Mean Little People

by Dearth, Paige

  “Drive straight,” Tony said. “Make a right at the next street.”

  Salvatore followed the directions and within a few minutes, they were parked in a secluded church parking lot.

  “I come here sometimes, when I wanna get away from the house,” Tony admitted. “It’s peaceful here. None of the gangs mess with churches—well, one or two might—but it’s one of the safest places in this shithole town.”

  Tony was nervously talking. He had convinced himself that if Salvatore and Vincent had come into North Philadelphia to look for him, something horrible must have happened. He took a deep breath and put his back up against the passenger door.

  “What happened?” Tony said, bracing himself.

  “Nothing happened. Relax,” Salvatore began. “I spoke to my father about helping you. He agreed,” Salvatore said quickly, not wanting to prolong the suspense.

  “Are…are you fuckin’ jokin’? Don’t mess wit’ me about this. You’ll break my heart,” Tony warned.

  Salvatore gave him a broad smile. “No, I’m not joking.”

  Chapter Eighty-Four

  Tony let the news sink in. Was it possible for him to get away from the Slayers? Was he dreaming?

  “What do I gotta do?” Tony barked.

  “How ya know ya gotta do somethin’?” Vincent asked, intrigued.

  “’Cause ain’t nobody gonna help ya if ya ain’t givin’ somethin’ in return. I learned that a long time ago. So what is it?”

  Salvatore clutched at the steering wheel and straightened in his seat. “There is a New York family that wants to see my father dead. Four top hit men are having a meeting at Dante and Luigi’s on Thursday night. Shortly after they arrive, you and Vincent will go to the restaurant. The man at the front will seat you to the right of their table. You’ll act like eighteen-year-old boys on a dinner date with some girls…the girls will be provided and can be trusted not to talk. When the check is given to you, the restaurant will be empty except for you and the table of men who are your targets. The girls dining with you will go to the bathroom, and that’s when you will take care of business. Once it’s done, you will leave immediately; my father will be waiting for you at my house.”

  “Who are these men?” Tony asked.

  “They are from one of the New York families. They want to take over our business in Philadelphia. My father had many fights with this family when we lived in New York. Now they want to bring their shit to our city. He can’t stand for it. You have to kill these guys to show my father what you’re willing to do in order to be with Kate…to get away from the Slayers,” Salvatore said.

  It felt as though the air had been sucked from the cabin of the truck. Tony slouched back against the door and let his head rest on the window. His thoughts went immediately to Kate.

  “What happens if I ain’t able to kill all of ’em?”

  Salvatore looked down at his hands. “My father won’t help you.”

  “Wait,” Vincent yelped. “Ya didn’t tell me that part. What the fuck is that?”

  “It’s the deal I was able to make with my father.” Salvatore took in a deep breath. “Look at it this way: you both are good with a gun. It’s easy. You take them out quickly, and it’ll be over.”

  Tony cocked his head to the side. “I ain’t never killed someone that hasn’t hurt somebody I love. This feels a little, ya know, fucked up.”

  Salvatore met Tony’s eyes. “You are killing for people you love. I want my father to live, and you want to be with Kate. She needs you, Tony.”

  Tony nudged Vincent. “Are you willin’ to do this? I mean, ya ain’t got no reason.”

  “I got two reasons, you and Salvatore. I don’t need no more reason than that. I’m in it wit’ cha. Someone’s gotta be there to protect your sorry ass.”

  Tony nodded. “You’re a good friend, Vincent.”

  “Tony, I asked my father if I could help you, but he refused. I just want you to know that I tried to be there too.”

  “I appreciate that. Don’t worry; I know you’re a good friend. Ya got me this one chance outta here, didn’t ya?”

  Salvatore gritted his teeth. “I did, but I’d feel better being by your side.”

  “Fine, we’ll take care of it,” Tony said.

  “What about the girls?” Vincent asked.

  “What about them? You do what needs to be done, and you leave. My father said the girls will find their way home.”

  ***

  On Thursday night, Tony and Vincent walked into the restaurant and were seated to the right of the New York mobsters. As the teens took their seats around the table, the mobsters eyed them suspiciously. The boys fell into easy teenage banter with each other and showered attention on their dates, a sure sign that the only thing on the boys’ minds was getting laid. After several minutes of the mobsters watching the teens, they turned back to their own dinner and talked quietly among themselves.

  Right after dessert was served, the waiter brought the check and laid it in front of Tony. The girls headed out of the dining room, and as soon as they were out of sight, Tony stood and shot the closest man in the back of the head. Vincent got off two shots in rapid succession, hitting both targets in the head, while Tony quickly turned his gun to the fourth man and shot him through the neck. The entire slaughter took less than four seconds.

  Tony and Vincent swiftly left the restaurant and headed toward the Moranos’. Vincent smacked Tony on the back. “We were perfect. They didn’t know what hit ’em.”

  “Yeah, I know. It just don’t feel good when ya don’t even know the people you’re killin’. What if Johnny was lying? What if these guys were innocent and never gonna kill ’im?”

  Vincent stopped walking. “Ya think he’d make us do that if it wasn’t real?”

  “I don’t know, Vincent. I don’t know Johnny Morano from shit. All I know is I just killed two men that he didn’t like—that’s what I know for sure.”

  Twenty minutes later the boys walked into the Moranos’ house. Salvatore was waiting in Johnny’s office with his father, Big Paulie, and a few other mobsters.

  Big Paulie stood and went to Tony. He whispered, “Killing for revenge is necessary, but killin’ to protect the godfather is the most respectable act you could’ve done.”

  Tony shook Big Paulie’s hand, but Tony felt uneasy—as though he’d just done something that wasn’t necessary.

  “Tony,” Johnny’s voice cracked through the air, shaking him to his core. “You have proven to all of us that you will do whatever is required of you. You and Vincent killed four very powerful men. There have been many heads of families that wanted these men dead for a long time. You have succeeded where other men didn’t dare.” Johnny looked at his men, “We can’t believe you came out of it alive. Those men suspect everyone. Now, as a reward, Tony, we will get you removed from your gang.”

  “What about me, Mr. M.?” Vincent blurted out.

  “Vincent, you will be handsomely rewarded. I will forgive the money your mother borrowed from me to pay off her mortgage when she was in default of her loan.”

  “Wow, Mr. M.,” Vincent breathed, “that’s gonna make her real happy.”

  The room fell silent for a few seconds.

  “When?” Tony’s voice boomed aggressively.

  Johnny Morano’s face pinched. “Soon.”

  Tony felt as though his heart fell through his stomach, out of his ass, and hit the floor. He’d thought his reward would be immediate—that he’d never have to go back to the Slayers—but he was wrong. He couldn’t contain his anxiety.

  “How soon?”

  Johnny’s face contorted. “Whenever I decide. That’s how soon.”

  Salvatore and Vincent drove Tony to the edge of North Philadelphia; he’d have to walk the rest of the way in. The boys were somber at first. Vincent, unable to take the solemn mood, slammed his hand on the dashboard of the pickup truck.

  “What the fuck, Salvatore? Your father was supposed to help Tony. Ya
heard what he said: we killed four powerful men tonight. It ain’t right; it ain’t right at all.”

  Salvatore jerked the truck over to the side of the road, the tires screeched against the blacktop as they came to an abrupt halt.

  “He’s my father, Vincent. You can’t talk about him like he’s a piece of shit. He gave me his word, and he’ll make good on it,” Salvatore yelled, just as frustrated as Tony and Vincent.

  “Listen, Salvatore,” Tony began in a calm tone. “Ya gotta talk to ’im. Let him know the urgency around gettin’ me the fuck outta here so I can help myself and Kate. Can ya do that?”

  “Yes. I will talk to him tonight, as soon as I get home.”

  “All right, good,” Tony said.

  “Let’s meet in Center City on Saturday afternoon, at the coffee shop,” Salvatore instructed.

  “That’s two days away,” Tony said, calculating the time.

  “I know. But at least by then I should have a better answer. My father is being a hard ass. He didn’t like you questioning him about it. He expects to tell people what he’s willing to do and when.”

  “Ya coulda fuckin’ told me that,” Tony snapped.

  “Yeah, I’m sorry, Tony. Don’t worry. I’ll make this right.”

  By the time Tony got dropped off it had started to rain. He stood on the side of the street as Salvatore and Vincent drove away. As he watched the taillights of the truck disappear, he felt isolated from the world again. He felt hopeless. Tony stood on the street as the skies opened up and the rain beat down upon him. The only sound was the rain falling from the sky, hitting against the car roofs and rushing into street drains.

  Tony stood perfectly still, his heart heavy with conflict between his love for Kate and his hate for Johnny Morano. He tilted his head back, and the pouring rain mixed in with the tears that had sprung from his soul. He tried to gather himself, to stop crying, but he was too broken. He allowed himself to cry and grieve for the life he’d never had, and finally, summoning the last bit of courage, he walked back to his purgatory, the place his gang called home.

  That night Tony lay in his bed and worried. He worried that the Slayers would find out he’d killed mobsters, he worried that the New York family would come looking for him, and he worried about what would happen to Kate.

  But what ate at his gut the most was the vulnerability that choked him. He was at the mercy of Johnny Morano to make good on his promise. He clung to the hope he hadn’t been set up and he would soon be free.

  Chapter Eighty-Five

  The next morning, Tony stomped down the steps from the second floor. When he got to the landing, he looked around the living room, where the core gang members were gathered. Tony rubbed the sleep from his eyes. They were all staring at him.

  “What’s goin’ on?” Tony asked.

  Razor sneered at him. “Seems that some big-ass mobsters were killed last night. Ya know anything ’bout that?”

  “No, why would I?”

  “Well, because when ya left, we had ya followed.” Razor stepped closer to Tony, violating his personal space.

  Instinctively, Tony took a step backward. “So what?”

  “So we know that cha were at that restaurant last night. We also know that ya were wit’ a guy we ain’t seen before, another Guido like you. And ya went to a pretty nice house after. Ya wanna explain what that’s all about?”

  Tony’s guts felt like they were filled with red ants and wasps. He told himself to remain calm. His fear was mounting in his chest, and he breathed deeply.

  “What’s it to ya where I was? I was out wit’ an old friend. That against the rules all of a sudden?” Tony fired.

  “Nah, it ain’t against the rules. But killin’ mobsters, now that’s against the rules. If it ain’t a kill the club agrees on, then ya can’t do it. Ya know the fuckin’ rules, Bruno. Don’t act dumber than ya really are.”

  “Whatever, Razor. You’re always lookin’ for a way to make my life miserable. You’re an asshole.”

  Tony walked away, toward the kitchen. His lungs felt like they were raging with fire, and he needed time alone to exhale. Razor didn’t let him pass, though. He grabbed Tony’s shoulder and squeezed his fingers down deep into the muscle. Tony shrugged him off with a heavy jerk. Razor stepped back. His eyes squinted, and his smile was toxic.

  “Go ahead, Bruno. Walk in the other room. Just know that from now on, we’ll be watchin’ every move ya make. Ya either belong to the gang, or ya don’t. I’m willing to bet ya don’t…and once everyone here knows what you’re about, you’ll be dead.”

  Tony walked past Razor, and the gang members separated as he entered the ratty kitchen. He could feel someone behind him. He opened the refrigerator door and pulled out a soda. Tony put the can to his lips and turned to see who was behind him.

  “I don’t know what’s goin’ on wit’ cha. But whatever it is, ya gotta stop what you’re doin’. Razor ain’t playin’,” Smoke said.

  Smoke’s eyes were soft, nonthreatening, and Tony’s muscles relaxed.

  “He’s makin’ shit up,” Tony stated.

  Smoke shook his head slowly. “Get dressed. Let’s go for a walk. I need to grab a case of beer.”

  Tony hesitated. Smoke turned to leave the kitchen. In a quiet but stern voice, he said, “Come on. Get movin’.”

  As Tony and Smoke walked to the beer distributor, they shared an uncomfortable silence. Unable to stand it anymore, Tony said, “Why did ya want me to come wit’ cha?”

  “I need to talk to ya about what you’re doin’. I know ya got another life, wit’ that little girl and her grandmother. But this shit about the mob, that’s where ya gotta draw the line. Ya see, ’bout ten years ago, we had a run-in wit’ some of the mobsters that run South Philly. Nobody wants to talk about it, so I’m gonna tell ya myself. One of the Slayers—his name was Koonce—he was hangin’ around wit’ one of those mobsters’ daughters. Now, everybody in the gang knew it. In those days, ya could have a piece of ass wherever ya wanted, but it all changed real fast. The mob didn’t like that Koonce was seeing one of their women. They threatened ’im. Told ’im if they caught the two of ’em together, they’d cut his fuckin’ balls off.”

  Tony and Smoke had stopped walking and faced each other.

  “So…Koonce and this chick decided they didn’t care what the mobsters wanted. They kept seein’ each other until one night, when they were leavin’ a movie theater together, the mob threw Koonce into the back of a sedan. The next mornin’ when Koonce wasn’t around, some of us got worried. So, we put on our gear and were planning on goin’ into South Philly to look for him.”

  Smoke paused and shook his head at the memory. “Ya see, Koonce was a real good guy. He was a gangster, but he had a big heart, really cared about the other members. I admired him. Looked up to him. Ya woulda liked ’im a lot too. Anyway, he taught me how to shoot a gun and pick up broads.” Smoke was smiling, reminiscing about Koonce. Then his face got stiff, and he looked up at Tony.

  “We were gettin’ ready to leave and stepped out on the porch. In front of the door was a big cooler. I’m talkin’ ’bout one of those real long ones that those fancy places use for parties. Anyway, I went over and opened the cooler. At first, it just looked like bloody water. It was real dark and creepy looking. We had one of the recruits reach in to find out what was in it. He pulled out a cinderblock, and that’s when Koonce’s body floated to the surface. His face was bloated, and his eyes were bulging out of his head. We figured they drowned him in the cooler after they fucked ’im up. When we got him outta the cooler, he wasn’t wearing any pants, and his balls had been cut off. We found them stuffed in his mouth.”

  Smoke ran his fingers through his hair several times, as if trying to wipe the image from his memory.

  “Our leader at the time, well, he went fuckin’ ape shit. Wanted to go after the mob. Needed to get even. He was our leader, so we all followed him. But the mob was waitin’ for us, ya know. We got ambushed before we even g
ot outta North Philly. Five members died. Three of ’em burned alive inside a car when it exploded after bullets hit the gas tank. It was a real bad time for us. We were down six members, and I gotta say, it brought us to our knees. So we backed off and took our losses. After that, no member could date outside of the gang…that’s when we started raping-in our bitches. So ya see, ya hangin’ out wit’ mobsters is a big deal for a lot of the guys.”

  Smoke put his hand on Tony’s shoulder. “It’s a big deal for me too. The mob took Koontz, who was like a father to me. The only father I ever had.”

  Tony kicked a stone lying on the sidewalk. “So you’re tellin’ me I gotta live my life based on somethin’ that happened ten years ago? Look, I got friends in South Philly from when I was little.”

  “What I’m sayin’ is, if the Slayers see ya wit’ friends that are mob related, they’re gonna kill ’em.”

  Tony’s face flushed, and he raised his hands, balling them into fists. “No, that ain’t gonna happen. Nobody fucks wit’ people that I care about. Just like I wouldn’t let nobody fuck wit’ you.”

  Smoke patted Tony’s arm, trying to calm him down. “You’re a man. What cha decide to do is up to you. I’m just tellin’ ya depending on which way ya go wit’ this, there could be consequences. Ya need the information so ya can make a good decision.”

  Tony’s anger was boiling over. “I ain’t deciding between the Slayers and my friends from my old neighborhood. Ain’t nobody got a right to tell me to do that either.”

  “Yeah, Tony, the Slayers got every right. Ya knew what you was gettin’ into when ya decided to join us.”

  “What if I don’t want to be part of the Slayers no more?” Tony screamed in a fit of rage.

  “Then bad shit is gonna happen to ya. I’m givin’ it to ya straight. That’s all I can do to help ya.”

  Tony dropped to his knees on the pavement, head cradled in his arms. The life drained from his body. His limbs went limp. His skin felt like it was crawling with bugs as his blood rushed to his extremities. He stayed on the ground for several minutes until he decided.