Chapter 11

A Chapter by Judas Hammer

They found their man!

Chapter 10

Conner pushed another drink toward the actor. He took the drink and frowned,

“Come on man. I was not born last night. Good story. Was that on the Twilight Zone?”

Conner sipped his greyhound,

“Yeah you East Coast guys. You catch everything”

Jimmy watched Freddy frantically practicing. He paused then looked back at a smiling Conner. Desmond walked over to Freddy with a frightened look on his face,

“Hey you heard? That someone killed Daruis bother.”

Freddy popped up and leaned on his stick,

“Cyrus?”

“Yeah, they are questioning Daruis. Two detectives might coming down here.”

“What was it over?”

“You know Daruis. Drug debt. Frog was going to sell me that contract but then he got blasted on.”

“By who?”

Desmond showed his disgust,

“You really have to get a life man. WEMAS. They blasted on him. There is a gang war and a serial killer all walking around down here. Get that pool stick out of your a*s.”

Freddy sarcastically answered back,

“Oh I'm sorry, I'm just playing for a f*****g soul. The soul of an eleven year old.”

“He's thirteen.”

“Whatever!”

“Why didn't you bet my soul?”

“I did!”

Desmond stood there with an expression of shock etched on his face,

“That's f**k up! You didn't ask or call.”

Freddy went back to shooting pool ignoring his friend,

“He said he already has your soul.”

“When?”

“He said something about Pinball.”

Desmond froze and then spoke slowly,

“Oh that's right I forgot. I didn't know you could play double or nothing.”

“You should have asked.”

The casuals walked into the bar. John elbowed him,

“Do you see him?”

Josh looked at Joe’s picture again,

“No believe me. You cannot forget this face.”

He put the folded picture back in his pocket.

“Come on man lets get a drink.”

Both of the men moved toward the two empty seats beside Jimmy.

John slid into the barstool then nodded to the actor,

“Hey what's up man.”

Jimmy acknowledged him with a nod.

“Hey what's up buddy?”

Josh settled into the seat next to John and pointed to Barbara,

“Two, I mean three Buds. Jimmy grinned at the two of them,

“Thanks guys.”

“No problem. Where you from man?”

“Jersey. Near Philly.”

“Oh your an Eagles fan?

Jimmy smiled ear to ear.

“What other kind of fan is there?”

Josh cut his eyes at Jimmy as he pumped his fist,

“Raiders baby!”

“Okay, okay. I like the black and silver too. Where you guys from?”

“Pedro.”

“San P man.”

“Oh you guys are locals. Cool nice city you have. I was just talking to Conner”.

Conner’s seat was empty. Jimmy gave a quick scan,

“Never mind. He must be in the can. What do you guys do out here?”

John nervous sipped his beer, then checked on Josh.

“Longshore men. That's what we are trying to be.”

Jimmy was noticeably drunk by now.

“Cool! I'm an actor.”

“Cool. Good occupation.”

“Yea cool.”

Jimmy finished his drink then grabbed John by the shoulder.

“Hey you going toward the Bell?”

“Maybe why?”

“I need a ride and I am so drunk.”

John turned toward Josh then Jimmy,

“Okay, lets go. We will give you a ride.”

Jimmy stumbled out of his seat, falling helplessly to the floor but John caught him,

“Thanks guys. I owe you one.”

The two men carry Jimmy to the parking lot. Jimmy attempted to talk slurring his words,

“Do you know a guy name Conner or Donner?”

There was slight confusion among the three,

“Naw, we been going to that bar for years. Never heard of either.”

“Yeah we would know a Conner or Donner. Listen man we are just going to throw you in the back of the car. When we get to your street we'll drop you off. We are sort of in the middle of something right now.”

Jimmy drunkenly agreed,

“Cool man. You guys are so cool. This guy Conner kept buying me drink after drink.”

They reached the Black Accord and opened the back seat, laying Jimmy down,

“Okay. Where do you live?”

Jimmy pointed behind them.

“Seventh and Center.”

At that moment, the Longshore man earlier showed up in a mob. They talk yelled at the three of them. The Ring Leader was a fat, balding Italian man Frank Luciano. He was wearing a Union jacket and contempt on his face.

“Hey, look what we have here. It's the little casualties. F*****g cheaters. Just the sight of you makes me sick.”

Josh and John exchanged whispers.

“Let's just get out of here. Come on we have stuff to do.”

“I agree.”

As the two men opened the doors of the Accord, a loud voice boomed from the backseat.

“F**k you clowns! F**k you! These are my boys.”

Jimmy exited the car, stumbling toward the men. John motioned to Jimmy,

“Jim get the f**k in the car. S**t!”

They grabbed Jimmy as the crowd engaged him. Jimmy pointed his slender finger in Frank’s pudgy face,

“You Cali boys have some big mouths!”

Frank preached to the drunken mob,

“F*****g New Yorker. Always running their mouths.”

“New Jersey!”

“Same f*****g thing!”

Jimmy swung at and connected with his jaw, backing him up a few steps. Two big Longshore man joined the fight. One hit Jimmy in back of the head. The other punched John square in the forehead knocking him into a parked car.

Frank got to his feet and punched a fallen Jimmy in his face and then stomped his ribs with his steel toe boots. Two different Longshore men jump on Josh and wrestled him to the ground. A Titi Mala: huge Samoan man with a long Pony Tail exited from the dented parked Corolla. He surveyed the damage, becoming enraged. He was about to strike him when John’s eyes shot open,

“TiTi”

The legendfrom the Second Street projects pointed to the side of his car,

“What the f**k! That's my new car!”

Ti Ti picked up John and threw him out of the way, while he attacked the mob. He punches and kicks everyone in sight like a mad Rhino. He lifted Frank Luciano off his feet and slammed him onto the hood. The Casuals snatched a beaten, bloodied Jimmy and made their way back to they car. John jumped behind the steering wheel and looked back him to witness Ti Ti Mala destroying the group Longshore men. Josh screamed at the top of his lungs,

“Is that Ti Ti Mala the cage fighter who also works with Desmond?”

“Yes it is!”

“Get us out of here!”

Ti Ti Mala stood in the middle of the broken Long Shoremen with blood dripping off his hands. He turned in time to catch a glimpse of Josh. He lumbered at the car yelling,

“Hey you little b***h. Get back here!”

“Get us out of here man! Get us out!”

John hit the accelerators and the car skipped out of the parking lot, through the dark trash strewn alleys, hoping not to hit a wayward drunk. Ti Ti’s large paw barley missed grabbing Josh's face through the window. Ti Ti stopped running and threw a bottle at the car, then limped into the bar.

John’s face was paralyzed with fear,

“Dayum man! What the f**k did you do? They want to kill you bad.” Josh asked.

“It's along story man. I'll tell it to you in a while.”

A faint noise can be heard floating from the backseat. It was a punch drunk Jimmy writhing in pain.

“Someone punched me in the balls. Those gay b******s.”