Crown City - after dark

The streets were nearly empty. All decent folk went inside after dark in Crown City. Decent folk being the operative words.
There were many very indecent folks that came out and wandered about after dark. Most, if not all, belonged to one of two gangs:

The Fallen Angels, a motorcycle gang of convicts led by an old but still highly dangerous man.
The Swindlers, a gang of thieves led by a young but smart man.

So far the two gangs have had no trouble with each other, staying out of each other's way mostly. But that could change at any time....

Maria - Apartment

She drew a drag on the cigarette in her hand and blew the smoke out. Rolling her head, she felt her neck crack. God what a hangover.
It was Tony's fault. If he hadn't pissed her off about...
What the hell had he pissed her off about again?
Was it bad that she couldn't remember?

Getting up, she threw on a pair of jeans and her black tank top. Crushing the cigarette, she stepped around the mess that was her apartment and grabbed her leather jacket while heading out the door.
It was already dark out. Shit. That meant she was late. That meant she was in for a lecture from either Harry or Isabel.
It was damn Tony's fault.

Coming up to the outside of the bar, The Florence, a car went by with some young college guys in it. They catcalled her and she snapped at them. "Pon las lenguas de vuelta en sus bocas pendejos!" she shouted, giving them the finger. "Tu madre es una puta!"
She was already starting with the Spanish. It was going to be a loooooong night.

---

Danielle - Tommie's

Danielle came running down the stairs, tying a small apron around her waist. It was opening time for the bar and that meant The Swindlers would be arriving soon.
The young girl, who claimed to be 19 but anyone smart knew differently, lived and worked above the bar so this place was like her home. Well, at least the best one she had ever had.
Ever vigilant and organized, Danielle went around making a list of everything. When she was working, every single peanut was accounted for. They didn't have a very wide menu, mostly drinks, but what they did have she kept track of and made well. She wasn't the best cook in world, but she could whip up some mean BLT's if called upon to do so. She had learned as she went about the various drinks and how to make them, but had never tried any herself. One because they didn't smell good to her and two because Thomas would turn her over his knee if he caught her drinking.

She had just finished setting up the clean glasses when the door opened.

Harrison McCray - Behind The Florence - Frank Lakey, Chief of Gastown Police

"Look Frank, I don't want that rogue detective of yours on my ass! I got a deal with the Asians coming up and don't want him on my tail, none of my guys do. If he continues to pursue, I apologize beforehand for the collateral damage that may occur" Harrison stated to his old pal Frank. The man crossed his arms and waited for a response from the Chief. The two went way back, as far back as middle school.

"Is this how you talk to an old friend Harry?" Frank asked with his arms up high.

"Were not friends Frank, were partners. I give you twenty percent of the profit, you keep these bozos off my tail. But when someone doesn't do their job, well, my investment money starts running low. You understand there Frank?"

Frank fixed his cowboy hat and bit his lip before answering. "I can't control the guy Harry. They sent him out here from central, I'm not his boss. They got him running up the office like a ghost. He comes and goes whenever he pleases" Frank started, getting closer to say the next part. "They told me he has some kind of past with you guys. Something to do with his family. He's got a vendetta or something."

"Look Frank. Either you handle it, or we will. We don't want to get into a problem with your office, but we have to keep business rolling. This ins't going to stop us. It's enough having that other All-American of yours on our turf, but now this guy. You're losing your touch old man."

"You're not looking like you used to either Harry" Frank laughed. "The guy has two more weeks left here in Gastown. If he gets nothing on you guys then he returns to central. I'll make sure that happens, don't worry." Frank then extended his right hand out and took a hold of Harry's. Then two men shuck hands and went their own ways.

---

Isabel McCray - The Florence - Young Jasmine

The bar by this time was already getting busy and picking up speed. Usually, Isabel takes care of the afternoon shift, one p.m. to seven p.m. At seven, Jasmine comes in and takes over with Maria. But Maria seemed to be running late today.

"Where the hell is that bitch?" Isabel cursed as he fixed a drink for a client. She then noticed Charles enter the bar with Tony. "Jasmine, take over for a second" Isabel instructed as Jasmine followed directions. Isabel rushed towards the Charles and her nephew. She gave Charles a smile and kissed Tony on the cheek. "Where the hell is Maria?" she asked Tony as Charles continued to the bar stools.

"Hahaha. She out there screamin at some clients" Tony laughed as he placed his hands in his pockets. "That dumb Mexican" Isabel cursed. She hadn't always been that rough, just changed after the depression hit. She became more open-minded and violent. Isabel then rushed outside as Tony continued to laugh.

Once outside, she saw Maria speed-walking in the bar's direction. "Where the hell were you?!" Isabel called out to her. He had her arms crossed in frustration. Suddenly, Tony came out as well. "It's alright Auntie, you can blame me for her tardiness, haha" he smiled. Isabel turned without amusement. "What did you do?"

"I don't know. We had a few drinks late last night. You know, dumb shit." Isabel rushed to Tony's side and smacked the kid upside the head. "You owe me lunch" she stated. And as Maria got closer to the entrance, Isabel apologized, but with authority. "I'm sorry" she said, not even looking at her. "I'm off the clock" she added, walking towards her fancy Mercedes. As she got in and started the engine, Tony came up to the window. "Where's Harry? He in the back?"

"I don't know what that man is up to" she stated without turning. "What the hell Auntie, you two fighting again?"

"Ask Harry" she stated, quickly accelerating away. She nearly ran over Tony's foot. "Damn" the VP whispered as he turned towards the late Maria. "Sorry darlin, didn't mean to give you a hangover, Haha!" he laughed. "It's not my fault you like beer so damn much. You should get some help" he joked, putting a cigarette between his lips. He took the lighter out of his pocket and lit the bud. "Next time, don't let me into your apartment uninvited. Now go on, get to work" he smiled as he started for the gate to the back entrance.

Thomas Swindle - Tommie's - Charlie, Sal Moreno, Carlie Jenser

Thomas sat patiently in the back room of the bar, listening to the lady across the table speak. "...and they'll take my kids away if I can't pay the bill. So... I asked Sal Moreno for a loan..." The woman called Carlie said. Thomas pursed lips at the mention of Sal Moreno. Of all the dirtbags in Crown City, she went to Moreno? "...and he gave me the money, but I can't pull through yet... Mr. Swindle I- I just need your help..."

"Carlie... I'll ask this - You go to a murderer for money... then you come to a Larsonist for help paying that back..." Thomas gave a slightly insensitive laugh. "Ma'am are you sure that money is your problem rather than choice of company?" This rebuttal only brought more agony to Carlie's face, but she insisted again. "Listen... I'm afraid I can't give you money without hope of it being returned, however, I can speak to Mr. Moreno about extending your payment date."

"Oh- Thank you, Mr. Swindle... Thank you..." She said, her pretty, young face forcing a smile. Thomas stood, brushing the wrinkles from his navy blue jeans. Carlie stood and shook his hand, and he showed her the way out. He walked with her down the hallway, opening the the bar door for her like a gentleman. Let it never be said that Thomas Joseph Swindle didn't mind his manners. He saw that Danielle was already up and doing her thing.

"Mornin', Danny. Grab Mrs. Jenser here a drink; on the house." He lightly patted Carlie on the back, and crossed to the door on the left side of the bar. He opened it and ascended the flight of stairs to the second floor, and then turned up the stairs to the third and final floor. The single door that sat at the top of the stairs pushed open easily as Thomas entered.

The room was a large apartment, outfitted with a kitchen, two bedrooms, and a living room. Though the apartment seemed like nothing more than an owner's living space and was in no way glamorous, Thomas Swindle was in no financial need.

Thomas briskly walked to the left side bedroom, knocking on the old door. "Charlie? Get up, kid, we're opening and Danny can't run this place by herself!" He waited a moment and heard shuffling in the room, confirming that his niece was awake. The man crossed the living room to his own bedroom, adjacent to the kitchen. He shut and locked the door, opening the closet beside his bed. The closet was littered with expensive clothing, more so than any normal bar owner would posses... However, Swindle wasn't a normal bar owner. He quickly changed himself, donning a red flannel shirt, dark grey pants, and a pair of sleek black wingtip shoes.

Once in the kitchen, he fished his phone from his pocket, dialing a number and raising it to his ear. "Sal?" He called when the line connected.

"Tommy! What can I do for ya, pal?" Sal Moreno's voice made him sound like an Italian Mob Boss... which he came pretty close to being. Thomas wasn't scared of him in any way, but Moreno could definitely make things a pain in the neck for him.

"Hey, Sal, I just spoke to a mutual friend of ours. Carlie Jenser? Nice girl, pretty face, two little boys?" He proposed. Sal confirmed that he knew them and then inquired what Thomas wanted. "See... I think you already know her current situation... She needs a little more time, Sal."

"Hey kid, you can hang up the phone now, cause I ain't givin' that dirty little b-" Thomas pulled the phone from his ear, avoiding Sal's colorful vocabulary. "She owes me the same time as I told 'er."

"C'mon now, Moreno... Do I have to remind you of the numerous occassions that I've covered for you to the CCPD?" Thomas said, gazing out the window.

"Yeah, so?"

"So... I covered for you, and I also got all the dirt from that crap, too... I'd hate for one of my hard drives to end up in the hands of an officer-"

"Oh alright!" Sal said, exasperated. "I'll give her an extra three-weeks, nothing more!" Thomas smiled, thanked Sal, and hung up the phone. Sal Moreno... scary at best, but he could be manipulated... just like anyone.

Baylen Denney - Tommie's - Danielle Foster and Carlie Jenser

Baylen walked through the doors of Tommie's bar. He inhaled deeply the familiar smell, placing his hands in to the pockets of his collared jacket.

"'Good Evening Danielle" he called to the bar girl, who looked to be serving a customer. He knew she wasn't the age she was letting up to be and Thomas was just as smart as he was, if not smarter, so he knew Thomas wasn't fooled either. But it worked and no one said anything about it. He was just sure to keep himself 10 feet away from her. The last thing he needed was to be involved with a minor. Thus he kept his relationship with her the most distant than anyone else and always professional. He came across as slightly cold but he couldn't allow himself to get close to her. He knew his past, his bad habits, and if he started down that road it would be too hard to leave and cause him only trouble. It was easy enough because he had interest for someone else.

His record was clean. Being a smart and calculating man, he has done his due diligence to keep himself a normal citizen outside of the gang. Only if the gang were to be taken down by outside law enforcement would he be in trouble. He knew Thomas had some sort of arrangement with the chief of CCPD but he knew nothing more. If Thomas wasn't worried, neither was he.

Baylen didn't have very many set shifts at the bar as he mostly helped where needed. He kept on eye on the girls and filled coverage where needed, giving most of his free time towards assisting Thomas. Baylen walked around behind the counter at the bar and took a glass for himself, scooping in ice and pouring water from the dispenser.

Seeing as Thomas wasn't here yet he leaned back against the bar, sipping his drink. He looked to Carlie and gave her a small nod and smile in greeting. She looked familiar, but then again so did a lot of people in this town. He was good at remembering faces but couldn't quiet recall where he had met Carlie before. If he couldn't recall it must not have been important enough to remember.

Eva – Her House

Eva got off her shift at the hospital, having had to work emergency room the whole time. It was the most frustrating work, considering the patients were the most impatient, and the doctors were the slowest to get to them. So she was running back and forth to beeping lights all afternoon. Now she fell into the front seat of her car, sighing and closing her eyes for a brief moment. It just felt nice to be off her feet for a few minutes. But, running her fingers through her bright red hair, she knew home would be much more appealing. She started up the vehicle, heading back to her home across town.

Her house wasn’t in the best or worst neighborhood in Crown City. You kind of had to know the layout of the town before buying a house in a town like this or you could end up on a street you wouldn’t want to walk down during the day, much less at night. And considering she had varying shifts there were many nights Eva didn’t get home til after dark.

Tonight she pulled into her garage and walked inside the home, pulling off her scrubs with a slight sneer of disgust. She loved helping the patients, and she empathized with them more than most of the nurses she worked with. But scrubs were not her thing. She should have thought about that before getting her degree, she supposed. Scratching her head, she stood in front of her fridge half naked and realized it had been 2 weeks since Tony had taken her out to eat. Granted, a lot of it was her work in the way, but not all of it. Frowning, she closed the fridge door and dug through her purse to grasp her phone, leaning her backside against her cabinets while texting him. I’m off work tomorrow. Hint hint. she sent, clear she expected him to pay her some attention in the next 24 hours.

Detective Brewer

They had been slowing his ass down for days now, having him investigate cases that weren't even worth his time, having him chase trivial cases. He sat now at his desk staring at his lap top screen saver, the station had a desk brought in for him to store his work and files, but he had no fucking files because the police hadn't given him any information on The Fallen "Mother Fuckers." He thought, he got up and looked to the officer who was filling out paper work to his left "Adam, if the chief wonders where I'm at tell him going to the diner on 42nd street." He said grabbing his jacket and putting it on, he walked out to the garage and got into his car an unmarked crown vic, and drove into the night.

Brandon was stopped at a red light when by some lucky happenstance a group of bikers rode by the patch of the fallen angels on most of them, so he did the first stupid thing he's done in a long time and turned after them when his light turned green and tailed them from a distance and hoped and prayed they wouldn't notice him, eventually they pulled up to a bar and went inside, Brandon on the other hand found a safe place to park with the front entrance of the bar in view and his car out of sight. He reached over to the passenger side of the car and pulled out a small camera and started taking pictures of the bar.

Lancaster Render - Tommie's - Baylen Denny, Danielle Foster

The night air was bitter and took nips at Lancaster's face as he rounded the corner, headed for Tommie's. Butting out the cigarette before entering, he stuffed his hands into the pockets of his jean jacket. He was in a rather stale mood. Items and crates at the warehouse where up to some strange activity lately. Finding them moved or missing. Lancaster was sure someone was messing with their stuff - but how? You'd need some pretty heavy and loud machinery to break into the warehouse. He cursed under his breath as he walked in, nodding to the bar tender.

"Danielle," he greeted her. He needed to talk to Thomas, tell him what was going on with the warehouse. But first, a drink. "Scotch," he told Danielle as he waited next to the bar counter, scanning the crowd of rowdies of any sign of Thomas or anyone who could direct Lancaster in his direction. He noticed Baylen and took a few strides towards him after receiving his drink.

"Any sign of Thomas?" he asked him with his voice low, and his drink in the one hand while his other hand was buried into his jacket pocket. "Someone's been fucking with the warehouse," Lancaster said before taking another sip of his drink. Just thinking about it played with his nerves. He was the one who oversaw the warehouse, making sure that everything ran smoothly and nothing was swiped from under them. He battered himself internally with failing. Obviously, someone was getting into the warehouse, and thought it was funny to mess things about and take what wasn't theirs.

Tom Morhaime - The Florence - Tony Teixeira

They hadn't broken a law all day, aside from maybe a few traffic violations. This little group of bikers had just been out for a leisurely afternoon ride. So why was this screw following them? Tom wasn't sure anyone else noticed, but when the pack roared up to the Florence and they all turned their bikes to face the street and back their wheels against the curb, he saw that same car waltz on over and park nearby.

He took off his helmet(carbon fiber, full face, only the best) and dumped it unceremoniously on the seat of his bike, and walked into the bar, stripping his gloves off as he went. He threw the doors open and just barely caught sight of Tony walking out the back door.

"Hey, Tone, hold up." He jogged through the bar and caught up to him, threw an arm over his shoulder and said in an undertone. "Where's Mr. McCray? I think we were followed coming back."

Anthony - Back Door - Tom

Before the VP had the backdoor's knob in his grasp, an unexpected arm crashed against his shoulders. "What the fu-" the biker started to then find out it was Tom. His first intention was to remove the guy's arm from his shoulders, but just smiled and nodded left and right. "Shit man, you can't be doin that stuff."

But then Tony realized he couldn't really do anything with a guy's arm restricting his movements, so removed Tom's arm. He continued to address what his pal had questioned. "Auntie said he's in the back, so right out here" he started, opening the door slightly. He suddenly stopped and closed the backdoor when Tom brought up their little issue. "I know" Tony whispered. "I noticed him too. I think it's that cop from a week ago. Same car I think. We don't tell Harry though, keep this between us for now, he's got a lot to worry about with those damn Asians."

Tony then opened the backdoor and allowed Tom to go through first. He followed of course and noticed Frank - Chief of Gastown Police - shaking hands with McCray. "Frank" Tony nodded a greeting. "Fellas. I was just leaving" the police man stated, walking passed the two younger Angels. Tony took that opportunity to stop Frank before he could leave and reached close to his ear. "Your detective's outside" he whispered.

McCray raised an eyebrow at Tony's actions. Once Frank left, he decided to question what he had told the cop. "What was that about?"

"Nuthin. Just lettin him know Maria's a little hungover if he wanted a good night, Hahaha" Tony lied. McCray nodded as he rubbed his eyes. "Let's go to my office you two" McCray ordered, walking passed the two, going back into the bar, and leading them into his office just aside from the bar. It was just a little room with a desk and a couple of arrangements. It was mainly used by Isabel for storing important papers, dealing with bills, and etc. McCray waited for the two to step in, then called Charles over as well. Once all four men were in the office, he shut the door and sat in the basic office chair. Tony and Charles took comfort on the sofa near the door.

"So..........what'd y'all find out?" McCray questioned with his arms tightly crossed. Tony turned to Charles and vice versa. Then the VP's eyes returned to the President's. "Russians moved out of the border. They don't seem to be pressing on anymore. Guess they have a clue that the Asians are getting shipments from somebody. They obviously don't want to start a war, it'd cost them too much right now."

Charles then kicked in. "I think it'd be best if we take the opportunity to sell the Asians double the usual. Two trucks, double the pay. They want to take over Taledo, let's give it to them, get them out of Crown."

McCray then leaned forward on the desk, obviously liking the idea. "Where do we get the money?" the leader questioned.

"Take it from the reserve. Keep the bank clean, keep the tellers from asking questions, done deal. Me and Tom can go meet with Obinna tomorrow, make the deal for double the guns. Tell the Asians we can deliver those guns the same day for double the price, done deal. They'll take it" Charles answered.

Tony turned with disagreement all over his face. "Double the shipment, double the risk!" he jumped. "We can't run two trucks in one day, that's insane. Obinna sends all his trucks from Lakeview. We then take it from there to the border to Telado where the Asians pick up their shipment. But with the Russians knowing something's coming, they're going to interfere. Even though they stepped back now, there isn't any guarantee they wont show up when we arrive. They're not idiots" Tony urged.

"Then we take a different route" McCray nodded. "Yeah. We take it from Lakeview through here. Through Gastown, then up North to Providence."

"And go through all those other counties? No way Harry, that wont work. PD will be all over us, no doubt about it" Tony continued to urge caution.

Suddenly, Tony's phone vibrated in his pocket. He dug inside and pulled it out a little to see the name of the messenger. It read "Eva" He quickly took the entire phone out and read the message. He couldn't help but smile and bite his bottom lip with his upper teeth. But as he turned to up to see McCray, the man had his hands raised in question. "What? Is it more important than this conversation?" the man asked sarcastically. Tony put the phone back in his pocket, not responding to the message.

"Alright. So. You and Charles will got to Obinna tomorrow asking for a second shipment. Take the reserve money we got. Talk to Isabel about it, tell her what it's for. Try and convince Obinna to bring the trucks here to Gastown. We'll keep them at Harold's shop down the street, make it look like an auto parts shipment. From there we take it up to Harris County, half the travel, half the danger. We have the Asians pick up the guns there, no need to travel all the way to Providence. No border trouble, no Russians. We get paid double, done deal. Sound good to everyone? Show of hands" McCay asked.

Tony raised his hand. Charles did too in agreement to the plan. McCray himself also raised his hand then brought it down as he stood. "Now let's have a drink. We'll call the Asian's tomorrow."

Tony quickly rose and walked out the door with his phone already in his hand. "I'll see you guys tomorrow, I'm going to Eva's."

"You're still with that girl?! You know your Aunt hates her. She thinks she's too petty or something" McCray yelled over the clients and bar doings. "She's great Harry. Auntie's just crazy!" Tony yelled back as he exited the bar with a bottle of very good liquor. He put it in his backpack, jumped on his bike, and raced home quickly on his thunderous Harley Night Rod Special. The sound of the roaring engine could be heard throughout the entire neighborhood.

---

Tony - Home - Eva

Never responding to the text, Anthony hoped to surprise his girl with a bottle of Smirnoff and a couple of seductive kisses. Hopefully the sound of his bike didn't give away his arrival, though it was obvious to him it probably did. He quickly jogged up to her front door and knocked twice, covering up the peephole with his gloved hand. He awaited her to open the door, hoping she didn't think he had arrived too late for the party. She had texted him about forty-five minutes before his arrival, so he felt he arrived a little too late for some reason.

As he awaited the door to open, he looked at the message one more time and couldn't stop smiling at the "Hint hint." part. That's the part he was looking most forward to.

Eva - Home - Tony

After sending the text, Eva had jumped in the shower for a bit, not expecting Tony to show up right away. They’d been together long enough she kind of had it figured out that if she wanted a response from him right now, she had to call. She slipped on her pajamas and blow dried her wavy locks, walking barefoot back to the kitchen. She opened the fridge again, as if expecting there to be something there that wasn’t before, but nope. Nothing had changed. She sighed a bit and went to the cabinets, finding a half empty bag of chips. Shrugging, she grabbed it, dumping it into a bowl and getting the last coke from the fridge.

”If Tony doesn’t show, I might have to skip out and go shopping,” she mumbled to herself, walking to the living room and setting her ‘meal’ on the coffee table, the only light in the house on being in the kitchen. She laid on the couch, turning on tv and flipping through channels while snacking. She was starting to pull the throw off the back of the couch onto her when she heard a rumbling down the street. Raising an eyebrow she almost fell off the couch reaching for her phone that she’d set on the far corner of the table (why she had no idea) and looked for a text. But there wasn’t one. She frowned slightly, but when the loud noise got right up on the driveway she knew text or not who it was.

Smirking and putting the throw back, Eva quickly got up and wiped crumbs off her cheek. She was to the door when she heard the knocks, getting on her tiptoes to see out of the peephole. Nothing. She narrowed her eyes, a devious grin on her face as she wondered what he was up to. Oh well she thought to herself, slowly opening the door and seeing he’d put his hand over the sight. She bit her lip and shook her head, leaning against the door frame and putting her other hand on her hip as she let the door open fully. ”Well well. There you are, Anthony Teixeira,” she said, eyes having a sort of sparkle to them that only he got to see, and even then only when she was in a particularly happy mood.

Detective Brewer - Outside The Florence

Brandon was about to give up and go home when he saw the chief walk out of the bar "What the Fuck?" He asked to no one quickly bringing his camera up he started snapping pictures of the chief, he was going to have a pow wow with the chief and interrogate his ass tomorrow morning. Brandon having all he needed rolled out of his spot and started driving home, just in case he took back streets and went in circles to see if anyone was following him, not that it mattered because if the chief is in their back pocket all they would need to do is ask.

Eventually he made it to the motel that was his home, it was a dingy motel the paint on the walls was cracking and faded, there were holes in the wall from where Brandon had punched through the cheap dry wall, empty bottles of alcohol and ash trays full of cigarette butts laid scattered across the room, broken glass strewn about the floor. The place was a wreck, a reflection of who lived in it, the first thing Brandon did when he got home was head straight to the mini fridge that held a cold bottle of Rum, he didn't bother with a glass or a chaser he just drank it straight up and turned on the TV and laid there trying to forget.

Baylen - Tommie's - Lancaster and Danielle

Baylen looked to the bar entrance as the doors opened up, Lancaster coming in with a rush of cold air sweeping past his feet. He took the last sip of his water, set it down on the counter top, and started walking out of the back of the bar and around the side to meet him as he came in. Baylen glanced to the side towards Danielle as Lancaster ordered her to make his drink, then turned back to face him. He leaned backwards against the bar counter top, placing his hands back in his jacket pockets. He waited until Lancaster noticed him, then nodded to him in greeting. "Hey Lanny" he called to him, raising his voice to be heard over the din of the room. He has a mutual respect for Lancaster and has known him since he was with the Swindlers, but he could never get used to how serious he was...all of the time. It was rare to get him to loosen up.

Baylen tilted his head, a small furrow creasing his normally relaxed brow. "Lanny you look...more serious than usual tonight." He held back a smirk, joking to himself that he didn't think that was quiet possible.

"Someone's been fucking with the warehouse," Lancaster said.

Baylen straightened, pulling out of his lean against the front of the bar counter, eyes fixing on Lancaster, an edge of concern dilating his pupils. "What?" he asked. He heard what he said but he could not believe that what he said was completely true. This doesn't happen. The Swindlers took pain-staking measures to protect their goods. On top of that, Lancaster did a damn good job at taking the lead on this integral part of their operation.

Before Lancaster could respond to his unnecessary question he then asked "are you sure? What do you mean fucking with the warehouse? Is anything missing?" His voice was accusatory but only by reaction. Baylen glanced around the bar, making sure there were no patrons close by that could be over hearing their conversation. "C'mhere" he said, grabbing Lancaster's arm and guiding his stressed state to the side. They stood in the hall entrance towards the restrooms, this area being secluded from the action of Tommie's, less curious ears to worry about. "Does Thomas know?" Baylen shook his head, running his fingers through the front of his hair. He paced two steps to the left and returned to steps back to the right. "Of course Thomas doesn't know, he would have called a meeting if he did." Baylen looked up, exhaling deeply, rubbing his chin in thought. "I believe he's upstairs or out running a business call." He met Lancaster's eyes and said "you need to tell him what you know Lanny."

Baylen glanced back to the crowded bar. His position allowed him to have a better view of the crowds, the faces, the possible suspects. He scanned them for any sort of flickering eye contact, curious wandering eyes, or guilty shuffles to the exit. Tommie's roared on as normal.

Thomas - Tommie's - Charlie, Lancaster, Baylen, and Danielle

About an hour after their evening open, Thomas descended into the bar's noisy crowd. Almost immediately after opening the door, he ran into Charlie, who looked heavily irritated. Her brow lifted when she saw him. "Uncle Thomas, we've got a guy over at table 9 giving this girl a hard time. I can't find Demaro... and the guy's totally wasted."

"How in the world? We've only been open for an hour." Thomas retorted. He glanced over to table 9, where he saw a scrawny guy standing beside a rather good-looking woman. Thomas' hand patted the side of his blazer jacket, and he walked over to the table. The man was a rather ugly guy - His nose was big, his eyes were small, and his face was framed with a hideously trimmed moustache.

"...never met a lady so pretty as you, ma'am." The man drawled. Thomas was close enough to smell the liquor on his breath... "...could go to my place and-" The man stopped when Thomas planted his feet beside the table. The man slowly looked up, an annoyed look on his face. "Can I help you?" Thomas looked at the woman, who looked disgusted with the drunk.

"He givin' you a hard time, miss?"

"We're just talking, get lost." The man interupted before the woman could respond. She looked at Thomas with a pleading face as if to say 'Get this loser out of here'.

"I'm gonna ask nicely that you leave this lovely lady alone and get out of my bar." Thomas commanded. The drunk looked at him with a stupid grin. He stood up from the booth and rose about two inches taller than Thomas.

"And you gonna make me do that, bub?" He dared. The guy might have been taller, but Thomas wasn't even slightly afraid of this low-life. "Why don't you go back and sit with yer little whores over at the bar, huh?" He reached for his glass on the table and the bottle of Scotch that was half empty. Thomas grabbed the bottle and pulled the glass from the man's grip, which the guy did not like one bit. "Gimme my drink." He commanded.

"Oh, this?" Thomas responded, taking a sip of the Scotch. "This is my drink." The man was furious at the and threw a shove, pushing Thomas back into an occupied table. He bumped into the table, but turned around to the men sitting at it. "Sorry, 'bout that fellas." He said. The drunk man took one step forward, obviously going to either push or throw a fist. Thomas drew back his blazer from his right hip, his hand hovering over a Glock that was holstered in his waistband. "Take another step and I'll make sure you can't walk for the rest of your life. I'd rather not do that, because those wonderful girls that you so kindly reffered to as whores, work really hard to keep this place clean... and blood isn't to fun to clean up." The man looked with hatred at Thomas. "Get out of my bar." The man turned and walked out, not saying another word. Thomas turned back to the patrons of the bar. "Sorry about that, folks."

As everyone went back to there drinks, Thomas instructed the woman to go to the bar where Charlie would supply her with a drink, on the house. As the woman walked away, he spotted Lancaster and Baylen conversing. He crossed the the room to them after taking the bottle of Scotch and the glass back to the bar. "Evening, boys." He said. He looked at Lancaster, who's faced seemed slightly worried. "What's the matter, kid?"

Lancaster Render - Tommie's - Baylen Denney, Thomas Swindle

Once Baylen had taken them to a more secluded area in the bar, he really began to talk. But that was how Baylen was, outgoing and talkative. If ever you had a deal to sort out or a dilemma, he was your guy to talk it out with. And he never blabbed, not if he respected you. The two had been close for years now so Lancaster trusted him with mostly anything. Lancaster took another swing of his drink and took another quick glance around the bar before he began to answer questions.

"Shit's been moved around, some crates are missing," he said, almost dejectedly. He lowered his tone slightly and leaned in towards Baylen before saying, "I've been losing my fuckin' mind, man. Trying to figure out if anyone has a beef with us...I mean, who's doin' this? The doors are always locked when I leave, and they look the same in the morning. But the inside is all switched around. It's been about three days now...it's gettin' me real spooked." The warehouse was where the Swindler's kept all of their rewards, and a lot of their money. Most of the crates contained prohibited weapons and machines that were worth more than a middle classer could make in his entire lifetime. Other crates contained tools that they used in their heists. There were two or three stolen cars in there as well. Whoever was getting in, needed to be caught. Lancaster had a good mind to stay the night in the warehouse and catch the culprit, but knew it was far too big and it would be a multi-man job to patrol the warehouse.

Just as Baylen mentioned Thomas' name, he appeared, emerging from the crowd at Tommie's. "What's the matter, kid?" Thomas asked.

Lancaster looked to him, his face somewhat clenched. "Thomas, we have a situation...with the warehouse."

Anthony/Eva - Goodnight

Without patience, Anthony decided to start the party by opening up the bottle of Jack Daniels. The front door had not been opened yet by the time he swallowed one-fourth of the total substance. But suddenly, the door did open, and there stood the beautiful nurse.

Tony’s eyes locked on to her thighs as they were rather revealing. He then moved up her body, making sure to stay tuned to her figure. Soon enough he reached her eyes, finally making eye-contact. By that time he was a little bit drunk - or a similar sensation.

”Well well. There you are, Anthony Teixeira.”

Anthony smiled at her tone, thinking of a way to respond and not sound like a complete idiot. Despite their two year relationship, Tony had those times where he made himself a target of his own stupidity. So once he figured out what to say, he went right ahead and blurted out.

“Yea…….sorry I’m late Doc. Hope this makes up for my tardiness” he started, shaking the bottle in his hand as he got closer to her. He then wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her closer to him. “This too” he finished as his lips came in contact with hers. He then forced his entry as he lifted her off her feet. He laughed silently, having a hard time finding the doorknob to close the door.

Eva watched Tony’s eyes, as they weren’t exactly pointed at her face when she first looked at him. She tilted her head to the side, waiting and chuckling to herself a bit until his face finally took in hers. She grinned a bit wider then, giving a little wave as if to say Yes, my face is up here. She crossed her arms loosely while he explained showing up almost an hour after her text by waving a bottle of Jack, moving her arms to come together behind his neck when he pulled her close and kissed her. She closed her eyes briefly to kiss him back, letting out a muffled noise when he lifted her up and tried walking inside while closing the door. Laughing, Eva adjusted herself to wrap her legs around his waist, and used her foot to slam the door closed.

”You’re already drunk, aren’t you?” she asked, holding onto him by squeezing his waist lightly with her knees and her hands resting on his shoulders. Her eyes looked into his with an expression like a mix of a scolding mother’s and a friend who wanted to join in.

“Uhhh…….just a little” Tony joked, though it wasn’t completely humor. There was some truth in his statement, but with his laughter following it, it made it cute some would say.

As he neared the sofa, he let of of the bottle, allowing it to crash - unharmed - against the carpet. He took the luxury to place both his hands on her ass. He felt her body heat all over him, knowing what she wanted by the look in her eyes. Luckily, he was in the mood for the same thing - if ya know what I mean. As he got closer to the sofa, he did a one-eighty degree turn and threw his back against the leather seating, having Eva land on top of him as he went down. He breathed on her neck as he reached in for a soft kiss, his fingers swaying gently through her spine. He then paused to take off his vest, throwing it to the side - a symbol of the difference in commitment between family and gang. Though the gang was considered family, there was a boundary between that and what was happening now.

---

A few hours later......

Without having to think of his next saying, Tony looked at Eva’s hand and intertwined it with his own. He brought her hand towards his lips and kissed the top of it. “You….” he started, followed by another kiss. “...are…” another kiss. “....Beautiful” he finished, emphasizing the ‘B’. The man then started to scoot upward towards the pillows on the bed, using his elbows to maneuver his way there. He used his finger to indicate his hot nurse to join him, and she did. Soon enough, he had his arm around her shoulders and was making sure he didn’t miss any of his kisses, taking advantage of her closeness. As he played with her hair, he started to stare at the ceiling above. “You know……”

“Last time I came over, I left you a little sumthin’ in this drawer over here” he said, turning towards her night table. Some people would say Tony based his decisions and actions on instinct, but they would be wrong. The biker rolled over in order to open the small drawer and pulled out a black square box. But before showing her - keeping the box hidden behind his back as he returned to face her - he needed something. “I’ve got something here for you, but I need you to answer something first. Well, I know this probably isn’t what you had in mind, but……..whatever. Hahah.”

He paused for a second to breathe. Then he revealed to her the box - which most women would know exactly what it was. “I wanted to do it over dinner, but hey, I just couldn’t help myself, you were too hot. Haha. Anyhow….” he opened the box, inside, a ring. “We’ve been with each other for a while now, so I hope I ain’t messin’ it up here. Sexy redhead nurse Eva Hardin……...will you do me the honor of marrying me?”

Eva smirked as Tony intertwined his hand with hers, watching him with happy eyes while he kissed her skin and expressed once more just how beautiful she was to him. She tilted her head back, seeing Tony upside down as he scooted up towards the pillows until he motioned for her to come to him. She held a devious look once more, though she had a hard time helping it around him. Her thoughts often drifted off to various roads when she was with him, many of them making her smirk.

She rolled onto her hands and knees and crawled to him before falling to his side and resting her head on his shoulder comfortably. She kissed him, softly, slowly, multiple times as his arm held her close to him. She nuzzled into him a bit when he pulled back, closing her eyes for the moment while he looked at the ceiling, enjoying these moments with him more than any others in her memories.

Eva opened her eyes when he spoke again, looking at him curiously when he said he left something for her. “You know I never look in that drawer,” she frowned, half pouting as if she’d missed something grand. She laid her head down on the pillow as he rolled to retrieve whatever it was. When he rolled back and didn’t hand it to her right away though, she lifted up on her elbow, trying to peek behind him. “Why are you hiding it? Gimme,” she said, trying to reach over him and smiling a bit, though he kept it out of her reach. She finally gave in and flopped back down onto her side, blowing a piece of hair from her face and watching Tony.

When Tony did show her the box, she didn’t get it at first. She knew it was jewelry, but it wasn’t clicking. She started to reach out for it when he said he’d wanted to do it over dinner. For some reason, that made the light bulb turn on and she froze. Her eyes went a bit wide, lips parting, and she felt her cheeks go numb and kind of fuzzy. He was still speaking and she was watching him still, taking everything in though it was getting harder to breathe, like her lungs didn’t want to inhale. Will you do the honor of marrying me?

She forced herself to swallow looking mesmerized as she stared at the engagement ring. “Yes… of course I will Tony,” she breathed, looking shocked. But as the ring went on her finger, the realization of what it meant weighted her mind like the jewelry did to her finger. She smiled wider than he’d probably ever seen, and wrapped her arms around him tightly, squeezing him hard. She held onto him before laughing and pulling back, reaching her head up and thumping him lightly on the forehead. “You kept my engagement in my night stand? You idiot,” she smirked, moving her hands to the sides of his face and pulling him to her so she could kiss him deeply. After the long, intimate kiss, she pulled back as if another realization hit her. “And you propose to me naked on my bed at what, 2 in the morning?” she said, gasping in mock shame before winking at him and grinning. She scooted back to him and cuddled into his chest, mind going 90 miles an hour. “What the hell am I supposed to tell my mom when she asked how you proposed huh jackass?” she said, still unable to wipe the grin from her lips and she mumbled against his skin. The happiness that was moving about inside of her was uncontainable, filling her up like it would never go away.

When she said she would marry him, Tony couldn’t help but let out a sigh of relief. It was like a huge burden was stripped from atop his shoulders. There was also that look of happiness written all over Eva’s face. He loved making her happy, he strived to do so. There were times in their relationship that he didn’t do so, having the exact opposite effect with her, but the two always pulled through. It was obvious to him that if he wanted to make it work, he would have to pay more attention to her than before.

But suddenly, those thoughts faded as she started to interrogate him. Even still it was sometimes difficult for him to realize she was being sarcastic. But again, when he saw that grin in her face, he could read her like a book. And when the kiss came, one just knew she was the one. He had not made a mistake, but was blessed with his successful decision. He took her by the hand, looking at the ring as she ranted sarcasm after sarcasm. He laughed at everything she was saying. “Just tell your momma that…….well……..Just tell her how juicy our night went….Hahahaha” he started laughing, unable to finish. “The old woman needs some excitement” he laughed again. “Now come on, give me another kiss. A kiss goodnight, cuz I’m tired” he stated, snoring fakely, acting like he already fell asleep.

Eva moved her hand from his and hit the back of his head lightly, looking up at him with narrowed eyes. Ah, but that grin that wouldn’t go away gave it up. “I am NOT telling my mom that!” she laughed, leaning towards him and kissing him sweetly, making a satisfying kiss noise when she parted her lips from his. “You think you’re tired. I coulda wore you out more if I wanted,” she teased, closing her eyes, though she opened them for one more peek at the ring on her finger. She sighed contentedly, cuddling up to him again and thinking in her mind how they were engaged now. He was her fiance. She was his fiancee. They were going to get married. It was almost hard to wrap her mind around it after so long of just being his girlfriend, but she loved it. And loved him. “Goodnight Tony,” she whispered, a lot of emotions swirling in the soft tone she used with him and the gentle way she laid her hands against him.

Trying to match the same emotion in her words, Tony spoke. “Night E, love you.”

Maria - The Florence - Jasmine, others

Maria rolled her eyes at Isabel. "I'm here now mami," she replied, stomping past her and shouldering past Tony. She didn't even want to see the fucker right now. His face made her blood boil.

The girl entered the bar and brushed past Jasmine. "I'll be in the back," she said as she passed by, not giving the other girl the time to comment or protest.
She slammed the door to discourage anyone following her. Leaning back against it, her head thumped against the wood as she stared at the ceiling. Her eyes were half-lidded and her face was set in a scowl.
She remembered why Tony had pissed her off and why she had gotten so plastered the night before. And she wished she hadn't remembered.

"I'm going to ask her tomorrow Maria."
"Finally growing some balls eh gringo?"
"She's the best thing that ever happened to me Maria."
"Yeah, yeah, I've heard it all before. Multiple times."
"Well can you blame me for being happy?"
"..."

It was after that that things had gotten... blurry. All she knew was that she had been drinking. A LOT. She didn't even remember when he had left and she had been alone with the bottle. Well, bottles.

Maria knew why she was so angry, and she was angry about the reason she was angry. It was pathetic. She had been giving him signs for how long? It wasn't her fault the idiota was clueless about anything that didn't envolve his precious nurse.
Eva. Eva. God how sick she was of hearing that name. She had only met the woman once and had immeditately disliked her. She told herself it was because the girl was too pretty, too sweet, too goody-two-shoes, but that was only to hide the real reason she didn't like her. The real reason that she was close to hating her. The girl didn't deserve it, she knew that, but feelings were feelings and couldn't be helped.
Pushing off of the door, she pulled out a cigarette and went out the back door. She had to make a call.

She lit the cigarette and waited until the other person picked up.
"Soy yo. Necesito un poco. Voy a pagar por adelantado y extra si lo consigues demasiado conmigo en una hora. Nos encontraremos en la parte posterior. No deje que Harry te vea. Yo no lo quiero en mi culo."
She hung up and blew out a ring of smoke. She would stay for an hour or two, claim she was sick and go home.
Then... she would forget...

---

Danielle - Tommie's - various people

Danielle worked hard at her job. It's what made her good to have around. She may not be the best, but she was the most determined. When she was concentrating on making a drink or tallying up a tab or looking over the books, her concentration was apparent on her face. She didn't want to give Thomas or anyone any reason to kick her ass to the curb.

It wasn't that she was afraid of Thomas. He had always been nice to her. And she wasn't really afraid of anyone at the bar. No one was going to hurt her with Thomas around and if he wasn't around the other members looked out for her.
No, she wasn't afraid of him in particular.
Danielle was wary of people in general. Life had taught her that no matter what people say or how they act they could change in an instant. No one was completely trustworthy. And if Thomas ever betrayed her in any way, Danielle already had a hidden go-bag with everything she needed to make another run for it : extra clothes, extra food, emergency blankets, glow sticks, packets of soap and toothpaste along with traval toothbrush and hair brush, a large knife and a smaller one, two id's with different names, emergency cash... she added to the bag all the time.

When she heard someone say they had problems Danielle looked up from her work in alarm, her eyes wide in question to Thomas. She was tensed up, ready to take off if the problems had anything to do with her.

Thomas - Tommie's - Lancaster

The man looked at Lancaster with a warry eye as he spoke. He trusted the kid with his entire warehouse, but he let something get loose. While this frustrated Thomas, he understood that it could happen. However, if not found, the loss of stock could prove to be a definite problem. There prints were all over that stuff, and if that ended up in the hands of the CCPD, then Thomas Swindle was going to have to swindle his way out of a little more than a stern warning from the authorities. That was something that no one wanted. It would be bad for Thomas, but he would make sure it would be bad for the cops too.

"What about that- eh..." Thomas searched his head for the name. "That kid- The Morales kid; the one we picked up off the corner of Jeffrey and Swanson a few weeks ago?" Thomas said. He waited as Lancaster pondered the possibility. Thomas' phone rang in his pocket, and he produced it, turning on the screen. A text from Demaro read, "Meet out back in 10." He looked back up at Lancaster. "Lanny, I have to run. I need you to jump on this. If this gets out of hand, it'll suck for everyone."

Tony - Morning at home - Eva

An alarm was not set, but the sound of one echoed through the house. That sudden sharpness of sound made Tony's eyelids pop open. He the started rubbing his face with his hands, trying to wake up as he sat forward, legs off the bed. He turned to see his soon to be wife, her gorgeous red hair all over the place. Tony couldn't help but let out a small laugh as he started to brush it from her face. By this time, the sound had stopped.

Tony realized she was still asleep so kept quiet as he kissed her forehead. He couldn't help but just sit there and look at her for a second, mesmerized by how hot she was - and peaceful of course, but mainly her hottest.

Anyhow, the sound started again, this time, the sound was readible. It was the ringtone to Tony's phone, probably Harry or Isabel wondering where he was. In the nude, tony got up from the bed and walked towards the living room near the sofa - the place the two had the most fun the night before. He crouched over and put on his boxers before digging through the other clothes. After finding the phone, he flipped it open and answered.

"Yea?" He started, not sure who it was yet.

"Where the hell are you kid? Were heading out to pick up the package in thirty minutes!" It was clearly Harry, not only by his voice, but the anger behind it. Tony didn't know how to answer at first, but knew that if he wanted to, he could get to the bar on time. So then came the decision, and as he turned to his left, he found it. "I'm on my way" he stated, hanging up and quickly put on his pants. He dressed as fast as he could, throwing over his shirt, putting on his socks and shoes, and finally, going to his left and pulling his patched vest off the chair.

But before leaving, he walked back to the room and payed on the doorframe - hands in his pockets. He smiled one last time before rushing out and roaring his bike before taking off. The monstrous growl pierced the silent morning.

On his ride, he could see the difference in class between some people in Gastown compared to his people. As a nurse, Eva made pretty good money compared to other professions. He was proud of his old lady, proud that she didn't need to involve herself in the club business to be successful. It gave him a peace of mind one could say. It was all going to work out, it always did.

Detective Brewer, Motel 6
Brandon awoke the sun shining through the curtains and onto his face. He growled like it would chase away the sun but it remained "Damn giant ball of gas." He said getting up and not bothering to change clothes or take care of himself grabbed his jacket and left the room.

The walk to his car was short and brief, starting her up and driving out of the parking lot and onto the street he made sure he wasn't being followed and rolled into the police station parking garage and emerged from his car grinning. It must of been an odd site to see him grinning and holding a camera, a couple of officers made a remark but he ignored them plugged the camera into his desk and printed out the pictures of the chief at The Florence.

He didn't even bother to knock on the chief's door he just barged in and set the pictures on the chiefs desk. "I didn't know you like motorcycles Chief." He said smugly.

Eva - home

Eva woke up to the sun piercing through the thin curtains of her room, falling onto the bed and hitting her face. She let out a soft groan, never a morning person, and stretched across the bed. ”Tony?” she mumbled, looking with squinted eyes and a slight frown at the empty space on the bed and the quiet of the room. Of the house. She sighed, bringing her hands down to move the blankets away so she could stand, when her engagement ring caught the sunlight and sparkled. She hesitated, moving her hand about and grinning, before getting up and grabbing her short black robe off the back of her bedroom door.

She scratched her head and yawned while walking down the hall, eventually tying the robe about her and glancing around the house. Hmm. Looked like Tony was gone. Hadn’t eaten anything. Hadn’t even touched the bottle of Jack he left on the floor. She frowned again and just began picking up her things, tossing them in the laundry, before grabbing the bottle and taking a swig. Guess that’s what happens when you get engaged to a guy in a biker gang… the day after he goes off with them instead of celebrating with ya. she thought to herself. It wasn’t a bitter or angry thought. More matter of fact or a bit sad. She stood in her kitchen, trying to decide what to eat, sipping the bottle in her hand once more before setting it off the side.