Flight

Episode 4

Jay and Anton were parking in the driveway. They got out of the car. Anton admired the house. The house was rather large, with a carefully groomed lawn, and colorful garden decorating the outside of the house. “I've never been here before,” Anton said to Jay. “Yeah he only let’s the people he trusts the most here. And you're not part of the family keep that in mind when you're in there. Okay Anton,” he replied. As they were walking in Jay took off his shoes and jacket, and placed them nicely down right passed the door in the hallway. Anton followed Jay’s lead and did the same.

Anton quickly followed Jay and tried to not give the impression that he was snooping. So he avoided looking too closely at any of the furnishings and ornaments. Anton looked at his feet and noticed he was wearing neon pink socks. Anton smirked at that. They found themselves at the door of the boss's office. But they paused because they heard him having a phone conversation. Jay knocked softly on the door out of politeness to let them know they were standing outside. “It's alright come on in,” he said to Jay and Anton. They opened the door and walked in. “Yeah well we've controlled the docks since before I was born if they're going to push us for using the docks then we're going to have to push back, it's how these things work. Just wait for my say so before you do anything okay.” he hanged up. Anton and Jay were standing right in front of his desk. Anton began to speak “Hello Mr.-” “Just call me Nick, Anton, and please sit,” Nick the boss interrupted Anton. Nick pointed to the two seats. They sat down.

Wow not just refer to him by his first name but by a shortened form of his first name. What a laid back guy. Almost like he doesn't run the biggest gang in New Athens.

Anton leaned across the desk and shook Nick’s hand, and sat back down. “Do you remember the first time we met Anton? I remember it. My guys had you strung up and at gunpoint, like a bunch of movie villain henchmen,” Nick spoke softly. Anton laughed. “Yeah,” Anton said remembering that day. “I trust you Anton you're innately a good kid. A good kid but a resourceful one. I want you to stay with me I know you’ve worked with a bunch of different people before, but I want you to become a part of this organization. What do you have to say to that?” Nick asked him. Anton stroked his chin. “Well you’ve let me into your home and everything Nick. You’ve been too kind, but I’m going to have to say no,” Anton said with a sarcastic smirk. Nick looked at Anton with a serious expression. Anton studied his face. Nick was an older man, in his mid fifties. He had an almost entirely grey head of hair but he kept himself finely groomed. Anton has met him a few times before each time was because Anton himself was in trouble or because someone else was. Either way Nick never showed up to congratulate someone on their accomplishments. Nick was instrumental in making his organization relatively clean focusing black market technology business avenues and making sure murder rarely happened something hard to do in the criminal world he existed in. Nick was not an entirely honest man being known to break his code every so often, but even then Anton respected him. Nick truly cared about the city and what bad business could do to it.

Nick still staring back at Anton got up and walked up to him. He placed his arm on Anton’s shoulder. He then started to laugh. “I like your sense of humor,” Nick said to Anton.

Oh I'll tell that old man a joke. If people could hear the things you said I'd probably be dead.

“Anton you're kind of a Swiss army knife. But one thing you're especially good at is talking to people. Especially when it comes to talking them down. You're an artist when it comes to that. It's like you don't get intimidated in a sticky situation. You're either the most confident person I know or the craziest. You're going to be the intermediate between groups for me. You'll be talking to other gangs, any random criminals, and even local businesses we have a hand in. When there's an issue to be taken care of you’re going to there,” Nick finished. Nick walked back around to his desk. Anton looked back down at his neon pink socks.

Anton was about to say something. But just as Anton’s mouth opened the door to the office was slammed open by someone. “What the hell is this! There was a whole damn gunfight literally just a few blocks from the police station in North Kingsley. Do you know how many things are wrong with this?” The woman yelled. Nick leaned back in his chair and lightly chuckled. The woman walked up to the desk and slammed down a manila folder. She stared down Anton with a scowl. Anton now face to face noticed the woman was Nina. Both of them were confused as to why the other was here.

“Nobody got hurt it was a little spat, and it was dissipated in short time,” Nick said to Nina. “Oh really two bystanders are in the hospital because of it. One was startled badly by the gunfire and one was actually grazed,” she opened up the manila folder which showed proof of this. Nick looked at the documents and photos and sighed. “There gonna be okay dad but tell me who and why?” Nina asked her father. “The Suisei clan wanted to meet there. We answered and then for some reason, I'm not sure why a gunfight broke out,” Nick answered. Jay looked bothered by Nick’s words. Nina noticed this. “Dad they're a gang turned hitman organization. I bet Jay said it himself, you can't really trust them. Also I thought they’ve been out of New Athens for a while now?” She exasperated. “Yeah they have been. It's why I was so interested in what they had to say,” Nick said to his daughter.

“Oh by the way, how’s your family been Jay?” Nina asked. “Good, they've been good Nina,” he answered quickly. “You see I like Jay, dad. He's a good guy. He cares about his family. I bet if his only daughter asked him to not be an idiot and, to never operate in Kingsley he would do just that. I know the Suisei clan head’s daughter, I'm going to go and directly talk to them as a third party,” Nina told her father. “Aika Suisei isn't the innocent girl you hanged out with in high school. If rumors are true, she's one of their best hitman now,” Jay said aloud. “She wouldn't lay a finger on me,” Nina attested. “What makes you so sure of that?” Jay asked. Nina blushed. “We were really close in high school, but you know that,” she said shyly. “I know I can't stop you from going. So just take Anton don't worry you can trust him. Also he's not a known face in our organization so you can stay relatively anonymous,” Nick said. Nina rolled her eyes at Anton. “Fine. I'll take the new guy,” Nina responded. She lead Anton out of the house and into her car.

Ooo what do you think Nicholas Rossi would do if he knew you kissed his daughter. I didn't kiss her. She kissed me, and it was only like a peck on the cheek. Regardless your faces touched.

Nina drove a few blocks away from her father's home. Then decided to pull over and shut the car off. “What were you doing at my dad’s place Anton?” She asked. “Well what are you a cop, doing being Nick's, daughter. Well what is Nick's daughter doing being a cop, heh? Does anyone else at your precinct know your relation to Nicolas?” Anton rebuttaled. “No, I asked first,” she shot back. “Well I do this kind of work often. And your father wanted me to work for him. So yeah it’s that simple,” Anton answered. Nina nodded her head. “I don't know Anton. I love this city always have, always will. So I became a cop, and then with some time got promoted to a detective. And my father may be a mob boss, but he taught me a lot about values and morals. One of the huge things he did with his time as boss was making their business more legitimate less lives have been loss, I can't be more grateful when it comes to that. Also only one person knows my relation to my father at my job. I go by Nina Valentine it's my mother's maiden name,” Nina explained.

Come to think of it Anton. What happened to her mother? Yeah I don't know I know that Nick is a widower. And now knowing Nina’s father is Nick, well yeah.

Nina turned the car back on and began to drive to their destination again. They showed up to where they were heading.

Nina inspected the outside of the house quickly paying mind to the garden being filled with red camellias her favorite flower. “This is it. Before Aika left the city a while back she bought this place. She told me some bull like I'll always have an open invitation or something.” They started up the pathway leading to the front door. They both simultaneously knocked on the door. “I heard the Suisei clan is real dangerous,” Anton whispered to Nina. “Ehh yeah all the reports are pretty bad, but Aika is cool, a bit eccentric but she wouldn't hurt a fly,” just as Nina finished speaking she felt a hard nudge against her head. She quickly turned her head to find herself staring down the barrel of a handgun being held by Aika.

Oh yeah definitely wouldn't hurt a fly.