Out on Bail

"Zibowski! Rise and Shine!" The jailor called out as he clanked each bar down the row of cells with his club. Zib rolled over, having managed a decent nights' sleep for once. With a groan, he sat up, rubbing his eyes. It was early for him; the sun was still climbing in the sky outside his small window. "What day is it?" He asked.

"It's your lucky day, Tuesday. A friend of yours was able to post bail."

"Oh joy, can't wait to be back on the streets." He said, sarcasm being laid on thick.

"Well, perhaps your guardian angel has a job for you. On the streets or off, stay outta trouble. I need every cell possible to make room for more serious crimes. There's a gang war brewing, I can feel it."

"What, does your knee hurt or something?" Zib replied, standing up and walking to the entrance.

"As a matter of fact, it does, rains coming through tonight. But there's been a rash of killings in the area. Sometimes I swear things were better in this town with May running half the city. At least his bribes paid well. Now out with you! Oh yeah, and your friend from the Treasury Department insisted you get your money back. It's waiting for you in processing."

Half an hour later, Zib was walking out of the jail, the sunlight hitting his face. Waiting streetside was a recently repaired sedan with his favorite violinist leaning on the fender. Rocky was odd in many ways, but he was as loyal of a friend as Zib could ask for. "Rocky, were you the one who posted my bail? I was expecting to get a vacation in there."

"You're welcome to go back in, Zib, but Miss M would be mighty disappointed to go another night without a band leader. We could barely keep time last night without you." Rocky explained while reaching out to meet Zib's hand. Soon the two of them were headed out of downtown.

"So, what did I miss?" Zib asked as he loosened the collar on his shirt. He never liked having it buttoned up all the way as it felt too constricting.

"Well, let's see. We scored some higher shelf booze from an old dealer in Defiance. Got Lackadaisy all fixed up and we're pulling in customers. Oh yeah, and we may have sparked a war with Marigold…"

"What! Rocky, are you insane! We can't fight off those guys! What did you do?"

"What did I do? I merely got hit by a hearse and then drove a pie truck. Freckle and Ethan on the other hand, well let's just say they are every bit as lethal as I had hoped."

"Of all the stupid things- well, I guess I shouldn't be surprised. The fact you're still alive seems hopeful though."

"According to our old associate, Mordecai. You know, the stone-cold killer? Well, he paid Ethan a visit last night. I guess his boss hasn't figured it out yet."

"Rocky, I've been thinking. We shouldn't stick around. You and me, we can talk Mitzi into skipping town. The rest of the crew can come with. Let's just start over again somewhere out west."

"Oh Zib, there's not much but grass and mountains from here to LA. And besides, Ethan had the same thought… or at least something similar. Ethan and I got a plan in place, and we'll all be fine…"

"We're not going to be fine, Rocky. We'll all be dead in a week or two. But at least Viktor is recovering, so maybe he'll protect us?"

Rocky then sheepishly smiled. "Yeah, about Viktor…"

"He's not dead, is he?"

"No, no, quite the opposite. Very much alive. But he's decided to… retire. Kinda, maybe, hopefully its just a leave of absence."

"You've got to be kidding me." Zib said as he whipped out a cigarette.

Goodbye

The clock tower showed '9:42'. The train would be leaving in less than a half-hour. Ivy helped Viktor get his modest luggage out of the back of the farm truck. I didn't want to intrude on what could be a goodbye that lasts for a while. For better or worse, Viktor was going off to reclaim a piece of his past. I only wish there was something left to salvage from my own, but I buried the last of it in the cold ground a mile high out west. Looking through the passenger side window, I caught a glimpse of Viktor and Ivy. The big guy passed her an envelope, and after reading it, Ivy looked up and jumped onto him for a hug which he happily reciprocated. At least if this was to be an ending, it would be a good one.

Ivy wiped away tears as she got back into the truck. "Well, he's off."

"How far is he going, Miss Pepper?" I asked.

"Not too far, sounds like he's getting off three hours up the river at Quincy. He gave me the address and phone number in case we need him."

"We do need him, but he also needs to heal before he can be of much help." I said.

"Hey, we'll be fine. Just like Bobby said." I could tell Ivy was trying to cheer me up, or perhaps cheer herself up.

"Not quite. We've got a problem, and Mitzi isn't listening to reason."

"We've got a hundred problems, Ethan, what's one more? We can handle it, right? Right?" She reasoned, with growing concern spreading across her face.

"No, I don't think we can. Last night when I turned in, Mordecai was in my apartment."

"Riley! Was she-"

"Riley is fine, but the fact he knows she exists puts her life in danger. We've got a plan, but its risky and I need to have a safe place for Riley to hide out at if things turn out badly. I'm going to need to ask a favor of you."

"Anything."

"The first thing I'm going to do today is look up a friend who can help us, then I'm going to pick up Freckle. Tonight, I'm going to need you to sit by the phone, any time after 11 pm will be fine. If you don't get a call from us by 2 am, the plan has failed and Lackadaisy will no longer be safe. If that happens, grab Riley and Mitzi then make for Wick's estate. There will be an envelope with instructions under the register in the café in case the worst happens."

"What, exactly, are you boys going to do? And what does Miss M think of the plan?" Ivy asked.

"She doesn't. I… haven't told her. At first, I was hoping she'd understand the danger we're all in, but I know she'd say it would be stupid to go out of our way to kill Moreau, and even stupider to go after Mordecai."

"Wait, who's Moreau?"

Hidden Agendas

Moreau tapped his finger, waiting for the operator to pick up. A moment later a pleasant female voice came over the telephone. "St. Louis operator, how may I direct your call?"

"Good morning, ma'am, could you put me through to St. Louis Police headquarters?"

"Right away sir, please hold."

Two seconds later, the phone was ringing. It irritated him how many steps this new communication required, but it was faster than a letter and more discrete. Just then the police operator picked up. He sounded heavy-set, having to breath slightly as he spoke. "Good morning… St. Louis Police, this is Seargent Reynolds."

"Seargent, could you patch me through to Dominic Drago's office, please?"

Drago was the next to pick up. "This is Dominic Drago, to whom am I speaking with?"

"An old friend."

"Ah! It's you Adam. I heard you were in town. Business any good?"

"As lucrative as ever. And don't worry, I make sure to pay the big man his due. Don't need the treasury on my ass."

"Of course, a detective as prudent as you is hardly on my radar. Now, to what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Well, you see, my client has asked me to look into the disappearance of two men outside Defiance. I was wondering if anyone in the office has some information. A suspect list would be appreciated."

"No suspect list, unfortunately. Haven't found a trace of the men, in fact. We only know who they were involved with, can't imagine they're alive."

"My own research suggests the same. But I just wanted to call and see what you might have found. If anything comes up at headquarters, could you send them up to my bosses in Chicago?"

"For an old friend, of course. I'll tell Tony you said 'Hello' along with anything that comes up."

"Thanks."

"Oh, and before you go, you'll never guess who walked into the police station the other day. You remember Pete Kelly?"

"Yeah, that was a satisfying job."

"Well, his nephew is all grown up and moved here to St. Louis. Works as a cook at the Little Daisy Café."

"You don't mean-?"

"I'd love to discuss it, but not on the phone. How about we meet for lunch tomorrow?"

"Yes, good idea Dom. You know where the Mill is?"

"Perfect, I'll be there around noon."

"And I'll have a table waiting. Take care Dom, thanks."

On the other side of the wall, Mordecai hung up his own phone, careful not to make a sound. He switched out the cables so no one would figure out that the guest room next door was wiretapped. A standard precaution when it came to guests at Marigold who may or may not present a problem for the gang. He shook his head in disappointment. Now it was only a matter of time until he'd be forced to eliminate what remained of Lackadaisy. It wasn't a pleasant thought for Atlas' old book keeper, and yet there was little he could do about it. At least, there wasn't anything Mordecai could do without blowing his cover.

Even more frustrating was that the complications of his plan were quickly mounting. He had to find out more about this federal agent, but digging up stuff on him while a close friend was working with the Marigolds would be far too risky. Realizing that the daily briefing would be soon, Mordecai packed away his secret notes and grabbed his coat. Just as he was about to leave the room, his own phone rang. Sighing in frustration at his concentration being broken, he reluctantly picked it up.

"Yes?"

"I think it's time we talked properly." A voice on the other end of the line said.

"Such a conversation would not be beneficial to either of us, now if you excuse me—"

"We don't have to be enemies, Mordecai, but I need to eliminate Moreau. He and I have a history which he could use to harm my crew."

"That's hardly my—"

"He and this agent named Dom Drago killed my uncle."

"Wait, you know Drago as well?"

"Yes… why?"

"Are you nearby?"

"Phone booth, two blocks away."

"Meet me in the coffee house across the street."

Mordecai knew he was taking a big risk, but the reward could be worth it. Looking over his shoulder, Mordecai slinked out of the Maribel Hotel and into the coffee shop that Asa frequented in the mornings. Luckily, Asa would be preparing for his duties of the day and no one else would be in the store to listen in. Sitting at a booth in the corner of the establishment, Mordecai didn't have to wait long before the figure of Ethan Kelly appeared inside the door.

"What can I get for you today, hon?" The waitress asked me.

"Just coffee, no sugar. I like it dark, please." I said before paying ahead of time including a little something as a tip for the kind lady.

"Kelly…" Mordecai's voice beckoned me. Taking the cup in hand, I sat down across the table from the man who had broken into my apartment only twelve hours ago.

"I'm telling you, Heller. We need not be enemies All I'm trying to do is protect Riley and—"

"I agree." The agent said, looking me square in the eye. "Being at each other's throats won't help either of us to get what we want."

"I'm… glad you see it that way." I said, relieved that I wouldn't have to do much convincing.

"You know both Moreau and Drago?"

"About as well as I know anyone else in Butte. Moreau nearly killed me when I was a boy. It's a long story, you wouldn't be interested…"

"I would be very interested, Ethan. How much information could you give me about either man?"

"Well, it would take me a short while, but I pretty much piece together their shared history as well as numerous tactics each employ to get the job done."

"Drago has something to do with Atlas May's death, and I need to find a way to get close enough to him for an interrogation."

"And I need to get rid of Adam Moreau before he puts the rest of the puzzle together and comes after everyone at Lackadaisy. Perhaps our goals are in parallel to each other."

"It would be helpful to get Moreau out of the picture for a while. Going after Drago with Moreau still around would be difficult." Mordecai said, cleaning the lenses of his glasses.

"Then I think we ought to form a partnership of sorts." I offered. "You need information and I need an opportunity…"

False Flag

Asa was enjoying his third cigar of the morning when Moreau was let in. "Ah, Adam. How goes the hunt?"

"I may have a lead, but I won't know for sure until tomorrow afternoon. Until then, I've been compiling a list of smaller rivals who have possession of a Thomspon. Once I figure out who has a rifle that takes a Springfield cartridge, this list should get much shorter. I estimate, five or six suspects at that point."

Asa breathed out smoke through his nostrils. "I don't suppose Lackadaisy is on the list?"

"It is, but pretty far down. You said an associate of Marigold cleaned them out months ago."

"Yes, but we recently lost a Thompson to them thanks to the incompetence of some pig farmers."

"And did they have a rifle with them?"

"Hard to say, but they got a lot of hardware lost to the remnants of Atlas' operation. Oh, its too bad all that had to happen, he wasn't a party animal, but lord could he debate politics and philosophy."

"You two must have been acquaintances?"

"More than that. Early on, before our operations got so big, we were basically partners in crime. But Marigold wanted to expand, Atlas was content to stay where he was. If he had listened to me, we might have been able to merge the two. But get between a dragon and it's gold, you'll be burned. Anyways, what's on the agenda for you today, Moreau?"

"More sleuthing in the city's underbelly. I've already got a large network of contacts. Might need to track down a particular cat with one eye. Completely crazed but always desperate for whatever he can get, he'll say anything for a flask or a couple dollars. Apparently, he knows a couple of people still inside the Lackadaisy, he might be able to tell me if they're still on the list."

The door opened again; this time Mordecai entered. As usual, he said nothing until he quickly took his station right over Asa's shoulder. Adjusting his glasses, Heller cleared his throat.

Asa finished taking another long breath from his cigar. "Ah, Heller. You're late this morning, very unusual for you. Was a pen out of place or something?"

"A few minutes ago I received an anonymous tip from one of our contacts. He dug up a lead for agent Moreau. Apparently, there's going to be pickup for the Mill Street Gang down by English Cove."

Adam was more than pleased, sensing where Mordecai was going. "Capital idea, Mr. Heller. We catch them with their pants down, do some interrogating, and—"

"Eliminate them. The booze Kehoe runs is sub-par, but we could still use it to trade for information around town."

Asa laughed before coughing from inhaling too much smoke. His habit was getting to the point of annoyance for Mordecai. "And that's why he's the best in the business, Adam. Good job, Heller. Better prepare and take the Savoys with you. Serafine has been itching for some action."

Mordecai dryly responded, "her itching almost certainly comes from some other source. Fleas perhaps, I'd rather not find out."

"Hey, I know how much they annoy you Heller, but Nico can do just about anything and Serafine knows how to run our Browning."

The mosquitoes were out in force and the woods were aglow with fireflies. Next to the riverbank, Rocky was searching with a flashlight through the bushes, poking and prodding. Back at the farm truck, we left the lights on as we loaded our guns. Freckle had the tommy gun and a revolver. I could tell by his face that he was at risk of going insane holding such a weapon.

"Remember to take some deep breaths, Freckle. This is going to require some... finesse."

Doing as I told him, he inhaled and exhaled deeply several times. Opening his eyes, his pupils were back to normal once more. "Okay, I'm good for now. But I'm still not sure of the plan."

"It's pretty easy, Freckle. You take the right flank; I'll take the left. All we have to do is wait for them to get close and then open up. You'll provide covering fire, let me handle taking out the targets."

"And what about Rocky?"

"Our fine fellow is doped up on medication for his wound and has volunteered to be bait. He said it was kind of like how the last ambush went."

"Did he mention that both of us nearly died?"

"He… did not. But it's too late now. The stage is set, now the actors must do their part."

"Found it!" Rocky yelled from the shoreline.

"Good, start loading it, nice and slow." Okay Freckle, they'll be here any minute. Time to take our positions.

"Wait, what if things go badly?"

"If the worst happens, run. Don't look back, just run. I'm sure you can lose them in the woods."

Sitting and waiting was the hardest part. We were going to run the risk or die tonight. Rocky was busy loading up boxes of liquor in the farm truck, humming some old Irish tune. Freckle was standing upright, head on a swivel. I could see him clear as day, orange fur wasn't helping him much. But some of us are blessed with natural camouflage. I could tell he was nervous, and at some point, was forced to put down the tommy gun lest he completely lose his cool. Then, at 10:35, we heard it. In the distance, the sound of a straight six motor. No headlights were visible. Eventually, the motor slowed to an idle and I could hear the tires change from gravel to dirt. Now Rocky heard it. Knowing his part, our strategist kept his head low in the truck, pretending not to notice.

As the car creeped through the bottomlands near the river, Nico and Moreau were upfront, scanning for a car. Serafine readied her BAR while Mordecai checked his 1911 and pocketed an extra magazine. "We should be close, Nico, the cove isn't that big." Adam said in barely a whisper.

"Minou, look. I see dem' lights."

"That's got to be it. We'll sneak close then blind them. Try to leave at least one alive, we can interrogate him for information." Moreau ordered. The whole car nodded in agreement.

Rocky was almost finished loading when the car full of Marigolds approached. Still pretending not to notice, Rocky went about his business as the sedan got within 10 yards. Suddenly, the headlights came on, blinding Rocky, who pulled his hat down low. I watched from about 30 yards away as the doors flung open. Out stepped a woman with a surprisingly large gun for her frame. Even at night I could see it was a Browning. A large-framed white and grey cat emerged from the driver's door with a pistol. He was smart, scanning around the area for anyone else. Freckle and I stayed low.

Then the pair I had hoped would show up came out of the vehicle. Mordecai, dressed sharp as always, kept his pistol holstered. Moreau I couldn't be sure about, only that he had not produced any kind of gun from his trench coat.

"Well wouldn't you know, Sera, dem contact was right."

"Missing front plate, tires are wide enough, bumper has got some dents in it. Yes, I'd say this is the vehicle we've been looking for." Moreau analyzed, apparently satisfied.

Moreau then barked an order. "Alright, whoever's back there, come out slow with your hands up!"

Rocky did as he was told, keeping his face down. "Hey, you wouldn't mind turning off those lights, would ya? They're a bit… blinding."

"That's the point." Moreau replied. Walking up to Rocky, he was quick to pull back the cat's hat. "So it's been you this whole time? Don't make this harder than it has to be, I want to ask you a few questions."

"Oh good, because I've got a few questions of my own." Rocky started going off script. "For instance, what's your hair regimen, it looks exquisite! And how about—" Moreau was quick to punch Rocky right in the gut before dragging him between the two vehicles. I put my rifle up, getting ready to fire. But first Rocky needed to be out of the way, and that was a problem because Moreau was just a little too close to Rocky for comfort. Worse still, the only ammunition I still had left were full metal jackets. Any shot I took would mean the bullet would go clean through the target, so I had to be precise and aim for the heart or lungs. While I was deciding where to shoot, I could hear the questions growing more intense.

"Alright, I know you don't work alone." Moreau said. "No way one person could have killed four agents in two separate places. So, who is it that's been doing the dirty work?"

Rocky stood there silently, trying to think up an answer. "Answer me, boy." Moreau spat before slapping the grey tabby hard across the face. Rocky's hat flew off, exposing his wound. "Well, now isn't that interesting. Shouldn't you be in hospital or something?"

"At the rate they charge these days? No way! Far better to find a former nurse, or perhaps it was that horse doctor, or the witch doctor. Hard to say which? All I know is—" Moreau cut him off by slapping Rocky yet again.

I could almost feel it, Freckle was getting nervous, or going insane. But Mordecai and Moreau were still too close to Rocky for a clean shot.

"Right, well, perhaps some time taking in river water will get you to talk. Nico!" Moreau ordered. Nico holstered his pistol and moved to the front of the car to grab Rocky. If they got too far away, they'd leave the ambush area. It was going to be now or—

Just then a twig snapped in the distance. The woman pivoted on a dime and sent a burst into the bushes behind the sedan. The shots echoed through the trees in the distance as well as across the river. "Was that really necessary?" Mordecai questioned.

"Could have been his partner, cher." She replied.

Praying that the burst from the BAR wasn't Freckle's undoing, I leveled the rifle and took careful aim. I couldn't decide who to shoot first but decided after a moment of hesitation that Moreau needed to go first. The sight rested right on his torso, and I carefully pulled in the trigger. Just before it could snap, though, Thompson opened up on the sedan. I pulled the trigger, but the shot wasn't as clean as I had wanted. Still, Moreau collapsed.

"Run!" I ordered Rocky, which alerted Mordecai to my presence. I racked another round and let it fly before anyone could notice that our bait was leaving the trap. It barely missed my target, grazing the big grey cat's head. I caught sight of a figure squaring up on me, getting ready to shoot. No sooner had the thought entered my mind than a bullet went sailing past me. A searing pain came from my head as I dropped. I was dazed but could still fight.

Meanwhile, Freckle was running from tree to tree, unloading his drum magazine. As hoped, this was drawing fire away from Rocky and Ethan, but had the side effect of attracting a lot of lead to his position. Serafine was taking cover behind the car, returning fire in short bursts. Nico was firing toward Rocky, but the grey cat managed to escape into the bushes. He then noticed Moreau on the ground and quickly went to grab him.

I was just getting up when a gun found it's way right into my field of view. Before the trigger could be pulled though, I ducked out of the way and lunged for the pistol. Only then did I see it was Mordecai. We tumbled to the ground and traded blows.

"What the hell?!" I hissed loudly. "You just shot my damn ear!"

"My mistake." Is all Mordecai said. "I need to make this look realistic. None of them seem to trust me."

"In that case, I'm happy to oblige… I said before winding up a right hook. "That's for nearly shooting my head off, now get out of the way so I can hold up my end of our agreement." I rolled Mordecai out of my spot behind the bushes and reloaded to return fire.

Serafine sent her last burst down range, which was quickly answered with some 45 bullets embedding themselves into the car. The magazine was always a pain to change out, so she pulled her sidearm and got ready, but in the corner of her eye she saw Mordecai running toward the car, shouting orders. His usually calm demeanor was gone. "We're being ambushed! Nico, get us out of here before the trap closes. Serafine, you've got the only working gun, don't waste your shots!"

I quickly topped off my rifle, then took aim, but in the heat of the moment I rushed the shot. A 30-caliber bullet missed Serafine by mere inches, instead hitting the receiver of the browning before ricocheting up into the air with a scream. That was apparently all the motivation she needed to dive into the car, big gun in tow. The sedan backed up at speed, being peppered with bullets from Freckle in the bushes. I loaded another round and aimed for the sedan hoping to hit someone or something important, but my shots weren't effective as the beams swung my way and blinded me. Still, both of us put shots downrange at our target as the Marigolds sped away. Then all was silent.

Small Victory

It was half past midnight and Ivy was starting to grow concerned. Did they, do it? Were they hurt? What about Freckle? If something happened, could he make it out? All those questions were answered when the telephone rang. She picked it up immediately.

"Hello? Are you boys alright?"

"Oh, we're just peachy, Miss Pepper. I sure hope I've earned a big plate of pancakes in the morning!" The distinct voice of Rocky pierced through the telephone cable.

"I'm so glad to hear that, and yes, you can have as many pancakes as you want! Is Ethan there? How about Freckle? Is he okay?"

"The boy is fine. And our resident sharpshooter took some light wounds but will be fine. He got a piercing about the size of a 45."

"I'll have bandages ready. How far away are you?"

"Edge of town, Miss Pepper. Should be there in a half hour."

At 1 am, the truck pulled into the garage, our payload safe and sound. No doubt we were going to hear it from Mitzi, but our success couldn't be denied.

Meanwhile, the sedan full of Marigold agents limped back to the hotel as fast as it could. Moreau was bleeding out, Mordecai was injured from fighting with an unknown assailant, and Serafine was nursing a shrapnel wound from that ricochet.

"Moreau's lookin' green like de swamp, Minou." Nico commented, trying plug the wound as best as he could.

"Keep the pressure on him, Nico, we're almost there. Did anyone recognize our assailants?"

All Mordecai got was shaking heads. "Damn, my glasses got dirty. I couldn't make out any of our attackers."

"We'll just have to pay 'em a visit a second time, cher. Maitre Carrefour protects us again." Serafine replied, trying to stop her cheek wound from bleeding.