Angel of Death
Vito awoke to a newspaper being playfully tossed on the bed for him to read. December 28th, 1927, was the date in the Newspaper as he unfolded it, revealing some unimpressive headlines about national politics. He had been keeping up with the news around the city while laying low with his mistress, Augustina. Try as he might, he could not get in touch with John. His brother had seemingly vanished into thin air after that last battle, something Vito wished to do himself at his earliest convenience.
He was the last of the Green Ones who could still pose a threat to rival gangs, and yet there was no one around to support him except for one or two of the most loyal members who kept an eye out for Ethan Kelly, Mordecai Heller, or anyone else. It had been three weeks since the Police Station was set ablaze by some crazed arsonist, but since then the streets had been quiet.
"Vito, there's someone pulling up!" Augustina yelled from downstairs. Thinking it might be John at last, he hurriedly went to the window. To his horror, Mordecai Heller and two associates stepped out.
"Oh shit!" He said. "Dear, stay calm and do what the men say when they come inside!" Vito then took his clothes and retreated into the attic.
Answering the knock on the door, Augustina opened it up and was immediately confronted by a tall black cat in a matching suit and coat, sporting a set of brass-framed spectacles.
"Good morning, ma'am. I'm only going to ask this once. Where is Vito Giannola?"
The woman was frozen with fear.
"Please miss, this doesn't need to escalate."
Again, the woman said nothing. Rolling his eyes, he snapped his fingers. "She's all yours, Sera."
Upstairs in his little hole, Vito could hear the men downstairs tearing the house apart. Augustina must have cooperated because they were making a line straight for him. After listening to them tearing the room apart where he had been sleeping not three minutes before, knocking on the ceiling revealed the location of the hidden entrance. This was bad, he had no gun with him in the room. In his haste he had forgotten it in the night stand.
Light opened up through the floor as a small mirror was propped up. Mordecai scanned the attic from the relative safety of a mirror, only exposing his hand to possible retaliation. It took a minute, but he saw a foot peaking out from behind a pile of boxes. Without saying a word, he gestured to Nico to follow him while Serafine stayed below to cover them.
In one swift motion, the boxes were batted aside and Vito was confronted with a smiling Nico and an emotionless Mordecai.
"What the hell do you guys want with me? I'm beaten! Look around, all I got left is Augustina and a car."
"It's a pity, because you could have used either to escape. Instead, here you are, cowering in the attic." Mordecai replied, adjusting his glasses. Vito steeled himself but realized that there was at least one person missing from this whole party.
"I thought Ethan Kelly would be here. The ghost."
"Ethan Kelly has informed me that he no longer considers dealing with you worth his time." Mordecai said. "Frankly, I'm inclined to agree. It was hardly worth my time as well, but my clients want you dead, so here we are."
"And what about Augustina? You didn't dare hurt her, did you?"
"Of course not, she cooperated just fine with the right incentive."
"Too bad 'bout de mess though." Nico said as he reached his arm down to Serafine.
"Mess? You mean the house?"
"No, he means the bloodstains. Nico, if you would be so kind…"
Nico pulled out a Thompson and opened fire, emptying most of the drum magazine into Vito. Once the shooting stopped, Mordecai removed his glasses and cleaned off the single speck of blood that landed on the lenses. Putting them back on his face, the two men exited the attic and made their way to the car.
"And with that, the war is over." Mordecai said but turned to Nico. "Though I suppose it's better to be the one who fires the last shot in a war rather than the first, wouldn't you agree?"
"Sure, but now what?" Nico asked as the three climbed into the car and pulled away.
"Well, I trust that you two will get whatever Frank Russo promised you. He, Fresina, and Asa Sweet will need to work out an agreement. You would think in a town of nearly nine hundred thousand people that they would find a way to split things evenly. And as for myself, I will need to call my boss and let him know that he has claimed victory over Capone's faction. This will have a ripple effect across Chicago, and so I will likely be recalled back there soon."
"So just like that, it's over? No goodbye, cher? Not even a last word from Ethan Kelly?"
"Ethan has quit the business. Retired, moved on, whatever you want to call it."
"You mean, turned his back on us." Sera twisted Mordecai's words. Mordecai shook his head.
"It's always a dichotomy with you two, isn't it? Ethan is neither friend nor foe and is best left alone. But should anyone not understand the dangerous of coming after him, he has given me a warning to pass on to you and everyone else."
"Oh?"
"Die Deutschen kennen mich, ich bin Ethan Kelly, der Geist von Charlevaux. The Germans know me, I am Ethan Kelly, the Ghost of Charlevaux. Do you really wish to fight a man named by his enemies?"
Finale
"Well, this is it." Rocky declared as he danced around the speakeasy, making sure everything is just perfect. Hard liquor from bottles were distributed around the club.
"I don't suppose we got the message out, did we?" Wick asked as he took a bottle for himself.
"Oh, I think we did pretty well. One last night for the speakeasy, and the liquor is flowing at half price. Who wouldn't want to be here?" I said before going to unlock the door.
"Is there anyone there?" Mitzi asked as I opened up the oak door. I had no need to answer as we were quickly overrun by patrons from all across the city. For one night only, decent booze was going to be found cheap once more. Not the watered-down grog or stale ales, but good strong whiskey shipped in from the Emerald Isle.
"Hit it, Zib!" Rocky said, a smile on his face. Music and laughter soon filled the air. I had to jump behind the counter to help Horatio keep up. Poor lad would have to find new work just when he was starting to perfect the whole bartender skillset.
An hour in and the place was still packed. Finally earning myself a break and a drink, I went to go sit down with our crew.
"And you were worried no one would show up." I said Mitzi while sitting down next to Isabella.
"It is good to see this place so busy. If I thought we had come back from the brink before, this looks like a proper return to form." Wick added while pecking Mitzi on the cheek.
"Look Joseph, Rocky is about to take the lead!" Ivy said with excitement, pointing up on stage. And indeed Rocky did take the lead with a jazz tempo no one could match on a stringed instrument anywhere in the city. A solo with the most curious and unlikely sounds to be found in a jazz band.
"Come on, Freckle, let's dance!" Ivy said, grabbing him by the hand and pulling him into the middle of the dance floor. I was content to watch with Isabella for now.
"So, how'd you like them to play for us?" I asked my fiancé. She looked over the band intensely. "If they can clean themselves up a bit, I don't see why not."
"Well, they got between now and May to get into shape. A bit of money from tonight under Zib's nose ought to motivate him enough."
A loud snap from Riley's camera confirmed that she was figuring out how to use the settings.
"Ooh, that will be a good one of Rocky when it gets developed. You don't mind showing her, do you Miss M?" I asked.
"Of course not, hon. It's not too hard anyway. But Riley, honey, be sure to leave a couple of frames left on the roll. I'd like one great picture by the end of the night once everyone leaves and the crew is left."
"That's a great idea, Mitzi." Wick said. "Be sure to get a copy or two made once the image is developed. I'd like one in the study. A memory of the good times!"
"I'd like a copy as well. Rocky and Ivy too." I added. "Of course, we're still waiting for a couple of people to show up."
"Who?" Mitzi asked.
"Well, Alena is one. In fact, I think I see her now. Bella, dear, would you like to brag about that ring to someone else?"
"Oh you! But yes, I'm sure Alena will be very impressed." Bella said.
I hoped out of the booth and made my way through the sea of patrons to the lone girl who had just walked in.
"You're late." I said, arms crossed but with a smile on my face.
"Yeah, my friends needed some convincing to come down here."
"Friends?"
"Oh yeah, come on down guys! You're letting the heat out!" Two carloads of college students filled what little room we had left.
"Wow, and they're paying?"
"At half price you can bet they'll drink as much as they weigh."
"Good. Hey, before we go back to the booth, there's something I need to show you."
"Okay…" Alena said as I took her by the hand and led her back to one of the rooms along the side of the speakeasy. We made our way to the armory and when it was quiet enough, I went on to explain. "Ivy says you want to join the women's rifle team this spring?"
"Yeah, why?"
"Well, you'll need a gun to compete with, don't you? Now I got to thinking. Most women in those kinds of sports don't go with a big gun. The recoil is a bit much, especially if you're only a hundred pounds soaking wet like Ivy. But you've got an inherent advantage Alena, a Vasko advantage. Your father was a big man, and you've got those stout genes in you. So I think this right here will be a match made in heaven." I said as I unlocked the armory room and picked up the 1903 Springfield.
"Here, take it. Try it on for size, but make sure it's unloaded first. Don't need to cause a stampede of panic."
Alena fiddled with the bolt, opening it up and making sure there was nothing chambered or in the magazine. She then proceeded to bring it to her shoulder. A nearly perfect fit.
"See? This was your father's gun, and I think you should have it."
"What?" Alena asked. "But don't you need it?"
I smiled and shook my head. "I have no more need for a rifle like this. It's served it's purpose and like all weapons of war, it should be put down when its job is done. But this whole semester you've been here looking for ways to connect with your father. Well, this is one of his most prized possessions. The Springfield 1903 has been dominating rifle competitions for years now, and it's one of the best you can get your hands on."
"Oh Ethan, thank you!"
"Don't thank me yet though. Mitzi and I have been trying to figure out what to do with all this, and we think you should have it all as well." I then pulled out two large boxes full of stuff.
"We salvaged it all from your father's apartment when we cleared the place out. I think there's a lot of stuff in here you will want."
Alena set down the rifle and rummaged through the boxes. There were all kinds of medals and pictures of Viktor we hung on the walls of the speakeasy, but there were also big stacks of notes, journals, diaries, instruction manuals. "I did some snooping through there and if you ask me, it's a nearly complete window into what your father thought, did, and believed in. There might even be some stuff in there he addressed to you personally." I said.
I could see her holding back tears and I instantly crouched own next to her to hug the young woman. "Viktor was part of this crew, and so are you. Happy New Year kid. I'll help you move this stuff out as soon as you have a place to put it. And as for the rifle…" I said, standing up.
"You and Ivy are in need of a coach. As it turns out, I'm not particularly busy until planting starts this spring."
"You'd coach Ivy and I?"
"Of course I would! You'll be taught by the Ghost of Charlevaux, survivor of the Lost Battalion, and bane to the Kaiser's Army. What do you say? Would that make a winning team, or what?"
"I-I'm speechless."
"Good. Also, Rocky told me about a surprise he wants to give you as well, but we're waiting for him to show up."
"Rocky is here though. I saw him on stage."
"Oh, I know. It's the surprise we're waiting to see. He's not the most social creature in the world though, so I wouldn't doubt it if he showed up right near the end of the night."
Forty-Five Years
"You're doing great, Freckle! Look, you're even taking the initiative!" Ivy gleefully said as she was swung around by Freckle. Their time together had been building their bond stronger and stronger, and now Freckle had all he needed to ask the question that was on his mind.
"Hey Ivy, when this song ends, I've given Rocky a special request. It'll be just us on the dancefloor."
"Ooh, you have some new dance to show everyone?!"
"Eh, something like that. Wait for it…" Freckle said as the song came to a close. With a nod exchanged between the cousins, Rocky abruptly stopped the music and hushed the band. Tapping on the back of his violin to get everyone's attention, he cleared his throat.
"We need the floor for a moment, if you don't mind! Could everyone kindly make some room for my cousin and his friend, please."
The crowd, rather than turning angry, was curious. Alena and I heard the declaration from the armory and quickly made our way over to the crowd. On the other side, Isabella and the others were standing on their seats to see what was about to happen.
"Alright Sy, the stage is set, cue the lights!" Rocky said. Sy, knowing his part, instantly hit the lighting controls, dimming or turning off everything except for the lights above the dance floor. Ivy looked around and found herself out in the open with just Freckle.
Freckle cleared his throat and reached into his pocket. "Miss Ivy Pepper, you're the most wonderful and amazing woman I have ever met in my life. Every time I see your face, I want to see it every day for the next forty-five years…"
"Oh my God…" Ivy's eyes lit up as a small box was held up to her face in Freckle's hand. Upon opening the box, a ring unlike anything she had ever seen glimmered in the light. A polished wooden ring trimmed with brass made up the base for a carved dogwood flower inlayed with a pinkish gemstone that looked as if it were the heart of the earth itself.
"Ivy, would you marry me?" Freckle asked. Without hesitation, he was given an answer. One big, passionate kiss while the crowd erupted in cheers.
"Where did you find a ring like that?" Ivy asked, amazed by the craftsmanship.
"I didn't. The ring is made of dogwood and the gemstone is Mozarkite that the kids picked out for me. I had a lot of time while recovering from the gunshot wound to sit and pick away at it with a knife. Then I took the pieces to a jeweler who finished it off."
"You made this with your own two hands?" Ivy said, hardly believing it.
"Yeah. I've been planning this one out for a while. Made sure to get everyone's permission too. Of course, when you want to get married is up to you, Ivy. I think Isabella and Ethan are planning to have it sometime in May."
"Well, while I would like to get married as soon as possible, I suppose it would be improper to jump ahead of them. We'll talk about it later, but for now, I need to show everyone. My fiancé made a ring! Oh Calvin!" Ivy then kissed him once more. "I knew you were the cutest thing this side of the Mississippi. You're also the kindest and most loving."
Well I'll be damned, he actually worked up the courage!" I exclaimed while working my way back to Isabella through the crowd. "Rocky said he was going to do it and I didn't believe him."
"Ethan, I got the picture!" Riley excitedly declared.
"You did? Oh, it sounds like the wedding photographer is going to be owed a couple extra slices of cake. Good job, Riley."
As the dance floor was mobbed by the masses once more, Freckle and Ivy found their way back to the booth. At the same time, Rocky jumped off the stage and swamp through the hoard to reach us. He immediately hugged and picked up his cousin. "Freckle, I'm so damn proud of you!" He yelled. And now we'll have to start calling you Mrs. Ivy McMurray" He said to Ivy who hugged him in return.
"Thank you, Rocky. We never would have met if it wasn't for you." She said, wiping away a tear. "And look what you're cousin did! He crafted it by hand! It's… oh, I'll remember this night forever!"
"Sounds like we need a celebratory bottle of Irish whiskey. What do you say, Freckle?"
"Me? Oh no. No, no, no!" He said, waving his hands as a shot glass was thrust into his face.
"Juice of the barely, lad." Wick said. Unable to refuse, he quickly drank the drink which sent a shiver down his spine, every hair from his ears to the tip of his tail stood on end.
Last Call
As the evening wore on, people began to leave. One by one and two by two, they stumbled and crawled toward the exit. Our once mighty mountain of stolen liquor was reduced to a handful of untouched bottles, and our coffers were overflowing. Ironically, we just had our most profitable night right at the end. Even so, I made sure none of us got too drunk. We still had to make our way home in the early hours of the morning. Riley was asleep with the camera packed neatly away in it's case. Joseph was leaning against her shoulder, snuggled between his "cousin" and "father" while Rocky quietly plucked an old Irish melody.
"Well, I'd say that was a successful evening." Zib said as he packed away his saxophone. "For once we gave the Marigold Room a run for it's money. Asa won't believe it."
Mitzi, now tipsy, stood up on a table and gestured all around her. "I just want to say that it has truly been an honor. Lackadaisy was Atlas May's dream, and you've all done he and I so proud by sticking with it right to the end. But it's time for a new chapter in our lives. I used to be afraid of that, but I'm not anymore. Whatever happens, Lackadaisy will live on through all of you, Mordecai.
"Mordecai?" I asked. "When did he get in here?"
"About an hour after opening." Mitzi explained. "Are you going to keep admiring that old Ficus or come join the crew for one last round?"
"I'm rather comfortable right here, Mitzi." Mordecai said, his form almost perfectly hidden amongst the shadows and vegetation.
"Oh for the love of… Mordecai, get you're awkward ass out here." I said, shaking my head. There's someone Rocky and I wanted you to talk to.
A grumbling from behind the plants eventually quieted down and Mordecai emerged. "I've never liked how busy this place can get."
"Yeah, well you're among friends now." Wick said as he raised a glass.
"Ah yes, Miss Alena." Mordecai said as I walked Viktor's daughter to him.
"Oh, hello Mr. Heller. That is your name, right?"
"Correct, ma'am. You're… you look just like him."
"Last time you told me I shouldn't be here. But I have been keeping out of trouble."
"That's very good of you to do. Your father would have appreciated it knowing that you were at the university studying as all good pupils should do."
"She's been trying to learn more about who her father was as a person, and you worked with him the longest out of all of us." I explained, stepping in.
"I doubt I could be of much help in your project, Miss Alena."
"Nonsense!" I said. "Tell you what, Mordecai. If you can help her cap off this family history project she's been working on, I'll… Well, I guess I'll owe you. Want me to shine your boots, clean your pistol, get rid of a threat?"
"The last one could be useful…"
"Well, I do have a couple of conditions. It can't be some kid nor a fed, and it can't be someone so powerful that my family is at risk again. But if you ever need me to remove someone from a list or help you track down someone, I'll be there to help. Just this once though, so think carefully about when and how you want to use it."
"I find that… and acceptable trade."
Smiling, I turned to Alena. "There you go, kid." I said before going back and kissing Isabella.
"So, what was my father like?" Alena asked with innocent eyes.
"He… was perhaps the most stubborn person I had ever worked with. A skull so thick that some days it seemed like nothing short of a bullet could get through! He dressed like a vagabond, never was much for conversation, and I've never met a man so quick to violence."
"Really?!" She said, eyes wide. Mordecai stopped her and continued.
"But he was also surprisingly good at chess. He'd always listen to music from his homeland. In a fight, to this day I've never met anyone who could match him. Viktor had a way with children as well, something Ivy could attest to. And through it all, not once did he turn his back on his friends. Even when it was stupid to stay loyal and likely to get him killed. And while he never told me, I can guarantee that he loved you like no one else. That's why he kept you far away from here, because I doubt, he could have lived with himself if our profession led to you getting hurt." Mordecai said, taking off his glasses and cleaning them instinctively.
Alena didn't say anything, only contemplating how all this fit into the profile she built up of her father. Mordecai could tell that she needed more.
"I have to return to Chicago in a few days, but if you would like I would be happy to meet you tomorrow afternoon. I believe there is a lovely, quiet coffee shop just off the university campus."
"I'd like that, Mr. Heller. Thank you!" She said. We had neglected to warn her not to physically touch Mordecai. She embraced him tightly. Heller turned rigid. "Please remove yourself ma'am. I reserve such affection for a very select group of people."
As the last drunk stumbled out of here, we all had one last round. "Who wants to make the toast?" Wick said.
"I'll make it." Mordecai answered, taking a single shot glass in his hand. "I usually don't partake, but it is a very unusual evening."
"Alright, who are we toasting? Joe Aiello?" I asked to a roar of laughter from everyone else.
"No, but I feel it's appropriate that we give our due respect to the man that started it all. Atlas… meant a lot to me. And while I don't think he would have approved of everything that's happened since his death; his legacy will live on in us all as we go our separate ways. So, to Atlas May!" Mordecai declared before throwing the drink back. It would be his first and last for the evening.
"Now that everything is settled, and we've got people marrying, people building families, people starting a new part in their lives, there's something else I'd like to do." Mitzi said, standing up and nudging Riley awake.
"We've got a new young photographer in the house, and Riley has been eager to capture a picture which will mean a lot to the rest of us. I'd like us all to gather around the stage for one last photo of the speakeasy." Mitzi said, pushing us all toward the center of the stage. "Boys, get you're instruments. We've got two frames left, so let's make them count."
As we all got into position, I stuck my hand out for Mordecai to receive. "I once considered you a threat. I do hope we are leaving on better terms than when we first met each other."
"We are, Mr. Kelly. And I was sure to pass the warning onto anyone who would listen."
"Good."
Mitzi walked Riley through the process of setting up the image and the timer, then shooed her over to my side before quickly lining up with Wick and Rocky.
"Okay, just hold a smile for a few seconds, it should go off shortly." She said.
Click
Remembrance
I put the picture back on the wall after admiring it for a while. The first signs of spring were already in the air. Bella was on the porch with Riley, helping to make Easter decorations. Ivy was studying next to them while Freckle taught Joseph how to throw a baseball properly. Nearly for months had come and gone since that last night, all just memories now. We'd have to start planting pretty soon and then it was time to plan the wedding properly. Next week I'd be twenty-nine and a full year removed from my old life in Butte, Montana. As I looked around, I noticed that someone was missing.
Rocky sat atop the hill, looking out at the Missouri countryside as it slowly came back to life. He had been spending a lot of time up there, alone, thinking about what he was going to do next in life. What big adventures awaited? Besides being a parent, that is. He still had a lot to learn in that regard, but nobody had any business asking for a better kid. He watched as the baseball soared up into the air and Joseph leapt to catch it in his mitt. It was a perfect catch, textbook right down to the way he landed. He could see a gin on Freckle's face despite being two hundred yards away.
"I thought I might find you up here." I said, cresting the hill.
"Yeah, I just like watching the world go by from up here."
"It's a great place." I said. "Any luck finding work?"
"Well, jobs are a bit tight. And it's not like I ever developed a skillset that's worth much money."
"Yeah, it's hard. At least this place is bought and paid for. The good news is wheat is guaranteed at two dollars a bushel. Imagine what one hundred and sixty acres could net us?"
"Wow. That's enough to pay for the year."
"Exactly. So, if I were you, I wouldn't worry too much about a job. There's going to be plenty of work to do here this summer. Good, honest work. The stuff I had been looking for when Riley and I got off the boat."
"Hey, did you read the paper this morning?" Rocky asked.
"Not yet, I think one of the kids hid it."
"The war is heating up again. Sounds like Weatherbird and Fresina aren't seeing eye to eye anymore."
"Well, I'm glad we got out when we did then. I hope no one remembers us. Let the greedy bastards slaughter each other and make the headlines. I'll gladly take some of that peace those gangsters abhor so much."
"Ha." Rocky said, smiling. "Speaking of peace, I haven't had any bad dreams about losing mom or us now in months."
"I'm glad to hear it, Rocky. You look well rested too. I'm going to walk the property line if you want to come with me. Make sure that all my traps have been disabled. See how the fences fared over the winter. If I can find that blasted flock of turkeys, we might even get some fresh meat later this week."
"Yeah, let's do it!" Rocky said as we helped each other up.
As we walked along the path, Rocky had another thought. "You know, even now it still feels like something is missing."
"How so?"
"Before I couldn't explain it. But now, after all this time to think, it's like a veil has been lifted from my head. You're getting married, Freckle and Ivy are getting married. Mitzi and Wick have a good thing going as well. Don't get me wrong, I love my kid, but—"
"You don't have to explain it to me, Rocky. You want to find someone, that's understandable. Did you have anyone in mind? If not, I'm sure Ivy and Alena would be happy to help."
"Actually, there was one. Last fall, a nursing student from the university was helping injured people. Well, I'd be lying if I said I didn't take a fancy to her."
"What was her name?"
"Evelyn."
"Well hell Rocky, a woman just fell into your lap. Why are you sitting around talking to me about it?"
"What do you mean?"
"First thing on Monday, I'm driving you into town. You're going to put on your best suit, grab and umbrella, and we're going to track down this Evelyn. If she remembers you at all then it's a sign from the Gods that it was meant to be."
"Really?"
"Yes. That's what a brother is for, Rocky. But you'll have to do the rest. I'm sure Ivy has all kinds of notes for you. Freckle and I will handle the clothes, Alena and Isabella can track down where this woman goes to class, you'll need to practice in the mirror for all the—"
"Wait, wait, wait. You know what, Ethan?"
"Hmm?"
"I think I should just be myself."
"That's… a fine idea, Rocky."
