Tendrils

0

Crew.

“And our top story tonight: Dominick Marella, the son of alleged LaManna Family boss Vito Marella was found dead in the back alley of the Queens sports bar, “First Edition” apparently from an overdose of heroin. Results are pending from an autopsy. The younger Marella was a Vietnam veteran who was also known for the murder of husband and wife Filipino immigrants in 1983. Suspected drug dealer, Peter Raspotnik’s body was found a few yards away from Marella. Raspotnik’s death looks to be the result of multiple stab wounds to the chest. An N.Y.P.D. spokeswoman stated that an investigation is still pending as well. Ernie?”

“Thanks, Maureen. Schools Chancellor Ruth West has approved a plan which will…”

Johnny Lam and Eddie Tsao were sitting at the bar in the pool hall drinking beers and laughing about the fight that they had just had an hour ago with 4 Jung Dragons who had refused to consolidate with the Sinister Shadows.

“You know you were gonna run.” Eddie laughed. “Then you saw that I was standing my ground and you ran back ’cause you knew I would say shit.”

“Dude, that’s not the way it went down. You’re so full of shit.” Johnny retorted. “Don’t make me kick your ass again.”

“You’d probably run.”

They both laughed heartily and ordered more beer.

Danny Wu, former leader of the Jung Dragons and now Eve’s lieutenant walked into the bar. He smiled at Eddie and Johnny.

“You two clowns getting into shit with some of my old set, I heard.” he said as he shook their hands.

“Yeah. Those guys don’t want to go with the program.” Eddie said.

“They’ll come around eventually. Especially when they see that there’s nothing moving in these streets without the SS having something to do with it. A nickel bag gets sold in the park, we get a piece.”

“What if the pie is too small for all of us?” pondered Johnny.

“The Tongs are going to fold without their muscle and without any money from the streets.” Danny said.

“Or we could just start fighting each other again.” Eddie said, only half-kidding.

“Yeah, I miss kicking the shit out of Guangdong Tigers.” Danny smiled.

“Yeah, okay.” Eddie said.

“Yeah you never were around when we used to get into it with your boys.” Johnny added.

“Let me buy you guys some beers even though you should get cut off because you’re getting delusional.”

Johnny made a gesture to the barmaid for one more. “Already covered.”

1

Old Acquantances Be Forgot.

Vito looked squarely into Claudio’s eyes. They were in the same strip bar that they were in when Vito first contracted Claudio.

“Don’t fuck with me, Claudio. If I find out that you killed my son, you’re a fuckin’ dead man. That chink bitch too.”

Okay, Don. This is what happened.” Claudio said evenly. “Dom was already convulsing by the time that I got over there. I then took out Peter and I dialed 9-1-1 for Dom. That the truth, Don.”

“I was born at night, not last night. I come to find out that those dead people’s daughter and you are fuckin’ running Chinatown after they found Dom dead. You’re a fuckin’ dead man, Claudio.”

“You don’t scare me Marella.” Claudio said flatly. “You’re getting soft. That’s the word on the street. You couldn’t get a handle on Dom. He makes a fuckin’ mess and Daddy’s always there to clean the shit up.”

“That don’t take away from the fact that you’re a dead man. Your little girlfriend, too.”

“I won’t be a problem. Unlike you, I ‘m not scared of dying. I haven’t been scared of dying since ‘Nam. Come down to Chinatown, and you’ll have a war.”

“I built this family through wars, Claudio.”

“The war with the Nocerinos was winding down when you took over from the old man, Vito. Who do you think you’re bullshitting? Joey Romano’s looking to take your spot.”

Vito grabbed Claudio by the collar. Claudio merely smiled.

“You’re fuckin’ dead, Giovanni! You hear me?!?” Fuckin’ dead!”

The music stopped and the D.J. yelled out, “Peacekeepers to the front!” Two large bouncers came over and pulled Vito from Claudio.

One of the Don’s muscle then approached the bouncers and held his hand up. One bouncer then said, “What the fuck? Get the fuck out of the way!”

The other bouncer quickly let Vito go and motioned for his co-worker to do the same. They walked back towards the entrance to the bar to check I.D.’s.

Vito straightened out his tie. “That’s power, motherfucker! The same that’s going to be your downfall. My reach extends beyond what your eyes see, Claudio. Remember that.”

Claudio finished his red wine and stood up, also fixing his tie. “You’re lost, Vito. Do what you will to me but it won’t take away from that fact.” He sat back down and watched as the girls cowered behind tables and pillars.

Vito and his muscle walked out of the bar and into the street.

2

Hybrid.

Boss Cho smiled at Eve from across the table. They were in a large Chinese restaurant.

“I like your style.” I agree to a merger with your conglomerate.” he said.

Eve smiled. “Good. There’s enough money for all of us.”

“I’m ready to go war. The Guangtong Tigers are now officially SS. All of them. Whoever is not with you is against you.” Boss Cho rose from the table and bowed to Eve with his eyes closed, a sign of trust.

“Please excuse me. I must attend to some business, Boss Eve.”

“Very well.” Eve bowed slightly. “I will contact you when I have made all of the arrangements.”

“Yes.” Boss Cho bowed again and took his leave.

As Boss Cho left, Stella Meng came into the restaurant. She was a pretty 20-something who was a Sister of Eve’s Sinister Tribe.

“Mistress, we have a problem. Can we talk?”

“Hi, Stella. What’s up?” Eve asked. “Sit down.”

Stella looked around. The restaurant was nearly empty so she felt comfortable.

“Word came down that Claudio’s got beef with the LaManna’s. There’s going to be trouble, Mistress.”

Eve thought for a second and then declared confidently, “Nothing that we can’t handle, Stella. We all have been in wars. Just because they’re Italian doesn’t mean that they don’t bleed just like us.”

“But Mistress, it’s the mafia!”

“Better for our glamour. Remember how we talked about Lesser Magick? This is what we need to put us over the top. We’re already respected as a merger of the Jung Dragons and Guangtong Tigers, two of the most famous organizations in Chinatown at present. Yet, they were only known for fighting each other and other Chinese organizations. Let’s fight the LaManna’s and we will only see progress. No matter what the outcome.”

3

The Vulgar Strike.

Irvin Jackson waited around the corner from Claudio’s condominium in Queens. He hated working for the Italians because they were so blunt, calling him “nigger” to his face but he took their money regardless. It would get the baby some nice toys and a few pairs of nice shoes for the wife.

Claudio was walking down the block towards him. Irvin straightened up and put the icepick between a rolled up newspaper. Don Vito had wanted it this way. To kill Claudio with the weapon that Claudio had been famous for.

Irvin hoped that this job would go well and that it would lead to future jobs.

Claudio looked at his watch and then went into his right pants pocket to retrieve his house keys. Just then he saw the blur of a rolled up newspaper and then a black man plunging something sharp into his chest repeatedly.

“Fuck, an icepick.” Claudio thought and then he crumpled to the ground. He lay on the cold sidewalk as he heard Irvin’s footsteps running away.

Claudio let out a slight laugh at the irony. He coughed and took his last breath.

At the same time, bullets riddled the restaurant as Stella got up to leave. Staff and patrons ducked underneath tables. Screams and broken glass was everywhere.

Eve was also under her table in an almost panicky state. She took deep breaths and the shooting had stopped. She low crawled to where Stella lay. Stella was on her back. Her eyes were open and she had no pulse.

“The LaManna’s.” Eve said to herself.

4

Education

“They have violated reichstandshaft and for that the education process will begin.” Eve spoke at the dining room table at Danny Wu’s apartment. Johnny, Eddie, Bobby and Danny listened intently.

Bobby then rose. “Grand Prix!”

“It’s the only way. After spraying the target, drop the chapelet and beausanct at the scene. It will not only be education, but fame too. Bobby, I’m going to have to send you out. I need your military planning out there. Any questions, Brothers?”

The room fell silent. Bobby smiled. He had been a crew leader for so long that it would feel good to get his hands dirty again.

“Good. Let’s go earn our paychecks. This is for Claudio. For Stella. Retribution.”

The stolen Nissan Sentra pulled slowly in front of the Marella house. Danny smiled as he saw that the looked to be full of people with almost every light in the house on and a multitude of silhouettes in the windows. Eddie ran out of the car and tossed 3 hand grenades through an open window in a room where the light was on. Screams were heard before the grenades exploded.

Johnny and Bobby, who was driving began to open fire on the house with AK-47’s. They saw no movement or shadows in the window and most of the lights were out.

“Drop it.” Bobby said.

Johnny dropped a string of colored beads (3 white, 5 black and 2 orange) and a white handkerchief on the ground.

Bobby drove the car off quickly, screeching the tires as he peeled off.

5

Blender.

“Our top story: Will New York City and the surrounding boroughs be caught in the middle of a new deadly interracial gang war?One week after the death of his son, alleged crime boss Vito Marella and his wife Valerie were killed in a horrific drive-by shooting attack on their home earlier this evening along with ten others. Fifteen more were hospitalized at Jamaica Hospital Medical Center with only one being reported to be in stable condition while others are reported to be critical at this time. Police officials found a white handkerchief and a string of white, black and orange beads at the scene. According to N.Y.P.D. Gang Intelligence officials declined to comment but an official who spoke on the condition of anonymity stated that the items belonged to a gang based in Chinatown. The official even went so far as to say that it was the work of a possible Satanic cult. We have Michelle Lang with the latest.”

“A mixture of the occult and gang warfare ruled the day on this quiet neighborhood of Bayside, Queens Maureen where police sources say that hand grenades and AK-47’s were used in the worst drive-by shooting in New York history. The twist in this case was unusual items that were identified as Satanic paraphernalia were dropped at the scene. I spoke with Police Commissioner Miguel Olivera, who immediately responded to the scene upon hearing the 111th Precinct’s blotter.”