Sucker Punch
The last week had been one of the most stressful of Jack Coonan's life. And since he worked as an enforcer for the Westies, that was saying something. He hadn't told Finn how crazy this assignment had gotten, nor that he, Jack, had felt it necessary to reach out to the feds for help. Finn's reaction when he eventually learned about this was only one of the things stressing Jack out…
A knock at the door exploded into his thoughts. Jack jumped out of his seat, drawing his 9 millimeter on instinct. He debated reaching for the 12 gauge instead, but another round of knocking interrupted. "Jack!" a familiar voice called through the door. "It's me!"
Dick, Jack thought. Still on edge, Jack made his way over to the front door and peered through the peephole. Sure enough, there stood his younger brother, looking too good for the neighborhood. Sighing in relief, Jack put the safety on and slid the gun back into his waistband before unlocking and opening the door. "Dick," he greeted the other man. "What are you doing here?"
"A guy can't come say hi to his big brother?" Dick grinned. "I haven't seen you in a couple of weeks, so I thought I'd drop by."
Still a little uneasy, Jack returned the smile. "Come on in," he invited, stepping aside. Dick did so, and Jack quickly closed and re-locked the door.
"Everything okay, Jackie?" Dick asked. "You seem a little on edge."
"Just work stuff," Jack replied, knowing that Dick would take the hint and drop the subject. "Can I get you something to drink?" he asked, pushing past the younger man and heading for the kitchen. He barely registered a hand on his shoulder before pain blossomed in his lower back, spreading rapidly to consume his whole body. Something twisted and the pain increased until merciful unconsciousness swept over Jack.