Mafia Conspiracy (2)
Chapter 2: Introductions
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Second night in New York for Tokio Hotel and they had a concert. Hundreds of fans cheered for them, full house, and they made sure they put a good show.
It was a good thing their manager, Dave Jonathan, agreed to spend a longer time in that city. If not, they would’ve been leaving tomorrow.
“I’m going!” Tom says putting down his guitar the minute he reaches the backstage. He immediately leaves the venue of the concert.
“Where’s he going?” Dave asks Bill.
“I don’t know.” Bill says. “I’m going too.”
“What?” Dave says not believing any of it.
“Looks like they have plans for the night.” Georg says.
Bill follows Tom out.
He walks to the nearest shopping mall that’s still open at such a late hour.
He goes to the music section and browses through the albums there.
Then… something happened.
At first, he smelled smoke. He found it hard to breathe but not that hard.
Then, there were people running and shouting. It was then followed by the lights going out only to be replaced by a blinking red everywhere. Then, the fire alarm sounded.
It was all so sudden; he didn’t even realize that it was happening until he felt the heat.
He looks around him and sees the chaos. There’s fire surrounding him and debris of the building falling all over the place.
The sprinkler, where are the sprinklers? It’s supposed to go off right now.
Then, everything disappears as the smoke grew thicker and it was impossible to breathe. He’s being surrounded by a thick black cloud. He sees nothing except that cloud and a distant ominous red glow, the fire.
He curls trying so hard to get air in his lungs. He coughs. He feels a CD rack with his hand.
He leans on it. He covers his mouth through fits of coughs.
Everything’s becoming more and more blurred.
Then, he sees a figure. A red figure, it wasn’t fire, it was something else.
-
Elyse jumps down the fireman’s truck and runs in the building. Behind her is a man fully geared up with a firefighter’s gear, bunker gear, steel-toe boots, self-contained breathing apparatus, everything a firefighter needs. Of course, Elyse is wearing the same thing.
She enters the building that is now ablaze bravely with the man behind her leaving the rest of the firefighters outside to put out the fire.
She rummages through the mess the fire has made in that department store on the first floor. That was when she sees a dark figure sitting on the floor, back against a CD stand.
She runs towards the dark figure. It was a man.
“We’re getting you out of here.” She says in a firm yet comforting tone. “Jack!” She calls to her friend who was behind her a minute ago.
“Yeah? I’m a bit busy!” Jack answers.
“Can you walk?” She asks the figure sitting on the floor.
The man nods his head. His arm covers his mouth and nose.
Elyse reaches for his arm; she puts it on her shoulder. She holds his hip and she supports him out of the burning building.
Finally, they reach the doors. Finally, they successfully exited the place.
The paramedics rush in to help Elyse, taking Bill out of her hands.
The large fireman hose kills the fire inside the building and Jack comes out carrying a lady in a fireman’s carry.
The paramedics do to the lady what they did to Bill.
Jack then shouts, “The building’s clear!”
She was used to this scene. She was used to the blood rushing up in her head out of excitement and danger. She loved the excitement of danger.
-
Bill’s fine. He’s now sitting at the back of a paramedics’ ambulance, breathing in oxygen from a mask.
That was when the same figure he saw amidst the fiery chaos approached him.
This time, she was wearing plain white shirt and her turnout pants.
This time, he could see her face. This time, there’s no other gear hindering him to see her face and her smile. He knows that face, he knows that smile.
“Hi.” She says.
“Hi.” He says softly.
“You okay?”
“I guess. They say so.”
“If they say so then you are.”
“What happened in there?” He wanted to know what has put his life in danger.
“There was a gas leak at the storage of the store where a cigarette was lighted.” Elyse smiles.
“Wasn’t there supposed to be a sprinkler or something?” Bill asks.
“That’s why I smell a lawsuit here. The sprinkler system broke and they didn’t repair it immediately. But hey, let’s not think about that anymore.” Elyse says. “Hey, I know you!”
“Yeah. I think we met yesterday.” Bill says smiling at her.
“I almost hit you with my car!” She chuckles. Bill does too. “Ironic, isn’t it? For me to meet you when I almost killed you, and to meet you again by saving you.”
“Well, that’s because saving me is payment for almost killing me.” Bill said and smiled at her.
“I’m Elyse.”
“Bill.” He says extending his hand. “Thank you.”
“Sure thing!” Elyse says reaching for his hand and shaking it.
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Tom was walking at the streets of New York.
He looks at the back of a crumpled receipt that contains the location of a party.
Flashback
Tom enters the emergency room of a hospital late at night.
It wasn’t a busy night at the moment.
A nurse immediately entertains him and makes him sit at one of the hospital beds in a line of hospital beds, each bed separated by curtains.
The curtain beside the bed where Tom is sitting is drawn open showing another hospital bed where a nurse is attending to a bleeding man.
The man was about the same age as his but probably a bit older. He’s in black slacks. His white polo and his black blazer matching his black slacks are in his hand for a wound on his right shoulder is being treated.
A doctor comes and checks Tom’s wound at his right arm.
“Where’d you get that?” The man asks; his voice heavy with an Italian accent.
“Some girl wounded me with a dagger.” Tom replies.
“Were you being mugged?” He asks.
“Nope. I was protecting a girl she was attacking.”
“Nice!”
“How about you? How’d you get that?” Tom asks.
“I don’t know. I was just shot.” He says.
“Fair enough.” Tom smiles at him and looks down. The doctor starts cleaning up the wound. “But then, that must’ve been harsh.”
“Yeah.” The man says.
“Not as harsh as getting a cut protecting a girl who manages to ditch you.” Tom smiles.
“Ouch.” The man says. “Man, I like you.”
“Nice meeting you too.” Tom says.
“See, there’s an event tomorrow, you like cars?”
“You bet I do.” Tom says.
“You like cars exceeding the maximum speed limit?”
“Even more!”
“Great!” He says. “I’m Alberto. Look for me here, tomorrow night. It’ll be a fun party!” He says taking out any available paper in his pocket, which happens to be a receipt. He grabs a pen, also in his pocket and starts scribbling. He then hands it to Tom.
End of flashback
After a while of asking, he finally reached the place. A large smile forms in his face as he sees what kind of party it is. It’s exactly his thing.
It’s on a wide street. A few cars are parked in the middle, with lots of people crowding around each car. Each car, personalized, modified, not the usual thing you see on the streets.
It’s a street race.
The race hasn’t started yet, people are still going to and fro, laying back, partying in the middle of the street.
He starts looking for Alberto. Finally, another Italian points him to a blue Mitsubishi Eclipse.
“Tom!” Alberto greets standing up from sitting on the hood of the car.
“Hi. How’s your shoulder?” Tom asks.
“It’s nothing. I’ve had worse.” Alberto says.
“So, what’s happening here?” Tom asks.
“Street race. The best in New York. The most exciting one, too. Organized by big powerful people, not even the cops can shine their shoes. Plus, the people who organized this can really put on a good show.” Alberto says. “This is where the life of the party goes after dark.”
“Awesome.” Tom says. “Are you that ‘powerful people’?”
“That’s why I like you, man!” Alberto says and chuckles. “I’m one of them but I’m not the big boss.”
A neon pink Boxster S Porsche Design Edition 2 revs its engine.
“Looks like the race is going to start soon.” Alberto whispers. “Hey, want to race for me?”
“I’d love to!” Tom says.
Soon, he’s sitting behind the wheel of the Eclipse, beside the Boxster, plus three more cars.
A girl, in skimpy clothes, who looks Italian, stands in the middle of the Eclipse and the Boxster. The Italians must be powerful here. That was the thought that came across Tom’s mind.
She puts both her hands up and drops them in a jerk signaling the start of the race.
The Boxster zooms past every car.
Tom follows it. Soon, it seemed like it was just him and the Boxster in that race.
He tries to pass the Boxster but it was impossible. He did succeed to be side by side the car.
It seemed like it was impossible to win this race with this Boxster around. Then there was an opportunity, a narrow road where the racers must turn right.
There was just one problem; the Boxster had the advantage being at Tom’s right.
He definitely had to cut the Boxster in that turn.
Then, he presses on the gas. His speed goes higher and higher and higher. Very dangerous turning right on a speed such as his and a car on his right he can’t even pass.
Then, he did something that’s inevitable in every race; to risk everything and do something out of impulse. He finally gets ahead of the Boxster by an inch, and turns right immediately, blocking the Boxster. The Boxster stops.
Good call because if she stepped on the break a millisecond later, the Boxster would’ve crashed with Tom’s car.
Tom turns right and the Boxster does to, trailing right behind Tom in that narrow road.
And he was there, he was leading the race.
And soon, he didn’t even realize that he was back at the starting point, did a full lap. He has already crossed the finish line.
Then, he steps on the break; he turns the steering wheel to the right trying to avoid the people gathered there. His tires skid, he stops.
A few seconds after he did, he watched his rearview mirror. There, he sees the Boxster cross the finish line. It drifts into a glorious stop unlike his.
The door of the Boxster opens but before he could see who the driver was, the people crowd around his car and the Boxster to praise the winner and the second place.
He opens the door and gets down.
Alberto meets him. “Awesome driving, dude!”
“Thanks.” Tom says.
“Alberto!” A girl’s voice calls.
Tom and Alberto look towards the direction of the call. It was the girl Tom met last night. It was the girl who wounded his arm. She’s wearing the same boots, light brown, leather, up to her knees, high heeled but this time, she’s wearing a pink pleated miniskirt and a white tank top that's a bit tight.
“Hey, boss!” Alberto says.
“Since when have you had the skill to beat me?” She asks, her left eyebrow raised but with a smile.
“Wasn’t me, boss! He’s behind the wheel!” Alberto says presenting Tom.
“Of course.” Sunday says and beams at Tom. “Not bad.”
Tom smiled his angelic smile. “Thanks.”
“So, did you go to a doctor for that wound I…” Sunday trails off.
“I’m going to go collect money.” Alberto says and gives Sunday a sly grin. Sunday rolls her eyes.
“Yeah. That’s actually where I met Alberto.” Tom says looking at Alberto walk away from the two of them. He then looks at Sunday. “I’ve met Alberto, I haven’t met you.”
“Sunday.” Sunday says and extends her hand.
“Tom. It’s nice to meet you, Sunday.” Tom says shaking Sunday’s hand.
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Number one, my head is aching writing in third person, omniscient. Writing in chatspeak is way easier.
Number two, I kept on writing 'Noelle' instead of 'Elyse'.
Number three, Noelle, help me... I'm thinking of their first date in chapter three, except that i have no idea on what will happen with Bill and Elyse.