American Savages

  Liam came up beside me, and took the file. “You asked for new identities and didn’t tell me?”

  “I’ll take my leave now,” Sedric snickered, as he turned around. He paused for a moment before he turned to face us again. “Ethan and I are going to a hurling match tomorrow.”

  “Starting a little young, don’t you think?” I grinned. Part of me didn’t like the idea of Ethan, who’s just a giant pillow of sweet baby, getting exposed to such a bloody sport. But then again, he was still young, he likely wouldn’t remember it.

  He shrugged, and smiled. “Liam always walked away when I tried to teach him. So, I’m going to teach Ethan before he can walk. He’ll grow into it.”

  Liam rolled his eyes, and leaned against the doorframe. “Try all you want, old man, but Ethan is just going to cry and annoy everyone around you.”

  “You underestimate how much Ethan loves his grandpa,” he replied, and waved us off as he left.

  Taking the folder from Liam, I pulled out the passports, and checked through them quickly.

  “Latvia.” I frowned. “If we didn't have any other reason to kill Avian, then not going to Latvia would be it.”

  “Luckily, we have more than a dozen reasons,” Liam replied from inside his closet.

  Following him, I watched as he grabbed a new shirt and lifted two ties, one burgundy and the other navy blue, for me to pick. I pointed to the navy blue one, and he of course picked the burgundy one. He and I did this every day. I picked one and he chose the other. He had to have known that by now I always picked the tie I disliked, but I didn’t think he cared…and neither did I.

  “The plan?” he asked as he took out a pair of dress socks.

  “While you are kissing up to the fat cats on Capitol Hill in regards to the marijuana grant back home, I’m going to start creating rap sheets for our scapegoats. Because of what we’re planning, I want people to definitely believe that they were capable of everything when they finally get caught.”

  He nodded. “Phone records?”

  “When Coraline took the agent, she was using a burner phone to speak with Declan. It was paid for in cash, of course, but that can be changed to leave a paper trail.”

  “It’s takes twelve and half hours to get from the capitol to Alabama.”

  How the hell did he know things like that off the top of head?

  “That’s why there are tickets bought in their names at the perfect time. They aren't real, but I doubt that anyone will be diligent enough to check.”

  Standing in the doorframe, he came up to me, and brushed my hair back as he cupped my cheek. “You sure you don’t want me to stay?”

  “So you can read more comics? No. I think you need to get some work done. Now go make us richer.”

  Rolling his eyes, he kissed my forehead before he headed to the door. “I’ll be back at five, have dinner ready for me.”

  Clenching my teeth together, I took a deep breath, as I gazed at him. “Sure sweetheart. There’s no guarantee you’ll survive it though.”

  He snickered as he closed the door behind him. Hearing a small whimper, I turned to Ethan, who was slowly waking up in his basket by our bed. He rested so quietly sometimes, I found myself needing to check his breathing just to make sure he was okay. Reaching into his basket, I pulled him into my arms and kissed his head.

  “Mommy is going to frame a terrorist, do you want to see?” He whined and waved his arms before he started to cry.

  “Food, then terrorists. Okay,” I muttered, as I headed to the kitchen.

  Evelyn was there, stirring a pot of beef something, and the second she spotted Ethan, she abandoned the pot.

  “Do you need me to get him?”

  She reached for him, but I held on.

  “No, I got it.”

  She gave me a look as I reach into the fridge for his bottle.

  “What?” I asked her, as I took the top off with one hand before I placed it into the bottle warmer.

  She shrugs with a smile. “Nothing.”

  “I do not like being dismissed, Evelyn.”

  “Oh please, you’re not scary with that little cutie on your hip.” She made a face at him, but he wasn’t having it. Just like Liam, he tended to get grumpy when he was hungry. “Anyway, I thought you were busy, changing the course of history, and leveling government institutions and all that.”

  “I’m a working mother, what can I say?” I muttered, as I reached for his bottle. She watched me with a giant grin as I tried to test the temperature of the milk on the inside of my wrist, but I couldn’t with Ethan on my hip.

  I felt as if she were challenging me, and just waiting for me to hand him over. But instead, I lifted my head and allowed a few drops to fall onto my tongue. Ethan hit my face as if to berate me, but I had to check. Placing the bottle into his mouth, I smiled as he relaxed and settled back.

  “And to think, you once told me you didn’t know how to be a mother,” Evelyn said with a grin as she returned to stirring her magical pot of meat like a witch over a cauldron.

  “I still don’t. I’m just taking a page out of Liam’s book and making up the rules as I go.”

  “Really, what rules?”

  “Personal Mel rule number one: always feed Ethan when he’s hungry or pay the ear-curdling consequences,” I replied, as I leaned against the sink.

  “Good rule.” She laughed. “You’ve grown so much, Mel, you’re basically a different person.”

  “That doesn’t sound good. I liked who I was.”

  Pausing, she turned to me, her wooden spoon still in hand.

  “You liked the loneliness? The bitter ang—”

  “Watch it, Evelyn, I haven’t changed that much, and baby or no, I can still do damage.”

  “Good to know. Now prove it and kill Olivia,” she said bluntly, with unfamiliar severity.

  Shifting Ethan’s weight, I stood up straighter. “Evelyn, I don’t answer to you. I don’t need to explain why I do things, or why I don’t. Liam and I run this family.”

  “I understand that, and truthfully, I’ve more than enjoyed having my husband back to normal. We’ve gotten to do everything I’ve always wanted to, but couldn’t before.”

  There was that word again, normal. When would people learn that there was no such thing as normal?

  “But with that being said,” her jaw tightened. “There is an unwritten law, a code, we all live by. It has kept this family as strong as it is because we never make exceptions. When you stand against us, you will be removed. When you betray us and endanger our lives, you die. I want her dead, not in the basement getting Neiman Marcus dresses for events. I want my son free of any attachment to her, and I sure as hell do not want her filthy body buried in our family plot. She didn’t want to be a part of this family, so let her rot in a fucking alleyway for all I care.”

  I seemed that Mama Callahan was out and ready to attack, wooden spoon and all.

  “Anything else?” I asked since it seemed like I was taking fucking orders now.

  “Yes. Are Liam and Neal going to be back soon? I’m making their favorite—Irish Lamb Stew and Soda bread. I can teach you if you like,” she said, as she once more turned back to her pot.

  I looked to Ethan who was happily sucking away on the teat of his bottle, and then back to her. This was all too much for me. Without answering her, I walked away from the kitchen.

  If Avian could only see me now…he would weep.

  LIAM

  Five more minutes of this fuckery…just five more minutes.

  Forcing a smile, I turned to the men behind me. “Well gentlemen?”

  “How much would one of these sell for?” Senator Jeffrey Boxer, of North Carolina, asked as he touched the marijuana plant in our small D.C. shop. Mel and I didn’t have time to set up here, however, we’d put just a bit of pressure on the owners and bought it. And after a few visits from Kain and Monte, they were more than willing to sell…it was nice of them.

  “Ounces run from $350 to cl
ose to $600,” I answered.

  He, along with his colleagues, stared in shock. “Each?”

  “Yes.” I nodded as I moved to touch the green plants. “But almost no one buys in full ounces. The common choice is an eighth of an ounce, which runs from $50 to $80. With business moving as it is, that’s over forty million dollars generated in yearly taxes. Taxes that can be turned over to each state to build schools and anything else your state needs.”

  “I’ve got to say…this is a pretty well-oiled machine,” Senator Andrew Kelly, of Texas stated.

  “Yes, which is why I’m surprised Washington isn’t acting in favor of this, or are you? I’m ready to go state by state. Those I’m already working with have been flawless for the last year.”

  “It’s a very delicate matter, Mr. Callahan—”

  “Making money always is, and so is who I spend it on.” They tensed. “But I understand your point. I just hope you take the future into consideration. Not only my state, but yours as well.”

  I moved to the backdoor and held it open for them. After all, they were still politicians and they didn’t want to run the risk of being seen at such an establishment. I shook their hands as they all went back to their cars.

  “You scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours, Mr. Callahan,” Senator Boxer whispered before nodding to me.

  “I never scratch first, but thank you for coming,” I replied, as I let go of him.

  I watched as they drove away before I stepped back inside and turned to face Neal who was waiting with a mask. Taking it, we walked through the maze of marijuana plants before making it to the back. There was a hidden trapdoor that led to the lower level. He pulled it up for me as I placed my mask on, and together, we headed down.

  There were two conveyor belts, one for cocaine and the other for crystal. It had only taken us a few days to set up this factory of sorts, and the truth of the matter was that there was no better place to hide an illegal business than under a legal one.

  The room was filled with six of our men, all of whom were sorting and placing the product into bags. Inspecting the crystal with forceps, I looked them over.

  “They aren’t as clear as the last batch,” I said to Neal.

  “Saoirse’s daughter got hurt, I suspect she may have rushed through this batch,” Neal replied, as he sifted through the glass-like meth on the belt.

  “What happened to her daughter?”

  “Her boyfriend decided to use her as a punching bag.”

  I sighed. Saoirse was our chemist. We rarely spoke and we all preferred it that way. She had her own fully staffed lab based out of Chicago that we never went near…well, Mel and I never did, but we had a few people check in on her from time to time. She made the crystal, we sold it, and she spent the money on funding new drugs for her lab.

  “Declan, Coraline, and Fedel are all working on something else. Who do you think can go help?” After all, that was a part of the deal when you worked with us— wealth and protection for you and your family.

  “Oisin and Tierney,” Neal recommended. They were street muscle who weren’t particularly close to us.

  “Fine. Have it done, but make sure that Saoirse knows that if she produces anything like this again, we’ll have to part ways,” I replied, as I headed towards the coke.

  Already on his phone, he nodded. Cutting into the coke, I dropped in the liquid and watched it turn purple. It was as good enough for now.

  “I want it on the street by tonight.”

  Kain and Monte stood at the vault. Moving to it, I keyed in the passcode, which automatically changed every hour. It looked empty of course, but I walked to the center and peeled back a panel and stepped into the second hidden vault opening. We couldn’t put all of our money into the bank when we got it, which was why we kept some money with other clan members for a short period of time before we could move it. Grabbing a few stacks, I placed them into two different bags for Kain and Monte. They’d know what to do with it.

  Locking both vaults behind me, I headed upstairs.

  MELODY

  Biting into an apple, I stared at her while she slept. She was curled into a fetal position on the bed, her face stained with dried tears. As I kicked her thigh, I took another bite from my apple, and without waiting for her response, I dragged a chair over to the bed and planted it front of her.

  “Wakey wakey, Olivia,” I said to her as I took a seat.

  She couldn’t even pick herself up, and as she opened her eyes to look at me, she began to sob uncontrollably. Rolling my eyes, I waited for her to calm down.

  “Olivia.”

  “Please, just —”

  “Are you about to give me an order?” I asked before I took another bite.

  She didn’t reply.

  “Evelyn asked me to kill you. She was quite cold about it actually. Note to self; never betray family…though you’d think that goes without saying.”

  Again, she sobbed, and her entire body shook.

  “We’re almost done, Olivia. It’s almost over and you will be gone. So weep, pray, do whatever you need to do.” It was to be her punishment and his test.

  I headed back up the stars just in time to find Sedric, with Ethan in his arms, talking with Liam and Neal. Noticing me, Liam broke away and I already knew what he wanted.

  “It’s ready and Avian is having a press conference in the morning. We’ll stream it then. Get ready for an earthquake,” I said to him.

  He pulled me closer to him. “We better hold steady.”

  “Who’s ready for dinner?” Evelyn called from the dining room.

  “Irish Lamb Stew and Soda bread? You spoil me,” Sedric said with a grin as he walked into the room while bouncing Ethan in his arms.

  Both Liam and Neal perked up.

  The Irish.

  Heading to the dining table, we all sat around as Evelyn served us dinner. She seemed quite peppy.

  “Evelyn, are you on something?” I asked her.

  “Can’t I make food for my boys?” She glared at me.

  “Of course,” Neal, Sedric, and Liam all said at once.

  Jesus fuck, it was like she’d hijacked their brains. It almost made me want to cook…almost, but not really.

  I reached over to take a piece of the bread, but Liam stopped me and looked at his mother oddly.

  “It’s the first Monday in June.”

  “So?” I asked.

  “It’s Lá Saoire i mí Mheitheamh.” Neal grinned.

  What? In all my studies of Irish history I’d barely heard about it. It was a traditional holiday known as Pentecost Monday or the June Bank. But it wasn’t that big of a deal…was it?

  Evelyn smiled. “I remember when your father and I took you to Ireland to celebrate. With all this foolishness going on, it only seemed fitting that we celebrate it. I’ve sent Coraline the recipe so that she and Declan can have it as well. We’re family and people who go against that—well, let’s keep things pleasant,” Evelyn said and Sedric kissed her cheek.

  This felt oddly normal. As I looked over to Ethan who sat in his highchair, I wondered if I’d be like Evelyn one day…the thought made me shiver. I really hoped that I was beyond Evelyn. This mothering thing was like a double-edged sword. I felt the need to be soft near Ethan, but feeling this soft made me feel…on edge.

  Would I ever figure out this whole balancing thing? Would I figure out how to be Bloody Melody while still being able to make dinner for Ethan and his future wife or girlfriend? But I was getting way over my head. I needed to not only ensure that Avian was gone forever, but that this situation would never happen again.

  As if he could read my mind, Liam placed his hand on my thigh. Leaning over to me, he whispered, “Just for a moment, stop thinking about Avian. He will get his.”

  Didn’t he know by now that I’d never stop thinking? With a smile, I focused on Sedric as he spoke about ‘the good ole days’…and he wasn’t even that damn old! But the way he spoke, you would have thought he lived in a bl
ack and white gangster movie.

  “Plus your mother couldn’t look away from me!” Sedric spoke between bites.

  “It was your fedora. You can’t ignore a man in a fedora.” She laughed as she rolled her eyes at him. Grinning at Ethan, she leaned over her food and asked, “For Father’s Day, you should buy one for your daddy.”

  Was I supposed to help him with that?

  “And hide this good head of hair? Blasphemy,” Liam snickered. “Plus I fuc—”

  “Liam,” Evelyn and I both said at the same time.

  “Dada. Dada. Da.” Ethan laughed as he flapped his arms.

  Liam and I froze.

  “Did you all hear that?” Neal grinned.

  “Say it again, I think your Mommy and Daddy are in shock.” Sedric gave his fingers to Ethan to play with.

  Ethan smiled, clearly enjoying the attention. “Dada. Dada!”

  All of us, even myself, to my own surprise, cheered. Liam stood and picked him up before kissing his chubby cheek.

  “Dadaaaaaa!” Ethan said again.

  “Best gift I’ve ever gotten,” Liam said, as he sat back down with Ethan in his arms.

  Why did I feel a sudden desperation for him to say 'Mama?’

  TWENTY-FIVE

  “You only live twice: Once when you're born and once when you look death in the face.”

  —Ian Fleming

  LIAM

  This was my plan and I wanted it to be perfect. I could feel the coolness of the brandy snifter as it sat nestled in my hand. I stared out the window of our study, and from our position, I could see the capitol, the city on the hill, everything that was good about America was filled with nothing but snakes and rats.

  “He’s speaking,” Mel said, as she leaned into the chair behind the desk.

  Turning around, she increased the volume. Avian’s image filled the screen, as he stood in front of the podium with his head held high and proud.

  Not for long, bastard.

  “Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for coming. As I said at the last press conference, an internal investigation is still being conducted. But I do want the nation to be assured that the FBI is removing anyone from our employment who does not hold to the standards of our office. Over the last few weeks we’ve had numerous arrests, including those of notorious drug rings and small time bosses.”