XII.
A car pulled up outside the Reichart’s, it was Huge, as he was called by his friends. There was a time that only his friends were permitted to omit the Ph.D. Dr. Huge’s name ended in a vowel being full blooded Italian himself. Now here he was being hired to kidnap a low ranking mob guy. He had went by Dr. Huge after a short stretch in the ring and now it was his stage name, both as a musician and a D.J.
“So Bill we snatch this guy and keep him captive. I get $100.00 now and a hundred for every day I hold him?” Huge asked.
“We’ll grab him in Gloria’s office when he comes to collect. We’ll hold him in the old trailer down by the junk yard where I used to rehearse with the old band,” Bill informed him.
Of course Rainy had no trouble keeping Mike detained and collection day came around.
Gloria was half shit faced when Jules came to collect. Probably a little bottled courage for the deeds about to be done. She was standing in a strategic position when he entered the office.
“I don’t have a lot of time Gloria, so if you could just get the cash I’ll be on my way,” Jules snapped.
Bill and Huge burst from a closet behind Jules. Huge cracked him in the back of the head with a night stick, it flew from his hand and rolled far from reach. Jules’ knees buckled just a little as he spun around and caught Bill with a left. The Dr. hit Jules again, only with his fist as Bill grabbed him from behind. As the three men struggled they fell into Gloria and she went down along with her drink and various items from her desk. Jules was out pretty quickly though it seemed much longer as Huge and Bill huffed, puffed and panted. They bound his wrists and ankles, covered his mouth with duct tape and blindfolded him as well.
“Damn, even with the Ph.D. of Huge helping this guy put up a hell of a fight,” Bill said.
“The dago wouldn’t go down,” Huge added.
“You know you don’t like those racial terms,” Bill told him.
“The owner’s of the racial terms are the only ones socially permitted to say them,” Huge stated, trying to sound like a Ph.D.
Bill had set up a personal medium security prison at an old trailer owned by a drummer in one of Bill’s old bands.
Huge had been holding Jules for almost a week and they hadn’t heard anything from DiTano yet, but Rainy was hopefully still with him because they hadn’t heard from her either. They were beginning to worry.
Near closing time that night Rainy came through the door. Gloria ran from behind the bar to hug her.
“Mike already thinks Jules skipped with the cash. He had made some other collections while I had Mr. DiTano occupied,” Rainy said. “I’ve about had it with this gangster shit.”
The phone rang, it was Mike. Gloria motioned for everyone to be quiet. He obviously asked if Jules collected.
“Yes. Did your buddy run off with your loot?” Gloria asked sarcastically.
After the very short conversation was over Gloria hung up the phone.
“It’s almost time for the weekly collection. Time for the next stage and I hope this works.” Gloria said.
It was time to let Jules escape and it had to be at the right time.
Bill shut off the van motor and let the truck drift the rest of the way down the driveway. He picked up the small order of food he had gotten for the odd couple. He could hear yelling as he approached the trailer.
“When I get out of here I’m gonna fuck you up big time!” Jules yelled.
“I ain’t afraid of you, spaghetti bender,” Huge taunted back.
Jules returned, “You’re gonna regret the day you ever saw me.”
“I already do,” laughed the Dr.
“Alright, enough with the insult game,” Bill said as he came through the door.
Bill put the stuff he brought on the table. “Step outside, I need to tell you something,” he told Huge. “It’s almost time for a visit from Jules’ boss. We need to devise a way to let Jules escape that can be implemented with 30 minutes max. of when you’re informed. It would work better in 15. The quicker, the greater the safety zone.”
“How long do we have to come up with this plan?” Huge asked.
“Day after tomorrow.”
Ditano always called after he was already on his way to collect. Sometimes when he was quite close.
It was fixed for Jules to steal Huge’s truck and it was about a 30 minute drive from the junk yard to Gloria’s.
Mike was on his way and word was sent. If anyone was needed to be stalled they tried to plan the timing so it would be DiTano but as fate would have it Jules burst through the door first. They had just called Mike and told him they heard Jules was on his way to try to collect more cash.
“I want to see Gloria. I’ll find out what the fuck is going around. Her goons snatched me out of her office.”
He continued ranting and raving while they were telling him Gloria was out and wouldn’t return until tomorrow.
“I’m gonna go but you can bet I’ll be back,” Jules shouted as he stepped out the door. BANG…BANG
Two quick gunshots cracked through the still cold air.
Part of Jules’ head splattered on the jukebox and wall while the bulk of his body fell in the doorway permitting the cold to gain entry.
Police and flashing lights dominated the scene that Jules was being pulled away from faster and faster. Drawn to a bright light that soon engulfed him. He was met by a familiar being and taken to a chamber of sorts. There were three souls at a table. He knew he was to be the topic of this meeting. The beings appeared to Jules as don Corleone or Marlon Brando or Al Capone. The possibilities are many.
The Reicharts, Gloria, Rainy and Mike DiTano all got along with their business. Mike never did find out about the expansion and seemed easier to deal with in general. Rainy kept the reigns on him so to speak. Life was good for all and it appeared it would stay that way. The one after that as well!!
