Chapter 4
It had been six months since Christine and Chrissy had starting working together. While at times it was tough, they had been working well together. This night, a blast from the past was going to force the two of them to deal with one of the items from the past that could threaten not only the relationship that they had developed, but also create possible problems for others down the line.
Court had ended for the night, and Christine was heading out the doors to her car, when a voice called out in a low voice, almost like a whisper: "Chrissy? Chrissy Stone?" As Christine turned, she saw a young man in his mid-20, wearing a Piranha's Jacket hiding in the shadows. Whoever he was, he knew Chrissy by her appearance, even if Christine Sullivan was in charge at the moment.
"Let me handle this Christine. If its Piranha business, I know them a lot better than you do" Chrissy suggested, seeing the colors that the young man was wearing. If it WAS Piranha business, it could mean only one thing: TROUBLE!
Christine nodded mentally. "You were the one who dealt with the Piranha's in the past, and you used to be a member. If ether one of us can deal with them, it's you" she told her other half, Christine did not have memories of her time with the Piranha's. But Chrissy did. And that was why she was willing to let her deal with this young man.
As Chrissy approached the young man, she recognized him. "Charlie! Charlie Duncan! What brings you to the city? And wearing your colors. You've moved up in ranks since I last saw you" she said, hugging the young man. Charlie had been a member of the Piranha's during the months that Chrissy had been among them. He had shown drive and knowledge and it was generally acknowledged that he would eventually become a member of the gangs ruling body.
Charlie gave her a shy smile. Chrissy had been a good friend and had been willing to listen to him during her time with the gang. It had been that counsel that had helped him to move up during her time with the gang. Now, he needed her advice once more. "Good to see you again Chrissy. Even if you are wearing clothes that look like something out of a classier place than we used to get. But, enough with the pleasantries. I need your advice and possibly, your help" he told her.
"OK Charlie, what's the situation that has come up that you had to come to the big city to try and find me? Not that I don't appreciate seeing a member of the Piranha's again" she said, in a slightly joking manner. Charlie had always been there for Chrissy when she had been in the gang, and if she had ever wanted to take a lover, he would have been it.
"It's been a while Chrissy, and it's good to see you again. But, things have come up since you left. The gang has started to fall apart. Some have gone on to other gangs, some have retired, and some have even taken their old ways and started businesses. But, the reason I came by tonight is because the Eels have challenged us to a fight. They think we have been taking their girls" Charlie informed her.
That news was a shock to Chrissy. While members might come and go, to hear that the gang might be falling apart in such a manner was not something that went over well. And to hear that the gang was being challenged by the Eels was a major surprise. "What proof do the Eels have, and what do they want in compensation?" Chrissy asked. This was standard procedure in trying to settle disputes without getting into fights.
"They claim to have personal items that belong to some of the girls from our turf. And with Henry gone, there has been no claims for compensation. Armando is running things now, and he refuses to have anything to do with the other gangs. In fact, some of the members have been seeing him living it up big time with Antoinette and a few guys who are known for handling drugs and weapons" Charlie informed her, a frown on his face and a look of worry in his eyes.
The look of worry was echoed in Chrissy's eyes as well. This went against EVERYTHING that the Piranha's had stood for when she had been with the gang. They may have been rough but they had a code of honor. To hear this made her heart ache, and her brain starting to percolate with ideas. "Thanks for the information Charlie. Find a place to hide out for a few days. I'll put an ad with our old code phrases letting you know if and when it's safe to come back" Chrissy told him. Giving him a hug and a kiss, Chrissy sent the young man on his way.
"So what ARE you going to do Chrissy? Do you have a plan of action yet?" Christine Sullivan asked. As the other half of the personality, she had listened in and had been as shocked as Chrissy was over what was going on. If a gang war did break out, it was going to mean a lot of people being in court and lots of people heading to hospitals for wounds.
"The first thing that I am going to do, is get back to our place, and switch back to my leathers. Then, I need to make some phone calls. I may need to pay some people visits to find out just what is going on. If the Piranha's and the Eels are going to war, somebody is going to benefit. I want to try and find out who, and then see what can be done to prevent it now, and in the future" Chrissy told her other half.
Upon arriving at the apartment, Chrissy had indeed gotten out of the court clothes that Christine had been wearing. However, Christine had convinced her to just put on a pair of jeans and a shirt instead of the leathers. Chrissy accepted it, since she wasn't sure what the situation was until she made the calls. The first call had been to a old number that the Piranha's had set up a while back for those that had either gotten lost or had gotten out of jail, so that they knew where to rendezvous at with the rest of the gang.
"Joe's Pool Hall, Jose speaking, make it quick, don't want to lose my money at the pool table" came a Hispanic voice. This was a familiar phrase for Chrissy and other Piranha's. Depending on the response, it would either be a hang up, or you would be passed onto the person running the show.
"Hey Jose, its Chrissy. My bike broke down and I need a lift. I'm at 95th and Jackson" she told the person on the phone. This was the usual countersign to let them know that the caller was a gang member and requesting a location to join up with the rest of the gang.
"Sorry Lady, the Pool Hall has gone men only. Try calling 555-1417 for another lift" came a mocking reply and a hang up.
Chrissy shook her head and dialed the new number. However, she was shocked when it came up as a sex line! Something was up, and it did not sound like the Piranha's that she used to ride with. If they were doing this to those who knew their code phrases, something was very wrong. So, Chrissy did something she rarely did: She called a tavern that she knew that she would be welcome at.
"Welcome to Rizzo's. Can I take your order?" a familiar female voice asked.
"Yes, I'll take a New York style pizza with Sausage, Pepperoni, and Canadian Bacon on a deep dish crust. Make it a HUMONGUS size" she told the server, hoping that she would recognize the code in the order. Evidently she did, since a few minutes later, the call was transferred to another line.
"This is Louisa. Who am I addressing?" she asked.
"Greetings Louisa. Its Chrissy Stone. Something has come up, and I need to get some advice" Chrissy said, speaking respectfully to the woman on the phone. Louisa was the top lady in the gang The Orca's, a gang that had a reputation as one that brooked no nonsense, and had ties to information on what was going on with all the gangs in New York City. The two ladies had met a few times, and Chrissy had been offered a chance to join, but declined. The two had stayed on a good relationship
"My dear Chrissy, you know you have but to come to my bar if you need advice. Especially if it means that you might be leaving the Piranha's and joining up with us" Louisa replied, with a purr in her voice. Louisa was reported to have a voracious appetite for sex, and did not care if it were men or women to satisfy her desires.
Chrissy nervously laughed. "No, I'm not leaving the Piranha's at this time, but I some things have come up that I need some advice on. Why don't I come by tomorrow afternoon? We can go over everything then" she told the other lady. Chrissy was VERY nervous! The last time that the two of them had met, Louisa had tried to seduce her. While it did not work, Chrissy stayed far away from her until now.
"I look forward to seeing you tomorrow afternoon Chrissy. We'll do lunch, and go from there" Louisa said as she hung up the phone. She then had a young man who was nearby bring her some grapes. She looked at him as if he were a piece of meat. "Thank you. That will be all for now" she said, as she viewed him leaving, appreciating the view of him in leather pants.
The next day, Chrissy showed up at Rizzo's. While she was wearing a leather skirt, she had on a ruffled blouse, her hair done up, but wearing her Piranha's colors. She wanted to let anyone who say her know that while she was a lady, this situation involved gangs. A couple of men tried to hit on her, but were politely turned down.
"Chrissy Darling!" came a familiar voice, as Louisa came over to see her. Air kisses were given, and the two sat down at a booth that was known to be the one Louisa used when it came to business. Louisa was looking forward to seeing Chrissy. She was one member of the gang that showed intelligence, as well as a willingness to adapt to situations as they came up.
"Louisa. It's a pleasure to see you as well" Chrissy responded. Louisa had made arrangements for food and drinks to be brought to the table, so the two women sat down to a meal. Louisa was eating a large plate of lasagna, while Chrissy had some pizza. Both women avoided alcohol, to avoid any legal problems that day. Finally, Louisa brought out some papers and photos and placed them in front of Chrissy.
"I'm afraid that it's bad news in regards to the Piranha's. When your former leader left, Henry's successor, Armando decided to take the gang in a new direction. And it's not good. Armando has decided, from what I have managed to ascertain, that he does not want to run with the gangs anymore. It looks like he is trying to move into working with organized crime. He's aligned himself and most of the leadership with one of the smaller Mafia families. The few that have refused to join them, have been ostracized and pushed out of the gang" Louisa told Chrissy.
As Chrissy looked over the documents and photos, she was SHOCKED! Henry had been many things, but he had never wanted to be associated in any way with the Mafia. Most gangs stayed away from them, unless they lived in a area where they had no choice.
"The photos" Louisa pointed at, as she handed them to Chrissy "show Armando meeting up with low level members of one of the families. It's like he is trying to form his own family to join up with the Mafia" she was told.
"That scratches my plans. I had come up with a idea on how to avoid gang fights. Basically, it was to have a judge work with members of two other gangs to be a advisory board to keep fights from breaking out. If they did not want to listen to this board, then they would have to face the regular legal system" Chrissy told her, not letting her know about Christine.
"I'll pass that plan on to the others. If you can find a judge who will be willing to work with us, it will go over well. But, what about the Piranha's and there new altitude?" Louisa asked, trying to see if Chrissy was as smart as she had seen in the past. If she was, and she was going to leave the Piranha's, then Chrissy might be someone to be a advisor to a gang boss in the very near future.
Chrissy sighed. "I know a few members of the Piranha's that still hold to the old, traditional ways. My hunch, if this is what Armando is planning, then he is going to be in for a shock. These members are people who have ridden with the Piranha's for some time. They will take a stand, and those that still listen to them will follow them. Those that don't will follow Armando into the Mafia. And I think that he is going to have a hard time pulling that off" she told Louisa.
"I wish you the best in your endeavor Chrissy. And my offer is still open: You want to leave the Piranha's, I know a few gangs that would love to have you in them" Louisa told her. She had mixed feelings on what she had been told. If the plan worked, then the Piranha's would end up being ostracized by the biker gangs of New York. But if it failed, then the gangs would be in for some rough times in the future.
Over the next few days, when court was not in session, Chrissy was making phone calls. Some of the calls did not go over well, some were not even answered. But a few DID listen and brought a smile to her face. "I hope that this plan works Chrissy. If it doesn't, then we are BOTH in trouble!" Christine told her counterpart.
"I know. But, it's the only way to get this mess out in the open. If it does not get out, then it becomes a member of the Mafia. And that is something that I CANNOT let happen without it being known by all concerned!" Chrissy replied,
The fury of Chrissy's reply shocked Christine. Normally, Chrissy was easy to deal with, and rarely lost her temper. But this matter DID mean a lot to her. And it meant taking a back seat in this matter.
Finally, the day came. Chrissy was at the sight where Armando was going to meet up with the Eels and there would either be a fight, or a agreement and a settlement. Knowing the way that Armando was planning on going, he probably was going to act like he acting like he was going to apologize, and when the Eel's turned to leave, they would be killed! That is why Chrissy, suspecting such a event, had made some calls. And those calls had brought out three former members of the Piranha's: Alex, Melanie, and Victor. Alex was in his 40's and had lead the gang for several months before he left to run a bar. Melanie was his partner, as well as co-owner of the bar. Victor was someone who had run with the gang off and on, and was a naturalized citizen from Russia. He had some run-ins with the Russian mob, and his insight was going to be of help in this situation.
"Thanks for calling Chrissy. It's good to see someone who remembers the ways of honor that the Piranhas used to be known for" he said, his dark hair showing some hints of grey in the temples. He had managed to start a bar after leaving the Piranha's and had made a success of it. Melanie had been his old lady during their time in the gang, so when he left, she left with him. It had been tough at first, but they had made a success of it. They even had gang members come in from time to time, but they abided by the rules, which was no weapons, and no fighting between different gangs. If you broke those rules, you were asked to leave. Failure to leave would result in you being tossed out and not being allowed back in.
Victor was not a Piranha, but had been associated with them on several occasions. His knowledge of different groups from Europe had been of help. Now, with talk of the Piranhas possibly joining up with the Mafia, Chrissy had called him in to clear things up for those who were not familiar with the way that the Mafia operated, be it in Europe or in the United States. "If Armando is planning on having the Piranha's join up with the Mafia, it will be a long time before they are fully accepted. They will have to give up their colors and their bikes. The Mafia does not take kindly to that" he explained to the others.
Chrissy nodded her head. Christine had allowed her to do some research on the Mafia families of New York, and what Victor had told them agreed with that. Now, it was a waiting game for both sides to show up.
