COOL JOE, chapter 24

FAMILY SAGA

Chapter 24

 

PETE

 

While we are all clapping together to declare our enthusiasm for killing both Alex and Garcia, I have a sudden panic attack, realizing the probable cost of this venture, and that I still have a mortgage to pay off. That call from Eddie the other day to remind me of this is making me very nervous, and then to pay off these guys may be too much for all of us, not just me, we all have a lot of debt. I’m anxious to hear what Lopez has to say.

 

Ted opens the door and a tall thin man with a ball cap comes in first, followed by two short men, also with ball caps. Ted shakes hands with the guys and invites them to have a drink. The tall guy, which I assume is Lopez, asks for a beer. The two short guys ask to have cold water, as they explain that they’ll be back on the job soon, later tonight, and are not allowed to drink before an important job. I get it and am proud of them for staying clean.

 

While Ted and Margaret help get the drinks, I introduce myself as one of the family.

“Good evening guys, make yourself comfortable”, as Danny and Tommy get extra chairs for them. “So, you’re Mike Lopez, I assume.”

“Yes, I am and these are my best sharp shooters, Lonny and Sam. They work weird hours, as you know the trade calls for that. They mostly work 12 midnight to 8:00 AM, but sometimes it starts around 9:00PM, depending on the demand. It’s gonna be pretty busy tonight, I can tell ya.”

The short men remain quiet.

Mark goes over to greet them.

“Hey Mark” says Lopez, “how’s your injury? You’re lookin pretty good.”

“I’m doing much better, close call though Mike, I’ll tell you. So glad Ted wasn’t there.”

“Yea I know what you mean, could’ve been much worse.”

The short men remain silent, no smirks on their faces.

 

Ted introduces the team to family members and says that we all agree on them doing the work, provided we agree on price. Then Ted let’s them have the stage, so to speak. No microphone just loud voices.

 

“Thank you for inviting me to come and speak to you guys about our work”, says Mike in a friendly voice. “We are a team, like a family, who provides a service for our special customers. We don’t do this kinda work for everybody, it has to come as a recommendation. And, you guys are recommended to me through my buddy Mark here.”

All the family members stand up and applaud Mark. He looks very embarrassed and his face turns red.

Mike continues: “So, as I said, we are very happy to provide you with the best and most clean service you will ever know. Now, I understand there are possibly two guys you want to knock off, is that right?”

All the family members shout YES!

“Okay then”, Mike continues, “So what we do is we get the names, business and home addresses of these two, and then we’ll quickly scout them out and take them off of you guy’s hands. We never tell our customers when we do our work, that’s secretive for many reasons, but mostly our protection. Now, the cost is $20,000 per person, so that $40,000 total, all cash. We ask for all the dough up front cause this is dangerous work and we really don’t know you all.

Any questions?”

“Would it be possible to give you half down and the rest when the job is done?” asks Danny with a curious look on his face.

“Absolutely not”, replies Lopez, “we need cash up front or no deal. Hey guys, we’re giving you a bargain price, no messin around.”

“Will you keep us informed of what’s going on?” asks Tommy.

“No”, says Mike, “this is a secretive operation as I said before; you will only know when it’s done.”

 What if you only kill off one of them?”, asks Margaret. “Will we get half our money back?”

“This is a nonrefundable operation, mam and don’t worry, you asked for two, you get two.”

“If you guys all agree, and I’ll be generous and give you a week to decide, then we sign a piece of paper and collect the money at that time. Pass your agreement on to Mark here and he’ll let us know your final decision and the exact date.  Remember, we need exact names, addresses, business and home, telephone numbers too.”

“Okay, says Ted, “We’ll digest everything you told us and we’ll be in touch with Mark and give him a date at which time we seal the deal.”

Me, Ted and Mark shake hands with Lopez and his silent men. Ted walks them to the front door. We all remain silent for a few seconds, then I stand up amid some murmurs from family members.

“I think it’s best for all of us to quickly digest what we heard tonight from Lopez. I’m going to turn it over to Mark for a few questions, then we’ll make a decision to go for it or not. In the meantime, be thinking about things like money, loans, revenge, family fears and so on. Okay Mark, I give the questions to you.”

“Thank you, Pete, Ted and others, I am happy to speak to your family. First, let me say a little about Mike and his team. They have like a 98% good record. That’s why they can ask for all the money up front. Now I’m sure this sounds weird to you, as most of the time we are used to putting down a deposit. However, these guys are doing dirty work as you know; very difficult and risky work, like they could get themselves killed. Any questions?”

Tommy raises his hand:  “This may seem dumb, but what if they take all our money and run with it? We really don’t know these guys from a hole in the wall, so to speak, except for Mark’s recommendation.

“That’s completely up to you as a family”, says Mark. These hit men and their teams are very well trained. Mike’s group has been doing this work for 10 years. I can’t tell you exactly how many they’ve knocked off, but it’s plenty and they have very satisfied customers, repeat ones too. Next question.”

Frankie raises his hand: “What is the fallout for us? I mean is this is very risky if some “family” or boss finds out about this and traces it back to us, we are now a target!”

 

The family members begin to talk among themselves showing curious looks. I decide to let them chat and get out their emotions, which are running high at this moment. Ted comes over to me scratching his forehead.

“I think money and fear are the big potential stumbling blocks.”

“We’ll make a go of it, if I have to steal to get the money.”

Ted and I shake hands in the midst of family members doing their math.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reviews

[Dave Brown]

For sure, money is always an issue
For me it would be half down and half on completion.
And do these guys know how to keep their mouths' shut
What if they decide to do a bit of blackmail for more money??
Think of the consequences!!
I'm glad I don't have the immense responsibility of deciding how things should go but, personally, I would pay half before, and half after a successful hit, and when they come back for the full payment, waste the suckers and seal any possible future leaks.
Lol, just kiddin

[Betty Hermelee]

Thanks Dave, money with these guys is always an issue; that's coming soon enough!!!
Best, B

[Dave Brown]

yes and you look like you are having fun with all this
Keep em' comin

[Betty Hermelee]

YES! and I'm studying gangsters too!!!

[John the Baptist]

Well, you have got to love a family that works together for a cherished goal. It's brother Pete's turn to be our eyes and ears, and he describes to us the first meeting of the family and the assassination team. Though dressed casually, Mike is the personification of the aware and efficient business man. He does all the talking, his hit men staying silent and menacing in the background. He lays down the non-negotiable ground rules and the prices, which are steep and upfront. After they leave, the family puts their heads together. There is no immediate agreement, but the sense is they're going to go for it. The story continues to be well paced and to leave the reader eager for more.

[Betty Hermelee]

John, your comments are well thought out and on the mark!!! Thanks for being my loyal supporter!!!read moreJohn, your comments are well thought out and on the mark!!! Thanks for being my loyal supporter!!!
Best,
B.

[Lorry]

Everything has a price and it sounds about right, if you want the job done properly. I'm sure they could get cheaper, but who wants to go supermarket brand for something like this?
Disclaimer... I'm guessing, honest 😊
This is turning into a TV series that pre Internet and binge watching, always left you with a cliffhanger each episode to hook you into tuning in next week. Don't get me wrong, I do love binge watching a series or three, but do miss that "awww!" moment as kids when you had to wait a week for the next instalment. That's like forever in kid years 😊
Keep it coming Betty, zipping past and keeping the action going, amongst the different perspectives of each family member. Love it 😊

[Betty Hermelee]

You are my loyal friend, along with Dave and John!
I love your different perspectives on this and the encouragement I get to keep writing!! It's so inspiring to me. A real gift!
Best, B.

[Lorry]

It's like a book club, everyone finds their own thing in it as if we're reading different books.
read moreIt's like a book club, everyone finds their own thing in it as if we're reading different books.
If in doubt, look up a book on amazon and read the reviews.
I think it's a good thing though, as people all have these perspectives we can see after hearing them and it adds more to the story. Keep going. 😊