26 Adalwolf

Adalwolf-

I poured over the information I had. All signs pointed to a rat, but I couldn't find him. I went through records of all men involved in anything related to Jack and Johnny. The tensions in town were reaching a fever pitch. I had men on the police force putting together false evidence to bring in the boy's families for protective custody. Ricky had intercepted a car with two of my guys relaying information for me to the police station, and left them dead in an ally way.

Someone in my group was giving away my moves to Ricky. It had been happening since Chicago, and it wasn't getting better. Late into the night I finally found the common thread. In the voice records for the Chicago run a name stood out. Franky Bender. Relatively new guy. His name came up in the first run Jack and Johnny did for me as one of the look outs for the bootlegger trail.

I stood up from my desk letting loose with a string of swears powerful enough to make a preacher faint. Nate popped his head in looking at me quizzically.

"Find him?"

"Yes! Yes, I did his name is Franky Bender!"

"I'll start up the truck."

Nate left on his way, and I went about grabbing my things. My black overcoat, my .38 special, and my cane. Nate had the Truck warmed up and waiting for me. I gave up the address, and we sped off into the night.

"Sure it's him?"

"Has to be. He is the only name I've seen on support for every run Fox and Hound made. Either way he will confess when we get our hands on him."

Nate gave me a sidelong glance with a halfway worried look.

"After this get some rest. You do no one good dead because you were too tired to pull a gun quick."

"I am fine Nate. Top of my game as a matter of fact."

A bluff Nate saw through. He knew me too well. I ran a hand through my messy hair attempting to tame it.

"What's so good about these kids anyways? You've been running yourself into the ground over them. You bend over backwards trying to keep them safe. I don't get it. What makes them any different from the other pawns you employ?"

"Nate... It's complicated..."

He gave me that side long glance again then shook his head.

"No more then you make it."

"I just... I see a lot of myself in Jack. I don't know what it is, but I feel like I can learn from him. He may only be nineteen, but I'm not much older."

"Four years can make a difference. Besides you've been through more than he has. That kid isn't special."

"Maybe he isn't special, but maybe he can see things differently then I can. Maybe..."

"Maybe what?"

"Maybe Jack can save himself from this life. Maybe if he does I can learn something you know?"

Nate sighed and pulling up into the driveway we were looking for. We had this conversation many times. Especially after my father passed and I received the empire. All the connections and money from my father passed to me.

"If you want out of this life just leave."

"It's not so simple. I can't just abandon my post, and with all the things I've done... Where could I go Nate? Hell is the only option for someone like me."

Nate nodded mirroring the feeling. He and I at least agreed on that one. He pulled his gun from under his sweater. A Glock. Nothing fancy. The same one he carried when my father employed him.

"Let's get this done. Wet work will cost extra on this."

"It always does Nate."

We both exited the car. Nate walked forcefully with a duty to fulfill right up to the door. The house was on the most southern part of the South side. Almost far enough out to not be considered in the city. If we needed to go loud we could without issue.

Nate covered the peep hole on the door with a hand and knocked loudly. A shuffling sound came before a lock latch gave way and the door opened. Franky, a wire haired scrawny guy with brown eyes. I remembered him better now that I was seeing him. He had in fact been a look out in some capacity or another for Jack's runs.

He looked at Nate then to me, and then back to Nate before he got the picture. He turned to bolt with eyes full of terror, but Nate caught him with a swift kick in the back of the knee. Franky went down on one knee crying out sharply before Nate put a boot in his back.

"Don't move. Stay on your stomach, and keep your arms up Franky."

I said from behind my partner. I slinked past the two of them to stand in the hall between the Livingroom and the kitchen. A set of stairs went up to probably were the bedrooms where located. I turned my back to them and squatted down.

"Franky, we have a rat. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that would you?"

To my surprise he spilled it right there. No advanced interrogation tactics needed.

"God Adal! I'm sorry it was me please don't kill me! Ricky has my kid man he forced me!"

He was whining like a baby on the floor. His body shuddered with sobs as he kept babbling.

"Please Adalwolf I'm sorry! Don't kill me please don't kill me!"

Nate looked at me for an order. I sighed standing up and putting away my gun.

"Let him up. Killing him won't do anyone any good now."

Nate got off the poor soul and he scrambled up to his feet.

"You won't kill me?"

He had to struggled to speak through the snot that was now filling his nose from the crying. I wiped off Franky's shirt with a weak half smile.

"No I'm not. If Ricky has your daughter she's dead anyways. When's the last time you spoke to her?"

Franky's face went white as a sheet.

"A few weeks ago. He keeps putting it off..."

My heart wrenched itself in half. Still I kept a stony facade.

"I'm sure I don't need to do the math for you."

Franky started panicking. He was glancing between Nate and me trying to figure out something he could say to fix this.

"Please Adalwolf! You got to do something, we got to find her! She can't be dead!"

I paused for a moment. I was about to turn and leave when an insidious idea crossed my mind. Franky was in this for his daughter and nothing else. It would be a long shot blitz play, but it was the best idea I had now.

"You still in contact with Ricky?"

He nodded quickly with a hopeful gaze.

"I'll need you to draw him out. I will come up with the plan, but if you talk him into getting out in the open with us then I'll do the rest. He dies, and we look for your daughter. I'm not saying she is alive, but we can look."

Franky agreed easy enough. He wasn't in it for money or status anymore. That fear in his eyes the pain in his voice. He wanted his little girl back, and that's all.

We left leaving Franky broken on the floor. He was probably going to lose his daughter. No way around that. I had no clue were Ricky was and the only chance she might get saved was pulling him out in the open. Ricky dies, myself and the boys get clear, and maybe we find his daughter. It was all we had.

"This job will be the death of me."

Nate fired up the truck and started heading us towards home again.

"This line or work does tend to kill those in it. "

I shook my head rubbing my forehead as a headache started to set in.

"It is so royally fucked. Everything about this job. I thought I would be the coolest man on the planet. I was such a hotshot until..."

We were silent for a moment. The sound of the cold winter wind outside filled the gap nicely.

"Taking a life really changes you. You, me, Fox, and Hound. It affects us all differently doesn't it?"

Nate nodded keeping his focus on the slick road. I continued my out loud musings.

"Guess we all have something in common. That guilt. You never shake that. Unless you're some unfeeling brut. I can't see how someone can take pleasure in this."

Nate picked up where my thoughts left.

"For some it's just a job. Everyone on the other end of my gun knew what they signed on for. That's how I deal with it. No civilians, and no kids. Anyone I go for had it coming."

"Nate tell me something then."

"Hm?"

"If it's just a job, then do the nightmares eventually go away?"

He didn't answer. Just kept looking straight ahead driving us to our destination.

"Right, that's what I figured. I thought I had what it takes to keep this empire running, but I just don't. I can't keep pretending it's all ok. Putting those kids in the line of fire, despite their clear skill, it's not right. I hate myself for it. I've grown to love those two kids for better or worse."

"you're going soft on me too early Adalwolf."

"Perhaps, tomorrow we take their parents into custody, and Jessica too."

"It'll be hard. Ricky won't make this easy on any of us."

"Que sera sera, old friend. We will try our damn hardest for them."