17

The place was packed. It was obviously going really well and there was a long line of guests trying to get in. I walked past the queue and said my name to the security guard. The big bald man checked his list and then released the velvet rope to allow me immediate entry.

The music was loud, the lights were flashing, and there were people everywhere.

"Leandro Paulino Silveira!" someone shouted.

I turned to see Jeff approaching with a big smile on his face. He gave me a friendly hug and led me to the VIP section. There were many well-dressed men and women sitting with expensive bottles of champagne at the tables. I knew that some of them were probably members of the Sato Family. I was in the wolf's den.

"I think I should call him Leandro Paulino Silveira, the Angel," he said with a smile. "Congratulations."

It was an unlikely friendship, considering we were from different families, but we got along well. We sat at a different table than his associates, but as Jeff stayed with me all night and refused to let me pay for my drinks, I felt like I was getting the respect I deserved. We hung out occasionally after that, always carefully separating business from friendship. I knew Don De Luca would disapprove of such a relationship.

(Sato Family Reputation +10, Jeff Relationship +10 and Life Sketch Family Reputation -20)

Do you remember hearing about the big labor unrest that year? I couldn't say how many unions were involved. Times were tough, everyone was trying to find ways to save money. Nobody liked it when companies threatened to cut their employees' wages. Unfortunately for New Daria companies, Don De Luca was heavily involved in the unions. I was personally asked to help.

Don De Luca's other people weren't having any luck either, so I wasn't blamed for my failure. It was particularly difficult to work with a particularly stubborn CEO of a large auto company. His ideas were influencing everyone else's.

Don De Luca decided that an example had to be set. I was told to assassinate the troublemaker. He wanted Travis Ryerson dead. In the nine years I've been with the Family, it's the first time I've been asked to kill someone.

No, I didn't have one of those big rifles with the power sights. I didn't need to. He wasn't expecting me, so I just walked over to his house and hid in the bushes outside his kitchen window. I was careful to make sure he was home alone. When I saw him, I shot him. That simple. His body was cold and I was away before the police came in response to the gunshots.

(Firearms +5)

All CEOs quickly backed off after Travis Ryerson was found dead. They knew it would be suicidal to go against the wishes of the Life Sketch Family. So they made a complete change of course and found other ways to save their companies money in addition to cutting wages. I could tell that everyone was very happy with my work.

(Don De Luca Ratio +15 and Life Sketch Family Reputation +15)

On my thirtieth birthday, my parents invited me to a special dinner. Taylor and I arrived with a bottle of wine. The porter took our coats and we were shown through the hall to the dining room. My parents backed away awkwardly, unsure whether to hug me or not. They must have heard a lot of rumors about me, though I wasn't sure if they knew I was made or not. I was happy that we were speaking again. They were very upset during my arrest. The tension was broken when my mother stepped forward and gave me a big hug.

Money. Cold cash. It was a suitable gift for all occasions. They must have heard that I was struggling to survive. Actually I wasn't, but in their rich eyes, I was little more than a beggar. They gave me a fat envelope for my birthday.

(Won $500)

The life of a grown man was very good. I found people opening doors for me and letting me go to the front of the line at restaurants and stores. My meals were often on the house. I was 32 when Freddie, Jimmy and Dana suggested a weird robbery one afternoon in Lucky Lanes.

"And can you find buyers?" I asked.

"Easily," said Jimmy, sitting cross-legged at the table, a soy latte in his hands. "People don't want to be in a hospital. They'd rather be in the comfort of their own homes. These machines run almost 24/7."

"Except for 'simulated disaster night,'" Freddie said, lounging against a wall. "They program the machines to run without interruption just before tonight and just after. But for one night a year they are quiet while they practice their emergency procedures."

They wanted to rob a hospital. I expected them to want to steal some drugs. High street value, easy portability. But not. They wanted to steal a bunch of dialysis machines.

"The hospital is full of strange vehicles, confusion and chaos that night," said Dana Pipes with a smile. "We just stopped and took them away."

It was a simple and bold plan. It should work perfectly. We saw all the fire trucks, police cars and emergency vehicles around the hospital as we pulled up to our truck. Jimmy boldly walked through the front door and through the dark corridors to the wing where the machines were kept, opening the door for us without a hitch. No one questioned or stopped him as they practiced patient evacuation and planned power outages.

I later learned that the dialysis robbery had been the talk of the town for several years. It seemed like everyone knew these expensive contraptions were an easy choice for one night a year. Unfortunately for us, the Smirnov Family chose this year to try it too.

We were just pushing the last machine onto the truck when the truck pulled up beside us and five armed men got out. They saw what we were doing right away and weren't happy about the coincidence.

"Just go away and leave us the truck," said the leader of the group in a thick Russian accent.