Angels and Devils

The Black Hood

  The Purple Milkshake is nearly empty for a Wendsday morning. Nicky sits in the V.I.P. lounge with his newest client, Jacob Marcel, a local real estate owner with a drinking problem. Usually, Nicky watches the strippers as he makes deals with his clients. The way the strippers do their sexy dances around the poles in the club but Nicky only has his eyes on Marcel.
"Where was he last spotted?" Nicky says as he examines the photograph of the man that goes by The Black Hood.
"Around the alleyways around the Westside." Nicky looks up at Marcel, feeling suddenly alarmed by this news. "The bastard murdered my's cousin, the only family I's had left."
Nicky thinks of Shawn, how he would take a bullet for him and how sweet revenge would be when he got his hands on Shawn's murderer. But what he saw earlier that day made him suspicious.
"I's pay upfront, Marcel." Nicky says
"Oh, of course Mr. Bryant." Marcel nods his head, nervous as hell.
"You's seem kinda nervous there," Nicky says "what's troubling ya?"
"There's eyes everywhere, Mr. Bryant. I's could be killed for this." Marcel whispers.
            "Marcel, yous a good man. Yous just stay careful, yous hear? I'll search for this Black Hood." Nicky assures Marcel.
             "Thank you, Mr. Bryant." Marcel walks out of the V.I.P. lounge.
             Nicky takes a shot of tequila and a sudden déjà vu makes him look twice towards the bar area. A dark figure stands there, face hidden, and staring straight at Nicky. The same figure he saw outside of the old theater that day. Is this figure following him? The dark figure begins out of the club doors. Nicky stands and rushes out, calling after the dark figure. He stops at the counter where the figure stood, he looks down to see a crumpled up piece of paper. He picks it up and unwraps it. Nicky drops the piece of paper on the floor as if it were poison. On the piece of paper, there's a drawing of an eye. The same eye that was on the old theater doors.

As noon sets in, The cool wind blows through Nicky's hair. Knailer and Mann sent out a large group of the Southside Serpants to go with Nicky and his men to pick up the delivery of smuggled guns. Knuckles drives the black Cadillac with Blackout sitting shotgun, Nicky and Carson sitting in the backseat. Trixie and one of the Southside Serpents rides on a motorcycle beside Nicky's black Cadillac. The Southside Serpents ride behind them in similar cars. Montague said that there was a warehouse that he began storing guns and ammo in when he heard about the Angels taking all the guns they could get their hands on. Montague said he knew it would come in handy at one point.
            "Need to be back by midnight," Nicky says "Shrikes orders."
"Too bad Shawn couldn't make it, it's not the same without him." Blackout says
Shawn had told Nicky he had errands to run that afternoon, making Nicky more suspicious. Who was that girl Shawn was sneaking around with? Why is Shawn suddenly being so secretive? This makes Nicky uneasy, but he knows he cannot go back on Shawn. Shawn must have a good reason, why else would he be acting this way? Nicky thinks about the Black Hood and what Marcel once said about how dangerous it was for him to be there with Nicky. What did Marcel mean? Whatever he meant, Nicky has a hunch it has to do with the Angels buying up all of the guns in all territories of Abbadon. And then Nicky thinks about Stella.
For the past three months, Stella is all Nicky has thought about. The one person whose never left his mind since he found out she had been working with the Angels. She acted so innocent, so naive. Nicky actually believed Stella was pregnant with his baby and was tortured because of him, something he took to heart. The tattoo across his heart has scarred him for life. He put his feelings before his brain, clouding his judgement. He should have seen it, he should have seen the signs. She was just another distraction. Nicky sucks in a breath and quickly wipes a tear away before anyone can see it. Let's face it, Nicky loved Stella. And now he'd do anything to put a bullet in her head.

When they arrive at the warehouse, it's almost pitch black. The sky is at its best, Purple with yellow streaks across the sky. When Knuckles turns into the alleyway, a man stands in the middle of the alleyway. Tattoos cover his entire body, literally. His teeth are black, only one gold tooth to replace his right canine. Nicky steps out, as does many of the others, and walks over to the man.
"Yous Nicky?" The man says.
"Yous Jeremy?" Nicky shakes the mans hand, the man laughs.
"Nice to meet the Famous Contract Killa Nicky Bryant." Jeremy says with a smug look. "Nice ta see yous finally standin up to that saint."
"If that's what it takes ta be a saint, I's rather die a martyr." Nicky says
"Amen, brother," Jeremy takes a step back, "pay upfront, Mr. Bryant. I's heard yous like doin business that way."
Nicky arches his eyebrows and nods his head. He turns over and nods to Carson, who throws him a bag of cash. Nicky opens the bag and shows Jeremy to prove it isn't a weapon. Jeremy takes it and shoves the bag into his jacket pocket. He opens the garage door to reveal large boxes. Carson and Cut Throat open up the box and motion for Nicky to come take a look. When Nicky sees the AK-47's and the assault rifles, Carson opens another box to reveal machine guns and silencers. A smile creeps across Nicky's face, there is enough here to provide a small army.
                     "Load'em up boys!" Nicky hollers as he walks back to the car.
                     Jeremy watches as Nicky walks back over to the car and stares at the drivers side. He walks over and stands by Nicky, shoving his hands into his pockets. They both watch as the Southside Serpents and the Westside Devils load up the large delivery. Jeremy takes out a pack of cigarettes and a lighter with a yellow smile. He lights one one and puffs it out slowly. He licks his blackened teeth and snickers. Nicky looks at him in the corner of his eye.
                     "Something yous wanna spit out? Particularly cigarette ashes," Nicky annoyed.
                     "Why did yous want to rebel against the East? Why now?" Jeremy says
                     The image of Stella appears in Nicky's head. "Just tired of Silas's bullshit."
                     "Yeah, I's heard about her." The mentioning of the word her makes the hairs on the back of Nicky's neck stand up. "She must have been real special to have the Serpants out lookin for her."
                     "I's don't know what yous insinuating but it's a dangerous." Nicky opens the car door and slides in, closing himself inside the car.
                      After all the boxes of guns and ammo are loaded up in the trucks, Carson and Cut Throat get in. Knuckles starts the engine and puts the car in drive, moving down the alley. Jeremy disappears into one of the alleyways, his shadow blending with the darkness. Knuckles pulls out of the alleyway and down the deserted streets. Nicky looks out the window to see a heart stopping sight. Ten white Cadillac cars drive on the other lane that leads down to the SouthEast border line of Abbadon. Nicky's heart begins to beat harder at this sight. The Angels. Nickys hands begin to tremble at the thought of Stella being so close to him after all that time he's been preparing to take her and the angels out. And now here they are, riding South on a road that only goes North. Cut Throat and Carson stare out the windows at the sight, Carson watches as Nicky's hands begin to shake with fury.
"Stop," Nicky says to Knuckles, but she keeps on driving. "I's said stop!"
The black Cadillac jolts to a stop, making every one almost fly forward. All the vehicles breaks behind Nicky's squeal as they all haul to a stop. Nicky watches the Angels as they drive, his heart pounding. Sweat runs down Nicky's back as fear eats at his gut. The Angels are just yards away from him. Nicky's stomach turns when five of the white Cadillac's make a u-turn and pull up fifteen yards away from the parked cars. The other five white Cadillac's pull in behind the group. Nicky suddenly feels trapped. This was on purpose. Somebody had to of ratted him and the Southside out, but who? The one who ratted him the day before? The sky is darkening in that part of town, the perfect time to ambush rebels at in unexpected time.
The Angels all step out of their vehicles, guns in their hands, standing around their cars. All the Angels stand there as if they were herding the small group. Nicky's leg begins to fidget and his face becomes hard, he scratches the stubble on his chin. His eyes search for Stella's face. Her pasty skin and her white hair, herr hazel-blue eyes.
"Boss, what we gonna do? They got us trapped," Cut Throat says.
"I's can see that, Cut Throat." Nicky says, "They's finally got me's where they want me's."
"Boss, I's don't don't see Jailbird," At the mention of her nickname, Nicky gives Cut Throat a death glare.
"Unload the guns, we gonna have a run down with these bastards." Nicky looks at them "Go, now!"
They all stumble out of the car and walk back to the others. Nicky watches the angels as they watch him. This will not end good, he can sense it. He grabs the bottle of jack in the glove department and takes a gulp of it. If this were to be his last drink, he wishes he had a bottle of pure vodka stored somewhere. Something hard. Finally, Nicky steps out of the vehicle and walks back to the others, watching the angels over his shoulder. They continue to watch him as they gather their guns and ammo. Esben, Montague's oldest son, hands Nicky a pistol bullets. Nicky shoves them into his yellow, floral Hawaiian shirt, his favorite one to be exact. Nicky walks back to the car and searches for his pack of rolled up marijuana joints and his St. Mary lighter. He finds them stored underneath the backseat. He takes one out and lights it, shoving the pack into his chest pocket. He smokes his joint, taking in as much high he can get in front of the Angels. He flashes his pistol, St. Mary holding baby Jesus, to the Angels. Nicky takes in one last puff and throws it on the ground.
          The sound of engines roaring and car lights makes Nicky turn his gaze over past the Angels. White vehicles all pull up around the Angels, Nicky watches as people dressed in dark clothing all step out and walk up to where the Angels are standing. When Nicky sees a few of their faces, he can already tell that the Angels had called the Northside Vixens for backup. He can tell by their pointed faces and jackets that they are the sly devils they try to hide. They all gear up with weapons and ammo as Nicky and his men watch with intensity. A figure dressed in blue jeans and a black hood. The Black Hood. He leans in and says something to one of the angels, who has a monk like hairstyle. The angel looks down at the ground and smiles to himself. From the corner of his eye, Nicky sees the young angel boy named Gabriel leaning against on of the vehicles. Nicky aims his gun at the smaller group and soon, all the angels have their weapons raised. Declaring a gun fight. The small group raises their weapons to the angels. Accepting the challenge.
"Show yous face, Black Hood!" Nicky shouts, his hands trembling. "Be a man and show yous face!"
The Black Hood nods it's head and steps out only a few feet away from the angels, closer to the enter circle that has formed around Nicky and his small alliance group. The Black Hood stares at Nicky for a moment, as if hesitating, then reaches for his hood. The Black Hood pulls down his hood to reveal a man's face, majority covered up with a red and yellow bandana. The colors of The House of Devils. The mans eyes shine a familiar baby blue and his hair is shaved off. Nicky doesn't even have to see the rest of the mans face, he knows now who the Black Hood is. Betrayal hits Nicky hard in the chest, making his insides burn. The man tucks the bandana under his chin, a nasty smirk like smile on his unshaven face. Shawn.