Her Bodyguard His Target

Hunter felt a firm grip on his shoulder. Without looking back, he already knew who it was.

It was a cold Friday night and him and his friend Joe had chosen to come to Fellas Corner with only one motto for the night 'No leaving until wasted'. But now he knew, he might not be able to stick around even long enough to feel tipsy.

Hunter looked back and saw Hector King standing behind him. Hector nodded at him and then began walking away slowly. Hunter knew that he had to follow after his boss.

“What happened?” Joe asked Hunter.

Hunter shrugged, stepped off the stool and gulpped down the last of his whiskey.

“You're probably not coming back, are you?” Joe asked him.

Hunter didn't respond, he just grabbed his leather jacket from the bar and shook Joe's hand bidding goodbye. He took one last long pull at his cigarette and then placed it in the ashtray. He then followed Hector outside. At the door of the bar were too very sexily dressed women and he walked out backwards looking at them. They were smiling back at him, obviously enjoying the attention of such a good looking man. He winked at them and finally turned around to see his boss waiting. They often referred to Hector as King. They then walked together a few steps away from the club where Hector's car was waiting.

They got in on each side and Hunter sat there waiting for his boss to start talking. It was only when Hunter heard a shuffling in the back seat that he had noticed Marco Bianchi sitting there.

“Hunter.” Marco acknowledged him.

“Marco.” Hunter 'greeted' back.

Marco Bianchi was Hector King's consigliere. The 'wise man', who gave the boss advice on most topics that concerned the family.

“Guess what Hunter.” Hector said.

“What, sir?”

“The rock that the son-of-bitch Marcus Grayman was hiding under had finally been struck by lightning.”

Hunter frowned, trying to make out what his boss meant by that.

“We found him.” Hector finally cleared the confusion.

Hunter's gray eyes widened.

“Son-of-a-bitch has been hiding in North Sunningtan all this while. Right under our noses and no one smelled that rat.”

Sunningtan wasn't actually 'under' their noses like Hector had said. It was in another state in the country.

Hunter continued listening. He had never met Marcus Grayman but he knew exactly how much Marcus Grayman was wanted by Hector and for many years now.

“Who found him?”

“One of our men on that side saw him stocking up on groceries at a store called Greenpastures, followed him and discovered his hideout. And I have the address right here.” When he said 'right here' he waved his cellphone slowly.

“So, what are you gonna do to him?”

“Nah, I want you to take this one. You know how much Marcus Grayman means to me. You know the great deal of distress he caused our family when he broke the most precious rule of all, silence. He sold me out to the feds and got me 2 years in, had to pull some strings to get out early.”

Hunter had heard Hector tell this story at least a million times.

“Do you know how many days in two years?”

“730?” Hunter said it like he wasn't quite sure.

“Seven hundred and thirty days…” Hector repeated slowly. “For 730 days I had to let Colin be in charge even though I knew Colin wasn't ready.”

Marcus Grayman was Hector King's under boss back in 2012. That year Marcus wanted out. He decided that he was done with the mob and wanted nothing to do with that life anymore. Although disappointed that he had lost a good underboss that would some day take over after he was gone, Hector King did not have a problem with that. According to how things worked, members of the mafia were allowed to leave the family if that's what they wanted to do. But even though they were out, the oarth of silence was to never be broken or else, you'd pay with your life. Everyone knew that. Even the lowest ranking gangsters and the street dealers knew it.