Gray and Green // Michael Gray

World Connections

1924

I sat at the Garrison bar, drinking a whiskey with ice. My dress hung below the bar stool as a man came up to me. Dark hair and brown eyes staring into my soul.

"What's a pretty lady sitting here alone for?" he asked me. Disgusting.

"I'm not a whore." I said as I sipped on the glass, reading my newspaper. He didn't leave, he sat beside me. This is why men dont have my respect.

I sipped on my drink as he attempted to talk to me. I didn't hear a word he said. He didn't interest me at all. He was just an annoyance.

"Excuse me, miss?" a younger man approached me from my left side. I looked up at him, then looked at his weapons. He was a gangster, or part of a gang. He was the one that dealt with legal things. I could tell by the confident voice and the good posture. Also by how he had the littlest of manners. He had to greet the public well.

"Are you Anna Green?" He asked me.

"What do you want?" I asked, finishing off my glass and looking at the man. He pursed his lips, looking around, then back at me.

"Could we talk in a more private manner?" he asked.

I looked at my watch, then reported mydrink. "You have ten minutes." I got up from the bar stool and walked towards the private business room in the corner.

He locked the door behind him, sitting across from me.

"Michael Gray," he stuck out his hand for me to shake, which I shook.

"Are you in relation to the Shelby's?" I asked, looking up at him. He nodded. "What do you need?"

"You have connections with the Soviet Union..." he said.

"The Russians, Italians, Germans, French, English, Indians, what do you want?" this boy could not get words out of his mouth.

"Do you know Father John Hughes?" he asked, I laughed and leaned back into the seat. How could i not know him?

"Yes i do." i replied.

"Thomas Shelby had a meeting with the Leaders of the Soviet Union, he is going to be ordered to apologize." He looked up at me. "He wants to kill the priest."

"The only person who will kill that priest is me." I retorted against his statement. He furrowed his eyebrows.

"You have more power than the Shelby's, it's obvious. If you go in there, tell the Russians that the robbery is off, people won't get killed." Michael said. I sighed and leaned back.

"What's in it for me?" I asked. He huffed.

"Money." I laughed at his statement.

"I haven't dealt with anything as common as money in years, Michael." I smiled towards him. He knew i was a higher class than him and it pissed him off.

"What do you want?" he asked me.

I thought about it. He had delicate features, full lips, blue eyes. He was a nice looking man. Young, tall, fit. He was about my age, maybe a year or two older.

"Dinner." I told him. He had a confused look on his face. It took him by suprise.

"What?" he asked.

"Dinner with you. Tomorrow at seven in the evening." I unlocked the door as his eyes lit up.

"Where?" he asked. I shrugged.

"You know where to find me when you decide." I walked out and to the restaurant where Thomas Shelby was located.

-

"Do not come in the room unless you hear gunfire," I said towards my bodyguard, James Monroe.

James was a lean man with broad shoulders and blonde hair. He wore glasses on the top of his nose, and usually dressed in black suits. I haven't seen him in anything besides black and white in years.

"I've worked for you for eight years, Doc. I think I know." He said, making me smile. He's done so much for me and I couldn't be happier.

"Ms. Green, we weren't expecting you today," The receptionist said politely as I made my way towards the podium.

"I have a small business meeting. Its with Petrovna," I said with a smile. He nodded.

"They're in the private dining area. I'll have an escort take you there." He said, I nodded and smiled. Oh how I love having power.

The escort led me to the door, opening it for me. James stood on the inside of the doors, keeping his hand on his gun just in case this plan went south.

"Ms. Green-" the oldest Petrovna said as I entered the room. "What are you doing here? I am on business."

I looked at the Shelby. He was sweating, bleeding, and he looked blind for a second. He had a fractured skull and it was obvious. You could tell by the lump surrounding his head. I learnt it from a doctor in France. He was to recite an apology. The priest had cracked his skull.

"This man has a fractured skull, caused by the priest. Thomas Shelby was threatened by this priest to publicly apologize to all of you, even though you all are putting his family at risk." I looked around the table.

I snapped my fingers, making James come to my side.

"James, please help Mr. Shelby up and into the car. He needs a hospital." I said with a smile as I eyed the priest. His jaw was clenched and he was staring daggers towards me. James grabbed Thomas Shelby held onto the man as they walked out of the room.

"Father Hughes, i'd count your days carefully." I said with a smile once they were out of the room. I turned on my heels and followed them out, not even caring about what business they had to finish.

I got in the car, turned on the Engine and drove down the street. Thomas Shelby was groaning in the back while James cleaned the blood off his face.

"Who sent you?" Thomas groaned out.

"Michael Gray sent me. He told me there were Soviets at Ada Shelby's house waiting for you?" I asked, he nodded. "You won't make it another ten minutes without cocaine to keep you awake. What would you like me to say to them?"

"Tell them that there will be a robbery. The person who they think is on their side is an infiltrator working for the Russians. Armored cars will be stolen and the Shelby Family are the ones being sacrificed." Thomas said, taking a breath every few words.

I parked the car at the hospital, opening the door for the men. Thomas was now unconscious and limp, James carried him through the front desk. The nurses almost screamed at the sight of the sweaty man.

The nurses took him to a room and put a paper in front of me.

"He has a fractured skull and hemorrhage." I told the front desk nurse. She furrowed her eyebrows and nodded.

"Name?" She asked.

"Thomas Shelby." She nodded and left towards the concussed man.

-

I knocked on the door of Ada Shelby's house, James waited in the car. She opened the door frantically, confused as to why it was me.

"Anna," she started out, stepping outside the door. We were somewhat friends at the church her and I used to attend. I've given up on the lord's faith a while ago.

"Thomas sent me to talk to the Russian embassy, he passed out on the way to the hospital. He had a cracked skull, concussion and probably internal bleeding. He'll be alright." I smiled as I stepped into her house, finding my ways to the officials.

"The Russians are planning a robbery-" I was cut off. How rude. I continued speaking over him.

"We know about the robbery." The translator said. I narrowed my eyes.

"-you know about that takes place in a factory downtown with armored cars. Mr. Shelby's family is the one in danger." I finished my statement.

"What is your name?" They asked me. Ada scoffed.

"She's Anna Green. She basically owns fucking Europe."