CS2: Chapter 3

GAMING Boards, Cards and Tabletops
1

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Granite Prison Blues
(Attn: Blunt, Poxy, Fett, Katanga)

After thinking about the offer that Vallone had made and all of the other hellish things going on in Coldstone, it was time to consult with Roman. He and Frank decided to go together and brought Virgil along for the ride. The avenging angel had shown up at Paulie’s door offering to help in any way he could. The ride to Granite Hill was quiet as the men contemplated the whole mess. Tony showed them into a room and they waited for Roman to arrive.

2

Dirty Deeds
(Attn: Maggot, Burke)

Coldstone offered so many appealing targets that Wesley had a hard time choosing. He had the address of a number of counting houses and other illegal operations. Or he could make it more…personal. He looked at Katherine Tobiasi’s picture and wondered.

–

Maria’s plane landed without incident. She had spent the flight committing a map of Coldstone and Wesley’s dossier to memory. Neither task was particularly difficult, so that gave her plenty of time to try and get into the man’s head. Not easy, considering how scarce real data on him was. Her first job though was to pick up some gear to get this job done.

3

Clues
(Attn: Flyers, Rath)

McClure knew that they had found some kind of message in the car parked outside the Tiger. His suspension was playing havoc with his ability to get that particular tidbit. The FBI man did not enjoy being shot at one but and he wanted to ID and find the joker responsible for that and for blowing up the strip club before he could put DiVialoso behind bars.

–

Pantuso knew that whoever had blown up the club went beyond professional. His time in researching explosives for the bank robbery piece and some work he had done on the IRA told him that. None of the local Mafiosi that he knew of had the requisite level of training. That and some of the residue found and equipment used was very telling. He needed an inside track and none of his usual suspects would let him in on a thing. He played a hunch that a recently suspended George McClure might be willing to share.

4

Rescue
(Attn: Seahawk, Ego)

Thomas Dahl awoke in his cell to the smell of eggs and bacon. Miko stood by his table looking at him and he realized that he was laid out on a tatami with a pillow under his head. The food smelled heavenly but the memory of the hallucinogens was all too fresh. He needed strength to escape if that was his goal but to eat the food or not?

–

After disposing of the body per Othello’s instructions, Carlone Veretta set about to thinking of ways to rescue his friend. His own considerable skills, resources and training combined with that of his new boss should make this a relatively easy task if he could locate the ex-cop. The email he had gotten only confirmed his suspicions as to motive but he could not trust that they would leave Dahl alive as long as they had promised to. Time was short.

5

Dead Man Walking
(Attn: Logan, Voltes, Capteucalyptus)

Another day dawned in Vegas and Ray awoke sober for the first time in he wasn’t sure how long. If he was to confront Othello Redman it would have to be clear headed. Plans needed to be made. He had to get close to the man if only for a moment.

–

Othello greeted the new day like a tiger. Threats had been made on his life and that got his juices flowing. He had tried to get Foxy to take their girl and go to Malibu but she wouldn’t hear of it. He ordered Tima to double security around them and put his trust in his new guardian. Roman had confirmed the man’s identity and expressed concern over Redman’s well-being. Forces were conspiring against him and that always brought out the best in him.

–

The increased security that Lio saw around his mark would do little against one with his type of training. He knew that his own vigilance would be put to the test since he could not be certain of the face of Othello’s killer. The men from yesterday were not Yakuza and they rarely if ever used outside help for something like this. So it would seem that Redman had more than one hand against him. It was a challenge and one that he felt he could rise to meet.

6

Watchtower
(Attn: Dan Laugharn, Ryan Landau)

Jaquez had finished culling all of the records he could find on Othello Redman and was building a database of notable associates. Among those was one Roman Carvaggio. That name raised a flag in his mind and he quickly began running search routines to find out where that suspicion was coming from. Meanwhile, Charles began to seek associations within this database analyzing all of the data. It would seem that they had indeed been deceived and that Mr. Redman was nothing more than a very talented thug. So why was he being targeted and by whom? And what has happened to Dewey. All of these points sat heavily on both of these men’s minds.

7

Clues

I see a red door and I want it painted black..

The stainless steel DeLorean cruised through the streets as Mick Jagger crooned out of the windows. Inside, Elmore Pantuso fumed. He had sat in his office the night Tony’s Tiger went boom, and the phone call he expected never came. His subsequent investigation led to dead ends.

I never wanted this fucking story in the first place, he thought. But the bosses NEED their headlines. They need their circulation numbers.

He sighed. He’d been in this buisness for thirty fucking years and it had never been about sales–not for him anyway. In recent years, however, after Knight-Ridder bought the paper, it became more about looking like USA Today than telling the truth.

Bastards.

Keith and Mick ended, segued into Nick Lowe-“Cruel To Be Kind.” Elmore listened in silence as he watched the brownstone apartments go by slowly. Finally he stopped. Got out of the car.

Walked to the buzzer and rang it.

“KENNEDY!!!” he growled.

8

Dead Man Walking

The morning finds Lio Leo already on the prowl. Through a long-range scope, he tracked any movement outside of Othello’s location.

There would be no leaving this assignement to chance.

9

Clues

McClure was sitting in his chair, eating Cool Ranch Doritos and watching SportsCenter. [i]They never show this part of the FBI life in the movies,[i] he thought to himself.

As Shaq’s dunk montage ended, George heard the bell go off. He walked over, punched the intercom button in and said, “Yeah, who is it?”

10

Clues

“Elmore Pantuso, Coldstone Times. I did the story on the NEW Coldstone FBI, remember?”

He sighed. No one remembered shit these days.

11

Clues

“Yeah, I think I remember that.”

George really had no clue, but he figured he’d be best off humoring the arrogant journalist.

“Did you leave your purse up here or something, Elmy?”

12

Granite Prison Blues

Paulie stalks back and forth, hands gesturing wildly. He’s fuming, and would be shouting if where he is isn’t exactly the best place to be incriminating yourself.

“Fuckin’ Wesley, he blew up the fuckin’ Tiger! Goddamn cock-smokin’ little dribble down his mother’s fuckin’ thigh! Couldn’t even be a fuckin’ man about it, put the gun in my fuckin’ face, no, gotta hide like some bitch-slapped little girl and take fuckin’ potshots at me! Fuckin’ killed Lurch too, the limp-dick little cum-guzzler!!!”

13

Granite Prison Blues

Virgil remains silent. Somehow, the reunion with his old battle comrades feels awkward. Like he doesn’t belong among them anymore. He watches Paulie spewing a torrent of profanity and rises, going over to him.

“Calm down, Paul. Keep cool. You don’t want Roman to see you like this. Here, have a fag.”

He draws two cigarettes from his pack, puts one in his mouth and gives the other one to the Jester.

“We’ll get that guy, you’ll see.”

He goes back to his chair and lights his cig, hoping that this whole deal won’t be too long. He’s not sure if he wants to be involved in the whole mafia business anymore. And he’s still got a romantic evening waiting for him.

14

Dead Man Walking
(Attn: Voltes)

It’s strange waking up with a clear head. He realizes that his bedroom’s a mess and he intends to clean up. There’s something different about him today. He can’t quite pinpoint just what it is.

He walks over to his closet. Despite all the mess, his wardrobe is in immaculate condition. Amelia had always washed and iron his clothes. Sometimes he talked to her when he’s ironing his jacket. Amelia had always teased him about that fake pink carnation that he always put on his lapel. “Tacky,” she had always said.

“It’s my signature, lovey,” Ray says to no one in particular. Such remembrance on a clear head is a very painful thing. So he deprives himself of the tears and quickly removes his clothes and takes a shower.

Once while taking a shower, Ray and Amelia had sung an impressive and seamless duet of all of Sinatra’s hits. They were such in sync that they had laughed so hard that they eventually slipped. Ray hurt his back but he pretended that he didn’t feel any pain so that he could relish that wonderful moment of Amelia just laughing and smiling at him. “Silly,” she had once called him.

“You are the most gorgeous woman on the planet, lovey,” Ray says to no one in particular as the soap stings his eyes.

Back in his bedroom, he stares at his wet naked self in the mirror. He eyes his protruding gut and blames himself for not taking good care of himself. Once Amelia snuck behind him and rubbed his belly. “Sexy,” she had once said.

“For a beast,” Ray jokes to no one in particular.

Tonight, he’s gonna get close to Othello. But in order to do so, he will get closer to his wife, Foxy. Then, for a brief moment, he thinks about changing his plans. And, if he does, well, “Let’s not plan too much way in advance,” he says to no one else in particular.

This is indeed true, as he sees himself in the mirror – a much different and a very hollow Ray Priest.

15

Granite Prison Blues
(Attn: Blunt, Poxy, Fett, Katanga)

Frank fidgeted a bit with his cigarette before lighting it. “Yeah, don’t worry Paulie. Wesley may be some kind of badass but he hasn’t had to deal with us yet. We’ll teach this pazzi to screw with one of our own.” He took a deep drag and blew out the lungful of smoke. “What I really want to know is what Roman wants to do about this Vallone situation.”

16

Granite Prison Blues

Roman entered with Tony the guard at his side. He appraised the collection of former colleagues.

Tony pulled out the chair for the Don and he sat with his hands folded on the table in front of him. Roman put a cigarette to his lips and the guard lit it without hesitation and exited the visitor center.

“Save it for the library. What’s the matter?” Roman spoke to Frank and awaited a swift reply.

17

Granite Prison Blues

Frank speaks first. “Vallone made me an offer. He wants to replace you but wants to keep me in place.” He winks at Roman. “It is an attractive offer. I get full dental and a 401K. What do you think I should do about it?”

18

Granite Hill Blues

“You would be foolish to refuse.” Roman let’s drop any pretense of sarcasm.

He looks to Paulie and Virgil waiting for them to contribute.

19

Dead Man Walking
(Attn: Logan)

Watching his mark through the high-powered scope wasn’t the most exciting thing he had ever done but it was a part of the job he was used to. His training allowed him to watch Othello with one eye and keep aware of his surroundings with his other senses.

He wasn’t sure what forst clued him in on the existence of the other. The scratching at the base of his brain let him know that he was being watched and that was enough.

20

Dead Man Walking
(Attn: Voltes)

Finding out Mrs. Brown-Redman’s daily schedule wasn’t too awfully difficult for a man with Ray’s charm. Foxy was a creature of habits. She was also very independent which meant she took her own car everywhere she went. Tima and Othello’s demands that she have a guard with her at all times fell on deaf ears. She felt confident that her years on the force and the little Colt she carried would suit her well enough.

Ray waited behind a column in the parking deck as she came out of the elevator and walked towards her champagne colored Lincoln Aviator. He was about to come out of his hiding spot when he saw a small blond man in dark jeans with a workshirt on approach her. The tag on the shirt announced that his name was Troy. “Excuse me ma’am.” Came a sugar coated southern drawl. As she turned to him he clipped her on the point of her jaw and she went down hard.