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Freefall

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Freefall

Tips: 0.00 INK Postby Saarai on Sun Nov 18, 2012 8:28 pm

Chapter 1: The Son Rises In The East.


There I was, revolver in hand and aimed the man I had swore to bring down eventually. He had ruined my father's career, corrupted the police force and hurt the people of Naples for over 30 years. Ducked and dodged every charge the government threw at him.

Not today, he was going down today. I was either going to kill him or he was going to surrender and be arrested. I was hoping he'd draw a weapon and give me more of a reason to kill him. The slimeball mobster before me was Carmine Stefano. A sleazy, arrogant mafioso from Sicily who took the mainland by storm. Especially here in Naples.

"Why do you do this, Viktor?" He asked me, his stare barely leaving my gun for long. "You do know that my men are going to find you and kill you, right? You can't run." Carmine said to me, "I'm going to beat every charge."

I knew somewhere in me that this was true, he had every judge in Italy in his pocket. But there had been too much bloodshed over the days for the people, the government, to let the case go. Too much blood on my hands, on Carmine's hands and on the hands of the nations mafias.

"You're right." I said to him, "Maybe I should just kill you." As I began to press down on the trigger I could feel my head begin to burn.

The pain only got worse and worse, my ear drum felt like it had exploded and soon I was losing my balance. I fell over easily, my body slamming against the ground, but I felt nothing. No impact. Just the burning, the warmth of blood on my face and the coldness of the hard wood floor of Carmine's office.

It didn't take long for me, on my last breathes, to figure out that I had been shot. My mind raced as I thought back on what had led me to this moment. The series of bad choices that had ended my life. A life that was truly flashing before my eyes.

It began on December 21st or maybe the 22nd, we had just took down some Stefano family mooks, a group of Russian gangsters and Triads from the east in a drug bust that would cripple their organizations just days before.

Several high ranking members of each organization, some willing to snitch in exchange for lighter sentences or protection. This was all in conjunction with Interpol, the American CIA, Hong Kong police and the FBI. This was going to be the biggest bust in Europe, Asia and America in recent history.

I sat on my sofa drowning myself in booze and American cartoons. Bugs Bunny was my favorite. Him and that duck tended to make me laugh even when I felt the most down or stressed. My cellphone rang loudly, I would be a liar if I said it hadn't scared me a little bit before I realized what it was and answered.

"Vetrano speaking." I said to the man, woman, or thing on the other end of the line. "Bad news." It was my partner, Ezio, he had been working undercover for several years. He had grown up with me, but unlike me his father wasn't a cop.

His father was muscle for Stefano, ended up killed by dirty cops on a rival mobster's payroll as a way to get back at Stefano. My family took Ezio in. We did everything together. We were brothers. We joined the military together, we fought together, we left pieces of ourselves in Afghanisan together.

I put on the uniform and decided to become the face of what we were doing while he decided to cripple Stefano from the inside. We were going to change the country, eliminate the Mafia and the gangs. We fought a war on two fronts, one on my side of the law and one their side.

"What? What's the problem?" I asked Ezio. Whenever Ezio called me with bad news it was always understated by the word 'bad'. "Remember the gangsters you busted?" He asked me, "The Russians and the Chinese will be going down in their respective countries." Ezio told me, "The Stefano goons will be getting off thanks to corrupt cops and corrupt judges."

I don't know why but Ezio's words sent me into a rage. The blood in me was literally coming to a boil.

Maybe it was the fact that we had spent more than a year building this case, shaking snitches, busting small drug and gambling operations, doing everything in our power to get to this point in time where we could put these scumbags behind bars and finally push over the domino that would start the chain reaction we were hoping for.

It took maybe a three phone calls and some extra money tossed as politicians and cops just to undermine the whole operation and put those men back on the streets and send us back to square one.

"I spoke to the lieutenant. We won't be pursuing the case for now, I'll be remaining undercover with Stefano getting what I can but it'll be kept quiet in case we have any moles." Ezio told me, "Why are you telling me this?" I asked him.

"You're one of the only people he wants to know. I can't let you know who else is in on it, Viktor, but just know that there are still a few good cops left." He was wrong, very wrong. We were going to find that out in just a few days.

"And Viktor?" Ezio asked, "Yeah?" I answered, "Try to have a merry Christmas. Even with all this going on." Ezio told me.

His words barely making me laugh, but I forced one out just for him. "I'll try. I'll do what I can." I told Ezio, "Merry Christmas." With those words I hung up the phone, quickly taking the time to dial another number.

"Hello? Lieutenant, it's Vetrano. I know, I know, Ezio told me already. I have a favor to ask you. Can I be fired?" I asked the Lieutenant, "Crazy, I know, but I think it's time I gave up the cop life for a life of crime. I'll be in to... turn in my badge today."

It was the start of a crazy few days which I thought would be routine. The risk of death and torture if I was outed as an undercover cop was routine to me at this point.

It wasn't my first time grabbing the bull by the horns. People knew me. Not as Viktor Vetrano the police officer, but they knew the face and the man who was Viktor Vetrano the ex-soldier.

I'm sure you don't need to ask what would go wrong, I started my story with the bullet that was bringing it to an end.
"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."

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Saarai
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Re: Freefall

Tips: 0.00 INK Postby Saarai on Thu Nov 22, 2012 4:56 pm

Chapter 2: Team Hades


The easiest part of my quest to bring down Stefano and his organization had passed. All I had to do was turn in my badge. Just like that I was deep undercover.

Only Ezio and our lieutenant knew I was undercover, everyone else just heard rumors, any rats in the department or the government would be chasing a ghost.

Officially, to the public, to my friends and family, I was fired. Everything I was going to do from then on was going to appear to be the work of an ex-cop who had nowhere to turn except to the families and do a little enforcing here and there.

But I needed to get deeper into the underworld, join team Hades officially and then work my way up the ranks. Luckily with Ezio already on the inside I had a better chance than most undercover cops and wannabe mobsters in Naples.

He had me meet him down at Luciana's, it was a diner owned by one of Stefano's goons, Anthony DeLeon, named Tony The Lion by most others. It was a bit of an ironic name, DeLeon wasn't the biggest guy, he was a bit of a goof and he had the most annoying laugh and voice.

It was like a male Fran Drescher.

"Vikky!" Ezio yelled as I stepped into Luciana's, "This is the guy I was telling you about." Ezio told his 'friends'. I could see them grilling me, taking in every little detail about the way I dressed, looked, walked, talked, and breathed. They were trying to figure out if I was an undercover cop or if I could live to the hype put forth by Ezio just minutes before.

"Hey." I said, taking a seat with the group of men at a booth. "Easy tells us that you're some badass. Ex-military. That means you've got moves, yeah?" Tony the skinny, dim-witted scumbag lion, said to me.

"How do we know that your moves are legit? That you ain't an undercover or that you aren't some bitch from the ghetto?" Tony asked. "I can prove it. I know what I can do and I can show you." I answered.

"Oh, Easy, you never said your friend was so confident. I like confidence. But I like you being able to back up your words more. You need to be able to get the job done." Tony said, "What would you have Viktor here do?" Ezio asked Tony, "Remember those kikes from the other day?" Tony asked, speaking to the men around him.

"Yeah, Mori Green, the American Jew." Ezio answered, "I want you, Viktor, to go up to the church those dirty Jew bastards are at and I want you to rough them up." Tony told me.

But, I couldn't help but focus mostly on the piece of beef in his teeth. It kind of made me want to punch him, honestly. Only because it was him, of course.

"At their church?" I asked, "That's what I said. Are you a man of God?" Tony asked me, "Because that God that they pray too ain't our Catholic God, plus those fuckin' Jews stole from us and Mr. Stefano. Give them a Catholic welcome to Italy. The synagogue is inside the community center near Anima Mia on Vico S. Go."

I was a man of God, Tony got that right. It was probably best for my morals and for the innocents in the area to just take the fight to the street and hope no guns were drawn. I didn't want to have to commit a murder today.

Funny how what you want isn't often what you get.

"I'll take care of them." I said, getting up from my seat. Ezio moved to do the same, but was stopped by Tony reaching out to grab his arm.

"Where you going? Your friend needs to do this on his own, you know how it goes." Tony said to him, "Yeah, you're right. Don't get your ass beat, Viktor. You'll make me look bad in my friends." Ezio joked as I moved to leave the diner.

"I'm not sure anyone can make you look any worse, Easy." I said, prompting a few laughs. "And he tells jokes, let's hope he comes back without his jaw wired." Tony said, making that urge to punch him in the face come back even fiercer.

It seemed that I was about to commit your classic European hate-crime. Jews and blacks, that's the way it usually went here in Italy. Sad as that is. But, it was what had to be done.

I didn't go into deep cover expecting not to dirty my hands, not to end up with secrets I was going to take to my grave and not to bring down Carmine and his organization.

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Re: Freefall

Tips: 0.00 INK Postby Saarai on Thu Nov 29, 2012 8:49 pm

Chapter 3: The International Incident


I arrived at the community center, my eyes observing the Jewish men and women entering and exiting. Innocents were my biggest concern, surely my actions were going to cause somewhat of an international incident.

The Jewish mobsters here in Italy were mostly from America and Israel. Starting a war with them was a problem for Stefano. They had soldiers in three continents to choose from.

I got out of my car, pistol in my jacket as always. I hoped I wouldn't have to use it, but you never knew when you'd have to do.

My eyes darted from person to person as I walked towards the community center, I had to see where everyone was. Everyone that could get hurt and everyone who could hurt me. So far I seemed safe as I stepped inside.

"What are we going to do about these dagos, Eli?" I overheard one of the men say as I walked towards the synagogue. It seems they were able to get it all to themselves, at least long enough to talk business.

"Can't come this way." A mobster said to me, putting his hand to my chest to stop me from walking. "Tu habla English?" The man asked me. "I speak English, I'm just here to speak to Mori. Someone has a message for him." I told the man.

"Mori's busy. Come back later." The mobster said, "It's too important to wait." I responded. The man began to open his mouth to speak, but before he could get a word out I threw a punch aimed for his chin. This sent the man reeling back and gave me enough time to put some distance between him and myself.

Of course he charged me when he regained himself, I thought quickly and ducked into a nearby room. It was the activities room and fortunately for me it had a pool table. I grabbed hold of a pool stick and swung it at the man, hitting him in the face and sending him to the ground.

It didn't take long for more mobsters to start showing up, at least ten of them swarming the room. Each man that got close to me got a small taste of the pool stick. I wasn't about to go down so easily, I would die if I went down at all.

As I went to swing the stick again it was grabbed from behind, I turned to pull it back and found myself punched in the side. It hurt, obviously, and had enough force to knock me into the pool table.

One of the mobsters tackled me onto the table as I tried to stand straight, his hands moving to grip my neck. I could feel his hands against my throat, his grip getting tighter and tighter by the second.

I reached out and grabbed a ball from the table, it would've been far more awesome if it was the 8-ball and I got to say some awesome pool or 8-ball related pun.

Sadly that didn't happen, I slammed the ball into the man's head quickly about three times until he fell over. I rolled off of the pool table and quickly placed my hands on it's side.

I used the most brute of strength I had in me to push the table at the group of men between myself and the exit, the men cleared out of the way not wanting to be pinned against a wall and crushed by the table.

I took that small window of opportunity I had to jump over the table and get out of there with my life. The Jewish mobsters were in hot pursuit, I could hear the curses and slurs behind me.

"Gotcha!" A man in a suit shouted as he jumped in front of me. He reached out to grab my neck, his plan probably to stop me long enough for the others to arrive and beat my teeth out of my mouth.

I liked my smile, I liked my teeth and I liked my face undamaged. I leaned away from the man, tossing a punch that landed against his gut and brought him down to one knee.

Before he could stand again I brought my knee up, I could almost hear the bones in his face break. His nose crunched, part of his cheekbones was shattered, the blood flowed from his nostrils like a faucet

The man fell back, hands coming up over his face. "Sorry!" I said as I dashed out of the building to get to my car.

"Mori! Mori are you okay?" I heard someone say as I left. That man who's faced i redesigned was Mori Green. If what I had heard about him was correct I had just started a war.

Word would get around that I was with Stefano, Mori was going to want revenge and things were going to get bloody.

Bloodier.

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Saarai
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Re: Freefall

Tips: 0.00 INK Postby Saarai on Sun Dec 23, 2012 7:57 pm

Chapter 4: The Real Deal


I had done what I was meant to do, cause some trouble for the Jews. As I drove my car down the street back towards Luciana's I couldn't help but notice a car speeding up behind me.

I knew what that was, either a cop about to pull me over for the speeding I did to get away from the scene or some of the Jewish gangsters coming to shoot me in the face. Well, they probably intended to shoot me anywhere they could get a bullet.

I reached down to grab my gun from the glove box, slowing my car down slightly as if I was none the wiser and was letting them pass me by. The car, white with tinted windows, slowed down beside me. The tinted windows lowered and there I was with several assault rifles aimed at me.

I wasn't expecting them to be able to get such weapons in Italy in such a short time, I should have. Criminal syndicates can get whatever the fuck they want if they ask the right people, take from the right people and bribe the right people. Wrong people if you're a cop.

"Damn it. Fuck this." I said to myself, speeding up as the men unloaded shots at me. My rear window shattered after a few shots and a bullet slammed into my dashboard, another whizzing by my face and hitting the windshield.

The car sped up, doing it's best to keep up with me as I sped through traffic. Weaving around cars and trucks to make my escape.

It wouldn't be long until the police were on the scene, I couldn't risk being arrested and the whole operation being screwed up. I couldn't risk meeting a cop who just wanted to shoot mobsters to get a promotion.

Thinking quickly, because I'm a clever and badass guy, I sped the car down into an alleyway. Of course with my luck it was a dead end, but at least I could ditch the car and get off the streets. Plus, the mobsters would be following me to where I wanted them.

Kind of. I didn't think it through.

I grabbed my gun, jumped out of the car and opened fire on their vehicle as it approached me. Shot after shot hitting the windshield and the car's hood. I knew for sure that I hit one of the men, I could see him slump over just before I ran out of ammo.

The men were getting out of the car, they had bigger guns, more manpower and they also had bigger guns. Not sure I mentioned that the guns, which they had, were bigger than mine.

I slammed my body into a nearby door, finding myself in the back of an apartment complex. My best bet was to go out the front door, but I'd still have the men chasing me and I would be right out in the open.

At least in small areas like hallways my pistol can reign as king in my trained hand.

I reloaded my gun quickly, making my way up some steps and into a hallway. I ducked into a room close to me, looking around to see if anyone was present. It was empty, that meant nobody was around to give away my position.

I closed the door to the room slowly, doing my best to shut it quietly as not to get myself a few new holes in my body.

"Where is that guido bastard?" One of the men asked as they tiptoed down the hall. "Check the rooms, that dumb guinea fuck is around here somewhere."

The racial slurs weren't making me fond of America and Americans. Such foul language too.

One of the men approached the room I was in, his hand finding the doorknob. He turned it slowly, I had forgotten to lock it. But, as he pushed the door open I placed my back against the wall and stood quietly behind the door.

My breathing slowed, the adrenaline was pumping faster than the blood was through my veins. Everything seemed to slow down for me. It was now or never.

I reached out and grabbed the barrel of his gun with my free hand, yanking it and the would-be assassin into the room as I simultaneously slammed the door into his face.

As he fell back into the hall I shot through the door, hitting him several times in the chest. Killing him effectively. His comrades charged the room, both men firing hundreds of bullets into and at the room as they advanced on me.

To avoid the bullets I dove across the room behind a couch, body flattening against the floor as to make myself a smaller target.

The gangsters stepped into the room, I could hear them reloading their weapons as they did. Taking my only chance to get one or both of them while I wasn't dead I stood up, emptying most of my remaining bullets.

I hit one of the men several times while he was reloading, his body collapsing like a tower of legos into a wall. He went right through.

The shoddy structure of the building and the hollow walls couldn't handle him slamming against it. The other man raised his rifle, as he moved his finger to fire I ran into the apartment's bedroom.

The assassin followed as he opened fire, I dived behind the bed to avoid the bullets. Soon rolling beneath it to give myself some to think before I caught the rest of the bullets with my head.

The lone assassin moved slowly, three of his men were dead, killed by one man with a pistol. He knew he had to be careful.

He turned to the closet and opened fire on it to be safe. I knew the bed was next. It only made sense.

"Get out of here!" I heard a woman yell, running out of the apartment's bathroom with a pair of scissors. She charged the assassin, stabbing him in the shoulder as he turned to her.

"You dago bitch!" He yelled, slapping the woman across the face and sending her to the ground. He was going to kill her, violence against women, especially Italian women, I couldn't take.

He yanked the scissors from his shoulder and then raised his rifle to the woman, she begged and pleaded. Her Italian words falling on ears that could not understand her and wouldn't allow for mercy regardless of if they could.

I fired from under the bed, hitting the man in his calf and ankle. As he dropped I rolled out from under the bed and aimed up at his face. Firing a bullet which soared almost in slow motion for me into his chin and up out of the top of his head.

I blew his mind.

"Thank you! Thank you!" The woman said, pouncing me to give me hugs and kisses. I would have enjoyed them more had she not looked like my uncle Giancarlo. He was a drag queen in America.

"It's no problem, when the cops show up... try not to describe me." I told the woman, pushing her off of me. "I'll say it was someone else! Thank you. Who are you?" The woman asked me.

"I"m Batman." I joked in English, making my way towards the exit quickly. "You saved me. You're a hero. You're the real deal." The woman responded, also in English. It surprised me.

"As real as it gets."

No, it would get even more real in the next few days.

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Re: Freefall

Tips: 0.00 INK Postby Saarai on Sun Jan 27, 2013 6:55 pm

Chapter 5: Blood Is Thicker Than Passports


News teams were already responding to the gunfire in the streets and the dead bodies I had left behind in that apartment. Not to mention shining their spotlights on the Jewish mobsters, American and domestic, that were connected.

It was no surprise that when I returned to Luciana's everyone knew I could hold my own and had drawn blood when I needed to.

Tony stood up from his seat quickly, just as quickly he approached me. "Viktor, you really made those fucking Christ Killers pay." I hated him so much. I was just as Catholic as he was, but I wasn't big on casual racism and bigotry.

"You should sit here and enjoy a drink with me." He said to me, "I'll talk to the boss, we all will." He said gesturing to the others in the room as he led me towards his table.

"But, I want to put you on a job and have you really prove your worth." Tony, the jackass, told me. "We have a deal going down with some of our brothers from the west. America." Ezio interjected, "California Italians. The Clemente Family ." Ezio continued, pushing a drink towards me as I sat down. Of course I took a sip, I needed a drink after the day I just had.

"The boss doesn't usually mess with Italians from America, let alone California, but he's making an exception because Don Clemente's uncle served in the military with Carmine. That and their both Sicilians. You know how they get." Tony said, "No offense, Ezio. I know you're a dark one too." Tony said to Ezio.

I was a bit light so he didn't know I was Sicilian as well. In America I could pass as a Puerto Rican.

"We're all Italian, we're all blood. Doesn't matter which city, country, or religion. Blood is thicker than passports. We're all trying to make money and I want these fucking Jews back where they belong. Sadly, Germany isn't in the Jew killing business right now."

The more Tony spoke the more I wanted to punch his teeth down his throat, bash his face against the table we sat at and then bash his brains in with a chair leg.

"So, what do I do?" I asked Tony, "You go with Ezio, Giovanni and Gioncarlo. They'll be bringing their crews so it won't be just the four of you. Hopefully Clemente is good with not letting snitches into his organization or at least getting rid of the ones who get in." Tony said.

"The last thing we need is Interpol, the CIA and every other agency on our ass ruining operations we have in other countries or continents." Tony said with a nod.

"It'll be a piece of cake." Giovanni added. I wasn't quite assured by his words. They said something like that about the task I had carried no more than thirty minutes ago. I ended up being shot at by angry Jewish guys with military assault rifles.

"Sounds like fun." I said, "Good! Enjoy your day, get to know some of the guys and get yourself a nice gun. Carmine might be trusting of our American brothers, but they're still American and still greedy. I wouldn't want you to die before you got in with us." Tony said, it was the first thing he said that didn't make me want to kill him more.

"Makes sense. Should be easy." I said.

It should have been.

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Re: Freefall

Tips: 0.00 INK Postby Saarai on Mon Feb 04, 2013 7:13 pm

Chapter 6: Pretty Brown Skin And A Lust For Blood


I woke up in the middle of the night to banging on my apartment door, "I'm coming!" I shouted, making sure I looked at the clock. It was one in the morning, I was a little hungover and tired as hell after almost being killed by Jewish gangsters earlier in the day.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

"I'm coming! Can I actually walk to the door?" I called out as I approached, unlocking the door and soon twisting the knob.

"I paid my rent." I said as I opened the door, assuming it was the Super. "I'm sure you did, but I'm not here for that." It was Ezio and another man.

"Get dressed, the Americans arrived early and they want to do the deal now. Apparently they don't trust Europe." Ezio said with a chuckle, "We'll be outside."

The cop in me and the knowledge I had of gangsters made me feel like something was wrong. The hastening of the deal, arriving early. Something was up. It was all I could think about as I got dressed, all I could think about as we drove to the meeting place, that and what I'd get my sister for Christmas.

Young girls were hard to buy for, especially after you gave them money to go to Milan for fashion week the same year.

"I'm not paranoid or anything, but I'm taking this AK in." Giovanni said as he climbed out of the car, AK-47 in hand and ready for war.

"You want to spook the Americans?" Gioncarlo asked, "Do you think the Americans aren't bringing some big guns? Even Italian-Americans think we're all Mussolini over here. Maybe I just don't trust Americanized Italians with my life." Giovanni said.

"He has a point." I added, "Besides, what if someone else got word of the deal? The police? The Jews? Russians?" I asked, "If it's not the Clemente family it's someone who doesn't care for us or them."

"Okay! Fine. Bring what you want, just don't make any sudden moves." Gioncarlo ordered, making his way into the warehouse with the rest of us in tow. The Clemente goons arrived a few minutes later, they also carried a few extra weapons and even an outsider tagged along.

A woman.

She wasn't someone you easily forgot. Beautiful brown skin, tall and petite, but fit. She wore a plaid purple skirt with black stockings, long blue and purple striped socks, a pair of purple sneakers and a black windbreaker. Her hair was long and black, the lower ends dyed a purple that matched the rest of her attire.

"You must be Mario Lombardi?" Ezio asked the man who appeared to be in charge, "Ezio Cipriano, right?" Mario asked, "That's me. These are my cohorts Gioncarlo, Giovanni and Viktor." Ezio told the man, "Who's the pretty little lady right there?" Giovanni asked, pointing to the American.

"That's Maria, she isn't Italian but she's fluent." Mario said, "So what is she? Looks a little bit like an Osama. Maybe a Spaniard." Gioncarlo said, "I'm black."

Maria said, "And call me Sphinx." The woman added, "Black? Don't look like any nigger I've ever seen. You aren't all nigger are you?" Gioncarlo asked.

"Fuck you." Sphinx said to Gioncarlo, middle finger raising towards the man. I liked her.

"Tell your guy to watch his fucking mouth. Maria's good people. You should treat her with respect." Mario said, "Now, let's get down to business. Don Clemente wants to expand out of America. You can help us with that. You have connections here, the UK and with the Russians. We have connections to the bikers in America and the cartels. We can move your product there for a cut, you can move our own for a cut."

Mario was the kind of guy who didn't need the Mafia. He was like a guido Donald Trump.

"That's sounds good and all, but..." Giovanni began, but before he could get another word out of his mouth I heard the familiar crack of a sniper rifle's bullet leaving it's barrel and cutting through the air like a burning katana through butter.

Giovanni dropped as the bullet hit him, another shot following it quickly and hitting one of Mario's men.

"You set us up!" Mario shouted as he drew his gun and began to flee. He had the right idea. Ezio, myself and Gioncarlo wasted no time in heading back towards our vehicles.

I wish I was shitting you when I say a rocket hit one of the cars and killed our men who were a little too close to it. "Fuck! Go back in!" I yelled.

"You fucking did this!" Mario yelled at us as we entered, he was hiding behind a few crates, he was trapped as well. "We didn't do anything! They killed my fucking friend!" Gioncarlo yelled back. Bullets flying in and around the room, our attackers launched the real assault now.

"Maria! Do your thing." Mario ordered, "What makes you think this nigger bitch is going to be able to Wonder Woman her way through these guys?" Gioncarlo asked, "Experience. Now watch your fucking mouth!" Mario retorted.

Maria, Sphinx, stepped out of cover. She had her hands over her head and the gunfire stopped. "You speak English?" She asked the gangsters, "Yeah. You're an American? We're American too. Let us take these guido assholes out and we'll let you go, baby." One of the men said.

"See, about that... they pay me to handle things." Sphinx said, "You gonna handle me, darling?" The man asked.

I peeked out to see the man, he was one of the Jewish men from the community center, approaching Sphinx with his pistol raised at her face.

In a blink of an eye she was pulling his arm, spinning past him and slamming a knife into the back of his head. I hadn't seen her take it, but she had his gun and was firing expertly at all of the men in seconds.

The looks on their faces was a mix of shock, awe and fear of a woman with pretty brown skin and a lust for blood. And apparently a lot of experience with guns in her face or she was a fucking Navy Seal.

"I gotta fucking do this by myself? Get up and shoot!" Sphinx ordered.

She didn't have to tell me twice. I made a note to marry her when this was all over.

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Re: Freefall

Tips: 0.00 INK Postby Saarai on Tue Feb 19, 2013 9:07 pm

Chapter 7: Some Shithole In Europe With A Bullet In My Ass


"Someone needs to find us a way out." I said as I opened fire on the Jewish mobsters who continued laying siege to the warehouse. "

I'll look for windows, other doors, ladders to the roof or something." Ezio told me, "There has to be some other way out of here." He continued, standing and making his way towards the outer areas of the warehouse.

Bullet after bullet slammed into the ground around us, each of our men taking hits to the body and going limp. I could lie and say to the few that still drew breath that they would be okay, but I couldn't bring myself to do it.

They'd know I was full of shit. Young men taking bullets for older men who don't give a damn about us. In the Mafia you have your soldiers to do the dirty work.

When I was in Iraq I was the soldier doing the dirty work for some older guy who didn't give one shit about me or my platoon. I was on the verge of one of those flashbacks you see in the movies until I heard Ezio shouting.

"I found a way out!" "He shouted at us, "Hurry up." I looked around for Sphinx, catching a glimpse of her leaning out from behind a crate for a gun laying next to a dead body.

"Grave robbing is a crime. I'll confess when we got out here." She said to me, "You're a Catholic?" I asked, glancing back to see the others heading towards Ezio's probably small exit. I bet it was a hole in the wall.

"Surprised because I'm black?" Sphinx asked, "No, just that you're a black American. I thought it was only the Italians and Irish in America who were Catholics." I told the woman, "Semantics. Should we be having a conversation while some angry Jews are trying to make these attempted murders just regular murder?" The woman asked me, finally getting her hands on the gun.

"I'll cover you. Make a run for it." I told Sphinx, "You're a gentleman." Sphinx said jokingly, "I'm not always gentle, signora." I didn't need to say that, but I totally needed to say that.

"I'll take your word for it." Sphinx said, charging out of cover towards the others. True to my word I opened fire on the mobsters approaching the entrance to the warehouse, at four dropped from my gunfire before I turned away and got out of there.

"Is this a fucking hole in the wall?" Sphinx asked, this time in plain English. "What did she say?" Gioncarlo asked, he knew very little English that wasn't slang for breasts.

"She asked if that's a hole in the wall." Ezio answered just as I arrived to see that Ezio did indeed find the crappiest way out.

"Is this a fucking hole in the hall?" I asked, "Just asked the same thing." Sphinx informed me.

"This is all we have for now. Unless you want to go back and loot bodies for grenades or find a sledgehammer." Ezio said to us, "Fuck it. Let's go. Maria, you first." Mario told Sphinx.

We stood close by to protect her as she climbed through the hole, she seemed to barely fit and that made me think the men were going to have a rough time.

I could see Gioncarlo's eyes resting on Sphinx's rear end as she crawled, I admit my eyes wandered a few times as well.

"It's clear, they're probably only watching the front and back." Sphinx said, "Yeah, everyone's watching the back..." I said, "I mean, I'll go next, Maria and I can clear out any resistance out back." I told the others before I made my way to the hole. It was dirty and it got my suit dirty.

"Come on, dago. We don't have all day." Sphinx said, "It's like five in the morning, we literally have all day." I said, Sphinx pulling me through to the other side.

Mario was next, I could see him start to crawl through once I got my feet out. "Shit!" I heard Ezio shout, gunfire following. "Fuck, help me through." Mario said to me, as I crouched down to help the man through he screamed.

"I've been shot!" Mario yelled, "They shot me!"

"Where did they shoot you?" I asked, "In the back." Mario told me, Sphinx and I pulled the man out as carefully as possible while trying not to be too slow and be the reason he gets hit by more bullets.

It turned out he wasn't shot in the back, once we pulled him out I saw the bullet hole was in his right buttock. "How's it look?" He asked, "Like you got shot in the ass." Sphinx said on the verge of laughter, "You okay?" I asked Mario, Sphinx and I helping him to his feet.

"Am I okay? Yes, I'm okay, I'm at some shithole in Europe with a bullet in my ass. I'm peachy fuckin' keen!" Mario yelled at me.

Frankly, I didn't see the need for the curse words. I should have been the one cursing, I had blood and dirt all over my Armani suit.

"The car's around back." Mario said, barely putting any effort into carrying himself. He left that to Sphinx and I as we headed towards his car. "Tight fit." Ezio said as he threw himself through the hole, "Come, Gioncarlo, stop being the one who dies." Ezio taunted, pulling Gioncarlo through the hole quickly.

"I got shot in the arm." Gioncarlo told us. He got up to his feet, pulling Ezio along to follow the rest of us to our only way out.

"They went around front, I think." I told the others as we approached Mario's car. It was being used to block the back door and seemed to have been pushed there. "They could have just stacked up boxes or something." Ezio noted, making his way into the driver seat.

Sphinx and I helped Mario into the back with us, Gioncarlo climbing into the front soon. "We've got to go see The Duke." Gioncarlo told Ezio, "I know." He responded, starting the car and wasting no time in getting us the fuck out of there.

"Who's The Duke?" Sphinx asked, "He's a Russian who came here after the Iron Curtain fell. He always tells this same story to anyone who will listen about his family being royalty at one point. According to him Stalin stripped them of it and they were forced to fight in the Soviet military." Gioncarlo explained.

"I'm curious to hear what Italian sounds like with a Russian accent." Sphinx said, "Shit." The rest of us said in unison. "I bet." Sphinx said with a laugh, "Might want to run red lights, I'm bleeding to death." Mario said.

"Always about you." I said, "Fuck you, Viktor." Mario retorted. "Not on the first date. Speaking of, who's hungry?" I asked, "I could go for a bite." Sphinx answered, "I could go for a bite out of you." Gioncarlo said to her, "So, you're not racist anymore?" Sphinx asked the man.

"I'd take you up on that, but I saw the gun you brought in. Overcompensating?" She asked, raising a pinky finger.

"I've walked in on Gioncarlo in the shower before, that's way too big." Ezio added, "Wow, screw you guys."

"Man, it feels good to joke. We're alive." Ezio said, "Giovanni isn't, nor is Santino, or any of the others. These Christ Killers need to pay. Pay in blood. It's war." Gioncarlo said.

What is it good for? Absolutely nothing.

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Re: Freefall

Tips: 0.00 INK Postby Saarai on Thu Mar 14, 2013 2:39 pm

Chapter 8: Just Let It Go

or

My Shallow Grave


We arrived at The Duke's place, it was a nice little apartment near the water. Sadly, it wasn't near the part of the water we were being almost murdered at. We carried Mario inside and let The Duke work, we weren't the only ones looking for help though. He had a busy day.

It was going to be his last busy day for awhile.

As we sat talking among ourselves as The Duke worked on extracting the bullet from Mario's rear end the apartment door burst open. "Russian, we need you." A suited man said, shotgun in hand. He looked at us. We looked at him. His eyes wandered to me specifically, honing in. He was there at the community center, I didn't piece it together until later when I was bein-...

We'll get to that soon.

"It's the Stefano guys!" He shouted, raising his shotgun. "Wait! Wait!" I shouted, getting to my feet. "This is The Duke' residence. We shouldn't do this here. You have hurt men, we have hurt men. Just let it go. Just for now." I told the man, "Besides, we outnumber you, you might get one of us, but you'll die and then this becomes a Mexican standoff when your friends show up." I continued.

"You know what a Mexican standoff is?" Sphinx asked me, "Yeah, we have films here. American too." I answered, eyes still on the Jewish gangster with a shotgun capable of blowing a hole clean through my body.

"Okay." He said, "But, we don't speak." I sighed, we weren't going to die just yet. I wasn't, at least. The Jewish gangster left the room, going to fetch his posse and make sure they didn't put bullets in our heads. Just in case that wasn't the case I drew my Beretta, Ezio, Gioncarlo and Sphinx followed my lead.

"We're coming in." The gangster said from the hall, he and his men slowly making their way inside the room. One of their men was being carried, he was out cold with a bullet in his gut. I doubted he would survive, but Mario was probably done by now. Maybe there was a chance.

"Duke!" The Jewish gangster shouted, "You have more patients! Hurry up!" The man called out, "I'm come soon." The Duke shouted back, his voice coming from behind a solid black door. "I'm come soon?" Sphinx asked, "Yeah, his Italian is shit. We told you." Ezio said, "It appears to have gotten better since last time." Gioncarlo added, eyes on the Jewish gangster present.

The tension was in the air. This momentary ceasefire wouldn't last if both sides didn't have friends they wanted to help. I hoped trigger fingers weren't too itchy, but it had been a long night with no time to scratch.

My phone rang, I almost forgot I had it on me. I pulled the phone from my pocket, checking the number before I decided if I would answer. It was the boss. Not Carmine, my boss. My lieutenant.

"I have to take this. In private." I said, heading down one of the hallways. Everyone else was in the den, I'd have some privacy near The Duke's bedroom. I changed my mind, I decided to go into his room instead.

I answered the phone, closing the door slowly and quietly. "Hello?" I asked quietly as I answered, "Vittorio, you can't pursue the case anymore." My lieutenant told me, "What do you mean? This is the closest we'll ever get." I said, raising my voice. I corrected myself quickly though. I mean, I was surrounded by gangsters who would quickly murder an undercover.

"The Public Ministry is dropping the case. I'm getting you out of there soon. I'll call Ezio in a few hours." The lieutenant told me, "That's bullshit! We've been working on Stefano for a long time, you just got me into the organization. We can't end this now! We can bring Stefano down."

"Viktor... just let it go." With those words the line went dead. I wanted to explode, Stefano was going to get another thirty years in power. Yeah, he'd have a war to fight on two fronts, but he was still king of the Camorra. Someone had to bring him down.

I slid my phone back into my pocket and turned to the door, I fixed my face not to show my disappointment. As I opened the door I saw the butt of a weapon coming towards me. Right between the eyes and I was out.

I was knocked out for at least two minutes. I can't be sure. I was back in the living room, I could hear and see the others. They were arguing about me.

"He's a cop! An undercover!" The Jewish gangster with the shotgun said, "I'm killing him. I don't care." He said, putting the barrel of his gun to my face. "Not in my house! Not in my house!" The Duke shouted, "All of you, get out! Now!" The Duke yelled, "You shut your mouth, Soviet!" One of the other Jewish men yelled at The Duke.

"What proof do you have?" Mario asked the Jewish mobsters, "You assholes have a grudge. How do we know you aren't lying to us?" Mario asked, stepping close to the man with the shotgun.

"Get out!" The Duke yelled again, drawing a pistol from his back pocket. "Put that fucking gun down!" Ezio shouted to the Russian man, "All of you leave. Get out. I do not see you anymore." The Duke said, aiming his gun around the room. Obviously this action didn't help much, more people started to yell and scream for him to lower the gun.

"Oh my God." The man with the shotgun said, raising the weapon on The Duke. He fired, the shot sending The Duke flying against a wall. Despite the hole in his chest and the massive amount of blood that leaked from it, I knew it was just a flesh wound.

Okay, bad joke. where was I? Oh... I tried to get up to snatch the gun, but before I could get all the way to my feet the Jewish gangster turned towards me. "Stay down." He said, slamming the butt of the gun into my face again.

The second time I woke up I was handcuffed, my feet were tied and it was pitch black. Either I had lost my sight from brain damage or I was in a trunk. The fact that I heard a car engine and could feel a few shovels rubbing against me indicated I was in a trunk and I was about to be buried.

They didn't have to drown out sounds, blindfold me, I was going to be shot in the head and buried. That's organized crime for you. Why take precautions you won't need? They weren't, as far as they were concerned, dealing with a very resourceful man. Just another undercover.

Unfortunately for them, my father was a cop and I grew up with the same hoods I was bringing down. I learned a few thing. Most cars had a way to fold backseats down from the trunk, I lifted my head towards the back seat feeling around with the skin of my cheek for the release.

"Yes." I muttered as I found it, using my teeth and all the power I could to pull on the release. I threw my body into the backseat, forcing it down and sending myself rolling out. "What the hell?" One of my would-be undertakers said, the passenger got out of his seat and leaned to the back to get to me.

I wrapped my cuffs around the the back of his neck and pulled the men down. My knees raised rapidly and repeatedly to strike the man's face. I stunned him long enough to search him for a gun. "Damn it!" The driver said, reaching for his own gun.

He had the advantage of knowing where to find one. I was about to be screwed by a Jew. It was going to be like if at the Last Supper Jesus turned to the Apostles and said, 'Gotcha!'.

Except not as funny.

"Fuck!" I yelled, finding the gun in the beaten gangster's waistband. My hands were cuffed, but I still had the advantage of not driving a car while trying to kill some guy I can't actually see with a gun. I was right behind the driver, just had to shoot through the seat.

It seemed like a good idea at the time. I opened fire, bullet after bullet striking the man. I had won. I lost too. You see, he was still driving the car when he died. We swerved left and right before we finally went off road, the car flipped into a ditch.

We barely survived. The car was totaled, my head was bleeding and an unconscious Jewish gangster was on top of me.

There was a chance no cars would be coming around. We seemed to be outside of the city. Any cars that did pass may suffer from not giving a fuck. We could be there for hours. The fuel could ignite, the car was still running. I knew because I could hear the low hum of the engine and a Lady Gaga song on the radio.

There I was in my shallow grave about to die. The last thing I would hear was Poker Face.

What a shitty way to die.

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Re: Freefall

Tips: 0.00 INK Postby Saarai on Thu Mar 28, 2013 5:02 am

Chapter 9: Prey For The Weak


I prayed. I prayed a lot. I had to get out of there before the car caught fire or some assholes decided to loot a car that had crashed on the side of the road. Not to mention I had only killed one of my executioners. He could wake up at any moment. Though, I did have the advantage of not being knocked the fuck out at the moment.

I picked myself up from the back of the vehicle, kicking at the door closest to my feet repeatedly until it started to give way. It was then that I had to rely on the leg strength I didn't have. The kicks got harder and harder until the door flung open. My ticket to freedom and to revenge.

It was morning by now. People on their way to work, teens and children on their way to school. Funny that I was on my way to my grave moments earlier. As I climbed out of the totaled car a thought crossed my mind. An obvious thought. I was still wearing handcuffs.

That wouldn't look good if I tried to hitchhike.

A cellphone began to ring loudly, I nearly shit my pants at the sound of it. Once I made sure my underwear was clean I crawled back into the car to find the phone, it was my phone. They still had it on them, maybe waiting for a call from my contact inside their organization.

I found the phone in the unconscious gangster's pocket, it was a call from my sister. She never called this early unless something was wrong. Knowing how my day was going, I only expected something bad.

"Daniella, what's up?" I asked after answering the phone, "Vittorio, some men are here at the school. They say they're police, said you're in danger and that they'll take me somewhere safe. They don't look like police. They look... mean." Daniella told me, "Did they show badges?" I asked, "No, Viktor." Daniella answered.

"Don't go with them. Where are you now?" I asked my sister, "The bathroom. They're men, they won't come in behind me." She said, "Okay, if there are any vents you can open in there I want you to do so. Okay, Dani? Can you do that?" I asked, "Si, I see a vent. I'll open it now."

I put the phone down for a moment, grabbing the nearly empty pistol I used on the car's driver. I tucked it into my waistband before grabbing the phone and pulling myself out of that deathtrap.

"I'm in the vent." Daniella told me, "Thinking ahead. Go in the direction of the vent that leads away from the bathroom. Go as far as you think you need to go, then I want you to get out of there and make a run for it. Get to the police station where I work." I told Daniella, "I'll meet when you get there or try to pick you up while you're on your way. I'm a little... tired up right now." I said.

"Remember, aim for the groin, bite, poke eyes, use weapons. There are no fair fights." I said, "I know." Daniella responded, "Call mom and dad too, tell them what I said. Get to the police station." With those words I hung up the phone, Daniella needed to focus if she wanted to get away from the gangsters who would dare go after my family even after they had sentenced me to death.

I could only assume they planned to send a message to any other future undercover cops. Unfortunately for them I had a message of my own to send. You fuck with my sister, without buying her dinner first, I'd kill you. Maybe it was anger, maybe it was stupidity, I know for sure it wasn't logic that compelled me to wage a war against the city's gangsters.

Slipping the cellphone away and exchanging it for the pistol I made my way out of the ditch and up to the road. Car after car drove by, no one dared stop. If they didn't see the gun in my hand they kept going because they were assholes. It was time to take matters into my own hands.

I raised the pistol at an oncoming car, I fired one shot. The shot was meant to hit the roof. Once it did the driver was spooked enough not to run me over because I looked some madman in the street with a gun.

"Out of the car!" I yelled, advancing on the vehicle. It was nice. An American car, a 2007 Crown Victoria. There wasn't much to do in the army, I read a lot of car magazines and made racist jokes about Arabs when I wasn't dicking around with the others.

"I don't have any money!" The driver shouted as he got out, "I don't want your money, just your car. I'm a cop. Call the police, tell them there is a car in ditch near hear. Two Jewish gangsters inside, one dead." I ordered the man, "Do it now. Tell them Viktor Vetrano told you to do so. He's on his way back to the station."

I moved to the driver's side, tossing the gun to the passenger's seat before climbing in. "One more thing. Describe the car in detail." I said, "I'll buy you some dinner from Luciana's." I told the man before turning the car around and driving off back towards the city.

Stefano had plants all over the police station, he had probably had a niece or nephew in dispatch for all I knew. The description of the car was going to prompt his planets to call his capos, his capos to call on soldiers, his soldiers to come for me and make sure I died. Even if it meant a thousand bullets in broad daylight.

They were going to come for me. That's what mattered. I was one man in a city that was too afraid to fight with me. The hit squad was just the beginning in my attempt to change the nation.

They were in for a surprise. They were unwittingly going to be prey for the weak.

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Re: Freefall

Tips: 0.00 INK Postby Saarai on Thu Apr 04, 2013 6:18 am

Chapter 10: A Long Walk To Heaven From Here


I parked my new car just around the block from the police station in an alley, jumping out of the driver's seat to make my way to the trunk. I was in luck, as soon as I opened the trunk there were tools. Specifically, a pair of industrial wire cutters. Normally I'd have my cuff keys on me, but I was sure I had lost them in the crash or they were taken from me.

I cut through the chain of the cuffs, freeing myself from my clear disadvantage. Now, it was time to get started on my master plan to become a pain in the ass of Carmine Stefano and the rest of the city's mobsters. Carmine's people wouldn't risk going loud in front of a police station early in the morning, they probably had guys inside and out of the station waiting to slit my throat, strangle me, break my neck, push me down stairs or throw me into oncoming traffic.

I got back into the car, driving it out of the alley and towards the station. Some of Carmine's men were waiting in a parked car for me, I recognized them from Luciana's. Seems like Tony was handling this, they were some of his goons specifically. I was his recruit, so maybe that's why he was on the job. I could only imagine if Ezio was able to talk his way out of being shot in the face.

As soon as I put my foot on the gas, my intent being to rile up the gangsters and get them following me, a car pulled in front of mine. It was Mario's car, a black, very expensive, sedan. As I climbed out of my own car I could feel a gun pushing against the back of my head, "We need to talk." Said a female voice, "Get in the car. Follow the other." The woman ordered.

She waited for me to get back into my car before climbing in the back, pistol still to my head. I was the hostage. Again. I would have said that my day couldn't get worst, but in reality things got worst. Even better was worst sometimes.

Mario's car drove off and I drove off with it, staying close as it led us away from the ambush that waited for me. "So, Maria, you and your Americans are planning to kill me?" I asked, eyes glancing to the rear view mirror for a good look at Sphinx.

"No." She said simply, "Trying to give you an opportunity." Sphinx told me, "There's a lot going on here that you don't know about." She said, "Let me guess. You're Interpol or the Clemente Mob made a deal with them?" I asked, "Yes and no." Sphinx answered.

"I joined up with an organization called the Invictus about four months ago." The woman told me, "Invictus? I know of them. Mercenaries, soldiers-of-fortune. What do they have to do with this? Some conspiracy?" I asked Sphinx, not wanting to believe I was roped into something bigger than gangsters and thugs.

"I left a lot unresolved when I joined them and moved to New York. I'm searching for someone I've been hoping to find for a long time." Sphinx explained, "I linked up with the Clemente Family, got them to start expanding here to Italy." She told me, "The guy I'm looking for might be working for Stefano, I can't have you fucking things up for me right now."

"You're going to kill me?" I asked, "No. I'm going to get you and I what we both want." Sphinx said to me, "I spoke to Mario, he spoke to Don Clemente. They both agree that Stefano brings too much heat, too many problems. That shit with the Jews left a bad taste in Mario's mouth and is probably going to leave a bad scar on his ass as well."

"So...?" I wasn't sure what was going to happen, were they going to have me turn over any information I had? Steal files for them to use? Name the major players? Use me as incredibly handsome bait?

"This isn't an alliance anymore. It's a takeover. Don Clemente wants take out the Jews and Stefano since they're the biggest threats in Naples right now. Anyone leftover is absorbed into the organization or killed." Sphinx explained, "You're going to be our adviser and you'll be fighting with us since you know the city and the gangsters."

Sphinx removed her gun from my head after she spoke, it was a relief. "You've got a choice. Live and fight, or refuse us and die." Sphinx told me.

The deal was very Faustian in nature. I was at the crossroads, two paths in front of me, both were dangerous.

"I'll fight." I said, heading down the darker of the two paths. Both were a short distance from hell, but it was a long walk to heaven from here. It had always been for me.

I doubt I was going to earn my wings in noble deal with the less of two Devils, but there was a chance God would look down upon me and deem me his two-bit Angel of Death.

"When do we start?" I asked, "Right now." Sphinx told me, pointing out in front of me. We were pulling up in front of Luciana's. "I see." I muttered as I brought the car to a stop.

"This is a test. Go do your thing, kill who you must, then burn this motherfucker down." Sphinx instructed, handing me her pistol. "We'll be waiting."

I got out of the car slowly, popping the trunk as I did and then heading to it. I grabbed a few screwdrivers, stuffing them in my socks, holding them with my belt, hiding them in pockets. I was prepared for my battle. Somewhat.

"Don't die. I actually like you." Sphinx said, "Maybe when this is all over we can go on a date." I said, slamming the trunk closed and heading for the restaurant.

"I would say we can eat at this place, but it'll be gone soon." I called out as I approached Luciana's.

I took a deep breath. I was probably going to be shot dead. I preferred not being shot dead. I preferred not being shot at all.

"Here goes..."

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Re: Freefall

Tips: 0.00 INK Postby Saarai on Tue Apr 23, 2013 2:35 pm

Chapter 11: The Roof! The Roof! The Roof Is On Fire!


My palms found the door, pushing it open slowly to reveal myself to those inside. It was breakfast hour, a few people were inside getting their fill before going to work. Before getting ready for business.

There I was, dirty and bloody, drawing nothing but unwanted attention to myself. Then again, I was about to start shooting Mafioso goons before setting the restaurant on fire. I was about to be the talk of the town. Hopefully, not as a corpse.

"Hey, you can't be in here like that. This is... a classy place." A waiter told me, "You have to leave, sir. We aren't a soup kitchen." The waiter said, "I'm not here to eat. I'm looking for Anthony DeLeon, I'm a cop." I informed the waiter, "A cop? Really? That's your story? Sir, I'm going to have to call the poli-..."

Before the waiter could get another word out I threw a punch. It floored the man easily, he wasn't exactly a big guy.

"What the hell is going on out here?" Tony asked, storming out from his office. "Oh! Oh! Shit! That's the cop. Kill him. But, don't you fuck up my restaurant." Tony ordered his men, diving back into his office to hide and probably call for help.

The people in the restaurant knew what was about to happen, they began to file out of the building calmly as Tony's goons began to approach me. I was all alone, they had clear orders, they were probably going to beat me to death to avoid destroying the restaurant.

Unfortunately for them, I didn't give a fuck.

There were about five gangsters, all of them closing in. I grabbed a plate left at a table, throwing it one of my would-be attackers. He ducked his head, raised his arms to avoid the object. Just what I wanted from him.

I charged the man, tossing tables and chairs around to slow down any assistance for him and to clear a path for myself .As the thug lowered his arms and began to raise his head I placed a hand on the back of his neck. I pushed his head back down and raised my knee, the crunching of his nose against it being the bell that started round one.

As the first mobster fell another approached from behind, just to my left. I grabbed the nearest chair, raising it and spinning around quickly. The chair slammed into the gangster's head, sending him stumbling and slamming into a wall.

Another gangster grabbed me from behind, wrapping his arms around my body. I was hoping he would whisper sweet-nothings into my ear, but I had no such luck.

The first gangster got to his feet, attempting to exact his revenge by throwing a punch. I raised my feet as he approached, planting them against his chest and kicking off to propel myself back.

I and the gangster copping a feel were thrown back, both of us slamming down hard against a table. The hold was broken, I attempted to stand but found myself in a choke hold. The air was leaving me far too quickly. Maybe I was winded from the fall, or maybe the day was taking it's toll.

I reached for anything I could find that would be useful enough to keep me alive.. Being choked to death wasn't exactly how I wanted to end my day, or my life.

Eventually I was able to get hold of a fork. It wasn't the best weapon, but it was better than the spoon that was next to me too.

I began to jam the fork as best as I could into the gangster's head, I did this a few times before finally hitting his eye. He let me go quickly and I scrambled to my feet as another gangster was approaching with a knife.

"This is getting... annoying..." I muttered, drawing my pistol from where it rested in my waistband. I raised the gun at my attacker, firing two shots into his chest before turning the pistol on the others and opening fire.

My attackers began to scramble for cover, those who weren't fast enough went down, others charged outside only to be met with a hail of bullets from Sphinx and her people. No one was escaping.

I wanted to go after Tony, but I had a job to do. He wouldn't be getting out of his office any time soon. I saw that his door opened outwards. Sucked for him. I moved around the room, finding the biggest, heaviest furniture I could. I pushed all of it in front of Tony's office door.

"Hey! Hey! What are you doing?" Tony asked me, "Don't do that. Uh... come on, we can talk." Tony told me, "About what?" I asked, "I, uh... I can take you to Carmine. You can take him out, you won't hear or see me after that. I'll go to... America! England. Fucking Iraq! Let me out of here." Tony pleaded.

"You promise?" I asked, "Vittorio, I promise." Tony said, "I've known where Carmine is for months." I informed Tony, heading towards the kitchen. They still used gas stoves, that helped me out a lot. I turned on as many stoves as I could, dousing everything I could find in the restaurant in everything I could find that looked, tasted or smell flammable.

"Viktor, you're a cop. You can't fucking do this to me." Tony was on the verge of crying. "I named this place after my mom, man. You can't do this."

I admit, the power I felt was intoxicating. I didn't have to wait for trial, gather evidence, I could go straight to the source and cut the head off of the dragon.

"It's already done." I told Tony, heading for the exit. I could hear him yelling and screaming, he was pleading against first. Eventually, he was yelling profanities at me. Finally, he was making his peace with God.

Once I stepped outside, Sphinx was approaching with a Molotov cocktail. The woman said nothing to me, she just threw the firebomb through a window and watched as the building went up in flames.

"The Roof! The Roof! The Roof is on fire! We don't need no water let that motherfucker burn!" Sphinx cheered, "Come on, let's go before we get caught in the blast." Sphinx said to me, pulling me along. "We'll get you cleaned up, a change of clothes, then it's back to business, yadda?"

"What?" I asked, "Never mind, it's an American thing. Lets go." Sphinx told me.

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Re: Freefall

Tips: 0.00 INK Postby Saarai on Wed May 22, 2013 9:04 pm

Chapter 12: Boys Playing War Games


Sphinx and I jumped into her car, the smell of burning wood filled the air around us. It masked the smell of cooking flesh, I was grateful for that. Usually bullets, knives, baseball bats or garottes were the cause of death in my line of work. I hadn't built up a tolerance to burning flesh yet.

Yet.

The car began to speed down the street, the sound of police and fire department sirens filling the air. I almost felt bad about what I had done. I killed me in cold blood for what I perceived as the greater good. Maybe that's why I made it as a soldier. I killed people for what I believed in. This time, I had to flee from the scene and there would be no medals.

Just handcuffs and big hairy guy trying to make me his prison girlfriend.

"You did good, stop looking so fucking gloomy." Sphinx said to me, "You're depressing me." She said, "Just thinking about how we're going to destroy Carmine." I told Sphinx, "Yeah, he doesn't stand a chance. When I saw you in action I knew we had to have you on board." Sphinx said.

I wasn't sure if she was lying to me or not. As far as I was concerned I wasn't very special. There were other cops out there who could fight, use unorthodox tactics. Maybe I was just the closest one to this gangland clusterfuck.

"I appreciate it." I told Sphinx, "I like to think that when this is all over you and I can go on that date." I said, keeping up my womanizer gimmick. "Maybe. If only to be able to say I've dated an Italian guy who was actually from Italy." Sphinx joked.

We drove for about ten minutes. We were still in the city, but in one of the poorer neighborhoods near the water. "Here we are." Sphinx told me, the car turning to pull into an alley behind an apartment building. "This is it?" I asked, climbing out of the car as it stopped to take a look at my new base of operations.

It looked horrible. The building looked like it was going to fall apart any second.

"Yeah, something real noble about it. Look at that mold, the artistic flare of the graffiti." Sphinx joked as she led me into the building. It seemed to be empty at first, but peeking into some rooms we passed on the first floor revealed gangsters, explosives, weapons caches.

This wasn't just a gang, this was an army. Boys playing war games. Except people would die.

"You're bunking with me. Take a shower, your friend, Ezio, he's bringing clothing from your apartment." Sphinx told me as we began to climb a staircase. "Ezio? He's in on this?" I asked, "Yeah, we made him awhile ago. Mario told me not to put a bullet in his head without proof, didn't want to ruin things too early." Sphinx answered.

"I don't trust him though. After he brings your clothes he's out of here. I told him that this is where I'm staying, didn't tell him about the others being here." Sphinx said, "If he brings anyone to take us out to earn points with Stefano, he'll only bring a small group. Two people doesn't require an army."

She had a point. She knew what she was talking about.

"I don't think he'll betray us." I said, "You probably didn't think you'd get made and almost buried alive, did you? Well, look what happened." Sphinx told me as she stopped at a room, pushing the door open.

"Go take a shower. I'll call you when Ezio shows up." She said, "Got it." I said, heading inside. "Bathroom's the door on the left." Sphinx added, shutting the door behind me.

Here I was, probably being watched or listened too, having just murdered some mobsters, sharing a room with an attractive, ambiguously black and/or Latino woman who might kill me sooner than she'd fuck me.

I don't know if it was bad luck or good luck.

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Re: Freefall

Tips: 0.00 INK Postby Saarai on Thu Jun 13, 2013 2:18 am

Chapter 13: Law of The Land


I was tired. I was really tired after the day I was having, not physically tired, mentally. I got some sleep waiting for the gangsters to start pouring out of the woodwork when Sphinx basically kidnapped me. In hindsight, her actions were the best thing to happen to me.

But, we'll get to that soon.

I climbed out of the shower of turning off the water, barely one foot out when Sphinx barged in. "Finally, fuck." She said to me, "What are you are doing?!" I asked, nearly slipping and falling as I scrambled for a towel. "Privacy exists in America, si?" I asked the woman.

Sphinx raised an eyebrow at me for a moment, I could tell what she was looking for while I wrapped the towel around my waist. "Your boy's here. Ezio." Sphinx told me, "Clothes on the bed in my room, Vik. Get your dago ass dressed, tell your friend to kindly fuck off and let's get to work." Sphinx said.

She didn't trust Ezio at all. Maybe she didn't trust police in the first place. She was someone who was here for reasons personal to her. She didn't have any allegiance to any one group, really. She was there with the ones actively helping her though. Sphinx didn't have to save me from myself, but in doing so she was just securing another weapon.

Sphinx was a scavenger, a bandit, pirate in a criminal wasteland reminiscent of Mad Max. She had adapted to the law of the land to get by. I was having an out of genre experience with her, with her friends. It would pay off, I hoped. It had to.

"Got it." I told the woman, stepping around her to head to the bedroom. "Is Ezio inside?" I asked, closing the door behind me, but leaving it cracked enough for Sphinx and I to speak.

"Nah, he's outside. I don't want him in here, I told Mario, Mario said he can't come in." Sphinx said, "Security measures." She added, "Or paranoia." I said, "Easy can be trusted, you have my word." I told my new ally, slipping on my suit pants.

"Yeah, you're going to have to forgive me for thinking your words means shit, bro." Sphinx said, "I'm going outside, hurry up." She said to me. The American was an interesting one.

It didn't take long for me to finish getting dressed. Ezio had brought me a nice, clean slate suit. It felt so good to be wearing something that wasn't dirty or bloody at the moment. I preferred it that way, but I was about to fight a war with an army of gangsters. Couldn't stay clean for long.

I traversed out of the room, eventually finding my way downstairs and outside. Ezio was leaning against a dark red BMW speaking to Mario, Sphinx sitting on the apartment's front stoop with what appeared to be a marijuana cigarette in her mouth. "Those are illegal." I said.

"So is murder, but... that didn't stop any of us, did it, Mr. Officer?" Sphinx asked me, "Eh... you're right. Guess we're hypocrites, right?" I asked, "No. No 'we' in this situation." Sphinx told me, "I have no problem with murder or with following the law, but the law gets in the way of what I want." Sphinx said.

She looked to me, "You? You're a cop. You're out here as a conscript in a small army of killers and degenerates, possibly going against everything that made you an officer of the law. Probably telling yourself how you're above the rest of us, how you're so damn decent compared to us." Sphinx said.

"The truth is you're fucking worst than we'll ever be. At least we aren't delusional fucking hypocrites. You could have made a deal with Tony, or slipped out of the back door and left us to think you died in the fire or got your ass handed to you by Tony's men." Sphinx took a drag of her joint, pausing to hold in the weed smoke.

"We're leaving." Mario said, "Time to get to work. Viktor, your friend wants to speak to you." Mario told me, gesturing me down to Ezio. "Make it quick, kid." Mario said to me as I began to walk towards him and Ezio.

"You clean up good." Ezio told me, Mario casting him a glance before walking off to join Sphinx. "Yeah, I do." I responded, "You sure you can trust these people, Viktor?" Ezio asked me, "Si, they might be criminals, but they have a weird sense of honor I can respect." I answered.

"They turned on Stefano, what makes you think they won't turn on you?" Ezio asked me, "Who ever said I didn't think they won't turn on me?" I asked in response, "I'm not an idiot, just unlucky sometimes." I told Ezio.

"Yeah, I should get going. Vittorio, stick to the side streets." Ezio told me. His words didn't mean anything to me at the time, just advice from a friend looking out for me. Corrupt cops and gangsters would be looking for me.

"I will." I said, watching as Ezio climbed into his car. I offered my friend a wave as he began to drive off, turning to see Mario, Sphinx and their small army piling out of the apartment building.

"Who's ready for some ultra-violence?" Sphinx asked.

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Re: Freefall

Tips: 0.00 INK Postby Saarai on Thu Jun 13, 2013 11:08 pm

Chapter 14: Her Blood In The Snow


We began to pile into cars, trucks and vans. I almost felt like I was in the war again. Unlike many of my other soldiers I was able to cope, to adjust, I didn't suffer from PTSD. Not much, anyways. Joined the police force, got most of my hang ups out of my system.

Got to beat up criminals, fire guns, and save lives. I was good, life was good, right?

I guess I was being an idealist, thinking I could change the city, the country, as some undercover cop or by busting drug rings. But, here I was about to create a power vacuum that would start a war that would destroy southern Italy. Funny how I was going to bring about change.

"Yo, Viktor. You alright?" Sphinx asked me, giving me a nudge to wake me up from my daydream. "Hm? Yeah, I'm fine." I told the woman, snow was falling on Naples as we drove towards Carmine's compound. It was hard to tell that the city was burning, Mario's people were attacking everything related to Stefano.

It was a war in the streets, I could hear various sirens in the distance. I felt ashamed for basically shitting on my badge, for making this thing with Stefano a little too personal.

"It's going to be over soon, you can be a hero. We're close to Stefano's place." Sphinx told me, I could tell she was trying to make me feel good. She was doing an alright job. Maybe the public would hail me as some hero cop for my actions, for being there to put a stop to this rampant gang warfare.

I wouldn't feel like a hero at all. I'd be lying to myself. Maybe I could die a hero, the alternative was living long enough to become the villain. What would happen if I decided to enlist armies of mercenaries and gangsters to combat other gangsters? Would I basically become Stefano? Head of the Vetrano Mob?

"What we're about to do is going to create a shitstorm in this country that I'll be left to clean up. I don't know what's heroic about making it worst." I said to Sphinx, "You're just a ball of sunshine right now." Sphinx said sarcastically, "You know what you need?" She asked me.

The woman opened her mouth to speak, before she could get a word out another vehicle was slamming into the car we were in from her side and sent it rolling over on it's top. "What the fuck?!" Sphinx yelled as our upside down car slid across the road.

I could hear gunshots and yelling, it was an ambush. How could they know where we were?

Sphinx gave me a light smack in the face, "Yo, get your head in the game." She told me, removing my seatbelt before undoing her own. "My door's probably all kinds of fucked, we have to go out of your side." Sphinx said, climbing over me to try opening the door on my side.

She had a deep gash on her gut, I could see the blood seeping through her windbreaker. The woman was good at masking her pain, I would have been crying. "I'll push." I told her, pushing the door until it finally shot open. I let her climb out first, pulling my pistol from it's holster before following.

Our car's driver was already unloading on our attackers with an AK-47, screaming at the top of his lungs like some Vietnam cliche.

"I'll keep you covered. Go and find Mario, keep on with the attack. We ain't come here for nothing." The driver told myself and Sphinx. "You heard the man." Sphinx said, grabbing my arm and pulling me along. There were people dying all around us, I even hit a few when I fired blindly at our enemies.

But, all I could really stay focused on was her blood in the snow. Despite her best efforts to look like some kind of Superman, Sphinx was clearly losing a lot of blood. She would die if she didn't get proper assistance.

I pulled the American woman's arm, bringing her to an abrupt stop. "We can't go out on that date if one of us dies, you know that, right?" I asked her, "I'm no medic, but I can at least take a look at the wound." I said, deciding to take on the role of doctor.

"Shit, whatever, hurry up." She told me, "I'm not ready to die yet. Got some shit to take care of first."

Didn't we all?

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Re: Freefall

Tips: 0.00 INK Postby Saarai on Fri Jul 19, 2013 7:46 pm

Chapter 15: Money, Power, Respect


"Over here." I told Sphinx, guiding her over to a parked car. "Need you to lift your shirt, not too high. Not on the first date, at least." I joked. "Yeah, yeah..." she grunted, lifting up the shirt she wore beneath her jacket. She had a deep gash, there was a lot of blood and I was going to be getting some of it on my hands.

Not to mention my suit.

"We're moving up, they're falling back towards Stefano's compound!" One of Mario's men shouted, he and the the others moving ahead without myself and Sphinx. I wasn't going to leave her alone, not fomr some grudge with a mobster who'd probably end up dead or in prison eventually anyways.

This stunt, the bodies in the street, would seal the deal for Stefano. He couldn't buy his way out of this one, could he?

I pulled my suit jacket off, tearing away one of the sleeves and using it as a makeshift bandage. I wrapped it around Sphinx's body, tying it tightly so that it would keep pressure on her wound.

"You should head back to the safehouse. I'm going to head in with the others." I told Sphinx, "Nah, I'm coming with you. This is my fight too." She responded, "I've got shit to do. Someone to find." She told me, "What makes you think you'll find them if you die before you even make it inside?" I asked.

Sphinx may have been a little rough around the edges, but she wasn't stupid. She knew she didn't have a chance without medical help. Real medical help.

"Okay." She finally relented, "But, I need you to do something for me, Viktor." Sphinx said, pulling me close. "Look for a Hispanic man, tons of tattoos. Kick his ass, bring him to me. Alive." She said to me, the tone of her voice was cruel, sinister.

Anyone could stell that whoever this guy was, Sphinx had no plans to give him a quick death. No, he was going to suffer and he was going to suffer for a long time.

"I'll get him if I find him." I told Sphinx, getting up to head for the compound. I looked back to check on Sphinx, watching as she broke a car window. I don't know why I thought stealing a car would be beneath her. Probably because she was working with, and for, fancy American gangsters with equally fancy suits and cars.

I continued up the street, buildings soon beginning to disappear the further up the street I got. Stefano bought a chunk of land in the city, knocked down buildings and built his stronghold where everyone could find it and he built in his own kingdom.

He was proud of the money he made moving drugs. The power that violence had awarded him. The respect he earned from his fellow gangsters.

That's all that mattered to the Camorra. Money, power, respect, and the pussy that it afforded. I can see why they're still going strong.

I saw Mario and his men opening fire on Stefano's goons, triggermen on both sides dropping as they exchanged bullets with each other. I admit, the gunfire was getting to me after Iraq and Afghanistan. But, it wasn't time tolet what might have been PTSD get to me. I was close to Stefano, I had him in my sights.

I jogged up to Mario and his men, grabbing an M4 from the ground. I couldn't help but wonder where mobsters were getting these guns. American assault rifles at that.

I took aim at some of Stefano's goons leaving the gangster's urban mansion. Just a few well-placed shots and they dropped. I took that opening and charged the building. Men were dropping around me left and right. Mario's men, Stefano's men, and civilians unlucky enough to be working for Stefano.

I burst into the main hall of the mansion, it was completely empty save for a man at the top of the main staircase in the hall.

The man was donning heavy armor and an armored helmet with a ballistic visor.

"They said you were still alive, Vittorio. But, you're going to die tonight and I'm going to I'm going to get Stefano's praise for taking you out." The man said, I recognized the voice. It became clear that I was speaking to Gioncarlo.

As he continued to ramble on about why I sucked, why I wuldn't be able to defeat him I began to march towards the stairs. Gioncarlo began to shuffle down to meet me, the armor he was wearing was heavy and didn't lend itself well to agility.

Gioncarlo reached for the gun he carried, a sawn-off shotgun, as we came close. but, before he could raise it I charged him. I grabbed his arm and aimed the gun downwards at Gioncarlo's foot, I forced the trigger with my thumb. The slugs left the gun and destroyed Gioncarlo's foot.

I let go of the man's arm and let him go tumbling down the stairs. I admit, the site of it was a little amusing. It got depressing when I remembered he was probably going to bleed to death. But, at least he wasn't talking anymore.

He didn't have a leg to stand on.

Get it?

Anyways, I continued up the stairs to find Carmine. It was time to end this.

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