The Italians

Pasquale "Pat" Galente smiled contentedly as he felt the 100 year old scotch hit the back of his throat. It was smooth and creamy and some of the best money could buy.

Fortunately Galente had not had not had to spend any money on the Scotch. It was part of a shipment seized by his men from the Gotham ship yards. Two days ago. From there it would be sold to various establishments around Gotham City , New Jersey and New York tri state area. Galente expected to make a tidy profit. America was certainly the land of opportunity. He had more than he had even dreamed of when he had become boss of bosses almost twenty years ago and he had gotten rid of the Bertinelli's. Gotham was his. Just as it should be.

Earlier during the evening Antonio one of his lieutenants had informed him that someone had strolled into the strip club "The Boob Tube". Some guy dressed like a pimp with some weird foreign accent--Antonio said--And informed him that they wanted a piece of Gotham's East side to peddle their drugs. Antonio had told him to get lost and had him tossed out. What the hell was Gotham coming to? Where was the respect like in the old days?

The house was quiet tonight. Actually it was quiet most nights. Now that his daughter Theresa was married, and his son Gino was away at college. There was no one normally home but him and the wife. And she was over in Italy right now visiting family. He had two men stationed outside and the cook was in her rooms in another part of the house.

So he was all alone.

It had been a long day and he really could use the rest right now. He had conducted several meetings, one with a powerful elected official whom he had to remind he held certain compromising pictures of. He had even managed to pay a visit to one of his two mistresses. Maria a little hot tamale from El Salvador with breasts like you wouldn't believe. She had bosoms like his sainted mother (God rest her soul). He prided himself at his sexual stamina even at the ripe old age of sixty-seven.

He finished the scotch and made his way up to the bedroom, changed into his pajamas and climbed into bed to get good nights sleep.

Galente woke up in the middle of the night to feel something sticky between his legs. He reached down and touched it was wet and felt thick and sticky.

And all too familiar.

"What the hell?" he murmured. He hit the switch on the bedside lamp.

He squinted against the glare of the light and gasped at what he saw on the tips of his fingers. It was blood. He didn't have to guess. He had spilt enough of it during his life to know for sure. He screamed and scrambled up to the head board and flung back the sheet. Lying in the middle of his bed was the head of Antonio his body guard.

"You like that Galente?" came a muffled voice at the far end of the room, "I got the idea from watching the Godfather. Great movie."

Galente looked over in the direction of where the voice came from. Sitting on a chair on the far side of the room was a huge figure dressed in some tight fitting green costum, his head in the shape of a Viper.

"I thought that you bein' Italian and all would appreciate that," And with that the Viper broke into laughter which chilled Galente to the bone.

"You're freakin' crazy!" he yelled at him.

"No Galente," someone to the right of him said, "You are the one who's crazy. Crazy to turn down our request."

Galente's snapped in the direction of the voice and saw a similarly outfitted figure, large and imposing decked out completely in black his head in the shape of a Crow.

"What request?" Galente shivered.

"We tried to negotiate with your man," the Crow said picking up the head by the hair and held it up to his face, "But he said no."

He patted the bodiless Antonio on the cheek. The head swung eerily backwards and forwards, "Bad choice. Now he's headless. And you will be too Galente unless you play nice."

"You haven't a clue who you're screwing with," Galente said as bravely as possible.

"Oh we know Galente," the Viper said leaning forwards, "We just aren't afraid of you. You rule this city because no one has the balls to stand up to you. That's done."

"Not that you can't still have your part of the city. We'll let you do that. Because we believe in sharing. But we are the bosses now."

"Screw you," Galante snapped.

"Screw you…." The Viper asked shocked.

The Crow dropped the head unceremoniously between Galante's legs and Galente squealed like a girl as he recoiled in horror.

"Brave words," The Viper said, "But let's see what you have to say after we cut your balls off."

"You'll be a castrati," the Crow chortled.

The Crow reached out behind him and pulled out a large knife.

"Pin him," The Crow ordered his comrade.

Galante tried to fight him off but he was no force for The Viper. The Viper pinned him down on to the bed, and The Viper reached for his crotch.

"Okay! Okay!" Galente screamed, "I'll do what you say!"

"Good boy," The Crow said patting Galente on the cheek, "Glad you saw the light. We will be in touch."

And they were gone.

The Columbians

Alejandro Sandoval picked himself up off the floor…and got another kick in his side by Alfonso, one of Don Ruiz' henchmen.

"You are behind in payment's Alejandro," Alfonso hissed, "Don Ruiz is getting tired of waiting,"

"I said," Alejandro wheezed, "You will get the money as soon the shipment comes in."

"You said that last month and the month before that and the Don is tired of waiting."

"I told you before one of my mules got caught by the DEA."

"Not our problem," Alfonso spat, "Payment is due."

"Don Escabado understood and gave me time."

"He is not in charge anymore. You got it? He's dead. Don Ruiz is in charge now. And he expects his tribute money. You work in Gotham as a privilege Alejandro. Nothing more. We have to come back for payment again we send someone to visit your Sainted mother in Bogata. Get it?"

Alejandro got another kick in his side collapsed to the ground in pain. He heard Alfonso laugh and walk away his wing tips clicking on the wet cement.

Alejandro squeezed his eyes shut tight he could not believe that he was in this predicament. Just a short time ago he was one of the most powerful drug dealer in Coventary. And now he was less than garbage. All due to the death of Emanuel Escobado. Ever since that bitch killed him. After a brief war. Ernesto Ruiz had taken over. And now Alejandro's life was next to mud. All the men who had worked for Escobar had fled to the other various drug lords, or had quit the business entirely. Alejandro due to his success had thought that he could make it on his own. But it had had not turned out to be the case. The other dealers hated him, and he had not made any friends when he had decided to sleep with a rivals wife. Don Ruiz had made it clear that he ran Coventary and anyone who wished to do business in that part of town owed him tribute money. But what Ruiz was really trying to do was to humiliate him into giving in.

Something that Alejandro refused to do. Honor would not let him, or at least that is what his father would have said.

When Alejandro opened his eyes he found a pair of boots standing before him. They were a bright yellow.

Alejandro looked up and saw a man---or what he guessed was a man---decked out from head to toe in a yellow body suit. But his head from the nose up was covered by a mask shapped like a jackal.

"How far you've fallen huh Alejandro? You were once like a prince under the hand of Don Escabado. Now you are nothing."

"Don't remind me," Alejandro said rising to his feet.

"But that could all be changed. I could put you on top where you belong. No I can do more than that. I can change things so that you are running Coventry."

"What? How?"

"I will let you know."

"With your connections. And with our muscle we will be running Coventary. I have a…product that is ten times more powerful and addictive than crack."

"What is it?"

"This," The Jackal said holding up a small vial with greenish liquid, "It's called Nocturna. And once this hits the streets it won't be able to get off. It's that's addictive and that powerful. It won't be able to get off. The money will just pour in and more to the point you will be out from under the thumb of Don Ruiz."

At once visions of Don Ruiz groveling before his feet flashed before his eyes.

"When do I start?" he asked.