Writer's Challenge 2:The Brothers Cali

Ok so here's my entry for the second writer's challenge, a gangster drama set in an unspecified (intentionally) city of the US.

It was a strange time, the war had ended but some say another was brewing, some people were left starving, others homeless as their jobs ceases to exist and suddenly the only honourable work some men could find was on the wrong side of the law.

Frank DeLuca was sitting on a crate, at the harbour side, pulling his coat closer around him to keep wark from the wind. Philip Flemmi had told him to meet him there, and Philip was a made man so you listened when Philip Flemmi told you to do something, Frank was nearly falling asleep where he sat he had dozed of twice already he knew he was likely to freeze something of if he actually fell asleep. He was dozing of again when someone knocked his hat of, he looked up to see Philip announce his pressence with a dramatic ”Without a drop of drink and not a donkey in sight” while sitting down on one of the crates.

Frank looked up at him ”Donkey?” he asked while picking up his hat.

”A mule, a carrier, a seller, what? You don't know what I'm talkin' about?”

”A drug dealer?”

”No not those low life pieces of shit! Look bootlegging is just giving people what they want, but drugs that's dirty business, I’m talking about booze” Phillip said with disgust. Frank sighed and reached into his coat and then handed Phillip his hip-flask.

”Go easy on that mac” he said. Phil just gave him a scoff then lifted the flask to his mouth then he started coughing.

”Told you to go easy on it”

”Is this moonshine? Why the fuck would you drink moonshine?”

”Not that easy to get the real McCoy in the inland mac”

”You know suddenly being sober doesn’t seem that bad”

”What are we doing here Phil?”

”We're going to have a talk with Atillo Cali, his brother Joe messed up, and messed up bad”

”Shame I kind of like Joe Cali, sure he's got a loud mouth”

”Everyone does, but this isn’t about his loud mouth though, he messed up way worse this time and now the Don want his blood, but the Calis are family, and you don't just snuff family see”

”I guess”

”You guess? Don't they do manners back where you're from Frank? Look Atillo has a choice here, he can either do the act himself of go and try to beg his brother's mercy with the don, but if he does that he's out”

They heard the sound of walking feet and Atillo Cali appeared around the corner.

”Phil, Frank” he greeted them seriously. Then looked out over the dark waters. ”When the don's enforcer calls me out to a secluded location in the middle of the night, I kind of feel that I may be in trouble for something” He said not looking at them, Frank thought he got it, Atillo was a family member a made man, he had been so for ten years and regardless what he had done Philip wasnt going to shoot him in the back. A family member owed to another to explain why and look him in the eye when he died. Treason, even perceived treason could not be forgiven, but in death even a traitor returned to the family. In fact the family saw it as he has died the moment he betrayed them and they were merely collecting the body.
”Not you” Phil said. Atillo turned to face them. He looked surprised, not relieved like a man who had something to hide and had been afraid that they were on to him, more concerned. Then he sighed.

”Joe?”

”I'm sorry Atillo but your brother is a moron, his horse keeps losing and now he gone and threatened the bookies, the don can accept him owing him money but not that he threatens people who are paying us for protection”

Atillo sighed again. ”Let's go see my brother”

Joe Cali was staggering towards his car from the pub, he had drunk way to much, he was surprised they'd even let him since everyone knew he was broke. Of course being broke and owing the don money was the reason he was drinking, well that and that he had broken Vincent Sisca's nose, sure Sisca had thrown the first punch but Joe had accused him of cheating which made it a matter of honor for a bookie, and his honor was his livelihood.

Joe staggered up to the car where he had placed it in a vacant lot next to the bar. He heard a sound behind him and saw three men approaching. As they drew closer he recognized one of them as his brother Atillo and felt a moment of relief that was almost instantly squashed when he recognized Philip Flemmi, the don's exucutioner beside him. Any other day Joe would have punched him on the arm and asked who he had buried today but today Joe had a suspicion on who he was supposed to bury.

“Hello Joe” Philip said smoothly, strangely lacking of the usual glee he took before killing a man.

“Phil, Atillo. You know I didn’t mean too”

“We know little brother” Atillo sighed

“But it's the don that makes the decisions, I tried telling him you were just stupid, but that excuse only lasts so long” Philip filled in.

“I'll apologize to Sisca! I'll get the Don's money back, my horse...”

“Brother, I love you, but that horse can not run.” Atillo said and in one motion drew and fired his gun.

An hour later Atillo Cali, now the only living member of that family, along with Philip Flemmi and Frank DeLuca sat at table at the pub downt he block. Phillip had just ordered in another bottle, he poured it into cups and then sat looking at it, so did Atillo. Frank took the cup and raised it.

“To Joe Cali, Boasting and arrogant...” he began

“And a drunk” the bartender muttered, he had been less then pleased with knowing that Joe's tab would never be paid for. But Atillo just gave him one look and he was suddenly very busy with something behind the bar.

“...and quite wonderful he was!” Frank finished the toast. The other two raised their cups with him.

“To Joe Cali” they said. It was a strange time, when brothers killed brothers for family and one could drink to the memory of man one had just killed.

You will notice that out of the three required lines i had every main character say one, Philip said the donkey thing, Atillo the horse thing, and Frank the wonderful thing. Also the movie quote was "but drugs that's dirty business" and that's of course from the godfather where Don Vito shoots down Solozzo's proposal with those words. I was considerign going for "Fredo you're my older brother and I love you, but never take sides against the family again" but then I couldn't have killed the brother and the whole memorial toast couldn't have happened.

Well until next time...