Ezra swore, he had not even dialled the phone as far as he had seen. "That's ridiculous. You think I cannot get them for the price we agreed on from someone else?"

Roberto held his hands up, he knew very well that Armando was the only one with the automatic weapons yet, these men would not find them anywhere else for months. They would buy them from him, at the price he set, sooner or later. "I am sorry, there is nothing I can do, I do not make these decisions," he told them.

"Then let us discuss this with someone who has the power to make decisions, why am I wasting my time with you?" Ezra continued to rant convincingly.

"Please, I will hold your order, but only until tomorrow. You have a talk about it, let me know, ok?"

Ezra looked at Vin who addressed the little man with his customary quiet, ragged voice that always seemed to get command more attention than if he were to yell. "You can stick your order - and your new price."

Roberto smiled smugly, he knew they would be back, "I am sorry to hear that boys. Still, I will hold them a day for you, it is my policy."

"We won't be back for 'em," Vin said as he and Ezra turned to the door.

As they turned the buzzer announced a new customer and they watched as a tall man entered before them, wearing all black attire. They met his cold, dark eyes, his face devoid of expression, scars on both of his cheeks shining in the fluorescent lighting as he passed them.

Roberto saw Johnny enter and scowled at the man he both disliked and feared. "You are late," he told him with false bravado.

Johnny merely looked at him, continuing to watch the two men leave. They crossed the street to their car and got in before he turned his attention to Roberto.

"Well?" he asked the timid man.

Roberto scowled at him and reached for the box of jellybeans, instantly feeling the unexpected emptiness of the packet. He opened it frantically, his heart already racing as he upended it onto the counter… There was nothing. His eyes flew up to meet Johnnies.

"You have lost it?" Johnny asked softly, yet Roberto knew the man never really lost his cool. He did everything with calculated calm. He had heard that Johnny Catelino could kill an entire room full of men while he hummed, a smile never leaving his face. In fact, Roberto had heard it said the only time Johnny ever smiled was when he was killing someone. He himself had never seen so much as a twitch from the thin, cold lips. He guessed he should be thankful for that.

"No! No, its…" Roberto began opening all of the packets, turning jellybeans out onto the counter in a growing panic. When all of the boxes were empty and the counter and floor were littered with the multi-coloured candies, his head flew to look out of the window at the car just now pulling away from the curb…