"Prelude to Undertaker"

"… don't want you dressing like a bum in church."

Packie ended his phone conversation as Kate strolled into the living room, wearing a simple black dress. He slipped his phone into his pocket and announced, "I told Niko to come to the funeral."

"Oh." Her green eyes scrutinized the black suit her brother wore before she turned her attention to the fireplace. "Ma's just about ready. She's just trying to put on a brave face for everyone."

Packie grunted but said nothing. Even after everything that has happened to their family, their mother insisted on keeping everyone together. In spite the horrible crimes the boys would commit on a daily basis, Maureen wanted the entire family to attend church every Sunday. Today was no different as the remaining family members would head over to the largest cathedral in Algonquin to lay one of the McReary boys to rest: death by a gunshot wound fired by an unknown assailant.

Kate eased down onto a sofa chair and chuckled darkly. "I'm surprised it's taken this long for one of us to get killed."

"A goddamn sniper attack," Packie commented as he patted himself down to make sure he had everything he needed: cell phone, gun, bullets. Everything was ready to go. "Figured it'd had to be a surprise attack. Nobody would wanna take us on face to face, so they go and take us out from the shadows."

"You realize Ma' s going to make us go to both Saturday and Sunday services because of this."

"Fuck that shit," Packie spat. "I don't mind listening about the graces of God on Sunday but Saturday nights'll just be the same stuff we'll have to hear the next day. Besides, my Saturdays are reserved for personal affairs."

Kate groaned inward at her brother's interpretation of affairs. "Let me guess: ingesting, snorting, injecting, smoking, drinking, and fucking. Or are they in any particular order?"

Packie pointed a finger at her and retorted, "First, I don't stick no needles in me body. Second, I like to have fun with my Saturday nights instead of trying to preserve my virginity until I become eligible for social security."

Throwing insults and implications was territory the McReary perfected in, and felt comfortable with. Such behavior allowed them to cope with life's mishaps, pain in all of its forms: from gunshot wounds to drug overdoses, from stabbings to molestations, from physical abuse to death.

Kate got up from her chair and adjusted her ponytail and rolled with the punches. "At least if and when I decide to have sex, I will have the satisfaction of knowing I have a clean body and a clear consciousness. God only knows what horrible junk you've put inside of you."

She lowered her hands from the back of her head as Packie turned his back on her and pulled the living room curtains aside. He peered out the window at the Dukes neighborhood, seemingly suspicious of whoever or whatever was out there.

"Wait, Patrick, you said Niko was coming to the funeral. Are you sure that's a good idea?"

Releasing his hold of the curtain, Packie shot his sister a look over his shoulder. "Yeah, it's a damn good idea to invite someone who's proven himself to be a trusted friend and ally. Don't you like Niko no more?"

"I never said I didn't like him…" Kate fought off the urge to think about how Niko could be nice and how much of a gentleman he has been to her during their many friends-only outings. So she quickly added, "… as a friend. He's a step up from your typical gangster buddies. It's just I'm not sure it'd be a good idea to bring him."

"Why not?" Packie's voice was suddenly filled with tension as he faced her. "What do you think is gonna happen? We go to the funeral, say goodbye to our asshole brother, and watch him get buried in the cemetery. End of story."

"Niko does have the tendency to attract attention even if he tries to be low-brow about it."

"Ain't nobody going to start shit at a church."

Kate sighed as she heard their mother climb down the staircase. "You better hope so… for Ma's sake."

Author's note: I decided to let you guys imagine which brother it is that was getting buried in this story, because the game allowed the player choose who to take out. Personally I always took out Francis because while Derrick seemed like a hopeless heroin addict and snitch, he appeared to have more redeemable qualities than his ganster-turned-cop brother. Then again, everyone in the game was a horrible hypocrite with both good and bad qualities XD