I think that my life is the way it is because of enormous amount of luck and a
little skill. I grew up in Bay ridge Brooklyn. I was the only elf, and hell the
only fraggin’ meta in the neighborhood. I caught a lot of drek for that,
black eyes and stolen basket balls were normal for me. I continually got beat
up by one group of punks. I knew that I set the standards I brought a bat so would
they. I decided to carry a knife. I couldn’t really injure any of them,
there were too many, but they started threatening me every day. My dad realized
this was no way for me to live so he taught me how to shoot. He didn’t have
the connections to get me a real piece so I learned on his hunting rifles, I became
a decent shot. I actually fired a few into the air to scare some kids from me.
The next day my mom came to pick me up, the kids who I scared away came back packing,
the bullet was intended for me, it was off and my mom took it in the stomach,
she died right there in front of my school, I just stood there dumb founded covered
in her lifeblood and guts, if she was around maybe all this drek going down would
have never pulled me in.
My dad, torn with grief, could barely make ends meet. I was just starting junior
high and was reclusive, my mom had been torn from me, and in my eyes every single
wannabe and gun-toting Gillette was responsible. It just so happened that a local
capi was in the area. When the shootings (both when I got beat up and when my
mom got iced.) When his bodyguards told him what had happened he found it so amusing
he decided to test me. He came up to me and told me to earn his favor (which meant
no one would ever bug me again) I would have to maim (not necessarily kill) some
razor boy who was causing more trouble than he was worth. I waited across from
one of his local spots and he came out a little later and I took the shot. He
dropped. I swear to god I aimed for his leg, but the bullet hit where two plates
in his armor met and punctured his heart.
When the Capi found out he had a mixture of pride and awe at my untrained accuracy,
I told him a million fraggin’ times that the shot was luck and that was
all. He admitted it was but he said I had a lot of balls. I backed out before
the Capi could do anything else.
I did however have some much needed respite from kid’s taunts. Capi Estrago
also started teaching me some simple life skills, not sniping skills, those came
later, stuff like Psychology and proper etiquette, he didn’t want me to
become some uncouth loud mouthed idiot.
Soon my dad lost his job, bills were piling up and it looked like we would end
up in Greenville, or the Slope of No Hope. I turned to Capi Estrago and explained
the situation; he offered me a job as a gopher. I worked diligently, and I was
able to pull in more than my dad.
My dad found out and gave me a rage filled lecture about scum of the earth. In
the end he disowned me. As soon as I was out, I ran my heart filled with hate
and anger at my dad. The only reason I went into the god damned forsaken underworld
was because he couldn’t hold a job.
I went back to Estrago and he accepted me with arms wide open. Soon he had me
on a rigorous training routine. I was training with a rifle and a submachine gun.
We had both decided that I shouldn’t be a front line soldier but I should
have the confidence that comes with weapons training. He thought I would make
a good decker, I got a jack installed and began to learn the basics of the trix
from some of the Capi’s “friends.” I was equipped with some
toy, but I could get work done with it, the Capi believed in reward on ability.
As I gained skill he upgraded my tech, which was true for everything. He realized
my potential as a sniper and the focus of my training was moved. He made sure
I was proficient at anything I tried. I think he was going to train me to his
protégé.
New York was getting ready to rumble hard with the yaks and they needed fodder,
not that gangs weren’t very common, but in this survival of fittest ecosphere
we call the putrid apple, the only ways to survive were ferocity and skill. Most
gangs chose the former, which meant they weren’t what we needed; we needed
soldiers, not berserkers.
The trade off was simple, 100 able and willing soldiers for the Capi and the skills
he brought to the table. I went with him because the Mafia didn’t need to
lose novices either. I wasn’t his only novice though; he was training a
girl named Salve, and he had an enforcer around my age another elf, he went by
the name Cobra. She was 5 years older than me, but we got along fine.
I liked Seattle, it had a certain charm, but I got homesick quickly. I missed
the insane over packing, good pizza, and well defined battle lines. Seattle had
its own yak infestation, the battle wasn’t blood running in the street like
New York had, it was economic, sure there was violence, hits, enforcement, kidnapping
and what have you, but it wasn’t out in the open. In New York a made man
could do almost anything and get away with it. NYPD Inc. NY’s Star was corrupt
on every level, but in Seattle it was the less corrupt Star and the untouchable
military. It made the rules of engagement much different.
Things were going ok, I soon had a large base of friends to talk to, I met most
of them through the mob, Salve and I became very close in that foreign environment
we soon became closer and inseparable, and I thought every thing would be good
as gravy. Then one day Capi Estrago was called back to NY. The next day I got
the news he had a heart attack on the plane, Capi Douglas took Salve, cobra, and
I under his wing. From the second I laid eyes on Douglas I knew he was a slime
ball, he would kill or sell any one if he could make a profit. All the other Capi
also knew this so they gave him the tough jobs the war torn areas. Douglas was
shrewd, though he took every thing without breaking stride, he always had a back
door, an ace up his sleeve, and a dagger in his opponents back. He had a different
idea for me, I was to become an enforcer, a thug.
He realized I had the potential to become very good and decided I would become
his assassin. He trained me to be a better sniper than most of what the Star was
packing; I also became a good shot with a submachine gun.
Finally he forced me through an insanely long vat job. I don’t know how
every one else takes being through that, but for one month straight I felt nothing
but a burning sensation, it was agonizing and now I realize why so many chipped
runners go loco. I got more ware installed in me then I can name. In the back
of my mind I had really begun to hate what I had become, and what I lost. Afterward
it took me a year to get accustomed to the microtronics stuffed through out my
body. Salve was the only one who helped me keep my sanity though, she vistited
me every day I was in the vat, I spent most of my time in drug induced hallucantions
but I remembered the hours with Salve by my side. Salve and my friendship grew
beyond friends, soon we were lovers, most suits think that’s young but neither
of us really expected to live past 35. By this time I was 14 or 15, and most of
the stuff grew with me. My reflexes increased to the point I would react before
I think, but the other change was I was ultra smooth; I haven’t tripped
since I got the hang of this stuff.
Now that I was Douglas’s enforcer I quickly gained a reputation for being
ruthless. Cobra had become the Capi’s punching bag, I didn’t bother
to talk to him. I had heard talk about how I had taken his place, I didn’t
console him, I just didn’t care. I dropped quite a few punks looking to
step up to the family, as well as yaks triads and other made men from different
camps. Then one day Douglas asked me to do something weird, he asked me to give
a tour of a newly acquired brothel/casino (done that plenty of times) but at 6
expect action, and get every one of Douglas’s commanders and the visiting
Capi and his men out the back, but I was to take point on my bike.
This seemed like an obvious cross to me; Douglas wanted to lose this joint and
blame it on the Sotto Capi and maybe get his job.
I didn’t like it so I called up every corrupt cop I knew and had them raid
the place at the same time as the other attack. Salve was with me, I decided she
would stick by me, I realized most people in that place would never take orders
from a young gun like me, but Salve was older so I relayed all orders through
her. Every one there was packing armor piercing rounds with orders to keep there
side arms on them at all times. If the Star didn’t show then maybe we could
give the yaks a run for there money. I also made sure my bike was well hidden
in back. Behind some dumpsters so that I could kick a dumpster out of the way
and speed off.
The Capi came and I gave him a thorough tour, tour took less time than I expected
the guy was a loyal husband so instead of playing in the cat house I got him some
chips and we hit the tables. As my watch beeped 6 o’clock both me and slave
gripped our guns, she was a mage so I guessed the gun was there more for confidence
and intimidation than actual use. My Uzi was there to be fired, a minute went
past, several other people near by sensed our tension and looked around another
minute went past my grip released slightly. I looked over at the Capi’s
hand an ace was showing. I heard a knock at the door over the din of the casino,
Salve nudged me and I looked up, the Capi flipped his card its one eyed face staring
at me and the Capi said, “Black…” Suddenly the door exploded
inward the troll bouncer was knocked from his feet his predator heavy pistol skidding
a few feet away. Automatic gun fire raked the table directly in front of the door;
I cursed my self as 2 made men standing guard there went down in the hail of bullets.
The troll bouncer grabbed his pistol by the barrel and rolled to his feet intending
to pistol whip the closest assailant. It was a good plan except he was heavily
out numbered, the dealers of the tables quickly flipped there tables over and
took out there hand guns. The better armed mafia guards joined them behind the
table. All I could hear as we flipped our own table over was people screaming.
I watched as the troll cracked the nearest Yak, a skinny oriental type with dark
sun glasses and an equally dark suit, the sub machine gun seemed to shake this
guys whole frame, the guy never saw it coming. The bouncer then charged into a
wall of lead. His body convulsed as bullet after bullet tore into his armor. I
did hear one more china man scream as the trolls swung again, then the brute was
forced backwards collapsing.
Patrons ran toward the emergency exits, I crouched behind the table a 3 shot burst
splintered the wood. Salve looked at me a helpless expression on her face. I popped
up and took aim at a yak pinned behind the coat check. I pulled the trigger the
gas vent mounted on my gun fed the gases out the top to compensate for barrel
jump. The shots were true and the yak went down 3 gaping holes in his chest. The
emergency exits exploded inward the nearest patrons were raked by buck shot and
I realized just how dire our situation was. The other mafia soldiers and surviving
patrons were being forced toward the back of the room. I popped up from my rampart
and let loose another 2 bursts dropping one yak forcing him to roll over an overturned
table. I looked to Salve whose face was set in determination. She said, “Cover
me.”
She stood and I followed her. I fired a few bursts to keep the yaks heads down.
Salve chanted something and her hand shot out towards the door. A jet of white
hot flame raced from her palm. The flames lit the whole door ablaze, I heard screams
on the other side. The sprinkler system immediately kicks on spraying the whole
room with ice cold water. She crouches down behind the table I fired another burst
throwing a yak trying sneak up to a near by table, the force of the bullets forced
his body to contort wildly as his life blood sprayed the area. I drop down and
another burst slams into the table. I realized there was no way to hold this place
without back up. I looked to Salve and she said, “I know, find the Capi
and get him out the back. I’ll hold things here.”
I stammered, “No we both can go, one less person here will mean nothing!
I’m not leaving you in this death trap!”
She just stared at me for a moment then she kissed me. She pulled away and said,
“You’re wrong if I don’t organize the lines this place will
go down so quick you’ll have the yaks nipping at your heals in a secs.”
I started to cry this all seemed like a surreal night mare I said, “Damn
it I’ll stay you go. I can organize the resistance; you get the Capi and
his men.”
She shook her head, “I’m going to pass out from exhaustion, and I’ll
be useless if we meet any resistance in a little while we are trying to escape.
Go!” I was frozen, stuck between duty and love. My mind kept trying to get
my body to do two things at once, run to the Capi, and stand and fight taking
as many of these fraggers down as I could. Salve slapped me and said, “You
gallant fool, get the frag out of here with the Capi otherwise every one who died
here did it in vain!”
It snapped me out of it. I got up and ran to the table the Capi was behind. I
said, “Its time to go Capi.”
He looked around and said, “That last exit could be a rout to get us into
totally indefensible terrain.”
One of his bodyguards peeked over the edge of the table and fired off a few quick
shots from his Predator. He turned to us and said, “Capi there ain’t
no way we holding this drek hole. If it’s a rout lets charge in to it and
take them.” The Capi nodded and his ork bodyguard and I stood and began
picking off yaks. My eyes were slightly blurred by tears, but the anger and hate
guided each shot to a target. The Capi makes it to the door. Soon the four of
us are running down the dimly lit corridor, I took up the rear hoping, praying
to the unmerciful gods above that Salve would come running down the corridor forsaking
everyone else. We got to the door. I turned and one of the bodyguards put his
ear to it and said, “It’s clear.”
He threw the door open and ran out into the darkness of night. His body spun spraying
blood it is torn apart by assault rifle fire. The other body guard flattens himself
against the wall inside the door. I make my way forward. I look to the body guard
he just shakes his head. The Capi chuckles and says, “Caught between a rock
and a hard place.” He gives me a hopeless smile and says, “You did
good kid. I’m assuming that snake Douglas set us up.”
I nod. Damn it, I tried, the noose was too tight. Maybe I could hold out here,
the cops will show, we just have to sit tight. Then an explosion rocked the building,
I had just given up hope and then I realized I wasn’t alone. I look up and
another explosion rocks the building. The Capi had just lit a smoke, he said,
“Looks like all hope is not lost.”
Then I heard the scream. God knows how I heard it, but I heard Salve scream. I
felt my eyes glaze over in red, through gritted teeth I said, “I’ll
create a cover get out as quickly as possible.” I slid the clip out of my
Uzi and loaded a new one. I rolled out. I felt a sting as a round slammed into
my many layers of armor. I came up from the roll and turned and pulled the trigger,
the rage on my face caused the yak to freeze his skin turned whiter than the crack
that the syndicate sells. He realized his fate as he took three in the chest.
His vest was good, not that good though. The other yak in the alley dropped behind
the car. The rage boiling over I jump onto the hood and roof of a car. The yak
looked up but I was quicker. He dropped and tried to turn his shotgun to fire
on me. He went down his head blown clear off.
The next thing I know I had ringing headache, my body felt numb and all I saw
were the lights of a police car. The cavalry did make it. The cop I called was
standing next too two Doc Wagon employees. One of them took out a flash light
pen and shone it in my eyes asking me questions. What surprised them was the first
thing choked out was, “Did they know where Salve was?” The EMT answered,
“She’s at Seattle General. You should rest she’ll be fine.”
I looked and watched as the Capi came over and said, “Thanks, if you need
me call.” He and his last surviving body guard got into their Eurowestwind
sports car, the scorch marks from the soles of my combat boots still smoldering.
As the Car pulls away I realize something. I got up and half stumbled, half ran
to the edge of the alley way screaming stop at the top of my lungs. I was too
late as I got to the sidewalk an explosion knocked me off my feet. The Eurowestwind
was nothing more than a heap of burning wreckage.
Several firefighters ran over to try and save the passengers but every one watching
knew they were dead. People helped me back to my feet, and one cop offered me
a ride home. I took him up on his offer. On the way back the cop and I talked
and exchanged numbers. He was also a New Yorker. A head hunter offered him a way
better position in Lone Star and he was transferred over here.
After I got out I went inside took a bath and went to sleep. A few hours later
my phone rang, I speepily picked it up and said, “Hello?”
The voice on the other side was a deep baritone I recognized it to be a troll.
It said, “The Don would like to speak with you. You have 10 minutes to get
ready; a limo will wait exactly 10 minutes for you down stairs.”
I threw on a vest and my best suit. I was down stairs and into the limo in 8 minutes.
The inside of the limo seemed more spacious than my doss. A middle aged man with
neatly combed salt and pepper hair sat across from me. A human sat next to him.
The middle aged man said, “I’m Don O’Malley, you must be the
infamous Reaper” (That was the name I was going by then) “I’m
glad we could meet. In the families eyes you’re a hero. Salve, the girl
who worked with you is receiving the best medical care money can buy. She’s
been moved to an expert site in Turkey.”
It felt as if a gigantic weight had been lifted off my back. I still had a ton
of worries, I voiced the first one that came to mind, “Will Salve be all
right?”
The O’Malley shrugged and said, “The doctors don’t know but
don’t worry they said they were hopeful. I’m surprised; you must have
really had a long day. I was told the only thing that matched your reflexes was
your mind. You haven’t asked why I came to see you.” I started to
ask and the Don smiled and said, “It seems that a vacancy for Capi was opened
today, think about it, but before you make any decision it seems there is a rogue
in my leadership. I wanted to present you the opportunity to remove this traitor.”
The same anger that overcame me in the alley began to fill my body. I said, “It
would be my pleasure.”
The Don nodded and said, “I thought it was only right to offer you that.
To help you I found a weapon of some interest, think of it as my gift to you for
helping the family.”
The human handed me a small black submachine gun. It was slim but heavy, a lot
heavier than I expected. The Human said, “It’s called Black Ice, it
was a failed Ares project, too costly for mass production, it has the same stopping
power as an Uzi but less range. Use it well.” He also handed me a letter
and said, “This is the death warrant for Capi Douglas, show it to his retainers
and they should be no problems.”
The limo stopped and I got out. In front of me was a Suzuki Aurora racing bike
fitted with bullet proof tires. The keys were in the ignition. I got on putting
on the helmet with a hooded skull motif painted on it. I drove to Don Douglas’s
safe house. It had begun to rain hard. The water cooled my desire the fires that
burned in my body. I felt some sick feeling of content as I realized I was going
to take this bastard’s life. All of the people I knew in the club seemed
to be with me. Their faces set with a mix of joy and anger, their out stretched
arms thumbs pointed down. I walked up to the door and knocked. The door opened
and an ork with a shot gun in hand ushered me in, he said, “Reaper, shit
man you nearly gave me a heart attack. Frag man, I thought you were dead. Doug
is a firestorm up there, one messenger already ran down stairs with a broken jaw.”
Cobra walked in that moment an ice pack on mouth. The look of rage in his eyes
dwarfed even my own. I realized I wasn’t the only one who suffered under
this Capis iron hand.I
The Door on the second floor opened, Douglas walked out to the railing on the
second floor and said, “Reaper glad to hear you made it, I want to speak
with you. Come to my study.” He turned around his hands gripped in fists
and walked inside the room.
The ork Ringo gives me a helpless look and I give him the letter. He looks at
it for a second and his eyes go wide with horror. Cobra’s nostrils flared,
he grinned but it quickly went back to even more anger. He stared at me as I calmly
ascend the steps.
Capi Douglas was neat and organized to a fault. When I entered the study I was
taken a back, the room was in shambles, the only thing untouched was the Capi’s
desk. One of the book shelves was over turned, carpeting was torn and slashed,
and so was the wall paper. Of the 3 chairs in the room only one was left standing,
one was turned on its side, another was leaning to one side a leg broken from
the front, the last was flipped backward a blood stain on its cover. The couch
was also torn one cushion was across the room, another was slashed, a sword rested
on top of it, the sword was a family hierloom from some war in the twentieth century.
The Capi took a seat in the remaining chair and motioned for me to sit. I sat
down on the couch. I looked around the room and said, “Was there an attack
here?”
Douglas chuckled and got himself a shot of scotch. He turned to me and said, “What
happened today? And why did it take you so long to get here?”
I told Douglas the story of what happened at the club. He took it well or so I
thought. He got up to get another shot of scotch, I said, “After that I
got a few hours sleep and…” Douglas whirled around launching the glass
at me. I brought up my arm defensibly and tried to dodge. The glass stung as it
shattered against my arm. The fabric of my suit was torn and quickly becoming
red from the blood soaking it. I didn’t have any time to dwell on it though
the Capi launched himself at me snarling his eyes looked more animal than man.
It surprised me, the ferocity, and unbridled rage. I grabbed the closest thing
to me, the sword. I brought in front of me hoping the point would ward off the
attack. The Capi ducked low and the sword lanced his shoulder skipping off of
bone. He backed up the rage was gone; he gasped and shouted, “How dare you?
You insolent little slug, I made you set you up to receive any thing and every
thing you ever wanted! And now you defile me like this.” He turned to the
door grasping his shoulder, he shouted, “Ringo, Cobra if you don’t
get your asses in here you’ll face my wrath next!”
By this time I had regained my senses and drawn Black Ice. I had it leveled at
his chest. I stood my cut up arm at my side and said, “They won’t
be coming, like I was saying after I went to sleep the Don called me and gave
me your death warrant, I was thinking of letting you escape, I figured you may
have had some reason to do this other than greed, I was wrong.”
The Capi turned around his eyes darting back and forth said, “You know me,
I was only doing this to help us, I could have been Capi de tutti Capi and you
could have had a very nice Domain to call your own. Please you have to show me
some mercy.”
I looked him straight in the eye and said, “You know it’s fragged
up but there may be some thing to that essence junk the shamans rant about, right
now I can’t seem to find any mercy in between all the metal. You are right
about one thing though I do know your kind. You are a liar. A double crossing
traitor. An honor less thug. You my friend are also a dead man.” I pulled
the trigger and a bullet ground into his stomach, he looked up and tried to plea
for compassion all that came out was a cough of blood. I pulled the trigger again.
His body fell backward the back of his skull sprayed against the doors. Ringo
and Cobra ran into the room, guns aimed at panning across the room. I collapsed
back down to the couch head in my hands. The self satisfied feeling of content
I expected was fleeting. I felt empty; all I had become was a killer, a machine.
I seemed to feel every single piece of cyber; all of it seemed to taint my calloused
and blackened heart.
I sat there in that torn up room for god knows how long. When I finally looked
up Douglas’s body was gone, all that was left was a large blood stain. The
door was slightly ajar I got up and walked out into the world. The house was empty,
but when I got outside I saw a woman dressed in a black suit, she watched me for
a moment and said, “Reaper?” I nodded and she said, “You’ll
have to come with me, the late Don O’Malley left you something in his will.
He was killed early this morning.”
I sat there dumb struck, less than 48 hours ago I was working for slime fighting
an enemy that was every where. Now I was caught in one of the biggest intrigue
I had seen. I followed the lady. We got into a Phaeton. Once inside she looked
at my arm and said, “Do you want to lance and bandage that?”
I looked at my arm; pieces of fabric were inside the cuts as well as imbedded
pieces of glass. I looked at it for a second said, “Yeah.”
She did the work. She also had a suit in the car for me to wear. I put it on.
It was like I was watching every thing as a spectator. We got to a mansion in
the wealthiest section of Seattle. Inside I was led to a small room with a flat
screen T.V. Sat down and she hit a button on a recorder and walked out. The T.V.
came to life. O’Malley face came into view and he said, “Grant Scotts
or should I say Reaper, I’m glad I know that there are still people like
you in this world. First your friend Salve will have her care fully paid for.
Now that you have killed Douglas, I want you to choose your territory; you can
have as much of the 2 Capi’s territories as you like. I leave you with these
words before you make your decision, power corrupts absolute power corrupts absolutely,
and we all pay for our greed one way or another. The late Capi Douglas started
in the same place as you, an enforcer, and a thug who was handed power with no
strings attached. Keep that in mind before you choose your destiny.”
I got up and walked out, I steeled myself to questions was about to be asked.
Outside the room the woman who brought me here and the entire Capi de tutti Capi
in Seattle. They all stared me down. There eyes glinted with a mixture of greed
and jealousy. The woman said, “Well, we’ll accommodate my dad’s
request, which territories do you want?”
One of the Capi de tutti Capi rubbed his hands and said, “I know this is
all new to you but I’m sure I could show you the ropes.” He then gave
a smile. The sharks grin that Douglas always used to seal a business deal, the
same smile he gave me when he decided I was going to get chipped.
I felt the bile rising to the back of my throat. I started walking. I heard foot
steps behind me but I didn’t care anymore. After O’Malley’s
jarring words I decided I would become a retainer of some one else in the hierarchy.
After seeing the top I realized I couldn’t face a life of servitude to any
of them. Despite what O’Malley said I’m not the master of my own destiny.
So since I didn’t want any of them as a master, I’ll let destiny be
my master. I got out side and my found my bike waiting. I turned looking out at
the manicured lawn and trees drooping lazily just inside the electrified fence
with monowire glinting on top. I turn back and saw the woman walking toward me.
She said, “Ya’ know he thought this might happen. I want you to know
you do this and you can’t come crawling back for help, and if you are called
on you better be there.”
I nodded and said, “I know what this means, it isn’t escape its respite.
More importantly it’s what I want for now.”
She then handed me a brief case and a letter. She turned and began to walk back,
“The letter has the number of a liaison of mine, when we need you she’ll
let you know. The brief case has a few hundred in it, which should give you a
few years off. Don’t lose your edge when we need you I want to make sure
the family’s investment was worth it.
I just got on my bike and drove away. Leaving behind the closed up fortified solitude
wealth can buy, manipulating people like pawns from up high, while watching What
she said put a sour taste in my mouth, the family’s investment. She made
it seem like I was a stock in her portfolio, a commodity to be traded at a moment’s
decision.
