§ § § §
Chris stared down at himself and suppressed the groan in his throat. Ray had dressed him in random pieces of clothing they had found around the apartment, some of which fit him. Mostly though, the clothing had belonged to the Argentinean and was just a little too big. He wore a simple white tee shirt, the one article of clothing Chris fit into. The jeans they had thrown into the bedroom after him were too big in the waist and he had to tighten his belt a few notches in order to keep them up. The black leather jacket was too large and even the shoes they were trying to force onto his feet wouldn't fit.
"Okay, look I can wear my own shoes," Chris insisted, pointing at his runners.
Ray shrugged. "If you want."
"How will I impress Satine when I'm falling all over myself because my shoes are too big?" Chris asked.
The Doctor snickered at this image before lighting a cigarette and waving them on their way. "Don't keep Zidler waitin'," he said. "You know he won't like it Ray."
Sam mumbled something from the corner he was sitting in, then glanced up. "I think you should go through Satine first. If you go straight to Zidler, he'll have your head."
Ray thought about this for a moment then nodded. "You're probably right. She'll be there tonight, right? You checked it out?"
Sam nodded. "Called that broad she always hangs out with. What's her name?"
"Nini?" Ray asked.
Sam nodded again. "Yeah, that's her. She said they'd all be at the party tonight near Zidler's place." He frowned suddenly. "You better be careful Ray; I think you should carry a piece."
Ray rolled his eyes. "I'm not carryin' a damn gun Sam, not in Zidler's neighbourhood."
"I'm just saying' . . . there's gonna be Cobras there tonight Ray. You and Chris won't be safe," Sam said.
"I will go," the Argentinean said suddenly. "I can protect them both if anything happens."
The Doctor coughed around his cigarette, then nodded. "That's a good idea. But try to make sure none of the Cobras see you two with Chris. If they know he's with us then he's useless."
Ray waved his hand. "I know this stuff, don't lecture me on how to do my job." He stared Chris up and down for a long moment, then smiled. "I think you're ready kid."
They started toward the door and Chris frowned.
"Where does he get off calling me kid?"
§ § § §
Harry Zidler stared over the crowd at the party, watching them carefully. His girls were there, Satine and Nini, huddled in a corner together and laughing at the people at the party. He had to make sure the party was safe because they were there. If either of them ever got hurt Zidler would hunt down the man that hurt them and make them pay.
He had seen only a few of the Cobras in the crowd, but they had been checked at the door to make sure none of them had been carrying a gun. He didn't like the Cobras, they were trying to sell drugs in the area he had worked so hard to keep clean, but it wasn't his party and it wasn't his house.
Zidler was pleased that Ray had kept most of the Deuces home. He had a large gang Zidler knew, but Ray understood it would have caused problems for both gangs to be there in large numbers. They both hoped that the night would turn out relatively quiet, even if for different reasons.
Zidler wanted the night to end peacefully because he was working on his best plan yet. Satine would help him keep the streets completely clean if only he could convince the Duke that they were meant to be together. A sneer marred his face as he thought about the Duke. Harrison 'the Duke' Katzenberg. He was a dirty man; the leader of the Cobras. It amazed Zidler time and again how the man had managed to keep control of an entire gang, especially one so violent. He had no match for Ray intellectually and no match for the Argentinean physically. It had been the cooperation of those two men that had helped keep the Cobras' drugs off the streets and Zidler knew it.
But if he could bond himself to the gang through Satine he knew they would win. He knew that the kids on his streets would be safe, they would be able to be kids without having to worry if a bullet would whiz by their head. Satine had agreed to meet the Duke that night. She was a good little actress Zidler knew and if she could convince the Duke that she loved him, Zidler would have his wish; a truce on the streets.
§ § § §
Chris stared down at himself and suppressed the groan in his throat. Ray had dressed him in random pieces of clothing they had found around the apartment, some of which fit him. Mostly though, the clothing had belonged to the Argentinean and was just a little too big. He wore a simple white tee shirt, the one article of clothing Chris fit into. The jeans they had thrown into the bedroom after him were too big in the waist and he had to tighten his belt a few notches in order to keep them up. The black leather jacket was too large and even the shoes they were trying to force onto his feet wouldn't fit.
"Okay, look I can wear my own shoes," Chris insisted, pointing at his runners.
Ray shrugged. "If you want."
"How will I impress Satine when I'm falling all over myself because my shoes are too big?" Chris asked.
The Doctor snickered at this image before lighting a cigarette and waving them on their way. "Don't keep Zidler waitin'," he said. "You know he won't like it Ray."
Sam mumbled something from the corner he was sitting in, then glanced up. "I think you should go through Satine first. If you go straight to Zidler, he'll have your head."
Ray thought about this for a moment then nodded. "You're probably right. She'll be there tonight, right? You checked it out?"
Sam nodded. "Called that broad she always hangs out with. What's her name?"
"Nini?" Ray asked.
Sam nodded again. "Yeah, that's her. She said they'd all be at the party tonight near Zidler's place." He frowned suddenly. "You better be careful Ray; I think you should carry a piece."
Ray rolled his eyes. "I'm not carryin' a damn gun Sam, not in Zidler's neighbourhood."
"I'm just saying' . . . there's gonna be Cobras there tonight Ray. You and Chris won't be safe," Sam said.
"I will go," the Argentinean said suddenly. "I can protect them both if anything happens."
The Doctor coughed around his cigarette, then nodded. "That's a good idea. But try to make sure none of the Cobras see you two with Chris. If they know he's with us then he's useless."
Ray waved his hand. "I know this stuff, don't lecture me on how to do my job." He stared Chris up and down for a long moment, then smiled. "I think you're ready kid."
They started toward the door and Chris frowned.
"Where does he get off calling me kid?"
§ § § §
Harry Zidler stared over the crowd at the party, watching them carefully. His girls were there, Satine and Nini, huddled in a corner together and laughing at the people at the party. He had to make sure the party was safe because they were there. If either of them ever got hurt Zidler would hunt down the man that hurt them and make them pay.
He had seen only a few of the Cobras in the crowd, but they had been checked at the door to make sure none of them had been carrying a gun. He didn't like the Cobras, they were trying to sell drugs in the area he had worked so hard to keep clean, but it wasn't his party and it wasn't his house.
Zidler was pleased that Ray had kept most of the Deuces home. He had a large gang Zidler knew, but Ray understood it would have caused problems for both gangs to be there in large numbers. They both hoped that the night would turn out relatively quiet, even if for different reasons.
Zidler wanted the night to end peacefully because he was working on his best plan yet. Satine would help him keep the streets completely clean if only he could convince the Duke that they were meant to be together. A sneer marred his face as he thought about the Duke. Harrison 'the Duke' Katzenberg. He was a dirty man; the leader of the Cobras. It amazed Zidler time and again how the man had managed to keep control of an entire gang, especially one so violent. He had no match for Ray intellectually and no match for the Argentinean physically. It had been the cooperation of those two men that had helped keep the Cobras' drugs off the streets and Zidler knew it.
But if he could bond himself to the gang through Satine he knew they would win. He knew that the kids on his streets would be safe, they would be able to be kids without having to worry if a bullet would whiz by their head. Satine had agreed to meet the Duke that night. She was a good little actress Zidler knew and if she could convince the Duke that she loved him, Zidler would have his wish; a truce on the streets.
§ § § §