Phantoms Among Justice

VIII - The Business of Life and Death

Segregatio I

Edward, realistically, was sitting inside of his bar. Mentally, however, he had no idea where he was. He had killed the one thing that resembled a son in his life, and as of less than a month ago, he had two close friends in this world. Now, he hadn't an idea of their welfare, their whereabouts, or their intent towards him.

He'd sent five men to Milissa, three to Leila, two to Joci, and the remaining two were now his personal bodyguards. He had no idea where Jack was either, he assumed that Spade was alive, and that he killed Jack. It was a fleeting thought however, because he saw the blood flow stop from Spade's head and neck. He never used to drink, not like now anyhow. He was falling apart, quickly. He could see it every time he looked into the mirror. How his men obeyed him. He had very little family left, as opposed to two years ago when the Stiletto family shared Los Angeles with two rival families.

He had killed Ira Gelano, and since his best hitmen left, Donny Mann. His family was dissolving, he desperately wanted to kill Vic and Santiago, considering he'd sent several men and his best, Spade, after them. Their demise was eminent. He'd killed Spade out of vengeance however, and it was a mistake.

He'd never considered himself Godlike. He gave life and death as well, although when He ended lives, people called it natural cause. When Edward Stiletto ended lives, people called it murder. Edward's new bartender, an elderly Irishman named Gaveth, interrupted his train of thought. "Hey, you alright? Sorry about this, but I'm gonna have t'cut ya off. Real sorry, Ed."

Edward slowly brought his head up, and glared at Gaveth. "This is my fucking bar, and your cutting me off?" Gaveth took a step back, and put his hands in the air. "Get... the fuck over here, and tell me what you just said!" Edward yelled. Gaveth clenched his fists. "That's what I said, so fuck y'self! N'get the Hell outta here!"

Edward stared at Gaveth, like a mysterious alien. Then he laughed. "Ah, I like you." Edward said as he got up from his stool. He pulled a pearl blue folding knife from his back pocket, flicked it open, and stabbed Gaveth in the neck. "I hate you fucking Irish pricks!" He said as he released the knife. Gaveth reached for the knife, gargled, and fell.

Gaveth twitched. "That's the problem with you people, massive inferiority complex... I bet your Ma told you, 'Now Gaveth-boy, don't you ever take nothing from nobody' so on and so forth" he mocked Gaveth's heavy accent. "That's not how you get anywhere in life. Maybe through grade-school, but anywhere after that? Hell, in this business, you could get shot!" He said sarcastically, then laughed. "This business... this business... the business? Ah, the business. The business of life and death. Nobody gives it to you, there is disrespect for your elders, so on and so forth. I give death as I do. That's what you do when your the boss. When your a fucking bartender? You do as your- Ah, fuck. Your dead. Who gives a damn?" His personal bodyguards walked in.

Lennon Beck, and Austin Kane. Lennon met Edward in a cafe in Texas. He was a drifter. Being a former Jesicahn, he thanked Edward once he found out that it was him that killed Dallas Rooker, the terror of Jesicah. He was also grateful that because of Edward's organization, the syndicate of gangs no longer controlled Jesicah. He expressed his gratitude by being indentured into the Stiletto family. His mother was part Italian, but he wasn't by any means pure Italian. Edward contracted him anyway. Back in Damien's Prime, yes. Being Sicilian or Italian had its privileges and luxuries. But now? No. It's very hard to find a hardened Italian this day and age. Besides, Damien's conservative anyhow.

Austin Kane had no relatives that Edward knew of. He hadn't the slightest idea of how he was brought up, what family he had, his homeplace, even his Christian name. Edward started to call him Austin, named after the town that Edward had met him in. As far as Edward was concerned, he had no name. He was found wearing a necklace. It had one cross on it, and a dog tag. It read: