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Betrayal

Talon Lawrence

    “Smoke?” Sully asked.
    “Newport? Christ. I’m good,” James replied.
    “You say that now. Just wait.”
    James fumbled through his pocket. “For what? I’ve got my own. Marlboro. The one and only.”
    Sully grinned. “Marlboro? Shit. Where are you stashing that extra money, kid?”
    “I’m not feeding two, Sully. Not anymore. I can afford it.”
    “Sorry, kid.”
    “Don’t worry about it. Besides, it’s Marlboro, Sully. Not a bad tradeoff.”
    “You mind if I trade you for one?”
    “For a Newport? Nah. Just take one.”
    “Thanks, kid.”
    “Yeah, yeah. How’s the wife?”
    “Marion? She’s been better. Colin just started school Upstate. She’s taking it hard.”
    “College? Well, he’s got his head in the right place. More so than his old man.”
    Sully took a drag from his cigarette. “God, I hope so.”
    James took one final drag before tossing his cigarette. “You ready?” he asked.
    “Yeah. I suppose,” Sully replied.
    Sully stamped out his cigarette before the two men walked to the trunk of the car. Sully examined the surroundings before unlocking it. Inside revealed an unconscious man. He was bound at the hands and feet. Tape was covering his mouth.
    Sully looked him over. “He’s still out. Get him inside,” he said.
    James lifted the squat man, tossing him over his shoulder with relative ease, before proceeding to the warehouse. Sully scanned the environment once more before following.
    Once inside, James sat the man up on a stool, shackling him to a rusted beam. He then ripped the tape off of the man’s mouth, assuming it would wake him. However, it only stirred him for a brief moment.
    Sully shook his head. “Get the bucket. If it’s not under the sink, it’s in the closet,” he said.
    After a few moments of searching, James returned with a bucket filled with water. He drained it on the bound man, this time successfully waking him.
    “Wake up, Donnie,” Sully said.
    “What the fuck, man,” Donnie said as he attempted to stand.
    “Look, Donnie, we know you’re a rat. There’s no way around it,” James said.
    “Where am I, Sully?” Donnie asked.
    Sully ignored the question. Instead he continued the interrogation. “We’ve got pictures, Donnie. It doesn’t look good,” he said.
    “How long have we known each other, Donnie?” James said.
    “I’ve fucked up bad, Sully,” Donnie said.
    “Yeah. Yeah, you did. Tell us what you’ve given them,” Sully said.
    “Jesus. I’ve got a wife, Sully. Kids,” Donnie said.
    “They’ll be fine, Donnie. They’re out of this. I promise.”
    “Without their father, Sully? They need their father.”
    “Cut the bullshit. It’s too late for it. You’ve betrayed Santone, Donnie. You’ve betrayed the Family. He wants to make an example of you,” James said.
    Donnie went still, gazing solemnly into the distance. “The docks. They have the shipping schedules for the month,” Donnie said.
    “Son of a bitch,” James said.
    Sully looked to James. “Call Saul.” He returned to Donnie, “What else, Donnie?” he asked.
    Tears welled up in Donnie’s eyes. “I’m sorry, Sully,” he replied.
    Sully stood up. “What else, Donnie?”
    “Names, Sully. They’ve got names.”
    “Who’s on that list, Donnie?”
    Tears trickled from Donnie’s eyes, saliva from his mouth. “Everyone.”
    “Fuck.”
    Sully pulled out his gun, wrenching the trigger. Donnie slouched over. Though suppressed, James still flinched. After a pause he continued on the phone. Once he returned from the call, James looked upon Donnie with disappointment.
    “Damnit, Sully. I told you to wait for me,” James said.
    Sully paced around Donnie’s now lifeless body. “Ten years. Ten years we worked together. I can’t believe it. We need to call capo. They’ve got us on paper,” he said.
    “Of the Family? They already have papers on us. It’s the FBI.”
     Sully stopped pacing and rounded on James. “Think, Jamie. They were going on outdated information that doesn’t include us. I don’t want feds questioning my son. Do you want them beating down your door?”
    “Listen to yourself, Sully. You’re not making any sense.”
    Suddenly the door came crashing down as SWAT rushed in. Sully, who was still carrying his gun, managed a stray shot before he was incapacitated.
    “Jesus,” James immediately threw up his hands, “I’m one of you. I’m undercover,” he said.
    An officer pulled down his facemask. “We’re tracking. Captain Riggs called it in,” he said.
    Bleeding out, Sully sat down on the cold concrete floor. James crouched down beside him.
    “I’m sorry, Sully,” James said.
    “You too, kid?” Sully asked.
    James throat was swollen from grief. “Yeah. Me too.”
    Sully coughed blood. The pain caused him to cringe. “It burns,” he said.
    “Stop talking. There’s an ambulance coming.”
    “You’re going to want me dead, kid.”
    James didn’t respond.
    Sully hacked up more blood. “I think I’m ready for that Marlboro now.”
    James looked back at the officers before reaching into Sully’s blood-soaked jacket, grabbing the pack of Newports. He pulled out the one Marlboro he’d inserted earlier and then lit it before placing it in Sully’s lips. Sully managed a puff.
    “Smooth,” Sully said, his voice faint.



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