Warren Murphy Destroyer 065 Lost Yesterday

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.Theyall had survived what had been the greatest threat to their freedom in adecade and they had gotten their reprieve when a minor enforcer, a witness,suddenly forgot everything.No one who knew Mr.Muscamente believed for one moment he had not stretchedhis long powerful arms out to reach Gennaro "Drums" Drumola.Everyone knewthat crossing Mr.Muscamente meant pain at least, and death at most.Thoseoffenses that brought the death penalty were those jobs that cost Mr.Muscamente anything over $5,000.Because the boss was unreasonable andunbendable about the arbitrary line, only petty thievery could flourish in hisPage 34ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlmob.As his lieutenants boarded his yacht, each kissed his offered hand."Mr.Muscamente, it is a pleasure to be here," said one after another."Yeah.Okay," said Mr.Muscamente, receiving the homage with boredom.Therewere fourteen, all told, who were finally assembled on the rear deck of hisoceangoing yacht Mama.They sat on small chairs, each with a small table infront of him.Whatever they wanted to drink or eat was set before them so thatthey would not have to call for anything.When Mr.Muscamente spoke, he didnot like interruptions.Several of the underbosses made sure they used thehead before he began.The yacht's crewmen were told they were not appreciatedat the stern, but should go forward.But these were not exactly the words Mr.Muscamente's bodyguards used."Ey! Youse guys.Get outta here.Go to the front.I don't want to see none ofyouse here no more.You hear? Now beat it."When the decks were cleared of outsiders, Mr.Muscamente cleared his throat.He sat on a slightly higher chair near the rear railing.He wore hisyachtsman's double-breasted blue blazer and white slacks with TopSiders.Mr.Muscamente had seen others wear this uniform, and he had ordered it by havingtwo of his men muscle a fellow yachtsman into a clothing store and find outwhat the clothes were called by saying:"What's dis guy wearing?"Then he ordered it for himself.And so from his high seat on his yacht Mama,perfectly attired in his seafaring regalia, Angelo Muscamente spoke now to hisunderbosses about a wonderful revelation."You see in me a new person," said Mr.Muscamente.Everyone agreed."But it is not new.Not new at all," said Mr.Muscamente.He waited foreveryone to agree with his contradiction."Now, how can this be, you may ask yourselves.""Good question, boss," said Santino "Big Jelly" Jellino."There is within all of us a positive power we fight against.""We'll beat the shit out of it, boss," said Big Jelly."Shut up," said Mr.Muscamente kindly."Right, boss.Everyone shut up," said Big Jelly."Mostly you, Big Jelly," said Mr.Muscamente."Now, how can there be anothergood person locked inside a struggling negative person?"Only the sound of the engine purring belowdecks could be heard.No one wasgoing to answer the question.Everyone avoided the eyes of everyone else.Noone wanted it to be known that he didn't have the slightest idea what the bosswas talking about.Mr.Muscamente talked of the forces of the universe being good.He talked ofastral power.He talked of a far distant planet that all mankind came from,which was what made them different from animals.They all waited for thepitch.When Joey "Fingers" Phalange heard the name Poweressence mentioned, hesuddenly thought he understood what it was all about."Yeah.I could have bought one of those franchises from the Dolomos back inseventy-eight, real cheap.I know a guy that got stuck with one, though.Whatwith all the bad publicity, alligators in swimming pools and everything, thosefranchises ain't gonna be worth salt in a year or two.I say we stay out ofthem.""That alligator was attracted to that columnist's pool because alligators arenegative astrai creatures that respond to negative astral forces.Thatcolumnist drew the alligator to himself.No one put it in his pool," said Mr.Muscamente."No, boss.They got the guy that bought Exhibit A for the Dolomos.They gothim in court.He nailed 'em.That appeal they got won't do business.TheDolomos are goin' to the slammer.""Not if we can help it.""What are we going to do?""We are going to do a hit on that turncoat traitor.""Because we're takin' over Poweressence.We buy in on the franchise low now,remove the witness, then we got somethin' that's worth somethin'.I see," saidPage 35ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlBig Jelly.Everyone nodded.Mr.Muscamente ruled almost as much through hisbrains as he did through terror."We are not touching one positive center.We are protecting it," said Mr.Muscamente."We sell the Dolomos protection," said Fingers."We sell nothing.We buy.I am entering you all at Level One.I don't want nonegative consciousness around me.You are going to release your blocks.Youare going to function with the forces of good, namely us.Anyone against us isevil.Got it?"There were many yesses.The only thing they didn't understand was why Mr.Muscamente needed Poweressence to think everyone against them was evil.Theyhad thought like that since childhood.On the bridge, the captain noticed something moving toward the Mama.Hebrought his binoculars to bear, focused, then refocused.Finally he asked the first mate to verify what he saw."Are my eyes going?" heasked.The first mate focused, then he too refocused."I don't know what it is either.It looks like a man in a dark T-shirt andgray pants, swimming toward us.""At twenty knots? Fourteen miles out in the Pacific?""It must be a small boat," said the first mate.The captain took back the binoculars.He looked out toward the object."Right-a boat.With arms and legs that move.How can he swim that fast?"The first mate got his own set of binoculars."You're right.He is swimming fast, and he hardly seems to be making aneffort.Not like any swimmers I've seen.They splash a lot.Boy, is he smooth.Do you think we should tell Mr.Muscamente?""Those animals back there would tear us apart.He's having one of hismeetings.""Then what should we do?""Maybe that guy isn't heading toward us.""Looks like it to me.""If he's a man overboard, we have to pick him up," said the captain."Doesn't look like a man overboard to me," said the first mate."We'll all find out pretty soon."One of Mr.Muscamente's guests spotted the man overboard soon after.Thecaptain knew this because the guest fired a small pistol at the figure.Thefigure disappeared under the water.The figure came up at the rear of theyacht and began talking to Mr.Muscamente.The first thing he did was to convince Fingers to let go of his gun.He didthis by separating Fingers from the wrist that held the gun.Big Jelly wentoverboard like a bucket of chum.Then everyone sat back down quietly,including Mr.Muscamente.It was a day that would be remembered forever in the annals of the Californiamob.It was a day that brought tears to the eyes of Mr.Muscamente.Thesetears came when he could not explain why the witness, "Drums" Drumola, failedto remember testimony.Mr.Muscamente explained it as forces of the universe, while his underbosseslistened politely.The guest who swam aboard had a strong tendency to respondwith slaps and twists of arms [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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