My Everything

Plans For The Future or Future Peril

What a distinct feeling of circumstances. It was like a complete shift of masks. Shakespeare was probably onto something the way I had to posture myself now.

Angelo sat in the chair opposite me. At least he was on the screen, but he was in an entirely unfamiliar room. In another location in the city, I had just got out of one meeting about fashion and here I stood before a more serious one. One that might determine the fate of the citizen under me. Maybe I should have run for being a politician.

We were alone, but it was easy to see from his gaze that he was wary, not likely the work of our last meeting. It seemed like the man now was far more than measuring his words before he spoke, leaving a prolonged silence.

“I am aware Angelo, of the White Fist and what their intentions.”

“You are?”

I nodded my head. “You can relax, Angelo, it’s just me and you. You have known me since I was a kid and are a friend to my father.”

His body was still tensed as he folded his arm, wrinkling his jacket.

“But I can understand from what happened that you would feel this way.”

“Do you care to explain your actions rather than your intentions?”

“My intentions were simple to flush out the person that was trying to frame me and handle it.”

“We have our ways of dealing with these issues.”

“Walking someone into the room?” I rebutted.

“You left to many open holes and too many questions while also creating fear.”

“Fear is good, is it not?”

“Fear is only good to suit the situation. You can’t use fear with men that live in the shadows. You spared the girl, and you spared the wizard of Oz.”

“They aren’t any threats, I got the government wrapped around my finger.”

“For now, but what about later? That’s leverage, he knows too much, and it shows something exploitable for men that might come to fear you later.”

“Everything is under control, Angelo.”

“Don’t get ahead of yourself, your father used to say the same thing.”

“I am not my father!”

“You aren’t he wouldn’t have made such a rash decision like that without thought.”

“How can I make what you deem a correct decision in a quick decision moment?”

“We survive by working together and trusting each other. That’s where the sit downs come. I applaud you for solving the first issue I do but you had many options to get rid of the problem before it went there and if you suspected something you should---.”

“Come to you, my way and my father’s way of thinking are different. Haven’t I taken things to a whole new level now? Don’t we have the city bent to our will?”

“You think that this never happened before, be careful is all I am saying in what you do and trust in those around you, otherwise you risk the people working for you feeling as though they are expendable. What do men do when they are expendable, Valentina?”

I gritted my teeth. “Are we here to debate about my action or are we here to talk about---.”

“I am looking out for you that are all it is. How do you know about the meeting if you just got back? I have to assume all the stuff you gave me is tapped. Don’t tell me your working with the police?”

“No, your right I won’t hide it from you I can see certain messages but that’s someone on my security payroll.”

“Then I guess this meeting will be short. What do you plan to do?”

“What do you think? Something crazy no less, I did think about it but I wanted your thoughts on it.”

“And what did you come up with, Valentina? I wonder what it is what would be the Abbandando expense this time.”

“I don’t have the time to debate with you. I initially were going to have them arrested by the police as they came in. How can upstarts peddling drugs seek to reach out to us? They are nothing more than weeds that need to be expunged.” My head turn towards the door. “You can come in Rose.”

Angelo looked to the door as Brad and Rose came in. What was Rose smiling about? She hugged a laptop to her chest.

I scratched my head. At least for now I won’t be crossed, examined by Angelo any further for today.

“The girl that conducted the interview,” Angelo said, “She is with you.”

“Yeah,” I replied as the two took a seat down by the table. Rose placed her laptop down.

“What are they here for?”

“To give their views,” I said.

“You think this is a game? I don’t know them, they are not a part of our circle. You forgot the oaths that you swore too.”

“Information is important Angelo, they know information on the people that are coming, that’s all. There is nothing else to it, without information a man is blind.”

Angelo relaxed himself in his chair, scanning his eyes from me to them. “Alright let them talk and after that they both leave.”

I nodded. “Well then Brad, tell him what you know of the White Fist.”

Brad looked down at the table, gripping his fist. “I grew up in Eastern Amandora, it’s a place that’s filled with drugs and violence. Most of the people in the city pretend the area doesn’t exist, it’s almost like a no man land with the amount of dump that goes out there. If a man goes missing in Amandora the police don’t investigate. The people that live there live in tents, the streets are filled with piss and flies.”

“And what does this have to do with The White Fist?”

“This environment is where is The White Fist strive. It is you join them or you die by the elements by the drugs or by the gang itself.”

“Then how did you get out of a place like that? If it was as bad as you say, how did you become a security guard?”

“My parents get me out, but leaving was not allowed. There is another city that the government doesn’t talk about you can say that the Eastern Amandora was the border to which that city Desolation as they call it would have been before the lockdown.”

“I heard about that place before. I thought that city was abandoned.”

Brad nodded his head. “No, they did not abandon it the way you think. The government just couldn’t fight the gangs and left it to them.”

My head shifted to Rose, but she gave me a blank expression. “What was this city called Desolation. I never heard about it before.”

“Desolation was where the White Fist was born and it was also my home. I know the gang well because I have been around it. They don’t like competition and they don’t play by the rules. The only reason they didn’t pay attention here yet was because they didn’t have the numbers, but now. You should be wary.”

“You think I am some child? We have seen wars before and many groups before back in my days it’s nothing new but thanks for the insight kid. If there is nothing more to say---.”

“Show Strength,” Brad said as he got up and Rose followed behind him, gripping her laptop in her hand.

As the door closed, there was silence for a while as Angelo adjusted himself. “Show strength huh, we have to meet them on principle. They paid the blood price anything less and it would look like disrespect on our part. Police intervening would also look weak. If they want the strength, we can show it if that’s all he is worried about. I would admit I never took an intrest in that part of the city maybe I looked down at it as insignificant now someone can come from Desolation and pay such a price. I never thought I would see the day.”

“What exactly is that place, Angelo, and why would the government be allowing that?”

“Who knows, I can’t tell I can only make adjustments from what’s in front of me that’s why I told you don’t get to comfy with those in authority. You never know when they switch sides to bury you for a promotion.”

“So a meeting then?” I asked.

“Yes, unless you want to create even more tension than you already have and give a perception of us being weak.”

I scratched my head. “Fine, we will see where this goes but I want to ensure that we watch them every single step of the way.”

The screen faded as Angelo nodded and I took a deep breath out. When you think a battle is over, another just seems to take its place.