Post by ~*¤elizabeth¤*~ on Jul 17, 2005 12:01:54 GMT -5
John Night ran his hands through his quickly graying hair. Bills were spread out across the kitchen island in his home. The Ventimiglias weren’t going to pay him anytime soon; he owed them money. He owed the Barayevs money, too. But the Ventimiglias didn’t know that. God only knows what they’d do if they did, John thought to himself. He glanced over his shoulder at the stove clock. It read 7:45. Evie should be home in another twenty minutes.
Carefully organizing the papers, John placed them in a folder. As he closed the folder, he noticed his wife’s careful handwriting on the front. Taking care of the bills had once been her job. Until a few years ago. She had grown suspicious of the large amounts of money being deposited and withdrawn from their account, even after John had assured her he had gotten a raise and spent some money to spoil their daughter. With his wife the lawyer and he the detective, their daughter was well taken care of. Especially with the extra hundreds and thousands flowing in from the Ventimiglias and Barayevs. But, their lives had suddenly fallen apart one night when Alice Night was shot and killed in a drive-by shooting. With her large income suddenly missing, the Nights were suddenly almost completely dependent on the money John earned from the Mafia.
John returned to reality when there was a knock at the door. He hadn’t heard a car door. Had Evie walked home? He glanced at the clock again. 7:50. Evie always came home at exactly 8:05. Though she finished work at 8:00, the drive home in New York traffic took forever, and John didn’t want her walking home so late at night.
“Coming!” John called, as the visitor knocked a second time, this time more impatiently.
A few yards from the door, John suddenly jumped back when the door burst open. Immediately, three large, muscular men charged into the house. Each brandishing a rather large gun of his own, they immediately spotted John.
“Hello there, Johnny boy. Have we forgotten to do something?” one asked. “Like, pay the boss?”
“I-I was going to do that soon,” John nervously stammered, retreating to the other side of the kitchen island.
“Soon isn’t enough,” the man replied. “Besides, you said that last time, and the time before. I’m afraid we’ll have to take you to talk to the boss. He doesn’t like to be bothered, you know, and you’ve caused a lot of trouble.”
“Now, wait a minute Vinnie, I’m sure we can work something out,” John raised his hands in front of him, as though to protect himself.
“Time’s up,” the man named Vinnie shook his head. “I’m afraid we’ve got to go.”
John finally realized he’d lost. He glanced at the clock. 8:00. Evie would be home in five minutes. He couldn’t let her see what was happening and be caught in the middle of all of this. Glancing at the table, he saw the checkbook.
“Let’s go, Johnny,” Vinnie took one hand from his gun and motioned for him to come, then raised the gun again. “Don’t make me make you come.”
“I’m coming,” John flipped the checkbook open as he walked past, pushing it to the middle of the table.
Vinnie put his arm around John’s neck. Smiling, he led the man from his house. Not bothering to shut the door, he nodded for his men to get in the car, then pushed John in. Sliding in beside John, he glanced over at the man.
“There. Now, that wasn’t so hard, was it?” Vinnie said, nodding for the driver to go ahead.
As the limo sped away from the house, Vinnie immediately began talking. John stared across the limo at the two armed men. He hadn’t seen them before, but that didn’t mean that they hadn’t been around. Sal ran a pretty tight operation. He didn’t tolerate those who squealed.
Evie! John would have recognized his daughter’s dark blue Expedition anywhere. He saw her driving in the direction they were coming from. She glanced over at the limousine; they were somewhat rare in their neighborhood, but even through the tinted windows John could see the suspicion in her eyes. He watched the vehicle pass, but upon seeing one of the other men watching him curiously, quickly averted his gaze. There was no need for him to bring Sal’s wrath down upon his child. He’d already done that upon his wife. Except, that hadn’t been Sal. That had been Dominic. Dominic “The Executioner” Barayev.
Carefully organizing the papers, John placed them in a folder. As he closed the folder, he noticed his wife’s careful handwriting on the front. Taking care of the bills had once been her job. Until a few years ago. She had grown suspicious of the large amounts of money being deposited and withdrawn from their account, even after John had assured her he had gotten a raise and spent some money to spoil their daughter. With his wife the lawyer and he the detective, their daughter was well taken care of. Especially with the extra hundreds and thousands flowing in from the Ventimiglias and Barayevs. But, their lives had suddenly fallen apart one night when Alice Night was shot and killed in a drive-by shooting. With her large income suddenly missing, the Nights were suddenly almost completely dependent on the money John earned from the Mafia.
John returned to reality when there was a knock at the door. He hadn’t heard a car door. Had Evie walked home? He glanced at the clock again. 7:50. Evie always came home at exactly 8:05. Though she finished work at 8:00, the drive home in New York traffic took forever, and John didn’t want her walking home so late at night.
“Coming!” John called, as the visitor knocked a second time, this time more impatiently.
A few yards from the door, John suddenly jumped back when the door burst open. Immediately, three large, muscular men charged into the house. Each brandishing a rather large gun of his own, they immediately spotted John.
“Hello there, Johnny boy. Have we forgotten to do something?” one asked. “Like, pay the boss?”
“I-I was going to do that soon,” John nervously stammered, retreating to the other side of the kitchen island.
“Soon isn’t enough,” the man replied. “Besides, you said that last time, and the time before. I’m afraid we’ll have to take you to talk to the boss. He doesn’t like to be bothered, you know, and you’ve caused a lot of trouble.”
“Now, wait a minute Vinnie, I’m sure we can work something out,” John raised his hands in front of him, as though to protect himself.
“Time’s up,” the man named Vinnie shook his head. “I’m afraid we’ve got to go.”
John finally realized he’d lost. He glanced at the clock. 8:00. Evie would be home in five minutes. He couldn’t let her see what was happening and be caught in the middle of all of this. Glancing at the table, he saw the checkbook.
“Let’s go, Johnny,” Vinnie took one hand from his gun and motioned for him to come, then raised the gun again. “Don’t make me make you come.”
“I’m coming,” John flipped the checkbook open as he walked past, pushing it to the middle of the table.
Vinnie put his arm around John’s neck. Smiling, he led the man from his house. Not bothering to shut the door, he nodded for his men to get in the car, then pushed John in. Sliding in beside John, he glanced over at the man.
“There. Now, that wasn’t so hard, was it?” Vinnie said, nodding for the driver to go ahead.
As the limo sped away from the house, Vinnie immediately began talking. John stared across the limo at the two armed men. He hadn’t seen them before, but that didn’t mean that they hadn’t been around. Sal ran a pretty tight operation. He didn’t tolerate those who squealed.
Evie! John would have recognized his daughter’s dark blue Expedition anywhere. He saw her driving in the direction they were coming from. She glanced over at the limousine; they were somewhat rare in their neighborhood, but even through the tinted windows John could see the suspicion in her eyes. He watched the vehicle pass, but upon seeing one of the other men watching him curiously, quickly averted his gaze. There was no need for him to bring Sal’s wrath down upon his child. He’d already done that upon his wife. Except, that hadn’t been Sal. That had been Dominic. Dominic “The Executioner” Barayev.
