All that I can see I steal

        Mojo awoke on the couch in the living space of his recording studio, facedown on his stomach, the

rays of the early morning sun hurting his eyes. 

        As he sat up and remembered what had happened the night before, his head hurt even more. She 

doesn't have anything, or else she wouldn't have been talking to you, he thought. Detective Dana White

of Warner Homicide had taken him out for dinner and told him her theory about a mystery man who'd

taken out Roady and possibly 3 others.

            Mojo scratched his head and checked the tray on the coffee table by the couch to see if there was

anything to smoke to cure his hangover, finding half a joint. It just so happened her theory on the mystery

man was 100 percent correct, at least Mojo was pretty sure it was. He hadn't actually seen Eddie kill 

Roady and Kyle's other brother, but he knew what he had planned for Kyle Popa with his ill-fated plan

to rip him off. 

        After she'd left Mojo had stayed at the Wild Card sports bar for a couple hours, ordering several more

Satellite Porters, which were 8 percent alcohol. By the time he was ready to leave he knew he was in no

condition to drive home. Cloud City had it's own parking lot where he'd parked his Subaru and the 

restaurant was only a few blocks from the studio, so he figured he'd stop at Chapman's on the way back

over there and just sleep in his studio.

        He furrowed his brow, finding his bong at the end of the coffee table and some crumbs of herb on 

the tray, he loaded it up and took a rip, hoping it might clear his head. Something had happened at when

he was at Chapman's, a little static. Something he hadn't expected.

        As he cleared the smoke from the chamber, it hit him, one of his customers had called him at 

Chapman's, just before closing time. Dan Murphy, Mojo had been planning on meeting him in the next

few days anyway, to sell of the last of his coke, but Dan had wanted to meet then. He'd gotten a call from

an unknown number, he remembered answering solely out of curiosity, when he'd answered it completely

intoxicated.

        Mojo packed another bowl into the bong and lit another hit, he wasn't sure exactly what he'd drank at

Chapman's but he was certain a decent amount of it was in shots. That was were the static was, he 

recalled, when he told Murphy he absolutely could not meet him right then, but that he could probably

arrange something in a couple of days. Murphy hadn't liked that, told him he had the money now why

couldn't he just stop by his house real quick? He was only a couple of hours away.

        He cleared the chamber again, the potent Sativa finally melting away a little of his massive 

hangover. Finally, after a bit of arguing he'd persuaded Dan to come by his studio, Cloud City, at 10

the next morning, and he'd take care of him. Then, as he'd walked back to his studio he remembered his

stash was at his house in Franklin, ten minutes away, as well as the fact that he was in no condition to 

drive, much less with that much coke on him, so he'd called his girlfriend, Jenny, who had gone home

earlier after the party at Cloud City.

        Somehow, he dimly recalled, he'd managed to convince her to pick him up at his studio, take him

home real quick, and bring him back. Then he recalled there was a little static with her too when she 

realized the nature of his trip home. He'd managed to soothe her a little by telling her this was the last 

one. This was it. He was done selling coke, pills, all the stuff. He was going to switch to just herb and

focusing on his music, the recording studio, producing. How he'd gotten to into the money and the 

lifestyle, had lost sight of the music. He'd been on one of those idealistic drunk rants where people

talk about a bunch of stuff they're probably not going to actually do. But he'd meant it.

           Mojo packed the bong again and lit up another rip, the meeting with the detective the night before

had given him a much needed reality check. He didn't want to go back to prison. He enjoyed the money 

that came from dealing the harder stuff, just not the clientele. He'd seen enough mob movies and crime

documentaries to know what eventually happened to to those who get too deep into the game.

             He cleared the smoke in the chamber and remembered where he'd put the last of the coke he

was going to sell to Murphy, and saw the backpack where he'd put it in near the coffee table sprawled

out on the floor. 

            He picked it up and checked the inside to see the bag still there plus a couple bottles of pills. He'd

bought a bunch from Eugene who told him Matteo had sold him a bunch. He was planning on giving a 

few to Murphy, as he wasn't sure how he was going to react when Mojo told him this was it. 

        A loud the outside door stirred him from his reverie, it almost sounded like the cops.

            Mojo waited until the deal was done, and they'd smoked a blunt, before dropping the news

on Murphy, 'So this right here, what I just sold you, this is it. My connect is getting out of the business

for a while, on hiatus. I don't know when or if he's going to get back into it.' He explained, reaching into

the fridge for a beer. 

        Dan frowned, 'That's it?' He repeated. 'Why is this guy getting out?' he stood up. Mojo cracked open

his tall can of beer. None of your fucking business he thought to himself, instead he said. 'Certain things

have happened recently that have him a little worried about heat coming down. Not that anything has

come down on him yet, but he's worried that it is coming, so he's taking a step back.'

        Mojo took a sip of his beer and elaborated, 'And since he's my only connect I'm going to be taking

a step back as well, at least from coke.' He sat down on the couch and packed the bong again, hoping

this would be a signal that he was ready for this transaction and interaction to be over.

        Dan, however, wasn't finished. 'I don't like it. Haven't I always been square with you, always had

the cash up front whenever we did business? Now, you're telling me, just now, with no notice, that I have

to go out and find another connect because you're just done? Out of the game?' His voice was raised, and

he stood over Mojo as Mojo lit up the bong.

            Mojo exhaled the hit, 'Well it's not me, it's my guy who's getting out. I mean, I'm just as upset as 

you, I stand to lose a decent amount of income from this whole thing.' He packed the bowl again. Dan

gripped the bong as Mojo started to light it, 'You don't seem too upset to me.' He said darkly.

        Mojo was about to reply before Dan interjected, 'Listen, it don't matter to me, but if find out your'e

lying to me on this, I'll come back here and kill you. My boss isn't going to be happy when he hears about

this, but I know in the end we'll figure out if you're bullshitting us or not. Have a nice day.' He said and

walked out the back door.

        Detective Dana White sipped her latte, this was getting interesting, she thought. She was sitting in the

Brass Buckle Cafe, with Alice, who, she believed was one of the last people Kyle Popa spoke to before

he was murdered.

        'I remember thinking as he was talking, 'Why is he telling me this? to impress me?', but I just let him

go on. I probably would have forgot all of it after the night we had after if I hadn't heard that he was 

missing.' Alice explained. She took a sip of her coffee.

       'We'd talked and hung out a little before that, it was like Kyle had two sides to him, there was this

kind of all American, he liked to hunt, shoot, drove a big truck. Then there was this side that was, well,

gangster. He told me his Dad was in prison for life for running a drugs and gun running operation, and that

he had kind of taken his place.'

               Dana nodded, even though she knew all of this already. 'Even when he told me about it, it 

seemed kind of sketchy. I mean, he didn't really know much about this guy out there at all. Just that he

had a lot of drugs.'

       Alice thought for a moment, 'And he mentioned that this friend of the dealer who used this source

had somehow managed to figure out the address.'

       Our friend the late James Rhodes, or Roady, Dana thought. As she'd gone around talking to Roady's

friends, his bandmates, the impression she'd gotten was that while obviously they were saddened that

their friend had been murdered, they didn't have much good to say about him either. He'd stolen from all

of them, slept with their wives, girlfriends, all of it culminating in him being kicked out of the band he'd

started with his friend when he was only 15.

        'He said he was going up there the next night. With his brother. That was the last time I saw him.'

Alice explained. 

        Dana stood up, 'Thank you for your time, you've been very helpful.' She said as she put on her coat,

and walked outside.

        So Roady knows Mojo from being in the local music scene, Roady falls on hard times, gets addicted

to drugs, starts stealing, she thought as she walked to her car. So how does he figure out the dealers 

location? She asked herself. Some kind of tracker. A gps. Then she remembered Mojo's studio was 

downtown, not far from here.

        Maybe worth a look to check out his car, she thought.

Brooklyn, NY

        This is like something out of a movie, Luis thought as they sat in front of the restaurant. It was an old

school place, 'Ivan's Russian Cuisine.' He'd called Boris the night before and told him he wanted to parlay 

to discuss business. 

        'I think I know what this is about.' Boris had responded. It was business, in a way, Luis thought. Still,

it wasn't going to be easy, telling a ruthless gangster basically, that he wanted him to fuck off. But in a 

tactful manner, Luis thought to himself, grinning.

        'You sure you don't want me to go in with you?' Ramon asked, he was sitting in the passenger seat. 

If I did, I'd have asked you to come in jackass, Luis thought. He liked Ramon but, he could be quite

dense sometimes. 

        'No, just wait here. I wanted to meet him man to man, I don't think this will take very long.' Luis

explained as he got out. He'd had Ramon do some digging into Boris, to find any relations that they could

exploit. 

        In addition to Anatoly, his nephew, he had two children, Marina and Seth, neither of whom were

involved in his business. The restaurant was dimly lit as Luis stepped inside. There was a lone figure in

the dining room, seated in the back, Boris, Luis thought.

        As Luis walked toward him a large hulking bodyguard approached him to pat him down, 'That won't

be necessary.' He heard Boris say to the man, 'Luis is my Amigo.' He grinned and stood up.

        Luis walked up to the table where there was a half eaten plate of food and a half drunk bottle of

Russian vodka. 

        Damn, Luis thought as he shook his hand, the smell of booze was overpowering. 'Thank you for

meeting with me. I know you're a busy man so I won't take up much of your time.' He said as he sat down

on the opposite side of the table. 

        There was a basket of rolls in the middle of the table and Boris took one, cut it in half and started

spreading butter over it. 'So whatever you want to talk to me about must be pretty important for you to

come all the way out here. I know you like it out in the sticks.' He said, taking a bite of the roll and 

pouring himself another shot. 

        'On the phone you said you already thought you knew what this was about.' Luis replied. The truth

was the more Luis thought about it, the more he didn't really want Boris organization taking over the 

House of Venus. After all they sold a lot of coke to Matteo who sold it out of the club, if they took over 

he imagined they'd have their own dealers selling their stuff. 

        'Well I think it would be better to hear to from you.' Boris explained, he took a sip of his vodka. The

bodyguard was seated nearby, watching Luis. 

        Luis gestured to the man, 'Does he have to be here? Don't really want to have an audience for this.' 

he explained. 

        Boris nodded, 'I agree.' He said, and said something to the man in Russian. The man gave Luis a hard

stare, and walked back into the kitchen. 

        'Thanks. Now, I'm sure you weren't aware of this, but our organization has had a kind of partnership

with the Berardi Family for about a year now in the House of Venus. A silent partnership yes, but still I

consider them business associates.'

        Boris smiled as if he had just thought of something funny. 'Now I'm hearing from the boss of their

family, Bobby Carbone that your men are trying to move in, that you forced them to sign the club over

to your nephew. Put guys outside their families houses? Threatened them? I mean, obviously I don't want

any trouble with your organization, but you can see why I might be upset.'

            'I have no idea what you're talking about. My nephew conducted a perfectly lawful business 

transaction. He paid them a fair price for the place and now it's his. It's as simple as that.' Boris explained,

finishing off his glass of vodka.

        The restaurant was still and quiet as Luis composed his thoughts. 'I don't think you-'

'When I first came to this country, this city, '86 I think it was, I had to be very careful where I operated.'

Boris explained. 'Very careful not to step on anybody's toes. Go into the wrong territory. And of course, I

had to pay tribute to them from time to time. The Italians. I worked with them of course, and we made

money together for a time, but I was always the outsider. The newcomer. They didn't trust me. Hell it was

the 80's, it felt like a lot of people didn't like us Russians.'

        He poured himself another glass of vodka, took a sip. 'Now, things are very different. I have more 

soldiers in my organization than the entire five families combined. They pay tribute to me. Then when I

move on them they come crawling to you for help.'

        Shit, Luis thought, 'No you don't understand, we've been partner for-' 'A year now, yes I heard you.'

Boris replied. 'But you and I both now that's a lie. My nephew Anatoly and his people checked all that out

a few months ago when he got the idea of taking over the place. He looked into the owner on paper and 

'real', owners and the answer was the same, it was the Berardi's. No partners, no silent partners nothing,

it was in Matteo Berardi's name to be exact.'

        He finished off his glass of vodka. 'Which makes me think Matteo, realizing how outnumbered he

was went to the boss of the family, Bobby C, who made the overture to you to see if something could be

done about my nephew.'

        Luis nodded, 'We'd done business before. You seemed like a reasonable man.' He explained. Boris 

poured himself another shot, and offered one to Luis, who accepted, what the hell, he thought. 

        'Most of the time. But I don't appreciate the lies, acting as though you've had this longstanding 

partnership with the Berardi's when I know for a fact it only recently came into existence. And I don't

appreciate being told to 'Fuck off,' however nice you might say it.'

               Luis felt the burn in his chest from the shot of vodka, he paused for a moment before replying.

'Well technically it is our territory.' He said. 'You never had anyone come to our people there to tell us you

were moving in.'

        Boris laughed, 'No, I didn't. And I won't. My days of asking for permission before I make a move are

over.'

        'What about their families? You still need your guys watching them?' Luis asked, as he started to get

up from his chair.

        'My men will remain where they are until we are sure the Berardi's won't try anything stupid. They

need to understand that the club is ours now.'        

        'Very well.' Luis said as he got up. 'You have a nice day.'

    Boris smiled, 'You as well sir.'

           Luis felt the cold air greet him as he walked outside of the dark restaurant. He could feel his temper

rising up but he was trying to best to keep cool. He said he has clubs all around the 5 boroughs, he thought

as he got into the passenger side 

        'How'd it go?' Ramon asked as Luis got in and he started the car. 'I'm going to have you drop me off

at the train station, I'll have someone pick me up. I want you to stick around here and stake out some of

Boris's clubs, find out everything you can about what's going on in them.  Selling drugs, the girls he's

brining in from Eastern Europe, whatever you can find out.'

        'Ok.' Ramon replied, as he started out of the parking lot. 'Boris is not going to back down from this 

one.' Luis explained as they drove. 'He says his nephew bought the place fair and square, he paid the 

Berardi's, and they're not going away. 'I'm thinking, 'If he's successful with this club, what's to stop his

nephew from taking over or opening up more places in Warner, Franklin, too for that matter. I don't think

that's something that would be in our interest.'

        'So maybe if you find something here I can use my connections with the DEA, FBI, to put some 

pressure on him out here, where his real money is.'

        Boris Kerimov poured the rest of the bottle of vodka into his glass, he didn't like my response, he 

thought to himself as he downed it all it one shot.  He felt the burn and the warmth from the liquor hit him

at the same time.

    And he doesn't like the idea of us expanding into his city, his territory. He thought, the idea of us cutting 

into his action. Boris could read it on his face they talked, he was calm outside, but on the inside he was 

burning, something fierce. 

    This isn't that last of this, he thought to himself as his man, Tony, emerged from the kitchen. 

        'How'd it go boss?' Tony asked as he sat down at Boris's table. 'Keep an eye on him, I'm sure he has

someone with him too. Keep an eye out for anyone new anyone you've never seen before snooping 

around.'

Miami Beach Florida

        'So I got some information for you, but I don't want you to freak out ok? Because it's under control.'

Frank told Eddie. He was at a payphone outside a gas station near his condo. 'Ok.' Eddie replied annoyed

by the prompt. 

        'Alright, so they got this Detective snooping around up there, Dana White. She's looking into Roady's

murder and the other brother, and she feels certain that the same thing happened to Kyle and Issac. Has 

this whole theory about how they are all connected. And she had a chat with your friend Mojo, last night,

asking him if he knew anything. She knows your name, knows about your past, what happened in 

Wisconsin.'

         Fucking Mojo, none of this would be happening if he wasn't blabbing to everyone he knew about 

his connection in the woods, Eddie thought. 

        'So she knows everything basically.' Eddie said. 'No, not everything, she still doesn't know where

your house is, though she's pretty sure it exists, and she doesn't have any physical evidence tying you to

any of the murders.'

        'However she is looking into it pretty hard.' Frank explained. 'She's one of these relentless, truth 

seeking types. You want me to take care of her?' He asked.

        Eddie was silent for a moment. Frank was a pro, he could get the job done without leaving anything

behind, but that was no good, a dead cop raises too many eyebrows, he thought.

        'No good, would raise even more questions. Do you still have your connections in the PD up there?'

Eddie asked, knowing the answer already.

        'That depends,' Frank replied. 'You got the cash for it?'  'You know I do. See if you can get her 

reassigned, put someone on it who won't look into it too closely.' Eddie explained.    

        'Sure I can do that boss. But, and I know this isn't my place, don't you think that might make her 

even more suspicious?' Frank asked.

        'Your'e right, it isn't your place. And at this point I don't even care, I can't have her looking around 

too close. I miss my house up there and I want to get back to it.'

        'Alright, call me tomorrow around 5 I should have some information for you.' Frank said. 'Alright, I'll

transfer the funds into your account tomorrow morning.'

        'As my capo, I need you to keep a cool head in all this. That's why I'm telling you all this first,

because who knows who Steve will react. Now I know he's been running this mouth a lot about how I run

things, I know he doesn't really like the idea of our going to the Cartel in the first place. This way, you can

explain to him how it is.' Bobby explained. They were in the Chef's office of the Wild Card Sports Bar, a

little after 11:30, the kitchen closed at 10, so there was only the dishwasher around in the dish area.

        Bobby was behind the desk and Matteo was across from him, 'Look, I understand what your saying

here, but you got to understand my situation, I've got fucking guys with machine guns watching my 

fuckin' house 24 hours a day. Now you're telling me the guy who you thought could fix the problem can't

even fix that?'

            Bobby sighed, he had a feeling this was the reaction he'd get. 'Like I said, it didn't go the way I

wanted it to go, but he is working on something to help us out. Still, it's going to take time for him to sort

it out, that's why I said you need to keep calm. These fucking assholes are just begging for a reason to try

and wipe us out!' he gestured with his hands.

        'So we're afraid of these fucking guys now?' Matteo asked.

            'Did I fucking say that? No, we're not afraid, but we are also have to be realistic about things. If

you're fuckin' Luxembourg do you try to fuck with a country like Russia? That's why we need strong allies

if were going to get these fucking assholes off our backs.'

            'Plus.' Bobby lowered his voice, 'Luis is going to do a favor for me. Now I can tell you but you 

gotta keep your fucking mouth shut.'

            Matteo open his mouth, 'I thought he was off limits.' He said. He could remember his father Sal 

and his uncle Steve arguing about it.

        'He is off limits, for me, for you, for anyone in this family. That's why Luis is gonna have one of his

guys take care of it. As a gesture, to earn my trust he said.' Bobby explained.

        Matteo shook his head, a guy like Luis, big Cartel boss, he doesn't do a favor like that without 

expecting something big in return.

            

      

            

'