Mafia, Take Me Home

Chapter 1–See No Evil

[Amelia]

You know how sometimes, you can just tell if a day is going to go well based on the color of the sky? When I woke up this morning, the sun hadn’t risen yet, and I already knew I was going to be miserable. Another 8 hour school day, followed by another agonizing double shift at Andy’s Auto’s and repairs.

Except that when I arrived at the garage, Andy had a surprise for me. He handed me an address with the instructions to report there at once. “I know you’ve been looking for extra work,” he smiles a bit too sweetly as he hands me the small piece of paper. “These guys say they’ll pay double your usual fee. You just need to work the graveyard shift. No questions asked. Cash up front. Got it?”

Nodding, I take the paper and gave Andy my thanks. The job is on the other side of town, but for double my fee, I’m willing to make the trip. I should have known then that this job would be trouble. If the money was as easy as Andy claimed, he wouldn’t have handed it over to me.

But he’s right, I am desperate. My money is too tight to refuse a good paying gig. Shoving the address in my pocket, I turn around and head back into the cold drizzling rain. If I hurry, I might make it to the new job before nightfall.

My stomach grumbles as I rush to catch the bus, and I feel lightheaded by the time I pay the driver and take a seat. I’m starving, but there’s nothing for it. I can’t afford more than ramen noodles these days. But it’s not too bad. I’ve been in worse situations. I know what it feels like to really starve. I grew up in an orphanage that was poorly managed by greedy people who wanted to make a quick buck off of kids with nowhere else to go. There often wasn’t enough food to go around.

When I turned 18 and left that place two years ago, I promised myself that I’d never starve again. But it doesn’t seem to matter how hard I try, I can’t keep my head above water. I know it won’t be like this forever–it can’t be. But finding work as a high school drop out isn’t easy. I’m lucky that I have a knack with cars, otherwise I’d be completely hopeless.

But I just passed my exam. I have my GED, and I’ve applied to college at the local university. Once I finish my degree, I’ll be able to get a real job, one that pays enough to make rent and eat.

And then I won’t have to take these “don’t ask questions” kind of jobs.

The bus lets me off about two blocks away from the address. Zipping my coat, I put up my hood and march swiftly to the location, making sure not to make eye contact with anyone on the street as I pass. This isn’t a safe neighborhood, and a young woman walking around at night could find herself broken in a ditch somewhere if she doesn’t mind her own business.

Andy’s sloppy handwriting is a little hard to read, and at first I’m not sure I have the right place until a man comes out of what looks like an abandoned warehouse, lights a cigarette, and after taking a long inhale, looks up at me and asks, “Are you the mechanic?”

“Um, yeah,” I reply as I hold out my hand, “My name is Amelia. I..”

“Name’s Tony,” the gruff man, looks at my hand but doesn’t take it. “You’ll be reporting to me. I’ll pay you half now, half after your shift. Capiche?”

I nod and follow my new boss into the warehouse. Inside is a fleet of black, armored sedans in various states of disrepair along with all the tools and parts to fix them. “Our last guy got…sick,” he coughs. “We need you to fill in this week. If you prove you can do the job, we might keep you longer.”

“Okay,” I say weakly, not sure how to respond. “I guess.”

Finding my answer lacking, he turns and raises an eyebrow and informs me that I should respond with either “Yes, Sir” or “Yes, Boss” if he asks me a question. “Same goes for any of my guys. They won’t tolerate disrespect. Especially from a chick.”

I bristle at his sexist comment and choose to ignore it. I’m sure Tony is with a syndicate. Not just a gang, but the actual MOB, like the kind you see in the movies. He’s big, with a mean face and meaner tattoos spiraling up his arms. His words are nice enough, but they’re rough around the edges, like he’s ready to spit curses at the slightest provocation.

And then there’s the gun on his belt, hidden underneath his well-tailored jacket.

As we pass through the building, the few other guys I notice have a similar look and attitude. These are not the kind of guys you want to get on the wrong side of.

“Holler for me if you need anything,” Tony instructs me as he shows me my station. “I’ll be back in a few hours to check on you.”

I start to say “Okay,” but then remember his instructions. “Yes, Sir.”

“Good girl,” he smirks. “Now stay put and don’t put your nose where it don’t belong.’

Swallowing hard, I get straight to work. Guys like him will want to see top quality results. I don’t have time to dilly dally.

There are a lot of cars to work on in this pit of a garage. Tires to be changed and rotated, mufflers to be fixed and carburetors to be replaced. Most of them have brakes worn down to the metal and dents that might take days to bang out. If I play my cards right, this could be steady work for weeks.

By the time Tony comes back to excuse me for a little break, I’m ready to stretch my legs. As soon as Tony’s gone, I walk back the way I came and step outside to get some fresh air.

The night is crisp. It’s well after midnight but not quite dawn and this part of town there are fewer streetlights, so when I look up, I can actually see some of the stars. The town is asleep still, and other than the sound of crickets, it’s quiet here, peaceful.

BANG!

“What was that,” my heart pounds. It was probably just a car backfiring. Nothing to worry about it was…

BANG BANG!

That was a gun. And it was close. Too close. By the sound of it, the gunshot was just around the corner in the alley between buildings.

“f*****g scum,” I hear Tony’s voice, “Damn DelMonaco Clan. They need to stay on their side of town.”

Another man chimes in, grumbling in a deeper voice, complaining about all the rival gangs who have been pushing into their turf. “Probably spying. You know the DelMonaco family is….”

I don’t want to hear any more, taking a step back, my hand reaches for the doorhandle. Maybe if I sneak in quietly and get back to work, I won’t raise any suspicion and I can still get paid the rest of my money.

Stumbling backward, I trip over an old soda bottle, missing the handle. As the glass bottle rolls away, it makes a crystalline clanking sound.

Shit. There’s no way they didn’t hear that. I need to get out of here before they see me. No amount of money is worth risking my life.

Running in the direction of the bus stop, I pray I’m faster than whatever thug is chasing me as the sound of heavy footfalls follows me. If I can make it around the corner, there’s a corner market. I’ll be in a public space then. They won’t risk being caught.

The light of the store calls me like a beacon. I’m so close. Just a few more feet and.

WHAM. An arm hits me across the waist, blowing the air from my lungs and I fall to the ground with a thud, hitting my head on the cement.

[LUCAS]

“We got her, Boss,” Tony comes in with a young woman draped over his shoulder, her shaggy blond braid dangling downward as her body smacks against his back. He flops her down on the couch, rubbing his shoulders.

Stepping forward, I look at her sleeping figure. Pretty girl. She looks young, younger than 25, and too thin. If she were a bit more attractive, I might sell her to Madame Cherry, turning a pretty profit before disposing of the evidence.

“What do you want us to do with her?” Tony scratches his head. “Not sure what she saw, but she was spooked enough to run.”

“Take her out back and finish the job,” I order him, as I look over her sleeping form. She seems so small to be so much trouble.

“Yes, Boss,” Tony frowns. “Damn shame though. She was a good mechanic.”

I agree, it is a pity. But we can’t let any of our secrets get out to our enemies, and if I keep her alive and she’s another spy, it shows that we are weak, unable to defend our own borders. We can’t let that happen. One scratch in our armor is like blood in the ocean–all the sharks will come to feast.

Tony grunts as reaches down to pick her up again and take her away somewhere I don’t need to know about. As he swings her around to his shoulder a flash of something silver flies out of her shirt. It’s a long, heavy chain, holding a solid silver ring.

I know that ring.

A flash of memories long buried in my mind rise to the surface.

I’m in the dark, alone and frightened. I hear a voice, sweet like a bird song. “Lucky! Hold on, I’ll save you!”

She was maybe a year or two younger than me, but as she kneeled over me, the light framing her hair as she reached down to help me out of trap I had fallen into, I remember thinking she was the most beautiful creature I had ever seen, with a smile like golden sunshine, a lovely heart-shaped face, and eyes the color of an angry sea. During a time I try to forget, before the Blasi family gave me a home, she was the only friend I had.

Aurora. I think her name had been Aurora.

“I owe you my life,” I had promised as I removed the necklace from my chest and placed it on hers. It was the one piece of my past I still had, a lost token from a mother I couldn’t remember. It was the most precious thing I had.

Until I met her.

“One day I’ll repay you,” I swore as she pressed the necklace to her heart.

Could it be her? What are the odds that two girls could have the very same necklace?

And I just condemned her to die.

Rushing after Tony, I see him place her on the ground, his gun raised and pointed at her very still body.

Oh God.

“Tony! Stop! Wait!”