by Mike Ryan
Mallette turned to the side and stuck his hand out. “Walk for a bit?”
Ames shrugged. “Sure.”
The two men walked past the fountain and started down one of the paths. A jogger ran past them.
“I assume you had something on your mind that you wanted to discuss,” Ames said. “Or was this just to exchange business cards?”
“A lot has gone on in this city in my absence.” Mallette put his hands back in his pants pockets as they walked. “Many people have tried to pick up where I left off, you included. They all have failed. Also, you included.”
“I would take exception to that. I have not failed.”
“Your last encounter with Jacobs would say otherwise.”
“A minor setback. Not a failure.”
Mallette grinned. “I used to say the same thing as I rotted away in that prison. Every time I would get word that Jacobs had killed another of my men, every time he foiled one of my plans, every time he disrupted one of my deals, I used to say it’s a minor setback. But it’s not. Jacobs has gotten the better of you, just as he got the better of me. If you want to be a leader, you have to recognize your failures. Learn from them. Move on. Be better.”
A slight look of confusion formed on Ames’ face. It almost sounded as if Mallette was giving him a pep talk. It wasn’t quite what he was expecting.
“What exactly is it that you want?” Ames asked. “I assume you didn’t arrange for this meeting just to give me some words of encouragement.”
“I asked for this meeting because I wanted to give you a choice.”
“A choice of what?”
“Helping to bring down Jacobs or leaving this city.”
Ames stopped walking. He finally heard it. The ultimatum he assumed was coming. “What?”
“You’re incapable of stopping Jacobs on your own. You’ve proven that. But if you’re still interested in accomplishing that, you can join my team, and you can still get the revenge that you seek.”
“Because you’re much more capable of taking him out?”
“Every run I’ve taken at him has been while I’m behind bars.”
“Oh, it’ll be so much different now that you’re out,” Ames sarcastically said.
“If you’re not interested in joining me, I’ll give you a few days to clear out.”
“And exactly why should I do that?”
Mallette finally let his rage and anger take over, moving inches from Ames’ face as he snarled at him. “Because this is my city. I’m in control over it. And I say who stays and who goes.”
Ames was not going to back down. And he wasn’t going to be intimidated. “You used to be in charge of this city. Not anymore. Now, better people are in charge of it.”
It wasn’t exactly what Mallette had planned when he called for the meeting. He hoped to reason with Ames, convince him to join him, as it would be better for both of them. He thought he could sweet talk him longer and better than he actually did. Mallette’s anger got in the way, though. Plus his belief that no one else was better than him caused that plan to disappear quickly. He just wasn’t capable of keeping his anger in check for too long.
“I have faced many challengers over the years,” Mallette said, taking a few steps back from Ames’ face. “I’ve always come out on top.”
“Because you never dealt with me. Listen, Mallette, I’m not in awe of you. And I won’t be scared of threats or intimidation tactics. Maybe you rose to the top through bullying people, but it won’t work with me. Besides, you just got out of prison. I seriously doubt you have enough manpower to handle Jacobs, or me.”
“The same could be said for you. I’ve been keeping an eye on your exploits. I know the score. You’ve had men falling left and right for the past year. Do you have enough men to handle me? I won’t deny that my force is not as strong as it once was, but I’ve already got enough out of the gate to handle whatever comes my way. Dozens of men are signing up with me, even as we speak.”
“I doubt that.”
“We don’t have to be enemies. We have a common goal and a common enemy. If you and your men throw in with me, you will have a prestigious spot at my side. You will still get everything you’ve wanted. You’ll still have power, command, property, money, women, whatever you desire.”
“Except I won’t be in charge.”
“Is it really more important for you to be in charge than it is to be living?”
“Is it really that hard for you to comprehend that you’re not the top dog anymore? You don’t have the authority—or the capability—to be giving threats to anyone. I firmly believe I have a bigger force than you. So if you’d like, I’ll let you throw in with me, and you can be my number two.”
Mallette scoffed at that. “Really?”
“Yeah. Wait, on second thought, I withdraw my offer. Because I seriously doubt that our partnership would last more than a week before I got a knife in my back.”
“Then you have one other option. If you’re not willing to join me, then I’m giving you one week to leave this city.”
“Or else?”
“If you’re still here after a week, I cannot guarantee you will remain in good health.”
“Maybe I should give you an option.”
“And what would that be?”
“I’ll give you a week to clear out. You just got out of jail, there should be nothing holding you here. You could easily pack up and move somewhere else, take control of some other city.”
“Except I belong to this one. And I was here long before you.”
“You keep harping on the past. The past is gone. Now we’re talking about the present and the future. And both of those belong to me.”
“It would seem that we’re in agreement,” Mallette said. “Though we’re not on the same page, we both understand each other.”
“We do. And this was a courtesy meeting. The next one won’t be so friendly.”
“The next one you won’t be alive for.”
With nothing else to say, Ames stormed off, quickly walking back to his men. Mallette just stood there and watched him walk away. It didn’t work out as well as he’d hoped, though it wasn’t unexpected. He really didn’t think Ames would throw in with him, anyway. But now everything was out in the open. Everyone knew where everyone stood.
After Ames and his men left the park, Selby and Reed rejoined their boss.
“By the way they left, I guess it didn’t go well,” Selby said.
“It went as expected,” Mallette replied. “Not as I hoped… but expected.”
“He ain’t coming aboard?” Reed asked.
“No. But it is fine. We’ll take him out first. Then when he’s gone, whatever men he’s got left will get an open invitation to join our ranks.”
“Should we try to avoid killing his men?”
“No. We’ll ruthlessly attack Ames and whoever’s following him. We’ll pick up the scraps when it’s all over.”
“How soon?”
“Immediately,” Mallette answered. “We must attack them now while they’re still on the rebound. Ames just returned. It will take him some time to get back in the swing of things. And before he’s able to recruit more men. He’s vulnerable now. And now is the time to strike.”
“What about Butch?”
Mallette looked at his watch. “I meet with him in an hour. I suspect my conversation with him will go similar to this one.”
“Why not just take him out first? Surprise him while we can.”
“Because it takes planning for that. We don’t know how many men Butch will bring, and we’re not ready for that. But in due time, we will. In due time.”
5
Mallette’s car pulled into the lot of the half-torn down building that at one point was six stories, but was now down to three with no roof on it. Butch and his boys were already waiting for him, with their three cars parked right behind each other. Butch was leaning against his car with his arms folded as he waited for Mallette to arrive.
Once Mallette and his escorts parked, Selby and Reed were the first to get out of their car, which they parked behind Mallette’s vehicle. As Reed stood with his hands behind his back, facing Butch and his men, Selby opened the back door, letting Mallette step out. Mallette didn’t make a move forward at first, sizing up his potential adversaries.
On the ride over to the meeting, Mallette thought about his previous encounter with Ames. He felt he’d come on too strong. He played it too heavy-handed. He should have added a defter touch to the proceedings. While he initially planned on giving the same offer—and ultimatum—to Butch, he had a change of heart while in the car.
Before going to prison, Mallette was thought to be a good strategist. He could manipulate people into doing the things that he wanted. He didn’t always have to resort to playing the intimidation card, though he could if it ultimately came to that. He had to get back to that man again. Prison had made him angrier and impatient. Upon reflection, the move he made with Ames was the wrong one. But he would rectify that with Butch. He would get him to play ball. There was an opportunity here, and he couldn’t blow it.
As Mallette walked over to him, Butch looked at him apprehensively. He was ready for a fight if it came to that. He was somewhat surprised when Mallette stuck his hand out to greet him, a smile on his face, looking as if they were old friends. While still not trusting him, Butch returned the handshake.
Mallette took a step back, placing his left hand on his right wrist as his arms fell in front of his body. He looked like a relaxed man. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
Butch squinted his eyes, shocked to hear what sounded like a compliment. “It is?”
“Yes. I’ve heard quite a bit about you over the past year. I must say… you’re not at all like I was expecting.”
Butch was already starting to seethe. He could feel it coming. He was used to jokes about his lack of height, but that didn’t mean he took them well. “Oh yeah? Why’s that?”
“Well, for one, I expected you to be taller.” Mallette could tell by the look on Butch’s face that he was beginning to get mad. He put his arm up to prevent him from getting more hostile. “That’s not an insult or anything. On the contrary, I’m quite impressed with what you’ve been able to do.”
“Really?”
“Yes. You weren’t blessed with the physical tools that some men in this business have. You’re not six-foot-five, you’re not chiseled in muscle with two percent body fat, and you can’t rely on the intimidation factor that those attributes possess. In order to rise above, which you clearly have done, that means you must have something else that most others do not.” Mallette pointed to the side of his temple. “And that’s up here. You have to have something up here that most don’t have. You can out-think them, outwit them, make them see what you want them to see, what you want them to believe.”
Butch’s anger had faded away with the positive words. Though he certainly didn’t mind hearing them, he was sure there was another reason behind them besides Mallette just wanting to make him sound good. “I’m supposing you actually have a point you’re trying to make?”
Mallette grinned and held his arm out. “May we walk alone for a bit? I think men like us should discuss things in private and not out in the open?”
Butch looked in the direction Mallette was pointing and shrugged. “Sure. Why not?” They walked away from the rest of the men, towards the side of the building. They stepped on small pebbles of rock and stone that used to be part of the building’s walls. “Congratulations on getting out, by the way.”
“Oh. Thank you. It was a long time coming.”
“Too long, I’m sure.”
“Ever been in prison?” Mallette asked, even though he knew that he had. He’d read everything he could on Butch before this.
“Yeah. Did a few years.”
“Then you know what it’s like. You know what it does to a person.”
“Yeah. Well, hopefully you’ll never have to go back.”
“I won’t. Never again.”
Butch was still wondering what this was all about. “That’s all well and good, Mallette, but like I asked you back there, I’m assuming you have something you want to discuss here?”
“I do. As you know, I was once in charge of this city.”
“I’m well aware.”
“Since I’m out, I intend to be in charge of this city once again.”
“I’m assuming that puts us on opposite sides since—”
Mallette stopped and put his arms up to stop him. “Now, it doesn’t need to be like that. I came here to talk to you because I respect you. I respect what you’ve done so far. We do not need to be enemies.”
“We don’t need to be enemies, huh? I’m assuming this is the part where you tell me I’ve got a few days to leave town or else?”
Mallette laughed. “No, not at all. I’d like to propose a deal with you. One that is mutually beneficial for both of us. We’ll both get what we want.”
They started walking again. “I’m listening.”
“We form a partnership.”
Butch was a little shocked to hear that word and immediately looked at the man by his side. “What kind of partnership?”
“I intend to rule this city again. But that doesn’t mean I have to crush you to do it. We can work together. You help me get what I want, and I can help you get what you want.”
“It seems as though we both want the same thing.”
“Do we?” They walked around to the back of the building. “You came here because, while I was gone, there was an opportunity. With my return, along with Ames being here, that opportunity is closing fast. Sure, we could all battle each other, kill each other, destroy each other’s operations, but what would that get us? If we survived it, we’d be decimated, ripe for someone else coming in and taking advantage of our shortsightedness, or end up back in jail ourselves.”
“So what are you proposing?”
“You step aside, help me in ridding this city of Ames and Brett Jacobs, allow me to rise to the top again, and I will help you when it’s over.”
“Help me how?”
“You want to rule a city of your own, which you’ve been unable to do here because of Ames. I’ll help you accomplish that.”
“Somewhere else, I take it?”
“Well, we both want to rule, and we can’t do it in the same place. But we don’t have to be enemies. We can have a mutually beneficial partnership. Together, we can have a powerful organization that helps one another in times of need. Together, we can crush Ames. Then you and I can sit down together, analyze, and strategically pick where the best opportunity would be for you to take over. And if you need help in that regard once you get there, my door would be open for you.”
“I don’t know.”
“Think about it. There’s value in this proposition.”
“And what guarantees do I have that you would actually follow through with this and not take me out too?”
They walked around to the other side of the building. “All I can give you is my word. That’s all I have to offer. I’m hoping that’s good enough.”
“And if I decide to reject this deal?”
They stopped walking and faced each other. “Then I’m afraid that would put us on opposite sides. But like I said, I’m hoping it doesn’t come to that. It doesn’t have to. Not with intelligent men like you and me. We should know better. Because if we get into a war… you, me, and Ames, we’re not making it out. Maybe none of us do. Do you really want to take the chance and hope to be the last man standing?”
Butch stood there silently, contemplating the offer. Mallette could feel that he was starting to sway. Butch wasn’t as hardheaded as Ames. But he needed to keep up the pressure and convince him to turn all the way.
“You’re not even from around here,” Mallette said. “Aren’t you from Milwaukee or Detroit or something? You’ve got no attachment to this city. You could just as easily go to anoth
er one, one that’s ripe for the taking, more so than this one. Make it easy on yourself. And me.”
“Am I to assume you either have or will make the same offer to Ames?”
Mallette grinned. “I’ve already talked to Wilson Ames.”
“And what was his response?”
“I don’t believe he is as smart as you are. Besides, you and he have no love lost from what I understand. You’ve already been going back and forth. Getting some help to go up against him shouldn’t upset you too much.”
“No, it doesn’t. It’s just the me picking up and moving part that worries me.”
“And as I’ve said, there’s nothing to worry about. After this is over, I’ll help you pick your spot. You can have the city that you’ve dreamed of being the top dog in. You wouldn’t have to worry about dueling with Ames, or Jacobs, or anyone else.”
“Speaking of Jacobs, what’s the deal with him? I know you’ve got history.”
“Naturally, I would prefer to get rid of him as well. He’s been a thorn in my side ever since I’ve known him. And that hasn’t stopped while I was in prison. I can’t have him walking around the streets anymore.”
“He and I have had kind of a truce ourselves. We’ve been somewhat working together.”
Mallette scrunched his face together, suddenly fearing that his new plan was falling through the cracks. “You have? In what way?”
“The enemy of my enemy is my friend. I’ve wanted Ames out of the way. Jacobs has had his own issues with Ames, and he’s wanted him out of the way. I personally have no issues with Jacobs, and it’s been to our mutual benefit that we help each other in accomplishing that.”
“But you haven’t.”
Butch looked away for a second. “No.”
“Do you have a particular affinity for the man?”
“Jacobs?”
“Yes. I sensed a slight hesitation in wanting to take him out.”
“Well, like I said, I personally have no issues with him.”
“But you do have a direct line of contact with him?”
Butch nodded. “I do.”
“Then that could give us the advantage we need. If you’re willing to do what’s necessary.”