Waiting to Exhale: Our Story.

RuffDraft

I have always enjoyed the threads that allow for creativity and contribution on the I.C. Therefore, I have come up with the start of a story for us all to add to.

Here's the rules:

You only add one paragraph.
However, you can add the first line of the next paragraph, if you wish to help the next poster to continue the story.
The paragraph that you create must make sense with the story that has already been told.
Do not create too many characters!
Do be as creative with your thoughts and try your hardest to make this story a success!

The start of our story will begin in my next post.

RuffDraft

Opening

There are often moments in history that live on into the present. Gone but never forgotten, in the form of a great statue, a treasured piece of art or from the mouths of the greatest story-tellers who continued to generate interest in the hearts and minds of all who would listen. They breathe on in our souls and will be with our spirits until the Lord taketh away, long after our bodies have been deciphered by the insects who chewed on our brains. Communities, countries or even the world has stopped to pay dividends to this one whimsical moment; doing so because the tale of unfathomable glory, struggle or angst that has struck an almost unforgivable chord in the heart of every listener who has stumbled upon it.

This is one such story.

FroHawke

Gabriel was sleeping. In his sleep, he heard a sound... one which meant something through his dreams, but would've meant little had he woken. His dream was of field of green, upon which he stood; it stretched onward with no end.The sky was clear, clouds sparsely spotted throughout the vast expanse of blue...He had felt a strange sense of peace standing on that dreamy prairie...
He awoke in a start, sweating...it felt hot and humid in his room. Too hot, and he thought for a moment his dream had switched to a nightmare...

RuffDraft

A nightmare was all too common for Gabriel now, following the myst created by his parents' deaths. He was but a lonesome shadow wandering along a path that had yet to be found. Wiping the sweat from his brow and taking yet-another sinful sip from his whiskey bottle, Gabriel sat up disruptedly in his empty rental van and peered out at the stars that shone down like all his memories intertwined. A never-ending tear had begun to bless his cheek as he whispered beneath his angst "Miserable ? !" He threw his whiskey bottle out of the gaping window and watched as it shattered across the lonely road. Crunching up his face and peering out of his tightly withdrawn eyes he asked impatiently, "Why aren't you here? Where have you gone? Why did you take them from me?" Noah, as he was once known to his friends, broke down against the steering wheel as he thought about the endless green fields he had once enjoyed as a child with his parents, Elizabeth and John. "I'll never forgive you for this! I swear… for as long as I live…" his misery came to an end as he once again sunk into a vast and empty sleep.

*edit* missed the bit where you said his room, hopefully we can carry on from the van lol*

FroHawke

(lol)

The van shook as if handled by a mad titan as it hit a rough patch of road. Gabriel, already unsteadied, reached out toward the sides of the door to straighten himself. He slipped, fell, cursed.
'Stay on ? course Noah! This is no time to remember!!'
Noah looked back at his brother, tears stinging his eyes, pleading, searching for sympathy. Gabriel glanced back at him in annoyance, making a motion which signaled indifference.
It had been years since both their parents had died in the great fires that had swept through the plains and fields. Gabriel, the oldest of the two, had been just 8 when he had witnessed a burnt out roof awning fall on the charred remains of his parents bodies.
He had taken Noah, all of 5 at the time, and ran. He remembered running and running and running and not looking back; he did not know how long he ran, only that he stopped when pain forced him to do so.

Gabriel felt an immense sense of disgust in himself, as if he had shamed his little brother with his antics. He sighed, glanced at his watch. He cursed once more, and made his way towards the front of the van.

RuffDraft

"I'm done with this ? …" he divulged, gracing the hood with his agitated fingertips, Gabriel slipped to his journeyed knees. Dust arose from the tarmac, which looked as though it had as many relationships with cars as Gabriel had with people. The smell reinvigorated his senses to an almost sober state as he took one last glance at the stars; a sudden sense of clarity bestowed Gabriel as though he had just hit a line of ? from a hookers pouch. Looming stars seemed like connected yet untraceable paths to pastures of peace. Menacingly tracing the grill to underneath the bumper, Gabriel removed a .57 pistol that he had hidden beneath the chassis. It was the result of a heist he and his brother had pulled recently on a gas station. Although his brother was none-the-wiser that Gabriel had managed to slip the pistol from beneath the counter, as the owner lay damaged from an almighty blow. Noah held the deadly weapon. Staring motionlessly at the chromed-out grill that housed his reflection, he pondered his path.

FroHawke

*Damn son I didnt know the car stopped haha*

Gabriel leaned against the van, fishing for a cigarette within the folds of his jacket. It really was ? hot out here, he thought. He gave up his search, letting out a sound of annoyance as he did so.
Noah looked up in a start, as if snapped to from a period of meditation. He glared at Gabriel.

'Where did you get the gun from Gabe?'

Gabriel sighed, wishing more and more he had the cigarrette. He resigned himself to a night of questioning after searching Noah's eyes for a moment.

'Gas station job we pulled a few weeks ago' Gabriel said.

Noah shook his head slowly and looked away. He had known his brother to be a brooding, intense man not one for many words, but had felt him slowly but surely slipping into some sort of abyss. He closed his eyes; he was exhausted...they had been driving for hours along a narrow road somewhere in the forests of Colorado.

He wondered why they were driving away again as he slumped against the van.Then he knew the answer as soon as the thought hit. They were escaping, always escaping.

RuffDraft

*? , I need to read more carefully and note what's happening more haha Also, Noah was Gabriel's nickname as Gabriel is the name of the Angel, but in mortal form, his name was Noah lol. I didn't give a name for his brother lol! Oh well, we'd need an Editor - like most writers!*

"Son, son, open the door!" a voice came suddenly like the outbreak of sunrise. Noah was the first to respond, his brother a distant soul still amidst dreams of vast fields.

"Damn, Gabe!" Noah gasped in a start, "Gabe, da ? ? Wake up!" he embarked on a kick towards the driver's seat despite knowledge that Gabriel would soon pay him back for an action such as this. Shunting the driver's seat was enough to remove Gabriel's hands from a beer he had found during last night's onslaught of questioning yet it did little to remove the comotozed criminal from his dosile plight.

"Son, this is the police, open up your vehicle and come out with your hands up!"

"? , ? , ? ," Noah whispered in a panicked tone, realising now that they should have done more to hide their stolen vehicle before embarking on a night-long sleepover at the side of a highway.

"Huh?" responded Gabriel in the front seat; his eyes slowly peeling away from the rheum but barely moving due to the vast quantities of alcohol that he had consumed the night before.

"That's an order Son!" the man continued.

Realising what was happening, Gabriel peered through his slightly encrusted eye to take note of the situation. He saw a lonseome, young and shaky officer standing before him.

FroHawke

Gabriel grinned, both at the audacity of the cop to knock on a suspicious looking van and the fact that he was alone.

"Whats the problem sir?" Gabriel assumed a charmingly disarming pose. Noah, still shaking, slinked off to the side.

"Well, er, son, that vehicle appears to be one that matches several descriptions of a stolen van..." The cop smiled thinly, his ? expression unscrutable.
Gabe looked around, exaggerating the motion as if incredulous that such a thing could occur on this particular highway.

"Sir? That's strange, I don't know anything about a stolen car though, me and my brother are just on a road trip" Gabe smiled again, searching through the officer's eyes for any sort of weakness.

"Well, I'm going to have to take a look around sir, step out of the vehicle" The cop took a step backward, expectant.

Gabriel pounced.

He opened the door and smashed the officer through his clavicle, feeling it begin to break as he finished his swing. Even though, he lowered to a crouch and slammed an elbow through the cop's lower stomach, hearing a muffled 'oomf' as he did saw.

The policeman was down and out before his back foot finished its motion.

'? Gabe!! ? what the ? bro!' Noah looked shocked, his eyes widened...

FroHawke

Damn is anyone gonna add to this? Sheesh haha

RuffDraft

*Sorry for the delay, this thread is actually one of the best concepts it seems; shame there's an app that does the same thing that just got released, I could have been on my way to a fortune lol*

Gabriel stood over the Officer dominantly despite the knowledge of his wrong doings, he looked towards the sky again only this time there were no stars outlining his path, just a vast sea of blue. The sun dazzled Gabe as he began to feel nauseous. Giving the Officer a sly kick to the ribs, Gabe began to stumble to the side of the road; he began to sweat exhaustedly, before seeing last night's meal overcome the sidewalk.

'Gabe, you really gotta sort it out fam, we can't go on like this… it's not right,' reasoned Noah, looking quite nauseated himself from his brother's antics and recent regurgetation. 'Ugh, Gabe that ? stinks man! What the ? are we going to do now?' Gabe began to reach down to check the Officer was okay, but he could already see the siege of blood stemming from his shoulder. '? , a ? cop man, a ? cop!'

'Get me a drink of water,' ordered Gabe.

Noah shook his head, picked himself up from his crouched position and returned to the car disgustedly.

Handing his brother the bottle of water, Gabe asked frustratedly, 'Can't you see what this is doing to us? I'm sick of all this bro, I don't know what to do anymore…' Noah assumed a crouched position, staring into his brother's drained and waning eyes. 'We have to come up with a plan… we have to assume a role that's going to keep us out of trouble… we're going to get caught otherwise, I just… I just know it…' sobbed Noah.

Dr.Chemix

A plan? Gabe thought to himself. What plan? The same one that got them to this point? Some odd mathematical design that left two brothers without parents? Gabriel's mind went racing again. Thoughts were like shards of ice, tearing and picking at his mind. He upturned the bottle and began gulping down the H20. Noah looked on, waiting for Gabe to come up with something, anything that would change the predicament they were currently in. As though Gabe's response was synonymous to the water quickly vanishing, Noah began to feel panicky.

"C'mon yo, what the ? ? We've been-"

Throwing down the bottle with disgust Gabe turn to acknowledge his brother with a command.

"Breathe easy and grab his legs!"

"Huh?" Noah looked on confused

"Grab his legs man, we've got to get the ? outta here!! We sitting on this road with a cop laying on the ground and a cop car behind us!! What the ? you think this ? looks like!!??"

Gabe caught himself when he saw his brother's reaction. He didn't take his brother to be a weak one. But he also know that Noah looked up to him. The last thing they needed was a break down in their communication. Gabe relented and as his nature, said nothing and began to work, knowing Noah would accept his silent apology. Noah grabbed his legs and with ease both men lifted up the cop. Giving a quick glance around, they saw a nearby bush suitable for their chubby state trooper friend.

Without word the brothers moved quickly and efficiently. Gabe continued laying bushes down to cover the donut eater. Noah walked off without a word, towards the cop car. Random ten four codes and radio chatter greeted him and he politely whispered "? you" to himself. Knowing time was evaporating, he quickly placed the car in neutral and pushed the cop car off the side of the road. The car slid down the rocky side and came to a quiet stop. Just as it stopped, Gabe shouted "lets go!" to his brother. Noah turned to see a car coming down the road. He quickly scanned for any sirens on the roof of the car. There was none. He quickly shuffled to the van. Gabe was already opening the door when he heard a light plop. He looked down to see a cigarette in the sand. A small grace that was greatly appreciated.

Gabe jumped in and flicked the ignition. He took a deep inhale and turned to his brother. With a nod, he checked the rear view and when he saw no one, the back tires spun out as dust and exhaled carbon smoke filled the atmosphere behind him.

"But his delight is in the law of the lord and in his law doth meditate day and night"

FroHawke

Chapter Two: Consequences

The dispatch officer in Precinct 303, close to the Denver area, was average at his job. Infact, he sometimes wondered why he had chosen this career path in the first place.

? , he thought to himself; he had flamed out in High School, and hadn't bothered with any sort of technical education. He spit out shells of sunflower seeds, shifting his magazine, as he absently checked out his computer screen for any new readouts.

He was in the process of looking down to finish his Playboy when out of the corner of his eye, he saw that Car 656 hadn't checked in with location yet.

Ordinarily this wouldn't have mattered, except that it had been 6 hours since the last call in, and that, even for an average idiot like Joe Simpson, was an oddity. Puzzled, he buzzed in the car, calling the officer's name.

No response. Simpson sighed, and called in another car to traverse the general area car 656 had last been seen
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Noah awoke with a start. They had stopped. He was in the passenger's seat, having relinquished the driving to Gabe, being exhausted from their previous ordeal. Noah peered through the window to get his bearings. It was dark and crickets and cicadas were having their party, ruling the cool night.

Noah opened the car door and got out.

Something slammed him in the side of his head. Noah dropped, unconscious.

Dr.Chemix

(If my add-ons aren't "flowing" with yalls, let me know. Though I am trying to branch them away from the van and get more of the story/characters involved)

Except it wasn't the end for these two brothers. The walls of destiny have a way of calling you even when you fight to ignore it. Gabe knew that. He has witnessed that many times in his life. He pondered deeply, not hearing footsteps approach from behind him. How far was Gabriel willing to go? To the end, he thought to himself. To the very ? end.

"A thousand shall fall at thy side and ten thousand at thy right side, but it shall not come nigh thee"

Gabriel felt an ominous shift in the air. His back felt incredibly hot and aware. In a split second, Gabriel turned around to see his attacker in all black with what seemed like a nightstick, raised to come down upon his head. Gabe's instincts kicked. He immediately kicked his opponent in the knee, staggering his charge. His left outstretched for the weapon as it came down into his palm. He connected with a nice right cross to the chin. The stalker fell back pulling Gabe down with him. The two men wrestled on the ground as Noah began to come back to the world. He heard kicks, punches and "oomfs". He thought himself to be back at Las Vegas watching his favorite fighter, Rampage take on his opponent with almost beast like anticipation. He reached for his drink. He loved his Hennessy and coke...and swore he told the server that 5 minutes ago. Then he opened his eyes further to look for her. Pitch black night and his senses returned, along with a pain in the back of his head. Gabe!

Gabriel was giving him the best or as his brother Noah likes to put it, he was giving him the business. He just finished laying a blow to his midsection and then a one two at his opponent's head. The stalker blocked a blow and connected with one of his one. Gabe, not anticipating a punch due to all his rage in pulverizing the downed stalker, took a shot to the chin and fell backward. As the stalker got up and wobbled for his nightstick, Noah came behind him in a swift motion, looking to settle debts. With a nice sweep, his attacker fell flat on his back with an "oomf". Noah raised his knees high, looking to put his heel through his skull. The stalker was swift, just moving his head a meter or so from the kick. But the move only served to help Gabe get a nice clear shot at his head. Gabe kicked him in the head with his boot. Noah joined in as they both begin to kick recklessly. Gabe was the first to grab composure.

"Hold up Noah, Hold up!" Gabe ordered. Noah obviously didn't listen. He pulled up his knee for a definite and finishing, hard strike to the face. Gabe tackled him.

"We got enough blood on our hands!"

"But he would have ours on his?!!" Noah spat with dribble on erupting onto his chin.

"If you kept your wits about you, he wouldn't have clobbered your ass anyway!!!" Gabe boomed.

Noah just stared, eyes wide. Gabe never seen this kind of rage in his brother before. He was supposed to be the older brother with the chip on his shoulder. Now he saw flickers of their father and himself in his younger sibling. Father could be a brutal man, it showed in his sons when the time called for it. Breathing hard, Noah licked his lips.

"Where the ? he come from? ? !" Noah sputtered. The two men got up to see a deep red color the sand. The stalker was a small man but looked quite fit for the task he was undertaking. He wore a ski mask and turtle neck. Gabe almost laughed, for he thought him to be looking ridiculous. As if he watched movies for his hitman escapades.

Noah still out of breath and still enraged, spat, "Donovan sent that ? didn't he?! We told that ? we'll pay him! Every ? cent!! And he sends this ? , this mother-"

Noah ran over with a another kick to the mans ribs. He groaned and he pulled back for another before Gabe grabbed him. Gabe was watching his brother closely. He was unraveling. Gabe knew he had to start talking and regain control of the situation. But he was at lost like Noah. Why Donovan would send a guy after them? Donovan and Gabe were trusted cohorts in their shadowy affairs. Is it even Donovan that did it? The heist proved to be a very costly job. The tab kept growing and growing.

Gabe couldn't find the words yet, so he found the action. He knelt down beside the attacker and pulled of the ski mask. An unrecognizable goon but a goon nonetheless. His lips was busted and his eyes already gave the impression of two well cooked omelets.

"We got rope in the van?" Gabe asked, "I think we need to rope this rowdy bull and ask a few questions-"

"Like how the ? we didn't see him on the road?" Noah interjected, "Its ? night and no one was behind us! This ? ? got me thinking I'm in Las Vegas and ? ?!"

Noah begin to wind himself up for another kick. Gabe caught his ankle before he could connect.

"Just calm the ? down Noah!!! I need you steady and smooth, not wild and reckless! Get your ? together!"

Noah took the words and swallowed them in. He took a deep breath and Gabe watched him until he was assured he was calm. Then he rose, went around to the back of the van, cautiously looking around the area. He pulled out some duck tape and some rope. Noah lifted the man up as he moaned. Gabe taped his mouth shut with blood already falling down the gray area. Using some of his knowledge from a magazine an old child hood friend had given, Gabe tied the attacker's arms behind his back in the best knot he could think of. Then lifted him with ease and threw him in the van.

A siren went off in the distance.

"Enough of this road trip ? ! We need a shower, food, and most definitely another car. Yo Noah, you still cool with that one chick you met online?" Duncan looked at his brother who seemed hesitant. about answering

"Who fat Nessa? Yea, she cool, though I don't think she would be cool with us bringing this dude in her crib. ? the pulp fiction ? ." Noah retorted

"Brother, there are somethings we have to do that we don't want to for the benefit of our survival. Call her up, tell her we are in town and you wanted to see her-something, anything."

Noah stood looking for a second. The new edition to the group stirred a little and murmured. Gabe jumped in the van and gave him another blow. He was snoring in no time.

"Yea I guess I have no choice, huh?" Noah replied with a condescending tone.

"No you don't. Call her...and you drive this time. I think you do better behind the wheel than being in the position to get knocked out!" Gabriel grinned.

"? you!"

Gabe slapped his brother on his shoulder and Noah laughed. It was good to see Noah back to his normal self. Last thing Gabe needed was his brother to go hot head. Leave that to Gabe himself.

"Everything must remain balanced" Gabe whispered to himself.

Noah pulled out his phone and began dialing. Gabe headed for the passenger seat and then thought better of it. He jumped in the backseat, pulled out his weapon, and watched the man slowly twitch and turn like a puppet. If Donovan did have a hand in this...if he did, Gabe knew Donovan would have to be erased from the equation. Immediately. It's one thing to have the cops hot on your ass. It's another thing to have Donny D looking for you.

FroHawke

@Chemist, (no you're doin' brilliant)

-Talon Heights, Nevada
Inside what looked like a spacious dining hall sat a man, with an attendant girl by his side. The man was stuffing his face and making sounds akin to that of a pig groveling in the dirt. The table was long and embroidered with a design which did not fit the setting, as it hearkened to a more beautiful time, not one such as this.

Donovan Piccioto was a very large man. He had the kind of girth that made one think he was watching a very large frog sit on it's haunches. He was a smelly man who lived for food that did not have the fat cooked off it yet.

He was also a very rich man.

Piccioto owned half of Talon; he had a hand in every business dealing, shady or not, that occurred in his city. He ruled the banks, the local law enforcement was a farce and mostly served its days keeping the peace at the local whorehouses. Piccioto had come to the realization as a mobster in the early 90s, part of the powerful Gugli family based in Vegas, that a man's worth was not truly at it's peak until he owned all of it, and thus had begun a ruthless campaign to the top by eliminating his rivals..

Donovan had been popular with the patriachal head of the Gugli, as he had once saved his life by a shocking;considering the source; piece of marksmanship. He had shot at, and killed a gunman who had risen up from a crowd and taken aim at Don Gugli.

It was easy for him, then, to receive the Don's blessing as he had been going through his machinations and plans. The Don had gifted him Talon, and Piccioto had shown his trademark enterprising talent and saw the city's fortunes triple in a decade...so much so that it had begun to rival the Gugli's property on the other side of the strip.

This had become a concern for the Family, and on more than one occasion, it had shown its displeasure by killing one of Piccioto's men for 'trespassing'

Donovan sighed, spat out a chunk of roast pork he had been munching on, licked off his stubby fingers and motioned for the butler to come take his plate.

The demure girl moved slowly, almost as if she was praying to go unnoticed.

Piccioto contemplated actions he wished to perform upon her......a toadish, ugly smile crept accross his face.

Before he could move however, the phone rang.

Dr.Chemix

Who the ? is this, Donovan thought, A nice piece of ass right here and wuttya know? A ? phone call! Oh well business before pleasureHe took a more deliberate lick of his fingers as the attendant removed the plates from the man's table. She looked down to see a devilish grin on a fat italian man's face. The repulsion couldn't be hidden in her features.

"Baby, for the right money, that face would change" Donny chuckled. She fought hard to keep from swallowing and Donny fought hard to keep from grabbing her juicy little ass. Blonde, ? , tiny little frame and those pretty ocean eyes. Donny figured he would take her out in one of his various rides. Get the blood boiling. He knew he had power to just take her right where she stand. But where's the fun in that? He liked a little swooning too when he wasn't being such an ? . It was too much trouble forcing these women nowadays with the feminist movement and youtube. That's all he needed. Ousted by a ? paid for by his money to take more of his money!! But that's an average Joe's life, I'm Donny D. Lil Italy's Bull, Donovan thought to himself.

The phone rang again.

Donovan took a look at the phone, then at his fingers, back to the attendant's round bump. What's the use of fighting? Donny owned Talon, the don loved him and he was completely unstoppable. With a swift two hand motion, Donny scooped up the phone, grabbed a healthy portion of the attendents rear end and chuckled loudly. She turned and gasped.

"There's more where that came from baby! Now get the ? outta here, this is a business call! And get me some cannolis! The one like ma makes em! Not that freezer ? you ? ? sell the regular customers!" Donovan commanded.

She nodded and Donovan turned his attention to the call. His face and tone changed drastically. Don Donovan. It fits. For one to be a don, he must think like one. Donovan laughed to himself. And you must constantly instill fear and loyalty. Fear and loyalty. They went hand in hand. Self discipline is the best discipline when you're operating some heavy hitters like Don did.

"Talk to me" Donovan rumbled into the speaker.

Donovan listened to ten minutes of ? . Some blowhard eager to lick ? off his boots, decided to sneak up on Noah and Gabe like they were two bit drug dealers from baltimore. It wasn't surprising for Don to hear the outcome. Now they don't know where this blowhard is. Nor the heirloom. Nor Gabe and Noah. Those two were becoming a major headache in Donovan's mind. A headache that he himself created for others, now turned against him. Donny wanted Talon, ALL of Talon. But it would take precision. A plan. Most of all, men who were capable. Men like Noah and Gabe. ? Gabe, if he would have done like he was told they wouldn't be out this point. If he had Gabe, Noah would follow. Two stone cold killers without the pulp fiction attire. Now Gabe has gone rogue along with Donovan's reputation with the don if he didn't find him quick enough and tie up loose ends. If the Don finds out he anything to do with Dinuno's recent "problem", Donny's fate would equal that of Luca Brossi. ? Luca Brossi.

"Bad business" Donovan muttered to himself.

The caller immediately hushed himself and listened intently. He licked his lips and fumbled in his coat pocket for cigarettes. It was a cold day in bumfuck, whateverthishellholeiscalled. But hearing Donny say 'bad business' in a low tone sent chills to the bone that he hasn't experienced anywhere but from his boss himself. Donovan might be a fat ? with his desires of young hot women, fast cars and coke. But he wasn't to be taken lightly. The man once had caught an informant and tied him up in his restaurant's basement. After what Don called a "light" chastising, Donovan pulled down the man's pants. Silence went over the room. None of the boys knew were about to happen. Everyone watched Donovan carefully. The man whimpered for mercy. Donovan backhanded him swiftly. He then pulled out a razor blade from his pocket and sliced the man's butt, three times.

"That'll teach you, you ? ? !! Don't you ever ? on me again, you dumb ? !!" Donovan began laughing hysterically. All others looked on with confused looks on their faces. Donovan looked at his men and instantly responded.

"What the ? ? I'm an ? ? Why yall looking at me like I'mma ? ? ? This is an ? !! Oh, thats why! You dumb ? don't know what the ? I just did! You ever have your ass sliced before? Me neither!! He won't be able to sit down and ? for a couple of weeks!!! This piece ? will need a ? outhouse and a tanning bed combined to take a ? from now on!! I'm telling you, my father was a ? genius!! ? rest his soul!!"

Donovan laughed even louder and then bent down to the man tied and crying.

"You will remember that!! You ? ? !!! Everytime you have to take ? , you will make sure you not ? on the wrong ? , you ? you!!! Talon is MINE!!!!"

"Boss?" the caller asked uneasily. The recent memory had him blanked out. Plus the idea of laying down to take a ? unnerved him. He vowed then to himself that he would never betray the family. Donny thought of sick things when it came to getting his point across. The caller hoped the boss wasn't giving him instruction while torture memories occupied his mind. Last thing he wanted to do now was ? up while ? up.

Before reacting, Don just coolly ordered the caller to ring back in twenty minutes. Donovan snickered, knowing that would definitely play on his mind for a while.

Donovan pondered on the situation. He needed Gabe and Noah back alive but that was proving to be a serious issue. Gabe wasn't a slouch nor was his brother. Military life helped shape Gabe into a man of chaotic control while the streets gave Noah just chaos. Together, they were formidable and well respected. Even old italians couldn't deny their precision, their professionalism and efficiency when it came to handling ? jobs. Donovan always called Gabe and Gabe would get it handled. If Gabe ? up. He ? up. He showed no fear towards the family or Donovan. Donovan admired that. In more ways than one, that alone spared Gabe's life in more than one occasion. His complete loyalty spoke volumes. But oh Gabriel had a conscience. Donovan remember several nights of just them two in the bar, in the younger days, talking about ? and his purpose. Well, more like Gabe was talking about his ? and his purpose.

Memories. Memories of a time long ago since burn into the book of the forsaken, its ashes leaving flicks of unattainable fragments of time. For the first time, Donovan felt something he hadn't felt in years. A feeling that one has when he has last his brother to time. He gave himself a slap and got up. It was time to put some money out there and see what bees really wanted the honey.

FroHawke

Somewhere in Utah

Gabriel slammed the bible on the pew. He sighed. He looked around the abandoned desolation that surrounded him.

He was in a dilapidated church, its long angular windows cracked and dusty from years of neglect. The pulpit was the only artifice that had seemed to survive the onslaught. A faded painting of Jesus himself was positioned just above.

Gabe sighed again. A wave of guilt washed over him for some reason. He shook his head, trying to rid his head of all the complications, he needed to think.

Donovan had sent a goon after us? Gabe thought.

Us?

Gabriel and Noah had performed a series of heists over the past month across the great plains. They had used their considerable expertise in grand theft and disguise to perform these feats. Donovan had wanted half a cut.

Something had happened over the course of their trip that had affected Gabe though, and he had not reported back to the mafia boss; a fact which worried and enraged him of course.

But Gabe had banked on Donnie giving him more time, he had thought he was trusted more....


'We should get going, I think I heard somethin out there'

Noah came into the church, squinting in the relative darkness inside the building. The infrastructure seemed to be the only building for miles, with an outhouse just outside and the area around appearing some sort of long abandoned farmland. The few houses that were left seemed to have dissapeared under some great fire.

Gabe got up. He looked at Noah and smiled. He took the bible and took out his gun.

'Donni is tracking us Noah'

Noah looked nervous. He turned and looked back out. The van was still out there, serenely parked where Noah had left it.

'...I don't know, I checked the car throughout, couldn't get to the back, the loot kinda clogged that up'

Something clicked with Gabe, the Loot!! He thought....The goon had not left alone surely?

'Noah, lets get the ? out!'

Gabe was running even as he said those words, pointing towards where he wanted Noah to run...away from the car

An explosion rocked them both of their feet, shattering their senses and dulling the world around them...