A/n: It occurred to me as I prepared to upload today's installment that I realized that I am evil. You see, the short, pseudo cliffhanger chapters are on Thursdays.. which means you must wait nearly 5 whole days for an update on the Boys. bwhahahaha
Chapter Two
Aldo Mazzola had been very busy. First, he spent some time and (Vincente's) money on a haircut, a few new outfits and a few tools of the trade. Then he spent time poring over all the information on the Hardy family Vincente had amassed during his period of exile. When he wasn't doing that, he was canvassing all of Joe Hardy's regular haunts: home, work, the Youth Center, Mr. Pizza, the gym; everywhere Joe could reasonably be seen semi regularly. Not even the donut shop was spared. The irritating part of the whole process was Hardy's routine. He didn't have one. Never took the same route to anywhere two days running. About the only thing he was consistent with was his daily arrival at the 2 story brick building he called work. He could be counted on to arrive between 0900 and 0930 most days. It was a week before Mazzola had the opportunity to mess with the car and even then he was interrupted so he only partially severed the oil line; not having the time to also cut the break line as well.
The edge of the baseball field at the Youth center was far enough away from the bleachers that even if he had been noticed, he would not have been easy to identify. Not that it mattered; he couldn't help but snigger in derision at the way the older brother never even glanced his way. Perhaps Frank Hardy would not be as big an issue as he had originally thought. In fact, outside of work, the two men were seldom together, and even then it was more likely for Frank to remain in the office while Joe was out and about. Too bad the roles had not been reversed, it would have been too easy to plug the blond one in the Agency. Just walk right in.
He thought about doing it during a stakeout, but decided it was too risky. The woman he usually partnered with turned out to be a crack shot and very good at picking up on things. No, he had to find an isolated spot where he could grab him without fear of interruption.. He just had to be patient, although he knew his capo crimini would not let him drag it out forever.
Aldo Mazzola pulled out his wallet and removed a small photograph, black and white but yellowed with age. There were four figures, 3 boys all under the age of ten and an infant held in the lap of the eldest. He kissed the tip of his finger and gently touched the infant's head with it. He was sitting in a small, nondescript car that blended in with all the other cars in the neighborhood. He chose his spot well. From this vantage point, he could easily see directly into the open garage through a convenient break in the leaves of a stately old oak tree. Joe Hardy could be glimpsed as he stepped into the view.
He spent the afternoon watching his target.
A/n: everyone taking notes and keeping score?!