Letters from the past (canonized guest addition)
By EdBecerra
Inspired by comments in Reporting and Fencing.
To: Danny Hebert
From: Antonio
Subject: Reconciliation
Don't know if you're reading this, Danny. Wouldn't blame you if you trashed it straight from the inbox. But I hope you are.
We're proud of you, lad. You and your dad. It takes a lot of courage to walk away, and even more strength to make walking away stick. Your dad did the first, you did the second. So yeah, as odd as it sounds, those of us in the know are damned proud of you.
Second, we heard about Taylor. Trust me, it took some quick talking to keep that Hess girl alive. More than a few of the old guard wanted to add a few sacks of concrete to the Bay, if you take my meaning. The Barnes girl as well. As is, a few of the guys are having a word with the head of the ethics committee of the Massachusetts Bar Association, and they'll have a quiet word with him. We're not going any further than that - for the moment. A father's love for his child, however mistaken, is understandable.
Third, I know you're already aware, but you got big troubles, and they're spelled SKIDMARK. The idiot crossed a line, Danny. He showed up in Chi-town and started demanding we sell him weapons. Cape-killer weapons.
He's a dead man walking now. He ever goes back to Chicago, he's getting a round to the head, courtesy of DiFronzo's boys. And it wouldn't surprise me for one second if Legend himself shows up and hands the triggerman the bounty on that idiot's head. It's that bad. Which is why I'm getting a backchannel message to the Protectorate right after I close this letter.
You really don't want to know what that fool asked for. Trust me, you'll sleep better at night if you don't.
Finally, the Teamsters have your back, Danny. I know you've got the Family in your corner (and you can imagine how much the name is making us laugh, eh?), and after seeing that Kaiju gal pull that damned tanker in off the reef, I have a lot of respect for them. But they can't be everywhere at once, no one can. You need numbers. You need eyes, you need ears, and you need all the muscle you can get. Which is why the boys in the Teamsters got their marching orders. You let them know what you need from them, they'll give it to you, no questions asked.
You're calling the shots on this one, Danny. I know you don't care for the old ways, but Skidmark ain't giving you much choice in the matter. Protect your people, kid. Protect your family. And if there's a mess to clean up afterwards, at least the people you care about will be alive to help you clean it up.
Never forget that.
Antonio.