Shadow Ops: Homecoming

    Almost two years in the field after Shadow Ops training, Priscilla Roletti was a force to be reckoned with, even with the skills she now possessed, she never turned them on the weak or helpless. In fact there were a few times where she was able to use her skills and helped a few strangers along the way, one such man was named Harry. Harry was from Priscilla’s old neighborhood he ran the local corner candy store, she had fond memories of going there and getting the tooth rotting sweets she so loved. But aside from that, she had other reasons to remember the kind old man, on the fateful day when her mother threw her to the curb like some discarded dog. He showed her kindness that could never be repaid he gave her food and money, and most of all a warm smile. Since coming back to NY she had not ventured to her old neighborhood, there was no reason to, there were to many bad memories. But the kind old man popped into her mind from, time to time, more so since she had put to rest another thing from her past. Brad, who had brutally raped her, she took great pleasure in ending his life the way she did.  She was just on her way home from the “office” when she decided to see the old man and say thank you, for the kindness he showed her. It didn’t take her long to make her way there, pulling up to the corner she observed the neighborhood, it sure had seen better days. Aside from that everything almost looked the same, some stores she remembered were long gone replaced with new ones, Harry’s store looked the same. She smiled to herself, as she walked she looked down her old block able to see her old home. She had no interest in ever going there. She didn’t care about what became of her old friends, what mattered was the present and the future. The old life she knew was nothing more than a nightmare she had finally woken up from. As she approached the store she took notice that it looked a little to beaten up, she didn't think too much on it. The moment she walked inside a flood of memories good and bad overtook her. She remembered the old man so well, he was a favorite among the kids. As she walked towards the counter, the old wooden floor creaked; just hearing that made her feel like she was a kid again for some strange reason.  She was slightly surprised that someone else, sat behind the counter, someone a lot younger.
    “Hello, how's it going?” He said as he moved his newspaper to make room for his new customer. Priscilla smiled, grabbing a pack of gum and a NY Post. As she reached into her pocket to pay for her items she asked.
    “ Hey, let me ask you I grew in this neighborhood, the old man that owned is store did he die? I wanted to talk to him.” When asked that the young man’s face turned saddened.
    “ No... No, he didn't die,” he said as he closed his paper and tossed it to the side.
    “ He sold it?”
    “No I wish that were the case, he was beaten three days ago.” Priscilla almost let out a gasp she totally wasn't expecting that.
    “Oh my god, are you his son?”
    “ No I’m his nephew, Harry never had kids, he was married but his wife couldn't have kids, she died a few years ago. I told him to sell and come down to FL but Uncle Harry refused, he wanted to stay till he was ready to sell. If you ask me I think he wanted to die here.” He smiled slightly, he had a point it always seemed the old man always was at the store, as a kid she thought he lived in the back.
    “ I really got on his case when the gangs started to role into town.”
    “ Gangs?” She repeated sounding surprised but after thinking of that, why was she, NYC was a breeding ground for them, he nodded.
    “They've been here for some time and are getting worse first it was drugs, selling on the street corners fights, gun shots at night, now they are strong arming the locals for protection money, against other gangs.” As she listened she tried not to make it obvious that she was clenching her jaw, the clerk took notice to her tightening her grip around the paper. Her knuckles turned white, she loosed her grip when she noticed this. Upon learning this Priscilla’s first reaction was to lash out at anyone goddamn gangs street punks. They didn't care who they preyed upon. 
    “ When they first came around he refused to pay them anything and chased one of them out of his store, but they came back in force, trashing the place, beating my Uncle, now he's in the hospital.” The young man looked as though he'd cry at any moment. She pushed aside her anger, she needed to focus now.
    “ Which hospital? I'd like to see him if you don't mind, by the way my name is Priscilla I used to live up the block that's how I know him, I was one of his regulars.” She said trying to lighten the mood as best she could under the circumstances.
    “ Troy, nice to meet you, you can come with me, I was gonna close in about an hour anyway, give me a few.”

  The ride to the hospital was somber, Priscilla having her own car followed Troy. As she drove she couldn’t help thinking back to the old man, how the hell could anyway hurt a guy like that? It seemed the more kind hearted you were the more misery one got; it didn’t make sense to her. As they took the elevator up, Troy told her the only reason he was minding the store, was because a prospecting buyer was supposed  to come down, it would have been the second one that stopped by that day.
While Troy went to find the nurse on duty to see how Harry’s condition was he told Priscilla the room number. It didn't take long to find it Harry was the furthest bed in the double occupancy room the other person was a middle aged woman who was crocheting when Priscilla entered. She looked up  taking her glasses off and smiled Priscilla returned the gesture walking past the drawn curtain. Seeing Harry the way he was bruised and battered  almost made her want to shed a tear. But this cold-blooded woman had none to shed, the only emotion she had now was a rage. It took all her will power not to storm outta here and get right down to business. There'd be plenty of time for that, she told herself as she stood next to the kind man and gently ran her hand over his head, she rubbed his cheek. She went to his medical chart looking it over, he suffered two broken ribs a concussion, and a fractured arm. She glanced at his date of birth. It turned out the old man wasn't as old as she perceived him to be. He was almost 70 now, it was amazing what the young mind thought was old. She laughed to herself. Hearing footsteps approaching she quickly put back the chart where it was, Troy had returned.
    “ What’s up?” She asked, he looked saddened.
 
  “ I talked to the Dr. he said they don't know when he might wake up, they had to put him in a medical comma to operate on him.” He slumped down in the chair looking at his Uncle, she peered deep in his eyes and saw a anger. He looked towards her with swelled eyes.
    “ Those animals, not only did they have to beat him but they took his necklace.” She gave him a quizzical look.
    “ When my aunt died, his wife, she had a cross, my Uncle took it to a jeweler and had her wedding band attached to it, with a blue emerald  in the middle it was small, it was her birth stone.” Priscilla nodded walking closer and placed a hand on his shoulder.
      “ Listen, I’m gonna be in town for a few days, why don't you go, I’ll stay and watch over him I’ll give you my cell number, give me yours too I’ll call you if anything changes.” He looked up to her skeptically.
    “ Why? I mean why would you offer that?” The question didn't insult her in the least.
    “ Because without getting into it, your Uncle showed me a act of kindness so many years ago, my coming down was to thank him, I can't. So I want to help in anyway I can.” Troy nodded. “ I have no doubt your Uncle will recover from this, these old timers are hard to put down.” She said with a smile, he nodded returning the smile.
    “ Maybe your right, my wife couldn't come up with me, if she was here I'd be able to do what needed to be done, I want to clear out his apartment and sell his shop, he's not staying here now. I don't care what he says.”
She nodded understanding she gestured go to the door.
  “ Go....I’ll be here, I give you my word, he'll be fine.” Troy looked to his beloved uncle got up and kissed his forehead, thanking Priscilla again he made for the door, just before he left Priscilla asked him one last thing.
    “ Troy?” He stopped and turning back to her.
    “ This gang, you wouldn't happen to know where they hang do you?” The question caught him off guard.
    “ Yeah my Uncle told me they hang out at this pool hall, west of here, I think it’s on Linden Blvd at the corner of Liberty Street.” She nodded. “Why?” he asked.
    “ I was just wondering that's all.” He nodded, still looking confused why she'd ask that, but didn't ask again and left. She walked to the doorway watching him go, then waiting several minutes till she felt it he was totally gone. Priscilla went to the nursing station and asked for a few pieces of paper and a pen, sitting in the same chair Troy was, she proceeded to write a letter.

  It was early in the evening when she called Troy before she left the hospital keeping him up to speed on the situation which had not changed much. She told him she was stepping put for an hour just to grab a bite to eat and some magazines, she told him not to rush back, and to take care of the business that he needed to attend to. She was here watching over him. It was time for her to attend to her business now. She was on her way to that pool hall she knew where it was. It was the same place she remembered from her youth and even then it was a hang out for derelicts making her way back to her car that was parked at the hospital she grabbed a few essential items and departed. She walked ten blocks looking for a hardware store, which she found, and then took a bus the rest of the way, getting off just a block before the pool hall. She stood by the corner watching it, people were coming and going, there were two punks outside just hanging out, lookouts most likely. She knew they were the gang from the colors Troy said they wore which were gold. She gritted her teeth, she couldn't wait any longer, it was dark enough now. She hurried across the street her knee low wool coat fluttered in the breeze, once on the same block she slowed her pace. One thing in her favor the pedestrians from the neighborhood avoided parts like this, like the plague the ones that didn't know to avoid this part were hassled by the gang members. As she got closer  she glanced all round her quick before picking up her pace again. One of the gang members spotted her, he tapped the shoulder of his buddy, who was harassing a woman trying to lift up her skirt.
  “ Yo yo Blondie, what’chu doing on this side of town huh? You got something to give? You gotta pay to pass.” She smiled, she thought this was  cute, buncha punks oh my god, she was gonna enjoy this. The guy with the bandanna who spoke to her blocked her path while the other one stood close to her side, licking his lips looking her up and down. Before the one in the bandanna could say a word she took out her right hand and whacked them both in the temple, they fell like rocks. Within seconds she dragged them to the wall and tied their hands and feet with plastic ties, the small blackjack club she used was placed back in her pocket before entering she made sure no one was coming, satisfied she walked in. At first, she went unnoticed she used that opportunity by tying the panic bars closed with the plastic ties. She turned on her heel, and not soon enough. She was getting approached by two thugs who had spotted her. They had dopey grins on there faces, some of the others saw her too, stopping what they were doing to watch what was gonna unfold.  She took in the place noting each and everyone that could be a potential  threat, from their perspective they had some stupid woman who happened to walk in their place. There were pool tables from the front all the way to the back, and a bar to her left, she wasn’t going to try to yell over the music, she did a two fingered whistle that halted everyone, even the god awful music they were playing abruptly stopped, she smiled and cleared her throat.
    “ My Uncle was beaten up from some local gang bangers, they trashed his store. He's in the hospital now, in a comma, now aside from the fact that they beat him to a pulp, but to add real insult  to injury they took something from him that was far more valuable than money. A gold cross with a wedding band attached to it and in the center is a emerald, it belonged to his wife, and I'm here to collect it, does anyone here know what I'm talking about?”  She yelled out in a clear calm commanding voice. Seconds ticked by, gang members in general  were very arrogant  thinking there vast numbers were all that was needed. They counted on that to instill fear in anyone, so by this woman looking nothing more of a threat than a child it caught them all off guard to say the least. They looked to one another, some laughed making fun some even mocked her. Priscilla was on the verge of losing what little patience she had. She was about to speak again when a rather tough looking guy shoved aside two people, coming forward. He looked at her with amusement.
    “ An maybe we do, why you gonna give us something in return? Perhaps some dough? How much you willing to pay since it’s so valuable. ” She  tilted her head slightly shoving aside her hair, she smiled.
      “ We’ll talk price but first the question is do you have it?” He looked somewhat surprised she'd take him up on this, reaching through the top of his shirt he pulled out a chain full of trinkets, finding the said cross he held it up.
    “ Here ya go, lady come and get it.” She was more than happy to, her visage turned deadly as she reached behind her, and pulled out two silenced berretta’s. Everyone in a delayed reaction tried to run, or duck some that were sitting atop the pool tables fell off.  She wasted no time in laying to waste everything that moved, blood splattered  the green tables as bodies fell on them, some of the gang members recovered from the shock and tried to fight back. One threw a pool ball at her which she shot in mid-air then shot the thrower, another pool ball whizzed  past her as she ducked killing the hurler for his effort. Many ran for the back but were shot down in cold blood, some brave enough to fight her attacked her with pool sticks. She shot them before they could even be a threat, in her killing frenzy she walked in deeper, her arms were in a ten and two position sweeping the entire place.  Some of the gang members pulled out guns of their own firing wildly they were more worried about how they looked holding the gun than trying to aim it, that was the death of them. Once she ran out of rounds on both her guns she ejected both clips and placed one of the guns down on the nearest pool table, throwing off her coat she grabbed the two extra clips in her pocket. But before she could put them in three gang members came at her. Two with pool sticks and one with a knife, the first one taken out was the guy with the pool stick, she disarmed him quick breaking his arm. With her new weapon she confronted the other punk with the knife before he could even get close enough to use it, she smashed him in the face with the stick, picking up the knife she threw it at the last combatant, finding her mark. Before inserting her fresh clips Priscilla made sure there was no one else coming at her, slamming both of them in and chambering  the rounds she walked forward amidst her handy work. She  nearly killed them all, some had fled her wrath through the back door. She looked for the guy who was the leader, he could have been among the dead in her bloodlust, she didn’t care who she shot. As she looked for him, she heard whimpering in a darkened corner looking up she spotted him. He was laying on his stomach with his hands covering his head. She fired a round inches from his head, he jumped, trying to crawl away. Priscilla quickly closed the gap, planting her foot hard on his back.
He yelled out in pain, trying to roll over, she kicked him in the side, helping him with that. Looking up at her spit spilled from his lips as he tried to talk he was hysterical tears fell from his eyes.
  “ What the fuck do you want lady?!!” She stomped his stomach and placed her boot heel in this neck, the barrel of her silenced gun was hovering over his head.
    “ For starters I want the necklace, two,  are you the boss here or do you answer to someone else?” He tried to answer with her boot in his neck she let up some pressure but only slightly.
    “ I...I answer to someone else..”
    “ Oh yeah? Where’s your cell phone?” he pointed to the pocket she reached down and grabbed it scrolling through his numbers.
    “ What's his name?”
    “ Ric....Ric, big Ric” She nodded.
    “ Big Ric huh?”  She said mockingly as she found the name and dialed it, it didn't take long for big Ric to answer.
    “ Hey big Ric, I'm here with your boy... What's your name?” She asked stomping him in the ribs.
    “ Ooow!, Devoe!"
    “ Right, I'm here with Devoe, you’ll hear about what happened here soon enough but your on notice, the neighborhood isn't going to take anymore of your drugs and crap, so you better clear out, and far because if you don't I'll find you and do worse than what I did here tonight got it?” Before Ric could even reply she handed the phone back to Devoe, he was frantic.
    “ Ric! Man help me! She killed them all everyone is dead! She's not playing this whit.... She shot Devoe ending his miserable life. That should add to the effect. She took in her handy work one would think that the sight of such would make even the toughest cringe, not her. This was what she did and she was one of the best out there. She reached down ripping the gold chain off  Devoe, making sure none of the charms fell off she quickly put it in her pocket, before leaving she had on last thing to do.
  In less than three hours Priscilla made it back to the hospital, and there she stayed for the remainder of the evening, she cleaned off the cross of any blood that may have gotten on it and slipped it around the neck of the sleeping Harry. She used a tacky silver necklace it would do for now. To pass some of the time, she watched the news, and not surprisingly she saw her handy work broadcast all over, before coming back here she dropped off a “ anonymous letter” off at the nearest precinct. When the cops finally went to investigate not only did they discover the carnage by her hand, but written in blood on the wall was a message to them also “ do your jobs” was all it said. Now the Mayor was in front of the cameras, promising a swift and thorough investigation and  pleading with the public to come forward with any information. She was disgusted by this and shut the T.V. off investigation she thought, there’s nothing to investigate they had it coming and they got it end of story. She took a deep breath, looking back at Harry.
She watched over the peaceful looking man as she dozed off in the chair. 

    Priscilla woke up from a sound sleep hearing a groan next to her, half asleep still she looked over and saw Harry move his arm, she quickly got up seeing that the old man was trying to sit up she quickly placed a firm but gentle hand on his chest, she startled him a bit, he looked up at her groggy.
    “ Stay still my friend, you've been a sleep for a few days, you had me worried.” He squinted at her, he tried to speak but his throat was dry the words came out raspy.
    “ Water...” was all he said, she was more than happy to get it for him. As his eyes focused he peered upon her, he was coming about slowly Priscilla was smiling to herself. She took the cup from him, and pushed him gently back down.
    “ Who..who are you?” He was still very weak, he strained to sit up again. Priscilla helped get him comfortable, she stepped away, pushing his hair back, his hand then fell to his chest, feeling the cold metal his eyes widened he knew what that was, he studied the cross before looking back to the woman.
    “ I… the last thing I remember before blacking out was those kids pulling this off me, I thought it was lost forever.” He said weakly.
    “ Did you get this back for me?” how he knew or assumed she didn’t know, but she nodded. He tried to hold back tears.
    “ Thank you, I’m indebted to you.” Priscilla shook her head.
    “ No your not, I came to thank you for the kindness you showed me so many years ago, it was me that owed you my thanks.” Whether or not he understood she didn’t know, she kissed his forehead.
    “ Take care of yourself Harry.” She said, and then gathered her belongings. She didn’t need to be here when Troy came back she had done what she needed to do. Just when she was about to leave, Harry called out to her.
      “ You’re the little girl that…. That was kicked outta the house aren’t you?”  She turned around affirming what he asked and smiled, he returned it, she then left without saying another word.