Things had been running smooth for Daniel all week. He had no problem from the screws and those who hadn't accepted his "loyalty packages" had been convinced that maybe it was the right choice after all.
The other cons all had an unspoken respect for Daniel and Daniel for them. They were what kept his business going and he was what kept their fixes coming. He provided a service that no one else is Guildhall prison could match.
Daniels son had been transferred to Guildhall six months earlier and had been helping out his old man with business. Paulie had always been a good worker and had never let his dad down.
Daniel sat next to Paulie on the hard prison cell bed. The old matress screamed under Daniels large behind.
He was a big man. Not in the sense of big, broad shouldered muscular body. But more in the sense of large, beer bellied, meaty frame. Someone had once said pop an apple in Daniels mouth and stick him on a spit and you would eat meat better than any pork for a week. The same man also said "No please Daniel I beg you. God noooo!"
Daniel put his large flabby arm over his sons shoulder and spoke to him in the same soft, husky voice his own father had spoken to him at times of great importance.
"Now Paulie, you do realise the importance of this job, don't you?" He looked at Paulie from the tops of his eyes.
"No worries dad, everything will run smooth as clockwork." Daniel gave his son a smile, he was proud of his boy and was not afraid to show him. Paulie had done a good job of finding the extra supplier while he was outside. It was a pity the man only dealt with Paulie.
"Good man." He kissed his son on the forehead and left the cell.
Paulie dragged himself off his bed and made his way over to the small bedside table he had propped up against the wall. The folded beer mat holding the shorter leg of the table in place. He looked himself in the mirror and ran his callused hands over his chin. He was beginning to look tired and worn like his old man. Although he was still trim and in good shape, his shoulders had begun to sag and his stomach was beginning to pot slightly. He let out a long sigh and ran his slender fingers through his tasselled brown hair. He missed being able to shower when he liked.
There was a knock at the door.
He looked over his shoulder and saw his good friend Billy "the rat" Creahan standing in the doorway.
"Come in Billy, take a seat." Billy obliged and sat on the end of Paulie's bed. Billy was nervous and Paulie had picked up on this from the knock.
"Paulie, I can't do this." He trembled with every word and he spat the sentence out like it made his mouth taste bad.
"Nonsense, Billy it's simple. You just find your four men and wait with me for him." He said in a very calm almost nonchalant tone. He lit a prison rolled cigarette and inhaled deeply whilst craning his neck.
"But I've been loyal to old Dan for nearly ten years!" Billy spluttered.
"It's his time, Billy." Paulie said, his voice not changing. "Every son takes over his old man's business."
Billy scurried out of the cell mumbling to himself. Paulie looked at the clock, three hours until he met with Billy again. That was the problem with his dad, he was too trusting. He wouldn't ever think about how other cons may betray him, let alone his own son.
"Well he is going to learn now." Paulie said to himself with menace in his voice. He locked his bedside table and made his way down to the hall for lunch.
He always sat alone, Paulie was not the easiest of men to get along with. Plus he was the bosses son. You wouldn't want to find yourself on the wrong side of the son of the man who once had a man skinned for getting too friendly with his daughter. He noticed Daniel sitting over at his table with all his drones. How he couldn't spot their deceit he didn't know. He gave his dad a warm, fake smile and began to eat his dinner.
"He's up to something." Daniel said to his right hand man George.
"Nah Boss, he's your son, he loves you." George said, in a bit of a struggle on whether to agree and get his leg broken for speaking ill of the bosses son, or to disagree and risk getting the boss upset.
"Yes but I noticed today how much like me he is. And if I were him I would be planning something right about now. What better time to overthrow the boss than at the height of his power?"
"You want me to have it looked into, Boss?"
"You do that George. You have an hour to find out what is happening."
"Right Boss."
Paulie looked up at Daniel and Daniel gave his son the same smile his son had given him only a couple of minutes ago. Paulie's back tingled a little.
After lunch Paulie went into the allotment to wait for Billy and his men. About ten minutes passed when he finally spotted the rat.
Billy walked across the allotment over to Paulie with four large bald headed men in tow.
"Excellent, Billy." Said Paulie "Now we wait."
"I'm not happy about this Paulie." He replied shuffling his feet, his eyes wandering every other way. He looked at his watch.
"Don't you worry, Billy everything will run smooth as clockwork." The guards had all been given a ten minute break on Daniels say so and the cameras were off.
Paulie noticed three men walking his way and smirked to himself.
"Aha here comes my heritage." He chuckled.
The men sidled over to him.
"Here's our package." The man said. "Where's yours?"
"Where's my old man?" Said Paulie obviously noticing that his Dad hadn't attended the business meeting in person as usual
"I'm right here, son." Daniel walked out from behind a greenhouse and smiled knowingly at his pride and joy.
"Now, where is your package?" Said Daniel huskily.
Thoughts began racing through Paulie's head. He knows something, he is acting strange. That god damn Billy the rat has said something!
"You cheating little fuck!" Screamed Paulie as he turned and hit Billy straight in the mouth. Three of the seven hired men, grabbed and held Paulie tightly. Another man brought a handkerchief to Paulie's mouth, gagged him and tied it tight at the back. He struggled but the three men were much too strong. The fourth man then punched Paulie full force in the kidneys.
"Now Paulie." Said Daniel in the same husky voice that accentuated importance. "You do realise what you have done don't you?"
Paulie threw himself everyway trying to escape the grasp of the three men, but wasted his energy in vain. He tried to kick the man behind him but kicked only air.
"You tried to screw over the Boss, your old man."
Paulie' eyes began to well up. He was crying in shame as well as fear.
"There is an old saying I remember son. "If I survive, I will kill you. If I die, you are forgiven."" He said, his chest puffed out. "Well son, I survived. I hope you will forgive me."
Paulie threw up in his gag and had to swallow his own sick. His eyes widened in terror of what his dad may do to him, the taste of vomit burning his throat.
"I love you son, but I must kill you."
Sweat was beading on Paulies forehead and urine was pooling at the bottom of his shoe. He could feel himself growing weak and his eyes began to close.
"After all. If I let my own son betray me I'd be a fool right?"
He felt himself falling into a sleep.
"Trust no one Paulie." His father said whilst kissing him on the forehead. "and everything will run smooth."
Paulie collapsed into blackness.
The other cons all had an unspoken respect for Daniel and Daniel for them. They were what kept his business going and he was what kept their fixes coming. He provided a service that no one else is Guildhall prison could match.
Daniels son had been transferred to Guildhall six months earlier and had been helping out his old man with business. Paulie had always been a good worker and had never let his dad down.
Daniel sat next to Paulie on the hard prison cell bed. The old matress screamed under Daniels large behind.
He was a big man. Not in the sense of big, broad shouldered muscular body. But more in the sense of large, beer bellied, meaty frame. Someone had once said pop an apple in Daniels mouth and stick him on a spit and you would eat meat better than any pork for a week. The same man also said "No please Daniel I beg you. God noooo!"
Daniel put his large flabby arm over his sons shoulder and spoke to him in the same soft, husky voice his own father had spoken to him at times of great importance.
"Now Paulie, you do realise the importance of this job, don't you?" He looked at Paulie from the tops of his eyes.
"No worries dad, everything will run smooth as clockwork." Daniel gave his son a smile, he was proud of his boy and was not afraid to show him. Paulie had done a good job of finding the extra supplier while he was outside. It was a pity the man only dealt with Paulie.
"Good man." He kissed his son on the forehead and left the cell.
Paulie dragged himself off his bed and made his way over to the small bedside table he had propped up against the wall. The folded beer mat holding the shorter leg of the table in place. He looked himself in the mirror and ran his callused hands over his chin. He was beginning to look tired and worn like his old man. Although he was still trim and in good shape, his shoulders had begun to sag and his stomach was beginning to pot slightly. He let out a long sigh and ran his slender fingers through his tasselled brown hair. He missed being able to shower when he liked.
There was a knock at the door.
He looked over his shoulder and saw his good friend Billy "the rat" Creahan standing in the doorway.
"Come in Billy, take a seat." Billy obliged and sat on the end of Paulie's bed. Billy was nervous and Paulie had picked up on this from the knock.
"Paulie, I can't do this." He trembled with every word and he spat the sentence out like it made his mouth taste bad.
"Nonsense, Billy it's simple. You just find your four men and wait with me for him." He said in a very calm almost nonchalant tone. He lit a prison rolled cigarette and inhaled deeply whilst craning his neck.
"But I've been loyal to old Dan for nearly ten years!" Billy spluttered.
"It's his time, Billy." Paulie said, his voice not changing. "Every son takes over his old man's business."
Billy scurried out of the cell mumbling to himself. Paulie looked at the clock, three hours until he met with Billy again. That was the problem with his dad, he was too trusting. He wouldn't ever think about how other cons may betray him, let alone his own son.
"Well he is going to learn now." Paulie said to himself with menace in his voice. He locked his bedside table and made his way down to the hall for lunch.
He always sat alone, Paulie was not the easiest of men to get along with. Plus he was the bosses son. You wouldn't want to find yourself on the wrong side of the son of the man who once had a man skinned for getting too friendly with his daughter. He noticed Daniel sitting over at his table with all his drones. How he couldn't spot their deceit he didn't know. He gave his dad a warm, fake smile and began to eat his dinner.
"He's up to something." Daniel said to his right hand man George.
"Nah Boss, he's your son, he loves you." George said, in a bit of a struggle on whether to agree and get his leg broken for speaking ill of the bosses son, or to disagree and risk getting the boss upset.
"Yes but I noticed today how much like me he is. And if I were him I would be planning something right about now. What better time to overthrow the boss than at the height of his power?"
"You want me to have it looked into, Boss?"
"You do that George. You have an hour to find out what is happening."
"Right Boss."
Paulie looked up at Daniel and Daniel gave his son the same smile his son had given him only a couple of minutes ago. Paulie's back tingled a little.
After lunch Paulie went into the allotment to wait for Billy and his men. About ten minutes passed when he finally spotted the rat.
Billy walked across the allotment over to Paulie with four large bald headed men in tow.
"Excellent, Billy." Said Paulie "Now we wait."
"I'm not happy about this Paulie." He replied shuffling his feet, his eyes wandering every other way. He looked at his watch.
"Don't you worry, Billy everything will run smooth as clockwork." The guards had all been given a ten minute break on Daniels say so and the cameras were off.
Paulie noticed three men walking his way and smirked to himself.
"Aha here comes my heritage." He chuckled.
The men sidled over to him.
"Here's our package." The man said. "Where's yours?"
"Where's my old man?" Said Paulie obviously noticing that his Dad hadn't attended the business meeting in person as usual
"I'm right here, son." Daniel walked out from behind a greenhouse and smiled knowingly at his pride and joy.
"Now, where is your package?" Said Daniel huskily.
Thoughts began racing through Paulie's head. He knows something, he is acting strange. That god damn Billy the rat has said something!
"You cheating little fuck!" Screamed Paulie as he turned and hit Billy straight in the mouth. Three of the seven hired men, grabbed and held Paulie tightly. Another man brought a handkerchief to Paulie's mouth, gagged him and tied it tight at the back. He struggled but the three men were much too strong. The fourth man then punched Paulie full force in the kidneys.
"Now Paulie." Said Daniel in the same husky voice that accentuated importance. "You do realise what you have done don't you?"
Paulie threw himself everyway trying to escape the grasp of the three men, but wasted his energy in vain. He tried to kick the man behind him but kicked only air.
"You tried to screw over the Boss, your old man."
Paulie' eyes began to well up. He was crying in shame as well as fear.
"There is an old saying I remember son. "If I survive, I will kill you. If I die, you are forgiven."" He said, his chest puffed out. "Well son, I survived. I hope you will forgive me."
Paulie threw up in his gag and had to swallow his own sick. His eyes widened in terror of what his dad may do to him, the taste of vomit burning his throat.
"I love you son, but I must kill you."
Sweat was beading on Paulies forehead and urine was pooling at the bottom of his shoe. He could feel himself growing weak and his eyes began to close.
"After all. If I let my own son betray me I'd be a fool right?"
He felt himself falling into a sleep.
"Trust no one Paulie." His father said whilst kissing him on the forehead. "and everything will run smooth."
Paulie collapsed into blackness.