14

The old blue Cadillac had two Hispanics in it. Try as they might, they couldn't catch us in my fast car.

(Cars +10)

"Pull over, we'll handle this," Jimmy said as he pulled a sleek Beretta semi-automatic pistol from his waistband.

I did as he asked and grabbed my own .44 Magnum. The Cadillac pulled up behind us and the two men got out. I could hear them speaking rapidly in Spanish to each other.

"You're selling drugs where you shouldn't be selling," one of the men said, ignoring the fact that we were pointing guns at his face.

Jimmy was only a moment behind me. One of the bullets hit one of the men in the shoulder. He yelled and grabbed his arm as they both ran back to their Cadillac and drove away.

"This will teach people not to mess with us," Jimmy said happily as he tucked his Beretta back into his waistband.

Although he was a health freak and had a ridiculous nickname, Jimmy the Carrot was a tough SOB.

(Martinez Family Reputation -20, Jimmy Relationship +15, Firearms +10 and Heat +25)

Unfortunately, my past indiscretions caught up with me quickly. I hadn't been very secretive in my use of power and had brought it to the attention of the police. (Needed below 100 heat)

It was a normal day. I was turning onto Lucky Lanes when I saw the police cars. I quickly tucked my .44 Magnum under my seat and got out. I was almost to the front door when cars pulled up around me and dozens of police got out. They handcuffed me and took me away.

They immediately started asking me questions about smuggling illegal liquor from South America. Honestly, I had no idea what they were talking about. Strangely, this made them very happy. This made me suspicious enough that I refused to say anything until my attorney was present.

It boiled down to the fact that Terrence "Silver Dollar" De Luca was right. He had a deadbeat son named Daniel who did stupid things. The wedding gift he had sent his sister from Peru had not only been smuggled across the border to save taxes, but also stolen. A thousand dollars worth of booze was a drop in the bucket for Don De Luca, but it was enough to threaten him with a prison sentence.

The district attorney asked me point-blank if I knew anything about Terrence De Luca smuggling wine from Peru with his son. I said absolutely not. I signed statements stating this in very clear words. A few days later, I was presented with a photocopy of the delivery receipt with my signature. This muddied the waters enough for the Don to claim he knew nothing about the wine's origins and forced them to drop all charges against him. Unfortunately, I was charged with contempt and perjury. I was sentenced to five years in federal prison.

(Family Reputation Life Sketch +10)

Next chapter

Taylor was furious that I was going to jail. I had to try to calm her down as best I could. During my sentencing, she came to court drunk and high. I winced as she was taken away screaming and cursing. Thankfully, she was only charged with public drunkenness and a minor contempt charge. She got 30 days in jail, which oddly enough was like a token of our love.

(Taylor Ratio +10)

It didn't go unnoticed that not a single member of Life's Sketch Family came. I knew they were distancing themselves from the authorities and I didn't blame them, but it still hurt a little. My only hope was that they didn't think I was cutting a deal. But the fact that I was serving my sentence would eventually prove that I wasn't.

Everything I had was taken from me. I could only hope that my outside money was still there when I was released. I was given a uniform, toiletries and bedding. I was then led to my cell. The other prisoners, including my cellmate, were not there when I arrived. I was given the rest of the afternoon to unpack before everyone returned from the day's activities and went to dinner. I wasn't sure how they'd done it, but I found a small, folded stack of money tucked into my Bible. It was good to see that the Family didn't completely abandon me. (Required 60 family reputation life sketches)

(Won $1500 from Inside Money)

I saw the prisoners walking back through the corridors to their cells after their afternoon work session. Everyone looked at me, interested in the new fish. I had expected to be out in four years on good behavior, but the hardened looks on the other inmates' faces made me wonder if that was possible. The guards would be watching me and making their reports about whether I should be released early or not.

At least I wasn't as well known here in prison, although part of my reputation preceded me from outside.

(Heat -75)

A man stopped in front of my cell as the door opened. He was my new cellmate.

Lane boldly entered our shared cell as he looked me in the eyes.

"So my old roommate must have died," he said. "I think the beating I gave him finally killed him.

I've heard that paying for protection is just another form of extortion. Lane was basically extorting me for money. I thought it depended on who asked who. I hired him, so he was my muscle. Anyway, Lane was very on board with our new relationship.

(Lane ratio +20 and internal money -1500)

Less than an hour later I heard a bell telling us it was dinner time. It was easy to guess what to do when I saw everyone getting up and waiting for the doors to open. As a group, we all walked down the hallway and into the prison mess hall. I filled an aluminum tray with food and looked for a place to sit.

it was nice to be sitting with an instant group of acquaintances. Lane introduced me to everyone and they introduced themselves to me. I was starting to think prison wouldn't be so bad after all.

(Lane ratio +10)

That night, after dinner, when we were escorted back, I had the opportunity to speak with the guards.