Realistic or Modern Gangs of Birmingham - IC Thread [Open & Accepting]

[Misty Gray]

Temple Street Cafe
- Birmingham City Centre, Birmingham, England -

Tony Fletcher and Marco Alessi​

Not that he'd ever needed the man's approval, but Tony took some reassurance from Richard confirming he didn't suspect him as being behind the attack. He nodded his head, along with the gratitude being written all over his face. Having spent many times on the receiving end of people's lack of faith in him, it always meant a great deal when people did believe him.

The older man went on to assure him he'd never spoken ill of the Fletchers. "Is that through choice, or because Caroline and Robert won't let you get a word in?" he drily asked, managing a smirk. The concern about Rory pulled Tony back to a more serious expression. "Thanks. I ain't feeling too good about letting her down on that front. With Dad out of the picture, it's on me to look out for my family," he told him. "I was lucky to have a Dad growing up, but Rory's hardly know it," he trailed off.

Tony nodded in agreement that his situation was delicate. Robert and Caroline wouldn't believe him. They were too set in their ways to even take Richard's word on the matter. "It's bloody hard to prove I wasn't involved in something. And I don't have enough weight behind me to find out who did do it, especially if the Walkers and the pigs are struggling."

When Richard said he needed to know about Charles Walker, Tony furrowed his brows at the man. He suddenly wished he hadn't met up with him now he was probing on such a sensitive subject. Tony quickly shook his head when Richard made it clear he knew something about the murder, even if he wasn't the killer. "Nah..." Tony began, but stopped when Richard spoke about training intelligence officers. That seemed like a threat, even if the older man believed Tony didn't kill Charles.

"Again. I can't give you any kind of evidence to prove my innocence," he pointed out. "I can say it until I'm blue in the face, but they're too stubborn to listen to me." Tony looked down into his coffee mug, trying to figure out what he could say to Richard that would help his case. There was no way he could snitch on Marco, not even if it was to save his own skin.

Having been caught off-guard by Richard's persistence for the truth, Tony had lowered his guard in keeping an eye on his surroundings. As such, he hadn't noticed Marco had entered the cafe, having tracked Tony down. "I wish there was something I could tell you to make you and the rest of them believe me. But I swear. I had nothing to do with Charles' death. We didn't like each other one bit, but I didn't kill him, nor did I make it happen," Tony firmly assured Richard, his face turning red with the stress of it all.

The weight of his guilt had been weighing on Marco for months now. Knowing how suspicions on Tony were once again growing in the wake of the gala attack was only eating away of the young man even more. Tony had taken him in when he was a teenager with nothing to his name and Marco felt guilty for putting the burden of his secret onto his shoulders now too. With Tony's recent detached behaviour, Marco had followed him in hopes he could do something to relieve some of the burden. Now, seeing Tony speaking with Richard and looking stressed, the concern only intensified.

Having reached the table at the wrong moment, Marco overheard Tony trying to plead his innocence to Richard about Charles' death. They were still trying to pin it on him and Tony seemed backed into a corner. Marco stood over the two seated men and took a deep breath, his heart racing in his chest as he struggled to maintain the strength to continue burying the truth. "He's not lying, Dr. Finley," Marco spoke up, prompting Tony to suddenly look up at him having been taken by surprise.

"Marco," Tony said, gripping the young man's wrist as he looked him dead in the eyes and quickly shook his head. "Private conversation, mate..."

Marco pulled away from Tony's hand and looked back at Richard. "I did it. Charles attacked me and I defended myself. I killed him," he said, lowering his voice so only the two men could hear him."

ReverseTex (Richard)

 

[ReverseTex]

Temple Street Cafe
- Birmingham City Centre, Birmingham, England -
- Monday 1st December 1975 -
Misty Gray

Dr. Richard Finley

​

Richard’s lip furrowed at Tony’s withdrawal when he mentioned Charles. He knew it was risky being so brash about it, but this was the only way to build trust. He let the young man linger on his words, silence tended to prompt more response. As Tony lamented, he noticed a frantic-looking man enter the cafe. His eyes seemed to land on Tony, for a moment, startling him. He seemed in no way coherent, in fact; a tad crazed. If he hadn’t been injured, he might’ve risen in defense. However, he was stuck. He tried to turn his attention back to Tony, who he determined was being truthful about his involvement before the stranger approached the table. This stranger, knowing his surname, startled him. Not that it was uncommon for people who he didn’t know to know him, but this seemed different. Tony quickly pipped in, referring to the man as Marco. So they were acquainted? Before he could process more, he noticed Tony adopt Marco’s sudden nervous energy. Almost immediately, Marco blurted the truth: he killed Charles.

Richard sat pensively, examining both men. Had Tony been more relaxed he would have been inclined to believe this Marco character was lying. In a crafty way, he was right that Tony told him the truth. If Marco killed Charles accidentally, then Tony technically had nothing to do with it. Not that a technicality saved him from judgment, but logically he wasn’t at fault. But at the same time, he had lied about not knowing who did it. His eerily calm silence disturbed both nervous men. “Pull up a chair, lad,” Richard said calmly, inviting Marco to sit at the side of the table. As Marco did so, he watched him carefully. Watching his hands grab the chair, the same hands that wrung the life out of his nephew… Shaking away the mental image, he grounded himself in the present.

“Listen, boys…” Richard started, leaning back in his chair slightly. “We’re going to sort this out, right here in this cafe.” He said firmly, like a strict parent. “You killed my nephew,” he shot a glance at Marco, “and you knew about it,” landing his gaze onto Tony. “I'm glad there’s truth now. We can finally get to business.” He turned his attention back to Marco. “Like I told Tony, I'm much more forgiving and thoughtful than my brother and sister-in-law. Call it whatever you like, but I don’t believe in an eye for an eye. Quite antiquated, if you ask me.” After years of seeing violence firsthand, through war and crime, he rarely resorted to it in old age. There were better solutions in this world than death. A lesson Charles ought to have learned from him, but didn’t. “This feud needs to end, it's trivial and now we’re at a time where both of our families are equally in danger. You are the roadblock to that peace.” He pointed a stern finger at Marco.

He sat for a moment, contemplating his next words. Like he said earlier, the situation with Robert and Caroline was delicate. If he outed Marco to them, Robert would serve Marco’s head on a silver platter to his wife. That behavior wasn’t helpful. If Caroline found out, she’d react worse than her brother. A mother’s scorn wasn’t something to toy with. Tony wanted to protect his family and friends, and rightfully so. He couldn’t blame the lad… If he let his idea come to fruition, assuming the mayor's position, then he would have control of Marco’s fate. Even if Robert had his influence, ultimately he was bound by law and reason. Marco would receive a sentence in a court of peers, and his fate would be behind bars. He knew that idea would trigger bad memories for the Fletchers and be unsatisfactory for the Walkers. But, it was a compromise. Not everyone won, that was the point.

“I’ll be running for Mayor, Tony.” He said bluntly, turning his full attention to him. “You’re the first to hear me utter those words, so you better keep them to yourself for the time being.” Hoping that trusting him with this information was a show of good faith, that he wasn’t a mere puppet to Robert like so many thought. This was his own volition. “You’re better off with the devil you know rather than the one you don’t in that office,” he promised. “I was a boy like you once, I wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize your community. I'd likely help out more than that gaffer Gerald.” Even in Gerald’s death, he knew he was a politician at heart. Richard, on the other hand, was not. He felt a call to lead, not a want to do so. “If I get the seat, you’ll need to be dealt with under a court of law.” He pointed his finger back at Marco, maintaining eye contact with Tony. “A jail cell is more fair to spend your days than anything Robert or Caroline would do to you. If you don’t believe that, then you’re both fools.” Richard added. “That’s the compromise. If we can make that happen, then this little feud can be written aside. With my friendship, you’ll get more fair treatment with the law and a solidified path to Robert. If the three of us are where we’re supposed to be, then whoever attacked our families will have Hell to pay.”

For a moment, Richard’s stomach sank. He didn’t like playing politics and bargaining. It wasn’t in his nature to do so. He was a humble professor, who enjoyed his books and a good laugh. Sure, he studied politics and taught on the matter, but throwing himself in the ring was entirely different. But here he sat, reinvigorated after the gala bloodbath. But in his soul, Birmingham needed him. At Tony’s age, he would’ve scoffed at the idea of feeling the need to serve the city that inflicted so much pain on him. But now, it felt only right to try to save it and his friends.

 

[Misty Gray]

Temple Street Cafe
- Birmingham City Centre, Birmingham, England -

Tony Fletcher​

Tony looked at Marco, his jaw dropping in shock at what his friend had just blurted out. "What the hell?" he asked, under his breath. "Marco, what are you talking about?" he said, letting out an amused scoff. Turning back to look at Richard, he was about to pass it off as Marco going through some issues, but it was clear on the old man's face he believed what he'd just heard. "He's just trying to save my arse. But it don't need saving, because I didn't do it," he firmly told both Richard and Marco.

"No..." Marco said, quickly shaking his head at Tony to tell him to shut up. As instructed, he pulled out a chair and sat at the table with each man positioned at either side of him. "I did it and it was nothing to do with Tony." He felt more uncomfortable with Richard being calm than he would have been if the man attacked him. Knowing enough about the Walkers, he expected most of them would have torn him to shreds in an instant.

Marco had no choice but to sit in silence as Richard addressed him and Tony. He felt sick to his stomach and whilst in the heat of the moment he was regretting telling the truth, he knew keeping the secret hadn't been easy either. Keeping everything locked inside wasn't killing him from the inside, so maybe now that process would happen much sooner and do everyone involved a favour. That said, Richard went on to say he was more forgiving than Robert and Caroline, that he wasn't going to react in the violent manner Marco had spent many months imagining.

When told the feud needed to end, Marco nodded his head in understanding. Having been on the receiving end of the Walkers' threats and violence - not just from Charles - he agreed with Richard. Penny, Dorothy, and all of the other innocent members of Tony's family didn't need to keep being put at risk. As long as the Walkers and Fletchers were at war, he knew there would be innocent casualties. With a stern finger pointed at him, and the accusation he was preventing peace, Marco looked at Richard somewhat defensively. "I didn't set out to do it! Charles was threatening Tony's family and he could easily have killed me first. You all know how strong he was... I had to defend myself."

"Hey, we know," Tony reassured Marco, placing a hand on his shoulder. The lad's confession couldn't be taken back now it had been given in front of Richard. Already, Tony was thinking up ways of getting Marco far away from Birmingham and any punishment for killing someone who he believed, quite frankly, had deserved it.

When Richard suddenly announced he was running for Mayor, Tony looked at him with a quizzical expression. "Well, that seems right up your street, but why would I give a shit about politics?" he asked. He then shrugged when told to keep it quiet. He could easily do that, depending on how the present conversation went. Besides, if even the Walkers didn't know about it yet, Tony supposed he now had some interest in Richard and his motivations. He nodded in understanding about being better off with the devil he knew. Tony had had pleasant conversations with Gerald, but he always saw it as a politician trying to secure more votes. The late Mayor certainly hadn't been truly in touch with the lower classes, even if he acted like he understood them. Richard at least knew first hand what the world was like for those who weren't born with a silver spoon in their mouth. "Not to speak ill of the dead, but he didn't give a shit about us lot, did he?" he agreed.

Marco anxiously ran his hand through his hair at mention of spending his life in jail. It was one of his many nightmares, that was for sure. However, since killing Charles, he hadn't felt free in the slightest. He'd been locked away and trapped in his own head having to keep the terrible secret to himself. Could actual prison be much worse? It was true that it wouldn't be as bad a punishment as facing Caroline's and Robert's wraths would be.

"We believe you," Tony interjected, knowing full well what the Walkers were capable of. "I've seen what your side does to people who get in their way. From Charles himself, too. Thing is. Robert created this whole mess. He wanted to play God taking over this city. Fucking up and wiping out anyone that got in his way - including sticking the knife into my old man at every chance. Yet, when one of his own gets killed, it's a different story and the world has to pay. Everyone else has to suffer." Tony shook his head and looked at Marco. "Just get up and walk out of here. It's not like this guy can stop you, Marco. I'll make sure you get far away from Birmingham and the clutches of the cops and Walkers. You won't get a better chance at freedom," he encouraged him.

"No," Marco replied, quickly shaking his head. "I already ran away once," he said, referring to fleeing his family and his rough childhood when he was a teenager. "I'm done running, Tony. Even if I escape the law, I can't escape the guilt. I'm not living right now. Even what I have with Penny isn't enough to distract me from how rotten I feel inside. She deserves better." Marco thought over Richard's words about the compromise and that he'd get fairer treatment with Richard on side. "We have to do this one the right way, Tony. I won't have your family put at further risk to protect me. I appreciate your loyalty, but I have to deal with what I did. You've all got enough on your plates."

Tony let out a relenting sigh. He hated the idea of Marco going to jail. The young man had street smarts, along with being quick-witted enough bargain his way out of trouble. But prison was a whole new ballgame and Tony didn't believe the lad had the stomach for it. "Richard... You have to stick to your word and do what you can to make sure Marco doesn't get the book thrown at him. He did what anyone would do when backed into a corner by a big fuck-off bully like Charles!"

ReverseTex (Richard)

 

[BeyondDandy]

The Crown Pub
- Small Heath, Birmingham -

SULLY FLETCHER
​

The family owned pub was silent. Aside from Sully and the bartender, there were three more clients about. One was an old man too drunk to move a muscle from the stool he was perched on. His forehead was resting on the bartop as drool oozed from the corner of his lip. His eyes were glued shut and he mumbled to himself as if suffering from night terrors. Despite all of that, the old fart held a firm grip of his half-full mug of Watneys. Legend. The other two were a couple of old friends who had just finished their shift at the mills. They wore matching jean overalls covered in grease, dirt and muck with their company logo stitched to their heart. The two were too busy in their game of chess to have a conversation. They were focused and relentless.

Sully sat near the pub window, looking into the street. The neighborhood of Small Heath was nothing like he remembered. His father used to fancy the place for its small shops, good food, great beer and even better company. Now it was a shithole covered in dark clouds of smoke and trash on every corner and crease. The place was torn to shreds by a surrounding ecosystem that outgrew its need. Big factories and companies took over West Midlands and created slums like Small Heath to stuff the middle class they couldn’t force to move. Because of that, shops closed, crime increased and the neighborhood turned inside out. A real shame. However, what became one person's trash was another man’s treasure, Sully thought as he looked across the street at the warehouse Felicity had arranged for their business partner.

He noticed her coming into the pub a few minutes later. He waved, approaching her with a glass of Watneys in each hand. One for her and one for himself.

“Have a drink,” he said.

He chugged his down as his eyes crossed between the mug handle to keep an eye on Felicity. She looked out of place despite her efforts to try and fit in. He noticed she looked more natural and less pampered than before, but people like her didn’t show up to places like Crown Pub. Sully noticed the old man woke from his dazed slumber to ogle the girl down. His eyes stretched out of their sockets like glass balls. The friends put their intense game of chess on hold, one of them turning in his chair to smile at the lady. The other dug his hands through his hair to look more presentable in his filth. Even the bartender turned a gaze as he dried clean mugs, prepping for a rush hour that would never come.

Sully inisited the mug again and practically forced Felicity to drink. As the mug of Watneys diminished, the eyes that lingered around the bar returned to their scheduled program. The old man drank the last of his beer and crashed. The duo in the back turned their chairs to continue their game. The bartender kept minding his business. Sully couldn’t help but smile at Felicity. Now she was fitting in.

He took her empty mug and his own and placed them at the bartop, leaving the tender a tip and a wink. He grabbed his jacket from the table and threw it over his shoulders before opening the front door for Felicity.

“C’mon,” he said.

The girl led them across the empty street towards an alleyway. It was cold outside so Sully found himself rushing. The door to the warehouse was on the side of the building. The front was a large chain operated gate door that when pulled, would open upwards on a rail system. Sully watched as Felicity dug out a gold key from her pocket. He kept his eyes down the alleyway to make sure no one was following them. He lifted his wrist, drew back his coat sleeve and looked at his watch.

“They’ll be here in ten minutes,” he said.

The door to the building swung open and the duo snuck in. The inside of the warehouse was surprisingly nice. The floors were sparkling clean, as though someone took the time to hand mop the place three times over. The row of stocking shelves that lined up near the back wall were all brand new. The steel was shiny and had no visible specs of rust. Felicity had done her due diligence. It was the first time Sully had seen it from the inside and was wildly impressed. His eyes glittered with excitement as he walked around the empty facility like a child lost at a toy store.

“Wow, this looks amazing. Nothing like the rest of this neighborhood. How did you manage to get your hands on this place?” He asked.

Sully walked down the aisles of stocking shelves and noticed fire extinguishers on some of the walls. She even took the time to follow safety regulations. Sully smiled.

“You’re very impressive.” He said.

He walked back towards her, getting uncomfortably close. He could feel the warmth of being in her proximity and her breath on his chest through his thin jacket. His smile faded and he became serious.

“Thank you for going along with this.” He said.

There was an awkward silence between them that could have been broken by the sound of their breath. Instead, Sully broke it with a question.

“Have you found anything about our attackers?”

Sully referred to the events that unfolded at the Gala weeks back. There had not been much talk between the families about who organized the attacks on the Walkers or what those people were looking to gain from it. Though Sully had a first person view on how it affected Felicity at the time. The girl had been targeted and almost killed had he not been there. She was also witness to her father almost being shot and her family friend Richard being injured. Things like that weren’t forgotten. On the contrary, like glass fragments, they lingered and were hard to clean up. Sully could sense how much that day affected Felicity and was no fool to think her recent kindness was a way of possibly making up for what happened that day. Sully was no stranger to self blame and could relate. After all, he felt it was his job to save his family from his father and believed that if he had not left those years ago, he could have done it sooner.

Misty Gray

 

[ReverseTex]

Temple Street Cafe
- Birmingham City Centre, Birmingham, England -
- Monday 1st December 1975 -
Misty Gray

Dr. Richard Finley

​

Richard sighed, knowing full well his nephew’s temper was a factor in his death. From an early age, he always had an insatiable vigor about him. As he grew older, it only worsened. He had Caroline’s fiery rage mixed with Robert’s stubbornness. A lethal combination. “Who my nephew was or was not doesn’t matter now. The living are left with the consequences, not the dead.” He replied distantly, staring at the table while Tony consulted his friend. He knew if the shoe was on the other foot, he might’ve felt bad for Marco. But, that grace he could not manage.

When Tony inquired further on the political matter, he refocused his attention on the situation at hand. The question, one he answered many times to lecture halls and pupils, brought a bit of comfort to the situation. “Why should you care?” He asked rhetorically, glancing out the window for a moment. “Who ensures the potholes are paved? Who makes sure every flat abides by fair living standards? Who’s in charge of maintaining the hospitals you rush to in an hour of need?” He posed, not wanting a verbal response but rather the young men to think for themselves. “At its core, politics isn’t a matter of right or wrong. It’s about finding a solution to a given problem.” Tony’s next question regarding Gerald was met with a somber nod, his mustache furrowing in distaste. “You’d be correct,” he said simply, not wanting to speak poorly of an indefensible soul.

To a point, Tony wasn’t wrong to say Robert created this mess. He sat silently, letting the boy lament about his frustrations. Robert certainly had a large hand to play in the matter, but the root cause was not what Tony thought. He was drawing naive conclusions. He lacked the true reason the feud began and he wasn’t going to be the one to tell him… Tony and Marco bounced back and forth, discussing the possibilities of fleeing Birmingham. Had he been a younger man, he might’ve scoffed at the idea. But now, he sat patiently, watching Marco accept his fate.

“You two are right, it isn’t fair,” Richard interjected once the two men finished. “But you know what? That’s just how the world works, and you’ve got to suck it up and deal with it.” He knew this wasn’t a new concept for Tony, but he did good with a reminder. “You need to learn how to stop complaining and take action for your fate. Sitting here wallowing about the logistics of my nephew’s death doesn't solve the present issue, now does it?” His stern retort was directed at Tony this time. “If that’s what you want to do, then I'm wasting my time. You’d be no better than Robert if that’s what you want.” He knew that wasn’t Tony’s intention at all, but the reminder served to cool his temper. Richard wasn’t going to placate Tony’s temper. The young man was capable of much more if only he put his pride aside at times.

Nodding in affirmation to his request to protect Marco, he glanced over at the other man. “Robert will see reason. Once I'm in the office, there will be a level of comfort for him knowing I'm there. On the back end, I can make sure everything goes to plan. I’m a man of my word.” Richard promised. As much as he wanted to believe in his brother, a part of him worried he’d allow his emotions to blind his reason. Logically, Robert would support his idea to run for office. But following Gerald's death and the attack, there was an added risk. He'd be making himself a target in his own right.

 

[BasDorcha]

The Crown Pub

- Small Heath, Birmingham -​

Alfred Walker

Alfie had been cruising the city trying to clear his mind. Since the night of the Gala, he had been restless trying to figure out what had caused all of this. He also understood now the meaning of a true flashback - he had them daily now. He hadn't told a soul, he didn't need anyone thinking he was weak. So instead, when it started to bother him, he would hop in his car and drive around, focusing on the road to keep his mind from running wild. It was a Monday so not much was going on at the club, so he had cut out early - despite wanting to stay as close to Bonnie as possible. His left ear was still stuffy, though he had already spent 48 hours back and forth with the doctors doing whatever damage control they could. Each day he could hear a bit more, but luckily his right ear still worked fine.

As he was out driving, he spotted a familiar face. At first he wasn't sure he saw right, so he quickly made the block, coming back around and down the street slowly, eyes peeled. When he spotted Felicity, he was shocked. What was she doing here? And why the hell was she dressed like that? He'd never known her to dress down in public. Though, in her defense, once he thought about the area, he realized that she probably had made the smarter choice. Show up here looking like money and any one of the low level street thugs that didn't know her might make a mark out of her. He watched as she entered the pub and quickly did another circle of the block, parking a bit back from it so he could watch what happened.

At first, he was patient, just thinking maybe she was slumming it, but then the memory of everything that happened started to press on him again and he grew worried. Just as he was about to exit the car and enter the pub, Felicity exited again. This time she wasn't alone. He watched carefully, wondering who it was until suddenly a lightbulb went off in his head as he placed the face with a name. Sully Fletcher. What the fuck was she doing with Sully Fucking Fletcher? His initial instinct had been to rush them, but he took a deep breath and calmed himself, watching where they went. He was surprised to see them walking across the street towards what looked to be an old warehouse. When they disappeared down the alley beside it, he quickly climbed out of the car and rushed over. As he heard the voices echoing down the alley, he waited just out of sight. The sound of keys jingling filled his ears and then a door opening and closing.

What was his sister doing? Everything he had learned over the years was streaming like a river through his head, trying to figure out the best approach. Once their voices left, he creeped down the alley towards the door. Everything inside was muffled, he couldn't hear anything, but hopefully they were distracted enough not to hear him as he slowly, very slowly, turned the handle and pushed the door open just enough to cause a crack allowing the voices to carry out.

From there, he leaned his head against the frame, his one good ear pressed close to the crack to hear anything going on inside. His father would not be happy if he found out something happened to his sister, especially if Alfie knew and didn't stop it or at least find out what was going on.

Misty Gray - Felicity
BeyondDandy - Sully Fletcher

 

[Misty Gray]

The Crown Pub
- Small Heath, Birmingham, England -

Felicity Walker​

Being in the shithole of a pub made Felicity surprisingly grateful to set eyes on a member of the Fletcher family as Sully beckoned her over to him. As she reached him, she sent an amicable smile before fixing her eyes on the mug he was holding out to her. She accepted the drink but simply stared at the liquid as she held the handle. Even though he told her to drink it, her attention was for the moment more focused on the others present in the pub.

From the corners of her eyes, she noticed the old man staring at her. She couldn't help how automatic the judgements formed in her mind. Ones that the man in question was a lazy old letch who had nothing better to do than waste his time getting drunk on cheap alcohol. Then, with the chess players and the barman himself making a point of gluing their eyes on her, Felicity had to try hard not to react. She knew she had a habit of making her distaste clear, even without saying a word, so she had to consciously stop herself from rolling her eyes and showing any kind of antagonistic facial expression.

Sully once again urged her to drink, to which she complied, already feeling very out of place in the run down pub. She downed the beer, figuring the quicker it was gone, the less of it she would have to taste. As a conscious effort to blend in, she had grabbed the mug rather than holding it in any delicate or refined manner she normally would. By that point, she no longer felt the leering eyes on her.

Thankfully, there was no need to linger in the pub and Sully was keen for them to leave so they could get to the warehouse. When they reached the side door, Felicity retrieved the key. She instinctively looked over her shoulder before unlocking the door. She knew how risky this was, but she'd lived her life being cautious and not been given enough responsibility outside of managing the hotel. If she wanted to do her part, she knew she'd have to bypass asking for her father's approval and instead impress him with the eventual results of the venture.

Hearing the business associates would be there in ten minutes, she nodded her head once. On the inside, she was apprehensive about how the meeting would go down, but she tried not to show it to Sully.

Once inside the warehouse, Felicity stood with her arms folded for a short time as Sully looked around and marvelled at the warehouse. It might have been located in a shithole area of town, but she wasn't going to conduct business from inside a building that shared such attributes. She couldn't help but smirk when Sully enthused about the place. "I have money and contacts. It's probably best they remain my business," she assured him.

When he went on to tell her she was impressive, Felicity diverted her eyes down to the floor, clearing her throat as she tried to brush off the compliment. When he stopped close in front of her, she looked back up again, noticing how he was smiling at her. When he thanked her, she straightened her posture and maintained a stoic expression. "Well, we both have something to gain from this," she reasoned. Despite her bluntness, she found her eyes linger on him for longer than intended. He was standing up close to her and she hadn't made an effort to create more distance between them.

The long silence was soon broken when he asked if there had been any progress in finding who was behind the gala attack. "Nothing I'm aware of," she said, shaking her head. "They let Tony walk, and the men who were charged haven't given any clues as to who arranged the attack. That leaves us all at square one," she explained.

Felicity shrugged her shoulders. "I'm still not sure if I completely believe your brother is innocent in this, but I'm glad you were around to help me. I'm under no illusions about the scenarios that could have played out otherwise... me being the daughter of Robert Walker," she explained. "With your sister getting injured, I know it's not just my family who have been affected by all of this. Granted, it kind of feels worse knowing mine were the ones with targets on their backs!"

BeyondDandy (Sully) BasDorcha (Alfie)

 

[Misty Gray]

Temple Street Cafe
- Birmingham City Centre, Birmingham, England -

Tony Fletcher and Marco Alessi​

Tony relented with a nod when Richard pointed out it didn't matter who Charles was as a person as he was dead now. It was no secret Tony and Charles hated each other, but he wasn't sure if he would have ever planned to kill his rival. The two of them had known each other as children, back when both of their sets of parents got along as friends of sorts. Even as kids, there was some rivalry, given the stark differences in class and Charles' more serious personality. It was only as teenagers when they began to genuinely dislike each other. Whilst he believed Birmingham was happier without Charles, Tony also wished it hadn't come to this. Especially not now Marco had blood on his hands and no longer a real chance for a happy future.

Tony watched on as his comment about politics had set Richard off on something of a minor lecture. The man was clearly passionate about the subject and so he decided to respect him by listening to what he had to say. "Alright. I stand corrected," he told him. "I suppose when I see folk around here not having decent living standards, it kinda leaves a bitter taste." Whilst Tony was more than used to being looked down on by the likes of the Walkers, he still thought himself as more well off than a lot of people he knew. He'd had enough to get by growing up, even if his family and their circles were considered low class and scum.

Tony sat still as Richard lectured him about needing to accept how the world worked and that he couldn't dwell on why Marco killed Charles. He'd done it and now he'd admitted it to Richard, it was clear Marco had no choice but to face the consequences. He knew if he put his mind to it, he could take action. Granted, when it came to business and wanting to make a name for himself, Tony felt like Robert was always breathing down his neck or waiting to stand in his way.

Tony's thoughts of business and expanding his ventures with the Walkers getting in the way were presently put on hold with everything else going on. It seemed both families had the shared dangers and issues surrounding who had been behind the gala attack But more than that, his mind was focused on Marco's fate now. He scoffed upon hearing the words saying Robert would see reason where Charles' killer was concerned. But the older man went on to say things would be different with him in office, that he could make sure things worked out for Marco. "That's all I want. Marco's practically family and I need someone to try have his back in places where I have no weight."

Tony thought in silence for a time before fixing eyes on Richard again. "What do we do now? Marco just came clean to you, but where do we go from here?" he dejectedly asked.

ReverseTex (Richard)

 

[BeyondDandy]

The Crown Pub
- Small Heath, Birmingham -

SULLY FLETCHER
​

Sully shrugged. He was under no illusion that his brother was no saint. He grew up with him, knew what his father had shaped him to become. He reminded him so much of Norman that it scared him. If Tony continued down this path, he would likely meet the same fate their father did - or even worse.

“I don’t know,” was all Sully could muster.

Deep down he wanted to believe Tony had nothing to do with it. He was cleared by the police and Rory ended up wounded in the attack. He was almost certain Tony wouldn’t put his own family in danger. But. There was a part of him that couldn’t put it passed his brother. The people at the gala were very close to succeeding. They were inches short of killing Robert. The keys to the city were almost handed to Tony. Who wouldn’t want that kind of power?

His trance of thought was interrupted by a knock on the warehouse door. The entire commercial door shook and rattled. Sully turned to Felicity.

“They’re here.” He said.

He jogged up to the roll up doors and kicked open the latches near the base. He could hear the rumbling of a loud engine outside. Likely a box truck. Six or eight cylinder and gas powered by the sound it made. It didn’t thud like a diesel. Sully unhooked the chains and started tugging them downward, slowly raising the door. Light peaked through at first and then filled the warehouse completely.

A white box struck rolled in slowly. There was a driver and passenger in the front seats. A man hung onto the rail near the truck, standing on the rear bumper. He was wearing all black. Cargos pants, long sleeve athletic jacket and a beanie. He was dark skinned and big nosed. The vehicle cleared the door and Sully released the chain slowly to shut its closed again. He kicked the latches and locked everyone inside. He couldn’t help but smile, knowing his life about to change.

The truck shut off and the engine seized. The driver opened his door and exited the vehicle. The dark man in the back jumped down from where he hung and started towards the passenger side of the truck. He stepped up and opened the passenger door, letting the man behind the dash out. From the passenger door came Jon Russo, an infamous Italian mobster from the New Jersey who made his living by running illegal gambling operations and drug smuggling through the north-eastern United States.

“Jon!” Sully called out.

Jon looked up at Sully as he came down the truck steps and waved. Jon was approaching sixty but was probably in the best shape of any man his age. He wore a crisp expensive suit. He was old fashioned and preferred the black slacks and jacket with the white dress shirt underneath. No tie. He had a few rings, but primarily wore a pinky ring from when he was an official part of the Russo crime family. He was an ex capo that left the family for personal reasons and moved overseas to get away.

“How are you kid?” Jon asked.

The two men were about the same height, Sully probably had an inch or two on Jon. The men embraced with a hug and a laugh. Jon smiled as he took Sully y the arms, pushed him back without letting go and checked him out.

“You’re looking good kid!” He said.

Jon was a handsome man himself. He had a full head of hair, black, swept back and clean on the sides. His beard was short and shaped to compliment his strong jaw. It had glimpses of grey but it added character to his rugged look.

“You’re looking good too bruv.” Sully responded.

A lightbulb suddenly flicked in Sully’s head after a moment of silence. He put his hand behind Jon and guided him over to Felicity.

“This is Felicity Walker. The friend I told you about.” Sully introduced.

Jon looked at Sully momentarily with thin eyes and a raise brow, as to question why they were doing business with his family’s enemies. But then he turned to the lady and smiled. He reached out his hand to her for a proper introduction.

“It is a pleaser to meet you Miss Walker. My name is Jon Russo. I’m looking forward to doing business with you.” Jon said, kissing the tip of her hand.

Sully looked over at the box truck and noticed the dark man and the driver had met near the back of the vehicle. The unlatched the truck and let the door slide up.

“Woah, wait, what are they doing?” Sully asked.

Jon winked at Felicity with a grin and turned slowly to see his men starting to unload the truck.

“This is our first shipment. That’s why we’re here, kid.” Jon explained.

Sully turned to Jon with concern written all over his face. He felt lied to. Like Jon had pulled strings and deceived him.

“You said to arrange a meeting, not a drop off.” Sully explained.

Jon put his hand on Sully’s shoulder, trying to calm him. His two men continued to remove box after box of product out from the truck and into the warehouse floor.

“Listen. You work for me know. You want me to drown your brother’s drug game, this is how I do it. I’ve got four kilos of uncut cocaine in that truck. I’m not driving driving that back to London kid.” Jon said.

He turned back towards Felicity.

“I’m sure your friend here understands. Don’t you dear?” He asked.

- - -​

Outside the warehouse, a car was parked a block away from the warehouse. They wore the same outfit as the driver and dark skinned man from the box truck. They were a part of Russo’s crew. Additional security detail, tailing the box struck just in case anything went south. When the box struck disappeared into the warehouse, the car started rolling forward near the door.

The passenger looked to his right and noticed a man creeped by the alleyway of the building and instructed the driver to drive a little further forward to remain unseen. The driver adhered, moving forward and stopping a building ahead.

The passenger pulled the glove box handle and it fell open, revealing an unlicensed revolver. He switched open the chamber and made sure it was loaded before jerking his hand to reload the weapon.

“C’mon.” He told the driver.

The two men exited the vehicle quietly. The driver grabbed a tire iron from the second row and the two armed men started for the alley. The passenger peeked first, seeing Alfie crouched down near the door. He signaled the driver with his index finger to reveal there was only one combatant.

The two men sneaked down the alleyway until the found themselves behind Alfie. The passenger gently placed the tip of his revolver on the back of Alfie’s head.

The driver advised, “You don’t want to move.”

- - -​

Sully bit his bottom lip as his face turned red. He nodded in frustration as the men completed their task of unloading product. This was not what he had envisioned going down. It shouldn’t have happened. He felt out of control and didn’t like it. He stepped away from Felicity and Jon and looked back at the pit.

“Jon, can I speak to you?” He said.

Jon smiled at Felicity before turning to Sully. He looked at the man from a distance and nodded.

“Whatever you have to say, I’m sure you can say it in front of your partner here.” He said.

“We’re not rea-“ he started, but was cut off by the loud sound of the alley way door crashing open.

Three more men entered the building without notice which caused momentary havoc. The box truck driver and helper both drew guns from their pockets. Jon dig into his waistband and revealed a long Barretta himself, pointing it towards the door. Sully rushed towards Felicity and dragged her away from tree guns, towards the side of the box truck.

“Woah, boys! It’s us, it’s us! Relax!” The tire iron holding man pleaded with his hands up in the air.

“Jesus Christ!” Jon said.

He signaled the men behind him to put their guns down. He himself stuffed his weapon back into his waistband and apologized to Sully and Felicity for the sudden fiasco. He looked back over to see a man he didn’t know. He was wearing a sharp suit, similar to Jon’s but likely more expensive by the looks of its threading. He had a vest and a tie under his coat which Jon didn’t fancy, but it looked good on the man. His hair was also swept back which reminded Jon of his younger days when he didn’t have to shave the sides so much. He did now because they grew grey and he didn’t like it too much.

“Who the hell is that?” Jon asked.

Sully’s eyes widened as he saw Alfie dragged in by armed men. Why was he there? Did Felicity bring him? He had so many questions, but didn’t feel it was the time to bring them up. He let Felicity go and started towards Jon.

“We found him outside peeking. What do you want us to do with him?” Asked the car passenger.

Jon turned to see Sully to his left. He raised an eyebrow again. Sully turned to Jon and explained who Alfie was. That he was Felicity’s brother and their lookout. He hoped his quick witted explanation would save the man.

Jon nodded and turned towards Felicity.

“That’s your brother? What kind of lookout peeks through the door?” He asked her.

Misty Gray
BasDorcha

 

[neverbackdown]

The Walker Residence
- Edgbaston, Birmingham, England -

Thomas Walker
​

As his dad requested a glass of water, Thomas nodded in response "off course" he commented as he made his way into the kitchen. He grabbed a glass from the cabinet before turning the tap on, allowing it to run for a few seconds to ensure cold water came out before putting the glass underneath. Once the glass was full, Thomas turned off the tap and placed the glass on the counter for a second to recollect himself before he went back into his father.

The gala night was too close for comfort of loosing someone else he cared about, his thought having been plagued with Charles since and his dad almost collapsing in the hall had definitely not helped matters. Taking a moment, Thomas took a deep breath as he calmed himself, his dad was talking, able to sit down by himself, he wasnt dead or unconscious and Thomas needed to focus on that.

Once feeling he had relaxed as much as he could, Thomas walked back into the sitting room and handed his dad the glass before taking a seat as directed. He listened quietly as his dad spoke before he shook his head in response "You havn't but I'm a good listener if you want to talk about it" he commented with a sincere smile playing on his lips "And ive heard it good to talk about things outloud"

"Its understandable getting shot at would bring those memories back" he commented as he sat back in his seat comfortably as he looked at his Father waiting for him to start talking. "but i would be interested to hear your stories if your willing to share" A rare look of attention played on his expression as he waited for his father to talk.

Int;-
Misty Gray (Father dearest Robert)

 

[Misty Gray]

The Walker Residence
- Edgbaston, Birmingham, England -

Robert Walker​

Robert couldn't help but smile when Thomas encouraged him to talk and pointed out he was a good listener. Even though he was the youngest of all Robert's children, Thomas was all grown up now too. There had been a time when Robert thought he'd never get to see Charles become an adult. He almost never even met Alfie. So to see all of his kids now grown up, Robert couldn't help but feel a heaviness in his heart. Especially for the years and milestones he'd lost with some of his children. Ever since the gala, there had been regrets Robert hadn't been able to shake off where his kids were concerned. As much as it was frustrating Caroline, he couldn't simply switch off those thoughts.

Thomas' words drew Robert back to what he'd actually intended on telling him, prompting him to nod in agreement about being shot at bringing back bad memories. "I am indeed willing to share," he confirmed, for a moment impressed at the attention his usually erratic son was giving him.

"At the start of the war, I was as a pilot. I met Richard on the RAF bus on our way to the station in Manston. We were assigned as each others' wingmen and flew Spitfires together," he explained. He didn't focus on that too much, given those were stories his kids were no stranger to, along with seeing the photographs around the house. "However, barely seven months into it, we were reassigned to Cairo. Thousands of miles from home..." he trailed off.

Robert reached to pick up his glass and take a small sip, his head and heart rate now returning to normal. "We were both assigned an undercover mission. We took on new names, posing as biological brothers who were arms dealers. Our superiors had captured some Nazi bastard, Max, but were keeping him around under surveillance as a bargaining chip. Well, Richard and I were tasked with gaining Max's and his wife, Ava's, trust in order obtain intelligence pertaining to the enemy," he explained.

Wanting to get to the point and knowing Thomas' attention span tended to be limited, Robert opted to skip forward. Besides, there were some aspects of his time in Cairo, particularly were Ava and himself were concerned, that were best kept between him and Richard. "Seven months into the mission, I was ambushed and abducted. Max had learned the truth about Richard and I..." Robert paused, his throat suddenly feeling drier than it should as he remembered the hellish journey across the desert. This time, he took a longer drink of water to quench his perceived thirst. "I was gagged and bound, shoved in the back of a truck as the bastards drove me across the desert for days. Until finally, we reached Casablanca, where I was thrown into a dark prison cell. That was only the beginning of my hell," he told him.

Robert stopped, once again checking Thomas to see if his son was still attentive. "Are you following me so far?" he asked, wanting to give him chance to ask any questions. He knew it was a lot to take in. It was a lot to live with, even over 30 years later.

neverbackdown (Thomas)

 

[ReverseTex]

Temple Street Cafe
- Birmingham City Centre, Birmingham, England -
- Monday 1st December 1975 -
Misty Gray

Dr. Richard Finley

​

Richard noticed this boy, Marco, seemed to be in a similar position he had once been in. He was not family to the Fletchers by name, but rather by choice. Had he met this man before knowing his hands were responsible for murdering his nephew, they might have got on. Any respect he gave this boy was purely out of good nature, not genuine care. After a few moments of silence between the men, he felt Tony’s gaze fixate upon him. Matching his gaze, it was clear Tony was void of any optimism about his situation.

“I recommend you get your affairs in order, young man,” Richard suggested to Marco. Turning back to Tony, he continued. “Regardless of when Robert finds out, I recommend you itemize who and what is important to you and tend to them how you see fit.” It wasn’t easy delivering that sort of news to someone, regardless of who he murdered. It felt cruel to sentence a man to a certain downfall. But he knew there wasn’t a way around it. “I’ll hold out as long as I can.” His attention shifted to Tony. “He shouldn’t suspect anything from this meeting, other than I spoke to you about the campaign. Once I tell him my plans, I have a feeling that’ll divert his attention until I'm elected.” The special election campaign would be swift, thankfully, for his sake. But that meant less time for Marco to say goodbye.

“With that said, if Robert probes about the Charles situation I won’t lie to him. He’s my brother and this is my nephew we’re speaking of…” He trailed for a moment, stuck between the past and present. “So I suggest finding a way to become invisible. If one of the family employees were to spot you and any movement, if I was forced to share what I know, you’d be a dead man.” Robert had men and women everywhere in this city, and so did his children. It would be a matter of hours if any Walker knew his name or face. He paused, knowing he just relayed a lot of orders rather than suggestions. “That is the worst-case scenario.”

“On the other hand, if I'm able to keep this situation under control until after the election, then Marco should have my protection until his sentencing.” Either way, Marco needed to remain undetectable. “Tony, have your boys cause a fuss or something if you can. It’ll keep everyone spread thin. With the election and whatever antic you want to pull, it should keep Robert’s attention off my lack of candor… Once I'm in office, I can arrange an arrest and seizure at a location of your choice. Preferably, not affiliated with any Fletcher territory. Once apprehended, I'll organize the police who aren’t directly in Robert’s pocket to maintain your security.” Richard stopped, catching himself too far ahead of his mind. These boys had no idea what they were in for, it was written all over their faces.

 

[neverbackdown]

The Walker Residence
- Edgbaston, Birmingham, England -

Thomas Walker
​

Thomas crossed his hands together on his lap, nodding along every so often to show that he was intently listening. He already knew how his father and Richard had met, all the Walker kids have known this since they were young and so this part was not particularly new to him but he knew that this was only the starting point to get into the story his father actually wanted to tell him.

When Robert began to talk about being abducted, Thomas sat forward in his seat at this new information. He tried to keep his face as blank as he could, not wanting to give off any emotion incase it stopped his father from talking. His mind started to race as he pictured his dad being tortured and tied up but he quickly shut the thought down, refusing to go down a spiral right now as his dad was opening up to him.

As his father stopped talking and looked intently towards him, Thomas pushed all worries out of his mind and simply nodded "yep, ambushed, abducted, gagged and bound" he recited, he hadn't meant it to come off as robotic as it did but he was so used to having to do that when anyone, especially teachers, asked him if he was paying attention. It seemed to be the only way he was believed, granted he did have a bad track record when it came to his attention span.

Keeping his eyes on his father to stop any distractions taking his attention, Thomas placed his hands on his knees as he waited for him to continue. He had a few questions already but decided against asking them yet waiting for more information before he would do so, he had an idea that the rest of his father's story would answer these questions for him anyway.

Int;-
Misty Gray (Robert)

 

[BasDorcha]

The Crown Pub

- Small Heath, Birmingham -​

Alfred Walker

Alfie listened as the events occurred inside. Shock was on his face, though thankfully it was dark. What in the world was his sister participating in? He didn't use to go around armed everywhere but since the Gala that had changed quite a bit. As he listened they started talking about the Gala as if they could read his thoughts. Of course Felicity doubted Tony, but as far as Alfie could tell, he would never do anything to put his own family in the line of fire and that is exactly what happened - he had written it off as unprompted by the Fletchers as much as he had his own family. They were a lot of things but harming their own blood was not something either family lowered themselves to doing.

He was most suspicious of Sully at this moment. Why was he approaching his sister, what did he want with her? From the sounds of it, they had let in a truck, but he couldn't see it from his location. Instead he placed his hand on his gun, the hairs on the back of his neck standing up. Something was going on. The sounds of a door lifting, engine dying, and the door being replaced was suddenly silent, when a new voice joined them. Who was this new party? The guy named Jon went on to introduce himself, someone Sully was seemingly familiar with. Partners? A grim look crossed Alfie's face, he suddenly had a sneaking suspicion of what was going on. Felicity, in her ever persistent need to prove herself, had done something without the go ahead of their father. This was not going to be good. A sigh escaped him. How was he going to fix this for her?

When the conversation continued to explain this was a drop of, Alfie's gut in turn dropped. His suspicions confirmed, he knew that he was going to need to do something soon. Just as he was about to enter, ready to pretend to be late for the meeting, he suddenly felt a gun pressed to the back of his head. Keeping his hand under his jacket on his own revolver, he slowly turned, only to be shoved into the door unceremonially, the door slamming open and causing a ruckus. In the sudden flurry of movements, Alfie stayed stoic and calm, as if he wasn't bothered at all by what was going on or the fact a number of weapon's were aimed at him. Once he was a few feet away from them, the insiders guns lowered, he straightened his clothes, and smoothed back his hair, seeming to stand taller. Flicking his teeth with a tsk sound, he looked at the men behind him and raised an eyebrow as if to say, "Do you see your mistake yet?"

Then he turned to the three main people of the room, ignoring the weapons on his back. He stepped forward, his demeanor matching that of his fathers in this moment. "The kind that wants to be prepared to surprise his opponents if need be. I intended to let Felicity handle this on her own, give my kid sister a chance to spread her wings and just stay in the shadows in case I was needed, but seeing as to how your thugs here have ruined the chance for her to make an impression on her own, I guess I can step in and introduce myself. After all, it's not like Felicity could have done all this without a financial backer." He looked pointedly at his sister as if daring her to contradict him.

Stepping forward, he extended his hand to Sully first, "Sully, nice to see you again. Heard your sister is on the mend in the right way, glad to hear it." His eyes met Sully and tried to convey for him to just go along with it and follow his lead. Then he turned to Jon, "Alfred Walker, financial backer for my sister, and mentor on her little excursion here. Don't worry, I don't intend to interfere in the business, but as an older brother, hopefully you can understand the very primal need to protect our own." While his voice was pleasant and businesslike, there was still an underlying senses of threat when he talked about the need to protect his sister.

He looked around at all the boxes and quickly started to do the math. This was going to be hell. A sneer came across his face as he crossed his arms over his chest, making sure his right hand casually went under the left to grip the end of the revolver. "Did good with this place Felicity, I didn't think you'd be able to turn a slum shack into a decent looking facility. Looks like I was right to entrust you with my money. Though, my understanding of this was tonight was only going to be a meeting to discuss the future. Looks like Jon here jumped the gun." He turned around and eyed Jon with a casual but observing look. "You do understand since you've sped up the time line, you're going to need to extend the initial due date on return as we are still preparing workers, distributors and handlers, correct?" Though his heart was pounding inside, never having handled something like this before, he channeled every ounce of his father he could, imaging how he would act, what he would say, how he would respond to everything going on around him and just hoped it would pass the test of the watching eyes.

Misty Gray - Felicity
BeyondDandy - Sully

 

[Misty Gray]

The Crown Pub
- Small Heath, Birmingham, England -

Felicity Walker​

Upon hearing the knock at the door, Felicity had regained her serious and stern expression. sending a single nod Sully's way when he confirmed they had company. She maintained a straight posture, natural to her from not only years spent practising ballet but also always being told to stand properly by her elders.

Felicity watched on as the white van pulled into the warehouse, all the while keeping focused on what was happening and looking out for anything that seemed untoward. Once the vehicle was fully inside and Sully had closed the warehouse door, she let out a deep breath. Part of her was beginning to berate herself for being in this situation alone, as far as not having other Walkers present was concerned. However, she was stubborn and she'd committed this far into it to not let herself get cold feet now. As such, she maintained a stony expression to ensure her confidence was reflected.

She watched as the men got out of the vehicle. Her eyes were particularly focused on the passenger as the man climbed out of the van and shouted Sully's name. The older man clearly looked good for his age and certainly looked like he could handle himself. Even if she hadn't worked it out by now, it was clear enough by his accent that he was the American in question.

Felicity observed as Jon and Sully greeted each other in a familiar, friendly manner. This at least gave her some assurance things were going to go smoothly. Sully soon focused the attention on Felicity as he introduced her to Jon. She reached out to shake his hand as he introduced himself, but was caught slightly by surprise when he kissed her hand. It certainly wasn't the first time a man had done that, but she hadn't expected it from this one. "It's a pleasure to meet you too, Mr Russo," she told him in return, flashing a professional smile.

Felicity suddenly felt concerned about the meeting as Sully was surprised to see the other men begin to unload goods from the truck. Catching the wink Jon sent her way, Felicity's expression turned once again stern and serious. It quickly became clear Jon wasn't sticking to the plans he'd made with Sully. She was about to intervene and tell them to put everything back into the van until they were ready for it. However, Jon was clearly having none of that as he firmly told Sully the drugs were not going back to London with him. Glancing around at the men, Felicity knew better than to protest, given that she and Sully would be outnumbered in that regard.

Felicity was not happy with how this was going down. Did Sully know this was going to happen? Jon addressed her directly, asking if she understood how things were going to go. "I understand," she flatly began, knowing it wasn't wise to refuse at this stage. "Though it isn't good business practice to change the terms of a deal without clearing it with all parties," she asserted.

The frosty atmosphere was soon taken into an even worse direction when three more men entered the building. Felicity sucked in a breath when Sully pulled her away from the guns and out of perceived danger. It became apparent that Jon's friends had Alfie with them. What the hell was her brother doing there? "Wait!" she protested. She tightened her jaw as Sully explained who Alfie was. "Yes, he's my brother," she confirmed, forcing herself to maintain a calm demeanour to hide the fact Alfie really wasn't meant to be there.

When Alfie spoke up to explain the situation, Felicity found herself unable to do anything other than go along with what he was saying. Everything she was working hard towards; proving she was capable of doing things on her own, was being rapidly undone as her brother said he was there as backup in case she needed him. He even told them he was her financial backer, once more undermining everything she'd done to get the warehouse set up. She couldn't exactly correct him and retain the credit that was owed to her now.

"As much as I'd love to take full credit for all of this," she said, outstretching her arms to signal the warehouse, "I needed my brother's help to make sure I could get everything in place for our setup tonight," she casually assured Jon.

When Alfie complimented her on what she'd done to the place, she smiled back at him. "That will teach you to underestimate my ability to turn a place around. This isn't just a man's world, you know," she remarked back at him, sending Jon an amused smirk. When her brother pointed out Jon had jumped the gun, Felicity glanced at Sully before fixing her eyes on the Italian-American to see how he responded to that observation and the ramifications of jumping the gun. All the while, she became aware of the difference in her brother. She knew their father was now priming Alfie as his heir in light of Charles's death, but she'd never expected to see the changes in her brother so soon. He really must have been spending a lot of time around Robert. Granted, he already had the sleeping around part down to a T.

BeyondDandy (Sully) BasDorcha (Alfie)

 

[Misty Gray]

The Walker Residence
- Edgbaston, Birmingham, England -

Robert Walker​

Despite the serious nature of the topic, Robert couldn't help but smile at the flippant way Thomas recited the keywords of his story to confirm he was paying attention. Had anyone else answered him in such an abrupt way, Robert might have criticised them for it. But his youngest son had an excuse for it. "Okay. Good," he said when Thomas seemed to be following along with him and didn't have any immediate questions.

"I spent two months in that horrendous cell, as Max tortured me on a physical and psychological level. All the while, I was led to believe he'd killed Richard, along with giving in to the idea that I would never see your mother or Charles again. Max and his Nazi friends wanted me to give them information about your Grandfather Edward's oil business. Starved, electrocuted, waterboarded, subjected to sick experiments... you name it and those bastards did it. I was ripped apart and reduced to a shell of a man by the time Richard tracked me down. A gaunt bag of bones," he explained, recalling the severe malnutrition and weight loss he'd experienced in that time. "By that point, I'd found myself wishing for death on many occasions. But... as I'd saved Richard's life in Manston, he saved mine in Casablanca. It was a torturous fight to escape, but with his and Ava's help, we managed it."

Robert drank some more water, his hand trembling as he gripped the glass. "As we were fleeing across the desert to get to the plane that would take us back to Cairo, Max caught up with us. Unfortunately, his wife was shot in the crossfire and she died in front of us. Max shot Richard in the shoulder and was going to kill him, blaming him for Ava's death. So I slaughtered the Nazi bastard before he could kill my brother."

Robert paused as the memories flooded back to him, as fresh as they were thirty years ago. "Not only is that the reason why Richard will always be my brother, regardless of not being by blood, but... Well, what happened at the gala has brought the flashbacks and nightmares back in full force. Seeing Richard bleeding out..." Robert cleared his throat to compose himself. "Despite that, the fact remains that my experiences during the war may have been my undoing at one point, but they eventually made me stronger and more determined. So whilst I'm admittedly struggling with past demons at this moment in time, I will not take an attack on our family lightly. Every harsh decision or command I have made in our family is for the purpose of keeping you all safe. Preparing you all to think fast and protect yourselves."

neverbackdown (Thomas)

 

[Misty Gray]

Temple Street Cafe
- Birmingham City Centre, Birmingham, England -

Tony Fletcher​

When Richard told him to get his affairs in order, Marco lowered his head. He didn't have any family. His neglectful and physically abusive parents had been dead to him even before he ran away from home in his teens. He doubted they'd lost much sleep over losing him, just as he'd feel nothing if he learned they had actually died since he last saw them. The Fletchers had become the closest family to him since, but he suspected life and business would go on without him. There was nobody dependent on him and he didn't have much in terms of money or material possessions to his name. Getting his "affairs in order" seemed like the easiest part of all of this. Except for Penny. Of everyone, he believed she would be the one most affected by all of this, just as he knew leaving her would be the hardest part of all. Marco wasn't sure how to get through that part.

"I'll help you sort things out," Tony reassured Marco, resting a firm hand on his friend's back for a short time. Marco simply nodded, clearly having already accepted his fate and given in to defeat.

Tony pulled his hand away from Marco and fixed his eyes on Richard when the older man made clear he wasn't going to rush straight back to Robert to tell him the truth. He nodded to confirm his understanding when told Robert couldn't suspect anything, that they would have until the election before the truth had to come out. Of course, if pressed, Richard would tell Robert the truth. "We can. We can make Marco invisible," Tony assured Richard as he sent his friend a empathic glance. "I guess this means you'll be getting my vote then," he drily remarked - his natural mechanism to try lighten dire situations.

When the older man then said the Fletchers needed to cause a distraction to keep the Walkers busy, Tony straightened his posture. That was a situation he was far more comfortable and capable of managing. "I can do that," he replied, his voice sounding more sure than it had the whole time they'd been in the cafe.

It wasn't easy to think about when the time to arrest Marco would come, but both Tony and Marco appreciated the idea of ensuring none of the police on Robert's payroll would be the ones to seize him.

"I appreciate all of the effort you're both going to," Marco thanked them. "But if this is all too much, too risky, I can just hand myself in now."

"He's right, we appreciate your help, Richard," Tony was quick to speak up, wanting to rule out the latter option Marco had given. "Marco. If you hand yourself in now, you'll be lucky to last until your trial. And if you did live long enough, then there's still worse things than death," Tony bluntly told his friend. "This buys us time to control the situation and protect your arse."

ReverseTex (Richard)

 

[BeyondDandy]

The Crown Pub
- Small Heath, Birmingham -

JON RUSSO
​

Felicity came face to face with their new partner. Jon looked down at her for confirmation that their guest was actually her brother as he fixed the pistol in his belt. She confirmed it. Jon turned and lifted a finger. He signalled his men to stand down. Sully gazed at the bulging vein that ran from Jon’s temple to the edge of his hairline. It wasn’t there before. But he’d seen it back in London. It was his sign of frustration. This wasn’t good. Bad actually. Sully was prepared to step in but Jon moved first.

“I didn’t know this would be a family affair,” Jon expressed as he fixed the buttons on his coat and cracked his neck before facing their guest.

Alfie approached the group. Jon’s goons followed close behind like shadows. They held their guns at ready, not risking the safety of their boss. Sully was forced forward. He extended his hand at Alfie. He threw his left arm over his shoulder and pulled him close in embrace. He brought his lips to Alfie’s ear so no one could hear him.

“Don’t fuck this up,” he whispered, begging internally for all this to work out.

With a fake smile, Sully told Alfie that it was nice to see him as well and thanked him for his kind words about Rory. He felt like a kid back in theater. He clenched his jaw and kept his eyes fixed on the man as he backed away next to Felicity, shoulder to shoulder. Jon then slid in for an introduction.

“Jon Russo,” the American said, firmly gripping Alfie’s hand and testing him.

A handshake. A firm handshake was a way for men to evaluate another man’s manhood. By how tight they squeezed, Jon assessed if Alfie was worth his attention. A firm shake meant business, a loose shake meant weakness. The young man however did not disappoint. The handshake was strong. It was assertive and demanded respect. Jon flashed a tooth-full grin and let Alfie have his moment.

“I like this one,” Jon said to Sully after he explained his stance in their business.

The American turned to Felicity who found herself under her brother's thumb. A financial backer meant she didn’t have much reach inside her own organization. Warehouse decorator wasn’t necessarily shot caller worthy. Jon didn’t sense her to be one to ask for help, but Brit women worked differently so he gave her the benefit of the doubt. It became obvious to him this was her way of climbing the family ladder, something Jon was very familiar with. A girl like her wouldn’t have involved herself in this otherwise.

“I’ve seen women in this line of work harder than men,” Jon said, winking at her again.

Jon turns back to Alfie.

“I apologise for my men. They were simply doing their job. I wasn’t made aware this would be a family affair,” Jon explained.

The vein on his forehead had vanished. He’d become more relaxed. The Walkers' light bickering made Jon reminisce on his own family back home. He was reminded of specific memories of his niece, Paula. She was like a daughter to him. Felicity looked like an adult version of her.

“Family is important. Isn’t that right?” He addressed Felicity.

Sully turned from Alfie to Felicity. He shifted his gaze and fixated on her. Her body language. Her presence. Her breathing. She wasn’t wavering. Not giving anything. He was amazed. He felt guilty for putting her in this situation. He should have known better. But what other option did he have? Sully had no reach outside of his own family and couldn’t have trusted any of them with this plan. He just hoped they could pull it off at this point with no one ending up in the morgue.

“Anyway…” Jon Started, looking back at his men who had finished unloading their truck and started closing shop.

He signalled the driver to toss him a brick. The driver removed a box cutter from his back pocket, slit the tape off the box nearest him and walked a brick over to Jon. He handed his box the same cutter. Jon turned towards the trio and gently dug the knife through the cover. A minuscule puff of white smoke released between them as he then scooped a gram of white powder on the edge of the knife.

“You see this. This is grade A, one hundred percent pure Peruvian cocaine. Over there they call it arena blanca, white sand. Not very creative but gets the point across. One of these blocks back home runs you twenty thousand. Here in England however, you’re looking at thirty to forty. American dollars of course. But you’ll sell it by the quarter. Make more that way.” Jon explained.

“Two weeks is all I can give you. You must understand that I have deadlines myself Mr. Walker. But in the spirit of negotiations, here’s a treat…”

With the steady hand of a surgeon, Jon handed Alfie the box cutter. The edge of the knife carried the arena blanca like a server at a restaurant. Jon smirked and watched as Alfie was put to his final test. How invested was he really? The goons behind him adjusted their grips on their weapons. Sully noticed the driver and loader move their hands to their waistbands over his shoulder. He turned to Jon to see the vein on his temple reappear. He looked at Alfie with wide eyes and gulped.

“Please, this one’s on me,” Jon said.

He turns to Felicity and hands her the entire brick.

“This one's for you dear.”

Misty Gray
BasDorcha

 

[Bellz]

Dorothy Fletcher's House
- Aston, Birmingham, England -

Dorothy Fletcher​

The past two weeks after the attack had been filled with constant reminders—reminders of why Dorothy had distanced herself from it all. People could think whatever they wanted about her current life, but she had crafted it as a refuge from the turmoil she had endured for years. Now, it seemed her own children were intent on dragging her back into that chaos, whether they meant to or not. Tony was safe for now, but she had lost sleep while he was held for questioning, the incident painfully reminiscent of her past experiences. However, she was thankful for Robert's help this time around. Rory was healing, but Dorothy checked on her nearly every day, either in person or over the phone.

It was a fresh day, now late in the afternoon, and Dorothy found herself unable to do much. Instead, she nervously picked at imperfections around her nail beds, wincing when she pulled too hard at her skin. Soft music played in the background, and her tea had gone cold about an hour ago, but she was lost in her thoughts. A harsh knock on her door was the only thing that could pull her from them, causing her head to snap up toward the entrance of her home. She wasn't expecting company.

Eyeing the kitchen knives to her left, Dorothy considered grabbing one but decided against it. She slowly rose from her seat and walked to the front door. Peering through the window, she saw Caroline standing outside. Dorothy dipped back down, her eyes narrowing in confusion. What the hell was she doing here?

The lock turned, then another, and the door opened to reveal Dorothy's cool expression. "Caroline," she greeted simply. The woman appeared to be trying to stay as calm and collected as Dorothy. One of Dorothy’s dark brows shot up in question as Caroline mentioned they needed to talk and that now would be a good time if she wasn’t busy. Dorothy considered pulling her leg and claiming she was terribly busy and to come back another day, but the look on Caroline's face stopped her.

Glancing past Caroline to the left and then to the right, to ensure no one had followed her or was watching them, Dorothy opened her door. "Please, come in." She stepped aside to allow Caroline inside. Once Caroline stepped in, Dorothy shut the door and watched as she looked around for a moment. "Sitting room is to the left." Dorothy followed behind her, wary.

When both women were seated across from one another, Dorothy watched Caroline intently. "I assume you didn’t come here to spit hate at me like you normally do. Is everything alright?"
with: Caroline Misty Gray

 

[Misty Gray]

Dorothy Fletcher's House
- Aston, Birmingham, England -

Caroline Walker​

Caroline was grateful when Dorothy invited her inside. The last thing she wanted was any kind of slanging match on the woman's front door step, especially not with what she needed to speak about. She entered the house and briefly took in her surroundings before being pointed in the direction of the living room. "You're home alone, aren't you?" she asked for confirmation. The last thing either of them needed was for anyone to hear their conversation.

Once she was sitting across from Dorothy, Caroline studied the woman for a short while. There had been a time, many years ago, that the women would sit together chatting as friends. Over glasses of wine, they got along well. Of course, all of that had ended when she learned of Robert's affair with Dorothy. Any civil word since then had been forced and for public show. Caroline scoffed at the other woman's comment about her usually spitting hate at her. "No. I thought I'd take a day off from that today," she drily remarked, though her usual scathing tone sounded somewhat extinguished.

"I'm not here to argue, but everything is not alright," she assured her. "I'm concerned about Robert," she simply told her. Oblivious to the recent meeting her husband had with Dorothy and unaware of the feelings that exchange had reignited within Robert, Caroline's concerns were not about the woman across from her. "I don't want to think about what kind of conversations you and him got into when you were screwing behind my back. But even from the time when we were all friends, you would have gathered Robert isn't the heartless man he will have his rivals believe. He's too sentimental for his own good..." she trailed off.

She crossed her legs and rested her hands on her knees as she thought over her next words. "My husband is an expert at keeping secrets - he spent two months being interrogated by some Nazi bastard and he didn't budge. But since Charles was killed and now since the attack at the gala, he's thinking too much and he's struggling with our secret. The one the three of us swore to keep to ourselves," she said, unaware her husband had recently come clean to Richard about everything. "I need your help to make sure it stays buried. He's been concerned about Rory since the attack, and that will be a problem for all of us if the truth comes out. Nobody can find out that she's his daughter!"

Bellz (Dorothy)
Mentions/Juicy Gossip: neverbackdown BeyondDandy BasDorcha ReverseTex purplecowdutch

 

[BasDorcha]

The Crown Pub

- Small Heath, Birmingham -​

Alfred Walker

Alfie didn't want to be involved in this, not now not ever, but that didn't stop him from stepping up to the plate in a moment of critical need. If he faltered at this time, they would all be dead. He had a role to play and he would play it, even if it meant pissing off Felicity, undermining everything she had done, and then dealing with her later - a rager to be sure. It would not be pleasant for either of them when this was over, and if Sully thought he was getting out of that conversation he was so very wrong. The look on Felicity's face said it all. She was not happy that Alfie had pretty much walked in and taken credit for everything, but it was in the end, a man's world and he figured it would look better for her, and protect her, for them to know she wasn't in this alone. Though after tonight, he might die from the shock of it all and she'd be alone anyways.

As Felicity fell in with the act as if it was truth, he relaxed a fragment. He watched the scene around him, he tried to calculate what was coming and he groaned as he realized the testing was just beginning. His sisters teasing brought a smile to his face, which he pushed internally to big bigger and more at ease as if this was a normal situation and he was accepting a sibling barb. "You got me sis, I'll make sure to give you your due going forward." The hidden underlying threat was she was going to get what was coming for her, that was for sure. He stood back, refraining from panic pacing around the place, ignoring the obvious red flags and the guns that were itching for a reason to fire. He would not give them what they wanted.

As the men finally stood down, Alfie took in the appearance of Jon. The man looked tense, a vein obviously throbbing at his temple. Hopefully, it would calm down as he realized that a calm mood would be needed. As the man stated he didn't know it would be a family affair, Alfie saw a moment to give Felicity back some of her control. "I'm really just a silent partner, Felicity is handing all of this herself, but surely you know what it's like wanting to protect someone close to you. I'll admit, I'm a little over protective, but who wouldn't be. It's in our genetics, isn't it men? We want to shield those most precious so us, even as they fly the nest on their own." Smiling at Felicity, he gave her a tender look, "Sorry I ruined your moment. I just wanted to make sure you were okay, next time I'll keep my brotherly urges in check." Sully's arm was suddenly around him, making him internally cringe though he was still stoic and steady on the outside.

"Of course Sully, not a problem at all. You let me know if you need anything for Rory, poor girl didn't deserve none of that." He was eager to shake the man, but couldn't do it publicly, leaving him relieved when the man finally backed away and stood by his sister. Mentally, Alfie had a flash of sounding them out like a principal in school shaking down two truant students. He held his tongue for their sake. When Jon Russo came up to shake his hand, he gripped it back firmly, with the tightness of ones of skin. He would not be the first to relent on this. When Jon finally let go, he gave a friendly and professional smile, nodding to him as a thanks for letting him make his position known.

When Russo said he liked him, he grinned and winked at the two cohorts that he really wanted to lay into. So far so good. "Aye, Felicity works harder than me, that's for sure. She will show 'em all, I'm sure. Otherwise I wouldn't have put my trust in her." He said this pointedly, looking his sister directly in the eyes. "I have no doubt that she'll stay a harder worker than most of the men either. You made a good choice with this one, she'll surprise us all." He really did believe in his sister, even if he didn't agree with how she was going about doing all this. As Russo apologized again, Alfie waved a hand dismissively. It was out of nowhere for both of them, even if the roles were reversed Alfie would have responded the same way.

Alfie watched at it turned back to the business at hand. Within a fraction of second, he saw where this was turning and mentally prepared. It had been years since Alfie had used. As a young teen and young adult, of course he had partied, taken his fair share of illicit substances, but it had indeed been a number of years. Still, this man, this American, would want concrete evidence that they were dedicated. Alfie listened intently, running the numbers in his head. If he could, he'd rub his forehead, stressing over what this meant they would need to do. The amount of business they would have to do now to make back this money was for lack of a better word, insane. They did not have the network to run this much product. His sister and Sully had really fucked up. How were they going to move all this? Alfie instantly started making plans in his head to dig his sister out of this hole - as for Sully he'd have to take care of him to. At this point, they were a bonded pair, if one of them failed, they both failed. The anger he felt realizing that would come later.

He nodded to Russo, "Of course." It was the only phrase he gave the man, causal and at ease as the man explained how they'd sell it. Did this guy not know that they weren't entry level street thugs? At the very least, he knew the business well enough to know how to break down a brick. The man proceeded to offer a "negotiation", but really it was the third test. He could kill his sister, really. He wanted to argue that two weeks was not enough time, but it would be better to move what they can and negotiate at the time of return, at least then they could offer a decent sum to buy them some time. This was getting worse by the moment and now Alfie was trapped in the middle. How would his father handle this? All the things Alfie wanted to do at this moment to express his feelings were suppressed, building to be released after this shit show was over.

As if it was the most natural thing in the world, Alfie nodded and took the boxcutter, mentally preparing himself for the burn he was about to feel. If this was as pure as he was claiming, this was going to be both amazing and horrible at the same time. Still, he refused to show any weakness. Sully was panicking beside him, he could feel it. Moving quickly to distract from Sully's building meltdown, he looked at Felicity as she was handed the brick, winked, and said, "Bottom's up."

Holding one side of his nose closed, he snorted up the pile of powder like a professional. Instantly his blood rushed through his body, his eyes blooming as his pupils dilated and felt the drug go to work on his system. He gave an extra snort to clear his nose, sucking down even more of the powder and burning his cavities. His eyes watered a bit, but he didn't cry or let it fall, a grin cracking across his face. Okay, so it was as good as the man said it was. A buzz bolted through his head as he felt like laughing but refrained from it. This wouldn't be as hard to move as he thought once word got out that something this good and this pure was hitting the streets. His sister might have lucked out. He looked at the two of them as he closed the box cutter and stuck it in his pocket. "You have good product indeed, Mr. Russo. Felicity, you'll soon have more customers than you can shake a stick at, as they say." Turning away from the dastardly due, he looked back at Russo and gave him a serious look as best he could in the new high state, which by the way was still pretty damn good.

"Though this is starting as a family affair, know that my sister is the one in charge here. This was her proposal, she's handled everything up to this point, I don't intend on interfering unless she needs to past this point. A little brotherly concern over sisters first big dance couldn't be helped tonight. I hope you'll treat her with the respect you'd give your own sister. If you ever need me though, you know where to find me." This was said for the sake of all of them, especially his sister and as a way of a calm but promising threat. "Let's finish discussing the important matters here, seems like we have work to get to." And an argument to get out of the way once he laid into the two that would stay back once Russo and his crew left.

Misty Gray & BeyondDandy - TweedleDee and TweedleDumb

 

[ReverseTex]

Temple Street Cafe
Birmingham City Centre, Birmingham, England
Monday, December 1, 1975
Misty Gray

Dr. Richard Finley

​

Richard nodded, satisfied that Tony would keep his half of the bargain. If he lacked a moral compass, then he could care less what Robert did with him. But, regardless of family or background, he didn’t like the idea of this kid dying unjustly. He’d seen the worst of humanity with his own eyes, even at the expense of his own hands. This time could be different. He could try to sew peace instead of violence for once.

“Glad we’re on the same page, boys.” He replied matter of factly. If all the dominos fell into place, then Marco could be imprisoned and alive. A more than fair outcome for murdering his nephew. “No one can trace that you were here, Marco. As soon as you step out those doors, you’re as good as gone to the world. If anyone finds out I met with you, then I can’t protect you.” He reminded them firmly. “Robert’s driver brought me here, so he’s well-aware I'm meeting with you,” pointing at Tony, he continued. “And that’s enough to raise an eyebrow.”

 

[Misty Gray]

The Crown Pub
- Small Heath, Birmingham, England -

Felicity Walker​

Felicity had little choice but to watch as the three men flexed their egos, with Jon seeming particularly keen on coming out as the dominant male. Alfie spoke up in ways that redeemed him a little, as he explained he was a silent partner and she was handling everything. Him being overprotective was right. Hell, that was another thing she'd had to put up with growing up, from her father, older brothers and others in the family. She and Diana of course had to put up with that, supposedly being fragile young women! When Alfie apologised for ruining her moment, she nodded her head. "Don't dwell on it, Alfie. As long as we can all move forward and focus on our business here."

She had to maintain an unmoved expression at the ludicrous sight that was Sully Fletcher putting his arm over her brother's shoulder and Alfie letting him keep it there.

Jon soon appeared to relax, apparently accepting the "family affair" story. She didn't like having to go along with it, but she knew it was better to swallow her pride. Something members of her family weren't always good at doing. "Family is the most important thing," Felicity echoed his words. That was easy to say because it was the truth to her. As much as they annoyed her at times and no matter how much she'd resented her father's strictness over the years, she would always care about them more than anyone else.

After Alfie assured Jon that Felicity was a hard worker and a good choice to oversee things, she nodded her her once to confirm. She'd displayed modesty a lot in her younger years, not wanting to seem too proud of her achievements out of fear of alienating her peers who already made her feel unwelcome. As she got older, she learned she had to show pride in herself if she was ever going to be taken seriously. It had been a challenge to earn the chance to prove herself capable of running the hotel with her father, but she'd done it. So she wasn't about to play down her abilities now, not when this situation was even bigger than running the hotel. "No, you gentlemen won't be disappointed," she assured them. This was a huge deal and she was fully aware of how risky it all was, but she couldn't buckle and show weakness now. Over the years, she'd been accused of being cold, or an "ice-queen", but in times like this she supposed it worked in her favour. She was able to maintain a tough and unfazed exterior. The attack at the gala a few weeks ago had only served to reinforce those walls around her.

Jon soon got things moving, having one of his men toss over a brick. Felicity watched on as the man processed to cut into it and hold out the box-cutter towards Alfie, the white powder on the end catching their attention. She was aware of the other men shifting to grip their weapons as her brother was put to the test. Surely he wouldn't go ahead and do it, but it was clear he didn't have any choice in the matter if he wanted everyone to stay calm and for things to end peacefully. She observed as her brother went along with it. He snorted the drugs, perhaps too convincingly, but she wasn't about to pass judgement given it was exactly what he needed to do.

Jon then handed the entire brick to Felicity. "Thank you. Appreciated," she told him as she accepted it, gripping the brick in her well-manicured hand.

Alfie once more pointed out that his sister was in charge of this operation and that he wasn't going to interfere. She managed a smile when he requested Jon treated her with respect. His suggestion of finishing up their discussion was met with an agreeable nod from her. Two weeks to shift everything was a tight deadline; one they needed to figure out when Jon wasn't present. The Walkers had contacts and some young adults of the higher classes were likely customers, especially the students and spoiled rich kids. But Sully was a Fletcher. As much as it had often been looked down on by her, his family had friends and contacts in low places. Ones who had more reach in this trade.

Still holding the brick in one hand, she placed the other on top of it. "Alright. How about we finish up these negotiations? Two weeks, yes?" she confirmed to Jon as she made eye-contact with him.

BeyondDandy (Sully) BasDorcha (Alfie)

 

[BeyondDandy]

The Crown Pub
- Small Heath, Birmingham -

JON RUSSO
​

As Alfie removed the powder from Russo's hands, the American's grin increased. He looked over at Felicity and shrugged as if to tell her, 'watch this.' The surrounding men started to cheer Alfie on, as if at a faternity party. Despite not having attended college, Russo was fond of a good party - and this was becoming one.

Like a magician, Alfie made the arena blanca disappear. Russo clapped and hoped for an unusual experience. Uncontrollable body functions were common in most people. Alfie however was able to handle it with great skill. He was a talented entertainer.

“Good stuff right?” Russo reiterated. He laughed and looked over at Sully.

“Want some, kid?” He asked.

Sully smiled with his palms up, nodding. Russo chuckled and took the box cutter back from Alfie, sliding it down his pocket. Alfie's explanation to Russo that Felicity would be taking charge of the operation led to an awkward silence. Russo's expression changed and the crewmen went quiet. The right side of his face fell as he clicked his tongue against his teeth. He bobbed his head to think. He shifted his attention to Felicity.

“I'm certain you are more than capable of handling this operation. You remind me so much of my daughter Mia. She’s a firecracker. But…” he started.

“Your brother here,” Russo pointed at Alfie.

“He has it! And darling, I don’t know if you do. So I want him to be a part of this. I like him. Hell, I like all of you! Together, we were going to make a lot of money!" Russo exclaimed, patting Alfie on the shoulder.

“But I want you leading this charge. No offense Sully,” Russo nodded, rubbing his chin.

Sully bit his bottom lip and clenched his fist. He wanted nothing more than to wack Alfie right there and then. He felt so powerless.

“You got a knack for business, kid. Just like your old man.” Russo expressed.

The two Walkers made an effort to wrap up their affairs. It was clear to Russo that he had exceeded his welcome.

“Yes, of course. Two weeks. I’ll return then to collect and drop of a second load. I’ve spoke with Sully about specifics, he can fill you in with all the details. I won’t bore you with them.”

Sully nodded in agreement. Russo raised his hand and instructed his men to finish everything. The driver and loader headed back to their box truck while the security detail exited the same door they came in. Felicity received Russo's hand first, Alfie second, and Sully last, all with a gentle smile. Before examining his watch, he flashed Felcicity a wink.

“It was a pleasure to meet you all, but other business calls! Nice to see you again, Sully. I’ll see you all in two weeks! Cheerio!”

While Russo climbed into the truck, Sully proceeded to pull the chains on the garage door. He raised the door to allow the truck to pass through. As the V8 engine accelerated away from the bay, it left behind a cloud of dark smoke in its wake. Russo waved from the passenger seat as the white truck disappeared down the street. Sully slowly released the chains, enclosing himself with the Walker siblings.

He clenched his fist again and cursed.

“Fuuuuuuuck!” The empty building was filled with echoes of his voice.

He retreated towards Alfie like a raged animal.

“What the fuck are you doing here?! We could’ve been bloody killed because of you!” He yelled, shoving Alfie back.

He turned towards Felicity.

“Did you fucking know about this?!”

Misty Gray
BasDorcha

 

[Misty Gray]

Temple Street Cafe
- Birmingham City Centre, Birmingham, England -

Tony Fletcher and Marco Alessi​

Tony understood how risky it was to have met Richard on his own. Knowing Robert was aware and had sent Richard to the cafe with one of his drivers might have been concerning. However, with so much heat on him already - all of which for things he wasn't to blame for - Tony determined he was at no more risk than any other day. He understood Richard had needed to go out of his way too, no doubt having to return to Robert with details of what had happened during their meeting.

Something that was certain was Marco couldn't be seen at the table with them by the wrong people. "Alright, Marco. That's your cue to leave. Just act normal and get somewhere safe. You need to call me tonight and I'll give you further instructions. I need to sort out somewhere safe for you before then." Tony wasn't concerned Marco would do a runner. Hell, he was more worried that he wasn't intending to. He'd rather his friend was safe and free, but Marco was insistent on facing punishment for what he'd done. Tony respected that but also thought it was stupid not to take the chance to get away from it all.

Once Marco had left them, Tony focused back on Richard. "I figure Robert's driver will escort you to the man himself to feed back on this..." Tony trailed off. "What are you going to tell him. Just so we get our stories straight. That boss... brother... whatever he is to you. He ain't shy about coming rocking up in my shop demanding information out of me. I usually perform best when I've got the story straight in my head," he remarked.

Regardless of the answer, Tony decided they both needed to be leaving. He had to sort out a safe house for Marco. He pulled out some cash from his wallet and left enough on the table to cover both of their orders. "I hope you have a good Christmas," he told Richard as he stood up. Christmas Eve was only a week away, but recent events had knocked the festivity out of Tony, and he was usually the biggest child at this time of year. Now, he'd be happy enough if he and his family simply made it to the new year in one piece.

ReverseTex (Richard)