Mike woke up to his alarm clock at seven o’clock in the morning. He dragged his feet over to the small kitchen inside his small home located on the back of Albert’s estate, and viewed the security camera footage of the grounds on the small screen above the bench top; everything was still the only movement was light rain trickling down. The bodyguard flicked the jug on and rinsed out a used mug from the day before, and got dressed. The day had begun.
After getting dressed he found his jacket from the night before and found his notepad where he had written a reminder to call Donny. The Irishman was a heavy boozer so it was unlikely the man would even be up for at least another five hours, but the call had to be made, as expected it went straight to voicemail. Mike tucked his handgun in the back of his pants, and armed himself with an umbrella; Albert would not be up for another hour, and he had to make sure everything was ready for the day ahead.
The first step was checking the car for any signs of foul play followed by taking a walk down to the watchtower to make sure Peter was there; of course he was. The old gatekeeper held up his coffee and offered a tired nod as Mike approached.
“Pete,” Mike yawned, “Got the paper?”
“Of course,” the old man picked up the morning news off the chair just inside the watch house door.
Mike quickly put the paper undercover of the umbrella and looked at the front page, only to see the face of the new man favoured to take on the big seat of becoming mayor. Super cop Bill Darsen. He laughed to himself and folded the paper in half.
“Thanks Peter,” he called as he walked back toward the house.
“Big day today Mike?” Peter called sarcastically.
“Always.”
Mike held the door to the car open with the engine running while he waited for Albert to hop in first; too many hits were carried out whilst the victims were starting the car.
Albert looked at the front page of the newspaper and groaned, “If this guy gets it...this thing of ours will be fucked.”
“The top cop?”
“Yeah, cop and a politician, there’s nothing worse,” Albert flicked the page.
“The government here is in shit anyway after that Pastor Alvin scandal,” Mike tried to reassure his boss.
“Exactly, which is why this federal fuckwit will be busting for results.”
Mike pulled up in the car park outside Willow’s Pub; owned by Albert’s girlfriend Tanya. He got out of the car and put up the umbrella making sure to scan the perimeter as he made his way to the passenger side. Albert climbed out under the cover of Mike’s umbrella allowing his bodyguard to temporarily be attacked by rain.
Together they walked cautiously to the pub being guarded by one bouncer at the front. Dressed in all black with a scruffy beard; the man looked like a biker. He was an old associate of Donny’s.
Mike folded up the umbrella and looked to his right to see a couple of construction workers sitting around the newly designated smoking area, talking and laughing over lunch beers. The bouncer stood even further aside out of respect as the two entered.
Carlos was sitting alone at a table with his back against the wall watching the entrance; he was a captain as well as older cousin to Albert and Alonzo. Carlos was sixty years old and still ran the best crew in the family; the Giuseppe crew.
Carlos and Albert did not greet each other the old way with a kiss on each cheek; there was a new ruling against it since the government was using this as a way to see who was connected.
“How you doing Carlos?”
“Good, how are you cousin?” Carlos nodded at Mike, “This guy keeping you out of trouble?”
“Always,” Mike laughed.
“You alone?” Albert asked.
“Of course not, I got Alonzo Junior driving me around, I got him outback helping Tanya clean vomit,” Carlos laughed.
Albert adjusted his glasses as he read the lunch menu to appease the young waitress came around and took all of their orders. They discussed everything that had transpired over the last few days during and after the meeting.
“The whole Brenalli crew gone in forty-eight hours,” Carlos sighed; Frank had been one of his favourite people to deal with.
Alonzo Junior rejoined the table after cleaning up a patrons vomit out back, and Tanya came and gave Albert a kiss before getting back behind the bar. Mike of course ordered an extra steak while they waited around talking business.
Albert checked his watch, “Where the fuck is Donny?”
Mike took a mouthful of coke to wash down the food, “He said he would be here ages ago.”
“Here he is,” Carlo laughed.
Donny walked in dressed in a hooded jumper and jeans, dark shades covered his eyes to hide the hangover. He nodded at the table and walked straight to the bar and ordered up two beers; he drank the first one in one go and carried the other with him.
“That’s better lads,” he sat at the table.
Everyone laughed as Donny told stories about the night before, and when he finished, Carlos and Albert informed him of the goings on in their world. After another hour of gossip Alonzo Junior and Carlos left to get back to Carlos’s tobacco store.
Donny managed to retain his more serious disposition, “So, what’s bothering you Al?”
“There is going to be a war,” Albert looked over at Tanya serving a patron, “I want you to run security here, I need someone I can trust.”
Donny scratched his head, “Of course Al.”
“Finished Mike?” Albert nodded at Mike’s empty plate.
“Yeah, start the car?”
“I need to talk to Mario.”
Mike heaved himself off the chair and dragged his heavy figure toward the car, nodding at the bouncer as he passed by. He scanned the car park for anything out of the ordinary; there were no cops, but a black lexus was parked stationary next to Albert’s car. It was Rai just staring at the pub as if he was mentally reconstructing the entire building.
He looked around for any sign of an ambush, but the Korean was alone. Mike started the car and waited eagerly for Albert to come out and after a few minutes he did. Albert seemed to notice also and Mike gave a nod at the lexus and waited for a signal. Albert shrugged and quickly walked to the car, wasting no time in getting in.
“What the fuck’s he doing here?”
“I don’t know Al, he didn’t even look at me,” Mike had his handgun ready out of Rai’s eyesight.
Albert pushed Mike’s gun down, “It’s alright, leave it. Donny’s staying, I’ll give him a call later and let him know.”
Mike nodded obediently and put the car in drive. He drove along the highway blending in with the traffic all the way to the suburb where Mario’s crew ran. They pulled up outside the massive trucking compound the general ran with his soldiers Sin and Samuele. It looked like a fortified bunker with the huge concrete fencing, up top a huge sign read ‘Giuseppe Trucking. The place was busy; truck drivers conversed with mechanics working on the trucks while Samuele supervised.
Samuele noticed Albert’s car approaching and ordered one of the workers to open the gates. Mike wound the driver’s side window down as he pulled up aside Samuele, “How you doing Sammy?”
“I’m alive, how about you Mike?”
“Good…Mario around?”
Samuele looked into the car and saw Albert, “Hi Al,” he gave a respectful wave.
"Hey kid.”
Samuele was one of the youngest inducted members in the family along with Sin they were both only twenty-five and favourites of Albert. They were respectful and knew the rules.
The young soldier cleared his throat and pointed at the office outside the main garage.
“Thanks,” Mike shut the car off where they were already idling.
The three of them stepped into the refreshingly cool office; Sin and Mario stopped talking as they entered. Mario was older than Albert; he was sixty and should have been boss.
“Mario,” Albert smiled, neither of them greeted each other the formal way; both men knew something was up.
“Albert…how’s your brother Alonzo?”
“Good, he should be getting out in the near future.”
“Remember when I helped him out of that shit back in the biker war?” Mario laughed, trying to make the atmosphere less tense.
Mike locked the door; Sin and Samuele stood against the wall not willing to make eye contact with anyone.
“How long were you in with Frank and Chuck?” Albert’s eyes stopped the room; they were watery; everyone knew how fond of Mario the boss had been when he was just a kid.
Mario was equally heart broken; he looked at Sin and Samuele who were surprised of his dealings with the enemy.
“These kids had nothing to do with it,” he gestured to the two young soldiers.
“I know,” Albert cocked his handgun and gave it to Samuele, “Take Mario for a drive with Mike.”
“Albert…please?”
“You know the rules,” Albert unlocked the door.
Samuele walked out first followed by Mario and Mike.
“Sin you stay with me…I need a ride.”
The young soldier stood alongside Albert as the two observed Mike and Samuele put Mario into a car and leave Giuseppe trucking.
A/N: Thoughts on Donny protecting Willows?